UTILITY BELT PART DEUCE

Well...here we are..same Bat Time...Same Bat Channel.. with the continuation of our SPIRITUAL UTILITY BELT. We have seen that we are in a war...we have identified the enemy...we have seen our armor...and we have under girded our efforts with prayer. Now...lets check out some things that we have as our disposal in our belt to fight the enemy.

The enemy uses fear, doubt, unbelief, hopelessness, anxiety, worry, tension, frustration, feelings...to cloud our minds...or jam our communication system. The enemy enters into what Joyce Myers calls...the BATTLEFIELD OF THE MIND...and plants bombs of confusion and unrest in our lives...BUT we do not have to sit around and take it.

Whenever the Joker would be running wild...or the Penguin, the Riddler, Clayface, would be on the loose...Commissioner Gorden would get up on the roof and shine the BATSIGNAL on the passing clouds. Somehow this would get the attention of Bruce Wayne (Batman's secret identity) and He would contact the Commissioner. Or the Commissioner would call Bats up on the BATPHONE.
The first thing we have at our disposal...is a COMMUNICATION SYSTEM with God. We have a little thing called PRAYER. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7) "And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the request which we have asked from Him." (I John :14,15) "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know." (Jeremiah 33:3) "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted to you." (Mark 11:24) " Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by PRAYER and SUPPLICATION with THANKSGIVING, let/allow your request to be made known to God,. And the peace of God, which surpasses ALL COMPREHENSION shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7) "Keep on asking and it will be given to you...Keep on seeking and you shall find...keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives, and he who keeps on seeking finds and to him who keeps on knocking it shall be opened to you. Or what man is there among you, when his son shall keep on asking for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he shall keep on asking for a fish, he will not give him a snake will he? If you then being evil,know how to give good gifts to your children...HOW MUCH MORE shall your Father who is in heaven GIVE what is good to those who KEEP ON ASKING HIM? (Matthew 7:7-11 with the verb tense added).

Our first line of defense is our COMMUNICATION SYSTEM with the Father. We are praying that the WILL OF GOD be manifested in our lives. We are praying that His kingdom come...His will be done... on earth (the location of our war) as it is in heaven (location of the victory and His will).

This prayer weapon is linked closely to the next item in our utility belt...THE WORD OF GOD. Remember that John 15:7 linked the two together..."If you abide in my Words and my Words abide in you... ASK whatever you wish and it shall BE DONE unto you." Prayer and the Word/Will of God goes hand in hand. "He who has my commandments/word...and keeps them...he it is who loves me...and he who loves Me...shall be loved by My Father and I will love him...and MANIFEST/REVEAL/DISCLOSE Myself to him." (John 14:21) "This book of the Law/Word...shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate/ruminate on it day and night SO that you may be careful to DO according to all that is written in it; for THEN (cause and effect of meditating on the Word) you will make your way prosperous (have enough to meet your needs and an overflow to help others)...and then you will have success (accomplishing the purposes of God in your life). (Joshua 1:8 with my commentary) "All SCRIPTURE is inspired (God breathed) by God and PROFITABLE for (1) teaching (2) reproof (3) correction
(4) for training in righteousness; that the man/woman of God may be ADEQUATE...EQUIPPED FOR EVERY GOOD WORK." (II Timothy 3:16,17) "How can a young man keep his way PURE? By keeping it according to Thy Word...Thy Word have I hid in my heart...that I might not sin against Thee." (Psalm 119:9,11)

When Joshua took up the mandate from God that God had given Moses...to go over the Jordan River...and POSSESS the PROMISED LAND...he was told multiple times to be STRONG AND VERY COURAGEOUS...because he would have the opportunity to be WEAK AND VERY FEARFUL. The link to victory...prosperity...success...was THE WORD OF GOD. Joshua was promised..."Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! DO NOT TREMBLE...OR BE DISMAYED...for THE LORD YOU GOD IS WITH YOU WHEREVER YOU GO." (Joshua 1:9) This promise is for us also as we go out to POSSESS THE LAND of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost and as we bring the WILL OF GOD IN HEAVEN TO THIS EARTH...that God will be with us WHEREVER WE GO.

Joshua...with this in mind...RALLIED THE TROOPS for WARFARE. "Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying...Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people saying, PREPARE PROVISIONS for yourselves, for within THREE DAYS you are to CROSS THIS JORDAN, to go in to POSSESS THE LAND which the Lord your God is GIVING YOU, TO POSSESS IT."
(Joshua 1:10,11)

Our PREPARATION is to stock our UTILITY BELTS. We will be going over...there will be war...BUT there will be POSSESSION AND VICTORY.

NEXT TIME: UTILITY BELT PREPARATION

Love and Bat Kisses
Rod "More Than A Conqueror" Boyd