The Prophetic Word - Day 154 thru 159

The Prophetic Word

Day 154: Do not be dismayed.

In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:

“A large crowd trailed behind, including many grief-stricken women. But Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, don’t weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are coming when they will say, ‘Fortunate indeed are the women who are childless, the wombs that have not borne a child and the breasts that have never nursed.’ People will beg the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and plead with the hills, ‘Bury us.’ For if these things are done when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?””

Luke 23:27-31 NLT

Jeremiah 1 (All)

Jeremiah 2 (All)

Jeremiah 45 (All)

““But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there.”

Isaiah 65:8 NLT

The world seems to be on fire. All around us we see death and destruction; and at the same time, many people—even those numbered within the Church—are living lives far from God.

How are we to navigate these perilous times without becoming overwhelmed? How can we obey God’s instruction that we must not be dismayed?

Over the next five days we will discuss how—even in the midst of days of trouble—we do not need to be dismayed!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 155: Don’t allow fear to have its way with you by failing to trust God.

“They came to Jesus and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging, violent waves, and they ceased, and it became calm [a perfect peacefulness]. And He said to them, “Where is your faith [your confidence in Me]?” They were afraid and astonished, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey Him?””

Luke 8:24-25 AMP

The prophet Jeremiah was called when he was very young.

In fact, Jeremiah initially argued with the Lord that his age would be an obstacle to doing what the Lord wanted him to do.

“But the Lord said to me: “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, For I am with you to deliver you,” says the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.””

Jeremiah 1:7-10 NKJV

You see, the Lord was calling Jeremiah to prophesy to the people of God concerning the judgment they would face because they had forsaken the Lord and turned to other gods.

“I will utter My judgments Against them concerning all their wickedness, Because they have forsaken Me, Burned incense to other gods, And worshiped the works of their own hands.”

Jeremiah 1:16 NKJV

The Lord warned Jeremiah that he must not allow himself to become dismayed because of the hostility he would face coming from the people.

““Therefore prepare yourself and arise, And speak to them all that I command you. Do not be dismayed before their faces, Lest I dismay you before them. For behold, I have made you this day A fortified city and an iron pillar, And bronze walls against the whole land— Against the kings of Judah, Against its princes, Against its priests, And against the people of the land. They will fight against you, But they shall not prevail against you. For I am with you,” says the Lord, “to deliver you.””

Jeremiah 1:17-19 NKJV

It’s interesting to note that the Lord warned Jeremiah that if he allowed himself to become dismayed because of the peoples’ hostility toward him, God would allow him to truly be dismayed before them.

Now, what initially may sound like a “wherever you go, there you are,” statement, actually is the Lord warning Jeremiah not to bring about a self-fulfilling prophecy.

That is, if he feared the people in spite of the fact that the Lord had sent him to speak, the Lord would allow him to have reason to be afraid of them.

In our opening scripture we see Jesus scolding the disciples because they had allowed fear to overtake them in the midst of the storm. Yes, they were fearful even though their master was sleeping on the very boat they were in.

“And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?””

Mark 4:37-38 NKJV

As we see, when the disciples came to wake Jesus, they questioned whether He cared about them or not!

Yes, we are living in a world on fire. Death and destruction surround us. As a result, we may find ourselves being alarmed and distressed. Sadly, fear may have us gripped, seeing no way out.

However, that level of distress would never be experienced if we truly had confidence that the Lord is with us and cares about us.

Additionally, if God sends you to do something, you need not fear what others will think or do to you.

Remember, as we saw in what the Lord said to Jeremiah, if we choose to remain in fear (as opposed to trusting God), fear has free rein to do its worst to us!

Tomorrow we will look further into this.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 156: Sin is to blame for it all.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Romans 5:1-5 NKJV

There is a very old hymn entitled, “Sin Is to Blame.” Here are some of the lyrics:

“Yonder a man in the prison dwells.

Sin is to blame; sin is to blame.

Sadly his story of woe he tells;

Sin is to blame for it all.

Chorus:

Sin is to blame for all sorrow;

Sin is to blame for all woe.

Heartbreak and pain,

Hopes that are vain,

Sin is to blame for it all.”

Some people may contend that blaming everything on sin is far too simple. The same people would probably also want to talk about the dynamics in society that lead to crime and all other ills.

Now, whereas I would not disagree that we can see a cause-and-effect relationship between certain societal patterns and criminal behavior (as well as other human woes), I would not agree that societal patterns are the starting point of all woes.

You see, for the most part, secular humanism would contend that deep down inside, everybody is good. That indeed, all criminal behavior, all distress, etc. is a result of the failure of society to meet the needs of individuals.

Sadly, even some churches present, a narrative over their pulpits that has no biblical basis. This narrative would contend that listening to a 20 minute motivational message on Sundays, will help the congregants discover how wonderful they really are, leading to a victorious life.

