County Fairs, State Fairs, a brand new school year, baseball winding down, football winding up, cool mornings and mellow days, hunting season coming soon.…A most wonderful time of the year, and it isn’t even Christmas yet!

To add to all that, on September 30^th we will have revival services at our church. Rev. Kevin Duck will preach, and the music will be led by Bo Chesser and Jake Walker. You will enjoy both the music and the preaching so be sure and mark the day on your calendar.

I don’t know if whoever chose the songs for this Sunday’s services had this in mind or not, but I couldn’t help but notice that there is a theme there. Then I saw that when put together in sentences, four of the song titles form two weather reports. Day 1 - “There Shall Be Showers of Blessing.” Day 2 – “The Wonder of it All!” “Heaven Came Down” “Like a River!”

Rev. Brown’s sermon was from Luke 8:22-39 and was titled “Battling for Territory.” When we read the story about the demon possessed man our attention is usually focused on the man, how his life changed when he met up with Jesus, and the fate of the herd of hogs. There is an even bigger picture to consider in this event, though, if we believe in the security of the believer, and that is the struggle between Satan and God for territory.

Satan has power and authority on this earth, so a storm blew in that had the disciples terrified. They woke Jesus and then when, at His word, calm was restored they were amazed. Since they considered Jesus to be their teacher and their leader, they called Him Master, but they didn’t understand yet that He was also their Lord and Savior.

Although Satan cannot take us He wants our territory. Jesus bought victory for us, though, so we don’t have to turn our territory or anything else over to Satan. Our territory—our mission field is wherever we are and wherever we go. God gives certain mission fields to certain people, but we home-front missionaries have to hang on to our territory, too.

Your territory includes the lost souls there. Know first that Christ is your Lord and Savior. Then go out into your territory and share the blessings you have received because you are a child of God with those that Jesus arranges for you to encounter. Pray for them and for your family and your church. Speak the truth of the gospel from a place of great love under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t yield even an inch in the battle for the territory that God has assigned to you.