Spiritual Warfare (Poem)

Into the hearts and home of my parents so long ago,

I was born, raised, and there, Christ Jesus I came to know.

As a mere babe, into their church I was introduced.

Growing and hearing God’s Word, faith in me was produced.

Into my young heart, I asked Jesus to come on board,

Then grew to understand the meaning of Him as ‘Lord’.

Both at home and church, saints’ would pray fervent prayer,

Thus I came to know the roots of spirit warfare.

By God’s Spirit, Earth was created and richly endowed.

Into Earth, spirits of good and evil He has allowed.

He added human spirits to this design,

With the choice: ‘With which of these groups to align’.

He sent His Word and Christ so to us Light would dawn,

So we’d have a clue of what’s really going on.

His Word speaks of a war on page-after page,

That started in Heaven and now through us rage.

This war started when Lucifer wanted to be God,

And a third of God’s holy angels thought that wasn’t odd!

So in rebellion, they attempted a coup d’etat.

‘To hell with you!’ They were kicked out of utopia!

But this sentence on those whom God overthrew,

Has only been carried out on but a few. ¹

On the rest, this sentence has been postponed,

Until some future time to us unknown. ²

Meanwhile, the angelic fool who wanted to

take God’s Throne,

Works through demons to make sure in hell

they’ll not be alone.

They exalt themselves above God and

what He’s said. ³

Thus in our minds and hearts, deceptions they embed.

Some may not believe into a war they were recruited,

When in Jesus Christ, righteousness to them was imputed.

Not knowing God’s Word, or not understanding

what they’ve read,

They’re not sure what exalts itself against

what God has said.

In this war their lives may be so dominated,

Not knowing God’s authority delegated.

Things from God and devils are not well correlated,

Since deceptions into their lives have infiltrated.

Things of significance in life have a spirit root,

Like flaming arrows that at us devils love to shoot, ⁴

And blessings from God that we all appreciate.

Between the two, how should we differentiate?

If in Christ your sins have been, and are being forgiven,

All God’s promises to the righteous to you are certain.

By faith, in your life each promise must be appropriated, ⁵

So in spirit warfare, you will not be emaciated.

In-depth knowledge of God’s promises to us in Christ,

Gives clear insight into who spawned what comes

in your life.

If it exalts itself above what God about you

has said,

By all means, stand and speak against it til in your life
…it’s dead!

This is spirit warfare with which God is pleased,

How He tells us to resist His enemies.

This I learned so long ago while just a lad.

And this chance to share it with you …makes me glad!

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¹ ‘…And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode [became humans and married women  and corrupted the human race before the flood], He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day…’ (Jude 6)

² Sometime after the Millennial Reign (Revelation 20:10)

³ See: 2 Thessalonians 2:2-3

⁴ See: Ephesians 7:16

⁵ Through meditation and profession. See: Philippians 4:8, Psalm 1:2, 119:48, 119:148, and Revelation 12:11

Return-to-Sender Prayers (Poem)

See the Prayer and Praying Series here

‘Lord, Teach us to pray.’ Ahhh! Curiosity was piqued. ¹

So teach them He did indeed, with a ‘B.C. interface’.

Thus here’s a powerful insight that’s somewhat unique:

The prayer model He taught was before the Age of Grace!

When reading through the Bible, God’s Holy Word,

Here is something we must remember and never forget:

To rightly divide all we have read and heard.

The major divide is the B.C. and A.D. mindset. ²

Imagine the different ‘audio-visuals’,

Between the B.C. and A.D. types of prayers.

Note the rigor in A.D. prayers that are forceful,

And the vigor to receive by faith God’s answers.

After His resurrection, it is abundantly clear,

Jesus totally revised how the redeemed ought to pray!

Then He wrote us many letters to help us get in gear.

With God, weak B.C. prayers are now so very passé. ³

Roots of A.D. prayer is faith in what God has said,

Concerning the issues about which we pray.

He has released His faith in promises He calls ‘Bread’.

In A.D. prayers, our faith we must display.

Face-to-face, to God it’s in Jesus Christ’s Name we plead.

Faith-to-faith, it’s when we pray that we receive.

If to specific promises our requests are keyed,

Then boldly assured, we have what we believe. ⁴

Lacking deep knowledge of promises God has made,

Means no foundation of faith upon which to build,

The storehouse of patience you will need to persuade,

Your un-renewed carnal mind that is so strong-willed!

It is the body of our flesh and our carnal mind,

That can’t grasp the notion of ‘receiving when we pray’.

To things of the spirit, body and mind remain blind,

Thus we must let God’s Word our body and mind outweigh.

If between your spirit and mind there is a raging war,

And to your mind this all seems like a huge conundrum,

Note: God calls things that are not as if they already are.

