Arise, Bride of Christ!

 Once in a while I have a dream that really stands out as something God is trying to teach me or say to me. They are the dreams that are vivid, linger in my thoughts, and compel me to pray.  Early in January, I had such a dream. I do not claim to fully understand this one. It was different from my other dreams as this dream seems not just for me. In the dream, my husband and I were arriving at a quintessential little white country church. It was a bright, glorious day. Many were arriving in vehicles and attempting to park along  the grassy sides of the little gravel road and enter for what seemed to be a special service, maybe a revival. As I entered the door of the church, on the floor right at the door, was a bride,  face down and appeared to be distraught, weeping silently. Most seem to ignore the fact she's there, and some whispered to one another, but none seemed to know what to do about it. I was suddenly in the restroom with a need to wash my hands. The condition of the restroom was concerning. Things were broken, missing and in disrepair.  Yet again, ignored by all in the restroom. The actual sink was missing, but the faucet would pour water directly into the floor. People washed their hands as water ran across the floor. I awoke briefly and went back to sleep to dream the same thing with a couple of differences. This time as we arrived at the little country church, we parked next to a very old style car, similar to a model T, and it was rolling. I was trying to set the break, but it wouldn't work. My husband reached down, lifted the car up by the front bumper, reached under, adjusted something and set it down saying it won't roll now. The rest of the dream was the same, but I could see that the bride appeared to be sobbing.  Needless to say, I awoke a bit disturbed and have spent some time thinking on this and praying.  

Last week, my pastor was speaking and part of a line he spoke rang in my ears as that dream flooded through  me. "The church is in trouble.."   God began to reveal some things to me.  I do believe there may be a little more but I need to document what I feel this is telling me. The bride is the Bride of Christ. There are many going to church believing things are fine. They are fine. They have had an experience with God at some point, but there is now a complacency and blindness that are status quo. They go to church, participate in the expected religious activities, maybe even believing all is well. But the church is broken. The bride is distraught.  She is weakened and face down. But she is crying out for the Bridegroom. The Bride needs to be ready for his coming. She needs to be in her best form. She needs to be prepared , dressed and victorious for the coming of the Bridegroom. At some point, this Bride will arise. When the Bride arises, oh what mighty  power will be released. All the broken in the church will be repaired, healed,  restored. The Bride will arise as the time of the Bridegroom approaches. No longer will she be distraught, broken, and worn.  She will be beautifully adorned, pure, holy and righteous, ready for His coming.

I was led to turn to Joel chapter 2. I encourage  you to go read that entire chapter as I am only sharing some of the verses. But this chapter is explaining what I believe God wants me understand.

1. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

12.Therefore also now, saith the Lord , turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:  

13.And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.  

16.Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.

17.Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord , weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord , and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God?  

21.Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the Lord will do great things.  

28.And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:  

29.And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.  

30.And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.

I believe God is speaking, He is calling for the Bride to prepare herself. As these verses describe, there must be a weeping, repentance,  and a cry  that goes forth from the ministry and the people of God. He is calling his people to cleanse themselves, rend the garments and return to Him. We have allowed complacency,  false faith, seeking after the latest and greatest, and even false doctrine and prophecy  to lead us astray. The Bride will be adorned correctly. 

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Revelation 21:2 KJV

The Bridegroom will have no less. Are we prepared for His coming? It is time to make ourselves ready.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Isaiah 60:1‭-‬2 KJV

Arise Church! Arise! Get off the floor! Stop being trampled. Stop allowing yourself to be overcome. Stop with the self-pity. Stop with the distractions. Get it right. Get in prayer. Get in the Word. Arise, that His glory be seen in you! Know to whom you belong  and  whom you await. We are not beaten. We are not destroyed.  We are His Bride, His Body. It is time to let the glory of God rise and shine forth. Arise!

choose you this day

 There are choices we make every day. It is said that we make over 260 choices every day just about food. We make thousands of choices every day.  There is one choice we must deeply consider.  The choice to serve the Lord. This choice will affect just about every other choice we make. 

