John 4:35 – “Do you not say that after four months comes the harvest? behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes, and look at the fields, which have turned white and have long been ready for the harvest.”

I want to draw something out of the annals of trivia housed in my brain. It was something that happened decades ago in Los Angeles, California.  The L.A. Chamber of Commerce offered a prize of $500 for the best slogan submitted for their city’s campaign.  A mother of three children won with this slogan, “Vision to See, Faith to Believe, Courage to Do.”

If you take the time to dissect and examine that slogan you will find some incredibly powerful truth embodied in it.  I believe that this is the need of the hour for God’s people and His church.  We need Vision, Faith, and Courage.  Vision to see, faith to believe, and courage to do.

I believe that it is vital that we develop those three things in today’s church.

VISION TO SEE.

For me, one of the most perplexing problems in much of the church is the lack of vision.  Had the early church been devoid of vision, like many modern-day churches and leaders, the Church would have died in its infancy.  The apostle Thomas said, “Except I see, I will not believe.”  Much of today’s church says, “Except I see, I will not do.”

Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law.”  The KJV and others use the word perish.  I believe that it is vital that someone reveals the truth or people perish.  It is vital that someone articulate the vision or people will never become committed to it. They will go in their separate directions rather than becoming a unity, an army, a family, or a body.  A candle has little value if it is hidden under a bushel and eyes are of little value if there is no vision.

Reconsider the text verse John 4:35, please.  We need vision to see what needs to be done.  Preachers frequently urge people to work for the LORD but fail to tell them what needs to be done or even why.  What needs to be done?  One aspect is our Commission to take the Good News (Gospel) to the world.  We are promised that God’s Truth will set people free!  Truth liberates deception and falsehood enslaves. That is part of destroying the works of the devil and seeing the Kingdom of God come upon the earth.

My heart’s cry is that God’s people will awaken, realize the need, and catch the vision of the Body of Christ.  Each member is important just like each member of our physical bodies is important.  All members are not equal in ability or function, but all have a purpose and if the body is to be all it can be, each member must fulfill its purpose.  You are important to the Body.

Let me make a statement that some may disagree with – “Your Church’s spirituality depends on you.”  A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.  A battle plan is effective only if all the soldiers do their job at the prescribed time and in the prescribed way. 

Let me offer another that may not be received – “Your Church’s effectiveness depends on you.”  Please understand, that I am not saying you as separate from the Holy Spirit. If each member of the local church does what God has designed and called them to do, their community will be reached with the gospel.  I pray that God will open our eyes to help us to have Vision to See what needs to be done and be willing to do it. 

We also need to see what is being done.  If I can see what needs to be done and what is being done, it is easy for me to know what I can do.  When God spoke to Isaiah the prophet He asked, “Who will go?  Who can I send?”  Isaiah shouted, “Here am I, send me!”  You do not need to volunteer for every task but if you have the ability and gifts to fulfill that need, then Why Not You?

I will address this more in the next devotional.

God bless you as you experience Vision to See!

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  NASB

I have heard people quote this passage and say, “God will make everything good.”  You can see that that is not what that says if you examine it carefully.  It does not say that everything is going to be good but that everything will be used (good and bad) to work together for your good.  Terrible horrible things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people and the goodness or badness of an event in one’s life does not reflect their piety or lack thereof.

The Promise is – “God will cause all things to WORK TOGETHER for good to those who love Him, those called according to His purpose.”  The Promise is not – “All things are or will be good.”  I am reminded of Joseph in the Bible when his jealous brothers sold him into slavery, and he ended up in Egypt.  He went from managing Potiphar’s house to prison and then ascended to a place of rulership in that land.  That was amazing.

Then, his words to his brothers, when they came and bowed before him, were, “You meant it for evil, but God meant it (or took it and worked everything together) for good.”  His words were similar to Mordecai to Queen Esther, “Who knows if you have been brought into the Kingdom for such a time as this.” 

The events of life, for the believer, may be bad individually, but God takes them and blends those experiences and events with all the other events and experiences to produce the finished product that is GOOD!  His Promise is not to take every bad thing in life and make it good but to use it to produce, for you, GOOD!  You are the finished product He is interested in not just the individual events or encounters in life.

