UNITED
WE MUST STAND AGAINST A COMMON ENEMY-satan
As
I listened to President Bush’s speech at the prayer meeting
in Washington on September 14th, 2001 I couldn’t help but notice
as he read Romans 8:38-39 that he stopped at "separate
us from the love of God." The rest of the scripture
says, "which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Someone
suggested that the version he was using left that out. I
checked at least four and they had it. Someone else suggested,
and I believe this is the case, that he had to be "politically
correct" and be careful not to offend anyone that wasn’t
a Christian.
It is time that we as a nation need to ask
our God which is in Heaven to forgive us for not determining
in our hearts to do things His way. We need to quit putting
the feelings of others and our own desires before God’s
desires. I keep hearing that God is in charge. Help Us Jesus!
My Bible says in James 4:7 that we are to submit ourselves
to God and resist the devil and he will flee. First Peter
5:8-9 says the devil is our adversary that we are to resist
steadfast in the faith. Steadfast is "solid, stable,
strong, sure." Ephesians 4:27 says, "neither give
place to the devil." Could we be in trouble because
we are giving the devil place or room to operate by not
putting God and spiritual things first in our lives? Could it be
that Ephesians 6:12 is true, "For we wrestle not against
flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,
against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against
spiritual wickedness in high places." Could it be that
instead of going to a physical war and killing and being
killed that we need to submit ourselves unto God and resist
the devil by obeying Second Corinthians 10:3-5, "For
though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh;
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but mighty
through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) ."?
Warfare! Did that scripture mention warfare? I have heard
time after time since September eleventh, "How do we
fight an enemy that we can’t see?" We unite as one
nation and go to God and ask Him to forgive us for not putting
Him first in our lives and pray and resist the devil and
he will flee. I say we, because I need to ask His forgiveness
just as much as any one else. John chapter 17 is a chapter
that is all about God’s number one priority that we may
all be one as Jesus and the Father were one. To be one means
to be in agreement. United we stand, divided we fall. We
must unite and stand strong with Jesus against the devil
that orchestrated the destruction that occurred in our country
on September 11th, 2001. First John 3:8, "For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might
destroy the works of the devil." Hallelujah!!
In
Luke chapter nine the disciples of Jesus went into a village
to prepare for the arrival of Jesus, the village would not
receive Him because He was set on going to Jerusalem. In
verses 54-56, "And when His disciples James and John
saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire
to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias
did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know
not what manner of spirit ye are of [the devil]. For the
Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save
them. And they went to another village." Matthew 5:38-39,
"Ye hath heard that it hath been said, An eye for an
eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye
resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right
cheek, turn to him the other also." Resist not evil
means not to repay evil with evil. Romans 12:17-21, "Recompense
to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight
of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is
written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst,
give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of
fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome
evil with good."
In
the book of Mark the first words Jesus speaks are in 1:15,
"The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at
hand: repent ye and believe the gospel." satan has
succeeded in making repent a "dirty word" in the
eyes of most people. Many times I have heard that we should
make Jesus the Lord of our lives. True, but first we must
repent, Acts 20:21, "repentance toward God, and faith
toward our Lord Jesus Christ." In Revelation 19:13
speaking of Jesus, "And His name was called The Word
of God." We must make Jesus-The Word of God our Lord.
In the book of Acts Peter is preaching and in verse 37 they
ask Peter "What shall we do?" In verse 38 Peter
tells them, "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and
ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Verse
41 tells us that 3,000 souls were added unto them that day.
Prayer
Requests:
1.
That we as a nation will understand Acts 20:21. I had to
repent, determine to do things God's way, before I could
make Jesus-The Word of God my Lord.
2.
That we will understand who our enemy is-Ephesians 6:10-13.
3.
That we will understand and put on daily our armor God has
provided for us through the works of the Cross-Ephesians
6:14-18.
4.
That we will understand that God has put US in charge in
the Name of Jesus-Mark 16:15-18
5.
That we will understand that we must resist the enemy in
the Name of Jesus and that God will not resist that enemy
for us-James 4:7 and 1st Peter 5:8-9.
6.
That we will understand that we have given the devil place
by not putting God first in our lives and our country and not allowing Him
to guide and direct us in everything we do and say and
accepting things that don’t agree with The Word of God-Ephesians
4:27.
7.
That we must obey God's Word by overcoming evil with good.
Romans 12:17-21
8.
That we will not be concerned about offending anyone but
our Father which art in Heaven-Luke 12:8-9.
9.
That we will learn what a "fiery dart" is and
how to overcome and defeat them with the Word of God-Ephesians
6:15 and 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 and Luke 4:1-13
10.That
we will unite into one body and stand against our one and
only enemy the devil-Ephesians 6:10-13 and John chapter
17:20-23.
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