we are not fighting for victory we're fighting from Victory towards the broken conditions of life that is the responsibility of every believer so when we talk about Warfare we have reason to celebrate ahead of time because it the battle literally has already been won we're just learning how to apply that which Jesus has been Victorious [Music] over how many of you realize we're we're honestly in a spiritual war yeah there's there's no question in fact there's never been a time in my life where it's been more intense and uh uh in fact I would say
probably 10 times more than any other season of my life has been the last two years now our strength in spiritual warfare is no greater than our ability to control our thoughts our strength in spiritual warfare you guys can make me work this morning I'm going to get a workout I can see our strength in spiritual warfare our Effectiveness in spiritual warfare is no greater than our ability to control our thoughts and in 2 Corinthians 10 probably the greatest chapter on instruction for spiritual warfare there is this phrase taking every thought captive to The Obedience
of Christ imagine being in a natural war and you've got like the number one Terrorist on the planet opposing you and you take the person captive he's now a prisoner of war but what happens if you take that captive a prisoner of war and you turn him into a soldier for the same cause as you that's what it means to take captive Renegade thoughts to The Obedience of Christ is that which was not Waring against me is now Waring for me it means when you got that little thing going on in your head where you're
arguing with somebody and you're anger with them and you got this going on and that going on turn it into a prayer of blessing for them and you'll disarm the enemy and you actually use a thought that was supposed to be used against you it will now be used for you God has um they're strange to me probably strange us strange ways of winning wars you know anytime you send a choir out into battle first like they don't have weapons they just sing and they have instruments and you send them into the deep of a
battle that's an unusual way to go to war unless you don't like the worship team then of but the Lord showed up and would deliver and Powerful things would happen how about the time he said uh for Moses he has him lift his hands up and Aaron and her just each hold up an arm as long as arms are up they win or what about the time um the prophet is surrounded by this enemy Army and um and the Lord blinds them all and the King says can I kill them he says no feed them
so it brings them into this big banquet and then it says that Army just decided not to attack Israel anymore that's a strange way to win a war is I'm not saying feed your enemies your demons yeah breaks down it breaks down all right so the Lord has unusual ways of winning of leading his into war cuz because the the way a war is won is through relationship and Trust through obedience it's the raised hands it's the Striking The Rock it's the proclamation here it's the proc it's it's the natural obedience to whatever God says
to do that's what brings about the Triumph and the Victory did I tell you where to open your Bibles too no yes no Ze some of you heard it some of you didn't Zechariah 1 is where you should be Zechariah Chapter 1 if you're not there hurry and get there and we're going to read uh let me start by saying you'll see the number four and you'll see the word horns four horns four in the scripture often represents something that is global north south east west it's a global thing horns are strength Authority power so
when it talks about four horns influencing the Earth it's a global demonstration of demonic power that enslaves people in wrong thinking all right so let's read this passage and then I'll see if we can make some sense out of it all right Verse 18 then I raised my eyes and looked and there were four horns and I said to the angel who talked with me what are these and he answered me said these are the horns that have scattered Judah Israel and Jerusalem then the Lord showed me four Craftsmen and I saidwhat are these coming
to do and he said these are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could lift his head but the Craftsmen are coming to terrify them to cast out the horns of the Nations that lifted up their horn against the land of Judah to scatter it let's read these verses again I want you to uh I want to think with me as we go through this because the Lord it it's almost like the Lord is saying when in War I hope it's a good show when in war create let's read verse 20 and 21
then the Lord showed me four Craftsmen and he said what are these coming to do and he said these are the horns that scattered Judah so that no one could lift up his head but their Craftsmen are coming to terrify them very very unusual way to win a war is to ra raise up Artists Craftsmen skilled laborers skilled workers it says these horns these four powers or authorities these Realms of Darkness have been released to number one scatter the people of God number two scatter them so that they can no longer lift their head sometimes
we are separate not because of division but because we've just not fought to be together especially in this season very unusual season the scripture says don't forsake the assembling of yourself together as is the habit of some especially as you see the day Drawing Near what is it saying as you see things intensifying the Earth do what is not natural for you go against the grain and fight to be together yes we are members of a body all of us we are members of one another and while there are times where are we are forced
to stand alone uh but that's a season it's not a lifestyle ever sometimes we're forced to stand alone to fight something it almost seems like on our own the best we know how just to prove our own faithfulness to the Lord but we are actually joined together members of one another and the enemy Works to separate and to scatter to cause a loss of identity if there's anything we can see happening in the world right now we got guy men who don't know their men they think they're women got women who don't know they're women
they think they're men or one of the other 58 options people say well Bill we've got to show compassion and I I do believe that we got some troubled people we just need to love and serve it's just I'm tired of seeing the church showing compassion to Demons yes we don't we don't go easy on the powers of darkness and then call that compassion we got to know where to fight where to stand strong where to embrace where to love where to be patient where to be kind God's giving the church a backbone know so
here we've got this unusual story where the Lord says there are these Powers released into the Earth and it's Global and if ever I've seen something that was out of order demonic that was Global it's right now I've never seen the nations in the same turmoil all around the world as is happening right now I do believe this is a right now word so I'm I'm going to ask you with that kind of certainty and intentionality listen to this very very simple exhortation that Global Insanity that is sponsored by so many different movements and political
leaders that Global Insanity has an opponent that it can't stand up to and that's the people of God coming into their authentic self to give creative expression of who God made them to be art Artisans Craftsmen I I don't I don't believe is just referring to uh those who carve wood or those who paint beautiful paintings or those who sing beautiful songs or dance or act or those are the Arts and they are highly highly valued by us but there is an artistic expression that a single mom needs with that one child that's different than
the rest and to be able to communicate well to that child to bring that child to their place of Destiny needs a Grace a wisdom and artistic flare it's the lawyer that has a case he doesn't know how to win but he knows he must and the Lord gives them creative expression ideas the accountant that has a challenge in helping this one business to prosper and they get that Insight there's that artistic flare that comes out of fellowship with the Lord that is in great great need when we look at the subject of warfare in
scripture we're not talking about conflict with another person we're not talking about uh you know this nation another Nation we're not talking about you and your neighbor we're not talking about um the conflict between maybe you and a boss that you work for a co- worker or whatever it's it's not human centered it's actually it's actually centered on a Spirit realm that has influence over the thoughts and values of a culture it is so vital that you understand that's at work otherwise you'll pick people off as your Target and it's it's not it's not people
PE God loves people but there are powers at work that persuade people to think through I've talked about a a Biblical filter to think through a demonic filter and they have as much conviction for what they believe as you do for what you believe but it's because they see through a demonic filter what we're doing is we're learning how to engage in the right war in the right battle so that those Powers no longer have influence over people's thinking and lives the the mark of the Gospel impacting a person's life is Liberty not Conformity come
on it's it's not becoming a part of a group where you're controlled it's it's being entrusted with Divine Insight where God trusts you to think for yourself and to make decisions it's there's the biblical pattern there's the filter if you will there's the template that we think through because because it's vital that we live according to our design when you get rid of the designer in culture you lose any reason for design come on so this is a story Paul said in Ephesians 6 he says we battle not against flesh and blood our battle is
against spiritual Powers spiritual forces of wickedness in Heavenly places and he describes an unseen realm that actually influences the thoughts and the values of a culture of a people all right we're going to read quite a few verses so please have your Bible open and we'll just kind of dance through uh this chapter 2 Chronicles 20:15 listen all of you Judah and new inhabitants of Jerusalem and you King Jehoshaphat thus says the Lord do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude for the battle is not yours but God I love I love
when the Lord says do not be afraid I I I love it and I don't anytime he says don't be afraid it's because you have a really good reason to be afraid it's what I figured out but in in the way the the economy of God I've got to get better language for this but the economy of God where there is transfer of resource as there would be from one account to another in the econom of God the way he resources a life is through speech is through the word it's through declaration so whenever God
says Don't Be Afraid in the words don't be afraid is the capacity to not be afraid it's actually in the deposit of his word to the heart so my role is to stay humble and tender to stay responsive because whenever he speaks he will create in me the ability to do what he just commanded me me to do and that is the marked difference between law and Grace another subject good lots of differences but that is one in Grace he empowers all right the battle is not yours but God's go down to verse 17 you
will not need to fight in this battle position yourself stand still see the salvation of the Lord who is with you oh jerud in Jerusalem do not fear be dismayed tomorrow go out against them for the Lord is with you I think probably the most frustrating part of this walk with the Lord for me is knowing when I'm supposed to stand still and watch him work on my behalf and when I'm supposed to do something come on true true I'm asked this question all the time when do you know what to do I don't know
if I knew I'd write a book on it I don't know I've got I've got one thing figured out though if what I'm doing isn't working then do the other if I've waited and waited and waited and nothing's happen do something if you've been swinging your sword and nothing's happened shut up and sit down for a while just let's see if God will show up and work on your behalf that's he he works one of those two ways wow it's actually represented in how we progress in the Kingdom these two realities he said unless you
receive the kingdom as a child what is that that's the rest position and then he says the violent take it by force referring to advancement in the Kingdom that's the doing something you can't do them at the same time or you hurt yourself or somebody around you you you'll mess something up because you can't you can't do the sit still and the fight at the same time those are the two postures and the Lord will generally lead us into the one that will bring out the greatest strength significance identity all that stuff in us that
we need in that particular moment jump to verse 20 you guys still all right don't know what I'd do if you said no but it has happened I've had it happen verse 20 they arose early in the morning went out to the Wilderness of tcoa as they went out Jehosaphat stood and said hear me oh Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem believe in the Lord your God and you shall be established believe His prophets and you shall prosper now I remind you they are facing a war with insurmountable opposition an army beyond their their ability
to fight reasonably against and this is the word of the Lord believe in God you'll be established Believe In His prophets and you will prosper it didn't say survive God is not a survival God he's not a make do God he is the god of extremes extreme breakthrough extreme increase extreme abundance an Believe In His prophets you will prosper verse 21 we have two more verses verse 21 when he had consulted the people he appointed those who should sing to the Lord who should praise the beauty of his Holiness of Holiness as they went out
before the Army and were saying praise the Lord for his Mercy endures forever last verse 22 when they began to sing and praise the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon Moab and in Mount Sierra who had come against Judah and they were defeated extraordinary story there's another one that I turn to occasionally for a recreational reading it says the Lord it says uh to the people of God sing a new song to the Lord his praise to the ends of the Earth at the end of this exhortation it says and the Lord will
go forth like a mighty man he will stir up his Zeal like a man of war he will cry out yes he will shout aloud he will prevail against his enemies what's the point this response of Praise Is Not stroking the ego of God so that he'll work for us he is not insecure with his identity looking for somebody that will remind him he's God there's something in the Unseen realm that where there is a connection to the nature of God and the confession or Declaration of people people there's something that causes a collision of
the realities of Two Worlds the confession the proclamation the song and the invasion of God to repair a human ailment they work together in tandem in the same way as prayer he answers in this case the prescription was not to pray it was not to fight it was not to March around a wall this one was to send out a choir and just sing and as they sang notice what they said the beauty of of Holiness the beauty of Holiness was a Target do you know why Jesus heals people's body of course it's his compassion
it's his love for people but think about this the great promise that comes to us in Malachi says that there's healing in his wings there's healing in his wings and it goes on to say the son of righteousness will rise with healing in his wings righteousness healing healing is a physical expression of Holiness it it doesn't mean if you have a physical ailment you're Unholy and doomed that's that's not the point the point don't go there go here when Jesus heals he's demonstrating he's holy he's demonstrating his purity is demonstrating the righteousness of God and
that righteousness was the target the beauty of Holiness it's my personal conviction that all real Beauty in the world stems from his personal Holiness all Beauty in this world from creation everything that is beautiful in song in thought with the eyes what we see in creation everything has stemmed from this one aspect of God's own person that's his holiness and they took those things to mind and began to sing and to make declaration Old and New Testament alike teach this concept that we're to love God with all of our heart soul mind strength strength physical
body it's not okay I just sit down and do nothing it's there's supposed to be physical alignment physical response to who he is it's supposed to happen that I stand it's supposed to happen that I kneel it's supposed to happen that I shout or I raise my hand there's some sort a a physical response because I've got to bring this thing that wants to rebel against the purpose of God bring it into confinement and let it express the greatness of God through physical expression it's important emotionally that I arrest my emotions that are up and
down and I I grab hold of those and I give them a direction of focus today we are going to consider the greatness of God but it also says mind mind mind I'm supposed to use my intellectual capacity to consider his ways come to a conclusion put it into word form and make it a part of a song make it a part of a praise that we think through what he did to arrange for you to hear the gospel and we become overwhelmed with his greatness his significance we think through I believe in tongues is
a wonderful expression of Praise but it's directly from the spirit to God it's supposed to at times come through our own brain that has the filter if you will the filter the template of God's nature revealed in the stories in the Miracles and that we join ourselves to those stories we declare his goodness his greatness they did that and it says and God in the Isaiah Passage s himself up as a man of war he said I can't handle it any longer I've got to go kick some demons around or I'm just not going to
feel good about the day now those aren't his words those are mine but you get the point and Israel brought got a great Victory the remainder of the chapter talks about how God made them Rejoice before their enemies and they ended up with great Joy if you want joy Rejoice don't don't Rejoice because you have joy Rejoice to get joy on Amen I believe that when they began to sing to praise the Lord set am bushes and their enemies were defeated there are situations that are being faced by everybody in this room some of those
situations all they need is a song Some of the odds that seem to be so stacked against you some of the circumstances that seem to be the most impossible they are no match for a song come on there are no match for that yielded song of surrender that acknowledges the beauty of Holiness the beauty of his wonder the beauty of his nature his history with the people of God and he's no different today than he was then and there is that song there's that decree there's that [Music] shout and the Lord says he stir himself
up and he brings about victory it says now when they began to sing and to praise the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon Moab Mount sier who had come against Judah and they were defeated I love stories like this this particular theme is uh actually all through the Old Testament especially from David onward he he learned in his own experience the power of praise he learned that God actually establishes his throne upon the praise of his people he he saw in his own experience the Triumph of how worship praise transforms a person's life
we've learned together that when uh things are difficult you don't respond according to the circumstance you respond according to the nature of God and when we do that when we're anchored into the heart and the nature of God the nature of his promises we have reason to celebrate before the answer this scripture The Story Goes On to say the Lord made them to Rejoice over their enemies the key was they Rejoice before they won the battle by the way don't ever think the battle is between God and the devil there is no there is no
threat there whatsoever Satan is not the opposite of God he's the opposite of of uh of Michael they are both created beings there is no struggle between God and powers of Darkness that's that is a laughable concept the enemy only exists as training ground for the people of God who will reign with him forever there one purpose [Applause] alone God designed Humanity to destroy the powers of darkness in the creation we had that assignment but with sin forfeited the ability to defeat him so Jesus Took on flesh beat the powers of Darkness on our behalf
and then handed us the keys of his own personal Victory we are not fighting for victory we're fighting from Victory towards the broken conditions of life that is the responsibility of every believer so when we talk about Warfare we have reason to celebrate ahead of time because it the battle literally has already been won we're just learning how to apply that which Jesus has been Victorious over in this particular story they began to sing and the Lord set ambushes before the Lord uh before uh the people of God I had an interesting experience uh about
20 years ago it was fairly soon we've been here 22 I think it's 22 years what year is this what what year is it 19 we've been here 23 years 23 years this week oh how about that 23 years this week okay so about about 21 years or so ago um it was a Saturday night um I was fast asleep middle of the night and a voice wakened me the voice of the Lord woke me up and I I don't know the time I don't remember the time but he he woke me up with his
voice and I laid there literally the rest of night the rest of the night putting this phrase through my through my mind uh and come back next week and I'll tell you exactly what that phrase was that's that's just so cruel but that's that's that's what I do that's what I do no um he spoke to me he he woke me with his voice and this is what he said he watches over the watch of those who watch the Lord he watches over the I literally laid there all night thinking that through what does this
mean we know that we have responsibility if you're a parent you're a Watchman over your children your your household if you're a pastor or Watchman if you're a business owner you're a Watchman over that place of responsibility so we all have responsibilities and God never leads us to be irresponsible but he was showing us how his world Works he was showing me I should say in this situation he spoke to me and he said he basically said this I'll watch over your'll watch if you'll watch me and that's what worship is worship is the engagement
of Heart to Heart the word worship actually is a word that means to kiss it's a face-to-face encounter the Lord draws Us in to this kind of a relationship regardless of circumstances because he Remains the Same his promises he has Solutions and answers for every problem we could ever Face In Our Lifetime and whatever you think is the biggest problem in your life right now he already has a plan and a solution charted out for that situation it is not Russian Roulette is not some random I hope we get a breakthrough he has a very
specific specific course of Direction where his Redemptive touch will be put to that problem that's who he is that is his nature and because that is so absolutely true we have every reason Kingdom reasoning is I get to celebrate ahead of time Thanksgiving and praise whenever we offer Thanksgiving to the Lord we thank him for what he's done we praise him for who he is and what's important what I learned ear early on is I would get so discouraged I'd get so bummed out and there'd just be like this Cloud over me and I you
know I try to quote scripture or do whatever to try to get my head cleared and it just wouldn't work what I finally figured out is that the darker the cloud the more exuberant my praise needed to be so the time I least felt like dancing before the Lord is when I would dance before the Lord the least time I felt like shouting and raising my hands and lying prostrate before the Lord whatever it might be those were the moments I would do that and it would break that cycle over me me you can you
can stand here like this for 5 days and have nothing happen but when you give yourself Spirit soul and body to glorify his name through your offering something happens something happens the air becomes charged with the power and the presence of God because he shows up in that moment to deliver he shows up in that moment to heal and I I remember in in ear early days having to learn that cuz I I I I I knew it on paper but I didn't know it by experience and Thanksgiving we give him a sacrifice because of
what he's done in praise for who he is but in worship I'm the offering I just step right under the altar here I am do as you please accomplish your purposes that's really what worship [Music] is just trying to say listen we have responsib ability it's a responsibility to engage with God to make a difference it says the church had constant prayer it wasn't a now I lay me down to sleep prayer it wasn't a prayer before a meal it was an engaging with God until something changed constant prayer is digging the heels in because
something is going on there has been a partnership made in this case Herod where a spirit of murder has come upon a a leader and he's governed by watch this you'll see this all through scripture where a political leader is governed by the fear of man he sees it pleases the Jews so he will commit yet another crime to please this particular group the group that illustrates the spirit of murder he will adopt the spirit of murder to gain their favor and that's how the political system works and we pray not to throw stones at
people in leadership because we got some wonderful people in leadership and we have some that are wonderful they just don't know it they're thinking stupid I'm not going to give names but the responsibility is still to pray to sit back and say well God's sovereignty he can turn this abortion thing around anytime he wants oh don't be stupid maybe 62 million babies is enough maybe it's enough maybe it's enough where we we actually draw a line and we say no no this is not okay this is not okay yes we vote Yes we we do
do what we're supposed to do but don't fall for that trap that these life and death issues for a nation are political issues they are not constant prayer why because there was an opposition I love the story about Jesus the devil met Jesus in the wilderness tempted him and he tempted him and he tempted him again and then it says finally the devil left him the devil has been severed from his source of strength you have an eternal source of strength your Yes to God wears him out your Yes to God can Outlast the enemies
attempts to dissuade you constant prayer agreement in prayer is is is profound it's not just an intellectual agreement although I'm I'm not opposed to that it's not just that we agree on an idea you know we can say let's pray together about abortion being God healing forgiving our land and healing our nation and and we would be in agreement together but it's more than that it's a burning of the Soul it's the joining of hearts that says this this is something we must lay hold of and there's that unity in prayer there's this exponential increase
that happens and I the way I like to illustrate is if I take a fishing line which it's only right fishing is more acceptable than hunting so I can use fishing line in my illustration today and uh spare all the non-hunters not in this room of course none here but maybe out there somewhere and YouTube world if you take a fishing line that breaks with 2 lb a 2 lb weight on the bottom 2 lb of pressure you tie 2 pound weight it breaks you take two of those and you wrap them together you would
think it would be it would hold up to four pounds of weight because it's 2 plus two but it multiplies it has this effect it's like six or 8 lbs now to break two 2 lb test lines you take a third one and wrap wrap it around you got three wrapped together now you got something like 15 lb test line out of three 2B it's exponential growth and in the natural it prophesies to us about the power of agreement in prayer I believe in praying on our own I we have 12 acres and I I
walk my property that's what I like I walk when you walk and pray you don't sleep and pray now every night I try to sleep and pray I get in bed and I begin to pray until I go to sleep and I I like that but if I if I sit down and pray it'll be nap time soon I will sleep in the arms of Jesus he's never mad but I would like to pray for some so I like to I like to walk I like to walk and pray and to bring things before the
Lord that's generally what I do I come here early in the morning Sundays and I just I I walk for an hour an hour I just walk non-stop for an hour sometimes hour and a half just walking and praying for what's supposed to happen on that day the point is is that we engage with God to make a difference we don't engage with God to check the box and say we we finished our assignment the engagement in prayer is to make a difference and it's the only way I can access the reality of Joy on
a kingdom level that is overflowing because things have happened due to this partnership we've been called into a co-laboring role a co- laboring partnership so here we have constant prayer was offered up now I want you to go to uh John chapter 15 and um let me talk to you to John [Music] 15 verse one we're going to excuse me we're going to read eight verses verse one I am the True Vine my father is the vine dresser Jesus is giving a lesson a metaphor an illustration of an extremely profound reality let me tell you
where we're headed before we get there so that you'll be able to picture it as we read it if you take a a Vine a a grape vine a Vine that grows grapes the branch connects to the vine but the fibers of the branch and the fibers of the vine are so intertwined that you can't separate them you can cut the branch off but that's there is actually a growth into itself and that is the actual picture in scripture of abiding in Christ is that you can't tell where he ends and where you start there's
this intertwining of Hearts of minds of will there's this yielded to the heart and purposes of God so deeply that that I I can't tell where he starts and where I end that that sort of thing that's the work that God is doing in us and that's the purpose of this illustration verse two every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away every branch that bears fruit he prunes that it may bear more fruit God rewards all growth with pruning how many of you want to grow yeah he rewards all growth with
pruning verse three you are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you the word clean there is the same word as the word prune you're pruned I pruned you and then he says but you guys are already pruned because of the word I spoke to you what does it tell us the discipline of God comes from his voice the circumstances are just to get our attention oh the whale swallowed Jonah and that was the discipline of the Lord no I just got his attention and just got his attention so the next
time God spoke he was actually listening he actually prunes us with his word it's called a sword for a reason it was that was better than your response but it's all right verse four abide in me I in you as the brand cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine neither can you unless you abide in me boy isn't that the truth there's nothing of the Eternal I can produce through my own efforts but everything is available if I yield to every season is for advancement and every bit of progress in the
work of the Lord disheartens the enemy and that should Delight your soul he's never my target but it is the fruit of obedience the fruit of obedience is you build in a person's life you pray for the sick and they're healed you share your faith with the neighbor and they turn to Christ it's you build a business that has integrity and momentum that serves the community well all these things that we build that you teach children that make a difference in the Earth all these things that we build dishearten the enemy and while I don't
put a lot of attention on him I love the thought of him being depressed amen I love the thought of him needing volume or whatever it is that you take when you get that and then verse 19 is where we'll end says they reported now this is where uh the people were reporting The Good Deeds of the enemy to Nehemiah to soften his heart towards him so it says they reported his Good Deeds before me and they reported my words to him oh I love that so much so what were nehemiah's words why should the
great work that I'm doing cease will I come and talk to you so the angel writes it down and he makes the devil Read It should a man like me hide in the temple save my life not going to do it it's written down and the devil has to review it all the decrees that Nehemiah is making over his own life and over his own city is constantly brought broadcast in the enemy's environment do you remember what in uh in the wilderness where it says Satan came to tempt Jesus and of course he he whooped
the temptation but there there's a place where it says and the devil left him until a more opportune time what does that mean Jesus outlasted him yeah you have unlimited strength in Christ the enemy is withering as we speak he has limited strength I didn't say no strength I said limited strength yeah and as long in fact I had somebody had this prophetic dream and they said uh they said I was Marching In the just marching in O Obedience of the Lord and my March my walk the enemy had to run to keep up it's
a great picture and they would fall off out of fatigue so the whole point is don't stop just don't stop don't stop don't don't stop to have a conversation in the valley of Ono don't stop to go hide in the temple for a season stop the nonsense just keep walking just keep marching keep doing what he said to do all right I'm done why don't just I love uh I love the 23rd psalm which I I I think I probably quote part of it every few weeks I love it so much but I love where
he says uh he prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies that's right that's right I love that Chris hit it real well today with the prayer time that he led Jesus in the wilderness not to be defeated but to bring Victory to obtain victory for us every time every time the Lord takes us into a situation it's always for Triumph it's never for setback prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies I don't know what that looks like to you but the table is a place of intimacy and
connection nourishment strength so every time I say I love you to Jesus God puts it on the devil's intercom he makes him listen to what he can't control and has lost every every effort to distract and dissuade and dilute the second place that I was going to mention to you out of Corinthians that Paul talked about the devil he said I'm afraid that the devil through his craftiness could deceive you from and here's one of my favorite phrases in the whole Bible deceive you from the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ I just say that phrase
with me the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ say it again the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ all of this we just went through was merely through distraction through intimidation accusation manipulation all these things was to get you and me disengaged from the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ What Fear does is it adds value to busyness fear causes us to want to draw identity out of overly full busy schedules the scripture says we will be I'm I'm on sermon number three so hold on the scripture says that we we will be led forth with peace so
I don't want to go anywhere peace doesn't take me there's something about being filled with the scripture and filled with the spirit that combination enables us to navigate the challenges that we Face good so I pray for that I pray for you and me that together we can walk in Repentance not Embrace fear not entertain the things that undermine our confidence our Simplicity of Devotion to Christ God help us to be a church family that protects that at all costs say it with me again the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ say it one more time
the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ father help us so that fear none of the tools ever pull us out of the Simplicity of Devotion to Christ I thank you for that
