The Task of Bible Teachers

Teachers Teach God's Word: Bible teachers must teach what God's word says (Exodus 18:20, Leviticus 10:11, Deuteronomy 6:1)

Exodus 18:20
"Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform."

Leviticus 10:11
"and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses."

Deuteronomy 6:1
"These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess..."

Living Examples #1: They must be and example of how to live (Exodus 18:20, Titus 2:7)

Exodus 18:20
"Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform."

Titus 2:7
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness"

Living Examples #2: They must teach others how to obey God (Exodus 18:20, Deuteronomy 6:1, 1 Samuel 12:23, Matthew 28:20, 1 Timothy 4:6)

1 Samuel 12:23
"As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right."

Matthew 28:20
"...and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

1 Timothy 4:6
"If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed."

They Must Teach The Youth: The next generation must be evangelized too, not just this one. (Deuteronomy 4:9, Titus 2:1-6)

Deuteronomy 4:9
"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them."

Titus 2:1-6
"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled."

Its A Full-time Job: They are to teach all the time, not just in a class or study. There also is not retirement (Deuteronomy 11:19, Acts 5:42, 1 Timothy 4:11)

Deuteronomy 11:19
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

Acts 5:42
Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.[a]

1 Timothy 4:11
"Command and teach these things."

Teach Non-Belivers: They need to teach non-Christians also so the non-believers will come to know God (Psalms 51:13, Acts 17:19-20)

Psalm 51:13
"Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you."

Acts 17:19-20
"Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean."
Excite People With The Word of God: They are to stir people up, [ἀνασείει] anaseiei: excite them (w/the Word) (Luke 23:5)

Luke 23:5
"But they insisted, "He stirs up the people all over Judea[a]by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here."

Prepare Others For God's Work: They are to do prepare others to do something positive for the Kingdom of God (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Ephesians 4:11-12
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.."

Confront False Teachers/Teaching: Whereever they find it teachers are to refute bad or false teaching(s)(1 Timothy 1:3-7, 2 Timothy 1:13)

1 Timothy 1:3-7
"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer 4nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith. 5The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. 7They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm."

2 Timothy 1:13
"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus."

Look For Others Like Them: Teachers are to be on the lookout for others that will make good teachers and leaders, (2 Timothy 2:2)

2 Timothy 2:2
"And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others."

Held To An Exacting Standard: Teachers, Pastors, Leaders, Elders and the like will be judged more strictly as they knew more so more will be expected of them. They will be dealt with more harshly when they flub up too for the same reason as many people are looking to them for guidance (James 3:1)

James 3:1
"Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly."

The Characteristics of Biblical Teachers

Ability To Teach: They are given the ability (spiritual gift) to teach others. (Exodus 35:34, Matthew 23:34, Ephesians 4:11-12).

Exodus 35:34
"And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others."

Matthew 23:34
"Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

Ephesians 4:11-12
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."

Filled With The Holy Spirit (for their specific purpose): They are filled with the Holy Spirit. (Exodus 35:30-31, Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:14)

Exodus 35:30-31
Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds..."

Romans 12:6
"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith."

1 Corinthians 12:14
"Now the body is not made up of one part but of many."

Knowledgable of The Bible: They know God's word well. (Ezra 7:6, Matthew 22:16, Colossians 1:28, 3:15, 1 Timothy 1:3-7, 2 Timothy 1:13, Titus 2:1)

Ezra 7:6
"...this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was on him."

Matthew 22:16
"They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are."

Colossians 1:28
"We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ."

Colossians 3:15
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful."

1 Timothy 1:3-7
"As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God's work—which is by faith. The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. Some have wandered away from these and turned to meaningless talk. They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm."

2 Timothy 1:13
"What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus."

Titus 2:1
"You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine."

Their Teaching Brings Life. (Proverbs 13:14)

Proverbs 13:14
The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.

They Live A Christian Life: They live with integrity. (Matthew 22:16, Titus 2:7)

Titus 2:7
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness."

They Stand Steadfast and Strong: They are not impressed with nor intimidated by the status and positions of individuals. (Matthew 22:16)

Matthew 22:16
"They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren't swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are."

They Will Be Opposed: They face opposition(s) becasue of their teaching, especially when it is truth. (Matthew 23:34, Acts 4:1-3, Titus 2:7-8)

Acts 4:1-3
"The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day."