Now, positive motivation may be part of good practice, but trying to fix the problem with humanity through positive motivation, or even as mentioned earlier, through societal reconstruction, is akin to trying to provide a viper a better environment in which it will cease to use it’s venomous bite to destroy.

Before you wonder if this evaluation is too harsh, let me remind you that this is the stance we see in the word of God.

““From the least to the greatest, their lives are ruled by greed. From prophets to priests, they are all frauds. They offer superficial treatments for my people’s mortal wound. They give assurances of peace when there is no peace. Are they ashamed of their disgusting actions? Not at all—they don’t even know how to blush! Therefore, they will lie among the slaughtered. They will be brought down when I punish them,” says the Lord.”

Jeremiah 6:13-15 NLT

Yes, the Lord warns against offering platitudes or false promises to try to heal the mortal wound of sin.

The misery you see around you, man’s inhumanity to man, hunger, disease, yes, all that is wrong in the world, can be blamed on sin.

The only solution for the individual is accepting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.”

John 3:14-19 NKJV

And, because all people will not believe in the work and rule of Christ, the only solution for the world, is Christ’s bodily return to rule and reign as King over the Kingdom that will never end!

In our opening scripture, we see that peace with God came through Jesus Christ.

With that, we also see that because we still live in a sinful world, we will experience persecution, yes, tribulation.

The good news is that God by way of His Holy Spirit is with us to help us navigate our way until Jesus returns to set EVERYTHING straight.

Tomorrow we will talk further about the hope we can have even here and now in the midst of judgment and destruction.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 157: Mercy digs the ditch through which judgment flows.

““But I will not destroy them all,” says the Lord. “For just as good grapes are found among a cluster of bad ones (and someone will say, ‘Don’t throw them all away— some of those grapes are good!’), so I will not destroy all Israel. For I still have true servants there. I will preserve a remnant of the people of Israel and of Judah to possess my land. Those I choose will inherit it, and my servants will live there.”

Isaiah 65:8-9 NLT

It may seem that we took a detour yesterday as we turned our attention to discussing how sin is behind every woe of man.

However, in terms of addressing how to avoid being dismayed in the midst of trouble, we must necessarily recognize that some terrible things we see, are judgments on particular people, or nations, even on the whole world.

And, lest we become disturbed over why God is allowing terrible things to be happening, we must be aware that, if not for sin, none of these bad things would’ve ever happened.

As well, because sin persists in spite of God reaching out to man, there are times when we see major judgments; we see terrible things happening to people, yes, even on groups of people. In these cases, our position should be to stay humble and penitent before the Lord. The last thing we want to do, when, finding ourselves in the midst of God’s judgment, is to waste energy being angry for what God has allowed. Again, the enemy, the source of all ills, is sin.

“That is why the Lord says, “Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts. Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning. Don’t tear your clothing in your grief, but tear your hearts instead.” Return to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and compassionate, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. He is eager to relent and not punish. Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve, sending you a blessing instead of this curse. Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine to the Lord your God as before.”

Joel 2:12-14 NLT

Hearing of the judgment of God, indeed, seeing the judgment of God all around us, can be overwhelming and lead to dismay. But, we must remember that the Lord will help and rescue the penitent and humble soul.

“Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt. Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.”

Psalms 51:9-10, 17 NLT

Baruch was a scribe who served the prophet Jeremiah. And, as we know, the Lord used Jeremiah to convey strong prophecies concerning the Lord’s displeasure of His rebellious people. As such, Baruch became overwhelmed with the gravity of the words he was writing.

Therefore, the Lord, seeing Baruch’s distress, spoke to Jeremiah a special message for him.

““This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You have said, ‘I am overwhelmed with trouble! Haven’t I had enough pain already? And now the Lord has added more! I am worn out from sighing and can find no rest.’ “Baruch, this is what the Lord says: ‘I will destroy this nation that I built. I will uproot what I planted. Are you seeking great things for yourself? Don’t do it! I will bring great disaster upon all these people; but I will give you your life as a reward wherever you go. I, the Lord, have spoken!’””

Jeremiah 45:2-5 NLT

Yes, the Lord encouraged Baruch by assuring him that no matter the judgment, no matter the destruction he would see around him, wherever he went, his life would be preserved as a prize.

In our opening scripture, we see the Lord, in referencing a judgment He pronounced against the people, pointing out that He has found a remnant who will not be destroyed: His true servants.

Yes, the Lord always looks for those whose hearts are faithful toward Him even in the midst of judgment, to preserve them, to use them, even when the world is crumbling all around.

Now, it would be ludicrous for me, or anyone else, to try to come up with an exact analysis of why all bad things happen, and an exact remedy for how to avoid all these bad things. But, one thing we know, one thing that is certain, God is a merciful God. Indeed, mercy became personified in Jesus Christ!

Therefore, no matter what is going on around us, if we cry out to the Lord with a humble and penitent heart, the mercy flowing from Him will dig the ditch through which destruction comes, such that the judgment does not come on us.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 158: There is comfort in covenant.

“But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you.”

