The People's Defenses

The People's Defenses

2/28/21

Betrayal in the name of leadership represents no higher form of personal, national, and spiritual treason.  It is difficult enough to know that friends let you down by giving away secrets and personal information you entrusted them with, but when those who are in leadership do the same seditious acts against you and many around you, it is almost too much to bear.  How far do we allow such pluckings from our lives to continue before we take up our fight, and how do we respond when we realize that our entire defensive system has been torn away from those who vowed to protect it?  It is time we rise up and stand against those who wish us harm, even if those people include leaders and family members.  God is the only source of healing and stamina that provides enough strength to win such struggles, fighting our enemy is hard enough but when our own flesh and blood take aim at our lives we cannot allow such activities to go unnoticed.  God wants us to be ready and able to fight the enemy and we need all of our spiritual parts intact in order for us to accomplish this command.

As a military history lover, I come across reports that either praise leaders or condemn them.  One hopes that when the time comes to engage the enemy that the leader over us will have the right stuff present in them so that our fight will be fair and equal.  A chosen leader may seem like they have it all together on the outside during training exercises but true nerve testing comes into play when the enemy is first looked upon on the battlefield.  When the shooting starts, it is quickly obvious if your leader is any good or not, for they will either anticipate the movements of the enemy or they will stay focused on their own immediate position and sit and hope for the best.  It is this type of leader who is not fit for command and somehow has snowed the higher-ups in believing they know what they are doing.  in other words, they have plucked the skin and flesh of the people below them all the way to be bone and left the entire group hanging out in the open with no supervision or true leader present.

From the moment that first shot whizzed past your head, the quality of your defensive mechanisms kick into action, but if they have been eaten away by those above you, it is evident that this probably will be a very bad day for you and those with you.  We are taught naturally to trust the people over us no matter what the circumstances may look like, but anyone can put up a smokescreen heavy enough to blind us from the truth.  It is also our responsibility to inform the highest command when we believe that our provisional leadership is not worthy of our presence, but how many times do we ignore such a fact just to keep the status quo from changing?  It is this trait of ours that costs many lives when the static exercise turns into a mobile unit about to engage in battle.  Sadly, at this point, we find out that the leaders that were chosen for us lied to us, and instead of drilling us to be combat-ready that we were siphoned down to the bone and unfit to fight.  Now, it is too late to make any changes to the command structure and we must make adjustments as they warrant, praying all the time that the enemy will hold off or take another route around us.

How does one think people feel when it becomes obvious that the leader chosen for them has been selling them short by faking their devotion and knowledge to the cause of the fight?  Even worse, as referred to above, how does one feel when they realize that their own leaders have walked them astray, right into the enemy's hands or traps?  In any case, all trust and confidence in leadership are gone and the mad scramble to find help in a hurry begins.  Finding out that you never had a fighting chance against an enemy due to the fact that your leaders led you astray, is quite damning and should never be tolerated on any level.  However, this type of betrayal happens a lot and not just on the physical level alone.  Many times we are misguided on the spiritual level as well and while our bodies are guaranteed death on the physical aspect anyway, the spiritual aspect is on another level.

Equally repulsive, spiritual betrayal goes against all aspects of honesty when it comes to God and being taught His Ways.  Just as on the physical level we should always have no doubt whatsoever that what our pastors, teachers, and other spiritual leaders tell us to be true.  The information that these church leaders give us has been instilled for years sometimes even decades and we have had no reason to doubt such information.  Unfortunately, we have plenty of examples that prove our beliefs differently and this type of misinformation (lies) has the same devastating effect on our spiritual lives as the physical.  We see this type of betrayal in our Bible reference for this article, it is actually a continuum from an earlier article that used Micah 3:1 as its source.  Today, we will be using Micah 3:2 and its content is as follows:

Micah 3:2

"Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;"

Hebrew

"You hate good and love evil. You tear the skin from My people and strip the flesh from their bones."

This is not an overnight process, it takes time to fully deceive people, and how easily this process can be achieved if you are the one sitting in the place of leadership and judgment.  When leaders decide that right is wrong and good is evil, they have been manipulated enough to bring into effect the entire circle that Satan began in the Garden of Eden.  Also, when this process is complete, there need not be much further aggressive tactics needed to make sure plans are followed, only additional situations to reinforce those plans.  At this point, the justification for not following through with evil plans becomes the goal of deepening their sources so that the world can thrive more within their lives.  The passage we have before us here gives some detail about how evil the leaders of Israel and Judah had become over time, and more disturbing is that they had no intention of changing their ways or their hearts.

How deep was their evil?  It was deep enough that their daily activities stripped the flesh from the bones of the people they served.  In order for this to occur, the outer skin had to already be in such a condition that there was no function to it or if the skin had already been torn away.  There is no defense for a person when the outer skin has been taken off the body, it is a guarantee that infection will set in and destroy what remains of the infected person's body.  We have horror stories of people getting burned over many parts of their body from various causes; these are natural and sometimes occur without warning.  But to have these types of conditions deliberately performed on people you are supposed to serve, it a horrendous crime and for this, there cannot be any excuse.

Now, comes the tough portion of this article for God wants all of us to understand that we are being skinned alive by our own leaders.  As stated in previous paragraphs and articles before it is easy, yet scary, to believe that secular and worldly leaders would do such a process all in the name of political sovereignty and gain.  We are currently witnessing this come to pass today with all of the wicked legislation being drafted and passed into law.  What everyone who voted for such a law fails to recognize is that what is stated in these acts go totally against what God deems as His Order, which means that we are on a collision course with the truth about our existence and I can guarantee that we shall not win, God has NEVER failed or lost at anything, so what gives us the idea we are smarter than Him now?  The truth that God has never failed at anything should be the sole reason why we should never go down the path that Israel took in 1 Samuel 8; logically, why would we decide to choose a path of loss instead of a path of continual victory?

When leaders decide to follow their own ways and thinking and change the status of the protection over and around their people, only bad things can result in such a move.  The intentions of these decisions may be of good nature, but we can never forget that the Ways of God is totally different from what man decides are his ways.  When the world is chosen as a direction, the defenses that are effective and eternal are taken down and thrown away.  There is no example higher than this than what our passage of Scripture says, for it even goes all the way down to taking the flesh off of our bones.  God has always placed the initiative in our hearts to do what is right and what He sees as good, but through our acceptance of the sinful nature in our lives, this pure living gets overruled.  Thus, our tendencies lean toward the world and when comforted by fellow makers, it is an easy ride to the top.

