(Jesus speaking)You have not chosen Me, but I have
chosen you and I have appointed you [I have planted you], that
you might go and bear fruit and keep on bearing, and that your
fruit may be lasting [that it may remain, abide], so that
whatever you ask the Father in My Name [as presenting all that
I AM], He may give it to you.
No
matter how much we try to justify ourselves to
other people, it is who we are in God's sight that carries
weight for eternity. I may not
be what others expect of me, never quite being exactly what
they think I should or should not be, but rather who and what
God expects and has called and prepared me to be and be doing,
must be my focus each and every day.
At first
glance, it is much easier for me to look at others
and attempt to judge them and their shortfalls against my own
perception of more noble deeds, yet not I nor anyone else but
Christ, is the example of Holiness and Righteous which
God desires that we live by.
Christ Jesus
is who I am subject to as the measurement set by God,
both in Faith and Works, I will never forget what HE did
for me 2000 years ago at Calvary, that in itself makes the
difference in regards to eternity.
Every living
Believer in Christ has been chosen by God as
instruments of Praise, Purpose and Power on the earth,
being HIS Forebearers of the Gospel. God's Spirit must be our quide through
each day, molding us as we seek to become more
like HIM who CHOSE us.
O'Lord, fill
my day with more of YOU, so that others see YOUR Glory and
Might. YOU have brought me safe this far, through every trial,
trouble and dark of stormy night. In YOU alone, O'Lord, do I
find, Peace and Strength for each new day, as I serve YOU,
with my heart, my soul and all my strength. I will Exalt and
Magnify YOUR Holy Name, abiding in YOU, bearing fruit that
pleases YOU, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Monday
June 29, 2009 (7 Tamuz
5769)
"An Irrevocable
Trust!"
1 John 1:8-10 (Amplified
Bible)
If we say we have no sin [refusing to admit
that we are sinners], we delude and lead ourselves astray, and
the Truth [which the Gospel presents] is not in us [does not
dwell in our hearts]. If we [freely] admit that we have
sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to
His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins
[dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from
all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will
in purpose, thought, and action]. If we say (claim) we
have not sinned, we contradict His Word and make Him out to be
false and a liar, and His Word is not in us [the divine
message of the Gospel is not in our hearts].
As John writes this, we begin
to fully comprehend and understand
our need to be
forgiven, released from the agony and bondage that is
associated with our guilt. This conviction of our need for a
Redeemer is brought to our attention by Holy Spirit, and by
this same conviction, we humbly seek Restoration through
Christ Jesus and HIS Precious Blood, poured out in Love upon
Calvary's
cross.
Saying that we have
not sinned, as akin to saying Christ is a liar, but
as John states, that was and will never be Truth, as HE is
TRUTH, both Absolute and Eternal. The darkness which John
speaks of, hides this Truth from our hearts, keeping us from
knowing and receiving God's Grace.
Holy
Spirit counsels us as Believers, opening our
eyes to this need for God's forgiveness. Trusting that God alone can
and will forgive us of our sin, as we are Faithful to Confess
them. No longer a yearly ritual of seeking God behind a veil,
but because we have HIS Promise that we can approach HIM
through Christ, we have this Trust, an Assurance that we can
and will be forgiven of that which once alienated us from
HIM.
What John
explains, is that this Promise is an 'Irrevocable
Trust', continuously available to all who will respond to the
message of Truth. It is this Gospel that gives us a glimpse of
the Kingdom of God, where HE Reigns in Power, fully able to
validate our Inheritance, a Trust that provides Eternal Life
in HIS Glorious Presence as the reward for our Obedience to
HIS Will.
O'Lord, my
lips Proclaim YOUR Love for my soul, that YOU would
forgive me and give me Liberty and Life. Redeemed through
YOUR Precious Blood, I will tell others of YOUR
Grace so free. I will Declare YOUR Mercy, Eternal and
Sovereign, my Redeemer, Savior and King, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Wednesday June 25, 2009 (3 Tamuz 5769)
"Listening and
Watching!"
Luke 24:32 (Amplified
Bible)
For he
received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice
came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son,
whom I love; with him I am well pleased." We ourselves heard
this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the
sacred mountain. And we have the word of the prophets
made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to
it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns
and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must
understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the
prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its
origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were
carried along by the Holy Spirit.
