And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.  Revelation 12:7-12

Victory causes uncontrollable Joy.  A joy, a wellspring of true emotional response in realization of freedom from our greatest oppressor.  Does your heart sing, with every ounce of internal abundance, exhibiting powerful harmonies, testimony to your salvation?  Have you set the enemy to flight, by God’s Word and overcome by the power of His Blood and the tranformative word of your testimony before all that hold witness?

Let me tell you about transformation.  We all know that there is something wrong in the churches.  We don’t see the presence of God’s Holy Spirit, the Power, the Authority of God in the pulpit, leading people to Christ and to their purpose.  Diverse critics have long theorized and come up with campaigns, programs, prayers and men centered logic to overcome this difficulty.  This very week I saw the method by which we may truly succeed in inviting God’s Holy Spirit back into the congregation.  We have a monthly men’s prayer breakfast, as simple thing where we eat, pray and the pastor preaches.  Yet, recently this normal event has been transformed by what we thought a simple revision.

Now, each month, a new man from the congregation gets up in the pulpit and preaches.  This has produced so many unintended and quite lovely consequences.  First the pastor has been changed, by the sight and knowledge that each man has the Holy Spirit living within him.  Each man has delivered a powerful message, each man in succession, becoming sharper at giving testimony, prayer and counsel.  This has also transformed the capacity of every man present to deliver their testimony.  It has returned the Holy Spirit’s leadership to an event that was traditionally another rote procedure.  We have reinvited the Holy Spirit into our church and His presence is transforming us from within.  No one knows where this will lead but we are effected by it, even to the point where those who are not right with God have stopped coming to the event.

This is the power of Christ, to overcome the enemy through His Blood having cleansed each of us from unrighteousness and prepared us to disciple.  Now it is our testimony of salvation that keeps him at bay.  Perhaps now we will learn what it means to not love our lives, even unto the death.  We are the victors, shouldn’t there be some evidence of that conquest?  Rejoice o Earth, for the Lord our God is still the only one in charge.  In Jesus’ Name.