2 Kings 6:14-17-Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"
16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them."
17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
You can’t have vision for the nation, without prayer
You can’t have vision for the nation or for this church, without having vision for you own life!
God doesn’t want your opinion, He doesn’t need your opinion, what He wants is His will to be done, in your life, in His church, and in this nation!!
You can’t expect this nation to be Godly, if you yourself are not living Godly!!
You can’t expect this nation to have high morals, if you yourself have lowered your morals!!
We the church have gotten the philosophy, that if we are going to get people to come to church or continue going to church, we have got to lower our standards.
But that’s the wrong kind of thinking!!!
Matthew 10:34 Luke 14:26 John 12:25
Jesus didn’t lower His standards so that people would follow Him!
He didn’t change, He expected them to change (With His help of course)!
1 Peter 2:9-But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: (KJV)
1 Peter 2:9-But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (NKJV)
1 Peter 2:9-But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. (NLT)
Peculiar People-You are going to be different than the world, you are going to seem peculiar, your going to live your life different than the world teaches, you are going to make different choices than the world makes, your going to spend your time, your money, different than the world spends theirs!!
The problem is we are too much like the world, we tried to blend in so much that we have lowered our standard, lowered our morals, just to be accepted by the world!
Instead them accepting what we have, we are accepting what they have and adopting into our life!
We have to start raising the standard of Christianity!!
John 12:32-And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself."
I believe Jesus is not only talking about being lifted up and dying on the cross, but I believe He is also talking about being lifted up in our daily life!!
I know there are a lot of people who love lawlessness, doing what they want when they want, but there are as many people who are attracted to a standard of living, having rules and regulations!!
Having something that is constant, having something in their life that doesn’t waver!!
We have got to draw a line in the sand!
We are in a spiritual warfare!!
That’s why your mind wonders when you are reading your bible, and as I preach!
That’s why you get sleepy as your praying, you get druggy as your reading your bible!
It’s amazing you can stay awake and alert for 2 hour movie, but you can’t stay awake for 30 minutes to read God’s word!!
You can stay awake and be all enthralled for 4 hour or six hour football game, but you can’t pray for an hour?
There is a battle going on right now in your head, right now in your heart!
Ephesians 6:10-18-Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--
Wiles Of The Devil-The devil is not waiting for you to get to work tomorrow, before he attacks, he is not even waiting till you walk out these doors, before he attacks, he’s going to attack you while you are in church!
That’s why somebody will say some rude comment to you, some snide remark, some smart-alec response, and the devil will get you to dwell on that, instead of dwelling on the Word of God, or words of a hymn, or somebodies testimony, or somebodies devotion, or what somebody else is struggling with.
And the devil has won that battle because, you weren’t paying attention to what God wanted you to pay attention too!!
That sermon could helped, that devotion could helped you, that song service could helped you, that special could helped you, that Sunday School lesson could helped you, and guess what if you had been on guard, and been paying attention, you might have been able to help someone else out!!
Do you hear what I’m saying, “There is a spiritual warfare going on!”
Lives are being lost, souls are being lost, victories are being lost!
Because to many Christians don’t realize we are in a war!
(Like a friend of mine said, one time when he was standing in a club, minding his own business, “It wasn’t till that first time he hit me in the nose, that I realized, that I was in a fight!”)
Maybe the problem we got way to many Christians, who want to stay neutral in this spiritual warfare!
There is no staying neutral…In this war there is Light and Darkness, Good and Evil, Heaven or Hell, Righteousness or Unrighteousness!
What side are you on? You better make sure you are on the right side, we can make sure of that today!
When you don’t make a choice, then you already have!!