When I consider the
journey I have chosen for my life as a
Believer in Christ, these WORDs of the Apostle Peter ring even
louder in my ears as I listen to Holy Spirit who guides me
through each day's travel. Realizing the fulfillment of many
prophecies recorded in God's WORD concerning Jesus, and how
they each affects my eternity.
If I, as Peter
mentions, make certain with every determination to
pay attention to the Voice of God which I hear by HIS Spirit,
and see HIS WORDs written by the prophets of God and those
Spirit inspired men who actually walked with Christ
Jesus, it is then that I will Behold HIS Majesty in all of HIS
Magnificent Glory.
Whenever the
scenery of someone's journey in life becomes dull and
unfulfilling, I must be stirred in my spirit to be Obedient,
and tell them about God's Train of Glory that promises
Inspiration, Fulfillment and Hope which can and will change
their view of life in this present age and that eternal
age which is yet to
come.
O'Lord, YOU
are my Creator and my Source of Life,
in YOU will I place my Trust and
Hope for eternity.
Direct
my journey, as I travel through this life,
that
I might share with others,
more
of YOUR Majesty, Power and Glory.
Show
me those scenes of heavenly grandeur,
that
are revealed only by YOUR Spirit,
who
guides me to YOUR Sacred mountain each day. I desire to
be ever Faithful to Proclaim Jesus as Savior and Lord, so
that others have the opportunity
to Believe. I pray this in the
Precious and Holy Name of
Jesus, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Monday
June 22, 2009 (30 Sivan
5769)
"A Burning and Passionate
FIRE!"
Luke 24:32 (Amplified
Bible)
And they
said to one another, Were not our hearts greatly moved and
burning within us while He was talking with us on the road and
as He opened and explained to us [the sense of] the
Scriptures?
As I recall my
first encounter with the King of Glory, journeying
down my road of life, I too felt that burning desire within my
heart to be a bold witness of Christ, proclaiming HIM as Lord
and Savior to a lost and dying generation that now many years
later, still rejects Christ as Savior and Lord, without any
HOPE of Eternity in the Presence of Almighty
God.
Holy Spirit
burns upon my heart those Scriptures that have been
opened and revealed to me, of God's never ending desire that
all men return to HIM, becoming reconciled into spiritual
fellowship, hungering and thirsting for more of HIM, desiring
to obtain HIS Glory that exists within the Kingdom that
belongs to HIS Son, Christ
Jesus.
HIS Holy Fire
burns night and day, producing Light by which all men
must have in order to find their way to that empty grave,
where once the crucified Lamb of God lay, having bore God's
judgement for the sin of every man, offering HIS own life as
the one and only atoning sacrifice which leads to forgiveness
and victory through HIS
Resurrection.
HIS Church,
believing HIS WORD, empowered by Holy Spirit, must be
completely consumed by HIS Holy FIRE, having a flaming, raging
and compassionate desire that is never to be quenched nor
satisfied until that time when Christ returns for HIS
Bride.
She is to be
busy in her Father's work, having been washed in the
Blood of the Lamb, adorned with HIS robes of righteousness,
prepared and patiently waiting for her Bridegroom who promises
HIS Glorious return to be
near.
O'Lord,
purify YOUR church, YOUR bride, that she be ready on the Day
of YOUR Glorious appearing. Purify my heart O'Lord with
this one desire, that others may see YOUR Love burning within
me. To be Holy, set apart for YOU my Master, a witness of YOU
enflamed by YOUR Spirit, searing my heart with YOUR Eternal
WORD, ready to do YOUR WIll. That not one soul be lost,
to forever be without YOU. Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Friday
June 19, 2009 (27 Sivan
5769)
"Powerful Dynamic of
Life!"
1 Peter 1:22 (Amplified
Bible)
Since by
your obedience to the Truth through the [Holy ] Spirit you
have purified your hearts for the sincere affection of the
brethren, [see that you] love one another fervently from a
pure
heart.
In these
inspired WORDs written by Peter, one must recognize
the Powerful Dynamic which led him to speak so boldly at
Pentecost. God's Holy Fire purifies those who seek to become
fully Obedient to Christ, a process of preparation
for a vessel that can then be used to minister
to
others.
Peter reminds
us in his letter, that we as Believers are guarded by
Holy Spirit, unseen by physical eyes, yet fully
visible by the Life represented through one's affection
and love for
others.