I have used the illustration many times of baking a chocolate cake from scratch.  In that process, you have the baking chocolate (bitter), baking soda, flour, butter, eggs, sugar, milk, etc.  Some of those are good and some, if eaten alone, would not be very tasty.  The baker takes the individual ingredients and blends them together into a mixture.  The eggs are beaten and whipped together into flour, baking soda, sugar, milk, etc.

In life, we often feel we are being BEATEN by events, but that beating or blending is melding every experience into a mix that can produce the finished product.  Then, once everything is blended it is poured into a baking pan, placed in the oven, and heated for a specified time.  In life, we not only experience the blending which feels like a beating but once we are sufficiently beaten and blended, we are placed in the oven of life and the heat is turned up. 

It is here that the complaints of most of us reach a crescendo and some even become angry with God over the plight they are experiencing.  But, in baking, once the mix is cooked or heated for a specified time it is taken out of the oven and the wonderfully moist and tasty chocolate cake is produced.  The baker then puts on the icing and serves that tasty morsel to the delight of chocolate lovers.  In life, when God pulls us out of the oven, he puts the icing on the cake through the Holy Spirit and produces a life that is drawing and appealing to the seekers of Life and Truth.  He works the good and the bad in our lives blending them into a mix that produces the finished product. 

I have stood before families having to tell them of the loss of a child, a home, or something terrible and I would never tell them “This is good.”  I tell them that God has not forgotten or forsaken them and that He takes the bad things of life and blends them with the good causing them to work together for our good. 

God is focused on the finished product, not simply the individual experience.  A few years ago, I watched a TV show in which a young boy had cancer and he told the doctor he was not afraid to die.  The doctor asked if it was because he believed he would go to heaven and the boy said, “No it is because I believe I won’t.  If I believe in heaven I’d have to believe in God and then I’d have to believe God gave me cancer.”  That is a wrong theology embraced by too many. God did not give him cancer!

His family was struggling with their child facing a health death sentence. They could see nothing good in this nor should they.  It would be ludicrous, in my mind to blame God for the disease in light of the Bible’s revelation that Jesus bore in His body the stripes for our healing.  The Bible says in James 1:17, that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”  

If God is the one putting diseases on people then why would Jesus bear the stripes for healing? Why would He give power over the powers of hell to His followers to heal? Why would He declare in Mark 16, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In My Name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.” 

Jesus was accused of healing through the power of the devil, and He said asked how Satan could cast out Satan. He proclaimed that He was working against the powers of darkness in His acts of healing.  Cancer, disease, loss of job, home, family, etc. are not good things, but GOD can and will meld the experiences of life into a mix to produce a finished product. That finished product is GOOD!  It is not the individual parts but the finished product that is the focus. 

Every experience in life has brought us to the place we are today and made us what we are.  If we recognize and believe that God will take ALL THINGS and cause them to work together for our good, we can face the good and the bad with quiet contentment and confidence.  

I do not believe nor suggest that we passively accept everything that happens and say, “Well, it’s God’s will.”  The devil is the one who wants to destroy you, not God.  The devil wants to hurt you, not God.  The devil brings a temptation to you, not God.  The devil seeks to get you to turn your back on God, not God.  Fight the good fight of faith and resist the devil and the Bible says he will have to flee from you.  The converse is also true if we do not resist the devil then he will not flee from us.

You are not what you will be.  You are more than you once were.  You can be more than you are.  Cooperate with God and look for what He is doing in your life and rejoice.  He has never failed, and He will never fail.

God bless you as you enjoy this wonderful day in Him!

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – “And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” NASB

I cannot count the number of times I have gone to this passage and reminded the Lord of His Promise.  There have been occasions in my life when my human inabilities were so apparent that barring a miracle from God I would go under.  It is not in the times when I recognize my human weakness that I get in trouble.  It is in those times when I do not that I falter! It is not when I am relying on His Grace that I find myself sinking.  It is in those times that I try to do it in my own strength, wisdom, knowledge, and power. 

It is not when I am vulnerable that I get in trouble.  Instead, it is when I think I am invincible.  Truly, I have learned in life that His Grace and Power are demonstrated to the full in those times when we have come to the end of ourselves and fully realize and acknowledge that “without Him, we can do nothing.”

When trials come, they do not always just go away because we claim a Bible promise, pray, or make a confession.  Sometimes they persist!  That does not mean we succumb to them or allow them to crush us, it is in those times that we need to recognize that He is “I AM, That I AM!”  He does not just have power, He is Power!  He does not just have grace, He is Grace! 

