Category: Spiritual Warfare

REALITY CHECK

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Is the TRIBULATION of the current social and political unrest, chaos and uncertainty getting to you? Having trouble getting things done? It could be a problem with your ability to focus, or it could be an early warning sign of a deeper problem.

IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT BE DECEIVED. All things which you can see and touch on this earth, originate and are emanating from the “Unseen world” of the Heavens. This includes this Time of TRIBULATION we are currently experiencing.

2 Corinthians 4:18 “while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the certainty of things hoped for, a proof of things not seen. 2For by it the people of old gained approval.

3 By faith we understand that the world has been created by the Word of God so that what is seen has not been made out of things that are visible.

1 Timothy 1:17 “Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. “

Romans 1:20 “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.”

Colossians 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.”

John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being.”

A GREAT DELUSION

There is both A Great Delusion and A Great Deception at work.

2 Thessalonians 2:9 “That is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and false signs and wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not accept the love of the truth so as to be saved.”

11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.”

Do not trust your natural mind or your natural abilities to struggle against the things of this age, that is, things of this increasing time of the TRIBULATION.

THE BATTLE WITHIN AND WITHOUT

Galatians 5:17 tells us that the desires of our “Flesh” (i.e., or mind, will and emotions – our psyche, or our ‘soulfulness’) work against the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of God, Who dwells within us works against our natural mind, our will and emotions; the Bible tells us that our “Flesh” and the Spirit of God, which would dwell in you as a Christian, are in opposition to one another, and this unseen conflict keeps you from doing whatever you want. Galatians 5:17

So, ask yourself, “Do I constantly struggle with or am I prone to participate in”

      • sexual immorality, carousing, impurity, indecent behavior, whether it is physically or a constant mental obsession
      • idolatry, obsession with luck, witchcraft, horoscopes, charms
      • hostility, strife, outbursts of anger, dissensions, factions
      • jealousy, selfish ambition, envy,
      • drunkenness, excessive drinking or drug use

and things like these? The Bible forewarns us of this. I am taking notice for myself, and I am telling you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (inherit: Will not take part in, will not inhabit, will not have any right to)

The Bible goes on to teach that if you are “led by the Spirit of God”, you are not under “the Law”, that is external controls and condemnation for past actions.

You see, the manifestation or “the fruit” of the Spirit of God, when He is actually dwelling in a person, is manifest through an attitude and a behavior which demonstrates

      • love,
      • joy,
      • peace,
      • patience,
      • kindness,
      • goodness,
      • faithfulness,
      • gentleness,
      • self-control;

Again, the Bible teaches that these manifest actions are the results of the Spirit of God dwelling in and controlling your “Flesh” (your mind, your will, your emotions, i.e., your psyche) and effectively abrogate any and all effects of “the Law”, that is the external controls and condemnation for past actions.

You see, and odd as it may sound, those who actually belong to Christ Jesus “are crucifying and continue to crucify the passions and desires of their Flesh”.  (This takes the hard work of prayer and seeking and appropriating the freedom Christ has given us.)

This ‘crucifixion’ results in what the Bible calls FREEDOM.  Free to think and act and to submit ourselves to the decisive and effective power of God which would emanate from Him through our lives.

So – How do these things I have discussed, connect?  What do they have to do with one another?

 1.  What we see (the visible things) come from what we cannot see (the invisible things).

 2.  The Great Deceit and the Great Delusion

 3.  Evidence which reveal whether you are “Controlled in the Spirit of God” or you are “Controlled by the Flesh”.

The visible political and social war of Conservative ideals which are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Bible VERSUS the reemergence of Marxism/Communism and a One World Government, is the product of a Spiritual War that has been raging since the beginning of time.

This war is being waged by the great dragon, Satan, by means of deceit and lies and God has sent a great delusion upon those who do not believe in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Whether you are part of the problem and are being deceived or whether you are part of the solution of God’s Plan can be determined by your attitude and behavior – no matter what you say, what you do speak the truth.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

(PS:  This was hard to write, because I am convicted of these things.  Please, pray for me and I will pray for you)

2 Corinthians 10:3 “The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses

“4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

“5 We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,

“6 and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.

