“The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defense of the Gospel.” Philippians 1:16-17.

In the perilous times we are in today, we must always be set for the defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Sadly, instead of defending the Gospel of Jesus, many have been set not to offend the world.  They have attempted to protect the world from the offense of the Gospel and opted to present It their way…so as not to offend.  These social and psychological gospels appeal to the flesh because they are about the flesh.  There is a class and questionnaire for any problem one may have.  The ones preaching and teaching these gospels never realize their own problem.  They don’t understand what they are preaching is not the antidote to the Believer’s “problem”.  Furthermore, they cannot see they are in fact part of the reason the Believer’s remain in bondage.  These preachers and teachers call the dominion of sin in a Believer’s life a “problem” and give them a program to defeat such.  If this was possible, the Cross of Jesus Christ would not have been necessary.  The ONLY antidote to the dominion of the sin nature in a Christians life is the Cross of Jesus and our faith placed THERE, on Jesus and what He has done…not 40 days or 12 steps.  When our faith is placed in the programs of man to treat the problems of man, we cannot, will not and do not have dominion over our sin nature, or our “problem” if you apply a little lipstick.  It is simply not possible.  The only way a Believer can have victory over our sin nature is through faith in Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2.  The Holy Spirit can only do what He is commissioned to do in the Believer’s life when our faith is placed on Jesus and what He has done…not schemes of man or self efforts.

When the camp assignments were given to the tribes of Israel in Numbers chapter 2, each tribe was assigned a specific area around the Tabernacle.  At the center, directly around the Tabernacle, were the Levites, the Priestly Tribe, whose name means “joined” or “communion”.    The Tribe of Judah, whose name means praise, was assigned the east side and were told “…These shall first set forth.” Numbers 2:9.  The Tribe of Dan brought up the rear, whose name means judgment.   Praise (Judah) led the way and were joined to the Tabernacle by the Levites with the judgment of God (Dan) bringing up the rear.

I mention all of this to say…has praise led our way?  Are we joined to God through the Blood of Jesus?  Are we standing face to face with the Tribe of Dan, judgment?  Judgment begins in the House of God.  Have we, the church, been too busy minding all of the other tribes business that we have not been consecrated to our own commission, the Great Commission?  God has assigned each of us a camp.  At the same time, man will attempt to appoint us to a camp designed by the flesh and not by the Lord.  If man appoints us to a camp that the Lord did not designate us to and we follow man and not the Lord, it is not the Lord’s fault.

We, as the Body of Christ, can no longer allow schemes of man to assign Children of God to their camps.  The perilous times we live in today leave no room for those who are afraid to offend the world.  There is no time for the feeding of the flesh with the leaven in the lumps.  Understand, if you are not set for the defense of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you will be swallowed up by the world.  Look to God to assign you your camp, be consecrated to your position in your camp and stand…stand in the full Armor of God.  – Donna Clark Warren