Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. This time of year the front porch would be too cold for most people, but not for me. I’ll gladly wrap myself in a blanket just for a chance to watch God wake up the world in living color, and there’s nothing like taking in a deep breath of fresh air from the front porch after a long night inside. We are blessed to have an abundance of whitetail deer around here, and it’s not uncommon to see the males fighting over the females when it’s mating time. Most of the time, the fight ends with one giving up the fight and walking away; other times, the males will get injured in the battle. I’ve read that they sometimes get their antlers locked together and that eventually, they’ll just die of starvation. Fascinating. As I met with the Author and Perfector of my Faith, my mind kept going back to the antlers and to how painful it must be to lose one in the battle. For the buck, a doe is worth fighting for, and the pain and suffering are just a small price to pay to win. Thinking about my furry friends and all they’re willing to endure for what matters the most to them led me to think about my non-furry friends – some of them are willing to Fight for the sake of Jesus Christ, and some aren’t willing to endure any pain and suffering whatsoever on His behalf. Isn’t it just like my God to use the weapons of a simple buck to drive a message home to me today?
The perilous times we read about in the Bible have begun, and we are at war. As we tune in on this side of the world, the fighting looks so destructive, and we can’t imagine what it would be like to pay the price for war on our homeland. But that’s mainly because we don’t really believe there is anything worth fighting for…especially our Faith. Somewhere along the way, we gave up in our hearts, and Complacency became our middle name. We laid down the right to talk about Jesus in the workplace for fear that we’d lose a paycheck. We laid down the sanctity of life years ago as we sat back and watched the slaughtering of our babies become legalized in America. We laid down the fight when prayer was removed from our schools. We laid down the fight when the 10 Commandments were removed from the walls. We laid down the fight for marriage, and the divorce rate in the church is now higher than that of the world as a result. We laid down the fight to stand for our children, as perverse sexuality is being thrown in their innocent faces day after day. So, if none of these things were worth the fight to us, why would Jesus Christ be worth it either? Even a common deer will fight for what is important – that doesn’t say much for the non-furry, does it?
Don’t let the Enemy fool you and don’t allow political commentators to dilute the Truth. Remember, “For our struggle is not (EVER) 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.” The REAL reason behind this war is that the liar from Hell has incited hate, and to “those people” the fight for Hell is worth the price…period. If you want to show your support of Israel during these perilous times, pray for them and AGAINST the real enemy. I don’t enjoy watching bloodshed across the globe, BUT one day, we’ll be witnessing Miraculous Moves of God as He Supernaturally intervenes to protect His people. Now THAT, I look forward to watching.
As for me, I Know who the REAL enemy is, and I Know how to Fight Him…and WIN. I walk boldly in the Name of Jesus Christ and I won’t be silenced even if it ends up costing me an antler. My middle name never has been, nor will it ever be “Complacency,” and if you get within shouting distance of me, I’ll do everything in my power to be sure that’s not your middle name either. I Serve a God who doesn’t need me to “defend Him” but One who commands me to Proclaim Him to the world at all costs…including a little pain and suffering. I serve a God who sent His Son to die for me, the least I can do is Live (and fight) for Him. I stand behind the GOD OF ABRAHAM, ISAAC, AND JACOB, and I’m already thanking Him for Victory I can’t see with my eyes yet. I Trust Him, and it shows. I Believe His Word, and it shows. Now all I have to do is stand tall – square my shoulders – hold my head up high and NEVER forget that I am a Child of the Living God…I’m Royalty…and I’ll ALWAYS be Victorious because of it! The fight is a piece of cake as long as I never forget that part, and if I lose an antler in the process…so be it.
How about you?