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord , choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord .

Joshua 24:15 KJV

As the world has been enveloped in a pandemic, many things have been shut down and limited. We have had to choose to go or not go to the store, to school, and to church. As things opened back up, some choose to go and some choose to remain home. This has even pertained to churches.  Many have returned to church and many have chosen to stay home.  There has been a great change in many churches as some who used to be there, no longer attend.  I understand there is a health concern that keeps some away. There are online services now that provide access. So there is still a way for them to 'attend' service. The one major thing missing  is their presence in the building. The body of that assembly is missing a piece.  That piece is noticeably missing.  

I read a story once about a man who was not coming to church so his pastor came visit. As he explained that he would be fine without going, the pastor picked up his fire poker, stuck it in the fire and pushed a coal away from the fire.  As the coal slowly cooled and turned from hot to cold, the pastor told the man he would be like that coal.  Without contacting the fire, he would go out.  Church bodies come together for the encouragement and uplifting of one another.  I don't want to be that coal.

Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 KJV

We come together to corporately worship and learn more about God as well as gain strength. There is a great importance placed on assembling together throughout the Bible. God had days for Israel to assemble and praise or listen to the Word. Paul instructed the church about the importance of assembling together. 

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25 KJV

God also warned us to not be lukewarm or basically not to be apathetic to him. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.   So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Revelation 3:15‭-‬16 KJV

One thing I have realized this past year is that we all have had to choose.  We have had to choose what is most important for us.  What do we really need? What do we really love and want? What do we participate in and what do we leave off?  I have Joshua 24:15 on my living room wall. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.  We, as a family, have made some choices this past year as to what that means for us.  For us, diving more into the Word of God, focusing more on our spiritual diet, and yes, personally attending church service.  We choose to attend because the word of God tells us to do so. Can I tell others what to choose? No. But we choose to serve the Lord as His Word prescribed as best we can. I believe we need to choose to be in the fellowship of other Christians, participate in corporate worship, be there to pray with one another, encourage one another, and be strengthened. I do not want the fire of God to wain in my life or the life of my family.  We have a great privilege of choice to attend church here in this country and I do not want to neglect my great choice to go. I cannot live without God as my Savior. I cannot fathom placing him aside. I cannot fathom making a choice to not be with the family of God.  I realize there are people in other areas of the world risking imprisonment and death for choosing to attend a Bible study or a service. I have the option to go or not go. Every choice we make has a consequence,  whether good or bad. Just getting out of bed has consequences. Choosing not to be in church has far too grave a consequence in my opinion. I CHOOSE TO SERVE THE LORD.  

Make the choices that you deem best for you, but I do encourage every one to read the Word, pray and ask God about what you choose.  I ask him daily to guide my choices.  I want to be found in his favor.   

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

Psalms 143:10 KJV

As for me and my house we choose to serve the Lord. We choose to be in the sanctuary. We choose to live a life that hopefully reflects our trust in Him. We choose to follow where He leads. We choose to live for Him.  Do we do it perfectly? No. Do we ask him to help us when we fail? Yes.  Does he always answer? Yes. He will guide our choices when we listen to Him.

Choose today, whom you serve.

let me hide myself in Thee

 Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;

Once in a while, the words of an old hymn will flood through my mind and soul. They are a deep reminder of the promises of God. When we face trials and just life in general, we need those reminders. The words of this old hymm rang in my soul this week. "Let me hide myself in Thee."  

Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings,

Psalms 17:8 KJV

We can be reassured that we find comfort and peace when we hide ourselves in the Rock Jesus. He is a firm foundation and our protector. He saved us and intends to keep us. He will never leave us or forsake us.  David wrote in Psalms about the safety of the Lord.

Deliver me, O Lord , from mine enemies: I flee unto thee to hide me.

