Jesus was sorely tempted in the Garden of Gethsemane. How fitting that He faced and overcame in a garden the same temptation the first Adam succumbed to, in a garden - the temptation to exalt his will over the Father's. His reply must also become ours - Not my will but Thine be done! He was tempted with the same temptation we are faced with - the greatest temptation of all - to abandon our calling from God. To quit our God ordained destiny. To exalt our will over God's - which is Satan's original and continuing sin.
Jesus was called to be crucified on our behalf - so are we. He was physically crucified, we must sacrifice our souls - we must willingly lay down our wills - our souls must die to our fleshly, carnal desires in order that we may live. This is the true Born-again process - from selfishness to selflessness, from childish to childlike. From carnality to holiness.
Unless a seed falls (Jn:12;24) willingly lies down and dies (1 Cor:15:31) it cannot be transformed into it's God ordained destiny - it cannot become "much fruit" - it will never fulfill it's original destiny. Only when our old man (sin filled, self willed man) dies can our new man (Holy spirit filled, Father's will fulfilling) live. Rom:12:2 speaks of this transformation - likening it to the transformation a butterfly goes through - it looks nothing like it's former self and it is no longer earth bound (flesh bound) but it can fly! When we are transformed into the image of Christ we too break free of our flesh's lusts and desires and we become (spiritually) like birds, like angels, we can soar and fly far above earthly things Rev:19:17 - Too many churches are full of caterpillars, with very few butterfly's, because if anyone makes it to butterfly status they'll fly away from the religious mess most churches have become. When the jail is shaken and the prisoner is freed - he leaves! So pastors and leaders - in their all-encompassing drive to keep people in their seats, will not allow that kind of spiritual freedom in their midst. Who knows, if one soul gets transformed and set on fire with the liberty only the Holy Spirit brings they might free others. Can't have that. Especially if they are anointed of the Holy Spirit and the pastor isn't. This will expose him as a fraud - so the threat must be removed. Part 2 soon.

Will you continue to live the way you are?
A faithless and fruitless life?
Will you continue to believe the lie that going to church is the full expression and extent of your Christianity? The modern form of Christianity we typically refer to as "having church" is the biggest detriment and hindrance to God's people maturing. Denominationalism is fleshly, not spiritual, carnal, not holy, plain and simple. It exalts man and not God, man's will, not God's...man's traditions, not God's commandments, all the while using God's name and word. And Satan laughs because they swallowed the lie...."ye shall be as gods" apart from God. "Ye shall not surely die"....so denominations, continue to eat from the forbidden tree, of the knowledge of good and evil....they fellowship around knowledge, not the source of knowledge, Christ himself...they are doctrinally centered, not Christ centered....they honor him with their lips but their hearts are far from him...

Warfare part three -

Helmet of Salvation - A head injury is often fatal. This is why in Gen:3:15 Satan bruises Christ's heel but Christ bruises his head. He gets his head bruised by having it placed under our feet (Rom:16:20). In olden days, kings would show complete subjugation to another king by having the king that conquered them place his foot on their head. We must (Phil:2) have the mind of Christ, in lowliness of mind, esteeming each other more highly than ourselves. This crucifies our self daily - we must remain little in our own sight (1 Sam:15:17). Jesus can and will protect our thoughts when we fill our minds with His word, when we meditate on His word daily (Psalm 1:1). Then we can discern our enemy's lies - even when they come from a pulpit. Thoughts are like birds flying over head...you may not be able to keep them from passing close by but you can keep them from landing and building a nest. Do not meditate on what the enemy attempts to whisper to you.

