Phil and all, speaking of standing remember that one battle where all they
had to have was some pots candles and there voices and the battle was
fought/ I think God said its not your battle its mine and all they did was
stand there and they won.
--
Lelia - I_love_my_husband
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2005 7:00 PM
Subject: Fruit Flavored
> This isn't exactly finished so it won't be on my website for a few days.
> I
> thought this might be of some encouragement to someone.
>
> Peaches and Sourer Cream
>
> By Phil Scovell
>
>
>
>
> A close friend of mine recently told me about his peach tree.
> He has only lived in this house for a couple of years. His wife
> left him several months ago after divorcing him. No, she claims
> to be a Christian. He bought the house, although he couldn't
> afford it, to try and save his marriage. That's like having
> children to save, or otherwise improve your marriage; it doesn't
> work.
>
> His peach tree, for the first time, had a single peach
> hanging from one of its branches. For some reason, someone
> planted the tree in the front yard. He has never seen peaches on
> it before this season. No, he does nothing about pruning or
> anything else so you can't expect more than one peach each year I
> suppose.
>
> Every day he came home, he checked the peach and watched it's
> progress of growth and ripening. His moth watered as his
> sensitive nose picked up the scent of the low hanging fruit. He
> couldn't wait until it was perfectly ripe so he could enjoy its
> flavor. He continually watched it daily with great anticipation
> and desire in his heart.
>
> finally the peach was ready to be picked, at least according
> to how it looked, and as he climbed from his work truck and
> walked to the tree that day, he saw that the peach had fallen from
> the branch and lay on the ground, half squashed and rotting. I
> had just purchased a box of 18 pounds of tree ripened peaches from
> western Colorado where the peaches are so sweet and juicy, you
> could stick a straw into one and suck the peach dry. I gave him
> one to replace the one he had lost. I tried suggesting he take my
> peach home and tape it to the low branch and watch it for a couple
> of days to make up for his loss but he preferred to eat the peach
> without taking a chance.
>
> Have you ever felt that way spiritually? You've lived your
> life dedicated to God in hopes of harvesting a blessing, just one
> little meaningful blessing, due to your faithfulness to God and
> then the worst happens, at least it sure feels that way. To top
> it all of, somebody tosses in some sour cream on top of your
> singular peach of a blessing. Your child dies, your best friend
> forsakes you, you get cancer, your favorite pet has to be put to
> sleep, you lose your job, your son or daughter runs away, your
> baby dies at birth, your mate of 25 years divorces you, Your wife
> has an affair, your 16 year old daughter becomes pregnant, a
> sister refuses to speak to you any longer, you are permanently
> disabled due to a car crash, prayers fail to be answered, both
> your parents die, money runs short, bills pile up, your church
> turns against you, a letter of audit from the IRS arrives in the
> mail, you lose a credit card, your car gets stolen, or, the worst
> of all, you suddenly realize you are growing old. Yes, I left out
> dozens of other possibilities. Now there is no hope of the single
> peach ever being enjoyed and all you wanted is just one good peach
> of a blessing in your life time.
>
> This is a common trick of the Enemy. He wants us to thing we
> only get one good thing from God, normally it is our salvation,
> and from then on, God's arm of blessing falls short. This is
> real, of course, because God really doesn't love you all that much
> in the first place. Oh, sure, God loved you enough to barely save
> you but He isn't interested in the rest of your life and that's
> why He doesn't provide for you in other ways. In fact, your lack
> of received and experienced blessings is likely due to the fact
> you really didn't become born again in the first place. You are
> that lone peach that fell from the branch. You are separated from
> God now and lay rotting and your life is turning to mush. Can you
> see the progression of deceitfulness the Enemy employs?
>
> In Ephesians chapter 6, we are told to put on the whole armor
> of God. One of the most interesting aspects of this passage is
> related to the command to "Stand." What a weird way to do battle.
> Stay fixed and rooted to one place? Nothing like being a target.
> Don't charge, don't take ground, don't move forward, and don't
> engage in battle? I have never heard of such a battle plan but
> there it is, big as life, stand where you are.
>
> Furthermore, we are told to wear all the battle garb but the
> armor isn't apparently for doing battle. If we are commanded to
> stand still, it is obvious to me that the armor is warn for
> defensive purposes and not offensive. This is especially true
> when it comes to taking the shield of faith.
>
> The Apostle Paul says, "Above all, taking the shield of
> faith." Really? Why would that be? Faith, your faith, is not an
> offensive, or attack, weapon. In fact, the shield is no weapon at
> all. The Sword of the Spirit most certainly is but not the
> shield. Paul says, if you don't have anything else, you do have
> the shield of faith and with that shield, you can defend yourself
> from "all," not just some, but all the fiery darts that come from
> Satan. Think of it this way. In battle, you most certainly don't
> stand still, fixed and rooted, in one place. If you do, you are a
> dead duck. Furthermore, you don't throw your shield at the
> enemy. If you do, you end up with no protection. Likewise, you
> don't bang the Enemy over the head with your shield of faith.
> Yet, according to Scripture, all we are required to do is stand;
> with the shield of faith and it does all the work of protecting
> us.
>
> I know I am repeating myself but again, we must view the
> shield as defensive and not offensive. The shield isn't made for
> attack but for defense. Yes, I realize this goes against the
> grain of all the faith teaching we have heard. The reason for
> this aspect of defensive faith is related to the knowledge that
> Jesus has already won the battle. "then why am I getting so beat
> up?" you may ask. Could one of the answers be that you are
> always moving? Could one of the answers possibly be that you
> haven't learned the battle is one so staying fixed in one place is
> all you need to do? Could it be that you have your faith screwed
> on backwards and you've been throwing your shield of faith rather
> than just standing behind it?
>
> A shift in circumstances is a great battle tactic the Enemy
> uses to try and get us to spiritually flinch. Doubts, fear, old
> resurrected guilt, shame, grief, personal condemnation, anger,
> pride, bruised emotions, self judgment, intimidation,
> manipulation, domination, sin, sorrow, sadness, relational
> conflict, deceitfulness, control, unforgiveness, depression, and
> rejection are all but a few of devices the Enemy uses to change
> how we feel and think. If he can do that, change our feelings or
> shift our thinking off center, he can deceive us royally.
> Imbalance is the name of his game.
>
> The question is, "Where do we stand?" If the battle is the
> Lord's as the Scriptures proclaim, where ever we are is where we
> stand. If you will stand right where you are at any given moment
> of life, you will find that is the same place Jesus is standing,
> too. As you stand in that place, look and see what Jesus is
> holding in His hand. I bet it will be a peach. Do you suppose
> that was the forbidden fruit Adam and Eve ate? Just thinking out
> loud.
>
>
> Where there is pain, there is belief. Truth has no pain.
> www.SafePlaceFellowship.com
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