Psalms 143:9 KJV

He is our deliverer and our hiding place. This world and our society is on uncertain ground. Many things cause alarm and fear. Anxiety and unrest can overwhelm us. We may be tempted to doubt and get our eyes off of Jesus and onto the storms around us. We cannot rely on the things around us. Our governments, our careers, insurance companies, entertainment  and even our homes and fail us and cause great stress. Friends and family may not be able to help or may not understand. Our society may even turn against Christianity. Our only true place of rest and safety is Jesus. We can find peace in his arms, under the shadow of his wings.  There are many stories of birds protecting their babies by covering them with their wings. One is when a fire raged through the barnyard. After the fire, the old hen was found burned and dead, but when she was moved, her little chicks were found unharmed safe under her wings. God is our protector.

For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.

Psalms 27:5 KJV

Be encouraged to know God is there when when we run to him for safety. He will uphold the righteous. He will be the rock we can stand on. When everything else may fail, we can stand without fear in Christ knowing he is our peace.  We can sing, "Rock of ages, Let me hide myself in Thee," and He will set us on the rock. His promises true and his faithfulness endures.

 

Created In His Image

 In Genesis, God created mankind in his image. We were created to be in his image for a purpose.

Genesis 1:26-27 

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

We are created to be in the image of God. He wanted us to be like him and reflect who He is. The original intent was we were to be able to fellowship and commune with God on a personal level. Sin entered and destroyed that plan. Sin separated us from the original intent God had for us. When we come to Jesus and accept his salvation through repentance, baptism and infilling of the Holy Ghost, we are returning to the original intent of man. We can have a personal relationship that allows us to fellowship with our creator. Part of that is to be his image.  An image is a visual representation or the likeness of an object or person. 

We are to be able to have the image of God about us. We are to demonstrate the mighty God who saved us and created us through our words, our actions, and our daily lives. We are to be his image reflected to others on this earth. When they look at us, they should see God. 

Colossians 3:10 

And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 

We are made new in him. We are no longer to behave and function as we did before. We are new creatures in Christ. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

New actions, new thoughts, new motivation should flow from us. 

We are changed and no longer subject to previous sinful motivations. Our lives are to be transformed. 

Romans 12:2  

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 

Others should be able to identify and witness the transforming power of God operating in us. It would be evident that we are no longer motivated by sin, but by the power of the Holy Ghost operating in us. The fruit of his presence should overflow from our hearts and out of our mouths. 

Matthew 7:20 says, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."  The fruit of the Spirit should be evident and available to those around us. That is the image God is looking for. We should reflect his righteousness, his love, his peace, his longsuffering, and every attribute we know of God. There should not be bitter fruit among the fruit of the Spirit.  The image of God should be what we are when we are his children.  

If we do not reflect the image of God, we need to dig into his word and let his light shine deep into our hearts. Let the Holy Ghost dig  around and pull out the things in us that are not of him. He can transform us into the image he intended us to be. He can make us new and restore his intended purpose for us. We need to submit to his will and allow him to change us, mold us and make us in his image until we are in his likeness. 

Do you know why Jesus came?

^{John 1:1-2, 14}

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

^{We need to start and understand why he came.  For from the beginning we can start reading in the book of Genesis that sin entered the world and throughout the Old Testament, we read about the effects of sin.  God gave the law to Moses with a blood sacrifice required to cover sin. This was a temporary fix. In Leviticus chapters 4 and 5 we can read about the sacrificial process: the priest laid his hands on the head, it was killed the blood is sprinkled and the sacrifice burned. The animals were used as a sacrifice but these animals could not forgive the sin. They paid with their lives to push ahead the punishment for sin. The Israelites needed rescue from sin. We are all born into sin and the wages of sin is death.  We need a rescue The Old Testament spoke of the Messiah, the savior.  The prophets foretold of his coming, then, God became silent for 400 years. The New Testament begins with God speaking for the first time in 400 years to Zachariah, then to Joseph, Mary and the Shepherds.  He spoke the prophecies being fulfilled. The first words spoken by God in 400 years were of joy and promise. How amazing it must have been?   Dear old Zechariah hearing those worlds, not just the answer to his prayer, but the promises being fulfilled to the world.}

^{Luke 1:13-17, 27-35}

¹³ But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴ And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵ For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

¹⁶ And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

¹⁷ And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

He then brought the good news to Mary. Such a young lady given a great gift but also the burden of being the mother of the Jesus. How much faith she would need to endure.

