The Sword of the Lord and of Marquez Milton

We often hear in the church someone promising that you will get wealthy if you do this or that. For example, an unemployed person is asked to give a large amount of money and God will mysteriously make this person’s bills go away. If you give the man some money then he will lay his hands on you and you will be blessed, just turn around three times and put your money in the plate. Today this kind of preaching is done widely in Christendom. We hear many ideas and schemes about gaining wealth and how you can name it and claim it. Now I know what you are thinking, and your right we do have to first believe it before we will receive it when you ask. However let’s consider some of these ideas reflecting on the principles of God. Let us walk in the Light of His word.

I read today an interesting view from Pastor G. Craige Lewis which reads:

Darkness can be frightening at times. I know God has not given us the spirit of fear and we are all mighty powerful sons and daughters of God that should not walk in fear, but the right dark alley at the right time of night still gives me the creeps! It's not that I fear the darkness, it's being uncertain of what lurks in the darkness that bothers me. When I am walking from point A to point B, and I cannot see, I'm not comfortable. I need to see my way and also see who is in my way. I need a flashlight or something when I am walking and it's too dark to see. I do not like walking in darkness.

This I Am that Jesus stated in this passage is talking about not knowing where you are going as well. When we can't see for the sake of darkness, we turn on lights. Lights give us line of sight through darkness and shows up dark areas so we can see what is what. This is what Jesus does for us. But what he does is two fold. Not only does he show us the way by being the light, but he also shows up all that is hiding in the darkness to block or harm you. Jesus said, "he that followeth me" which means that you must stay behind the light and be guided by the light in order to walk in the light. Where there is light, darkness cannot exist, so where there is Jesus, there is no darkness. We are to walk with confidence and assurance that the steps we are making are the correct ones because we are following the light of Christ. And because he said we shall have the "light of life", we know that the darkness in our lives has been defeated. So, though we doubt and fear at times, if we follow Christ, his word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto a pathway. This stops fear because as long as we can see, we do not have to fear. We know where we are going because the light of the Lord is pointing the way! Follow Christ and you will always know which way to go.  

I agree with what he is saying. So many walk in darkness and we need the light of his word. We need understanding. We need to hear and comprehend his word so that we can live by this word and do well. If we walk in darkness how will we ever find our destiny? We see patterns in the bible and we would be wise to concentrate on understanding these patterns and apply them in our lives. What God has done in the past he will do for us in the present. In short to quote a cliché: What God has done for others he will do for you. That is faith, believing for what is not yet existing, believing that it will happen for you.

However, we can feel confident about a word from the Lord a word which is a rhema word for you. Let me explain what I am talking about. When we find a promise in the bible and we need it in our life we can pray and ask God to give it to us. Remember that there is always an, if: For example if you do this then I will do that.

My favourite:

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 

This is a promise that starts with an, if. We err if we think there is nothing that we have to do to complete our end of the promise in fulfillment. Even Jesus had to do something, he had to go to the cross and die for our sins so that the promise of propitiation would be fulfilled and we could be saved.  When I think about when God makes a promise, one would be mistaken if they thought it would come to pass without their doing anything. Faith without works is dead. I am not saying that God needs us to complete what he wants to do after all he did create the universe and all we have in it without our input: But, what I am saying is that God expects our cooperation.  Let there be the light of wisdom in our lives.

When we pray we ask for God to do something, that is our active involvement in the will and plans of God. For example Rick Ridings calls for intercessory prayer. This week I received an email from Rick about Egypt and the conflict there and a prayer request, see here this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKDtyvvjlKk  We can actively cooperate with the will of God in prayer. I we search the scriptures with understanding and come in agreement, our request will be answered. Prayer in agreement is powerful. At this time we need to pray for Egypt as a collective church and we will see the hand of the Lord at work bringing his will to pass. Try it for yourself and prove it.

I think to the story about Gideon and how he conquered the Midianites. At the end of the story it shows how Gideon was wealthy at the end of his struggles and warring. If Gideon was mistaken and thought that he could get the reward before he went to war against the Midianites, he would be wrong. God chose a man who was unlikely and did a mighty work through him. This shows our God’s wisdom and strength, by using an improbable one who could never complete the task but with God the deed is done and all should see that it is God behind the man and without God it just couldn’t be done. All God needs is for us, the weak and unlikely one, to believe. We can do all things through Christ Jesus, we just need to believe.

This is a pattern behold:  

Christ Is God's Power and Wisdom

¹⁸ The teaching about the cross is foolishness to those who are being lost, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ It is written in the Scriptures:
    "I will cause the wise to lose their wisdom;
       I will make the wise unable to understand." — Isaiah 29:14

²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where is the skilled talker of this world? God has made the wisdom of the world foolish.²¹ In the wisdom of God the world did not know God through its own wisdom. So God chose to use the message that sounds foolish to save those who believe.²² The Jews ask for miracles, and the Greeks want wisdom. ²³ But we preach a crucified Christ. This causes the Jews to stumble and is foolishness to non-Jews. ²⁴ But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people God has called—Jews and Greeks.²⁵ Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

²⁶ Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise in the way the world judges wisdom. Not many of you had great influence. Not many of you came from important families.²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.²⁸ He chose what the world thinks is unimportant and what the world looks down on and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is important.²⁹ God did this so that no one can brag in his presence.³⁰ Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin. ³¹ So, as the Scripture says, "If people want to brag, they should brag only about the Lord."  1 Corinthians 1

So we would be wise to look to patterns which God has established when we look to the promises of God. Now Gideon did become rich, He did not chase the wealth when he went to war against the kings. Gideon chased the victories and God gave him the wealth. Gideon was obedient to God. He did not stagger when the angel spoke to him. He went forth in faith. God gave him signs to let him know that He was with Gideon. The war cry: The Sward of the Lord and of Gideon. God won the victory with only 300 men. What a great God we serve. The Midianites were such a large army, that their camels could not be numbered, there were a lot of them. God even let Gideon hear the dream and interpretation of the dream which proclaimed his victory. Gideon was given a great victory by our Almighty God. Then Gideon went on to win many battles but he did not forget who was blessing him and causing him to have the victories.

We can conclude: Chase the victories, not the wealth. With God we will have to battle but, we will win and He will help us, He will be with us, then we will see our rewards. If one thinks that the reward will come before the victories then that one would be in err. Chase the victories in the Lord and your reward will be waiting, this is a pattern throughout the scriptures. Amen and praise the Lord, I cry out: The Sward of the Lord and of Marquez Milton, as I apply this promise to my life as you too should apply it to yours and we shall have many victories, Judges 7-18.