battle | Revelations From The Road

I Can’t Handle It!

September 21, 2013 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given September 18, 2013

A person who has just sinned for the umpteenth time and is so upset with themselves, cries out, “God, I can’t handle this, I can’t do it myself!” To which God replies, “YES!”, while pumping His fist. “I know you can’t do it but… I CAN!” Can anyone relate? I sure can. The Bible says we have all sinned, (Romans 3:23), we were born with a sinful nature because of Adam and Eve’s original sin in the Garden of Eden. That’s why Jesus said, “..ye must be born again.” (John 3:7), to get God’s Spirit in you to do battle with that sinful nature. So we must get over the worldly, devil-initiated idea that we can do it ourselves without God.

And listen, you’re not alone. The great apostle Paul battled with the same thing. “For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do” (See Romans 7: 14-20). But Paul, and many others, learned to have a different attitude and this is it: “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 2:10), and, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13).

So, make a decision today to stop trying to handle things by yourself and cry out to God admitting you can’t do it and ask for His help. He’s waiting right there and will say to you, “I know you can’t do it but… I CAN!” “Let’s go.”

Sometimes You’ve Got To Go Through Stuff

August 24, 2013 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given August 24, 2013

There’s no question about it, “In this world you will have trouble,” (says Jesus), but be encouraged by His next words, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” And, “I am with you always,” and, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Do you get the concept here? IF you have committed to follow Jesus, He will be with you in the good times and the bad. So why doesn’t He just keep us from having any trouble? Sometimes you have to go through stuff to get to the reward down the road.

You don’t get an education without going through school. You don’t get in physical shape without exercising and eating right. You don’t get spiritually strong without going through some testing. You can’t be promoted in the Kingdom without being proved.

Look at Joseph, (beginning in Genesis 37), he had trouble with his brothers, his boss’s wife, and in prison; he went through some stuff, but God was with him and he fulfilled his purpose in the end. Abraham was told by God to sacrifice his son, (see Genesis 22), as a test to see if he would really do what God said. God had a great plan for Abraham and his descendants but he had to go through this test first.

Then there’s Jesus. What he had to go through to complete God’s plan. We can’t imagine how hard it was but he was doing it for us. And like us, Jesus asked God if there was any other way but then he said, “yet, not my will but yours be done.”, (Luke 22:42). Jesus went through some stuff to get the reward…FOR US!

If you’re going through something right now or are facing something, realize this: 1) God will be with you in it. 2) You can learn and be stronger through the thing. 3) You can help people along the way and when you come through it. It may not seem fair, it may not be your fault, or it may be a mistake you made and you may have to suffer but “suffer successfully” and come out victorious. Get into your Bible, pray daily, seek good spiritual counsel, and seek out ways to help others.

Three Ways God Handles Storms in Your Life

August 3, 2013 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given July 19, 2013

Many of you are going through a storm right now. Sickness, addictions, a relationship, financial, job related, fallout from a bad decision, you can name it. I’ve heard it said that we will always be in a trial, going into one or coming out of one. Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33). So we need to be ready for trouble, a trial, a storm. Since we all experience them, let’s look at three ways God works in our storm.

One – He will go through the storm with you. “I am with you always,” (Matthew 28:20), “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5). God said He would be with us always, even in the storm, and He knows what He’s doing so we must trust Him to go through it with us. “Ye though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, thou art with me,” (Psalm 23:4).

Two – He will keep you safe until it passes. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge;” (Psalm 91:4). Just like a mother hen protects her chicks in dangerous times. He protected Moses from His powerful glory so He will protect us from the enemy’s harm. “When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” (Exodus 33:22). Hang on, God is sheltering you.

Three – He will tell it to stop. “And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39). There will be times when Jesus will, at your request, just tell your storm to stop. But we have to remember He will choose which option He will use. We can’t demand He do what we ask. Maybe God choosing to have you go through the storm is for your strengthening or for a purpose He has planned for you in the future. (See the story of Joseph beginning in Genesis 37.)

In your storm, thank God for being there with you, for keeping you safe, and for the future outcome. You will make it if you trust and don’t give up!

Truth or Lie?

February 10, 2013 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given February 9, 2013

You get an email that says you’ve been chosen as the grand prize winner and all you have to do is click, “Here”, to claim your prize. When you click you are then asked to authenticate your identity by giving your address, Social Security number and your bank account number. Truth or lie?

Someone approaches you in the parking lot at Walmart and says their car is out of gas and their mother is in the hospital and they need to go to her. They only need $20 to get some gas and go to their mother. You ask where their car is and they say its way over there somewhere. Truth or lie?

God tells Adam and Eve they can eat from all the trees in the Garden but one. Then the serpent comes in and says, “You will not certainly die,..for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5). Truth or lie?

You’re sick and not feeling well at all. Many others are sick and some are in serious situations. The voice of fear comes into your mind, “You are really sick. You have a serious disease. You are never going to get well.” Truth or lie? The Bible says, “By His stripes you are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5). Truth or lie?

You’ve made a serious mistake and that voice inside says, “You’ve messed up this time. You’ll never get out of this, you’re through, don’t even try.” Truth or lie? “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved”. (Ephesians 2:4-5). Truth or lie?

How do we know when the devil is lying to us? How do we know whether the voice of fear in our minds is true or not? The answer: WE HAVE TO KNOW GOD’S WORD! The devil is a liar, (John 8:44). He has no power over us unless he can get us to believe his lies. If you have been duped and are trapped with his lies, there’s a way out: “Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32).

Four Options When Under Spiritual Attack

January 13, 2013 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given January 3, 2013

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33), so we know the devil is going to attack us because we are followers of Christ. When this happens, we have four options.

1. The first option is to do nothing. This shouldn’t even be an option but some choose it. They think they don’t have a chance, they deserve to be defeated, or they don’t know what to do. They just let the devil or his troops push them around with no resistance. “Oh poor, pitiful me.”

2. The next option is for those who don’t want to just lay down and be defeated but only bring to the fight their own piddly little weapons. They bring a cap pistol or a stick and the devil will let them use these so they focus on him in a long battle. Eventually, they will get frustrated and give up.

3. This option is to decide to resist the devil AFTER submitting to God, (James 4:7). When we do this, it opens up to us a whole cache of Heavenly weapons. “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4). When we know about this option, (by reading our Bible), we can use God’s weapons and armor, (Ephesians 6), to make quick work of the enemy. In fact, he might just see us in God’s armor and run away. With this option, we can say, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14). And, God will always be right there with us.

4. Now there is another option but we don’t have the choice to choose this one. Sometimes when we decide to fight using God’s weapons, He will say, “Relax child, I’ll handle this one.” God told Moses to tell the people at the Red Sea, “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” (Exodus 14:13), or in our language, “Stand still and watch this!”

So, what will it be the next time you’re in a battle? Your choices get more difficult as you go downthis list as far as your preparation for battle goes. But your guarantee of victory goes way up!