Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body. – Hebrews 13:1-3 ESV

Warrior:

What have we missed?  What have we been missing?  According to the Bible, all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. It is inspired by God, it is HE; In the Beginning was the WORD and the Word was with God and the Word was God!  Since the Word is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. IF It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right- and it does, then we must GET THE MESSAGE, the correct communication from Almighty God. Because we have so much distraction, and because we have lost our focus- we seem to be miscommunicating with the God of the Bible.  It is like we got GENESIS 1:26 Bass Ackwards- Let us make God in our image! Even Yahweh incarnate, Jesus, told us we were ignorant. Hear the Word of the Lord; At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread.  Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in?  ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’ Don’t you remember anything at all? (Mark 8:16-18) Or how about this time when the Disciples could not cleanse a young boy from an evil Spirit: And he answered them, “O faithless generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him to me.” (Mark 9:19) 

Leader, how much more will we continue to miss? We missed the importance of the Rebellion of Korah- Numbers 16,17. We missed the judgement at the Tower of Babel- (Genesis 11) God disinherited the nations. We missed Jesus on the Road to Emmaus and at the fish fry the morning of His resurrection. Because we are so distracted- our focus is OFF!  We are MISSING THE MARK- it is called sin. Our enemy’s Number 1 weapon formed against us is CONFUSION.  When we are confused we hesitate, we don’t act, we doubt and then FEAR is in control. One of the wiles of the enemy is DISTRACTION.  In Genesis 3 the Hebrew word ‘nachash’ meaning the shining one has been rendered ‘snake’ or ‘serpent’. He is the Master of Distraction, Sleight of Hand, Sleight of Mouth, Sleight of LIFE! We are easily distracted creatures, like sheep to the slaughter. Ephesians 6:11 warns us to “put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil”. Wiles are tricks or manipulations designed to deceive someone. Wiles of the devil are those clever schemes used by Satan to ensnare us, to distract us, to confuse us, and ultimately to render us ineffective to be used by Adonai. It is a form of magic, distraction, deflection and manipulation. The Prince of the Power of the Air knows how to use airwaves, videos, and music in his arsenal of wiles. We are too distracted, and when we FOCUS, it is many times on the wrong things: “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16) The lust of the flesh would include tasting, touching, smelling, and hearing. The lust of the eyes is what is seeing- what looks good! The pride of life is thinking you are special because of who you are, what you have, what you know, or what you look like.  God says, get your FOCUS RIGHT! Hear the Word of the Lord; And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. (Philippians 4:8) Between the stimulus and the response is a space and in that space is your power and your freedom- your liberty in Christ Jesus!

Conduit, the battle is in the mind!  It is a spiritual battle fought against principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places. Everything we DO or DO NOT DO, is driven by a belief.  So, our enemy always targets our mind, bombarding every believer’s mind with thoughts of envy, of offense, of victimhood, of self-pity, self-focus, and other things like sexual images and thoughts. Satan cannot read our minds, but he can influence our thoughts, and thus our actions.  David was tempted by the devil to take a census; 2 Samuel 24. Jesus said Satan’s words were coming out of the mouth of Peter; Matthew 16:23. The Bible is clear that we must “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” It is also time to REIGNITE the heart!  It is time to turn the HEART back ON! To get emotionally involved with OUR GOD, and OUR PURPOSE! It is written; You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5) We can’t be flatlining and fulfill this command.  CLEAR….! Look up, for your redemption is near.  We were NOT made for this; we were made for what comes AFTER THIS!  This is preparatory, this is forming us into the mold of Christ, this is getting our position in the Kingdom, the Millennial Rule.  It is time to get our WARRIOR MIND and HEART ON! Wake up and realize the TIME IS NOW! Hear the Word of the Lord; When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. (John 17:1,14-19) Amen. Be on guard, soldier, Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) Be an offensive weapon of Yahweh and Fight the Good Fight!