Welcome to my world. Hoping you find courage and inspiration here. We each can be each other's armourbearer. Together we are Strong, Stronger and Strongest. We are all better together. Together we win.
Grace comes from the Father. Faith is the hand, the vessel, the medium through which and by which we receive that which the Father has for us. That which the Father has is useless if we are unable to access it.
We have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly places. They are no good for us here in the earthly realm except and until we access them by Faith.
We have been given all that pertains to life and godliness ONLY through the knowledge of Christ. That knowledge produces the faith by which we access the blessings.
The truth we get to know, as we continue in the word, produces faith in us which receives the freedom God already has for us. The more truth, the more faith, the freedom, the more glory.
We all are created by God to be storytellers. Storytelling is a human phenomenon and is meant to be an asset. Even though it can also be a liability. Jesus was a storyteller, and possibly the greatest at it. You read through the gospel and see that 90% of Jesus' teachings are parables, otherwise known as stories. Why?
Storytelling is the most powerful way of communicating. It uses the things people know and are familiar with to explain truths they have yet to encounter. The new truths are thus easier to understand and visualize by substitution in the minds of the hearers.
Storytelling is also the way we frame or reframe the events of our past, either in such a way as to empower or limit us.
Two sons of a drunkard recounted the story of their past differently and thus turned out differently. One told the story as something to avoid, and the other as something to use as an alibi. The first turned out better than the father, while the other turned out just like and even worse than the father.
Why? Who is at fault - God, their father, or the sons?
One thing is common between the rich and the poor, the righteous and the sinner. God gave them all the vision. How they use their vision determines how they spin their story. How they spin their story determines who they become.
Remember, it is never what you are looking at. It is always what you see. What you see is a function of your vision, who you are. What you see determines your story. Your story determines the trajectory of your life - positively or negatively. You are the responsible party, not what you are looking at.
Lastly, storytelling is how we prophesy about our future. We create a picture of who we want to be, where we want to be, etc. It becomes the command we give to our subconsciousness to function. Jim Henson spins it this way,
"Life's like a movie; write your own ending, keep believing, keep pretending."
We are the scriptwriters on which our life runs. This is irrespective of where we find ourselves and the privileges we think we have or not. It does not change the responsibility we carry on our shoulders. We are the masters of our fate and destiny. No other person can carry this weight on our behalf.
The story we write for our today and tomorrow is the trajectory our life and soul will follow irrespective of our seeming =desires or prayers. Life answers to our script, not our seeming prayers. Our script is our true prayers and handwriting upon the sand of life.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
We can fine-tune and develop our spirit to guarantee and ascertain the type of guidance it receives from the invisible realm. One would imagine that was where the rascals referred to in Matthew 7:21-23 missed it. They had speed but lacked direction. Progress and growth are about direction, not sheer noise or notoriety. God promises us guidance, but He will not force us to heed it. [Isaiah 30:21; Psalm 37:23-24; Psalm 32:8-9]
Yes, God leads us by a physical audible voice, deep impression in our spirit (intuition, still small voice), and visions. [Numbers 12:6-8] The most common type of vision God uses is the vision of the night, otherwise known as dreams. Not all dreams are guidance, but some are. Most visions via dreams are symbolic in nature, and thus, require interpretation and understanding. Never be in a hurry to interpret a dream. Allow peace to reign.
God will give understanding, in the place of peace and rest. God does not give us dreams to create fear in our lives. Fear is not a tool in the arsenal of God. Faith and love are. If your dream is creating fear, question its origin. If God reveals, it is because He wants you to take an act of faith and love, not fear. And, if He reveals a thing to you, it is because you can do something about it, and He wants you to.
There are also visions of the day. The first of these is called a Trance. A trance is very similar to a dream in that you lose consciousness of the visible world, while a window is opened into the invisible world. It is an opening of the curtain into the metaphysical realm, while you lose consciousness of the physical. The main difference between it and a dream is that you are not the active agent in shutting off your consciousness.
