Call To Arms....

Most of the folks I know are patriotic people who have an appreciation for the freedoms in our country, for us and our families. We know what it cost our husbands, fathers, grandfathers as dedicated soldiers to "let freedom ring." NOW, if we want the continued peace, safety and freedom in our land...... it's going to cost US something....Time in prayer, spiritual warfare and fasting. Whether we like it or not, we are already on the front lines.

II Timothy 2:4
No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

If you're part of the Body of Christ...you're enlisted as a soldier in the army of God.

We have lives, obligations, jobs, families to take care of, and God does not expect us to forsake those obligations to take care of matters that He's called us to.
Entangled with the affairs of this life means - Be ensnared, involved in difficulties, to be involved as a tangle. When we place God first He'll see to helping us with the work of our hands.

One of the Scriptures that has been brought to mind the last year or two has been
Proverbs 16:3
Commit your works to the Lord, and your thoughts will be established.

We need to have the confidence that God hears us, He knows what we need in our lives, an has the wherewithall to deliver to us, not only the HELP we need, but also to deliver us from evil.

The Patriarchs from God's Word answered the call to arms, and MADE A DIFFERENCE in not only thier lives, but also in history. The Bible is not just a book full of "stories" and encourages us to say, "Now I lay me down to sleep.".....It's full of accounts of men and women that took their assignments from God seriously, because it WAS a matter of life and death. They dedicated themselves to God, understanding His faithfulness to His Word, to them, and stood in the face of unbeatable odds, knowing that GREATER is their GOD than any "giant" in front of them.

Hezekiah had five kings from five different countries that wrote him a threatening letter with promises to do him in and bring his country and people into their receivership. He took the letter and put it upon the altar of God and told God what they said (as if God didn't already know LOL) but God saw Hezekiah committing his kingship, his country, and his people before God and GOD takes that seriously. God DELIVERED THEM ALL.

Elisha was camped out in a valley an while he and his servant rested during the night, they woke up to their enemy surrounding them with the threat of death and destruction. The servant was pacing the tent floor fearful about their own demise. Elisha asked God to remove the scales from the eyes of his servant, so he could see God's GREAT provision. He did, and the servant went to the tent door to see the hills lined with God's GREAT and MIGHTY warrior angels with their chariots readied for battle.

Esther, Abraham, Enoc, David, Jeremiah, Noah, Sarah, Deborah, Paul, Peter....and the list goes on and on and on about God's mighty men and women of God taking their place in God, with His strength, His direction and His plans and purposes. They were ALL OVERCOMERS, and they all made the hall of fame in God's book. Were they fearless? Probably not. Were they above average? Probably not, except with their trust in God.

God ALWAYS honored their trust in Him, their faith in His Word and not only His ABIITY, but His DESIRE to come to their RESCUE!! LOL

Jeremiah 20:11
But the LORD is with me as a mighty, awesome One. Therefore my persecutors will stumble, and will not prevail. They will be greatly ashamed, for they will not prosper. Their everlasting confusion will never be forgotten.

Isaiah 50:7-9
For the Lord GOD will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord GOD will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up.

Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me.
Do I hear - "YOU WANT A PIECE OF ME?!?!"

We need the same boldness that Isaiah was displaying. He KNEW His God and what HE WOULD DO FOR HIM.

Isaiah 54:17 tells us:
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me," Says the LORD.

Psalm 46:1-3
1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

God's Word is FULL of His promises to us, to our families, to nations, if we only take HIM AT HIS WORD. What is impossible for man is POSSIBLE for God. ALWAYS!

I want to encourage you to answer your call to arms.

Father, I ask You to HELP US! Help us to listen to You and DO what you speak to our hearts. HELP US to stand in the gap for our famiies, our churches, our communities, for SOULS and for our COUNTRY. Help us to KNOW and be confident that You really to hear and answer our prayers...and that You will never turn a deaf ear. Your arms are not short and your ear is not deaf to the cry of our hearts to You. In Jesus' Name.

