IMPORTANT:
To accelerate your learning curve
Go through the "training modules" in order

Again, Please stop and pray allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal Himself as you continue.

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The Four Battles

On the Path of Life... there are FOUR BATTLES you must face.   Victory at each battle is within your grasp and ability. Each victory builds upon the victory of the last. But understand, that without victory in the first battle, victory in the other three battles, will be an illusion at best and tragic failure in the end! This is not a riddle of fantasy, it is real and applies to your life.

The Biblical context for these four battles are found throughout the scriptures as in the parable given by Jesus of the Four grounds. Another, which is most famous from the old Testament, is from the life of King David who fought: 1. The Lion  2. The Bear.  3. Goliath   and later... 4. "Backsliding" (with Bathsheba). This Fourth battle is typically overlooked because it is not as obvious as the first three. This is the battle that King David lost even though his destiny was one of the greatest, so much that he is remembered as "the man after God's own heart!

The term "backsliding" is used in reference to complacency and is pictured as one who has climbed up a mountain where the ground is loose and the incline is steep. As soon as he stops, he begins to slide back down the mountain... As another example, the muscles in your physical body will atrophy if you don't use them... Therefore, we must NEVER assume we can cruse on "auto-pilot" in our spiritual life!

The fourth battle is difficult in that it is illusive and therefore easily and typically ignored. King David failed the fourth battle because he let down his guard and drifted away from Seeking and Serving God. Like many of us, David let his flesh rule his life... and paid dearly for it. This also happened to King Solomon (David's son), who ironically started out as being the wisest man on Earth!

Great Leaders and Great Ministries have fallen because they did not stay humble and fell to assuming the war was over and they could cruse on auto-pilot -- WITHOUT the need to stay in tune with and in obedience to God. These examples are real, and we need to stop looking at them (and the Bible) as if they are merely Bible fairy tales that have no direct application to our lives.

The reality is that each of the four battles are different and difficult, in and of themselves, and cannot be fought the same way. Many strong men and women of God have won and also lost these battles. But whether we are strong or weak, we have more than hope and opportunity because Jesus won them all, and enables us (through Him) to do the same in our lives.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. "
(Philippians 4:13)

In the parable of the Sower given by Jesus in Matthew 13 , the fertile ground is what we are using to parallel the "fourth battle". That is the ultimate prize. The "spoils" from that "battle" are in measure: 30%, 60% and 100%. (note: Our "harvest" is greatly increased depending on how fully we overcome the second and third battles).

Bottom line: It is the condition of our heart that will determine what greater spoils we will reap as we fulfill our destiny. That is the fourth and final battle that our whole life is ultimately about, which is the greatest fulfillment we can experience - abundant life.

"I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly."
(John 10:10b)

So, Let's begin.
FOR YOU: What is the First Battle?
It is the battle of your pride vs. your salvation from Hell. If you lose that battle, you lose your life - but you get to keep your pride in eternal death (Hell). The struggle of the battle is, indeed, with your own pride. But, if you humble yourself and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior, then the spoils of that victory is your eternal LIFE! But that's not the end, there are three more major victories that await you.

This website is designed to help take you through them.

At this point (hopefully), you are here because you have already won the first battle and have decided and have prayed to make Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior. So, let's take a moment after that first battle, to grasp the transition of who you were (trapped in your sins and hell-bound), to being born again into the Kingdom of God.

Your new spiritual life is truly similar to a newborn out of the womb where there is a process of growth that must take place.... BUT THERE IS ONE VERY IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE. The spirit realm is not bound in time as our flesh is. Therefore YOUR SPIRITUAL GROWTH WILL NOT HAPPEN AUTOMATICALLY. It is activated by YOUR FAITH in Jesus Christ (in the decisions you make and the actions you take) as you walk the rest of your days on Earth.

Faith is not a vague idea, religious feeling or wishful thinking. Faith has substance and is the connecting mechanism through which we exercise our spiritual being and access the spiritual realm. Faith puts action into what you believe. What you believe is based on who you put your trust in . Many say they believe in God, but in reality, their actions reveal that they put their trust in their feelings, or in their finances, or even in someone else (like a priest, pastor, husband or wife, friend). And sadly, many put their trust in their own selves (foolish and earthly wisdom).