Isaiah 49:14-17 NKJV

God is a God of covenant. Yes, if God has made a covenant with a person, nation, or even the whole world, He will keep it.

God made a covenant with Abraham that through his Seed all the world would be blessed.

“Then the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son— blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.””

Genesis 22:15-18 NKJV

As well, we know that God’s covenant with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, is an everlasting covenant.

“And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.””

Genesis 17:7-8 NKJV

“O seed of Abraham His servant, You children of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is the Lord our God; His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers His covenant forever, The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations, The covenant which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Isaac, And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, To Israel as an everlasting covenant, Saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan As the allotment of your inheritance,””

Psalms 105:6-11 NKJV

As we are speaking, Israel is involved in yet another fight for its very existence. Some people falsely believe that God has forsaken Israel, that somehow He no longer honors His covenant with the nation of Israel.

Now, whereas individual Jews will face God in terms of whether they have accepted Jesus as their Messiah, the nation of Israel will always exist. Indeed, the final battle against the enemies of God will be fought from Israel.

“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be— “The Lord is one,” And His name one. The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, But Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.”

Zechariah 14:1-4, 9, 11-12 NKJV

As well, we know that through Jesus Christ, we have become heirs of the promises of God.

Jesus died, not only to forgive us of our sins, but to extend an everlasting covenant to us, and to all who would believe on Him.

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.””

Matthew 26:26-29 NKJV

“Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Hebrews 13:20-21 NKJV

You may wonder what God’s covenant has to do with keeping you from being dismayed, or overwhelmed, concerning things going on in your life and the world around you.

You see, just as God has kept His everlasting covenant with Israel and has not forgotten them (even though they have experienced times of judgment), just so, all who receive Jesus as Savior, and trust in the blood of His covenant, will be sustained in this life, and rule and reign with Him in the next!

In our opening scripture we see the Lord speaking through Isaiah, that though they feel forgotten and forsaken (because of the things they were going through), they have not been forgotten, and will never be forsaken.

Friend, the enemy of our souls wants us to despair and be dismayed. He wants us to think that God has forgotten us, that God will not deliver us. But make no mistake, just as God’s covenant with Israel is sure, just so, our covenant through Jesus Christ is a guarantee that God has not forgotten and help is on the way!

Take comfort in God’s covenant written in the holy, precious, indelible ink of Christ’s Blood!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 159: Say, “Yes,” to pray, and, “No,” to dismay!

““But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.””

Luke 21:34-36 NKJV

Just hours before our Lord would be crucified, He and His disciples go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.

Taking Peter, James, and John aside with Him, Jesus instructed them to watch with Him.

However, after pouring Himself out before the Father, Jesus returns to find Peter, James and John fast asleep.

“Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””

Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV

You see, Jesus knew what the disciples were about to face; and, He also knew that they weren’t spiritually prepared to face it.

Sadly, they were tired, and failed to heed His instruction. So, when the pressure was poured on, they were scattered, just as Jesus had warned.

“Then Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this night, for it is written: ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’”

Matthew 26:31 NKJV

This week we have been discussing how we can face all the things going on in this world without becoming dismayed.

As we conclude this discussion, we must consider the importance of watching with Christ through prayer.

No amount of hypervigilance will keep you from being overwhelmed. As a matter of fact, that level of fear-inspired intensity will drain your resources just about more quickly than anything else.

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Pouring ourselves out before the Lord, can bring refreshment to the soul, keeping us from becoming overwhelmed.

In our opening scripture, Jesus, talking about the pressure of the Last Days before His coming, warns that we must not allow ourselves to become overcharged. Rather, we are to watch and pray.

Now, it isn’t a matter of praying to the Lord just to “give vent” to our concerns.

Rather, making our needs known through prayer, effects change, particularly when we pray in an attitude of thanksgiving.

You see, knowing that the Lord wants to answer, and to give us good things, makes thanksgiving a natural response rather than a forced form.

My friend, praying can keep you from “dismaying.” It’s a gift from God that we neglect to our own peril.

So, don’t dismay, watch and pray!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word - Days 148 thru 153

The Prophetic Word

Day 148: Run to the Lord when you’re hurting.

In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:1-2, 6 NKJV

Psalm 71 (All)

Isaiah 63 (All)

“Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” After the Lord had finished speaking to Job, he said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “I am angry with you and your two friends, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has. So take seven bulls and seven rams and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you, and I will accept his prayer on your behalf. I will not treat you as you deserve, for you have not spoken accurately about me, as my servant Job has.””

Job 42:1-8 NLT

Christians are not exempted from bad times. Indeed, some of our trials actually serve to aid our spiritual development by strengthening our faith, purifying our souls, correcting our course, etc.

Now, nobody enjoys hard times; but there are things we can do to survive the hard times and emerge from them in victory!

Over the next several days we will look into this crucial topic: How do we survive hard times without despairing or dishonoring God?

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 149: God is a good Father.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.”

