Faith is The Bridge Between Spiritual Reality and Physical Reality

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.                                                                                               Hebrew 11:6

I would like to speak a little about faith tonight. Faith is an important practice in the Christian walk, as we read in Hebrews 11:6 that it is impossible to please God without faith. For some there is a misunderstanding about what faith is. Some seem to define faith and belief as meaning the same thing but that is not correct, they are two different things.

If I believe in something then I am saying to myself that it is true. I believe that the sky is blue; I believe that the water is wet, and I believe in the Word of God. All of those are true, the sky is blue, water is wet, and God’s Word is truth.

The writer of Hebrews in chapter 11:1 defines faith this way. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Well what is hope? If I pray to God for something like maybe a car, then my hope becomes that I will have a car. Can you see my hope, can you touch my hope, can you smell my hope, can you taste my hope, and can you feel my hope, so you cannot detect hope by the senses. Hope is just another word for dream. Ok, I dream that I will have a car because I prayed for it.

Let’s look at belief in another way. Let’s say that is has been thirty days since I have had anything to eat, I am moments away from dying of starvation. I craw into a restaurant hoping that someone with provide me with something to eat. The cook in the kitchen has compassion for me and brings out a plate of food and sets it down before me and says do you believe if you eat this food you will live? I say yes if I eat this food I will live. I really believe if I eat this food I will live. There is no doubt in my mind that if I eat this food I will live. I am positive that if I eat this food I will live, and then I died of starvation. What I believed was true, if I had eaten the food I would have lived, but my belief did not save me.

Let’s look, for an example at John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. It takes more than believing, it takes faith.

Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Faith gives our hope substance. So what is faith them, faith is action, it is acting on God’s Word. If I believed that eating the food will save me, it will do me no good unless I act on my belief and eat the food. If I believe in Jesus Christ, it will do me no good unless I act in faith on His word. By believing on Jesus and acting in faith upon His word it gives the hope I have through Him substance as I walk in faith with Him.

Let’s put that concept into application. Mark 11:24 reads, “Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.” If we make a request to God in prayer and believe them in the spirit that we have received them they will be granted to us. If we really believe that He has answered our prayer then to please Him we must act on His promise that it has been granted to us in faith. I have a hope, a dream for a new car, but if I don’t act on His word and say I have a new car coming then I have denied that I believe in His promise. If tomorrow I again pray for a new car, I have denied His promise by not acting on faith that a new car is coming for me. Tomorrow I should pray Praise you Father, Thank You Jesus, for the new car you are sending me.

God is faithful and we know that He hears us because Jesus is our intercessor and is at the right and of the Father praying for us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him. (1 John 5:15) When Jesus ascended to Heaven after His resurrection He went to sit at the right hand of the Father and there He intercedes in prayer to the Father for us. God cannot lie and Jesus cannot lie and if they say it in their word then it is true. If Jesus says it will be granted to us then it will, we have to believe it and act on it in faith. (Romans 8:34) who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By our action of faith on what we believe it becomes the evidence of what is not yet seen. If we believe on God’s Word and in faith act on God’s Word then others we see we are living in that belief and will be attracted to it by our testimony of action in faith. I have a new car coming, I’m cleaning out the garage in preparation for it, you can’t see it because it is not hear yet, God promised it to me and it will be here soon. I am acting on faith and others can see that and know that I really believe and trust God’s Word and that is the evidence of what is not seen.

There are two kinds of Faith, the kind of faith man has and the kind that God has.

Mans kind of Faith

In Matthew 8:17 we read, “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: "He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases." As followers of Christ we have already been healed because Jesus said in Matthew that He took our infirmities and carried away our diseases. If we become sick and believe in His word then we know we are already healed. We know from Mark 11:24 that if we ask for things and believe that we have them that they will be granted to us. So if someone prays for healing and then is asked, “Are you healed?” Well no not yet, my eyes are still itchy and my nose is still running and I just don’t feel well. That person may say they believe in God’s Word but their actions say they don’t. They are placing their belief on feelings, they are placing their belief on the senses. Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:7 writes, for we walk by faith, not by sight—. You have to apply faith to what you believe. You hope to be well, faith gives that hope substance. We can’t thank God for healing us and then tell everyone else we have not been healed. That is denying God’s Word that is denying Jesus. The correct answer, the answer that faith demands is, yes I am healed, I am healed in the spirit and soon God will manifest it in the flesh. Praise you Father and Thank You Jesus!

God’s kind of faith, the kind of faith that is pleasing to Him, it comes to us by His example, and it is the kind of faith that we must have. First we must discover a few truths about God that is revealed to us in the scriptures.

God is Omnipresent, there is nowhere in the heavens or on the earth that God is not present. God then must be bigger than His creation; if He is bigger than His creation then he is able to be everywhere at once. (Jeremiah 23:23-24) "Am I a God who is near," declares the LORD, "And not a God far off?"Can a man hide himself in hiding places So I do not see him?" declares the LORD. "Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?" declares the LORD." God is eternal, He is from everlasting to everlasting. God then must be bigger than eternity. (Isaiah 57:15) “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

God is eternal. Theologians say Biblically the world has been in existence for a little over 5000 years. What difference does it make in relationship to eternity? What if the world had been in existence for five hundred thousand years, one billion years, or five hundred trillion years, what difference would that make to an eternal God? Unlike man God is not confined to time, only man is confined to time. The sun comes up and the sun goes down, one day. Three hundred sixty five and a quarter of those and you have a year. God is eternal and time is nothing to Him Our Pastor says God is in the Garden of Eden and is here with us now and is sitting on His throne in Heaven. Man is confined to time but God is however your imagination can conceive eternity to be and beyond.

If God is bigger than His creation and bigger than eternity then God is in the present at all times. Moses was the one who was fished out of the Nile River by Pharaoh’s daughter during the time all Hebrew males under two were to be killed. By Pharaoh’s daughter’s request Moses’ own mother raised him. When Moses had grown into a man he realized that he was a Hebrew and he turned his back of the Egyptian way of life and chose to be with his people. Moses gave up the privileges of being in the house of Pharaoh, all the wealth of Egypt, all the power of being a prince, to become a Hebrew like his people, a life of slavery. One day he saw an Egyptian beating on a Hebrew slave and Moses lost his temper and killed the Egyptian and hid the body. But Moses got caught and he fled Egypt and went into the wilderness.

