Dear <<First Name>>,

You and Aaron are to count according to their divisions all the men in Israel who are twenty years old or more and able to serve in the army. Numbers 1:3

Anyone who has been a follower of Jesus for more than a few days gets the idea that the promises of God don't always fall out of the sky like rain. Most often they are obtained through battles. From our salvation, to baptism, to 40 days of testing, to ministry, either ourselves or someone else has had to battle for our blessing.

This verse reminded me that like the Israelites coming into the promised land, the Lord was raising up warriors. Though the "battle is the Lord's," we still stand with Him in the battle. Unfortunately, many Christians have been sold a lie. They have been told that desires of the Lord for our lives are somehow automatic. This is not the case. 

There is a battle going on for our hearts and minds, the hearts and minds of our children and for the souls of men. The weapon of choice for the enemies of God are strategic lies that hinder others from the love of God and a relationship with Him. The weapons at our disposal are found in Ephesians 6. They are: 

1) Truth: God's Word, the Bible is the foundation of all truth. What God says is true.

2) Righteousness: Doing what is right even when it hurts pushes the enemies away.

3) The simple Gospel: The message of the free gift of Grace destroys religious spirits. 

4) Faith: Simple trust protects us from flaming lies.

5) Salvation: Our security in Christ defeats the insecure lies of Satan.

6) Prayer: The ultimate weapon is calling upon God's help in times of trouble. 

We are in a series of battle for our lives, our marriages, our children and the eternal destiny of others. Let's engage as the Lord leads us and fight for the promises that God has for us.

Here is today's reading.

Monday

Love, 

Pastor Stuart