The key to it all, is to first be humble and to put your trust in the One True Living God through Jesus Christ. Why? Because he's the Messiah. As God, He stepped down from Heaven and became just as vulnerable as a man like Adam ( like us, but without our inherited sin nature). Yet it was in that same weakness that He overcame ALL of sin and death at the Cross (and through His ressurection).

By our weakness, we are bound for death. But by His submission to God's Love, Jesus overcame the weakness of human flesh and redeemed our Life with His own life at the Cross. Then, He returned to Heaven and continues to offer His Life to every human life (to us). That's why we have chosen to humble ourselves and follow the ONLY ONE who can guide us in the Path of Life and True Freedom.

...While we are on the Earth and breath, we have that choice.

One thing Jesus did to carry him through his journey, was that he always stopped to pray and seek his Father in Heaven. Indeed, what is needed to obtain victory in the forthcoming battles can be summed up into one statement:


As anyone who believes in Christ will tell you, these are the basics:

• Seek God by praying with an honest heart
• Seek God in The Holy Bible
• and Seek The Kingdom of God In others by connecting with a True Christ-centered Body of Believers.
  (Because Not all churches are the same)

In addition, there are many many resources from other's who have journeyed before you, and have shared the knowledge and wisdom of how God has guided them in their experiences.

But the Kingdom of Heaven is not in knowledge alone. Those resources (including this website) are only useful if you are Seeking what The Holy Spirit has to say to your heart as He teaches you through them and through the scriptures.

Also when He (the Holy Spirit) places something on your heart that you know you must do... be diligent to do it because it's ALWAYS worth it! We may not understand it at the time, but His plan is 100% better than ours. -- JUST MAKE SURE IT IS COMING FROM HIM before you do it. You'll know because what He tells you will always be in agreement with His Truth and His Righteousness which will always be in agreement with what He has previously told us through the scriptures of the Holy Bible. And if you are unsure: Ask Him for additional confirmation of scripture. As a general guideline (and NOT a law): the greater the request, the more need for confirmation. He may also encourage you through others or certain circumstances, but they are not as reliable as His Word in the Scriptures.

"as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word,
that you may grow thereby,"
(1 Peter 2:2)

If you are a new Christian, you are hopefully digging into the scriptures. Keep in mind, that it is important to always take the whole word of God into account. Look at the scripture of the Bible in its entirety.

Beware not to take one or two scriptures and pull them OUT of context... That's where many people go astray and even major sects of Christianity get lost in their own religion and forsake their first Love (Revelation 2:4). That's why it is always essential to pray first for the Holy Spirit to guide you and seek Him when you are reading.

Here are two great tips to help keep you in line with the Holy Spirit:

1.	The best way to detect (discern) a lie - is to know the Truth ... "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
2.	One of the best keys to understanding the scriptures is knowing that God cares more about your heart than he does about what you do. Of course, God does care about your works, desires and abilities, but not as much as he cares about your heart. "For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

For the layman, it all boils down to these two questions:

The scriptural basis for this is found in Deuteronomy 6:5 and again when Jesus echoed it in Matthew 22:37-38:

Jesus said to him,
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 
This is the first and great commandment.”

If we forget this when we try to interpret scripture, we will quickly find ourselves in confusion and error thereafter. But when God's heart is the most important thing to our heart, THEN, we will be in a position to truly fulfill the second commandment, which is to love our neighbor as ourself. Jesus Christ did not just die on the Cross – He also rose from the dead. He is still living today and His desire is to work with us and through us to bring every life that He created, into His Kingdom (if they so choose).

As you become more familiar with God and His Word, you will begin to view scripture as a window through which you can see God. It's like standing on the rim of a circle, where you can move to any point on the circle and still have the same view of the center. And just as there are an infinite number of points on the circle, the wisdom He communicates back to you is infinite. Your relationship with Him defines the radius, and the closer you draw near to Him, the clearer you are able to view Him through His Word.

When you look through the written Word of God, You should see the Living Word of God!



In contrast, When you look at scripture wrongly (through the eyes of your flesh), you are not looking for Him at the center, and thus, you will see scripture out of proper context.

