Author: Mr.ScottV.Black

The leech has two suckers that cry out, “More, more!” There are three things that are never satisfied—no, four that never say, “Enough!”: the grave, the barren womb, the thirsty desert, the blazing fire. – Proverbs 30:15-16 NLT

Warrior;
This is a great metaphor. God is SEMPITERNAL: eternal, unchanging, everlasting. GOD’S LOVE FOR US IS also SEMPITERNAL! However, God wants our LOVE FOR HIM, our DESIRE for HIM to be EVER-GROWING. God desires us, to desire HIM! God is a jealous God! God opens His list of 10 commandments with the most important: You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. (Exodus 20:3-5a) In Revelation 2, where Jesus is addressing the church at Ephesus in His letter to the churches, He says: But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. (Revelation 2:4) God DESIRES our love for HIM to be insatiable, always growing, never subjugated to anything or anyone else. His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me”. (John 2:17)

Leader, the horseleech is an insatiable creature, sucking blood till it is ready to burst. It is never filled, but always craving, and ready to receive more and more. Many people have this feeling, this LUST for a mate, for their fame, for their personal kingdom, for MONEY: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. (1 Timothy 6:10) Cupidity; greed for money or possessions, and avarice; Excessive or inordinate desire of gain; greediness after wealth; covetousness- are things we hunger and thirst for and that makes GOD JEALOUS. God tells us to only LUST after Him, HIS righteousness, HIS PRESENCE. He mentions this in the SERMON ON THE MOUNT, as one of the great BEATITUDES: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) To hunger and to thirst for RIGHT STANDING before GOD- blessed are they! The sad reality is that most people never get to that place of hunger and thirst when their lives are going well! It is when my life is struggling that I seem to be the closest to God- it is at those times that I HUNGER and THIRST the most. Because of that our GOD will use those down times, those struggles to get us to DESIRE HIM at the level He wants us to DESIRE HIM!

Conduit, Proverbs 27:20 tells us Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. The prophet Habakkuk said, “Wealth is treacherous, and the arrogant are never at rest. They open their mouths as wide as the grave, and like death, they are never satisfied. In their greed they have gathered up many nations and swallowed many peoples”. (2:5) “The closing of the womb,” as Genesis 20:18 and Isaiah 66:9 notes. The burning desire for children, characteristic of a Jewish wife, is here denoted, like the passionate cry of Rachel to Jacob, “Give me children, or else I die”. The third insatiable thing is the earth that is not filled, not satisfied with water; the parched and thirsty soil which no amount of water can satisfy, which drinks in all that is poured upon it and is not benefited! The fourth is the fire that never says, ‘It is enough’! We see this in the massive forest fires in many states- they keep burning. The more you heap on fire, the more material you supply, the fiercer it rages. Septuagint, “Hades, and the love of woman, and earth not satisfied with water, and water, and fire, will not say, It sufficed.” “Fire is never satisfied with fuel; nor the ocean with rivers; nor death with all creatures; nor bright-eyed women with men.” These are METAPHORS, ways for God to let us know that HE wants us to have a NEVER QUENCHED desire for HIM. To know HIM, to DESIRE HIM, to put HIM ON OUR THRONE! Ask yourself these 3 questions today. 1- Do I DESIRE to have this DESIRE for HIM? 2- In MY past, when have I been the closest to this CRAVING? 3- Am I willing to PRAY to God for this DESIRE FOR HIM? The Lord is saying to us today, “I WANT YOU TO WANT ME!”

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the LORD your God,- Isaiah 43:1b-3a ESV

Warrior;

If you are a child of God then the world, America is getting stranger and stranger.  The world has one way of seeing things, but children of God have a different set of eyes, SPIRITUAL EYES, we can see things that those WITHOUT God, miss! For many in the world, things today are NOT vastly different than they have always been.  2 Peter 3 talks about this time and this version of thinking; Most importantly, I want to remind you that in the last days scoffers will come, mocking the truth and following their own desires.  They will say, “What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created. (2 Peter 3:3-4) God is working things out, He is in control and He is using HIS PEOPLE, connecting with them SPIRITUALLY to affect things, physically in this world! We must hold onto our FAITH, and believe what GOD tells us, not what our fleshly eyes, ears and feelings tell us! 

Leader, for those of us that are true FOLLOWERS OF JESUS CHRIST, we MUST see things through the Bible and see things through a SPIRITUAL FRAME. In 2 Kings there is an interesting story about seeing things through this world’s eyes and seeing things with Spiritual eyes: When the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he would confer with his officers and say, “We will mobilize our forces at such and such a place.” But immediately Elisha, the man of God, would warn the king of Israel, “Do not go near that place, for the Arameans are planning to mobilize their troops there.” So the king of Israel would send word to the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he would be on the alert there. The king of Aram became very upset over this. He called his officers together and demanded, “Which of you is the traitor? Who has been informing the king of Israel of my plans?” (2 Kings 6:8-11) The King was looking through HIS FLESHLY eyes, seeing what the WORLD sees and wanting to put it in a WORLDLY context. But God was working at the SPIRITUAL LEVEL through Elisha the Prophet.

Conduit, this story of Elisha and the Arameans is a great story about the EYES of the WORLD vs SPIRITUAL EYES. So one night the king of Aram sent a great army with many chariots and horses to surround the city. When the servant of the man of God got up early the next morning and went outside, there were troops, horses, and chariots everywhere. “Oh, sir, what will we do now?” the young man cried to Elisha. “Don’t be afraid!” Elisha told him. “For there are more on our side than on theirs!” Then Elisha prayed, “O LORD, open his eyes and let him see!” The LORD opened the young man’s eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that the hillside around Elisha was filled with horses and chariots of fire. (2 Kings 6:14-17) Conduit, if GOD BE FOR US, who can be against us? Greater is He who is in us, then he who is in the world. In my weakness His strength is perfected. We must see through SPIRITUAL eyes, the decay of the world and the SHORT-SIGHTEDNESS of those of the world. It is all SPIRITUAL! Whatever problems we are facing in this world we must know that there has never been an emergency meeting of the TRINITY. God is aware of where we are, and our struggles, just like HE WAS with Israel and the movement of the Aramean army! “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land that the LORD has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall put them in possession of it. It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deuteronomy 31:6-8) God’s promise that “I will never leave you nor forsake you” is found in multiple books of the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. With this promise, we can be assured that He is always with us and BE ENCOURAGED to TRUST in God in faith and spirit. We must, HOLD ONTO THAT, and WALK BY FAITH- NOT by sight! Faith is believing what God says, even when our flesh tells us something different! Today LIVE BY THAT FAITH!

And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21)

Warrior;
Jesus says “FOLLOW ME” at least 20 times in the four Gospels. Depending on your translation it could be a few more or a few less times. And one of his most poignant times where He alluded to the concept of FOLLOW ME, when He said; Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6) Jesus is saying if you want to get to Jehovah, Yahweh, Adonai, El Shadai, Allah- YOU MUST FOLLOW ME! We would never follow a stranger; we would never follow someone who wasn’t going where we wanted to go- we would never follow someone who wanted to do harm to us or our family. Today people follow people on Facebook, Tik Tok, Instagram, Twitter- keeping up with pithy comments and keeping abreast of what is going on in your life. THIS IS NOT what JESUS MEANS BY FOLLOW ME! What He means is; Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. (Matthew 16:24-25)

Leader, Jesus is saying I WANT ALL OF YOU! With the Corona-virus and the shut down of the world for a bug we can’t see, many people are losing money, houses, relationships, and who knows what else will be lost when this is over- but if you are a follower of Jesus- you CAN’T LOSE YOUR HOPE! In order to keep our HOPE and pick up our cross daily and follow after JESUS we must know who He is. Jesus told us 8 I AM statements- He Himself told us WHO HE WAS, so we could FOLLOW HIM and FORSAKE the stuff of this world! 1.“I am the bread of life.” (John 6:35, 41, 48, 51) As bread sustains physical life, so Christ offers and sustains spiritual life. 2. “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) To a world lost in darkness, Christ offers Himself as a guide. 3. “I am the door of the sheep.” (John 10:7,9) Jesus protects His followers as shepherds protect their flocks from predators. 4. “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25) Death is not the final word for those in Christ. 5. I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11, 14) Jesus is committed to caring and watching over those who are His

