Chapter Four
The fight is far from over. Since the moment of your birth, you entered the battlefield of the continuation of the great pre-mortal war. On this battlefield, you have not won. Not yet, anyway. Regardless of whether or not you win or lose on the battlefield of mortality, you will be resurrected. That’s a freebie from Jesus Christ. You don’t even have to believe in him or like him or follow him. You get resurrected whether you want to or not. Suicide does not exempt you from resurrection. You don’t get out of it.
There is something else you need to understand. You have just as much liberty of spirit and freedom of choice now as you did before you were born. And now, just as then, you can choose to keep yourself free or you can give up your liberty and surrender yourself captive to the enemy of all humanity.
If you lose on the battlefield of mortal life, you will not only fear your death, but you may dread your impending resurrection. If you win on the battlefield of life, your death will be nothing to fear, and you will eagerly await your resurrection.
I’m not talking about winning and losing the way the world thinks of it. This has nothing to do with career advancement, political agendas, competitions, sports, lotteries, or contests of wit and speed and physical strength. This is not about financial success or business ventures or fame and fortune or other such endeavors.
This is about the depths of your mind and heart and soul. It’s about what you feel and think and believe and esteem and dismiss. It’s about how you view and treat others, what you value, what you honor, what you cherish, what you are willing to sacrifice to defend what you know is right and true.
It’s about what and who you forgive or refuse to forgive. It’s about grudges you bear or let go. It’s not so much about trying to avoid offending others. Truth almost always offends error, but truth need not be offended by error. So, more importantly, it’s about you learning to not take offense at what others may or may not think or say or do, or represent. It’s about healing and being healed. It’s about overcoming evil with good.
How do you know if you are winning or losing on this battlefield? I can’t answer that for you. You have to work that out between you and Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. You might start by simply asking God, in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, where you stand.
Ask him, and then observe any feelings that come to your heart. Listen and watch for any thoughts, impressions, ideas, or images that come to your mind. Pay attention to the things that begin to happen in your life. Look up. Develop an open mind and a willing spirit. When I say open mind, I mean a mind open to truth not yet familiar to you. Not a mind opened to more deceptions and lies and lascivious or decadent impulses.
Be persistent. Try again. Search some more and try again. If you’ve kept reading this far, then you must have some interest in the welfare of your soul. So, take courage. This is not the end!
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About the Author
Ilyan Kei Lavanway is a Christian, a family man, and a deep thinker. He is fascinated by the Creation and Christian eschatology. He seeks to understand and worthily participate in the fulfillment of prophecies and events of the upcoming days preceding and following the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
Mr. Lavanway served as a full time missionary for two years in the Argentina Buenos Aires North Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1986 to 1988. He feels he can continue doing missionary work through his writing.
Mr. Lavanway is a United States citizen and a patriot. He loves his country and the U.S. Constitution as envisioned by the Founding Fathers. Mr. Lavanway served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for almost fourteen years in various non-flying operational and academic assignments.
While he never flew for the Air Force, he has always harbored a passionate interest in aviation. Since his circumstances over the past two decades have made it impractical for him to fly, Mr. Lavanway has taken up writing and discovered that he loves it almost as much as he loves flying airplanes.
It is his hope and prayer that some of his written works may serve to open minds and inspire readers. If any portion of his works influence others in some positive way, it has been effort well spent.
Other books by this author
Relying on The Lord in the Last Days (2015)
Dreams of the Last Days: Where are all the Stars? (2015)
Circumscription Hypothesis (2015)
An Aviator At Heart (2014)
Intelligent Universe (2014)
Sevenfold (2013)
The Modern Day Gadianton Golden Boy (2012)
Out of the Picture and Into the Picture (2012)
Platypus Boy on the Duck Farm (2012)
Duck Boy on the Platypus Farm (2012)
Earth Sink (2010)
Connect with the author
Email:
[email protected]
Self Publishers Showcase page:
https://selfpublishersshowcase.com/ilyan-kei-lavanway/
Book Crossing page:
https://www.bookcrossing.com/mybookshelf/ilyan/all
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/ConspiracyParanormal
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyanlavanway
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/ilyanlavanway
Blogs:
https://ebooksscifi.wordpress.com
https://conspiracyparanormal.blogspot.com
Website:
https://ilyanlavanway.wix.com/books
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