²⁷ To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸ And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.

²⁹ And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰ And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.

³¹ And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.

³² He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:

³³ And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

³⁴ Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?

³⁵ And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

^{Then the Angel spoke to Joseph. Joseph had to be willing to trust and obey, to take the responsibility placed before him.}

^{Luke 1:20-23}

²⁰ But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹ And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

²² Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

²³ Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

The angels spoke of the great tidings to the shepherds s.  This was the good news. Just poor outcasts of society, the shepherds heard the angels proclaim the mighty words that Israel had been waiting for. It didn't happen as any one could have guessed.  Many didn't believe it. But, the shepherds ran to see because it was news of great joy. They saw the Savior of the world come to earth.

Luke 2:10-12

¹⁰ And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹ For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹² And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

These were all real people who walked on this earth. They had been waiting to hear of the promised Messiah. Can you imagine this message being brought forth and what it meant to know the promise was being fulfilled.

With his birth, the prophecies in Genesis 3:15, Genesis 12:3, Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2 Hosea 11:1 are all

fulfilled. 

^{Genesis 3:15} And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

From the beginning, right after Adam and Eve disobeyed God, God spoke of the coming Savior, this see would be the one to crush the head of the serpent.

^Genesis12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

The promise to Abraham, that all people would be blessed through him.

^Isaiah7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

This speaks of the manner in which he would be born and who he would be.

^{Mica h5:2} But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

This speaks of the place he would be born.

^{Hosea 11:11} Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

This speaks of not only the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, but Jesus himself, was in Egypt. In Matthew 2:14-15 when Joseph took Jesus and Mary to Egypt.

The prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus. There are over three hundred fifty prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold of the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled them all.

He came for some specific reasons. He came to give his life a ransom for many, to call sinners to repentance and to give eternal life. He spoke several times of why he came. A ransom was required. Sin had taken us from our rightful Lord. He paid his life to take back what was taken from Him.  He came to call us home and give us a life with him forever in heaven for eternity.

^{Luke 19:10} For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

^{Mark 10:45} For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

^{Luke 5:31-32}

³¹ And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

³² I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

We were lost and only he could save us. He came to give us life by being the sacrifice for our sin. He took our condemnation and our punishment. We earned death in sin. He came to rescue us from our earned death.

John 3:16-17

¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷ For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Jesus fulfilled the required sacrifice completely. He left nothing undone. He loved us so much that he took our sin on himself and died in our place.

^{Matthew 5:17} Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

^{John 10:10} The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 His birth rent the very fabric of time and changed how the world operates. Our calendar is based on His birth. We can now receive complete forgiveness as his blood covers our sin, redeems us and changes our destiny.

He came to take our place, He came to rescue us from the penalty of sin, what we deserve.  Only a perfect man could take that place for another. His body was payment for our sin. His purpose in being born was to die. He lived as a man to understand his creation. He experienced  grief, loss, pain, joy, and love as a person on earth. He knows what is it like to be human. But his ultimate purpose was to rescue his people. We are still waiting for some of the prophecies in the Bible to come to pass. Here we are two thousand years later, with end time prophecies upon our time. While this may cause some to fear, we as the body of Christ  can received this with joy as we know His word never fails. 

^{Hebrews 10:5-7}

⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.

He did the will of God as a man. He walked in our place and gave us the opportunity to return to him. We have the choice. We also have the duty to share this good news with the world. We have the greatest message  the world can ever hear. Unto us a child is born,  the Savior of the world.

But what I do have...