After forty years God called him. Moses, I want you to go down to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to let my people go. Can you imagine what was going through Moses’ mind at that command of God? Go down to Egypt and stand in front of Pharaoh? Moses had rejected the Egyptian way of life, he had turned his back of Pharaoh and his family, Moses had killed an Egyptian, and Moses had run away. There was probably a price on his head. Pharaoh might have had a rope hanging in his closet thinking if Moses ever returned to Egypt he was going to hang him. Moses chose to become nothing more than a slave.

Moses asked God whom shall I say sent me, by whose authority shall I say let my people go? In Exodus 3:14 we read God’s answer. “God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"; and He said, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.” I am is present tense. God didn't say I was and He didn't say that He will be, God said that He is. God is in the present tense at all times in His word.

Jesus referred to Himself 8 times as the I Am in the Gospel of John. Before Abraham was born, I am; I am the bread of life; I am the Light of the world; I am the door of the sheep; I am the good shepherd; I am the true vine. When the Roman cohort came to arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and asked are you Jesus of Nazareth? Jesus answered, “I Am He.” Immediately the Romans fell back and onto the ground. There is Power, Power, Power in God’s Word.

Jesus also said in the Gospel of John, “Jesus *said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” (John 14:6)  There is no other way for man to reconciled with God, not other way to restore the harmony between man and God, and the is no way to stand before God on the judgment day but in the righteousness of Jesus.

Neither God nor Jesus said I was or I will be. God is, Jesus is, and when they speak what they say is for now in the present.

in Genesis 1:1 it says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” In the beginning was God, nothing else, just God. God created the Heavens and the earth. He didn't have a pile of dust, He didn't have an aquarium, and He didn't have a zoo full of animals. All of creation was created from things unseen. 2 Corinthians 5:7 “ for we walk by faith, not by sight—.” God conceived it in His spirit and then spoke it into being. In Genesis chapter 1 God Spoke eight times and brought everything into existence. And God Said, let there be light and there was light. God believed it in His spirit and spoke it with His mouth and it came into being. That is how faith works that what happens in the spirit is manifested in the natural. That’s the kind of faith that God has. He believes in His Spirit, confesses it with His Word and what was real in His Spirit becomes real in the physical world. Faith then is the bridge between Spiritual reality and Physical reality. That is the God kind of faith and that is the kind of faith we must have to please Him.

Jesus cursed a fig tree in the Gospel of Mark. Mark 11:14 “Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.”

His disciples may have thought who are we following, this man is talking to trees.

Jesus believed in His Spirit that the fig tree was withered and confessed it with His mouth to His disciples and the next day they all passed by the fig tree and it was dried up from the root and dead.

Jesus calmed the sea and the wind in the Gospel of Matthew .Matthew 8:26, “He *said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm.” Jesus calmed the sea by believing in His Spirit and confessing with His mouth and by that faith it was manifested in the physical world.

It only takes faith the size of a mustard seed. Matthew 17:20, “And He *said to them, "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.” This world is full of trials and tribulations that we will have to face everyday but with the faith the size of a mustard seed He will move them out of our path. All we need to do is search God’s Word and find the scripture that relates to our mountain, pray over it, believe on His world, in faith walk as if it has been granted to us, and praise and thank Him for our answered prayer.

Here is a scripture that I want you to write down, write down its address, then when you get home write it down on a piece of paper. Read it, no don’t just read it, study it, question it, what’s this word mean, why is this word here, study it, understand it, pray it, eternalize it, eat it, digest it and believe it, and walk on it with faith.

Romans 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

On the Roman Cross Jesus bore our sins, He bore our grief’s, and He bore our afflictions. If you believe in your heart, believe in your spirit that Jesus is Lord and Savior that will result in Righteousness, as we will stand before God in the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You are saved in the spirit, you have received the Holy Spirit which will live within you, He is your comforter, He is your advocate, and He will guide you to all truth. You have been equipped by the Spirit of God and He will bring to your mind what to say in the day of your trial. Then confess with your mouth what you believe which will result in your salvation by manifesting what is in the spirit into reality. I believe, I have confessed it, and will keep confessing it until I am Home with the Lord and lay down all the treasure He has for me at His feet for only He is worthy.

Is this true? Does this work? Yes it is true and yes this is how faith works. I said Faith is the Bridge between Spiritual Reality and Natural Reality. If we believe in our spirit that God’s Word is truth and in faith confess it with our mouth we will bring it into the reality of the physical world.

In April of 2009 I was diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Ford came into the ER room and sat down with me for a spell and explained it to me in detail. I had cancer in my colon, I had cancer in my stomach, I had cancer in my spleen, I had cancer in my liver, and I had a little cancer in my brain. He was not giving me a very good picture and I was just wishing he would stop telling me all about it. Perhaps when he had finished he felt a little compassionate, this is out of his character, and started to find some words of hope. Dr. Ford said they are doing some amazing things with cancer treatments these days like chemo therapy. I've had three friends in the past go through chemo therapy and they were sick, miserable, and they died. I had heard all I wanted and said excuse me but I really do not want to hear any more. The next day they gave me instructions on who and where to go for treatment and let me out of the hospital.

Actually I was in good spirit, as they say, I didn't believe that God was through with me yet. I didn't believe that cancer was going to kill me. In the quite of my room I prayed this verse back to God and claimed the promise that He had given me. 1 Peter 2:24 “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” I like that verse, it made me feel good, it told me that I am healed. “By His wounds you were healed.”  I prayed it, I believed it, I praised the Lord for it, and I confessed it. Was I healed, Yes I was healed in the spirit, when was I healed, somewhere around AD 33 when Jesus we to the cross.

