Ezekiel 47:1-2  – “Then he brought me back to the door of the house; and behold, water was flowing from under the threshold of the house toward the east, for the house faced east. And the water was flowing down from under, from the right side of the house, from south of the altar. ² He brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate by way of the gate that faces east. And behold, water was trickling from the south side.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was prompted to consider some excerpts from a recent message which aired on http://www.bpnradio.com, Channel 1, for “The Voice of Hope Broadcast.”  It was about developing a “Warrior Spirit” and a “Warrior Mentality.”   I have a deep sense of urgency in my spirit!  I heard, “Have no fear, God is near!   Be a Warrior!”

I find it more than a little disturbing that many in the American Church today seem to have an Attitude of “Indifference” and “Passivity.”   Many, it seems, are content to just ‘Splash Around’ in the Waters of the Holy Spirit in “Puddle A.”  

Waters that are ‘Ankle Deep.’   Rather than launching out into the deep, where we are required to “Swim” to survive and thrive.   Any “Resistance” is deemed undesirable.  “Ease” is sought at all costs.  “Contentment” with the status quo and mediocrity is acceptable.   I say Rubbish!   Utter Rubbish!

I’ve been asked, “How Can We Be Warriors and Love?”     I believe that the Motivating Force of this Army of God will be the “Compassion” of Jesus!   We are not going out, “Hating” those whose lifestyles are contrary to our beliefs.  NO! NO! NO!    We Do Not Hate Them because God Doesn’t!   But we can hate their Lifestyles, Way of Life, and Philosophies.   We Should Have an Intense Desire to See Them Set Free!   They are Captives and Do Not Even Know It!

We must be motivated in several directions simultaneously to become the Warriors God desires for these Last Days.  

•       Motivated By Compassion.  

Compassion moves us into action; it is never passive!  The motivating factor for God’s Warriors is not hate but love!   Love will kick down the doors of hell to rescue a captive, but hate will not!

•       Motivated By A Warrior Spirit.

The heart and mind will be filled with courage and determination.  Those filled with that Spirit will become mighty men and women of God.  They will press forward, press in, and press through.

•       Driven By Vision.

Some would call it Destiny, but it will set a fire inside the heart that cannot be quenched.    The vision gives rise to determination, and determination propels one into action!

The question in this hour is “What Would It Take For Us To Give Up and Quit?”   If there is any amount of money or any situation that would achieve those results, then it is time to run to the altar in repentance and recommitment of our lives to Jesus!

We need to close the door on the devil today.   We need to remind ourselves that in Christ Jesus, we are unconquerable!  Why not be who God created you to be and live Victoriously in the Now!

Be a Warrior and Live Victoriously!

Revelation 4:1         “After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”

Something is stirring in the heavens and on earth.   Something big is about to happen.   It will be eternally wonderful for those wholly committed and eternally terrible for those who are not.   Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord will enter in.”   Beware!

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the thought of the Kinsman Redeemer filled my mind.   In Numbers 27:8-11, we have the idea presented, and in Revelation 5:1-5, we see it fulfilled in Jesus.

The Kinsman Redeemer had to be a blood relative who was able to pay the redemption price in full. In Revelation 5:2, there was a lament over no Kinsman Redeemer.  Then, in Revelation 5:5, the angel declared, “Stop weeping; behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

Revelation begins with the message to the seven churches. Then, in Revelation 4:1 – “After these things…”   I sense that we are in the closing moments of the Last Days era.   That door is about to open; the trumpet is about to sound… are we ready?

How are we stewarding God’s grace and gifts?  How are we living our lives? Is it selfish or selfless?  Are we investing in the Master’s business or focused on our business?  “Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these, you have done it unto Me.”

In the communion ceremony, Jesus spoke of discerning the Lord’s body. Who is His body? Aren’t the born-again the Body of Christ?   Maybe we should read Matthew 28:18-20 again and meditate on it. HE’S COMING! Are we ready?

Are you ready?

Jude 17-21      “But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁸ that they were saying to you, “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” ¹⁹ These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. ²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

This is the day the LORD has made, and we have the choice, opportunity, and ability to rejoice and be glad in it.  Rejoicing like love is a choice!

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought of the ‘Eternal Now’ filled my mind.   In Jude 17-21, we have a reminder and warning about that time called “The Last Days.”   In verses 20-21, he gives us the pathway to preservation and living in the ‘Eternal Now.’

In Revelation 1:9, John uses some specifically chosen words we need to see. John identified himself as a brother to all believers (Christians).  He identified himself as a fellow participant in difficulty (trials, tests, tribulations).  Also, a participant in the Kingdom.  We skip over that and miss the reality that the ‘Eternal Now’ includes the presence of God’s rule & reign.  Then he says, “in perseverance.”  The indispensable element in living in the ‘Eternal Now.’

The Church at Ephesus was commended for its service, perseverance, and diligence. They exposed false apostles, prophets, and teachers.   BUT, in their pursuit of keeping the church pure, they moved away from the one thing that keeps the church the church – LOVE!  They became legalistic, heresy hunters rather than dispensers of God’s love, which reconciled.