This passage refers to the spiritual leaders of Judah and of Israel.  The entire nation of Jacob was in turmoil with their lives and they had forgotten that their spiritual conduct would automatically flow from them in the physical aspect.  Their spiritual losses were so apparent that they were now making decisions that publicly defiled God and His Ways, thus establishing a pattern of destruction that would eventually allow their enemies to simply walk in and take over every aspect of their lives.  A return to slavery due to the fact of their own disbelief and worldly ways seems like a harsh establishment to incorporate again, but it is exactly what they had to endure.  It is easy for one to study this verse and wonder why Israel continued to allow corrupt leaders to serve in vital posts, but look at our examples of today and that thought paints a very similar or even identical picture.  Oh, they reached a pinnacle alright, the pinnacle the deceptive and divisive life because one can reach no higher when hate over good is reached.  Remember, when something is torn away from an attached position, it shall hurt and then die.

It is obvious that Israel continued its decline in the seriousness of the tribe of Levi and what God had set it off to be.  It is horrific to watch what occurs to Israel and Judah throughout the Old Testament because of this condition.  It is also a disgrace that the Church has allowed Satan to invade deep enough into our hearts to allow the same procedures and processes to develop, and all the while, we sit and watch him do his work without even standing up to defend God and the mission that He gave us to complete.  People wonder why our nation and many other nations around us are struggling in every area of our existence, this is the reason why it is because we have taken God out of our hearts and placed our ways as the first priority.  This was confirmed this week in our Congress when one of the Representatives stood up and defended the Order of Creation by God claiming that He created only male and female.  Immediately after he finished another Representative stood us and said that the Will of God has no place in this Congress and then sat back down.

So, God asks us again, do we want the exercises of Judah and Israel to thrive in our materialistic hearts, or do we wish to pursue Him and His Ways of eternal life?  I believe the answer to that question is easy to concur when talking about the secular world but it is also painfully obvious that the Church does not want God to rule over her either.  We no longer stand up for what is right in the eyes of God, nor do we proclaim His Words to be eternally true simply because we do not believe in their content and meaning.  God wants our hearts to be healed and to live as they were created, not as by-products of a deadly world that has no purpose or direction.  Church, we can truly change the world if we just return to God again and allow His voice to flow from our hearts, the world is in deep trouble and there are countless lives that do not know God at all.  The fields of harvest lie right next door and down the same street we live, our nation no longer exists for God but for ourselves.  This is the harvest and we need to make sure the harvest is done correctly.  Repent, and turn from our wicked ways so that God can bless this nation once again so that our defenses can be fully repaired and strengthened through the mighty hand of God.

DLB

Cost of Freedom

Cost Of Freedom

2/20/21

It is no secret that the cost of freedom is one that could actually cost your life, or come to the point where you will have to make decisions hard enough that other lives may be endangered.  For the most part, western societies have forgotten exactly what it means to fight for your freedom, both spiritually and physically a task that a great deal of us could not endure.  Let's face it, our comfortability in demonstrating our voices while sitting on a park bench or church pew has drowned out those who have witnessed what it means to suffer at the hands of suppressors.  This inclusion consists of the Church as well and with things that are currently unfolding it is going to be a rude awakening for many who do not believe that the Church is going to fall upon hard times.  It is spiritually and eternally vital that we understand what the cost of our spiritual freedom is and what it shall take in order for us to be free due to God moving those mountains before us.  It is time we stick our hearts back into the Bible and learn what God says about what it takes to be free from the world through Him and His Ways, no more believing we are on spiritual easy street folks.  It is time for war.

When we look back at the human revolutions that have occurred in the name "for freedom" we can see evidence that many sacrifices were made in order for the outcomes to be revealed.  In every setting, many things were ravaged by those opposing such moves and many of the inhabitants involved directly or indirectly were taken into custody or even killed due to their enthusiasm to separate from the powers to be.  Many toils and spoils were decided and handed over during these struggles, sometimes both sides claiming God as their leader and proclaimer of victory.  However, during these conflicts can we honestly admit that they were more God-given and God-driven than the human desire to make a name for themselves and to take what they believe to be theirs in the first place?  This is quite the debating issue, especially when one takes the information given and looks at, plans upon it, and then executes that plan according to a humanistic view.  In any case, the cost of such desired freedom is high and until one experiences this cost of freedom personally, it remains a distant hope and dreams for many, yet still a wonderful example of what to do or what not to do in such circumstances.

How many times have you heard the argument from nonbelievers or devil's advocates asking the question of how could you serve a God who sends His Son to die for no apparent reason?  Or why should they serve a God who killed animals on a routine basis just for symbolistic ideas?  Have any of you ever been asked these questions or ones similar to them before?  It is difficult sometimes to adequately respond when caught off guard but if we have truly grounded ourselves in the Word of God these types of situations should easily be handled with biblical and authoritative answers that are 100% accurate.  Take, for instance, the cost of freedom that the Children of Israel witnessed while God was dealing with Egypt, it was a tense time and many things occurred behind the scenes before the physical eyes saw the results of such spiritual warfare.  As stated above, freedom is never easy and the cost of your freedom from this world is even higher, it is eternally higher in fact.  How high is this cost you ask?  Let us take the scenes in Egypt when Moses was told to go to Pharaoh and to tell him that God said for him to let His people leave Egypt.

The entire passage of these scenes and events will not be used here, just the highlights of what happened each time God told Pharaoh to let His people go and he refused.  But do not believe for one minute that each one of these events was non-important or less of the importance of another, for all of them were supernatural events that God allowed in order to grab the attention of those in rebellious charge over Israel.  Our passage comes from Exodus and the time frame that God battled Satan for the hearts of not only Israel but of Pharaoh and Egypt as well.  Exodus Chapters 7-12 describe this battle between two kingdoms and we shall see that through this battle many lives were turned needlessly upsidedown because of stubborn pride and belief in false gods that only brought trouble and anger to an entire kingdom.  See, when people or nations worship false or defeated gods, the only thing that they can bring to people is more hunger, wanting more, and needing more of a supply line that can be offered.  This god-like worship is a superficial fulfillment that denies the inner being (heart and spirit) true communication that they need.  What a waste of time to be honest, but for some reason, we decide it is easier to adjust to differences in our surroundings by such worship.

Worship is a cleansing and a refreshing of our spirit, and it can only be fulfilled in one way, and that is by serving and worshiping God.  Remember the verse where it says we must worship in spirit and in truth?  There is a reason for this, for only God can represent Truth to our lives and in our lives; therefore, any other type of worship cannot reach the inner core of our lives and clean out and open up that worship communication line as the worship to God can and does.  Sin is not a superficial manifestation, if it was then none of us would have habits and feelings that potentially end our eternal lives, they could be shed on and off easily without any thought process or healing from God.  You know, I believe that this belief is exactly what the world teaches and that countless people believe and fall for.  The roots of sin run ever so deep within our lives and it is this Truth about our lives that the Bible says we need to crucify our sinful lives every day.

