I’m going to call this The Real Battle (part 3 in the war series)

This is part 3 of the last 2 blogs.

You know that verse, “The truth shall make you free,”? In the past few months this verse has come alive to me. I’ve found a beautiful joy, a fresh passion, and a moving force in a quest for this truth.

In correlation with my last two blogs I have to wonder if we fight the wrong fight most often. Generally we’re fighting for someTHING. For example, people often fight their entire lives for a good job or a better one or even better pay. We fight for health in the onslaught of sickness after sickness (I do actually consider health a thing because this body isn’t everlasting). We fight for those material desires, things we hunger for, possibly a reliable vehicle, a great outfit; I don’t know, things, you get what I’m saying right (hopefully). We strive and toil, and pray, and hope, and believe; we put our energy and struggle into these fights for THINGS. But all of these things, in the grand scheme are meaningless. They may add a bit of pleasure to our fleeting lives. They may give a sense of purpose, a cause, a reason to move. These fights seem right, usually, they seem like God’s will to most people. And so we continue to fight for what we believe “the enemy has stolen”, or is keeping from us.

I’m starting to wonder; actually I’ve begun to believe that all these fights are on the edge of the real battle. I believe that the real war is a war against truth, and we should be fighting to obtain it.

Once, I stood before the Lord. There was window in heaven, closed, I looked up to it. All of my desires, things I believe that God has promised me pressed up against the window, out of reach and trapped behind the glass. My heart ached for these things, things which would vastly increase every aspect of my life. I whined to God, “Why have you kept these things from me? They are out of my reach and I am much too weak to open that window, even if I could get to it. What am I to do?” Clear as day (I think that’s the expression) I heard Him say, “These things I’ve shown you, I am going to do for you, rejoice in that. You mustn’t look to them, but look to Me.” Ok, it wasn’t in those words exactly I don't think. It was quite awhile ago actually and I don’t remember exactly what was said, but that was the gist of it.

At the time my heart was relieved and I hoped in the Lord for those things, just as He’d promised. But lately, lately I’ve found a greater hope. Just recently I’m beginning realize that, like He said, He plans to provide those things for me, but I really need not hope for them because it’s wasted energy. Do you see what I’m saying? God said they’re mine. It’s not a battle I must fight. I don’t need to war for any of that. He said he’s giving them to me and then He said, “Look to Me.” I fully, completely, totally believe that is the battle.

Every minute of everyday something is trying to pull your eyes off of the Lord. That is the battle. The sickness isn’t the battle. Keeping your eyes on God is. The better job isn’t the battle. Believing God’s word is. The thing you’re passionate for isn’t what you should be fighting for; you should be fighting for a greater passion for God. I think, that when the Israelites marched to battle, their battle was believing God’s word and being obedient, it wasn’t killing the bad guys. I think the ultimate fight is for truth.
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This is like a bullet point or something. I have to add this cause it’s something that irks me. We “Christians” have a strong tendency to lay dormant at the feet of authority. The Bible says that rebellion is as witch craft. It also says that we must submit to the governing authorities, both great verses, and things to definitely follow and live by. BUT, if you have a relationship with God; if you seek Him and listen; if you hear His voice and it’s contrary to what the authorities are saying then right there, DING, DING, DING, that’s a battle for truth! You must submit to the governing authorities, GOD said so. BUT God is a little bit more of an authority than any on this earth and if He’s telling you something that’s different than what they’re saying then maybe, just maybe the said authority isn’t seeing TRUTH. There’s probably a lie blocking their vision and if, by chance, God has given you the insight to see through that lie then maybe, just maybe you need to pray, fight, battle (IN THE SPIRIT) for your authority to see truth. Don’t go against them. God told you not to. But fight for truth, war, battle.

Here’s the thing, it’s WAY easier for the enemy to lie to the authority and stop an entire people with one lie than for him to try and trick everyone. Guess who he’s most likely to go after… And if the people are always just submitting, and not fighting, then, well, truth is dead.

still fighting (two posts in one day, ahh)

I think there are two parts to spiritual warfare. The first part is simply identifying the battle. I think too often we try and wage war against unnecessary foes. Like I said earlier, it’s essential to seek God first, “should I fight this fight?” Once the Lord has said, “Go,” then you march to battle. If God says, “No, this isn’t your war,” then back off. That’s part 1.

The first part is just as important as the second part but the second part is the actual fight, the battle itself. When the armies of God went to war God had given them direction, He told them to fight and He told them that He went before them; that the victory was theirs. It’s evident from a vast amount of scripture that the Children of God had a very difficult time believing in Him most often. So, you’ve got a little army (the army was usually about 10 times smaller than the enemy’s) that’s just stepped out in faith before a terrifying enemy with only the hope that God will stay true to His word and beat the bad guys for them.

I think this is the key to any fight you may encounter. If you’ve sought the Lord and He’s said, “Go,” then you must believe that this is a fight you’re going to win, that no matter how big it looks, no matter how terrifying, no matter how impossible the situation may appear, God will stay true to His word and He will go before you and you will be victorious. You have none of this assurance if you haven’t taken the time to go before the Lord and complete part 1 (you need to know which battles He’s set before you to fight).

