Hungry Young Lions I WAS BORN FOR THIS! ~ CONFLICT 11/14/06
1 Tim 6:12
Fight the good fight (“agon” conflict) of faith.
Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.
“Agon” = to lead. A place of assembly.
Especially where Greeks assembled for Olympic and Pythian games.
- a contest of athletes for victory.. mastery.. dominion
implies force or violence. Needing extreme measures to win.
2 Tim 4:7
I have fought the good fight (contest).
I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
The fight and the faith are inseparable. They are partners.
Conflict and life are inseparable. They are partners.
I need the fight. I need the conflict.. if I wish to flourish ~ it is a 3 dimensional need.
Spirit ~ between good and evil, brilliance and darkness, life and death.
Soul ~ educational training, personal disciplines and intimate choices.
Body ~ gravity needed to walk, to stand: conflict needed to breath, to eat.
Conflict is the contrast by which my race is measured.
Risk is the contrast by which my faith is measured.
Heb 12:1
Therefore, (read Heb 11:40)
Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles us.
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus
(anything that doesn’t fix my eyes on Jesus is a snare)
He is the author and perfecter of my faith!
(and my fight? My contest?)
Consider His fight and do not grow weary or lose heart.
Inward conflict often is the result of outward conflict.
Inward conflict often walks hand in hand with outward conflict.
Who are you going to believe? Which hand are you going to hold?
Luke 13:24
Strive and make every effort to achieve the goal.
Strive (“agonizomai” isn’t it sometimes an agony to strive?)
We may have to agonize to win
over personal hindrances
that limit us
in knowing
the true fullness
of the Gospel.
Matthew 11:12 (memorize this in group)
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven has been forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it.
Webster – conflict – together to strike.
Clash, fight, contradict, struggle against, contend, disagree, disturb.
Skirmish, rivalry, joust, dual, vendetta, break the peace, lift one’s hand against,
Pitch against at all costs. An affair of honor.
1 Cor 9:24 – 27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize.
Get the prize, may obtain it.
to seize, to take, to lay hold of, apprehend, to overtake, to catch unaware.
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.
They do it to obtain a crown that will last forever.
Therefore, I do not run like a man running aimlessly!
I do not fight like a man beating the air!
No. I beat my body and make it my slave
so that after I have preached to others,
I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Beat my body. To bring or lead it into subjection, into servitude.
Disqualified. Unapproved, unworthy, undiscerning, void of judgment.
A reprobate mind.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is!
His good, pleasing and perfect will.
An affair of honor ~ the honor of God in me.
Col 2:1
I want you to know how much I am struggling for you
and for all those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love,
so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding,
in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ!
In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Within this framework of hungering for a fight, I have a story to tell.
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I know this young man.
His dear wife longed for a child but he fiercely would have nothing to do with it.
Then God spoke to him at a weekend event and brought him such a desire for children
that all who knew him believed it was a miraculous renewing of his mind.
While at this event, he was accidentally electrocuted.
He lived, but was in chronic pain while his nerve endings began to mend.
The doctors allowed no painkillers, fearing that would interfere with recovery.
So this guy, this young man, and his wife, endured pain which would at times
cause him to beat his head against the walls and bleed.. and scream.
This went on for months.
Not long into his recovery, his wife did conceive. They were both overjoyed and it
somehow put his pain and life back into a do-able, purposeful category.
Then she lost the baby and he had duo pain and no child. His guilt was enormous.
He believed God was punishing him for a multitude of misdeeds, not the least of which was denying his wife a child for so long. And he thought ~ I am beginning to know this God who is my chosen Master. He is powerful and to be much feared. (which is a twisted truth)
A year later.. this man has recovered much, but not all, use of his arm and hand.
He is successfully employed in a field he loves.
He has a 5 month old son who is the joy of his life.
He has a wife who is satisfied, contented and dearly loved.
Needing new insurance for his job upgrade, he takes a routine physical.
The doctors tell him ~ you have an inoperable brain tumor.
It is located in the midst of brain tissue, and has fastened on your vision center.
If it is not cancerous, we will use radiation.
If it is cancer, we will use radiation and chemotherapy.
Either way, we cannot reach it without inflicting damage on some vital part of your brain.
Most probably, whatever else happens, you will soon be blind.
Within this framework, I hunger for the fight. Within this framework, I strain to succeed!
I yearn for the battle! This is what I was born for! CONFLICT! DESTRUCTION!
To defeat the plans of the enemy ~ is the very air I breathe!!!
To overtake, overwhelm and catch the evil one unaware is my goal in life.
Although he may not understand it yet, I declare that the young man above already has the mind of Christ! Further more, that even the smallest demon is aware that no tumor can live in that holy atmosphere!
In this group tonight, I am entering an affair of honor. I will beat my mind and body into submission. I will announce and decree that Jesus is Lord and King ~ the healer of all diseases. Tonight I overtake the evil one and catch him unaware.
Tonight I do beat my body (not believing all the outward evidences) into servitude ~ I trade my reprobate mind ~ and fight the good fight. I can do this!
For the story I tell is true. And the young man is my son.
My part in this fight is to believe what Father has told me. Stand firm on it.
Father will do the rest. Selah.
