New
“You have heard these things; look at them all. Will you not admit them? ‘From now on I will tell you of new things, of hidden things unknown to you.’ ”
Isaiah 48:6
At the end of last year, God said one word to me over and over. He asked me to meditate on this one little three letter word, “new.” In Isaiah 48:6, God says that He will tell the people new things, things that were never done, nor seen before, things that were unknown to them. Then He showed me some wonderful things. I felt His presence over the message that He gave me. I knew this was His message to me and to His bride for this year. I’m so excited to share it with you.
He brought to my mind some other Scriptures with the word “new” in them. The book of Ecclesiastes is fascinating as Solomon discusses the meaning of life as well as the meaningless things in life. In Ecc. 1:9, he says, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Essentially, he was saying it has all been done before. Things may take different forms, be packaged differently, or the names changed, but there really isn’t anything new.
Now let’s contrast this with some of God’s final words in the King James Version of Revelation 21:5, “Behold, I make all things new.” Oh, my! I can’t help but say that with a bit of power in my voice mixed with some authority. You see, God isn’t under the sun. He is over the sun! He created the sun that bows down to Him. He can change the rules of this world any time He wants to. If He wants to create all new rules, He can. If He wants to do things differently, He can. If He wants to paint the world purple with pink polka dots, He can. If He wants us to inhabit Pluto, a comet, or the bottom of the ocean floor, He can. He can completely change the order of life into anything He desires. Nothing is restricted from the One who can make anything new.
However, God doesn’t go with the latest fad or His most recent whim. He is methodical. He is always true to His character. He never changes. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. He doesn’t change His mind, make corrections to His plans, or come up with new ideas. What wonderful assurance we have that our God’s character remains a solid Rock on which we can rely! We can allow our desire for exploits and escapades to be released to discover the God Most High, the Lover of our Soul who is for us and not against us because He is always true to His perfect character!
Many of us have practiced the same level of relationship with God for many years. We are committed to it. We would say it is the best part of our lives. We may have a quiet time and prayer time with Him that is consistent, same time, same place, every day. However, the problem is that we have not let Him show us anything new in quite some time. We have not given the Holy Spirit full freedom to reveal more of the Father to us. Somewhere along the way, we stopped letting the veils of heaven be removed and getting glimpses of our God who can take our breath away! We stopped longing for the mysteries of who God is to be revealed to us. Perhaps we have begun to think that this is all that we get of God on this side of heaven. Perhaps it is because we look as spiritually strong as the others in our generation instead of dreaming that God wants to raise up people in this generation who are stronger than any other generation in history because we believe Him! We started taking ordinary, maybe even baby, steps in our walk of faith instead of leaping off the cliff into the unknown with God.
I want you and me just to try something for one year. Let’s ask God every day, “Show me something new about You, Lord.” I believe God wants His bride to boldly ask Him for new things this year. I believe God’s Spirit is being poured out in a time like no other. We will see new things happen that have never before happened. As the spiritual warfare increases, so increases God’s anointing on His people. He is looking for His people to believe Him that new things are being handed out on the kingdom calendar. I believe this year that for those of us who are in tune with His heart and the times that we will see spiritual growth unlike any other time in our lives. The door is wide open to even more things happening that are beyond what we can ask or imagine. New things will be done this year unlike any other time. Are you willing to participate? If so, join me on your knees, and let’s cry out to God together!
Pray with me: Oh, Lord, show us something new about You. We want to know unknown things. Reveal to us hidden things. Tell us of new things. We have barely tapped into the knowledge of who You are. You are more majestic than we can imagine. You are more willing than we understand. You are bigger than our minds can handle. However, we just ask for more times to have glimpses of who You truly are. We want the veil of heaven just to be pulled back a little bit more so You can break through in our lives. We don’t want the same old relationship with You but a deeper relationship where we learn new things about You. You are a mystery to us; yet, we are assured and confident in Your character. We need this security in this relationship. It allows us to take the leap off the cliff with You into the unknown, into things never experienced by any other person. So help us to not be committed to life as we know it but to be committed to following You, the Giver of life, and life more abundant! It is in the mighty Name of Your Son Jesus, Yeshua, that we pray. Amen.
Copyright ©2009 Christ Compels
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isaiah. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Friday, January 9, 2009
Watchmen on the Walls
Watchmen on the Walls
“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' ’
‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.’ ”
Ezekiel 33:1-7
In ancient times, watchmen on the walls kept a constant vigil on the city walls against the raiding enemy. The main earthly protection for a city was to fortify itself with a wall and place watchmen on it. These men would watch through the day and night. They would scan the horizon. At the first sign of trouble, they would grab their trumpets and blow a warning signal to the rest of the people in the community. The people knew when they heard the trumpets blow that they were to stop their daily routine or awaken from their sleep and mobilize into action to defend their families, homes, and community.
Ezekiel was made a watchman for the house of Israel. God gave him the words to speak to warn the people if they did not turn from their idols and sin to Him. God pleaded with the people. He came to His prophets and put His words into their mouths, but the people still did not listen. They continued to worship other gods and not turn to the God Most High.
I have been so burdened for Jesus’ precious bride for several years now. I see pockets of Christians hearing the warning signal. They have been aroused from their sleep. They have stopped the entrapment of daily living on this earth and become purposeful about living for Christ. However, Jesus’ bride as a whole is still not true to her first love.
