Breath of Life: Fight for Life
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Breath of Life
Breath of Life
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Ezek 37:
So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
When they came back to life they had they came as an exceedingly great army
because we are in a battle for life
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
we make choices moment by moment that determine whether or not we have life
So to win this fight we must:
THINK LIFE
SPEAK LIFE
LIVE LIFE
FIGHT FOR LIFE
to choose to live life means
choose people who will help build us up to Christ to have influence on our lives
don’t allow our emotions to control us but take control of our emotions
BUT the fight isn’t over here
the enemy doesn’t sleep all day but I know for sure that the enemy works the night shift
Dad- “nothing good happens after 11pm”
if we have been up all day then our mind is dull and our decision making is weak by the end of the day
lay down to go to sleep with nothing but your own thoughts!
nightmares
depression/suicidal thoughts
anxiety/worry
loneliness
because the enemy is constantly looking for ways to take control of your thoughts
he knows if he can change the way that you think that he can change your life
we know that too
Teddy Roosevelt died in his sleep at age 60
Vice President Thomas Marshall “Death had to take Roosevelt sleeping… for if he had been awake there would have been a fight”
I hope that you won’t be taken without a fight
don’t go quietly in the night
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,
To win this fight for life you must start by taking control of the high ground
take every thought captive
How is the enemy trying to smuggle darkness into your life?
starve your fear & feed your faith
lock down the borders of your heart
Are you getting enough sleep?
the enemy may be wearing you down with business to get you off your game mentally today so that tomorrow he can lure you away
We know that God will offer a way of escape for the temptation but when we have allowed our minds to be diluted then we will miss the way out until it is too late...
I remember driving with horse trailer
my dad, brother Todd & I
we were driving a very familiar route in KY
I was so caught up talking and was disengaged mentally
ended up driving us an hour in the wrong direction because I missed a turn
then we drove an hour back
Satan will do this to us spritually
get our minds wore down or distracted and then he will set up opportunities for us to miss God’s directions
one wrong turn will often lead to another and sooner or later we are somewhere that we never intended to be
God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves
young men in my youth group
struggle with girl
keep putting self in that situation
Jesus — you have heard it said that you should not commit adultery
but I say to you if you look at a woman with lust then you have already commited adultery in your heart
knew that our thoughts and desires would eventually be lived out because we would allow them to take control of our thoughts
SO WE ARE AT WAR FOR OUR MINDS
what decision could you be making differently that you are just looking to God to fix and wandering why He isn’t doing anything about it?
God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves...
FIGHT FOR LIFE
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
our weapons have a divine power to destroy strongholds
the enemy is trying to place strongholds on your life
but our weapons (as Christians) have the ability - divine power - to destroy those strongholds
Ask God for a fire of and for the Holy Spirit to be set down in your soul
fight fire with fire
the devil can’t burn what’s already burning!
seek to be close to God
Don’t try to do God’s work without God’s power
when we are fighting to be close to God we will find that many of the things that we found tempted us before don’t exist in that place because we have already set our mind and the directions of our lives on Godly things
the lady at the club won’t lure your lust b/c you won’t be at the club
when our time is occupied by Godly things then we don’t have so much time for temptation
we will find this when we decide that we are going to fight to be close to God
pray for new desires
actively pursue a relationship with Him
Megan and I
dating I thought about her when I woke up & when I went to bed
while I was at school and when I was planning my weekend
I wrote her notes
prepared jokes & some amazing pickup lines for her when we were not together
went out of my way to see her
took an extra period than required my senior year so that I could take her home after school & I hated school
she was on my mind and on my schedule
I didn’t have to tell people that I was head over heals for her because my life already told that story
now we are married it must be the same way now
you know I don’t have anyone who knows Megan and I ever try to ask me out
because they know that I am committed to her
or maybe it’s because I am getting older and have lost too much hair...
because the ladies know that my life is commited to my wife they spend their time pursuing someone who is available
MAYBE THE ENEMY IS THE SAME WAY
he drives by our house and doesn’t stop when he knows that our hearts and lives are fully commited to following Jesus
he will only stop and pursue us in areas that he doesn’t think that we are commited!
Don’t let us do God’s work without God’s power
so when you are struggling in your mind and desires
RAISE YOUR VOICE
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Here Jesus is about to go lay his life down for the sins of the world
and they sang a hymn
I believe that Jesus was taking control of the atmosphere of His heart...
facing the greatest battle of His life
He looked to the weapon of worship
worship is more than a song but certainly no less
worship doesn’t just win the war
worship is the war
Casting crowns
I will praise you in this storm
I will lift my hands
You are who You are
no matter where I am
Several bands sing a song called surrounded
This is how we fight our battles...
it may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You
it may look like I’m surrounded but I’m surrounded by You
this is how we fight our battles
I will praise you in this storm
Don’t just raise your voice to God but talk to friends
I will lift my hands
the devil wants to keep you alone with your fear so that he can take you alone
You are who You are
no matter where I am
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
don’t just have Christian friends but take full advantage of the perks to Christian friends
for accountability & prayer
Last thing that you need to know about winning the fight
Keep showing up
Tim Leatherman. budget trip to Europe with wife after college.
going to hitch hike but bought a Fiat 600 in Netherlands
not reliable
pocketknife & pliers to keep it going
put 2 together
wrote down as an idea for future
worked on prototype in brothers garage
found himself at low point a couple of years later
lonely on his 30th birthday found himself in the garage by himself weeping
got up
recieved his first patent after 3 years of work
“Mr. Crunch”
happily ever after right… NOT
for 5 years he took his idea to companies and every single one rejected it
Stanley Thermos said “there’s never going to be a market for this tool”
more than 500 “no’s”
7 years almost gave up
8th year in Cabela’s bought 500 tools & they got $12,000
35 years later
30 models
400 employees in portland
now they call it leatherman
Never give up
they say that a wolf catches 3-14% of what they chase
they fail more than they suceed
Winston Churchhill — “Sucess consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm”
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.