Monday, August 31, 2015

POW! I Never Thought of it That way!

“So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” (Ex. 17:9). “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me”   (Psalm 18:39).

Hey Gang:  I have adopted Jonathon Cahn into my hillbilly family because he talks and writes with language and illustrations that this hillbilly can understand.  In this month’s devotional he wrote the following opening to a devotional he titled “The Blotted Enemy”: “Fight your spiritual battles as if they are defeated already.  Lay the groundwork covered in prayer before even stepping on the battlefield”. 

To that, my dear sainted Grandma would add, “Stay prayed up to date for there are times when you do not have time to set up your altar and go to the Lord in prayer.”  In my work with out of control teenagers I found that to be oh, so, very true. 

Cahn titled his teaching “The Blotted Out Enemy” based on Exodus 17. The first battle that Israel ever fought was against the Amalekites or Amalek.  I have read the story many times and used the illustration of Aaron and Hur holding up the arms of Moses during the day of fighting.  As long as his arms were up the Israeli’s prevailed but when they sagged, the Amalekites prevailed.  There are a barn full of messages with illustrations from my life that I could share but will save them for another day.  I suspect each of you might also have stories of those times when your guard was down and Satan gained an upper hand.

Then God says, “I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven” (vs.14).  But notice in ver

Question?  If the enemy of Israel, the Amalekites, are blotted out, how can God keep fighting them, or how can God’s people keep warring against them, if they are already blotted out?  Think about that for a moment or two?  There is a very important- not so hidden truth ingrained in these verses.

Satan is a defeated enemy of God and all of God’s people but, has he thrown in the towel and retreated into the shadows?  In no way! Even in the wilderness, we are told, after failing to convince Jesus that he had a better plan for Him, we read he slinked away awaiting a more opportune time to return and “bug Him” (Luke 4:13). 

In other words, God fights a blotted out enemy - and so do we.  The key to living a victorious life is to understand that we are in constant warfare with a defeated enemy! 

I read an article recently that stated that the number one seller on the book list, the Bible, is, in most cases, the least read.  In the same article, the author, after doing some serious research, discovered there is a growing discouragement and anxiety growing among many who proclaim that are believers in Yeshua.  He also discovered that there is a correlation between those who are discouraged and filled with anxiety and their time invested in their prayer closet and time in the Word. 

Soooo, Does that not compute?  If you eat one meal at McDonald’s a week, how long will your body survive?  The point Jonathon is pounding: “The old sin doesn’t look defeated, yet Messiah finished the battle on the cross. Remember His words, “It is Finished?”  The enemy is blotted out.  You will win the fight, and you have to fight a defeated enemy.  Win the battle that is already won.  Fight the fought battle in His strength.  You live on the winning side.  On the cross, it is already blotted out.  Keep in mind that -at the name of Jesus, Satan must flee!

Blessings,

Gramps

Alert! New post on grampswhatshappeningman.blogspot.com  Sept 1

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