Titus 2:7-8
"In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

Teaching Ability Comes From God: They understand that their teaching and their ability to teach comes from God, not from themselves. (John 7:16-18)

John 7:16-18
"Jesus answered, "My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God's will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. He who speaks on his own does so to gain honor for himself, but he who works for the honor of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him."

They are Sought After: They are in demand because they're good teachers. (2 Timothy 3:10)

2 Timothy 3:10
Paul's Charge to Timothy: "You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance..."

Times of Crisis

Nothing will more correctly reveal what is in a person than the coming upon them of some crushing and unlooked-for crisis. Let it be temporal ruin by the failure of his calculations or the disappointment of all his hopes: let it be the entrance of the death-angel into his home and the removal from it of his nearest and dearest earthly friend; let it be his own prostration by some serious illness which puts him face to face with his dissolution, and forthwith the extent of his resources is unfolded, and it is at once discovered both by others and by himself whether he is animated by unfailing faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and sustained by the grace of the Holy Spirit, or whether he has been deceiving himself, all the while relying on some other support. It was a shrewd remark of Andrew Fuller that a man has only as much religion as he can command in trial.
_____________________________________

Let us therefore look back upon the past and analyze our experiences at such testing times as those to which I have referred. We have all had them. We have all heard already, in some form or other, this midnight cry, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh"; for in every such surprise as those which I have described, Jesus was coming to us. How did we meet him then? Did our lamps go out? Or were we able to trim them and keep them burning brightly all through? Oh, if by any such event we discovered our utter resourcelessness, let us betake ourselves now to Christ that he may thoroughly renew us by his Holy Spirit and so prepare us for that last and solemnest crisis when over the graves of the slumbering dead the archangel shall cry out, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," and all shall arise to stand before his great white throne.

In the parable of the Five Foolish Women and Their Friends...the difference between the condition of the wise and that of the foolish was revealed by the coming of the bridegroom. It revealed itself in crisis. During the days before the wedding or night leading up to the start of the feast few would have noticed that five women would have adequately prepared for the bridegroom's coming and five had not.

Suddenly the bridegroom came, and the distinction was immediately apparent. Five women were running around like the Keystone Cops probably knocking into one another tripping over one another trying to figure out where to get more oil for their lamps and trimming their wicks in the dark. It would be a comical scene if it wasn't for the fact that these woman are actually a metaphor for you and I and they represent those that are professing acting Christian's but only on the outside. The difference is internal. Inside they/we are unprepared if we are not prepared in a time of crisis.


How do you know if you are on the wise side or the foolish side? The answer comes from the parable itself. You can preview the results of their/your final judgement by the reaction of the women/your reaction to crisis' in your life today. Do you respond in faith and security or anxiety and dread? Can you weather the storm or does the storm weather you?

~William Taylor: The Parables of Our Savior Expounded and Illustrated. 1900. P170-171

It Could Be Worse

Job 7

1 "Has not man a hard service on earth,
and are not his days like the days of a hired hand?
2 Like a slave who longs for the shadow,
and like a hired hand who looks for his wages,
3 so I am allotted months of emptiness,
and nights of misery are apportioned to me.
4 When I lie down I say, 'When shall I arise?'
But the night is long,
and I am full of tossing till the dawn.
5 My flesh is clothed with worms and dirt;
my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh.
6 My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle
and come to their end without hope.
7 "Remember that my life is a breath;
my eye will never again see good.
8 The eye of him who sees me will behold me no more;
while your eyes are on me, I shall be gone.
9 As the cloud fades and vanishes,
so he who goes down to Sheol does not come up;
10 he returns no more to his house,
nor does his place know him anymore.
11 "Therefore I will not restrain my mouth;
I will speak in the anguish of my spirit;
I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.
12 Am I the sea, or a sea monster,
that you set a guard over me?
13 When I say, 'My bed will comfort me,
my couch will ease my complaint,'
14 then you scare me with dreams
and terrify me with visions,
15 so that I would choose strangling
and death rather than my bones.
16 I loathe my life; I would not live forever.
Leave me alone, for my days are a breath.
17 What is man, that you make so much of him,
and that you set your heart on him,
18 visit him every morning
and test him every moment?
19 How long will you not look away from me,
nor leave me alone till I swallow my spit?
20 If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me your mark?
Why have I become a burden to you?
21 Why do you not pardon my transgression
and take away my iniquity?
For now I shall lie in the earth;
you will seek me, but I shall not be."