Matthew 7:9-11 NLT

I have observed a couple of interesting phenomena in terms of parent-child interaction.

First, I’m sure we’ve all seen, or may even remember doing so ourselves, that when a small child is hurt and a parent is near, the child goes running to the parent for comfort. In fact, I have never seen a small child run from their parent when injured, afraid, or hurting in some other way. [Of course, I am here referencing the dynamics in a healthy, loving, parent-child relationship.] Yes, the small child being hurt or threatened, instinctively seeks the arms of their parent(s).

There is another phenomenon I have witnessed where a child has been hurt, and having been comforted by those who are not their parents, when the parent arrives, the child starts crying again and runs to the arms of the parent for comfort and consolation. Now, this doesn’t mean that the child wasn’t somehow comforted by those around them when they were hurt, but the full release from the hurt and pain could only happen in the arms of the parent.

The Lord recently led me to study Psalm 71 in which David is expressing great distress because of his enemies. Not only is he being attacked, but this is being done at a time when he feels vulnerability associated with his advancing age.

After considering this psalm for some length of time, the Lord placed a question in my spirit as to in what manner the psalmist approached God in the midst of his trouble. Now, having learned that generally when the Lord asks me a question, He tends to answer it, I waited for the answer. And, he did answer, saying that the psalmist ran to Him, as a hurting child runs to their parent.

Yes! The hurting psalmist offers no hint of “How dare You do this to me?!” Rather, he runs to the Lord for solace and relief. He runs to his Father!

When we are going through hard times and bad things are happening, when we fear what is coming upon us, it is the tendency of the flesh mind to want to blame God.

Certainly, nothing could happen without the Lord allowing it. However, the dynamics of God’s ways of dealing with a fallen world probably won’t make complete sense to us until we see Him as He is and become like Him (1 John 3:2).

You see, “blame” is a different step from recognizing that God is the ultimate authority over all things. Blame questions whether what He did was “right” or “fair.” Again, it offers a “How dare You?” to the Lord.

For now, we let faith settle the issue regarding whether or not the Lord is to blame for the bad things that happen.

To explain, faith is believing that God is Who He said He is. Now, this involves the fact that He is true to His word and that He is good.

As well, faith assures us that all things are working together for our good; and, the end result will be that we are rewarded.

Given, this is a rather brief explanation of what faith is, the exploration of which has commanded volumes of written analysis to date. However, I borrow it from a reliable source:

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

Now, “believing God is,” as referenced by the writer of Hebrews, goes beyond just believing that He exists, to also believing that He exists as He says He is. Therefore, as stated above, we know that He is all powerful and all good, along with all of the other wonderful qualities making God Who He is. And, as such, He is above reproach and worthy to be praised.

As well, we can be sure that our God is a good Father. His love for us is never-failing.

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.”

Romans 8:31-37 NLT

Although we may feel that what we are going through must indicate that the Lord does not love us, or does not love us anymore, hard times indicate no such thing.

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:38-39 NLT

There is nothing created that CAN separate us from the love God has illustrated to us, and extended to us, through Christ Jesus!

The only thing that can keep God’s love from sparing us, would be our own turning from Him, no longer loving Him, no longer trusting Him.

“The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.””

Psalms 91:14-16 NLT

That is why the enemy of our souls works so hard to try to make us believe that the Lord does not love us anymore, if, peradventure, he can provoke our turning away from the Lord.

Yes, we can be sure that our God is a good Father Who cares for us and wants to give us good things. And—as we see in our opening scripture—Jesus instructed us concerning this very thing!

When you’re going through hard times, when you’re hurting, or in need or want in some way, it may seem that you have been separated from God‘s love, tempting you to blame God for what is going on in your life. But, make no mistake, God is a good Father Who cares for you. His unfailing love will not fail to bring comfort and relieve you! Just run to Him!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 150: Hard times that bring correction are good.

“Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.””

Job 42:1-6 NLT

Paul had sent a scathing letter to the church at Corinth concerning their apparent siding with a man (or, at least, leaving him unchallenged) who was speaking evil about Paul.

After a while, Paul heard back from Titus that the letter had been well-received. This good news of the Corinthians gladly receiving correction, prompted Paul to lavish them with praise.

“I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while. Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way. For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.”

2 Corinthians 7:8-10 NLT

Though he was originally sad about the letter, Paul was made glad about it, as it had produced a wonderful change in the Corinthians.

As you may be aware, Psalm 119 extols the virtue of God’s way of being and doing; yes, of God’s commands.

In this psalm we find a powerful statement concerning what the Lord’s correction has done for the psalmist.

“I used to wander off until you disciplined me; but now I closely follow your word. You are good and do only good; teach me your decrees. My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.”

Psalms 119:67-68, 71 NLT

Indeed, the psalmist recognizes that his affliction has brought correction in his course. Therefore, he is grateful for it.

“I know, O Lord, that your regulations are fair; you disciplined me because I needed it. Now let your unfailing love comfort me, just as you promised me, your servant.”

