GUEST COMMENTARY GUEST COMMENTARY
   Spiritual Mettle being Steeled?
DO YOU LIVE IN A NINEVEH ?
Spiritual 'Mettle'can be thought of, in part, as reflecting
aspects of one's  "courage,  fortitude,  character and tem-
perament".(1)    'Steeling' is a  process  of  hardening  the elements to produce increased strength. 'Steeling' can be viewed as equipping "one's inner resources to endure dif-
ficult situations ... to make  resistant  to harm  or destruc-
tion".(1)    The Holy Spirit is  steeling  the faith, persever-
ance,  endurance and character(2) of end-time  believers.
He is  also  hardening  the armor  of intercessors.  He is
strengthening their resistance against the diabolical plans and  wiles of the spirit-of-lawlessness(3), in order for believer's to stand against (and endure) what is to come(4).
In the book of Jonah the city of Nineveh had "come up before the Lord because of their wickedness".(1) Most read Nineveh as representative of the unrepentant gentiles of that time clinging to 'worthless idols, lying vanities'(2) (Kjv) and pagan rituals.   Many of us today reside in cities that worship commercial and municipal prosperity, high tech-nology, natural wonders and/or cultural pagan practices.  The city this writer lives in covets all of the above and the spiritual strongholds that evolve from this type covetous- ness will surely bring God's judgment unless we repent (3) and'turn from our wicked ways'.  This may  sound like doomsday thinking to the self-righteous, however it  should be a clarion call to certain failing cities in America that lust after their own prominence while many 'unsaved citizens' languish in 'entertainment centered' houses  of worship, some almost devoid of a Christ centered gospel.
If you are walking in God's plan of righteousness (5) then
you will surely  come under  increasing  attack from the
enemy  in  these  end-times ... for  "he knows  his time is
short"(6).    Allow the  Spirit of God  to equip you to be a
'Soul Survivor' and  prepare you to  fully  serve out your
calling for and in His Kingdom(7).
Those that lived in Nineveh recognized not their sorrowful state of 'spiritual fallenness' until God took the initiative to offer them, again, the opportunity to turn to His ways and purposes(3).   If you care anything about where you live, then take up the call to intercede for your city, government, Lao- dicean(4) type churches and  the 'unsaved  masses' in  your community.  You, like me, probably live in a Nineveh-type city --- a Jonah may already be at your door calling you to be a part of God's end-time plan set out in Eph. 1:7-10 "to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, in Christ".                                                       JDH/AMA
The ' steeling of your mettle ' is  a Holy  Spirit  ministry
and  not  something  you  can  accomplish on  your  own.
Keep your  sword oiled  [the Word of God(8)]  for 'rusty
words' will not cut a lion to the quick  'that prowls about
looking to steal,  kill  and destroy'(9) and tempt you from
your inheritance(10). 
Let your Spiritual mettle be steeled.             JDH/AMA
(1) Amer. Hert. Dic.  (2) Rom. Chap. 5  (3) 2 Thes. 2:7  (4) 2 Tim. 3:1
/Rev. 12:11 (5) Phil. 3:8-11   (6) Rev. 12:12   (7) Rom. 14:17-19/Heb.
12:28-29   (8) Eph. 6:17   (9) 1 Pet. 5:8/Jhn. 10:10   (10) Eph. 1:1-14.
(1) Jonah 1:2  (2) Jonah 2:8  (3) Jonah Chap. 3. (4) Rev. 3:14-22
       AMEN MINISTRIES OF AUSTIN
P.O. BOX  27683  -  AUSTIN, TEXAS  78755