Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional

And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” And when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the servant well. – Luke 7:6-10 ESV

Warrior;
Without faith it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God! (Hebrews 11:6) The word of God is clear that this is the FRUIT of our relationship with God. If we truly BELIEVE then we will have FAITH. Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. (Hebrews 11:1,3) Faith requires a gap, in other words, Faith is believing what God says through His Word even when it contradicts what we see, feel, hear with our flesh and with our SUPPOSED friends, brothers and sisters, even the church. This Centurion was a Roman, an enemy of the Jews, but he was nice to the Jews and helped them, so the Jews wanted to help their friend, and used their relationship to Jesus to help a friend, who was part of the occupying force. This soldier believed that Jesus was a great man, a great healer and believed Jesus could heal him, just by saying the WORD! How many people in the church don’t have that faith?

Leader, the Bible is full of stories that show us that people who we think are far away from God, are close. It also shows us that some people who profess to be close to God are far away. We must be careful to realize that WE ALL FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD, not one is good, only God is good! We live in a time of the GREAT APOSTASY, falling away from the Faith. There are many people in many churches, on many days, and on many mission trips, that are preaching a Gospel that is not of God. We must remember that there is only one standard and that is the WORD OF GOD. That our opinions and our feelings have nothing to do with God and His Word, it is only God’s opinion and God’s Word that matters! We live in a time when we can have people in our church turning their backs on us, and people who supposedly are our brothers and sisters, who will backstab and choose the WORLD over THE WAY. Many “believers” who side with the world’s religion, instead of the LORD’s RELATIONSHIP. Many who will vote for people who mock God, who pervert HIS WORD, to fit THEIR WAY. People who are not much different than those who create their own religion out of their feelings, fitting in with others, making business decisions and CANCELLING people who are supposed to be their brothers and sisters- this is the sign of the great Apostasy. In 2 Thessalonians 2:3, Paul makes it clear that the day of the Lord, a time of worldwide judgment (Isaiah 13:6; Obadiah 1:15), will not transpire until two things happen. First, the falling away, or great apostasy, must occur. Second, the “man of lawlessness” must be revealed, he who is called the “son of perdition,” also known as the Antichrist.

Conduit, Moses was a man who had the world against him and his own people, were not much better. Exodus 2 tells us; One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. (v11-12,15a) Since no one was around, it was the Hebrews, his own people, who ratted Moses out. The same thing happened to Caleb and Joshua, not only were they dealing with the enemies of the Hebrews, but they were dealing with brothers and sisters who were NOT much better. The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2) These were leaders and yet they grumbled against Joshua and Caleb, JUST LIKE THE WORLD does to TRUE BELIEVERS today! Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! (Numbers 14:1-2) They turned their back on their brothers and chose the WAY OF THE WORLD. Believer, we live in a time where WE MUST HAVE GREAT FAITH. Supposed believers choosing the world, and business, and ease, over brothers and sisters. People in the church, cancelling children of God- turning their backs on “brothers and sisters”, acting no different than those who mock our God. This is why we must HAVE FAITH. We must have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. We must know what His Word says, and then HAVE FAITH. Walk in that FAITH, no matter what others say about you, or do to you! Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

Today on Mike It Matters Radio Mr. Black talks about what is going on in America. This election is not about 2 flawed men running for the highest office in the land, actually in the World. This election is about 2 divergent paths , one leads to a dark, dark place and one leads to hope, and a better future. One path is irreversible, one path has many options. Tune into Like It Matters Radio for an hour of Power as Mr. Black pontificates; Oh NO you didn’t!!
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So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. – John 6:53-56 ESV

Warrior;
Jesus told us in John 8:32; “The TRUTH will set you free’! But it was James Garfield that put on the addendum; “But first it will make you MISERABLE! When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” (v60) After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. (v66) The WORD OF GOD is to be our sustenance, it is what FEEDS us and GROWS us and MAKES US into the mature BELIEVER that God has called us to be!

Leader, When God miraculously provided for the children of Israel in the wilderness, He sent them manna; “the bread of heaven” (Psalm 78:24). The FREED- were now complaining, that it had been better if they had “died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! “There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death” (Ex 16:3). The Lord then informed Moses that He would “rain down bread from heaven for you” so that they wouldn’t go hungry (Ex 16:4). “What is it?” For they did not know what it was” (Ex 16:14-15) and the word they used; “manna” means, what is it? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'” (John 6:31)

Conduit, in Matthew 4:4, Jesus said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'” And to the woman at the well in John 4 he tells her; “whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” It is said a human can live without food for 1-4 weeks depending on your body fat because your body will eat your fat to keep you alive. With water you only have 3 days-1 week before you die. what is your SUSTENANCE, what is your PORTION? The key to BE a TRUE FOLLOWER of Jesus is to NEED HIM and HIS WORD daily, or you will die! The Israelites were told to only take enough manna for the day, so they would need to rely on GOD every day to LIVE! How is your Walk? Do you hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS, hunger and thirst for more LIFE from the giver of life? EAT and DRINK daily and grow into ALL GOD HAS CREATED YOU TO BE- IN HIM, through HIM, and with HIM! HUNGER and THRIST for more JESUS! Let Jesus, His Word, His Love, His Will, HIS WAY- be the food that feeds you! Amen.

Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. I am weary with my crying out; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. – Psalm 69:1-3 ESV

Warrior;
The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 lyric poems. A lyric poem is defined as “that which directly expresses the individual emotions of the poet.” Religious lyric poetry reflects the inner feelings of the person whose soul is stirred by thoughts of God. The Psalms are thus inspired responses of various individuals to God’s revelation of himself in the Old Testament era. The Book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible, with 150 individual psalms. It is also one of the most diverse, since the psalms deal with such subjects as God and His creation, war, worship, wisdom, sin and evil, judgment, justice, and the coming of the Messiah.

Leader, the Psalms were the songbook of the people of God when they gathered for worship. The tell of the RAW struggle of we broken human beings as we go through this life as CHILDREN of GOD in a world that is controlled by the PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR and those that HAVE NOT,-WILL NOT, CHOOSE NOT, to submit to the KINGDOM of GOD which is the RULE and REIGN of God, on earth as it is in heaven! Psalm 1 contrasts the blessing that await those who WALK WITH GOD with the disaster of those who CHOOSE another path. Psalm 23 is the most memorable and encouraging of the Psalms. Psalm 74: A desperate plea to God to rescue us from our troubles. Psalm 119 is the longest Psalm and the longest chapter in the Bible, this psalm beautifully works its way through the Hebrew alphabet, pondering mans relationship with God. Psalm 117 is the shortest of all psalms. It is the 595th of the 1,189 chapters of the King James Version of the Bible, making it the middle chapter. It is also the shortest chapter in this version of the Bible. “O praise the Lord, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.”

Conduit, if you want a deeper relationship with God and if you want to FEEL the HIGHS and LOWS of our Faith walk, PSALMS will always provide that emotional connection. Psalm 69 is raw, it is NOT pretty, it allows for the pity party that many of us have as we struggle with the brokenness of this world and the attacks of the enemy. It is honest in our fear and doubt that can creep in to those who have a HEART AFTER GOD and who are zealous in the following of HIS WORD, HIS WAY and HIS SON! The psalms show us, we can bring all our feelings to God—no matter how negative or complaining they may be—and we can rest assured that He will hear and understand. The psalmist teaches us that the most profound prayer of all is a cry for help as we find ourselves overwhelmed by the problems of life. God is the same Lord in all the psalms. But we respond to Him in different ways, according to the specific circumstances of our lives. What a marvelous God we worship, the psalmist declares, ONE who is high and lifted up beyond our human experiences but also ONE who is close enough to touch and who walks beside us along life’s way. How GREAT IS OUR GOD! Cry out to ABBA Father- just like Jesus did in his times of sorrow!

And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As a result, many Jews believed, as did many of the prominent Greek women and men.- Acts 17:11-12 NLT

Warrior;
The Bible is the FINAL WORD! Do you TEST what others tell you, what the WORLD SELLS YOU against the TRUTH OF THE BIBLE? We must know the WORD of GOD, so that we can DISCERN the TRUTH from the LIES of the WORLD. SATAN is the most powerful creature ever made! He is more powerful than even the Arch-Angels Michael and Gabriel. In the book of Daniel, we learn the power of the original ‘shiny one’. Daniel has a vision of an angel, this angel, named Gabriel in Daniel 8:16 and 9:21, tells Daniel that he was “resisted” by a demon called “the prince of Persia” until the archangel Michael came to his assistance (Daniel 10:13). So we learn from Daniel that angels and demons fight spiritual battles over the souls of men and nations, and that the demons resist angels and try to prevent them from doing God’s bidding.