Psalms 119:75-76 NLT

As well, the psalmist affirms that the Lord’s ways are always right and then asks God for comfort and restoration.

The writer of Hebrews, after having presented the “Hall of Faith” (Hebrews 11), turns to encouraging the Christian Jews to faithfully run their race no matter what is encountered along the way.

He then exhorts them to receive correction without becoming weary and discouraged.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, “My child, don’t make light of the Lord’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who is never disciplined by its father? If God doesn’t discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children at all. For our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. But God’s discipline is always good for us, so that we might share in his holiness. No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.”

Hebrews 12:5-8, 10-11 NLT

The writer of Hebrews wants the people to understand that correction is a sign that they are God’s children!

He also points out that seemingly harsh correction, if well-received, can lead to spiritual vitality.

“So take a new grip with your tired hands and strengthen your weak knees. Mark out a straight path for your feet so that those who are weak and lame will not fall but become strong.”

Hebrews 12:12-13 NLT

In our opening scripture we see that Job—though he was not afflicted because of personal failings—ended up receiving correction from the Lord, thereby gaining a whole new level of understanding about Who God is.

Friend, if we see our hard times as being undeserved and become bitter concerning our affliction and/or correction, we will never be able to have the next level type of relationship with God that produces people capable of doing exploits.

So, even if we don’t understand why we are being afflicted or chastened, if we will receive it without becoming bitter, the Lord can use it to turn us into a lean, keen, fighting machine for the Kingdom of God.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 151: Our Refuge is mobile.

“In you, O Lord, I have put my trust and confidently taken refuge; Let me never be put to shame. In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge and a sheltering stronghold to which I may continually come; You have given the commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress. Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked (godless), From the grasp of the unrighteous and ruthless man. For You are my hope; O Lord God, You are my trust and the source of my confidence from my youth.”

Psalms 71:1-5 AMP

Let’s face it, our idea of surviving a hard time is that we either never encounter hard times, or are immediately delivered from hard times.

But, the fact of the matter is, just as the Hebrew children were kept safe as they were walking in the fiery furnace, and just as Daniel survived a night with hungry lions after being thrown into their den, just so, our rescue may not involve being removed from the hard time, but rather, being sustained in it and through it.

Think of people who have a mobile home. Wherever they travel, because they are in their own home, they can rest comfortably.

You see, God’s refuge works like that: It’s a “mobile” unit, a mobile dwelling place we can take wherever we go!

“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me; Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever— Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.”

Psalms 138:7-8 AMP

In the above psalm we see David expressing his confidence that even though he is surrounded by trouble, the Lord will sustain him in the midst of it.

In Psalm 91 (said to have been written by Moses, and is included in the Dead Sea Scrolls as one of the four psalms against demons) we see that dwelling in God’s place of safety does not necessarily mean that we won’t be surrounded by trouble.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.”

Psalms 91:1-8 NKJV

Certainly, if we’re walking through hard times, if we are navigating days of trouble, it’s easy to let what we are seeing overwhelm us, causing us to fear.

Ironically, it is that very fear that actually takes us out of the secret place, out of God’s refuge.

When Jesus said He was giving us His peace, He clarified that it wasn’t the kind of peace that the world gives.

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:27 NKJV

You see, the kind of peace we can find in the world, requires that everything is going well in our lives and our circumstances.

But, the peace Jesus gives is His own Spirit of Peace, and is not dependent upon circumstances. However, it is dependent upon our refusing to fear.

In our opening scripture we see David—from a place of great distress and pressing—expresses his confidence that the Lord is his refuge. Even in the midst of his trouble, he will do what he has done from his youth: run to his Refuge, run to his God and King!

Child of God, nobody enjoys hard times; nobody enjoys being pressed. But, don’t make your circumstances worse, and miss the peace the Lord has offered, by thinking your only way for relief and release, is to be out of your circumstances, out of the trouble.

Remember, God’s refuge can be with you wherever you may go, if only you will trust in Him!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 152: If the Great Shepherd is with you, you need not fear!

Tomorrow we will bring all that we have discussed this week together.

For today please meditate on these scripture passages. Read them at least two or three times. Try to form pictures in your mind that represent what you are reading. And most important of all, ask the Holy Spirit to make these words real to you by writing them on your heart and mind.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.”

Psalms 23:1-6 NKJV

“But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…”

Isaiah 43:1-3a NKJV

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Matthew 28:18-20 NKJV

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 153: Our Lord is mighty to save!

“Who is this who comes from Edom, With crimson-stained garments from Bozrah [in Edom], This One (the Messiah) who is majestic in His apparel, Marching in the greatness of His might? “It is I, [the One] who speaks in righteousness [proclaiming vindication], mighty to save.” Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like the one who treads in the wine press? “I have trodden the wine trough alone, And of the peoples there was no one with Me. I also trod them in My anger And trampled them in My wrath; And their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments, And I stained all My clothes. For the day of vengeance [against ungodliness] was in My heart, And My year of redemption [of those who put their trust in Me—the year of My redeemed] has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, And I was amazed and appalled that there was no one to uphold [truth and right]. So My own arm brought salvation to Me, And My wrath sustained Me. I trampled the peoples in My anger And made them drunk with [the cup of] My wrath, And I spilled their lifeblood on the earth.””