The plagues that were delivered to Egypt were phenomenal and considered unheard of before.  Yes, certain times created specific events of locusts, frogs, storms, etc. but never to the extent of what God unleashed against Egypt.  Humans love to believe that when one sign comes that their will can endure that period of time and then move on when that situation or condition is finished, they actually thrive in such behavioral conditions.  However, when the second issue arrives soon after the completion of the first one, maybe something is not right and we should think about changing some things about our lives might be in order.  But not in this case, all faith was projected onto the leader and magicians of Egypt and supreme confidence was taken from the people, so, God had to continue to show Himself to Egypt in a not-so-great manner.

God has always followed a pattern when He must deal with humans and their stubbornness towards His Ways and His people.  God will not just end a person's life, or group of peoples' lives, or even destroy an entire kingdom without first giving them warnings about their behavior.  Many times these warnings from God are severe enough that people should get the hint, but once again we see that human stubbornness aided and rooted in worldly traditions remain intact and force God to enhance these warnings, sometimes even coming to a head with the destruction of kingdoms.  It is this pattern that God must take that shows us how not to act and for us to realize that it should not take frogs, hail, locusts, and even deaths of our firstborn children to see just how deep our sinful roots are.  In deep truth, our acts of life are dictated by who we worship for it is through worship that our communication lines are opened to; and just a reminder again, if one communication-lined direction is open the other is automatically closed.

Egypt turned to its prideful gods to help them win the day, but as each day passed their gods were silent and worthless because none of them had lived, even to defend themselves, much less the millions of people in Egypt.  Pharaoh never recognized the legitimacy of God or His authority over his kingdom, so that when God changed His requests into demands Pharaoh would not even understand what hit him; each response from Pharaoh demonstrated this fact.  Deepening yourself into a false or dead god will not comfort you or give you true direction when things are tough, it only brings expanded difficulties and plages to your heart's doorstep.  Ever heard of this statement from friends or others "no one is going to defeat me or tell me what to do"?  It was this residential belief in Pharaoh's heart that cost him many lives around Egypt including his own son.  Now, ask yourself once again, how deep does sin run in my life.  

After each plague was completed, the consequences grew and affected more people.  By the time every plague was completed, another primary life-giving source was taken away, and when the tenth plague was over, human life was taken the source of all living.  Did it really have to go that far?  These acts by Pharaoh and God, it serves as aforethought of why God had no choice to allow His Son to die for eternal life and freedom.  It was necessary for Jesus to come to this earth after Adam failed in his position as the leader against eternal tyranny.  Not even physical death could deter humanity from a sinful existence, we still continue to willfully sin against our existence and make no bones about the fortifications we build around our lives to defend this death presence inside our hearts.  We are no different than what Pharaoh believed and lived but as of this moment, we still have the opportunity to change things so drastically that our land will be miraculously healed.  Here is the tough part of this story to comprehend and that is this, it took Israel forty years to reach the Promised Land after the day they stepped foot from Egypt.  Forty years!  It was not that big of a place of wandering, folks!  Here is the deal, we do not have to recreate Exodus Chapters 7-12 again, we have the opportunity to bypass this and move on down the spiritual road.  We do not have to endure these issues or ones similar or worse than these.  This is lightening the burden of sin in our lives through God, we do not have to go through such turmoil.

Israel was thankful that God delivered them physically from Egypt, but their problem was that they failed to recognize that God still had work to do within their inner hearts.  It was this portion of freedom that was the most costly to the Children of Israel.  Many people who were of adult age never stepped foot into the Promised Land due to the exact same rebellious spirit that Pharaoh demonstrated while they were in captivity.  This means that due to this same behavior, neither Egypt nor Israel were free both were still in bondage.  Both nations displayed selfish pride after Israel left and it continued to cost both nations valuable human resources during this process.  A useless process with devastating results all due to stubborn, selfish, and worldly pride deeply rooted enough to influence people to ignore what God says for everyone to do.  Battles are tough and costly enough, do not deliberately add to this cost of freedom, just allow God to intervene completely.  God challenges you today to go and study in-depth these chapters in Exodus and realize exactly how much it cost Egypt to live in defiance and rebellion when told by God what to do.

Why die in the wilderness when there is the perfect solution staring at you just inches away?  The cost of your freedom from this world is high enough, you do not need to add to its value.  The warnings of God are true and correct, but they are merciful in comparison to life being taken away.  God warns both physically and spiritually, just as He has done all throughout His Word and beyond.  God loves His children, ALL of them and it is not His desire to see anyone die in rebellion and live eternally away from Him.  Church, we have lost our drive to dig deep into our lives and to allow God to uproot sin from within, only God can perform such a miracle and it is far beyond time that we allow this to occur.  Our wilderness is about to be upon us, and it is imperative that we do not spend "decades" wandering around aimlessly and bury countless people who do not know God.  tough times are ahead and we need to lessen the cost of our freedom as much as possible, recognize the importance of life through the obedience of God, and return to His Ways accordingly.  This is war!

DLB

Wicked

Wicked

2/7/21

It is not difficult to immediately think about this word and the stereotypic symbolism that is attached to it, and for someone to quickly think this would not be wrong in their assessments.  However, being wicked does not always mean being hateful, spiteful, destructive, and filled with hatred, for some of the most gentle and kind people are just as wicked in the eyes of God as those who destroy businesses and peoples' lives.  It is this challenge of our beliefs that need to be reevaluated for even though these folks may not be out destroying property they are destroying their own dominion by living without God in their lives.  It is our responsibility to love these people just as much as we should the ones who torment the innocent for their eternity is at stake just as the violent criminal.  No, the job is not easier even though the attitude may seem calmer, for the ruler of the world still resides in their hearts as well which makes them a prime target of God, His Son, and His Son's Salvation.

All of us see many horrid things each and every day, they are vivid in nature and can produce extravagant scenes that our minds will never forget and through this remembrance process force their images into our hearts.  For as long as I can remember my eyes have watched horrible things humans do to other humans, and as time has marched on those scenes become numerous each week.  It does not matter what the circumstances may be or where in the world one wants to refer to those types of images come to us in sharp detail.  It is impossible to miss such events, for it no longer takes a television or even a radio to be subject to such violent escapades.  Just the other day, I watched a news report where a person went into a home and shot the entire family inside.  The first question that we think of is, "why"?  What did those precious babies do to deserve to be killed?  This type of setting is what many of us deem as being wicked, and how our society has become through the selfishness of our hearts, but that is not all of the projected wickedness scenes, there are plenty more available and through these types of examples it is easy to say that God is no longer in our lives; one would not be incorrect here.

But what about the person who goes to work every day, does their duty at work properly, comes home after work, and has a quiet night at home, goes to bed just to rise up and repeat this routine the next day?  What about those who are so talented that they invent numerous instruments that will help us in our future lives, or invent artificial joints so that almost everyone in a weakened condition can receive a replacement and walk like they were twenty years old again?  All of these people and countless more like them seem to do good for the world and for their lives, so why ever would they be placed into the same category of wickedness as the violent criminal?  I know it is hard to fathom and some may not agree with this but according to God and His Word, if we do not accept Him and His Son as their Creator and Savior, we are just as wicked as the one who commits heinous crimes against humanity.

