This Is How I Fight My Battles (cont'd)

Just operate like Jesus say Lord everywhere I go, whatever is needed there, vessel. You can, I don't have my own agenda. I want to do your will is how God bless you to the will of God, you are the minute you decide to do God's will.

The enemy will show up and try to stop you. Hello and thanks for being here for today's destined for victory message Pastor Paul Sheppard, senior pastor of destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California for the past few weeks we've been studying the life of Elisha of the Old Testament prophets been a great journey continues today is pastor Paul shows us how to find victory in our spiritual war against the powers of darkness stay with us now or visit pastor Paul.net.

You can listen to today's message or any recent message on demand. That's pastor Paul.net now here is pastor Paul, today's destined for victory message. This is how I fight my battles. Years ago I was at a meeting this my first pastorate, I was at a meeting and I was very frustrated with the worship life of my church frustrated. It was growing good things will happen, but I was frustrated I'm I have a certain pallet for worship and I don't like worship that comes far short of that I was going through a real season of struggle with that particular area of our ministry. Despite the growth that was beginning to happen.

This was the late 90s and I went to a meeting and one night there was a pastor who is all who have a strong prophetic gift. And so we preach the word and afterwards he said I want to minister to all the pastors who are here and he had us go stand along the front of the church and he stood one by one in front of each of us and begin to give the word of the Lord when he got to me. I had never met him when he got to me. I had my hands up and eyes close out this winter. See whatever lobes will say to me as it was speaking to the other pastors about the circumstance in their lives, and he said you are very frustrated about worship at your church. My eyes popped open.

Well, okay, what you read this, I mean he just knew exactly the night before this person where he was ministering have strong praise and worship, and he was a second speaker, first night I was there and worship was so powerful and I went back to my hotel may end the second night. This man looks at me as if you are very frustrated about worship in your church.

He said what God is teaching you how to love people. In spite of his teaching you how to be a shepherd who can handle that level of disappointment and he started talking and I just spoke my goodness that's a word of knowledge is one of the gifts in the body of Christ.

Some prophetic people can just speak right that same profit that night.

He looked at one pastor.

He said I hear you have a conversation in which you were saying and he told him about this conversation and the pastor started laughing and he said just earlier in the week and God had given it to a prophet, so don't believe in the current expression of sign gifts, like word knowledge and in all that don't believe in you won't get a word, but there is a thing something in the body of Christ can be given, and God will give them very clear detail because spiritual warfare is real and is part of how we fight our battles so point number one was acquaint yourself with the enemy.

Point number two is disrupted, the enemy's plans as much as possible enemy plans as much as possible about Elisha. Elisha knew his job was to do what the enemy wanted to do against the people of God and so do you think think God doesn't give to you so that you can be special.

God gives you so that you can be a blessing. That's the only got a gifting God approves when he makes you a blessing to other people, you who are stuck up your gifts, you won't get it all the people the gifts are for you. You bless other people and so quick trip and because God used to say, Lord, thank you that you count me worthy to be a vessel that you can use and so disrupt the enemy's plans as much as possible that your job whatever gifting you whatever gifting you have in any way that you give your gifted by God use it to advance the kingdom of God. You bless other people both people the church and people outside of the church, God will use you and your spiritual and natural gifts to bless people who aren't saying why because hiding all know the goodness of God lists about is good to understand. This is all strategic. The goodness of God leads people to repentance, so what going to help people in the name of the Lord nobody so you gotta get out there and somebody help somebody meet me when they say well as you meet the name Branson will give you an opportunity to share with the Lord is but you got understand we are gifted in order to be a blessing and so thing the enemy wants. He comes to kill still and destroy then you've got a working exactly against.

You gotta give life and you've got to bless and enhance and strengthen and encourage none of those things will ever be done by the enemy.

So whatever the devil want to say what how I know her got a good look at what the devil is going around and do the opposite said, Lord, give me straight give me give me gifting sometime. Gotta usually give him a single session that you never you argues then again just because it's not resident gifting you doesn't mean God can use it to do it. I don't flow in gifts of knowledge all the time but I have several instances where I gave a word of knowledge and I didn't even know that was coming and they say, quote no, I came to realize I do know God and he knew you would be here when I would speak this word and that it would be just for you. And so you've got to be ready to disrupt the enemy's plans as much as possible when you see the spirit of heaviness you need to bring levity just because I'm What the enemy is doing.

