Enemies of The Cross | PART ONE

08/10/201608/09/2016Leave a comment

Sand Dunes Cross Sunset

“For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” ~Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT)

“So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.” (1Cor 1:23) That was Apostle Paul’s position a really long time ago and I think it holds true today. You can try and have a conversation about Isaiah 53 with our Jewish friends but you will not be received well, then try and share the love of Christ with a co-worker and get shut down as a Jesus Freak (happens to me once in awhile). Kinda makes me wonder if people really wanna go to hell or they’re too stubborn to get off the multi-lane highway to it because it’s just easier to go with the flow of traffic. In any case Christ is a stumbling block in their roles for easy living.

For us as Christians our roles can be simply defined in the words of A.W. Tozer, “A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.” WOW! Kinda makes Christians sound like a bunch of weirdos doesn’t it? Well, truth be told I was weirdo before salvation, so what does tell ya? Anyway…

When I got to pagin’ through chapter 10 of Chuck Swindoll’s study guide “Laugh Again” I found this to be a particularly interesting statement. “Leaving heaven-bound people in a hell-bound world is not a simple over sight on the Lord’s part.” Ya got that right!! On the contrary it’s all part of God’s strange strategy to use us “weirdos” for a bigger purpose and that was revealed to Jesus’ disciples at The Last Supper.

First, that we can have inner peace in the midst of outer pressure and pain (read John 16). Christ never promised us an easygoing way down the road, there’s gonna be pain and suffering but we’ve been given a peace that not helps us erase the pain but to endure it. (easier written than done for this Freedom Fighter writer)

Second, we are insulated by divine power, yet we are not to live an isolated existence. (Turn to John 17:11-15) To quote Swindoll, “This sinful world isn’t something we are to avoid by cloistering ourselves behind sanctimonious walls of self-righteousness.” Actually we go out into this world, by faith, and shine that light in the darkness where that dude with his tail and pitchfork rules over the lost. Maybe throw a little salt into their food!!

And now thirdly, we may be unique, but we must be unified. This all Upper Room stuff now. (John 17:16-17, 21, 23) It isn’t a bad thing when one of us gets used to bring someone into the Marvelous Light but that is only of God’s strategy. What God needs us to be is that Lucy Van Pelt fist that scared the willies outta her brother Linus, with the exception of the index finger. That needs to point to the Father who loves us through the sacrifice of the Son.

So what of the enemies of the Cross? Well we’ll get into the next time I am with you but look back at what was said to Jesus’ Disciples that night that He was to be betrayed. Chapters 14-17 ain’t nothing but red letters in my Bible and is very clear to me that Jesus had something that He wanted to impart not only to those 11 that were in The Upper Room but to us as well. So much so that He ends His prayer time like this, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.” (John 17:20-21) If you can’t AMEN that, then maybe we need to talk about it because I’ll take abiding in Him on the slow lane that calls me Heavenward than stumbling through the fast lanes that lead straight to hell any day.

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married (Kathy) with two adult children (Kevin and Karen) and serves on the Deacon Board at Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 71; Proverbs 10

Daily Quote:“To many Christians, Christ is little more than an idea, or at best an ideal. He is not a fact. Millions of professed believers talk as if He were real and act as if He were not. And always our actual position is to be discovered by the way we act, not by the way we talk.” —A.W. Tozer

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord your God in your midst,
The Mighty One, will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.”

~Zephaniah 3:17

Spirit of Unity!

08/05/201608/04/2016Leave a comment

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6)

When I first read the phrase ‘spirit of unity’ I ask myself is that the same meaning of the unity of the spirit. Anyhow, I guess that can be a study for another day. As believers we are called into one body, the body of Christ Jesus. Striving for unity among ourselves, in all things. Unity: the state of being one, single minded, condition of being one, combination into one, harmony, Like Minded with Christ etc…

Is this possible or a theory?

It is! As we renew our minds to the endurance and encouragement of the scriptures, unity is offered or a by-product through the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Yes, it will take an effort on our parts to dwell or yield to the spirit of unity. We all come from diverse background, ethnicities, testimonies, theological standpoints: but wen all have a mutual love, a mutual Savior, a common praise; may look different, nevertheless there should be no divisions. Living harmoniously, out of love, for each other in one accordance with Christ Jesus.

Can we be honest and transparent to admit that we are in dark times in our country? The enemy seems to have reached his peak and evil is so ever present. These are the times when we, when I, need to lay aside the theological positions and trust in my brothers and sisters in Christ, for comfort, for joy, for fellowship, for support… the list goes on. What would happen if we simply for time, just focused or desired to contribute to His building up His kingdom in holiness and love?

