Love Has a Name!

Leave a Comment / Love of God / By

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17

In a world where the definition of love is constantly evolving and becoming nebulous, God’s definition has remained powerful and unchanging! People use the word “love” to conveniently describe their likes and enjoyments of variety of things. However, as believers, we know a greater and deeper experience of love than all the worldly definitions offered to us.

We are the ones who have experienced the pure love of God! Many people may have claimed that they loved us, but their love was shallow, inconsistent, or even disappointing. On the other hand, God’s love shown through Jesus’ sacrifice has transformed us and has been life-changing! This love gives us a new chance in life and has delivered us from all kinds of bondages and insecurities!

True love has a price associated with it, and God paid the price by sending His only begotten son to show His love towards us! And Jesus loved the Father and humanity so much that He was willing to give Himself for our redemption and the restoration of our relationship to the Father!

The below song is a beautiful worship song about the love of Jesus for us! Meditate on the love of God by listening to this worship song. Allow the Lord to speak to your heart and receive His love in a fresh way! Remember where He has brought you from and thank Him for who He is and what He means to you!

 

 

The Desire for Knowledge (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Fear of God, knowledge / By

Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:29-33

This past week, I had a very interesting conversation with someone in regards to knowledge. She was advocating a form of Eastern meditation, and I challenged her on it since she claims to be a believer.  She disagreed with me and insisted that knowledge is far wider than what the Bible tells us, and she felt that we should be open to other sources of knowledge.

This is exactly what the above scripture tells us about the dangers of knowledge apart from the fear of the Lord! Not every knowledge is valuable or fruitful. More importantly, some knowledge denies the existence of a holy God and what He declares good or evil. If we open the door to ungodly knowledge, it will cause us to veer off from God’s path and gradually we will find ourselves on a path of destruction. Furthermore, we open the door to the demonic world by coming into agreement with the lies of the enemy.

We live in a culture that the latest and greatest is the most popular. However, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The truth about spiritual matters does not change. The Lord does not change to accommodate our lust for the latest and greatest! His ways are tried and true! We have many witnesses from the Bible as well as history that confirms those who walk with God reap a harvest of righteousness. Their lives are more peaceful and stable! To the contrary, we also have the opportunity to learn from those who disregard God’s law and end up in all kinds of pain and bondage.

When we build our understanding of the world based on the fear and the love of God, we have a firm foundation that allows us to evaluate the information we consume appropriately. It doesn’t mean that we can’t look for other sources to gather information and gain knowledge; it just means that we evaluate everything through the prism of the Bible and the knowledge of the Lord!

There are millions of books out there that promise to provide us with knowledge. However, there is one book that is far greater and more powerful than any other book ever written in the history of mankind and that is the Bible! Do we value the knowledge that the Lord has provided for us through His word!? Do we allow it to form our worldview!? 

The Lord has given every person the power of choice! People can choose to treasure His word or to seek after other knowledge outside of the boundary of God. The enemy will continue to whisper in people’s ear that they are going to miss out on something if they don’t pursue other kinds of knowledge. The enemy also accuses God of withholding good information from them. However, the above passage tells us that if we want to dwell safely and to be secure in life, we should listen to the Lord and seek His knowledge!

 

 

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The Desire for Knowledge (Part I)

Leave a Comment / Fear of the Lord, knowledge / By

Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend the garden and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;  but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17

 

After the Lord created Adam, He allowed Him to name all the animals and to tend the garden. Adam gained knowledge and understanding of his environment through his relationship with the Lord. He had no need for the knowledge of good and evil, for the Lord had provided everything good for him. He wasn’t missing out on anything that he needed to know. However, the serpent deceived Adam and Eve into thinking that they were missing out if they didn’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The serpent even told them that if they eat of it, they will become like God!

The truth is that Adam and Eve were already like God! The Lord had created them in His image! At the same time, Adam and Eve were designed to remain dependent on the Lord and gain knowledge in their relationship with God. The enemy tried to pull them away from their dependency on the Lord and have them seek knowledge independent from Him! This led them to rebellion.