I went the chemo therapy route as this was the only option given to me. I was supposed to have eight treatments about two weeks in between. I got through the first three OK and then I was getting really sick. The trouble with chemo therapy is that it kills all the cells along with the cancer cells. I had to have blood transfusions about once a month. The doctors lengthened the time in between the treatments to let me catch up. After three more treatments just getting from one end of the apartment to the other was quite a journey. Also I was had blood transfusions twice a week, the chemo was killing my bone marrow. After the seventh treatment I came home and worked my way out to the porch of our apartment. I don’t remember but we were going somewhere and knowing how long it took me to do things I wanted to be ready. The next thing I remember I was in a hospital room with four IV’s stuck in my arm and ports. For a month I was at the hospital and every day I had to have blood. The doctors would come in and ask how I was doing? I’m doing great, can I go home today? There answer was always maybe tomorrow.

A few days after I got home I was really sick and I wasn't going back to the hospital. I crawled into bed and pulled the cover over my head. I hate to say to you all, as it is the opposite of the message I am trying to deliver but I gave up. I could not take it anymore, I was tired of it, I lost my hope, I no longer believed I was healed, I believed I was only a few minutes from death and I just wanted to get it over with. I was in denial of God’s Promise, I was denying Jesus, and I had failed the faith test.

Somewhere during the night Lou had the presence of mind to call Jason and Brandi to come over right away. When they came into my room I looked and I knew it was them but things were in a haze. Just to show you how crazy my mind can get I thought they had come over to say good-bye. I was wrong they had come to say hello. I thought they had come to pray that I would be healed, no that would have been an insult to God for I had already prayed to be healed. They had come and prayed that I would get over this selfish pity party I was in, get out of bed, stand on my own two feet, and get my life back in order. That was a turning point. I got out of bed, I thanked Jesus for healing me, praise you Father.

The first of this month, January, I went back to Moffitt Cancer Center to get the results of a PET scan and the Doctor took me off to a room. He said someone who has been in remission for over two years probably will not have to fight that kind of cancer again. Am I healed in the flesh, Yes, when was I healed, when Jesus was on the cross. At His crucifixion I was healed in the spirit. And even though I stumbled and fell, I am now healed in the flesh. Faith is the Bridge between Spiritual Reality and Physical Reality.

How do we achieve this kind of faith, the God kind of Faith?

Paul wrote in Romans that God gives to each a measure of faith. Romans 12:3 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” God gives us this kind of faith. We can even ask the Lord to increase our faith. Luke 17:5 “The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!"

Where does this kind of faith come from, it comes from the Word of God. Paul writes in Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God, It comes from believing the Word of God, it is strengthened by stepping out on faith and acting on the Word of God. If you want to grow in your faith, if you want to know the scripture that relates to you need, if you want to know Jesus, if you want to know God, then you have to study God’s Word. How else will you know that you know what you know you know?

How do we make Faith work?

God is a Spirit. John 4:24 "God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." Everything that came into being came from the Spirit of God and by God’s Word was spoken into existence. That is the example of the God kind of faith that pleases Him. God does not want the feel good faith He wants the faith that can move the mountains in your life. God wants the kind of faith from belief on His word and action that gives testimony that you believe on His word.

God is Love. 1 John 4:8 “The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” God operates in the context of love, He cannot be any other way for He is the definition of Love, agape love, and God is unconditional love. All that God has spoken, all of His word, all of His commandments are in the context of His love towards His creation, and His grace and love towards you.

John 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Why then would anyone serve Satan who comes upon us to kill and destroy, who is full of deceit and the father of lies. God is love and He never will instruct us outside of what He is, Love.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.                                                                                               Hebrew 11:6

If you don’t have faith it is impossible to please Him, if you don’t have faith it is impossible to receive His righteousness, if you don’t have faith you will not have the power of God’s Word in your life, and if you don’t have faith you will not have an effective witness.

If you have heard nothing I have said, as I have said nothing except what the Spirit has told me to say, then perk up and hear this. It is a great piece of advice from a beautiful Hebrew woman from Nazareth. When she was a young girl growing up in Nazareth God found favor with her. The Holy Spirit came over her and she became pregnant with the Son of God, Jesus, and the Messiah. She was the mother of God in the flesh. Nobody knows a child better than their mother. She gave birth to Him, she nurtured Him, she raised Him up to His adulthood. Hear the advise that Mary, the mother of Jesus, says in John 2:5. Mary, Jesus, His half brothers, and some of His disciples were at a wedding feast in Cana. There Jesus preformed the first recorded sign in the Gospels when He turned water into wine. They had run out of wine at the wedding feast and Mary told Jesus about it. She did not tell Jesus what to do she just made Him aware. Then Mary told the servants, “His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." That is Faith! Acting on God’s Word.

If anything you have heard tonight has spoken to your spirit, if you feel a tug in your spirit, it is not what I have said; it is the Spirit of God drawing you to His Son Jesus. What I have said tonight is not about me, it’s all about Jesus. It is always about Jesus. If God is calling you then now is the time to decide what you are going to do. God is in the present tense, He is now, this moment is now, are you going to let it slip away? I don’t know where you are at but God does, and you know also. You have seen your life up to this point and know the result so far. Are you on a path the leads only to the grave? Would you think it better to be on a path that leads to the Holy City in God’s Kingdom? It is no one else’s decision but yours, it’s between you and God. Jesus is at the door to your heart, knocking, pleading, calling your name, are you going to let Him in, or pull the cover over your head and close your eyes? Are you tired of carrying the burden of life in this world? Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

Have you had enough, you come. Are tired of the constant fight, you come. Is the burden in your conscious more that you can bear, you come. Don’t be unsure and ponder yourself past this present moment. You are not alone, the pastor is here, I am here, you are in the midst of a congregation of Holy Priests who even now are praying for you. All of us are willing to come pray with you. Who knows better than the mother of Jesus who gives this faithful advice, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

“Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See, on the portals He’s waiting and watching, watching for you and for me.” If you are a prodigal son your Heavenly Father is waiting, wanting to run and greet you, you come. God is present, and we are present, and this moment is the only one we have that we can live in. Now is the time of salvation, now is the time to seek His Kingdom and righteousness.

