Tag: Strength

But Did You Die

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

But Did You Die

A lot of people avoid church on the premise of ‘if they knew what I’ve done they wouldn’t let me in’. I’ve heard all kinds of excuses as to why people don’t go to church. Too busy, my only day off, no ride, to I need to get right before I go. None of which are valid excuses. Church is an hour out of the day. And you don’t get well before seeing the doctor. You go to church to get well. You go to church to have your spirit fed with the Holy Spirit. But then, there’s the flip side of the coin, and this part, this part will raise some eye brows. People who use the excuse of what they’ve been through, the struggles or the hardships, and hold on to them. How do I know? I was one of those people.

I’ve been through so much in my life, and I held onto those things with a death grip. I’m not saying letting go is easy, and I’m not saying those things don’t deserve attention. What I am saying is no matter how bad it was, “But did you die?” Since the answer to that is no, whatever it’s was is in the past. As Rafiki said “The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it.” Simba experiences something awful in his life. He ran from it, and all his responsibilities. I’m dealing with our own traumas, are we running from our pain or are we embracing it, letting it fuel us, and moving forward with the important life lessons? Life can hurt, but running from those emotions can hurt even more. We as humans hold onto the past. We hold on to the regrets, the hurt, the doubts, and failures. During a movie called ‘The Hangover’ chow essentially is telling the group of guys, no matter how bad it was even one of them being shot ‘but did you die?’ No matter how bad we think life is, we still have breath, and as God has shown time and time again, He WILL see you through it. You can’t run from your emotions. You can’t ignore them. I made that mistake during a large part of my life, and the consequences of running where dire. During the post https://thearrowpreacher.wordpress.com/2018/04/29/run-barry-run/ I quoted Leonard Snart “You can’t outrun grief” and “If you don’t confront your feelings, your feelings will confront you.”(Leonard Snart).

We want to live a life free of pain and suffering but that’s not realistic. Those things will come, and since we know they will, we can prepare for them, and when they do, instead of holding on to them, confront them, and then take only what you need, and leave the rest at the foot of the cross. I’m by no means saying this is easy, and from my own personal experience, I know this can be difficult. What I also know from first hand experience is, holding onto those things of the past can spread like a cancer. So, once again, to those who use the past as a shield, “but did you die?” We live and living means another day to fight the good fight. We think we have struggles and we do, but scripture is full of those who struggled before us. Job, Isaiah, Daniel, David, Paul, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was tortured and hung on a cross as an innocent man. Our worst days, may equal that if Paul, or Daniel, (albeit I don’t think anyone’s been thrown into a lions den), or Job, but scripture is always clear, when we walk in Christ he will replace what we loose and even better than what was lost. (Even if that means eternal life in Heaven). This life is fleeting. We come from dust, and we shall return to dust. Our spirit will ascend to Heaven when we accept Christ. Gods grace is sufficient.

Let God be your guide and your healer. Push forward beyond the hardships and don’t let those things keep you from achieving the plan God has for you. As Gimley says “there’s one dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath” (LOTR). Are we full of that kind of spirit for life? Are we full of that kind of strength with Christ with us to face the next day no matter what comes? We should be, because unless we die, we still draw strength from the Spirit of Christ, and Death is just the beginning. Don’t let the past spread in your life like a cancer. Let it go, and let God rule, not the past.

A Line In The Dark

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

A Line In The Dark

My God, I know you’re near, but I struggle to feel you. My God, I need a hero today, to come into my heart and show me the way, and to save me today. My God you hear me in the night, you know my heart, and you see my tears. I stain the pillow and I wrap it around my face to muffle my scream. I feel so much I can’t bottle it up anymore. So long I hid away the deepest feelings of my heart, and one day they exploded in a moment of weakness. I don’t know how to manage today with so much bubbling up. I know you’re there, but I feel lost in my own night. I sense the evil around me, circling like a pack of hyenas. I can hear the laughing in the dark, the cries of pain, the joy of the suffering; sounds from the cold dark shadows fill the air. I feel the dirt covering me as my body disappears under the ground, my arm outstretched waiting for a hero to grab my hand.

Where’s your inner strength come from when the world collapses down upon you? Can you hear the cries in the dark, can you fill the Nile with the tears you’ve spent in the darkness? I say to you, it’s time to stand with the resistance and fight back. It’s time to stand tall on your faith, and it’s time to dig in your spiked sandals and find the strength blessed by God, paid for by Jesus. Scream aloud as you take no more. Own your life, be the masters of your heart over the Devils attacks. It’s time to rise above, and burst out from the ground Satan tries to bury you in. The Devil wants your heart and it’s time to cry out in a voice, ‘you can pry my heart from my cold dead chest, after I’ve ascended to Heaven!” You’re a soldier, you’re a winner, you’re of royal blood, and the Devil can’t keep you. Be a warrior, and fight back with every ounce of strength you have. We ware for our minds, but never our souls. Our souls belong to the Lord, and though we are pushed, and beaten, the gift cannot be undone. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 (NKJV)3 “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 6 and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.”

My Lord you are my strength when my own fails. You are my guide when I loose my way. The ledge approaches as I dig in my feet, my knees to the ground, and the shield surrounded by fire as the attacks come. The arrows from the enemy fly all around me, and I know the cavalry is on its way. I cannot give up while the blood spilt for me. I’m not going to die tonight, as I will continue to fight. The world says give up, the world says I’m not good enough, the storm says I’m not strong enough, but I know it’s time to fight back. It’s never enough to just hide away from the storm, but it’s time to get back up and take the fight to the storm. How will it feel to take your life back, and stand up to the demons that make you afraid in the night. The sword we hold, the sword of the spirit that is stronger then any steel.

