Formed By The Light

Prayer is where energy is converted into mass.  Spiritual realities are transformed into earthly realities.  The Holy Spirit places godly desires in our soul and prompts us into prayer where those godly desires manifest themselves in human character and in earthly life.  Through prayer, desires placed within us by the Holy Spirit become actual things that take place.  I say desires placed within us by the Holy Spirit, because those are the only types of prayers that God answers--those that are according to His will.  This may seem easily understood by anyone with a sliver of working faith, but I think the profundity of the actual concept of energy being converted into mass through prayer can be better appreciated by scientific explanation. 

Let's start with what we're most familiar with, which is mass being turned into energy.  In any basic understanding of science, we can easily grasp the concept of mass being converted into energy.  The sun converts mass into energy through the process of nuclear fusion.  Gasoline is turned into energy through combustion.  Food is turned into energy by metabolism.  And so on and so forth.  In these everyday, familiar processes, a very small amount of mass is used to create a large quantity of energy.  We refer to this process as the "mass-energy equivalence," which is represented by the famous equation E=mc2.  The "c2" figure in this equation is actually a ridiculously large quantity....it is the speed of light squared.  The speed of light is 186,282 miles per second.  Therefore what this equation says is that "Energy equals mass multiplied times the speed of light squared."  To put in simpler terms, this equation means that a tiny bit of mass corresponds to a large amount of energy and the proportionate corresponding link between them is light (1 John 1:5).  To put it even simpler, this equation means that energy and mass are interchangeable and the constant between them that determines the change is light.  Without light, there is no link nor conversion.  Which brings us to the lesser understood converse of this formula, which would be the opposite of mass being converted into energy....namely, energy being converted into mass.

Now we are right back to my first statement:  "Prayer is where energy is converted into mass."  While mass being converted into energy is more familiar to our daily experience, energy being converted into mass remains theoretical to us, for the most part, because such a ridiculous amount of energy is required to make a tiny amount of mass.  For example, burning one gallon of gasoline releases enough energy to make an amount of mass equal to a single particle of finely ground flour, or 14 billionths of a gram.  That's a decimal point that goes out twelve places to the right.  In another example, the amount of energy released in the nuclear bomb that destroyed Hiroshima (18 kilotons of TNT) would make an amount of mass roughly equivalent to a small paper clip.  Humanity doesn't possess the capacity to convert energy into mass in any practical way, since it would require the ability to harness and manipulate quantities of energy greater than the core of the sun.

The greatest occurrence of energy being turned into mass was when God first spoke creation into existence out of nothing. God said, "Let there be light.." and the potential mass for the entire universe came into existence.  Without light, there is no mass and there is no energy transference.  Which brings me to the point of this post, which is the critical nature of prayer in the life of a growing, committed Christian.  Prayer is the place where God continues His work of turning energy into mass.  1 John 1:5 says that "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all."  God's very presence is a creative force, thus He forms Christ in us by the energy of His presence.  We enter His presence through prayer.

Scripture tells us that we are to walk in the light as He is in the light (1 John 1:7).  Jesus tells us that He is "the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (John 8:12).  Prayer is where energy is converted into mass, where sinners are converted into saints.  When we look at Einstein's formula for mass-energy equivalence, we see that the link between the two, the constant that determines proportion, is light.  If you are a believer in Christ and you do not have a prayer life, then you are not walking in the light.  You are dwelling in darkness and you have no life in you.  You are a dead believer, a shriveled twig (John 15:6).  You may have the entire Bible memorized, but there is no life in it because you are not connecting to the source of transformation, the source of living water, the vine of life.  Jesus said "I am the vine, you are the branches... apart from Me, you can do nothing...if you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:5-7).  How do we remain in Christ?  How do we enter into His presence?  How do we ask Him for things?  In prayer.  Prayer is where our trust in Christ is built.  It is where Christ becomes real to you, and where the rubber of your faith meets the road to heaven.  

