Scripture

 We are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

~Ephesians 6:12, NLT

Quote

Stick your perceived enemies with a knife: if they bleed, they are not your enemy.

~Jack Taylor

Like it our not, we are in a war but it is not your typical warfare. We are in a spiritual war and we can’t get a bead on our enemy because we can’t see him. The mind is the battle field and the devil is the enemy. It is hard to convince most young pastors that the devil, not the deacons, is the enemy. I know from experience. I became very frustrated in my first assignment out of seminary. I couldn’t get the deacons to follow my leadership. I soon discovered that one of them had more influence than I did and he had a linear fowl problem, he lined up his ducks. Before we met, he would work those he could control and when the meeting started, he had them primed to follow his ideas which were the opposite of mine. At that time, it would have been virtually impossible for you to convince me that he was not my enemy.

What we have to understand is that the devil uses people but he is the mastermind and the orchestrator of our opposition. The devil is task oriented. He never concerned himself with methods or morals; he does whatever works. The key to victory is to understand what is coming from him and what is coming from God. We call this discernment. God is never the author of fear which means fear is not of God. Satan by nature is a terrorist. This is why the Muslims have played right into his hands. They operate on the same principle as Satan. If Satan can disturb your peace by using your feelings and circumstances against you, he will. Jesus taught us that the path to victory is knowing the word of God because the word teaches us what the devil is associated with.

For example: God never tempts us. Anytime and every time you are tempted to do evil, Satan is behind it. God never gives us a spirit of fear. Every terrifying thought that comes to your mind comes from Satan. God never confuses us; He is not the author of confusion, that would be the devil. God is not the author of doubt and discouragement. I would not be active in ministry today had I not learned this principle. The devil will do everything in his power to discourage you and that includes using other people to say tacky and hurtful things and sometimes they say these things with a mean spirit. How can a preacher love a member who takes every opportunity to take a jab as his character. Some folks love to take pot shots at the preacher. One of the most discouraging things ever said to me came from a very ignorant man who I had been transporting to the VA hospital in Jackson, Mississippi. I used my car at my expense to carry him back and forth. On the day that we were packing to leave that community {moving to a new church field}. He pulled in the drive way, got out and in his own weak way, thanked me for my help. Then he said, “Mother says you are a good mixer but you just aint no preacher.” That was over almost 50 years ago and I still remember it like it was today. How could I love and forgive the man? To be honest, I don’t think he had any intention of hurting me and besides, I realized it was the devil and his mother behind it all and the devil was using it to discourage me.

He is behind every discouraging word, every temptation, every lie, every doubt, and every fear. Can he use a spouse, or a deacon, or an unhappy church member? Sure he can: he even uses preachers. He has used me far to often. I pray constantly as I approach the pulpit: “Lord, help me encourage them, not discourage them.” It is a great feeling to be used by the LORD and a horrible feeling to know that the devil has used you.

Extra

Yesterday was beautiful. The tempts do not bother me that bad when the sun is bright and there is no wind. That wind on Wednesday through Saturday was brutal. We are back outside at the POINT and we had a wonderful time. Doug likes the “Hallelujah Honks.” Our folks are less inhibited on the outside. PTL for the new great grand baby born January 21. I have not got to see him yet but I hope to see him today. He is tall and has big hands: he is a lean-mean-eating machine. Lexi is a great mother. The only problem is she holds all the time. I guarantee you, he is already spoiled. Jackson Webb has 6 great grand parents. He has as many greats as I had grands.

According to my weather apt, January will continue to be cold but the first week in February will be warmer by about 10 degrees. Of course they don’t know what it is going to do but high 30’s at night and 50’s in the day time will be paramount to a heat wave.

Quotes and Notes from cleaning my office

“The great peril of the Christian life is that we may become selfish in our consuming passion to be unselfish.’

~Selwyn Hughes

“With a servant, a warrior, a child or a subject, obedience is indispensable; the first token of integrity.”

~Andrew Murray

“Lead me not into temptation: I can find it on my own.”

~Rita Mae Brown

“Short as life is, we make it even shorter by wasting time.”

~Victor Hugo

“God will honor His word even if those who preach it are not living right lives.”

~Oswald Chambers