Tag: Holy Spirit

Devotional 201: Promises to the Faithful

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Luke 2:25-32

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

25 And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 So he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

29 “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace,
According to Your word;
30 For my eyes have seen Your salvation
31 Which You have prepared before the face of all peoples,
32 A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel.”

Other than this story, which is impactful enough as it stands, we know nothing of Simeon outside of this passage. As with some others, nowhere does it say ‘This was the same man who…’ We are told he was just and devout. We are not told he was without sin, or flaws, or what his walk with G-d was like.

What we can piece together from here is that G-d certainly knew who he was, and that sometime in his life he felt Israel’s persecution so keenly, perhaps even suffered some himself, that he asked to know the promises he heard in his youth of Israel’s Consolation were true.

And the Father not only honored his request, but he was among the first to hold His Son, and to deliver a powerful prophesy over him, no doubt bewildering to Jesus’ earthly parents.

Do you ever wonder, believer, if Mary recalled these words, if all that Simeon said came together for her as she watched her son suffer and die, with spiritual demons mocking and cavorting around Him as His holy blood covered our souls to blot out the evil in them from His Father’s sight.

Have you ever wondered if, with all that Jesus suffered, the Father removing him from His sight as he took the penalty of our sins, was more painful than the nails and thorns?

Have you prayed in your own youth, wondered if G-d heard, and later in life saw that He delivered the desire of your heart into your hands?

From this passage we’re told that Simeon held on to that promise, but that the Holy Spirit was sent to assure him, and after it was fulfilled, Simeon was at peace with leaving this world.

That same Holy Spirit was sent to us after we accepted G-d’s Son as our Friend, Brother, Shepherd Lord, Savior, King, and Judge.

Therefore I pray:

Father in Heaven,

There are none righteous here on the earth that You should deliver us from sin’s hold. We are only worthy of the destruction of the world, as in the times of Noah.

But in Your love, mercy, and grace, remembering we are clay as we live, and the dust of clay when we perish, You would yet see our souls reconciled to You, to see us rejoice in the rewards of our faith in Your promises You have spoken through Your Son, Jesus, as yes and amen.

As we stumble, fall, backslide, run off, disobey, and return to our personal Egypts, remind us through the Holy Spirit that the promise of redemption is sealed to us, for as You sent the Spirit to Simeon, so did Jesus tell His disciples the Spirit would come to them, and give to them more of the revelation and strength of the Christ.

May we blot from our sight the ways of this world, repent, and live such a life of faith before You as we hold on to the promise of eternal life, and bless the Son as we hold on to the reassurances he gave us in Your Word, that You may remember us, as You remembered Simeon in the appointed hour.

Grant to us also that we never waver in our belief we will one day meet Simeon and rejoice with him forever, in the presence of our Consolation along with Your people Israel, grafted into the Branch by Your covenants of mercy and grace.

Today, we humbly, gratefully, reverently, fearfully thank You for sealing Your promises to us through the power, counsel and conviction of the Holy Spirit, and that no matter how much time passes, You will keep them all.

We ask this in Jesus’ Name, believing we’ve already received.

Amen.

Devotional 111: Pray to the Lord for Me

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Acts 8:18-25

18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”

24 Then Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.”

25 So when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

From this story, we see that although Peter admonished him to, Simon the sorcerer did not, in fact, repent, but rather asked for intercession. His heart was not ready to repent. He was poisoned by the bitterness of the apostles ‘showing him up,’ so to speak, by performing a wondrous and unparalleled work among the people, something he wasn’t able to replicate, so they’d usurped his status.

He was bound in iniquity for the practice of sorcery, and needed to shed it in order to be reconciled to G-d, but he wasn’t ready for that, either. He thought the imparting of the Spirit was a ‘magic’ act, negating the Spirit’s indwelling as the equivalent of a parlor trick.

And yet, as believers, we are sometimes requested by those outside of the faith to pray for them in times of catastrophe or when they’re in need.

Do you honor such requests? I do, because it means they see a difference in my life, an assuredness in times of confusion or calamity that they may not possess, in short: the peace of G-d. Sure, they may, like Simon, be ‘hedging their bets,’ but we know the true power of our G-d, for whom nothing is impossible.

