SERIES INTRODUCTION: THE ASSASSINS AMONG US
Welcome to a journey through the Book of Numbers that will expose the assassins working among us—those forces from within and without that seek to destroy the fullness of God’s presence in our lives and churches.
This isn’t your typical Sunday School study. Over 8 weeks (broken into daily blog posts), we’ll walk through Numbers and discover how the same enemies that attacked Israel in the wilderness are attacking the body of Christ today. We’ll learn how God prepared His people then, and how He’s calling us to prepare now.
Session 1 focuses on “The Battle on the Journey Ahead” and covers the Thirteen Elements of Preparation God required before Israel could move forward. We’re breaking this session into 15 daily posts so you can digest, reflect, and apply each element.
Let’s begin.
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SESSION 1, PART 1: ARE YOU PREPARED?
Are you prepared for the spiritual battles ahead?
Before God moved Israel toward the Promised Land, He required complete preparation. The same is true for us today. We live in a time when persecution, turmoil, and strife are increasing. Counterfeit Christianity is collapsing under the weight of its own compromise, and those who follow Jesus Christ authentically will face real battles ahead. But here’s the question most believers aren’t asking: Are we actually prepared for what’s coming? In Numbers chapters 1 and 2, God commanded Moses to take a census of Israel before they could move forward toward the Promised Land. This wasn’t bureaucratic paperwork. This was God demanding an honest accounting of His people before they entered battle. The principle is timeless: Before you can face the enemy ahead, you must face the reality of where you actually are.
WHY HONEST ACCOUNTING MATTERS
Numbers 1:2-4 records God’s command: “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war, you and Aaron shall list them, company by company.” Notice what God required: a real count of those able to go to war. Not how many showed up on Sunday. Not how many had their names on a membership roll. Not how many claimed to believe. God wanted to know: Who is actually ready for battle? Here’s why this matters for us: When persecution and spiritual warfare intensify, we can no longer “fake it till we make it.” Counterfeit Christianity won’t survive what’s ahead. Religious performance collapses under pressure. Only authentic faith in Jesus Christ endures.
THE DAMASCUS ROAD CONNECTION
This honest accounting mirrors what happened to Paul on the Damascus Road. He thought he knew where he stood with God. He was confident in his religious position. Then Jesus Christ revealed the truth, and everything Saul thought he knew shattered. The Damascus Road pattern is always the same:
RELIGION – What we think we know
REVELATION – God shows us reality
RESTORATION – Transformation begins
PURPOSE – We’re sent on mission
Before we can face the trouble ahead, we need that same honest revelation. We need to see ourselves as we actually are, not as we imagine ourselves to be. The critical question: Is Jesus Christ truly at the center of your life? Is the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit (both personally and in the church) properly arranged according to all the Lord has said?
WHAT’S AHEAD IN THIS SERIES
Over the next two weeks, we’ll walk through the Thirteen Elements of Preparation that God required before Israel could move forward. These aren’t suggestions. They aren’t optional extras for the spiritually ambitious. They are the essential foundation for anyone who wants to survive the battles ahead. Each element reveals something crucial about authentic faith versus counterfeit Christianity. Each one exposes where we’ve compromised, where we’ve substituted religious performance for Spirit-led transformation, where we’ve positioned ourselves according to our preferences rather than God’s Word. This journey will require honesty. It will demand that we stop comparing ourselves to other believers and start measuring ourselves against God’s standard. It will call us out of institutional comfort and into authentic discipleship. But here’s the promise: Those who allow the Holy Spirit to conduct this honest accounting, who submit to His preparation, who position themselves properly around the presence of God—they will be ready for what’s coming.
THE QUESTION BEFORE YOU
So let me ask you directly: Are you prepared for the spiritual battles ahead?
Not “Do you attend church?” Not “Do you know the right doctrines?” Not “Are you part of the right denomination?”
But this: Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to conduct an honest survey of your spiritual condition? Have you stopped performing religion and started abiding in Jesus Christ? Is His presence truly the center of your life? Because if the answer is no—or even “I’m not sure”—then this series is for you. Tomorrow, we begin with Element 1: An Honest Survey Based on God’s Word, where we’ll discover how the Holy Spirit conducts this census and why most believers resist His work.
The battles are coming. The question is: Will you be ready?
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ABOUT “THE ASSASSINS AMONG US”:
An 8-week journey through the Book of Numbers that exposes the assassins working from within and without to destroy the fullness of God among us. Through the Damascus Road framework (STOP, LOOK, LISTEN, LIVE), we’re calling believers from counterfeit Christianity to authentic faith in Jesus Christ.
SESSION 1 SCHEDULE:
– Part 1 (Today): Introduction & Damascus Road Connection
– Parts 2-14: The Thirteen Elements of Preparation (one per day)
– Part 15: Conclusion & Moving Forward
COMING TOMORROW: Element 1: An Honest Survey Based on God’s Word
WATCH THE FULL TEACHING: Session 1 (Part A &B) videos available at www.onetrulight.org or search “Assassins Among Us” on YouTube/Rumble
PATREON MEMBERS: Get the complete student workbook, teacher’s guide, and all 8 sessions: patreon.com/onetrulight (Ne Session Drops Each Friday)
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The Prophet’s Margin exists to call believers from the edges of compromise back to the center of authentic faith. We write from the margin where prophetic truth meets counterfeit Christianity.
ONE TRUE LIGHT MINISTRIES
Damascus Road Journey: STOP. LOOK. LISTEN. LIVE.
www.onetrulight.org