When we told God to get out of our public lives and out of our public schools, as Anne Graham Lotz says, “God, being a Gentleman, did.” We have turned to the god of entertainment, the god of our flesh, the god of money, the god of self, the god of comfort and indulgence, and the list could go on and on. We have nationally dismissed God. With 9/11 we saw the first of what could happen when God’s hand of protection was not upon us. God so desperately wanted us to wake up and look to Him. However, we hit the snooze alarm after that terrible tragedy hatched by evil men.
Just as Ezekiel warned the people of his day, many great and wonderful preachers and teachers are acting like watchmen on the wall for our nation and world and sending warnings. They are warning the bride of Christ to wake up! They are warning people to turn from their sin. As I write this devotion, I, too, am issuing a warning to us. You and I do not want 9/11 to be a prelude. However, we are on the pathway for some hard times on the kingdom calendar.
The church is in desperate need of a revival! You and I are the church My answer for revival nationally has been for years to be revived individually. I let God set me on fire and spit sparks to other people. I leave complacency behind and became contagious. Then, I have prayed for the ones whom God has spit sparks on through me and asked Him to turn them into a bonfire that all can see and become “spark spitters,” too.
Are any of you in need of a little fire of God’s Spirit? I want that. Gosh, I want that, beloved. I believe many of you want that, too. I know God wants so badly for us to respond to His Holy Spirit and to His watchmen and to walk in godliness and be the bonfire for all to see Him in this dark world. So may we let Him set us ablaze!
Pray with me: Almighty God, the world is in desperate need of a true spiritual awakening. The church is in desperate need of a great revival. Believers are in desperate need of a fresh infusion of faith. Please, hear us cry out to You and shower us with Your Spirit. These are going to be some hard days on the kingdom calendar. Lord, help us to be a people who know the signs of our times and stand as watchmen on the wall. Set us on fire with Your Holy Spirit, Lord. Set us ablaze! You are a consuming fire. Your Word is a fire in our bones, and we must share the good news. Lord, give us the courage to be “spark spitters” and to fan the flame burning in others. We want to be a contagious people and not fire quenchers. We don’t want to douse others with water but rather with Your fire. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, speak to your countrymen and say to them: 'When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not take warning and the sword comes and takes his life, his blood will be on his own head. Since he heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had taken warning, he would have saved himself. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.' ’
‘Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.’ ”
Ezekiel 33:1-7
In ancient times, watchmen on the walls kept a constant vigil on the city walls against the raiding enemy. The main earthly protection for a city was to fortify itself with a wall and place watchmen on it. These men would watch through the day and night. They would scan the horizon. At the first sign of trouble, they would grab their trumpets and blow a warning signal to the rest of the people in the community. The people knew when they heard the trumpets blow that they were to stop their daily routine or awaken from their sleep and mobilize into action to defend their families, homes, and community.
Ezekiel was made a watchman for the house of Israel. God gave him the words to speak to warn the people if they did not turn from their idols and sin to Him. God pleaded with the people. He came to His prophets and put His words into their mouths, but the people still did not listen. They continued to worship other gods and not turn to the God Most High.
I have been so burdened for Jesus’ precious bride for several years now. I see pockets of Christians hearing the warning signal. They have been aroused from their sleep. They have stopped the entrapment of daily living on this earth and become purposeful about living for Christ. However, Jesus’ bride as a whole is still not true to her first love.
When we told God to get out of our public lives and out of our public schools, as Anne Graham Lotz says, “God, being a Gentleman, did.” We have turned to the god of entertainment, the god of our flesh, the god of money, the god of self, the god of comfort and indulgence, and the list could go on and on. We have nationally dismissed God. With 9/11 we saw the first of what could happen when God’s hand of protection was not upon us. God so desperately wanted us to wake up and look to Him. However, we hit the snooze alarm after that terrible tragedy hatched by evil men.
Just as Ezekiel warned the people of his day, many great and wonderful preachers and teachers are acting like watchmen on the wall for our nation and world and sending warnings. They are warning the bride of Christ to wake up! They are warning people to turn from their sin. As I write this devotion, I, too, am issuing a warning to us. You and I do not want 9/11 to be a prelude. However, we are on the pathway for some hard times on the kingdom calendar.
The church is in desperate need of a revival! You and I are the church My answer for revival nationally has been for years to be revived individually. I let God set me on fire and spit sparks to other people. I leave complacency behind and became contagious. Then, I have prayed for the ones whom God has spit sparks on through me and asked Him to turn them into a bonfire that all can see and become “spark spitters,” too.
Are any of you in need of a little fire of God’s Spirit? I want that. Gosh, I want that, beloved. I believe many of you want that, too. I know God wants so badly for us to respond to His Holy Spirit and to His watchmen and to walk in godliness and be the bonfire for all to see Him in this dark world. So may we let Him set us ablaze!
Pray with me: Almighty God, the world is in desperate need of a true spiritual awakening. The church is in desperate need of a great revival. Believers are in desperate need of a fresh infusion of faith. Please, hear us cry out to You and shower us with Your Spirit. These are going to be some hard days on the kingdom calendar. Lord, help us to be a people who know the signs of our times and stand as watchmen on the wall. Set us on fire with Your Holy Spirit, Lord. Set us ablaze! You are a consuming fire. Your Word is a fire in our bones, and we must share the good news. Lord, give us the courage to be “spark spitters” and to fan the flame burning in others. We want to be a contagious people and not fire quenchers. We don’t want to douse others with water but rather with Your fire. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.
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