Tears on the Warrior's Sword are Sometimes Necessary

Every Warrior for God’s Plans MUST have the bold confidence in Him that we see in a leader who was made and awakened by God. Also, such chosen warriors must always remember and be mindful that each of them MUST be humble and ready to acknowledge that we serve God and that we walk from conquest to conquest WITH Him, not just For Him.  

Psalm 23:3-6 (Amplified Version)

³ He refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning it, but] for His name’s sake.

⁴ Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.

⁶ Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place.

I highlight this passage for a very personal reason. I wrote a few weeks earlier that my mother had made a miraculous recovery from an internal infection to what appeared to be a full recovery. We have now (as of 1 week ago) been made aware that the virus has evolved into a more insidious opponent. This new challenge is actually more severe and aggressive than we have seen thus far.

As a result, I have been forced from bold to tearful and humble. I have been forced to trust Him not just Implicitly, but Explicitly. When I look at my mother in her bed and I speak with the doctors about the possibility of “switching from recovery to comfort” I can only turn inward to the Holy Spirit.

Wielding my 6 foot Claymore will NOT get this one done. My sword will be dragging on the ground as I go to my knees before Him. All that I can do is pray and wait. Quite frankly, that is a humbling comfort for me – to rely on Prayer instead of muscle. Relying on Him is ALWAYS in His Will for us, so I am comforted to be in His Presence and to move according to His will.    

Humility and Trust are crucial elements to being His Warrior and to fighting His battles. God must know at every turn that He can trust you, which means that you are 1,000% relying on Him. When the battle is no longer in your hands, but you are still in the fight, you are reduced to your most powerful weapon – PRAYER. Make sure that you know how to use this extraordinary blade and you will cut the enemy down according to His Plan every time. Even when it doesn’t look like a victory at first, know that your prayers were indeed used according to His Plan and that the victory will be revealed to you.  

Blessings,

Bryan

Warrior as Mighty Man of God

The difference between a man and a warrior can be boiled down to a few powerful characteristics. Every Warrior for God’s Plans MUST have the bold confidence in Him that we see in a leader who was made and awakened by God.  

Judges 7:15-20 (Amplified Version)

¹⁵ When Gideon heard the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship before the Lord. Then he returned to the Israelite camp and shouted, “Get up! For the Lord has given you victory over the Midianite hordes!” ¹⁶ He divided the 300 men into three groups and gave each man a ram’s horn and a clay jar with a torch in it.
¹⁷ Then he said to them, “Keep your eyes on me. When I come to the edge of the camp, do just as I do. ¹⁸ As soon as I and those with me blow the rams’ horns, blow your horns, too, all around the entire camp, and shout, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon!’”
¹⁹ It was just after midnight, after the changing of the guard, when Gideon and the 100 men with him reached the edge of the Midianite camp. Suddenly, they blew the rams’ horns and broke their clay jars. ²⁰ Then all three groups blew their horns and broke their jars. They held the blazing torches in their left hands and the horns in their right hands, and they all shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!”
 

Gideon, being a man so accustomed to mediocrity and failure that he not only doubts himself, but he extends that doubt to God’s judgment in choosing him. This is a pattern and attitude of someone who has been “beaten down by life” – something that all of us have either known ourselves of know of someone who has been there.

   

Then, when God refuses to doubt him over and over again, Gideon is transformed. By this chapter, we are looking at a Warrior and a Leader that God can be assured will follow His Plan without doubt, no matter what happens.  

We must be willing to trust Him blindly and explicitly. We must be prepared to become a Leader (v16-17) and a Warrior (v18-20) for God. The 300 follow Gideon with full confidence for only ONE reason – because Gideon followed Him with full confidence in Him. God has called YOU to be one of His Leaders, so move with the FULL confidence of Him in you. Be strong in the Lord and be ready to use your sword. The scratches and nicks on your blade are well earned and hard fought, so keep them to remind you that HE is with YOU!  

Blessings,

Bryan

The Warrior also Yields to His Plan

The lesson for today is a lesson in being an adult AND a child. We are adults, full grown and independent. We are warriors, with the battle scars, victories, and defeats to show for it. We are also children – sons and daughters – of elder warriors and counselors. When our mentors age, what will we do?

