Thursday, January 5, 2012

Breaches

If you would attack the breaches in your own soul with as much vigor and tenacity as you attack the perceived breaches in the souls of others, then not only would you be delivered, you would be able to bring deliverance to those whom you think need it so badly.

I heard the above statement this morning from the Lord.  I pondered it.  It hurt.  It was true.

What did I get from this statement?  There were still breaches in my own soul.  I was starting to focus on others' issues as an escape from addressing my own.  My attitude in that was not attractive to God; instead of having compassion, I was feeling smugly justified.  Lastly, I was standing in my own way in terms of really being used more by God to help others.

"Well", I thought, "I'll think about that more later.  Right now I am doing an article on fasting and I need some additional info to complete it."  Not to mention that it wasn't a reflection I was looking forward to having.

So, I put that out of my mind and proceeded to go back to my study on fasting.  Then I came across the following sermon from Min. Eric Ludy.  Although it didn't appear to have anything to do with my topic, God told me to listen to it.  As I listened, I was immediately reminded of the words above once more.  This was not something that God was just going to let me just put aside.  He was demanding my attention, NOW.

I was struck by Min. Ludy's continued re-use of the same word the Lord had spoken: breaches.  As I listened, I could hear God say, "You have been asking to be used more by me? Here is your answer: Breaches."

I listened to the sermon several times to get all out of it that the Lord would have me to.  The title of this video is called, "Intercession".  This reminded me of the article by Verity Ministries posted yesterday which states in part:
Jehoiada commanded the Levites, army, and all the people of Judah to protect the king and stand between him and Athaliah. This is a depiction of intercession.

Weapons in hand, the priests made up a hedge about the king to shield him from Athaliah's attack. Futhermore, these were priests from Judah which means praise. For the New Testament church, we see that the priestly office of the three fold cord makes up the hedge around God's children who are destined to come into the inheritance of the kingdom but are helpless to defend themselves. Intercession offsets the attack of Jezebel to destroy their lives. With praise in their mouths and spiritual weapons in their hands, the priests stand in the gap and intercede for the next generation of the Lord's royal lineage.

...As God's authority and judgment is manifested in the office of the king, the priests now have the proper tactical position from which to launch a war of intercession. The purpose of this war is to root out the Ahab and Jezebel spirits from every part of God's kingdom and also protect the next generation of God's lineage so they too can take their place as heirs in Christ's kingdom.

Do you know that you can wage a war with all of your strength, using every weapon you have, going full steam ahead...and yet still be vulnerable to the enemy due to having an unprotected war front?  While we are focusing on "A", the enemy is sneaking in via "B" to set-up a fifth column from within to destroy us.  How?  Through certain areas of your life that you know God wants you to deal with, but you delay.  Areas where you are still holding on to your life in this world in some way.  There is no more time for delay.

When all is said and done, I want to hear Him say, "Well done good & faithful servant."   This is what Jesus told the servants who had invested and been fruitful with the talents He had given them.  Do you know why the one servant did nothing with his talent?  FEAR. (Matthew 25:19-30)

Is there too much to give, too much to sacrifice to obtain this goal?  Are the costs simply too high?  Are we really prepared to lose this soulish life in order to gain eternal life?  I don't want God to have to pry my fingers off of the world as I hold on to remnants of it in a death grip.  I want to loose my hands from this evil place and lift them up in praise to Him to be used as He sees fit.  Lord, give me the will & the strength to do it...and never look back.  Send me forth into battle and I will wage war against those spirits of Ahab & Jezebel which attempt to destroy your people; even when such tries to raise up in my own flesh.  I will stand in the gap for your people.  As I do, I will trust you to build up the breaches; I will not compromise with the giants in the land.  For the sake of your name, for your glory, and for those souls who will be brought in as part of this great harvest. 


9 comments:

  1. Thank you, I want to make it, I really do, but I know failure as well as strength, for I have never been able to last. I'm no longer surprised that what I hear from you or this site hits home, it's my last chance now. I'll dye trying. Cause I need a miracle fast.

    I'm sad to say that I think my biggest thorn or trial has been my own mother, and I've cut contact with her now, hoping that isn't something that will be a hinderance, with her out of the way the path seems clear. Just hoping that's something that is okey too do.

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  2. Thank You Jesus!! This article is exaclty what my mother and I were discussing late last night!! Letting go of the world! We were talking about how there were things in this world that we had not let go of. I was reading some material by Watchman Nee and it IMMEDIATELY convicted me. The Lord spoke to me about how I liked to be entertained by the world. How I am careless about certain things that come before my eyes from the world. He told me that I could not expect to be filled by Him while filthy deposits of the world are still in me. I have to leave EGYPT and leave it NOW!!

