Exodus 14:13(NKJV)
13And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
I began ministering in the capacity of local church pastor in September of 1979. It’s hard to believe that it has been that long. In those years one of the most frustrating things I have had to deal with is the need to fight the same battles over and over again. I have watched as good people fight through difficulties, sins and attacks of the enemy only to see them face the same things again a few weeks, months or years later.
In the life of the church itself, it seems that we are always dealing with the same things. We win the battle and think that struggle is over, but some time later we face the same thing. We have to fight the battle again. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to win some wars not just some battles.
Look at what Moses tells the children of Israel. “The Egyptians you see today you shall see again no more forever.” Wow. I like it when the bible language is so emphatic. You see them today, but when will you see them again? You won’t see them again. For how long? Forever! As one of my friends would say, “Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about!”
I am a student of history in general and warfare in particular. I enjoy studying World War II and I have had the privilege of visiting some of the sights where this conflict was played out. Outside of the town of Bastogne in Belgium is a memorial for those who fought in the Battle of the Bulge called The Mardasson. It includes a high platform with a map of the battle area. You can walk around this platform and look out on where different events occurred and where the units were stationed.
It was truly inspiring to follow in my mind the course of the battle as I observed it from The Mardasson. This battle was very important. Had the Germans obtained their objectives the war would have lasted much longer. They might even have won a conditional surrender that would have left Adolf Hitler in power. The winning of that battle caused a tremendous celebration, however there were still many more battles to fight. The war wasn’t over.
On May 8, 1945, however there was another celebration. It was called VE day, for Victory in Europe. The war in Europe was over. All the soldiers knew they had survived. All the civilian citizens of all the nations involved knew that the nightmare was over. At least for now and at least in Europe, there was peace.
Israel had won a great battle in Egypt. God had humbled the greatest power in the world. The people had come out of slavery and they were free from the borders of Egypt, but God knew the war was not over. The enemy still had the ability to overtake Israel and either bring them back or destroy them. Winning the battle was not enough. God was going to win the war.
I believe that 2010 was a year of wining battles. In our church we have been building an addition. We decided that we would not borrow to do it. In this economy that is a large order. We do not have wealthy people. At least not in the natural and not yet, Praise God!
It has been a long process, but in 2010 we opened up the sanctuary, taking down the back wall of the original room and now it is 1/3 larger than before. We also finished a conference room and two additional offices and we are using them. All of this was done with no debt at all. These were victories.
Personally my wife and I decided to lose weight. We have both reached goals that, when we began at the beginning of this year seemed impossible. It is actually fun to go shopping for clothes again. Especially for my wife. I love to watch her beam as she fits into sizes that she hasn’t warn since our wedding and some she has never warn. That was a victory.
Many people in our church have reached milestones, fought battles and won victories over the enemy. Some have also lost some battles and some are still struggling. For me it has been a year of winning battles, but I believe that God wants 2011 to be a year of winning wars.
What are you facing? Have you been through the same battles again and again? Have you won some victories and maybe even some wars? We win the war when there is no more danger from a certain thing. I believe the theme God gave me for our church is designed to show us how to win wars.
Moses told Israel to “fear not, stand still” and God told them to “go forward.” This is a process that when applied to our lives will help us win battles, but will lead us to ultimately winning the war. I believe the world needs us to win some wars.
Just a word of caution. This was one of many wars Israel won and there were some they lost. There are going to be some wars we will win in 2011, but don’t think that means there are no more wars to fight. There will always be wars to fight. However, if we learn to apply the principles we have been studying, they will all be wars we can win.
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