“Come home, come home. You who are weary, come home. Earnestly, tenderly Jesus is calling, calling O sinner, come home.” 

In Defense of the Indefensible

In Defense of the Indefensible

A plague upon our society today is that we do not have a respect for human life. Even as our justice system goes to great length to bring to justice those who kill, still a segment of our society permits the slaughter of life as yet unborn. What excuse is there to reach into the womb and destroy a life given by and for the love of God? God Himself commanded that we shall not kill. Yet within our legal system we bless it. We hide under a deceitful argument of when life actually begins. One day, one month or several months, who is to prove other that life begins at conception. Because it has yet to form into a recognizable body does not mean it is not a separate living being.

People grow in our society questioning why they should care who lives or dies if we are willing to end their lives at its most innocent state. What is the difference between the unborn and the born? Should we change our law to state a parent my abort their child up to the age of 18? What would be the difference other than they’ve made a bad investment? If a child is more than we care to be burdened with why not terminate it before it reaches adulthood? Why only accept this practice for the yet unseen? We wonder how people in our society, in our world can be so heartless to rob the life of another and not feel the least amount of remorse. Because in truth our society permits the killing of innocents and in truth there is no difference once they are born.

Abortion is permitted not because of rape or incest, unplanned or unwanted? It is permitted because of our selfish nature. We want to live our lives doing as we please seeking all the pleasure we can gain without being weighed down with the responsibility of our desires. We want to dance but we don’t want to pay the fiddler. It is not a woman’s or a man’s right to decide to have an abortion. The unborn have rights too and they are not to be discarded by the decisions of others. Yes I even have troubling thoughts when the life of the mother is at risk. But then and only then will I bend on my belief that abortion is a plaque that all of us will be held accountable for.

It is our responsibility as part of the community, as a part of Hillary’s Village, as one who supports abortion through forced taxation, to do our very most to protect the rights of the unborn. Their right to a chance at life, their right to seek God and to live within His will. Our government permits abortion in our land yet the ruling majority opposes it. How is it that we would allow the lusty and selfish few tarnishing us all? This battle has been going on sense 1973 and I praise God that my parents protected my right to life and bore the responsibility of my birth. I praise God that your parents also did the same. I also pray that someday that all parents will. That would truly be Planned Parenthood not operating abortion clinics.

The question is very simple to me and the answer is found in Exodus 20:13, “You shall not murder.” Apparently this simple law is not so simple for man to abide in. Since the fall of man we have been trying to rationalize wrong behavior into right behavior and of course this cannot truly be done. So the answer has simply been to be rejecting God’s law and instill our own. So I have to ask does this bring peace, justice, and love into our lives? The answer can be clearly seen, as man does not abide in God’s law written in love he abide in his own law written in greed and hate. Does this wisdom born of man within himself become more correct than God’s law born from the knowledge and wisdom to create all that there is? Again the answer is clearly seen. The law of God is all truth and all men are held accountable to God’s law. (Rom 3:19) I pity those who do not accept the abundant grace of God towards man in their lives. 

Man is even incapable to determine when life begins. Some would consider that life does not begin before birth, so what is that movement inside the womb? If that life belongs to the woman would that not be the same as cutting off the leg? The truth is life began before the womb (Jer 1:5) and responds even while in the womb. (Luke 1:41) What is the right of a woman or man to judge if one has a right to live or should be put to death? And are those who think they are ready to face the consequence of the same measure of their judgment? (Mat 7:2) Those of us who believe in the age of accountability would say that the unborn are then are Christian martyrs crying to the Lord for his judgment upon all of us who submit to the weakness of man’s unjust law against them. (Rev 6:10)  

God created us for His glory and the chief end of man is to glorify God. Whatever we speak we should speak as an utterance from God, whoever serves should do so in the strength that God supplies, so that in all things we do we may bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. Then what ever we do, eat, drink, work, play, and worship should be designed to bring glory to God. (1 Pet 4:11 1 Cor 10:31) In American we perform 1.6 million abortions per year. (http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html) Is this how America, who has abundantly been blessed by God’s grace, glorify God? That is a lot of judgment we are bringing against ourselves from God almighty who is just and will bring His judgment. 

The trouble is we are so blind to His truth that we no longer fear God. We think we are invincible and take refuge in our military might but that too shall pass away for Babylon will fall in an hour. (Rev 18:10) We foolishly fear that which can kill the body but we should fear that which judges the spirit for all the spirits of men is eternal. (Mat 10:28) The Lord God is not slow in His judgment but is patient and long suffering on our behalf. He is not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance and come to a saving knowledge of his free gift of salvation through His Son by His grace. (2 Pet 3:9 Eze 13:32) Do not be deceived by the false reasoning of this world, “You shall not murder.” The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Mat 3:10-12) 

I can only say what Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Lord and Savior, has warned to us all, “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Mat 4:17)

Yahweh-Immanuel-Allah

Yahweh-Immanuel-Allah

"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."

In the year 570 AD in the Arabian city of Mecca the prophet Muhammad was born. Muhammad was a merchant and a Shepherd and often went into the mountains and spent days in seclusion. In one of his times of seclusion at the age of forty Muhammad received a revelation form Allah. Three years after this Muhammad started preaching this revelation that Allah is One and all must surrender to him. Islam means surrender. Muhammad also proclaimed the he was Allah’s messenger and prophet. In the beginning of is ministry Muhammad gained few followers and was met by hostile tribesman from the Meccan communities. Muhammad then sent some of his followers to Abyssinia and he himself migrated to Medina in 629 AD.

Muhammad united the tribes in the area and after eight years of fighting claimed Mecca and destroyed the pagan idols of the city. Muhammad then sent his followers out to destroy all the pagan temples in Easterain Arabia. In 632 AD Muhammad returned to Medina where he died that year of a high fever. By the time of his death most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam.

From the revelations from Allah, which Muhammad claimed to receive until his death, he recorded in the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the Word of God. Besides the Quran, Muhammad’s life (sira) and traditions (sunnah) are also upheld by Muslims as the sources of sharia law.