Dreams and Trance are often confused with one another. An example is the case of the Apostle Peter. [Acts 10:9-16] Peter did not go to sleep of his own accord. He fell into a trance. The active agent was the trance. It was a vision of the day. The third type of vision, which is also a vision of the day, is what we popularly refer to as vision. It is called an open vision, more to differentiate it from the other two.
An open vision, which is the highest form of vision, is one in which the curtain to the metaphysical is opened without closing that to the physical. One sees the invisible consciously, while also seeing the visible at the same time. This is the example we see here in our text, Daniel 10:14. Daniel saw and communicated with the angel in an open vision.
All the different ways by which prophecy comes are open to us, even today. Whether we get to access them or not is a function of the message God decides to pass on through us, and how we prepare ourselves or not as a vessel for such. Prophecy is ALWAYS at the auspices of God, but the willingness and readiness of the vessel determine the pass-through or the lack thereof.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
Dreams, just as much as they can be symbolic, and MOST times are, can also be direct messaging from divinity. And we see examples of this in the scriptures. Joseph's three encounters were direct messaging. He did not need a third party's interpretation. [Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 2:11-23] Solomon's encounter was not as direct, but he could still decipher the message without the need for a third party. [1 Kings 3:5; 2 Chronicles 1:7]
Solomon's story had always told us as though it was an open vision, but it was not. It was not even a trance. It was a vision of the night, a dream. Just imagined how mature and whole Solomon's subconsciousness needed to be for the Lord to commune with him at such a level. I know it might not mean much to the casual reader, but that is loaded.
Solomon needed to have a congruency between his conscious and subconscious being for God to commune with and vouch for Solomon's response at the subconscious level. And that was further affirmed by Solomon's conscious response to making an extravagant offering. God wants us all to develop our unconsciousness to this level.
This would raise the standard, frequency, and veracity of guidance we receive via dreams and inner impressions, or intuition. Here again, we tune to Hebrews 5:14. It reads, "But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." "Senses exercised," that is to a place of maturity as exhibited by Solomon.
If you want guidance from the invisible realm the onus is on you to ensure the instrument that is you is tuned accordingly. It comes by exercise in peace, tranquility, and oneness. As Jesus puts it,
"“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!" (Matthew 6:22-23)
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
God speaks through dreams, as a type of vision, seeing. Isn't it amazing that prophets are also known as and called seers? Those who see what others do not. We all supposedly see, but the prophetic extends your seeing to another level altogether. You become a superhuman by virtual seeing. And one of the ways of supernatural seeing is dreaming. The invisible realm can and does open itself to us in dreams.
Dreams are the easiest and most common type of vision. Almost every Tom, Dick, and Harry can be visited in a dream. This seems to be alluded to in Numbers 12:6. It reads, "Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream." The challenge with dreams is they are not plain speaking. They are subject to interpretation.
You or anyone can have any kind of dream. It means nothing and is useless without the right interpretation and or understanding. We see several examples of this in the scriptures. Here in our study of Daniel, we see several, including our present text. The angel had come to give the interpretation and understanding of the vision Daniel had. Pharoah needed an understanding of his dream, which Joseph provided.
Joseph's testament always rings in my mind, when it comes to dreams. "So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”" (Genesis 40:8b) It is very easy to be misguided by dreams, and a great many have been. The symbolism might be confusing. They might not be literal in interpretations. The important thing is never to be in a hurry to jump at an interpretation. Rest and God will make it clear.
Not all dreams are symbolic in nature. Some are clear messages. Irrespective though, it MUST not rob you of your peace. God is not an author of confusion. And, just as in all other prophecies, it is with the intent of edification. "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." (1 Corinthians 14:3)
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
So, God speaks to us through direct physically audible voices, which is very rare, especially, in this dispensation. We see an example of this in His call to Samuel. [1 Samuel 3] He does not do as much of that today, possibly because His spirit is now resident in us. More of what we see today is the deep impression of His spirit, which is just as good as an audio voice, depending on how exercised or developed your spirit is.
