Ready for Battle

I thought that I was ready,
I went marching off to war.

To challenge the mighty serpent,
It was time to even the score.

I thought that I could conquer,
the might of the evil one.

But, my power wasn't strong enough,
I called out for the CHOSEN one.

Then I heard the trumpets calling,
The KING of kings is here.

His left hand held a scepter, the right a mighty sword.
He came in all his glory, to take away my fear.

He said "it's time for battle,"
Your strength is in the sword.

Just ask and you'll receive it,
Put on the whole armor of the Lord.

For those with ears to hear Him,
Let them call upon His name.

He'll give you strength and power,
And take away your fear and shame.

Are you ready for the battle,
To go marching off to war?

We'll challenge the mighty serpent,
With the power to even the score.

by~Brenda Dawson

Ready for Batttle

I thought that I was ready,
I went marching off to war.

To challenge the mighty serpent,
It was time to even the score.

I thought that I could conquer,
the might of the evil one.

But, my power wasn't strong enough,
I called out for the CHOSEN one.

Then I heard the trumpets calling,
The KING of kings is here.

His left hand held a scepter, the right a mighty sword.
He came in all his glory, to take away my fear.

He said "it's time for battle,"
Your strength is in the sword.

Just ask and you'll receive it,
Put on the whole armor of the Lord.

For those with ears to hear Him,
Let them call upon His name.

He'll give you strength and power,
And take away your fear and shame.

Are you ready for the battle,
To go marching off to war?

We'll challenge the mighty serpent,
With the power to even the score.

~Bren "Ready for Battle"

This poem was based on my experience of being attacked by the enemy. In a vision, I was battling the serpent and all I had was the sword. The serpent just kept getting bigger and bigger and I was standing there unprotected holding him off with my sword knowing my defeat was eminent, humbly, I called out for the Lord.

I saw Jesus coming down from heaven sitting on His throne and dressed in royal garb. He took his sword and anointed me with armor and said now go and fight...it's time for battle. I immediately turned and was able to slice the serpent into pieces. Then He gave me a word for the church and told me to go write "The Calling of the Church" and warn them about the serpent.

The Calling of the Church
~by bren

Beware the mighty serpent,
The darkness without the night.
He comes to deceive the righteous,
And hides them from the light.

Beware the might serpent,
The enemy from within.
He seeks to devour and torture,
And hide us from our sin.

Beware, the mighty serpent,
Disguised as an angel of light.
He strikes those unprotected.
Without the Lord’s strength and might.

Beware, the mighty serpent,
Disguised as the giver of life.
He works to deceive the body,
With unjust accusations and strife.

Beware, the mighty serpent,
His hour is yet to come.
We know not how much time we have,
To prepare for the Chosen one.

We need to prepare. Without God's armor on "the serpent" is going to have you for lunch. It would be nice if Jesus would come down and tap us all and poof we had armor. I know some people will repeatedly quote Ephesians 6:13, but it's not the words, it's the actions. God gave me that vision so I would understand His word is to be applied...that means we have to take action...that it is our responsibility to put the armor on.

We are in the battle and we need to have the Lord's protection and be prepared.

Wounded Warriors

There are so many wounded warriors in the body of Christ. We walk around bleeding, limping, and sometimes even taken out. The enemy knows just where you are vulnerable and the weapons to take you out. Sometimes he doesn't even have to keep attacking, just get you weak enough to self destruct. Then you react to every negative and even positive word. I had a difficult time with Preston's comments on my last post. My first thought was "who you talking about." Then I thought how kind, he is just being nice, but I know Preston is not a liar. The truth is, it has been said to me before. The truth is, I am not feeling much like a warrior these days nor taken to many spiritual depths. The truth is, I am a wounded warrior.

"I know, often, our conversations are "all over the map"... hehe, but I never forget where we went. The things you share at times amaze me for the spiritual depths they take me. Even, Envious at times, because The Spirit had not given to "me" such depth... of which I repented of course... but burdened too, that the enemy was able to bind your amazing expressiveness from the body (Church). Yet, in my prayers for my very good friend, there was ALWAYS a confidence... a peace, which surpasses all understanding. And so, I was thankful for what I had to wait to see. And here it is... Friends, get ready to be blessed by our Father, through this warrior... my friend... Brenda." Preston Pittman

The truth is, Preston sees what God sees in me, not what the enemy is saying, not what my flesh is saying. I became a wounded warrior because I was listening to the wrong source. The enemy tried to make me feel disqualified because of everything wrong with me. My flesh tried to disqualify me because I didn't have the strength to endure or mental ability to converse. To disqualify means "to deprive of a power, right, or privilege" Webster. By listening to the enemy and my flesh I was deprived of power, right, and privilege. The truth is, I am only qualified in Christ. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit I am able to do anything.