In spiritual warfare you really don’t have a guy standing in front of you holding a sword and shield while grimacing menacingly. I think it pretty much goes without saying, but I’ll say it, spiritual warfare is fought with prayer, scripture, faith, and obedience. If God tells you to do something foolish and weird in order to win the fight he’s set before you, well, you need to do it. But really I think the key to it all is faith, knowing that once he’s sent you forth, He goes before you, that you are victorious, that He is on your side (just stick by Him).

Wow, that was like introduction number 2. I still haven’t even gotten to the initial point I wanted to make : )

How to fight (really really basic)

I’ve been making a very poor attempt to read through the entire Bible Chronologically this year. I started in February and haven’t even made it to the Prophets yet. Currently I’m reading the account of David’s life in Israel. This morning I am once again (as usual) fascinated by all of the warfare that took place in the establishing of a Nation that wasn’t really ever established, it seems.

I read a chapter where David defeated one people, and then killed a certain king, and then another, and then defeated another people. This isn’t going in the direction I’d hoped. Here’s what I’m getting at. The pattern that I see, the thing I think is significant and which pertains to everyone’s life at any point and time in the history of the world, is how each battle was essentially won or lost on account of God. And I know that most “Christians” have grasped this aspect of warfare, spiritually or physically, but I believe we’ve gotten lazy, missed the entire message, and in general most people (Christians) have stopped battling all together because of this. Realizing that God is the one responsible for the winning or losing of the fight does not mean we stop fighting.

When David was faced with a battle He sought the Lord. God would say,”Go.” Or God would say, “do not fight.” Or God would say, “Go, but you must go in this manner…” Saul was essentially dethroned because a battle lay before Him but He didn’t know how to get an answer from God. In an attempt to get an answer he broke a very serious rule. Really he lost the entire fight before the battle ever began. Saul had no relationship with the Lord. He didn’t know how to seek God. He didn’t know which way was up and which way was down. He just didn’t cut it. Again, the battle is the Lord’s; He wins it or He doesn’t fight. Without God leading the army there’s no hope. This is getting wordy and a bit annoying.

The pattern I see, the point I’m trying to make: A battle presents itself. God gives direction. The warrior moves. The Lord wins the fight!

First and foremost we have to recognize a battle when we see one. I think a lot of people suck at this. I think a lot of people focus way too much on what’s going on in camp right in front of their little noses and don’t see the real enemy stationed a ways off in the neighboring field.

Second, we must, MUST seek God. Not man. Not the smart guy next to us. Not a book full of great advice, wisdom, knowledge, the secrets to the universe; GOD! If you can’t hear Him, then let Him know that, humble yourself, turn your little nose down and listen. (even if it takes a few years to get an answer)

Third, this is the big one, this is the one I think mainly and mostly we’ve ALL stopped doing, MOVE! God never (at least as far as I can recall) defeated an enemy while the warrior was sitting down doing nothing. Sometimes God made the warrior do really weird, foolish, even retarded things, BUT the warrior was always in on the action, moving. It seems to me that we’ve come to a place of realization that God wins the war, He’s the one who fights, really, and He’s responsible for the victory so we’ve just stopped going to battle. It does not work that way. MOVE!

Then, the Lord wins the fight.

This is for me. All of my blogs are for me. I need to remind myself regularly of “how it is.” So this is for me. Michal Ann keep your eyes open, listen, move, victory!

Joy vs. Pleasure

Everything here is taken from the book "to have or to be?" by Erich Fromm.

Keep in mind that the entire book is teaching of two different modes of existance. The first being a life lived on the basis of being, increasing who you are, growing, changing, continually being alive and living. The second mode of existance involves a life of having, you are what you have, your job, your house, your clothing; basically the American lifestyle. There need not be any increase in who you are as long as you're always obtaining, acquiring, having more, achieving more. In this mode of living, increase in things equals increase in your being (despite how stagnate you might be).

Pleasure seems best defined as the satisfaction of a desire that does not require activity (in the sense of aliveness) to be satisfied. In order to obtain the most thrilling of pleasures individuals often must be very active in the sense of busyness, but not in the sense of "birth within." When they have achived their goal they may be "thrilled," "intensely satisfied," or feel they have reaced a "peak." But what peak? Such passions do not lead to greater human growth and strenghth but to human crippling. These pleasures produce different degrees of excitement but they are not conducive to joy. In fact, the lack of joy makes it necessary to seek ever new, ever more exciting pleasures.

Joy is the concomitant of productive activity. It is not a "peak experiance," which culminates and ends suddenly. Joy is not the ecstatic fire of the moment. Joy is the glow that accompanies being.

Aliveness (actually living and being alive) is conducive to joy. Pleasure and thrill are conducive to sadness after the so-called peak has been reached; for the thrill has been experianced, but the vessel has not grown. One's inner powers have not increased. One has made the attempt to break through the boredom of unproductive activity and for a moment has unified all one's energies- except reason and love. One had attempted to become superhuman, without being human. One seems to have succeeded to the moment of triumph, but the triumph is followed by deep sadness: because nothing has changed within oneself.

Joy is experianced only in being optimally free, rational, active. We must become what we can be. Joy, then, is what we experiance in the process of growing nearer to the goal of becoming ourself. (this process of becoming oneself is only possible if one is living in the being mode of existance)

Basically I am encouraging you, and myself, to look within, to be who you are. No one else can be you. No one else can increase you. You are the only you there will ever be and that excites me, that brings a spark to my being and I'm giddy about increasing ME.

I vastly appreciate that line, "Joy is the glow that accompanies being." I've struggled with joy for far too long.