Forgotten Christams

Just Stand Your Ground?

I had a dream where I was with several people in a large white house.  Hordes of demonic spirits began to overtake the home.  I could hear them screaming and growling, breaking windows and tearing down doors. In fear, we all began to flee from the house.  I saw people jumping through windows and running through doors behind the house.  Behind the house was a large open pasture that when up on a side of a hill.  We all fled away from the attack.  As we continued to run, an old man that was with us stopped, turned and yelled out loud, “Stop, we must go back and fight!” 

As I turned, I saw this man turn around and run the opposite direction towards the direction of the enemy.  My heart full of fear, doubt, and disbelief did not want to turn and face the enemy.  There were to many.  The enemy was too strong and agile.  Everything in them wanted to kill us.  But, in faith I turned. I saw thousands of demonic forces fully overtake the home that we were in and now were running towards us in the field.  They looked like a thousand ants across the landscape.  Taking a deep breath, I lifted my head and began to run towards this great evil army. 

Are we ready to fight?  Notice in the dream, the old man did not say stand and fight, but “We must go back and fight!”.  How many times have we fled?  How many times have we just stood our ground as we allow the enemy to take the ground around us?

I love the part in Lord of the Rings where Aragon and King Theodin is trapped inside of Helm’s Deep.  Accepting defeat, Theodin begins to embrace his fate; but not Aragon.  He stirred his faith within himself, he placed his trust in someone greater than he, and encourage the King to ride out and face the enemy.  With what men they had, they rode out into the massive ureki army. 

Aragon did not want to die standing his ground.  He would have rather died facing the enemy head on. 

In Helm’s Deep, they took their stand, and failed.  Inside Helm’s Deep they fled, to wait their deadly fate.  But, when they went against the enemy face to face, it change the direction of the battle.  Even though they were out numbered, they still charged.  Even though they were exhausted and beaten down, they didn’t lose hope. 

In life, we don’t ask for life to overwhelm us.  At times, we don’t even have to provake anything that would cause our lives to be a target of destruction.  It’s life.  If we wait long enough, the enemy of our soul will find you, and most assuredly try to destroy you.  We can continually run, however, the enemy will always be there gaining the ground that by right is ours.  At most, we can stand our ground, but never move forward in what God wants us to do.  (some call this maintenance mode).  But, if we turned, face our enemy head on.. or even run in its direction and take back the ground that we gave, most assuredly, life would be different.

Paul once said.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. (2nd Corinthians 4:8-9)

Not that we need to pick a fight.  However, if there is fight God promises us to protect us from destruction.  Know that there will be pain, exhaustion, fear and disbelief.  Even King David explained his disposition as the enemy surrounded him.

Psalms 18
1 I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
 2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
         My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
         My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
 3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;
         So shall I be saved from my enemies.
         
 4 The pangs of death surrounded me,
         And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
 5 The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
         The snares of death confronted me.
 6 In my distress I called upon the LORD,
         And cried out to my God;
         He heard my voice from His temple,
         And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

David did not run and hide.  He first ran to the one that would save him, then ran to face his enemy.  David was not confident in his own strength, nor in the the strength of others, but in God.  In his weakness, he cried out.  He reminded himself about who God is and what he has done.  By faith, he new God would deliver him.

37 I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
         Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
 38 I have wounded them,
         So that they could not rise;
         They have fallen under my feet.
 39 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
         You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
 40 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
         So that I destroyed those who hated me.
 41 They cried out, but there was none to save;
         Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
 42Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
         I cast them out like dirt in the streets.

At times, it will take people around us to say “Turn and Fight”.  At times, all hope will seem lost, and more than what we can handle.  God’s promises are true and never is void.  Even though it may be hard, even though we may not want to, we must raise up our heads, accept what is ahead of us… and charge towards it face on.

Matthew Wright’s Blog

Matthew Wright’s Blog

Why?

I’m sitting at what will be called the Rock House of Prayer in one more week.  Being challenge to journal things that are being pressed upon my heart.  Funny enough, I decided to use word press… as so the words of God press upon my heart.

Over the last several months, I have found myself being “pushed” by God.  Some might call it, drawing to him.  However, I have strongly felt his presence in my life with out anything that I have done that would might provoke an interaction with his spirit.  Everyday encounters have been happening.  I can be simply walking down the hallway at my work and be crying by the time I get into my office, washing the dishes, takinng out the trash, to name a few examples.

I’m finding God is speaking to me.  Provoking me to really listen to him.  I have found he has moved upon my heart and has shown me things.  Thus again, I need to journal.

Here is are a couple of examples.

-I felt God speak and say that the roseville house of prayer would be coming back to the Rock.  A couple of months later it was confirmed.  Starting May 12th, RHOP will start it’s new sessions in the Rock auditorium.  I’ve also decided to start the RHOP stream a week early… to saturate the room.  (some might say fumigate.)

-God spoke to my heart about it’s not about raising the bar in my life… but re identifing who I am.  A rebranding if you will.  I felt this would happen to me in my personal life as well as my work and worship.  I stated to my team about re-identifying who we are.  I spoke to the worship leaders about God is going to re-idnetify who we are.  I really didn’t know what God was saying.  I persoanlly thought he would just change the way we think.  However, He changed everything.  Here are a couple examples.  Multiple people were laid off at my work.  I now am doing more… but becoming more effective.  The complete stucture of the organization was change; the mission statements, department heads, and responsibilities.  With worship, we had another worship leader step down.  Since then, we have decided to change the weekend rotations of every department.  More consistency and relationship will be the result of this change…. and hopefully an outpouring of God’s presence during worship.  I had to move in with my in-laws.  Yep, you can only imagine what this might do to someone.  Also, RHOP is now part of the Rock of Roseville again.

So many times we can hear… “we must raise the bar.”  Sometimes doing what God wants to do in your life isn’t always about raising the bar.  He simply asks us to change who we are.  Not striving to make something happen.  Not striving to be a better person, not striving to perform more effeciently, not striving for his affection from him or others, not striving for identity, not striving for his annointing to move.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying not to seek after God’s presence.  We must always be persuing after him.  But, stop trying to force his will.  Stop trying! 

Sometimes it’s not a choice.  Change is always ahead.  Expect it.  Especially is it’s God driven.  I at times enjoy the fact that I had financial failure.  Again, don’t mis quote me on this.  I strived hard for financial success.  By the time I was 30, I owned 2 homes, drive fairly nice vehicles, and made a decent 6 figure income.  I strived  for business, people’s affection, and acceptance.  I would never actually rest.  To get more clients, to get more sales, to close more deals.. this consumed my life.  Even on vacation I worked.  I began to identify myself in my success and my business. 
However, God had other plans.  He closed the door quickly.  I lost my vehicle, lost my home, spent all my savings, and the end result was bankruptcy.  I failed.   Or did I?  Now a year later, I work at a place that I love.  Even though I only make about 30% of what I use to make.  It’s where God wants me to be.  He basically “pushed” me here.  I thank him for the pain.  I thank him for allowing it to happen. I still have a wife that loves me deeply and a daughter who thinks I’m a super hero.  God change everything in my life so that I would walk according to his plan and not mine.  His plan, his way… my life.  He predestened this path for me.  I had no other choice.  Accept to respond well.  I look forward to my future.

Are we willing to have God change everything that we know, think, or feel?  Journal your life.  Help others.