23 January, 2015

Enough is Enough

The past few weeks have been really tough. Three weeks ago I was fighting off a stomach virus and just feeling really rough all week. Friday night of that week, actually early Saturday morning I was awakened to find I was having chest pains and had to have my wife take me to the Emergency Room where as a precaution, they took me by ambulance to Peoria where I had an emergency heart cath done. The concern was that since I had previously had a stent placed near the heart several years ago that it could be closing up again. The heart cath results were actually very good, but the recovery time of the procedure itself knocked me for a loop physically. Just as I really began feeling myself again, my wife came down with a severe cold and sinus issue. I tried staying clear of her, but nonetheless, I succumbed to this and have been really under the weather since Wednesday of this week. So, the end result is that outside of just a few days, I've been laid up for almost 3 weeks. I've been able to get out and take care of some business, make some phone calls and such, but especially this week I have stayed clear of people, so as to not pass this illness on to anyone else. By this point, I'm frustrated as I have so many things that need to be done, people I need to see and so on and I've been, for the most part, sitting on the sidelines for the better part of three weeks. 

A couple of nights ago I threw down the gauntlet and said, "That's it devil... enough is enough! I'm not taking this anymore!" Now, you have to know that when you challenge Satan that way, the battle is just beginning. I've actually felt worse the past 2 days, but I refuse to give in. I'm still not going to be silly and pass this mess on to someone else, but I've purposed in my heart to do everything I could do and as I completed each task to remind the devil that he had lost that round. Some would say I'm silly, but I just don't think so. Sometimes you have to stand up and say to the enemy, "you may have landed some good blows in that round, but I'm still in the fight!" I refuse to just lay down and give him even a round. I'm in this fight to win. I may lose a round or two, but I'm determined to win this fight. I've heard the devil saying over and over all week, "you are not going to preach this week." I'm saying, "WATCH ME!" My voice is weak and hoarse right now, but I will proclaim the Word this Sunday. I'm not backing down. I have faith in my God. I know the devil is going to take repeated shots at me, trying to back me down. I expect that. That's why God's Word tells us to "take up the shield of faith" so that we can extinguish the fiery darts from the enemy. Faith is not easy. It is something we must fight and contend for. I'm not stupid. I know that when we are sick, we need to rest, but I also am able to recognize attacks from the enemy when I see them, and this has been an all out assault from the enemy trying to get me to back down. I've declared that 2015 was going to be a great year of victory and turnaround for Harvest Church, and Satan is doing everything he can to get me to back away and take it easy. It's not happening. Enough is enough! I will not give up, back down or even stand still. I'm pushing onward, in Jesus' Name!

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