OUR MOST POWERFUL SPIRITUAL WEAPONS
Mike Cunningham
April 6, 2014, edited 08/25/14

It was 2am on a bitterly cold December morning. A beautiful starlit sky illuminates a foot of fresh fallen snow, which, with the absence of the slightest breeze lay exactly where it had tumbled down from the heavens on the old country church. With the exception of an occasional snowplow the streets are deserted. But, unbeknownst to even the church mouse, the darkened church is packed with invisible people. Joyous men and women and older children of various sizes and ages are seated in the sanctuary. The man in the pulpit greeted them saying:

“Good morning folks. I’m Matt. Welcome to Christ’s church. I’m very happy that you also left Heaven and that you’re here this morning. The Lord has commissioned me to be a Missionary in The Land of the Living Dead. When you were living on the earth, you were diligent in reading and pondering portions of the Bible every day. You were also zealous prayer warriors. Each of you has been, and still are,burdened by the possibility that people you love not accepting God’s gift of forgiveness of their sins. You don’t want anyone to doom him or herself to suffering an eternity of unimaginable agony. You folks know that salvation was made possible by the shedding of the precious blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on behalf of all sinners, a little more than two thousand years ago. “

“Now He has appointed you folks to assist me in waking up the Christians who are still living in The Land of the Living Dead. They have been commanded to do everything that they possibly can to evangelize the lost at each and every divinely ordained opportunity. It’s sad to say, but, for various reasons, most of them aren’t. We must do our utmost to persuade those grossly unloving Christians of the necessity of utilizing the most powerful weapons that are in their spiritual arsenal. Jesus wants each of His followers to evangelize lost sinners. He wants them to bring these people to Him and, He will take it from there.”

Jesus began: “I’m obviously not going to project the following Scriptures on the screen located on my right hand side. This is a top-secret mission that we’re on. I don’t intend to light up this sanctuary. I’ll simply project my thoughts to each of you just as if I was talking to myself. Here it goes:”

John 1:40-42 (TLB)
40 (One of these men was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.)
41 Andrew then went to find his brother Peter and told him, “We have found the Messiah!”
42 And he brought Peter to meet Jesus.

—

Matthew 8:16 (TLB)
16 That evening several demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus; and when he spoke a single word, all the demons fled; and all the sick were healed.

—

Luke 5:18-19 (MSG)
18 Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher. They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus.
19 When they couldn’t find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus.
Luke 18:35-43 (MSG)
35 He came to the outskirts of Jericho. A blind man was sitting beside the road asking for handouts.
36 When he heard the rustle of the crowd, he asked what was going on.
37 They told him, “Jesus the Nazarene is going by.”
38 He yelled, “Jesus! Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
39 Those ahead of Jesus told the man to shut up, but he only yelled all the louder, “Son of David! Mercy, have mercy on me!”
40 Jesus stopped and ordered him to be brought over. When he had come near, Jesus asked,
41 “What do you want from me?” He said, “Master, I want to see again.”
42 Jesus said, “Go ahead—see again! Your faith has saved and healed you!”
43 The healing was instant: He looked up, seeing—and then followed Jesus, glorifying God. Everyone in the street joined in, shouting praise to God.

“It’s unnecessary to elaborate on these passages, isn’t it? They speak for themselves; Another one of our most powerful weapons is daily prayer. I have said it before, and I’ll say it again: all too many Christians don’t spend enough time each day in constant fervent prayer. I wonder how many blessings they’re missing out on. Consider the following:”

Exodus 15:22-25 (TLB)
22 Then Moses led the people of Israel on from the Red Sea, and they moved out into the wilderness of Shur and were there three days without water.
23 Arriving at Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it was bitter (that is why the place was called Marah, meaning “bitter”).
24 Then the people turned against Moses. “Must we die of thirst?” they demanded.
25 Moses pleaded with the Lord to help them, and the Lord showed him a tree to throw into the water, and the water became sweet.

—

1 Samuel 1:26-27 (MSG)
26 Hannah said, “Excuse me, sir. Would you believe that I’m the very woman who was standing before you at this very spot, praying to GOD?
27 I prayed for this child, and GOD gave me what I asked for.

—

1 Samuel 7:7-9 (MSG)
7 When the Philistines heard that Israel was meeting at Mizpah, the Philistine leaders went on the offensive. Israel got the report and became frightened—Philistines on the move again!
8 They pleaded with Samuel, “Pray with all your might! And don’t let up! Pray to GOD, our God, that he’ll save us from the boot of the Philistines.”
9 Samuel took a young lamb not yet weaned and offered it whole as a Whole-Burnt-Offering to GOD. He prayed fervently to GOD, interceding for Israel. And GOD answered.

—

1 Kings 9:1-3 (MSG)
1 After Solomon had completed building The Temple of GOD and his own palace, all the projects he had set his heart on doing,
2 GOD appeared to Solomon again, just as he had appeared to him at Gibeon.
3 And GOD said to him, “I’ve listened to and received all your prayers, your ever-so-passionate prayers. I’ve sanctified this Temple that you have built: My Name is stamped on it forever; my eyes are on it and my heart in it always.

