Heavily Defended Territory

Many Biblical historians say that the church at Colosse was founded by Epaphras. Paul wrote to this church because Epaphras reported that false teachers were infiltrating the church saying that other laws needed to be added to the truth of the gospel of the grace of God. According to Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

We’re called alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ to minister to one another with words of comfort, encouragement, and edification through the power and love of the Holy Spirit.

In Colossians 1:9-12 Paul wrote by God’s inspiration:
9. For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
10. That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
11. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”

Paul prayed for their knowledge of God’s will and that they would be filled with God’s wisdom and spiritual understanding. He specifically asked for spiritual knowledge, not worldly knowledge. To know spiritual understanding means that we must first be born again of God’s spirit. Then we can see the world from God’s perspective. Only then can we see according to the spirit with Christ’s eyes behind our eyes.

Pastor Eugene H. Peterson said, “the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory.” However, when we give up our so-called rights, forsake our pride, and surrender our will to God’s will, then He will work in us and through us to will and to do of His good pleasure. He will give us the desires of our heart when we intentionally delight ourselves also in the Lord… when we actively align our desires with His desires.

Oswald Chambers prayed in his devotional My Utmost for his Highest, “Lord, Even if I am called to offer my own self in sacrifice and service to your faith, I will be joyful and rejoice. If your plan for me is to be a doormat underfoot so that others can trample on, then thank you Lord for this calling.” Jesus Christ himself has taught us to know how to be abased. Are you willing to seek not to be ministered to but to minister? He has called us to forsake our so-called earthly dignity in order to give up the over-desires of our sinful flesh. Until we empty ourselves of ourselves then he cannot fill us with his will and the desire of His heart.

Mother Teresa said, “God works best with nothing.” In order to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding, we must approach his throne of grace with empty hands. Then the Holy Spirit can fill us and will teach us His wisdom.

Regardless of the trials and tribulations of this world, God said, in Isaiah 41:10, “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness..”

To love God above all is the first and great commandment. Jesus said in The Sermon on the Mount, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all these other things shall be added unto you.” We cannot obey the second command, to love our neighbor as ourselves, until we obey the first command to love God above all.

The best way to love your children is to love your wife. The best way to love your wife is to love God above all. Loving thy neighbor as thyself depends on Loving God first. Then we can serve others with Christ’s heart behind our heart. Then we can understand Jesus’ words of wisdom: “In that thou has done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Warren Wiersbe said Christian service is a result of Christian devotion. God must make the worker before he can assign the work. Jesus doesn’t call the qualified, he qualifies the called.

As Christians, our responsibility is our response to His ability. Therefore meditate on these things, (the word of God), commit thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear unto all. As we meditate on His word, he will weave into our hearts the fabric of his will. The wisdom and understanding of the Lord will be manifest in our lives when we make his will our will and his purpose our purpose.

According to 1 Peter 2:9, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:”

We’re called from the darkness of this world to declare the excellency of God’s grace, mercy, and peace….for he alone is worthy to be praised. The purpose of his calling is that we should be to the praise of the glory of His grace… for He alone is worth of all glory and honor and praise.

He gave us his power so that we could attain patience and longsuffering with joyfulness. The patience is in abiding with and within our Lord Jesus Christ. In John 15: 5 Jesus said, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

The devil attacks men of God so that they will forget the reason for their calling. To make it as God’s man, we must spend time in His presence and in His word. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is an acquired taste. According to proverbs, taste and see that the Lord is good. The prophet said, I found thy words and I did eat them. And they became unto me the joy and rejoicing of my soul. When we deliberately delight ourselves in the Lord, making his desire our desire and his delight our delight, then he will give us the desires of our hearts.

The warfare is not against sin. The battlefield is for hearts and minds. It begins in our own hearts. The spiritual battle is the battle to turn our natural mind into the super-natural mind of Christ. A man of God’s heart’s desire is to spend the rest of his life learning to become just like Jesus. It’s not done easily. It’s the result of deliberately choosing the right moral choices according to His word. The prophet Isaiah said, “as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, so shall my word be that proceedeth out fo my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing where unto I sent it.”

