Way of The Warrior- A Daily Devotional

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. – Hebrews 5:7-14 ESV

Warrior;
The writer of Hebrews, which some think was Paul, but scholars differ as to who the unnamed writer is- does not mince words. This is a scripture that basically says, IT’S TIME TO GROW UP! Jesus is the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE. He is our EXAMPLE, He gives us PERMISSION, HE IS OUR STANDARD. Jesus said, “Watch me. What I do, you do!” When was the last time you CRIED OUT to God? Jesus was earnest in His prayers to God. It says with LOUD CRIES and TEARS, and He was heard BECAUSE of His reverence. To have reverence for someone or something means that you revere, or, highly respect and honor, that person or thing. Reverence starts in the heart and manifests in the actions. Webster’s defines it as; profound respect and esteem mingled with fear and affection, as for a holy being or place; veneration. In the Old Testament, “reverence” occurs as the translation of two Hebrew words, yare’ and shachah. The root idea of the former is “fear.” So the group of ideas there would be “fear,” “awe”. The root idea of the second is “falling down,” as prostration of the body. It is used to express the bearing toward another who is considered superior. In the New Testament “reverence” occurs as the translation of three Greek words, aidos, phobeomai, and entrepomai; modesty, self-valuation of inferiority, and so sets forth an attitude toward another of doing him honor. Do you feel this toward Yahweh, Adonai, El Shadai, El Elyon, Allah, Yeshua?

Leader, does that sound like your feelings toward the God of the universe? We have a tendency to diminish the AWE of God! The old saying is “Familiarity breeds contempt”. Familiarity breeds contempt is an old adage that means the better you know someone or something, the more likely you are to find fault with that person or thing and feel hostility or hatred towards them or it, or to begin devaluing them or it. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe. (Hebrews 12:28) Some have become so familiar with God that we disrespect His authority and Power. We live in a time where we are all into who has more than us. Who is PRIVILEGED, who has it better, who has more, who has it easier. We treat God like He is our servant, and we bring our complaints of COVETOUSNESS to Him, like He is some GENIE IN A BOTTLE. Yet, whenever anybody in the Bible comes in contact with an Angel of the Lord, they fall down like they were dead! When Samson’s Mother and Father saw The Angel of the Lord, they revered Him. And Manoah said to his wife, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God.” (Judges 13:22) This is why the Bible says in Proverbs 9:10; The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. The fear of the LORD is where wisdom begins, and knowing holiness demonstrates understanding. Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1:7) Is God at the proper STATION in your heart and your mind? If not- all your religiosity has no value- it is just for show! Our comfortability with GOD, can be an abomination. In this familiarity, we can disrespect our LORD and we are not worthy to untie his sandals!

Conduit, when John the Baptist was telling his followers about his cousin Jesus, He revered Him. John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” (John 1:26-27) John was a ROCKSTAR in his day. Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote far more about John the Baptist, than He did about Jesus the carpenter. This is why John’s famous words are relevant to us today, “I must decrease, so He can increase”. (John 3:30) Have you become DULL OF HEARING? So wrapped up in the DESIRES of the FLESH? The World is encouraging people to keep a RECORD OF WRONG, to accumulate a POUND OF FLESH- to bring your grievances about how God shortchanged you and life ain’t no fair; NO JUSTICE, NO PEACE! Are you so wrapped up in your grievances against God, that you are not learning His Word and His Way? The writer of Hebrews tells us, it is time to RETURN TO THE BASICS and start teaching! Stephen Covey called, ‘Learning by Teaching” one of the most powerful ways to learn something. When you learn, with the intent on teaching, you learn at a deeper level and you learn beyond the surface! The TIME IS NOW, the END of the Time of the Gentiles is upon us and the time of Jacob’s Trouble is before us. Today’s Word tells us by studying, meditating, and digesting the word it is MANNA FROM HEAVEN, food from above. Remember it was Jesus who continually reminded us; Man does not live by BREAD ALONE, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. (Matthew 4:4) This food gives us the POWERS of discernment, training by CONSTANT PRACTICE to distinguish GOOD FROM EVIL! The WORD of GOD, tunes our senses so we can taste, see, hear, feel, and smell when things are OF GOD, and when things are OF THE WORLD! In Today’s world, today’s APOSTATE AMERICA, we need discernment. Because the devil Himself masquerades as an angel of light. Let jus beware of the wiles of the enemy, because the DECEPTION of the WORLD is strong! America is being led into APOSTASY, by what the world- State Run Media- claims is the most decent, religious President ever? You cannot discern the lies of the WORLD and it’s prince, the devil, if you are NOT IN THE WORD! Today make a commitment to be READERS, DOERS and SHARERS of the Word of God!