Psalm 32:10

"Many sorrows shall be to the wicked: but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about."

Hebrew

"Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but loving devotion surrounds him who trusts in the Lord."

Can we honestly state that only people that are considered to be violently wicked the ones who are filled with sorrows to the point where they cannot find any hope or direction in life?  This question should be very easy to answer but for some reason, we unqualify ourselves to answer it properly because we do not deem the nonviolent people worthy enough to be considered wicked.  In fact, if we stop and think about both of these conditions of the human heart we might be surprised to learn that the so-called violent wicked person may be easier to win for the Lord than the one who might seem to have it all together.  Ironically, it is these nonviolent wicked people that many churches welcome into the congregations and just allow them to suffer from their sins quietly instead of understanding exactly what is transpiring through their hearts.  What do you consider the definition of "wicked" to be?  God defines it as anything that is not of, for, to, from, Him. In other words, disobedience.

It is easy to ignore a higher power when one is considered to have everything that one needs to survive in life.  I have heard countless times when I have asked someone how they are: "oh, just living the dream" and as these words come from their lips it is not too much longer than their entire attitude or demeanor states something else, clearly demonstrating that they have no idea who God is or what His Son did for them.  Am I to believe that these folks are easier to reach for Christ, I should think not since Jesus spoke many times about the rich and comfortable and how difficult it would be for them to get into Heaven.  Yet, many church denominations allow them into their congregations and not ensure their salvation and eternal placement.  Also, who causes the most issues within the church body?  Is it the ones who are down and out in society or is it the ones who seem to have it all together?  Think about that for a bit folks.

This is where the knowledge concerning spiritual warfare comes into play.  Remember, almost the entire New Testament was written in response to how the churches of regional demographics were acting.  We have totally ignored the fact that Satan and his demons sit in every church building waiting to cause trouble within that body and it is easy for them to accomplish this feat because we as the Church body are so divided we could not fight ourselves out of a wet paper bag.  Why is this?  It is because we have allowed ourselves to be watered down by the world enough to render us ineffective against the wiles of the devil.  Even if we had the capability to recognize each other's faults on a spiritual level we would have NO clue about how to properly deal with the situation.  You know what?  Living in this condition places us into the same category as those folks who sit in our pews each week and do absolutely nothing for Christ.

I can hear some people arguing with what has been stated so far, I can hear others searching their hearts to see if they have fallen into this category.  Tell me, which conversational piece from this article directly represents you?  There will be a time coming in a short while that going to church or freely and publicly proclaiming to be a Christian will not be the popular idea to follow or do.  Yes, there will be a revival soon but just like every other revival, it shall fade away because we will have failed to understand its purpose and meaning for our lives concerning the world.  It is also safe for me to say that it will be the ones who seem to have it all together that will lead us into the deadly abyss of life after a revival.  I ask again, who is more wicked?

Church, we have missed some things that have been right in front of our faces, for when you have people who have been going to church their entire lives but do not know the Truth concerning the Word of God, something is not right!  Another point God would like to bring to our attention is this: concerning our ministry outside the church building.  Where is it?  It is null and void, it is not there, nowhere to be found, gone and missing from sight.  Why is this?  Read the paragraphs above again and it should become clear to you, it is because we have allowed wickedness to infiltrate our lives as we claim to be Christians but not doing what Jesus commanded us to do.  How many young people that have been raised in the church actually go into full-time ministry these days?  Sadly, not many for when you ask almost every church leader today, they cannot find enough people willing to go into the ministry, they have no desire or burden for the world.

The point God is making to us today is that we need to focus on all of the wickedness around us, it does not matter if the person is the poster child for someone to be considered wicked or if they are a deacon that sits on the front row every Sunday.  As long as we fail to see such travesty occur, our spiritual battles will result in our defeat on a constant basis.  Jesus loves each and every person that walks this earth and it is our responsibility to see this need and to address it.  Our words and actions need to be penetrating enough to reach all who need Christ, especially the ones controlled by religious spirits.  It is our duty to be separated from the world at all times and to be open to God enough that we allow Him to examine even the deepest parts of our hearts and then to rid our hearts of any wicked thing we harbor.  By all means, God does not want wickedness to rule anyone or anywhere but it is imperative that we need to recognize exactly where the wickedness lies and spiritually combat it according to the Ways of God.

DLB

Why Do You Read The Bible

Why Do You Read The Bible?

2/6/21

If someone asked you this question what would be your response?  I can imagine that the answers would be so wide and varied that it could result in thousands of answers.  It has been obvious over the years that the reasons that we read the Bible no longer take precedence over daily lives which means that this eternal Source Book no longer is considered important.  Yet, we seem to question the fact that our improprieties, indignities, and all-around problems seem to increase as each sunrise occurs.  Maybe we should reconsider reading, studying, and applying God's Word into our lives again for when we do God guarantees that our lives will change and settle down to the level He created us to operate within.  But until we decide to do this, our issues shall continue to grow and overcome our peace and existence with the fear and turmoil of the world and its ruler.  There is time to change our hearts, even when our lives are falling apart, for God says that He never will leave us even when times are bad.

My wife and I recently spent the weekend at my brother's house, we had a fabulous time with them as always.  We all gather around the table and just converse back and forth about anything and everything, it does not matter what is said or conveyed, it is a great time of getting to be around family and just sharing family time with them.  There was no special reason for our visit, just the fact that they are now close enough to visit on a regular basis and it is a delight for everyone involved including the kids and our animals.  All of our kids put together range basically the same even though my girls are now married and gone from home, my brother still has two at home.  They are great kids that express themselves quite well and sometimes these expressions are vivid enough to warrant questions from their uncle.  Over the years these two have been through a bunch and have struggled with many issues over this time period, both personal and social struggles.  My brother and his family went to church and know about God, but their relationship with God is scarce and basically null, keep this in mind as you read.

I was listening to my niece talk about her new counselor that she was getting and how excited she was about meeting her and getting started back with counseling sessions.  To be honest, she has been doing wonderful without them but as time has settled in her new living town things have been once again stirred up within her life.  She has never been taught the Word of God about spiritual warfare and how to combat it, thus she has been involved in some very painful rituals that sunk her heart into deep depths.  She no longer requires such rituals and is clean from that, but her house is empty and it needs to be filled with God and not the world for we know exactly what occurs when the world is allowed back into a clean house.  Anyway, during a break in the conversation, I asked her a simple question and it was this: how many times a week do you read your Bible?  It did not take long for her to respond with: once a week on Sundays when I go to church.  Her answer took me back a bit but really did not surprise me for I know how the enemy works and how he loves to return to the scene with new buddies and tactics.