The Warrior for God must always be willing to move in the direction of humility and service, not just into the fray of great battles. Your story as His warrior must be a complete and rounded one, so be ready to embrace a season of humility to achieve a legacy of His extraordinary achievements. 

Ruth 1:14-18 (Amplified Version)

¹⁴ Then they wept aloud again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law [good-bye], but Ruth clung to her.

¹⁵ And Naomi said, See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.

¹⁶ And Ruth said, Urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. ^[b]Your people shall be my people and your God my God.

¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts me from you.

¹⁸ When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said no more.

This is the point of decision and where a Path is presented and accepted.  Ruth has an extraordinary future, as we know from the rest of this book, but she could just as easily disappear from view if she makes a different choice at this point. Orpah vanishes from our view, and these letters are absent from our sight until a talk show host comes out of Chicago 27 years ago.  

Looking at verses 16-18, see that Ruth has made a decision and is immediately at peace with her choices. She is not doing a deep-dive analysis of the positives and negatives. She is looking at a situation and an Elder that she loves, and her mind is resolute.  A path has been chosen, and now He can allow His Plan for Ruth, Naomi, and all of Israel (including the birth of Jesus) to unfold.  

We must be willing to hear from God, and we must also be willing to be lead by God. Ruth was lead by God from her own spirit. It is how the Holy Spirit speaks to us at times now. We are faced with a choice that rips the lid off of our emotions, and a direction seems clear somehow.  Like the Warrior, we must learn to listen to that “still soft voice” and to move according to His gentle hand that is guiding us in a very quiet and subtle way. Acknowledge that He always has a Plan for you, take comfort in His Plan and your destiny, and then gather yourself for a new adventure!  Follow Him – He will have His Plan brought to fruition with of without you, so choose to follow His gentle touch and quiet assurance to accomplish Great Things in the earth!

Blessings,

Bryan

The warrior Prophet proceeds in spite of his fears

Last week, we looked at the Confidence and Conviction of a Prophet. While this is an extremely important lesson, we must ALWAYS be mindful that the Prophets are also human. When we are tired and hungry, we seem to lose the ability to rally our spirits first and our confidence second.  How often have you wavered when all you really wanted to do at the moment was to go to sleep?

At this point, Elijah is tired and hungry. He is in a position of physical weakness and therefore much more vulnerable to doubt and fear (v10). The Prophets humanity and its weaknesses are now in control. Elijah is ready to throw in the towel and quit. The Prophet has times of fear and frailty, to be sure. The difference is, however, that the Prophet is ALWAYS ready, willing and able to hear from God.

1 Kings 19:9-13, 15 (Amplified Version)

⁹ There he came to a cave and lodged in it; and behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and He said to him, what are you doing here, Elijah?

¹⁰ He replied, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I, I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.

¹¹ And He said, Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord. And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake;

¹² And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire [a sound of gentle stillness and] a still, small voice.

¹³ When Elijah heard the voice, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, what are you doing here, Elijah?

^……….

¹⁵ And the Lord said to him, Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria.

This is the point of challenge that Satan knows about and uses to his advantage whenever he gets the chance. Satan did not approach Jesus until after He had been through a 40 day fast and was at the point of exhaustion. Doubt and fear will seem to wage an all-out assault on you as soon as you awaken too early after being up too late the night before.

Now, continue reading the passage. Verses 11 and 12 also speak to our doubt. Doubt rationalizes against Gods Plan and our convictions by “demanding a great sign”. Elijah’s doubt went and saw the power of the wind, and the power of the earthquake. Then it waited for the roar of the great fire, but still no loud and ringing declaration from on high.

Now, see verse 13 – the still soft voice.  God speaks at a time and in a fashion that means that we are ready to listen. We follow Him by choice, not by His hand forcing us to do so. We hear from Him when we are quiet and ready to listen. We are Believers when we can become quiet enough to hear Him. We begin to embrace the power of a Prophet when can hear Him (v15), understand Him, and move forward according to His command.

