Michigan Camp Meeting 2019: As a Witness, Matthew 24:14

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Michigan Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Morning Devotional: It's War Time

Jason Sliger

It’s Wartime - Part 1: Life is War

Father in heaven, we come into your presence this morning, this early morning hour, because we want to know you better.

Father, this morning we ask that you would speak to us through your word, that you would draw us nearer to you, raise us up to fight as soldiers in your army.

As you take a survey in Scripture, you will find that the Bible describes the Christian experience in many different ways.

The Bible describes it in using the illustration of farming, athletic pursuits, the building, shepherding, and so on.

There's many different ways that the Bible describes the Christian experience.

And all of these serve to illustrate different aspects of our Christian walk.

However, I want to talk to you this morning about 1 that we find repeated oftentimes throughout Scripture, and that is that the Christian experience is 1 of war.

Our scripture, or our sermon title this morning is, Life is War.

We find this repeatedly described throughout scripture.

Revelation chapter 12 and verse 7 describes the beginning of this war here on this earth, when the Bible says that there was war in heaven.

Revelation chapter 13 and verse 3, the Bible talks about the war that raged during the time of the Dark Ages, and it was given unto him to make war with the saints.

Revelation chapter 12 and verse 17, the Bible tells us that this war will continue to rage.

The Bible tells us that the dragon was wroth with the woman and went to make war with the remnant of her seed which keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And the Bible tells us that in this war, that we are all fighting, that the outcome for God's people is certain.

And that We will be successful if we stick with our general.

Perhaps my favorite passage in all of the book of Revelation, Revelation 17 and verse 14, the Bible says, these shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them.

There's 1 thing that is certain, the Christian life is 1 of war.

You know, I find it interesting that as you look at this description throughout the Bible, The Bible does not describe a non-wartime part of life and a wartime part of life in the Bible.

The Bible simply describes that we are in battle.

It doesn't come to an end here on this earth, it will come to an end when we get to the kingdom of heaven.

I know you all are looking forward to being there.

In his book, Prevailing Prayer by Taylor Bunch, the great Adventist preacher, He makes the statement, Christians are not on a playground enjoying a picnic.

We are on a battlefield engaged in a fight to the finish.

We occupy a fortress, not a pleasure house.

I've been convicted recently that the sooner we come to the realization that we are engaged in a full-time, unending war on this earth, the better soldiers we will be.

You see, sometimes we go around in our life as though we are civilians.

And you know what happens when you drop a civilian in the middle of a war?

The outcome is usually not good when you drop a civilian right in the middle of a thick, thick battlefield.

I believe that the reason why it is war is because it's a constant battle to maintain our faith and our surrender of our soul to our heavenly Father.

It is a constant battle to keep your soul surrendered.

From the pen of inspiration it says this, the Christian life is a battle and a march.

Look up that phrase, a battle and a march.

With earnest, determined efforts, we must constantly oppose the forces of the enemy.

Constantly oppose the forces of the enemy.

Sometimes when we come to camp meeting, this is a wonderful place, and the tendency can be to relax ourselves because we are among those who are like believers.

But I want to tell you something this morning, the battle has not stopped just because you're at Michigan Conference Camp Meeting.

Another statement from the pen of inspiration says this, the rest is in heaven for the weary.

Rest for the weary is in heaven, the crown for the brows of the warriors.

We have no time to sit down now, no time to devote to self-pleasing.

There is a crown that is waiting for the weary warrior.

Just press a little longer, brothers and sisters, And that time will come.

You know, we enjoy living in a country, I hear this quite often from Seventh-day Adventists, where they say, I'm thankful to live in a country where we can worship God according to the dictates of our conscience, that we have freedom and not religious persecution.

But what I've come to realize is that I think that this sometimes lulls us into a state of complacency.

It's interesting that when you survey those who live in the parts of the world where persecution is the thickest, that you will find that those people have the thickest relationship with God because the battle is real to them.

We need to pray that God will make that battle real to us each and every day.

It's interesting, as Paul writes to Timothy in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy, he encourages this young minister to view his whole life and ministry from a wartime perspective.

Let me just give you a couple of passages here that illustrate this.

He says in 1 Timothy 1 verse 18, this charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare.

2 Timothy 2 and verse 4, he says, no man that worth entangleth himself in the affairs of this life that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

And I really like the way the ESV version translates this Bible passage.