I dabbled in tarot as a teenager, and once I took the deck to school, but I was really doing it as a joke. Within three weeks I was doing readings before and after school, during free periods, and at lunchtime. The growth was so fast and exponential that had I charged for it I could have had a nice sideline, and people were willing to pay me, including some of my teachers. But my spirit was troubled not only by how quickly my clientele grew, but the things I was saying to them prompted by the images on the cards themselves. My peers were hanging on every word, confirming as they saw fit.

Even then, there was a holy fear in me that I didn’t recognize as such, and though I hadn’t formally received the Holy Spirit, I was so troubled in my own spirit that I stopped doing it, though I held onto the cards for years afterward until I finally threw them away. I never picked up anything else occult and brought it into the house.

We may unknowingly entertain angels, but we may also unknowingly entertain demons, opening ourselves up. I thank G-d for giving me the strength not to backslide, but as long as I kept the cards, the temptation to pick them back up remained.

But I had a strong family that was praying to the Lord for me, and the cycle was broken.

As believers, we serve a mighty, sovereign, jealous G-d who won’t tolerate even toying with the fringes of evil. For example: Halloween, in this country,  has become ‘fun’ and ‘sexy’ instead of the lurid day it  actually is. The other side of the coin, All Saints Day, isn’t even acknowledged, much less celebrated. Perhaps it’s just as well.

I once lived in a place that was a nursing home that had been converted to apartments. Lots of elderly died there, and I vouch for the fact there was paranormal activity, and there was nothing fun or sexy about it. It was scary, and I often invoked the name of Jesus to banish said activity, and it always stopped.

Pray for those who request it of you. You never know what chains you might be breaking, what cycles of evil you’re ending, what souls might be saved as a result of your intercession, reluctant though it may be, for just as Simon didn’t repent, Simon Peter didn’t pray for his redemption, as far as we know.

That would be a shame, because though the power of sorcery is real, the power of the holy name of Jesus is stronger.

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, 

Thank You for sending a Comforter, a helper who can reveal Truth, convict of sin, and guide in prayer. I thank You that He takes of what is Yours and imparts it to me. (John 16:12 -15)

I thank You for preserving me in the times I did not truly know You, serve You, or follow You, though I believed.

I am grateful too, that You forgave the iniquity of my youth, and allowed me to yet be grafted in under the New Covenant of grace, in this, the year of G-d’s favor. 

Bless the souls who prayed for me during those times I was foolish, thinking myself immune to the enemy. It is the word of Your disciple that says to take heed when we think we stand, lest we fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)

Let me not grow prideful in my service, nor lazy and distracted in my praise, nor lukewarm in my reverence and fear of You. Let me not become sleepy with sorrow, that I might miss You.

In faith, I ask for the boldness to continue to confess Your majesty to all men, trusting You through the power of the Holy Spirit to give me the words and spirit that none can turn against me, deny, or confound.

Let me not only hear the Holy Spirit, but obey His commands, for He speaks what You would have Him say, just as You spoke what the Father would have you say. The Father, You, and the Holy Spirit are all in and of each other, with aligned wills and the promise of the gift of eternal life for the repentant and faithful, therefore let me not be hesitant or doubtful of Your Spirit’s presence in my life, guiding me into Your truth, and sealing me into Your hand, and the Kingdom of G-d.

Have me intercede for those who don’t know You, but ask for prayer with broken hearts, contrite spirits, needs only You can fill, and circumstances only You can deliver them from, that they might glorify the Father.

Let it be so for the remainder of my days. I ask, believing I’ve received. 

May it be done to me as You have said. 

Amen.

 

Devotional 103: I Will Not Leave You Orphans

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John 14:15-18

Jesus Promises Another Helper

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

We call it ‘the still, small voice,’ among other things, but it’s by far the most important voice we have, and the one we’re most prone to ignore. I have endured unnecessary struggles as a result, and have no one but myself to blame.

I remember the day Jesus sealed His promise of eternal life to me; that it took place on a mountain held a special significance for me then, but then I came back to the valley, and the clouds of the world rained down, and though the voice never stopped speaking, I stopped listening.

But the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit do not break their promises, and they are not without understanding, and while the Spirit may yet be found, it’s in my best interest to not only listen, but to abide.

