Homeward Bound
by David B Severy on Friday, October 26, 2012 at 9:53am ·
If our heart was a land, a nation, it would be named Canaan. It would have tribes of pagan idolaters living in it. It would be celebrating false Gods and indulging in orgies of imaginations, lofty opinions and thoughts all raised against the knowledge of God. My heart is still a place where the battle is raging. I want to obey God but the pagan influences in my heart don’t pay any attention to me. I live as Paul who lived and died daily, as he described in Romans Chapter 7.
Many people all over the world do not want war. Yet we live in a time where 100,000,000 Islamic fundamentalists want war. Why? Why is mankind either fleeing or attacking? Why do they provoke and thrust good men into the bloody defense of their own loved ones?
Christian, you must know that the devil IS A REAL ANGELIC PERSON and he has a large angelic following who are all together committed to war against your soul. Yes Jesus has won the victory for us! We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us! But in His wisdom God has called us into His church where we as one people preach the sermon of God to all the angelic realms and to all the peoples of the world. As the creation is the sure evidence of God the Creator, the church is sure Evidence of God the Redeemer and Reconciler and of the One who tramples down satan and his followers!
The battle from heaven’s HQ was once against flesh and blood as Joshua led the army of God’s people into Canaan. But after Pentecost the battle tactics changed. The goal, the Master’s Plan didn’t change, but since the sending of the apostles the weapons, the armor, and the tactics have changed.
If we are to fight in God’s TODAY Army we will have to go through spiritual boot camp, and into spiritual training. The church trains to preach the Gospel and impart salvation by the Word of God in Christ. Our real enemy is the devil. All of us have to train and fight in the roles of our calling.
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
We must accept and BELIEVE, and TRUST that God is SALVATION and He is LOVE and that He has brought us into life here to be saved and loved in the midst of what seems an impossible complex environment.
In my “world” I have “peace.” I am rarely persecuted for my faith. The economic woes of my nation have not caused me great discomfort. It could and may get worse! But that will not change the truth or my destiny. In my mind and heart there is a spiritual battle taking place. My flesh wants to revive every day and have it’s own way. Satan does persecute me, seeking to influence me to rebel against God. The world resists my being a son of God. But Jesus give REAL peace.
John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
This body I live in is not permanent, nor is the earth. Everything is going to change one day. Those of us who have trusted God in Christ will pass from the battle field to the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace, the New Jerusalem and the New Heavens and Earth!
It leads me to think we need to become like children all the more. We must simply trust God. We need simply to learn how God loves and love each other, neighbors and enemies like He does. All our trophies will be left here when we pass from this life to everlasting life. So shouldn’t our motives become enormously other directed? Our Everlasting future is secured in The Messiah’s finished work! We can’t lose our souls to the devil since we believe! He will not break His promises to us, and He will finish the work He began in us when we first believed.
The impossible complexities of this world will seem only as mild challenges to us living in our calling if we will simply be zealous, repent, turn to God every day and seek what God seeks: the lost and the dying souls of this age. If we seek this, God will be our strength of spirit, mind and body. He will be our courage. For He is our victory in faith.
He will supply all we need for life and godliness. If we think we do not have all we need, we need only to ask. 1John 5:14-15 Yet in this life: 1 Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Our hearts must be transformed from pagan Canaan to the Heavenly City whose builder and maker is God. The richness of that place is the Glory of It’s King. Wouldn’t we all rather have Jesus than silver of gold?