It is this fact about Satan and how he gains access to a clean house that God wants to show us in this article.  For the sole purpose of understanding the Bible is for us to know how to fight off the wiles of the devil.  It does not matter how young or old you may be, our battles in this life have spiritual origins and if we do not know how to combat them properly they will continue to return and to gain on a regular basis.  The Bible is our only defense for such attacks and it is also our only weapon to have present in our hearts when then attacks occur, God did not leave us defenseless after sin entered into our lives but we cannot thoroughly defend ourselves if we continue to return to our faults.  Turning to secular counselors and therapists will not do you one ounce of good because all they know to do is to fight physically and no true healing or victory comes from the physical.  God tells us this through the verse He gave us for this article:

Psalm 32:8

"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye."

Hebrew

"I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will give you counsel and watch over you."

I always love it when God places Scripture specifics into these articles for it serves to us as a reminder that God wants to teach us His Ways so that our lives will be extraordinary in His sight and very noticeable in the world too.  It seems like we have completely gone astray from God and have consequently lost interest in His Word and subsequently become blind and ignorant of His guidance.  I cannot help but focus on the first portion of this Scripture when it specifically states that God will instruct and teach us in the way that we need to go, not have the world teach us its ways or any other polytheistic god in its ways either.  When God makes statements such as this it is for a reason and every time He mentions this position it means that we have fallen away in some aspect of our lives and we need to be placed back on track.  However, this may sound like a good idea but when it comes to implementing it back into our lives the correction process seems to be a tad uncomfortable.

God will always direct us back to His Ways according to His Word for the Bible is His definition and Ways of existence.  God does not waiver on this pattern nor does He invite us or try to persuade us in following any other path of correction.  The Hebrew word "teach" that is used here literally means to cast, to throw, to set, to point out, and is specific in its direction too.  Its construction is of a singular mode and in the first person which means that it follows that singular first person's lead, just as it says so at the beginning of this verse.  When makes a statement such as this it is for a plan or purpose, so we can also come to the agreement that there should be a reason why we should understand how to receive such instruction and teaching too.

God is not ignorant in the methods and ways of His enemy which is our enemy too.  God was there and ready to combat Lucifer when he wanted his name changed due to the fact that he wanted to be higher than God.  God knew from the beginning that there needed to be defensive and offensive plans already in process when the time came for mankind to be created; it was not by chance God had put everything in order first.  The means by which we acquire these plans of God for our lives comes by one way, and that is through studying and reading the Bible.  Any military general does not achieve that title and rank by haphazardly approaching their responsibilities; no, they continuously study methods and ways to overcome and defeat the enemy.  It is a continuous and ardent path that is maintained in order to ensure victory is achieved because if it just a plan that is hastily or flippantly thrown together it is a sure-fire way of ending in defeat.

It is this process of studying with an eternal passion that is required so that our lives can be guaranteed victory.  See, Satan knows the Bible and the potential we have when we understand its content and the power that we have in its content.  It is this potential that he wants to be silenced and to be kept away from our lives because he also knows that if we understand this life of the Bible we will be able to bring life to the lost, which is exactly what Jesus commanded us to do.  Reading the Bible does not make you a stronger Christian all it does is allows you to be open to attacks from the enemy without a true and sensible defense against him.  Do you know how many therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists would be put out of business if we truly accepted the Word of God as our relationship standard with people?  We do not read the Bible for aggressive behavior toward people either, we study its content so that we may become alive in Christ so that we may commune with others and share its message to them on a routine basis.

This is the reason my niece's answer disturbed me in such a way because she did not wish to read the Bible for instruction and teaching but to complete it as a situational disguise to those sitting next to her.  How many of us read the Bible in such a manner?  For a very long time in my life, I used to read the Bible in the same manner, and at the same time, I did not understand why my life was going nowhere and why I was continually receiving spiritual direct hit after spiritual direct hit.  I was a sitting duck and there was nothing I did that helped my situation but to sink deeper and deeper into a horrid pit.  I may have looked like my life was in perfect order on the outside but my inner life was a complete mess that was beaten up so badly that I could not even function correctly in the spirit.

This verse tells us that God is the One that gives us spiritual help and teaching, and when we apply this knowledge to our spiritual lives it shall automatically strengthen our physical lives as well.  Protection inside and outside is what we crave and need and this verse confirms that God is the only one who can provide such protection.  With all of the turmoil in this world that has crossed our eyes so far and those tumultuous days that still lie ahead, there is no way possible that we can read the Bible on a sporadic timetable, we need that Word every day and we need to study its content to exercise our minds and hearts so that we understand its meaning as it was written to be.

Church, you know where God is going with this article's content.  Where are the ones who have been saved for a long time?  Shouldn't we have the same fire within us as the new Christian?  Then why are we not applying this Truth from our hearts?  We no longer can claim the world as our friend and then try to stomp out its ways, we must declare that God is Supreme Ruler over our lives at ALL times and live according to the Bible.  This example alone will draw the curious when they see the difference in our attitudes and conduct, then we shall have the perfect opportunity to witness to these beautiful people who need Jesus.  This is how you change the world, by reading and studying the Bible every day, spending time in its pages, taking notes, and burning God's Word in our hearts.  There is no way that we can understand what is going on around us if we do not know the words of the Bible.  People scream and cry for answers but we have none to give, that is a very telling state Church and a very eternal sad one as well.  The proof of our lack of faith and commitment is portrayed every day with our silence concerning what the world is building and we shall be held accountable for our non-actions.

We can still change things Church, but we have no time left to do it, so in other words, get to it!  Forget the petty physical differences that separate us and teach God's Word to those who need it.  To do such a command, we need to study the Bible in its full and holy attributes, not the physical ideologies we want it to be.  The world teaches slavery to its utmost but God's Word teaches us and tells us that we do not have to live as defeated slaves to a failed and defeated master.  Study God's Word every day, it does not matter how you do it, but just do it!  When we have the Bible alive within us we will have a desire to share it with others and to serve them with the Truth about their lives.  The Bible has never been about "duty" but it has always been about life, a life of freedom from the spiritual sickness and disease of the world.  This should be our message of life and this should be the reason why you would want to read the Bible.

DLB

A Sudden Change in Course

A Sudden Change In Course

2/3/21

Not many parents demonstrate tough love any more toward their children, and no one can argue this statement simply because of the way young people demand their attitudes and expressions, trump adults.  However, when these types of attitudes publicly portray themselves it should form a clue a to how these people and many others similar to them will act when God decides to demonstrate His tough love conditions.  There are many examples of tough love in the Bible, some that are easily spotted while others not so recognized.  God still believes in tough love and when He shows us this fact it is difficult for most to see it as such and react emotionally instead of spiritually.  It has been foretold that this nation is about to experience a sudden turn concerning every aspect of our lives, this is a true statement and one that God wishes for me to elaborate to His people so they can fully know what is occurring.  If we understand this Truth, then we will not fall into the same trap as Israel did a couple of times in the Bible and we can get through this mess with God inside our lives and totally committed to Him and His Ways at all times.