This is how the things He calls …into our world be-come.

If into your life good things from God you pray to come,

Then to His Word you must renew your thoughts and words.

Shun B.C. prayers that to God are ‘deaf and dumb’. ⁵

Pray in Jesus’ Name, backed up with Word you have heard.

As you pray, please take time to ponder

this insightful thought.

So much of that for which we pray must put God in a binder.

Don’t pray for things Christ’s sacrifice for us already bought.

Imagine Heaven stamping such prayers

…‘Return-to-sender!’

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¹  See: Luke 11:1

²  See: 2 Timothy 2:15. B.C. refers to before Christ’s sacrifice for sin. A.D. refers to the After Deliverance Age of Grace, especially for us who are saved or redeemed, having accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. To us, all of God’s Bible promises related to being righteous in His sight are now available to us, whether written in the Old or New Testaments. This is The Gospel, writ large. Though available, we must apply or appropriate them by faith. 

³ John 14 and 15 set the contextual stage for A.D. prayers. This is reinforced in Romans 12:12, 1 Corinthians 14-15, Ephesians 6:18, Philippians 4:6, Colossians 1:9 and 4:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Timothy 2:1,8, James 5:14-16, 1 John 5:14, and especially Jude 1:20.

⁴ See: Mark 11:23-26

⁵ God may be deaf (not hearing) and/or dumb (not responding) to faithless prayers. We, the redeemed, should study to not be deaf to what God has specifically and generally said about our prayer issues, and not be dumb, unwilling to speak His promises in faith. The only prayers of the unredeemed God is committed to answer are the prayers of Godly, sorrowful repentance for sin.

Cornerstone: Cause⇒Effect (Poem, Part 4)

See the series here

From The Book of Job to Revelation of Jesus Christ,

The Bible gives one message affirmatively,

But about which we live as if we have lost all insight:

Life’s a façade, cloaking a world we cannot see.

God calls this world where He dwells, eternity,

Existence without beginning or end.

The Bible reveals this world, explicitly,

So from our world, to His, we can transcend.

The bookends of our lives cover a minuscule sliver,

Of His world so vast and glorious.

But His Bible book invites us all to ‘Come up hither!’

So we can see our world, spurious.

The Book of Job is God’s opening invitation,

Iterated in various forms in books that follow.

But something’s unique about His first and last editions. ¹

Both have their stark, dark images of this satan fellow!

The Book of Job is God’s first introduction to our foe.

The Book of Revelation shows satan’s final destiny.

The former gives us some glimpses -- his going to and fro.

The latter gives the end of him, and his human company.

The former is quite basic, and so easy to digest,

With colorful characters who are just like us today!

The latter, like a Gordian knot, leaves us all aghast,

Yet the point is clear, exactly what God wants to convey!

Three resounding themes of these two books, let’s review:

      --There’re spiritual causes for every physical effect,

        Causes that are triggered by what we say and do.

      --Our foe is making sure life in both worlds is a wreck!

      --God has designed for us a simple choice,

        To be the victor, not the victim of our clever foe.

        We make our choice by our heart and our voice,

        With whom in this life, then the next to go ...to and fro.

In his turmoil, Job wished for an Advocate,

A Man -- Mediator and a gracious Redeemer,

He  could only wish. There was no candidate. ²

Since then, God sent Jesus, His redeeming Savior! ³

We now have that for which Job could only wish!

Now, today is the era of salvation by Grace,

To free us all from every sinful blemish.

Reject Him and you’ll wish for Him …in eternal disgrace.

For sure, life’s a façade, cloaking a world we cannot see.

So through man, God wrote The Bible,
His un-cloaking device.

From Job to Revelation, into this world peer dimly. ⁴

Now if you are wise, you will heed all my Godly advice.

See: Anti-Christ: Summary Review (Part 5)

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¹ Job and Revelation

² If there is a messenger for him, a Mediator, One among a thousand, to show man His uprightness, then He is gracious to him, and says, ‘Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom’; his flesh shall be young like a child’s, he shall return to the days of his youth. He (man) shall pray to God, and He (God) will delight in him (man), he shall see His face with joy, for He restores to man His (God’s) righteousness. Then he (man) looks at men and says, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it did not profit me.’ He (The Mediator) will redeem his (man’s) soul from going down to the pit, and his life shall see the light. (Job 33:23-28)

³ Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, became the Advocate, Mediator and kinsman Redeemer for whom Job wished. May you accept Him today as Your Lord and Savior.

⁴ See: 1 Corinthians 13:12.

Identity Crisis (Poem)

Listen to audio version here

Shhh... Listen. Can you hear it? All over the world,

People testifying, their beliefs they herald.

