Remember Jesus said;

Matthew 25:44-46 

 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

This is from a good friend of mine  Kevin this is a amazing read. He did a wonderful job an thought you should read it.

I am realizing more and more, what a false picture society and the church has painted, not only of Christ, but the world and what is truly going on around us.

Think about all the paintings of Christ, a gentle man always surrounded by kids, meek and mild. They leave you with the impression that he is the world's nicest guy. Mr. Rogers with a beard. Telling me to be more like him feels like telling me to go limp and passive. Be nice, be gentle. Be like Mother Teresa.

The true Christ is so much more than this. He is a warrior. On more than one occasion he has confronted the Pharisees. He runs right into confrontation, draws the enemy out, exposes them for what they are, and shames them in front of the world. The Lord is a gentleman? Not if you're his enemy.

Jesus is no pale-faced altar boy with his hair parted in the middle, speaking softly, avoiding confrontation. He is the Lord of hosts, commanding the loyalty of his army, Captain of Angel Armies. When he returns he is the head of a dreadful company, mounted on a white horse, with a double-edged sword, his robe dipped in blood.

Even the title and phrase "The Lord Almighty" has little meaning today. People throw this title around without emphasizing on it's true definition. Think about this phrase for a while. Honestly, this just doesn't resonate. There is something too religious about it, it sounds sanctimonious and churchy. 

Lets look at the true Hebrew meaning: He who is sovereign over all "Hosts" (Powers) in heaven and earth, especially over the "Hosts" of Israel (armies). Now that is the true meaning that has been lost, it means "The God of Angel Armies", now it sounds like a title of someone who will roll up their sleeves, take up sword and shield to battle for our freedom. Why do so many Christians not understand that title? Is it that we have given up a warfare view of life?

Let me ask you another question. Who did Jesus tangle with more than any other group or type of person? Who started rumors about him to discredit his ministry? Who kept putting him on the spot with loaded questions? Religion and its defenders have always been the most insidious enemy of the true faith and word of God. Even today religion paints a false picture of Christ and the true meaning of Christ.  The Pharisees and their brethren down through the ages, to this very day, have merely acted – unknowingly for the most part – as puppets, the mouthpiece of the enemy.

It's the enemies backup plan: "infiltrate their ranks dressed as an angel of light" Galatians 1:8 … then slowly bring a veil over all that is good and beautiful and true. Take them captive through their own religion. The enemy is everywhere, even in our own church.

What we need to remember, is that we are spiritual beings and we live in two worlds - a spiritual world and this world of the flesh. We think of Christmas and we think of the nativity scenes with the Shepherds, wise men, and Kings, Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus, think of the mood in this scene – quiet, warm, and loving. Yes, this day is the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ ... it is a very special day. But we must also see this day in the Spirital realm:

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his head. His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth., so he may devour her child the moment it was born.  She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne." Revelation 12:1-5

"And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him." Revelation 12:7-9

"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring – those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea."  Revelation 12:17

The birth of Christ was an invasion by God. An invasion into a world controlled by the enemy. The Eternal Truth that the Bible teaches us is that we live in a world at war.

The Bible was given to us for a reason, and the entire basis of it is that we are living in a world at war, that things are not what they seem. It is not just mentioned a few times in the Old Testament, it is the main foundation of the entire book, including the New Testament. We are living in two worlds – one that we see and one that we don't. Have you ever seen the movie the Matrix. Go back and watch that movie with the understanding I am giving to you now. That movie, from start to finish, is based on our reality.

Many new Christians thought that accepting Jesus would somehow end their troubles, or at least reduce them considerably. No one told them they were being moved to the front lines, and they seem genuinely shocked that they would be shot at. Make no mistake about it, this is a war, and all Christians are a threat to the enemy, and he will always be trying to take us out. To divide and conquer.

We have been created in God's image, and that image is reflected in our heart. It is the image of God reflected in you that so enrages hell; it is this at which the devil hurls his mightiest weapons.

When Satan lost the battle against Michael and his angels, "he was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him" Revelation 12:9. That means that right now, on this earth, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of fallen angels, foul spirits, bent on our destruction. And Satan is "filled with fury, because he knows his time is short" Verse 12. "Then the dragon was enraged at the women and went off to make war against …those who obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus" Verse 17. He has you in his crosshairs, and he isn't smiling.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible that gives so much weight to what I am saying,  is in the book of Daniel, Chapter 10. God had given Daniel a vision, a vision of a war, the greatest of all wars, a war that would last until the second coming of Christ. Daniel is troubled and doesn't completely understand this vision, so he sets out for an answer. Everyday for 3 weeks he is praying and fasting, but it produces no results. Then on the 21^st day, an angel shows up, out of breath, explaining that God had dispatched him in answer to Daniel's prayers on the very first day Daniel prayed, (there goes the whole unanswered prayer thesis) but had been locked in hand-to-hand combat with a mighty fallen angel, who kept him from getting to Daniel. The angel finally had to call on Michael, the great archangel, to come and help him break through the enemy lines.