I realized persevering wasn't just about pushing through and writing in pain. I tried that...had a list of things I wanted to cover...had notes of many things I had already taught. I snuggled up with my laptop in bed. Propped up my arms on pillows...had hot packs on my neck, shoulders, and back. Got my Bible, notes, and Kleenexes on the other side of the bed. Nothing but words and goobledegook. If it didn't speak to me it wasn't going to speak to anyone else. So I learned, Perseverance was waiting on The Lord. Waiting on what He wanted me to share. So, dear friends, this morning it was about wounded warriors.

^"9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, ¹⁰ so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, ¹² and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." Colossians 1:9-14

Preston has started a Bible Study covering Colossians on our HeartCry blog. There is also a page on Facebook: Colossians.

Man of the Law

I could feel-em when they rode into town,
set off-a hateful ole ruckus all around.

Like they'd rode in on the front edge of a storm,
ugly, ornery... I felt they was an evil swarm.

Want-n ta know, "who's the Law-man", they said,
I show'd-em who a Man Of The Law was instead.

I walked out slowly to the middle of town,
planted my stance straight firmly to the ground.

Soon as they seen me, here they come about,
one holstered accusations, the other slung doubt.

The first-n came a eyeball-n me, up and down,
look-n for a weakness but there weren't one found.

I seen-em look-n at my badge think-n all it meant,
weren't my name on the star but who I represent.

I looked at my badge and back straight in his eyes,
he was too scared to draw on even one of his lies.

Then snuck up the other-n look-n what was in my holster,
seen the ware on the leather and knew then my bolster.

I drew down on-em hard and then yelled "git",
and they both rode out-a here in such a fit.

By: Preston Pittman

I love you.

"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons." Mark 16:17

An Army Of One

I like that. An Army of One... a powerful analogy... I remember a song in church many years ago when I was young that said something like, "Onward Christian Soldier, marching off to war."

My parents split up after we had been going to a little church for a while when I was young. We moved and church was no longer a part of my life for many years. Eventually, I would become a soldier in the U.S. Army and then an airmen in the Air Force. Training, exercises, authority, escape and evasion, and more training and exercises. Key elements for building soldiers and a strong army.

I retired from the military not very long after becoming a Christian. As the Spirit of God began to reveal more and more, I became aware that I was still a soldier.

2 Timothy 2:3 "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus."

I learned that the power of my new Commander in Chief was above all.

Luke 10:19 "Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you."
I learned that my bible was one of my greatest defenses against the enemy.

Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart."

I could see that much of the training I received before, still applied to my new army. Things like, never underestimate your adversary,

1 Peter 5:8 "Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [ in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour."

And to wait for orders,

Isaiah 64:4 "For from of old no one has heard nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who works and shows Himself active on behalf of him who [earnestly] waits for Him."

And that there is strength in unity,

Proverbs 27:17 "Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend
keeping focused on the mission"

Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the [supreme and heavenly] prize to which God in Christ Jesus is calling us upward."

and the importance of all your battle gear.

Ephesians 6:11 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes."

We are soldiers, fighting in a real war, with a real enemy my friends. All of those in Christ, are soldiers, men and women, alike.

Philippians 2:25 "But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs."

Philemon 1:2 "To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home"

I hope you believe this today my friends. We are getting closer to the "front lines" now and it is important that we are trained, equipped, and ready for battle.

We are also connected, my friend. We, whom are in Christ, are all part of what He is doing here. Connected in faith and by prayer and of One Spirit.

From the nursery room at church in Kansas to the make-shift hospital tents in South Africa we are all part of one body... Christs body. We are, "An Army Of One."

1 Corinthians 9:7 "Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?"

I Love you.
Preston

We're In The Army Now

"[In this new creation all distinctions vanish.] There is no room for and there can be neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, [nor difference between nations whether alien] barbarians or Scythians [who are the most savage of all], nor slave or free man; but Christ is all and in all [everything and everywhere, to all men, without distinction of person]." Colossians 3:11

Paul gives away one of my secrets here in this verse. I am not a Baptist, though I have joined a local church that is. When I was a member of a non-denominational church, I never claimed to be non-denominational. These are my marching orders, right here, in verse 11.

In the Army, they shaved our heads and made us look, dress, and do everything alike. Our Drill Sergeant said, "There is no room for and there can be neither, hillbilly nor cityslicker... no hippie nor yuppie... You're in the Army now!". He told us, "anybody wanting to be a 'lone-wolf'... a 'hero'... can go back home right now, because you don't belong in the Army!". "WE" learned in the following weeks that it was a life and death matter. The importance of all of us being ONE was KEY to our safety, our objective, and even our survival. I believe it can be just that serious in the church as well. We are in the army now... Christ Jesus' army, and we all should follow Our Leader's Instructions.

Maybe you're not certain that the scriptures tell us that if we are truly saved that it is permanent... maybe you don't see that the scriptures say that just trying to keep the law leads to death and following the Holy Spirit (trusting in and relying upon God) leads to life... or maybe you feel the rapture is before the tribulation or midway.. whatever... those come with training,... but setting yourself up to be better or separate than the rest of us is not good for the whole Body.