You see sorrow you want to bring joy you think you want to bring peace, don't jump into confusion and make it worse. If you force people for Christ. It was a man of peace bring judgment. He brought solutions and look at how Jesus operated and operate like that.

I want to be used in some of the sign gifts just operate like Jesus the Lord everywhere I go, whatever is needed there, vessel. You can use. I don't have my own agenda.

I want to do your will. That's how God bless you to know when the will of God. Everywhere you are want to be like Jesus when he met that woman at the well and he started talking to her talk about word of knowledge is she sorrow have one yeah you're right.

You have five men in the one you would now's natural what a word of knowledge about the way Jesus operated on earth he was God in the flesh, but when he operated in his ministry then operate from divinity.

He operated as an example to us.

That's why he prayed a lot to get the father to give them all the downloads he needed and as a sink on download I can give you talking some and she said I perceive that you are a prophet. Well, yeah that out. I called out to six and then they went on to have a talk. Then she got religious fathers you know you know you have read John four, you know, he said the day is coming effective here now when those who worship God will be about amount when you are. You gotta worship him in spirit and in truth, and he ministered to her and by the time she went down off that hill. Her life is been changed and when the disciples came back they came back because they knew that food was needed and they came back thinking mega fiend Jesus and he's already active, strong in his own and he said my meat is to do the will of him who sent me. Sometimes you cannot bring an anointing that will give you strength just because you're letting God use you now that you will have the investment goes away sometime. I preach powerfully on the anointment after while I go where the food Joe, but you gotta learn how to delete in the blessing of God. Use the gift things that he's given you make a difference. Disrupt the enemy's plans this week and in the rest of this month. The rest of this year. I want you to commit God will be involved in spiritual care by myself with what the enemies don't I'm going to play and wanted me disrupt them every chance I get. If you bring your love. If you bring enjoy.

He's bringing confusion. I'm bringing peace. I will be in this course. Everywhere I go that's how you fight your battles. You acquaint yourself with the enemy and you disrupt the enemy's plans. All right, one more point on the let you go look at verse 13. Go find where this property is cooking's okay so prophet someone is blowing the cover. So go finding and I will send men to catch him and they found out he's in Dothan and look at verse 14. He said horses chariots of strong force. There never had a kid living in the wrong forces against what don't be afraid. Pastor Paul Sheppard will be right back with the second half of today's destined for victory message entitled, this is how I fight my battles listen to the broadcast on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net. There you find a host of great resources as well. In our online store. You can also listen on your mobile device by downloading the free destined for victory mobile app to search destined for victory in your app store and listen to Pastor Paul were all believers in Christ are in a spiritual battle against an unseen enemy, but our faith and our focus should be on someone else is. Pastor Paul was arrested today's message. This is how I fight my battles. Read the rest of this passage. They came by night around the city. This an attack came at night surrounding the city when the servant of the man of God. Gotta early the next morning is Hayes. I an army with chariots have surrounded the city all all my Lord, what shall we do, he's I asked. Look at verse 16. Don't be afraid, those who are with us more than those who are with them and you know said oh he's finally gone over the hill. Poor fellow, but look at verse 17 Elisha so that the problem was Hayes. I only so what he sold he sits so we prayed as Lord so that he may see.

Then the Lord opened the serving size and he looked and saw all the hills, horses and chariots of fire all around election last point. Not only get acquainted with the enemy not only disrupt what the enemy is doing, but .3 see beyond what the enemy is this raptor's plans. Now you gotta see what the enemy is doing you say that the so we now have surrounded region of Dothan because they're not going to let Elisha escape and get his eye gets up early in the morning. Open the blinds. Maybe whatever you do, sold it when I was at home.