The first part, it says, no soldier entangles himself in civilian pursuits.

First Timothy chapter 6 and verse 12, it says, fight the good fight of faith.

Lay hold on eternal life whereunto thou art also called and has professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Paul is advising Timothy, view your life, view your ministry, view everything through the lens of war.

And then Paul pointing to himself as an example, says in 2 Timothy 4 and verse 7, I have fought a good fight.

What was the result that Paul said as a result of him keeping the faith and fighting this fight?

Henceforth, there is laid up for me a what?

Yes, it's a athletic pursuit to be a soldier.

My Brothers and sisters, as we continue to fight in this battle faithfully holding on to the hand of our general, we will be victorious.

And that crown of righteousness that is laid up for Paul is also laid up for you and me.

But perhaps 1 of the greatest tragedies that I have found in my ministry, and I'm sure that you've been aware of this as well, are those who profess to be Christians, Seventh-day Adventists, sons and daughters of God, and they go from 1 defeat to the next.

The Bible describes quite a different picture when you look at it, that we can have uninterrupted victory, that we can go from 1 battle to the next, victorious, victorious, victorious, in that engaging in that battle with Satan.

However, when we look at our experience, unfortunately, we end up going from defeat to defeat, and I believe it's because of the way we are viewing our lives.

Do we view life as a time of peace, or do we view life as a time of war?

And I believe that switch in that paradigm will change a lot in our lives, whether or not we experience victory or defeat in this spiritual battle that we are engaged in.

Let me tell you, brothers and sisters, this morning, This is not a time of peace.

What if I told you that tomorrow morning, World War III was going to happen right here?

If you knew that the troops were heading this direction, that the enemy was coming, that the Air Force was coming, that the tanks were rolling this direction, if you knew that the enemy was going to be here tomorrow morning.

It’s Wartime - Part 2: The Weapon of War

Father in heaven, we are grateful that we can enter into your presence, starting our day out on the right foot.

Father, as we sit at your feet in this family worship time.

We invite the sweet presence of your Holy Spirit to rest upon this place.

Father, we ask that the Spirit will take the words that are spoken and apply them in our hearts right where they need to be.

May we leave this place having been drawn closer to Jesus.

For it's in His name that we ask these things.

Staff Sergeant Brian McQueen was at the end of his tour in Afghanistan, he was going around his usual responsibilities that started with a early morning security briefing.

This was something that happened on a regular basis.

As McQueen was walking to the place where this meeting was to be held, he all of a sudden heard something that he had not heard in that context before on the way to that meeting, and it was the sound of machine gun fire.

Usually this was a pretty safe place, as far as a safe place can go in the battlefield.

It was a meeting between the Afghan soldiers and the American soldiers, and so it was heavily guarded.

Before he knew it, he felt what he described later was like getting kicked in the back of the head by a horse.

He fell down flat on his face and moments later he was back up again on his feet.

He later found out that there were 2 rogue Afghan police officers who had planned this attack And he had been hit by a truck-mounted machine gun on the back of the head.

Fortunately, for Staff Sergeant Brian McQueen, even though it was a routine day, he had his helmet on.

He later said about this incident, before this incident, I thought the helmet was cumbersome and an overkill." He went on to say, this helmet works, and I'm a living testimony to it.

The Lord has given us armor, and Although I have never worn physical armor I can only imagine that it's Probably not the most comfortable piece of clothing to wear.

We like our cottons and polyesters, don't we?

But we have to remember, as we studied together yesterday, that we are not civilians.

We are soldiers, and as soldiers going into battle, we must be properly equipped.

And what stands out to me in the story is that Staff Sergeant Brian McQueen, even though it was a routine operation that they were going to, he had his armor on.

What would have happened if that morning he woke up and he said, I'm in Afghanistan, it's too hot to wear a helmet?

I've never been shot at before going to this meeting." You see, he didn't forget that although many days before it was a peaceful travel to that meeting, he did not forget that He was in war.

As God's children, we must not forget the Bible does not describe a wartime part of life and a non-wartime part of life.

And I wish I had had time to go through each element of the armor of God, but I will leave that to your personal study.

However, this morning, if you would go with me in your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17, we are going to look at 1 of these things in our time together this morning.

