If you ain't the lead dog the scenery never changes (continue)

If you ain't the lead dog, the scenery never changes!

Good morning all! God is good all the time, all the time God is good. TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!
     Okay, today is, as many days, a little crazy -- thoughts are catapulting through my head, ricocheting all over, and with as hollow head as mine making quite the sounds. zing-bap-bang-bong
    Anyway, as we travel through live we have our ups and downs.  We keep focused on God, then we take our eyes off God and think I can do this; it is up to me, etc.  Well this past year I had 2 fortune cookies from Panda Express that I kept and thought how they related to our lives.
    First, I opened the cookie and it was written: "OOPS, WRONG COOKIE!"   How many times has this happened in our lives?  Look around at the world, could we say "oops, wrong God?"  We take our eyes off God, forget the breast plate of armor, and take on the world by ourselves.  What is wrong with this picture?
    The second cookie had written: "LIFE IS LIKE A DOGSLED TEAM. IF YOU AIN'T THE LEAD DOG, THE SCENERY NEVER CHANGES!"  Sometimes we call this a rut!  Get up at 6 a.m., get your morning beverage, shower, eat, go to work, come home, change clothes, do a little work at home, eat supper, watch t.v., go to bed, then get up at 6 a.m.  Where is the change of scenery?
    With both of these "cookies" we can look at Ephesians 6:10-18.  To hear Ephesians 6 click here.  Verse 11 tells us to put on the full armor of God.  Follow the instructions in Ephesians 6 (click here to read) and you will find what you are fighting.  We believe it is the world. Well, yes, but it is satan and his disciples that lurk and attack. So what do we do?
        Put on the full armor (word) of God.  First is the belt of truth buckled around your waist, and second, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and have your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  
   Okay, so what do we do next?  You take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.  Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  Okay, so I have my full armor on; anything else.  Yes--now go and pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. You must be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
         If you look at verse 12, ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
      These are demons over whom the devil has control  They are not mere fantasies--they are very real.  We face a powerful army whose goal is to defeat Christ's church.  When we believe in Christ, these beings become our enemies, and they try every device to turn us away from him, and back to sin.  
     Although we are assured of victory, we must engage in the struggle until Christ returns, because satan is constantly battling against all who are on the Lord's side.  We need supernatural power to defeat satan, and God has provided this by giving us his Holy Spirit within us and His armor surrounding us.  If you feel discouraged, remember Jesus' words to Peter:  "Upon this rock I will build my church and all the power of hell will not conquer it.." Matthew 16:18
        So, now, what are you going to do?  Are you going to be the lead dog?  Keep eating the wrong cookie? In 1776 Thomas Paine wrote a pamphlet called "common sense."  Maybe this would help us all to realize who is in charge, and what direction we need to take.  Three little letters:  G  O  D (in charge), then J E S U S (direction to take). ! Love you all.
In Christ's Love and Grace
Johnny