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EYES WIDE OPEN

In the second Book of the Kings of Israel chapter six is a story that touches my heart because it has great relevance to the struggles that we face as Christians in an ever changing and increasingly complex world.   The King of Syria at the time, Ben-hadad, decided to invade Israel, but when he would send his army to a certain place hoping to surprise the Israelites, God would speak to Elisha the Prophet and he would reveal the position of the enemy troops to the King of Israel.  In this way, they were forewarned, and saved from disaster, many times.  The Syrian King, however, was very agitated, and demanded to know who the spy was in his ranks who was revealing their troop movements to the enemy.  One of his servants spoke up, and told him that it was the prophet in Israel who was aware of every secret plan that Ben-hadad made.  Ben-hadad, therefore, commanded his army to go and besiege the city of Dothan, where Elisha was staying at the time, and bring the...
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THE PULLING DOWN OF STRONGHOLDS

“Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.  And the LORD said unto Joshua, See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof, and the mighty men of valour." (Joshua 6:1, 2).   Jericho was Israel's first real test of faith after God delivered them across the swollen waters of the Jordan River.   Considered to be the oldest inhabited city in the world, Jericho sat just west of the Jordan River on an ancient trade route that led to Damascus.   It was strategically situated at the pass that led up to the central highlands which ran north and south along the heart of Canaan, and was well fortified against its enemies.   It had a double wall that was 30 feet tall.   The outer wall was 6 feet thick, and after a space of 15 feet, the inner wall was 12 feet thick.   These walls were massive and virtually impervious to frontal assault.   Once Jericho was conquered, Israel would be...
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THE FELLOWSHIP OF HIS SUFFERINGS

"But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death " (Philippians 3:7-10).   The cry of the Apostle Paul's heart was to know Christ in all His fullness.  Like the other apostles and disciples of the Lord who came before him, Paul was willing to forsake everything and spend the rest of his life following Jesus and learning Who He really is.  All the things that he once counted as treasures and great accomplishments in his life - his position in the...
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