Jesus said, “If my word abides in you and you abide in me, you shall bear much fruit.” According to Psalm 1, “blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the. Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree that is planted by the rivers of (living) waters. His leaf also shall not wither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

We must give up the rights to ourselves in order to obey his command… trust in the. Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thy own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths. So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and men….

… That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Who Is My Neighbor?

What’s on your heart? According to Proverbs 4:23, “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” When God called Pastor Pete to minister His Word and to pastor God’s flock, God told him, “Preach the word and let the chips fall where they may.”

Our calling is to love God’s people with with the love of God. This is not a worldly kind of love. This is God’s unconditional love according to the Holy Spirit that dwells in us. God honors his word in us when we’re obedient to his calling according to his word of truth.

The world did not see the global pandemic coming. Our foresight in the year 2020 was not 20-20. However this is all part of God’s plan. From God’s perspective, the Corona Virus was not a pandemic. Instead it was part of His Plan-Demic. Regardless of the panic, pandemonium and pandemics of this world, our Christian calling is to be faithful to the calling to which we have been called…to be faithful to his word. As Oswald Chambers said, “When the crisis comes, and courage is required, God expects his men to have such confidence in him, that they will be the reliable ones.”

When our life is over and our time on earth is done, the question will be, “were you faithful to His word?” Despite the cares of this world, Peter said, “cast all your cares upon Him, for He careth for you.”

The parable of the Good Samaritan is a message of encouragement. God himself is the God of all comfort. According to Luke 10 beginning in verse 25:

25. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
26. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
27. And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
29. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?
30. And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
31. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
32. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
33. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
34. And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
35. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
36. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
37. And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

The lawyer came to Jesus with the right question but with the wrong motive. The right question is “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The lawyer’s second question revealed his wrong motive, “Who is my neighbor?”

Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. We’re called to love our neighbors as ourselves regardless of whether we agree or disagree with their “religious beliefs.” When people are ignorant of the truth of the Word of God, they cannot follow the will of God. The people of this world are not our enemy. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. The battle is for the hearts and minds of those whom God has called. As sowers of the seed of God’s word, he’s called us to sow the seed regardless of the ground on which it falls. The types of ground in the parable of the sower represent the receptiveness of the hearts of men.

A good neighbor shows mercy and compassion on those who are beaten down and wounded by the cares of this world. Our responsibility is to sow the seed of the word of God and to pray for the hearts of those upon which the word falls.

The lawyer’s first question was “what must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus answered this question with another question, “you’re a lawyer who studied the law of God. How do you read the law?” The lawyer answered, “Thou shalt love the lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thy self.” Jesus said, “That’s the right answer. Do these things and you shall live.”

The lawyer’s second question was “who is my neighbor?” This question revealed that he had the wrong motive. The lawyer thought that a “neighbor” referred to the people that were like him. He thought that he and others like him could justify themselves by their own self-goodness.

The parable of the Good Samaritan, is Jesus’ illustration to answer the lawyer’s question, “who is my neighbor.” The Jews hated the Samaritans. They considered the Samaritans half-breeds who had interbred with pagan heathens. In contrast, the lawyer thought that he was righteous for keeping the Old Testament law. He thought that he was required to keep himself pure by keeping his distance from Samaritans and other non-Jews. In every culture there are ingrained prejudices. The culture indoctrinates the so-called “politically correct” to hate what the culture identifies as “enemies.” The lawyer, a politically correct proud Jew, thought that Samaritans were enemies. He could not conceive of a hated Samaritan as his neighbor.

In this parable, a man was on the road descending from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the highway, he was attacked by robbers who stripped him of his worldly possessions, and left him for dead.

A priest and a Levite, although they were “professional clergy,” called to minister to God’s people, had avoided the dying man. They both “passed by on the other side of the road, going out of their way to keep their distance.

The Samaritan when he passed by felt compassion for the man who had been robbed and left for dead. The Samaritan poured ointment on the beaten man’s wounds, bandaged him, put him on his beast of burden, and took him to an inn. He gave the innkeeper enough money to attend to his wounds and his medical needs. He said, whatever it costs to take care of him, I will repay you.