Have you ever had problems understanding why your parents spanked you, put you in time out, or grounded you, and why some times all you received was just talking to?  Of course, we did not like it but to be honest, we deserved it and we needed it so that we would think about crossing those forbidden lines in the future.  However, at the time we sat somewhere or left to go somewhere and ended up pouting about the conditions instead of trying to figure out exactly what needed to be changed in our hearts so that this type of punishment would not occur again.  There were many times that I could not see the truth of why my parents were doing it because of my selfish attitude, all of us have been there and expressing the same emotional status.  But the question still remains, did we learn anything from these experiences, or did we "suffer the consequences" and waited until the confinement process ended?

For those of us who could have known the future and saw what we would be doing in that future, would we have still acted selfishly and pouted instead of trying to see the lessons that our parents were trying to teach us?  I know that some would have figured things out and might not have done some of the things that caused us so much pain and time away from family and friends, but most of us would have followed those footsteps exactly.  But what if because of those ignored opportunities of learning failed to contain our human desires enough that our actions did not help and we did not care and then come to find out our lives never reached their fulfillment and potential because of those missed learning sessions before.  Then what would we do, would we step out of our temporary confinement and consciously redefine our motives for life or would we ignore it and stay put as we are?  The questions are endless but the results are invalid because we failed to understand what and why at that time of release.

On 12 June 2019, God gave me a dream that at the time I did not understand much about it.  Occasionally, its contents would pop into my mind and I would ponder its passing a while, and then my thoughts would eventually turn to another subject.  Dreams are unusual of course and have several meanings to them, some with symbolism dominating the scenes with others being more vivid and personal dealing with family members or other loved ones.  In either case, some type of specific meaning is portrayed across your mind and many times never leave your mind and heart; without you ever knowing or understanding why, either.  This dream was specific and had a purpose behind it, it just took a while before its contents could be understood.

I was working in a hospital and from the sense of things, I knew my way around which suggested that I had been at that facility for quite some time.  I was not old and grey nor was I a patient, I was a worker and was helping a gentleman out in his room.  It was early in the morning and the curtain was opened to his window, for some reason and I do not know why but I knew the room well enough that I knew this room was on the top floor of the hospital.  It was going to be a clear day or at least for a while because there was enough light coming from the sky that one could tell it was a cloudless day.  The gentleman and I continued to have a comfortable chat between us for a bit and gazing out of the window until both of our sets of eyes saw a plane flying low and slow outside the window.  The hospital I was working in was on a mountain top or high up on a hill so that when one looked out a window they could see the valley below.  Also, one could see the other side of the valley and that mountain range as well.  On this morning, it was still dark enough that a good portion of the city lights in the valley was still lit so you could see the entire populated valley with no trouble.  It was not a huge city but it did fill the entire valley floor, a nice small-sized city I would say.

As the conversation continued and looking out the window of the beautiful morning, we both saw a plane flying low and slow as stated above.  It did not look like it was having any problems at all but it was not in the usual place as its regular flight pattern should have been.  This is another detail that was not correct here for I knew that the plane was scheduled to leave at a certain time and fly to a specific destination.  I told the gentleman that something was not right because that was the plane that went to Dallas, Texas every morning from the local airport.  While the plane was going in the correct direction as if it were going to Dallas, it was not where it was supposed to be, for I knew that its flight path to Dallas took it on the other side of the hospital and it should have never been over the valley and its population.  I also knew that the size of the plane that went to Dallas every morning was the same size and model, and with me knowing the time of day it definitely was the flight I was familiar with.

Both the gentleman and I were watching the plane in silence and with intent trying to figure out what was going on at that moment.  While it was known that the flight of the plane was not unusual about its altitude but it was the course that was way off.  In my mind, I knew something was not right but I would not know just how much was wrong for a few seconds more.  All of a sudden, the plane seemed to stop its forward progress and at the same time its nose pointed upwards and it made an unusual left turn, not a bank like normal but a sharp left turn for it was a 90-degree angle where the entire plane was on its side as I saw it.  I could see both wings clearly with the right wing on top, then the fuselage, and on the bottom was the left wing.  The plane then leveled out, back to normal, and as soon as it did its nose took an immediate 90-degree angle drop; a straight nose dive.  Incredibly and in just a matter of a few seconds, I could see that this complete nose dive was not only a complete nose dive but gravity had taken over and the plane was increasing its speed.

As the plane continued its dive and fastly approaching the ground, my vision and sight zoomed in for a closer look at the plane.  I was able to see the pilot of the plane in the cockpit but could not make out any further details inside the cockpit.  I could see the pilot only, I do not know if he was the only one in there or not, my eyes focused fully on him and what he was doing.  He was in his normal seat and position, I could see the pilot holding on to the controls but not trying to turn the plane's direction holding it steady in the direction it was going; not trying to avoid the ground just staying on course.  The pilot did not defend the plane for even at that moment he still believed in the course they were on to be correct.

My vision backed away slightly from the scene as the plane crashed into the ground.  I saw the plane's impact as it hit the ground, it immediately exploded with a huge explosion with black smoke with a red and orange fire present.  My eyes were then pulled back into the room but my eyes were still focused on the fire.  The plane did not crash into any buildings or into a neighborhood but in an open field that had some type of structures present around the area.  My eyes watched the fire for a few more seconds, then the dream ended and I woke up.  The plane and its path were ones that would not have seemed out of place to the everyday person on the ground, all things seemed normal and in normal operations.  However, if one knew the normal path of such a plane and course they would know that something was wrong because of the position of the plane and where it was located, along with its speed.

As stated above, I periodically am reminded about this dream but no other details would emerge about it or any extensions to it either, just a short reminder, and then it would be gone.  Over the past five months or so we have been told about prophecies concerning this nation and what would become of its legacy and status.  I still believe that ALL of them are going to come to pass even though it is difficult at times to wrap our hearts and minds around God's timeline and leave mankind's timeline on the ground.  I did not realize just how accurate this dream was until today, 3 February 2021 when God once again placed this dream into my mind but this time I could not shake its content and it would not go away as it did in the past.  Then God popped into my mind the prophecies that I had heard over the past few months and then the correlation hit.  

This dream about the plane was dead on to what the prophets had been saying.  All seemed like it was normal even though there were some things not really correct about the setting.  I was nervous and subdued all day long and even after God showed me the correlation I was at peace but still tense on many levels.  I am not saying that this is exactly what shall occur sometime in the very near future; however, I will say that God told me the other night that I would not be writing (publishing) again until it was time for things to change in the land.  Once again, I had no idea that this day would come so soon but when God showed me these things He said to write.  This is the dream and the correlation statement from God concerning the dream, take it to heart and allow it to serve as a warning to those who read this.  Share it as soon as possible and pray, pray, and pray.  Brace yourself, folks, things are about to drastically change in a manner that shall catch all of us off-guard.

