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!