Friday, September 25, 2015

A Request for Input

The following is the introduction to the next book I will be publishing, Lord willing, within the next few weeks. I know it is a project God kept putting on my heart until I finally relented and put it together. The book is called The Battle Ready Believer, and I believe it is relevant for the times we are living in.
I would appreciate your input on what amounts to the synopsis of this upcoming book, as well as any other chapters you believe should be included. Thanks in advance for taking the time, and God bless.

With love in Christ,
Michael Boldea Jr.


We are living amidst a generation of spiritual marshmallows. A disproportionate number of those calling themselves soldiers for Christ and warriors of the cross know nothing of spiritual warfare, the weapons employed in said warfare, or what it means to stand one’s ground before the onslaught of the enemy. By and large they are soft, sickly sweet with political correctness, full of air, and melt at the first sign of heat just like a marshmallow.
We have replaced character and moral fortitude with snarky condescension, and rather than aspire to spiritual greatness like those who came before us we find reasons to demean them and degrade their accomplishments on behalf of the Kingdom.
Since when do hipsters with questionable degrees from online seminaries have the right to question Paul, Peter, John, Luke, Mark, or even Jesus Himself? Since when does a spiritual homunculus have the right to contradict the Word of God itself, and still have the temerity to call himself a pastor of one of the largest congregations in the world?
In the estimation of this present generation martyrs were only martyrs because they weren’t bright enough to doubletalk their way out of their predicaments. There is little to no understanding of duty in today’s modern church, and what passes for spiritual maturity is a cross between pathetic and terrifying.
When compromise becomes our banner and cowardice is seen as virtue is it any wonder that so few among professing believers today are battle ready?
We have been seduced. We have become so enamored with the world and this present life that we give not a thought to the reality that eternity beckons with every breath, and the enemy’s sole purpose is to keep us from spending eternity with God.
A battle is coming whether the church is ready for it or not. The enemy has assembled his armies, they have amassed on the battlefield, and in short order the final assault against the children of God will commence.
The level of your spiritual readiness will determine whether you will survive the battle or be so much fodder having fallen like so many others. One cannot prepare for battle on the battlefield. One cannot begin to know the weapons of his warfare as the enemy is charging, and the air is thick with the expectation of battle.
In understanding that battle is inevitable the wise will ready themselves in advance, learning what it is to be a soldier and taking the necessary steps to become it.
Men wage war for various reasons at various times. While some are compelled by patriotism or religious beliefs, others still are driven by ambition or lust for power. Whatever the underlying reason for war, it is powerful enough to cause an individual to risk their life for it.
In any battle, in any war, the possible loss of one’s life is implied. There has never been a war waged without casualties, and every individual who enlists does so with the full knowledge that it may very well mean their life.
Physical war is bloody, brutal, and taxing in every way possible. What believers seem to have forgotten over the years is that spiritual warfare is just as brutal, just as taxing, and just as ruthless as any war in the physical. Spiritual warfare also carries greater far reaching consequences than war in the natural does, because the consequences of spiritual warfare are eternal in their scope.
Wherever I happen to be on any given Sunday it seems I hear more about the victory party after the battle than I do about the battle itself anymore. Preachers don’t like to preach on spiritual warfare, parishioners don’t like to hear about spiritual warfare, and so we focus on the hereafter instead. We focus on that moment beyond time when the last sword will have been swung and the last blow will have been struck, utterly failing to prepare or even make the individual aware of the war they are currently embroiled in.
If you call yourself a son or daughter of God then you are at war. Since the fact that you are already at war is a foregone reality and you have no say in the matter would it not be wise and prudent to learn all you can about your enemy and about the weapons you have at your disposal?
Would it not be wisdom itself to learn how we can defend ourselves and even go on the offensive against an enemy who has already made it perfectly clear that he will take no prisoners?
Even though the spectator stands are overflowing and the warriors on the field of battle are decreasing in number at an alarming rate we who remain cannot give up the fight. We cannot lay down our arms, we cannot take off our armor, and we cannot surrender to the enemy, for if we do we will be counted among the rebellious and disobedient. We will be counted among those who ought to have known what it is to stand, to fight, and to overcome an enemy who fears our General, and who has given us the privilege and right to walk in His authority.  
Many claim bravery when there is no call for it, but very few exhibit bravery in the face of certain violence or mortal danger. In modern day parlance many Christians talk a good game, but when their mettle is tested, when the battle is upon them, they turn tail and run. They surrender to the enemy, or worse still become traitors to the cause of Christ attempting to weaken the household of faith from within.
If all we can do is talk a good game, if we have not trained, equipped, prepared, and honed our spiritual selves, when the day of battle is upon us, though we may think ourselves brave, though we may think ourselves steadfast, we will flee from before the onslaught of the enemy.
Battle presupposes many things, but certain ones are essential. Among the essentials of any conflict are armies, arms, tactics, strategy, and the knowledge of one’s adversary. If any of these essentials is missing, one’s loss of the battle is ensured even before the first blow is struck.
Without having the right soldiers, the right arms, the right strategy and a fundamental understanding of one’s enemy, we are inhibited and stunted in our ability to fight the fight in such a manner that victory is certain.
Brutal and coldhearted as it may seem, one need only give a passing glance to the current church to realize that though we might call ourselves an army we are weaponless, absent of strategy, ignorant of tactics, and woefully unaware of our enemy, what he can do, and the lengths he will go to in any conflict.
A soldier’s ignorance of his weapons on the battlefield will almost always ensure his demise. If he stands face to face against his enemy and does not know how to wield his sword, raise his shield, or have a passing knowledge of all the weapons in his arsenal, that moment of hesitation, the fumbling with one’s scabbard, the overreach of one’s sword, the wrong placement of one’s shield, and the enemy will strike the mortal blow.
By the same token, a soldier who does not know the tactics of his enemy or how to defend against them is at a serious disadvantage on the battlefield. We are warned, and forthrightly so in God’s word not to be ignorant of the devil’s devices. The reason this warning is found within the pages of scripture is because once we are aware of the devil’s devices, we will naturally begin to take steps to protect ourselves against them and guard our hearts against their influences.
If battle finds us unprepared, if the enemy finds us defenseless, if we find ourselves standing on the battlefield with no weapons of either defense or offense, know that our ill preparedness was not God’s fault but our own. We have been warned and repeatedly so to prepare, to put on our armor, to know how to wield the power granted to us by  the blood of the Lamb, and if we have failed to do these things, or believed that they somehow did not pertain to us, we have no one to blame but ourselves.
A wise man prepares. A wise man does his utmost to make certain that he has done his utmost, then trusts in the arm of God to do what he cannot.
Laziness has made many within the church indifferent toward the reality of the times they are living in and though the Word of God urges us to prepare, to be as faithful soldiers, to know the weapons of our warfare and be diligent about growing spiritually, many roll their eyes and fail at stifling their yawns.
This book is not meant for the indifferent. This book is not meant for the spiritually lazy. This book is meant for those who see the storm clouds on the horizon, those that understand on an very basic level that battle is inevitable, and who realize that they have little time to prepare but prepare they must.
This book is meant for those searching for truth, those who refuse to buy into the lie that we are impotent in the face of the enemy, that we have no weapons to speak of, or that we are at the mercy of evil and evil men.

