Red Alert – The Arrow Preacher

Red Alert

We sit and wait, bracing for impact. All we can do is prepare, plan, and pray. We cannot worry for the storm, but trust in God that we are given the opportunity to show Christ within us as we move forward. There’s a season for everything, and while I can admit with honesty that this last 7-8 days has been a challenge. Since the accident of my car things have been one after another. Recently I spoke to a pastor, and we talked about the frequency of Satan’s attacks, and the level of attacks. It seems as though it’s no longer just one event, but now a slew of targeted attacks. The old axiom now seems the rule rather than the exception, ‘when it rains, it pours’. Sadly this makes things very difficult for people and families all over. In these times of struggles all we can do is react in a Christ like way, pray that God will deliver us, and show us a way through.

Here’s a small roadmap to manage the storm, and the upcoming storm:

Stand on God’s promises. There’s encouragement in scripture for almost every situation you may face. Be sure to build your foundation of faith on solid ground.

Pray always. It’s important to continue your prayers to the one and only that can truly make any changes, our Lord, our Abba Father.

Continue to Praise God for everything you face. It’s in our trials we rise to the occasion and we grow, but also that we grow closest to God. We must trust the Lord, and have the faith of a warrior and that means to praise God for the storms, the rainbows, and the sunshine.

Be the warrior. No one knows what they can do till they are tested. You don’t win the battle with the first swing of the sword. It takes time, it takes one step, then another. With every step and swing maintain your faith and every day bring your A game.

Miracles can happen. We may not always see the things that come together to work out situations, but if we took a deeper look, it’s likely we’d see micro miracles along the way. Trust in God that God can work anything out, and even the worst situations, good can come.

When the battles come, be sure to raise the alert, put on the armor, grab your shield, and prepare for spiritual battles. Psalm 18:39 (ESV)“For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.” The one who speaks of the warrior mentality, David, Psalm 144:1 ESV“Of David. Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;”

Intruder Alert

Asleep at night you are somewhere else. The quiet is loud in the middle of the night and a sound creek loudly nearby. You wake and you grab the only weapon you can find. You round the first corner bow drawn arrow at the ready. You pie the corner just like you were taught. You know the house. You hear a creak down the hall and as you’re accustomed to the low light you can see with very little radiance. The shadow of someone dances off the wall, you let the arrow go and it thuds as it penetrates the wall. The intruder stops dead in their tracks. You quickly load another arrow and draw. ‘Move and I’ll fire’ you yell. The intruder ducks back into the room. You back away from view. If they have a gun you won’t outshoot it. ‘I’ve called the cops’ you yell at the thief. The thief shoots a few times hitting the wall and you can hear the intruder running towards the door. You let them go, and then you call the cops. (A fictional story, events never happened)

It’s a horrible feeling thinking someone is in your house, or has been in your home. One of my favorite shows Star Trek The Next Generation often had the all-familiar intruder alert signal that would sound throughout the ship. How we know when an intruder is near, our gut, our senses, our memories. A few months ago I walked into my home and put my stuff down, loved on my dogs, and then I realized something was wrong. Something had been moved. Red solo cups were on my oven. My heart sank. Who’s been in the house? I started to franticly search my house. Who would break in here, on my birthday never the less! As I became the detective I found several things that had been moved or tampered with. I found a mess in the bathroom that we won’t discuss, and I found items from my freezer had been consumed. I quickly learned whom it was by the physical evidence left behind. The reason no forced entry was found was because there wasn’t any. An agreement was made and broken. The feeling of betrayal and violation was overwhelming. Why would someone do this, I asked myself. One lesson I’d learn that night of my birthday was the Devil doesn’t care about boundaries, the Devil will break through, and break in, anyway He can.

The Devil wants you to fail. He wants to show God that his children will hate and forsake him. The Devil will come in and as long as we are watchful be an unwelcomed intruder. 1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We sadly listen to the Demon sometimes. We fall for his tricks, and we allow ourselves to be tempted. Genesis 3:1 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” Satan skulks around taking shape after shape to lure you away from safety. Job 1:7 “7 The LORD said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the LORD, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.” He tempted Jesus after 40 days in the desert. The truest form of resistance is scripture. Learn it, and use it often. Luke 4:12 “12 Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test. 13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.”

Sometimes however we open the door for the Devil to come in and have tea with us. We allow the Devil to come in, to rummage through your things, get to know your family, and make Himself right at home. We don’t always see the Devil in disguise. We don’t always realize that the actions we take are exactly what the Devil wants us to make. When we invite the Devil in and we start to destroy everything around us, it’s amazing we don’t see it when everyone else does. The blinders the Devil throws on us are powerful. We as spectators can only hope that sooner rather than later, the people we love who’ve fallen victim to the Devils attacks come to their senses and realize their vessels been hijacked. Don’t lower your shields and never drop your guard when the Devil is prowling around. Make sure you are aware when the Devil starts to target you. Try and recognize the warning signs. In the words of one of my fictional hero’s, “Red Alert, Shields Up!” Captain Picard