Conduit, . 6. “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) Jesus is the source of all truth and knowledge about God. 7. “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1, 5) By attaching ourselves to Christ, we enable His life to flow in and through us. Then we cannot help but bear fruit that will honor the Father. But the most significant “I AM” statement by Christ is that which He stated in John 8:58; 8. Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” The reason this “I AM” statement by Christ is most significant is that aside from describing Himself analogically throughout the book of John, here He is declaring that He is the Living God, the Creator of the universe. Colossians 1 confirms this: He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (v 15-17) No matter what the government allows or doesn’t allow, no matter what we all lose during this forced shutdown we never have to LOSE OUR HOPE! If your hope is in anything other than JESUS right now, things are tough. You don’t have to give up your life, you don’t have to give up all your stuff- the world is taking care of that. All you have to do is PICK UP YOUR CROSS DAILY and FOLLOW the GOD of the universe because in these DARK TIMES- He is the only ONE who knows where He is taking us! Jesus is saying to us today, “ITS OK- FOLLOW ME, I know where we are GOING!” “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.” (John 14:1-4)

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. – Genesis 5: 21-24 ESV

Warrior;
Enoch was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam. Methuselah, his son, is mentioned in the Bible as the oldest person to have lived, 969 years. Something happened to Enoch around the birth of his son Methuselah that forever changed the trajectory of his life. Enoch lived his life ONE WAY, then something happened, and He REPENTED, he CHANGED HIS MIND, he TURNED. He turned in such a way that he has a special place in the WORD OF GOD. He is one of 2 men in the Bible who did NOT DIE, he was “taken up” to be with the Lord. Enoch and Elijah are the 2 men mentioned in the Bible to avoid death and enter heaven, the presence of our Lord. And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. (2 Kings 2:11)

Leader, there is much written on Enoch, outside of the Bible. There are books out there that were not deemed, “Biblical canon”. In other words, they were not deemed worthy to be put in what we today call the Bible. They are something called the Apocrypha, and there is a book in that collection called the ‘Book of Enoch’, which talks about much spiritual warfare and what happened to Enoch that made him change course so drastically upon the birth of Methuselah. Biblestudytools.com says this about the Apocrypha: “Apocrypha” comes from the Greek word apokrypha which means “things that are hidden, secret.” “The Apocrypha” refers to two collections of ancient Jewish and Christian writings that have certain affinities with the various books of the Old Testament and New Testament but were not canonized by Christians as a whole. However, the Bible itself tells nothing of what happened, just that whatever happened it forever altered the life of Enoch. There are clues as to what could of happened when we take a look at what his sons name, Methuselah means.

Conduit, researching this on the internet brings many answers. Methuselah could mean either: “Man of the dart/spear”, or alternatively “his death shall bring”. Which brings us to what possibly happened that created a radical change in Enoch, so radical that he is famous for the way he walked with God after said event. Many biblical scholars believe that Enoch was visited by an angel and told of God’s displeasure with mankind and that God was going to do something about it, that would leave a mark in history unlike any, up until that point. Enoch and Methuselah are shadows of our Great Lord and HIS Long-suffering and His desire that none should perish. Looking at the possible meaning of the name “Methuselah” we see the 2 possible meanings. Looking at the weapon itself, the “tip of the spear” is the first part of the weapon that hits the target. Thus units who describe themselves as the “tip of the spear” are units who are the first to engage the enemy. The second meaning is about warning, is about getting people ready. When He dies it will come- the flood, God’s judgement on the world! Whatever happened to Enoch or whatever God intended for us to know by naming Enoch’s son Methuselah- we can take heed in the message: People get ready for God is moving and THE TIME IS NOW TO REPENT! It is no longer important to BE LIKE MIKE, the TIME IS NOW to be like John the baptizer: John replied in the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I am a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Clear the way for the LORD’s coming!’” (John 1:23) Keep It Simple Soldier, its as easy as 1, 2, 3! Whether a flood, a death, or the Corona-virus…God is getting our attention. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” No matter what your status or station in life, God is getting our attention will you REPENT, change your mind- do something differently? 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. Amen!

