Warriors Arise: June 20th, 2020
Crazy things have been going on all over the world, not just in America. When I say crazy, I mean things that just do not make sense, people forgetting reason, people acting out like two year olds who have not had any parental training. We need a "then" to happen for us.
Luke 24:30-31 (NKJV) Now it came to pass, as He sat at the table with them, that He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened and they knew Him; and He vanished from their sight.
Having a "then" is a God-thing. We need a "then" for two different reasons:
Life is going on in its usual way, we have become complacent and we need a "then" - a God-intervention. When God intervenes, He shifts things by opening our eyes to see the truth, to be reminded His goodness leads us into triumph, or our hearts to beat with purpose and passion again.
Another reason we need a "then" in our lives is the enemy has hijacked our current situation creating chaos, destruction, and death. When the enemy hijacks our lives, it is as if we are caught in a tsunami out in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight.
Have you become complacent or hijacked?
These two disciples were living as Jesus' disciples. They were soaking up the teachings, fellowship at mealtimes, serving throughout the day to the masses, watching and participating in the miracles. But now Jesus was gone. Life had been good. Why did it have to change? They had been a part of something good. What good could possibly come from this?
They couldn't see what good could come from Jesus' death. Life had been comfortable; they had become expecting more of the same thing from Jesus, but Jesus was expecting new things from His disciples.
Before Jesus died on the cross, sacrificing Himself for our gain - the possibility for all people to come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, He commissioned and released His disciples to do the miraculous. In Luke 10, we read Jesus sending 70 disciples before Him to do the miraculous, to release the love of God.
Luke 10:1-9 (NKJV) After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. 2 Then He said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I send you out as lambs among wolves... 9 And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’
The 70 returned to Jesus. They has seen Jesus do the miraculous but now He had sent them to demonstrate the Father's love. They did realize they could do the Father's work just like Jesus. They thought it always had to be Jesus. Jesus gave them the opportunity to do the gospel. The demonstration of God's love wasn't just for Jesus to do, it was for all His followers. Today, it is for all who confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Luke 10:17-20 (NKJV) Then the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.” 18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 20 Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
An event does not cause our lives to be turned upside down, but our reaction or lack-thereof. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Messiah was always in the book. The Bible foretells Jesus' crucifixion. It was going to happen at some point. Even though the enemy got to inflict pain, humiliate, and scatter Jesus' followers, he didn't actually kill Jesus. Jesus gave up His spirit. Jesus said when it was over and interjected the "then".
On the other side of the blink, Jesus got down from the cross, just as the people had mockingly coaxed Him. He walked into the devil's celebration and He was the ultimate party crasher. He not only revealed His victory but He also took to heaven all the people who had believed in God before the cross. What a fabulous "then"! (I can't wait to see the replay on the video when I get to heaven. The look on the devil's face must be priceless! And all the demons stricken with fear like statues.)
The disciples didn't want what had happened to happen. May times when we do not want things to happen, that are going to, we think by ignoring the situation it will go away and that things will return to the way they were. Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection were not going to go away. Things were not going to return to the way they were.
It is at this point the disciples have a decision to make, " Will I become complacent or will I continue the work of Jesus? Will I allow the enemy hijack my present, creating paralyzing fear and doubt or will I take back from the enemy what I am called to do?"
What are you expecting from Jesus? Do you have an expectation? Do you look for Jesus to intervene, to meet you, to teach you, to point you in the direction you should go? Are you ready to get busy about "the Father's business"?
Whether you have been lulled into complacency not knowing what to do with today's chaos and confusion or if the enemy has hijacked your dreams and calling; I encourage you to take a stand. These two disciples needed a "then" from God to get them to move into what God had for them now. This didn't stop at the crucifixion. Things began for them at the crucifixion. They were to embrace being about the Father's work, meeting with the Father in prayer, doing the miraculous, and freeing the people from the clutches of the enemy. They were not to become hijacked by the enemy with fear nor complacent because Jesus would no longer be leading the teaching and miraculous.
Father, I ask for You to come. I need You to speak into every cell in my body, every thought running through my mind, and touch my heart to beat with Your purpose and passion to release Your kingdom here to all people. I ask for You to minister to each part of me. I do not want to become complacent during this pandemic. I do not want to be hijacked by the enemy who is seeking to kill my purpose, steal my calling, and destroy my destiny. You have created me to overcome the enemy. I look to You to be empowered to slip through the traps of the enemy. I ask for You to speak to my heart. I want it to beat strong with purpose. I do not want to be caught up in complacency. I ask for You to come and breath life into Your people. I ask for Your love to be known. Your love heals the wounded, puts the broken back together, makes the weak strong, the silenced to be heard, and captives to be set free. I pray for people to be ready to give up their complacency and step into the "then". I pray each one would recognize their "then." It isn't going to return to the way it was; it is going to set each one up to be in a tangible relationship with You, releasing the demonstrative power of God. I pray each one who knows it is the enemy who hijacked their lives to take a stand against the enemy. As Your Word says in James 4:7 "Submit to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you." I pray for those who have been hijacked by the devil to submit with all their heart, soul, and mind to You. I pray they will stand in the power of Jesus Christ and resist the devil. That is when their "then" will happen. "Then" the devil will flee from each one. I ask for You to make Yourself known to each person, remind them who you have called them to be, direct their paths, speak to what You would have each one do and revive their purpose for Your kingdom in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy
My hope is for Believers in Jesus Christ to join together each day to pray, to push back the enemy as we release God’s power here on earth against the coronavirus. The prayers will be listed each day as Warriors Arise. I will put a date with it so we can keep them straight. If you have any questions please feel free to make a comment or private message me. If you would like this to come to your email directly please go to verideehand.com and subscribe.
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