Heart Tracks - The Terrorist

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and [a]have it abundantly. John 10:10

Writer Chris Tiegreen tells of an encounter he once had with a woman in his fellowship. As he looked at her, he heard these words in the Spirit, "We don't negotiate with terrorists." He was unsure what it meant, but he believed they were words meant for her, and he then shared them with her. She was taken aback, and told him that she felt she was being led down a new, deeper road in her life and ministry, but was being pressed by feelings of fear, worry, and inadequacy. She received Tiegreen's words as being for and from her Lord. Satan, who is a terrorist of the highest degree, was seeking to destroy all that He had for her. The Father was saying that she should make no concessions at all to that terrorist concerning what it was He called her to. That she would make no concessions at all to the enemy of her soul on any aspect of her life in Him. The called out people of God make no compromises to the thief who has come to destroy lives, marriages, families, ministries and churches and nations. We don't negotiate with the terrorist. Ever.

I think on many levels, the church has lost sight of the very real demonic power that is present and at work in our world. I realize that segments of the church has so emphasized his activity and given him far more power than he could ever possess, but he is real, he is powerful, and he is very much at work. He seeks to terrorize, paralyze, and marginalize the people of God. He does this through fear, seduction, distraction, and deception, along with many other means. His goal, if he cannot get us to reject His call and leading in our lives, is to get us to compromise it. Stealing from us the purpose for which He created us for and called us to is his agenda. Destroying our dreams in Him. Killing our hope, our faith. It's what he does, and no earthly terrorist is as accomplished as he is. He's a terrorist, and he may well be terrorizing you right now.

Here is what you and I must know. This world does not belong to the terrorist. This is the Father's world. Scripture says that in Christ, all things hold together. He is Sovereign. He reigns. The devil may be powerful, but the Father is Almighty. The terrorist will always seek to make us lose sight of Him. When that happens, we can only expect to be at his mercy and all the tactics he employs against us. We have to understand that spiritual warfare is real. In the wonderful movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings, the King of Rohan, his land under attack, says that he will not risk open warfare against the evil wizard Saruman and his orc hordes. Aragorn, the Christ figure in the story tells him, "Open warfare is upon you whether you would risk it or not." Spiritual warfare is upon us, whether we would believe it, see it, risk it or not. In warfare, we're told to "know your enemy." We must know the ways of the thief, but even more, we must know the way and ways of the King. Evil has been unleashed in this world through Satan, but that evil has been completely conquered by the King on His cross and through His resurrection. The enemy will seek to steal, kill and destroy all He has given and called us to. We must know, fully know, that all those plans against us cannot prosper because He has overcome every plan with abundant life. Life that is freely given to us.

Where does the terrorist reign against you right now? Where is his plan succeeding? Look to the King. His plan for you, for us, is Life. His Life. Abundant. Whole. Victorious. Receive it. Enter into it. Now.

Blessings,
Pastor O