Verse 5: "My flesh is clothed with worms": This is perhaps of figure or speech, but is literally true: the miserably ulcerated state of Job's body, exposed to the open air, and in a state of great destitution, was favourable to insects (flys) that sought such places in which to deposit their eggs, which might have produced the worms (Hebrew: Rim'maw-maggots) in question. But the imagery is too disgusting to further elaborate on.

Verse 5: "...my skin hardens, then breaks out afresh" Job alludes to the crust or dried pus, which formed on the tops of sores, the skin becomes very rigid, so as to crack across when stressed or flexed, especially at joints.

Verse 14: "then you scare me with dreams and terrify me with visions": Satan was permitted to haunt his imagination with dreadful dreams and nightmares; so that, as soon as he fell asleep, he was suddenly awakened by those appalling images. He needed to sleep, but was afraid to close his eyes because of the horrid images which were presented to his imagination. Is there anything worse than not being able to escape your misery even in sleep?

Verse 15: "so that I would choose strangling and death rather than my bones." (Hebrew: makh-an-ak'-choke, strangling)... in those interrupted and useless slumbers, an oppression and difficulty of breathing something like being smothered, a struggling to breath...like someone standing on your chest.

Lovely. This people, is suffering. Compound these visuals with the loss of his entire family, all of his well-being, prosperity, and a support/comfort system that consisted of 4 men 3 of which that acted more like dogmatic & legalistic heavy-handed goons rather than supportive loving friends. Three men that caused more discomfort than they alleviated.

If ever there was a justification for suicide this was probably it but yet Job didn't take his own life.

....and then came the voice of the Lord out of the whirlwind "Who is it that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?" Just when Job probably thought it couldn't get any worse God enters the picture and he begins to realize...that he may have actually gotten off easy to this point. We should not fear anything this life can throw a us. I didn't say it wouldn't hurt or it wouldn't make us suffer, I just said we shouldn't fear it. We should instead fear The One (the only One) who can destroy not only what we have here but He can also destroy the soul.

Utopia Triumphans

Utopia Triumphans-The Great Polyphony of the Renaissance

My first three word album review: "Stunning and Mesmerizing". But seriously...

I am generally a rock n' roller. I like guitar driven rock. This includes my worship music. Strangely, I have had a fondness for chanting also since the early 90's. In my excursions on the web recently I stumbled across a form of music called Renaissance Polyphony. In music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony) [Wiki]. The Renaissance is obviously a date or time designation. In the case of the first piece on this disc "Spem in alium" there are 40 vocals/voices (8 sopranos, 8 altos, 8 tenors, 16 basses). The effect on your eardrum and psyche [Gk ψυχή: psykhe- the soul, mind, life] is astounding. It has to be heard to be believed. A worded review will do this little justice. For a minimal fee of approximately $6-7 USD its worth the buy to download just to hear the beauty of 1-3 dozen voices singing in harmony. At the risk of sounding cliche it sounds like a chorus of angels. Regardless of your tastes in music, go spend the $7. You will not be disappointed.

1. Spem in alium - Thomas Tallis (40 voice parts)
2. Sanctus, Agnus Dei - (from the `Missa Ducalis`) - Costanzo Porta (13 voice parts)
3. Qui habitat (Psalm 90) - Josquin Desprez (24 voice parts)
4. Deo gratias - Johannes Ockeghem (36 voice parts)
5. Laudate Dominum - Pierre de Manchicourt (6 voice parts)
6. Exaudi me Domine - Giovanni Gabrieli (16 voice parts)
7. Ecce beatam lucem - Allesandro Striggio (40 voice parts)

Rating 100/100

"Polyphony - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2010.

By The Numbers

There are now more than 5686 known Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. Add over 10000 Latin Vulgate and at least 9300 other versions, and we have close to, if not more than 25000 manuscript copies or fragments/portions of the New Testament in existence today. No other document of antiquity even comes close to this total. By comparison Homer's Iliad is the second with 643 manuscripts or fragments that survive. That is a huge gap between No. 1 & No. 2. Everyone believes Homer wrote the Iliad, why wouldn't people believe apostles and gentiles that knew Christ wrote about Him?

The importance of the sheer number of manuscripts can't be overstated. To be skeptical of resultant texts of the New Testament is to allow all of classical antiquity to slide into obscurity for no other document of the ancient period is so well attested to bibliographically.

Additionally, there was virtually no interval between actual events and the autographs from which said manuscripts were transcribed from. Christ died approx 33-35AD, James was written no later than 50AD and the entire canon was probably completed by 100AD. Within 70 years of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Paul's letters written between 50-66 A.D.