As alluded to above, this can be developed. Jesus tells us that, "if we desire to do His will, we will know His will." [John 7:17] "If we hunger and thirst after His will, He will fill us." [Matthew 5:6] "If we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us." [James 4:8] It is just as simple as that, but it does not come from a haphazard application. It must be true. It must be deep. It must be whole. [Jeremiah 29:13]
The next common way by which God speaks to us is through visions. This is alluded to in our texts, Daniel 10:14 and Numbers 12:6-8. Though Dreams are mentioned separately, they are a type of vision. Vision is exactly as the word implies. It involves seeing. There are three (3) basic types of visions. The commonest and simplest is a dream. Not all dreams are visions, nor do all dreams mean something or a message from divinity.
There are dreams and there are dreams. Most dreams are simply a replay of the day's events or that of the past. They are simply our subconsciousness playing a trick on us and possibly mean nothing. The dreams that might mean something are those which involve a third party. That third party can either be God or the devil, and his agents. When it is from the devil, it is possibly an attack. When it is of God, it is possibly a message, a direction, a revelation, a wisdom.
Some of the ways to distinguish the third-party agents include their alignment or lack thereof with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word agree. [1 John 5:7-8] God will NEVER give a message which does not agree with His word. The Word is the Word of Truth. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He is the Spirit of the Word. The Father, The Spirit, and The Word agree.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
So, how does prophecy come? How do we hear from the Holy? An easy place to start is God's direct word on this. We see this in Numbers 12:6-8. It reads,
"Then He said, “Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”"
So, God speaks or makes His mind known in prophecies by speaking directly. We have examples of this both in the Old and New Testament. It can be a physical audible voice, or one heard only in one's spirit, an impression. An impression is one open to all believers, but a physical audible voice is rare, and ONLY occurs in special dispensations. "God does not use a hammer on everything."
The impression in our spirit is popularly known as the still small voice. In secular terms, it can also be known as intuition. These are the ways Words of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Prophecy come. [1 Corinthians 12:8] In a sense, all are words of prophecy. The demarcations just describe the specificity of the operation. They are all an infusion and or incursion of the invisible and supernatural into our everyday, visible, and natural way of living.
Impressions and or intuitions are available to all. We can develop our spirit and or senses to mature this part of our being. [Hebrews 5:14] Guidance is available to all through this medium. Like little Samuel, we have to learn to discern what is being said. In addition, we need to judge what is being said to ascertain the source. The Spirit and the Word agree. God will NEVER tell us what is not in agreement with His Word.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
Prophecy, like every other spiritual gift, is at the auspices of the Holy Ghost. [1 Corinthians 12:7] This is an easy way to assess maturity in the Pentecostal and or charismatic folds, where emotions get the better of us, more easily. It is not what or how we feel. It is what the Holy Ghost is directing and inspiring. He is the senior partner and must be so held in everything every time.
This is important to note because it is so easy not to. Spiritual gifts come with their cross. Gifts have a way of getting into the head of the carrier. It feels good to operate in gifting. It comes with stars, the admiration, and attraction of others. That on its own can compete with God in the carrier's life and heart. That is why many have missed their way.
Gifts, including prophesying, are manifestations of the Holy Spirit, not us. They are not opportunities to show our flesh. That is worth mentioning and reiterating. Just as the priest, in the Old Testament, is expected to cover his flesh when he comes to the altar, we are each expected to do the same when we operate in the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. That is our responsibility, not God's, nor others. It is a cross that comes with the gift.
The Common English Bible version reads 1 Corinthians 12:7:
"A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good."
Like every other manifestation of the Holy Spirit, prophecy is for our common good. It is for us all to profit from and thereby, not just the carrier. If a prophecy does not move the church forward, it is questionable. God is about the church, not just the individual.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
It does not fail to amaze me the arrogance displayed on the pew by those who are expected to know and act better. Ministry is not about us. It is all about God - the Godhead. We are servants, slaves, though children just as well. A lack of an understanding of this is what gets people into the kind of mess expatiated by Jesus in Matthew 7.21-23.
