| The times are
going to get harder. It is going to require more than
praise. It is going to require more than prayer. It is
going to require more than bible reading. It is going to require
a life wholly committed to Christ. Where the blood of Christ
remits sin, the cross deals a death blow to the flesh, the devil, and
the world. Only a person obedient to Christ, the Spirit and His
leading, will escape the tribulation that is coming upon the
world. Only a person dead to sin, dead to the flesh, dead to the
world, dead to the law will enter spiritual warfare like Joshua and
Caleb and win the victory. That battle is a battle of
faith. That battle is for authority over demons and darkness,
sickness and death. That battle begins in the mind and will end
in the world where victory will be manifest and revealed. One
cannot be motivated by the law, for the law brings death. One
cannot be motivated by self, for Jesus calls us to deny
ourselves. One cannot be motivated by the flesh, for the Spirit
lusts against the flesh and the flesh against the Spirit. One
cannot be motivated by the world, for all that is of the world, the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not
of the Father but is of the world. Only what is done for Christ,
in Christ, and through Christ will remain. Only Christ will last
for all eternity. Die to all that is not of Christ and the
"manifest" you will remain. Then you will deal the death blow to
the Devil, to sickness, disease, sin, and you will prosper in all that
you do. It is a life wholly committed to Christ. It is a
life that waits on God for its purpose and direction, for its power and
its might. To have authority requires more than having your sins forgiven. It requires death to the power of sin so that the words you speak have the backing of God. Take up the cross and follow Christ. All who do will bear fruit. To bear fruit the corn of wheat must fall into the ground and die. To bear fruit one must overcome. To bear fruit one must pass through a crisis of faith. Joshua and Caleb had a working relationship with God so when the crisis of faith came, though the enemy looked like giants, they only saw God. If you see God, nothing can frighten you and nothing can defeat you. To have faith one must know God. One must know him in the Word and in his life. One must be filled with Christ and led of the Spirit. Praise alone won't succeed. Prayer alone won't succeed. Bible study alone wonÕt succeed. Only a life in Christ will. Amen. |