The accuracy of the manuscripts are supported by various versions. Ancient literature was rarely translated into different languages. Syriac and Latin versions exist as far back as 150 A.D. The Ryland Fragment could quite possibly date to the first century around 90-96 A.D. at the same time of, or a few years after John writing Revelation. The Ryland fragment may actually have been witness to the contemporaries of Jesus. In other words, historically, there is no gap between events and written eyewitness accounts.

Accuracy of the canon attested to by early church fathers (immediately; i.e: no gap)...even those under persecution. So people that say the Bible was was created by people in positions of power to control people...well, they should really do their homework and learn history and understand Christian Martyrdom. People would die for things they truly beleived but it is unlikely they would be willing to die for something they didn't believe it. Something else to consider: Iliad written 800 B.C., oldest/earliest known copy 400 B.C....a 400 year gap.

So...if we doubt the Bible against the certainty and evidential truth presented in the massive amount of manuscripts present to us since antiquity we must then doubt the entirety of all of western history. Why? Because you can practically take the next few dozen written pieces from from western history's antiquity and their total would not even come close to the evidence we have for the Bible, its reliability and its consistency. The illustrious list of other western sources includes: Plato, Sophocles, Aristotle, Caesar and so on and so on. If we discount the Bible...we need to discount the entirety of history.

Ravi Zacherias sums this up brilliantly:

In real terms, the New Testament is easily the best attested ancient writing in terms of the sheer number of documents, the time span between the events and the document, and the variety of documents available to sustain or contradict it. There is nothing in ancient manuscript evidence to match such textual availability and integrity (Zacherias 162).

Zacharias, Ravi K. Can Man Live Without God? Word Publishing, 1994, 162.

Triune

The nearly incomprehensible nature of the Trinity and the mystery of It is all the proof I need to believe that It is something that couldn’t have been created. It is something that needed to be revealed. What human mind could’ve ever conceived it? What of the mysteries contained in the creation itself? Who would’ve ever guessed that just the act of observing the inner workings of an atom disturb it in such a way that, by observing it, we make it impossible to know for sure the locations of subatomic particles within it. According to Werner Heisenberg it is impossible to determine simultaneously both the position and velocity of an electron or any other particle with any great degree of accuracy or certainty because by observation we disturb it. But yet it exists. Not only does it exist, without it we could not exist. Who'd have guessed that atoms are made up of mostly empty space (99.999%) and yet everything is made of atoms such as steel, rocks and other "hard" objects (my head). For something that is mostly empty space (like my head), it sure feels solid. Who could've ever imagined that atoms are held together by "forces" that science cannot completely substantiate or quantify, yet without these "forces", everything would fly apart (Hebrews 1, John 1). Everything is held in a perfect stable balance. That the very things within the atom that make up what and atom is, the "stuff" we view as the "solid" portion of the atom such as a the protons, electrons and neutrons are not necessarily matter at all but actually compressed energy...more interestingly, compressed light. So imagine all this reality around us is mostly empty space and what does fill it as matter is compressed energy. Who could've imagined it? I'll tell you who, God did. Not only imagined it He spoke it into existence. Eventually he will destroy it also. At least the version we see now.

A Patient Enemy: Tenacious & Brutally Efficient

Our life on this earth is spiritual siege warfare. As such we need to guard against temptation. The Devil and evil never sleep. There are none that are not affected by temptation. Even Jesus faced the same as us...all the temptations known to mankind. Temptations make us humble. They act as a catharsis to purge us of any lofty notions or high-mindedness. If you don't learn to get a grip on them and ask God to help you master them to some extent...they will master you. And you know what Jesus said. Man cannot serve two masters. Temptations may cause us nothing but pain but just as burning our hands on a stove hurts us, it also teaches us things that we can learn from.

If we merely ignore or try to evade a temptation without learning how to defend against it at the front gate we will make little or no progress in our sanctification and ability in the future to build tolerance or formulate strategy for fighting or avoiding temptation. If powers and principalities sense that they have made headway or inroads with little resistance, not only will they continue to pound away at the breach in the wall. They will send waves of assault to the breach in the wall with a frightening and staggering frequency until the victim is overwhelmed. It will be like one man trying to keep an entire barbarian horde from the gates of a city. As long as the one man keeps the breaches from occurring he will be relatively safe. If the powers arrayed against are attacking at multiple points, sooner or later one of this siege points will succeed and overrun you. Then what?