God calls us to challenge our preconceptions. We’re challenged every day to pray for our so-called enemies. When we receive the power of the Holy Spirit, we understand what it means to forgive the unforgivable and to love the unloveable. For we ourselves were unforgivable and unloveable and judged guilty before Jesus Christ intervened on our behalf. Like Jesus died for our sins, we must crucify our prejudices and hatred of those we consider our enemies. We have to die to self and our own so-called self righteousness in order to live for our Lord Jesus Christ and manifest His righteous of Christ in us.

Jesus had said, if my word abides in you and you abide in me, then you shall bear much fruit. The root word for the word neighbor is “nigh” or “near.” To be a good neighbor to others, we must first position our hearts in close proximity with our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus had said, “In that ye have done it unto the least of these, my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” When we position our hearts inside of God’s will, then God will work in you to will and to do of His good pleasure. Then when we intercede for others, God can intervene through His son, for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Only Jesus Christ can balance grace and truth. Jesus Christ holds perfect justice and perfect mercy side by side. According to 2 Timothy we’re called to gently correct those who have been called to the knowledge of the truth. We’re to have compassion on those who are taken captive by the devil and his worldly doctrines against their will. Pete’s wife Suzan taught him this truth as one of her life mottos — “I’d rather be loving than right.” She understood that according to 1 Peter 4:8, Love covers a multitude of sins.

Jesus said love your enemies. He said blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. We’ve been called to a higher standard, to die to self in order to live for him. The Apostle Paul said, be not drunk with wine, but be ye filled with the Holy Spirit. When we show God’s love, compassion and mercy to our neighbors whom God has placed in our close proximity, then it is Christ’s heart behind our heart, his compassion behind our compassion, and his mercy behind our mercy. When we deliver God’s compassion, love and mercy to a neighbor dead in trespasses and sins, then we also will be good Samaritans. As Jesus said to the lawyer, “go and do thou likewise….”

That we may live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

God’s Play Book

God is not the author of confusion, for where there is strife and contention there is confusion and every evil work. Despite the divisions and factions of this world, Christian believers have been called to the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Small Christian fellowship groups are proliferating during this time of social distancing. Jesus himself rarely ministered to large assemblies. He chose twelve apostles. Our Lord also had an inner circle of three. We become like the ones with whom we choose to associate. The question is, “who are your twelve and who are your three?” Influencers 4M (four men) groups are modeled after Jesus’ example of four men — disciples following in the footsteps of their Lord.

Phil’s Hanlen’s organization Ambassadors and Embassies is dedicated to organizing trips to Israel to bless Israeli soldiers and support Israeli citizens, our faithful allies. He has taken to heart God’s promise to Abraham that those who bless Israel, God will bless. Phil is also a firefighter and a husband and father. He has been a faithful follower of Christ through Influencers ministry to men fellowships for the last ten years.

There are five tenets of influencers: Jesus is Lord of our lives. The Bible is our sole authority of faith and practice. We are men of prayer. We link together with likeminded believers. We give it away.

God is always faithful, always present, and always good. Our priority during times of crisis is to remain close to our Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:12- 15, Even though I have not yet attained the out-resurrection from among the dead… “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended (attained): but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 15. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.”

Phil listened to a message in October of last year that changed his life. He realized that God must be calling him in a new direction. He continued to serve at Mariners church as an elder. Then when the governor of California issued a social distancing order due to the Corona virus, Phil realized that God had warned him of the coming pandemic.

Phil’s compassion for humanity was challenged when the riots hit his city last month. A few weeks later, his house was burglarized by a meth addict. Phil had to direct the police to the burglar. He is now caught up in the legal system as a material witness and victim of this crime.

A few weeks ago, Phil contracted the corona virus. He was in quarantine for two weeks and is thankful for his complete recovery. Throughout these recent ordeals, Phil has experienced God’s hand of healing and deliverance.

The devil’s weapon of choice is temptation. He’s ramping up his efforts to make us angry at the situations around us. Proverbs 29 says a fool gives full vent to his rage, but Romans 12 says, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord.

Proverbs 28 says, whoever has a hardened heart will fall into calamity. But thanks to Jesus’ sacrifice for sin on our behalf, we can choose not to be slaves to sin. According to 2 Corinthians 3:18., “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory (of the flesh) to glory (of the spirit,) even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

As individuals and as nations, God either allows us to voluntarily fall on our knees in prayer, or he will allow trials and tribulations to bring us to our knees. When we seek his face, when we obey the first and great command, to love God above all, we will through his power conquer the darkness of this world.

