Saturday, April 18, 2009

Sunday, April 5, 2009

The Battle

"...And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Sunday night was an amazing service with the Lord, salvations, healings, prophesy, demon casted out. God showed up and did what He does best, radically change lives.
I was so encouraged by this scripture up here as it was sang in worship and then spoken to me later that night. Monday I woke up and it was a gentle reminder from the holy spirit once again, same verse. As I got on the plane to head to dallas i opened my book and the scripture used on the first page i read, same verse. I began praying over this verse, do not be grieved for the joy of the Lord is your strength. I knew God had a reason for pounding this into my head. As the day went on it was an amazing day, God gave me revelation of what the Joy of the Lord is and how it is my strength (not where i'm going with this but if you'd like to know i'd love to share).
In the afternoon something happend and i just knew that situation had to be why He was reminding me and teaching me these things. So I continued saying the joy of the Lord is my strength. My joy is not dependent on my situation, or the condition of the people around me. The joy of the Lord is my strength.
It was not until last night when I received a phone call about the fire at the trailer park, that I understood why He had reminded me of these things. See this would be a situation that I would normally let get me down. A three 1/2 year old died. And several of the kids whose faces brighten up our ministry each week were in the trailer. The families are obviously devastated and I can't imagine the condition of the kids who saw the blaze. My heart broke as soon as i hung up the phone as I began to cry out to the Lord on behalf of our kids. His kids. babies. I WEPT. And I heard the voice again: The joy of the Lord is my Strength. . .
This morning I woke up praying in the shower, writing in my journal, when all of a sudden a 500 lb. boulder of revelation hit me so hard it hurt.
I had been playing life as if it were a game, when in reality it is a battle.
I have my quiet times, i worship, i praise, i do ministry, i go to church, but how long has it been since I treated this life as though it were life or death? Because it is.
See in a game we role our dice becoming upset if we make a wrong decision, get a bad hand, or lose. The cost of the game is really not that big, usually it's double or nothing, or bragging rights for a while.
In War it's all or nothing. You give everything you have fighting mercilessly until your opponent is defeated, you don't stop because if you do, you die.
I hate to get the word out but the truth is, this is a battle. Life is battle. It's not a game, IT'S BATTLE!
It is life or death! Not always physical, but surely spiritual. WE MUST FIGHT. Through all means. Intercession, evangelism, casting off of spirits, prophesy, healing... etc. all of the gifts we've been given we MUST use them, it's life or death.
How can we forget John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
THE THIEF COMES ONLY TO STEAL AND KILL AND DESTROY!
He's not playing a game, he's at war, and it doesn't matter if you choose to participate or not, you're in it too. We can sit by playing our game, while he's attacking your mind, your family, your friends, your ministry, your church, life. He wants to take it all.
Paul says it best, of course: Eph. 6:
11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12For 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. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

We have to do EVERYTHING TO STAND. We must put on the full armor so that we can take a stand against the devil's schemes.
The Word that is so loud in my soul right now is... FIGHT!!! Do battle, stop playing a game, and fight. Fight for our kids, fight for our ministry, our church, our nation, our minds, FIGHT!!!

We sing a song at church that has never truly hit me until this moment... It says this is the War cry for the Warriors, pick up your weapons it's time to fight, prepare the way of the Lord!!

Finish reading Ephesians 6, put on the armor of God, use the Word to rebuke the enemy as Jesus did, intercede to our Father, stand firm, we're in battle.

I cannot take this lightly any more, in fact I'm stinking ANGRY. I have sat back and allowed the enemy to attack me, my mind, my friends, my family, through death, destruction, depression, he has stolen, he has killed, and he has destroyed on us this semester, and now he messed w/ our kids. THE WAR IS ON. Who's ready to stand up? Who is ready to fight? To say you can't take our kids, you can't have this generation, we're not going to let you take and take from us, We are going to stand firm with the power, authority, and blood of Jesus Christ.

In Christ,
J. Tate