In their perfect state, Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan to crave knowledge and seek it in an ungodly way. Anytime, we try to take matters into our own hands, we’re not allowing the Lord to lead and guide us! We have chosen to fulfill our own will apart from God’s will, and that’s called rebellion!

Because they hated knowledge
And did not choose the fear of the Lord,
They would have none of my counsel
And despised my every rebuke.
Therefore they shall eat the fruit of their own way,
And be filled to the full with their own fancies.
For the turning away of the simple will slay them,
And the complacency of fools will destroy them;

But whoever listens to me will dwell safely,
And will be secure, without fear of evil.” Proverbs 1:29-33

The above scripture tells us that people hated knowledge and did not fear God! It wasn’t that people didn’t want to learn new things, but they wanted to do it apart from the fear of the Lord! Isn’t this what we see in our culture nowadays!? We do not have lack of education or knowledge in this country; we have variety of ways to seek and obtain them. People spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to go to prestigious schools in search of impressive education. Their hope is to gain knowledge and expertise, so they can gain good income and thereby build their dream life!

People are programmed to think that the way to success is through education and gaining knowledge. For many, their faith is that the knowledge will bring security and satisfaction. They cannot imagine that a personal relationship with our Creator can settles their hearts.

True knowledge will include God as the center of it all. Man’s minute and carnal understanding of his world is deficient and inadequate apart from the knowledge of his Creator and Savior! When we look to the Lord as the foundation for our lives, then the knowledge gained will be filtered through the knowledge of God, and consequently, the end result is to glorify God!

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

 

 

Paid in Full!

Leave a Comment / Forgiveness, Redemption / By

 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls,  who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Matthew 13:45-46

Jesus likened the kingdom of God to a merchant looking for beautiful pearls. We can presume that this  merchant knew and understood the quality and value of  pearls. He came across this beautiful pearl, and he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to buy it even it it cost him everything!

Similarly, God is expert in humanity and knows and understands our value and our potential! Although sin had marred humanity, the Lord knew the beauty of human soul, for He created us in His image! Even though the Lord still possessed this whole amazing world with all its beauty, but God’s heart was after people! When sin entered the world, it broke our covenant with a Holy God, and humanity no longer belonged to the kingdom of God. We were no longer in relationship with God! Therefore, we had to be bought back from the kingdom of darkness. So the Lord sent Jesus to seek and save those who were lost!

In the above parable, the beautiful pearl was a pricy one, but the merchant was willing to sell all he had to buy it. The merchant had found something that was worth more than all the others things he owned, and he was willing to sell everything to pay full price and purchase this pearl of great price.

We were also pricy to be bought by God. From the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, He called us good! Sin did not change our value before God, but it caused us to be separated from the Kingdom of God. To fix the problem, humanity had to be bought back from the kingdom of darkness. The price was very high, and the only one qualified to pay the price was God’s son, the perfect one!

Jesus’ blood paid in full the price for our salvation! He paid full price for the pearl of great price! He didn’t leave anything out to be bought later. He died for our past, present, and future sins. He died for our insecurities, shame, guilt, inadequacies, rejection, rebellion, and pain. There is nothing that Jesus’ blood cannot cover, and He cannot forgive. He washed us clean as the pearls of great price. His satisfaction is for us to be belong to Him!

For those of you who have never known Jesus, He has already paid the full price for your forgiveness and restoration! Hs saw you as valuable despite all your past, and He died on the cross to buy you back from sin and destruction and to bring you to His Kingdom of light and freedom! The invitation is yours  if you choose to accept His work on the cross on your behalf and surrender your life to Him! If you are ready to accept Jesus as your Savior and Lord, click on Salvation prayer at the top of this page and pray the prayer. I can assure you that your life will never be the same again, and you begin a journey in knowing and growing in God that will last you a lifetime!

