Spiritual Warfare that Actually Works

S - 2 Corinthians 9:15, 10:3-5 (NLT): "Thank God for his Son--a gift too wonderful for words! … We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. We use God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds. With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ."

O - Human plans and methods "for Jesus" often become the strongholds or ideas which keep others from knowing him.  They create divisions, condemnation, comparisons and pride. They inspire us to speak boldly (arrogantly) where the scriptures are silent and to turn a blind eye to where they speak plainly.  This tragedy is not only found in such endeavors as the Inquisition or Salem Witch Trials but in denominational distinctions and splits, in political wranglings and causes and in opinions, traditions and convictions which are treated like Scriptural commands.  These do not defeat the Devil, they actually work in league with him and his desire to accuse, condemn and divide. The wonderful gift of Jesus is enough, we don't need to add anything to him or to his words. We need to work with him.  We need to love, trust and obey him and love all others as we have been loved and love ourselves.  The only thing that counts [ejnergevw: to be active, efficient: - do, (be) effectual (fervent), be mighty in, show forth self, work (effectually in).] is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6). Now that's effective warfare.

A - I am wondering if resisting and defeating spiritual forces has less to do with praying (not no praying) and more to do with how I/we engage others.  Jesus disarmed the principalities and powers in open triumph by how he engaged the others who were betraying, denying, deserting, torturing and crucifying him.  Colossians 2:15: "And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." His prayers focused on embracing the Father's will above his own. His weapon against all the forces of hell was loving his Father and loving all others no matter what.  While flesh and blood are not my enemies people  may well provide the only effective place for dispensing the "ordnance of heaven" which defeats the unseen spiritual forces of darkness.  Ephesians 6:12: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." What advance would the Lord call me to in this way of thinking, living and warring?  Who am I estranged from or at odds with which requires me to love?  Is there a group or a pocket of people currently isolated from my willingness to love?  Without love I am not even one thing - nothing [oujdeiv~].

P - Lord who is love and who leads us in triumphal procession,

I thank you for all the connections you are helping me/us make with those who love you.  I thank you for your patient and zealous protection over us/me all these years.  I thank you for your provision and generosity in all aspects of life on earth and life forever - Lord you really are awesome.  As I think about my day, my life, my circumstance, my fears and my hopes I am struck with this thought about how your soldiers soldier.  Take these thoughts and these wonderings and lead me to both the conclusions and "missions" which will make you glad and hasten the defeat of those powers who yet live in opposition to you.  Lord, I want to work with you and in that place do the work of believing.  I want to follow no matter where you lead and in that following love all the way I've been loved.  Thank you for calling me/us to yourself.  Thank you for including me/us in the living out of your triumph not merely in the observation of it.  Children are not greater than their parents, students their teachers and servants their lords.  Jesus, show me how to live and work and war with you. 

Opened hearted and committed without reserve,

Steve

The Devil's Weapon of Choice

S - 2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15 (NIV): "But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  … For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness."

O - Jesus and the Scriptures give us clear warning about the Devil and his malevolent existence.  These verses connected to and compared with the life of Jesus (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13), the dynamics of the religious leaders of his day (John 7:52) and the history of the religious world also confirm his weapon of choice. It's a shocking recognition the first time it's clearly perceived. Satan's weapon of choice is always the Scriptures … the Scriptures with just a little change in wording or shift in emphasis (cf. Genesis 3:1-6).

A - Jesus gives us/me insight regarding this strange and commonly experienced phenomenon. Rightly handling the Scriptures does not happen by a vigilant desire to be right but by avidly staying near him who is the Gospel.  He (Jesus) cautions me to never forget their purpose or the power of God's person.

John 5:39-40: "You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life."

Matthew 22:29: "Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God."

P - God who speaks,

Thank you for your written voice and for your speaking voice.  Thank you for giving us your Living Word, Jesus. He is life, light, truth, hope and he calls me/us to come near and stay.  I choose to, because of grace, to come near and stay near unto the unveiling of the masquerade, the dispersal of shadow and the beauty of love's pure light.  Today, you are vigilant as my shepherd and I get to be avidly near you as your dearly loved sheep. Once again I rejoice that the battle, the warfare, belongs to you. 

Staying near & listening,

Steve

DON'T be Careful What You Ask For!

S - Luke 11:9-13 (TLJ): "So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive.  Whoever continues to look will find. And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them. Do any of you have a son? What would your do if your son asked you for a fish? Would any father give him a snake? Or, if he asked for an egg, would you give him a scorpion? Of course not! Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children. So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him."

O - Jesus instruction on prayer is very straight forward.  In it he identifies our assignment and his Father's attitude and response toward us and our requests. The context of prayer is not a formalized appeal before a court but a desire voiced to one's Father.  The Father is neither whimsical nor capricious in his response and we are not to be easily discouraged or flighty in our asking. Not only does the Father "know how to give" he wants to give good things to his children (cf. Matthew 7:7-11) and he wants to give the Holy Spirit.  According to Jesus (and he really is the expert), DON'T be careful what you ask for! 

A - Little children are fairly incessant askers.  They are willing to voice both what they need and want in a constant and trusting way.  They do not worry about resources, timing, track-records or degree of difficulty.  They simply ask.  Jesus is asking me to ask; consistently, confidently and even recklessly.  Why? Because not only can God do anything and not only is he willing to give but he loves us deeply, relentlessly and completely.  Today, I can ask anything … and today I will be asking, seeking, knocking because I am loved by God and nothing is too difficult, impossible or too wonderful for him.  I will ask fearlessly because of love.