I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! (Psalms 34:1-3)

Written by Juan Mendez: Juan is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and full time staff member at America’s Keswick.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 66; Proverbs 5

Daily Quote: “The world is not a playground; it is a school-room. Life is not a holiday, but an education. And the one eternal lesson for us all is how better we can love.” ~Henry Drummond

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

¹⁷Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—
¹⁸Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

¹⁹The Lord God^[a] is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

~Habakkuk 3:17-19

Becoming So Large That We Cannot Be Seen

08/02/201608/01/2016Leave a comment

The man who gazes upon and contemplates day by day the face of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who has caught the glow of the reality that the Lord is not a theory but an indwelling power and force in his life, is as a mirror reflecting the glory of the Lord.~Alan Redpath

He is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent. For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, He has now reconciled in His body of flesh by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before Him, if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister… Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of His body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to His saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all His energy that He powerfully works within me. ~Paul, The Least of The Apostles, in Colossians 1

Oh beloved, it is true. We are powerful beyond measure. We have been made one with the Preeminent King of All Creation. And while this is difficult to comprehend, it is something that is both true positionally, and can become our experience in our lives now.

But there is something through which we must pass. We must die. And the suffering about which Paul speaks in the passage, has nothing to with the ceasing of a heartbeat or brain function. The suffering Paul speaks of is exceedingly more painful than any simple thing like this.

No, the death in this passage, and many others like them in the New Testament, is the death of our ego. It is the reckoning dead our flesh and the screaming demands it makes in trying to feed itself. It is a suffering far beyond physical torture.

Yes, Paul went through many physical and circumstantial problems. But these paled in comparison to the deeper suffering he went through. Through the years, he was rejected by his former colleagues in Judaism, G_d changed his name from Saul (the name of the first king of Israel) to Paul (a name that means ‘little’), the years drove his unlearning of prideful adherence to a Law that actually condemned him, and he was buffeted by demonic forces due to the amazing insights he had been given regarding heaven and the ages to come (cf. 2 Corinthians 12).

But the suffering is also more. Much more. Mostly, the suffering of which Paul speaks is the pouring out of our lives in the very same way that Jesus did for us. As one writer has put it, “In short, what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ is our participation in those sufferings as His Mystical Body” (the members of His Church) in this world. It was not that Jesus suffering was inadequate. Quite the opposite. It was so large, so immense, that it has the potential to be presented to the rest of the world – through us.

Can we see it? In abandoning self, in allowing ourselves to be made less, and in entering into the very sufferings of Christ, we are united with Him and become His very hands and feet and eyes and presence in this world. And people like this (and hopefully, some of us are becoming like this) become invisible to the “channels” the world watches on its computers and media and televisions.

But, the influence they (and hopefully, some of us too) wield is so large as to make large swaths of eternity different and better through our presentation of the very sufferings of Christ to those with whom we have contact. We have first died to our enormous egos, but in disappearing, we have waxed so large that who we really are in Him cannot be seen with physical eyes.

So, are you feeling the heat of G_d breaking down your ego? Does this make you afraid that you will have nothing left with which to serve G_d? Don’t. G_d doesn’t need your ego (or this fool of a writer’s either). But, He does need your entire life to present His very Self to the world. Would you be willing to become nothing that you might become everything?

Tonight is your night beloved. Time to suffer that He might be Himself – The King of All Creation – through you.

Written by Makala Doulos: Makala is a child of G_d, a husband to his wife, a father to his children, and a teacher to his students. But mostly, he is a prisoner set free by Jesus. Love has invaded his life, crushed it, and made it new. Now, G_d’s Love is what constrains him to live in full surrender to the freedom The Father and Son and Holy Spirit have bought for us all. Grace and Peace to you all.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 63; Proverbs 2

Daily Quote: “Hell is, in a certain sense, heaven devoid of Christ. In hell, you get what you want . . . and discover that it leaves you utterly unsatisfied. In heaven, all your wants are sanctified and reduced down to One singular desire: Christ.” ~Ben Zornes

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

¹⁹The Lord God^[a] is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments.

~Habakkuk 3:17-19

How Rich Am I? Part #2

07/25/201607/23/2016Leave a comment

Last week I shared with you a list of ten reminders of the riches that we have being IN CHRIST. Thanks for joining us for this new week of Freedom Fighter blogs.

I was pleased with the responses I received to last week’s blog and trust the next ten statements will be an encouragement to you as you think about who you are IN CHRIST and all that He has blessed you with.

Don’t take my word for it. Don’t take David Brewer’s word for it. Check out the references that go along with each statement. For some of you this is brand new truth. For others, well it is a refresher course.

