Journey of the Heart ~♥~

In heavenly armor we'll enter the land
The battle belongs to the Lord
No weapon that's fashioned against us shall stand
The battle belongs to the Lord

We sing glory and honor
Power and strength to the Lord
(repeat)

The power of darkness comes in like a flood
The battle belongs to the Lord
He's raised up a standard, the power of His blood
The battle belongs to the Lord

When your enemy presses in hard do not fear
The battle belongs to the Lord
Take courage my friend, your redemption is near
The battle belongs to the Lord

(Jamie Owens-Collins)

Yes, the battle belongs to the Lord, but if you read the first stanza "In heavenly armor we'll enter the land." Before we enter "the land" we must be clothed in Christ and in His "heavenly armor." Without your armor you will not be protected and be vulnerable to attacks from the enemy.

I have had my share of injuries and been fodder for the devil. The poem I wrote "Ready for Battle" was based on my experience of being attacked by the enemy. In a vision, I was battling the serpent and all I had was the sword. The serpent just kept getting bigger and bigger and I was standing there unprotected holding him off with my sword knowing my defeat was eminent, then I called out...Jesus...help!

I saw Jesus coming down from heaven sitting on His throne and dressed in royal garb. He took his sword and anointed me with armor and said now go and fight...it's time for battle. I immediately turned and was able to slice the serpent into pieces. I learned without God's armor on "the serpent" is going to have you for lunch.

It would be nice if Jesus would come down and tap us all and poof we had armor. I know some people will repeatedly quote Ephesians 6:13, but it's not the words, it's the actions. God gave me that vision so I would understand without the "full" armor of God the serpent is going to have you for lunch. Since then I have been studying to understand the weapons of our warfare. As we continue in Ephesians we will learn more about our heavenly armor.

I have always loved Willow trees. As a child I spent many hours nestled under the branches of our big old Willow tree. The branches cascaded to the ground leaving a wonderful cavern around the truck for tea parties and baby dolls. I mostly felt safe sheltered under the shade of Willow's gentle flowing arms. I remember, even as a very young child, being awed by a row of Willows near a creek. They were so graceful as they swayed with the wind and reached out with their roots to grasp the flowing water.

I still feel that connection with the Willow. I believe many times I am underestimated...like a Willow. The Willow gives the appearance of being weak and fragile. The trunk is small and the branches are thin. It is not until a storm blows that you see the strength of the Willow. The thin truck is pliable and the branches move and stretch with the wind. Ever bending, never breaking. However, the real strength of the Willow lies underneath. As thin as it is on top, it is as deep underneath. The roots of the willow run long and wide, holding the willow in place during the attacks from the violent storms.

Like a Willow my strength comes from being deeply rooted in Christ's Love. "Stand firm and be deeply rooted in His love" Eph 3:17. Ever growing and reaching for water...the living water of Christ. "They are strong, like a tree planted by a river" Psalm 1:3. Like a Willow I choose to bend and not break when the raging storm of life's challenges come my way. I choose to look for Jesus in the midst of my storm.

There are many storms raging around me lately. We are still waiting for my daughter's pathology report. The last one went from here, to Chicago, to Mayo because they were not sure if it was Melanoma. I suspect this one is making the same route. It looks like I might have had a mild heart attack a few weeks ago. My EKG was abnormal and I will be seeing a cardiologist Wednesday. It is getting more and more difficult to get around, but I will choose to look for Jesus.

He is there to give me shelter from the storm.He is there giving me the strength to make it another day. He is there as the Holy Spirit inspires me in the Word. He is there in the comfort and guidance of a friend. You just need look to see Him. "For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." Luke 11:10

In a field, there was an oak at one end, and a willow-tree at the other. Whenever a wind moved through the field, the willow swayed in the wind, while the oak remained unmoved. When this happened, the willow said to itself, “I wish I was as strong as the Oak, instead of bending over with every breeze“ then one day a large windstorm whipped through the field.

When the storm passed, and the darkness lifted, the willow looked across the field, and was shocked to discover that the oak was laying on the ground, broken. When the Gardener came into the field, the willow said, “Oh sir, what happened to the Oak? How is it that I survived the storm, weak as I am, and the Oak fell?”

The Gardener said, “Oh little willow-tree, do you not understand what happened? When the winds blow, you bend with them, while the oak remains still. So when a really powerful wind comes along, you can bend with the wind, and survive it. But the Oak cannot bend, and so if the wind is strong enough, it will break. For the Oak had a secret, a weakness within that no one looking at the outside could see. And the Gardener went on his way, leaving the willow to ponder what he said.