P - Father of Jesus and Father of me,

Thank you for this day and for your desire to be my/our Father in all aspects of life on earth.  Thank you for loving us, for wanting to demonstrate your love and for giving because you love.  I am seeking, knocking and asking according to your awesome brilliance, limitless power and extreme goodness … and I am welcoming your will on earth like they do in heaven.  Lord, from the dog at my feet to the far flung places you have sent me I am asking for your greatness and goodness to be seen in the land of the living.  I am asking for the Holy Spirit to be upon us and all who are with us, for the resurrection life of Jesus to be flowing into us and out of us.  I am asking for new wineskins, mulberry trees in the ocean and for that which is too wonderful for me.  I am asking recklessly in Jesus' name.

All my love,

Steve

Since We All have a Reputation, How about this One?

S - Esther 10:3 (NIV): "Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews, and held in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all the Jews."

O - This is a great description of a leader working for the good of the people and speaking up for their welfare. Since all of us lead in one way and sphere or another it should be able to be said of us all.  A great leader will not only speak for his "own people" but for all people.  The Scripture says (2 Samuel 23:3b-4):"When one rules over men in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise -on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth."

A - God's will on earth is me loving him back and my neighbor as myself.  My neighbor is not limited to ethnic or geographic identifiers.  My neighbor is anyone who's not me.  Since I do have a sphere of influence … how about if I work for the good of all and speak up for the welfare of all people?  Yes, my answer is yes.

P - Lord who helps us,

Today your will not merely includes but is focused on my loving; not only you but my neighbor.  Please help me lead according to your will as you intend.  Working with you will always be paired with loving as you instruct.  Thank you for always starting at love, leading with mercy and then (and only then) facing and dealing with the facts. I accept your assignment for me in the greatest commands and the beauty that all you want is all. My answer is yes.

Unto kingdom come today,

Steve

Bragging Rights

S - Galatians 6:14-16 (NIV): "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation. Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God."

O - Jesus does not call us to a reconstituted version of ourselves … he calls us to accept a complete transformation to a new creation.  So complete is this transformation, so new is the being which we become in him, the only way to describe our former condition and this miraculous change is in terms of death and crucifixion.  The new creation is based on, formed in and sustained by the resurrection life and power of Jesus.  This is what "counts" [Galatians 5:6 - ἰσχύω: to have (or exercise) force, to have strength to overcome, to have power as shown by extraordinary deeds, to be robust, to be in sound health]." This is only rule which bestows peace and mercy. All others are weak, limited and lacking power. Crucifixion is not a quick process though it begins in a moment.  It is, however a complete process.  Jesus plus anything extends this process.  Jesus plus nothing brings his irrepressible and vibrant life to bear in the transforming reality which is his life.  Our entire lives are to be subject to and overtaken by this exchange.  John the Baptist got it right … he must increase and I must decrease.

A - I am in this dynamic process based upon the amazing grace, relentless love, defiant mercy and resurrection life of Jesus.  Growing in grace, decreasing in myself, being transformed are all ways of describing this relational exchange.  Jesus is not to be added to anything I already have.  He wants to transform everything into what it never was nor could be on its own.  He's not looking to make me something improved … he's insisting that I be transformed.  Amazing grace makes this amazing choice possible and the Lord of all allows my choice to carry the day.  I choose transformation.  I choose for him to do everything he wants to do.  I choose Jesus plus nothing … this is the only thing that counts.

P - Lord,

Today the only choice that counts is you plus nothing. Jesus, I don't want to add you to anything or receive just "a little bit of heaven" to slightly improve my fallen and warped condition.  I need and want all of you to transform all of me into the child, friend and servant you've dreamt, died and rose from the dead for me to be.  This is the only thing that counts because you are the only one who counts. My answer is yes. Do everything you want and let your life come into and flow out of me.  I choose the rule of Jesus plus nothing. You really are something to brag about!

All my love,

Steve

May is not Maybe

S - Psalm 68:1-2, 5, 19, (NIV): "May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;may his foes flee before him.  As smoke is blown away by the wind, may you blow them away; as wax melts before the fire, may the wicked perish before God.  … A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. … Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Selah"

O - This psalm of David begins with the subjunctive "may".  Why use this grammatical expression of that which will ultimately be unavoidable?  Perhaps it is because while the conclusion is not in question the timing of it is.  Each day comes with the possibility of battle or blessing and we really never know what each day will bring.  What we do know is that God is over it all and is working it all for the good of those who love him back and stay called according to his purpose.  It may not be today that it all tumbles into place and hence the "may".  But there will be a day when it does happen exactly as these verses describe.  This psalm is also very precise in the realities which are declared as continuously in effect regardless of circumstances.  God Almighty, right now, this day and every day:

1.       Is a father to the fatherless (isolated, bereft or rejected).

2.       Defends widows (the helpless and marginalized).

3.       Daily bears our burdens (though they do not affect him directly).

The only appropriate follow-up is Selah - pause, weigh, consider and value this!

A - God will arise and banish the enemy, turn the circumstance, change the situation, alter the events and those within them … when he is ready.  For Jesus, it will be some very tough hours and a three day wait.  In the meantime and all the time … he is near me/us in loving relationship, acting with compassion, protecting and assisting us/me with the burdens each day brings. His character, his word and my history with him all confirm … he is purposeful in everything he causes and in everything he allows.  I don't know when or how but I do know and believe that he will arise.   

P - Almighty and All Merciful God,

Thank you for today and for everything it holds … even that which I don't like, understand and/or seems so bad. I admit that you hold everything and that you love me/us.  I am relying on you and your love.  I am listening for your voice and for your direction.  I am welcoming you and your will the way you want to accomplish it.  I am yielding to your awesome brilliance, limitless power and extreme goodness.  Lord, today while it is called today I love you back and embrace you to be my father, defender and burden bearer.  Thank you for being willing to humbly serve me as I seek to serve and follow you.

Steve