Forward in the Fight [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright said it was like somebody has been in her room and as I was talking to the front desk. I looked down and noticed some minutes on the bedside table and I thought it strange the immense behind.

I think they snickered at the front desk. As I said service restart evening turndowns are so glad to discontinue that if you just about excited for you, you the teaching today. In the series forward is presented in an old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today, to make sure you know how to get our special source right now. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries so as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastor and how and daughter work that's pastor at an.large E or call 877-544-4860 877-544-4860.

More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright is your promised land is also your battleground will look at possibly be good news about that. Well the good news, therefore, is that you are facing a battle. If you are up against the struggle. If you have challenges in front of you.

If you're in the midst of something that might feel like it's arduous, it doesn't mean they are outside of the will of God.

It very well might mean your smack dab in the middle of the very promised land where he wants you to be the promised land. We been saying in this little series. I simply called Ford is not a picture of heaven where one day. There are no more battles. It is a picture of kingdom living because when the people of God went into the promised land. They faced one battle after the other and today we pick up reading and Joshua chapter 3 in verse seven Joshua chapter 3 in verse seven. This is in preparation for them. The people God led by Joshua to cross over the Jordan River which will be parted just as the Red Sea was, and then the conquest of Canaan will begin verse seven the Lord said to Joshua, today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, they may know that as I was with Moses, so I'll be with you. And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant when you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan usual standstill in the Jordan, and Joshua said to the people of Israel come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God, and Joshua said here's how you show no the living God is a monkey and that he will without fail, drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites invites the parasites that geared to Shiites, the Amorites and the Jebusites. The whole the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth is passing over you before before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take 12 men from the tribes of Israel from each tribe, a man and when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, Lord of all the earth shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off and flowing in the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap. I thought a lot about why this long pandemic is so exhausting and why we have seen a lot of not just emotional and physical pain by also people doing a lot of odd things and pretty early on.

I felt like the Lord showed me that uncertainty creates dissonance and dissonance creates anxiety and anxiety leads to all kinds of destructive things people are anxious and I was reading this week. An article from Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert that he wrote some years ago that confirmed this from a scientific point of view, because he wrote some years ago. Article was entitled, what we don't know is what makes us nervous and he referenced in their a Dutch study from a decade or two ago and in this odd study. They had two groups of people, the participants, the subjects that had agreed to go through this experiment in which they would receive intermittent electrical shocks now always wonder about the reliability of these studies because who signs up for a study where you going to get an electrical shock but there was one group that were told that you're going to receive 20 intense electrical shocks. I don't know how intense a minute I can Taser to me but you know, no iodine from this, but intense like this really unpleasant. If you've ever been shocked.

You know it just like that is so unpleasant. The second group of people said they were good were told they are going to receive 20 electrical shocks, but 17 of them would be quite mild.

Only three would be intense so group B is only receiving three electrical shocks that were the same intensity of group a. It was the received when T intense electrical shocks. They knew in group A. Every time they got shot it was going to be an intense shock. Group B just knew that most of the time they had a mild little shocked that you hardly feel, but three times out of nowhere there really an intense one, and here's what was interesting they were measuring their heart rate their perspiration rate and so forth.

People in group B, who only had three of the intense shocks, but didn't know when they were coming were far more anxious their heart rate was faster. They sweat more profusely all the things that happen when you're really upset and nervous. The people that knew they're going to get 20 bad shocks had more peace thing about this, shall right in group A very light. Okay, I signed up for this, and I would get 20 shocks and here comes the bad okay the next will be just as bad you know news is bad.

No group group B is over here like they like to get the first shot… Like a little buzz that was nothing but hey, I just thinking about when sat next big one going to come the first time it comes to light that was horrible.

You know, and they were nervously waiting for. And then there waiting with the next surprising than a cup. The point of all this is me say it again. Uncertainty creates dissonance which creates anxiety which leads to destructive things because were told 365 times in the Bible.

Fear not, but when times are uncertain. That's our cliché write these uncertain times when times are uncertain were more nervous.

So in an odd lot is good news you ever heard from the Scripture.

But in an odd way when the Lord says to Joshua and to the people of God.