"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.
I did not come to destroy but to fulfill."
Matthew 5:17

Jesus (The Word) is God. He does not compromise His standards or Righteousness. (Psalm 111:7) HE does not relax them for anyone. You see this with every patriarch and prophet in the old and new Testaments, including himself at the Cross. Because God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) . His Love is real, He does not compromise it and it does not fade. Meaning that His Love is just as strong today as it was when He created the Heavens and the Earth (Genesis 1:1, John 1:1)

IT TAKES FAITH TO "SEE" GOD

It's no secret why God is invisible: It takes FAITH to cross the bridge into the invisible/spiritual realm. God has done all He can to bridge that gap to gain your heart. Now it's your turn...

"And ye shall seek me, and find me,
when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
(Jeremiah 29:13)

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2. The Spiritual Realm...

To the right is a simplified diagram of what the spiritual realm consists of . Clicking on it will take you down to the bottom of this page where you can click on the video "Next Steps" that will better explain what you see this the diagram.

Please keep this spiritual "model" in mind as you progress through the rest of this website.

Three basic type of spirits:

GOD
Angels
Humans

These are the three BASIC 'type' of spirits that you generally need to deal with 99% of the time.
(If you need more info, we recommend the Blue-Letter-Bible, our Resources page and your Pastor).

PRACTICAL SUMMARY:

• GOD -- is a three-part being:

  Spirit = GOD - The-Holy-Spirit,
  Soul  = GOD - The-Father,
  Body = GOD - The-Son (Jesus)
  
  Facts:

  • God is God. There is NO other. [Click here]
  • God is not the Universe. (God CREATED the Universe)
  • God is not some mystic ball of intelligent energy.
  • We don't evolve into God.
  • God is not Allah. -- there is much confusion in the use of the name Allah as another name for God. But one thing is clear: The God Bible and the God of Quran are very different. In fact, very opposite! [Click to read Article]
  • God is not group of Extra-terrestrial Aliens that are experimenting with life on Earth. -- (You're watching too many space movies! -- Fantasies to escape the existance and acknowledgement of God as our Creator and Heavenly Father)




• ANGELS -- spiritual beings created by God divided into two major categories:

  Facts:

  Angels of God = 2/3 of angels remain in the service of God

  • There are arch-angels, seraphim, cherabim and perhaps others, but that should not be our focus.
    
    
  • Angels of God will never allow you to worship them. They will never try to possess you.
    
    
  • You do not have the right to command the angels of God. Neither should you pray to them! But by the command of God, they are directed by your words (when your words and prayers are in obedience to God).

  
  

  Demons (aka devils or evil spirits) = 1/3 of angels rebelled against God (now called demons).

  • There are at least four military ranks of demons, which most likely is the same military structure of the Heavenly host (angels of God). Ephesians 6
    
    
  • Demons cannot possess a born-again Christian, but they can and do try to oppress them. Born-Again Christians have the authority of Christ over all demons but not in all situations... You will learn more about this as you progress through the site, but the two main areas where you would run into problems are:
    1. When you have strongholds that allow the demon(s) access to your soul and body.
       
       
    2. When you try to take authority under your own power and without the direction of the Holy Spirit.
  • As a born-again-Christian, you are on the winning side... Because there are twice as many angels of God than there are demons.
    
    
  • Space Aliens are real -- because they are demons! It is true..that they are from another dimension ............ the spiritual realm. They are angelic beings that can and do interact with the physical Universe.
    
    
  • The devil and demons CANNOT be saved. Jesus did not die on the cross to be a propitiation for the sins of angels - only man. (Man is made in God's image and is the only created being that can be redeemed through the Cross of Calvary). Angels exist with full knowledge of the Spiritual realm and therefore the angels that rebelled made an eternal choice to rebel against God.
    
    While we breath on the Earth, we as humans have the unique opportunity to repent and receive the redmeption that the Messiah (Christ) purchased for us by becoming a man (limited like us) remaining pure and not yielding to temptation and therefore able to take our place and pay the price of death, that we deserve.
    

  The details about angels and demons are limited, because God only gave us what we need to know. Our focus needs to be on Christ, not angels or demons. But we do have enough to understand that they are many, they have miliary ranks and that there are different types of angels. Of course there is more to be learned, but only for the purposes of staying in alignment with God and His kingdom while we progress towards our destiny in Christ. The bottom line for now is knowing that the angels of God will do their job as we are obedient to the will of God, and that demons must and will yield to the authority of Christ in us and through us.




• HUMANS -- We are created by God in God's image: spirit-soul-body.
  Facts:

  • You as a human being, can best put into proper perspective as follows:
    

    You are a spirit,
    who has a soul
    that lives in a body.

