INTRODUCTION

 

In these “Last Days” God is getting ready (preparing, training) an army of obedient followers who will usher in the return of the Messiah King and who will not shrink back from the task that is at hand.  Many believers today believe that confessing Jesus as Lord (Salvation) is the pinnacle of Christianity.  It seems that many reach the point of salvation and coast through life, never making a difference for the kingdom of God.  We need to understand that salvation is the starting point of this journey, not the climax.  Most of us already understand that the point of salvation is where we become born again and we start our lives over.  However there is a process of unlearning everything that we were wrongfully taught and learning to do things God’s way (the right way).  God’s ways are higher than man’s ways.  If salvation was the climax of Christianity; what would have happened if the Apostle Paul came to salvation and that was it, he went off to live his life and we never heard of him again?  For starters we would not have most of the New Testament as we know it today.  What is the world missing because you have not stepped into the role that God has for you?  

 

I feel a strong sense that the Lord is reminding all those who believe in Him to follow Him with a steadfast heart.  Scripture’s show us again and again that we are to Grow Mighty in the Lord and that Becoming (Growing) Mighty in the Lord is a process; not an overnight event.  In the book of Revelation, we are assured that when the Messiah returns that He will be returning for a church (people) without spot or blemish.  Rejoice at these words because they give us a promise of victory.  It saddens me when I hear Christians say “well I was born this way and have never really had any long term victory over this sin.  I guess I’ll never be free from it until I go to heaven”.  That is a defeated mindset that must change!  As an obedient follower of Messiah (Christ) you will be faced with different battles.  Some will come at your marriage, your job, your family and will attack your faith in God.  The good news is that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit want you to be victorious and have given you all that you will need to have the victory.  As we come to know the Lord and grow in Him we must take our place upon the wall and battle the forces of darkness, but only as the Holy Spirit leads us.  The battle that we are in is a daily one.  Each day we are faced with decisions that will either advance the Kingdom of God or will sustain the kingdom of darkness.  

 

In Ephesians 6 we are admonished to put on the whole armor of God.  Armor is put on in preparation for battle.  The spectators do not wear armor, the Warriors do!  God has called EVERY believer (obedient follower) to be a Warrior, NOT a spectator!  Please notice that the Helmet of Salvation is only one piece of the armor.  The others are the Shield of Faith, the Evangel of Peace, the Loincloth of Truth, the Breastplate of Righteousness and the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God).  All this is so that we can stand 2476 (be established, safe and sound, will not waiver (SEEC)) against the enemy and stand in the strength of God.  We are not at war with flesh and blood (neighbors, bosses, co-workers, family members), but against principalities, powers, the rulers of this present darkness and the spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).  We know that Satan is that enemy.  He has already been defeated, but has not laid down his arms and surrendered.  He will continue to fight and cause as much destruction as he possibly can.  He is trying to take as many of us as he can out with him.  

 

The battle that you are facing could be compared to “The battle of the bulge”, which was one of the most famous battles during World War II.  This battle was one of the toughest and bloodiest battles of the entire war.  This battle took place towards the end of the war and Germany agreed to an unconditional surrender just five months after the battle began.  We now know that Germany was a “defeated foe” when “the battle of the bulge” began, but that did not stop them from putting up a tremendous fight and killing many allied solders.  

 

In 2001 I returned to the Lord.  The sad thing is that I thought I never left His side.  I had so much wrong doctrine that I believed that I was good with God because I confessed Jesus as Lord at a young age.  I felt that “knowing about Jesus” made me better than those who did not know Jesus at all.  I was told that Jesus understood my fallen nature and would not hold to my account the sin that I intentionally committed.  I didn’t know that I had to change my ways to follow Jesus; I thought I only had to know who He was.  Boy was I wrong!  At this point in my life I could find an excuse for every sin that I committed or wanted to commit.  I was making the most money that I ever made in my life.  I had a high profile job where I enjoyed many successes.  However, I was abusing prescription pills and my marriage was on the verge of collapse.  I had a lot of anger, rage, rebellion and un-forgiveness.  I was disobedient, ungrateful and revengeful.  The sad thing is that I really thought myself to be a nice guy and in good graces with God, because I did genuinely help people in any way that I could.  That is as long as I got along with them.  I occasionally tithed and gave to some Christian charities.  I also compared myself to some of the guys that I worked and went to school.  I was not doing the drugs that they were.  I did not cheat on exams like they did, but instead I studied my butt off to get high grades.  I compared myself in every way possible so that I could justify my actions of disobedience.  I was headed straight for the pit of hell.  Then one day while I was praying and reading my bible, the fear of the Lord fell upon me.  I suddenly saw that the way I was living was a life of sin.  I immediately confessed that what I was doing was wrong and asked God to help me live according to His ways.  This started me on the path of Becoming Mighty in the Lord.  Through this experience I learned that Repentance and Confession are a lifestyle, not just praying a single prayer.  I now understand that there are many areas of a person’s heart that must be submitted to God.  As we develop a more intimate relationship with God, He will show us how to submit ourselves to Him.  

