Satan's strategy is to get you weaker and weaker, and he knows that when you pray to Jesus you will get stronger and stronger. No one is not vulnerable from the enemy's attacks. Even those serving God with distinction, and who have faithfully served God for decades, who have authored and Pastored are vulnerable to attack. There is no safe zone except in Jesus. There are lessons to be learned about who Jesus is. No one really knows the battles people are facing, but it is a reality that everyone is in a battle of some kind. Therefore, loving and encouraging one another toward Jesus is needed. Tests can reveal where you are spiritually. As in the case of King Asa, trying circumstances can reveal that someone has become spiritually bankrupt, and lost childlike trust in God, has lost the instinct to pray, has lost the instinct to run to Jesus. King Asa ran to God when he was younger, he prayed, he listened, waited before God , but with age ....with "maturity" he lost the child like faith under his guise of "maturity." So have many today. Remember the success that can lead to failure...Asa thought his strategy and victory was right, but the prophet of God came to him and rebuked it. So one can think they have figured everything out on their own and the new and bigger stuff, attendances, growth, money making is seen as proof of the success. But it is not proof of anything really! There are churches that are double the size they were 10 years ago, but they have lost out on God. There is no sense of Jesus, no sense of the spirit of prayer, no spirit of love, very little of the Word of God, but lots of show. But the numbers are now at 800 and they used to be at 300. This doesn't matter. It matters if God is showing up, if the people are trusting in God, if the Church is loving Jesus. Numbers don't matter. It's how the Church lives daily that matters to God. Does the Church really trust and love Jesus? Just because a church looks good doesn't mean it's good. Things can be done in human strategy, yet the name of Jesus is never or rarely mentioned, and the anointing never falls. Is this what it has come to? Jesus died on the cross, and people have to be entertained for a short time otherwise they are going to leave? Is this what it has come to? Without faith it is impossible to please God. Jesus told the religious leaders that, "...you search the scriptures because in them you think you have eternal life, but they speak of me, and you won't come to me. You'll come to the Bible, but you won't come to me!" You can actually come to the Bible and never have heart contact with Jesus. You can memorize verses and get meaner every month. Is this not true? You can study the Bible, and if you never get your heart in touch with Jesus, and worship Jesus, and surrender to Jesus and let him fill you with his Spirit then you have some kind of wierd religion. You have the Bible without the Author of the the Bible. But the eyes of The Lord are now running over the whole earth just looking for those that he can show himself mighty too. Waiting to see who he can show himself mighty on behalf of those who are fully committed to him in trust. Not perfect. No one's perfect, but people who want to be right and trust him, and run to him and pray. Sometimes troubles, trials, difficulties and challenges come because then you cry, "help me Jesus" who is the safest one to be in. Blessing can become a detriment because "now you are cruising and you don't even need God." The Holy Spirit could leave the earth and some churches wouldn't notice it for 5-10 yrs because they are operating without any need of the Holy Spirit.....because they don't need the Holy Spirit because they "got it down." Do you know that to fight the good fight of faith and defeat the enemy that you need Jesus?
Heavenly Father, Save us from the success that leads to failure. Restore childlike faith to all of the Church. When troubles and difficulties come that we will be like the little child that RUNS TO THEIR FATHER, and cries help me, hold me, I'm in the midst of a storm. I'll be safe in your arms. Help us to not think that we're maturing when we are falling away from you. Help us remember we don't automatically grow when we have a "spiritual life" but that we can actually regress and go backwards and lose faith, lose love, lose fervency, lose hunger and thirst for righteousness. We can become complacent, get lazy, make excuses and judge other people, and never see ourselves and our true state. We can reject a message of truth because it hits too close to home. Help us to learn from King Asa's life. Start with me God. I need you. Start with us God. We all need you. Save us from the snare of the fouler, the entrapment of the enemy, the devices of Satan. Save us from plans that look good, promise great success but keep us from being encountered by you, and keep us from praying to you Jesus. God, keep being the God of our Salvation and help us not to trust in ourselves. Become real to us Lord God Almighty. In the days ahead, stir up the spirit of prayer within us. To be the witness that you are Alive and that you hear and answer prayer. Raise up those who depend on you in childlike faith. In Jesus' name we ask. Amen.
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