Sinai Surprise

During a meeting with God, Moses was told to go down and have the people sanctify themselves for the next two days and be ready for the third day.  God was going to come down on the mountain in their sight.  So the people prepared themselves as instructed. On the morning of the third day they experienced a mighty visitation of God

Exodus 19:16-20 And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. ¹⁷ And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. ¹⁸ And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. ¹⁹ And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice. ²⁰ And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up. 

What an awesome experience that must have been!  They had never experienced anything like it.  I am sure during their days of preparation they had no idea that this is what they were about to experience.  Just like on the day of Pentecost as the people waited they had no idea what they were about to experience.  They were just waiting for “the promise of the Father.” 

The Israelites were terrified by the experience and pulled back from God, instead of being in awe of the power of this God and pursuing Him.  On the Day of Pentecost there were many that responded to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and to the gospel message preached by Peter. But I would guess there were many that walked away thinking it was just too weird. 

The people pulled back but Moses went up into the top of the mountain.  What was it about Moses that made him able and willing to ascend the mountain, while others were kept back from touching the mountain and pulled back even further at the sight of  it? 

May we be drawn to God and pursue Him as a result of the manifestation of His power and glory.  In the coming days I believe God will be manifesting Himself in awesome ways.  May we not be put off by how He reveals Himself. 

Gideon and the Harvest

God has been talking to me about Gideon protecting the harvest in the wine press. 

Leading up  to the account of Gideon in the book of Judges we see that the enemy was constantly attacking and stealing the harvest. They were vulnerable to attack because they had failed to obey God's word to them.  As the people cried out to God for deliverance, once again, He heard and raised up a leader by the name of Gideon to lead them out of the current situation. (Judges 6)

Gideon was hiding in the wine press in order to protect the harvest that had been brought in.  We often think of Gideon being a coward in hiding, when in reality he was doing whatever was necessary to preserve the harvest from the enemy.  Perhaps his concern for the harvest and willingness to do whatever it took to preserve it was the reason God called him. 

God called Gideon out to take down the false gods in Israel so that the enemy could no longer steal their harvest.  He needed to remove the idols of the false gods.  By removing the idols he was breaking the agreement with the powers of darkness that empowered the enemy to continually attack and steal their fruitfulness and sustenance. 

Then Gideon was used of God to raise up a small army of 300 to deal with the enemy forces.  It was a small army by God's design.  It was an army of men chosen by God.  All those operating in fear were sent home.  And the remaining ones were chosen out from the rest by a simple test.

God said to me "I am raising up an army in your region who are breaking their agreements with darkness and will send the enemy running.  This army will bind the powers of darkness through agreement with Me so there can be a great harvest. The enemy will no longer be able to steal the harvest.  Many will be freed from enemy oppression.  Keep marching forward.  Don't be concerned with the size of the army more will be added.  It is the quality of commitment that is important. " (I don't believe this only applies here.)

Fierce Love

Today I was reminded of this blog post from October 31, 2013 and felt like I should repost it.  So here it is......

Song of Songs 2:4  He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love.

According to Nelson’s Bible Dictionary “A banner is a flag, ensign, streamer, or emblem attached to the end of a standard. Banners served as rallying points for military, national, or religious purposes……The most common use of banners was for military campaigns. A large signal flag usually was erected on a hill or other high place.”

God is raising up a warrior bride/army. The banner over God’s warrior bride/army is a banner of love.  This warrior bride will have a fierce love for God and for each other.    

Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

You may wonder about my choice of the word “fierce.”  That is the word I heard from the Lord.  I looked up the word in the dictionary.   Here are some definitions of “fierce” from Webster’s Dictionary:   “marked by unrestrained zeal or vehemence, furiously active or determined, having or showing a lot of strong emotion : very strong or intense.”

I think that could describe the love that will characterize the bride of Christ in these last days.  It will be necessary to have that kind of love.  That kind of love comes from God.  It is not something we can find within ourselves.  God is love.  His love shines forth to us.  Then through us back to Him and to each other.

Song of Songs 8:6-7 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. ⁷ Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.