Wow! Take a moment and think about that. Take in the weight of this. Where did we loose sight of this reality? This is our most desperate hour. Do you see what has happened to us? The very essence of our faith has been stripped away. The very thing that has given our lives meaning and protect us – this way of seeing the truth – has been lost.

You have an enemy, he is trying to steal your freedom, kill your heart, to destroy your life. He has an agenda. What we need to realize and keep in the forefront of our mind - is that this is a war. We are born into the late stages of the long and vicious war against the human heart. The Bible is God's Epic, and we all have a role in it, and until we understand that, life will never make sense. If we understand that we are in this Epic battle, then the language of the Bible fits perfectly. It all makes sense. Things are not what they seem. We are at war.  That war is against your heart, your glory. Look at Isaiah 61:1

"He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners."

This is God's personal mission for his people; the offer for life. Many believe that Christ's only purpose was to die for our sins. This is so wrong, his purpose was to set us free, to give us life. Listen to this closely … when the Bible says that Christ came to "redeem mankind" he offers much more than forgiveness. To simply forgive a broken man is like telling someone running a marathon that it's ok that they have a broken leg, you won't hold it against them. It is cruel to leave him disabled. No, there is so much more to our redemption and that is to live life from our heart, as God created us to. This is another lost message of the Gospel and it is the last thing that the enemy wants the world to know. It would change everything. Those of you who have gotten your hearts back know exactly what I mean. The offer from God is freedom, It's life.

We all are held prisoner to some form of darkness. We didn't know it – that's proof enough. In the darkness we can't see. And what is the hidden darkness? Our hearts.  They are the treasures hidden in darkness. They are prisoners of war.  The question is not are we spiritually oppressed, but where and how? To live in ignorance of spiritual warfare is the most naïve and dangerous thing a person could do. It's like walking into an Al-Qaida training camp wearing a "I love America" T-shirt.

The enemy is determined to harm and ruin God's image in us. The story of your life is the story of a long and brutal assault by the one who knows what you could become in Christ and fears it. Until you understand this, life will never make sense.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering" 1 Peter 5:8-9

It you're not pursuing a dangerous quest for life, well, then, you won't need a guide. If you haven't found yourself in the midst of a ferocious war, then you don't need a commander and captain. If you've settled in your mind to live as though this is a fairly neutral world and you are simply trying to live your life the best you can, then you can probably get by with the Christianity of tips and techniques. But if you intend to live in the story that God is telling, and if you want the life he offers, then you are going to need so much more than just a handful of principles. Narrow is the way, said Jesus.

The Power of the Enemy

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring Lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm to in the Faith, because you know that your brothers around the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering." 1 Peter 5:8-9

As Peter says, we are all under a Spiritual attack, and what does he insist you do? Resist the Devil, Fight Back! My heart aches so bad. I have been trying desperately to help a loved one in their relationship with God, and I am realizing what a strong hold the Devil has on her. She actually believes his lies and is pushing away from people who want to help her. Being Born Again, or even seeking a closer relationship with God, doesn't mean your life becomes easier, or problems will miraculously fix themselves by the Power of God. The Devil is not going to just let go of you because you are looking to Christ, he will fight for you soul till the end.

When we enter the story of Life in the book of Genesis, we step into a world at war between good and evil. Somewhere back in the mystery of eternity past, there was a rebellion, an assassination attempt. Lucifer rebelled against the Trinity, he tried to take the throne of Heaven by force, assisted by a third of the angelic army. They failed, were hurled from the heavens, but were not destroyed, and the battle continues to this day. This is God's Epic.

Satan is constantly probing our perimeters, looking for a weakness and when he finds it, he will use it over and over again. He will throw a though or temptation at us in hopes that we will swallow it. He knows your story, he knows where you are vulnerable, and he knows what works on you.