11. Removal of Condemnation

At the moment of salvation, the sentence of condemnation is removed by God the Father (Jn 3:18; Rom 8:1-3).

12. Removal of Domination of the Old Sin Nature

Every believer will continue to have a sin nature throughout his life (cf. Rom 7:5) which will continue to make war within him (James 4:1; 1 Pet 2:11). When a person becomes a believer, his old man dies, but he still possesses the nature inherited from his inseparable link with fallen humanity. Believers now live with one sin nature which is in continual conflict with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16-23). Even though our union with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection is in a judicial or forensic sense, it is still a true or vital union (Rom 6:1-10; cf. Gal 2:20). This judicial or forensic union with Jesus is actualized in everyday life by the process of considering ourselves dead to sin (Rom 6:11) and allowing the Holy Spirit to completely reign in our hearts, so that by His divine power we shall have victory over the evil nature within (Rom 6:6-12, 15-20; 8:5-12; Col 2 :12).

13. Removal of Satan’s Power

At salvation, we have freedom from Satan’s kingdom of evil. Satan’s influence is “held in check” when a believer becomes more conformed to Christ’s image by the Spirit’s enablement and by His grace (Gal 5:1; Eph 2:1-2; 6:11-12; Col 1:12-13; 1 John 5:19).

14. Freedom from the penalty of the Mosaic Law

At the moment of salvation, the believer is delivered from the curse of the law. At that moment, God the Father graciously imparts freedom from bondage to the Mosaic Law. It means we are free from receiving the curse of the law (Rom 10:4; 2 Cor 3:7ff.; Gal 3:23-25; 6:2; Eph 2:15; James 2:10). We are now under “the law of Christ.” This new law is the New Covenant

counterpart to the Mosaic Law. This law includes all that Jesus and the NT commanded. It also includes laws from the OT not abrogated or superseded by the NT (Rom 8:2; Gal 6:2).

15. Identification with Jesus Christ

At the moment of salvation, the believer is permanently identified with Christ’s work on the cross by God the Father. The Christian is forever after identified with Christ in His death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and present session at the Father’s right hand (Rom 6:3-12; Gal 2:20).

16. Indwelling of God the Father

The believer is indwelt by God the Father at the moment of salvation, which is to provide a guarantee of unseen, yet extremely powerful assets and provisions for living the Christian life (Jn 14:23).

17. Indwelling of Jesus Christ

The indwelling of Jesus Christ is the guarantee of our membership in the royal family of God. Someday we will be instantly transported to heaven at death by our lord Jesus Christ Himself (Jn 14:20; Rom 8:10; Col 1:27).

18. Indwelling of the Holy Spirit

The third person of the Holy Trinity unconditionally and permanently indwells all Christians at the moment of salvation. God has “first rights” to the use of your body – not the old sin nature (Jn 14:17; Rom 5:5; 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19-20; Gal 3:2).

19. Sealing of Your Salvation

At the moment of salvation, the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit occurs. This “sealing” is God the Father’s stamp of ownership and the Holy Spirit’s signature of guarantee of eternal security, protection, and preservation of our souls from certain angelic (demonic) activity, such as demon possession. The Spirit of God inside us convicts, directs, prompts, and empowers us and is God’s guarantee to us that we’re going to get the whole rest of the package one day (Eph 1:13; 4:30).

20. Circumcision of the soul

This circumcision renders null and void the issue of our past lives as unsaved persons. God the Father places no value on the unsaved past of the new convert, so the emphasis of his new life must not be on the successes or failures of his past (Rom 2:29; Col 2:11; cf. Deut 10:16-17; Jer 4:4

Thanks for letting us invest in your life. We always appreciate your feedback and love have you checking in as well as forwarding this blog to another brother. May God bless you. –

Written by Dr. Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick: He has been married to his child sweetheart for 40+ years, and has three married kids, one that is engaged, and 10 amazing grand kids. He loves music and is an avid reader.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 55; Proverbs 25

Daily Quote: “You don’t work in the hope of getting an identity; you work in celebration of the identity that, in Christ, you have been given.” ~Paul David Tripp

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.

~Isaiah 55:8-9

We Leak

07/20/201607/19/2016Leave a comment

Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. ~Romans 5:5

There was a time I had my kids in a busy store and I told them “do not wander away or you’ll be lost”. There came a teachable moment when my son began to go astray, I watched from a distance as his little feet directed him from my presence. I saw that he began to reach for my hand without looking and grabbed onto a stranger’s hand. It wasn’t until he made eye contact with me that he realized it wasn’t my hand he was holding, he immediately dropped the man’s hand and came running into my arms.