Isaiah 63:1-6 AMP

Over the last several days we have been discussing how to make it through times of pressing, through hard times, without despairing or dishonoring God (please review Day 148 through Day 152).

As we conclude this week’s journey, I want to remind you of a scripture I rehearse almost daily:

“Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.” But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

Hebrews 10:35-39 NKJV

As well, the Lord wants me to remind you of something written in our “Word of the Day” on 1-27-2021 as commentary on Hebrews 10: 34-35:

“It is true that there are great pressures all around. We are literally seeing all of the actors and agents in the antichrist system (“the beast”) coming together. Now is no time to panic; now is the time to remember that the Lord has warned us of all of these things in advance. Our energy must be focused on keeping our eyes on the Lord Jesus Christ, remembering the words that God has spoken, and walking daily in the Spirit of God. No! We’re not going to be counted among those who turn back and lose what has been promised! We’re going to stay the course and receive the prize: everlasting life with God where we rule and reign with Him!”

Now, approaching nearly 3 years later, we see even more reason to stay the course without wavering. As well, we are experiencing even more of the pressure to despair, possibly to the point of causing some to doubt the goodness and faithfulness of God!

My friend, God forbid that we would drawback to destruction! God is faithful and He will enable us to remain faithful under pressure if we keep our eyes on Him.

Our opening scripture paints a picture of our glorious, kingly, Warrior, yes, our Lord Jesus!

Remember, no matter how hard the times, no matter how hard the pressing, Help is always with us; and, He is mighty to save!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word- Days 142 - 147

The Prophetic Word

Day 142: Sometimes the call leads to Jerusalem.

In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:

“Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.””

Mark 10:32-34 NKJV

“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.”

Luke 9:51-53 NKJV

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

John 15:18-21 NKJV

“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.”

Acts 20:22-25 NKJV

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3:8-11 NKJV

Sometimes the call of Christ will lead us to a place of alienation, hardship, scorn, or even the valley of the shadow of death.

However, just as Christ, Paul, indeed all those who have given all for Christ, we must be willing to answer the Call even though it may lead to great hardship.

Over the next several days we will look into this often neglected topic: What do we do if following the Call leads to our own “Jerusalem.”

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 143: Your calling might bring you to a fork in the road.

“And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more.”

Acts 20:22-25 NKJV

You may have heard the saying, “Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.” Interestingly, that line is attributed to having its origins in the poem, Solitude, by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1883):

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone;

For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,

But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

Sigh, it is lost on the air;

The echoes bound to a joyful sound,

But shrink from voicing care.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

Grieve, and they turn and go;

They want full measure of all your pleasure,

But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;

Be sad, and you lose them all,

There are none to decline your nectared wine,

But alone you must drink life’s gall.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

Fast, and the world goes by.

Succeed and give, and it helps you live,

But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

For a large and lordly train,

But one by one we must all file on

Through the narrow aisles of pain.

It was no problem for Jesus to gather a crowd when He was performing miracles, healing all who were afflicted, delivering those oppressed by the devil, or even miraculously feeding thousands of people.

“Then a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His signs which He performed on those who were diseased.”

John 6:2 NKJV

But, His call, His mission, would take Him on a path not understood by even most of those closest to Him. Indeed, He suffered and died on the cross, mostly alone.

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother!” And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.”

John 19:25-27 NKJV

Yes, His supporters at the cross consisted of John the Beloved and three Marys.

Again, how did it come to this?

We know why the multitudes left: some out of fear or intimidation, some because His teaching became to “hard.”

But why did do many of Jesus’ closest companions fail to share the moment of His sacrifice with Him?

“Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; and they will mock Him, and scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.””

Mark 10:32-34 NKJV

Now, the Lord had begun clearly sharing with the disciples (in the last days before He went to the cross) concerning His suffering. But, when the time came for Him to actually go and do what He had been saying, their expectations of how things were going to go, suddenly were interrupted by a brick wall.

You see, being warned about something, and actually enduring that something, are very different experiences.

Indeed, James and John thought they were ready to share Jesus’ cup:

“Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.” But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to Him, “We are able.” So He said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.””

Matthew 20:20-23 NKJV

But in reality, at that point, they had no idea what Jesus’ cup would look like.

In our opening scripture we see the apostle Paul indicating that he was going to Jerusalem, even knowing it would eventuate in his death.

And, even though Paul’s companions begged him not to go, his decision had been made. He would walk on with the Lord!

“Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.””

Acts 21:12-13 NKJV

As we follow our call in Christ, we may find that we come to a fork in the road.

Generally, that fork looks like a diversion from our expectations.

