Quote from Forum Archives on September 29, 2022, 6:38 pm

Posted by: rtolliver49 <rtolliver49@...>

"Standing Together, Shoulder To Shoulder, As We Fight the Good Fight of Faith"
 
SHOULDER TO SHOULDER is a weekly letter of encouragement Bob has written since 1997, covering many topics selected to motivate people to be strong students of the Word and courageous witnesses of Jesus Christ.  It is a personal letter of encouragement to you, written solely to help "lift up hands that hang down".

    "The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything." -- Albert Einstein

    “There is a common, worldly kind of Christianity in this day, which many have, and think they have -- a cheap Christianity which offends nobody,
    and requires no sacrifice, which costs nothing, -- and is worth nothing.” – J. C. Ryle

Shoulder To Shoulder #1310 -- 9/26/22

Title:  "Seeking The Ancient Paths (Pt 18) -- The Strategic Weapon The Prayer Warrior Employs"

My Dear Fellow Kingdom Seeker:

I greet you for the final time this season from the beautiful mountain village of Greer, AZ.  The bighorns, deer, antelope, and elk are noisily sensing the season of partner finding and harem gathering, and the colors of the thousands of fall flowers are giving way to the rustling leaves of the Aspens snuggled in among the giant conifers  providing winter foods for the Mountain Jays and tassel-headed squirrels.

We just concluded our final service at Greer Chapel -- I thought at least the dozen or so still braving the night chills of the White Mountains would be there.  However, to our surprise a few more of our regulars had returned for the week-end to share a final "blessed be the tie that binds" moment, and we also had five first-time visitors again.  Altogether, it was indeed a wonderful time as we examined the final topic of the "Seeking Ancient Paths" series -- /"Finding Rest For Which We've Longed".  /

After seventeen weeks based on Jeremiah 6:16-17 and trekking the numerous paths God instructed Moses to be written in stone, we looked at the wonderful promise God made that if we believers will take stock of the crossroads where we stand and make a conscious choice to seek out and return to the "Ancient Paths", it will be a good path, and we will find rest -- a quietude and respite from the clamor and din of the world around us.

Now, as I write the main body of today's letter, we've now arrived in Yuma for the coming winter season at Chapel de Oro, which will begin on November 6th.  The 400 mile trip was uneventful, and our daughter and son-in-law were actually standing in the driveway and in the middle of the street "directing traffic" guiding us into our appropriate parking spot.  It was a needful "laugh" moment, to be sure.

THIS 'N' THAT:
+  Global Persecution of Christians:*
    >  In Sudan: -- http://give.globalreligiousfreedom.org/nada-and-hamouda
    >  In Turkey: -- https://give.globalreligiousfreedom.org/david-byle
    >  In China: -- https://etools.vomusa.org/a/vombm/viewasweb/vom_bulk_email_202209_24_web.html
    >  In Nigeria -- http://give.globalreligiousfreedom.org/nigeria

QUOTES FOR THE WEEK:

    >  "The seeking of the kingdom of God is the chief business of the Christian life." -- Jonathan Edwards

    >  To remove warfare from a spiritual life is to render it unspiritual. Life in the spirit is a suffering way, filled with watching and laboring, burdened by weariness and trial, punctuated by heartbreak and conflict. It is a life utterly outpoured for the kingdom of God and lived in complete disregard for one's personal happiness." -- Watchman Nee 

    >  "The devil knows that if he can keep our prayer lives silent, he keeps God’s hand distant." -- Francis Frangipane

    >  "The only way the kingdom of God is going to be manifest in this world before Christ comes is if we manifest it by the way we live as citizens of heaven and subjects of the King." -- R. C. Sproul

    >  "Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers." -- J. Sidlow Baxter 

    >  "There can be no Kingdom of God in the world without the Kingdom of God in our hearts." -- Albert Schweitzer

    >  "Prayer is picking a fight with the Enemy. It's spiritual warfare. Intercession transports us from the sidelines to the front lines without going anywhere. And that is where the battle is won or lost. Prayer is the difference between us fighting for God and God fighting for us. But we can't just hit our knees. We also have to take a step, take a stand. And when we do, we never know what God will do next." -- Mark Batterson 

    >  "The Kingdom of God is not a matter of getting individuals to heaven, but of transforming the life on earth into the harmony of heaven." -- Walter Rauschenbusch

    >  "Only those who are spiritual perceive the reality of the spiritual foe and hence engage in battle. Such warfare is not fought with arms of the flesh. Because the conflict is spiritual so must the weapons." -- Watchman Nee