We are sons and daughters of the Most High God. We were commanded to stand, and do all to stand, being fearless in our battle against the darkness, knowing that God stands with us, and fights alongside us.
By the end of this book you will hopefully be able to answer the following questions for yourself:
1.      Who taught you how to fight?

2.      What are you fighting for?

3.      How far are you willing to go?

4.      Are you mature enough?

5.      Have you built up your endurance?

6.      Do you understand your authority?

7.      Do you know your weapons?

8.      Do you know your General?

9.      Do you know your weakness?

10.  Do you know your enemy?

These are all questions we must answer individually, being honest with ourselves, and making the requisite changes if and where they are needed.
The time for sailing through our spiritual existence without consequence is far past. The time for spiritual immaturity has long since expired, and though many a man continue to espouse the fallacy that being battle ready is a choice rather than a requirement, what we are witnessing with our own eyes throughout the world is exposing such men for the liars they are.
In His grace God has given us time to prepare for the battle but whether or not we take advantage of this grace and actually do prepare spiritually is wholly and solely on us. God will not do for us what we can do for ourselves, nor will He force us to train and exercise our spiritual selves even if we don’t want to.
It is incumbent upon us as individuals to understand the days in which we are living and act accordingly. It is incumbent upon us as individuals to put away the childish things, and grow into the warriors God expects us to be.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your introduction is succinct, to the point. There are so many of the unprepared and even those of us who have been preparing, I'm sure, would very much appreciate further guidance and instruction. I look forward to the book.

In Christ,
Mrs. Pugh

Sample blog said...

Looking forward to the entire book. I appreciate your faithfulness in equipping the Body of Christ.

Unknown said...

I will look forward to your book. I really don't know if there is anything out there that tells a believer how to prepare for spiritual warfare. I don't believe I ever hear a message on the power of the Blood anymore. We must be prepared. So many read the watered down versions of the Bible that I'm not sure they would know how to prepare themselves even if they are reading. I thank God for you and pray for your ministry.

Unknown said...

This looks and sounds excellent!! I am certain that not only will this book teach much needed battle preparation and understanding but also clarity in distinguishing between the fallacies that are taught today and true battle. Michael is an excellent teacher and extremely thorough. And even though I am a mature believer and a veteran of many intense spiritual battles, I still plan on reading this book and learning from it. Along with learning many new things it is always good to take a refresher course. I believe this book will be of great value to young and mature believers alike!

Thea said...

As an intercessor for over 30 years now, I believe this is a much needed book for the Body of Christ. Many churches talk about the need for prayer nut there are very very few who want to lay down the self centered life and do warfare against the powers of darkness. Blessings Brother Michael. I will be praying for you and your book. I'm sure you've already have come under great spiritual warfare over this book. Please include the importance of the centrality of the cross, the blood of Jesus and the preeminence of Jesus Christ are our greatest weapons against the powers of darkness.