“7 Do you look on things on the outward appearance? If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.”

WHAT SHOULD I DO IN THIS TIME OF TRIBULATION?

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Our task, our duty and our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, alone!  The warfare we now face, takes preparation, discipline, diligence, steadfast commitment and ACTION! 

It is unlike any conflict or war you have ever fought or have thought about fighting.  THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE being played out on planet earth.  The root of this Tribulation Period is in the Heavens and our battle must be fought there, first!

I have, to the best of my ability, with diligence, spelled out what I read in the Bible as Jesus’ stance and instruction on what a Christian’s response should be to attacks on their person, their property, their freedoms as well as threats of terror.  I have posted these articles on my website, on my blog site and on various social media platforms.  

I am hearing responses such as:

“The Church of Jesus cannot afford to simply be passive, it must stand for biblical truth.”

“Your remarks of pacifism are like Baal worship.  We have a responsibility to defend ourselves and fight for our freedoms.”

“Christians have a right to fight back.”

Based on these replies, I apparently I am not properly communicating the plain and obvious Word of God.  I apologize.  Please, let me try again.

I.   I AM NOT ADVOCATING STANDING IDLY BY TO BE SLAUGHTERED

II.  SECONDLY, I would like to state that, in case of emergencies or crises, I have stored some extra food supplies, water, dry goods, “implements for defensive measures” and means to buy or sell or barter.  I am not a fool.  We have seen how crisis and panic causes people to act, so I am trying to be prepared for any eventuality.  And, yes, I get angry at what I see happening to our Nation or world and our way of life.  

Supplies of food, water and money may help in the short run, but they aren’t going to save me.  Getting angry may be a natural response, but it will not help me or save me.  As I have said repeatedly, government is failing us, politics have failed us, educational systems are failing us, technology is being used against us, medicine can’t save us, so, my question is now, and always has been:  

WHAT SHOULD I DO in response to this Tribulation which now encompasses me?  What can I do?  

I have written and posted about this Ad Nauseam, but once again, here is what the Bible tells us:

Luke 21:14-19, says, “So make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves; for I will give you utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute. “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death, and you will be hated by all because of My name. “Yet not a hair of your head will perish. “By your endurance you will gain your lives.”

Matthew 24:42–47. says, “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. 

45 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household slaves, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

III.   Examples of expected result of Service and Obedience to God in Tribulation:

2 Corinthians 11:23-27 says, “Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as if insane—I more so; in far more labors, in far more imprisonments, beaten times without number, often in danger of death. Five times I received from the Jews thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent adrift at sea. I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers at sea, dangers among false brothers; I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.”  (The Apostle Paul’s response to threats and ‘terrorism’.)

IV.  Scriptural description of our “WEAPONS”:

  • Ecclesiastes 9:18 tells us, “Wisdom is better than weapons of war.”
  • Isaiah 13:5 tells us,  “They are coming from a distant country, From the farthest horizons, The Lord and the weapons of His indignation, To destroy the whole land.”
  • 2 Corinthians 10:3-6, says,  “For, though we walk in the flesh, we do not wage battle according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,  and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete. 
  • 2 Corinthians 10:7 tells us, You are looking at things as they are outwardly. If anyone is confident in himself that he is Christ’s, have him consider this again within himself, that just as he is Christ’s, so too are we.
  • 2 Corinthians 6:3. says, “We live in such a way that no one will stumble because of us, and no one will find fault with our ministry.  In everything we do, we show that we are true ministers of God. We patiently endure troubles and hardships and calamities of every kind. We have been beaten, been put in prison, faced angry mobs, worked to exhaustion, endured sleepless nights, and gone without food. We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love. We faithfully preach the truth. God’s power is working in us. We use the weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack and the left hand for defense.  We serve God whether people honor us or despise us, whether they slander us or praise us. We are honest, but they call us impostors. We are ignored, even though we are well known. We live close to death, but we are still alive. We have been beaten, but we have not been killed.  Our hearts ache, but we always have joy. We are poor, but we give spiritual riches to others. We own nothing, and yet we have everything.”