Acknowledge your humanity, get your rest, and then get your confidence back and follow Him – He knows the way!

Blessings,

Bryan

The Confidence of a Prophet

The confidence of a Prophet is among his most powerful weapons in getting the people to listen to him or her. As leaders within the ranks of the Believers, they must speak with a level of conviction and authority that cannot be questioned. The ability of the Prophet to do this consistently is the difference (in some circles) between “Minor” and “Major” Prophets. It is also the difference between a Leader and a Powerful Visionary.

1 Kings 18:41-45 (New Living Translation)

Elijah Prays for Rain

⁴¹ Then Elijah said to Ahab, “Go get something to eat and drink, for I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!”

⁴² So Ahab went to eat and drink. But Elijah climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and bowed low to the ground and prayed with his face between his knees.

⁴³ Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.”

The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.”

Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. ⁴⁴ Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

Then Elijah shouted, “Hurry to Ahab and tell him, ‘Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you!’”

⁴⁵ And soon the sky was black with clouds. A heavy wind brought a terrific rainstorm, and Ahab left quickly for Jezreel. ⁴⁶ Then the Lord gave special strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt and ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to the entrance of Jezreel.

See that Elijah “said” – he did not “ask” (v41). The Prophet is commanding the actions of a King, and he is being heard and obeyed (v42) without question. The use of and the power of your word choices will have a HUGE impact on whether of not you fulfill God’s Plans for you.

As usual, the evidence of Elijah’s confidence is not immediately apparent (v42-44). Even the first manifestation of his words seems insignificant (v44) when the servant describes the cloud as “about the size of a man’s hand”. Doubt says “such a tiny cloud can’t possibly make much rain at all” however confidence says “Climb into your chariot and go back home. If you don’t hurry, the rain will stop you”.  

In addition, the anointing makes itself evident as well (v45). God puts His Hand on Elijah and allows him to run faster than the chariots of Ahab. The anointing is the “whoa” moment that can be used by God to bring the non-believers into the fold. It is the death knell to the doubts of those who are watching you.

Grab hold of your convictions and your confidence. Steel your resolve and speak of your coming success without doubt in your words or actions. Look back on your experiences and see that He has been there for you and, in the words of Winston Churchill “act as though you cannot fail” when you are walking in His Plans for you in the world.

Blessings,

Bryan       

A Warrior’s Attitudes – Doubt v Conviction Part 2

Team,

On Tuesday, we looked at Faith from the standpoint of the Believer. Today, we look at the Faith of the Anointed Prophet. We looked at doubt as a part of being human. Not to condemn, but to acknowledge its presence. See that Elijah moves through his day and its situations with a bold confidence that Believers can only marvel at. See that the widow moves and reacts with the combination of Faith and Circumstance that is a part of the human condition. 

1 Kings 17:11-24 (New Living Translation)

¹² But she said, “I swear by the Lord your God that I don’t have a single piece of bread in the house. And I have only a handful of flour left in the jar and a little cooking oil in the bottom of the jug. I was just gathering a few sticks to cook this last meal, and then my son and I will die.”
¹³ But Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the Lord sends rain and the crops grow again!”
¹⁵ So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her family continued to eat for many days. ¹⁶ There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah.
¹⁷ Some time later the woman’s son became sick. He grew worse and worse, and finally he died. ¹⁸ Then she said to Elijah, “O man of God, what have you done to me? Have you come here to point out my sins and kill my son?”
¹⁹ But Elijah replied, “Give me your son.” And he took the child’s body from her arms, carried him up the stairs to the room where he was staying, and laid the body on his bed. ²⁰ Then Elijah cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, why have you brought tragedy to this widow who has opened her home to me, causing her son to die?”
²¹ And he stretched himself out over the child three times and cried out to the Lord, “O Lord my God, please let this child’s life return to him.” ²² The Lord heard Elijah’s prayer, and the life of the child returned, and he revived! ²³ Then Elijah brought him down from the upper room and gave him to his mother. “Look!” he said. “Your son is alive!”
²⁴ Then the woman told Elijah, “Now I know for sure that you are a man of God, and that the Lord truly speaks through you.”