As well, because it may be diverting from the expectations of our companions, we may face walking it mostly alone.

But, when we get to that fork, when we get to that point of no return, we must follow on where our Shepherd is leading!

Tomorrow we will discuss more about this.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 144: Your call may lead to persecution.

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

Philippians 3:8-11 NKJV

As we discussed yesterday, Jesus, having warned His disciples about what He would suffer, set out to go to Jerusalem. And, this time, He would be killed.

On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus and the disciples did a stopover in Samaria. There, He was rejected, simply because of where He was headed!

“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers before His face. And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.”

Luke 9:51-53 NKJV

You see, the Samaritans, being mixed with gentiles, did not worship in Jerusalem, but rather on Mount Gerizim. Therefore, they were offended that Jesus chose to worship in Jerusalem.

Indeed, Jesus was rejected and afflicted first. And, He warned that the same would happen to those who follow after Him.

“If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.”

John 15:18-21 NKJV

Make no mistake, as you follow the call of Christ for your individual life, as you fulfill your mission for which He has commissioned you, you will become offensive to those who do not mind the things of the spirit. Sadly, this may include Christian friends, as well as loved ones.

Those who don’t understand what you’re doing may speak out against you!

“For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”

I Peter 4:3-5 NKJV

But, as we see in the above scripture, the Lord will judge those who persecute His called ones.

As well, as Paul discovered, the Lord delivers His own who are being persecuted.

“But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

II Timothy 3:10-12 NKJV

Notice, Paul did not say that the Lord delivered him from having to face persecution. Rather, the Lord had delivered him in the midst of the persecution, or out of the persecution. And, as we see in another place, Paul‘s hardships were numerous.

“From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

II Corinthians 11:24-28 NKJV

In our opening scripture we see that Paul counted whatever he had to lose because of the call of Christ, as being “rubbish.” Amazingly, he found satisfaction in sharing the suffering of Christ!

Your call, your mission, may be met with hostility from those who find your commitment to the call offensive.

However, as we have said before: When you are persecuted because of your mission, because of your calling, you are in very good company.

Tomorrow we will continue by searching out how we can endure the persecution associated with our obedience to Christ.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 145: The Lord strengthens those committed to His call.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, pray continually for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be honored [triumphantly celebrated and glorified], just as it was with you; and [pray] that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not everyone has the faith. But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you [setting you on a firm foundation] and will protect and guard you from the evil one.”

2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 AMP

If we wait until we feel strong enough to do what the Lord has called us to do, we will probably never stop waiting.

The truth is, the Lord empowers those who commit themselves to walking in obedience to His cause, those committed to walking in obedience to the mission in which the Lord has placed them.

Ezekiel was a prophet of God sent to warn his people concerning the judgment of God. But, as was so often the case in the days of the Old Testament prophets, the people persecuted those who brought the word of the Lord to them.

“Then He said to me: “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. For you are not sent to a people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, but to the house of Israel, not to many people of unfamiliar speech and of hard language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely, had I sent you to them, they would have listened to you. But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.”

Ezekiel 3:4-7 NKJV

Yes, God told Ezekiel ahead of time that the people would reject him. Indeed, they had grown obstinate and determined to continue in their own rebellious ways.

However, with the instruction that the people would not listen to him, the Lord also promised Ezekiel that He would give him strength and determination equal to the obstinance of the people!

“Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and your forehead strong against their foreheads. Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.””

Ezekiel 3:8-9 NKJV

As well, the Lord also instructs Ezekiel that he should not be afraid of those who would oppose him.

Yesterday we saw that Jesus was rejected in Samaria simply because He was heading to Jerusalem.

Today we will revisit part of that story:

“Now it came to pass, when the time had come for Him to be received up, that He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,”

Luke 9:51 NKJV

Yes, Jesus had “set His face to go to Jerusalem.” That is to say, He was fully committed to fulfilling His mission! And, we know that He did just that.

The prophet Isaiah, speaking prophetically in the place of Christ, says this:

“The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away. I gave My back to those who struck Me, And My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard; I did not hide My face from shame and spitting. “For the Lord God will help Me; Therefore I will not be disgraced; Therefore I have set My face like a flint, And I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies Me; Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him come near Me. Surely the Lord God will help Me; Who is he who will condemn Me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; The moth will eat them up.”

Isaiah 50:5-9 NKJV

The Lord knew that the Father would help Him, and strengthen Him, even in the face of His persecutors. He knew that He would be able to finish His mission.

“Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints! For the Lord preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person. Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”

Psalms 31:23-24 NKJV

Indeed, our Lord preserves and strengthens all of the faithful!

In our opening scripture we see that Paul, himself facing opposition, assures the church of the Thessalonians that the Lord will strengthen them.

You see, the church in Thessalonica, having received the Gospel (although in much affliction) with joy, had become faithful followers. As such, Paul knew that the Lord would keep them strong.

As we commit to what the Lord calls us to do, we can be sure that He will sustain what He has ordained; He will help us to stand against those who come against us so that we can successfully complete our mission!