Jesus gives us an inkling into what our attitude should be in Luke 17:10. It reads, "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do.’”" We MUST never get to the place where we suppose ourselves FAMILIAR with God. It is an easy ticket to HELL. We MUST always be in AWE of Him even in the midst of the seeming familiarity.
Apostle Paul understands this. So, he tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:11, "Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences." Without losing sight of the second part of the verse, my focus is on the first part. Our Loving and Merciful God is also a Terrible God. If you know, you know. Ask Job, Moses, etc.
He is thrice Holy God. We MUST never forget that. He MUST ALWAYS be held in HIGH esteem in our hearts, otherwise, we will miss Him, and eternity with Him. He is not our mate. He is bigger than us. Need I say that again. The Apostle Peter writes,
"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed." (1 Peter 3;15-16)
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
Revelations, and by extension the Bible closes with this truth, as unveiled in Revelations 22:18-19,
"For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
The testimony of Jesus [The Word of God, The Way, The Truth, The Life] is the spirit of prophecy.” The Word itself is "The Book of Prophecy." And it is sufficient and whole. It does not need our rascality. Jesus' prayer to the Father was, "Sanctify [separate, make holy, keep, protect, mark out] them by Your truth. Your word is truth." His word is all that we need, and it is enough.
That is what Abraham meant when he told the Rich man, "They have the laws and the prophets. If that can't save your brothers, nothing else will." [Luke 16:31] Just for the sake of a great many unbelieving seeming believers, God has allowed a good number to come back from the dead, just to prove Abraham right. Now we are without excuses.
Only two persons birth us - The Word and The Spirit. Only two persons sanctify us - The Word and The Spirit. Only two persons will present us, Holy, before the Father - The Word and The Spirit. Let us focus on the majors and minor on the minor. The Word of God is our stay, not the noise of prophecies that are so prevalent amongst those seeking notoriety.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
The word "afraid" in Deuteronomy 18:22 can also be termed to mean "respect, regard or held in honor." Placed back in the text, we see God telling us not to honor those who deceive us with prophecy, which comes from their minds' vanity. They are simply gambling with possible occurrences. Empty in themselves, they seek notoriety.
Prophecy is God's Prerogative. Not ours.
How simpler can I say this? Prophecy is not our prerogative. It is God's. It is against the divine order to lust after prophecy. All the prophecies we need to live successfully in our today have already been given. They are in the book already. It is our job and task to find it out, seek understanding, and live by them.
Proverbs 25:2 reads, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." God has concealed the matter in His book. He expects us to search it out, understand it, and walk in the understanding we get.
That is the reply Abraham gave to the "Rich man," when he felt otherwise. The Rich man thought by sending someone from the dead the message will be weightier. "But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”" (Luke 16:31)
Yet people suppose The Word is inadequate to meet their daily challenges. They suppose themselves wiser than God. They seek to force fit God into their out-of-shape hole. They thus open themselves up to deceptive spirits, which hold them willful captives.
The Word is complete and whole. That is all we need to make it in this life. We can live a whole and fulfilling life with a single prophecy outside of the Word of God. ONLY children and IMMATURE minds lust after prophecies. MATURE CHRISTIAN long daily for God's word, by reading, studying, meditating, and living it.
It is those looking for excuses from obeying and living the Word who lust after prophecies. And we see an example in Saul, [1 Samuel 28:3-25] Jeroboam, [1 Kings 14] and Ahab. [1 Kings 22:1-28; 2 Chronicles 18:1-27]
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
Prophecies are simply the foretelling or prediction of what is to come. Period. It can also be enlightenment because of inspiration. These inspirations are not limited to God. The devil also inspires people to prophesy. We see the example of the girl possessed by an evil spirit prophesying about the Apostle Paul. [Acts 16:16-19] Other examples, in the scriptures, include divination by sorcerers. Saul's consultation with the spirit of Samuel.