He is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent therefore nothing that transpires in our lives is a surprise to Him. Nothing is beyond His wisdom or power to handle.  Our trials are opportunities for Him to demonstrate His Greatness!  I am not suggesting that we pray for trials but rather that when we are encompassed about by a host of hellish devices, we run to Him and rely on Him!  It is in those times that His strength and grace have a complete manifestation of it in our lives and situation.

Therefore, when the storms of life are raging know that Heaven’s Grace will never fail.  That is why James could say with confidence in James 1:2-4 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” NKJV

It is not the trial that is to be the focus but HIM!  Focusing on the Problem perpetuates the potential for disaster but focusing on Him provides perfected peace!  The choice is ours; the provision is His.

May the Lord bless you richly as you go through your day!

John 16:13-15 – “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.  15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”  NKJV

It is my desire to “speak only those things I hear the Lord saying” and “do only those things I see Him doing.”  I have been asked for chapter and verse and usually refer them to this passage as an example of what I am talking about.  Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit our Advocate, Comforter, and Teacher will “teach” and “guide” us into All Truth. 

We were told that He would not speak on His own initiative but say Only what He hears from Heaven and will “open our eyes to what is coming.”  He will glorify the LORD Jesus Christ and take what Jesus is “saying” and “doing” and share it with us, “imparting” to us “gifts” and “abilities” to accomplish God’s Purposes in this life.  Jesus said, “All things that the Father has are Mine…”  He assured us that the Holy Spirit would take of those things and declare them to us so that we too could know the mind of the Father!

Therefore, we can fully expect to walk through this maze called “life” with calm assurance in our hearts because we “know” the “mind of the Father” through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  We do not have to become flustered and frustrated with the events of life, we can rest in the Peace of God because we have a “Comforter” who will “guide” us into All Truth! 

I have been through both ends of that spectrum.  I have experienced that dilemma sitting in a doctor’s office awaiting a report that caused great trepidation.  But through the prayers of many friends, the Holy Spirit came in and calmed my spirit and assured me that “God was in control.” Looking back, I observe how quickly things went from trepidation to rejoicing and God’s Peace flooded my heart. 

The devil tries to shipwreck our lives, but the Holy Spirit brings the Peace of God into the matter powerfully.  It is there that Holy Spirit speaks into our hearts what He is “hearing” in the Throne Room of Heaven we can walk out of that situation in total victory!  To God be the Glory!

That is why the apostle Paul told us in Romans 8:26-30 – “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”  NKJV

If I can recommend anything to you it is to learn to “trust” the voice of the Spirit of God.  He will not lead you astray and He will always guide you according to the Word and Will of God.  If what you are hearing does not line up with God’s Word “it is not the Spirit of God speaking” so discard it.  If it lines up with the Word of God and brings the Peace of God “rest in it” and be at peace.  God is working on your behalf and will guide you into all truth! 

May the Lord’s blessings be richly upon you as you go through your day!

Isaiah 40:12-18 – “Who else has held the oceans in his hand? Who has measured off the heavens with his fingers? Who else knows the weight of the earth or has weighed out the mountains and the hills? 13 Who is able to advise the Spirit of the LORD? Who knows enough to be his teacher or counselor? 14 Has the LORD ever needed anyone’s advice? Does he need instruction about what is good or what is best? 15 No, for all the nations of the world are nothing in comparison with him. They are but a drop in the bucket, dust on the scales. He picks up the islands as though they had no weight at all. 16 All Lebanon’s forests do not contain sufficient fuel to consume a sacrifice large enough to honor him. All Lebanon’s sacrificial animals would not make an offering worthy of our God. 17 The nations of the world are as nothing to him. In his eyes they are less than nothing — mere emptiness and froth. 18 To whom, then, can we compare God?” NLT

Recently as I was reading this passage seemed to leap off the page at me, so I have chosen it to pen my brief remarks.  We all face the many uncertainties of life and none of us truly know what is around the next corner or the next encounter we will face.  We truly live from moment to moment, in Him.  He is our rock and our strength in the time of trouble, and our strong tower in the time of safety.