An unlikely candidate
before, a brash and often arrogant Peter, was 'fired
in God's oven' of preparation. Humbled by his earlier denial
of even knowing Christ, Peter was now alive with the same
Power of God that raised his Lord and King from the
grave.
Luke writes
in the Book of Acts, of Peter himself being
imprisoned for his bold expression of Faith. Yet his unfailing
Obedience to Christ, was soon rewarded because
of his fearless Proclamation on the Day of
Pentecost, of the Powerful Truth of Redemption and Salvation
that had so transformed
him.
Peter had learned
earlier of his future, from the very lips of Christ.
That he would also face persecution for his enduring Faith. A
personal crucifixion of dying to himself, has been a
far greater testimony of his Obedience, than the physical
crucifixion he suffered as is so often
mentioned.
Sustained by the
Dynamic Power of God, Holy Spirit led Peter on a
journey that Believers are able to see as both effective and
rewarding to the Kingdom. Having persevered over 2000 years,
as a Testimony of his Love for the Body of Christ, an example
of a heart purified and transformed by Holy Fire, into a
consecrated vessel of Obedience.
O'Lord, YOUR Spirit falls like Fire
upon my heart, burning every impurity from within me.
Preparing me as a vessel of Obedience, to Proclaim YOUR
Power of Redemption to all who have ears. Holy Spirit
keeps a vigilant watch over every WORD, that as
Truth, accomplishing and fulfilling YOUR intended
Purpose. Glory and Honor to YOU Forever, may YOUR servant
be pleasing and acceptable in YOUR
sight, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Thursday
June 18, 2009 (26 Sivan
5769)
"Willing to
SEEK!"
Romans 2:7-9 (Amplified
Bible)
To those who by patient persistence in
well-doing [springing from piety] seek [unseen but sure] glory
and honor and [the eternal blessedness of] immortality, He
will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and
self-willed and disobedient to the Truth but responsive to
wickedness, there will be indignation and wrath. [And] there
will be tribulation and anguish and calamity and constraint
for every soul of man who [habitually] does evil, the Jew
first and also the Greek
(Gentile).
We must be
deeply saddened by the very fact that so many
Persist in rebellion and mockery of God and HIS proclaimed
response of wrath towards it. Our hearts so broken, that
we be willing to seek as Christ Jesus
did, those whose souls desperately need to be
restored and reconciled in a life changing relationship
with their Creator.
If self-seeking and
self-willed were in any way a part of TRUTH and
Righteousness, then would there have been any cause for
Christ to have given HIS life for man's Redemption or
Reconciliation?
When someone
places themselves in a position of Persistent and
Continual resistance to God's Will, then tribulation, anquish
and calamity are the final results, which have been
established and quaranteed as their reward, according to God's
WORD.
It is only by
conviction of their rebellion by Holy Spirit, and as
they respond in confession, repentence and begin to
live complelely committed in Obedience and Humility, does
God turn away HIS wrath and restore HIS blessing of fellowship
and unity among the Faithful believers who have so
Persistantly chased after HIS anointing and blessing upon
their lives.
There will be
Rejoicing in the Presence of the Lord, when those who
for so long have misunderstood and rebelled against the
spiritual authority which God has set in place over them, as
they bow their face to the HOLY ONE, Christ Jesus, Judge of
both the living and dead. HE alone holds the future
of every soul in HIS balance of eternal destruction and
torment OR a reward of eternal life in HIS courts of
Glory and Honor.
O'Lord, may I forever seek YOUR face,
and with all humility strive to
please only YOU.
YOUR
Spirit guides and guards my heart each day,
as
I make a persistent stand against the enemy,
who
in mockery of YOU, has deceived so many.
YOU
alone have given me Power over the darkness,
that
robs so many of YOUR blessing and favor.
I
will bow down before YOU,
and
at YOUR feet exalt YOU with all my
Praise. O'Lord,
YOU are the Light and LIFE of all my
days, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Wednesday June 17, 2009
(25 Sivan
5769)
"Igniting THIS
Generation!"
Romans 13:11
(Amplified Bible)
Besides this you know what [a critical]
hour this is, how it is high time now for you to wake up out
of your sleep (rouse to reality). For salvation (final
deliverance) is nearer to us now than when we first believed
(adhered to, trusted in, and relied on Christ, the Messiah).
I recognize
the stern warning Paul issues, that in such a
critical hour when some were 'asleep' figuratively, he
purposely draws my attention towards this unchanging fact,
that as one generation passes, another generation draws nearer
to redemption, sooner rather than later.
