What’s Your Battle Plan? :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: July 22, 2018September 6, 2018 by RR7

Ask any general, and he’ll tell you that you need to have a battle plan before you go to war. For instance, before Joshua went to battle at Jericho he needed a battle plan. The plan was given to him by the LORD Himself.

“And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go around about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days“ (Joshua 6:3).

The plan also required the Ark of the Covenant to be carried ahead of the army, and seven priests were to carry trumpets made out of ram’s horns. On the seventh day they were to circle the city seven times, then the priests were to blow the trumpets. At the sound of a long blast of the trumpet, they were all to give a great shout. Well, that was the battle plan, but it’s a little unusual. Nevertheless, Joshua informed his army, and they followed orders.

Never mind that this isn’t exactly the way an army usually fights, but it was the Lord’s way. By being obedient, the walls of Jericho fell and the Israelites won the battle against the mighty men of Jericho.

We may not always understand God’s ways, but if we’re obedient we can also break down walls and win our battles against the enemy.

Another interesting battle plan happened when Gideon was a judge over Israel. The Midianites were a problem, and the Lord called Gideon to deal with them. So, Gideon gathered a large army and was ready for battle.

“And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me“ (Judges 7:2).

It would seem that the bigger the army the better, but God said it was too big. So Gideon had to reduce the size of the army. The first step was to tell anyone who was afraid to return home. There were a lot of fearful men; and 22,000 went home, leaving 10,000 who were willing to fight. The LORD told Gideon that the army was still too big and more would have to leave. The LORD had a plan as to how to reduce the army again. They were to go to the water and drink.

“…Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink” (Judges 7:5b).

The ones who bowed down to drink were sent home, and this reduced the army to only 300 men. Then, God’s battle plan became more interesting. The remaining 300 were each given a trumpet and a container with a lamp inside and were divided into three companies. About midnight, they surrounded the enemy’s camp. Then they blew their trumpets, broke the containers to let the light shine, and shouted “The sword of the LORD, and of Gideon.” The Midianites were startled out of sleep and first began fighting each other, then they fled.

Following the battle plan of God will always work best.

Then there’s the battle that Jehoshaphat fought with the Moabites and the Ammorites. He was outnumbered and he was afraid. The Lord knew his fear and told a Levite named Jahaziel to tell Jehoshaphat “…Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15b).

The battle plan was for them to go out to a certain place, stand there, and let God do the fighting.

“And they rose early in the morning, and went forth into the wilderness of Tekoa: and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem; Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper. And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever“ (2 Chronicles 20:20-21).

The armies of Ammon and Moab began fighting against the army of mount Seir instead of fighting Judah. They destroyed themselves, and all the army of Judah had to do was go in and take the spoils. The victory belonged to the Lord.

That was in Old Testament times. Today we still face enemies, and our battle plan needs to be one that God has devised. As Christians we need to look to Christ for answers. The enemy is the same evil being who lied to Adam and Eve. Satan is the enemy of all mankind. His influence is such that he can make you your own enemy. How can that be? If you aren’t looking at your own life and judging your thoughts, words, and deeds by Scripture then you’re allowing Satan’s ways to guide you.

Gossip and backbiting will hinder your right walk with the Lord. Pride will get in the way of you humbling yourself before the Lord and allowing Him to fight your battles. When you have a problem with a friend, co-worker or family member, do you allow anger to cloud your mind? Don’t seek revenge but seek the Lord.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust“ (Matthew 5:44-45).

Bless someone who curses you? Do good to them that hate you? That’s what Jesus said. That’s the Lord’s battle plan.

People aren’t the enemy; Satan is. Everyone who has not accepted Christ for salvation is in Satan’s clutches. They naturally follow his tactics, but a Christian needs to put Christ first.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world“ (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Resisting Satan may be difficult, but with God’s help it becomes easier. Satan will use many tactics to get you to turn away from God. When you face an attack, confound the enemy by praising the Lord. Live as a Christian. Don’t gossip, back bite, or retaliate because those are the weapons that the enemy uses. Instead, conduct yourself in a way that reflects Jesus. Like Gideon’s 300-man army, break the container and allow God’s light to shine brightly before the enemy.