As Jesus said the Father sent Him, and He spoke not on His own, so it is too, with the Holy Spirit. Christ tells us:

John 16:12-15

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

The Word of G-d is not a scattered, random thing, for if Jesus and the Father are One in will and purpose, the reconciling of man to G-d by the Word and faith in Christ, the Spirit is of the same. So, taken all in all,  there’s no  disconnection in the consistency of the Word’s message: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

How fitting, then, that He who came down a King of humble birth, would use a ‘still, small voice.’ But it’s the most authoritative one we should serve without hesitation.

The miracles and signs were done in the presence of assemblies in temples, in cities, in villages, in front of hundreds and thousands, but in the quiet moments of mountaintop prayer, closet intimacy, nights of candlelight on your knees before the altar, the voice speaks to you, in your circumstances.

But our Savior was never ‘over the top,’ and the Holy Spirit, one on one, won’t be either.

We are on a difficult road to find a narrow path, to spend eternity with a promised king, guided by the Spirit with a still, small voice, while being pelted from the roadsides of the world with all manner of mockery and filth.

Do we, as He did, set our faces like flint as we set our sights heavenward, while doing His will on the earth?

No doubt it is a hard calling in unparalleled times. And yet, the Word of the Lord, higher than His name, has survived all attempts to blot it out, and we take it our hands today to read:

I will not leave you orphans; I will come to You.

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Therefore I pray:

Holy Spirit, 

I repent of grieving You through doubt, disobedience, willful sins, rebelliousness, and faithlessness. You are spoken of the least in our churches’ earthly sermons, but You are as powerful a manifestation in the assembly of the saints as when the Father’s glory filled the temple.

And indeed, You glorify the Father as well as the Son.

Let us be reminded that You speak the words of our Lord to our everyday, modern day problems with simple truth, heavenly guidance, and eternal love, and that You also, like the Father and Son, can’t look on sin, and grieve when we give in to temptation.

But we thank You, also, for not abandoning us, for convicting us, and being constant in the message: Repent, and believe, and be reconciled to the Father.

Help us to know that it is not only You, but also the voice of the Father and Son that tell You what to say to us, though You have Your own realms of authority.

Thank You for not waiting for the quiet hours only to speak, but also in the midst of chaos, You impart that peace beyond understanding to us, that we may glorify G-d in word and deed among the faithless. 

As You continue to guide us and reveal the Truth of the Gospel, help us also to do the Father’s will by remaining humble, by noticing the still, small details among us that allow us to serve the Kingdom: to help the widow and orphan, and give a cup of water to a child, and restore our brothers and sisters who’ve fallen by the way, and to say what You would have us say, not speaking on our own authority, that we might bear fruit and reconcile others to Christ, that they too might be saved, walking the Narrow Way with us, fulfilling a hard calling in difficult times.

Let it be done to us as You have said. 

Amen. 

Devotional 74: Rejoice in the Spirit

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Jesus Rejoices in the Spirit (Luke 10:21-22)

21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit and said, “I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Your sight. 22 All things have been delivered to Me by My Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son, and the one to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Part of the sovereignty of kingship is that the King gets to pick who belongs in the kingdom, and who doesn’t. I’ll admit that seeing this verse, particularly verse 22, gave me pause because in my youth, though I believed in G-d, I did not serve Him, and I wasn’t interested in following Christ.

After all, like so many others say, “I wasn’t hurting anyone.” But I wasn’t helping anyone, either. I was an unfruitful branch, dormant, empty, like the cursed fig tree when my Lord needed me to fulfill an earthly need. My life was undisciplined, spent doing what I wished, not planning for the future, and pretty much coasting and drifting with a jumbled set of ambitions, up to when I had my first child.

Fast-forward to my first day of Pentecost, when the Spirit opened my eyes to all that G-d was and meant to me on a new level, and all that He wanted to do for me and through me.

That brings me back to verse 22. Christ, in His mercy, sent the Spirit to reveal Himself to me, and through Him, reveal the Father. I was a basket case for a few hours, kept asking why, kept feeling His presence all through me. It was a glorious day I’ll never forget.

Fast forward again: No longer a husband, a father of adult children on their own, and I find myself again being able to do what I want, when I want, if I want.

I still don’t always stick to the path and do what I know,  yet again Christ in His mercy, through the Word, tells us this (Luke 9:23-26)

23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 

Self-denial, aka ‘crucifying the flesh,’ is a requirement, not an option. Professing to be a follower when I’m not damages both our reputations, and I again become unfruitful.