DLB

Informing The Law

Informing The Law

1/25/21

One cannot help but question where all of our values have disappeared and how they slipped from our grasp.  Many people would provide just as many explanations as to why these core tutors have gone away, but while there are numerous explanations hardly any of them will contain the word "God" in their definition.  That is okay because we have no intention of including God in our ways any longer, so anything comprised within the Bible would not be considered.  This belief is our failure and until we figure out that our existence as individuals, nations, and Church depends solely upon God our morals and values shall continue to fail and fall.  Failure is not an option with God yet we love to abide by the world's ways and examples.  No longer do we adhere to or even respect the Golden Rule or any of its components, it is "me" first and death to anyone who wishes to invade my space.  We do not have to live in such a standard, there is a much higher place that we can inhabit but only God knows if that is obtainable any longer.

It strikes me interestingly enough that we as a species have morphed into societies that would rather turn a neighbor into the police for various reasons instead of ourselves not respecting others first.  Ironically, our selfish tendencies have turned our outward focus on others into inward fractures based upon the belief that no one else matters but "me".  Sadly, this is our new Golden Rule when it comes to life, live for yourself and turn in any opposition to your beliefs no matter what that cost may be or who that person or group represent.  Where is the communal camaraderie that has bound society after society throughout human history?  Are we to state that we have returned to the days of the Inquisition or Naziism that we feel it is our duty to inform the law on our acquaintances, friends, and even family?  What benefit will we have upon applying such irreverence to our fellow humans?  

Do we not see that this policy of information concerning lives and every other similar plan such as this comes from one place alone, and that is the world.  How can we face our own existence in such a manner with people that we know is now in such peril because we knew something about their lives that disagreed with their conduct with the ruling party of the government?  Let us take a moment and to think about a bigger picture here and ask ourselves another question, who is it that has eyes upon you and the things that you do and say?  You cannot honestly believe that you are exempt from such practice just because you turned someone one in once or twice.  When people live in such a way you better be nice to them and do everything they say because the people who knocked on those who you turned in could soon be doing the same motion at your door.  Always keep in mind that the heart is evil at best and shall look toward every opportunity to return the favor.

I guess it is too much to ask people to live by the correct rule of living, you know, the one we call the Golden Rule.  It seems like we have completely forgotten this eternal Truth because our hearts have turned toward the world so much.  When one takes a look at this passage, they cannot help but find peace, happiness, and contentment all around them.  This means that this atmosphere of hope is purchased by this rule which is one that comes from God and not the world.  So, here is our verse for this article, and it goes like this:

Matthew 7:12

"Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets."

Many people have heard this principle spoken and taught for a good portion of their lives, but just as many have ignored its meaning or powerful freedom knowing results.  As stated above, there is no way that anyone can honestly state that the ways of the world can bring any type of unity, honesty, peace, and trust to their lives while following such flawed and painful beliefs.  A self-servicing organism can only survive so long before its own countenance begins to think of ways to rid itself in hope of producing a greater and bigger organism.  Stop and think about this for a while folks, it is exactly the vital principle that the world teaches we must incorporate into our lives in order to be successful.  In other words, it is my way or the highway mentality placed on steroids with a nuclear energy supply as its power source.  There can never be any peace or happiness in this state of mind or functioning concepts; yet, we fall for this false hope of finding our personal gold mine, followed by deeper expenditures that require that nuclear foundation to be placed at full capacity.

This concept that billions of people follow every day is not conducive to life and will produce a short circuit sometime in our near future.  All of us have sinned and come short of God, which means all of us have chosen to follow such ways of the world at some point in our presence on this planet.  Of course, the entire Bible is the definition of God and one eternally gigantic pattern book that gives us all the information needed to live a wonderful and peaceful life and there is no greater example of this through the verse that serves as our core for this article.  This verse teaches us that we should always be kind to those around us and wish to be treated in much the same manner.  Now, the world cannot stand any type of harmony between humans for this type of living has the urgent appeal for our spiritual eyes to be opened and to see the Truth about God and His Kingdom.

Do you know that this verse alone could stand as the flag of the Bible?  Everything about this verse Jesus represents and the Standard God created in us for every person to see and to encounter.  This explains why Satan wants our lives ended as quickly as possible, better if you do not know God then you will have no chance of eternal life after you draw your last breath.  This verse also represents what Jesus commanded us to do, to witness to others all over the world, without exception.  What is the current topic and attitude at hand these days, equality through division how much further from what this verse is proclaiming than that of the message of the world?  It is clear that there is a total division between God and the world, and God does not leave any room for doubt here, He has the answer, the REAL answer for our lives.

Because we do not follow the Golden Rule, it is no wonder that our levels of violence and anger toward each other come not much of a surprise, yet for some reason, we seem so shocked when these events rattle our neighborhoods and cities.  It should be crystal clear as to why such activities are increasing and not decreasing, even in our so-called modern and civilized societies.  It is plain to see that our existence thrives on such hatred and self-serving ideologies and that in order to get ahead or make amends for wrongs we must beat down, antagonize, and if necessary eliminate those around us who do not share the same ideologies at that moment.  We live in a time where everything we experience comes and goes within a few days at most, then another crisis arrives and we travel to its epicenter leaving numerous other ones unsolved or properly corrected.  All examples of a society not living by the verse of this article.  How quickly we forget that when we operate through the ways of the world we take the law into our own hands and by doing such we automatically not only turn our fellow citizens into the authorities but we are performing the same act to ourselves as well.

And do not think you are exempt from such an operation either, Church.  To be honest, we are the worst for we have been taught the Light and the Truth and instead of sharing this fact, we have perverted our status for personal gain and ammunition.  Do you know that by not preaching the Truth to the dying world that you are doing the same acts that got the world in the place that it is in?  It is called disobedience, yes, disobedience because if you do not live by the Golden Rule - witnessing to the dying world - then you are promoting death to those around you.  In other words, you are turning those precious people who need Christ in their hearts over to their executioner.  As time steps closer to the coming of Christ, we should be out doing our part ensuring that everyone we meet or know knows Jesus as their personal savior.  

Which law are we going to observe and obey?  Physically, if one keeps the Ways of God, at some point you shall be challenged by the world this is a given.  It should be expected that those who follow the Golden Rule should clash with the world; oh and by the way, the world and its followers do not care that you are a nice person or that you hold 18 degrees from a prestigious educational institute they just want compliance, and if they do not get it then they shall have a blooding.  We should never base our life on the physical, for the physical shall pass away but our spirit shall live in someplace forever.  It is our responsibility Church to promote this verse to others and shun the ways of the world and do not inform these lost souls to eternal death.  What is coming to this nation and to the many countries who have followed our lead is incalculable to the human mind.  God wants us to stop informing the law on our fellow neighbors and family and to once again tell them about God and that they need Jesus.  For we will need as many people with us as possible to survive.