The season of giving  is upon us. At least, that is what many consider the Christmas season; a time of giving.  We become busy and consumed with the many traditions of the season and rush to get the gifts purchased, the decorations hung, the cards sent, and prepare for that one day of the year that is supposed to represent the celebration of our Savior's birth. He is the reason for the season. We do have more giving this time of year. We give to one another, to charities, to those we know that have a need. We consider our blessings a little more and  reach out in generosity more than usual. This is good. But I want to talk a little more about giving and what we really have to give.

In Acts chapter three we can read of Peter and John heading to the temple.  The day of Pentecost had just transpired with the miraculous filling of the Holy Ghost.  They had been filled and given power. This day, they noticed, perhaps as they had many times before, the lame man begging at the temple gate. This time, Peter was moved and decided to do something. It was no longer business as usual. Peter had something new working in him.

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

Acts 3:6 NKJV

Peter did not give him what was expected. He had no money to offer, but he had something greater, he had Jesus. That man was given healing.  Peter had access to the power of God,and he wielded that power to offer the man what he truly needed. Money would have probably helped him for a moment, but healing was his true need. He needed only what God can give. 

When we are filled with the Spirit of God, we have access that same power. Peter was just a man as we are. Yet, he understood the power that now dwelt in Him. Many of us get excited about what we read in the Bible and when we hear about the move of God for others, but do we understand that we have that same power dwelling in us?  We have access to the mighty Name of Jesus. We can offer what we have, what people need. Too often, we hold back out of fear, out of doubt, or out of ignorance. Peter had witnessed Jesus personally perform miracles. We can read all about them. Peter believed Jesus when he said. “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father." John 14:12 NKJV

It becomes a question of belief.  Do we believe like Peter did? Do I believe like the apostles did?  Do I believe Jesus when he spoke these words?  He said anyone who believes in Him, we will do those works too.  We need to take a good, deep look at our belief in Jesus. He is the same now as he was then.

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

Hebrews 13:8 KJV

We are the ones who need to believe and act in accordance to the Word spoken.  If we believe that the Holy Ghost in us is the same one the apostles received,  we better start acting on that belief.  When we come across a need,  we have the ultimate gift for that need. We have Jesus. We can speak the Name that is above every name. We can bring healing to the sick, life the dead, salvation the lost. We have power in Jesus name and as Peter spoke,  “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 

We no longer have an excuse. God is calling His people, his body to rise up and walk in the Spirit. We need to put aside the distractions and excuses. We need to get out of the flesh and recognize the call and power God has given us. We have the gospel and the power of the Holy Ghost. 

But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Acts 1:8 KJV

We are to be His witnesses to our families, our communities, our world. We are sent to preach the gospel to the world. (Mark 16:15) we are given a purpose and a calling when we receive this precious gift of salvation from God.  We not only receive it for ourselves, we receive the calling of sharing Jesus with others.  We are given the power to do so. We cannot hide that light in us and be in the will of God. We are operating out of His will when we do not access and wield the power he placed in us. When we go about business as usual, we are denying the power of God. We should no longer keep working as if we have nothing to offer. We have the greatest gift of all: the gift of the Holy Ghost. We need to put it to use. Just as Jesus spoke in the parable of the talents. He did not give the man the talent to hide it, but to use it. 

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

2 Corinthians 7:1 KJV

We ought to be walking different, thinking different, speaking different, and operating different. We shouldn't be able to walk past that need any more without doing something about it. We need to use our spiritual eyes and ears to recognize when God wants to move through us and do something out of the ordinary. When Peter spoke, the lame man expected the ordinary drop of a coin, but instead, Peter gave him of the power of God. Extraordinary should not be uncommon amongst God's people. It is time God's people begin to walk in the Spirit and move as the body of Christ effectively.  We have been asleep and disabled by our flesh for too long. We have got to let go of the world for good and put on the new man. 

 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Ephesians 4:23‭-‬24 KJV

The hindrance that keeps us from walking in the Spirit is unbelief and being double minded. In James 1:8, we are warned that a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. This means we are battling between the flesh and the spirit.  Our flesh  causes our spiritual weakness. We give in to the pride and lust of the flesh. We need to draw close to God and purify our hearts by denying the pride and lust of our flesh.