Everyone must know that while sleep is a
vital necessity for healthy living, Paul is referring to a
state of mind occupied by thoughts other than the WORK of
advancing God's Kingdom, a time sensitive message that must be
delivered with priority.
At the time Paul wrote this letter to the
Romans, I seriously think that he was confident that time was
drawing to a close, for the world which he knew existed then,
had never heard of Christ Jesus much less knew of God's Plan
for the Salvation and the Redemption of man's soul.
As such today now some 2000 years after
Paul's reference, there are many Believers who are faithfully
proclaiming the arrival of a generation that could very well
fulfill the Great Commission, and usher in those final days of
which Christ spoke of.
While
reading this scripture, I like so many before me,
awaken to the impending reality of that long awaited day and
hour, which means as each daybreak pierces through the eastern
morning sky, all of mankind is yet one day closer to when
Christ Jesus returns to claim HIS church of Faithful, True and
Awakened Believers.
O'Lord, YOUR Voice
speaks with such a Holy and Sweet refrain, Awakening me to the reality that many suffer loss and
pain. Shake me as I slumber to watch and
pray, any hour YOU may come during the
night or day. Rest awaits all who remain
Obedient to the end. YOUR Spirit
Transforms and Renews me with POWER, filling my mind with the Truth of Everlasting Life in
YOU. How Great is YOUR Faithfullness,
Gracious Lord, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Tuesday June 16, 2009
(24 Sivan
5769)
"Calling
Forth Mighty Warriors!"
1 Corinthians 2:4
(Amplified Bible)
And my language and my message were not set forth
in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but
they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a
proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and
stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and
thus persuading them],
These WORDs
spoken by Paul, should stir every Believer, to Boldly
Proclaim the Power of God, as proof that HIS Holy Spirit is
operating within them. Demonstrating the Transforming
Work taking place within their hearts and
minds.
None could reject the dramatic change which
had taken place earlier in Paul's life, knowing of his past as
a persecutor of the 1st century church. In this letter, Paul
now places a greater emphasis on the Present and Future of
what God has planned for Believers in Christ.
We must recognize and respond to Paul's
determined and urgent directive, to 'Call Forth' a Generation
of Mighty Warriors who are deliberate in their assigned
objective. To advance and further the Gospel of Christ Jesus,
the knowledge and structure of a Kingdom Army of Powerful men
and women, so destructive to the kingdom of darkness, that the
world reels from their exploits as having Faithfully
served the Lord as Agents of Life.
Willing as was Paul, to declare that God's
Spirit empowers Believers with the same determination and
urgency, to Obediently defend the Gospel in a present day
culture that is so vehemently opposed to Righteousness.
Deliberate to Proclaim that our Strength and
Wisdom, comes from Holy Spirit, not from the spirit of
hopelessness and defeat which has robbed this and previous
generations of the knowledge of Truth.
When given the occasion to defend the Kingdom
of God and HIS Christ, Believers have been given Powerful
WORDs from Holy Spirit. To speak Hope and Peace to those who
are suffering from the malicious mistreatment and certain
destruction of an enemy sworn to kill, steal and
destroy.
O'Lord, YOU give Strength and
Wisdom to all YOU have 'Called Forth' as Kingdom Warriors.
Preparing our hearts and minds for engagement, Power to bring
Reconciliation and Restoration to the divided and displaced.
Set us forth as an Army of Devoted Servants, who will Boldly
Declare YOUR Sovereign Rule over our lives. That YOUR Kingdom
will be fully established within the earth as it is in
heaven. To the Majestic and Precious Name of YOUR Son
Jesus, all Glory and Power belongs to HIM, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Monday June 15, 2009
(23 Sivan
5769)
"The
UnAshamed!"
Luke 8:45
(Amplified Bible)
And Jesus
said, Who is it who touched Me?
When all were denying it, Peter and those who were with him
said, Master, the multitudes surround You and press You on
every side!
In
everyday life there are times when we as Believers in
Christ are 'pressed' on every side,never abandoned
nor crushed by the weight of our circumstances. That any would
deny this, should be a reality check as to how
closely we are walking with Christ
Jesus.
The multitudes
followed Christ, but many were unwilling to admit
that they desired to 'touch' God's Holy and Anointed One. Our
own desire must be to 'touch' HIM, then testify that we are
changed and transformed from HIS
Power.