We consume God's word because Scripture teaches us the type of things that we should ask for in prayer, but God's words devoid of His Spirit are lifeless.  God's word reveals His will to us, Scripture gives us knowledge, but prayer brings us into understanding because it is God's Spirit that gives life, both to His word and to us.  The letter instructs, but the Spirit transforms and the Spirit transforms us when we connect to Him in prayer.  God's words are truth, but without His Spirit they remain in the cradle of information.  A cradle may move from side to side, it may lull a babe to sleep, but the cradle itself has no life in it.  For God's word to have life, it must be shaped in the womb of prayer where the life-giving force of His Spirit feeds us.  Paul himself says that the New Covenant of Christ is not of the letter, but of the Spirit, "for the...Spirit gives life" (2 Cor 3:6).  Jesus said, "It is the Spirit that gives life.  Human strength can do nothing.  The words I have spoken are spirit and life. However, there are some of you who do not believe." (John 6:62,63)

Jesus says that the Spirit gives life and His words are spirit and life, which means that we cannot separate God's word from His Spirit, or we will only have letters that kill, lifeless doctrine that divides us, creates factions, incites arrogance and pride, making us defamers and destroyers who "think they are offering a service to God" (John 16:2) and those who are "not serving the Lord Christ, but their own personal interests," deceiving and creating obstacles (Rom 16:17,18).  Jesus' words become life when we put our trust in them.  It is our trust that testifies with the Holy Spirit.  Our trust both in Christ and His words is the hand that reaches into the spiritual realm to grasp a hold of God.  God then communicates to us and shares Himself with us in prayer.  Paul tells us that sanctification takes place "by the word of God and prayer."  (1 Tim 4:5).  We enter into relationship with Christ by expressing our faith in prayer (Rom 10:9), and we maintain our relationship with Christ through prayer.  Without prayer, there is no relationship with Christ.  Without prayer, there is no spiritual growth.  Without prayer there is no sanctification, and Scripture teaches that "without holiness, no one will see the Lord" (Heb 12:14).  There is no such thing as a non-praying Christian, because to be Christ-like, to be in-Christ, is to pray.  My fear is that there are many people who consider themselves Christians, yet have no real prayer life and will be counted among those to whom Christ says, "Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord,'...but I will declare to them, 'I never knew you.'" (Matt 7:23).

For every creation of God is good, and nothing that is received with thanksgiving should be rejected because it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. (1 Tim 4:5)

This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you:  God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

How precious is Your loving devotion, O God, that the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings. They feast on the abundance of Your house, and You give them drink from Your river of delights. For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light we see light. Extend Your loving devotion to those who know You and Your righteousness to the upright in heart. (Ps 36:7-10)

By faith we understand that the universe was formed by God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible. (Heb 11:3)

Rusty Nail

Jesus calls to us, "Come to the narrow path, there is life here!  Come to the narrow path, where righteousness dwells!"

He says, "Come to the narrow path and I will give you My Spirit!  I will show you My ways!  I will feed you the bread of heaven and the water of life!"

We say, "The path is too narrow and Your bread is disagreeable to our belly and Your water is bitter to my understanding.  Besides, the world offers a banquet full of the desires of my own heart.  I can eat all of the things I love, as much as I want.  Why should I empty my heart of my own desires so that it can be filled with Yours?  Your desires crucify my flesh.  If You truly loved me, You would let me have the things I love."

Jesus says, "But the things you love are not Me.  You do not love My ways and you do not love Me, so the things you love will betray you in the end and lead you to death.  I will never betray you, I will lead you to life, a life that is yet to come."

We say, "I do not want a life yet to come, I want life now. My faith is in what I can see, in what I can understand."

Jesus says, "If your faith is in what you can see and understand, that is not faith at all, it is reasoning.  If you would trust Me and turn away from your own reasoning and empty your heart of its own desires, I would fill it with heavenly treasures and everlasting life.  Come, dig in my field and find treasure."

We say, "I do not have time to dig, I am too busy.  Besides, perhaps I will dig and never find anything.  Perhaps I will dig and my time will be wasted.  I cannot dig when I do not know what I am digging for."

Jesus says, "If you dig you will find a rusty nail.  You can have it and keep it if you sell all you own and buy my field."

We say, "Ha!  A rusty nail?  What good would a rusty nail do for me?  Sell all I own for a rusty nail that can do nothing for me?  No, I will keep my desires and I will keep my possessions and You can keep Your worthless rusty nail."

The weary world-worn traveler says, "I have nothing to give but my trust, may I have Your nail?  I could use Your nail as a peg upon which to hang my dwindling hopes.  I could use Your field to plant a garden and build a dwelling, not only for myself, but for other weary travelers.  We could have food and shelter in Your field and hang our hopes upon Your nail.  I will take Your nail, if You will take my trust."

Jesus says, "I will take your trust, and give you heaven.  You have taken My nail and received forgiveness of your sins, a price you could never pay.  Because you have given Me your trust and taken My rusty nail, you will be with Me in paradise.  In My field you will sow faith and reap righteousness.  Your emptied heart will be filled with heavenly treasures and everlasting life."