Ephesians 6:10-18(NKJV)10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints”

Tonight the line must be drawn here, this far, no farther. The Lord’s vengeance is long lasting, and when you feel the anger bubbling inside of you from what the Devil has wrought on you and your house, remember that  peace is knowing the Lord is in control. Romans 12:19 (NKJV) “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.” The fight comes to our lives, but we hold the ground. We take the line, and we never give up the ground. God might seem so far away, but trust that you’re never alone. Some tests the child needs to face on their own, but that doesn’t mean Abba isn’t there. Tonight when the demons come around light up the dark with the presence of the Lord. Call upon father and the angels will come forth and help hold the line. You shall never be on the battlefield alone, and tonight you can hold on till the dawn comes. Don’t let the demons take you tonight, and don’t give up for as long as you breath there’s always hope.

I thought I couldn’t hear you Lord, but it was me that wasn’t listening. I thought I was alone, but it was me that wasn’t looking. I thought I was broken inside but it was just the world. I prayed you’d come, but I wouldn’t open the door. I listened to all the wrong voices, I trusted the wrong signs, but now it’s time to rise, my old self dies away, the line drawn and fight for what I know is truth. As Picard said “We’ve made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!” I cannot stand by and do nothing as the Devil gains ground all around me. The compromising has become a plague, and it’s time to rise as a soldier, and I know the time for retreats is over. It’s time to make the choice to do what is right over what is easy. Tonight, rise a soldier, and raise the sword of the God, and fight back. I will not stay on the defensive anymore. I have allowed to many to drain my happiness, my kindness, and I’ve wasted too much time on those that would only do me harm. Satan’s whispers in the dark will not draw me out unprepared any longer. I will be taking back my life that was stolen from me so long ago. I’ve been on the run so many years, no more. From the ashes a new creature is born. Satan burned my life down trying to destroy me, but instead of removing me from the chessboard, I am stronger, more determined then ever to fight back. My faith, my strength, my battle cry lights up the darkness, like the power of Odin coming down from the sky, but the power of Jesus Christ is unmatched. The demons flea from me, as the battle cry is for Jesus to grant me strength. I cannot loose because it’s my faith, my love of Christ, and I cannot be bought, or broken. The future is hope, and eternal paradise awaits the faithful. My shield is close, my sword is sharp, and I’m ready to fight. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

 

Alsahm السهم -(The Arrow)

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Alsahm السهم -(The Arrow)

Lately I’ve been thinking about the darkness. In one of my favorite books growing up called The Hatchet the young protagonist is a survivor of a plane crash in the middle of the woods. All he really has is a hatchet that was given to his as a gift. A few days after the crash he learns he can use the hatchet on the stone to create sparks, thus being able to light a fire. Growing up I was a big fan of D&D or Dungeons and Dragons for those who don’t speak nerd. One of my favorite things to do was to light my arrows on fire before launching them at the enemy. It was always a little extra if it hit. The plus side was it always lit up the room of the dungeon we always found ourselves in. Don’t we wish life would be that easy? Wouldn’t it be nice if the fog of war was truly lifted with just a single matchstrike of an arrow and all of a sudden the ghosts and goblins that are on the prowl around us are visible for the entire world to see?

If the saying is true about God using us like arrows then the example of drawing the bow pulling the arrow backwards, soon you will be launched forward. One of the things I struggle with is patience. This is a surprising thing because I’m also an archer and a long-range shooter. Both require patience. Since I am patient in regards to that, one would think that in regards to other aspects of my life I would be too, and of course, without question they’d be wrong. I am not a patient man when it comes to matters of the heart, or matters of fixing the things I see are wrong. I have never liked being single, and I’ve never liked knowing about a problem and not fixing it there on the spot. Patience is something we are taught in scripture and it’s something we often need to be reminded of. Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” Not only does it say to be patient; it says to rejoice in it. Were supposed to be happy in our pursuit in patience. Galatians 6:9 “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” No matter how long it may take, we should not grow tired in our times of trails, and we should not grow tired while we do good works. For it is that time that we must remain patient and vigilant for our time of grace is but a blink in the eye for the Father. We cannot force change for it is not our change to force. The only true gifts are those of the Fathers graces to us.

The Arrow a symbol of moving forward, flying in a direction aimed by the archer. The essence of patience, of speed and of accuracy is the arrow. The symbol of the arrow has been used throughout the ages. The arrow goes back to Greek and Roman mythology as a sign of strength and speed. Alsahm or The Arrow in Arabic. While in ancient China the arrow was a symbol that hung in the front of the house telling the world of the birth of a son. The arrow is a symbol of power, of direction and of survival. The earliest arrows as they are also used today were used to hunt and to take the life of an animal, which provided strength for the tribe in nourishment. As I have taken up the pseudonym Arrow preacher, I too provide nourishment to my flock but spiritual in nature. The Arrow’s long lasting symbolism in human society is so powerful, so beautiful, I cannot overlook something so important, so beautiful in my own life. The arrow on a compass pointed north, symbolizing the direction of God, we must always keep our arrow in line, and we must always remember which way to go. Draw back your bow, take aim, and as you fly towards your next chapter in life, remember to let God be the one to set your glide path.