For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith”.
-Romans 1:16+17

The Battle IS the LORD’s

1Samuel 17:47

            Mostly all have heard the tremendous story of how little David with a pocket full of smooth rocks, a sling, and big faith in the LORD was delivered from the attack of wild animals while guarding his sheep and how he slew the Philistine giant Goliath, whom reigned terror on the army of Israel for forty days.  Fear was Goliath’s tactic where faith was David’s weapon.  Let it be known Church that we are at war and nothing has changed about the rules of engagement.  Albeit a war that thrives within the spiritual dimensions, it still remains the only conflict that has impacted every conceived human being and is in a class all its own with the greatest number of casualties that will continue to dominate until death itself falls extinct.  You know of the verse: Ephesians 6:12~ 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.  But is it reality?  Do we understand or even consider the magnitude of the fight?  Unfortunately not, but that is where wisdom and discernment are essential gifts given from the Father of lights so that even with these spiritually blinded eyes we too might be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Fear is still the greatest tactic of the Pilgrim’s enemy and what drives us away from the Lord as we take action under our own power (as if we can somehow preserve our lives) against someone we can’t see.  The Word is our sword, and faith is the ability to wield it effectively.  Since faith equals knowledge, and knowledge equals strength, I believe it to be true to say that if your walk with Christ is a roller coaster ride with slow, steep climbs, and then dramatic drops that plummet you low with seemingly endless twists and turns, than your faith (knowledge of God and what He alone can accomplish in you through Christ) is limited and you are being spiritually bullied by someone who has already been defeated.  I have often thought of our depravity as being locked in a block cell without any way out as if someone built it around you without doors, windows, and with reinforced steel running through the walls.  Jesus calls and we now see we are in need of being saved- that my sin is like each block that surrounds me and is reinforced each day with the evil intent of my heart.  God the Father provided our cell with a Door that sometimes we don’t want to see or agree to use, so trusting in own ability we devise our own blueprint of His Door and begin to replicate it with our own.  Hey stupid Pilgrim!  Let me save you some serious time, walk through His door!  It’s open.  You’ll continue to lay block but you will never again be deceived to becoming a prisoner of sin if you keep your eyes fixed on Christ Jesus and exercise your faith in Him.  You can’t be deceived if you know the Truth.  This Pilgrim knows the Truth and I have been set free!  My faith declares: greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world.   

Stand Strong, Hold Fast, Live Right; all for the glory of God our Savior! 

Untitled Masterpiece

“Tis not that I did choose Thee,

For Lord, that could not be;

This heart would still refuse Thee,

Hadst Thou not chosen me…

My heart owns none before Thee,

For Thy rich grace I thirst;

This knowing, if I love Thee,

Thou must have loved me first.”

                             Josiah Conder, 1836