  • Humans do not become angels -- not before death, not after death, not at any time.

    "And as it is appointed for men to die once,
    but after this the judgment" Hebrews 9:27

    
    

  
  • We do not become ghosts and roam the earth, or haunt houses -- those are demons masquerading as the dead.
    
    
  • Unfortunately, you CANNOT pray for a family member who has already died. Our prayers cannot save someone who is already dead from hell. Each human is responsible for their own eternal destiny. Hebrews 9:27
    
    
  • SAINT - is simply a believer in Christ
    "Saint" originates from the Greek word meaning "holy" or "set apart." ... In contrast, the Bible views every Christian as a saint, as someone set apart for God's work. It is important to note that ALL the men and women in the Bible were just as human as we are today. The difference, is not always found in the actions, but in the heart as to who truly loves God or not.

    Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners,
    but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God Ephesians 2:19

    
    
  • We don't pray to dead saints, nor do we pray to Mary (the mother of Jesus).

    "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,
    the truth, and the life:
    no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6

  • We cannot talk to the dead -- If you are having a supernatural conversation with a lost loved one through a "seance" , it is because the spirit that is talking through the 'medium' is a demon that was assigned to the dead person while they were alive (like a "fly on the wall"), and therefore has accurate and even detailed knowledge about that person. Demons always wrap their lies with factual truths so that you will accept the inner deception with the outside coating of shallow or half-truth. ...If there was no truth at all, you would not "buy" the lie! -- REMEMBER: The best way to detect a lie, is to know the TRUTH.
  
  
  
• The other 1%

  (Pic inserted for humor)

  There is a 4th type of spirit which is an animal, that is somewhat contro-versial.
  
  We know an animal can be possessed, as exampled when Jesus allowed the legion of demons to enter a herd of swine that immediately drown themselves in the sea (Mark ch5)
  
  Therefore it is possible, (but is not common) that you may have to deal with a possessed animal spirit. That should be rare.
  
  On a daily basis, your main concern will be with the 3 basic types mentioned above (God, angels and humans). That should be obvious and it is paramount that you grasp hold, understand and live in that reality.
  
  Although there is controversy as to whether animals actually have a spirit, we know that animals are NOT made in the image of God Genesis 1:26-31, and therefore don't have the capacity to sin (though they have fallen to the adverse effect of man's sin). Jesus did not die on the cross to be a propitiation for the sins of animals (nor angels) - only man.
  
  Does this mean that animals will not go to Heaven when they die? If you are an animal lover, take heart. Many people young & old who have had near-death experiances as well as visitations from the Lord, have reported seeing animals (as well as aborted children) in Heaven.
  
  There is another big lesson to be learned here: One of the devil's common strategies is to get you to think LIKE an animal so that you can easily be possessed or oppressed like an animal! It works on an individual as well as on groups of people, including nations. Just look at the state of the people before the fall of many nations in history... Sadly, now look at how typically the US has also been following that pattern of first being "dumbed-down", common hatred against different races and cultures or simply the color of skin. ... But even animals don't lower themselves to do the wicked things that men do against each other.
  
  That is the major influence behind the premise of evolution: - if you are "dumbed-down" to nothing more than a mere animal, with no real purpose than to satisfy your own lusts while you breath on the Earth, then there is no need for you to be responsible to God. Especially if you have reasoned that God does not exist because you BELIEVE in the THEORY (religion) of evolution.
  
  

  "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
  And changed the glory of the incorruptible God
  into an image made like to corruptible man,
  and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. "
  Romans 1:22-23

  
  
  

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3. The Spiritual Realm Communication

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Spiritual Basics II

"And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. "
(Romans 16:20)

As mentioned above in "The Four Battles", You were born into a spiritual war (whether you knew it or not ... and whether you like it or not).

On the one side: There is God who is almighty, who has all power and authority and is the creator of all things and beings. He gave you free will and the choice to choose Him or not. ... who offers you Eternal life!

On the other side: you have satan, demons and man's pride insanely working together against the will of God. ...against God ... who offers you to join 'the dark side' , rebel against God and burn in Hell forever.

In other words, those who think they are smarter and stronger and can box down God, are insanely Hell-bent in their own pride!

