2 Huge Battles (S)

"Just Do It"

Sound familiar?

How about these:

"Have it your way"

"Obey your thirst"

"Impossible is Nothing"

"I am what I am"

The list goes on...

These are just the few that come from big name companies, but there is one that may define the American Christian situation with more potency than the rest:

"You can do it. We can help."

We are convinced that we are the masters of this world. 
The masters of our environment,
of our schedules,
our futures,
and ourselves.


What if that's not the case?
What if we are living a lie?
And
What if that lie is destroying us..
as individuals,
as families,
as companies,
as a country,
and as the human race.


There are 2 huge battles going on in this world. Battles that affect every single person, whether you know it or not...


The battles are for Joy and Surrender.


These names may seem vague, so I'll explain:


The battle of joy, is really more like a campaign of the enemy against our joy.
When was the last time you experienced joy?
Not so common, is it?


The Battle of surrender is a little different.
In this situation, we are already convinced that we should surrender to no one.
Surrender means weakness, right?
Case and point.
The battle of surrender is real, and it's either fight or die.


See the point is, we are not in control.
No matter how much we try to be, we will be disappointed time and time again.
Doesn't this sound familiar?
Haven't you been trying to muscle through on your own strength?
To control your schedule?
To control the reactions of the people around you?
I sure have, and I still do.
And I fall flat on my face every time.


Here's what it comes down to:


 "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
(Matthew 19:26)



We can try to be the masters of our environment
our schedules
our families and friends
and ourselves,
but is that the best choice?




Jesus, I am yours. I am nothing without you. I am a mess when I try to be the master of myself. I surrender to you Jesus. Take my life in your hands. Mold me and change me. Use me and teach me. I surrender my schedule to you. I surrender my family to you. I surrender my day to you. I can't do this alone. I can't do this with just a little help. I surrender totally to you, because with man this day is impossible, but with you all things are possible! I love you Jesus; you are beautiful.

Being Filled (#6)

Finally.
We have gone through identifying the foul spirit,
rebuking it in the power and authority that we have been given in Jesus,
searching for agreements and destroying them in that same power.
Now,
the best part is that we can ask God to fill us!
Like I said last time (wow that was a long time ago), God wants to heal us!
He wants us to have joy!

Can you just stop reading and accept that for a second?
God wants you to experience JOY!


"This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24 (ESV)


So what do we ask God to fill us with?
Some things, I believe, we should ask for in every situation:

Joy
Healing

After these two you can become more specific.
If you're being attacked by pride it would be natural for you to ask to be filled with humility.
I always like to add a verse if I can as well.  Here's an example for humility:

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand 
of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you."
1 Peter 5:6 (ESV)

If not humility, then asking to be filled with the fruit of the Spirit is another great direction:

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, 
kindness, goodness, faithfulness gentleness, self-control."
Galatians 5:22+23 (ESV)

I am careful not to omit this part of the process.
Jesus tells us the following story:

"'When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. Then it says, "I will return to my house from which I came." And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first.'"
Matthew 12:43-45


Did you notice that the house was left empty?
That is exactly why asking to be filled is ESSENTIAL.
Without this, we leave ourselves empty.
Clean, but still empty.


Again, this process is also about healing. I need this experience of God healing all of the torn flesh that has been left behind as a result of the attack; like the aftermath of a lion with a hunger for blood. 

Father, come into this situation. Fill me with your love that I may give it out and heal the wounds that I have incurred during this battle. My joy comes from You. Renew my joy, speak your joy over me. Wash me with your blood, Jesus, and sing your promises over me. I surrender my life to you.