 

    Judges 17:6 - In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right

in his own eyes.  

 

I now understand that I could be the nicest and greatest guy in the whole world and still go to hell.  It is not my good works that will get me into heaven.  It is the declaration of Jesus as the Lord of my life in both speech and in actions that will allow me to enter into the reward of an eternal life with God.  I am not saying that you must earn your way into heaven by good works, but I am saying that when you are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, your actions will reflect what is really in your heart.  

 

As obedient followers of the Most High God, we must start to gain an understanding about God, His ways and who we are in the Him.  We can start by asking ourselves some questions…  Does knowing the bible make me a Christian?  My friend, you can know the bible forwards and backwards and still Not be a Christian.  Does going to church make me a Christian?  You can go to church for years, never miss a day and still Not be a Christian.  Does doing good works, make me a Christian?  Doing good works will Not make you a Christian.  Will paying tithes of all that you own make you a Christian?  Paying tithes will Not make you a Christian.  What about praying?  Will praying make you a Christian?  Praying will Not make you a Christian, even if you pray in the name of Jesus.  I have seen many New Age practitioners pray in the name of Jesus and they are anything but Christians.  The above are things that Christians do, but doing them will Not make you a Christian.  A Christian is someone who is fully submitted to the Lordship of Jesus, Period!  

 

Before we can receive our ministry from the Lord, we (as children of the Most High God) must go through a cleansing and purification process.  The way that God cleanses and purifies us, is by allowing us to go through a series of trials, tribulations and persecutions.  These experiences build a foundation in the believer.  Jesus tells us that unless we dig deep and found our house on the rock, our house will not stand.  

 

Luke 6:48 - He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock (KJV).

 

Jesus is the Rock that our foundations must be built on.  The digging process will expose sin in us.  If we ask God to show us how to deal with this sin we will develop His character through the process.  If we do not have His character, not only will we destroy the ministry that the Lord has for us, but we too will be destroyed.  We must allow God to develop His attributes in us.  One of His attributes is Integrity.  Integrity has three sides: Believing, Speaking and Actions.  If my words don’t convey what I truly believe, there is NO integrity.  My words and actions must convey what I believe in my heart to have integrity.  Godly integrity comes from Godly character, whereas depravity comes from the enemy of our souls and is displayed in the fallen man.  

 

Matthew 12:35 - A good man out of the good treasure of the heart brings forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things (NKJV).

 

Those who allow God to take them through this cleansing process will become spiritual Mighty Men of Valor, like those recorded in the Old Testament.  All throughout the Old Testament we see where the people of God went to war against the enemies of God.  They conquered lands, took ground and advanced borders.  We also see that if sin was in the camp they were quickly defeated.  Many believers suffer defeat after defeat because of the sin and iniquity that they have in there lives.  Some cry out to God because they don’t understand why they are defeated over and over again.  The answer is simple.  We need to become more than just believers in Jesus and become an obedient follower of Jesus Christ.  

 

Can you imagine Mighty Men and Women of Valor, STANDING with all the armor supplied by GOD, on the battlefield?  The devils would take one look at them and tremble.  Remember that it is not by (your) might, nor by (your) power, but by My Spirit says the LORD (Zechariah 4:6).  When you learn to put on His Strength, Power and Might you will defeat the enemy every time he comes at you and you will be advancing the Kingdom of God.  We need to understand that as Christians we should NOT be worldly, negative, offended or contentious, but instead be quick to forgive those who have wronged us.  The believers, who were addressed in the first letter to Corinth, displayed these negative attitudes and because of it many of them died an early death.  The word Christian means: little Christ or Christ like.  We know that everything that Jesus did, He did in Love.  We must attain to this level of love to be truly effective.  We can also see as we read scripture that Jesus did only what He saw the Father do.  

 

Are you ready to start the journey of Becoming Mighty in the Lord?  Let’s pray.  Father God I ask that You prepare my heart for this message, expose any false doctrine that I may have and shine Your light (truth) on any darkness that is in my heart.  Break down the enemies strongholds and teach me to Become Mighty in You.  I ask this in the name of Jesus who is, my Lord, my God and my King.  Amen!