    As I was pondering this I thought about when Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. I thought how once they were gone from Egypt they did not know what was happening back in Egypt. They weren't reading the Egyptian newsletter or looking at Egyptian television. Once they were out of there it was no turning back to any part of it!

    God told me to have no part in the world and its affairs. Don't even care about it's affairs. We should have no concern for the world. The world crucified our Savior, the world stands against our Lord and is on the other side of the cross. We should be standing with our Savior against the world. Let us remember that any connection to the world will be detrimental to us and the devil knows it. We must run as quicly as we can and NEVER LOOK BACK!!

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  3. Yeah Daniel, I feel ya.

    That attitude that we need a miracle is right and when we come to the end of ourselves we need to say and mean it. While I'm fasting (or not fasting), I feel this need for food, not for sustenance, but like my "blankie," for comfort, because it's familiar and there's some kind of security in what we've known even though at the same time we despise it and know we're stuck. I straight up tell my Lord King Jesus what's going on and how I feel and what I want to do, but that I know it's wrong and keeps me from getting closer to him and I ask for his help, power, strength from the Holy Ghost to displace these things...and it comes. And of course food is only one example.

    Call anger, murder and lust, adultery. If we think we wouldn't go that far to say that our little anger at our brother, boss or mother means we would kill them, then we don't really believe/understand our Lord King Jesus. I admit, the capacity for these things lies within the fallen nature of man, and THAT is definitely in us.

    He is faithful and will remain faithful as we too remain faithful and dependent upon him.

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  4. Hi Daniel,

    I can only reiterate what Chris says. The thing is, we all have to contend with these things; trials, temptations, tribulations...

    What I love about what Chris said is this, "I straight up tell my Lord King Jesus what's going on and how I feel and what I want to do, but that I know it's wrong and keeps me from getting closer to him and I ask for his help, power, strength from the Holy Ghost to displace these things...and it comes." Amen!

    We will never be able to last, all we can do is fail if we rely on our own strength. But when we cast our cares on Him, there is deliverance and endurance. He is there with us to see us through! He is for us.

    Pastor Price used to say that he would cut whatever he felt was necessary to be free and - if God wills - He is able to grow that back should it be needed in his life. Do as you feel led brother, knowing God can restore anything He chooses when He feels it is time. There were relationships in my own life that had to be severed until I was strong enough to resist the witchcraft (manipulation, control...) that I was exposed to by them. Yet, God has restored some of those as well.

    Keep in the way of the Lord brother and He will deliver. God Bless!

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  5. Hi Stephanie,

    Thank you for sharing your reflections. God has certainly dealt with me on that topic, i.e. entertainment.

    By worldly standards, we might appear to have removed ourselves from the world's entertainment, but there are still areas. That is one thing that really impressed upon me this morning.

    No matter what you think you have done. No matter how far you think you have come. No matter what you feel has been sacrificed. No longer how long you feel you have been fighting. There is yet still more. How can one ever reach the end of one's soul? It is a way of being constantly perfected and we cannot set-up shop or become comfortable in the wilderness. We must press on, each day God gives us or we may find ourselves live David, taking a break on a rooftop in the midst of war and having our head cut-off by a conniving, opportunistic spirit.

    Thank you sister!

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  6. this was a serious confirmation for me.. I've struggled with self-condemnation and private thoughts for so long, and it keeps us from being fruitful. when we are wrapped in ourselves. I think so many of us live our lives "trying not to sin instead of laying down our lives for others and just simply following Jesus. It turns from "selfish living" to "selfless living". We all need to circumcise our hearts back to the Lord and love not our lives to death.. The hour is late.

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  7. Praise the Lord for this blog, Sister. Oh how the Lord has patiently being working on me regarding this. My self-condemnation has hindered my speaking for Him and reaching out to others. He has brought me a long way, but this reminds me to stand in the gap. I can't stand in the gap if I am busy being self-absorbed with all the reasons I "know nothing." I wrote a blog a few months ago where the Lord revealed a great truth to me regarding "Standing in the Gap." I'll post the link here. Even when I type that, I hear thoughts of "Do you really think anyone wants to read that?" Lord, help me. Much love to you, Sister!
    http://trustingodvoiceoftheturtle.blogspot.com/2013/08/stand-in-gap.html

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    Replies
    1. Good Morning Sis!

      Your article in Standing in the Gap has certainly brought me joy as well!! If you don't mind, can I share that article on this blog? I think it is pertinent for the days we are in and is a message others need to hear.

      Thank you as always for your willingness to be a vessel and handmaiden of the Lord. May He continue to guide, strengthen, and bless you in the days to come.

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  8. Yes, Sister. That whole experience brought me such joy -- that only the Lord can bring!

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