In warfare, we must take the "Throne Room Perspective" found in Ephesians 1 & 2. In chapter one we see that Christ has been set at the right hand of the Father, in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come. And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body... Then, in chapter two, we read - and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus...now picture yourself sitting in Christ...at the right hand of the Father....look down...at the earth, far below his feet...indeed, the entire earth is his footstool....meaning, everything and name, and principality and power and might...you get the picture, is far under his feet, meaning they are far under YOUR feet, as you sit in Christ...now from this position, take authority over the devils assigned against you or your loved ones...from the Throne of God, the wickedness coming against you is tiny, is nothing...is unable to withstand the authority you are walking in...we war from the third heaven...too often Christians war from the first heaven...looking up at the devil and his demons, commanding them to cease their wickedness in our lives or the lives of our loved ones...NO! In warfare, whoever has the high ground always wins....we do not fight spiritual wickedness with flesh and blood but with spiritual righteousness, the very blood and righteousness of our Lord and Savior Jesus....he has deputized us and equipped us to defeat our enemy...whom Jesus has already defeated in Heaven (I saw Satan fall) Luke 1018...Jesus left us with His Holy Spirit through whom we can defeat Satan here on earth, as Jesus did in Heaven....He may seem to get the upper hand occasionally but it's only so God can get greater glory...and so our testimonies will resound with God's supernatural intervention in our lives...we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony...The Blood of the Lamb is God's invitation to us to dwell with Him on High and the word of our testimony is our invitation to God to dwell with us here on earth...Rev:12:11...our key to victory is found in Ephesians 6:24 - "In sincerity"! We must sincerely, genuinely, love our Lord Jesus Christ...for it we do, really love him, no foe can defeat us....Amen and Amen.

Warfare part two -

3) Feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. You may not think of shoes as "armor", as warfare but nothing defeats the devil like "Going into all the world and preaching the Gospel to every creature". Mk:16:15, Is:52:7...We don't just receive, we must also give, with every heartbeat we take in and we give out...so it is with the kingdom of God - His is a kingdom of receiving AND giving - Mt:10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers (leprosy represents sin), raise the dead, freely you have received, freely give (note: no money is mentioned here, in fact, next verse says take no money). Memorize the Roman road. 1 Peter 3:15 - Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear...Give, give, give - every gift you've received from God is meant to be shared with others (except the white stone with your personal name from God written on it...only known by you and Him). Rev:2:17
4)Shield of Faith -  Heb:11 - We will continually be surrounded by wicked people till the Lord separates the sheep from the goats at the seat of Judgment, therefore we must learn to deal with them. Their hateful words, pregnant with unbelief, must be deflected before they pierce our hearts, like fiery darts. They meant to hurt us and wound us. They are painful. Our faith is our weapon here. By faith we dispute their unbelief. By faith we prove who we are in Christ and more importantly who Christ is in us. By faith we slay giants, do mighty works (miracles), raise the dead, heal the sick and above all - live a holy lifestyle pleasing to God. By faith, Satan's taunts and lies (and flatteries) bear no fruit in our hearts, harm us not at all, for we walk in Truth and Righteousness. Faith gives wings to godly things. Faith is the marriage bed upon which our love for God is consummated. We are enabled to become doers of the Word, not just hearers only, by faith. Part three soon...

What does the Bible say about God and storms?
Job speaks about "The portion of a wicked man with God", in it he says "terrors take hold on him as waters, a tempest (tempest means "a violent wind storm") stealeth him away in the night, the east wind carries him away, and he departs...and as a storm hurls him out of his place" 27:20-21
This passage is similar to Psalm 1:4 - "The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff (worthless matter, refuse) which THE WIND DRIVES AWAY".
Isaiah reveals this about our God who resists and despises the proud - "Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, WHICH AS A TEMPEST of hail and a DESTROYING STORM, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand...the crown of pride..." Isaiah also says this about a time of visitation from the Lord - "You shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, WITH STORM AND TEMPEST and the FLAME of devouring FIRE".
The USA is getting hit right now on all sides with storm and fire and Mexico just got hit with a magnitude 8:1 earthquake...this verse says all three can be the result of "The Lord's visitation"...
yet numerous false prophets and pastors are editing these verses out of their Bibles, practicing "cafeteria Christianity", picking and choosing which verses they like and ignoring the rest, crying "peace, peace" when there is no peace, telling us "storms are not God's judgment" or rebuking the storm because it's demonic, sent from Satan, or telling us, and I quote "it's just a weather pattern".
DO NOT HEED THEM! Nahum 1:3 - "The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind AND IN THE STORM, and the clouds are the dust of his feet".