Though Peter
was serious in his reponse to Christ,
Jesus knew that someone with tremendous Faith had reached
out through the pressing crowd. Driven by her deep need
to be healed and delivered of a disease that had not only
robbed her physically, but financially and spiritually as
well. Then this woman openly declared that she had
been the one who 'touched' HIM, clearly unashamed to be
the benefactor of such
a miracle.
As we
stand alone many times in a crowd, often despised and
rejected because of our Faith, we must do as this
woman did. Unashamedly step forward from the
shadows, and Confess that in our deep need, we
have reached out and have 'touched' HIM who is called
God's Holy and Anointed
One.
This woman
stood to be further rejected and riviled, but her
life was so dramatically changed, that she cared far more that
her need had been met by being Unashamed to venture
everything. Her Faith in Christ Jesus was made public, and
through her confession God was Glorified through HIS Anointed
Son.
Let us not
fall victim to the 'pressing' things in this life,
but look for occassion to step forward and Confess that we
have 'touched and been TOUCHED' by Christ. Unashamed to
testify that we too have been transformed by HIS Power, to
walk by Faith in the Righteousness and Holiness from which we
benefit tremendously by being found in HIS
Presence.
O'Lord, while I am in the
midst of pressing things, I will excercise my Faith
and Declare YOU as my Lord. Touching YOU heals me,
and strengthens me to boldly Proclaim YOU as the Holy
One, Anointed to deliver those who are Unashamed. YOU are
my healer and deliever, my lips will Confess YOU both
night and day. Praise and Honor and Glory to YOUR Name,
forever will I be Unashamed to step forth and be found
Faithful, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Friday June 12, 2009
(20 Sivan
5769)
"The Possible of Sufficiency!"
2 Corinthians 3:5
(Amplified Bible)
Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in
ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim
or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability
and sufficiency are from God.
Accepting of the many
accounts recorded in God's WORD, of the Power of HIS
Spirit and the appropriation of differing gifts and abilities
upon those who Believed in Christ, I see lives lived
completely dependent on the Sufficiency of a Sovereign
God.
I
confess that my qualifications to discuss the
realities of these manifestations is undeniably absent by
men's standards, coming forth not from a mere carnal
understanding of God's WORD, but receiving from Holy
Spirit both insight and inspiration into the midst of
seemingly impossible situations, as described many times by
Paul the Apostle in his own letters.
Even this
morning, while I wrestle with my own thoughts
concerning the Sufficiency of God, I am comforted only in
these WORDs recorded by Luke, spoken directly from
the lips of Christ Jesus HIMself,
Luke 18:27 (Amplified Bible)
But He said,
What is impossible with
men is possible with God.
Luke followed alongside others who
boldly proclaimed Jesus as Christ and Lord, writing
in the Book of Acts where men of both learned and educated
disciplines, served Obediently with those who were unlearned,
nevertheless God used each of them in such mighty and
miraculous ways that we each must recognize HE is
our Sufficiency.
Accountable then
as these were, I then must also write of whatever I
have lacked, God supplies, what I do have God multiplies.
Bringing
us from the valley of deficiency, up to the
Holy mountain of HIS Sufficiency is what my heavenly
Father is all about. Gracious and Abounding in Mercy,
proving HIS Authority and Sovereignty over every aspect
of HIS creation. HE is both Divine and Perfect,
where as Believers in Christ, we experience and live
each day as witnesses in the Possible of HIS Sufficiency,
unequaled, unquestionable and most certainly
undebateable.
O'Lord, renewed in my mind by
YOUR Spirit I know, Life
lived by Faith in YOU is a charge I must declare.
Unshaken
during times of despair and grief,
YOU
supply strength to my heart as a wellspring of Truth.
I
see YOU as Faithful having my eyes opened in awe,
images
displayed in YOUR WORD of Power and Victory.
A
desert of dry bones arising to battle the enemy,
YOUR
vision IS of an army of committed Warriors
advancing
the Everlasting Gospel into the whole earth.
Directing my steps each day by YOUR Spirit of
Love,
my eyes are fixed forever upon YOU in heaven
above,Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Thursday June 11, 2009
(19 Sivan
5769)
"Sharing
the Kingdom's Treasure!"
Acts 4:32
(Amplified Bible)
Now the company of believers
was of one heart and soul, and not one of them claimed that
anything which he possessed was [exclusively] his own, but
everything they had was in common and for the use of
all.