Isiah 54:17  says,“No weapon that is formed against you will succeed; And you will condemn every tongue that accuses you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Jeremiah 51:20-23 says, “You are My war-club, My weapon of war;  And with you, I shatter nations, And with you, I destroy kingdoms.  

 “With you I shatter the horse and his rider, And with you I shatter the chariot and its rider, 

“And with you I shatter man and woman, And with you I shatter the old man and youth, And with you I shatter the young man and virgin, 

“And with you I shatter the shepherd and his flock, And with you I shatter the farmer and his team, And with you I shatter governors and officials.”

Jeremiah 50:25  says, “The LORD has opened His armory  And has brought out the weapons of His indignation, For it is a work of the Lord GOD of armies.

V.   RECAP – 

The reason we don’t understand the Biblical instruction and requirements on our response to the Tribulation which is besetting us:

  1. You are looking at things as they are outwardly. (2 Corinthians 10:7)

Our weapons are described as:

  1. Wisdom is better than weapons of war. (Ecclesiastes 9:18)
  2. The weapons of His indignation.(Jeremiah 50:25)
  3. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh.(2 Corinthians 10: 4)
  4. The weapons of our warfare are divinely powerful. (2 Corinthians 10:4)

Designated use and purpose of our weapons:

  1. The weapons of righteousness in the right hand for attack.
  2. The weapons of righteousness in the left hand for defense.
  3. For the destruction of fortresses. 
  4. We are destroying arguments and all arrogance raised against the knowledge of God, 
  5. Taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,
  6. we are ready to punish all disobedience.

The origin of our weapons:

  1. The weapons of His indignation.

You and I say we believe in God, but do we BELIEVE HIM?  When Jesus said, “Come to me”, Would you have gotten out of the boat with Peter and walked on the water?

We say a lot of brave things, but, now it is time to do them.  It is time for obedience to Christ Jesus, because doing things your own way can be fatal.  Taking matters into your own hands can be deadly.

We have put our hand to the plow of the Gospel and if you take your hand off that plow, now, or look back now, you will find yourself LEFT BEHIND!

Our task, our duty and our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, alone!  This warfare takes preparation, discipline, diligence, steadfast commitment and ACTION!  It is unlike and conflict or war you have ever fought or thought about fighting.  THIS IS A SPIRITUAL BATTLE being played out on planet earth.  The root of this Tribulation is in the Heavens, and our battle must be fought there, first!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

AM I REALLY SEEING WHAT I THINK I AM SEEING?

WHEN DOES THE 7 YEARS BEGIN?

THE SONS OF OUR FATHER

SONS OF YOUR FATHER

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

MATTHEW 5:43-48 – SONS OF YOUR FATHER

v43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven;”

WHAT DOES IT SAY?

Once again, “Jesus is turning the world right side up” in its thinking, using the Law of Moses (the Torah). Jesus is taking one teaching of the Law, at a time, and is saying, “I have come to fulfill the Law and to show you” the one and only way to successfully navigate this world in order to be made ready for the next world, which is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus began His ministry saying, “Repent for the Kingdom is at hand.”  His command and warning is resonating in these teachings. He is saying, in these most profound revelations of Truth, that how you think and believe, (which, naturally, results in how you behave) are the keys to eternal life. The first and foremost Truth is believing on the One whom God has sent: Jesus.

Jesus is saying that it is not enough to simply think a certain way. You must believe with an unwavering and unmovable certainty of the Truth. This requires faith which is full of the substance of the Truth and certain of the thing hoped for, and then is manifest as the proof of things not yet seen.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Jesus is telling His listeners (readers) that they although have been loving the lovable, the friendly, the relative, those with whom you live in peace, it is not enough; because they have been hating those they consider to be an “enemy”, those who are unlovable, unlovely, not-so-friendly those who cause discomfort, are considered a threat of strife or war.

But, Jesus says, “I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven”.  This can be one of the most difficult things to understand and to do without the right understanding.