Paul reminds us in Romans:

4 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! 15 For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” 16 So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.

And the writer of Hebrews says this: (Hebrews 10:26-29

26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.[ And again, “The Lord will judge His people. 

Will we backslide? Of course. But we must repent as soon as we’re aware of it. It’s not something we should build up before we do. Again in Hebrews we read: (Hebrews 10:14-16)

14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.

15 But the Holy Spirit also witnesses to us; for after He had said before,

16 “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them,” 17 then He adds, “Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 18 Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Hold Fast Your Confession

19 Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, 21 and having a High Priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.

And lastly, the words of Christ:(Luke 9:26)

26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels. 

If I don’t confess Him before men, I can’t evangelize effectively. More importantly, He will not confess me before the Father.

I, for one, don’t want to fall into the hands of the living G-d if I’m covered in sin.

Do you?

Therefore I pray:

Lord Jesus, 

Let today be a day of praise and thanksgiving for Your mercy toward us, for taking our mustard seed of faith and planting it with the promise of eternal life to come, in Your presence, as we worship the Father in Your Kingdom.

We thank You for the gift of the Holy Spirit, who has revealed the Truth of the Father’s word to us, a word that He holds higher than His name, sending You to fulfill it so we are reconciled back to Him, spotless and blameless.

Bring to mind, Lord, that it is only through You we come to the Father, and only because You were willing to put our names into the Book of Life. We would not have them blotted out Lord, by foolishly making Your covenant with us a common thing, lest the Father’s wrath be on us in the day of the His vengeance on His enemies.

You tell us that no one can take us from Your hand, but let us also seek Your face, and know Your voice, holding fast to our confession of You in all that we say and do.

We thank You for redeeming us, for trusting us to do greater works in boldness, proclaiming the drawing near of Your kingdom. Help us to discern the times we live in, and know what to do. Help us not to go down when the enemy would call us from the work. 

And let us, like You, when our days here are done, be able to say: “It is finished,” and enter into Your joy in being with the Father also.

I ask in Your name, believing I’ve received.

Amen

 

Devotional 61: If Anyone Thirsts

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John 7:37-39

The Promise of the Holy Spirit
37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

It was a late summer Sunday, late in the afternoon, the last day of the Men’s Retreat.

The pastor, finishing the last sermon, gave an altar call to those who were not Spirit filled. I went down, more in a spirit of indulgence than faith. I knew Jesus, and that was enough for me.

It wasn’t enough for Jesus.

“Put up your hands, and just start praising G-d,” the pastor said.

I began to praise, and in seconds I didn’t speak a word of English for the next ten minutes or so.

A connection so deep, so sweet feeling, and the other-worldly language I spoke so fluently let me know that I’d been sealed with the Promise of eternal life.

Many times before, I’d heard and read the story of Pentecost, and now it came alive.

I even tried to stop, and I couldn’t. Neither did the tears of joy.

From that time way led on to way, but one day I found myself at an event with the church that took me to the retreat, and one of the brothers said to me that he’d kept a journal of that time, and I’d said on the bus going up there:

“I don’t want anything to do with that Holy Spirit stuff.”

I was stunned initially that I would’ve said it, but thinking back to my visits of various churches in my childhood, it seemed people used the excuse of ‘getting the Spirit’ to do some pretty bizarre and out of order things.

In His grace, Jesus let me experience the real Spirit who came with a gentle power to live in me and reveal the truth that the Lord’s promises and prophecies are ‘Yes and Amen.’

And I will dwell in the House of the Lord, forever and ever. Amen.

Therefore I pray:

My Savior,

You used the phrase, ‘My hour has not yet come’ several times in Your ministry, until the hour came, and You tell us it will do so again.

All things in time.

You say we sleep, and prophesy that with a great shout, (I believe it to be the ‘Come forth’ you spoke to Lazarus) You will raise all the Father has given to You on the last day.

Thank You for the gift of the Spirit, who helps me to hold fast to that promise as the summer of my life begins to color in, like the mountains on the day You sealed my heart to Yours.

Thank You for the covenant of grace and the atoning work that will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. Thank you for the mercy that went through the fault of my faithless obedience, and saw my spiritual need.

May it be the same for my brothers and sisters, that they might know and be edified by the Comforter who reveals all truth as You continue to shepherd us down the narrow path.