We need to constantly remind ourselves of Satan's power, and we should do well to interpret things with open eyes, with Spiritual eyes, instead of trying to explain everything on a "human" level. When you ignore the enemy, he wins. He loves to blame everything on us or those who are trying to help us. He loves to get our feelings hurt, to be misunderstood, suspicious, judgmental, and resentful of others. He knows we are more vulnerable alone, without other believers. He will do everything he can to plant thoughts in our head, to cloud our vision, and to turn us away from those who want to help us. He will DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

Before an effective military strike, you must take out the army's communications. Satan does just this, not only our communication and lifeline with other believers, but also our communication with God. Commit yourself to prayer every morning for two weeks and see what happens. You'll not want to get up, you'll be sick, your kids will have something come up, you'll be running late to work and put it off. And if you do get time for prayer you will find your mind wandering off, thinking about issues, problems, and the everyday stress of life. Many times, I have come under a cloak of confusion, the communion I normally enjoy with God seems cut off. If you don't know what is going on, you'll believe that you really have lost faith, or believe God has abandoned you.

The enemy also uses propaganda against us all the time, constantly broadcasting messages to try to demoralize us. All Scripture calls him "Accuser of our Brethen" Rev 12:10. Think of what goes on – what you hear and feel – when you really blow it. I'm such an idiot, I always do that, I'll never amount to anything. Sounds like accusations to me. How about when you are really trying to step forward and do what is right?

This morning I awoke early, planning to write a Blog, but was overcome with these thoughts : I can't make a difference, I'm not helping anyone with this profile, why even waste my time. Now in my clear moments, I know this was an attack. But you must understand that all this comes on so subtly, it seems true at the time. You will think that all the evidence is there, you will believe it's a fact. The Scriptures warn us : "Do not rely on what you think you know, trust only in God and he will show you the way"

FOLLOW THIS CLOSELY:

So long as you remain no threat to the enemy, he will let you believe that "Everything is fine, You're good, your doing what you should be doing", but as soon as we take a side against Satan you will hear "Your heart is bad and you know it". He will turn us against the ones who want to help us. He will DIVIDE AND CONQUER.

 Don't get me wrong, I'm not blaming everything on the Devil. In most every situation, there are human issues involved. Everyone has struggles in life, every relationship has it's rough spots. But those issues are like a campfire that the Devil throws gasoline on and turns them into a bonfire. The flames leap up into a raging inferno and we are suddenly overwhelmed with what we are feelings.

McCain Campaign Says New York Times Blocked Op-Ed Response to Obama

The New York Times on Friday blocked an opinion piece submitted by John McCain to the newspaper shortly after it printed a piece by his Democratic rival, Barack Obama, McCain campaign officials confirmed to FOX News on Monday.

Obama’s piece detailed his plans for Iraq and Afghanistan. While McCain’s proposed piece also discussed Iraq, The Times told McCain’s advisers that it would not accept the op-ed in its current form because it did not offer new information. Obama’s speech previewed a series of speeches leading up to a highly publicized trip to war zones in the Middle East.

“I’d be very eager to publish the senator on the op-ed page. However, I’m not going to be able to accept this piece as currently written. I’d be pleased, though, to look at another draft. Let me suggest an approach,” Times op-ed editor David Shipley wrote the campaign via an e-mail later distributed by McCain’s team.

“It would be terrific to have an article from Senator McCain that mirrors Senator Obama’s piece. To that end, the article would have to articulate, in concrete terms, how Senator McCain defines victory in Iraq. It would also have to lay out a clear plan for achieving victory — with troops levels, timetables and measures for compelling the Iraqis to cooperate. And it would need to describe the Senator’s Afghanistan strategy, spelling out how it meshes with his Iraq plan,” Shipley wrote.

McCain campaign Communications Director Jill Hazelbaker said the two candidates “have very different world views” about Iraq and the campaign wanted an opportunity to state its candidate’s view.

“We have elections in this country, not coronations and it’s unfortunate that The New York Times wouldn’t allow their readers to hear from John McCain and make their own judgment,” Hazelbaker told FOX News.

“John McCain believes that victory in Iraq must be based on conditions on the ground, not arbitrary timetables. Unlike Barack Obama, that position will not change based on politics or the demands of the New York Times,” added McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds.

The New York Times has not yet responded to requests for comment about its editorial decision-making. Obama’s op-ed ran on July 14, days before the Democratic presidential candidate departed for Afghanistan and Iraq as part of a congressional delegation that received coverage from all three broadcast networks’ news services. It is the first time the networks have traveled overseas with a candidate.

Hazelbaker said that it’s not her job to police the media coverage, but the campaign would have liked to have “made our case directly to the voters.”

“We think the American voter is smart enough to make the call on their own,” she said.

FOX News’ Shushannah Walshe contributed to this story.