First things first:   Jesus is speaking to Jews and to His Christian Disciples, and  these Truths are meant for His disciples (followers), present and future.  Anyone can listen to Jesus, but, not everyone can hear and understand what He is saying.  Anyone can attempt to apply these Truths to their life because the Truth is universal.  But, a person cannot live the Truth without Christ Jesus because Jesus is the Truth, bodily. (John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life”)

Secondly, “sin” is THE obstacle that causes you to separate yourself from the presence and love of God.  Sin is rebellion toward God and to His Word, and it is THE obstacle to entering the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God.

Notice that the keys words here are “Love” and “Hate”.  Remembering that these words of Jesus, these Eternal Truths are written

          • TO THE CHRISTIAN,
          • ABOUT BEING A CHRISTIAN AND
          • FOR THE CHRISTIAN,

So, 1 John 4:20 tells us that “If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he hates his brother or sister, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.”

Again, 1 John 3:15 says, “Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him.”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

Simply put, God is Love.   Hate is not of God.  If these two coexist in the life of a Christian, you will stumble. If they persist in the life of a Christian, there is a deeper and darker problem embedded in your soul.

Additionally, you must “know the enemy” or more correctly put, know who and what is the enemy. The Bible tells us “who is the enemy.” 

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

You can and must understand (1) Who the enemy is, and (2) How to withstand and overcome the enemy.  This is done only by way of the indwelling Presence of God (The Holy Spirit).  Anything less should cause you grave concern about your life now, your effectiveness in the Kingdom work, and perhaps, even your eternal security.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Will you take the time and apply the discipline necessary to prepare and equip yourself?  It will take submission to Jesus as your Lord and savior and, you must study to become equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16)

Remember, one of the hallmarks of a Disciple of Christ is that you will be able to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may prove yourselves to be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Just doing this without know WHY and HOW is works without faith.

Additional resources for your Journey:

(This video study series is from The Fuel Project and has over 37 informative, helpful and eye-opening lessons)

Let’s Gird up!  The enemy is at the gates!

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PS:  Jesus is moving us from engaging the world in “wordly matters” and leading us to serve Him in His Father’s Mission.

This is what these teachings do:  They move us into His Kingdom, doing Kingdom matters in preparation for His return.

A TUTORIAL ON EFFECTIVE WARFARE

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

“Do not fear! Stand by
and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you
today

The Sea Is Divided

      

Exodus 14:13  “But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 14“The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

      15 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16“As for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17“As for Me, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18“Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots and his horsemen.”

      19 The angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Thus the one did not come near the other all night.
      

      21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. 22The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23Then the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24At the morning watch, the LORD looked down on the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud and brought the army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25He caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

      26 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.”

Elijah’s Prayer

     1 Kings 18:36. “At the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and I have done all these things at Your word. 37“Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.” 40Then Elijah said to them, “Seize the prophets of Baal; do not let one of them escape.” So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there.

The Triumphs of Faith

  Hebrews 11;1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. “ 2 For by it the men of old gained approval.

    3 By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible.

     23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 

       32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, 33who by faith

  • conquered kingdoms,
  • performed acts of righteousness,
  • obtained promises,
  • shut the mouths of lions,
  • v34 quenched the power of fire,
  • escaped the edge of the sword,
  • from weakness were made strong,
  • became mighty in war,
  • put foreign armies to flight.
  • v35 Women received back their dead by resurrection;
  • and others were tortured, not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection;
  • v 36 others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 38(men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

      39 And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, 40because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.

FINALLY

Ephesians 6:10 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore,”

Study these words, gain understanding and get wisdom:

FINALLY – Strong’s Greek 3064: From now on, henceforth, finally. remaining time.

BE STRONG – ἐνδυναμοῦσθε (endynamousthe)
Verb – Strong’s Greek 1743: To fill with power, strengthen, make strong. From en and dunamoo; to empower.

LORD – Κυρίῳ (Kyriō),
Noun, Strong’s Greek 2962: Lord, master, sir; the Lord. From kuros; supreme in authority, i.e. controller; by implication, Master.

MIGHTY – κράτει (kratei)
Noun – Strong’s Greek 2904: Dominion, strength, power; a mighty deed. Perhaps a primary word; vigor.
Strong’s Concordance
kratos: strength, might
Original Word: κράτος, ους, τό
Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter
Transliteration: kratos
Phonetic Spelling: (krat’-os)
Definition: strength, might
Usage: dominion, strength, power; a mighty deed.

