In preparation for our discussion over the next five days, please carefully read and meditate on these passages of scripture:
“Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.””
John 16:32-33 NKJV
“For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me. And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
II Corinthians 12:6-10 NKJV
“But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain shall be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land where you dwell.”
Numbers 33:55 NKJV
““Therefore, behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, And wall her in, So that she cannot find her paths. She will chase her lovers, But not overtake them; Yes, she will seek them, but not find them. Then she will say, ‘I will go and return to my first husband, For then it was better for me than now.’ For she did not know That I gave her grain, new wine, and oil, And multiplied her silver and gold— Which they prepared for Baal.”
Hosea 2:6-8 NKJV
““And there shall no longer be a pricking brier or a painful thorn for the house of Israel from among all who are around them, who despise them. Then they shall know that I am the Lord God.””
Ezekiel 28:24 NKJV
Let’s face it, the “sign-up sheet” to be an overcomer is full, whereas, the accompanying sign-up sheet for having something to overcome has few takers. However, without having something to overcome, being an overcomer is impossible.
The fact is, we can turn stumbling blocks into steppingstones. Not only that, we can also use them to form a ladder to the next level of operation in the Spirit!
Over the next five days we will look into the necessity, and indeed, the blessing of resistance in our lives.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
““I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from him. I will be like the dew to Israel; He shall grow like the lily, And lengthen his roots like Lebanon. His branches shall spread; His beauty shall be like an olive tree, And his fragrance like Lebanon. Those who dwell under his shadow shall return; They shall be revived like grain, And grow like a vine. Their scent shall be like the wine of Lebanon.”
Hosea 14:4-7 NKJV
As we set out to do, this week we have employed the story of Israel’s backsliding as a lens through which to see the way to return to the Lord, as well as the benefits of doing so. We also have considered the terrible consequences coming with not returning to Him.
Before concluding our investigation (for now), we must address what will be the ultimate return of Israel.
Ignorantly, some people suppose that God has once and for all, cast Israel off. Indeed, some maintain that Israel has no “special” place anymore in the plan of God. However, in this assumption, they are greatly mistaken.
Given, Jews must receive Christ to inherit eternal life, just like anybody else. And, they no longer have exclusivity in terms of the promises of God. However, Israel is still special to God; indeed, Jerusalem will be an important seat from which the Lord will rule and reign…forever!
As well, the culmination of God’s plan for putting an end to all evil rule will be initiated when the Lord returns to fight for Israel.
“In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”
Zechariah 12:8-10 NKJV
Yes, those nations who set out to finally annihilate Israel, will find that they have come to be destroyed by the Lord Himself.
“Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, And your spoil will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations to battle against Jerusalem; The city shall be taken, The houses rifled, And the women ravished. Half of the city shall go into captivity, But the remnant of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south. And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, And their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths.”
Zechariah 14:1-4, 12 NKJV
Now, Israel ceased to exist as a nation for millennia. But, in 1948, Israel was “born” again. Since that point in time they have lived under the threat of total destruction from the Muslim nations surrounding them.
Since the October 7th terror attacked by Hamas, we are seeing antisemitism being exposed all over the world. Sadly, some of our own members of Congress are leading the antisemitic rhetoric. Indeed, many of our “prestigious” universities are a hotbed of Jew-hatred!
We can now clearly see how the whole world will be gathered against Jerusalem.
But, make no mistake, Israel will return to the Lord and be restored. As Christ died and was raised up on the third day, Israel, seemingly in its death throes will be raised up!
“Come, and let us return to the Lord; For He has torn, but He will heal us; He has stricken, but He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight. Let us know, Let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, Like the latter and former rain to the earth.”
Hosea 6:1-3 NKJV
And, yes, King Jesus will fight—and win—their final battle!
In our opening Scripture we see God’s promise to bestow great blessing, prosperity, and peace, on Israel when it returns to Him.
Part of the good news for us is that we are already living in the blessing of God through Jesus Christ. And, daily, if we will turn away from our own way of being and doing and completely trust in Him, though He may not appear badly in the midst of our struggles, He will most certainly fight our battles. Yes, He will defend us; and He will win!
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
“Assyria shall not save us, We will not ride on horses, Nor will we say anymore to the work of our hands, ‘You are our gods.’ For in You the fatherless finds mercy.” “Ephraim shall say, ‘What have I to do anymore with idols?’ I have heard and observed him. I am like a green cypress tree; Your fruit is found in Me.””
Hosea 14:3, 8 NKJV
Let’s be honest, if you develop a taste for junk food, food that is actually nourishing, can become uninteresting or bland.
Oh yes, we love the sugar highs and the sumptuous texture and mouth-feel of fatty foods. And yes, additives can “excite” tastebuds to increase the level of your eating pleasure.
Now, the problem with all of the attributes making us crave junk foods is that they make us desire foods offering no actual benefit for our body. Indeed, a steady diet of junk foods can lead to a bloated body, mostly devoid of vitality.
Now, the tendency toward preferring junk food can definitely wreak havoc on our physical bodies. But, there is a type of junk food that can wreak havoc on our eternal souls.
The Lord made a sad observation in terms of His people’s tendency to try to find their source, their satisfaction, in things the world can offer.
“For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water. Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why has he become a captive and a prey?”
Jeremiah 2:13-14 AMPC
And, the tendency to look for satisfaction and help from other sources, often ended in calamity. Indeed, as we see in the above scripture, this tendency often led to their captivity and destruction.
Tragically, when the Lord pleaded with His people to return, they often rejected Him, choosing rather to continue to trust in those things which would never bring freedom and peace.
“For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: “In returning and rest you shall be saved; In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” But you would not, And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses”— Therefore you shall flee! And, “We will ride on swift horses”— Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!”
Isaiah 30:15-16 NKJV
In our opening scripture, we see that in returning to the Lord, the people would reject the things they used to look to for help and hope, and turn from the idols of their own making, looking only to the Lord as their source of everything.
Child of God, the world may offer things that please the flesh senses, just as a sugary soda can be quite enjoyable to a thirsty person. However, just as what the thirsty person really needs is water, just so, the thirsty soul needs living water.
“On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.”
John 7:37-39 NKJV
Let us come to the Lord, and by way of His Holy Spirit, receive that life-giving water only He can provide. Why do we wait?
“The singers as well as the players on instruments shall say, All my springs (my sources of life and joy) are in you [city of our God].”
Psalm 87:7 AMPC
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!