The 1st century disciples who publicly
expressed their allegiance to Christreceived as Divine revelation from Holy Spirit,
an understanding of the physical and spiritual economy of the
Kingdom of God. Recorded by Luke, these Believers shared all
which they possessed, claiming that even their hearts and
souls were valuable possessions, liberated from centuries of
bondage and oppression.
Previously exploited at the hands
of selfish kings and rulers, these Believers
were now Proclaiming the Good News of Christ
Jesus. Living by election, within a
spiritual Kingdom, each were bonded together
spiritually as a Community, under the Authority of Christ
and the Power of God's Spirit.
Viewed then as
a foreign ideal, it is even
today opposed by many who defiantely cling to the
old order of influence and wealth. It is this sharing of both
wealth and knowledge of God's Kingdom, which liberates those
impoverished and unlearned. Being considered before as
commodities, they now realized their Eternal worth in relation
to the fulfillment of God's Promise, the Provision of an
Inheritance.
The Kingdom of God is sustained by HIS
Faithfulness, HIS desire that every man's soul come under the
Headship and Governance of Christ Jesus and Holy Spirit. A
Majestic King ruling over HIS domain with Love, supplying
sufficiently in every need. Counseling each Believer by Holy
Spirit in the knowledge of how they must live as the Redeemed
of God, in a place that is alien and prejudiced toward
them.
What seems as foolishness in the eyes of man,
has always been the Wisdom of God, as HE uses those
devoted to HIM to advance the Gospel of a Kingdom with
wealth and affluence that exceeds anything this world has to
offer.
That which was once common, has now been made
Holy and Righteous through Christ Jesus. Believers have been
joined with HIM as heirs and co-heirs in an Inheritance,
spanning Eternity, without boundaries or dimensions. Filled
with the Glory of God, and all who enter into HIS Kingdom
will live in the Unity of Holy Spirit, sharing in the
treasures of Hope and Peace found only in HIS
Presence.
O'Lord, all that I
am and all that I have belong to YOU. Guide my heart to see
those who are dying destitute and hopeless, and share with
them this Good News. Speaking through me, YOUR WORDs of Life,
will transform their hearts and liberate
their souls. I will Praise YOU forever in the court
of YOUR Presence, as YOU Reign over me in Love and
Power. Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Tuesday June 9, 2009
(17 Sivan
5769)
"Reign
of Authority and Power!"
Luke 17:20-21
(Amplified Bible)
Asked by
the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He replied
to them by saying, The kingdom of God does not come
with signs to be observed or with visible display, Nor
will people say, Look! Here [it is]! or, See, [it is] there!
For behold, the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts]
and among you [surrounding you].
Perplexed would be a better
term to define the look on the faces of those
Pharisees, when Christ told them of HIS Kingdom that could not
be seen nor measured by any standards of man. HE spoke of a
KINGDOM without beginning nor an ending, without
boundaries and was Eternal.
Those whom
Christ was speaking to that day, were unable to
comprehend such a thing, because they were unwilling
to surrender their hearts to HIS Kingship. They could only see
and understand what their physical eyes and carnal mind could
process, astounded by HIS WORDs of an
Eternal Kingdom, insisting rather that they be shown some
sign or other visible display, to prove that HIS Kingdom
existed.
Marked by God's Spirit
and Truth, Life in HIS Kingdom exceeds every
known measurement of origin or time. Operating in
Power and Authority, Holy Spirit removes those unseen
stumbling blocks which hinder man's ability to view, much
less enter into the Inheritance awaiting those who
have completely surrendered to serve their KING.
Many today are as the Pharisees, seeking a
sign that would reveal the scope of the Kingdom of God. Some
will humbly surrender to Holy Spirit, and become heirs
of Salvation. Sadly, others will continue searching
hopelessly for anything that will provide comfort and
peace for their suffering and weary soul.
Romans 14:17 (Amplified
Bible) [After all] the
kingdom of God is not a matter of [getting the] food and drink
[one likes], but instead it is righteousness (that state which
makes a person acceptable to God) and [heart] peace and joy in
the Holy Spirit.
Paul the Apostle,
once a Pharisee himself, wrote these WORDs which are Truth,
and define for us the Divine nature of God's Kingdom. Being
made acceptable as the Righteousness of God through Christ
Jesus, receiving HIS Peace and Joy by the Power of Holy
Spirit, Reigning in our hearts by the Eternal
Authority of Christ Jesus, KING of kings and LORD of
lords.