For those of you who already know Jesus, is there anything that keeps you from Him? Is there anything that causes you to feel not accepted? The truth is that He paid the price in Full, so there is nothing that can keep you from the love of God. Talk to the Lord and lay down anything that has been a heavy burden or has caused a distance in your relationship to God or others. He paid it all, and He can restore your life when you give him the reins!

Let’s thank the Lord for what He has done for us and receive His acceptance in full! Praise the Lord for sending Jesus to the earth, and thank you Jesus for paying the full price for our redemption and restoration!

 

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Fight the Good Fight (Part IV)

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Sometimes fighting the good fight is not what we do actively, but what we allow passively in our lives! One of the subtle ways that we lose ground in fighting the good fight is our thought life! Many times we can be passive with the thoughts that come to our minds not recognizing that they will impact our attitudes and actions!

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. 2Corinthians 10:4-6

Apostle Paul exposed the thought life as one of the key areas that we must take control of to gain victory in our lives. This warfare cannot be won unless we are willing to take down the strongholds that gave us false security. Our carnal nature is designed to protect itself from harm and pain. One of the ways we guard ourselves is that we create strongholds to hide behind them to ensure we are protected. The strongholds can be created due to past experiences, hurt, ungodly soulish ties, and disappointments. We also develop arguments based on our carnal understanding, which justify the existence of the strongholds. Therefore, strongholds and arguments work together to create a carnal shield or fortress against pain. The problem is that this carnal shield also hinders our growth and development in the faith and the new things God wants to do in our lives in changing our attitudes and our perception of the world around us.

If we want to be freed from the bondage of lies and not be held captive to the deception of the enemy, we must tear down strongholds and arguments and hold them captive to the obedience of Christ. We are either held captive by them, or we must hold them captive!

How do we recognize what is of the enemy? Below verses give us insight into it.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:8-9

When we begin to walk with God, He desires to change us inside out. Many of our visible habits can be stopped much easier and faster, but it is our internal world that requires deep work of the Holy Spirit! One of the ways that God wants to change us is the way we think. Our thought life either produces life-giving attitudes and actions or it causes negativity, suspicion, and animosity in the way we see our world! When we are willing to actively pay attention to our thought-life and hold thoughts that cause stress, anxiety, and pain captive, then we can meditate on thoughts that are true, noble, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy.

To live life according to the above scriptures is much harder than a strenuous exercise! It requires attention, focus, consistency, and faith to continue to push through all the negativity that tries to barge in our hearts and minds. The good news is that if we commit to following through with the above two scriptures, we will experience a new dimension of deliverance that will wipe out depression, anger, bitterness, jealousy, insecurity, strife, and division in our lives. Over time, it will also get easier to think the right thoughts. The by-product of this disciplined lifestyle is that we are fighting the good fight according to God’s instructions and blueprints!

 

 

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Fight the Good Fight (Part III)

Leave a Comment / Fight, Kingdom of God, Purpose / By

Are you laying hold of all that Jesus laid hold of you!? Apostle Paul shows us how to do it. He is a good model of someone who continually fought the good fight! His life is a testimony of longevity and success in fighting the good fight of faith!

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,  I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14

Although Paul had accomplished much in his ministry, he knew that he needed to continue to press on and lay hold of God! The above scriptures give us insight on how he persevered and continued to advance in God’s purpose!

Paul did not think that he had attained everything or had arrived spiritually. He did not see himself as a completely perfected believer. Instead, he saw himself as one who was still on his way to perfection. This reminds me of what Paul wrote in 1Corinthians 13.

For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 1 Corinthians 13:9-12

Paul likened his walk to a child and saw himself putting childish things away as he matured. Even though he had put childish ways aside, he still only saw in the mirror dimly. He did not assume that he saw everything clearly. Paul had a correct evaluation of his maturity in the Lord. He did not confuse his success in ministry with perfection in the faith. He also was not deceived with the fact that just because the Lord had given him revelation and insight in the spiritual realm, that it meant that he knew all there was about the Kingdom of God! This humility and correct evaluation of his walk allowed him to remain dependent on the Lord and keep pressing on!

