June 18, 2006

Fathers Day

Joel Akin

This has been a rough week for dad. On Friday night, not too far off the midnight hour, mom called the ambulance and they took him away. His heart beat had dropped precipitously to the 20's and there seemed to be no reason. Though I didn't say much to the three ambulance attendants nor to mom who was calling up Steve and Lynda and fighting back tears I knew this was not an ordinary attack. It was the work of the enemy. I had been in prayer much of the night fighting once again with spiritual authorities and powers in high places. This is, in a sense, a routine fight for me that has not ceased for more than two years now. People talk about spiritual warfare but I sometimes wonder as Christians if we really understand what it is.

 Dad returned during the night around 4:30. Seems the doctors didn't have a clue what caused the heart problems but they concluded he was in the early stages of kidney disease which would grow progressively worse due to the multiple medications they had him on. Their news was grim that it could not be stopped. Though I appreciate the work that doctors have done I sometimes wonder if they truly understand the war is not just physical but spiritual.

Spiritual warfare is often misunderstood. I don't claim to be an expert in all things but I can state that the knowledge of the role we play and that of God is often so convoluted there are few people who realize what is happening.

Lets go out on a limb here and state that most Christians are bound and not winning the spiritual warfare because they do not know what is taking place. They want God to win the battle for them but they don't know what role they are to play. They want to work for God but they don't know what they have to do. They want to see miracles and expect them but are disappointed because the miracles don't come.

Now there are scriptures that say "The Battle is the Lords". In ancient Israel there were many times when the people got in trouble because they hired armies or assumed they were going to win without checking with God. God sometimes let them be crushed.

But is there an answer to what to some may seem fickle. After all is God fickle? Is God changeable in mind and attitude towards war? If you study the scripture carefully one thing appears clear. God loved those who put Him first before the battle was started. In every case they, the Israeli people, came home with victory against their enemy. Well, we might have some times when they were in trouble with sin or fighting against their own but those are exceptions.

In our own battles that we face we also are like the Jews of old in that God desires us to put Him first in the war. He wants us to win and he wants us to overcome. But it seems instead of overcoming there is little we can do against such adversaries as the devil, Satan, death and time. These are like Monsters who fight against us with all the power of the Universe at their disposal. Perhaps it is... But we do have a God who is bigger. Yet we also have a mystery because we wrestle not against flesh and blood but spiritual warfare in high places and sometimes in low places.

So when you are in constant prayer and problems don't seem to end how then can you continue on? Shouldn't you get discouraged and give up? Shouldn't you cry out "God its not fair?" "God, you're not listening?"

All these things I have said in the past. They were phrases I believed. That God didn't care, didn't hear and the word of God, though true, was truer for more righteous people then I. Big people who had big ministries or had accomplished great and wonderful things for the Lord. In that I was sure.

But time changes things and circumstances change things and I'm here to make an announcement. It can be thought of like a Fathers Day gift to His children. That Christmas is coming. And all the things that we wished for in our life and thought it could not happen is about to change. And everyone of us alive, or dead, is going to see these things that are about to come. Lets just say the impossible scenario, the impossible situation, the impossible battle is on the mend. And those powers we call monster powers which Satan put together, the great curse which cursed mankind and the angels, all these things are about to change and be reversed.

Now this isn't what you expected to here. You wanted to know about the 'little' battle with dad. You see sometimes the 'little' battle is more critical then you knew. Sometimes the little battle is at the very center of things. And at that center there are angels who are fighting side by side with men of prayer. And men of prayer need to know that God has heard, as He always has, and He has said "its over" and all those things you longed for will come to pass. Now don't stop praying or asking God for help. Every prayer that is being sent up is being heard and answered. And though the delay has been there its changing. And it will continue to change until that which we will call the sweeping of time will remove much of the old debris.

There is a valley filled with blessings sent forth from the crystal sea. It is a time of joy and hope for that which God has sent forth from the beginning, from the middle shall be revealed at the end of time. God has not forgotten man. He has remembered Him in the midst of mans suffering and was there. But Satan, the adversary fought and stole and lied to all of us. And we were thwarted in ways that are beyond comprehension. That is changing and the great curse is being moved.

This may sound obscure to some. I think its because the things I see are, in a lot of ways, like Paul and the dark glass window. You can look outside on a dark night and see only the light. Those things that are covered in darkness, as in the lies of the enemy, still are dark. Perhaps its best it remain so for those of us who love God.

Just remember that we who are here on earth during this time will see the great works of God. They are coming. The hindrance of the enemy is on its way out. The works of the enemy will be brought low and God shall bring forth great blessings. You are about to see the fulfillment of all things as prophecied in the scripture. Don't be afraid to look for it and don't be afraid to ask God to be part of it. He wants you there and so do I.