DLB

Don't Pet The Enemy

Don't Pet The Enemy

1/12/21

Many of us are guilty of such horrific spiritual door opening events even if our intentions are believed to be one of good nature.  When the battle is over it is one of the more humane things to help out the wounded that need help, a good gesture of respect.  But this type of helpfulness after a spiritual battle is not required for while in physical battles people die, it is not the case in the spirit realm.  Spirit is eternal and falls under the command of their leaders, thus automatically returning to fight another day.  The spiritual realm is one that will not cease and until the day of eternal separation of the two kingdoms that vie for our placement is over, we cannot afford to give any place to our enemy.  This is a Kingdom principle that none of us can mistake, and even though our enemy is already defeated we cannot give him any open doors to use against us in the future; for it is our job to close those doors that cause us pain and grief, which is exactly what the definition of spiritual warfare is.

Some of us have been in a predicament large enough to think about what if I do not make it out of this situation alive, anyone who has been in the military has these types of thoughts occasionally run through their minds; I know, been there and done that.  Anyway, when these settings become reality they cannot be ignored and while we are passing through them it may be a tad difficult to think of anything else but the present.  But what occurs when these events pass and it looks like all will be okay and that we will have survived such an ordeal?  This is when our adrenaline levels begin to relax a bit and our emotions take over, which can be just as tense and flooding as the rush that we present while the events are still around us.  All of us such defensive mechanisms inside our bodies and it is not uncommon for them to be put on display after the tension is over.

It is this time afterward that sometimes we display certain human attributes that may cause more damage than the event itself.  With all of us being human, have you ever watched a sporting event on TV and watched a victor stand over his defeated opponent on the ground and make some kind of taunting gesture toward them?  It is common for even though those competitors may have never physically met each other before they are considered enemies during that match.  It is at this time after the event is over that many times humans become engaged in a practice of celebratory actions such as crying, laughing, some pass out while others give some type of taunting motions that could be taken as grounds for future encounters for revenge.  Being a respective victor is one of the most difficult achievements people who win can possess.  Humans love to take pride in themselves and gloat over losers or outcasts as it were, what would one do if they were in the shoes of the loser?  That is right, begin thinking of ways to take revenge or challenging that person or group again but with other tactics in mind.

The passage that God wants us to focus on for this article is one that has been taught in every child's Sunday School class or preached from pulpits.  It is the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den and is familiar to almost everyone including the nonbeliever.  However, God wants to address a portion of this Scripture that I have never heard be dwelt on yet it is a bit of information that should be noted for not just a single encounter with our enemy but a known fixture of protocol after every spiritual battle we face.  The passage for the article is as follows:

Daniel 6: 19-24

"Then the king rose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den."

As mentioned above, this is a popular story about trusting in God and how faith triumphs over our enemy when times are tough and for the most part looks like our end is close at hand.  How well this story is received or not is strictly up to the ones hearing it and how great their faith is in God, for it is a harrowing event that while people do not think about often, their imaginations do place them into several similar conditions that may have a horrid outcome.  But this is not what God wants us to focus on here, His Word for us today is what is not directly spoken in this passage of Scripture but something that humans usually do not do.

In the introductory paragraphs, we talked about how humans like to gloat over their defeated enemies and how normal it would be when such occasions present themselves.  But here in this passage of Daniel, we do not see Daniel standing over the lions taunting them or making any type of gesture that could be construed by the lions as a future reason to attack him.  This may seem like a far-stretched thought but when you think about what has just occurred, Daniel must have had some type of an idea to do such a dance step but at the same time, his knowledge of what just completed was a God act and had nothing to do with the physical realm.  Therefore, Daniel left the lions alone until the physical could play out the next morning.  A good picture for this type of arrogant presentation would be to stand over the defeated and pet them on the head, mocking them as they are down and beaten.

I can guarantee that Daniel did a bunch of celebrating over the defeat of the lions, but never once did he taunt them.  Daniel still had the ultimate respect for those lions for he knew about what they were used for and that they could be used for such punishment in the near future; which did occur pretty quickly after this event.  Celebrating a victory over our enemy is a great and holy act and is encouraged on all levels of holiness, but our celebration should be made and continued in holiness which means that we should be aware of our victory but at the same time prepare ourselves for the next encounter for our enemy is eternal, not physical.  We cannot afford to taunt our eternal and spiritual enemy for when we do all it does it open more doors for him to walk through when his next attack comes.  It is God's desire for us to allow Him to close as many doors to our lives as possible, not to open many more after one has been closed.  It does not matter if our fight with the enemy is a quick and seemingly painless fight or if it is a long-drawn-out brawl where our spirit has been punched around pretty good, we do not pet the enemy after it is over.

We see that Daniel did not even touch the lions after their mouths were shut by the angel, he did not taunt them one bit.  Christians, can we say the same thing about our enemy when God defeats them through our spiritual actions?  Or do we taunt Satan as he looks at us on the ground?  Satan knows he is already defeated so given that truth, why do we hang around and watch him get up?  We shouldn't we should already be cleaning up spiritually and preparing ourselves for the next round and encounter with him; he is, why shouldn't we?  The king in this passage, immediately lifted Daniel out of the den of lions, in other words, Daniel did not stick around and gloat even from a safe distance away.

How do this passage and events in Daniel apply to us today?  How many times do we go into a spiritual battle with our enemy and win, then take it out on the person after God has allowed us to encounter our / their enemy properly?  We have no authority to do such acts on those God has led us to talk with about HIm and His Salvation, nor should we taunt these wonderful folks afterward either.  Celebrate?  Yes, by all means, but through prayer and thanksgiving not gloating and prideful acts.  Doing such shameful acts only pets the defeated enemy, allowing him to remain inside the people we witness to thus allowing all God's hopes and efforts lifeless.  

Church, we have been found guilty of such tactics and we should be on our knees repenting of these actions of ours.  First off, we need to be assured that our faith overrides any obstacle that our enemy may place in front of us with those who need Christ.  Secondly, in no manner should we approach the situation in a haughty manner, we need to be humble as Christ was when He encountered demons and nothing less.  Then, when the witnessing session is completed, pray, pray, and pray some more because that person shall need every ounce of those prayers so that the clean house cannot be occupied again by unclean spirits.  Those prayers afterward are the celebratory motions and actions that we can do and they shall be rewarded abundantly.  This is the correct way to fight our enemy and how to conduct ourselves after the promised victory.  Church, are we acting as such and defeating the enemy in the correct way?  If not, we need to take the advice that Daniel demonstrated in the lions' den and celebrate the victory with God in this manner and not from a manner suitable with the world.  Petting the enemy should never be a part of our victory, only removed from the setting by God, for there are a lot more battles to be fought.

DLB