Ephesians 6:10-13 says, “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

We are called to peace through our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

According to Matthew 5, Jesus said, “bessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God”
The apostle Paul encouraged believers to endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

The world and the followers of the world’s doctrines are described in 2 Timothy 3:1-5:
1. THIS know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3. Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4. Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5. Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Despite the brokenness of this world, 1 Peter 5:6-7 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

When the crisis comes, and courage is required, God expects his men to have such confidence in him that they will be the reliable ones. Our confidence is not in our own power but in the power of his mighty hand.

According to Psalm 91:
1. HE that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;”

In times of crisis, our prayer is, “Lord, where do you want me to be? Here am I Lord, send me.” When the storms of life arise, the question is not, “Are you in the boat?” Rather, the question is, “Whose boat are you in?” Jesus said to his disciples, “Get in the boat. We’re going over to the other side.” In the midst of the storm our prayer isn’t “deliver me from the storm.” In stead our prayer is, “Lord, deliver me through the storm.”

In John 16:33 Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer for I have overcome the world.”

Christ’s followers need the zeal of a rescuerer, the heart of a teacher, and the attitude of a servant. As Christians, God has given us his Holy Spirit: Christ in you the hope of glory. When we walk by faith, we obey his command — put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s his heart behind our heart and his zeal behind our zeal to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The good news of the gospel message is that even though we inherited our sin nature from Adam, and the wages of sin is death, God sending his son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that we may be made the righteousness of God in him.

For no one can lay any foundation other than that which has been laid in Jesus Christ. The gospel message of salvation is in Romans 10:9-10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”

God’s play book is a book of promises. Acceptance of His promises is by obedience according to His word. The choice is either truth or consequences. Jesus said, “treasure treasures in heaven instead of treasures upon earth.” The apostle Paul said to set our affections on things above.

As we look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, our prayer is, “Lord how can I serve you? Direct me into your will as I position myself in close proximity with you my Lord. I count myself not to have taken hold of all of your promises, but this one thing I do — I press toward the mark of the high calling of God in. Christ Jesus. That I may live for your honor and glory…. to the praise of the glory of thy grace!”

Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Foundations

Psalm 11:1-4 says, “IN the LORD put I my trust: How say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? 2. For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. 3. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? 4. The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.”

David wrote this Psalm while he was on the run from King Saul. In the midst of the spiritual battle, we’re helpless against the powers of darkness, against “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that woks in the children of disobedience. Our adversary is in hot pursuit. To whom do we look for our help?

Oswald Chambers said that a crisis is a situation that has reached a critical stage. This unstable situation will result in catastrophic failure unless God’s people take immediate corrective and preventive action. God will allow a nation built upon the wrong foundations to crumble and fall. However, God gives his people a point of decision — an inflection point to change direction and turn their hearts back to the Lord. According to verse 4, God is in his holy temple. He has not moved. God is faithful to His word for His word liveth and abideth forever.

What can the righteous do if the foundation is destroyed?
In 2 Tim o thy 2:19, Nevertheless the sure foundation of the Lord stands. Regardless of the culture wars and the world’s insistence on so-called “political correctness,” God’s righteous standard is his Word of truth. Jesus Christ, the word of God made flesh is our sure foundation and our chief cornerstone.

The men who wield the powers of this world are not the enemy. The adversary holds ungodly men captive at his will. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual wickedness from on high.

According to. Psalm 127:1, except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. 1 Peter 4 says that Judgement starts in the house of the Lord. That which can be shaken will be shaken. According to Matthew 7:24-25, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.” Jesus Christ himself is the rock, the chief cornerstone, the firm foundation of our faith.

Peter said, we should obey God rather than men. What is it that you value most? It’s not about the cost, it’s about the value. We pursue that which we value. Jesus, for the joy that was set before him endured the cross and is set down upon the right hand of the throne of God. Jesus valued our redemption and this was his joy and rejoicing, the purpose for which he was called.

According to 2 Timothy 3, in the last days, men shall be lovers of sin, self, pride and pleasure, rather than lovers of God and his truth. These earthly values undermine a once-strong civilization and precede the catastrophic failure of every great civilization that has fallen into ruin.

