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GLEANINGS FROM THE WORD Experiencing an extraordinary God in ordinary life Issue #889 August 21, 2003 Cowboy's and Indians There was a fierce game of cowboys and Indians going on outside our back fence. It was sort of an odd ball game, one of the players was on a skateboard and using some kind of futuristic battery operated plasma rifle and the other wore a cowboy hat, sheriff's badge, bandanna and carried a six shooter cap pistol and a Winchester style rifle. All would be quiet for a while, then several shots from the cap gun would ring out or the plasma rifle would blast away with any one of the dozen or so sounds it made. The shots were followed by an intense debate over which player "got you" first. For a while the game was cowboys and Indians, then it switched to aliens versus earthmen. Still later it was a second world war battle. The battles raged on for a couple of hours until it was nearly dark and the mother called the boys inside for the night. The boys had a delightful time playing at "war", but are blessed in never having known the real thing. Their exposure consists of what they've seen in movies, in video games and perhaps on the television news. Often Christians content themselves with playing cowboys and Indians in the spiritual realm. There are tremendous spiritual battles ranging all around us, but we don't want to see them and are quite content at playing war games. It's sad because the word that describes an unprepared combatant is casualty. Elisha the prophet knew the extent of the battle When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. "Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked. "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." And Elisha prayed, "O LORD, open his eyes so he may see." Then the LORD opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:15-17 NIV The battles in the spirit realm are no less real today. The stakes are high. Nothing less than the eternal destiny of every man woman and child is at stake. Will they serve Satan or will they serve Christ? We're equipped with Armour to fight the battle in. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:11-18 NIV And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. Romans 13:11-14 NIV The battle for souls rages all around us. Are you fighting it with a cap gun and battery operated plasma rifle or are you fighting it with the armor God has called you to wear? Until next time, may you face every day equipped for the battle. Be blessed Hallelu Yah (Praise God)! Kevin YOU ARE Once you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour you are God's gifts to Jesus. "Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. John 17:24 NIV Never let the enemy tell you that you are worthless or insignificant. You have value in the eyes of God so great that it was worth dying for. You are a blessing to the world. You are so precious to God that heaven will not be complete without you. HELP FOR THE HURTING There's no neutral positions in the battle for your soul. If you don't accept Jesus, you are automatically drafted by Satan and pressed into his service whether you recognize it or not. That makes you an enemy of God. God is loving and will forgive and welcome you back if you'll simply humble yourself and ask Him into your life. You can simply begin the relationship by honestly and completely opening your heart, admitting you need God's help, and saying a prayer along the lines of: Jesus: I have made many mistakes in my life and done things I am not proud of. I have sinned. I need your love and forgiveness. I believe that you came into this world and gave your life on a cross to pay for my sins and that you defeated death and rose again. Please forgive me, and be the Lord of my life. I give my life to you Lord. Amen If you pray this prayer for the first time let me know so I can rejoice with you. Did you know that at Gleanings, we have a dedicated team of prayer warriors and all prayer concerns are kept strictly confidential? Your comments, your questions and your joys are shared with the prayer team, to keep me accountable as the head of the ministry and to encourage them as they see God at work in your life. As with prayer all these things are kept confidential within the Gleanings team. To share your questions, comments, thoughts, prayer concerns and praise reports email us If you enjoyed this issue of Gleanings From The Word, email it, in its entirety, to a friend. For information on use of Gleanings in your church newsletter or other situations please visit the permissions page . You can write to us at Gleanings From The Word Ministries International 114 Oak St Sherwood Park, AB Canada T8A 0V8 © 2003 K.F. "Kevin" Corbin Gleanings From The Word Minististries International - All Rights Reserved
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