Yesterday was a good day then, all of a sudden, at the end of the day the enemy tried to slip some jealousy and doubt into my life. It’s funny because this is what he always tries to throw at me. The enemy understands our weaknesses. If we tend to have a problem with Lust he will do all in his ability to setup a situation to trap you in lustful sin and then guilt you out of the church. If you have an issue with trust he will setup a situation to test your trust then put bitterness in your heart to lead you out of the church. Let’s not lie, the enemy is good at what he does. It’s not a coincidence that you seem to always be in the cross hairs of whatever you already struggle over. It’s because he knows what it takes to get you down. But it’s not the getting down that kills you everyone gets down now and then.
The bible describes Satan as a roaring lion going to a fro in the world seeking whom he may devour. Ladies and gentleman this isn’t just your placid zoo type lion who is satisfied with setting around in the sun all day and being feed the left over’s. He is out there, using his voice as a weapon, searching out your destruction! I can just see him now a half starved ragged and mangy beast. One that looks near starved but his looks just belie the muscles that are beneath. Don’t take your enemy for granted he knows what he is doing. He has been doing it for eons. Skulking around the edges, watching the faithful saints of God, to see when and where he can pounce and if no situation presents itself trust me he knows how to lead you into a trap with that secret weapon of his, “Temptation”. It reminds me of the CS Lewis story “A Boy and His Horse”. In one part the hero and his Horse are fleeing from what sounds like two mighty lions flanking them on each side and corralling them towards an unknown destination. This is how your enemy is He knows how to use his voice and his tools to corral you into falling, that is why it is so important to remember the second to the last stanza of the Lord’s Prayer. “Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.”
This is a two fold request. “Lord, lead us not into temptation. We need you too watch us and make sure we don’t get corralled into a situation that we can’t handle. But if and when the temptation comes “Lord, I’m praying deliver me from evil (or the evil one)”. For it will come saints. Believe that! I can’t stress hard enough the enemy knows what he is doing. Think about it. You think he just got up one day challenged God and got cast out of heaven taking all those angels with him? No way that isn’t how it happened. He was sulking around in heaven too. He was walking around the edges hiding his intents from the heavenly host (or so he thought, but God knows all) and planting seeds of doubt and deceit in the hearts of the angels and heavenly bodies that he could. He might have passed by an angel preparing to lift praises to God. This was an angel he knew. This is an angel that he had brought up in the worshipful host. This is an angel that had sat beneath him in the choir, learning and being lead by him. He whispers “You don’t have to do it that way. I know God said it needs to be done that way but let me show you a BETTER WAY .”
Hey saint there is no better way than God’s! Don’t you forget that. God has set His plans in motion and the devil is doing what he can to throw those heavenly plans out of alignment but you listen to God, brother. You remember He called you for just such a time as this sister. And He set you both up where you are to do His will not to let the enemy change your heart against Him. I’m telling you BE WARY of the enemies coming. You ask, “But how do I be war?” Pray saints pray!! Read the word! It’s all in the relationship! He said “My sheep know my voice.” You have to know His voice. You have to listen for it in those still sweet moments. Your going to have to strive for it in those beating storms and you’re going to have to have faith in His plans when it seems like things are going to come to an end and you think there may be a better way to get out of the storm.
When Jesus wanted to go across the sea to the other side He got the apostles together and they all got out to sea and what did Jesus do? He went to sleep! He knew where He was going. He had set a plan already. He was going to the other side and Bless God the apostles were going with Him. So when that storm arose He didn’t have to wake up, He knew where he was going already. The thing to watch is the reaction of the apostles. Had Jesus told them the plan? Had he told them who He was? Didn’t they know who they were with? Yes, Yes and a definitive YES! But what did they do when the waves got too big and they thought they were going to die? They stopped trusting the plan. They ran to the master shook Him awake and said “WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!” And when they lost faith in the plan and woke Jesus up He was faithful to calm the storm, but then rebuked them. “Where is your faith?” You see they started watching the storm the enemy had brought against them and forgot that He had already told them the plan. They were going to the other side! They fell to the temptation of doubting the word of the Lord.