Psalm 121 says, “shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? From whence cometh my help? My help cometh from the Lord that made heaven and earth. He shall not suffer thy foot to be moved. Yea, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.”

To seek refuge in the Lord, means to humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. He alone is our refuge and strength. Jesus said, “if you abide in me and my word abides in you, you shall bear much fruit.”

It seems as if the enemy doesn’t play by the “rules of the game.” Righteousness is bound by truth, whereas the wicked, because they’re wicked, disregard the rules. When a nation’s judges are devoid of righteous judgement; when the legislators and executives forsake God’s righteous standards, acquiesce to the world’s ungodly standards, and call good evil and evil good, there is no foundation of truth and the nation is bound to fall. As individuals and as nations, the choice is truth or consequences.

Our God is a consuming fire. We should not be intimidated and shaken by the affairs of this world that are undermining the foundations upon which our country was built — one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.

A warriors ethos says, “I will always place the mission first. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.” The question is, what is it that you value? The ethos is a vow that I will be a better man to uphold values that transcend my own self-serving pride. Life is hard, the enemy’s onslaught is relentless, but greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

We have the legacy of Christ in us the hope of glory. In the midst of the spiritual battle, the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you. Martin Luther understood what it means to stand on the firm foundation when he posted the 95 Theses on the door of the church in Wittenberg. This defiant act started the Protestant Reformation. Martin Luther knew that the leaders of the Roman church had vowed to take his life. After meditating on the word of the Lord Luther took comfort in the words of Psalm 91. After meditating on these words, Luther penned the words to the great hymn of the faith, A mighty fortress is our God:

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he, amid the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing,
were not the right Man on our side,
the Man of God’s own choosing.
You ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same;
and he must win the battle.

That Word above all earthly powers
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still;
his kingdom is forever! 

Abraham Lincoln said, The question is not if God is on our side but rather if we are on God’s side. For if God be for us who can be against us?

The Lord is our sure foundation… that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Spiritual Warfare

Churches have been called to the front lines of the spiritual battle. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high. Ephesians 6:10 is about spiritual warfare. Many Christians have been fighting the wrong battles with the wrong weapons and the wrong armor.

Jesus said in Matthew 28:18-20, “All authority has been given to me on heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.”

The worldly powers of Jesus’ day were jealous and envious of Jesus’ power. They thought he was taking their followers away. In John 13:34-35 Jesus said, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another even as I have loved you. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, that you love one another.”

In the midst of the death and destruction inflicted by the Roman Empire, a high ranking centurion remarked about Christians, “we may have power to kill them, but they have the power of love.” Jesus prayed for the soldiers who nailed him to the cross, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Romans 12 says, “recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good.”

Oswald Chambers said, “there’s something that requires your utmost. It asks for all you have without apology. It requires everything you have to fight this battle. My commander in chief requires extreme obedience from me with no questioning or complaining on my part and no explanation on his. As servants of the living God, our response to his command is, “here am I Lord, send me.”

The cataclysmic events of life will shake our world. When Pete lost his precious wife Suzan, God said, “I understand your heart is broken. But I knew that I could accomplish more by bringing her home than I could accomplish by leaving her here.” As Paul said, “for me to live and to die is gain. Everything is for the glory of God and the furtherance of the gospel.” We must check our human understanding at the door because God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and his ways are not our ways. God said through his prophet Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my thoughts higher than your thoughts and my ways than your ways. As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the purpose for which I sent it.”

To overcome the sins of the world and the so-called political correctness of the world’s doctrines, we must fight agains the root cause . The root cause is spiritual. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against spiritual wickedness from on high.

In Romans 1, Paul said, “I’ve been separated unto the gospel of Christ.” Chambers said, “Redemption is the only reality. Everything else is fleeting and for the temporary good…. not for the eternal good to the glory of God.”

