Doug Murphy’s Blog Library

Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 144:1

David was a man skilled in war. From his days as a shepherd boy to the days of serving in Saul’s army to leading his own army, David learned to be a skillful warrior. How does one become a skillful warrior?

The only way one can become a skillful warrior is to be trained and placed in the middle of the battle. It is only when we are placed in the furnace of battle that we truly learn to fight the real battles. Practice doesn’t make you battle ready. War games won’t prepare you for facing your real enemy in the battlefield. The stark reality of being in the midst of the battle makes us effective warriors.

Simply reading your Bible will not make you a warrior for the Kingdom. Knowledge without experience is mere folly. Only when you are placed in situations where there is nothing or no one who can save you but God will you learn the lessons of warrior faith. This is the training ground of God, which will make you into a soldier for Christ. Consider it to be suicidal faith-faith that says I want to be dead to anything that keeps me from fulfilling God’s purposes for my life. It is when your efforts can do nothing to change your circumstances and you are at the mercy of God. These are the real training grounds of God. Do not shrink back from the battle that God may be leading you to today. It may be a training ground that is necessary for the calling He has on your life.

If you can trust Him in these times, you’ll know that you have gained a faith that will move mountains and will sustain you in the most difficult of circumstances. “Praise be to the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”

Blessing to all. I wanted to share this awesome writing by Os Hillman with you.

In what might prove to be the crowning achievement of an illustrious
Career in ministry, the 87-year-old evangelist, Billy Graham shocked the
16,300 in attendance at the Celebration of Hope Crusade in New
Orleans Arena, Sunday Night. Touted in advance as possibly his last
evangelistic crusade, Graham invited the packed house of evangelical
Christians and the hundreds of new converts to join him on the one mile walk
from the arena to New Orleans’ infamous Bourbon Street.

“While we have seen God do tremendous things here the past couple of
evenings, yes, it is true that a great healing and a great many salvations
have occurred within the confines of this auditorium. Still yet,
there lies a great mountain in this city which needs to be conquered.”

Then taking from the Biblical Book of Joshua, Chapter 14, he read, “I am
this day, eighty-five years old. As yet, I am as strong this Day as on the
day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength
for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this
mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day,” his voice suddenly sounding
more forceful than during his 22 minute sermon.

“I last preached in the City of New Orleans in1954 and I felt then that
there was some unfinished business. Tonight, in what very well might be my
last evangelistic service, I aim to finish that business and lead as
many of you that would follow me to the multitude of lost souls that fill
Bourbon Street tonight. That is my mountain !

That is where we shall see the harvest!” said Graham as the stadium
erupted in cheers that lasted the next several minutes. Utilizing a waiting
mobility scooter, the elder Graham joined his son and heir to the ministry,
Franklin across the Arena floor and through the opened doors leading towards
the French Quarter. In a show of solidarity and determination reminiscent of
civil rights marches of the 1960’s, nearly the entire capacity crowd joined
in the 20 minute trek while singing, “When the Saints Go Marching In”.

As the march crossed Canal Street and headed northward towards Bourbon
Street, many onlookers stood in stunned silence as the massive crowd of
people began singing in unison the Christian hymn, Amazing Grace.
Upon entering the west end of Bourbon Street, Billy Graham was soon
recognized by partiers.

Soon, those joining in the march began to approach those partying on
Bourbon Street with the Gospel message that they had heard preached just a
half hour before. Graham himself joined with a group of local street evangelists in ministering to a man who had survived Hurricane Katrina in the lower 9th Ward.

Within 30 minutes, the entirety of Bourbon Street was packed with
Christians and the once blaring music of nightclubs and strip joints had
been replaced by weeping and worship as people poured out their drinks and
sought prayer from the Christians who were now reaching out to them.

“I have never seen anything like this in my life,” said 20 years New
OrleansPolice Department veteran, Tom Phillips. “This is unbelievable! We
thought a riot was going to break out, but this looks more like a revival
than a riot!”

Two hours later, a glowing Graham sat back down on his scooter and
smiled. “Now I know how the Apostle Paul must have felt at the end of his
ministry. Do the work of an evangelist; make full proof of thy ministry. For
I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I
have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.”

Hours later, hundreds of Christians remained on the street ministering to
the many people eagerly waiting to receive prayer and ministry. New Orleans
will never be the same.

And the press remained mute on this “news item?”

Did anyone see it on TV/hear it on radio/read it in the paper?

Well, unfortunately you didn’t see it because it didn’t happen. As you read the above story, didn’t you think, that is just awesome?  I truly believe the only thing keeping an amazing event like this from occuring is us.  Let’s get off the side line of being spectators and become God’s players in the game.

Jonathan Edwards teaches us about resolutions

Jonathan Edwards (Not the Presidential candidate) was a dynamic pastor in the First Great Awakening who took his faith extremely seriously. In several sittings over a one-year period, Edwards drafted 70 resolutions by which he governed his life and ministry.

For such a young man, he wrote a life’s code that was amazingly well-rounded. He addressed personal spiritual growth and physical temperance, and matters of attitude, behavior, and relationship. Edwards wanted to live as if he had “already seen the happiness of heaven, and hell torments.”

He pledged that he would “never speak anything but the pure and simple verity.” “Let there be something of benevolence in all that I speak.” In a pledge that he would speak evil of no one, Edwards added the caveat, “except I have some particular good call for it.”

Let’s take a look at some of his resolutions that we should possibly take to heart.

Being sensible that I am unable to do any thing without God’s help, I do humbly in-treat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ’s sake.Resolved, That I will do whatsoever I think to be most to God’s glory, and my own good, profit and pleasure, in the whole of my duration.

Resolved to do whatever I think to be my duty, and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general.

Resolved to do this, whatever difficulties I meet with, how many and how great soever.

Resolved, Never to lose one moment of time, but improve it the most profitable way I possibly can.

Resolved, Never to do any thing, which I should be afraid to do, if it were the last hour of my life.

Resolved, To be endeavoring to find out fit objects of charity and liberality.

Resolved, To maintain the strictest temperance in eating and drinking.

Resolved, Never to do any thing, which if I should see in another, I should count a just occasion to despise Him for, or to think any way the more meanly of Him.

Resolved, To study the Scriptures so steadily, constantly and frequently, as that I may find, and plainly perceive myself to grow in the knowledge of the same.

Resolved, To strive to my utmost every week to be brought higher in religion, and to a higher excercise of grace, than I was the week before.

Resolved, To ask myself at the end of every day, week, month and year, wherein I could possibly in any respect have done better.

Resolved, Frequently to renew the dedication of myself to God, which was made at my baptism, which I solemnly renewed, when I was received into the communion of the church; and which I have solemnly re-made this twelfth day of January, 1722-3.

Resolved, Never hence-forward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God’s.

Resolved, I will act so as I think I shall judge would have been best, and most prudent, when I come into the future world.

Resolved, Never to give over, nor in the least to slacken my fight with my corruptions, however unsuccessful I may be.

Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.

Well with all that being said I think I should maybe reconsider my new years resolutions to lose weight, get to the gym on a more regular basis and to read the Bible in a year.

Have a great new year!