It is important to note that ALL demons (aka devils) including satan are merely "fired" angels of Heaven (they made a choice to rebel against God). And as a result, satan and every demon has a very SPECIAL PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE (John 10:10a): ......to KILL you, STEAL from you or DESTROY you in any order and by any means they can get away with. (And the only way they can do that is when you allow them).

Indeed this war ensues on the 'theater' of the Earth. ...But please understand that you are not an expendable pawn in some chess game of the great spirits, as the Movies and many of the World's agnostic folk lore would have you believe. That view is one of ignorance. You are not some experiment on God's game table.

God is very aware of who you are, the life that He gave you, and not to forget, His Life that He gave for you (John 3:16). God does love you. And it's more than just a feeling. It's action behind the word. Your life and your heart is of the greatest of value to Him. Indeed, there is a greater life that God desires for you to live, but at the same time there is a war, and there are enemies and obstacles that you must overcome. The true Christian life is not a fantasy.

OK, so we see the two sides of the war, and that it's not the devil against God, but the devil against us. It's interesting that in Romans 16:20 (above), you see that the term "peace" is used in a military context! The apostle Paul, who wrote that verse, would have been inclined to have used the term "The Lord of Hosts" which is more the military description for God than "The God of Peace"!!   If you do a word search in the Bible, you will actually find that the term "The God of Peace" is found 33 times, while "Lord of Hosts" is found 235 times.

This strange usage in Romans 16:20 is used to indicate that at the end of the war is Peace. But not only that, it is the ultimate indication of the God's nature as one of Peace. Indeed, the outcome of the war has already been won by the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7) through the Cross (Acts 2:32-36) , by which we have inherited the same victory by faith in Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:19)
Yet, until all the prophecies have been fulfilled, we will have daily life battles here in the theater* of the earth.

* The term 'theater' is also used as a broad-scale view of war.



What is the War about anyway?

War is always about territory. The battles are fought upon that territory. So, we ARE IN a Spiritual War and The territory ..... is our heart and the hearts of those around us. It's a very real war and "truth be told", there are giants in the land. --OUR LAND (our hearts). What's worse is that we don't have the power (of our own) to fight them!... But Our God does!! By the power and authority Christ has given us, we can win every battle!

It's time to train in the Truth (and we will) to win the battles, instead of being constantly being defeated by them. Because, as it turns out, those giants aren't as big as they'd like you to believe. We'll talk about that later.

In a war, we know that at the end of each battle, there are great spoils with each victory, or great losses with each defeat. The losses of the first battle are the most costly. Sadly, not everybody gets past the first battle (of Salvation). Why? ...Because they value their pride more than their eternal life. We don't like to think about it, but many people (whom we love and think are good people) will end up in Hell because they don't want to let go of their pride and put their trust in God.

Is it unfair? Is it that God is a tyrant and demands your religious penitence??? No. God can't force you to love Him. He gave you free-will because He wants your love: True love - which cannot be taken, only given freely. God has given His Love and Life 100%, and he wants the same in return. A True Love Relationship is 100% a "two-way street" that you can't manufacture, you can't fake it or pretend. God is Love (1 John 4:8). God is Life (John 14:6). And like a loving father, He wants to give you everything that is good and nothing that is bad (Psalm 16:11).

Indeed, the spoils of the first battle which is the reward of eternal Life in Heaven, is good enough. But that is where most Christians stop. And even though they quote "The Lord's prayer", they miss the part about "on earth as it is in Heaven." Unfortunately, few of those who make it past the first battle, will get past the second battle (Break Free and Stay Free) Why? Because they were not properly equipped, nor trained to use the equipment! and that is a serious problem. God has been patient and willing for us to go through many generations of getting clobbered by the devil, until we finally stop talking and start working together. (Walking in UNITY. That's where we need to get to and that's where this ministry is headed. But, right now, let's slow down a couple clicks so we can get there, strong and ready...)


Picture This...
What if an Army Recruiter "preaches" about honor & duty and convinces a young man to join the army. So, the young man enlists, but they DON'T send him to Boot Camp where he should be given the real (hard) training he needs to properly prepare him to survive and engage in actual battle.