The enemy of our souls has infiltrated every institution of this world to influence the hearts and minds of the American Citizen. He has taken control of government, education, the media, popular culture, and worldly religions. Through these institutions Americans have been Indoctrinated to worship the god of self instead of the one true God. Paul warned Timothy that in the last days men would be lovers of self and lovers of sin more than lovers of God. The mantra that says, “what’s in it for me,” has destroyed the American Founders’ message of the blessings of liberty. True freedom is available only through the one who sets us free. Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you shall be my disciples indeed. And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”

God’s word is contrary to the wisdom of the world. The spiritual battle is won on our knees as well as on the battlefield. Prayer is one of God’s offensive weapons. Prayer is listening to and obeying our commander and chief. As soldiers on the spiritual battlefield, our prayer is often, Lord, I have no strategy, and no tactical battle plan, but as my commander in chief, my heart is prepared for your direction. On the spiritual battlefield, we need to allow God to call an audible. The battle is not our battle. The battle belongs to the Lord. The question is not whether God is on our side, but rather, whether we are on God’s side.

When Goliath threatened the armies of Israel, David, a little shepherd boy heard his taunt. He said, “how dare you defy the armies of the living God.” He understood that the Lord does not deliver by sword or spear. David knew that God is the “Lord God of Sabaoth”…..the lord of the heavenly host of armies of angels. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness from on high.

In the midst of the spiritual battle we have important decisions to make. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but spiritual to the pulling down of (spiritual) strongholds. Therefore, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. The word of scripture and God’s revelation are our standards for truth and practice. The mind of Christ according to the standard of the Word is the filter through which we separate worldly thoughts from God’s thoughts. Then we can make the correct decision to conform our thoughts with his thoughts and our will with his will.

Ephesians 6:10 and following are our instructions for the spiritual battle:

10. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
15. And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
16. Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
17. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
18. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints…

Before Jesus left, he said to his disciples, I have to leave so that the Holy Spirit, the comforter can come alongside you. The comforter will teach you all things. The spiritual battle is a behind the scenes battle that is unseen by the five senses. The spiritual battle is the root cause of our warfare. The two offensive weapons are the word of God and prayer.

Our small groups are our band of brothers so that we can sharpen each other spiritually and stand together against the schemes of the devil. To be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good, we must together put on the whole armor of God.

Galatians 5 says, walk by the flesh and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirt and the spirit agains the flesh so that you cannot do the things that you would. There is a stark contrast between the works of the flesh and the fruit fo the spirit. To counter the works fo the flesh, excercise the gift of Holy Spirit which produces the fruit of the spirit. For the fruit of the spirt is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. Against such there is no law.

God doesn’t honor our desires until we delight ourselves in the Lord. When we delight ourselves also in the Lord, making his desires our desires, then He will give us the desires of our heart. When our heart’s desire is his desire, then he will work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

What makes a difference in the spiritual warfare? The difference maker is obieience to our commander in chief. Therefore, trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

…That we may be to praise fo the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Trusting God

In My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers’ daily devotional on May 31 says, “Put your trust in the Lord for he will surely deliver you. Therefore trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. Do you believe him? He is faithful to His Word. He will direct the path of those who put their trust in him.” In trusting in the Lord, we will understand that which he has entrusted to us: His gift of Holy Spirit that we may be equiped to accomplish His purpose in this life and the next.

The things of this world are uncertain and untrustworthy. In this world there are competing factions, competing interests, and competing sources of information. Trusting in the Lord means to place our confidence in something beyond the powers of this world. The only source on which our hopes are founded is the one who is faithful and true: The Lord God Jehovah.

The devotional book, Come Away my Beloved says, “how often has God called us to put our trust and confidence in Him? We can’t know if we are truly trusting in Him until we have been tested and tried. In the midst of panic and pandemic where nothing is under our control, we will find that God is faithful to His Word. In times of crisis when we trust in Him, committing ourselves into His holy hands, then we can rest assured that He will keep us in His own intensive care.”

According to Chambers, “it’s much easier to do something, to busy ourselves working for God instead of trusting and believing in Him.” When the centurion came to Jesus and pleaded, “Lord, please heal my servant who is at home sick with palsy and in terrible agony,” Jesus said, “I’ll come and heal him.” Then the centurion said with a heart of humility, “I’m not worthy that you should come under my roof. I’m a man in authority like you. I know what it means to speak with authority for others to act. Just speak the word and my servant will be healed. Just say it and it shall be done.” Jesus marveled and said, “I have not seen such faith, no not in Israel.”