"Clothe yourselves therefore, as God's own chosen ones (His own picked representatives), [who are] purified and holy and well-beloved [by God Himself, by putting on behavior marked by] tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]." Colossians 3:12

So what uniform do we wear today? Well, here in verse 12, we have our marching orders. He says that we should be, "putting on behavior marked by tenderhearted pity and mercy, kind feeling, a lowly opinion of yourselves, gentle ways, [and] patience [which is tireless and long-suffering, and has the power to endure whatever comes, with good temper]. This is the "clothed in love" look, and it's really more that the way we should appear. Love should be what's inside! We are clothed this way because we are this way!

"Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive]." Colossians 3:13

That's how it is in the Army,... you go to the Drill Sergeant with a complaint about someone, and he expresses his understanding of your problem by saying something like, "GET OVER IT, MAGGOT"! Christians... We are in the army and these are our orders!

I love you.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

In heavenly armor we'll enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord

We sing glory and honor
Power and strength to the Lord
(repeat)

The power of darkness comes in like a flood
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord

(Jamie Owens-Collins)

Yes, the battle belongs to the Lord, but if you read the first stanza "In heavenly armor we'll enter the land." Before we enter "the land" we must be clothed in Christ and in His "heavenly armor." Without your armor you will not be protected and be vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.

I have had my share of injuries and been fodder for the devil. The poem I wrote "Ready for Battle" was based on my experience of being attacked by the enemy. In a vision, I was battling the serpent and all I had was the sword. The serpent just kept getting bigger and bigger and I was standing there unprotected holding him off with my sword knowing my defeat was eminent, then I called out...Jesus...help!

I saw Jesus coming down from heaven sitting on His throne and dressed in royal garb. He took his sword and anointed me with armor and said now go and fight...it's time for battle. I immediately turned and was able to slice the serpent into pieces. I learned without God's armor on "the serpent" is going to have you for lunch.

It would be nice if Jesus would come down and tap us all and poof we had armor. I know some people will repeatedly quote Ephesians 6:13, but it's not the words, it's the actions. God gave me that vision so I would understand without the "full" armor of God the serpent is going to have you for lunch. Since then I have been studying to understand the weapons of our warfare. As we continue in Ephesians we will learn more about our heavenly armor.

ARE YOU TOO B.U.S.Y FOR JESUS?

"You know...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." Acts 10:38

I have been pondering this passage and going through scripture trying to get a better understanding of "under the power of the devil" then as I was going through my files I came upon this message that was being sent around a few years ago. In a style very reminiscent of "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, it gives a very thought provoking scenario of...

B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke

Satan called a worldwide conventions of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ."

"This is what I want you to do" said the devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" shouted his demons. The Devil replied "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds.

Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade them to work long hours so they can afford their empty lifestyle. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!

Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Surround them with non-biblical music wherever they go. Entice them to play the radio or CD whenever they drive. To keep the TV and PCs going constantly in their home. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mail boxes and inboxes with junk and every concealable enticement offering services and false hopes.

Keep shinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so husbands will believe outward beauty is what's important and become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! That will fragment their families quickly.

Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children about the real meaning of Christmas. Give them the Easter bunny so they won't talk about His resurrection and power over sin and death.

Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!

Crowd their live with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a plan. The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God and their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Are you too busy for Jesus?

The Battle

Where hatred resides,
Let love prevail.
When hatred prevails,
Have love reside.

I awoke to the Lord speaking those words to my spirit one morning. It seems there is so much hatred in the world today, whether it is one race against another, one religion against another, one denomination against another or one believer against another. Even in our own personal life it is so difficult not to respond to hatred with hatred. Our nature wants validation for the injustice we think has been imposed upon us. As if hating them back somehow childishly takes the pain away or evens the score. We need to realize our battle is not against one another...

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Ephesians 6:12-13

Our battle is against the powers of the dark world and and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Let us not allow the evil forces to use us as pawns in their battle plans. Instead let us get ready for the real battle. Are you ready for battle?

"to prepare for battle" we need to put to death our earthly nature.

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." Colossians 3:5

"to dress for battle" we need to clothe ourselves in what... compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12

"to go to battle" we need to walk in love...
before you ever walk out the door or open you mouth or hit send!

"And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity." Colossians 3:14

Above all be covered with the aroma of Christ...which is love.

"But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

To respond in love to people who have offended you is difficult merely in the fact that it is a choice, a choice contrary to our nature, contrary to our desires, contrary to our logic. It is however, the very nature of God. So where does that leave us? To choose God is to choose love. Only when we allow God to transform our nature can we truly respond in love. We need to let love prevail and reside in our lives. I believe that love is the most powerful weapon we have against the powers of darkness...
Let Love Prevail!