O'Lord, my heart
is held captive by YOUR
Love, submissive to YOUR Will. My Life is
eternally hidden in Christ Jesus, Redeemed by HIS Precious
Blood. Guide me each day as I share this Good News with others
who search in vain. Praise and Honor to YOU, I bow my knee and
confess with my lips, YOU are my Lord and my King,
Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Monday June 8, 2009
(16 Sivan
5769)
"In the
Midst of a storm!"
Matthew 16:3
(Amplified Bible)
And in the morning, It will
be stormy today, for the sky is red and has a gloomy and
threatening look. You know how to interpret the appearance of
the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the
times.
Both Matthew and
Mark record the day that a great storm overtook
the boat in which Jesus and HIS Disciples as they were
crossing the open sea. In great distress, the Disciples cried
out to Jesus as HE slept, to save them from certain
destruction.
Awakened by their pleading, Jesus stood
and rebuked the wind and the waves. HIS following
statement concerning their Faith in the midst of this
crisis, must be seen as a challenge to seek only
HIM during the uncertain times in which we are
living.
Many a Believer has been or is currently 'In
the Midst of a storm', but as was the case with those that day
in that boat, the Prince of Peace awaits our plea for
deliverance from those situations that look to be
devastating.
Having God's Spirit to Comfort and Guide us
through those times, our Faith must be strengthened in the
Power and the Knowledge that our destiny is defined not by
those circumstances, but by HIS WORD as HE assures us that we
have a greater Purpose.
That we as Believers in Christ, are
destined to cross over to the other side, where a great
Opportunity awaits us to bear the Good News to a multitude of
people who are perishing in stormy seas.
As
one's level of discernment by Holy Spirit is
nourished and matured by these situations, we are better
prepared to lead others to know and see HIM who calms the
storms. Christ Jesus, an ever present help in time
of need, awaits for the hour when a desperate plea from
the lips of those seeking HIM for deliverance is heard, above
the noisy distraction of the present storm.
May we
each realize that our Faith in Christ, surely marks
us in this hour, as Ambassadors of Hope and Peace. A bridge of
Truth lifting the perishing to new heights, where the Lord of
lords and the King of kings speaks with Authority and Power,
calming their terrified souls.
O'Lord, YOU hear my anquished
cry, a plea shouted from my lips that seek only to
Proclaim YOUR Salvation. In Love YOU calm the fierce
storms that so often surround me. Strengthen my
eyes with Power by YOUR Spirit, to see the shore of
Opportunity that awaits. My shouts of Praise to YOU, the
Lifter of my soul, a sound that pleases YOU. WORD of
Peace, Truth that calms those storms of life, giving LIFE
to perishing souls, Amen
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Tuesday June 2, 2009
(10 Sivan
5769)
"Weapon
of Spiritual Warfare!"
Hebrews 4:12
(Amplified
Bible)
For the
Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it
active, operative, energizing, and effective];
it is sharper
than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line
of the breath
of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit,
and of joints
and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and
sifting
and analyzing
and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the
heart.
Inspiredby Holy
Spirit and recorded by the writer of Hebrews, this
WORD reaffirms what the majority of the 1st century Apostles
and Disciples were proclaiming as Truth. In the debate over whether God's Power was an active,
continual and ongoing Work of God through Believers.
Bringing this
same debate into the 21st century, it seems that I
must refrain from 'dulling' what God has spoken of as
'sharper' than any two-edged sword. Any
limiting of Holy Spirt as God's assigned and designated
'Weapon of Warfare', who manifested in many instances, both as
Power to perform signs and wonders and Authority over that
spiritual realm which Christ declared as conquered territory.
Territory
which Believers have gained by inheritance through
HIS death and triumphant resurrection to Glorious and
Everlasting Life. I must NOT be
'simple-minded' in my understanding of this, NO, I MUST be
'Christ-minded' concerning Holy Spirit, who SPEAKS in Power
and Authority, inhabiting Believers as God's appointed and
designated 'Kings and Priests'.
I must
acknowledge and declare HIS Spirit as True and
Living, both Alive and Effective as testimony to God's
unchanging WORD. I agree with Paul,
there is nothing more destructive to the kingdom of darkness,
than a dispatched 'Warrior of Christ', one who is
fully equipped with the Spiritual Armor provided by
God.