Hence, the need not be so overly fascinated with or by prophecy. It hypnotizes the hearers and seekers and can easily drive them away from the will of God for their lives. False prophecy seeks worship. Their adherents make a god of them, to the abhorrence of God Almighty. Just as you cannot serve God and money, you cannot serve God and a lust for prophecy.
That is what God tells us in Deuteronomy 29:29. It reads,
"“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law."
A lust for prophecy is a lust for the secret things, which God ONLY gives in His own time, not ours. God in His wisdom NEVER gives us the whole book of our lives. NEVER. He simply opens each at the right time, when we are ready for it. Until we are ready, the next page and or chapter will not be opened. Our lust for it only opens us up to strange and demonic spirits, who make mincemeat of us.
It is God's prerogative to give a word of prophecy, not ours to lust after it. When we miss the divine order. Abuse is inevitable, as is so prevalent in our society, and church today.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
The word "afraid" in Deuteronomy 18:22 can also be termed to mean "respect, regard or held in honor." Placed back in the text, we see God telling us not to honor those who deceive us with prophecy, which comes from their minds' vanity. They are simply gambling with possible occurrences. Empty in themselves, they seek notoriety.
This is important, just like every other scripture. It is for our protection. A whole lot of people have taken this guidance for granted and have thus become willful captives of these false prophets. The internet is full of their abuses. Yet people, like "Sheep meant for the Slaughter," still follow. Why? They have been bewitched (hypnotized, under a spell).
God has already provided wise counsel. We must harness it. Jesus adds, "By their fruits, you will know them." That is our superpower. If we don't use it, we have ourselves to blame. God is not mocked. We each reap what we sow.
I know these false prophets use scriptures to confuse and enslave their victims. Scriptures like, "Touch not my anointed." Who is God's anointed? Only these false prophets, or God's house? What do you understand by 1 Peter 3:5? It reads,
"You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
You are the "You," not just these "false prophets." You are just as anointed as they are. Get over the fear factor, their superpower, but your downfall. Only agents of the devil use "fear" as a tool. God uses faith, not fear. Get on God's side and live.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig into verse 14 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision refers to many days yet to come.”"
This captures my heart, and it does not in isolation. It is particularly important considering the present-day abuse of prophecies. Moreso in my country of birth, Nigeria. We just went through our four-year cycle electioneering process. And, as always, it was an opportunity to see, in clear view, the immaturity of a lot of folks, even in the Christian fold. Even in the supposed leadership. Their flesh was exposed.
We had people issuing out prophecies of the electioneering result and eventual inauguration as though they heard directly from God but were only spewing out the evil imaginations of their flesh. They supposed that God would support their noise. Not so is the God of Heaven. And not without forewarning.
Deuteronomy 18:22 reads,
"When a man who speaks for God speaks in the name of the Lord, and what he says does not come true, that word is not from the Lord. The man has spoken on his own. Do not be afraid of him."
In my country of birth, Nigeria, there are a bunch of rascals, who climb the pulpit every Sunday, but are notorious for issuing a boatload of prophecies, that have NEVER come to pass. Yet, they move on as though NOTHING happened. What is by far more amazing is that their followers see nothing wrong with it. Probably, that shouldn't be amazing. They gave birth to their likes after all.
When these rascals make the habit of giving prophecies that never come true, what other things are they saying that are not true? Can we truly rest our destiny in their hands? Can we rest our eternity in their hands? Can we trust them to walk in the light of their supposed calling?
Ephesians 4:12 tells us the calling of a Prophet is
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
So, what did Jesus mean when he said,
“Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” [John 11:41-42]
There are three parts to Jesus' statement. One, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me." This refers to an encounter that had taken place before the point in time of the statement. Jesus had prayed prior to this encounter. So, he was essentially giving thanks for God's answer to his prior prayer.
Jesus' encounter with death Lazarus was not his first time talking to the Father about the incident. He had prayed prior and was confident of the Father's will and answer on the issue. He saw the Father's bend on the issue and was here following suit. He was not forcing the hand of God on the matter. He was working as he saw His Father. [John 5:17]
The second part we see in Jesus' statement is, "And I know that You always hear Me." Why? Why does God always hear Jesus, and why was Jesus confident about this? I guess it is not far from 1 John 5:14-15, John 5:17, and Matthew 6:33. Jesus was in sync with the Father's will. He was about His Kingdom, Lordship, Glory, Will, and Righteousness.
