Happy Sunday!

Today is the day. I’ve made it through the week of preparation ALIVE. I’m talking about overcoming depression 10am EST this morning @ Destiny Family Center.

The Holy Jolly Christmas Sermon Series

P2: Have a Cup of Cheer!

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Winning Spiritual Wars

The big thing about this message is dealing with all the “spiritual activity” it provokes. Oh my, you cant image all the discouraging thoughts I’ve had FLYING at me since Tuesday night. Out of nowhere, a dark cloud moved in over my life to block the son light from SHINING on me!

Thank God I recognized this to be a bona fide spiritual storm… and I’ve chosen to stay wrapped up tight in the SECRET PLACE of the almighty all week long! (psalm 91)

Strike the shepherd and the sheep will scatter.

Matthew 26:31 Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

Leaders get attacked more than everyone else. This is why we must pray for our leaders… REALLY PRAY for them!

Many years ago, I was under a very large scale spiritual attack. I was doing everything I taught others to do in such circumstances… had preached to myself, every sermon I’ve ever heard from me or anyone else… about standing in faith, and focusing on the right things, and trusting God, and walking in peace despite the circumstances, and standing on the word of God, and drawing especially near to God through prayer and fasting… and so on and so on.

Then one day, a well meaning friend cornered me… and drew out my pain, until I ended up spilling a barrel of agony all them. I didn’t want to! This friend was just a very good counselor and I could not help myself! lol Ever been there?

Although it felt good to be “talking” about my problems… the tide quickly turned when they attempted to minimize the SPIRITUAL MAGNITUDE of my situation by saying, “Well, I just don’t let things like this get ME down… and let me tell you how I breeze through such things… blah, blah, blah.” And the friend proceeded to preach ONE of the ONE HUNDRED sermons that I had already preached to myself!

I Felt Like a Weakling!

The message I got in that conversation was this: “Chuck, you’re just a sorry little weakling… you should be able to SHAKE this with such EASE and here you are POUTING like a little SISSY BOY?”

What my friend had failed to take into consideration was that I was smack dab (old school phrase) in the middle of a HELLACIOUS FIRESTORM… like nothing I had previously encountered!

I remember sitting there thinking to myself, “Really Chuck, you should just shake this off RIGHT NOW. I mean come on! Here’s your friend telling you how EASY THIS OUGHT TO BE… and you’re still CRYING! Get up! Quit pouting! Be a MAN HERE! Be a MAN OF GOD here!”

The God spoke to me, “Chuck, you are being attacked by a very high ranking evil spiritual force… and you are doing better than it may seem- to you or anyone else! In fact, if these same SPIRITS were to attack your counselor friend right now, this person would DISINTEGRATE into thin air!”

This conversation with God gave me tremendous insight about SPIRITUAL WARFARE! It was then that I decided NOT to ever PRETEND I understand what a person is going through.

One Great Spiritual Weapon: CARE!

Most people really don’t care how much we know. Instead, they long to KNOW HOW MUCH WE CARE! Especially during times of spiritual warfare, people need to know they are LOVED and SUPPORTED and covered in PRAYER.

One of the very best SPIRITUAL WEAPONS is CARE! To offer a hug and a smile… and a well communicated UNDERSTANDING about the spiritual nature of an individuals bizarre sense of hopelessness. Next is PRAYER! James 5:16 says, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results!”

We can make a big difference for each other when we better understand the SPIRITUAL element behind some of life’s deadliest battles. So PRAY with deep compassion and spiritual fervor for all your friends today! Pray especially for your leaders, with a far greater understanding about the spiritual nature of their circumstances.

I hope todays blog help you WIN YOUR SPIRITUAL WARS… and I hope it INSPIRES you to assist others at WINNING THEIR SPIRITUAL WARS! Have an amazing Sunday!! Love you all.