    >  "The only significance of life consists in helping to establish the kingdom of God." -- Leo Tolstoy

    >  "Christians were never meant to be normal. We’ve always been holy troublemakers, we’ve always been creators of uncertainty, agents of dimension that’s incompatible with the status quo; we do not accept the world as it is, but we insist on the world becoming the way that God wants it to be. And the Kingdom of God is different from the patterns of this world." -- Jacques Ellul

    >  "How will tomorrow look if God answers the prayer Christ actually gave us? The Gospels show us a faith picture of God's kingdom – His kingdom...for us…here . . . now.  We are commanded to pray for Heaven's release!" -- Francis Frangipane 

SETTING THE STAGE:

The more I have delved into this area of "Ancient Paths" and Judah's desperate need to return to them, the more similarities I see between then and now.  While many factors are different, one is an absolute match -- human nature is identical.  It has never changed.  Satan's tactic to coerce man away from God under the false promise of being independent -- and thus prosperous, successful, and happy -- is the same today as when Jeremiah laid his life on the line by going entirely cross current to the culture with God's plea to pause at the crossroads, take serious inventory, and then return to the Ancient Paths  whose trailhead is still found at the base of the Tree of life in that pristine Garden long ago.

Mankind still parrots the first couple's response -- "we took and we ate" (Gen 3:6) -- and Judah's defiant rejection -- "We will NOT return!  We will NOT listen!"  (Jer 6:16-17).  We just use more sophisticated words.  We have better ideas for becoming prosperous, successful, and happy.  We want to be happy today, and be able to face the future with a sense of hope and assurance.  In an earlier blog this Summer, one of my favorite writers addressed the matter pretty well:

   “In our rapidly changing times, people are desperate to know the future – what it looks like, what it contains, how it will affect them. Barely do we adjust to the last changes when totally new realities explode into our world.” – Francis Frangipane

In such a world, people are drawn to countless “sources” to find answers they desire for both the future and how to deal with the issues of today.   Sports, entertainment, hobbies, travel, accumulation of “more”, and a wide range of occult and demonic sources are often things people go to – even Christians – to find how to deal with today’s challenges and tomorrow’s uncertainties.

This is a great tragedy, for Christians actually  have available the two greatest resources in the world to which we can go for answers, guidance, hope, increased strength, wisdom, and courage -- God's Word, and the miracle of prayer . . . actually being able to converse directly with Him.   And yet, they may be the most neglected, challenging, and difficult things a Christian ever does.

Today we're focusing again on prayer -- but a specific paradigm of praying.  Prayer must be the foundational element in the life of the Christian; we are called to be intercessors – prayer warriors.   So, let's consider "The Strategic Weapon the Prayer Warrior Employs" -- it’s great importance and how to make it a priority in our personal lives.   Prayer warriors are the most frightening, powerful, demon-chasing, world-moving human beings on earth.  The role of the prayer warrior is emphasized in two passages you might want to look at in light of today's letter -- I Tim 2:1-4 and Eph 1:15-23.  We will consider the first two of three simple ideas:

    1.    The Priorities of Prayer We need to Acknowledge.

    2.    The Promises for Prayer we need to Believe.

    3.    Some Principles of Prayer that we need to Embrace.

I.  THE PRIORITIES OF PRAYER WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE:
          (as taught by Christ (Matthew 6:5-13; 7:7-8)

In Frangipane's blog, he went on to say, . . .

   “. . . God . . . has called intercessors not to wonder about the future, but to create it through the knowledge of His Living Word and prayer "  -- Francis Frangipane

When reading the Bible, I'm often struck by "first things" -- events taking place of things being said for the very first time.  This curiosity is actually what led me to studying the covenant names of God -- "Jehovah Jireh" when God told Isaac, "God will provide" (Gen 22:16), or "Jehovah Nissi", meaning "The Lord, our Banner" where Joshua defeated Amalek.  Do you know the very first command Jesus gave to His disciples?  It was, "Follow Me." (Mt 4:19) when He called them to be His disciples.

Well, if I am not mistaken, the very first thing Jesus' disciples ever asked Him to do was to teach them to pray -- NOT "How" to pray, but "TO" pray.  And He obliged them.  (Mt 6:5-13)  In that prayer model, the Lord Jesus told us plainly how we should pray.  He gave us the “blueprint” or “outline” of prayer. (Mt. 6:9-10).  When He then taught them, He showed them four basic priorities of a healthy prayer life. 