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

James 4:8 KJV

Paul explained this to the Galatians. Our flesh and spirit are contrary or oppose one another. We cannot do the things we desire to do until we keep our flesh under control and give the Spirit freedom to lead us. Our battle with the flesh will be a continual fight, but we need to consciously make a choice to walk in the spirit by saying no to the flesh.

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

Galatians 5:16‭-‬17 KJV

The Spirit can only lead when we feed our spirit. Praying, studying the Word and, yes, even fasting is required to feed our spirit. If we want to walk in spirit and fulfill the call of God and see the Spirit manifested, we need to pour ourselves into the spiritual matters and set aside the flesh desires.  That is where belief comes to life and grows. Jesus himself said nothing is impossible but unbelief hindered many things he wanted to do. We need to be strong in belief and single minded in unity with the Spirit of God for him to be able to use us as He desires.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.   Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

Matthew 17:20‭-‬21 KJV

We need to get hold of the knowledge of Jesus Christ and believe it and live it like we have never lived it before. We have a promise that is meant to change the world around us.  We have the answer for the world today. We have the peace that passes understanding and the joy that no man can contain. What is holding us back? Let us give them Jesus.

Endure

But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Matthew 24:13 KJV

Jesus spoke these words to encourage endurance. We need some endurance.  What does it mean to endure? The definition of endure from dictionary.com says:

to hold out against; sustain without impairment or yielding; undergo

to bear without resistance or with patience; tolerate

to admit of; allow; bear

to continue to exist; last

to support adverse force or influence of any kind; suffer without yielding; suffer patiently

to have or gain continued or lasting acknowledgment or recognition, as of worth, merit or greatness

 I think of runners when I think of endurance.  Especially, long distance runners. To be able to run for long distances, a runner must build up endurance.  This is accomplished through consistent, frequent training. Runners start with shorter distances  then build  to longer and longer runs. This isn’t accomplished in a day or even in a week. It takes time. When they finally reach the ability to endure a race like a marathon, they have many days and hours of training behind them.  I have watched runners in marathons. Even some of the most prepared  still face challenges.  Those who cross that finish line have pushed themselves through hardships. Some have blisters and bleeding,  and some may have even fallen and have bruises. They pushed past exhaustion, fatigue, mental tiredness, and many other things to finish the race.  The days and hours of training meant dedication, perseverance, and commitment. Paul explained spiritual endurance as a race as well

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

2 Timothy 4:3‭-‬8 KJV‬

Paul ran his race and crossed the finish line. He did not quit or give up. He endured many hardships and trials. We need to develop endurance in our spiritual walk. We build up spiritual endurance through pushing forward through trials and leaning on God’s strength when we do not have any strength in ourselves.  Jesus wants us to endure. Endurance through trials, hardships and even through good times will grow as we practice turning to God through prayer, Bible study, and faith in Him.  As we learn to rely on Him in one situation, we can apply that lesson of faith to the next mountain. We can resist the next temptation, or pray through the next worry. We can pursue God while we walk in His will and learn He never leaves us or forsake us.  We grow deeper roots, stronger foundations, and reach higher in faith. We grow and develop more endurance. This takes commitment to God.  We cannot be swayed or distracted.  A runner that gets his eye off the finish line, will become distracted , worn down, or swayed to quit.  

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;  So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:  Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

2 Thessalonians 1:3‭-‬5 KJV‬

We cannot take our eyes off the finish line  we must be  steadfast in faith to endure to the end.  We must be rooted and grounded (Ephesians 3:17). We must not allow our own frailty, our humanity, to take over and tell us we cannot finish, that we are too weak or not good enough. We must push past the fear, past unbelief, and past temptation.  We must pray our way through, speak His word, hide it in our hearts to carry us through the hard times, and spend as much time as we can gaining strength from the One who called us to run the race God is rooting for us to win. He will give us an advantage when we seek Him and trust in Him.  We cannot quit.  We will endure until the end and like Paul, we will be able to proclaim, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day.”