Can this get us and he said all and a smile breaks are only licensed space. I enjoy Joe does let you see meant for me here I sit is because you don't see everything Lord opened his eyes I will take you to see beyond what the enemies doing because beyond what the enemies doing God's work yes to what is going but you see the provision of God see how the devil is trying to come against me. When I got a C in the spirit is what God is going to about when we are by living by faith. That's part of it. Gotta show you what you can see in the natural. I don't know if you remember it actually team Paul on his missionary journey, the second missionary journey and one of the places he covers in the journey is Karen and Karen, if we know it ended up being a place where God's people live. Paul wrote two letters to them in the New Testament eventually but in acts 18 nobody saving charisma Paul on the team to go to town and they begin ministering there will long story short, read it when you get a chance. The enemies, the people who resisted the message of Jesus Christ came against them and persecuted them and they were just causing trouble for them and Paul's thinking about leaving town because he's ministering to various regions of the stadium. I'm leaving I'm given the word of God and if they're making life difficult for me on the discovery leave and before he concludes he's going to leave God gives him a vision and in the vision.

The Lord says don't leave stay here. Don't be afraid. I know to come against you.

But don't be afraid.

Then he gave them what I'm talking about here. He said because I have many people in this city God. So many people and Karen when my mom would say you know why Karen was a an ungodly city but it was also a religious city and they combined both, they combined the ungodliness and the religion."

There were at least 12 temples problem to Jehovah but to various so-called deities, the most FMS of the city's temples was dedicated to the goddess of love. It featured 1000 prostitutes. Imagine going to the cortical worship and the prostitutes on ushers, which are the charge will help Christians a day for all trouble. Because America no longer a Christian nation Christian nation, all the founders were the word Deist and fears they certainly but Jesus in some trouble. All we have lost all this is came to bat century everywhere somebody where just what you know I disable my job. The revival is strategically placed for such a time as this 1000 prostitutes in the temple to the goddess of love. So you go to worship and have six you understand what I'm saying and that's the city. Paul was sent to another temple dedicated to Apollo the Greek god Apollo and Nan at this temple, and Karen. There were young men whose job was to fulfill the sexual desires of both male and female worship. That's Karen.

So the city it came to be known for its immorality. They were notorious for that, so much so that a Greek verb was coined to Corinthian eyes that meant. But while we don't Corinthian eyes tonight. The great Plato referred to a prostitute by using the term Corinthian girl Plato right in your right right in your books when you talk about a little scary, Corinthian so that's the city posting about leaving God says stay here keep preaching. I'm not going to harm you in the city because I have many people here and you gotta take the word God looks at a bunch of show no seasons and says I got a lot of my people in here your family and your family know more now you got Corinthian's on your job you got Corinthian's and your family know family reunion all gossip asked why have you here. Quit decrying the darkness and turn on the light quit telling people to going to hell would tell about Jesus. What if they don't receive it receiving but does not mean you don't bring on the light and not only preach love case came out and we just make sure you don't stay where you get a contact… Below is where it bottom line is, God has us in strategic warfare.

This is how I fight my battles become acquainted with the enemy. I disrupt his plans every chance I get. And make sure that I am going to also see beyond. Don't just look at what you see. Look at what's past what you see, say, Lord, open my eyes. Let me see what you see sometime you got your kids like that. Lord I see what I want to knock upside the head that help me to see what you see some days. Lord I feel like almost kids in the case of the oversight would help me to see which and help me to operate in your love because you have given me three now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. If you are in a battle today and you can see what God is doing.

Be thankful because that's when you have an opportunity to demonstrate your faith. Thanks so much for being here for today's destined for victory message. This is how I fight my battles look for any pastor Paul's recent messages online on demand@pastorpaul.net that's Pastor Paul.net all of us at destined for victory believe in the power of prayer and today would like to pray for you so if you are neither prayer visit.

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Perhaps a friend in need, they sometimes lose sight of the fact that they need a little help themselves from time to time. This booklet is a welcome reminder that people like that need our assistance in our care. Again, that's caregivers need care to a booklet from Pastor Paul in our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory. Call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. When you're in spiritual warfare and the devil knows he was defeated on Calvary doesn't mean he's not going to be coming for you all way to the great I need you to understand that because he can't cut off your walk with the Lord, but he can sure try to make you miserable on your way to heaven. That's next time when pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message when the battle rages on, but until then, remember he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion. In Christ, you are destined for victory