As I try to understand it, Jesus identified four "priorities" that should be characterized in our praying -- the priorities of  1) Our Position,  2) His Preeminence,  3) Our Welcomed Petitions, and  4) His Kingdom's Praise.  Let's look at each of them more closely:

1.  The Priority of Our Position (9) -- Verse nine identifies three aspects -- or elements -- of our position with God --

    1)  First is our Relationship with Him.  He is “Our Father”.  This is one of the most honored name in the Bible for "father".  It identifies one who is in a position of great honor and respect as the "originator and transmitter of everything" (Thayer's Greek Dictionary)  It not only identifies God as the originator of the life we have, but also the One Who is the provider of everything we need, just as an earthly father is commissioned by God to do.

He is also described as the author of a family relationship that is initiated and animated by the same spirit as Himself.  He has infused His own Spirit into us -- not just me, but you AND me.  It is a family relationship -- that of a father to His children.

We take the word, "father" far too casually.  There is much to the name.  It's the name of our creator, our progenitor.  It is the name of our spiritual origin.  It is the name of our originator.  It is a name of great honor -- that of a family patriarch who deserves all recognition, honor, and allegiance.

    2)   Next, Jesus pointed out the extraordinary idea that we have a father Who is actually living and reigning in heaven -- “Who is in heaven”.  It is certainly clear that you and I cannot grasp this Realm of our God.  While we may recognize it intellectually and accept it by faith, it is still nigh on impossible to think in terms of heaven and the spiritual world.  It is truly an "out-of-this-world" experience that can be accepted only by faith, but can never be fully understood.  However, in our acknowledgement of God's presence in heaven and far above -- and over -- all things earthly and worldly, we give momentum to our desire and need to pray in the first place.  After all, it's not like talking to a neighbor, relative, or work colleague.  We're talking directly to God Himself -- and He happens to be our personal heavenly Father.

    3)    Finally, in light of those two facts, Jesus address the issue of how we must always view Him and address Him -- with deep Reverence -- “Hallowed by Thy name”.  This is a special word that means to make holy, to sanctify, to purify, or to venerate.  BUT -- there is an essential distinction to be made.  It is NOT that we "make" Him all of that, for He already IS all of that.  Rather, it is our obligation to see Him AS that, and to acknowledge Him AS that when we pray.  We are agreeing that He is all of that and more.  Why is this so important?  Because if we don't see Him as He truly is, we will seldom pray to Him in the first place, and in those times when we do pray to Him, we will do so with timidity, uncertainty, shallowness, and/or skepticism and unbelief.  Thayer, again, reminds us to "render or acknowledge", God to be venerable or hallow -- and, "to separate from profane things" our heavenly father, the God of the universe. 

And that leads us to examine . . .

2.    The Priority of His Preeminence (10) --  I know I might look too detailed, but five very important facts capture our attention here.

    1)    “Your kingdom” -- God's kingdom "is not OF this world".  It is A kingdom, but it is HIS Kingdom, and not ours.  In that it is a kingdom, it requires of necessity a King, and that king is God Himself, and it belongs to Him alone, and not to us.  That means it's all about Him, start to finish.

    2)    [Your kingdom] “come” -- Such a simple word!  We use it often -- "come" to church, "come" to my house, etc.  Its familiarity, to our detriment, steals from us two profound realities about God's kingdom.  First, the word means to "Arrive" from another place.  We understand that to mean, of course, to arrive from heaven or the heavenly spiritual world.  It's altogether a different kingdom from those of this world. 

But, it means not only to "arrive", but also to "Appear" -- to become visible and evident.  So, when you and I pray that God's kingdom comes, we're praying that it will actually arrive here on earth where we live, and that when it does arrive, it will also appear -- that it will become so evident that it becomes obvious. 

    3)    “Your will” -- This speaks to us in assuring ways that God has a plan -- an agenda.  It is the enactment of God's intention.  If His kingdom "arrives" and "appears", then He has to have a plan in mind.

    4)    [Your will] “be done” -- This simple phrase carries great confidence and assurance for us as we pray.  It is a declaration that we can ask for and be assured that His will -- particularly as it relates to His kingdom purposes -- will "come into being" to "begin to be" or to "become a reality".  There is nothing more assuring to us than to know that God not only Wants His will to become a reality, but that H wants it to happen . . .