Christian knowledge of Muhammad comes for the Doctrina Jacobi nuper baptizti where in 634 AD both the Christians and the Jews believed Muhammad to be a false prophet. Muhammad means Praiseworthy and Allah means one God.

According to the Muslims there is but one God, there is no other, there is no partner to God, and no equal. In the Quran it is stated, “And cry not unto any other god along with Allah. There is no god save Him.” (Sura 18:18) Allah created and maintains the world alone. Allah has no son, no father, no relatives, and no associates. Allah is all powerful, all wise, all knowing, and Allah is eternal without beginning or end.

Christians and Muslims worship the God of Abraham. They both see God as transcendent and the creator of the universe. The key verse in the Torah of the Jewish faith is in Deuteronomy 6:4-5. "Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might." There is one God and we are to love Him only. Jesus repeats this in the following passages in Mark 12:28-30 and Matt.22:37. Both the Jewish faith and the Christian faith agree that there is only one God. Any other God is a creation of man. Man the created is not to worship that which is created but the creator. (Hosea 13:2-4) “And now they sin more and more, And make for themselves molten images, Idols skillfully made from their silver, All of them the work of craftsmen. They say of them, "Let the men who sacrifice kiss the calves!" Therefore they will be like the morning cloud And like dew which soon disappears, Like chaff which is blown away from the threshing floor And like smoke from a chimney. Yet I have been the LORD your God Since the land of Egypt; And you were not to know any god except Me, For there is no savior besides Me.”

The greatest fault Muslims find with the Christian faith is there plurality of God, God the Father, Mary the Mother, and Jesus the Son. This is not the Christian view and it comes from a sect, the Choloridians who had contact with Muhammad during his time in Mecca. We must say here that Christians agree to the doctrine of the Divine unity of God in there persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures speak of God the Father who blesses, Ephesians 1:3-4, initiates, John 17:2-9, and sends, John 17:3,18. God the Son who speaks out creation, John 1:1, who enters into history physically both in the Old and New Testament, in the time of the prophets, Gen.32:25-30; Ex.3:2-5; 13:21; 33:9-11; Judge 2:1, and as the Savior Jesus Christ, John 1:14. God the Holy Spirit who resides within the believer, guides, and instructs, and empowers him, John 14:16-17, and mediates Jesus Christ and his atoning work (Jn.15:26). Jesus referred to the Trinity when He commanded His disciples to go and baptize believers. John 15:26.

In regards to prophets the Muslim faith has two distinctions for Prophets. A messenger is one who comes with Devine scripture to guide and reform mankind. The prophet carries the news of Allah to his people. Messengers are prophets but not all prophets are messengers. There are said to be 124,000 prophets of Allah. The more notable ones are, Adam, Abraham, Jacob, Ishmael, Isaac, David, Solomon, John the Baptist, Jesus, and also Muhammad, who was the final and greatest prophet. Allah has risen up prophets in every nation, (Sura 16:36) to provide guidance to all of mankind. The witness of Allah’s prophets was not always well received. (Sura 17:94) Allah promised to protect his prophets from sickness and death, which is why Jesus is denied as a messenger because He died on the cross.

Prophets of God in Christian belief is they are appointed to speak to mankind God’s Word, the story of His redemptive plan in history. God also revealed the interpretation of His acts to His prophets. Many of God’s prophets are well known to the Muslims such as, Miriam (Moses’ sister), Nathan, Isaiah, Jonah, Joel, and Daniel; all of whom came before Christ. The writers in the New Testament, those who are considered being prophets are not recognized by the Muslims, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul. All of these prophets were descendants of Abraham over a period of 2000 years. The most important message of God’s prophets was the message that God would take it upon Himself the guilt of all sin, by incarnating Himself and dying on the cross, thus taking upon Himself that penalty, and so freeing Him to forgive them from those sins, which then brought them back into a personal relationship with Him.

Allah sent his message to reform mankind because of his imperfections. There are five holy books accepted by Muslims today. The Suhuf, revealed to the prophet Ibrahim, which has become lost and no longer is in existence today. The Taurut, (Torah) revealed to the prophet Moses; the Zabur (Psalms), revealed to the prophet David; the Injil (gospels), revealed to the prophet Jesus; and the Quran, the holy book, the final message to mankind, revealed to the prophet Muhammad. According to Muslims the first three, Taurut, Zabur, Injil, are teachings assigned to a specific tribe or nation. They also believe that further human imperfections have been introduced. Also they believe that the Bible is a mixture of history and revelation and is not precise in its message. Therefore it is much too difficult to separate the revelation from the history.

This is why Allah sent the Quran to Muhammad to clarify the imperfections of the Bible and is the perfection and culmination of all the truth contained in the earlier Scriptures. It guards the previous revelations by restoring the eternal truth of Allah (Sura 3:3-4a), and clears up all uncertainties.

Christians believe that the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” A point to make here is that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, not the dictated Word of God. The sixty six books of the Bible were written by many authors over a two thousand year period and coveys God’s Word in a unified and complete message with the unique testimony of each author. All Old Testament prophecy points to the coming Messiah. The New Testament is the revelation of the Messiah in Jesus Christ. Christians accept only the Old and New Testaments of the Bible as God’s Word.

Allah has created a host of Angels who are sinless, are not determined by sex, have no need of food or drink, and like man will die and be resurrected. There are four mighty angels of Allah, Gabriel who is Allah’s chief messenger, Michael, Izrail the angel of death, Israfil who will blow the trumpet on the last day to awake the dead. When Adam was created Allah commanded all the angles to bow down before him. All did except Iblis (Satan) who refused saying, “He was made of clay, but I was made of fire, so I am better than he.” (Sura 15:28-33) For this act of rebellion Iblis was thrown out of paradise and forever has been the enemy of man. Iblis is the leader of all the demons who harass mankind. (Sura 15:34-46)

The chief responsibility of the angels of Allah is to praise Allah, and do His will. They do His will by watching over mankind and aiding them in their battles. Muslims believe that there are two angels for each man. One angel will record the righteous deeds of the man and one angel will record the evil deeds of the man.  At the death of each man two black angels visit the corpse and ask, “Who is thy Lord? What is thy religion? And who is thy Prophet?” The answer to those questions will determine the fate of the man, paradise or the fiery pit.