He carries Your voice to us in the distant places where we stray, and leads our hearts back to You. 

We would not grieve Him, but we will again until we are home at last. But in this we are assured: the threefold cord of the G-dhead will tether us, that no one will snatch us from Your holy, nail-scarred hands.

With praise and gratitude, I thank You for all of it.

Amen.

 

Devotional 35: If It is of God…

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Acts 5: 33-42 Gamaliel’s Advice

33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them. 34 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. 35 And he said to them: “Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. 36 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. 37 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. 38 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; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.”

40 And they agreed with him, and when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His[a] name.42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

The Apostles had been released from prison by an angel of the Lord, who told them to go out and speak to the people. Finding them doing so, the military officers brought them before the enemies of Christ, the Pharisees and Sadducees, who had ordered them to stop.

The captain had gone with his officers to bring them from the court, but didn’t harm them. Surely men who’d escaped a guarded cell in the middle of the night might have some clout in heavenly realms. Best to be careful when dealing with G-d’s anointed, as David himself took heed, though Saul was out of favor.

But at this point, the Apostles had seen the fulfillment of all that Jesus had taught to them, and indeed, had feasted with Him after He rose, so they defied the council with bold words, in no uncertain terms saying they would not obey man, but G-d, as they, and the Holy Spirit, were witnesses to the Ministry.

Acts: 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.” (italics mine).

It is indeed an exhilarating thing to minister under the power of the Spirit, and to be under one who’s preaching or worshiping to bring in His presence.

But title, power, wealth and influence are ever reluctant to let go of earthly things:

33 When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them

None other than Gamaliel, Paul’s mentor, stands to speak a word of caution over the rising tide of anger, and does so eloquently. As he commands the respect of the people as a teacher of the Law, he speaks with authority, and persuades the council to consider what it is about to do.

38 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; 39 but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.

And that, no matter how dirty you fight, is a losing battle before it begins.

Even in the midst of all the hostility that surrounded Christ, there are those who recognize the hand of the Father in the unfolding of things, as Jesus never spoke a word that didn’t come to pass.

We see it even now, in these times: Nation against nation, brother against brother, rebellious children, broken marriages (there are websites now dedicated to the practice of adultery and fornication), the contamination of our land and water, increasing natural disasters, the breakdown of ecosystems, and the rising defiance in those who would call evil good, and sin, tolerance and freedom. The bestowing of self-rights rather than being our brother’s keeper is the order of the day, and those of us who stand fast in faith in our Deliverer find ourselves increasingly dismissed, insulted, and shunned.

There are those in the faith who have compromised for the sake of being approved by men, and there are those who have left, feeling the Power should compel them to obedience, for they don’t seek the way out of temptation, and failing, turn their backs.

Now more than other, we must seek the hem of His garment, lest we too, be dragged away among the multitude, our voices crying unheeded in the wilderness, that hearing they may neither hear nor understand.

The way is narrow, and few there will be who find it, says the Lord.

Will you be among them, walking the narrow road, following the true Good Shepherd’s voice? I dare ask, will I?

Therefore I pray:

Father, we would be with You, watching the Light of Your glory in the new heaven bathe the new earth, so that no sun is needed, no moon affects the tides, and the lion rests beside the lamb, the two aspects of our Lord reconciled, as we will be to You because of the Atonment.  We long for the day our tears are dry, our pain is gone, and death and hell and sin have no dominion over us.

So let all we do be at Your command, and let us move in obedience in the power of the Holy Spirit, so that our work will move the hearts of mankind, and no one will stand against it.

Fill our mouths with praise and Truth, and give us bold hearts, but help us to temper it with mercy and grace to those not yet ready to receive. Bring to mind the wheat and tares, and that we are but seed planters, and You are the One who waters and adds daily to the number.

Set a table before us in the presence of our enemies, that they may see the love of our fellowship, and turn from their worldly ways. Help us also to have discernment of the Judases in our midst, who smile and smile, and yet are villains. 

You have, Lord Jesus, commanded us to be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves, but also to shout from the rooftops, and let our peace return to us when not properly received. Let us not have to be scattered, but to willingly go, willing to suffer shame for the Gospel, knowing we have rewards where no man can break in and steal.

In the Power of Your Holy Name, and by the Blessing of the Almighty, I ask it.

Amen.