Salvation itself is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. God sent His word through his prophets, priests, and scribes to bring a remnant of Israel to the point of believing-faith. God worked patiently with Israel for one purpose: your redemption and mine. Mary a descendant of David’s lineage heard the angel Gabriel’s message that she would give birth to the Messiah. She believed the word of God and declared in faith, “Be it unto me according to Thy word.”

In John 2:24-25 Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. However, he did not commit himself to the people because he knew what was in the heart of man. He understood the sinful nature everyone inherited from Adam. Yet Jesus was not bitter because he put his trust not in man, but in the faithful word of his Heavenly Father.

The Bible says that all men have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Because of our sinful nature, Jesus said, there is none righteous, no not one. Men trust their feelings instead of the truth of the Word of God. The lies of this world have indoctrinated men of this world to be suspicious, cautious, wary, and untrusting.

However, our need is obedience to God according to His word. He alone is worthy. He alone is trustworthy. The things of this world and the men of this world will let you down. However, God is faithful to his word. God said through his Prophet in Isaiah 55, “As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bring forth and bud, so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please and it shall prosper in that thing where unto I sent it.”

According to Chambers’ devotional, Jesus said to his disciples before his ascension, tarry ye here in Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high not many days hence. Since this prophecy was fulfilled at the day of Pentecost in Acts 2, the power of the Holy Spirit has empowered Christ followers to serve Him. When God’s needs are met in Christians’ service to Him, then His purpose will be fulfilled through His believers.

His trust is that he has given us his son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Our purpose is that His life would be manifest in our mortal flesh. According to Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

God calls a minister to pastor his church when the Man of God is ready for the challenge of ministry. A minister is one who “runs to serve the Lord.” When a man spends time in His word, God will work in him, with him, and through him to will and to do fo His good pleasure.

An excerpt from “Faith in the World,” a devotion from the Puritan prayer book The Valley of Vision says:

“The world is artful to entrap. It approaches in fascinating guise, extends many a guilded bait, presents many a charming face. Let my faith scan every painted bauble, and escape every bewitching snare in a victory that overcomes all things.
In my duties give me firmness, energy, zeal, devotion to thy cause, courage in thy name, love as a working grace, and all commensurate with my trust.
Let faith stride forth in giant power, and love respond with energy in every act.
Thy Word is full of promises, ….fruit of refreshing flavor when culled by faith.
May I be made rich in its riches, be strong in its power, be happy in its joy…
Lord increase my faith…..”

That we may trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not unto our own understanding,
That we may be to the praise of the glory of His grace,
Your brother in Christ,
Michael

Jesus Is Lord

What men meant for evil God meant for good. Despite the opposition of this world and the darkness of this world, all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

One of our priorities as Influencers is that Jesus is Lord of our lives. Oswald Sanders wrote many books on Christian leadership. Someone asked him, “can you receive Jesus Christ as savior and not Lord?” Sanders replied, “I received him as Saviour but not Lord because no one taught me what it means to confess ‘Jesus is Lord.’ As soon as someone explained to me the lordship of Christ, I received him as Lord.”

What does it mean to call Jesus “Lord?” Oswald Chambers said, “there is no moral value to a higher authority unless you are obedient to that authority. We are each a slave to our own selfish desires unless we die to self so that we may live to glorify him. The lordship of Jesus Christ means to submit in loving obedience to his will and to his authority.”

Christianity is a rescue mission for desperate men. When like the prodigal son, we “come to ourselves” then we can return to our Heavenly Father. This is the point of repentance — of changing our direction. The world’s man-code says that a man cannot say, “I can’t make it on my own.” However, the moment of repentance is when I recognize that in my own power, I’m powerless to overcome the problems, panic, and pandemic of this world.

The consistency of Christianity is our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. The psalmist asked in Psalm 121, “Shall I lift up mine eyes unto the hills? From whence cometh my help?” The next verse says, “My help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth.” Recognition of a higher authority in order to please him is the point of repentance — of turning from myself and unto Him.

Sin, missing the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, is part of our human nature. Our nature we inherited from Adam is to succumb to the temptations and cares of this world. Jesus said, “in this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus wasn’t a tyrant who forced his followers to obey his command trough coercion against their wills. When a man comes to Christ, he comes to the realization that he is no longer in charge of his own life. Chambers said regarding Lordship, “I require extreme obedience from you with no questioning or complaining on your part and no explanation on mine.”

