the war of the ages

**Please note that this blog post was hugely inspired by a message given by David Perkins at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO... I heard it on a podcast originally a year and a half ago but just re-listened and was newly spoken to by it. You can download & listen to it here ; please do it (actual message starts at about 3 min 15 seconds through). It's incredible and David's preaching is like none other :)

 The war of the ages isn't being fought for power. Not for money. Not for land.

It's being fought for my heart.

Satan is vying for the affections of my heart through the things of this world ~ things like relationships, popularity, vanity, possessions.
Every advertisement wants to win my heart over.
Every TV show is being used to beckon my heart towards something worldly.
Even my friendships with godly people are often used to pull me away from God, as our fallen human nature becomes apparent and we give into our sinful tendencies.
It's a really real battle, and the enemy clearly is not all that weak.
John 10:10 says that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy."
I see the enemy every day, every hour.
Fighting. Luring.
Often not failing to grab my attention and make me want so badly what will only run me through.

But the Lord God Omnipotent is jealous for me. He's fighting too.
And you know what?
GOD WINS.
He wins
He wins
He wins
He wins.

You know how I know?
Because we're told how the story ends.

{Revelation 5:11-13}
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, 
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” 
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, 
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Does that sound like the song of someone who's lost, or someone who's won?

The victory was determined on the cross.
Where Someone so loved me, was so jealous for my heart and my affections and my life and my passion, that He died for me so that what was once impossible (because of my own corrupted heart) ~ a relationship with Him ~ could be achieved.
And that relationship is the best thing that has ever and could ever possibly happen to me.
Because He's jealous for me, and is fighting for my heart.
All of it.
And He deserves all of it.
The Lamb who was slain is worthy.

He passionately loved me, and desires for me to passionately love Him in return. And He's gonna fill me with passion, when I fix my eyes on JESUS.

I am beyond grateful for the work He's done in my heart and for the passion that I know He will give me.

You know what David Perkins says is better than a teenager on fire for God? Two of them. What's better than two? Three.

I've had a vision to see the youth in my church and in other areas of my life on fire for God, and I've seen some of those prayers answered. But I wanna see more this year.

Fix your eyes on Jesus.
Matthew 6:22 says that "the eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness."
Fix your eyes on Jesus, and your whole body will be full of light.
Full of flame.

The war of the ages is being fought for my heart. Thank you, Lord.