God has created many beings other than man and are usually referred to as angels. They are messengers form God sent to His prophets and believers. Angels have appeared in human form to Abraham, Moses and others. There are only two named angels in the Bible, Gabriel and Michael. There are also other created spiritual beings that are disobedient to God. A Fallen Angel named Satan who through self pride wanted to be as the Most High God. He and a third of the angels were cast out of heaven and down to earth. Now they are active in destroying all of God’s work on earth. Satan has great power but not as great as God, also his power is limited and he must obey the Word of God. Because of this men need not fear him if they have the Spirit of God dwelling within. The Spirit gives man the power to resist Satan and his demons.

For the Muslim sin is a privet matter. Satan is the cause of all sin and Allah is a merciful God who will forgive if asked. There is one unforgiveable sin and that is shirk. Shirk is the practice of associating someone or anything with Allah. Man is neither born with a sin nature. Adam fell into sin in the garden as a result of trickery by Satan. Because Adam asked for Allah’s forgiveness he was forgiven. Adam as Allah’s first prophet could not be accounted as a sinner because Allah would not have entrusted that position to an evil doer.

Muslims do not attain salvation by faith but by works. They must observe the five pillars of Islamic practice as well as avoiding any major sin. Judgment for the Muslim is on that day when he is buried the two recording angels appear. The dead sit up and undergo an examination. If the dead say “Shahada” (There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the apostle of Allah) he lies down peacefully and awaits judgment. If he refuses Shahada he is severely beaten for as long as it pleases Allah. Then the dead is placed on a scale where his good deeds are weighed against his evil deeds. It does not matter how the weight works out Allah will chose according to his own will. If Allah places the book of destiny in His right hand the dead is saved.

If the dead receives paradise, then he crosses the razor sharp bridge and receives his reward. Paradise is a perfumed garden of sensual delights filled with rivers and flowing fountains. It is populated with black eyed virgins who are there to serve them with all their fruits. (Sura 47 & 56)

If the dead receives hell, it is a place of boiling water, gore and fire. It is a place of extreme physical pain. (Sura 4, 38 & 50)

According to Biblical scripture sin is an abomination to the Holy God. Sin is a total rejection of God’s character. Christians believe as the Muslims that Satan does tempt us but Christians are responsible for falling into the temptation and committing the sin against God. Christians and mankind have the choice to choose righteous living or wickedness. The Word of God clearly states that the wages of sin is death and sense we all are sinners we are deserving of death. God through His grace and mercy has offered forgiveness through the blood of His only Son, Jesus Christ. Those who believe in His redeeming death on the cross, repent from their sinful ways, are saved from eternal separation from God. (John 3:16-17) Those who reject Him will be eternally condemned.

Before Christ’s assent into Heaven He warned against false prophets and promised to return a second time to judge the world. When Christ returns He will raise all the dead back to life. He then will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. Those who rejected the free gift of salvation through Jesus will face eternal punishment. By rejecting God’s Son they have also rejected God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and no sin is greater than that. (1 John 2:22-23)

Those who have trusted Jesus as their redeemer will have no fear of Christ the judge, they will receive eternal life. (John 5:22-24 Acts 17:30-31) The saved will not go into a garden full of carnal pleasures as the Muslims believe, but will be in the Glory and presence of God Almighty. They shall live forever in love and joy as it says in Revelations 21:1-7, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away." And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He *said, "Write, for these words are faithful and true." Then He said to me, "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost. "He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”

The word Islam means submission to the will of Allah. The reason for this submission is the belief that everything is predestined, including faith and unbelief, good and evil, are preordained. As a religion, Islam is a code of political, ceremonial, civil, and criminal law, as well as moral and religious precepts, all promulgated in Allah's name, while leaving nothing to the believer's initiative.

Muslims believe that Allah is in control of all of history. Allah is a sovereign God and anything that happens is the will of Allah. It is the belief of a Muslim that all good and evil is according to the will of Allah. This is the bases of their fanatically in war and destructive behavior for what may happen is in the control and will of Allah.  Therefore Allah is not hindered by any moral code as this would limit His sovereignty.

God is bound by His holiness and love. (1 John 4:16) Where Allah only loves those who obey His will God loves the believer as well as the sinner. This is proven in that He sacrificed His only Son for the salvation of the lost. (Romans 5:1-10)

In the Quran Allah is a God that is distant to His followers, as they are not to associate themselves with Him as this is the greatest sin. God desires a personal relationship with His followers. (John1:11-14;15:9-15)

Where Allah is also the author of evil God can not be in the presence of evil. God is a holy God. (Psalms 77:13;99:9) God’s eyes are too pure to look upon evil. (Habakkuk 1:13)

Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 2:27) is in direct contrast to the Muslim idea that man is a slave to Allah. Man was not created to be a slave to God but to have a personal relationship with Him. Man has a free will and can choose to be in a relationship with his creator or reject Him.

I find it hard to accept that any man could be so blind to fall into the deceit of the Islamic religion. How could one place his eternal spiritual life on a man of Abraham’s seed through Ishmael who was filled with the very basic sin of man that the apostle John wrote about in 1 John 2:16, “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.” Islam is a false religion that seeks the desires of the flesh as the reward for a life not of goodness and righteousness but that of the selfish desires of a man who is dead and awaits the fires of hell. Muhammad took the Word of God and rewrote it to suit his own sinful behavior and believes that no matter what one does in life his fate will be at the mercy of the whims of a false God. Any belief that does not confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is as lie of the devil.

I hear that the Muslim faith is a faith of peace and tolerance. I say it is a faith born of greed and a lust for power and is violent and murderous towards anyone who opposes it. I say that its goal is domination over all in the world and demand that all submit or face execution. But no one has to take my word for it but do have to take their word for it, don’t you?