I remember as a new believer, after the thrill of my salvation wore off, I wasn’t “feeling” as spiritual as I had been prior. I was listening to a message in Church and I was comforted to hear I wasn’t alone. The Pastor went on to explain that until we reach Heaven and receive our redeemed bodies we need to stay close to God, remain in His presence and be continually filled with His Spirit, he said because “We leak”.

The Holy Spirit makes residence in our hearts at salvation, but if we are not in communion with God thru His Spirit our soul suffers. This communion is based upon our current standing with God. He doesn’t love us any less or abandon us, we wonder from Him. Just like my son who was distracted by all that was around, we can easily find ourselves detached and feeling alone. We need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.

Paul starts Romans chapter 5 by stating, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”. Justification brings peace which gives access to faith into grace that causes us to stand, what a combination.

The fact that we were justified (saved) by a onetime confession with repentance and receiving Jesus as Savior, we have peace with God. This miracle that takes place comes with the faith that allows us to access the “grace in which to stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God”.

The problem is the way we receive this hope, we are to “Glory in tribulations”. I can’t do this on yesterday’s “manna”. The nutrition I received from God yesterday needs to be replenished daily. In a world where there’s not a lot to hope in, we need to remember that at salvation “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts”.

So if the things of this world has caused you to wander from your Heavenly Father, let go of the stranger’s hand and run back into the arms of your Daddy. You may feel lost but He’s watching you from a distance and waiting for you to come running. Amen

Written by Rob Russomano: Rob is married to Terri, he is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and a full time staff member. He is also available as a speaker of the grace of God with a message of Hope for church events.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 49; Proverbs 19

Daily Quote: “Being loved is life’s second greatest blessing; loving is the greatest.” ~Jack Hyles

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. ~Isaiah 55:7

You Have An Amazing Position IN CHRIST!

07/18/201607/18/2016Leave a comment

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ … Ephesians 1:3

There is some very crazy teaching on Christian TV and radio that seems to indicate that if we do certain things, God will pour out wealth, health and prosperity that will make us healthy, wealthy and wise.

God has promised us that He will always provide for our needs, but His definition of what we think we need and what He KNOWS we need is often very different.

We are far more rich than we can imagine. We are so rich IN CHRIST because Paul reminds us that we have been “blessed with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in heavenly places IN CHRIST.”

My friend, David Brewer, serves with a great ministry LIFE IN MESSIAH INTERNATIONAL, and he recently gave me an article called “The Wealth of Our Position In Christ: 40 Things That Occur At The Point of Our Salvation.” He adapted an article that has been written by Andy Woods.

This was such a blessing to me that I want to take the next four blogs that I submit to you to hopefully encourage you to understand your position in Christ. Will you take this one step further? Grab your Bible and look up the references that go along with each point. It will bless your heart!

(1) Imputed Righteousness — divine righteousness is imputed from God the Father to our souls and we share the righteousness of Christ (Rom 3:25-26; 4:3-5; 2 Cor 5:21). This is not something we receive by any effort on our part, apart from faith in Jesus’ finished work.

(2) Justification — as a result of this imputed righteousness, we are “declared righteous” or justified by God the Father; we are completely innocent in a positional way (Rom 3:24-30; 5:1; Gal 3:24).

(3) Children of God (“Born again” or “Regeneration) — we are “regenerated” or “born again” through the power of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:1-12; Rom 8:16; Titus 3:5; 1 Jn 3:2).

(4) A Human Spirit that Has Communication with the Holy Spirit — we receive a regenerated human spirit which is part of the Holy Spirit’s regeneration ministry (Rom 8:16; 1 Cor 2:14).

(5) Imputed Everlasting Life — we receive the imputation of everlasting life from God the Father to our regenerative human spirit. And at the same instant, we share the eternal life Christ through positional truth. This is our double portion of eternal life (1 Jn 5:11-12).

(6) Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Baptized by the Spirit into Christ; 1 Cor 12:13).

(7) Propitiation — God’s anger against us because of our sin has been completely satisfied because of Jesus’ finished work on the cross. Therefore, everything that occurs in our Christian life is an expression of God’s love toward us, even the trials that we endure (Rom 3:24-25; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10).

(8) Reconciliation – this indicates that Christ’s death removed God’s enmity against man. We are reconciled through faith in Jesus’ finished work on the cross by God the Father because of the removal of the sin barrier between man and God. This work of Christ guarantees our eternal access to God (Rom 5:10; 2 Cor 5:18-20).

(9) Redemption – we’ve been redeemed (purchased out of the slave market of sin (Rom 3:24; 8:23; Gal 5:1; 1 Pet 1:18-19; Rev 5:9).

