Be Strong And Courageous!

One of the goals of the Spirit of Tobiah is to bring discouragement.  Discouragement is one of the enemy's greatest tools and most commonly employed tactics to knock you off your game, keep you feeling defeated, and wanting to give up.  Let's review some of the major points of Brother Moxley's word to us (last Wednesday night) which I believe was a prophetic warning to us as a church because the enemy knows what God wants to do here at SMM and he is intent on stopping the revival God began in us last week:

The Spirit of Tobiah...

Point #1 - Can't stand the people of God being blessed. (Neh. 2:19, 4:3) (i.e., revival)

Point #2 - Laughs and scoffs at us (Neh. 6:1-3) (i.e., when we fail, struggle, are faithfully doing the work of God)

Point #3 - Tries to stop the work of God (Neh. 6:11) (i.e., intimidation, threats

Point #4 - Will try to scare us with a false word or report (Neh. 13) (i.e., fear or discouragement)

Point #5 - Will try to stop the anointing, God's word, regular fellowship, respect for the Sabbath, unity, worship, giving, and sacrifice. (i.e., through sin, carnality, laziness, pride, strife, and unloving spirit)

How do we handle the Spirit of Tobi:  SHUT THE GATE ON THE ENEMY!  Resist the Devil and He will flee!  The word "resist" in the greek does not mean "passive resistance" but an "active resistance" or a forceful push-back against the enemy!  As someone once said, we need to stop praying up and start 'praying down' from our position of privilege and authority in Jesus Christ as the people of God for we have been seated together in heavenly realms with Christ far above principalities and powers! The enemy is under your feet through Jesus Christ, so keep him there!  Stand in your resistance to the enemy and begin praying from a higher place of authority in Jesus Christ!  

We need to be strong and courageous in our resistance of the enemy.  He does indeed want to stop the anointing, minimize the effect of God's Word, hinder our Christian fellowship, compromise our commitment to the Sabbath, sow discord among us, stop the flow of our worship, and harden our hearts so that we will be unwilling to make necessary sacrifices for the advancement of God's kingdom work.  

As an encouragement I want to share a passage that gives me strength every time I read it..."Be strong and courageous; be not afraid, neither be  dismayed: for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."

(Joshua 1:9)

Courage comes from trusting God. It can't be mentally drummed up. It comes from believing what God says regardless of what the circumstances look like. Courage comes from faith!
Where does discouragement come from? From fear and unbelief. It comes when you listen to the devil's lies about what God is not going to do for you.
As the people of God, you and I must shake off discouragement and rise up with courage! We must quit looking at our own abilities and failures and limitations and start looking to God. We must rise up in the Name of Jesus and the power of His Spirit and establish the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

If you've been discouraged lately, stop listening to Satan's lies. Stop receiving evil false reports. Whenever your adversary tells you God is not going to deliver you, just tell them, "He's already delivered me in the Name of Jesus!"
Once we begin to realize who we are and what we've been given by the power of God, we'll stop allowing the devil to take advantage of us. God didn't suggest that we be strong and courageous...it is His command to us!  God commanded Joshua three times to be strong and courageous.  Why?  Because Joshua was clearly battling with fear of the enemy.  What is courage though?  Courage is not the absence of fear...it is fear that has said its prayers and is trusting in its God regardless of the circumstance, situation, or threats of the enemy.  So, be strong in the Lord and the power of His might!  Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!  

One more point Moxley shared to encourage you...

Remember that goodness and mercy follow you, angels surround you, and Jesus is in front of you...all the days of your life! (Ps. 23 & 34)  So, we have a reason to sing...to rejoice...to rest in Him...to be strong and courageous for the battle is not ours -- it is the Lord's!

In His Name,

Pastor Chad