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ – Matthew 7:21-23 ESV

Warrior;
If you DON’T know WHO JESUS is, then why would you do MIGHTY WORKS, cast out demons and prophesy in HIS NAME? My point is: God here is not talking about the ‘UNCHURCHED’, no, God is talking about CHURCH-FOLK. If you read the Bible, one thing you will notice is that there is one group of creatures, one entity that always knew who JESUS WAS. Any guess on who that group of creatures is…? See Matthew 8:28-34. And He having come to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two men being demon-possessed met Him, coming out of the tombs. They were very violent, so that no one was strong-enough to pass through that way. And behold— they cried-out, saying, “What do we have to do with You, Son of God? Did You come here to torment us before the time?” (ibid v28-29) BEWARE, it is NOT enough to know JESUS- Satan and HIS minions know Jesus and they are NOT saved. We must walk and talk with Jesus so that HE KNOWS US! He demands a heart-filled relationship.

Leader, Billy Graham used to say that 60% of the people in church are dead. Ritualistic church attendance and knowing about God and His Son, Jesus DOES NOT get us into heaven. Just because we check a box and add a little bit of GOD to our WORLDLY lives, DOES NOT make us a CHILD OF GOD anymore than hanging out at McDonalds will make you a BIG MAC. Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Colossians 2:16, Romans 14:3-4) God is NOT interested in you adding HIM to your TO DO LIST, God has no value in you physically doing something, when your HEART IS somewhere else, or the intent of the heart is for something other than FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD! The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught. (Isaiah 29:13) If you can’t say AMEN, then OUCH is appropriate!

Conduit, the world is in chaos. America is in the recordkeeping business. We have white nationalist and black nationalist. We have people keeping a record of wrong, keeping their pound of flesh. We live in a country where there is no MERCY, NO GRACE, NO FORGIVENESS! When Dr. King marched for EQUAL TREATMENT- not special treatment, he marched with God in his heart. JESUS was as much a part of His marches as the creatures that walked with him. Dr. King said, ““Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” Dr. King was just paraphrasing Jesus and pointing people to the SAVIOR. RACISM CANNOT DRIVE OUT RACISM- only grace, mercy and love can do that. Every living, breathing human being is equal in the eyes of God, God is not a respecter of persons. We are all equal at the foot of the cross- sinners in need of a savior! When Jesus was being crucified by His creatures, He did not seek revenge, he did not seek reparations, He didn’t riot and burn down Jerusalem, neither did Dr. King burn down Memphis. Dr. King did not attempt to do to others the bad that was done to HIM and Jesus DID NOT seek to do to man what was done to HIM. They both came to change the equation: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you- that was the message of both men. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.” It is time to be LIKE JESUS, and STOP buying into the LIES OF THE DEVIL, beware because it is masked in a term called, “SOCIAL JUSTICE”. Seek God and HIS WAY. Jesus told us He is the way- watch me and act like I acted! Let me leave you with the words of the MAN who DR. KING loved more than freedom, more than people of color, more than America! “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful”. (Luke 6:27-36)

Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5:1-3 ESV

Warriors;
Pride is an abomination to God. Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the LORD; be assured, he will not go unpunished. Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:5,18) Pride is biblically defined as: Inordinate self-esteem; an unreasonable conceit of one’s own superiority in talents, beauty, wealth, accomplishments, rank or elevation in office, which manifests itself in lofty airs, distance, reserve, and often…Insolence; rude treatment of others; insolent exultation. Generous elation of heart; a noble self-esteem springing from a consciousness of worth. Haughty is similarly defined; High; lofty; bold. Disdainfully or contemptuously proud; arrogant; overbearing. There are many pandemics in the church and very few as costly to the GOSPEL, as that of PRIDE. We come across as better than others, and yet we are called to humble ourselves. James 4:6 tells us; “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Leader, 1 John 2:15–16 mentions three types of lust that lead us into greater sin: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.” The pride of life can be defined as anything that is “of the world,” meaning anything that leads to arrogance, ostentation, pride in self, presumption, and boasting. John makes it clear that anything that produces the pride of life comes from a love of the world and “if anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” Pride attempts to make us more than we are. Yes- IN CHRIST we are NEW CREATURES. Yes, we are CO-HEIRS of the kingdom. Yes, we are a kingdom of Priests, Ambassadors in Chains. BUT IT IS GOD who chose us, it is GOD who loved us, it is GOD who called us- IT IS GOD who deserves the PRIDE and GLORY- NOT US! Our God is a God of GLORY and RIGHTEOUSNESS! NO SHARED GLORY! “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” (Revelation 4:11)

Conduit, The ‘Sermon on the Mount’ was the first message that Jesus Preached, it is considered ‘The greatest sermon ever delivered” and how did God start it; HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO ARE POOR IN SPIRIT. NOT poor, but poor in spirit. They know they are NOT WORTHY, but only say the word, LORD JESUS and I shall be healed. Luke confirmed this in his letter, see Luke 6:20-23. To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”- Luke 9:9-14) Conduit, it all starts here. The 2 original sins; Lucifer’s sin in the heavenlies and Man, Adam’s sin, in the garden, both originated from the abomination of PRIDE. If God chose you, it is because of WHO HE IS, not because of who you are. Rule number one about being a Christian- it’s not about you- it’s about HIM! Anything that is keeping others from seeing HIM vs you, needs to be removed! Remember, IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS! Lord, I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed! I ask this in the precious name of the one who DESERVES ALL GLORY, Jesus! Amen.

This vision is for a future time. It describes the end, and it will be fulfilled. If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed. – Habakkuk 2:3 NLT

Warrior;

Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? The TIME IS NOW to listen to the minor prophets words and heed his call! In Martin Luther’s prefix to the prophet Habakkuk, Luther explains; Habakkuk means, “to hug”. He does so with his prophecy by hugging or embracing his people. He comforts them and takes them into his arms as one does with a crying child or adult.” This is what Dr. J. Vernon McGee calls the DARKSIDE OF LOVE. As a parent talks to a child before disciplining and holds them, after the discipline- so too does Habakkuk embrace his people with this harsh judgment of God. The name Habakkuk means “to embrace.” Habakkuk signifies an embracer, or one who embraces another, takes him into his arms. He embraces his people, and takes them to his arms, i.e., he comforts them and holds them up, as one embraces a weeping child, to quiet it with the assurance that, if God wills, it shall soon be better. He can be considered a shadow of our Lord Jesus. Jesus too embraces us and He also judges us, but it is always from a position of LOVE. When we love someone enough, we share truths that they might not like, or might not understand or might not want.

Leader, John Piper in his book, “What Jesus Demands of the World”, under Demand 28 on his discussion of Love he says (emphasis mine): “We live in a time when emotional offense, or woundedness, often becomes a criterion for deciding if LOVE has been shown. If a person can claim to have been hurt by what you say, it is assumed by many that you did NOT act in love. In other words, love is not defined by the quality of the act and its motives, but by the subjective response of others. In this way of relating, the wounded one has absolute authority. If he\she says you hurt them, then you cannot have acted lovingly. You are guilty. Jesus will not allow this way of relating to go unchallenged. Love IS NOT defined by the response of the loved. A Person can be genuinely loved and feel hurt or offended or angered or retaliatory or numb without in any way diminishing the beauty and value of the act of love that hurt them. We know this most clearly from the death of Jesus on the cross- the greatest ACT OF LOVE ever performed, because the responses to it covered the range from “AFFECTION” (John 19:27) to “FURY” (Matthew 27:41-52). That people were BROKEN, ANGERED, ENRAGED and CYNICAL in response to Jesus’ death did not alter the fact that what he did was a great act of love.” John 15:3 reminds us, Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Conduit, as with so much in the Bible, the prophets’ words were for his audience at the time, and for the audience of those who will study the Bible thousands of years after it was written. It was for the Jews of His day, and as today’s verse says, it is for a future time, the GREAT TRIBULATION and for us, PRE-TRIBULATION believers! The 2^nd chapter of Habakkuk has in it, the Five “Woes” of the Wicked Babylonians, but they are also the ‘5 Woes’ against society today. Before we even get to the WOES, we get hit with the sin of PRIDE! “Look at the proud! They trust in themselves, and their lives are crooked. (ibid 2:4a) That speaks to us today, before he even gets to the REAL WOES! GREED: Woe to him who increases what is not his—how long? (2:6) FALSE SECURITY; Woe to him who covets evil gain for his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of disaster! (2:9) VIOLENCE: Woe to him who builds a town with bloodshed, who establishes a city by iniquity! (2:12) ARROGANCE: Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk, that you may look on his nakedness!” (2:15) IDOLATRY: Woe to him who says to wood, “Awake!” To silent stone, “Arise! It shall teach!” (2:19) How remarkably modern these “woes” seem even though they were written to describe the ancient Babylonian culture at the time of Habakkuk. The Babylonians looked to their own man made gods and military power to give them security, which they sought to attain by a total disregard for the rights and dignity of others. Does this sound like any other country you know today? The TIME IS NOW TO TURN BACK TO GOD! The Roman Empire was the greatest empire, it lasted over 1000 years, and it crumbled from within! The Bible tells us that a nation will fall apart if it is not united. It also says that a house divided will not stand. (Luke 11:17) “Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.” We must UNITE with GOD and UNITE with each other, and we cannot do that in our flesh, we can only do that in our SPIRIT, and only when that SPIRIT is connected to the VINE that is JESUS, the Christ! “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned”. (John 15:4-6)

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. – 1 John 1:5-7 ESV

Warrior;
The apostle John, in the Epistle of John refers to one of the disciples as, “The disciple Jesus loved”. It is almost unanimous that John, himself, was the disciple, “whom Jesus loved”. It seems that John had a closer relationship with Jesus than any of the other disciples. Jesus and John were essentially “best friends.” Jesus entrusted John with the care of His mother, gave John the vision of the transfiguration, allowed John to witness His most amazing miracles, and later gave John the Book of Revelation. Church history tells us that the apostle John lived into the A.D. 90s and was the last surviving apostle. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke are remarkably similar, not only in the outline of the narratives but also the nature and content of the teachings including the style, the language, and the vocabulary. Therefore the first three Gospels are called Synoptic gospels because they can be viewed side by side. The word Synoptic is derived from the Greek word ‘Synptikos’ which really means ‘seeing with’ in other words ‘ seeing the whole together’. However, I have heard that as high as 90% of the gospel of John is not in the other three. The big question is why? Why would John have written a record of Jesus’ life that is so different from the other three Gospels? What if it was because He had a more intimate relationship with Jesus?

Leader, “Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved”. (John 13:23) This picture of John laying his head on Jesus, while sitting at the table for the Last Supper, intimacy. John knew Jesus well. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life. (1 John 1:1) That intimate knowledge is in this epistle and it is “God is LIGHT, GOD is LOVE and GOD IS LIFE.” The epistle of 1st John can be divided three-fold; Light is mentioned 16 times in the first chapter leading into the next, Love 33 times in 2nd chapter, going into the 3rd ( 44 times total) and God is LIFE- John knew that Jesus is life, and he mentioned it redundantly. In John 10:27–28 Jesus states that: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” This refers to the personal, heart to heart relationship the Christian is expected to have with Jesus. Notice John had a real relationship with Jesus; he heard, he saw, he beheld, he touched- John called Him the WORD (logos) of LIFE! Do you know Jesus like this, or is he some historical figure from the past? Is Jesus like Abraham Lincoln to you? Some famous guy who lived long ago and you now read about? God is calling us all to be like JOHN, to have an intimate relationship with Him, through His Son, Jesus the Christ.

