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  UNITED WE MUST STAND AGAINST A COMMON ENEMY-satan

As I listened to President Bush’s speech at the prayer meeting in Washington on September 14th, 2001 I couldn’t help but notice as he read Romans 8:38-39 that he stopped at "separate us from the love of God." The rest of the scripture says, "which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Someone suggested that the version he was using left that out. I checked at least four and they had it. Someone else suggested, and I believe this is the case, that he had to be "politically correct" and be careful not to offend anyone that wasn’t a Christian.

It is time that we as a nation need to ask our God which is in Heaven to forgive us for not determining in our hearts to do things His way. We need to quit putting the feelings of others and our own desires before God’s desires. I keep hearing that God is in charge. Help Us Jesus! My Bible says in James 4:7 that we are to submit ourselves to God and resist the devil and he will flee. First Peter 5:8-9 says the devil is our adversary that we are to resist steadfast in the faith. Steadfast is "solid, stable, strong, sure." Ephesians 4:27 says, "neither give place to the devil." Could we be in trouble because we are giving the devil place or room to operate by not putting God and spiritual things first in our lives? Could it be that Ephesians 6:12 is true, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Could it be that instead of going to a physical war and killing and being killed that we need to submit ourselves unto God and resist the devil by obeying Second Corinthians 10:3-5, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal; but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) ."?

Warfare! Did that scripture mention warfare? I have heard time after time since September eleventh, "How do we fight an enemy that we can’t see?" We unite as one nation and go to God and ask Him to forgive us for not putting Him first in our lives and pray and resist the devil and he will flee. I say we, because I need to ask His forgiveness just as much as any one else. John chapter 17 is a chapter that is all about God’s number one priority that we may all be one as Jesus and the Father were one. To be one means to be in agreement. United we stand, divided we fall. We must unite and stand strong with Jesus against the devil that orchestrated the destruction that occurred in our country on September 11th, 2001. First John 3:8, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." Hallelujah!!

In Luke chapter nine the disciples of Jesus went into a village to prepare for the arrival of Jesus, the village would not receive Him because He was set on going to Jerusalem. In verses 54-56, "And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from Heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But He turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of [the devil]. For the Son of Man has not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. And they went to another village." Matthew 5:38-39, "Ye hath heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Resist not evil means not to repay evil with evil. Romans 12:17-21, "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

In the book of Mark the first words Jesus speaks are in 1:15, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel." satan has succeeded in making repent a "dirty word" in the eyes of most people. Many times I have heard that we should make Jesus the Lord of our lives. True, but first we must repent, Acts 20:21, "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." In Revelation 19:13 speaking of Jesus, "And His name was called The Word of God." We must make Jesus-The Word of God our Lord. In the book of Acts Peter is preaching and in verse 37 they ask Peter "What shall we do?" In verse 38 Peter tells them, "Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Verse 41 tells us that 3,000 souls were added unto them that day. 

Prayer Requests:

1. That we as a nation will understand Acts 20:21. I had to repent, determine to do things God's way, before I could make Jesus-The Word of God my Lord.

2. That we will understand who our enemy is-Ephesians 6:10-13.

3. That we will understand and put on daily our armor God has provided for us through the works of the Cross-Ephesians 6:14-18.

4. That we will understand that God has put US in charge in the Name of Jesus-Mark 16:15-18

5. That we will understand that we must resist the enemy in the Name of Jesus and that God will not resist that enemy for us-James 4:7 and 1st Peter 5:8-9.

6. That we will understand that we have given the devil place by not putting God first in our lives and our country and not allowing Him to guide and direct us in everything we do and say and accepting things that don’t agree with The Word of God-Ephesians 4:27.

7. That we must obey God's Word by overcoming evil with good. Romans 12:17-21

8. That we will not be concerned about offending anyone but our Father which art in Heaven-Luke 12:8-9.

9. That we will learn what a "fiery dart" is and how to overcome and defeat them with the Word of God-Ephesians 6:15 and 2nd Corinthians 10:3-5 and Luke 4:1-13

10.That we will unite into one body and stand against our one and only enemy the devil-Ephesians 6:10-13 and John chapter 17:20-23.


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