POWER – ἰσχύος (ischyos)
Noun – Strong’s Greek 2479: Strength (absolutely), power, might, force, ability. From a derivative of is; forcefulness.
ischus: strength, might
Original Word: ἰσχύς, ύος, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: ischus
Phonetic Spelling: (is-khoos’)
Definition: strength, might
Usage: strength (absolutely), power, might, force, ability.
HELPS Word-studies
2479 isxýs (from the Gk root is, “force” and 2192/exō, “have”) – properly, force to overcoming immediate resistance.

MAKE YOR STAND – στῆναι (stēnai)
Verb – Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong’s Greek 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah’-o; to stand, used in various applications.

STAND YOUR GROUND – ἀντιστῆναι (antistēnai)
Verb – Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong’s Greek 436: To set against; I withstand, resist, oppose. From anti and histemi; to stand against, i.e. Oppose.
histémi: to make to stand, to stand
Original Word: ἵστημι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: histémi
Phonetic Spelling: (his’-tay-mee)
Definition: to make to stand, to stand
Usage: trans: (a) I make to stand, place, set up, establish, appoint; mid: I place myself, stand, (b) I set in balance, weigh; intrans: (c) I stand, stand by, stand still; met: I stand ready, stand firm, am steadfast.

STAND – στῆναι (stēnai)
Verb – Aorist Infinitive Active
Strong’s Greek 2476: A prolonged form of a primary stao stah’-o; to stand, used in various applications.

Psalm 24:7-8
Lift up your heads, O gates, And be lifted up, O ancient doors, That the King of glory may come in!  Who is the King of glory?  The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.

(These “ancient gates” are the mind of mankind, and God says, “Lift up your heads, O gates, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in”)

This is written for those of us who would rather fight than pray, use our muscle instead of His Spirit which resides within us, fight our own battles rather than letting God win our victories –

SURRENDER TO GOD AND OVERCOME BY THE WORD OF OUR TESTIMONY AND BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB, AND HE WILL FIGHT AND WIN OUR BATTLES – IT IS WRITTEN.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

THE UNSEEN WAR

~ Michael Young, Sr. ~ Leave a comment

Feeling inspired or convicted from a sermon had become a rare thing for me.  Especially for that conviction or inspiration to last for weeks at a time.  But, to weep from a sermon had become nonexistent, until lately.

I encourage you to listen to the video below, absorb it and then act!

Daniel 10:1 – Daniel 11:1
Pastor Trent Casto, Covenant Church of Naples, FL – PCA                              (Excerpt reprinted, with permission)



“We are engaged in a cosmic spiritual conflict that has been raining for ages, and the events we see playing out in our world are reflections of the unseen war taking place in the heavenly places.”



“We see the effects of this spiritual conflict playing out in the world all around us. Governments are telling churches they cannot meet for worship in person, Christians are telling pastors they will leave the church if they have to wear a mask. Pastors are leaving their churches because of the extraordinary pressure and levels of conflict occurring in this season. Our news and newsfeeds are filled with so much disinformation that few people know who they can really trust, effectively unraveling the very fabric of our society.



“Real racism is a present reality as is real injustice in the halls of power.  Kids are committing suicide at an alarming rate. Depression and anxiety feel like the norm for our teens, rather than the exception. Human trafficking, the pornography industry and legalized abortion have ravaged countless lives. Of course, responsible human agents are involved in all these situations, but Christians must not forget that these are also the effects of the unseen war that is raging.

“Only when we understand the true nature of our conflict in this world can we engage in it appropriately and effectively. The Apostle Paul writes, in Ephesians 6:12…”

(For the message only, click on the video above here.  For the entire church service, click on the image below here)

What shall we do?

        1. We need a hunger for God
        2. We need a Fresh Vision, Word and Touch form God
        3. We need an Unshakable Confidence in God

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

I pray that ‘the LORD bless you, and keep us;  The LORD make His face shine on us, And be gracious to us;  The LORD lift up His countenance on us,  And give us peace.’