Moral: Strength within and strength without are not the same, and one should cultivate strength within first. Also, when the winds of life blow, bend, and you may survive the real storms when they come. Try and resist them, and when the real storms come, you may break instead.

VERY often, after a violent thunder-storm, a field of buckwheat appears blackened and singed, as if a flame of fire had passed over it. The country people say that this appearance is caused by lightning; but I will tell you what the sparrow says, and the sparrow heard it from an old willow-tree which grew near a field of buckwheat, and is there still. It is a large venerable tree, though a little crippled by age. The trunk has been split, and out of the crevice grass and brambles grow. The tree bends for-ward slightly, and the branches hang quite down to the ground just like green hair. Corn grows in the surrounding fields, not only rye and barley, but oats,—pretty oats that, when ripe, look like a number of little golden canary-birds sitting on a bough. The corn has a smiling look and the heaviest and richest ears bend their heads low as if in pious humility.

Once there was also a field of buckwheat, and this field was exactly opposite to old willow-tree. The buckwheat did not bend like the other grain, but erected its head proudly and stiffly on the stem. “I am as valuable as any other corn,” said he, “and I am much handsomer; my flowers are as beautiful as the bloom of the apple blossom, and it is a pleasure to look at us. Do you know of anything prettier than we are, you old willow-tree?” And the willow-tree nodded his head, as if he would say, “Indeed I do.” But the buckwheat spread itself out with pride, and said, “Stupid tree; he is so old that grass grows out of his body.”

There arose a very terrible storm. All the field-flowers folded their leaves together, or bowed their little heads, while the storm passed over them, but the buckwheat stood erect in its pride. “Bend your head as we do,” said the flowers.
“I have no occasion to do so,” replied the buckwheat.

“Bend your head as we do,” cried the ears of corn; “the angel of the storm is coming; his wings spread from the sky above to the earth beneath. He will strike you down before you can cry for mercy.”

“But I will not bend my head,” said the buckwheat.

“Close your flowers and bend your leaves,” said the old willow-tree. “Do not look at the lightning when the cloud bursts; even men cannot do that. In a flash of lightning heaven opens, and we can look in; but the sight will strike even human beings blind. What then must happen to us, who only grow out of the earth, and are so inferior to them, if we venture to do so?”

“Inferior, indeed!” said the buckwheat. “Now I intend to have a peep into heaven.” Proudly and boldly he looked up, while the lightning flashed across the sky as if the whole world were in flames.

When the dreadful storm had passed, the flowers and the corn raised their drooping heads in the pure still air, refreshed by the rain, but the buckwheat lay like a weed in the field, burnt to blackness by the lightning. The branches of the old willow-tree rustled in the wind, and large water-drops fell from his green leaves as if the old willow were weeping.

Then the sparrows asked why he was weeping, when all around him seemed so cheerful. “See,” they said, “how the sun shines, and the clouds float in the blue sky. Do you not smell the sweet perfume from flower and bush? Wherefore do you weep, old willow-tree?” Then the willow told them of the haughty pride of the buckwheat, and of the punishment which followed in consequence.

This is the story told me by the sparrows one evening when I begged them to relate some tale to me.

Hans Christian Andersen (1842)

"You know...how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." Acts 10:38

I have been pondering this passage and going through scripture trying to get a better understanding of "under the power of the devil" then as I was going through my files I came upon this message that was being sent around a few years ago. In a style very reminiscent of "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, it gives a very thought provoking scenario of...

B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke

Satan called a worldwide conventions of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ."

"This is what I want you to do" said the devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" shouted his demons. The Devil replied "Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds.

Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade them to work long hours so they can afford their empty lifestyle. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!

Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice. Surround them with non-biblical music wherever they go. Entice them to play the radio or CD whenever they drive. To keep the TV and PCs going constantly in their home. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.

Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mail boxes and inboxes with junk and every concealable enticement offering services and false hopes.

Keep shinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so husbands will believe outward beauty is what's important and become dissatisfied with their wives. Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night. Give them headaches too! That will fragment their families quickly.

Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children about the real meaning of Christmas. Give them the Easter bunny so they won't talk about His resurrection and power over sin and death.

Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. Have them return from their recreation exhausted. Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead. Keep them busy, busy, busy!

Crowd their live with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause. It will work! It will work!"

It was quite a plan. The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God and their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives.

I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes?

Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Are you too busy for Jesus?