Leader, the devil TWISTS the truth to CONFUSE us and move us away from the WILL and GLORY of GOD! He did it in the Garden with Adam and Eve, see Genesis 3, and he’s been doing it ever since! 1 Peter 5:8 warns us; Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Speaking to a group of Jews, Jesus says, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. (2 Cor 11:13-15)

Conduit, John 10:10 tells us the antidote to the DEVILS LIES: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. In Paul’s first Epistle ever written, Galatians, Paul addresses the main ABOMINATION TO GOD- FALSE TEACHING: I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:6-9) How many FALSE religions say, “An angel came to…and told us NEW information…apart from the BIBLE”. The BIBLE says it is an ANATHEMA -to believe the LIES of SATAN! THE BIBLE ALONE, is the WORD OF GOD! All other so called, ‘HOLY BOOKS’ are a LIE, a TWISTING- a PERVERTION of the TRUTH. Remember it is ONLY THE TRUTH that shall set you free! Know the TRUTH and meditate on it daily! How else will you know the LIES of the DEVIL?

For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain [to keep it from eating],” and, “The worker is worthy of his wages [he deserves fair compensation].”-1 Timothy 5:18 AMP

I am asking for those of you that feel that my daily text I type up and send out daily is feeding you, then you would consider reciprocity. Covid 19 has all but killed my money making abilities in my training business! I continue to serve and help people no matter their financial means- because things are a struggle for many- including the Black family.

I am humbling myself before God and you and ask for your financial support to our 501c3; Like It Matters. We help people of all races, ethnicity, beliefs and lifestyles- just like Jesus.

Please pray about it and consider partnering with us as we serve those in need and feed all who are hungry for THE WORD and THE WAY! Whether that is a one-time donation or if you would be willing to partner with us monthly so we can change this world fir the Kingdom of God!

I do three things daily. Even though I don’t get paid for most of what I do. For 8 years now, I have daily -7/365 typed up my Bible Study and sent out to thousands. in addition to those of you who get this blog from http://www.wayofwarrior.blog I personally send out one at a time to over 300 people daily- Cut, Paste, Send. My alarm is set for 4am, I goto office at 5 am and get finished sending out by 8am.

I also do my daily Radio Show; http://www.Likeitmattersradio.com where I daily help people use their noggin and learn how to critically think through the issues of the day. And lastly I help change people’s lives through my transformational Leadership training I’ve been doing for 30 years! http://www.Likeitmatters.net

We are in need, and I’m wondering if I’ve fed you or helped you- would you consider helping me and my family in times of need. The Bible says in 1 John 3:17 says; But if anyone has the worlds goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does Gods love abide in him? Thank you for your love and support- it is humbling!

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“Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask the priests about the law: ‘If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with his fold bread or stew or wine or oil or any kind of food, does it become holy?’” The priests answered and said, “No.” Then Haggai said, “If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, does it become unclean?” The priests answered and said, “It does become unclean.” Then Haggai answered and said, “So is it with this people, and with this nation before me, declares the LORD, and so with every work of their hands. And what they offer there is unclean. – Haggai 2:11-14

Warrior;
What a great life principle this is. God is teaching us through Haggai that the uncleanness of this world can be transferred from one person to another, but holiness cannot! The same is true of character. It cannot be borrowed or lent. We cannot borrow a relationship with God. It is non-transferable as holiness is non-transferable. This also applies to the people we hang out with. We will never rise above the quality of the people we hang out with. People seem to pull others down, instead of pulling people up. We seem to gravitate to the lowest common denominator. In the New Testament God puts it this way; A little leaven leavens the whole lump. (Galatians 5:9) This is one of the main reasons why God did not want His chosen people to intermarry with the Gentiles. This was not a racial issue, it was a Spiritual issue. When we open our heart, our bed, our lives to people who Do not walk with the God of our universe and we merge our lives with theirs we compromise. Compromise is good in many areas of life, so we can get along. However, when we compromise in our walk with God, we move away from God.

Leader, in today’s world this is a hard verse to accept, it is 2 Corinthians 6:14: Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? This is NOT a law, not in the 10 commandments, I am not sure if Jesus ever said these words, so we can question the veracity of its application. We need to understand there are 2 types of Law: Statutory Law and Common law. Statutory is law that has been codified in statutes, it has been legislated, or dictated. Statutory Law is written Law, or in God’s situation, spoken law; Thou shalt not kill, honor your mother and your Father, if you see a brother in need, help your brother. Then there is Common Law, this is defined as: the part of law that is derived from custom and judicial precedent rather than statutes. When the Israelites were struggling with issues that were outside of the Mosaic law, they were to go to the Priests, or the Judges, or the King and get a rendering of what to do. This is the scenario that is presented above. God has given us His Word and His commands, but NOT ALL things that we encounter on this planet, are delineated in the WORD. This is also why God tells us that true transformation is always an INSIDE OUT process. Many people attempt to be outwardly changed, by their behavior, but God knows we have to be internally changed through the Spirit.