Ephesians chapter 6 and verse 17, Paul has already told the church of Ephesus that as soldiers they must have strong hearts, courageous hearts, and put on the whole armor of God.

But then he says in verse 17, and take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.

It's interesting, as you look at the armor of God, All the different elements that Paul describes here are all to protect the soldier.

There is only 1 thing that we are given to defend ourselves, and that is the sword of the Spirit.

In the book, The Armor of Righteousness, Taylor Bunch makes this statement on page 86.

He says, the most effective fighters in the army of Prince Emmanuel are the men and women who have the best knowledge of the Scriptures and whose faith and confidence in them is unquestioned.

Who are the most effective fighters in the army of Prince Emmanuel?

Those who have a best knowledge of Scripture.

God is not sending you into battle just merely to stand there and get shot at.

There is an enemy That is to be conquered, and God has given you an efficient weapon to fight with.

The question is, how is your knowledge and skill in the use of this weapon?

Christian Experiences, page 116, The servant of the Lord says this, the word of God is called the sword of the Spirit, and you should become skillful.

Skillful in its use If you would cut your way through the host of opposition and darkness, she also talks about how we use the sword of the spirit to cut through the entanglements of sin.

Aren't you thankful for Michigan Conference Camp Meeting?

This is a place where you can become skillful in the use of the sword of the Spirit.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you will not take these days here at camp meeting as just a social gathering.

It's nice to have the side conversations, but we are here for a purpose, and that is to be equipped to go from this place as efficient soldiers in the army of Prince Emmanuel.

The ancient Japanese samurai fighters would begin their training with the samurai sword, the katana, starting at the age of 3.

They would put a little wooden sword in the hand of that child to teach them how to wield the sword.

It has been said that when a baby samurai was about to be born, that they would bring the katana into the delivery room.

They would lay it next to the child after it was born.

After the Ancient Samurai warriors came to the time when they would die.

They would bring the katana and they would lay it next to the Samurai warrior as he breathed his last breath.

Yes, The Samurai fighters were skillful with many weapons, but there was 1 weapon that they would never be found without, and that was the katana.

In fact, they would carry 3 swords with them.

They came into a house, they would take their long sword, they would take it off, but they always had a short sword with them no matter what because they never knew when the enemy would attack.

Contrary to Hollywood, The aim of the Samurai fighter was not to have a sword fight, to branish his skills as a swordman.

The purpose of the Samurai fighter when he came into battle was to kill the enemy as quickly as possible.

In as few blows as possible, he wanted to destroy the enemy.

Sometimes I wonder if we would rather have a sword fight with the enemy than kill him.

It's interesting to me, as I researched this out, I found that the katana blade was designed in such a way that a skillful samurai could very easily decapitate his enemy with 1 blow, bringing it all to an end.

But it's interesting to me as I meditate on this, do you think that the Samurai fighter became skillful with the use of the sword just by looking at it and holding it for 10 or 15 minutes a day?

Do you think he became skillful in the use of the katana blade by watching other people and reading books about it.

The Japanese samurai fighters became skillful with the sword, listen to me carefully, because They spent time with it.

Every day they were spending time with the sword.

Day after day after day after day, and when they were brought into battle, they were skillful warriors and greatly feared.

Brothers and sisters, we need to be spiritual Semites.

Great Controversy, page 599, says this, we should day by day study the Bible diligently.

Diligently weighing every thought and comparing Scripture with Scripture.

And you're going to have to forgive me if I'm saying things that you've already heard, but the obvious must be stated.

The most effective way for us to become spiritual swordsmen is to spend time with the sword.

Not reading what other people have to say about the sword.

Not listening to what other people think the sword has to say.

Now listen, it's great to have good theological reading.

It's great to listen to good sermons that other people are preaching, but brothers and sisters, you're not going to become a skillful swordsman that way.

You have to pick it up and read it, study it, get familiar with it, hold it, touch it, use it, practice with it if you're going to become skillful in this war that we are fighting.

According to the American Bible Society, 9 out of 10 American households have Bibles.

87% of Americans have a Bible in their home.

It’s Wartime - Part 3: Wartime Communication

We come before you again this morning because we want to start our day out with a word from our Heavenly Father.

So Lord, as we assemble ourselves here together in family worship.

That you would take the words that are spoken and apply them right where they need to be in our hearts.

We are in great anticipation of blessings yet to come.

