THE LORD WANTS YOU…TO BE A PRAYER WARRIOR!
How many of us remember that famous recruiting poster from World War II, with Uncle Sam staring fiercely out of the poster, pointing his finger directly at...Who, me? "I want YOU...for U.S. ARMY" There was no doubt as to whom Uncle Sam was addressing: if you chanced to glance at the poster, those steely eyes were like twin barrels of M-1 Garand rifles, piercing to the very depths of your soul, unwavering, unflinching, unrelenting -- uncompromising! This metaphoric character, representing the fighting spirit of the United States of America, was throwing down the gauntlet to each and every able-bodied, red-blooded, American patriot that THIS WAS THE TIME -- TO DO YOUR DUTY -- FOR GOD AND COUNTRY! It was time to serve your country. It was time for all who named the name of the American Nation as their own...FOR YOU TO STAND FOR THAT NATION -- to literally risk YOUR life and limb to defend your country -- out of duty, out of a personal sense of responsibility, a willingness to sacrifice your personal comfort, laying aside all private concerns -- WHATEVER IT TOOK...for the sake of the greater common good! To stand up for something BIGGER THAN YOUR LITTLE OLD SELF! I don't know how many young men volunteeered to serve that country moved by Uncle Sam's stern gaze, his 'no excuses accepted' demeanor, but I imagine it to be thousands and thousands...many of whom, indeed, did pay with their lives and their limbs, pouring out their lifeblood in defence of their nation... Though few of us realize it, let alone take it to heart, we Christians are engaged in a war even more ferocious than any war ever fought anywhere on this planet, anytime in history! And we are called to be active participants in it...if we truly love the Lord and our fellow believers...and even moreso, our unsaved loved ones! All through the Bible, we are given evidences of this universe-shattering conflict between the Lord God Creator, and Lucifer, the once exalted cherub, the attendant to the very Heavenly Throne of the Lord Himself!!! Lucifer was the most powerful -- the most honored! -- of all created beings! But the Bible tells us that his position provoked him -- his pride overcame what could have been -- what should have been -- an attitude of humble gratitude and adoration of the One Who had so exalted him... Instead...he did the unthinkable -- HE PURPOSED TO USURP THE THRONE OF HEAVEN FOR HIMSELF...FROM THE VERY ONE WHO HAD CREATED HIM IN THE FIRST PLACE!!! This war, which began thousands of years ago, has continued without cease to this day, and WILL rage on until that day when the defeated Satan and his rebellious angels...and all those human beings who succumbed to his seductions...will be cast into the lake of fire...for all eternity... We see in the Garden of Eden, as Satan was instrumental in the temptation and fall of man, as Adam and Eve were enticed to go against the single prohibition that the Lord had given them. When Cain slew his own brother, Abel, out of envy! When all of humanity became hopelessly corrupted and was destroyed in the deluge, with only Noah and his family being spared. When Satan challenged the Lord over righteous Job, to see whether Job's faith in the Lord was genuine. When Nimrod convinced the people to build a tower to the very heavens themselves. When the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone...These were just some of the battles in this war of the ages... The war intensified when the Son of God, the Second Person of the Godhead, became a Man and dwelt among us, his creations! Needless to say, we didn't acquit ourselves very well, as we crucified our Savior. I say 'we', but I really mean 'me', personally. It was my sins that nailed Him to the cross...and that hideous death He endured...He did it for me! The devil didn't know it, but the moment the Son of God committed His Spirit to the Father, the very instant that Jesus died physically...Satan's war was lost. But (I suppose...) in his delusions of grandeur, he continues to battle, perhaps believing that since he still has the freedom of action in this world, that somehow he may yet prevail against the Lord...or that in his own destruction, he wants to take as many down with him as he can...(sore loser that he is)...And so the war continues to rage all around us, in a higher sphere than our human senses are capable of discerning... Yes, our dilemma in recognizing this battlefield is that is not visible to the natural human eye continues to confront -- and confuse us -- just as the devil desires! Indeed, this war is one that is percieved only through spiritual eyes. But make no mistake, the war we are engaged is very real! Recall when Daniel prayed in Babylon, that the angel who responded stated that he had been withstood FOR THREE WEEKS, battling against the 'prince of Persia' -- a regional commander of Satan! The war in the heavenlies is being fought by organized armies, if you can imagine such a thing! Yet it is being fought ON A SPIRITUAL STAGE -- in an invisible realm -- as indicated by Daniel -- and thus our weapons are spiritual as well! The Lord has provided these powerful assets for us...shall we then not utilize them? The armor of God, as described in detail in Ephesians 6, including 'the sword of the Spirit', which is the Word of God. The other weapon -- a mighty weapon it truly is, is prayer. I'm urging you, my loved ones in the Lord, to take this to heart, to recognize how serious is our responsibility -- to the Lord -- and to each other -- and especially to our lost loved ones! We need to be in serious prayer CONTINUOUSLY!!! At one time, there was a practice here at Delaney Church, that there would be a group of men and women who would be separated to pray for the pastor and the congregation DURING THE SERVICE! I urge you to consider REVIVING this practice once again, as we welcome Troy as our new Pastor here at Delaney. Putting 'my money where my mouth is', I went to the prayer room this AM and prayed through the entire length of the worship service. I was joined by Jack Cropp in the beginning, and then proceeded on my own. I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A BLESSING IT WAS!!! If you feel the Lord calling you into this ministry, don't resist Him. The Lord overwhelms us with His blessings -- as we obey Him! This Wednesday's prayer meeting will be headed by Pastor Troy. How warming it would be to him and his family, for us to put on a good showing! We will be having a prayer service in the sanctuary on Thursday, in conjunction with the National Day of Prayer. We urge you to join us. Be the prayer warrior the Lord has called you to be. You will be astonished at what Lord will do in your life!!! Nestor Jaremko sinner washed in the BLOOD OF JESUS!!! 4-28-2013