The church at Pergamum was following Balaam’s teachings.  They were ruled by a human spirit rather than the Holy Spirit. They allowed a “me” spirit to prevail.  

The church at Thyatira had love, faith, deeds, service, and perseverance. BUT they allowed the Jezebel spirit to influence and manipulate them. The Jezebel spirit includes a controlling, dominating, intimidating, and manipulating spirit.  It does not have to be gender. It is not about the external but the heart. Revelation 2:22 – “Behold, I will cast her into a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into Great Tribulation, UNLESS they repent of HER DEEDS.”

The thought of the ‘Eternal Now’ reminds me, inspires me, and compels me to desire to give myself fully to God, reject everything not of Him, and manifest Him NOW!  We are not living for SOMEDAY.  We are living NOW, and He lives in us.

Let’s make the goal of life HIM.   Let’s resist all temptation to develop a “me” attitude or allow the flesh to control.  Let’s pursue life in the ‘Eternal Now.’ Jesus is eternally the same, and as He is, so are we in this world NOW!

LORD, help us to live now as we want to live then!

1 John 2:3        “And we can be sure that we know Him if we obey His commandments.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, a reminder filled my consciousness. Reminder? The evidence of Christianity.

The Book of 1 John overflows with revelation about the Christian life.  It is an outflow of God in us, not a forced striving of willpower.  We cannot do it.   We are it, or we become it.

1 John 2:3 gives the evidence of being a Christian (knowing God), which is keeping His commandments.   It is not keeping the rules but obeying from the heart.

I am stunned at the level of hate in the ‘Christian Community’ today.  There is an attempt to justify animosity.  But if Christ is “in” us, and He is love, then there is no justification.  Rather, it is evidence that we are not “in” Him. Is that Harsh?   Maybe, but biblically factual.   We never become if we allow the roots of evil to live in us.

1 John 3:14-15 reveals that love is the fruit of Christ “in” us, and hate is the poison that reveals He is not.   1 John 4:11 reveals that the lack of love toward others reveals the absence of heart love for God.  It is the difference between theory and experience.  1 John 5:1-3 reveals that the primary evidence of Christianity is LOVE for God and others.

1 John 5:4 is powerful.  That which is born of God (saved) overcomes the world. Faith (trust, confidence, surrender, and total reliance on God) is the victory that overcomes.

1 John 5:18-19 is our target.  No sin (not individual, occasional acts, but lifestyle and continuous practice).   Kept by God, making us untouchable to the enemy.  The Key:  Be transformed by love so that love flows out of us.  The evidence is that Christianity is not the religious stuff we do, but the love that flows from us!  Do we love with His love?  Do we obey as a natural outflow or forced compliance? Is there evidence of Christianity manifested in us?

May your day overflow with the love of God to you and through you!

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.  ² He lets me rest in green meadows; He leads me beside peaceful streams.  ³ He renews my strength.  He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to His name.  ⁴ Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for You are close beside me.  Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.  ⁵ You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies.  You honor me by anointing my head with oil.  My cup overflows with blessings.  ⁶ Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.”  NLT

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, my heart was moved with the intricate care and keeping of the LORD!  In Psalm 23, a powerful reminder of who God is and who we are provides hope of total victory in the darkest of times.

For us to become all that God has declared us to be and walk it out in our lives, we must come to the place where we know who we are in Him.  That involves intimacy with Him.  It is not a cliché, “I am the Lord’s.”   It is embracing and experiencing His person, nature, character, love, grace, and trustworthiness in our lives.

For us to become all that God has declared us to be and walk it out in our lives, experiencing the provisions He has made available, we must reach a place that we understand, recognize, and embrace His Covenant.  As we know, God’s Covenantal Promises and Provisions, we are able to implement them in our lives and live in complete peace and confidence.

For us to become all that God has declared us to be and walk it out in our lives, we must realize that we are sheep.   We need a Shepherd, and our Shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ! He is our total supply, and we are dependent sheep!

In Psalm 23, there is a dimension that too often seems to be missed.  In the Valley He Restores Our Souls!  That is a wonderful truth, but the disturbing reality that our souls need to be restored is troubling for many. Man, although he expresses his inadequacy in words, in action, and heart, seems to believe that he is good and somehow his personal goodness will buy favor with God.

We all need our souls restored!  We all need a shepherd! We all need a savior! We all need to be transformed!  We all find ourselves on the Ash Heap of Life and need to be rescued!  None of us is capable of handling what life hurls at us in our own strength, willpower, ability, or determination. We need JESUS!

Just as Jesus declared, “Behold I stand at the door and knock” to the church of Laodicea in Revelation 3:20, He is standing at the door of our hearts today. He wants to be our Savior and our LORD!   He wants to be our Shepherd and our Guide!  He wants to be our example and enable and equip us to become who He has declared us to be.

Today is our day to become more than conquerors in experience, not just in theory!  It is time to rise from the Ash Heap of Life and roar with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah! I declare today a day of victory!

Have a fantastic day in the LORD and become all He has designed and desired you to be!