Hence, he could be confident of the Father ALWAYS hearing him. Note, "The Father" is NEVER the one in short supply. We are. [Isaiah 59:1-2]
"Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit." (James 5:17-18)
You would suppose if God could answer Jesus and Elijah, He'll answer us also, only if we fit the billing.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
The Apostle John writes,
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)
This is the crux of the trail which got us here, "coming to a place of peace in our walk with God." A place of peace with God is where we are at the center of His will for us. So, when the scriptures tell us of Enoch walking with God [Genesis 5:22-24], it means to say, "Enoch started walking in the center of God's will for his life."
Enoch sought after and locked himself to the will of God and allowed himself to be conquered by it. It parallels Jesus' advice in Matthew 6:33. He said, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."
"The kingdom of God and His righteousness" can easily be sufficed as "God's will." Hence, Jesus was in essence asking us to walk with God. He asked us to walk with God, and be locked into His will, for that is the key to getting all that heaven has to offer, including walking into glory.
This was what the rascals in Matthew 7 missed. [Matthew 7:14-29] They were about their own business supposedly in the name of God. They did things that looked like the will of God, but their own lives were not subjected to the will and person of God. They were more attuned to religious practice, but their hearts were far from God.
God is not calling us to religious practice. He is calling us to Himself. He is calling us to worship, true wholehearted worship. He is calling us to the holiest of all, to Himself. He is calling us to fellowship. He is calling us to be with Him. He wants to be a God who is Near to us, not one who is distant.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
What was in the mind of Jacob, as he prepared to head back to Canaan, away from his father-in-law, but to his twin-brother, whom he had betrayed? [Genesis 30:20-21; 32] He was running away from one who had best him at the game of deception to the place he had left because of deception.
He was running from a place he had come to the end of himself to a place he had to confront himself. And God specializes in bring us all to that place. Until we do, we do not start our re-birth process. Our re-birth begins at the place where we truly come to the end of ourselves and begin to live as is written in the volumes of the book concerning us. [Psalm 40:7-9; Hebrews 10:7]
This is what the Apostolic refer to as the second work of grace, "Sanctification." Sanctification is the purification of the heart of a person—a dedication to God, and His way. It is the yielding to the influence of the Spirit and the Word. [John 3:5; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 12:1-2; Philippians 2:12-13]
It is the dying process, that Christ might live in and through one, indeed. [Galatians 2:20] It is a circumcision process and might leave a certain physical or psychological mark as a memorial. [Deuteronomy 10:12-16; Romans 2:25-29; Colossians 2:11]
Jacob had sought for the easy life without opposition with Laban, yet he found the opposite. What he found did not give him the rest he sought for all his life, till he came to himself. And was ready to combat himself. He thus wrestled with himself till he got the breakthrough he sought.
He was done running. He was done chasing. He had found the peace he sought in God and in himself, under God. He was now ready to face life as it is, not necessarily as he wanted it. He could face life as it is, with God on his side.
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
Jesus' promise to us is that, if we hunger and thirst after righteousness [God], we will be filled. [Matthew 5:6] Our place is to do the hunger and thirst. God's part is to do the filling. God will not force down our throat the food and drink we do not want.
I love the way Ayn Rand puts it. She said, "An attempt to achieve the good by force is like an attempt to provide a man with a picture gallery at the price of cutting out his eyes." That's powerful. God will not force Himself on anyone. If we are going to enter into His rest, His peace, it will ONLY be because we choose to.