Similarly, we may have impressive ministry in preaching, prophecy, or writing, but none of those should make us think that we have arrived! The Lord graciously gives us insight, revelation, and understanding, but what He shows us, is minute in comparison to the magnificence of God and His total plan for the humanity. Recognizing our dependence on the Lord will cause us to continue to press on and not get complacent or lazy.

In the above passage in Philippians, Paul continued by stating that as he pressed on, he forgot what was behind him! He did not look back! Paul’s past was a mixture of worldly success and failure since he had persecuted the church. If Paul had looked back at his life, he could have been trapped by the guilt and shame of the past and what he did to the innocent believers such as Stephen. On the other hand, he may have missed the prestige and the status he used to have among his counterparts. Looking back would not have produced any good fruit, and it would have only trapped him in the past and derailed him from pressing on and moving forward in God’s purpose.

The only benefit of looking back is when we remind ourselves of God’s loving kindness and His deliverance in our lives. Otherwise, the past can trap us. Some people stay stuck in  “the good old days”, which causes them to want to be focused on the past. Others may be burdened by the pain of the past. Neither of those memories produce any good fruit.

Instead of looking at the past, we need to focus on the fact that God’s mercies are new every morning. Everyday is a fresh new day with new possibilities and new mercies. God is always at work, and He has new opportunities, new encounters, and new revelation. The Lord is never done with His work on the earth, and He chooses to use us in partnering with Him in bringing His Kingdom and His will on the earth. That requires all of us to press on and to lay hold of what Jesus laid hold of us! This is fighting the good fight of faith!

How do you perceive your spiritual maturity? Do you find yourself leaning on your laurels from past accomplishments? Are there things from the past that causes you not to press into the Kingdom of God?Do you continue to press on towards God, so you can lay hold of what Jesus laid hold of you?

 

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Fight the Good Fight (Part II)

Leave a Comment / Courage, Faith, Hope, Love, Patience / By

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12 

How do we fight the good fight of faith!? Jesus told us that it would not be easy and that it would require us to exert a force in the direction of God’s Kingdom. To possess God’s promises for us, we not only need to believe them, but we also need to act on them and live them out!

In the Lord’s prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to pray that they would not be led in temptation but to be delivered from evil. If we are going to take possession of what God has already bought for us through the precious blood of Jesus, we need to remain alert to the enemy’s devices. If we fall into temptations or offenses, we open the door to the enemy, and we lose the territory that belongs to us. The enemy is after derailing God’s people by causing shame, guilt, and accusation.

Joseph had dreams about God’s purpose in his life, but for many years everything looked opposite of what he had seen in his dreams. He could have grown bitter, resentful, and disobedient to those who ruled over him. To the contrary, Joseph fought the good fight of faith by remaining diligent, pure, obedient, and free from offense. This prevented him from not being baited by the enemy nor to be derailed from God’s purpose in his life. 

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:11-12

Paul gives another glimpse of how to fight the good fight of faith. He describes that we are to live with godliness, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. These qualities allow a believer to lay hold of the Kingdom of God and bring it to earth. Furthermore, others get to see, taste, and experience the Kingdom of God through those who live their lives this way.

Today, as we remember the work and the ministry of Dr. Martin Luther King, we see a man of God who fought the good fight of faith in pursuit of truth, dignity, and justice! He exerted force and brought violence against the kingdom of darkness, hatred, and racism, but he fought this battle with faith, love, courage, and patience. While taking action, his hope was ultimately in the Lord his redeemer, which brings us to the next point in Paul’s exhortation.

Paul also stresses to lay hold on eternal life! This is an important aspect of fighting the good fight of faith. Jesus bought eternal life for every person who confesses their sin and recognizes Jesus’ work on the cross for the forgiveness of their sins. Jesus did not just die, so we can have a good life on this earth, but He died to give us the hope and expectation of an eternal life with our savior and Lord. If people live their lives as if this life is all there is, then they will live their lives with frustration, anger, compulsion, and restlessness. It is the hope of eternal life that allows God’s children to live with contentment, peace, and joy in this unstable world!