In reading this I was particularly encouraged when I began to think of the “awesomeness of God” and His “immenseness.”  Read this passage slowly and allow it to sink in and you realize that the “Creator of the Universe” has no comparison, He is immeasurable and absolutely reliable and trustworthy. 

He has extended to each of us the “Hand of Fellowship” allowing us to become “adopted” into the family of God through the Blood of Jesus.  What a comfort to know that nothing escapes His view, nothing is too large for Him to handle, and nothing is more immense than He. 

While we may be small and insignificant in comparison to Him, He takes careful pains to ensure that each of us is cared for individually and collectively.  He is so concerned about each of us that He knows the very number of hairs on our heads and pays attention to every detail of our lives, needs, struggles, and victories.  What a Mighty God We Serve!

Therefore, I plan my day not knowing what the day may bring forth.  I recall, a few years ago, when I was referred to a surgeon because of an issue with my parathyroid gland.  There was trepidation because the tests indicated a tumor.  As I researched parathyroid tumors, I discovered that they were rarely malignant. 

The surgeon assured me that it was benign because of the rareness of malignancies in this gland.  I had Peace that God was in control but there was a gnawing thought in my mind that this was not routine.  When I underwent surgery and the doctor visited me in my hospital room, he informed me that he had been wrong and it was, in fact, malignant and quite large. 

Numerous things transpired to cause me further concern and trepidation and a second surgery was scheduled for a few months down the road.  One day, sitting in my truck during my lunch break and doing what I did daily, praying and reading the Word of God, a warmth cover my body, and sensed that I had been healed.  I had a sweet and powerful Peace settle over me and, in my heart, and I begin to sing of our Awesome God! 

I rested in His care and trusted the prayers of my many friends that were going up continually for me.  As an old preacher once said, “God can pull you through anything if you can stand the pull.”  Just before the second surgery, all my PTH levels went to the low side of normal and the surgery proved to be a total success.  The surgeon said, “This was a miracle, and someone higher than you or I did this!”  No Trace of Cancer was found in my body!  I walked and now walk in complete Peace knowing I am in His hands.  I live in confidence that He Will Be There every step of the way, so I Go in Peace, His Perfect Peace!

Thanks for your prayers, and may you have a blessed day.  God bless you and have a fantastic day serving our AWESOME GOD!

Isaiah 6:8-9 – “Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”  NASB

Through the years I have had personal battles and listened to the stories of people who have faced incredible difficulties in life and frequently the question has been “Why me Lord?”  I have had people say things like, “What did I do to deserve this?” or “Man I must have really made God mad.”  I believe those are the wrong questions and statements based on the wrong focus. 

Life is not necessarily “fair” nor is it “predictable.”  Bad things happen to good people and often without explanation or apparent reason.  When I consider Job in the Bible, the description given of Job certainly did not warrant the dilemma and devastation he encountered. 

He did not earn it! Yet, God allowed him to be tested, and as a result, is an example to each of us on the importance of “maintaining our integrity” and not “wrongfully blaming God” for the difficulties in life.  Scripture tells us that “all things work together for good.”  It does not say that “All things are Good… There is a vast difference, and it serves us well to recognize the difference.

When God directed Jonah to go preach and proclaim the destruction to the city of Nineveh he resisted and in a sense was saying, “Why me Lord?”  When Elijah was sitting under the Juniper tree after a great victory over Jezebel and her prophets of Baal he was effectively saying, “Why me Lord?”

In our text, God asks for a volunteer and Isaiah says, “Here am I.  Send Me!”  The difference is in attitude and focus.  I believe in the case of both Jonah and Elijah they were turning the focus inward and on themselves rather than God.  Isaiah, on the other hand, was turning the focus upward and God was the center and not self.  It was not “what will it cost me?”  It was “what can I do?”  It was the reflection of a “complete commitment” to the purposes of God.  Therefore, when faced with a problem, potential, need, or opportunity there are two questions we can ask:

• Why me Lord?
• Why not me Lord?

One question leads to service although the cost may be high the other to the misery of self-pity. In fact, it could mean the end of your life on earth.  One leads to wrong focus which usually results in having a pity party, ineffective service, and often rebellion against the will and plan of God.  It does not produce the fruit of righteousness and others are not touched by the incredible Grace, Love, and Mercy of the Father. 