Instead, they give him a 1 hour dramatic overview about the war (on Sunday). Then they shove a machine gun (Bible) in his hands (which he doesn't know how to use) and send him off into the front lines of battle where he gets filled with bullets like a young deer on the first day of hunting season.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers,
you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God;
and you have come to need milk and not solid food.
For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is,
those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."
(Hebrews 5:12-14)


"For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ,
yet have ye not many fathers"
(1 Corinthians 4:15)

Warfare Basics

Let's now complete your orientation and get you started walking in the Kingdom and will of God --on Earth as it is in Heaven... Again, please keep in mind that our Commander and Chief is the King of kings, Jesus Christ - the Prince of Peace, who came to give us Life more abundantly (John 10:10b). As we continue examining our new spiritual life from a military viewpoint, we do NOT promote having a militant mindset that lives in paranoia and fear. It's quite the opposite because perfect Love casts out fear (1 John 4:18). Let's progress with the SOUND MIND that God gives us. (2 Timothy 1:7).


Base Camp

The first thing to do when you land in enemy territory**, is to first set up a base camp.

Base camp is your place of orientation. Base camp is where you go out from to do battle, and where you come back to heal your wounds. We can see how Jesus did this when he always set aside time to pray and spend time with God.

Base camp gives you the things you need:

You need a place of rest (trust). (Psalm 91)
You need to know WHO you are. WHO YOU ARE IN CHRIST
You need to know WHERE you are. (John 3:6),   (John 15:19),   (1 Corinthians 2:12)
You need to know WHERE YOU'RE GOING. (John 6:33),   (Hebrews 11:16)  
and you need to know HOW to get there (road-map). ( Joshua 1:8)
You need to be EQUIPPED to not only "do battle" but TO WIN it. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
You need to know how to DETECT the obstacles you will encounter and OVERCOME them. (Rev 2:7),   (Heb 5:14)
You need to get rid of the restraints BEFORE you can even get started. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
           {Identifying and eliminating strongholds (lies) in our hearts, and the demons that gained access through them.}
HELPING OTHERS along the way, STRENGTHENS you. (Hebrews 3:13-14)
WALKING IN UNITY with others ACCELERATES your travel and expands your destiny. (Matthew 18:20),   (James 5:16)

NEWS BRIEF: Your life on planet Earth has now changed.
Let's see how it works when we add in the spiritual components to our life in the world :

Life on Battlefield Earth

1. Setup Base camp: Prayer, read Bible, Assemble with other saints, Clean-up & Regular House cleaning
   
   
2. Reconnaissance: Walk in the Spirit (with the Holy Spirit): Seek the Kingdom of God in every area of your life. Pray for your family, neighbors, church, city, state country, world and the Peace of Jerusalem.
   
   As you move out from Base camp on each and every mission (like going to the grocery store, post office, work, visit a neighbor, and even church) you need know where you are, at all times. Like a good boy scout, you need three things:

   1. A map = The Bible (Your baseline)
   2. A Compass = The Holy Spirit (This requires skill to "listen" to Him)
   3. A Destination = Your destiny: The Kingdom of Heaven FULLY expressed through your life.
3. Communicate to Headquarters:--Pray
4. Wait for Instructions: -- Listen
5. Carry out Marching Orders :(Obey with action, immediately as instructed)
6. Conflict Resolution: What to do when you encounter the enemy...Resist the devil - James 4:7
7. If defeat: First - Repent (turn back to the right way). Realize defeat could only happen if you were not properly walking WITH the Holy Spirit. Ask for forgiveness. Re-Seek God and His wisdom.
8. If Victory: Always - Give thanks and praise to God.
9. Return To BaseCamp and prepare for next Campaign:Matthew 6:33

"And you shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer;
I have overcome the world. "
John 16:33

Notice that Jesus did NOT say that all your troubles will magically disappear!... Indeed, the world is not far from the illustration of the movie "the Matrix" , in that the god of this world lulls you (throught a serires of deceptions) into a hypnotic state of UN-REALITY. It causes you to ignore the TRUTH of what is happening spiritually while you waste your time focusing on your flesh. If you've been born again, you can no longer ignore the spiritual warfare that your soul is still subject to (even though your spirit has been set free).

Reality: if you want true Peace in your life, there is a certain amount of fighting (spirit & soul) you're going to have to do.

If the Military point of view is a little too harsh for you right now, here are two great illustrations that show how to stay in tune with the Holy Spirit, keep God's protection over you and His Love and blessings coming to you and through you to others.