The Quran contains at least 109 verses that call Muslims to war with nonbelievers for the sake of Islamic rule.  Some are quite graphic, with commands to chop off heads and fingers and kill infidels wherever they may be hiding.  Muslims who do not join the fight are called 'hypocrites' and warned that Allah will send them to Hell if they do not join the slaughter.

Here are a few of them from their own holy book written by their false prophet Muhammad.

Quran (2:191-193) - "And slay them wherever ye find them, and drive them out of the places whence they drove you out, for persecution [of Muslims] is worse than slaughter [of non-believers]... but if they desist, then lo! Allah is forgiving and merciful.   And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is for Allah."  The historical context of this passage is not defensive warfare, since Muhammad and his Muslims had just relocated to Medina and were not under attack by their Meccan adversaries.  In fact, the verses urge offensive warfare, in that Muslims are to drive Meccan’s out of their own city (which they later did).  The use of the word "persecution" by some Muslim translators is thus disingenuous (the actual Muslim words for persecution - "idtihad" - and oppression - a variation of "z-l-m" - do not appear in the verse).  The actual Arabic comes from "fitna" which can mean disbelief or the disorder that results from unbelief or temptation.  Taken as a whole, the context makes clear that violence is being authorized until "religion is for Allah" - ie. Unbelievers desist in their unbelief.

Quran (2:216) - “Fighting is prescribed for you, and ye dislike it. But it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. But Allah knoweth, and ye know not."  Not only does this verse establish that violence can be virtuous, but it also contradicts the myth that fighting is intended only in self-defense, since the audience was obviously not under attack at the time.  From the Hadith, we know that this verse was narrated at a time that Muhammad was actually trying to motivate his people into raiding merchant caravans for loot.

Quran (4:95) - "Not equal are those believers who sit (at home) and receive no hurt, and those who strive and fight in the cause of Allah with their goods and their persons. Allah hath granted a grade higher to those who strive and fight with their goods and persons than to those who sit (at home). Unto all (in Faith) Hath Allah promised good: But those who strive and fight Hath He distinguished above those who sit (at home) by a special reward,-"  This passage criticizes "peaceful" Muslims who do not join in the violence, letting them know that they are less worthy in Allah's eyes.  It also demolishes the modern myth that "Jihad" doesn't mean holy war in the Quran, but rather a spiritual struggle.  Not only is the Arabic word used in this passage, but it is clearly not referring to anything spiritual, since the physically disabled are given exemption.  (The Hadith reveals the context of the passage to be in response to a blind man's protest that he is unable to engage in Jihad and this is reflected in other translations of the verse).

Quran (5:33) - "The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement"

Quran (8:12) - "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them” No reasonable person would interpret this to mean a spiritual struggle.

Be careful of a President who desired a Muslim Prayer service before his party’s convention. Beware of a President who refuses to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Vote your Heart and pray for the church to once again stand of the rock and preach God’s Word. Beware of inter faith meetings as it is the devils snare to draw men away from the true God, if they do not follow Jesus in the faith their path leads to destruction.

Teach your children and train them up right so that they will not suffer the wrath from God to come. What more can I say, “REPENT.”

The Enemy"s Camp

The Enemy’s Camp

It is not often that I tell war stories. But we are at war and will be at war until the last day. All war stories from the past, present, and future are bloody war stories and this one is not any different. 

In May of 1970 I was attached to the 15^th combat engineers light equipment company of the United States Army. I was in the 2^nd platoon, which was the reconnaissance platoon in the 1^st squad. Our location was along the northern coastline of South Viet Nam near the town of Bon Son. The 15^th was operating out of a support base for the LZ of an air cave unit for attack Cobra helicopters and huey helicopters for troop transport. We were not far from a Fire Base which supported two artillery batteries. 

The mission if the 15^th Engineers was to build a road from the main highway, highway 1, from Bon Son through the countryside to the fire base to better supply the base and improve transportation for the local populations. 

Our job in recon was to keep an eye on the surrounding area and to monitor any enemy activity in the area. You might say we were the neighborhood watch program. Our primary mission was to seek and detect what the enemy was doing in the neighborhood. We were not to engage the enemy but to communicate their activity to the LZ or the Fire Base through our Como Shack back at our base. The officers there would dispatch the proper force to deal with whatever the enemy was up to based on their activity and strength. They would meet the enemy with the proper force either artillery, Cobras, or air cave troops. We were the eyes in the field and kept continuous communication with our base reporting what we saw and heard. 

Our Squad Leader was Sgt Caulkins and he almost a likeable person. He was a cold hearted sort and not given to a lot of conversation making no close ties to anyone. Sgt Caulkins was well experience in the job we had to do and seemed to read each situation we found ourselves in correctly. Our squad had complete confidence in his leadership. Each one of us respected Sgt Caulkins as he was the old man of the platoon at the age of twenty-one. This was his second tour of duty in South Viet Nam and had the most experience in our platoon.

 Sgt Caulkins had one outstanding fault, which for kids our age was not an unusual one; he just could not stay away from the ladies. He would slip out of camp through the wire and return with a lady or two for the evening. I guess it is nice to have a girl to talk too and several of the others joined in the conversation also. 

 

It was not long after this activity began that we started receiving some very accurate mortar fire from the enemy. One night they took out our Como shack and another night they hit our shower. This was most inconvenient but the biggest scare came when they almost landed a mortar on the ammo magazine. Our Platoon leader Lt. Jacobs soon figured out what was going on and the reason that the mortar fire was so accurate. It seems Sgt Caulkins lady friends were spending some of their time marking off the distances in our base.  The LT made it very clear to the Sgt that the next lady who came in through the wire would cause the removal of a strip from the Sgt’s rank.

Sgt Caulkins accepted that alright and things were a little quieter after that. As time passed on, maybe a few nights Sgt Caulkins felt the need for some conversation with a lady friend so he slipped out through the wire one night. Secrets are seldom kept and we all knew what was going on but we would in no way pass that knowledge on to the higher ups. Besides knowing the LT he probably knew all about it. But you know trouble finds its way and one morning Sgt Caulkins did not return from his evening with the ladies.