—

1 Kings 18:37-39 (MSG)
37 Answer me, GOD; O answer me and reveal to this people that you are GOD, the true God, and that you are giving these people another chance at repentance.”
38 Immediately the fire of GOD fell and burned up the offering, the wood, the stones, the dirt, and even the water in the trench.
39 All the people saw it happen and fell on their faces in awed worship, exclaiming, “GOD is the true God! GOD is the true God!”

—

2 Chronicles 18:30-32 (NIV)
30 Now the king of Aram had ordered his chariot commanders, “Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel.”
31 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, “This is the king of Israel.” So they turned to attack him, but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him. God drew them away from him,
32 for when the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel, they stopped pursuing him.

Matt continued by reminding them that there are many other examples of the Lord answering the fervent prayers of His people that are recorded in the Old Testament.Then Matt asked them to consider some wonderful instances from the New Testament:

Luke 1:11-14 (TLB)
11 Zacharias was in the sanctuary when suddenly an angel appeared, standing to the right of the altar of incense!
12 Zacharias was startled and terrified.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias! For I have come to tell you that God has heard your prayer, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son! And you are to name him John.
14 You will both have great joy and gladness at his birth, and many will rejoice with you.

—

Acts 4:23-31 (TLB)
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other disciples and told them what the Council had said.
24 Then all the believers united in this prayer: “O Lord, Creator of heaven and earth and of the sea and everything in them—
25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying,
26 ’Why do the heathen rage against the Lord, and the foolish nations plan their little plots against Almighty God? The kings of the earth unite to fight against him and against the anointed Son of God!’
27 “That is what is happening here in this city today! For Herod the king, and Pontius Pilate the governor, and all the Romans—as well as the people of Israel—are united against Jesus, your anointed Son, your holy servant.
28 They won’t stop at anything that you in your wise power will let them do.
29 And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and grant to your servants great boldness in their preaching,
30 and send your healing power, and may miracles and wonders be done by the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and boldly preached God’s message.

Matt continued by saying, “Brothers and sisters in Christ, you and I must do everything we possibly can to convince the followers of Jesus who are still living in The Land of The Living Dead to pray, pray, pray!”

He was pleased when the folks who were sitting in the pews jumped to their feet and raised their hands and shouted in unison, “Amen brother Matt, amen! We must let them know that the Lord promises to answer every single one of the prayers of His people. With the help of the Holy Spirit we have to get them to look at these examples:”

—

Psalm 91:14-15 (MSG)
14 “If you’ll hold on to me for dear life,” says GOD, “I’ll get you out of any trouble. I’ll give you the best of care if you’ll only get to know and trust me.
15 Call me and I’ll answer, be at your side in bad times; I’ll rescue you, then throw you a party.

—

Isaiah 58:7-11 (MSG)
7 What I’m interested in seeing you do is: sharing your food with the hungry, inviting the homeless poor into your homes, putting clothes on the shivering ill-clad, being available to your own families.
8 Do this and the lights will turn on, and your lives will turn around at once. Your righteousness will pave your way. The GOD of glory will secure your passage.
9
Then when you pray, GOD will answer. You’ll call out for help and I’ll say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you get rid of unfair practices, quit blaming victims, quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
10 If you are generous with the hungry and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out, Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness, your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
11 I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places— firm muscles, strong bones. You’ll be like a well-watered garden, a gurgling spring that never runs dry.

—

Isaiah 65:24 (TLB)
24 I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking to me about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Matt went on to remind them of what Jesus said to His disciples in the Gospel of Luke:

Luke 11:1-13 (MSG)
1 One day he was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.”
2 So he said, “When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right.
3 Keep us alive with three square meals.
4 Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”
5 Then he said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread.
6 An old friend traveling through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’
7 “The friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’
8 “But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need.
9 “Here’s what I’m saying: Ask and you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open.
10 “Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we’re in.
11 If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate?
12 If your little girl asks for an egg, do you trick her with a spider?
13 As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask him?”

Matt concluded his remarks by reminding the folks in that old country church of the promises that Jesus had made to His disciples, and to the rest of His followers such as you and me thereafter.

John 15:1-14 (MSG)
1 “I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer.
2 He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more.
3 You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
4 “Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me.
5 “I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.
6 Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire.
7 But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.
8 This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.
9 “I’ve loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love.
10 If you keep my commands, you’ll remain intimately at home in my love. That’s what I’ve done—kept my Father’s commands and made myself at home in his love.
11 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.
12 This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you.
13 This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.
14 You are my friends when you do the things I command you.

Then, with Matt in the lead they quickly zoomed out of that old country church on that bitterly cold December morning. They wanted to scope out restaurants that served a breakfast special where they intended to discuss everything about Our Most Powerful Spiritual Weapons.

Lord willing, next week….