What to Do When the Wicked Encircle You

 "The cords of the wicked have encircled me, but I have not forgotten Thy law." (Psalm 119:61--NASB)

 

This is the best offense and defense against wickedness. 

 

This past month's prayer missions to Harrisburg and Washington, DC, were pretty much "situation normal."  There are certain things which we do regularly.  We pray in a Senator's office in Harrisburg.  This Senator really believes that he is doing more in the PA State Government than he can anywhere else.  I suspect the reason is that this is where the Lord Jesus has placed him.  In DC we usually first go to the cafeteria in the Supreme Court Building.  We read Scripture and pray where many of the justices over the years have had their breakfasts and/or lunches.  We fill the "Highest Court in the land," with the Highest Law of the land, the "God-Breathed" Word.  We then go to the Senate office buildings, the Senate Gallery in the Capitol Building, the White House, and State Department complex.

 

I have heard Believers over the years say, "Well, I stay out of politics."  To which I respond, "From what area of life do you think we can eliminate the Lord Jesus Christ and survive?"  If we are not "there," we will find ourselves saying with the psalmist, "The cords of the wicked have encircled me."  The American Church stayed out of politics, and prayer and Bible reading were eliminated from our state school system.  We stayed out of politics and the Supreme Court legalized the murder of the unborn.  We stayed out of politics and we had the Viet Nam debacle.  The list is nearly infinite.

 

I have heard veterans from various wars say that combat is "hours of boredom followed by moments of terror."  Sounds kind of like life, doesn't it?  You and I are called to be faithful, whether it is in the excitement of worship, when prophetic words are flowing, miracles are abounding, teaching is one "new" revelation after another----------------------------------------or September 11, 2001.  The "Minuet Men" got their name because "they were a hand-picked elite force which was required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly."  Historically these were the men who saved the day in battle.  Make any parallels you wish.

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, may I always be ready "in season and out of season," boredom and terror.  Amen.    

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"Convince Them"

"Convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and encouraging them being, unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching."  (Amplified) 

 

Our text explains the nature of my devotionals.  Some might call them, in the words of an old film, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."  But they are simply extensions of what I see in my daily reading of the "God-Breathed" Word.  I don't pick and choose favorite texts or topics.  I do what the Apostle said, "For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received...."--------that day.  The similar idea is expressed in the literal rendering of Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word to which they bore witness...." 

 

My witness and your witness, my testimony and your testimony should be to the Word, the "whole counsel of God."  That does not mean that we just quote one Scripture after another to people.  But it does mean that when we share our testimony, it should give people a greater knowledge of and love for the Word of God, Jesus Christ, and His Words, the Scriptures. Let your life be an living testimony to out text, "Convince them, rebuking and correcting, warning and urging and encouraging them, being unflagging and inexhaustible in patience and teaching."

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, help me to be a living example of our text today.  Amen.

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"The Altars of Their Foreign Gods"

"How prosperous Israel is-- a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit!  But the more wealth the people got, the more they poured it on the altars of their foreign gods.  The richer the harvests they brought in, the more beautiful the statues and idols they built."  (Hosea 10:1--NLT)

 

I constantly hear about the huge sums of money Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are raising.  Hillary received  $3,000,000 just because she won the Pennsylvania primary election.  Yet so many in the service of King Jesus barely have enough to do what needs to be done.  Why is this?  Some would say, "Well they just don't have the faith to believe God."  Is that so?  I wonder if it has ever occurred to those who say this so flippantly that the reason many servants of the Lord Jesus struggle to meet their daily needs is not their lack of faith, but that Christian "worshippers" are not as committed to their God as the worshippers of Hillary and Barack are to theirs.  Is the description of Israel in our text also a description of the American church?------- "a luxuriant vine loaded with fruit!...The more wealth the people got, the more they poured it on the altars of their foreign gods."  

 

Over the years, we have been investing heavily in and raising thousands of dollars for the Church in Eastern Europe and persecuted lands around the world.  These are relatively unknown servants of Jesus Christ, but have been faithful to the Lord Jesus with very little resources.  Many faithful Believers have taken the money which they could have "poured" on "beautiful...statues and idols," and "poured" it on these servants of Jesus Christ.  I promise you, I say again, I promise you that much more will be accomplished for the good of humanity with this investment than all the millions "poured...on the altars of [the] foreign gods," the Obamas and Clintons.

 

Father, in Jesus' Name, show me where I have "poured" money on the "altars of...foreign gods."  Holy Spirit, show me any time this temptation arises.  Amen.

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www.antipasprayerforce.blogspot.com

Recent DC mission report coming.

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"Power Is Perfected in Weakness"

"....I am with you; that is all you need. My power shows up best in weak people."  (2 Corinthians 12:9-- The Living Bible)

 

I guess, then, it's a matter of whose power I want, Jesus Christ's or mine.  Most of life is an attempt to manifest power over our situations.  This is true even for the "shy" person.  We all want to control our environment.  That's why fightings occur, resentment and bitterness build up over the years, and disunity manifests.  "Control freaks" are really "freaks of nature."  In the grand scheme of things they really control nothing!  

 

The literally rendering of our text is, "Power is perfected in weakness (feebleness, frailty)."  Of course.  Until I see just how weak I am, I will never see the power of Jesus Christ.  I will keep trying to "power" my way through life.  We need to stop this "power struggle" with God, and realize what the psalmist said long ago, "God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God." 

 

When Moses and the Israelites stood at the Red Sea-- mountains on either side, the sea before them and Pharaoh's armies behind them-- they were in a position to, "Stand still and see the salvation (deliverance, power) of God."  This is all of life-- hemmed in, no way out, and no power to change it.  If you accept this, congratulations---- You have just entered the realm of the Manifest, Perfected Power of Jesus Christ.  Take your hands off the controls and live the old hymn,

        "Jesus, Savior, pilot me, over life's tempestuous seas;

        unknown waves before me roll,

        hiding rock and treacherous shoal.

        Chart and compass come from thee;

        Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

    

        "When at last I near the shore,

        and the fearful breakers roar

        'twixt me and the peaceful rest,

        then, while leaning on thy breast,

        may I hear thee say to me,

        'Fear not, I will pilot thee.'"

 

In Jesus Name, Amen. 

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