The devil works in many ways to break the relationships of God because he knows there is a mighty power as we come together in the body of Christ. For example: The first stage of spiritual warfare is to do everything possible to prevent something of God from joining together as one. This occurs through distractions and distrust in order to wear down the opponent. The second stage after the formation is to pick apart the opposition in order to weaken the unity within the body. The third stage of spiritual warfare occurs by picking apart the team leaders in order to cause loss of direction in the mission and to disperse a spirit of doubt or disbelief within the body.

This principle of spiritual warfare occurs in our homes, our churches, our businesses and our nation. For our homes are only as strong as our relationships and without a relationship we have no home. For our refuge is in the Lord and everything can be worked out at the foot of the cross with those that seek the will of our Father instead of the will of man…

May I challenge you today to strengthen your relationships through communication and to cast out anything of the devil that may be hindering you from experiencing the true love of Jesus within the family of God…

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

There are several ingredients that make up affective prayer.  Think about it! Have you ever tried to bake a cake without mixing the batter? Have you ever tried to substitute something artificial in place of something real? Or, have you ever left something out due to thinking it was not needed? In order for our prayers to be affective it is wise to examine the sincerity of our hearts along with understanding of our motives. Sometimes we ask God to do things when He is simply waiting on us to take that step in faith.

Faith can not be activated without a step as we learn this very lesson with the servant of Abraham as he prayed to the Lord of his master prior to meeting the wife of Isaac. After he prayed he then got up and went to her which then activated the outcome of his prayer. He knew what he had prayed and did not go to her while flaunting this in her face but he allowed God to guide the steps as he displayed obedience to the Lord of his master.

There are times when we are to simply pray for those that we can not reach but when God has us in a place that we can be affective in our obedience then we are to take those directed steps in faith. The object is to recognize the balanced skills required of when to step and when not to step. This is how we recognize the doors that open and the doors that shut. For why would we ever expect to receive if we are not willing to knock?

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

This morning as I walked out on our screened porch for morning prayer I noticed a sparrow that had slipped in through one little hole within the screen. This happens from time to time due to not addressing the hole within the screen. In order to repair the hole correctly it is going to involve the alot of work that requires time and if we were to patch the screen this would only bring further work due to not being done correctly.

As far as the little sparrow he was not flying wildly within the porch but would just hop from place to place along the floor. The sparrow did not see the door when it was opened due to the screen blending in with nature. So I did what I have done in the past by propping the door open and then walking in behind the bird for him to move on his own toward the freedom from the screened in porch. In the past I have done this and rather enjoyed watching the birds (which I now recall have always been sparrows) being set free to observe their next actions in flight. Some fly out and simply sit on the outside rail. Some fly just a little ways and perch on the branch of a tree but this morning there was something different about this little sparrow.

He paused for a moment once he found the door but then he took off flying through the woods and into the valley behind our home. I could here him chirping and and calling out to other birds in his excitement of being set free. The chirps echoed through the valley as he flew through the trees. As I listened to the call of the sparrow that had been set free I then heard this message that relates to you and me.

Recognize the significance of not addressing  the hole and what happens when we try to patch our problems. Another point the Lord was teaching me was how the screen blended in with the world. This is a very important point to recognize. The screen was almost invisible and made by man but was there holding back the bird from flight and it took the help of another to step behind rather than in front to assist the sparrow along the Way.

The part that touched me the most was the chirping of the sparrow that had been set free. As I stood there on the porch listening to the bird that had been released from the bondage of something made by man it was then that God gave me this spiritual message that relates to His overall plan. The Lord then opened my eyes of futher freedom that can related to the formation of America in which we stand. For in our freedom it should ring from the hill tops and echo through the valleys for all to hear. Because there is nothing like the freedom in knowing that God is near.

Enjoy this song Let Freedom Ring as I pray that you will stand with me in the freedom that God has given us through His only Son that got behind each of us for our freedom today. The spiritual door is open and all we have to do is walk on through as Jesus has taught us the Way. I pray that we can learn from our past in order to stand in the love of Jesus for our future…Amen 

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Yesterday we looked upon the lesson of Paul being bitten by the snake and this morning lets take this lesson a little bit further based on the needed lesson. The bible says in Acts 28 vs 6 that the people waited a long time to see what happened to Paul and after they saw that he never swelled up or suddenly dropped dead that they finally recognized his relationship with the Lord.

How does this relate with us today you may ask? Think about it! Don’t we all tend to sit back and watch the reaction of others once they get thrown into the fire or when they face trials and tribulations? It is in our human nature to allow sin to often rise up in us and look for someone to fall rather than encourageing them to stand. May I encourage you this morning to shake any snake that comes your way and to trust in God for those that have been bitten…For greater is He that is in us than He that is in this world…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

If you were to compare the different churches within the body of Christ to the instruments within a band you would find many different sounds but all should be on one accord. For the instruments within a band do not play against one another but they learn to play together through the instruction of God and in the love of Jesus Christ. Not every listener enjoys the same type of music or the projection of every band but the object is to love each instrument for who they are while discovering the peace of God in where we stand.