Bullies

There are bullies EVERYWHERE, no matter what our age or station in life.

When I was a child, I remember someone telling me that I was just a "Tedder" and I'd be no better than the rest and would have nothing better to look forward to.

That statement was shot straight to my heart, and I had no words to retaliate because it struck a cord of fear.

You see, this person was referring to that side of my family...that had:
-people off and on spend time in prison, and or jail.
-folks that drank a LOT.
-many smoked.
-many did drugs.
-most lived lives that were tormented, and or unstable, in every way.

Over in Samuel 17:13-58, there's an account of when David's Dad brought him in from the pasture watching sheep, to take some groceries to his brothers, that were called onto a field of battle with King Saul.

We've heard about the story of David and Goliath all of our lives, haven't we?

After David arrived and delivered the food to the person in the mess tent, he went to hunt down his siblings. Davids brothers were NOT pleased to see him at all. The entire regiment was hunkered down in fear of a bully, named Goliath, that came to the knoll, across the way, twice a day (and had done so for 40 days) to breathe threats that sent fear into the hearts of these men that had been trained for battle.

David was MAD that anyone would DARE to come and DEFY the troops of his Almighty God!
David was ticked off that the entire army was shaking in their boots....AFRAID of this one man.

His brothers were indignant, and told him to go back home to Daddy to watch the sheep, what was HE doing there to begin with! All David was to them was a snot-nosed baby brother that spent all his time in the pasture tending livestock.

David said, "I can do it."....then word got back to their commander in chief, he soon had an audience with King Saul. The king wanted to know what the deal was, so David told him that God would help him defeat this guy, because He helped David when both a bear, one time, and a lion, another, attacked his Dad's livestock, took the sheep from the lion and the bears jaws, killed them both, and brought the sheep back to safety.

The king was impressed and wanted to facilitate this young boy in any way he could, giving David his own armor to wear out into the field. It did not fit David and he said, "No thanks!"

Well, we know how the story goes....only it's not just a story. David really DID challenge the giant, took 5 smooth stones from the brook while he headed Goliaths way, and after the giant breathed his threats to the BOY, furious that Israel has sent a LITTLE BOY to do battle with. David decreed what he was going to do to Goliath, and while swinging the sling shot and released the stone, the Spirit of God directed it to the giants forehead and knocked him over. David then took the guys own sword and cut off his head, and brought it to King Saul.

BOY, was THAT a suprise, not only to David's brothers, but their entire army AND the Philistines.

Is there a giant standing in front of you, telling you what you CANNOT do?
Is it yelling in your face letting you know what will NEVER happen?
Telling you that, afterall, you're just a _______ and you'll never amount to anything?
Telling you that, afterall, you're Mom had this or that disease, your Dad was full of rage, and was mentally unstable and there's no way of escape, you're doomed to have the same. Declaring failure on every turn of your life?
Is it a formidable "enemy" at your workplace? In your family? Across the street? In your community that intimidates you and strikes cords of fear in your heart?

Those familiar taunts, whatever they are, and wherever they come from, are from hell. I've always seen the devil running in packs, like in gangs. They may be whispers from hell, or they may be yelling at you in your face....but they're still from hell.

They are just bullies!

You are a son or a daughter of THE MOST HIGH GOD, and they come to defy God!
When your own son or daughter is threatened, in the least, they are coming against YOUR OWN SEED, and you take that personally, do you not? LOL

I ask God to remind us, when we "hear" those threats breathing down our own necks, bringing fear into our hearts.....to REMIND US WHOSE WE ARE, and WHAT HE'S DONE FOR US TO INSURE OUR VICTORIOUS LIFE.

Father, YOU know the words, things and fears that have hindered and taunted us all, not allowing us to live happy, VICTORIOUS lives. HELP US!!! I ask YOU to Help us to be reminded when those threats are brought to us, that we belong to YOU, that all we need to do is call upon the shed Blood of Jesus, and make use of YOUR WORD to make a difference, not only in our lives, but those around us....in Jesus' Name.