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Illustration 1: Ballroom dancing

It has been said: "Life is a Dance." As it turns out, that is even more true in the Christian life. It's interesting to note, that a favorite past-time of Bruce Lee (famous martial artist) was ballroom dancing. Here, the ironic contrast from the military point of view is most "apropos". Dancing demonstrates an excellent picture of how to walk in the Spirit as you traverse through the war-field of life on Earth.

Here's the picture: Christ is the Bridegroom, and we are the Body of Christ as the Bride.
But there's a couple hard facts that we all need to come to grips with:

1. This is not a place for individualism.
2. This is not a place for equality of the sexes.

The way the dance works is that the man leads and the woman follows. If the woman tries to lead - it doesn't work.
Understand? When God moves, you move -- Not ahead of Him, not without Him, ... but WITH Him.

...How?
By following. How do we follow? - By staying connected through listening and obeying.
Jesus gave us this 3-step dance pattern:

Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find;
knock, and it will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7

There is a subtle dynamic connection that the dancing couple must maintain to make the dance work. It is the key to it all and it is not seen by the observers who sit at the tables around the dance floor. The man and the woman must stay in constant communication through touch (annointing is a medium of two-way communication). Although it is subtle, this is where the power of the dance is centered. The man does not wield the woman around like a sack of potatoes. Instead, she is responsive (listening to that "still small voice" 1 Kings 19:9-12) and always at the ready to follow. They are both relaxed, open, in tune, and in step with the music.

There is no struggle ( his burden is light), and a good leading man is able to do amazing things with the woman who simply follows. He can take her anywhere on the dance floor, displaying her beauty all the while and captivating all who watch them in wonder.

They have a saying in dancing that: 'The woman is the picture, the man is the frame.' Indeed, Jesus is the perfect leading man who although He has incredible ability

The music is the rhythm of Life (the LIFE of Christ). The woman's responsiveness symbolizes our obedience. And the most important is our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, that can only be gained by constantly seeking Him -- in prayer, through His Word, through fellowship with other believers, and in all we do in obedience to His leading...
This is a dance that breaks the bonds of fear and cannot be confined inside the small box that the current state of the church has been limited to.

There is a beauty that cannot be adequately described - You must experience it. This is not a choreographed, pre-rehearsed performance. This is a live, fun, powerful relationship that is non-stop from beginning to end. Any woman will tell you that she can easily follow a man who knows how to lead. She never knows what He's going to do next, but is in anticipation of his every move. All the woman needs to know how to do, is FOLLOW.

The dance of Life never stops.

Even when our bodies sleep, our spirits do not, and neither does the warfare. As stated before, your spritual enemies do not play fair, and they will attempt to attack whenever you are vulnerable, which many times is when we are sleeping. But your spirit is also not asleep, and depending on where your heart is, you can defend yourself and win those battles as well.

"and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,
will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Phillipians 4:7

The devil is not the only one who is active when you sleep, as it is not uncommon for God to communicate to us through dreams ...which is a topic that will be continued later in Step.

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Illustration 2: The Umbrella

This is a simple illustration but not to be overlooked...

As long as you're under God's mighty hand, you're under His "umbrella" of protection and direction. Once you start going your way and not following His way -- you lose His Direction and blessing.   Immediately, you will find yourself out from under God's umbrella, and the fiery arrows of the enemy will begin to bombard you (demons speaking lies into your mind). Then, because you are focused on your own prideful goals, you won't realize it until your so soaked in the subtle lies, that you can't understand why you are having some many problems...and why God isn't answering your prayers!

This happens to all of us. And when it does, you need to get back under the 'umbrella' of God's mighty hand by humbling yourself and submitting to God in obedience. But it's difficult, especially when the battle gets thick. Because in the power of its momentum, the hardest part is letting go of your own pride (which got you there in the first place)!





Stand down Soldier:
Before you courageously begin to engage the enemy in the battle, there's something you definitely don't want to bypass...

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BOOT CAMP
You must now be trained to not only survive but become victorious.

Reveille Bugle:

1. Do the Exercises below.
   
   
2. Return (at least two more times) and review the Illustrations above: Each time, ask the Holy Spirit where and how you can begin to apply them more actively in your life.
   
   
3. GET EQUIPPED: Return to the TRAINING PANEL and click 'Armor of God'
   
   
4. UPGRADE Your Arsenal: Return to the TRAINING PANEL and click 'Power Tools'
   
   
5. Proceed to Close-Quarters Combat and Weapons Training 'STRONGHOLDS'.