In Him,
Thea

Judy said...

Michael, this is so timely! And so true! So few churches preparing their people. So few Christians who know how to fight the enemy. Many will be slaughtered when this battle ensues, and it has begun.

I don't know what I'd add to it without seeing all the content, but I think this is just great. I know the time has come for many to wake up.

meema said...

I once read an essay by A.W. Tozer where in he expressed what it is like to be the Christian who chooses the lone path, away from the mainstream. How lonely it is. How difficult to maintain a strong, determination not to be pulled back into the fray. It takes a fine-tuned faith to be able to carry on, knowing what you know, rejecting being rejected, ignored, dismissed.

Personally, I think we are past the point of no return, meaning those with eyes to see and ears to hear are the ones who need tending to now so they should be your focus, which means you don’t have to sugarcoat it. Perhaps that is what God is calling you to - feed and water His hungry thirsty sheep - His remnant - with the tough truth. I’ve tried but I have no voice that can be heard. My input is irrelevant. But I’ve come to grips with it, understanding that I’d only need to start worrying if the world suddenly found what I said to be worth listening to.

Michael, I’ll be praying for you. This is all I can contribute:

http://bagsallpacked.blogspot.com/2015/09/a-time-for-mettle.html

For Him,
Meema

k.mag.. said...

It is too rare to hear The Word of God in fullness. I only know of a few men that can write a book like this. You are one of them.

Anonymous said...

I think it sounds great. I am looking forward to this book!

One thing I think needs to be addressed, but the ones who need it probably would not be reading the book, is denial. It is such an unfortunate tendency of human nature to look away when things get ugly, hoping that when you look back, it will have disappeared and can be dismissed as a figment of the imagination. Those who wrote about the rise of the Nazis, and the writing that was on the wall all along and how the Germans went to increasing lengths to ignore and/or rationalize it, had much to say about this. If you happen to be standing in the middle of a train track, it is better to admit a train is coming and MOVE, than to wait until it hits you to deal with the situation. That would seem to be obvious, and I can't figure out why it is that so many people think of reality as something they can bend to their preferences. I was trying to talk to a Christian coworker about the approach of end times, and she actually said, "I choose not to believe that - I'm just having too much fun with my precious grandchildren!!" What is someone like that going to have to say when Islam finally takes over this continent, and they are sawing these grandchildren in pieces before her eyes? Seriously!!! This is not some kind of picnic we're facing here - things like this and worse are happening in many places!!! What on earth makes people dismiss that as if it's just a crazy movie on TV, that they can just turn off???? Jesus Himself told us it will be so bad, if He did not cut short those days, no life would be left on earth; that it has never been, and will never again be, as bad as this time we are facing. How can any Christian not take that seriously???

Anonymous said...

Dear Michael,

Somewhere in there, would you consider including a section about how you pray and fast before preparing yourself for a "major battle"? I am confused about how exactly to fast. Should it be total fasting or partial fasting (that is, no food for the whole 24-hour day or skipping/postponing meals? And for how long -- a day, three days, a week, or more? Should we drink water during? What if health or circumstances do not permit total fasting? I would really appreciate some clear guidance on this subject. Thanks for inviting our feedback. It appears your new book will certainly be comprehensive, and I pray that the writing of it goes well for you.

Love in Christ,

Melanie

Anonymous said...

Bro. Michael
I have read this posting multiple times & I believe you are
100% on the mark for what wwe need...what I need...to be battle ready! I can't possible prep in the physical, which is of no worth if I am not spiritually equipped & trained. I am eager for you to complete this book! Terry

jerry said...

Sounds good Brother. I need the help. Sometimes it is almost overwhelming in the progression of "the end". I recall where power is given to wear down and even kill the saints. That's how I feel right now - worn down. Thank you for trying to provide help for us all.

Sherri said...

Mike, I agree the book you are writing is timely. "Watching and praying" has been on my mind since I read your request for input..... Matthew 26:38-41 (38) Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me." (39) He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless,not as I will, but as You will." (40) Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? (41) Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Thank you, Mike. God bless.
Sherri

Anonymous said...

I just thought of something else...... in another of your writings you described some of the exorcisms you and your grandfather had been involved in, and cautioned the casual observer that this is a very specific calling and if one ventures into it unprepared, one will regret it. Please expound on this, on how to prepare, and how to tell if God really wants you to act on this and how. Many Christians rebuke the enemy in their prayer, plead the blood of Jesus over people and situations, etc, but what is the continuum of the fight against evil, the extreme end being actual exorcism? And at what point should the amateur leave it to the pros??

Barbara said...

You have to fight against people, and some people don't like to fight. They like to be nice, and have pity and just want to lay back and chill. It is hard to get the nerve to stand up to people and confront them and tell them off. Christ is our example as are many other Bible characters, but most Christians just want to act like suck ups in a popularity contest anyway. They are useless fools, but even as you defend what they are supposed to be, they hate you for it outwardly while being grateful for it. They are users. I think many of the worst enemies of the Christian are those who call themselves Christian.