spiritual warfare

All it Takes is a Courageous Mockingbird…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I set out to spend my time with the Master of all Creation this morning, but I didn’t last long outside because of the scorching sun. The heat wave in Virginia is taking its toll, so I’ve gotten serious about praying it out of here soon. In the meantime, I thank God for cooler places. From this photo, you can’t tell it’s scorching hot, and it looks so calm and quiet, but don’t always count on what you see with your eyes. A relentless crow was giving it all it had to give from a limb high up in the tree, and for a while, all I could think about was the noise. It cawed and cawed as if it was telling the world to sit up and take notice, that is, until a mockingbird – a fraction of the size of the crow – ran it off. One little attack from the much smaller bird, and that old crow ran off like a wussie. As I watched the exchange, I thought about the Journey of Faith and how the Enemy likes to make a lot of noise in an attempt to stake his claim too. But all it takes is the Courage of a mockingbird to send him running off like a wussie, just like the crow. Isn’t that the way you see the Battle too?

We are living in the state of “lawlessness” the Bible warns us about, and the Devil is raging. We’re living in the days “when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear”, and the Devil is raging. We are living in the days of Noah, where “man exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator”, and the Devil is raging. We’re experiencing the Written Warning, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”, and the Devil is raging. We’re living in the days where, “They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law”, and the Devil is raging. There’s no end to the things we’ve been warned about that are playing out right before our very eyes, and there’s no doubt that the Devil is raging. It’s sad to see so many people wrongly believe that the Devil is gaining territory and that he has the ability to crush us at will…but that’s not true. He’s no different than the big black crow that parks itself in high places to threaten the world with its cawing. He’s big, and he makes a lot of noise, and to some, he even sounds scary. But all it ever takes is a Courageous “mockingbird” to chase him away and put him in his place. All it ever takes is a Fearless one who Understands that “Greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world” and that the Devil DOESN’T have power or dominion over Creation, even when it LOOKS like he’s winning. All it ever takes is a Mockingbird who Knows the Word of God so well that it can repeat what it’s heard a million times before, and before you know it, the Devil runs off like the wussie he is. This is the Key to Victory.

God used a relentless crow and a (not so) sweet mockingbird to speak to my Heart this morning. The Battle is real. The Warnings are spot on. The Time is near. The King is coming…SOON. He won’t find me hiding when He comes calling for me. Instead, He’ll find me fighting the battle like the Courageous Mockingbird I am. I’ve been Trained for Battle. I’ve already Claimed my Victory. I Know the Word of God, and I use it often to send the Devil packing. He might rage…But he doesn’t win. He has NO dominion over me or my family, and I’ll be Fighting until the End to keep it that way.

It might be hot in Virginia today, but otherwise, it’s just another day in Paradise for me.

How about you?

Go Tell It On The Mountain…

/ www.LivingLarger.life

Good morning, world. Things are looking pretty good from the front porch of my farm in Virginia today. I had an Intense meeting with the Author and Perfecter of my Faith this morning and He spent some time Refining my Heart. The One who Created me is Kind and Compassionate BUT when He is doing business on the Heart He doesn’t pull any punches. He shined a Heavenly highlighter over a few of my weak spots and He reminded me of His Might. Part of my Lesson this morning made me Repent and weep with shame, and part of the Message made me overflow with Joy – but none of the Message would have been possible, nor would it have any impact on my Life whatsoever, had I refused to be willing to be Molded by my Maker again this morning. When it comes to things like Heart and Character, there’s no such thing as being “complete”…at least not on this side of Heaven. There’s always room for Improvement and I’m driven to be all that I can be for Him. Isn’t that the way you look at your Lessons too?

There are lots of reasons why most people don’t continue to Grow for as long as they live, but I think the biggest reason is pride. It’s often said, “Pride comes before the fall” but that’s a spin-off from Words in Proverbs that drives the message home a little deeper… “pride goes before destruction, a haughty (arrogant) spirit before a fall”. Pride is what prevents us from being willing to be transparent, and pride is what keeps us from sharing our Trials and Victories. Pride is when we convince ourselves that we’re something we’re not and that we’re bigger and better than we really are. Pride is what makes us run from the Spirit of God when it’s Lesson Time, and pride is what stands in the way of revealing our weaknesses. Pride is what prompts us to judge someone else, and pride is what makes us lie to ourselves about who and what we really are. Pride drives greed, and pride drives lies. It’s pride that will stop us from helping the helpless, and it’s pride that leads us to lose our identity in wealth. A prideful heart refuses to admit when it’s wrong, and pride stands in the way of forgiveness of another. There’s no end to the destruction that pride brings with it, and eventually, pride will build a shell around the Heart that it is so hard that we’re no longer Recognizable as God’s People and we’re useless to the King. There’s no room for pride if we want to grow and until we get a handle on pride we can’t find the humility that Jesus Christ is looking for.

I’ve been slapped around by people of Faith more often than I can count when they hear me confess my weaknesses or when I share my trials or temptations. I’m a Child of the Living God but that doesn’t mean I’m flawless – I’ll always be a Work in Progress! It’s actually their pride that would have them believe that if you are a person of Faith, all those things are “in the past” and shouldn’t be shared with the world. They’re only fooling themselves. All of us were instructed to “go tell” – unless I “tell my story” the world will never know how Powerful my God is! Unless I tell them how He Transformed my Life and molded me into a usable Vessel they may never Know how Good He is and what’s possible for them!

I have no pride when it comes to being a Vessel for the Living God, and I know that the more I Share about my Life and His Work, the more inclined God will be to use me to help someone else. My History isn’t just a pile of junk…even though it’s felt that way sometimes…my Life is a Powerful, Living, Breathing Testimony, and I’m not too proud to share it. Every single piece has Grown me, and every pain has made me Stronger. But most of all I know that “all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to HIS purpose” …so ALL of my “mess” has been used for Good in my life too.

My Life has Purpose, and I’m humbled to be used by the King. I’m a Loud Voice for His Majesty and Grace. My Testimony is shared without shame OFTEN and I’ve learned just to pray for the ones who Profess my Faith but believe “good Christians” don’t talk about “bad” things while they refuse to SHOUT praises to the God who saved them from things they’re likely “ashamed” of too. Whenever the devil tries to sneak pride into my thoughts and I’m inclined to take credit for things in my life that I have no business owning at all…it’s time for a Lesson on Humility straight from the Throne of the Living God. The more He Teaches…the more I Tell…and I shout His Goodness from the mountaintops! I don’t necessarily like it when it’s Lesson Time, but I’m Ready and Willing to be Molded by my Maker so that I can be ALL that He intends for me to be for as long as there is breath in my body.

How about you?

Isaiah 52:7

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”