The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and in his joy he went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one very precious pearl, he went away and sold all he had and bought it. (Matt 13:44-46).

Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the path that leads to life, and there are few who find it.  (Matt 7:13,14)

Ashes Of The Pulpit

"Burn the pulpit"

That is what I hear

I see the humble and faithful shepherds

With broken and contrite hearts

Sitting in the ashes of their burnt pulpits

Crying out to heaven

Heaping the ashes of idolatry on their heads

The ashes of the pulpit

The golden calf of the West

That has spread out over all the earth

A plague of idolatry

A plague of pride

I see bulls standing at their pulpits

Gripping its sides

White knuckles that refuse to let go

"I have been called by God to stand here!"

"I have been anointed to preach!"

"Authority is mine, I will not relent!"

Bulls at the pulpit

Drunk on the intoxicating wine of authority

Staggering under the delusion of power

"See my great horns!"

Charging ahead in arrogance

Destroying the kingdom of God

Their hooves pawing the ground

Kicking up the dust of confusion

Leading the sheep by ideals

Rather than truth

Bearing witness to the desires of their own heart

Rather than bearing witness to the heart of the Father

Because their fathers are the Pharisees

White knuckles that refused to let go

"I have been called by God to stand here!"

"I have been anointed by God to preach!"

"Authority is mine, I will not relent!"

Bulls in the temple

Drunk on the intoxicating wine of authority

Staggering under the delusion of power

"See my great horns!"

Charging ahead in arrogance

Crucifying the Holy One of Israel Who says,

"Meekness shall be your master,

humility shall be your guide.

Sit among the people, not above them."

But the bulls refuse

Because they are in bondage to pride

Blessed are the humble shepherds

Who see what the pulpit has become

Blessed are the obedient shepherds

Who burn the pulpit and sit among the people

Waiting for the Holy One to come

You suffocate under the weight of madness.

You have cast your own spell

Witchcraft has become your master

It is your own story you desire to tell

The story of God has no place in your heart

Although your story has a place in mine

But you refuse to dwell there

And seek your own way instead of mine

All your ways are futile

All your striving will end in defeat

If you would but sit in the dust

And remember you are dust

I would rescue you from the fate you will meet

For thousands of years my word has stood

And for a thousand more it will stand

You can read it for yourself and see

Your arrogance and rebellion will suffer my hand

What is coming you cannot see

How it will unfold, you do not know

But what I can tell you is that all will be lost

All that you have vainly sown

Only that which was sown by my will

Only that which heeded my word

Only those who sat in the dust

And remembered that they were dust

Will escape all that is destined to burn.

My word flows forth like a river

Like a river that you do not perceive

It is here, but you do not see it

And your blindness will cause you to grieve

"Zion will be redeemed with justice and her repentant ones with righteousness. But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, and those who forsake the Lord will come to an end. Surely you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away or as a garden that has no water. The strong man will become tinder, his work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together and there will be none to quench them." (Isaiah 1:27-31)

That Day

I turned and faced the darkness and said, "He is coming for you."

I looked into the eyes of the dragon and said, "The time is near."

Your time is short because our cries have reached unto heaven

I have spoken of your deeds

I have spoken the horrors aloud

My voice was like shouting in a room full of silence

A cry that rang out through the courts of heaven

We mix human DNA with animals in the name of science

We murder our children in the womb 

And we use their body parts for medical experiments

Our children are raped and molested by priests

Our women are sexually abused by pastors

Homosexuality is preached in the churches

Homosexual marriages are performed at the altar

Sexual deviancy is rampant in our leadership ranks

Our pastors commit suicide

Whether from hopelessness or confusion, I do not know

We blaspheme your Spirit

We reject sound doctrine

Witchcraft is practiced in church

Occult is taught as your truth

We dance for Baal, drunk in his spirit

We mingle ourselves with Molech

We drink from the river that flows from the mouth of the serpent

We reject the living water of truth

Your people are slaughtered for their faith

Hacked to pieces by machetes

Burned alive in their churches

We worship politics and the economy

The statue of Nebuchadnezzar stands in the sanctuary

Like the son of perdition, we follow Christ for our own benefit

For what we think we will gain

But like Judas, our selfish ambition will be our noose from which we hang

Our pot is boiling and the meat in it is rancid

The steam streams upward, like a furnace vent to heaven

The sweat from the pace of our sin streams down our faces

We are out of breath from our rebellious striving

Our cheeks are red, but not from shame

We pant, but not from a thirst for righteousness

We groan, but not from Godly sorrow

We labor and give birth to death

We worship and raise our hands to wickedness

I whisper to no one, "He is coming."