Thank you, Father, but we ask it in Jesus' name, Amen.

We have learned in our morning worship time that we are living in a time of war, that we are soldiers, not civilians, that there is not a wartime part of life and a non-wartime part of life, that the Bible simply describes that we are living in war.

In our Scripture reading this morning, I want to add another layer to this.

Yesterday we looked at the sword of the Spirit as a means of defense against the enemy.

The armor of God is good for protection, but we also as soldiers of Christ are not just to stand there while the enemy attacks, but we are to fight back.

And God has given to us a weapon that has been proven to be successful, and that is the Word of God.

We looked at yesterday how we claim the Word of God and use it in the defense against the attacks and temptations of the enemy.

But there's something else here in Ephesians that Paul adds that sometimes may be overlooked.

In Ephesians chapter 6, verses 17 and 18, We read it in our Scripture reading.

The Bible says, take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints." Paul does something that, in my opinion, is extraordinary, and that is he puts prayer in a wartime context.

Now we understand that in the original manuscripts there were no verse divisions.

The original manuscripts, it just simply continued to flow from 1 thought to the next.

And so, Paul would have…it's…you know, the way it would have been stated is, taking the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying always with all…don't miss it.

The Bible here is telling us that we take the sword, praying always.

I want to submit to you this morning that although I am presenting these messages in 2 presentations, that they are closely connected and inseparable, That the only way that we can effectively wield the sword of the Spirit is if we are praying always with all prayer and supplication.

Prayer, according to Scripture in our Scripture this morning, is for war.

I believe, in my humble opinion, that prayer is like a wartime walkie-talkie where we have the ability to reach back and communicate with headquarters and talk to our commander and our general and ask him to send heavenly firepower and air support to attack and to destroy the strongholds of the enemy.

As we have been flipping this lens from looking at life from a time of peace to a time of war, If prayer is for a wartime context that we are living in, listen to me carefully, prayer is not the means of making our lives more comfortable.

We have comfort that is promised to us in the sweet by and by.

But while we tarry here as soldiers of Christ, we must remember that prayer is to be used in a wartime context.

It is not to be used to ask for more comforts here on this earth.

Now we do serve a benevolent God who even does give us the answers to our prayer that makes our life more comfortable at times.

But that's not the sole purpose of prayer.

Go with me in your Bibles if you would to Luke chapter 21.

I want to illustrate this to you from another passage of Scripture.

I want to show this to you from Jesus as well.

Unless we understand that prayer is for war, we will miss the important biblical teachings about the urgency of prayer, the vigilance of prayer, the watching unto prayer, the perseverance in prayer, and the danger of abandoning prayer.

Communication for a soldier back to headquarters is everything when it comes to success in fighting the enemy.

He says, And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting or carousing and drunkenness and the cares of life, and so the day come upon you, what?

Now, Jesus is talking about 2 things here.

He's talking about the destruction of Jerusalem, but he's also talking about the second coming.

And what he's doing is he's exposing the tactics of the enemy before he is even able to employ them.

Can you see the war in the Bible passage?

Jesus says, take heed, lest at any time Your hearts be overcharged with what?

Gluttony, drunkenness, and the cares of this life.

He's trying to get us caught up in these peripheral things that draw away and zap us of our spiritual power and strength to overcome.

And then Jesus says this in verse 36, watch ye therefore, and what are the next 3 words?

That ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things.

It's the tactics of the enemy, the cares of this life, the drunkenness, and all of that stuff.

Jesus says, watch ye therefore and pray always that you may be accounted worthy to escape all of these things.

I don't know about you, I want to escape those things.

And Jesus tells us that the way we do it is by watching and what?

And then it says this, that ye shall, that shall come to pass and stand before the Son of Man.

You know, Paul in Ephesians, he repeatedly refers to the soldier being able to stand when the war is over.

This is an important component, and you'll have to forgive me, I know I keep repeating myself, but you'll have to forgive me that I'm talking in such elementary terms, that I'm stating the obvious, but brothers and sisters, prayer and Bible study are the only ways that we can attack the enemy.

If we're not thick with our heavenly Father morning by morning in prayer and Bible study, you will be overcome.

You see, we get into trouble when we do as millions of Christians do, when we stop believing that we are living in a time of war.

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Morning Devotional: It's War Time

It’s Wartime - Part 1: Life is War

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