The LT sent the second squad out to find the Sgt and bring him back. Sgt Humperdink, who led the 2^nd squad, found Sgt Caulkins; he was tied to a tree upside down. They found all of him except his head. The 2^nd squad brought Sgt Caulkins back wrapped in a poncho and he was shipped home from the LZ.

Our squad, 1^st squad, spent the day in sadness that quickly grew into anger, now looking back the anger grew into foolishness that at the time we felt was a righteous reaction to the injustice we had witnessed. We were all agreed, though not all willingly, that payback was on the menu for Moma Sons and her ladies of the night.

About two AM the next morning we slipped through the wire and started our one and a half mile hike to the village of Moma Son. We cautiously moved along the side of the road the 15^th was building and then cut into the woods to the village. We arrived about 4:30AM on a moonless night. With very little light from the stars we could see the outline of the hutches of the village which circled around the only light of a small fire in the center of the village. It was very quiet, scary quite, as we looked into the village trying to see if any sign of movement was there. It appeared to be very silent with no noticeable activity. This was surprising that no one was out keeping watch.

Rothermel, who was the leader of our band, knew which hutch was Moma Son’s and it was on the other side from where we were. We knew better than to walk through the village so we walked around the back of the hutches giving plenty room between us and the structures. Finally we reached Moma Son’s hutch and set up a defensive perimeter around the area of our concern. 

Rothermel and two others went into the hutch and brought Moma Son and three of her ladies out into the area we were in and lined them up along the corrugated metal wall of a well. Then they went back into the hutch and discovered a tunnel. The Viet Nam people are a mole like folk and loved to dig their tunnels. We knew what the purpose of the tunnel was and there was no way we would go into the tunnel. Rothermel had a block of C-4 and we decided to blow the tunnel up.

None of us were real familiar with explosives and Rothermel put the whole block of C-4 into the tunnel, set the cap, and lit the fuse. He came out of the hutch and said fire in the whole and we hit the ground, while Moma Son and her ladies ran away. When that charge went off the ground shook as it lifted it up to the sky. We lay there several feet from where we had laid down suffering concussion shock and unable to hear for a few minutes. Within minutes we could see flashes of light coming from all the other hutches in the village, even as we could not hear the sound we knew we were under fire. 

As a brisk fire fight began between us and an unknown number of enemies, we managed to craw together and form a convex firing line with the woods to our back, the only place we were not taking fire. Quickly we overcame the stun from the explosion and began to operate with our full senses. To my right Olin got up on his knees and shouted over towards Rothermel, “Did you call it in?” 

I was thinking no we didn’t call it in. we didn’t even bring a radio. We didn’t bring anything with us except our M-16 Rifles and 5 clips of ammo a piece. We were just going to scare some poor whore Moma near to death and go back to where we came from. Now we were in a fire fight for our lives and nobody knew we were here. 

Just then I heard the ghastly sound of splashing flesh and looked to my right to see that Olin had taken a round in the throat. He was bleeding profusely as he fell to the ground. Fergerson crawled close and covered his throat to apply pressure to control the loss of blood. 

There was nothing we could do. If we got up to run to the woods behind us that would have been certain death. Our only defense was to get as far into the ground as possible. We just kept returning fire to keep any one from advancing towards us. It was not long before we had about shot up most of the ammunition we had. We needed something besides shooting up the only resources we had, bullets. 

Then we heard the eggbeater sound of helicopters approaching. Our spirits were lifted with and hope filled our hearts that just maybe we would get out of this mess with our lives. We determined that when the Cobras opened fired on the village we make our run for the woods. After all they were coming in blind and didn’t know where we were or exactly where the enemy was. If we didn’t get out of there they’d shoot us too. The cobras flew in and they lit that village up with rockets and machine gun fire, as we ran for the woods and safety.

Today we are in a bloody War against spiritual wickedness. Look around and you can see there is a war going on against the followers of Jesus Christ. Even today our government is trying to erase every mention and practice of the Christian Faith. If you leave this country you may find yourself in a place that will kill you if you confess the name of our Lord, Jesus. It is not going to get better; it will continue to get worse. Carnell man will continue his course seeking the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and his boastful self pride of life. (1John 2:16)

This bloody war that we all are in began even before the creation when the Arch Angel Michael and Lucifer fought in the heavens. Lucifer is a fallen arch angel because of his pride and desire to be as the Most High. For this sin against God he was thrown out of heaven and cast down to this world where he now is the prince of the air. (Rev 12:7-8 Ephesians 2:2) The war is won and we have the victory through Jesus Christ by His sacrifice on the cross and the shedding of His perfect blood for our sin atonement. The last word of Jesus on the cross, “It is finished”, defeated Satan and gave us the victory. (John 19:30) The battle for the lost continues on in our effort to spread the gospel message to every ear that will hear. The day is coming when peace shall come and Satan, his demons, and all those who do not accept God’s grace and gift of salvation through His Son Jesus Christ shall meet there final doom and place for all eternity. (Rev 16:16)

We are on that mission from God to, “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20) Satan will resist us in every way that he can. Satan has blinded the eyes of many and hardened their hearts to the truth of the gospel. (John 12:40)  Only the power of God and His Word can open the hearts and eyes of men. 

We face this battle each and every day in our walk in faith with Jesus. But we need not and should not battle with the forces of spiritual wickedness ill prepared. As it was for the Recon Platoon we are not to face the enemy without the proper armor. Paul writes in Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.” There is no power in the universe that is greater than the Word of God. It was the Word of God that created all of creation. (John 1:1:3) We have this confidence that God’s Word will accomplish His purpose in the will of God for His Word does not return to Him empty. (Isaiah 55:11)

Our study in God’s Word should be constant for in the hour of our need we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us. He will teach us all things and bring to our minds what to say, as we confront evil.

I also share this advice. Advice from a nineteen year old boy in South Viet Nam spoken in the last moments of his life, “Did you call it in?” Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)