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.