We are God’s children; and like every child, we need to learn to follow rules. Children are naturally selfish, and they naturally lash out if they think they’ve been mistreated. If somebody takes their toy, they’ll scream and cry. A child must learn a better way to handle situations as they grow and mature. This is also true in our Christian walk.

We start out reacting as worldly people, because that’s what we’re used to. As we mature in our Christian walk, we need to study Scripture and become more like Jesus. This will lead us to put away our immature ways and grow in Christ.

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things“ (1 Corinthians 13:11).

When you put away childish things, you’ll react to situations in a different way than a non-Christian. Christ’s love will show in your life. Instead of treating someone in the same way they treat you, a Christian will let Christ’s love shine through and treat the other person with Christian kindness. Don’t react like a child of the world, but react like a child of God. Sing His praises; let His light shine in you.

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven“ (Matthew 5:16).

You can’t see the battle plan without light. Jesus is the light, and His battle plan is love.

One way to fight against the enemy is through prayer. Pray for God’s guidance, then look for His answers. Search the Scriptures earnestly. Move your selfish motives out of the way and look for God’s solution. His answer may not be the easy way, but God’s ways are always best.

We need to look to Christ for our example. It wasn’t the easy way for Him to leave Heaven and enter into this fallen world, but it was the only way He could provide salvation for us. Even though He was God in the flesh, He faced many confrontations with mere humans. He showed love and compassion to people who needed His love, but He stood firmly against those who used religion for their own purposes. His love for His creation was the reason He came, and He knew that He would be crucified as our sacrificial Lamb. When the time came for Him to lay down His life, He prayed to God the Father that there would be another way to accomplish His purpose.

“Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done“ (Luke 22:42).

That needs to be our attitude. We need to submit to God’s will and follow His battle plan.

We also see that Jesus prayed for His enemies. He could have been angry when they mocked Him; He could have lashed out when they blindfolded Him and hit Him; He could have called the angels to rescue Him instead of being crucified for our salvation. Had He done that, He would not have followed the battle plan. Instead, He prayed for those who abused His mortal body.

“Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots“ (Luke 23:34).

Those whom He prayed for just went along in their sin, but our perfect Saviour prayed anyway.

Pray for your enemies. People in your life who cause you strife are to be pitied rather than despised. They are losing their own battles; but if you pray for them, you’ll win your own battle. You might not get the results you want, but by following God’s battle plan you’ll be doing all that God asks of you.

Remember, our enemy isn’t people. Our enemy is Satan and his evil minions. This means that our battle isn’t with flesh and blood, but with the powers of darkness. The real battle is spiritual. As Christians, we need to fight that battle every minute of every day. To do that, we need to be fit for the fight. Train daily by reading Scripture, and apply what you read to your life.

How many of us neglect devotional reading? That’s the best place to start in order to draw near to our Commander in Chief. The Holy Spirit lives inside each of us, but we can tune out His promptings. If Scripture is in our hearts and minds, it’s easier to be guided by His words rather than hearing Satan’s words of hate and discord.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places“ (Ephesians 6:12).

Whether you want to believe it or not, the battle is a spiritual one.

In God’s battle plan, we need to pray. Talk to the Commander in Chief and let His guidance win your battles. He alone is worthy of our praise, so lift your voice and praise Him. Fill your heart with His love, and the enemy will lose his foothold in your life. Study Scripture and go into the battle armed for the fight. Take up your cross and follow Jesus’ battle plan.

God bless you all,

Nathele Graham

twotug@embarqmail.com

www.straitandnarrowministry.com

ron@straitandnarrowministry.com

Ron and Nathele Graham’s previous commentaries archived at https://www.raptureready.com/featured/graham/graham.html

All original scripture is “theopneustos,” God breathed.

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Prophecy is Being Revealed :: By Nathele Graham

Published on: July 15, 2018August 9, 2018 by RR7

“Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste“ (Isaiah 28:16).

I often wonder what went through the minds of the prophets of old when God instructed them to write something like this. Did Isaiah think He meant that a building would be built there with a solid foundation and a perfect corner stone? Whether Isaiah understood it or not, he knew that these words were from God. The men who sorted through the scrolls to compile the Old Testament must have also thought it strange, but the Holy Spirit led them to include it in Scripture.

Centuries would pass before the meaning would be made clear by a fisherman who had followed Jesus and believed in who He was.

“Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded“ (1 Peter 2:6).

Peter knew that Jesus is the corner stone and foundation that our faith is built upon. The Jewish leaders may have recognized their Messiah if they had believed prophecy, but they were blinded by tradition and misinterpretation. Have we learned from their mistakes? Not really. Many Bible teachers ignore prophecy because it’s “too vague” or they try to twist it to fit their purposes. We live in the end times disclosed by Biblical prophecy, and we need to pay attention.

A key to understanding prophecy is to believe what God says. Trying to force prophecy to fit human understanding is like trying to force a square peg into a round hole. If the square peg (human understanding) is adjusted to fit the round hole (God’s information), then it fits nicely.

Throughout Scripture we see that God’s prophetic messages are always correct. Daniel was a highly educated young Jewish man who lived in Jerusalem. Then the Babylonian army attacked, Daniel was taken prisoner, and Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed. Though living in a pagan culture, Daniel never failed to honor God Almighty throughout his life. He had a prophetic letter written by Jeremiah to those whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon.

“For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place“ (Jeremiah 29:10).

Daniel didn’t try to come up with a replacement theology regarding who God really meant would return after 70 years, but he believed that God said what He meant. As time went on, he realized that the captivity was soon to be over and that the Jewish people soon would be re-gathered in the land and city that God had given to them forever.

“In the first year of his reign I Daniel, understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem“ (Daniel 9:2).

Daniel took the prophecy of Jeremiah seriously, and his reaction was to fast and pray. We need to take a lesson from Daniel. Prophecy is information God gives us, and He means for us to understand. There are many end-time prophecies being fulfilled today, and we need to take them seriously. Maybe we should fast and pray.

Space restricts mentioning all of the end-times prophecies, but let me first state emphatically that the “church” has not replaced Israel. We have our own place in God’s timeline, but Israel is still the main subject of these prophecies. Let’s start by looking back to the time when Jesus began His ministry on earth.

Jesus fulfilled hundreds of prophecies during the time He walked through the Holy Land proclaiming the Good News to all who would listen. When Jesus began His ministry He entered into the synagogue in Nazareth and read from Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, and set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears“ (Luke 4:18-21).

The passage He chose is found in Isaiah 61:1-2a and described His first coming. He didn’t read the entire passage from Isaiah but said that this Scripture was fulfilled. What did the rest of the passage say?

“…and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn: to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified“ (Isaiah 61:2b-3).

Verse numbers were added long after this was written, and verses 1-3 are one sentence. The portion of the prophecy that Jesus read tells of the first coming of Christ, which is why He stopped where He did. The rest describes the Tribulation period when the wrath of God will be poured out and also the Kingdom Age. Today we can look back and fully understand that Jesus was the One prophesied, but we also need to understand that the full prophecy will be fulfilled in the future…the near future.

What do we miss by not taking God at His word? For centuries many so-called Bible scholars taught that Christians had replaced Israel since the Temple had been destroyed and the Jews had been dispersed to all nations. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s too bad these “scholars” didn’t believe prophecy just as Daniel believed it. God said that Israel would be reestablished as a nation, and in 1948 it happened.

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them saith the LORD thy God” (Amos 9:14-15).

Israel was reestablished as a nation in 1948, and the Jewish people are returning. Many nations are trying to wipe them off the map, but God says that this time they are there permanently. I believe God. He also said that when they are brought back the second time they will be one nation rather than two (Israel had been the Northern Kingdom before being conquered by Assyria, and Judah had been the Southern Kingdom which had been conquered by Babylon).

“Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for Great shall be the day of Jezreel” (Hosea 1:11).

