Things Aren't Always What They Seem To Be

Testimony:

A couple years ago as I was finishing up my doctorate, God told me someone was going to provide for me to go away for a week or so to work on writing my thesis. Some months later a friend offered for me to come to her house and stay in the upstairs apartment that was going to be empty for the week.  (When she offered that to me she did not know what God had spoken to me.)  So I made plans to go.

About a week before I was supposed to go, my computer developed a severe problem and I was unable to use it.  I took to the store where I had bought it.  After some diagnostics the verdict was that it had to be sent back to the manufacturer to be fixed.  I was not happy.  In just a few days I was to be leaving to go to NH to write and needed my computer.  But it was unusable and was sent off to the manufacturer. It was going to take some time to get fixed.

I decided to go to NH anyway, I wasn't going to take a week off from writing.  I would just write the old fashioned way with pen and paper if necessary.  When I got to NH, my friend loaned me her laptop to use since she had access to another one.  I was very thankful for the use of the laptop.

So I started to work.  But it wasn't long until I was a bit frustrated. Although I could find the Scriptures and some of the other things I needed on the internet, it wasn't as easy to find or use as the Bible software that I had on my computer.  With the Bible software I have I can get to scriptures and other info really fast. And can copy and paste into my document easily.  It even puts  the footnote in for me. That wasn't the case with what was available on the internet. It was difficult and time consuming.

At the end of the first day I began to wonder if perhaps I could load my Bible software onto my friend's computer for the week.  So I called the software company and asked.  Much to my surprise, they said, "Yes,"  and told me how to download it on to the computer.  It made my work so much easier.

When my computer stopped working I thought it was the absolute worst time for that to happen.  But it turned out to be the best time for it to happen.  Had I not been going to NH for that period of time I would have been at home without a computer to write or the Bible software to use.  God's provision of a place, a computer, and favor with the software company made it all perfect. It wasn't at all what it seemed to be at first.

By Many Or By Few

1 Samuel 14:6 And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.

Will God save by many or by few?  In this case it was just Jonathan and his armor bearer.  There came a day when Jonathan was tired of the stand-off with the enemy.  So he took his armor bearer and started out to see what he could do to deal with the enemy.  He and his armor bearer began to move forward and sought a word from the Lord as to whether to continue moving forward.  Once the confirmation came they scaled the very steep incline up from the valley to the high country where the enemy was camped.  The enemy was confident that they could not be reached.  But Jonathan was confident in the Lord and the confirmation that he had been given.  He was confident in the Lord God Jehovah with whom he had a covenant relationship.  The enemy was uncircumcised, not in covenant with Jehovah. 

God gave Jonathan and his armor bearer victory. As they began to slaughter the enemy, God sent an earthquake. In the confusion it caused the enemy forces to begin to fight against each other.  By the time Saul rallied the rest of the army, what they witnessed was the enemy in disarray.  Then the Israelites pursued the enemy chasing them from their land.

Because of the victory won by the forward movement of Jonathan and his armor bearer, the rest of the army was encouraged and rose to go after the enemy to finish off the battle.  Even those who had given up and gone home or even defected to the enemy side were encouraged and rejoined the army of Saul.

As we go forward in victory, it will bring encouragement to others that they too can have a victory over the enemy in their lives.  Once we have one victory under our belt it encourages us and others to move forward to take more territory from the enemy.

This land belonged to Israel, but the enemy had it in his possession at that time.  What land in our own lives does the enemy now have possession of that really belongs to us?  We need to take it back.  What land in the lives of those around us needs to be recovered?  Where has the enemy been camped that he needs to be removed from? 

God please show us your plan for taking back that which is ours.  Please let our victories be an encouragement to others to join the battle and win the victory over the enemy in their lives.  God will give victory whether it be by many or by few. 

Fierce Love

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.

Agreement With God

Amos 3:3  Can two walk together, except they be agreed?

A few years ago I had an experience where I saw a vague picture of the back of a person that I believed to be the Lord Jesus.  I heard, “Come, walk with Me.”  Then I saw myself step up beside the person and put my hand in His.  At that moment I heard, “How can two walk together, except they be agreed?”  With that I found myself on the floor with my face planted in the carpet repenting concerning the many ways I was not in agreement or alignment with Jesus. I really thought I had been doing ok with God, but I was soon well aware that it was the little things that were out of agreement or alignment with God.  It is the little foxes that spoil the vine.   

Song of Solomon 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

The dictionary defines agreement as harmony of opinion, action, or character.  Alignment is defined as the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts in relation to each other.   

FOREVERNESS

At times I have been impressed and touched by the "foreverness" of God and my relationship with Him.  Some time ago I woke up one morning with a joy in my heart in relation to being with my God, Savior, and King FOREVER.  I will get to worship Him forever and ever and ever.  I will get to experience His love and glory forever and ever.  Forever is beyond the ability of my mind to comprehend.  Yet the thought of being with Him forever stirs my heart.  I will be with the one who loves me unconditionally forever.  Hallelujah!!!

Revelation 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Revelation 4:9-11 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, ¹⁰ The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, ¹¹ Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.   ­­­­­

Revelation 5:13-14 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. ¹⁴ And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.