Conduit, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. The Law was introduced to show us we could not keep the law. It always pointed to a Savior, a Redeemer, someone who could cleanse us from the verdict of death, for our inability to keep the law. Anyone who calls themselves a believer must be BORN AGAIN, we are a new creation in Christ Jesus 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us. This is very similar to when God chose the Israelites and removed them from Egypt. They were his NEW CHILDREN, so he had to feed them, teach them, hold their hands as he walked with them, he had to be around them constantly. The LORD went ahead of them. He guided them during the day with a pillar of cloud, and he provided light at night with a pillar of fire. This allowed them to travel by day or by night. (Exodus 13:21) As his children matured, God needed to teach them right from wrong by giving them the commandments, So that they would know the difference between right and wrong. Jesus came later, to move the law from the exterior to the interior. Jesus wrote the law on our heart, so that we desired to be a pleasing sacrifice to our God. This is the point about being saved UNTO GOOD WORKS, not by GOOD WORKS. In our Christian maturity we want to PLEASE GOD by honoring him with our thoughts, our words and our actions. We don’t become saved by our parents, or by the church we belong to, or by our Christian Heritage- we become children of God by our own intimate, personal relationship with him. Not by works, so that no one can boast! When we allow things that are NOT OF GOD, to become part of our lives, then we stop having a HEART-CONNECTED relationship with God. This is why a little yeast, levens the whole loaf. It is boiling frogs! If you put a frog in a pot of boiling water, it will jump out. But if you put a frog in a pot of lukewarm water and you slowly bring it to a boil- you might want to have some garlic butter! Seperate yourself from anything that can separate you from a heartful relationship with the Lord, our God, Jesus the Messiah!

Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. – John 4:20-22 ESV

Warrior;
We need to understand that SIN IS IN OUR DNA! From one man, ADAM, sin was brought into the molecular structure of our flesh. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. (Romans 5:17, 1 Corinthians 15:21) Just like SIN is part of our DNA, so too is: hate, prejudice, record keeping, POUND OF FLESH SEEKING, self-righteousness, vengeance, enmity, and strife! There have always been people who don’t like other people. The problem is not NEW, nor is the answer. The answer is that people of God, act like people of God. When Jesus was incarnate his nation, Israel, was under captivity and there was much hatred of the JEW and hatred of the different class of people, a different race- the Samaritans. If we are going to deal with the chaos in the world we need to do it God’s way, not the worlds way. We are not going to solve the racism problem in this world where some in the black community believe every white person is privileged and the only answer is BLACK NATIONALISM. Or where WHITE NATIONALISM is the answer to the BLM movement. The answer is modeling Jesus and letting the Holy Spirit change our hearts and our minds and LOVE ONE ANOTHER as Christ loves the church.

Leader, 1 Corinthians 15:22 tells us; For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”. The devil is wily, working to separate us and turn us against each other with the KKK and BLM, with Democrats hating Trump and Republicans wanting equal treatment for all, not special treatment for some. The answer is NOT to become AWOKE, it is not VIRTUAL SIGNALING, it is not prostrating yourself before the aggrieved and profusely admitting the wrongs of your people as you kiss their boots- the only answer is Jesus! And when we seek to fix things in a fleshly way, we just exacerbate the problem- see the nightly news! Any solution that does not come from a relationship with JESUS, will never work! Man’s inhumanity to man is well documented, just ready the Bible, read, “Man’s search for Meaning” by Dr. Viktor Frankl-look up the Holocaust. In Jesus’ day, the Jews and the Samaritans despised each other because of their history. When we are living in the past we are living in the three R’s of survival: Regret, Resent, and Resist. Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, because of a painful past. With whom do you have no dealings?

Conduit, God is at work, if we will just turn to God and let HIM DO THE WORK THROUGH US- we must be BORN AGAIN! God uses the broken things, God makes beautiful things, He makes beautiful things out of the dust! God sits above time and He knows our choices, in advance of us knowing our choices. God can use the lies, the hate, the pain of the past and the promise of the future to accomplish His purpose. When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brother, God said through Joseph to his brothers, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today”. When Abram gave away Sarah to save his life- God used it for His glory and our good. In the end, Pharaoh returned Abram’s wife and provided protection for him: “Pharaoh gave men orders concerning him, and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had” (Genesis 12:20). Despite Abram’s wrongdoing, God worked to fulfill His promise. Abram left Egypt with his wife Sarai, the protection of the king, and added prosperity. God sometimes allows bad things to take place in someone’s life as part of a larger situation. God used the affliction of Pharaoh’s household to bring about good for Abram. We may not always know why bad things happen, but that does not mean they are without purpose. God has a larger purpose behind everything that takes place in life (Jeremiah 29:11). As Paul taught in Romans 8:28, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God used the Jews denying Christ as a blessing to the Gentiles. We should all thank the Jews because of their rejection of Jesus, we Gentiles got ingrafted. So I say, have they stumbled so as to fall [to spiritual ruin]? Certainly not! But by their transgression [their rejection of the Messiah] salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous [when they realize what they have forfeited].(Romans 11:11) What is the answer to the racial and political unrest in this country? The answer IS NOT BIDEN- JESUS is the answer to heal our broken land, our hardened hearts!

Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings forth chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. – Isaiah 43:16-19 ESV

Warrior:
Our God is a God of NEW BEGINNINGS! 2 Cor 5:17 is the reminder of this: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. We must remember who we serve; THE GOD of the Universe! The Maker of the Heavens and the Earth is THE ONE we call MASTER, LORD and ABBA- DADDY! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (Philippians 4:13, 1 John 4:4)

Leader, God has GREAT PLANS for YOU! He knows your choices, He knows your struggles, HE knows your PAST and HE knows your FUTURE! For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11) The Israelites were at the end of their 70 years of Babylonian captivity, He wants the tribe of Judah to know that even though they did this to themselves! Even though Judah was going through some SELF-INFLICTED misery- God is NOT out to GET THEM! HE has forgiven them, and He has provided the WAY OUT of the wilderness. He has provided a PATH where NO PATH exists!

Conduit, Is your sin greater than the BLOOD OF JESUS? As Pastor Jeff Wickwire says, “Our windshield is bigger than our rear-view mirror for a reason!” God is calling us to personal forgiveness and HOPE in the ONE who builds ROADS in the Wilderness and RIVERS in the DESERT! God, and Paul, is telling us; “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” (Phil 3:13) God is telling us to QUIT looking backwards, quit keeping our ‘Pound of Flesh’, ETCH-A-SKETCH your RECORD OF WRONG: Forgive others and yourself! Isaiah is persuading us to: 1-Quit looking back. 2- LOOK FORWARD- for that is where the HOPE OF GLORY is! 3- Seize your Season! The Time is NOW to walk through GOD’s OPEN DOOR! For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39) Amen!

In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. As I looked, behold, a stormy wind came out of the north, and a great cloud, with brightness around it, and fire flashing forth continually, and in the midst of the fire, as it were gleaming metal. .- Ezekiel 1:1, 4 ESV

Warrior;
In J. Vernon McGee’s exposition on the book of Ezekiel he posits that this vision from Ezekiel is of the chariot of God as He rides triumphantly and irresistibly through time. Ezekiel saw visions of God. We do not have GOD Himself exposed, it is instead a VISION of the GLORY OF GOD, the presence of GOD’s AWE and POWER. How about you, when you dream do you dream of a bigger house, a more successful career, or do you dream of the awe and majesty of the God who seeks us out? A God who will inhabit our dreams, and dwell in us and DIE FOR US? If we truly want to Live a life of significance then we should seek a vision of GOD, from God. Proverbs 29:18 instructs us; Where there is no vision, the people perish.

Leader, Ezekiel was part of the second diaspora into Babylon. The Israelites were slaves in a foreign land, a land of pagans and idol worshipers; they were being disciplined by God for their lack of obedience. Psalm 137 was written about this time-event: By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres. For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!” (Psalm 137:1-3) In the midst of this tragedy and persecution Ezekiel was seeing visions of God. The VISION shows us HIS AWE and it reminds us of why we are to seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, HIS WILL for our lives- and everything will be taken care of! (Matthew 6:33)

Conduit, in our familiarity with Christ we forget: The Word of God says that our God is a consuming fire, (Hebrews 12:29), and God is light, (1 John 1:5). In his vision he sees a FIRE unfolding itself and a brightness was about it. It was a LIGHT flashing forth and it was revealing and concealing, it was obscuring and yet bringing- it is a light brighter than the sun. As McGee posits, “it could be compared to the inside of an atomic blast. It was incandescent, like lighting. “In Acts 26:13 Paul said, “as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me.” This is the GOD who sent HIS SON, to die so that we may spend eternity in HIS PRESENCE, under HIS AUTHORITY. The only way to GET TO THERE is from a place of AWE and reverence. A place of HUMILITY and GRATITUDE. For God so LOVED the world that HE DID something about it! (John 3:16) Do you so LOVE (verb) God, that you do something about it? A VERB is an action word! Commit your life to the ONE, who GAVE IT ALL, so that your daddy, ABBA Father is YOUR FIRST focus, FIRST priority- your FIRST LOVE!