    5)    "[Here] on earth, as it has been done in heaven.” -- This is an interesting combination of words, because on the one hand the "on earth" refers to something happening right now or in the future, while "as it has been done in heaven" refers to something that has already been accomplished or settled in heaven.  This reveals to us a profound prayer principle -- When we commit ourselves to the enactment of the will of God, we are tapping into His will that He had established as reality long, long, ago, centuries and perhaps aeons before you and I were born.  And, one thing is certain and firm -- when we pray God's Will, we have every reason to expect that it will be manifested here on earth in our world.

So, we now see that we are praying from a divinely decreed position that we belong to Him Who lives in heaven, we honor and revere Him as King of the universe, and we acknowledge Him and His sovereign purposes as being preeminent over all things and all rule.  Between those two principles -- Our position together, and His preeminence over all things -- we find ourselves standing on firm ground to bring to Him our petitions.  As such, then, we see , , ,

3.    The Priority of Welcomed Petitions (11-13b) -- The "outline" Jesus gave us in this model for prayer cover four essential areas of our lives as His followers.  We are to pray about our . . .

    1)    Daily needs – Provide for us what we need each day -- “our daily bread”.

    2)    Daily holiness – Provide for us what we need constantly -- “forgive us . . .”.

    3)    Daily guidance – Provide for us both decision, direction, and protection -- “lead us not”.  More literally, "don't let us be deceived and led into wrong things!  Keep us from being led astray!"

    4)    Daily victory in battle – Provide Protection and rescue -- “deliver/evil one"

    “Most Christians spend 90% of their praying on their petitions and almost no time praying for the advanceement, authority, and coming of God’s Kingdom.  It is this very imbalance that stalls His Kingdom from being manifested in their world.”  -- Donte Neetu Gnomee

4.    The Priority of Kingdom Praise (13b).  In this priority we come full circle -- back to the primary focus of our praying -- praying regarding God's kingdom.  After we first determine our relationship with Him as our father King, we next express our desire that His kingdom come, and now we conclude by acknowledging the Kingdom belongs exclusively to Him, and not to us. 

This tells us a little about what the prayer warrior must be all about -- about Him, The King, and not about us.  While some versions, such as in Luke, do not include this last part of Jesus' model for praying, Matthew certainly does.  That would be appropriate since Matthew's Gospel portrays Jesus as rightful King over Israel and all of mankind.  There are three very simple statements in this verse that sums everything up.  They need no explanation:

    1)    The kingdom is His, not ours! –

    2)    The power is His, not ours! --   

    3)    The glory is His, not ours! --

Frangipane concluded his observations about the prayer warrior's kingdom praying by raising a stunning question: . . .

    "How will tomorrow look if God answers the prayer Christ actually gave us? The Gospels show us a faith picture of God's kingdom – His kingdom...for us…here . . . now.  We are commanded to pray for Heaven's release!"

Just imagine this: -- When we follow this prayer model, the reality of God’s plan is released.  When you hear from God and pray His Word, you automatically pray according to His will. We must move from theory to spiritual reality in our praying.  Paul illustrated how we should pray by sharing one of his own prayers – (Eph 1:15-23).  Look at what he prayed.

    "For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

    "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.

    "These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

    "And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." -- Eph 1:15-23)

As you and I truly, passionately and accurately submit to Christ in prayer, the kingdom of Heaven steadily enters our now prayed-for world.

For one final time, I will quote from Frangipane's recent blog -- "The devil knows that if he can keep our prayer lives silent, he keeps God’s hand distant."

II.  THE PROMISES OF PRAYER WE MUST BELIEVE:

Two of my favorite scriptures on God's promises give me great assurance:

    >  "Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.  For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.

       "Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.  For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." -- II Pet 1:2-8 

    >  "For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us." -- II Cor 1:20 

When I discovered those two promises from God, then it was no real stretch for me to believe any of His promises -- even those that seemed out of the question, impossible, or totally out of reach. 

The problem most of us have is that we focus our efforts on believing the promise, and not on believing the One who made the promise.  You do know, I assume, that a promise is only as good as the one making it.  So, the genius is not in the magnitude of the promise, but on the maker of the promise.  If, for example, I were to promise you $1 million if you were to pull the weeds in my garden, you could pull all the weed in all of Yuma, and I still would not keep my promise.  I would not because I could not. 

So, as you consider just a few of the many prayer promises I found in scripture, try to focus your attention on Who said it rather than on what He said.  Since I need not add to or explain what He said, just take time to ponder each one.  They are amazing promises God gives us about prayer.  Don't ever doubt a single one.

 1.    Mt 7:7-11 – Ask/receive, seek/find, knock/opened.
            "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

            "Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks 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 will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!"
   

  2.    Mt 21:22 – Ask/believe/receive.
            "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
   

  3.    John 14:13-14 – Ask in Christ’s name.
             "Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.
   
   
  4.    John 15:16 – Ask in Christ’s name.
            "You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you."

   
  5.    John 16:23-24 – Ask in Christ’s name.
            "In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.  Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be made full."

   
  6.    Ps 91:14-16 – If we call, God will answer & deliver.
             "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.  He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With a long life I will satisfy him And let him see My salvation."

   
  7.    Ps 50:14-15 – Call with thanksgiving; He will answer.
             "Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High;  Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."

   
  8.    II Chron 7:13-14 – If we call in humility, He will forgive, restore, and heal.
            "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

   
  9.    I John 3:21-22 – If we obey & ask, we will receive.
            Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."

   
10.    Mark 11:24 – If you ask in faith, you will receive.
            "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."

   
11.    I John 5:14-15 – If you ask, He hears, we receive.
            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 requests which we have asked from Him."

12.    Matthew 18:18-20 – Ask in agreement, receive.
            "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.  Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.  For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

13.    Jeremiah 33:2-3 – If we call, He will answer, prove.
             "Thus says the LORD who made the earth, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name, 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know'."

14.    Isaiah 65:24 – Before we even call, He will answer.
            "It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear."

15.    Rom 8:26-27 – When we pray, the Holy Spirit acts.
            "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."

16.    James 5:13-18 – When we have needs, pray.
            "Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.  Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

    "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.  Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.  Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit."

17.    Matthew 6:6-8 – pray privately/simply/expectantly.
             "And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they suppose that they will be heard for their many words.  So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.  Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father . . ."

18.    Psalm 17:6 – If we call, He hears and answers.
            "I have called upon You, for You will answer me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, hear my speech."

Now, yes, I can hear all those questions surfacing -- "How can I know God's Will?",  "If I ask, will I get what I ask for?", "So, if I believe it, I'll receive it?", etc.

Don't let yourself get caught up in those question -- which we can address at another time. Remember that our focus is to be on the Promise Keeper, and not so much on the promise.  Remember what I just said -- the validity of a promises is in the One Who made the promise.  We are looking at the subject from the perspective of the prayer warrior engaged in kingdom issues.  Don't let the thief come in and steal away your confidence for your assignment.  Look at the One Who made the promise, Not on those who deny the promise because they will not believe the One Who made it.

FINALLY:

Perhaps you've never considered the paradigm of the Model Prayer as being our "weapon of choice".  It should be -- it establishes our position, seated with Christ in the heavenlies at our Father's right hand; it expresses the passion of our hearts that our Father's kingdom become living reality down here where we live; it acknowledge our dependence on Him for our every need, and it acknowledges that it all about Him -- the battle, the wounds, the challenges, everything.

So, here's the bottom line ---- Prayer, confident conversation with the God of creation, anchors us in God's strength for our battles. Make it your lifestyle.

    “…we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. [So] let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy & find grace to help in time of need.” -- Heb 4:15-16

Think about it -- as a faithful follower of Christ, wouldn't you rather fight and lose, than to not fight at all and wonder what might have happened if you had fought?  Wouldn't you rather ask and not receive than to not ask an wonder the rest of your life? 

Our greatest failure in our Christian walk is our inability -- or unwillingness -- to simply trust Him . . . and leave the rest up to God.

In His Bond, By His Grace, and for His Kingdom,

Bob Tolliver -- Romans 1:11

    "Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." -- Dr. Luke (Acts 17:11)

    "A fire kept burning on the hearthstone of my heart, and I took up the burden of the day with fresh courage and hope." -- Charles F. McKoy

Life Unlimited Ministries
LUMglobal
lifeunlimited@pobox.com

Copyright September, 2022

    "If Jesus had preached the same message that many ministers preach today, He would never have been crucified." -- Leonard Ravenhill

    "The time will come when instead of shepherds feeding the sheep,  the Church will have clowns entertaining the goats." -- Charles H. Spurgeon
    

If this letter has blessed you, feel free to forward it or copy from it, with proper credits, to any and all you wish.

Please do NOT hit reply to this letter.  This is an automated unmanned system.  If you want to write Bob, send directly to lifeunlimited@pobox.com.  Replying to "Shoulder To Shoulder" mailer gets you nowhere.

=============================

Bob Tolliver

Life Unlimited Ministries

LUMglobal

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