Choosing to Fight the Good Fight

Choosing to Fight the Good Fight

Spiritual warfare is a reality silently raging all around us, though we don’t always   recognize it. Once we acknowledge and embrace this fact, we are eligible to become soldiers in the most powerful and successful army ever assembled. Imagine being enlisted in a fighting force that’s been given the assurance of ultimate victory, an infallible battle plan, a Supreme Commander, and mighty weapons 100% guaranteed to defeat and vanquish your enemies!

The only uncertainty is whether those enlisted will actually show up for battle. Truly, there seems to be a multitude of legitimate reasons for dodging the draft. “My family needs me . . . I have important business to tend to . . . My hands are full already . . . Isn’t spiritual warfare for pastors and ministers anyway?” All too often, it’s all about us!  How sad that we spend so much energy considering the price we pay to serve God, while forgetting the price Jesus paid to save us.

“Go into all the world . . .” The call to “go” will be answered by the chosen few willing to strap on the full armor of God and fight the good fight of faith, knowing the battle is the Lord’s and the victory is nigh. The armor is only for those who will fight – it is cumbersome and useless for who refuse to go to war.

So let me encourage you today. Ignite the flame within you with the Word of God, and serve with the saints like never before. Lift your hands through the clouds and darkness all around you, and be the conqueror God says you are. Get in the fight, take back all Satan and sin have stolen from you, and glorify God in all you do. Most importantly, know this -- we have the victory in Christ Jesus. And remember, the only spiritual battle you can lose is the one you refuse to fight!

Love and peace,

Pastor Eric

Keep the Faith

Keep the Faith

And the apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith." Luke 17:5

Beware of a romanticized view of faith.  Faith is not a tool to get what we want from God, but a means for God to get what He wants from us!  Faith teaches us to wait, pray, and obey, while never imaging that God is anything but completely trustworthy, and He will keep us and His promises to us.  It is a partnership, where we team up with God, believing and walking with Him toward things we can't yet see and what we don't yet have (Hebrews 11:1).  

Faith simply believes God.  It believes He cares even though we experience distressing times, it believes He heals even when we are sick, that He saves though our loved ones are lost in sin, and that He is with us even when we feel so alone.  Faith won't give up due to any of these circumstances, because it is rooted in our eternal God, not in our temporary plight.  Faith looks at Jesus and refuses to look for another answer, another Savior.  That's why nothing but faith pleases God (Hebrews 11:6).  

Not long ago, after a time of prayer, the Lord told me to act as if I had already received everything I'd just asked of Him.  "Just believe Me."  God was increasing my faith.   What visions, dreams, breakthroughs, and victories are you trusting God for?  Be sure your requests are rooted in the faith that lets you rest confidently in our Lord, because He never fails to hear us and help us when we pray.  God will be sure to keep His Word.  We must be sure to keep the faith!  

Love you,

Pastor

Do I Misunderstanding the Lord?

Do I Misunderstanding the Lord?
Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word.
(John 8:43)
No matter how long or closely we walk with God, we must guard against the danger of misunderstanding Him. We are apt to cast the Lord into the cramped mold of our perceptions –
For now we see in a mirror, dimly . . . (1 Corinthians 13:12a).
We create a god that reflects our own temperament, and we often mistake what God said for what we think He said. If we are not careful, we are liable to mistake a forgiving God for harsh, a loving God as angry, or a merciful Lord as condemning. Why is this?

Mostly, we misjudge the depravity of our own hearts and our need for communion with Him. We must be determined to refresh our perspective and renew our minds. We must doggedly guard our hearts against the relentless bombardment of worldly and fleshly voices! The Word of the Lord must dwell richly in our heart, lifting us above the sin of the devil and his cohorts. Only then do we come to know God, not just know about Him. And when He reveals Himself, we won’t misunderstand Him, ignore Him, or simply miss Him. Lord, help us!!

Pastor Eric