THE GOOD FIGHT

Good morning, It is good to be back. I can tell you I have missed the fellowship. I understand why the Writer of Hebrews tells us to not forsake the gathering together of ourselves. God has created the church to help keep us on track. To keep us sharpened.

Now I want to let you know that the men and womens discipleship groups are about to start back up. We will start them not this week but the following. It will be on Thursday nights. Not this coming Thursday but the Thursday after, Jan 28th

The Women will be going through a Study called kingdom Woman, and the Men are going through a course on Spiritual Warfare, it will be a beginner course with homework, study.

Let me tell you how I came across the material. On one of my service calls I came across a missionary to native Americans and we began to talk about ministry. And this man I think he said was in His 80’s, a fundamental Baptist, but filled with God’s Spirit, and we began to talk ministry.

And he began to share with me about the ministry there and how many outright demonic manifestations that he has encountered reaching this un-reached group of Indians.

And like i said He comes from a denomination that is probably about as anti Charismatic as they come,

but began to share with me demonized individuals that have attacked him, and He rebuked them in the name of jesus and they fall down and begin to slither like snakes, an his.

He began to share with me about his other fundamental baptist missionary friends tha tare sold out for the Kingdom and taking the name of Jesus to un-reached people groups and the experiences that they shared with him.

One missionary family had a small baby, after a late night of restlessness and oppression this missionary family had a baby and the baby began crying and they rushed into the room and found the child levitating around the room.

H other stories of missionaries called to help a poor little demonized girl, as a Spirit spoke through this girl with the voice of a man around her and other phenomenon happening around the girl.

Then I am reminded of the stories that Brother Vic shared with me when he left the Baptist church in Mesquite to start a church down in Lufkin

He was asked to help one of the workers there at the church daughter. The daughter claimed to have the gift of tongues and When brother vic met her he challenged the Spirit inside of Her and she fell to the ground and began to convulse and foam at the mouth

Or another story when a woman came for counceling, and after going into the sanctuary there she fell to the ground and began to slither and writh like a snake

Or I can tell you about a seven year old little boy that right in the middle of a VBS, began to squirm and cuss and try to bite any person that got near him

Now what is the commonality with all those stories? The common factor with each and every one of those stories is that they were all revolving around missionary work, when the church is not just holding its ground but is out taking ground.

Now most church people would say, well i have never experienced anything like that, which I would agree. There is a reason for that, and that reason is that the demonic would much rather fly under the radar, In America they don’t like to show their hand too much because if they can just keep sleepy Christians, rolling over continually hitting that snooze button, if they can keep them more worried about the football game after church, or more worried about what they are going to eat after church, or is it my Sunday for the month to go to church. if they can keep Christians in that mindset perfect. He doesn’t mind you being religious, but the enemy will do everything they can to keep you from waking up.

Now most church people would say, well I never experienced anything like that, which I would agree. There is a reason for that, and that reason is that the demonic would much rather fly under the radar, In America they don’t like to show their hand too much because if they can just keep sleepy Christians, rolling over continually hitting that snooze button, if they can keep them more worried about the football game after church, or more worried about what they are going to eat after church, or is it my Sunday for the month to go to church. if they can keep Christians in that mindset perfect. He doesn’t mind you being religious, but the enemy will do everything they can to keep you from waking up. If you seen somebody coil up like a snake, or began to foam at the mouth or seen a baby levitating too many times, well it might cause the sleepiest Christian to really wake up

But it doesn’t mean that most Christians never experience demonic warfare, Oh no they do they just have not trained their senses to pick up on it when it comes about.

It is not outright, overtly demonic or at least the attacks are designed to not look like the work of the devil. Oh no they are much more subtle.

it comes packaged in much more subtle wrapping

CASUALTIES OF WAR

When Persecution comes or hardship

For one we have given into a gospel, a false gospel of course that says we will never experience any hardship when following Jesus. So when something starts to get tough, or it becomes uncomfortable, you have a lot of Christians ready to jump ship? Why? Because they have given in or been taught, or picked up something somewhere that living as a Christian should be easy, it should be joyful and happy, and glad all the time.

1 Peter 4:12–14 ESV

12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

Listen if you decide to really start seeking the face of God and He begins to place a burden on your heart for the lost, don’t be surprised if things start coming after you.

Don’t be surprised if you start have trouble in your marriage

Dont be surprised if your health comes under attack.

Stacey and I knew a lady in Lufkin that when she took over the childrens dept at Faith Family, all of a sudden she got sick, I mean it lasted for months. Which beggs the question, does the enemy really have that sort of power, and the answer is yes, when God gives it to him. Look up the story of Job. Everything that comes against us from the enemy is meant to destroy us, but why does God allow it? Because it is meant to make us stronger.

3. Do not be surprised if your finances come under fire, you begin to have issues with co workers, or maybe even out of the blue you get fired, and all this following off the heels of a decision to get more involved with the Kingdom

4. When these fiery trials come against you, one of the ways the enemy will work is he will give you a fake play, He will make it seem like God is speaking to you when indeed God is not.

I can’t tell you how many times somebody new gets involved in the work of the ministry and they are positive that God has called them to this or that, and then a couple months later, all of a sudden God is calling them to something else somewhere else.

I never say this of course but I always think to myself, your God must be bipolar. God aint ever called me to something for a few months. When I started out in ministry. i had 40 hours of community service and served those hours serving the homeless in downtown Dallas, I served there for the next five years

He will attempt to make you disillussioned with church altogether

many people quite going to church, God told them “quotations” . And then they become easy pray, I have seen people stop gathering together, and end up with substance abuse issues, or their marriage falls apart.

All because they fell for a fake play

CASUALTIES OF WAR SECOND POINT

WE NOT ONLY HAVE FALLEN FOR A GOSPEL WITH NO HARDSHIP

WE HAVE FALLEN FOR A FALSE GOSPEL WITH NO SACRIFICE AND NO SANCTIFICATION, AND NO OBEDIENCE

John 14:15–18 ESV

15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

You see I don’t want to ever convey to you in my rage against religion, that there are no commandments to obey. There are things that defile a man before God. Sin is still a real thing, no matter how much the world would like to tell you that there isn’t.

And jesus said don’t just say that you love me, but obey what I say and that will shown me that you love me

John 14:30–31 ESV

30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, 31 but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.

We Need to Remove the areas that the demonic controls us with

I was thinking about the people that we have lost over the years, and even the times in my own life when I falter or fail to carry out God’s will ad the Lord brought a scripture to my mind, and it is one that I would like to share with you

Now here Jesus said the ruler of the World was about to arrive, the devil, and he has no claim on me!

And the Lord brought that to my mind and that is there must be personal holiness in our life if we are going to win.

When i see people spin out of control, when i see people act crazy and began to rail against me, its usually because they have a little chunk of their life that the enemy is still co ntrolling. Satan still controls a part of that person. Are they still saved , yes probably.

But this is not a salvation issue, this is a sanctification issue. You can be saved and still under demonic control. Salvation doesn’t equal freedom all the time. Salvation offers the possibility of freedom all the time.

And through confessed unrepentant sin in our lives we provide the devil with claims to our life

Think of you r