We live in a world where the enemy wants to draw every person, including the believers, into the bait of hatred, division, and animosity. As God’s people, we are called to do it differently! How do you fight the good fight of faith? Do you recognize the enemy’s schemes in derailing you from God’s purpose!? Are you ruled by God’s character in your life even when things don’t go your way? Do you have the hope of eternal life?

 

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Fight the Good Fight (Part I)

Leave a Comment / Faith, Fight, Hope, Offense / By

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 1Timothy 1:18-19a (KJV)

Mightest (According to Strong’s Dictionary): to make a military expedition, to lead soldiers to war or to battle, (spoken of a commander).

Paul told Timothy that he should wage a mightest war with the prophecies spoken over him. Paul saw Timothy not only as a spiritual son but also as a fellow soldier in the army of God! Paul’s instruction to Timothy shows clearly that some of the prophesies were not going to be fulfilled unless Timothy was willing to fight the spiritual fight!

When the Lord speaks to His people, it is generally two-fold. He speaks about the person or people’s lives, but it is also about His Kingdom purpose in their lives. Similarly, the prophesies over Timothy would not only have been about his personal life, but they also would have been about God’s purpose in his life,  his role in the Kingdom of God, and how the Lord saw Him in the spirit. As Timothy fought for the fulfillment of those prophesies, he was also fighting for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth!

And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. Matthew 11:12 

Jesus told his disciples that they needed to possess God’s Kingdom by fighting in the spirit. This is not a carnal fight, and we cannot fight it with our natural strength! Our authority to fight the battle in the spirit realm is because we know we are God’s children, redeemed, and bought with the precious blood of the lamb. We belong to the Kingdom of God, and we have been authorized by God to fight the good fight. This fight is about standing secure and settled in our identity in Christ!

When we fight, we are fighting with faith and hope in the unchanging character of God. Jesus won the victory over every form of darkness, evil, sin, and principalities. Therefore, we fight the good fight by declaring that we want God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Are you aware that you will have to fight the good fight to see God’s purpose fulfilled? How do you engage in this fight?

I will continue with this subject in the next devotional.

 

 

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Write the Vision (Part IV)

Leave a Comment / Faith, Vision, Wait / By

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:1-4

The Lord reminded Habakkuk of three truths that are important for us to remember as we go through the process of seeing God’s vision being fulfilled:

But at the end it [the vision] will speak, and it will not lie

The word “speak” in its original Hebrews means: to blow,  to breathe, to inflame, and to excite (From Strong’s Concordance). God’s vision brings about fresh breath of air, and it inspires its hearers. It blows air into the embers, and it inflames our faith afresh. The good news is that when the vision comes from the Lord, it speaks truth and does not lie! It excites us but with the purpose to move us forward into God’s purpose. The vision has substance and is weighty. It is not wishful thinking nor does it puff us up! When Joesph had the dreams about his future, they did not puff him up. They were substantive and purposeful in his life as he went through many struggles before he saw their fulfillment. 

Wait for the vision

The Lord reminded Habakkuk that there would be a delay in bringing forth the vision! Things are not going to happen in our timeframe. We may have an opinion as to when is a good time, but the Lord sees all things and knows the appointed time for it. In Hebrew, the above word “wait” is about longing for it and to “tie a knot” (From Strong’s Concordance). The Lord calls for our faith to be anchored in Him for bringing forth the vision. God is trustworthy, and He will bring it into fruition!

At first, Abraham believed God when he heard God’s vision, but then through years of waiting, his wife convinced him that they must do something to make it happen! So Abraham had Ishmael with his Egyptian maidservant! They found out, the hard way, that God’s vision will be done in God’s timing and in God’s way. In spite of their impatience and mess up, the Lord was merciful and allowed them to have the promised child, Isaac, through Sarah !