Oh my people, we should be crying out prayers of repentance from truly broken hearts over the wickedness of our nation - we should be asking for mercy. Trump's election was not a validation from God that we are a righteous nation but rather a merciful moment given to us in which we may repent of our many sins and turn to him. Crying out to God for mercy does no good unless we "turn from our wicked ways", words alone mean nothing, we need action. We must truly desire to change...not take the freedom and liberties we've been granted for an occasion to sin...and the greatest sin of all is spending our lives on ourselves...thinking we've been given this life so we can get as much pleasure and comfort as we can...God has had enough.. Judgment is beginning in the House of The Lord.. The American Church says "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and does not know that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked".  This passage perfectly describes the Church in America today - preaching a carnal gospel that advocates a lifestyle centered on self "believing that gain (worldly wealth and riches, possessions, things) is godliness" , not seeking Heavenly riches, not dying to self daily, crucifying self from off the throne of our hearts, not living lives of sacrifice on behalf of others, as God directs. Indeed 2 Peter 2:1-3 has come to pass in our generation. We are in "the day of vengeance of our God" make no mistake..it is now upon us...pray for mercy, pray for safety but do not rebuke a storm if God has sent it. Do not believe the false pastors and prophets who speak what they think will be pleasing to you, who tell you these storms and fires and earthquakes have nothing at all to do with God. I would love for Hurricane Irma to turn away from us and do no harm but not at the expense of our Nation's soul...not at the expense of the wicked continuing in their wickedness unabated....If God's judgments result in eyes (of their understanding) being opened to the truth of our nation's condition before God, if real repentance results and people set their hearts on things above, then I thank God for the storms and whatever else he sends our way. For truly, all judgment from God is an act of love on his part...the worst thing he could ever do to people on a path to hell is .....nothing...

Warfare

Eph:5:10-19
Regarding the armor of God -
The devil can't tell who's in there, might be Jesus!
There is no back to the armor...never turn and run from the devil - remember, in the desert, Jesus stood his ground and met him face to face (Mt:4:1-11).
John 10:10 - The thief cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy. He wants to first steal our souls, then he wants to kill our bodies, finally he wants to destroy our spirits.

There is only one offensive weapon, most are defensive. We are in training for reigning, we are in schooling for ruling!
1) Belt of Truth - We must all become honest - first with ourselves, then with others. Our belt holds up our pants, if we don't wholeheartedly embrace truth, we will end up naked and ashamed (Rev:3:17) on the Day of Judgment, like the Laodiceans we will not have Robes of Righteousness (Rev:3:18). Besides, if we reject the truth we choose the lie, there is no middle, neutral ground - like Adam and Eve in the Garden - we all must make a choice when confronted with a lie - Truth leads to continuing fellowship with God, lies lead to separation from him. Besides, we need the belt of truth so we can use it to whip the devil....

2) The Breastplate of Righteousness - The breastplate protects our heart, out of which we speak, in which we commune with the Lord. We have no righteousness in and of ourselves (though the world is trying hard to dispute this), our hearts are indeed (Jer:17:14) "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked". So we must protect our hearts with the very righteousness of Jesus himself. THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer:23:6). He alone, by his blood and by his Spirit(1 Jn:5:8) makes us holy. It's imputed to us, in the same way our earthly father's name is given to us at birth. At our first birth it is not in us to be good or holy (holiness is a complete absence of sin), it is only at our second birth that we change our spiritual DNA - we receive our Father's name and become Righteous by his merciful actions of being scourged and crucified for us. Like babies in the natural, we are born covered in blood when we are born again.

Part two soon.....

Prison shaker
Chain breaker
Sin taker
Star maker
Our Creator

Light of the world
Salt of the earth
Lily of the valley
Pearl of great worth
King of kings
Our offering
Endless blessing
The final word

Great physician
Fulfilling the
Father's mission
Daily bread
Spirit led
Raising us
from the dead
Our revelation
of the Father
Living water
All we need
to succeed
in this life
and the next
Healer
Baptizer
Savior
Poet
Chastiser
Alpha and Omega
Faithful and True
Soon to return
for me and you...