(10) Forgiveness — at the moment of salvation, we are granted total forgiveness of all our sins (past, present and future) by God the Father (Ps 103:12; Is 1:18; 43:25-26; 44:22; Micah 7:18-19; Acts 3:19; 10:43; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14).

I needed to be reminded of these truths this week. How about you? Why not forward this to a friend who needs to hear this truth too.

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 48; Proverbs 18

Daily Quote: “When a man finds and knows himself to be linked with Christ, his life is altogether a new life. Crucified, then dead. Crucified, then the old life is put away. Whatever life a crucified man has must be new life. Whatever you have of life was not given you till you came into union with Christ. It is a new thing—as new as though you had been actually dead and rotted in the tomb and then had started up at the sound of the trumpet to live again.” ~Charles Haddon Spurgeon

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. ~Isaiah 55:7

It’s 5:55 A.M.

04/13/201604/11/2016Leave a comment

“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” ~Mark 1:35 (ESV)

Did you know that when lion’s go to kill their prey they do so by clamping their huge jaws down on the mouth of their victim? Now whether it’s instinct or watched behavior, lions use cooperative tactics to take down and silence their prey. It is no wonder that Peter would pen this warning to us, “Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Now think this through. If a lion has got his jaws around your mouth what can’t you do? If you said cry out for help you are correct!

The apostle Paul also gives his advice on being alert, so much so that he instructs you to put on the full armor of God before you even go into the battle of the day but he gives this keen bit of insight… “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18) Believe it or not, prayer is a weapon that your adversary fears you using the most and he will do what he has to to clamp down on your spiritual jaws so you can’t cry out to YHVH for help. So what can we do about it? Well it’s 5:55 a.m. and it is time to suit up and PRAY!!

In the very same way that we say we need to tithe the first fruits we should give God the first hour. You can try and say you aren’t all that together until you have had your coffee or glass of O.J. but I’m gonna tell ya that if you don’t give God that first hour the rest of your day is up for grabs. If you aren’t getting that armor on as soon as those feet hit the floor you are setting yourself up for the Pinscher maneuver that the Germans used in WWII to defeat weaker nations that weren’t ready for this kinda warfare. Remember it may not be a tangible warfare we are in but we are engaged in spiritual warfare.

Here are three things that you can hit your knees running with…

1. Pray the Armor of God on every morning: There is an unending struggle and to pray the armor on will help protect our minds from the distractions we encounter from our adversary.

2. Pray for forgiveness and repentance: God isn’t gonna pretend everything’s okay when you approach the throne of grace. Unconfessed sin will dull God’s ear to us. “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore.” (Isaiah 59:2)

3. Pray for a fresh refill of the Holy Spirit: We have no problems walking up to those soda machines with them Super-sized cups. It is like what Jesus said, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.” (Luke 11:13)

If an Almighty God can turn to a Pharaoh and say, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying My power in you and to spread My fame throughout the earth.” (Romans 9:17) what more can it be to us to petition the Throne of God’s Grace to pour out on us first thing in the morning.

The hunt is on brethren and when it comes to those things out there in Secularland we are the prey but the armor we are to wear is built to face adversity not run from it. God’s Word makes it clear that He wants to hear us ask for His help. If we have to scream for it out loud then so be it. But YHVH will not hear the muffled cries of His people if we are being devoured by the adversary. Remember…like a lion seeking to devour. It’ll take a warrior to take a stand, wield a sword and say a prayer. Amen?

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris, a graduate of The Colony of Mercy (11-2003) is married with two adult children (you may remember them from summer staff) and serves on the Deacon Board at Trinity Alliance Church in Cologne NJ

The Daily Bible Reading: Psalm 104; Proverbs 13

Click Here to Download our 2016 Daily Bible Reading Plan

Daily Quote: “Remember, NOT ONE OF US is without sin. Not your pastor, not your earthly father, not your mentor, not even the Pope is without sin. Let’s face up, let’s get serious; we were born of sin and our minds are not pure. But I believe a Godly man is the man that strives to be righteous on a daily basis, a man that fights it with all his heart, and when he falls back into sin, he gets back up, repents and gives it another shot.” ~Mark W. Koch

This Week’s Verse to Memorize:

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
And with my song I will praise Him. ~Psalm 28:7

Freedom Fighters

A Daily Email Encouragement for Men!

Tag: holy spirit

Enemies of The Cross | PART ONE

Spirit of Unity!

Becoming So Large That We Cannot Be Seen

How Rich Am I? Part #2

We Leak

You Have An Amazing Position IN CHRIST!

It’s 5:55 A.M.

Connect with us on social media: