Fight Back

John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came
that they may have life and have it abundantly."!!!!

David and  his men lose their families while fighting and return to see
their town burned and their families captured.

All of them are devastated and morn their loss. Then their anger turns
on David and he is blamed.  David turns to God for help as the people
talk of killing him. David not only has lost his family, city and the
respect of his men. Now his own life is in danger. His life is at rock
bottom.

But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
Don't give up. Don't ever give up. Don't even think about giving up.
When you are on God's side you are more than a conquer. Nothing can
stop the power of God. Nothing can stop His love.

Then David asks if he should pursue the band? God said, "you will
overtake them and rescue all."

David goes after the band with his 600 men. 200 are too tired to continue
on to the fight. So 400 move into the attack. Remember they had been
marching to battle allied with the Philistines and then retreated back
to Ziglag, when they weren't trusted. Then they turn around and march
the other way.

By chance, but I don't believe in chance, God lets them find an Egyptian
wondering in the desert without food or water. They feed him and when
his strength returns attacked Ziglag. He agrees to lead David to the band.

David and his men find them spread all over the land in a wild party.
The attack is at twilight and the battle rages for 24 hours. All were
slaughtered but 400 that got away on camels.

God wants us to take back what we have lost to Satan. There is no power
that will stop us as we are led by God. The gates of hell can't prevail
against Godly people attacking. We can go into hell holes on earth and
take back what has been stolen.

God's ways are different now then they were in the Old Testament. But
battles rage none the less. We may conquer when we cooperate with the
Spirit of God. using His weapons.




Eph 6 weapons
Helmet of salvation - We have the mind of Christ. The Holy Spirit will
remind us whatever Christ has spoken to us. Be renewed in the spirit of
your mind. The mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Let your mind
dwell on what is good. Meditate on the Word day nd night.

Girdle of truth. Jesus is the way the turth and the life. Jesus wrote the
Bible. The Bible is God's word. The Bible is anointed by the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth.

Breastplate of righteousness. We are saved, not on the basis of our
works, but the work of Christ on the Cross. We stand not on what we do,
but rely on the blood of Jesus.

Shield of Faith - We act according to Jesus has spoken to us. We accept
not the present circumstances but what God has promised.

Sword of the Spirit - Use the Bible as directed by the Holy Spirit.

Shoes - We are prepared to share the gospel as we are led by the Holy Spirit.

We pray - There is real power in prayer.

2 Cor 10:3-5 weapons

We don't fight just in a nice church building but to bring victory where:
lost souls
sickness
despair
doubt
hopeless
weakness
desperation
fear
hunger
weariness
poverty
are ruling and destroying lives.


There are 4 points to spiritual vitality
light - truth, the Bible correct doctrines
love  - action and care for the unlovable. Not ignoring the problem but
doing something to solve it.
prayer - communion with God both talking and listening
praise - having an attitude of thankfulness no matter what is happening.
attitude of looking at the promise and not the circumstance.

This video on youtube is a great illustration of fighting back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU8DDYz68kM

Live for the Lord

Without peace and sanctification (holiness)  no one will see the Lord. Hebrews 12:14

Holiness is separation unto God and the activity associated with this. (Vines)
So I should ask before I do something, “Is this an activity for God?” “Is this an activity that God would have me to do?”

In the natural we strive for meaning and fulfillment by the things the world offers. But what the world offers was never meant to provide deep satisfaction in life.

The beatitudes (Matthew5:3-12; Luke 6:20-23) show that life does not flow from this world and what it offers, but from God. The beatitudes are talking of being blessed when we have lack in our life. Lack in itself is not a blessing, but when we have Jesus lack provides an opportunity for faith and faith in God is what brings the answer in the kingdom of God.

Our possessions are tools to use in serving others. They don't provide life in themselves. Luke 12:15

Joy of the Lord taught in  John 16:22 comes from relationship not possessions.  Material and worldly things can be taken away. No one can take Jesus from us.  This is what Matthew 7:24-27 is talking about. (house built on the rock will stand)  If our joy is in this world, our joy will fail. Our hope will fail if we trust in things of this world. If we put our joy and hope in Christ, we experience everlasting life and joy. What can man do to us, when we have Christ as our source? Psalm 118:6

How to Unblock the Flow of the Spirit

How to receive more of the Holy Spirit.

or How to unblock the Flow of the Spirit

Salvation Jn 3:3; Eph 1:13

HS baptism Acts 1:8; 2:1-4; Matthew 3:11

Worship Elisha 2 Kings 3:15; Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:19

Fear the Lord. Ps 25:12 Then we can be taught John 14:26; Matthew 11:28-30

Meditate on the Word of God. Isaiah 30:15, 40:31; Josh 1:8; Ps 1:1-3; John 6:63

Take your mind off the desires of the flesh and put it on things of the Spirit.  Rom 8:5-13

Put to death the deeds of the Body; or live from the Spirit and not your fleshly desires Rom 8:5-13; Galatians 2:20; Romans 12:1,2

Repentance will bring refreshment. Acts 3:19

Refilling Rev 1:10; Isaiah 52:1,2; Romans 12:1,2

Not Quenched 1 Thes. 5:19
Don't keep rules seek God. Matt. 11:28-30; 1 Cor 3:17

Believe and step out in faith. If we don't we quench the Spirit. James 1:5-8

Pray in tongues! Pray in tongues and then in English. 1 Cor 14:15
Pray in tongues. 1 Cor. 14:5
Gives supernatural understanding and speaks to God. 1 Cor. 14:2
Gives access to other spiritual gifts. 1 Cor 12:8,10
Spiritual war. Eph. 6:18
Reveals God's wisdom 1 Cor. 1:27-29

Prove all things that are taught and hold fast to that which is good. 1 Thes. 5:21

We receive the Spirit through faith. Galatians 3:14

Obedience brings the Holy Spirit. Acts 5:32

>It is not that we get more of the Holy Spirit. It is that the roadblocks stopping the Holy Spirit to function can be removed.

Fasting, by helping the poor will open avenues for God to flow. Isaiah 58:6f

>And what is obedience? It is loving God and loving others. With this love expressed we abide with God. John 14:21,23; 15:7

Ruling in the Kingdom   Ps 103:4 Crowned with lovingkindness and compassion.

How I pray to Get Answers

I like this tree because it's looking for the light.

1 Review your position in Christ. Eph 1:3,18; 2 Corinthians 5:17 Listen to God for His direction. John 10:27

2 Give your day to the Lord denying your fleshly desires. Romans 12:1,2; Matthew 11:28-30

3 Live in the joy of relationship with the Father. John 15:5; John 16:22

4 Base your prayers on God's promises. 2 Cor 1:20
Find the will of God in the matter. Answered prayer is promised for the will of God and our submission to Jesus with the cross of Christ. Rom 12:1,2; 1 John 3:22; John 15:7; 1 John 5:14,15

5  Confess what God has shown you is His will, even before you see it. Hebrews 10:23

6 Believe you receive the answer when you pray. Mark 11:23,24; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:14,15

7 See the answer coming to you. Your vision in the Spirit is reliant on your relationship with God and your commitment to Christ with self denial. Deut 2:24

See yourself through the Word as a success not a failure. Romans 13:14; Matthew 6:22; Deut. 28:13

8 Hold fast to your confession and stand on the word of God. Eph 6:13, Hebrews 10:23

9 Reject doubt 2 Cor 10:3-5
speculations
strongholds
Fight off the opposition in faith and the word. 1 Timothy 1:12; Romans 5:17

10 Live in love. Faith works through love. Gal 5:6; 1 John 4:12 Let all you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 6:14
If you don't have love, stop and renew your love for God and others. 1 Peter 1:22

11 Sow to your future. Give out from your need. Luke 6:38; Acts 20:35
Don't give your time and money mindlessly. Give them in faith that God is working with you.

12 Act on your prayers of faith. If there is never any action there is no faith. Faithless prayers are religious.  James 2:17

13 Rejoice in God through all these steps. Especially if you don't see the answer.  Neh. 8:10; Psalm 100; Psalm 150:6; Psalm 34:1f
Use worship as a way to see your answer coming.
Don't neglect to worship God for your relationship.

14 Return to God and listen for His direction.

The short version to this is: PRAY AND GO. Pray and get direction from God. Then go and obey. Then return for analysis, prayer and adjustment. Then go again. Repeat.

Healing is Promised for All.

1 Peter 2:24 Healing was a done deal at the cross.

Ps 103:3 all sickness removed

Deut 7:15 all sickness removed

Acts 10:38 Jesus healed all with no accounts of Jesus turning down healing request.

Mark 16:18 We are told to lay hands on the sick and they will be healed, when we believe.

Matt 10:8 We are commanded to heal.

2 Corinthians 1:20 all the promises are yes and amen with Jesus.

Romans 8:32 We receive with Jesus all things, no good thing is withheld.

John 15:7 We can ask for whatever we wish as we abide.

Psalm 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord him out of them all.

Ps 91:10 no sickness where we live as we abide.

Ps 91:3 If we are trapped God will get us out.

1 John 3:22 God answers all our prayers if we obey and please God.

James 5:14 Is any are sick? It's God's will to heal anyone.

John 14:14 All prayers are answered in Jesus name.

Gal 3:13,14 We are free from the curse, and sickness is part of that.

The promise for healing shows the problem of not being healed is not on God's end. We should seek God for where the problem is if there is no healing.

Use God's Word

The Word of God does the work of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”

I use the Word as vitamins or medicine in working in my body to strengthen me. I also use the Word to sooth my soul. I read over it and meditate on it and let the ideas work their way into my mind. After thinking on them new understandings come to me, many times from the Holy Spirit. I say many times because we always need to judge our thoughts and test them against God's word.

I believe God's Word is full of power and is effective in guiding and helping me. God's Words are life. John 6:63

God's Word can become a consuming fire.
Jeremiah 5:14 “Therefore, thus says the LORD, the God of hosts, "Because you have spoken this word, Behold, I am making My words in your mouth fire And this people wood, and it will consume them.”

The Word of God are effective. Don't use God's Word without God's love. Faith works through love. Galatians 5:6 Speak for grace to help the people. Ephesians 4:29

The power of God's Word will shatter rocks and burn away what is between us and God.
Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not My word like fire?" declares the LORD, "and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

I see rocks as like a part of a mountain (a type of obstacle to God's provision), and the Word of God shatters the rocks or  obstacles before us. Isaiah 41:15

Speaking God's words brings life.
Ezekiel 37:7 “So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone.”

Here is a great prophecy of Israel's army regaining life. We also can speak God's words by the Holy Spirit to bring life to ourselves and others. John 6:63; Job 22:28; Matthew 9:21

There is power in God's word for salvation.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Sometimes speaking Scriptures by the Holy Spirit will bring Salvation. My mom was brought to salvation by a nurse quoting Ephesians 2:8,9 to her. I was saved by John 3:16.

The Word is used as a sword to attack in battles of the spirit.
Ephesians 6:17 “And take THE HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

I tell the enemy the authority given to me by using Scriptures. Ephesians 3:10 I speak to the problems I face with Scriptures. I speak to myself with encouragement from the Scriptures.

The Word shows what is of the spirit and what is of the soul.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

With honesty we can see by our attitude if we are right with God from the Scriptures.

God Answers Prayer

1 John 3:22 "
"And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

Keep the commands of God which are tied up in loving God and loving your neighabor.
Do the things pleasing in His sight. And what is that? It is effective faith. Hebrews 11:6

2 Cor 5:7 We are to walk by faith and not by sight. Do this and you will please God. To ignore this and you stay a child in the faith. A child in the faith does not overcome obstacles. 1 John 2:12,13

Solid food is for the mature but milk of the word is for babies. What is the difference in the Word? It is not the specific Scripture but our actions with the Scripture that determines if it is milk or meat. We are babies if we don't take the Word and use it with faith. Grown men and women will take the Word and use it. We overcome by faith and faith takes the Word and overcomes with it. 1 John 5:4

Sometimes I read the Word just to be soothed in my soul. But other times I read the Word for direction. It is at these times I'm eating meat. We need to obey the Word if we are to walk in victory.

1 John 5:14,15
“This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.”

Ask according to His will. Are the promises of God His will? Yes. 2 Corinthians 1:20 “
20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

God's will is the promises of the Bible.

5 Parts to 2 Corinthians 1:20
 1 For as many as are the promises of God,
 2 in Him they are yes;
 3 therefore also through Him is our Amen
 4 to the glory of God
 5 through us.

There are 5 parts to this verse, 5 parts to thus promise.
 1 All the promises of God are given to us according to the Scriptures.

 2 In Him they are yes. Are we in Jesus? 2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creation. If we are saved we are in Jesus. So yes we are in Him. Yes we are in Jesus. John 6:21 When Jesus got in the boat, immediately the boat was at the other side. When we have Jesus we have the answer.

 3 Therefore also through Him is our Amen. Can we say the amen to the promise? Can we say the promise is going to happen? For amen means so be it. Are we sure the promise will happen? For that is what amen means. Can we say as Christians this amen? Then the answer will come.

 4 To the glory of God
We can's seek glory for ourselves and believe at the same time. John 5:44 If we seek glory for ourselves it nullifies the faith and we lose out place of belief. God will not share His glory with another. Isaiah 42:8 “"I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images.”

 5 Through us. It is through Him through us. We work with God and God works with us.