Fight

Get in The Ring

“Glory Hallelujah, Bless His Holy name…We give him praise.” This was a resounding cry of the crowd as the afternoon session opened up. Then as everyone was singing, “I’ve got a reason to praise. He woke me up this morning, started me on my way, he put food on my table, I’ve got a reason to praise.” Kaylee encouraged the crowd by reminding everyone, “We overcome by the blood of the lamb AND the WORD of our TESTIMONY When we RECALL the faithfulness of the Lord, we are reminded again…if he did it then, he will do it again!”

The vibrant worship set led us through declaring Victory in Jesus, then praising him “For every mountain, you’ve brought me over, for every valley, you’ve seen me through…”  The ladies decreed ‘I will never give your glory to another one, no one, not one’ and the name of ‘Jesus is lifted high in this place’ through song. The worship set ended with the sweet anthem, “Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place.” 

Our speaker this afternoon is Pastor Delana Rutherford. Known for her passion for the Lord, miracles, signs and wonders have long been part of her ministry.  She pastors a thriving church--Worship with Wonders Church--in the Atlanta area with her husband and life partner, Myles Rutherford. She is also an entrepreneur and has a line of products celebrating the unique beauty of every individual. “Be You On Purpose.”

She started her time by exclaiming that she is “here on assignment” and has been praying about what she is supposed to share today. After introducing her family and gushing over her grandbabies, she asked everyone to get on their feet and she led everyone in a rousing chorus of “Victory is Mine.”  She declared that “Somebody is walking out of here today with victory!! Fear is about to be cancelled in the room today! Thank you Jesus for the victory!”

“I love worship and we had amazing worship this morning, but I feel a fight in me today. Growing up, I was a fighter.” Pastor Delana said while gesturing to the stage props of boxing gloves and a punching bag.

As she started sharing, she told the crowd about a term “medical pulse diagnosis” used in medicine. Described as a skill that is very difficult to master, a technician or doctor needs to check an individual's pulse in many different locations on the body. Ultimately, this assessment offers a picture of a person’s state of health and reveals whether they are in fight or flight mode. When you are in flight mode--You don’t care. You are numb, tapped out. Your adrenals have been in overdrive and are now completely drained, and as a result, you lack the energy to even try to fight. In contrast,  in fight mode, your adrenals are healed and you have the energy and the drive to take up the fight.

Comparing these conditions to spiritual warfare, she asked the crowd to lean over to your neighbor and say, “Check my pulse.” She further declared that as believer, we need to decree over whatever battle we are facing, “I’m still here and I'm not going anywhere, Devil. I was made for this… The Lord put me in this battle, he goes before me, he is already equipping me to win this battle.” You don’t win a battle by sitting down and staying numb.Instead, you say, “I'm up, I'm standing and I'm still here.”

After a short boxing clip showcasing a crazy fast KO, she challenged the crowd asking, “Who has had enough of the enemy!??” She gave Pastor Judy a pair of gloves and recounted the ways Pastor has been under attack over the last year. As she laced up, Pastor Delana declared, “He tried to target the wrong gal!”

Instead of giving up, she told the attendees, “Listen, you don’t gotta fight, you just gotta get in the ring. If your enemy is still looking at you, you need to get back in the fight and that starts by stepping in the ring.”

As she listed the things people might still be struggling with, she harkened back to the message from Pastor Judy last night reminding people to just STAND. And then went on to tell everyone to stay in the fight and get in the ring. 

She said that some of us need to take inventory of who is on our team. You have to be strategic about who you surround yourself with. Who are your pastors??

Fighters have a team. They surround themselves with trainers, coaches, and cutmen. Cutmen are the ones who care for a fighter after they have been wounded. If in the fight a fighter is wounded, they need a cutman who has some experience and training. Cutmen stop the bleeding and reduce the swelling so the fighter can get back in. A good cutman once said “I help you to be able to recognize the fighter after the fight.” You don’t want a cutman who has no experience. Their job is too important! In fact, the cutman's goal is to be sure the fighter keeps their composure. They need to make sure that fighter can get back in the fight.

Listen, you need to keep going back to the fight until you KO. But you need to know, who is your cutman/woman? They will not expose you, they will help you recover and keep you from further harm. They offer cover and safety. You better know who is on your team. 

She shared the personal testimony of her assistant, delivered from a life of homosexuality. She had been used and abused by women in the church. She had been hurt and wasn’t trusting of other women. In the beginning stages of her restoration journey, she made some mistakes and was wavering. Pastor Delana took her aside and asked the hard question: “Are you in or out??” 

Pastor didn’t throw her to the wolves or expose her sin pattern, she protected her and gave her safety, but she was also willing to challenge her. She spoke from her corner and prodded her to make a decision to get back in the fight. 

Pastor Delana had a strong word for people who don’t want to listen to correction or “hard words.” She said, “You forfeit your deliverance because you choose to be offended. You need to accept correction from people who care for you.” Get the right people in your corner and then listen to their coaching!

A crowd will cheer you on as long as you are winning, but someone in your corner will stick with you because they have invested in you, they have coached you, they believe in you. They stand firm.

Referencing Ephesians 6:10, she said “The most important thing in a fight is protecting yourself and guarding yourself. You need to be strong in the LORD.”

Some people have a lot to say, but they don’t have experience. Like the cutman with no training, they aren’t qualified to speak into your life. You need to fight from experience not emotions. Your consistency is what intimidates your enemy, not your emotions. Don’t waste your pain. Let your pain serve you and train you to be more consistent. Some things are worth the fight and you need to listen to the coach and the instructions offered in order to gain the victory.

In the 80’s classic Karate Kid climax, Mr Miyagi tells Daniel “Stay focused, you cannot lose to fear.” Mr Miyagi was not moved by the circumstances. He had trained Daniel. Wash the Cars--Wax on, Wax off. Paint the fence--Up, Down. Sand the floor--Right Circle, Left Circle. Daniel’s frustration was mounting. “What does all of that have to do with karate??” He exclaimed in a heated exchange with Mr. Miyagi. Daniel didn’t understand, Mr. Miyagi was developing muscle memory and training him, rather unconventionally some would say. Yet, when the test came, it all made sense. 

Some of you are walking through circumstances you don’t understand. You’ve been walking through situations that have felt monotonous, draining, exhausting  But God is training you..and when you get in the ring, it will make sense. Everything that has felt disconnected, unrelated to your pain… it will contribute to your breakthrough. 

Check your pulse. Get some boxing gloves and write on them, “I will win this battle” You won’t win by complaining, by talking to the wrong people, or by not having the right coaches. Get in the ring.

1 Cor 9:26 Speaks of Discipline of training,  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.

Phil 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Be encouraged, God will complete what he starts in you.

Pastor Delana shared that when her daughter was in the hospital, ready to give birth, she wanted to go all natural. But she reached a point where she didn’t think she could go any longer. She admonished the crowd, “This is where your corner matters. Where she was weak in the flesh, I had to stand strong for her. I couldn’t do it for her though…I just had to remind her of how she trained and what her strong desire was”  If you won’t get weary in well doing and you will stand strong and push through..get back in the ring and fight..victory is yours. You got to get back in the ring. Don’t give up.

Ladies here are believing God for a miracle, but Pastor Delana challenged the crowd, “If you step forward for this altar call, your response today signifies that you are going to get back in the fight. You are telling the enemy that you plan on leaving today with a victory.” 

The altars were inundated with women ready to get back into the ring. 

To conclude, Pastor Judy had everyone proclaim “I will see fruit from this fight!” And she prayed a powerful prayer of blessing over Pastor Delana and her ministry.