God is never the bottleneck. We are. He is faithfully constant and ever willing to pour out of His fullness. He is love and His mercies are new every morning. [Lamentations 3:22-23] He is sufficient, and sufficiently able. He is our Salvation, Strength, Sheild and Refuge. [Psalm 27:1; 46; Isaiah 12:2]
If and when we come to the realization that we need Him, He will grant us grace. For as long as we think and act otherwise, He continue to put a stumbling block before us in a bid to bring us to the end of ourselves. [James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5]
So, when Moses turned aside to see the burning bush, it was an expression of the state of his act. He had not given up on God. He was still seeking after God, though it has been 40 years in waiting. His heart was not hard against God. It was ever tender, ever seeking, and ever pliable. [Exodus 3:2-10]
Let's read again verse 2 of Exodus 3. Note, it was not about the burning bush. It was all about Moses. The angel came to Moses, but he did not come as an angel. He came as a burning bush. Moses' heart led him to his encounter. Just how many of us miss our ordained encounter just because it does not look like it.
God specializes in doing that. The appearance is a test of our heart. God might not call the seeming qualified in temporal things, He ALWAYS calls the qualified in permanent and heart heavy things. If the spirit ain't right, God will neither call, nor use you, irrespective of who you are or seem to be. [1 Samuel 16:7]
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
What was it about Moses that made him turn aside to inquire more about the burning bush? [Exodus 3:3-10] Would you have? Would God have gotten your attention that way? What was it about Samuel that made him seek after Eli and then God's voice. [1 Samuel 3:4-20] Would you have obeyed Eli to answer to God?
That brings to mind that age old song/hymn composed by Eduardo J. Lango, "When He Calls Me I will Answer." The first and second stanzas go thus,
1. When he calls me I will answer,
When he calls me I will answer,
When he calls me I will answer;
2 With a glad heart I will answer,
With a glad heart I will answer,
With a glad heart I will answer;
The Refrain goes thus,
I'll be somewhere list'ning for my name.
I'll be somewhere list'ning,
I'll be somewhere list'ning,
I'll be somewhere list'ning for my name.
Oh, I'll be somewhere list'ning,
I'll be somewhere list'ning,
I'll be somewhere list'ning for my name.
The Refrain has another version, I grew up with. It goes thus,
I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.
I'll be somewhere working,
I'll be somewhere working,
I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.
Oh, I'll be somewhere working,
I'll be somewhere working,
I'll be somewhere working for my Lord.
When God calls you, will He find you ready? Will He find you listening? Will He find you working and/or walking for/with Him? How deep is your devotion? Good enough only for Sundays and times within the four walls of the church? Or, does it also find you in the marketplace?
We continue with our meditations in The Book of Daniel, as we continue to dig deeper into verse 13 of Chapter 10. It reads,
"But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia."
O what difference it would have made for the Israelites if, like Elijah, they realized God is not in "the great and strong wind," "the earthquake," "the thunderings and lightnings," "the fire," and "the smoke." [1 Kings 19:11-13; Exodus 19:16-20] O what difference it will make for each one of us, today, if we can go beyond the veil of religion to see God as He is.
The question then begs why God puts up this front. The answer should not be farfetched in all we have been touching on so far. It is for our own good and preservation, lest we take Him for granted and provoke His wroth. He is the thrice Holy God and He will not give that to dogs, nor pigs. [Matthew 7:6]
All the winds and waves seen on surface does not get to the heart of the sea, where there is calmness. That is where God wants us to be, in His heart. He does not want any of the noises stand in our way of worship. He wants us to come beyond the veils into the Holy of Holies, the Holiest of all to worship.
Jesus did not die so we might remain outer, nor inner court worshippers. No! No! No! He died that we might come freely into "The throne Room" to worship. [Hebrews 4:16; 2 Corinthians 3:11-14] Abraham and Moses found their way there. God called them His friend. [2 Chronicles 20:7; Exodus 33:11; Deuteronomy 34:10] David did. He was called "a man after God's heart."
These are examples for us to follow, not idols to worship. God wants to call each one of us His friend, and a person after His own heart. [1 Corinthians 10:6-11] That is why Jesus came, died, rose and ascended into Heaven. This is why the veil was torn. Jesus is our peace, who has broken down every wall of limitation, and alienation. We are without excuse.