Peace to you!

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 146: Fighting someone on a mission from God is fighting God.

“When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while. And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.””

Acts 5:33-39 NKJV

As we have discussed, we should expect that the world will oppose those who follow the call of Christ for their lives.

“If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.”

John 15:18-19 NLT

What we should not have to expect is opposition from other Christians.

“Look at the obvious facts. Those who say they belong to Christ must recognize that we belong to Christ as much as they do.”

2 Corinthians 10:7 NLT

As Paul reminded those opposing his authority, as the body of Christ, we must recognize that we each—not only belong to Christ—but walk in His authority.

Sadly, Christians opposing Christians is as old as the early church!

“Dear brothers and sisters, when I was with you I couldn’t talk to you as I would to spiritual people. I had to talk as though you belonged to this world or as though you were infants in Christ. I had to feed you with milk, not with solid food, because you weren’t ready for anything stronger. And you still aren’t ready, for you are still controlled by your sinful nature. You are jealous of one another and quarrel with each other. Doesn’t that prove you are controlled by your sinful nature? Aren’t you living like people of the world? When one of you says, “I am a follower of Paul,” and another says, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you acting just like people of the world?”

1 Corinthians 3:1-4 NLT

Of course, we should distance ourselves from those who say they are Christians, yet purvey doctrine contrary to that of

Christ. In fact, we should even correct their error when appropriate.

“But I have this complaint against you. You are permitting that woman—that Jezebel who calls herself a prophet—to lead my servants astray. She teaches them to commit sexual sin and to eat food offered to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality. “Therefore, I will throw her on a bed of suffering, and those who commit adultery with her will suffer greatly unless they repent and turn away from her evil deeds. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve.”

Revelation 2:20-23 NLT

Yes, just because someone calls themselves a Christian, doesn’t mean that we are in a position to have to agree with whatever they do.

However, to oppose other Christians simply because their mission conflicts with your personal agenda, is not only displeasing to God, but is also dangerous.

In our opening scripture we see that Gamaliel warned the other religious leaders not to further attack Peter and the other apostles. As he said, they might find themselves “fighting against God.”

Finally, on the one hand, be encouraged knowing that those who come against you as you are walking in obedience to His call, will be dealt with by the Lord. On the other hand, remember, as you deal with other Christians who are on their personal mission from God, be very careful how you deal with them. God doesn’t give you a pass just because you identify as a Christian.

Peace to you!

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

The Prophetic Word

Day 147: Honor your calling by fighting back, or defending yourself, with spiritual weapons.

“We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NLT

David had been on the run from King Saul who was determined to kill him.

You see, Saul knew that David had God’s approval.

As well, he knew that whereas he had been stripped of God’s approval (which would lead to his kingdom being taken away), God WAS with David.

On one occasion David and his men were resting in a cave into which Saul came to relieve himself. And, even though David’s men encouraged him to kill Saul, David, rather, cut off a corner of Saul’s robe to prove he had been close enough to kill him.

““Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my Lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.”

1 Samuel 24:4-7a NLT

David even felt badly about just cutting a corner from Saul’s robe! You see, David knew that Saul had been anointed by God through Samuel.

“Then Samuel took a flask of olive oil and poured it over Saul’s head. He kissed Saul and said, “I am doing this because the Lord has appointed you to be the ruler over Israel, his special possession.”

1 Samuel 10:1 NLT

And, because God had anointed Saul to be King—even though the Kingdom had already been stripped from him—it wasn’t his place to kill Saul.

Later in the story we see more about what was guiding David’s behavior.

““May the Lord judge between us. Perhaps the Lord will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!””

1 Samuel 24:12-13, 15 NLT

In talking with Saul about what he (David) had done, he remarks that Saul can be sure that he won’t treat Saul the way Saul would treat him, given the chance; because he (as opposed to Saul) is not evil.

Ironically, David had yet another opportunity to kill Saul, this time as Saul was sleeping, yet he reacted the same as he had before.

“So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. “God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!” “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!””

1 Samuel 26:7-11 NLT

Years ago, there was someone who had treated me badly without a cause.

As I was ruminating about it, letting anger build up in my mind, the Lord gave me a reality check. He said that now I was acting in the very same spirit in which they were acting! Needless to say, I repented for my attitude and got back into God’s way of being and doing. And, whereas some might think that I go to the other extreme now by not defending myself against blatant misrepresentation, I refuse to return in kind.

In our opening scripture we see Paul confronting those who were speaking evil against him. He informs these people that his way of dealing with opposition is not according to the flesh. Indeed, his weapons are spiritual weapons.

Over the last several days we have been discussing the fact that adversity will come because of our personal call, our personal mission.

We close today with some very important instruction:

Your calling, your mission, is a gift from God. Don’t sully it and run the risk of God’s displeasure by fighting back— or defending yourself—in such a way as to dishonor the One you are seeking to serve!

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!