Lordship means that I give up authority over my own life in obedience to his will and his calling. To say, “Jesus is Lord,” means that I surrender my will to his will. Confession that Jesus is Lord means to speak the same word. It means to make God’s word my word. It also means to make his desires my desires as I subjugate my will to his will.

When Jesus is Lord, nothing belongs to me. Lord means owner. It means that I sign away my own rights and become a bond slave to Jesus Christ. A bond slave chooses by the freedom of his will to serve his master from a heart of love. The Old Testament description of a bond slave is in Deuteronomy 15:12-18. If a Hebrew buys the services of another Hebrew, the servant shall serve his master for six years and after the six years he shall be set free from his legal obligation to serve his master. After six years, if the slave says to his master, I love you and want to serve you for the rest of my life, Deuteronomy 15:16-17 says, “And if it happens that he says to you, ‘I will not go away from you,’ because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.”

The bond-slave’s earmark identifies him as a life long slave of his master, bound by the bond of love. The master is obligated to take care of his bond servant’s needs. Through the trials and tribulations of life, the question our Lord asks is, “despite what happens, will you still purpose in your heart to honor, love and serve me?” A bond slave lives and runs to do his master’s will. His delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

At our Influencers retreats, we have a ceremony where we anoint men as a “Man of God.” First we ask each man “Is Jesus Christ Lord of your life?” The second question is, “Do you love Jesus?” The third question is, “Do you want to spend the rest of your live learning to become just like Jesus?” When a man answers yes to these three questions, we anoint him with oil, and declare him “Man of God.” Then we pray over him and put a bracelet on his wrist that says, “Man of God, Absolutely.” The phrase “Man of God” means God’s man. Grammatically, this is the “genitive of possession.” Christianity is not who we are, but rather, WHOSE we are.

Cory Tin Boom said, “I hold everything loosely. Then when Jesus needs to take it away from me, it doesn’t hurt because he won’t need to pry it from my hand.”

Even though we sinned and continue to sin in our flesh, God gives us a way to return to fellowship and reconcile our hearts with him. According to 1 John 1:9:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

We’re called to the body of Christ so that we can encourage one another in the love of God. Jesus said, by this shall all men know that you are my disciples, that you love one another.

God always has our best interest in mind. He has called us and made us according to his image, Christ in us the hope of glory. The purpose is that we would be to the praise fo the glory of His grace. Obedience in intimate loving surrender to his spirit is to live life more abundantly. It’s always in our best interest to press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When we’re on target according to His will, then we can rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice.

Peter had to be broken and humbled before he could turn his heart to the Lord. He had said to Jesus, though the whole world forsakes you, I will never forsake you. Jesus said to Peter, “before the cock crows twice, you shall deny me thrice.” The night before the crucifixion, Peter had followed Jesus to the high priest’s house. Jesus was being unjustly accused before the high priest while Peter was warming himself outside by the fire. A man approached Peter and said, “I recognize you as one of his followers. I can tell by your speech that you are a Galilean.” Peter denied him saying, “I never knew the man.” Just then Peter heard the cock crow and Jesus looked toward Peter. Jesus and Peter locked eyes. Peter’s heart was broken. He went off and wept bitterly.

The world thinks that “surrender” is to give up what’s important as a “self actualized” individual. “Hands up, I surrender,” according to the world, is a declaration of defeat and not victory. However, the world’s doctrines are the complete opposite of the truth of the word of God.

The world cannot understand the meaning of the hymn “I Surrender All.” The lyrics of this hymn are what it means to confess with thy mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” In my own power and in my flesh, I cannot sing this song and mean it. However when I return to him in loving obedience, I can sing these words with Christ’s heart behind my heart:

All to Jesus I surrender
All to Him I freely give
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender
Humbly at His feet I bow
Worldly pleasures all forsaken
Take me, Jesus, take me now,

All to Jesus I surrender
Make me Savior wholly thine
May Thy Holy Spirit fill me
May I know Thy power divine.

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to Thee my blessed Savior
I surrender all…

…For you are my Lord and Saviour, that we may ever live to the praise of the glory of Thy grace!

Your brother in Christ,
Michael