There are times when the bands join together to form a symphony or an orchestra and it is within these times of unity that we can witness the sound of God’s music like we have never heard. For these sounds that only come in unity can bring down the walls that separate us from the blessings of God and carry us to places we have never seen but only dreamed. Each part of the body has different functions just as the different instruments within a band and as we balance our selves on God’s Word this helps us to better understand.

Jesus plainly said,”Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.”

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Within the ministry of God it is unfortunate but true that many wounds are often inflicted on others. Some are direct darts from Satan and many others are simply due to the lack of maturity in the Word of God. When we look upon maturity in Christ it helps to compare this to the fruit on a tree. For not all fruit ripens at the same time for the harvest and it is very wise to recognize the stages of the fruit around us in order to insure their maturity. Another part of wisdom is to be honest in the maturing stage that we are in without acting like something that we are not. For whats wrong with saying,”This is where I am with God and here are my current growing pains?”

Like a child they often think they are ready for something before their time and it is when they receive it that they often discover it was more than they could handle. Within this lesson there are multiple lessons to those with the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Think about it! We learn this lesson through John Mark and Paul among many other parallels throughout the Word of God. For John Mark was commissioned by the Holy Spirit to assist Paul in His first mission but rather than sticking to the mission he left them to go on his own way due to his own lack of understanding and trust in God. In time they were brought back together as Paul instructed Timothy to bring John Mark in a future mission and it was this time apart that the love of Jesus helped to heal the wounds.

One of the vital parts of maturity and understanding is recognizing and acknowledging the lessons that are gained in our trials. These test that are often before us are there to help us mature but far too often we miss the true healing due to not sharing the lessons we learn and wanting to place blame on someone else. It is when we learn to stand on God’s Word and take our trials to the Lord that He will show us the proper Way to reach the other side. So with all this being said this morning may I encourage you to not allow your feelings or your own lack of understanding to move you from where you are. Seek God with a humbled heart and be willing to do as He instructs to witness the healing that can take place in the hand of God…

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” James 1:2

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

As we all can see here in America there is a great need for a movement of God to reignite the coals within our souls in order to prepare and strengthen us for the days ahead. We can all hear others sitting around and talking about what this country needs but what this country needs are men and women that are willing to stand up with the willingness to simply do their part.

Real change first starts within each of us and then it spreads throughout our homes to communities and then to our nation but if we are not willing to make initiative ourselves then all we are doing is giving the enemy victory by robbing us of the life that we can have through the love of Jesus Christ. There is something you can do today to make a positive difference and I challenge you not to give Satan victory in falsely thinking you just dont have the time when you really do. In fact if you dont feel that uyou have the time then I challenge you to examine all the things you do to recognize in whom you are serving. For if your actions are not for the better of mankind then you are not properly serving God…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

The steps we take are driven by the choices we make and when we seek God’s direction is when we will experience His Heavenly protection. For a step taken without thought or without Godly council is a step that can be often swayed when obstacles come our way. Having the assurance of God and learning to stand upon His foundation of the rock gives us the confidence and boldness to persevere through any storm in order to witness the rainbow on the other side.

For God has given us a promise and His Word still stands today! The object is for us to learn how to stand upon His Word in love and then allow Him to carry us forward in the river of God as we learn to trust and obey…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

Have you ever considered the importance of quality over quantity? Due to the spiritual deception of the devil the American culture is now seeing the results of selling its birthright since the formation of this country and we can often witness the same results in our relationships today. When we feel as if we don’t have time when we really do this is where we lose our balance in this life and it can affect the next generation.

Think about it! Why are so many ancient structures still standing when our buildings today fall in one gust of wind? Why do you think that within this generation we are witnessing so many children falling to drugs or to crime? Why do you think the divorce rate is so high and we are witnessing families falling apart? The simple answer is the lack of God centered time which is driven by love without being driven by the world.

Whatever you build whether in your families or in your work build them with quality time to maintain the longevity in life. For what good is something if there is no substance and it sways in the first winds that come to knock it off course?

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://specialdeliverybook.com

In order to build a home and for our homes to stand it is vital that we understand what holds it all together. For a home that is not built on the principles of God and upon a solid foundation is a home that is destined to fall. What is it that holds us all together? Have you ever considered where we would be without the love of Jesus who set us free? Have you ever thought about how empty our lives would be without the love of God holding us all together and giving us the strength to stand?

Within every word and action we make they should be driven out of the nails of love. For a nail that is driven outside of love is a nail that will never hold and what good is a home if we never learn how to build or stand? I challenge you this morning to examine your words and actions to see whom they serve in order to insure that your home is being built on a solid foundation with rooms to help others along the Way…

James A. Harrison

http://balancedlifeministry.org

http://balancedlifeministry.org