Instead of looking at whatever the situation we are facing and saying, “Why me Lord?” why not say, “Why not me Lord?”  I know you will see me through and if it is a dire circumstance, you will enable me to walk through it in such a way that it will become a testimony for you in a powerful way.  It will speak of your Grace, your Love, your Power, and Provision.  It will become a beacon of hope for others who encounter various trials in life and enable them to say, “With God’s help, I too can walk through this.” The Old Pioneer Preacher Burton McCafferty said, “God can pull us through anything if we can stand the pull.”

The Grace of God is an amazing thing, and it Never Fails!  The Love of God is more than the human mind can comprehend and it Knows No Bounds!  The Power of God is inexhaustible, and it Can Not Be Matched!  How can I not trust him?  Therefore, I have chosen to make my question in each situation, “Why not me Lord?” rather than “Why me Lord?” and I find that it brings a peace that is more comforting than words can describe!

Why is sometimes the right question in life but often it only leads to doubt and opens the door for confusion and bitterness?  When my Bonnie went home to Jesus, I was reminded of what I had told countless numbers of people at graveside services – “Why is the wrong question?  The right question is, Where to from here and What now?”  As Isaiah said, we should be lifting our hands and saying, “I’m yours LORD, whatever you want, I’m all in.”

May God bless you as you live this day in and through Him.  May He bring peace in your labors for the Kingdom of God!  

Have a blessed day and enjoy your life in His presence!

HOW TO HAVE PEACE IN ALL THINGS…

Philippians 4:6-7 – “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  NASB

Each of us has experienced a time or times of a troubled spirit and been anxious or worried about something.  I find it most comforting and challenging that the Bible teaches that we can have “peace” in all things, all the time, in all circumstances.  That does not mean it is necessarily easy but possible and a promise from the Lord.  There is a “key” to this level of living that cannot be practiced on an intermittent basis but must become a lifestyle if we are to walk on this plane continually.

Here Paul gives us some keys to “Peace”:

• Be ANXIOUS for Nothing.  (Do not fret, do not worry, do not fear, do not become overcome, or overrun by what is happening around you.)  That is a Tall Order but then he tells us how to accomplish this.

• IN EVERYTHING by “prayer” and “supplication” with “thanksgiving” let your requests be made known to God.

• Prayer – – Communication with God. 

(Talking to Him. Telling Him how you feel, what you are thinking, and acknowledging His person, power, and presence)

• Supplication – – Here is the petition part of prayer.  This is where you are presenting your needs, desires, and requests before the throne in light of Who He Is! 

• Thanksgiving – – Without a grateful heart little is accomplished in the Kingdom.  Without a grateful heart, we will forget to Whom we owe all that we are, have, and will be.  We forget that Without Him we can do nothing.  We forget that our Human Frailty will never overcome the Circumstances of life and the Evil Powers that come against us.  We will never learn to live in a State of Contentment! 

It is in this condition that Paul tells us that the Peace of God that is beyond human ability to comprehend comes. That Peace floods our hearts, guards our hearts, and covers our minds so that every thought is brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 

It is here that we walk Free of Worry and Live in a Continual State of Peace!  We are secure in our relationship, or position, or potential, our promise, and our place in Him.  We then can say with Paul, “To die is gain but to live profitable for you.”  We walk in total confidence in Him in Everything! 

This is where the Love of God that banishes all fear fills our hearts and lives and we become so at One with Jesus that when people see us, hear us, and encounter us they encounter Him.  We are then “ruled by peace” and it is a peace that the world did not give, and the world cannot steal.

May God bless you as you continue your week in Him!  Blessings in the Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

Genesis 1:1-2 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”  NKJV

This is a beautiful day to be alive and I have been enjoying a delightful time of Coffee & Conversation with the Lord this morning.  We talked about a conversation I had recently with a College Professor about Creation.

That individual has 2 PhDs in areas of science and is a devout evolutionist but also claims to be a devout Christian.  Our conversation led to many areas but finally, this individual said, “You just need to study the Tree of Life.”  I replied, “I have studied the “Word of Life and my name is in the Book of Life, so I believe that I understand the Tree of Life that God has established.” 

The response was, “Oh the Bible, that outdated, error-filled book of fables and myths.”  Okay, now I have a problem with one area of his devoutness, and it is not regarding his belief in evolution.  I have a problem with that too, but this person denied the validity of the Bible.  He questioned the very existence of the God of the Bible but believed there is a higher intelligence, but it is interwoven in nature and is not a single entity. 

