Pray Network Forum

As we witness prophetic events unfolding daily, we can attest without question, that the Church is in the last of the last days, the final hours before Christ returns for His spotless Bride. If there was ever a time when we, as Christians, need to safeguard our victory in Christ, it is today. The apostle Paul gives us the secret of securing our salvation in 1 Corinthians 9:27, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.”

 The signs of the times are everywhere throughout the world—floods, earthquakes, tornadoes, wars, economic collapse, false prophets, terrorism—these global indicators are clear harbingers, signalling the end of the age. The spiritual battle is raging around us with greater intensity than ever. There is a great falling away, a spreading apostasy that is looming in the Church like dark clouds of deception as multitudes of careless, undiscerning christians succumb to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils that have infiltrated the House of God, openly defiling the Lord’s holy name and corrupting His Word. 1Timothy 4:1-2 heralds this sobering trumpet call- “Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,  speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron”

 This is not a warning for the next generation—no, we are the final generation that is witnessing these exact Bible prophecies coming to pass before our very eyes! God, in His mercy, continues to send us “wake up call” after “wake up call” to shock us out of our slumber. All of these “breaking news” stories are occurring at an alarming and unprecedented acceleration. This should drive us to work out our own salvation in fear and trembling and for that reason, I have compiled this list of ten basic rules to safeguard your victory over the devil, who still walks around as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Don’t get hung up over the word “rule” which simply means “explicit principles that govern conduct”. What I’m endeavouring to do as God’s watchman is assist you according to His Word as to how we are to conduct ourselves as overcomers in these last days of time. Some would call this list of ten rules legalism, but Jesus calls it freedom. “If you continue in My word, then are you My disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32)  Here they are:

 1. SPEND TIME IN THE WORD DAILY- “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2)

 2. STAY ACTIVE IN PRAYER- “As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17) 

 3. STAY IN COMMUNION WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT- “This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16) 

 4. KEEP A GUARD OVER YOUR HEART- “Keep your heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23) 

 5. LOVE YOUR ENEMIES-  “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Mathew 5:44) 

 6. FORGIVE OTHERS FOR ANY OFFENSE- “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25)

 7. STAY IN FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS- “Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhort one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching”  (Hebrews 10:25)

 8. TURN AWAY FROM YOUR SINS- “He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13)

9. GIVE THANKS IN ALL THINGS- “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20)

10. PROTECT YOUR FIRST LOVE- “I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place—unless you repent” (Revelation 2:4-5)

Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you daily to conduct your manner of living around these scriptural principles and then walk in your victorious freedom every day until Christ comes back for His overcoming Church! Sin shall not have dominion over you! God bless you!

      Why all the fascination with “Duck Dynasty” these days? Is it just another example of mindless cultural fluff, or is a profound spiritual message somehow involved?

      The A&E Network’s unlikely hit series is the second most watched original series on a cable channel. As you probably know by now, the show chronicles the Robertson clan, the rags-to-riches family that has turned making duck calls into a lucrative company called Duck Commander.

      On a recent media blitz in New York City, the bearded stars were asked by Matt Lauer on “The Today Show” whether “Duck Dynasty” episodes were “real” or scripted. Family patriarch Phil Robertson replied, “Most of the time we ad-lib. Think about it: Some TV producer out of L.A. is fixin’ to put words into our mouth? Gimme a break.”

      Jase, one of the Robertson sons, described the culture shock between the TV producers and the fiercely independent Louisianans: “They come up with ideas, and we just get to be ourselves in the situation.”

      Is that the secret to the amazing success of the Robertsons, after all—the fact that they “just get to be themselves”?

      In various other interviews, the Robertsons have discussed how crucial it is for them to “keep it real,” even in the face of constant pressure to compromise their faith and values. Success has its own temptations, but it would be deadly to the show’s success if the family tried to fit into some mold set by TV gurus.

      But I’ve admitted to some friends lately that I don’t always like “reality.” Yes, the truth will set us free (John 8:32), but first it often brings pain and dismay. I can see why some people prefer to live their whole life in a fantasy world.

      And have you ever wondered what people would see if YOUR life was a TV reality show? Would it be the most boring program ever, because you never do anything heroic or adventurous? Would you be embarrassed if hidden cameras caught a behind-the-scenes look at what’s really going on in your family or career?

      Perhaps the reality show cameras would reveal that your public persona is far different from who you truly are. As Jesus described the Pharisees, maybe you’re a hypocrite…a play actor…wearing a religious mask or “happy face” to hide your inner reality.

      Jesus once told a Samaritan woman who had bounced from one immoral relationship to another, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). There’s an important message here about whether we’re living lives that are authentic or phony.

      The Greek word translated “truth” is alētheia. In addition to meaning “truth” in terms of what is right and wrong (e.g., the truth of Scripture), alētheia has a much broader meaning. It can be translated as “reality,” and one Bible dictionary defines it as “candor of mind which is free from pretense, simulation, falsehood, or deceit.”

      Many people today are yearning for reality. Perhaps they’ve never classified themselves as a “seeker of truth,” but they’re tired of the phony, the fabricated, and the hyped.

      Yet, sadly, not everyone is ready to face the truth. Jack Nicholson’s character in “A Few Good Men” may have been right when he famously said, “You can’t HANDLE the truth!”

      Let’s be honest: At the same time as we applaud the “reality” of a program like “Duck Dynasty,” millions are also watching the un-reality of “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

      Do we even have a clue as to what is “real” anymore? Do we even care?

      As you’ve probably guessed, my concern isn’t whether the Robertsons or the Kardashians are living in reality or phoniness. My concern is for you and me.

      I pray you have some true friends who are helping you “keep it real”—people who refuse to allow you to drift into unreality and self-deception. Even though it’s unlikely you’ll ever be offered your own TV program, may the reality of Christ be evident in your life. Although people will be impacted little by what you PROFESS, they can be impacted greatly by the reality of what you POSSESS.

      While the Robertson clan has made a mark on the world through manufacturing duck calls, you probably won’t be attracting any ducks through your sincere walk with Jesus. But I predict you surely will succeed as a fisher of men (Matthew 4:19).