I cry out, "The time is near!"

He says, "You write to no one, daughter

because they are all too busy to live in fear."

Since you call on a Father Who judges each one's work impartially, live your lives in reverent fear during your temporary stay on earth. (1 Pet 1:17)

But watch yourselves, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. So keep watch at all times and pray that you may have the strength to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:34-36)

When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this:  Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. (Eccl 12:13,14)

Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the commanders, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and free man, hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to withstand it?" (Rev 6:15-17)

Then I heard another voice from heaven say:  "Come out of her My people, so that you will not share in her sins, and so that you will not receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached heaven and God has remembered her iniquities." (Rev 18:4,5)

The Fate Of Our Foibles

In my search for God, I searched for wisdom among men and I found none.  I found theology, I found religion, I found spiritual pontificating and doctrinal parroting, but wisdom I did not find.  So I asked God for wisdom and He brought me face to face with my own ignorance.  He showed me the true depths of human ignorance and I fell into despair and He allowed me to wallow around in it so that I could gain true understanding of how utterly wretched of a creature we are without Him.  He let me experience angst and anguish over the darkness of the human soul without His light.  He let me consume and eat what Jesus says at John 15:4-6 so that as my food it would become a part of my very being. 

We are obstinate creatures.  We continue to charge ahead, lead by our arrogance and hubris, despite our festering wounds.  We are sick, mortally wounded, and the church organizes a seminar to discuss our problem.  There is no seminar, conference, workshop or meeting that will fix this.  There is no Bible study about biblical manhood or womanhood that will fix this.  There is no annual denominational convention that will fix this.  There is no politician, or political party, or therapy session, or prescription drug, or confession of positive thoughts that will fix this.  No human being or human method can fix this.  There is no cure for us but humility and repentance. 

We are hopeless without God's grace and guidance. We reach for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, but when we do it without God we are utterly incapable of making any correct distinction between the two.  In our reasoning, good becomes evil and evil becomes good and our ignorance comes back upon our own head.  We reach for the tree of knowledge and we try to wield its fruit through corrupted wisdom.  Time after time, age after age, epoch after epoch, we fail.  In our striving, we reach a crescendo of rebellion, futility and wickedness and God has to reach down and set everything aright again.  Over and over we do this.  Deception torments us and we don't even perceive it.  We naively invite the serpent to our bosom, unaware that it is bleeding our soul dry.

God gave humanity His law and we failed.  Then He gave us His Spirit, and again, we have failed.  God never fails, He gives us good things, but we try to run out ahead of Him or make sense of those good things in our own reason and we fail.  The Jews rejected the sufficiency of His revealed law and the Christians reject the sufficiency of His quiet Spirit.  The Jews built their own theologies around His law and were led astray by their own misapplied understanding, and the Christian church has done the same with His Spirit.  When will we learn?  What will it take?  Sometimes I wonder, if I told everyone that judgment was on the doorstep, would they even care?  If I told everyone that their way of life was about to evaporate into an unrecognizable oblivion, would anyone change their path?  If history teaches us anything, it is that even when we are told our path leads to death, we simply smile and say, "But this time it will surely be different!"

 

The Jews used religion as a means to manipulate God for their own benefit.  The Christian Church does the same.  The Jews engaged in meaningless religious tradition and ritual as a way to solve their problems.  The Christian Church does the same.  The Jews believed that they were God's chosen people and that they would never suffer judgment.   The Christian Church believes the same.  Anyone can follow religion and perform rituals, but it is only the person who truly reflects God's character that has entered into a genuinely salvific relationship with Him.  But when our behavior is no different than that of the world, our fate will be no different either.  If God judged the Jews for their failure to faithfully uphold His Law, how much more so will the Church be judged for its failure to faithfully reflect His Spirit?

That servant who knows his master's will but does not get ready or follow his instructions will be beaten with many blows. But the one who unknowingly does things worthy of punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded. (Luke 12:47,48)

Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all men everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead. (Acts 17:30,31)

But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. God will repay each one according to his deeds. To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow wickedness, there will be wrath and anger. (Rom 2:5-8)

"If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. (Isaiah 1:19,20)

Walk The Line

The church wrings its hands and frets and wonders why it is mocked and ignored and ineffective against this present darkness.  It is because we are called to preach God's word in boldness, not hypocrisy.  Oswald Chambers said, "Never water down the word of God, preach it in its undiluted sternness; there must be unflinching loyalty to the word of God; but when you come to personal dealing with your fellow men, remember who you are-- not a special being made up in heaven, but a sinner saved by grace."   We are to preach the full counsel of God without shrinking back in shame or fear, but to preach the full counsel of God, you must also walk in the full counsel of God.  Or, as I have said to our church, "You can't preach it if you ain't livin' it."  And when we preach it, we must remember that we once walked in darkness just as those to whom we counsel with God's word (Eph 2:2, 5:8).  And when we preach it, we must do it in the power of the Holy Spirit, not our own talent.

When we engage in teaching the moral aspects of God's word, we must do it without compromise but we must also do it in a way that is responsive to the weaknesses and ignorance inherent in humanity, more specifically, a humanity devoid of any true knowledge of Christ and His kingdom ways.  Even if someone disagrees with Christian moral teachings, most people are interested in dialogue with someone who treats them with respect and takes their questions and struggles into consideration.  When you look through the Gospel accounts, you see Jesus engaging people in conversation.  You see people who disagreed with Jesus and He allowed them to question Him.  He allowed them to disagree.  Jesus always honored people's humanity, even when their humanity was expressed in their rejection of Him.  Jesus always treated people as if He valued them as a person, because He did.  The only people we see in the Gospel accounts receiving a harsh word from Christ were the self-righteous and religiously arrogant.

Christianity is a moral religion.  There is no getting around this, no matter how intricate and inventive your theological acrobatics may be.  Christianity is a moral religion because God is a moral being and morality is based on the very character of God.  Which means that what is considered sinful and immoral by God, is considered sinful and immoral because it is contrary to His character.  What God considers a moral sin will always be considered sinful and immoral because God never changes.  The standard of measurement of morality in the Christian religion is God Himself.  Morality is measured by Who God is, and God is holy and He will always be holy.  There is a difference between law and morality.  The law is based on morality, but the law is not the source of morality-- God is the source of morality.  That is why morality never changes, but the law does and can change.  Laws are pursuant to covenant, and since God is the one Who engages mankind in covenant, it is also His prerogative to end, renew, or redefine them (Heb 7:11,12).

There is not enough preaching done about righteousness and there is too much preaching done in our own strength shaped by our own reasoning.  There are too many gospels of the flesh being preached.  Just as the true Gospel required the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, so too, does the true Gospel crucify our own flesh.  To the hedonistic culture of Corinth, Paul said that he was determined to focus on nothing but Christ crucified, and to preach Christ crucified (1 Cor 1:23; 2:2).  For too many people in the church, the cross is a symbol but not a lifestyle.  There are too many people in the church for whom Jesus is a concept and an idea, but He has never become a genuine part of who they are.  Jesus says, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father Who is in heaven" (Matt 7:21).  The will of the Father is for us to know Him through Jesus Christ (John 17:3).  The will of the Father is for those who call upon the name of Jesus Christ to be transformed into His image (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18).  Such a transformation requires the crucifixion of our flesh, the death of self, so that He may live in you.    

This is something that many people in the church simply do not understand, therefore they are incapable of reflecting an accurate portrait of Christianity to the world.  The church fails to fulfill its commission to make "disciples of all the nations.... teaching them to obey" all Jesus has commanded (Matt 28:19,20).  The church is too focused on promising people the power of God instead of the obedience of Christ.  The church fails in doing this because too many people who claim to be a part of it, do not truly know nor understand the very One they claim to follow.  Just like there is a difference between the law and morality, there is a difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who follow Jesus.  The devil believes in Jesus, but he does not follow Him.  There are many like the devil in the church today.  Jesus said, "Why do you call me Lord but do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46).  I believe that is what Jesus would say to the church today.  That is the cry that rings out and echoes among those who dare to call themselves by His holy and perfect name.

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls. Be doers of the word and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. (James 1:21,22)

Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Cor 7:1)

But just as He Who calls you is holy, be holy in all you do, for it is written: "You shall be holy, because I am holy." (1 Pet 1:16)

A servant of the Lord must not be quarrelsome, but he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, and patient when wronged. He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth. (2 Tim 2:24,25)

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him with a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself also, lest you also be tempted. (Gal 6:1)

...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (1 Pet 5:5)

Hold The Line

There is a scene in the movie "Braveheart" where the Scottish clans that William Wallace has managed to piecemeal together to stand against the much larger army of King Edward I (Edward Longshanks) are all lined up, one army facing the other.  As the smaller army faces off against their much larger and much better armored foe, Longshanks' cavalry begins their approach to the frontline of Wallace's army, none of whom are on horses.  Wallace has no cavalry and his entire army is on foot.  As Longshanks' cavalry advances, Wallace and his faithful army stand their ground, unmoved, as Wallace simply shouts to his soldiers, "Hold!"  As Longshanks' cavalry picks up speed in their advance, Wallace again shouts to his army to "Hold!"  The cavalry begins to gallop toward Wallace and those standing with him who make up the small but faithful front, and again Wallace shouts, "Hold!"  As Longshanks' cavalry gallops forward, they lower their long, 10-14 foot lances toward Wallace's steady front line and again, Wallace tells them, "Hold!"  Only when Longshanks' advancing cavalry is so close that it looks like Wallace's front line is about to be decimated by the knights on horseback and their lances, does Wallace lead his men to pick up sharpened spears from the ground that are longer than the cavalry's lances and impale the advancing cavalry line and their horses on them.  Wallace's strategy against his enemy was timed perfectly.

Because Wallace's smaller army held the line and did not fall back, they were able to deal a deathblow to Longshanks' cavalry.  Unfortunately, Wallace suffered defeat in this particular battle and he also found out something devastating:  some of those who were supposed to be on his side turned out to be traitors.  But because one of those traitors saw the devastation of his treachery among his brethren, he vowed to never be on the wrong side again and was later instrumental in leading Scotland to independence from England.

I think one of the most devastating things about the end times, will be when God begins to widen the gap between light and dark which inevitably results in revealing the traitors among those of us who call themselves by Christ's name.  Those whom the Apostle John says "went out from among us, but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us" but their departure from truth makes it clear that "they are not all of us" (1 John 2:19).  Jesus tells us in the Parable of the tares among wheat that both will be allowed to grow together until the end of the age when "the Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire" (Matt 13:41,42).  Psalm 91 tells us that a thousand will fall on one side of us and ten thousand on another side, but we will only observe their falling away because we have made the Lord God our refuge (91:7-9).  And make no mistake, Jesus is God and anyone who does not acknowledge that fact, does not have the Father (1 John 2:23).  Psalm 91 says, "'Because he loves me,' says the Lord, 'I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.'"  The Name of the Lord is Jesus Christ (Phil 2:8-10).

The enemy hates exposure.  That is why he works through deceit and he has been working for thousands of years to weave together the pieces of his masterpiece of deception in the end days.  He must have as many people deceived and lukewarm as he can before God exposes him for what he truly is.  Paul teaches us that in the time of the end, the lawless one will be revealed and exposed for the hideous liar he truly is and those who continue to follow him will do so simply because they do not love the truth (2 Thess 2:10).

In the days ahead, as God pulls back that which is restraining the full cavalry charge of the enemy against those who make up the faithful front line of the followers of Christ, we must hold.  Even though it will appear that the odds against us are ridiculously in the favor of the enemy, we must hold.  Even though the reach of Satan's spear is long and even though his army may be on horses and we simply stand on foot, we must hold.  Even though the enemy increase his advance into a gallop, we must hold.  Brothers and sisters, we must hold that line even at the cost of our own lives.  We must hold that line even when we find out the traitors among us.  We must hold that line, hold that line, hold that line, we must stand firm on the word of God, we must stand firm on the promises of Christ, we must stand firm in our faith that He Who is in us is greater than he who is in the world who charges toward us at a gallop with lances and spears.  We must hold that line without compromise and without shrinking back in fear.  We must hold that line for our King, until He returns and raises up the banner of God against the dragon and slays Him with the brightness of His coming and the breath of His mouth (2 Thess 2:8).  What I say to you, I say to all those who are so utterly devoted to Christ that they do not "love their life even when faced with death" (Rev 12:11)-- "Hold in Christ Jesus alone!"

Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. We are pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed... (2 Cor 4:7-9)

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. (1 Tim 4:1)

False prophets rose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their depravity, and because of them the way of truth will be maligned; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words (2 Pet 2:1-3)

For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith. (Hab 2:3,4)

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up. Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, and regard the patience of our Lord as salvation (2 Pet 3:9-15)