Then, March On!

WHOA! HOLD UP!

Yeah, I'm talking to you! Stop and read this!

I want to say that the battle may be growing weary but be of good cheer God has overcome the world. Let me let you in on a secret; just because you consider yourself a mature Christian doesn't mean you are perfect. Things happen that could cause us to fail in our walk, but I'm here to tell you failure is not final unless you let it go unrepented.

You see, for last week I have been fooled and, in this event, I, a mature Christian, failed.

WHAT!?

Yep, that is my confession. Go read James 5:16 and 1 John 1:9. Confession brings healing and forgiveness. I need to be healed of the damage and forgiven for my actions. If you are like me, and I pray you aren't, but once you start down a trail, you tend to walk it to the end before realizing that you are off the path. Then once the enemy has you singled out, he bombards you with issues of your past. You are reeling from the first blow and feel ashamed that you fell victim to the trap. Then it begins to spiral down deeper and deeper into the abyss.

STOP!

Take a look around you. You found yourself now in a strange place but you don't have to stay there.

REPENT!

Repent of whatever the issue is you have been facing. Repent for not trusting God to carry you when you first started falling down. Repent for not surrounding yourself with brothers and sisters that can help you and go to battle for you.

This next statement is going to make some people very upset, but I'm not in here to please you, so get over it. IF YOU CAN"T GO TO YOUR PASTOR OR AN ELDER IN YOUR CHURCH TO HELP YOU PRAY, YOU ARE IN THE WRONG CHURCH. Like Michael Rowan would say, that's right I said it!!! If you feel like they will judge you and condemn you then you are not in the right place.

Now on defense of good shepherds, do not get correction and condemnation mixed up. You may already be reeling from attack so you feel vulnerable. This is when pride rises up and can make you ultra-sensitive. But the thing I really just wanted to share is just because you are mature doesn't mean you can't mess up. If you did, stop right there and repent before God. If you need help, get it from a trusted person. Have someone in your circle that you trust enough to allow them to say the hard things to you. I have several. God loves you and He's not wanting to beat you up but to reconcile with you. So let correction come and be reconciled back to your rightful place. The march on, soldier!