Here's what's going to happen in the promised land. You can have one intense shock after the author, but I'm to be with you that it was somehow more comforting to know the promised land is a place where you are going to face one battle after the other, but I want to tell you in advance. I'm to drive them all out and I'm never going to leave you and you're going to take this land in Allen right will have more teaching moment from today's important series, the better marriage need more good and nice you need more good news. Marriages like people are changed by human effort or even principles change by the gospel of grace sessions is my thing and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. Sinful grayscale process that makes great communication easy freedom of forgiveness in the shower of celebration to learn how to pray for your last one another with ground when you're in the video series licensing company is going through some special challenges and powerful transformational tree is for your marriage. Marriage grace of God gospel is shared when you get right ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get to go. We look for a special offer. We are happy for Misty Riza against him. Allen right ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and data like today's teaching. Now you once again is we have this human desire for a promised land. It is a place of ease and and yet we know in reality in this world that is filled with uncertainty and you don't know how all the pandemic is going to work out you don't really know if there might be another one and you don't know about how it will affect you don't know this week. We just have so much uncertainty and Sir for peace in our hearts and in the world is not that we can create circumstances where we are just finally certain that there are no battles to fight the answers much deeper and in the end, much better than that this longing. You know what I'm talking about for just a battle free life.

We just all of us yearn for those kind of moments on that say they're bad that wonderful moment. I got to see buddy of mine last week that I had not seen in over 35 years. One of the best friends I ever had and he had moved to Colorado and raised his family and had a career and on and we hadn't seen or talked to each other in all that time he was my tennis buddy Andy Groll licks his name and I he's 6 foot five in Jewish and we were quite the spectacle as a doubles team and we play tennis ball from time were eight or 10 years old and we traveled around North Carolina kids playing them tennis tournaments on the junior circuit in high school we were doubles partners and we play with high school all over the this date and I love I love Andy I love Andy so much and how fun that was to sit down for a whole afternoon and reminisce in romance.

Remember specific tennis matches and hear his whole life story and the guy. I remember the zip drive, you know, between the time that we had, you know, floppy drives and writable CDs will he was a young man and the was the general manager the rollout of the Zip Dr., Iomega artist whole story about success, but and while we are talking, I said and I said some of my happiest memories are with you and I had this memory come to mind at the brains funny is that the little memories that you have specific moments just weird brain and but I have the specific memory of one day playing tennis with Andy as we did so often and I think I was a senior and high school already been accepted to my college life was just good I I loved.

I loved about why defendant and the end just honestly it was just a time like what care do I have in the world we took a break from our tennis. I remember sitting on the bleachers for a moment just hanging out with Andy and Ann had a big cold Gatorade and just drinking it.

I member pulled off my shirt just it just catch a few rays in the sun leaned back there no body fat whatsoever and and it is hanging out with my body and like literally like what is there.

I got no responsibilities. I got coming life just you have moments like that. It is like to feel like that is a part of me that sentimental part of me. You know when life gets hard. That just cannot just have some more of that Lord in the fact of the matter is you grow up you got you got family and people in jobs and responsibilities and and and the responsibilities never go away and Wendy. Wendy ever get you a moment like that and they are so fleeting, aren't they. I mean like as tight as I can remember your feeling like I'm on my honeymoon honeymoon to what nobody expects anything of you and your honeymoon is describe their semi times, like I just want a honeymoon. You know, nobody, nobody is going to bother you have to answer the phone you want.

You and I just assume you'll herby tell the story, but so am it was at this blissful thing we have had a big church wedding. The my friends had taken Oreos and decorated the side of the car with the words come on down because and had one this trip as part of the showcase and everything she wanted.

The price is right and the end and Johnny Johnny Olson had said come on down and she kissed Bob and so we were going to New Orleans never really stayed in a nice nice place like that. A moment it is just we had to wonderful dinner in this French Quarter hotel and going back to our room and we came to the room you know and it just displeases monument and we heard sounds inside the room and and since sounds like some reason can't be…) And so bravely I went on in the TV was on and it looked like the bed had been tampered with. My wife said somebody's been in this room. She said you need to call the front desk and so I picked up the front desk. You know I am 23 years old and I'm like never been a nice place like this before and out on my own and I said Steve it looks like somebody has been in our room and as I was talking to the front desk. I looked down and noticed some mints on the bedside table and I thought that strange thieves don't usually leave mints behind. I think they snickered at the front desk. As I said Sir that's just our evening turndown service. I would be glad to discontinue that if you buy out.

