OUT OF THE BOX

SURVIVING THE FIRE: PART 1 "...The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."   Nehemiah 1: 3 "...Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?"   Nehemiah 4: 2 The drama of the church is often reminiscent of those scenes from war movies in which excited new recruits march toward the front lines while being met by weary veterans limping along bandaged and bloody, carrying their wounded, and still in shock from the trauma of battle. The new recruits move forward ready to conquer the world, while battle-weary veterans groan in the pain of failure and disillusionment. Multitudes start out in the Christian walk, everybody expects testing, they just don't expect it to be so intense and real. They expect victory without battle (naiveté and untested faith) or battle without victory (skepticism and unbelief). Untested faith and motives must inevitably face the refiners fire; and the disillusion...

BROKENNESS Brokenness is a subject that requires revelation to see the reality and depth of what is being discussed. It is a topic for which most people will only see the tip of the iceberg while the main body and substance will remain hidden. Therefore, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”  --B L Psalm 51:17 “A broken and a contrite heart, Oh God, You will not despise.” The essence of brokenness is surrender and humility. It speaks of how we respond to God and to his leading and discipline in our lives. Brokenness refers to a contriteness that is willing to die to self and its desires. The absence of brokenness is characterized by a stubborn and self-centered struggle to resist change, correction, and God’s rule. Our unbroken human nature can be compared to the wild horse that is unwilling to submit to the rider and the bridle. The spirit of rebellion is basically the desire to cast off the yoke of God’s rule, to go its own way, and to satisfy its own desires. Much stres...

Below is a list of principles that will be helpful in your walk with the Lord and in facing the adversities and difficulties of life. Each of the items listed below is just the “tip of the iceberg” for the particular topic being given. There is more to say and many Bible verses that speak to the points given. If you have questions or would like more information or would like to know the Bible verses that accompany the principles written below, please contact me at  broblong@gmail.com .   ----Billy Long Keys to Successful Spiritual Warfare  Realize we are on a battleship and not a cruise ship. We must face “Og” (the enemy at the border), cross the Jordan, and deal with “giants” in the land we are entering to possess. Christians often tend to expect victory without battle...and if there is adversity, they tend to expect battle without victory. If we continue and stand in faith, we will see battle...but also victory. Don’t be disillusioned by adversity, hard...