Don’t Abandon Ship

I saw myself with Yeshua, as a Lion, walking down a sunny beach. I could hear the waves coming in.  As I looked to my left I saw sand dunes.  When I looked up I saw what looked like a kite coming over the sand dunes.  Initially it looked red. Then I saw that it had some yellow on it and was more like a flame of fire.  It broke loose and flew out over the ocean to a ship that was near the shore.  It set the ship on fire. 

 It was a good fire.  As the fire began to burn on the ship, many people jumped overboard.  But many other people stayed on the ship and embraced the fire, letting it purify them until they were transformed to look like pure white light. 

I heard the Lord say, "Don't abandon ship in the coming outpouring of the fire of My Spirit."

 In the coming outpouring of the fire of the Holy Spirit, many will abandon ship.  But others will embrace the fire and be transformed.  As the fire of God falls don’t abandon the ship embrace the purifying, transforming fire.  

Unmingled With Evil

Romans 16:19 ...but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

In the Greek, the word "simple" in the above scripture means innocent or unmixed.  It could also mean not mingled.  When I became aware of these possible meanings for this word, it caused me to think a little differently about this scripture.

In our culture it can be difficult to be unmixed with what is evil.  It can be difficult to not get the things of this world mingled into our everyday lives.  The ways of the evil one are all around us, especially in the media, which we are bombarded with.  Because of what is before us on a regular basis it is often difficult to be innocent, unmixed or unmingled concerning evil.  Sometimes this stuff gets on us without us even being aware of it.

I asked God how do we keep this from happening to us.

1) Avoid the media and situations that can defile as much as possible.

2) Be filled with and attentive to the Holy Spirit.  As a result, when your soul is being assaulted with evil you will be very aware of it.  You will be vexed even as Lot was over the lawless deeds he saw and heard (2 Peter 2:7-8 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) )

3) Cleansing daily.  Daily come before God and ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse you of all the defilement of the day.  Just like in Jesus day they washed their feet because the dust of the road they were traveling on got on their feet.  We need to regularly have the dust/defilement of the day washed off of our souls.

The Promise of the Father

Acts 1:3-5 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: ⁴ And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. ⁵ For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

John 16:7, 13 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you…… Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

 After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with His disciples sharing more with them concerning the kingdom of God. Jesus had told them before the crucifixion that He must go away so that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth that would teach of Him, would come. In  His final instructions to His disciples Jesus told them to go back to Jerusalem to “wait for the promise of the Father.”  Many of them were obedient to wait until the promise came.  Most likely there were more than that initially, but they got tired of waiting and went home. 

When they waited they worshiped, prayed, and brought petitions before the Father.  They even found a replacement for Judas Iscariot to fill the empty spot amongst the twelve. 

I do not think they really knew what it was that they were waiting for or how long it would be until the promise would come.  I do not think they knew what it was going to be like.  But when the Promise came, they recognized Him, and began to flow with what He was doing.  It was probably a pretty wild time. There had never seen anything like it before. 

In much the same way, we are waiting for a promise from the Father.  Many have felt a great expectancy of something from the Father coming in their lives or region.  We do not know exactly what it is going to be like, nor how soon we will see it.  But we faithfully wait and pray and position ourselves to partake of that which our Father is about to pour out.  We wait and pray and position ourselves to flow with Him in what He is about to do.  Today is a day of preparation.  It is a day of letting God strip off the things that can get in the way or obscure our view or distort our perception of things as they unfold. 

Just as on the Day of Pentecost they had to think outside the box, we are in a day when it is not going to be church as usual and we need to think outside our traditional religious boxes.  Even amongst Pentecostals/Charismatics, we have traditional religious boxes that we have developed over the years.  They must go to make room for the new thing, whatever that looks like.  Lord Jesus help us.