Today all twelve of the Jewish tribes are returning to the land God had given to Abraham, and it’s called Israel. There are many more prophecies regarding Israel being reestablished. These have been fulfilled, and we can be sure that all of God’s prophecies will be fulfilled.

I’m always disappointed when I look at the news and see what passes as newsworthy. In America it seems as if the latest Hollywood scandal is more important than what’s happening in places like Damascus and how that relates to prophecy.

“The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap“ (Isaiah 17:1).

This prophecy speaks of an end-time event, and today Damascus is nearly a ruinous heap. There are many other happenings in the Middle East that are much more relevant to life than the latest celebrity who hates Donald Trump or who’s getting a divorce. Have you been keeping track of the peace deal that Jared Kushner is going to present to Israel and the surrounding nations? I’m not saying that Mr. Kushner is the Anti-Christ. In fact, speculation about that is silly. Christians will be taken Home in the Rapture before the man of sin is revealed.

On the other hand, we need to look at the signs of the times. There will be a covenant which this evil man will confirm; so this could be that covenant, but that’s speculation.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate“ (Daniel 9:27). (Also see Daniel 12:11).

This is from a prophecy that was given to Daniel regarding the end of time. The “week” is a seven-year period of time that’s known as “Daniel’s 70th week,” and “the time of Jacob’s trouble.” This prophecy, as well as others, tells us that it has nothing to do with Christians…Christians don’t do sacrifices and oblations. The Jewish priests will do these sacrifices in the rebuilt Temple, which must be there in order for the man of sin to desecrate it.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains“ (Matthew 24:15-16).

Jesus took Daniel’s prophecy seriously. By reading Daniel 11:31, Daniel 12:11, and Revelation chapter 13 we know that this happens halfway through Daniel’s 70th week and marks the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Today the Temple Institute has everything they need to be used in the Temple as soon as they’re allowed to rebuild it. The signs of the times are happening quickly, so watch and be ready.

This brings us to the Rapture…a blessing for everyone who’s accepted Christ for salvation. The seven- year period in Daniel’s prophecy is the final seven years of the age, and Jesus said that the last half of that week will be worse than anything that has happened before. God’s wrath will be poured out upon those left in the world who will serve Satan and hate God Almighty. Remember, this is the time of Jacob’s trouble, which means that the nation of Israel will be the focus of much hatred.

The word “Rapture” isn’t in our English Bible, but if we had a Latin Bible we would see it. The Greek word is harpazō and means to be seized by force or snatched away. It’s used in numerous Scriptures, including John 10:28 &29, Acts 8:39, 2 Corinthians 12:2 & 4, and 1 Thessalonians 4:17. In Revelation we read letters to seven churches which give a prophecy of the church age, ending with the Laodicean church, which is very much like today. Jesus isn’t welcome inside the congregation. With that final letter, the “church age” is over and the next event is the Rapture.

“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter“ (Revelation 4:1).

The Greek words “meta tauta” are translated “after this” and “hereafter” and means first the preceding happens and then the next thing. In this instance, the description of the church age is over, the catching up to Heaven is next, and John is told he will see what follows that event. Revelation chapters 4 and 5 tell of Christians in Heaven. It’ll be awesome. Revelation chapter 6 begins the judgment of God when the Lamb opens the first seal. The following chapters tell of the horrendous wrath that will be poured out upon those who rejected Christ and haven’t been Raptured.

Prophecy is one of the most intriguing subjects contained in God’s word. As we approach the final days of world history, the prophecies are becoming more clearly understood. When Daniel was given the end- time prophecy, he wanted to know the meaning.

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased“ (Daniel 12:4).

In other words, understanding would come when the end was near. We’re at that time in history. I’ve barely scratched the surface of the list of prophecies being fulfilled today. If you’re waiting for a better time to give your life to Christ, don’t delay. If there’s someone you’ve put off sharing the Gospel with, do it now. As rapidly as prophecy is being fulfilled, God could call us Home at any moment. Only faith in the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross will save anyone from God’s wrath. Accept Him now because it will soon be too late.