Now they didn’t forget they had the Messiah with them, like you or I. But what happens when we go through a particularly rough storm in life? We look to heaven and go “God Stop it! I’m gonna die!” We didn’t forget where He was or who he was but you forgot He has a plan. Hey, buckle down saint you forgot that God said we’re going to the other side! He promised you your going to make it, so stop worrying about it. Yeah there are storms and there are temptations but God said we’re going to the other side, Hallelujah! There is power in the plan. There is an overcoming power in just knowing that we have a set course, an action plan, already set in motion and that is: We’re going to the other side! Hold on to that promise when the temptation hits you like a big wave and you feel like you can’t stand. Hold on to it when the storm come raging in and knocks you down altogether. The Bible says the righteous man falls down but gets up again, Amen. We’re going to make it! You’re going to make it!
Now they didn’t forget they had the Messiah with them, like you or I. But what happens when we go through a particularly rough storm in life? We look to heaven and go “God Stop it! I’m gonna die!” We didn’t forget where He was or who he was but you forgot He has a plan. Hey, buckle down saint you forgot that God said we’re going to the other side! He promised you your going to make it, so stop worrying about it. Yeah there are storms and there are temptations but God said we’re going to the other side, Hallelujah! There is power in the plan. There is an overcoming power in just knowing that we have a set course, an action plan, already set in motion and that is: We’re going to the other side! Hold on to that promise when the temptation hits you like a big wave and you feel like you can’t stand. Hold on to it when the storm come raging in and knocks you down altogether. The Bible says the righteous man falls down but gets up again, Amen. We’re going to make it! You’re going to make it!
The bible says resist the devil and he will flee, but it also says to flee temptation. We have to remember the devil and temptation are two different things. The devil is a beast that uses temptation, like his voice, as a tool to get you were he wants you. He takes time to develop a plan of attack. He finds out your weakness’, devises different moments and situations that will best trip you up, then he kicks his scheme into gear and heads at you with all he’s got. That plan he sets in motion is temptation. I’ve heard it called many things most commonly a “stumbling block”. The devil isn’t the stumbling block. It’s temptation that is the stumbling block. It’s not a stumbling hill or stumbling rock or something else natural, it’s a block. It’s something that has been prepared and ready for one purpose and one use and that is to trip you up and get you down to where the enemy can get at your throat for that kill.
He isn’t nice don’t you ever get lazy in this Christian race thinking that he isn’t waiting for that moment and planning for his temptation to trip you up. He is hot on your heels saint get to runnin’! And don’t you stop runnin’ till you get beyond those beautiful pearly gates. I’ve heard it said many times that it aint the fastest that wins this race but the steadiest and I know that the steady will make it but bless God I’m getting on the balls of my feet and barrelin’ down the runway better watch out slow saint of God cause I don’t only wanna get to heaven but I wanna get as far away from that hungry lion and his temptations as I can!
“But if you live that extreme for God you’ll burn out brother Ladd!” Did you forget that we have a plan? I told you we’re gonna make it bless God and that’s what I meant. I ain’t burnin’ out cause the more I sacrifice and let go of this world the more Jesus gives me in the Spirit to finish this race. The more I burn for Jesus the brighter I get brother! This ain’t no regular fire, saints, This is the HOLY GHOST fire and it’s shut up in my bones. It takes what you feed it and gives you more to burn and that much more in excess. He wants you runnin’, not lollygaggin’, along the way.
The scariest moments in my spiritual life came from when I was just moseyin along the Christian path takin my own sweet time. The closest calls I’ve had with losing the race were those moments when I figured I could just slow down and relax for awhile. “Oh I did outreach yesterday I ain’t gotta go today, someone else will.” “Oh I went to the altar and prayed with new saints last week I ain’t gotta go this week.” “Oh God knows I prayed yesterday for an hour I only gotta do a half hour today cause I need to call this friend of mine.” Hey young man, hey young lady, get your head in the game!! This isn’t a relaxin’ game folks, this is life or death-winner take all-get out and get gone-marathon were runnin’! There is no burnin’ out in the Spirit. There’s those that lose sight of the plan and start losing their grip but bless God if you put your feet on that track and your mind on the plan and your eyes on the prize you better be prepared not only to get to that finish line but to get to it with all haste!
Well I have another victory report to put in my pocket. Yes, I felt dull and lifeless last night and I felt the temptation to get angry and bitter this morning and I even had a lingering sense of drab and defeatism after prayer but as I was out and about doing the work of the Lord (runnin’ the race) He put a song in my head and it just kept playin and playin till I was singing it right out loud so people could hear me and I was filled with so much over whelming Joy it carried me right through the day and let me know that I was still in the boat. The waves were still there, but I was on the course of infinite possibilities and set sail for that Holy Shore
No comments:
Post a Comment