Conduit, in order to have that intimate, loving relationship with Jeus we have to REMOVE that which hinders us. Ephesians 4:31, NIV: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.” The ESV says, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Anger or wrath is an intense emotional state. It involves a strong, uncomfortable, and hostile response to a perceived provocation, hurt or threat. We have to choose our FRUIT, and that fruit is dependent on what you are engrafted into? Are you engrafted into the Prince of this world, or are you part of the VINE which then allows you to produce Fruit of the Spirit? You can tell WHOSE you are by your fruit. Fruit of the Spirit or Fruit of the flesh? Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Fruit of the world\Flesh is Hate\Indifference, Despair, Anxiety, Impatience, Rudeness, Evil, Unreliable, Abrasive\Harsh and undisciplined. Are you believing the WORLD and that one group of people are more evil than others? That the color of one’s skin, makes someone worse, or better than another? Is that fruit of the Spirit or fruit of the World? Does the trauma and drama of today make you more like Jesus? Or is the unfairness of life, the hardness of how sin destroys relationships in our hearts, in our families, in our communities and in our churches- is that making you more like earth dwellers? Are you doing the bidding of the world, or are you about your Fathers business, like Jesus? You might want to look at your proximity and intimacy with Jesus if you are marching to the beat of the world. Repent, CONFESS and TAKE A KNEE (Romans 14:11) – not for the world’s causes- but for the LOVE, LIGHT and LIFE of JESUS!

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. – John 4:31-34 ESV

Warrior;
WHY ARE YOU HERE? What is your purpose? Why do you get up each day, do what you do and go to bed the next day? Why did the God of the universe breathe breath into you and give you the gift of life? You have been created for a time such as this! The book of Ecclesiastes tells us that we must know what TIME IT IS! There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.( Ecc 3:1-8)

Leader, when you know THE TIME, we live in then you LIVE with a sense of URGENCY! Planes crash, and people die in a wink of an eye- it’s a fact of life! What are you doing with your time on this planet before your time in the BOX? Rule #1 about being a Leader for God is, “It’s NOT about you!”. We need to get off ourselves and the FEEDING OF OUR EGO and EAT THE BREAD OF LIFE! If you understand the cycle of LIFE – then you will be FED by bringing others into FREEDOM that comes from being with the FATHER! The book of Hebrews tells us the cycle of life: Everyone must die once, and after that be judged by God. (Hebrews 9:27) We all fall short of the Glory of God and are in need of a SAVIOR! For the PRICE OF SIN IS DEATH! If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10)

Conduit, if we will trust in JEHOVAH JIREH He will provide all of our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil 4:19) In the journey through the desert God provided MANNA, which translated means, ‘WHAT IS IT’. When GOD is our FOCUS and HIS WILL is our OUTCOME then HIS WORK is OUR WORK. We are on a rescue mission and GOD WILL FEED HIS SOLDIERS! Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, “Look, we didn’t know.” For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve. (Proverbs 24:11-12) The TIME IS NOW to consider, WHOSE ARE YOU and WHY ARE YOU HERE? Once you know the answers to those two questions then you can AVAIL and COMMIT! Jesus, knew WHY HE WAS HERE, do you? Jesus said, “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn’t you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! (John 4:34-35 MSG) Amen!!

Hello Warriors, Conduits and leaders!

Daily, without fail- I feed people with the word of God and explanations for implementation!, Every single day I set an alarm, most days I’m up by 4 am, studying and sharing the Word of God all over the world! In addition to the hundreds/thousands who get it from this blog- I send it out to over 300 people, individually- one at a time! This writing, posting and sending takes me 2-3.5 hours every since day. Daily, for almost 8 years I have answered Gods call to send out scripture and feed people. I have been diligent in keeping this task going!!

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