Temptations expose the true person beneath the facade. We can lie to others and even lie to ourselves but the temptations that we succumb to tell us immediately where the weaknesses are in our defense systems. We all have weaknesses and no single person can stand against the siege of a barbarian horde.

The enemy succeeds because of two things: tenaciousness and concerted orderly attack. The enemy uses a focused and process driven attack that is relentless in its single-minded focus. The process is deviously simple and brutally efficient

(1) The First Thought: The thought tries to / or succeeds in entering your head like a single enemy over the wall or through the gate like a Trojan Horse. The first wave of attack is to breach the wall or draw diversion while other assaults continue.

(2) The First Thought Starts to Dictate the Attitude: Resources behind the wall are diverted from the wall to fight and destroy the infiltrator that cleared the wall. This begins a weakening of the defenses at the wall itself allowing more of the unclean spirits with their sinful incendiaries over the wall.

(3) The Enemy Starts To Inflict Casualties: We begin to allow the enemy to control our actions. In the case of temptation we begin to entertain the temptation, fantasies, etc. In the analogy of our siege, so many enemy are clearing the wall and streaming in through the breach that we have need to cordon off areas as lost. We realize our defenses are being compromised left and right. We are in danger of being overrun and conquered. We must also remember that the enemy has no value of the things it destroys. To our enemy resources are expendable. The enemy will throw their entire force in a suicide frontal attack to conquer you just like Picketts Charge. As far as the enemy is concerned, their forces are inexhaustible and expendable. The incendiaries brought in earlier have ignited other fires on the inside. Temptations sprout up within the believer that they didn't even know they were capable of entertaining.

(4) The Entire Enemy Force Infiltrates: We commit the act. Our thought has turned into and attitude that has determined an action(s). The wall has been totally breached and the gate has been knocked open by the repeated blows of the battering ram. The fortress is nearly lost. Little by little our defenses were weakened and diverted from where they were needed...at the breach...until the wall could no longer be defend and the enemy within can not be surmounted with remaining forces and strength...all hope seems lost because we allowed one man/thought in through the breach.

But there is hope. Even when the scenario appears bleakest and all hope is nothing but a faint dismal spark on the horizon we still have another option. We turn and seek God fervently as our lives depend on it. We can no longer resist and fight the enemy with our own resources. We must understand the battle is still not over. But in this case it can be our victory of we call on the Lord as he is able in his omnipotence and sovereignty to conquer any enemy no matter how powerful.

How do we avoid the breach in the future? First, we must realize the enemy is doing their evil with a deadly earnest. We need to fortify the defense and assure a secondary line of defense against the first to try and breach the wall or scale the wall. That first scout or wave of assault must be stopped. We should pray first and call on God. We must not rely on our own devices and means to try to stop the the single enemy. Often times we will not even recognize or even see the first enemy as the enemy. He may enter incognito or disguised. If we cannot overcome the simple smaller attack we will never be able to stop the larger one(s).

If our actions will produce no righteous outcome we would be better off conserving our energy until we are sure our actions will produce a Godly or positive outcome. Have a plan or strategy for different types of attacks. Make sure the first line of defense is dropping to your knees in supplication to the Lord. Then send the defenses out to cordon off, quarantine and kill the enemy. Understand that your own defenses are flawed and subject to outside influence. Your willpower can be bribed by the flesh to switch sides. You cannot control all aspects of a battle, but God can.

Realize that continued attacks and vexation from an unseen (or seen) enemy helps us understand our need to depend on God and His power and might. Please realize that how we handle and deal with the temptation determines whether we win of lose the siege. If we let it in our probability of overcoming it is greatly diminished. Once the enemy is internalized it becomes an enemy hard to root out. It begins to blend in with other things partially camouflaging itself. If it wasn't for initial defenses we probably would even recognize the enemy once they are inside our walls.

We must strive to succeed. We must choose to do the right thing by fighting the temptation off. We must realize that we are not totally equipped to defeat the enemy without God so we need to always turn to Him first. We must seek Him. To build up our defenses we should desire to stay within His will and build our defense force (faith).

In the end, the day will be the Lord's and as we are in Him the victory can be ours also. If we do not turn to God we will be soundly defeated... little by little we will be worn down by sin.

[This post is loosely based on Gerhard Groote's diary (1340-1384) edited by Thomas a Kempis' (1380-1471) and Augustinian Monk]