The just shall live by his faith

The delay may cause believers to doubt the Lord’s vision and His promises, but the Lord expects His children to remain steadfast. He is faithful, and He will accomplish what He has spoken. Those who are in a right-standing with the Lord will continue to live by faith. They will continue to believe God. While we cannot make a vision happen in our timeframe, we can cause God’s vision to be delayed due to our grumbling or disobedience.

While in the wilderness, the Israelites had God’s vision. However, when things took too long and the heat and dryness of the wilderness caused weariness in their bodies and spirits, they lost the vision for the Promised Land. That generation died in the wilderness and it was the next generation that saw the fulfillment of God’s vision!

Most of us have experienced delays in the vision that God has given us. With the above scriptures, the Lord is encouraging all of us about the reliability of His word. As we wait for the fulfillment of the vision, let’s consider the following:

1. Was the vision from the Lord!? If you’re not sure, talk to a spiritually mature believer. Share the vision and ask them to prayerfully evaluate God’s vision with you.

2. If you believe it was God’s vision, be sure to write it down.

3. Deal with any unbelief in your heart by asking the Lord for forgiveness and renew your mind with His truth.

4. If you have experienced some disappointments, surrender them to the Lord and allow Him to refresh your vision.

5. Enjoy your relationship with the Lord and stay in faith.

6. Be obedient to what He asks you to do and continue to pray over God’s vision for you.

 

 

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Write the Vision (Part III)

Leave a Comment / God's Timing, Vision / By

Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.

“Behold the proud,
His soul is not upright in him;
But the just shall live by his faith. Habakkuk 2:1-4

In the above passage, the Lord told Habakkuk that the vision is for an appointed time. That meant that even though the Lord was giving him a vision, it did not mean that he were going to see its fruition right away. The different aspects of God’s purpose have to all come together before the fulfillment of the vision is seen. Also God’s vision is connected to God’s timing and the season in which it is to be fulfilled. The below passage is a good example of this. 

And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days. Joel 2: 28-29

In the above passage, Joel prophesied about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and that God was going to pour out His spirit upon His people. Joel wrote this vision down in a period between (835-796 B.C.) He didn’t know when that was supposed to happen. It took about 800 years prior to the fulfillment of those prophesies! Joel and others could not have done anything to make this prophecy happen in their lifetime. They didn’t even know what it meant for the spirit of God to be poured out upon the people.

In Acts (1:4-8), when Jesus told His disciples to wait for the promise of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, the disciples were still thinking about the restoration of the Kingdom to Israel! They had no idea what Jesus meant to be empowered by the Holy Spirit! It wasn’t until they received the promised baptism of the Holy Spirit that their eyes were opened to that reality. They also recognized that the baptism of the Holy Spirit was the fulfillment of Joel’s prophesies from 800 years prior and what God had intended from them from long ago!

The truth is that we cannot manufacture the fulfillment of God’s vision. The Lord has an appointed time and He knows the right season! God’s vision had to come into fruition in parts. The baptism of the Holy Spirit was only needed after Jesus came to earth and accomplished God’s mission. Subsequently, the disciples needed the empowerment and the revelation of the Holy Spirit to become His witnesses in all the earth and proclaim the Good News of salvation! Hallelujah!

The Lord provides a vision for His people, so we can continue to look to Him and not get derailed. The vision allows us to perceive a preferred future where God does His work on the earth and sets things right. Sometimes the vision is for an individual person, but many times it is for His people. This allows them, in one accord, to push forward into God’s purposes and not grow weary.

I wonder how many people over the 800 years prayed about fulfillment of the Joel’s prophecy and God’s vision for His people!? Those individuals had no idea how the fulfillment of this vision was going to look like and whether they would see it in their lifetime!

We still have many other prophesies and visions that God wants to fulfill, and they will come at the appointed time. While we cannot make them happen, we can pray that God’s Kingdom would come and His will and His vision is done on earth as it is in heaven! Pray with your brothers and sisters in Christ for the shared vision that God has given you through His word or through a prophetic word to the body and stand together in faith for the fulfillment of God’s vision on the earth!

 

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