Everyday Be Prepared - February 24, 2014

Scripture: Deuteronomy 20-22

“When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you!2 When you prepare for battle, the priest must come forward to speak to the troops. 3 He will say to them, ‘Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight your enemies today! Do not lose heart or panic or tremble before them. 4 For the Lord your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!’8 “Then the officers will also say, ‘Is anyone here afraid or worried? If you are, you may go home before you frighten anyone else.’ 9 When the officers have finished speaking to their troops, they will appoint the unit commanders.

10 “As you approach a town to attack it, you must first offer its people terms for peace. 11 If they accept your terms and open the gates to you, then all the people inside will serve you in forced labor.12 But if they refuse to make peace and prepare to fight, you must attack the town. - Deuteronomy 20

Message:

When the LORD brings you to battle, do not be afraid but fight against your enemies, have courage! If the Lord leads you to fight, it means you will surely have the victory.

Promise/Observation:

In this world, we face many battles. I have recently been talking to GOD about how tiring this world can be because we have to fight many battles. But in every battle that the LORD leads you to fight, it means that HE will surely bring you the victory. There are battles that you should not fight because GOD has not lead you there. We should all know what battles GOD has led us to fight and avoid battles that are not meant for us because we will surely lose. Always give a chance to your enemies, if they offer peace, then do not fight with them. But if they refuse to make peace, then that is the time to fight.

Command/Application:

Prepare for battle, everyday always have a mindset that you are in a spiritual battle. Always be prepared for it by how Ephesians 6:13-18

13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.[d]16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.[e] 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.[f]

Do not be afraid. Do not lose heart. Do not panic. Do not tremble before your enemies. Stand firm. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power! - Ephesians 6:10

Belong to GOD Feb 23, 2014

Scripture: 1 John 1-3
15 Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. 16 For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. 17 And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. 18 Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come. 19 These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us. - 1 John 2
10 So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God.
21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him. - 1 John 3
Message:
Make it a point to belong to GOD, not in the world. 
Observation/Promise:
When you belong to GOD, you do not belong to the world. You act differently as the world acts and think differently than how the world thinks. Everything about the world is contrary to GOD's ways and His will. So do what pleases GOD and be faithful to what GOD has called you. The time is very near of the day of your Lord Yeshua's great return. So live each day as if it was your last and know GOD's will for your life, make sure to walk in His will for you so that when He returns, HE will find you always following Him and He will take you up along with His Saints in the great day of the Lord. 
Command/Application:
Cleanse yourself everyday by asking for forgiveness of Adonai Yeshua and asking for His blood to cleanse you of every sin. Everyday make it a point to be right before GOD. Do not love this world or the things of this world because it is fading away. Live for GOD, conform your heart to His will for your life, conform your life to the Word which gives life. Stand firm in the truth. Love other believers. Strip away every guilt by asking for His forgiveness and Come boldly before GOD, ask for His will to be done in your life and always be prepared for the day of His return.

Trust the Invisible GOD

3 “Son of man,” he said, “I am sending you to the nation of Israel, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been rebelling against me to this very day.6 “Son of man, do not fear them or their words. Don’t be afraid even though their threats surround you like nettles and briers and stinging scorpions. Do not be dismayed by their dark scowls, even though they are rebels.7 You must give them my messages whether they listen or not. But they won’t listen, for they are completely rebellious! 8 Son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not join them in their rebellion. Open your mouth, and eat what I give you.”
- Ezekiel 2


It must have been so scary for Ezekiel when GOD would told him that he is to be sent to a rebellious people and to speak to them the rebukes and warnings of GOD. For it can only mean that people are going to be against him. It's not such a wonderful place to be in where you are the object of anger and scorn of men because they don't like what you are bringing to them. But GOD has already even foretold of how these people were going to react to Ezekiel's message from GOD and has prepared Ezekiel to be strong and not to fear. GOD has equipped Ezekiel even during the day of GOD's call in Ezekiel to be a messenger of GOD, no matter what, Ezekiel is not to be dismayed or discouraged.

GOD is so good to already prepare Ezekiel for what is about to come, good or bad. The Lord sends Ezekiel yet makes him as strong as a stone unmoved by any kind of threat or circumstance that may happen around him. GOD makes him sure of the assignments in Ezekiel's life, he is to deliver the message whether they listen or not. We should also just do according to what GOD tells us to do. Sometimes we expect positive results from whatever GOD has called us to do but whatever are the results, it is no longer our concern whatever outcomes it brings, our main goal is to see to it that we do what GOD is asking of us. Let us be careful to completely rely on GOD and not do things out of our own initiative because we are only followers of Christ and HE is our Leader, lest we do what GOD has not asked and we fall into the same trap we are warning others that have fallen. Let GOD lead you completely, it takes a humble heart to trust the invisible GOD.

Step out in Faith

20 “See, I am sending an angel before you to protect you on your journey and lead you safely to the place I have prepared for you. 21 Pay close attention to him, and obey his instructions. Do not rebel against him, for he is my representative, and he will not forgive your rebellion. 22 But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you. 23 For my angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, so you may live there. And I will destroy them completely. 24 You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.
25 “You must serve only the Lord your God. If you do, I will bless you with food and water, and I will protect you from illness. 26 There will be no miscarriages or infertility in your land, and I will give you long, full lives.

-Exodus 23

When GOD sends you to a place He wants you to go for a specific purpose, He provides everything that you need to be able to survive. He sends an angel to go before you and protect you as you go your way, to lead you safely to the place He has prepared. This is how faithful GOD is. He prepares the way before us, but we are to listen to the Angel he has assigned to us. And to listen closely to what the Angel is instructing us. We don't literally see an Angel because angels may come in the form of humans, people that watch over us like protectors and soul keepers. They are accountable to GOD for us. Most of the time that angel is the Holy Spirit that will be leading us and instructing us what to do. 

Is the LORD sending you somewhere? Has he been calling you to be there but you have been scared and frightened with the thought of leaving your place of comfort, your home? Do not let your fears paralyze you. Live in the fullness of GOD and walk by faith. Trusting Him is the only key to take on the journey He has called each of us to take. The LORD has promised great things, staying where you are is disobedience if you have been called by GOD to go some place else. You will miss out big time if you do not obey. Heed His voice and do whatever you can to start your journey. Take hold of GOD's hand and step out in faith.