The widow is a believer, but see in verse 12 that she has spoken the demise of herself and her son. Doubt has her looking only at her present circumstances. She is unable to lift her eyes and see God's Promise for her because her present is so dire. She is not weak,lazy or a non-believer. She is simply overrun by her present to look beyond it for her future.

Now, look at the words of Elijah in verses 13 & 14. He states firmly - "Don't be afraid...", and "there will Always be Flour and Oil...". Elijah is walking in his anointing. He moves through his day with his spiritual eyes fixed on God as a constant in his life. Elijah does not condemn her for doubting, he simply uses his anointing to strengthen her Faith in God.

It happens again (doubt is NOT easily defeated) in verse 17 when the son becomes ill and dies. Doubt causes the widow to assume her own guilt (v18) and to doubt everything in her own grief. Again, Elijah does not waver (v19). He exercises and stretches himself and his anointed Faith (v19-21) to allow God to show up and show out! 

Always know that God hears the prayers of His anointed AND His believers. The difference is often in the approach. When the believer was challenged again, doubt was the first response and the first prayer (words spoken to the situation). When the anointed is challenged, he cries out (just like the believer), but his words are a call for a change (v21-22), not a lament. 

There is AMAZING power in praying while standing in the conviction of your anointing! Work on your words and your Faith will grow. Work on your Assignment and your anointing will grow. Recognize your anointing and your word power and see miracles occur all around you!!    

 

Blessings,

Bryan       

A Warrior's Attitudes - Doubt v Conviction Part 1

Team,

Doubt is an adversary worth a closer look, so we will spend a few posts on this chapter (1 Kings 17) from different angles. It is a part of our human nature, and its presence is a common ingredient in all of us. There is a reason why we tend to admire and follow people of conviction. Their seemingly unshakable belief in what they are doing and why they are doing it give them the appearance and characteristics of a leader:

1 Kings 17:1-11

17 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve—there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!”

² Then the Lord said to Elijah, ³ “Go to the east and hide by Kerith Brook, near where it enters the Jordan River. ⁴ Drink from the brook and eat what the ravens bring you, for I have commanded them to bring you food.”

⁵ So Elijah did as the Lord told him and camped beside Kerith Brook, east of the Jordan. ⁶ The ravens brought him bread and meat each morning and evening, and he drank from the brook. ⁷ But after a while the brook dried up, for there was no rainfall anywhere in the land.

The Widow at Zarephath

⁸ Then the Lord said to Elijah, ⁹ “Go and live in the village of Zarephath, near the city of Sidon. I have instructed a widow there to feed you.”

¹⁰ So he went to Zarephath. As he arrived at the gates of the village, he saw a widow gathering sticks, and he asked her, “Would you please bring me a little water in a cup?” ¹¹ As she was going to get it, he called to her, “Bring me a bite of bread, too.”

See the power and conviction of Elijah. In verse 1, he speaks the Word of the Lord to King Ahab. He is not shaken by who he is speaking to, or by what he has to say. Elijah is standing in and on the Word of God to the kingdom – and he is utterly convicted that the prophecy will come to pass.  

As a result, God instructs him to go (v3) and He will provide for him there until it is time to move on. When the provisions cease, Elijah does not panic or gnash his teeth. He confidently waits for God to speak again (v8-9) and follow His next set of instructions. He also acts with this same absolute confidence (v10-11) when he encounters the widow.

While it is often prudent to ask the “what if that doesn’t work” question, the difference between giving doubt a foothold and full preparation is often spiritual. Doubt is the antithesis of conviction. If we allow the “what if” to become “yes God, but what about…”, then we have abandoned our state of conviction.

Since the prophet Elijah does not question God’s methods, motives, or circumstances, he walks in the confidence and power of His Plan for Elijah. This is the conviction that we all recognize as coming from an anointed leader.  Elijah did not say to God “ok, but what if she’s a bad cook, or she’s ugly, or she doesn’t show up when I get there?”  Elijah acts with conviction in his heart that His Plan will be carried out.

Strive for this level of conviction on your walk with God and in His Plan for you.  We will look at the human side of things in the next post.

Blessings,

Bryan