No, no, no, just about okay okay all right, all right, but it is like my little moment of bliss. Also, now here I am ashamed at how naïve I am every moment like this when I will baby Bennett was born at the moment that I held him have a care in the world.

This is what it's like to be blessed, and then the nurses came in and said the doctors want to observe him in the neonatal unit because it was something irregularly heard in his breathing and they took him away and it lasted just for a few moments before we had to get on our knees again and start praying. I just want those moments that are so carefree with Andy lying on the brief bleachers and soaking in the sun and drinking Gatorade without a care in the world. But the fact of the matter is that's not really the way life is. Is it that's not really what the promised land is in fact the promised land is one battle after the other and when you celebrate the victory of that one battle. It seems like the next one comes. I was glad that very early in my Christian life in college. I read a book by John White called the fight. It is a basic discipleship book and it's excellent and in their early in the book, and thus the name for the title. He writes of all the things that change when you become a Christian. Now you're justified and considered the righteousness of God that now you're not under condemnation to German aircraft that now you have a holy family. God then he adds this. You also have established a new relationship with the powers of darkness. Whatever you were before you became a Christian, straight horoscope reader which warlocks saying that you are now the sworn foe of the legions of help have no delusions about their reality or their hostility but do not fear them, for God inside you terrifies them. They cannot touch you, let alone hurt you, but they can still seduce and they will try. They will pose you as you obey Christ if you play it cool and decide not to be a fanatic about Christianity. You have no trouble from them. But if you're serious about Christ being your Lord and God. You can expect opposition resist the devil, writes James and he will flee from you. Life with Jesus can be an exhilarating and reassuring experience of constant triumph over evil forces, but the battle never ends. And the sooner you accept that the more peace you're going to have the Canaanites, the Hittites that divides the parasite the grid to Shiites, the Amorites, the Jebusites doesn't in and that's okay because what you can know what you can know is a Christian when God destines for you to know in your spirit eclipses when you can't know know the words.

The certainties of the gospel by the assurances of the Holy Spirit in the promises of God's work. Those certainties are much higher and better than the uncertainties of the world and the key to peace and joy in this world is not to try to take all the uncertainties of life and get all the circumstances worked out so you don't have to worry about anything know the key is to be so saturated in the certainties of God and the Holy Spirit that that trumps all of the uncertainties that's God's plan. Allen Wright are good news message today forward in the fight in the series forward. Please stay with his past relatives back. You're in the studio, sharing his boarding good news thought for the day.

All just about have a better marriage. You don't need marketing you need more good news. Marriages like people are changed by human effort or even principles change by the gospel of grace sessions and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with God's grace. A simple grayscale process that makes great communication discover the freedom of forgiveness and celebration to learn how to pray for your last one another with ground when you're in the video series losses and get you copies of the company is going through some special challenges find powerful transformational tree is for your marriage. Marriage the grace of God. The gospel is shared when you get Allen Wright ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get to go.

We look for a special offer. We are happy for Steve as I thanked him. Allen Wright ministries call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor and got a work blessing your life grayscale's free grace and encouragement.

Allen writes a daily blessing is free. Pastor got away with pastor out there is to be said about certainty, I think we we all are yearning and longing for things that are certain in this deal we are and I think what you do is you take in the Christian life. What you take is the things you're certain of the assurances of God's word.

You take the, the certainty of his promises you take the guarantee of your inheritance in the saints that comes by the pros of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness to your child about you take all of this and you apply what you know for sure.

To the things that you don't know for sure. And in the spiritual battle. We if we keep the promises of God. The yes and amen. Of all the promises of God, then we will not be removed from the spiritual fight, but we won't be disillusioned in the midst of so we are we are like Josh was Army wherein yes you will spiritual army and were in him and is leading the way, your promised land is a battleground. And so you're facing some spiritual battles today. Don't let the devil tell you that it means you're out of the will of God. You're probably right in the middle of the will of God and your fight in the fight promised land supply so battles is a place where Yeshua is the general is the leader in your you only caught part of today's teaching. Not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free. Find out more about these and other resources@pastorout.org that's pastor out.O RG. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries