Strong Man Of God Blog

On June 1, 2014 in Instruction by Robert Kelley

Now that I have laid out all of my missteps and taken full responsibility for the bad business decision I made last year, I write about one more aspect of it that is just as relevant and a deadly serious alert sounded to all aspiring strong men of God in the image of Jesus Christ. I am deeply grateful to the men I have regularly met with over the past two years for prayer and Bible study at the church I attend that prayed with and comforted me in my consequences. Tim Staples and Jerry Schoon in particular recognized the involvement of the predator of men’s souls and encouraged as well as interceded for me accordingly. I was responsible for my sin, but as they correctly discerned, I had also been snared.

Predator is one of the few movies I have purchased to see again periodically. The profanity is off the charts (the main human characters are ex-military, seal team types), but the story is gripping as an action film and has powerful, real world implications spiritually. The plot involves a team of men led by star, Arnold Schwarzenegger that is dropped into a Central American country to rescue hostages held by a guerrilla group. During their successful encounter with the human hostiles, the team is watched by an unseen, invisibly cloaked creature of great stature and muscular build that is not of this world. He, in fact, is a hunter; a predator looking for human trophies.

Looking for a challenge, the predator is very impressed with the fighting skills of this group of men and begins to pick them off one by one. He rips the skulls from their mutilated bodies after hanging them up in the tall trees to serve as the bragging proof of his hunt to his fellow galactic hunters when they return to pick him up (the opening of the movie shows the drop off). A native woman taken prisoner by the men sees the green blood of the creature after he is wounded in a fire fight with the team and reveals her people know of and call it a demon. Schwarzenegger is the only healthy member of his team left and goes on to outwit and defeat the creature through much pain.

Oh, that all mortal men would understand they are being watched, stalked and hunted for bragging rights by invisible, but real creatures; fallen angels (demons) that rebelled against God and have sought since to hurt Him in every way possible. They are stealthy, subtle and wily. Their leader appeared in the Garden of Eden and seduced Eve into sin; she in turn urged her husband to follow her lead incurring God’s preannounced consequence and leading to His war for human liberation through our Deliverer, Jesus Christ (Genesis 3:1-19; 1 Timothy 2:14; Hebrews 2:5-16)! As our High Priest, He helps believers “being tempted” who call on Him (Hebrews 2:17-18, NKJV).

We are warned: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,” (1 Peter 5:8, NKJV). Christians are the big game the invisible predator of men’s souls values above all since in Christ, we are greatly loved by God (Ephesians 1:3-14). While it is impossible that he could “snatch” us out of Christ’s hand, he is permitted to hunt us through temptation in the event we wander away into his snare (John 10:27-30; James 1:12-13, NKJV). So, we are to “Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by” our “brotherhood in the world” (1 Peter 5:9-11, NKJV).

It was for me as it is for every man according to James: “each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed,” (James 1:14-15, NKJV). As mine were, our desires can be noble and righteous. No responsible man on earth would fault me for attempting to provide for my family and ministry by taking a legal deal that would accomplish that. If God is not in it, however, no deal is finally good! As an expert predator, Satan first frightened me in January 2013 when county tax authorities pursued our small, non-profit Ministry for property taxes after we had already stood up to them a first time and prevailed. Vulnerable and fearful, a man then came to us with a deal that we saw was evil and rejected it (James 1:16-18).

After a few months, the man came back. Now, under real time and financial pressure and not seeing any other on the horizon, we accepted a revised deal with the same man. We wound up in a near year long lawsuit and financial ruin. Surely, if the Lord gracious and merciful had not stepped in to deliver after my repentance, the predator of men’s souls would have destroyed my life on earth entirely. Let every aspiring strong man of God be warned again by my faith failure (Mark 14:38; 1 Corinthians 10:12-13). Satan is coming after you in these latter days as never before because the opportunity to do so is drawing to a close (Revelation 12:7-12). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, “Who is on the Lord's side?”

Tagged With: , Christian souls are highly prized

Robert Kelley's weekly instruction, observations and reflections inspired by the Lord posted each Sunday night.

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