My God gives HIS Spirit to all who
desire HIM!
Perceiving that there is either
NO spiritual warfare currently taking place in the earth, OR
too many whose walk teters back and forth across the 'dividing
line' between 'slave and servant', have bypassed and ignored
the 'dispensation' of God's WORD, and have decided that HIS
'Sword of the Spirit' is ineffective and/or useless for the
Lord's generation of today.
Either 'Advance the Kingdom of God'
upon the earth, or be as one 'exposed and sifted' by HIS
Spiritual Counsel, who will then render a judgement which
amounts to Eternal 'banishment' from the Very Presence of
God!
O'Lord, YOU are a Fire and a Rock,
and YOU
burn and crush YOUR every enemy.
I stand each morning in awe of YOUR Power as
YOU breathe Life into souls once dead.
The world sees only dry bones,
but I SEE an ARMY.
Filled with YOUR Spirit,
I will die only once and live forever,
those who would ignore YOUR WORD,
will die twice and be dead forever.
Rise up, O' Army of God, listen to the sound,
the earth and all of it's fullness,
belongs to the Lord, our Savior and King. Faithful to
Proclaim Victory in Christ Jesus,
all around the world, Hallelujah and
Amen!
'A Warrior's Daily
Journal'
Monday June 1, 2009
(9 Sivan
5769)
"Look,
the heavens are open!"
Act 7:55-56
(Amplified Bible)
But he,
full of the Holy Spirit and controlled by Him,
gazed into
heaven and saw the glory (the splendor and majesty) of God,
and Jesus standing
at God's right hand;
And he said, Look!
I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at God's
right
hand!
Luke records a very
important day in the life of one Believer in the
early church. That of Stephen, a man completely
surrendered to God's Spirit, seeing into a dimension
that revealed the very Presence of God. Looking
into an open heaven just moments before he died from
being stoned by his accusers, seeing the Glorious Son of God
as HE stood to welcome a saint who lived the laid down life.
Luke points
out that Stephen was 'full of Holy Spirit' and
'controlled by HIM', which I believe is of the utmost
importance for every Believer in Christ. Power to stand
Faithful in the hour of diversity, knowing our Lord looks
favorably upon our Obedience.
Christ Jesus
is seen by Stephen as 'standing at God's right hand',
a place of Honor and Power. Holy Spirit revealed to his
eyes, a dimension of vision that is unequaled by any
place on earth.
This
scripture is positive proof that those WORDs
spoken by Christ Jesus as recorded by Luke, and fulfills 2 of
God's many Promises to those who Believe in HIM and by Faith
receive the fullness of Holy Spirit in their lives,
Luke 9:27 (Amplified
Bible)
However
I tell you truly, there are some of those standing here
who will not taste death before they see the
kingdom of God.
Stephen had received the precious gift of
Holy Spirit, opening his eyes to the innermost and
Holiest part of heaven. He lived in complete surrender,
loving not his own life, and was Obedient to
Declare even as he faced certain death, the Glory,
Majesty and Splendor of our King and HIS Eternal
Kingdom.
O'Lord, YOUR Spirit comforts me day after day,
and brings me into YOUR Holy and Glorious Presence.
I see and know YOUR Love for
me, much deeper than any
valley or ocean. In YOU I
trust to deliver the lost and wayward,
set them free from bondage
into freedom and Life. YOU
O'Lord, are my Savior and my Redeemer,
and it is in YOUR Presence
that I desire to live forever! YOU are sight for the blind, and Hope for the lost, Amen
Sharing
this FirePOWER! Devotional with your family and friends, will
have an impact upon their lives. This generation deserves to
hear the message of God's Kingdom, knowing
that Christ Jesus loves them and desires that they know
HIM.
Romans
10:15 And how can men [be
expected to] preach unless they are sent? As it is written,
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings!
[How welcome is the coming of those who preach the good news
of His good things!] (Amplified
Bible)
The Vision of
The Agape Letters Ministry is to Equip, Exhort and Inspire
Believers to become Victorious Spiritual Warriors of Christ
Jesus. Training them to Boldly and Courageously Advance the
Kingdom WORK of God, recognizing the FirePOWER available to
them under the anointing and presence of Holy Spirit within
their lives. Encouraging them to Walk by Faith, fulfilling the
mandate of Proclaiming the Gospel as Ambassadors of
Christ throughout every nation upon the earth.