I will not mention the church this individual was a part of because I know another person who attends there and that is not their view.  This reminds me of a college professor I had years ago with whom I got into several debates and disproved his theories and assertions in class and ended up being forbidden to speak in class or else I would fail the class. 

I do not doubt that many in Academia and the “so-called” intellectual community, believe as does this individual.  I do not doubt that there are those taught by our public school system who have been fed this type of fallacy and do not believe or are not sure what they believe about creation and evolution.  I do not fall into that category, I know exactly what I believe, and it begins, “IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED…”

Therefore, believing the first verse of the first chapter of the Bible, I can go on to believe the rest of the Bible.  I believe that Jesus came in the flesh, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross for us, rose again on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the throne of the Father, and now makes intercession for us and is coming back as He said. 

With that settled, I have received Jesus as my savior, repented of my sins, and have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into God’s marvelous light.  I am Born Again!  My eternal soul will live forever in the presence of the Almighty God, the God of the Bible and I am at perfect peace with that.  It does not matter what happens in this world that will not change. 

They may, at some point in time, separate my head from my mortal body but that will not change my faith only my location.  I will then be absent from the body but present with the Lord!  I rejoice in Genesis 1:1 and the door it opens!  Rejoice, my friends, rejoice redemption draws near!

May the richest of God’s Blessings flow to and through you as you enjoy this wonderful day He has prepared. 

Ephesians 6:14-20 – “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints —  19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”  NKJV

The morning began a bit later than usual and things have a vastly different appearance when that happens.  The quietness and solitude are not so quiet and there are many of God’s creatures scurrying about. I sense things astir in the spiritual realm. I have and am enjoying my coffee, bible reading, and conversation with the Lord.  Today, He told me to “Get Dressed…”

I was praying for this country and the state she is in and what we can and should do to right the ship.  He let me ramble for a while and heard my rants, fears, concerns, and complaints, and then finally when I took a breath I heard in my spirit, “Get dressed to go out to Battle.  Get dressed to take a stand and not be moved.  Get ready for the battle after the battle.  Be prepared not just for the battle but for the war.”  That stopped me in my tracks and caused me to think for a while and after about an hour I came inside to the computer.

We are to stand “wrapped” in truth, God’s truth.  His truth is the truth that shall make us free!  This is the truth that leads us to life!  This is the truth is impeachable and impeccable!  The Good News of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Righteous! 

Wrapped in that truth is step one!  Then, we are to have on the breastplate of righteousness.  Our hearts must be covered with righteousness, not ours but His.  Our righteousness is but filthy rags, but His righteousness is whiter than the driven snow.  It is pure without human imperfections.  We are to seek first the kingdom of God and His Righteousness! 

That’s when things happen, not before!  Take the shield of faith.  We must exhibit faith, trust, and confidence settled assurance in Him, His word, His will, and His way.  We are to walk in Total Confidence in Him and His promises, walking without wavering.  We must not be double-minded but steadfast in our confidence. 

We are to take the helmet of salvation.  It is most interesting that salvation would be a helmet (head covering) but that is because we must get our minds right, our thoughts right.  We are to bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.  As a man thinks in his heart so is he.  We are to take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  We must immerse ourselves in God’s word and become so saturated with that word that if you cut us, we would bleed the word.  So, we are ready always to give an answer to every man for the reason of the hope that is within us.

Finally, we are to Pray, which is a vital portion of this attire.  We are to pray Always!   Praying with ALL prayer and supplication in the spirit – watching with perseverance for all the saints and then we can Stand and Stand Boldy.  It is then we can become unmovable, steadfast.  Dressed up and ready to go to war and ready to go home if the need is but Unmovable!   Prepared for Battle!

For us to see revival, renewal, and restoration come to this world we must fight the good fight of faith.  We must continue to pray for our leaders and our land.  We must continue to be clothed with God’s prescribed attire for battle and we must use the weapons of our warfare, which are mighty through God to the pulling down strongholds.  The battle is before us, and the Lord is with us the only questions are – – Will we endure to the end?  Will we after having done all to stand, stand?  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!

May the rich and bountiful blessing of the LORD be upon you as go through your day and may the Lord of Hosts grant you peace and wisdom to do all that you have been commissioned to do on this beautiful day He has made!