Most are testifying of their problems, trials and tests,

And how of them, life is seemingly getting the best.

Now let’s go to church, have a seat, tune-in …and listen,

Listen to those who are Biblically enlightened,

And to those who with problems have been stricken.

As you do, you’ll perceive their Bible doctrine. 

Please tell me if, like me, this may be what you hear:

Testimonies that don’t seem God’s Word to revere,

Talk that’s anchored in a ‘B.C. mentality’,

Teachings that cloud out their ‘A.D. reality’. 

B.C. -- Before Christ came to offer God’s sacrifice,

That for all sin, would fully pay His just and due price.

A.D. -- After Deliverance when God accepted,

Christ’s offering, and to us righteousness imputed. ¹

The B.C. mentality declares that in this life,

Sinners we’ll always be, even though we are in Christ.

But here’s the A.D. reality:

In Christ we’re saints, spotless and holy.

Uncloaking the roots of this ubiquitous conundrum,

Points to headstrong embracing of traditions and customs.

We so strongly believe our carnal mentality,

More than what God says of our A.D. reality.

The carnal mind will have difficulty to agree, 

With what God says about whom in Christ we are …really. 

‘A righteous saint, no longer a sinful sinner? Who me?’

That’s the result of a split, conflicted identity. 

Denying God’s power to change a sinner into a saint? 

Stop. Check to see if your prime focus may be on

‘What I ain’t.’

Healed by Christ’s stripes? Blessed with all spiritual blessings?

Given all that pertains to Godly life? Reign as kings? ²

Christian, shun carnal thinking and renew your mind.

Recognize/resist devilish spirits that blind.

From pulpits-to-pews, your B.C. mentality,

Is simply a sinful and false humility. ³

God says you are righteous, and that by His Word to be instructed,

Dead to sin, needs met, body healed, be Spirit-filled and directed,

With long life you are blessed, and to sinners you are sent.

His Word promises convey exactly what He meant. ⁴

These few and many more of His Word promises to us,

Become A.D. reality via a faith-filled focus.

Deep meditations on what God’s Word says about us,

Develops faith to shed our identity crisis.

We say and sing, ‘I am a sinner, saved by Grace,’

But consider the conflict with which this is laced.

Am infers the present, but saved infers past tense.

By this can you see we have a backwards sequence?? ⁵

Whether a victor or victim in life you will be,

Rests on your mindset and word of your testimony.

The victors’ end-of-story is written so clearly:

‘They overcame by the word of their testimony.’ ⁶

…Thus God’s grieved Spirit groans:

If I can’t get My people to believe what I say about them in Christ,

How will they overcome with their testimony

tests and trials of this life?

What will it take to get them to see, embrace,

and then ‘walk My talk’, 

If they allow their B.C. mentality their pathways to stalk? 

Without faith to believe, then say what I say, 

In their lives, how can My power I display?

If in stony hearts there is no penetration, 

That leaves Me to …wait for the next generation. ⁷

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¹ Romans 4 affirms God imputes righteousness to us who believe in and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

² See: Isaiah 53:4-5, Ephesians 1:3, 2 Peter 1:2-4, Romans 5:17. A.D. means ‘anno Domini’, Latin for ‘in the year of The Lord; since Christ was born’. By A.D., I mean ‘After Deliverance’; since Christ was risen. Why? It was not His birth, but through His death, resurrection and God’s acceptance of His blood sacrifice that we have deliverance from the power of sin. That’s when the power of God became available to, and operative in us by The Holy Spirit.

See: Reigning in Life

³ And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2) See also: Ephesians 4:20-24 and Colossians 3:10. Simply put, it is wisdom to agree, and sin to disagree with what God says about us and about any matter. Disagreeing with what He says is essentially calling Him a liar. Releasing faith, God calls things are not as though they are. He created us in His image, and requires us to live by this, His kind of faith, irrespective of what circumstances say or feelings may suggest. In our carnal world, this is the ‘fight of faith’ into which Christ-believers are called.

⁴ Read and meditate on: Galatians 2:20, Psalm 91, Romans 6:11, 13, 1 Peter 2:24. Christians are sent to sinners not to identify as still one of them or just to witness to them verbally, but mostly to display to them the power of Jesus Christ in our lives.
⁵ Consider whether claiming to (now) be a sinner who was (once) saved by grace may suggest the continuation of a sin-stained conscience, referred to in Hebrews 9. Consider the alternative: I was a sinner and am now saved by Grace. The matter is more than just one of semantics.

⁶ See: Revelation 12:11

⁷ This is exactly what God did with the children of Israel for 40 years in the Wilderness of Sin after they left Egypt. Must He do the same with us, with you today?