THE WALK OF FAITH

THE WALK OF FAITH

                “But without faith it is impossible to please Him; for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6

                The older I get, the more diligently I seek Him.  The older I get the less faith I have in myself and the more I place all of my trust in Him. I have seen the limitation of my flesh and if I have learned anything it is to not put any faith in what I can do, but to trust fully in His Spirit and His Word and His salvation without which none of us have any hope.

                As a watchman I am not seeking to argue doctrine or to convince people that my way is the only way. In dealing with the issues I am only providing a context into which I can pour out an impassioned plea to come out of the world system and into the arms of Yeshua.

                Those who are steeped in doctrine often times want to split hairs and to argue the fine points while often missing the main point which is to show where we are in prophetic time as well as to invite people to come into a full and complete relationship with Yeshua. This coming out of Babylon is a matter of taking our feet out of Satan’s kingdom and placing both feet in the Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Only in Him can we find the REST that we seek.

                Much of what we would call the great falling away mentioned in 2 Thess. 2:4 is sort of an invisible falling away. It is based on the 80/20 principle, where many casual Christians have become comfortable with 20% Jesus and 80% the world. This is the very definition of Laodicea…a church that is neither hot nor cold.

                Many seem blind to the fact that the heat is being turned up, the issues are coming to a head and we are entering into the final battle between Christ and Satan. In this war there can be no 80/20. We are all being squeezed into one camp or the other and in the end there will be only two camps full of 100% believers, either for good or for evil.  And Satan’s followers will persecute the followers of Christ and will seek to wipe them out. And likewise they will try to wipe out Israel through whom the Word of God and the Word made flesh entered into this world.

                That is to say that the dragon is in full pursuit of the woman who gave birth to the man child and when God protects them in the wilderness, the dragon will then pursue the remnant of her seed that keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.

                This is why for the first time in human history the sign of Revelation 12 showed up in the heavens on September of 2017. And just prior to that God gave us the sign of Joel, 4 blood moons on God’s appointed feasts of Passover and Tabernacles as a wake-up call. We are entering into the times of Revelation 12 and God is letting us know that these things are next on the agenda.

                We don’t need to set dates. We only need to know that God has announced to us the times in which we now live and that His work on this earth is coming to a close. And no matter how we understand last day events, their fulfillment will become obvious to those who are watching and praying. There will be a time of trouble such there has not been since the creation. Mark 13:19

                We can argue over when the rapture and the second coming will take place, but Jesus simply said: ”Be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Mt. 24:44

                In all that we discuss then, the bottom line is our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And for this, Jesus has opened up a way, by His own blood so that anyone can come to Him and receive forgiveness and reconciliation. There is not a sin sick soul on this planet that cannot come to Him and be received with open arms. This is the point of Jesus’ story of the prodigal son.

                The prodigal son did everything wrong and with the full knowledge of his betrayal of his father, but when he came to his senses and returned home, the Father ran to meet him with open arms and hugs and kisses and a clean robe and shoes and his own signet ring.

                So people who think that it is somehow just not available to them, simply don’t yet know the love of the Father. The Father did not meet His son out front and say, “Now if you will do this and that and stop doing this and that I will let you come back as a hired servant.” No! He welcomed him back as his long lost son and he threw a party. Jesus was telling us something there that we often forget. Like the older brother, we tend to want to make a list of things for our younger brothers to adhere to before we will welcome them in. But for the Father, it was enough that his son had come home.

                Should we really make it so difficult? Should we place walls between our heavenly Father and us when Jesus has given everything to open the door back into the Father’s arms? To me it is almost blasphemy that we make a long list of doctrines and requirements for people to agree to before they can come to Christ. Everywhere in scripture it simply says, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” From beginning to end it is all about Jesus.  We come to the Father through Him and we grow in our relationship through Him. We receive His Holy Spirit. We die to the old and we are born again into the new. We become children of God… sons… daughters. He runs to meet us with open arms. What are we waiting for?

                We obey God, not to become sons, but because we are sons. We are becoming like our Father. We walk in His footsteps. We wouldn’t have it any other way. He is our hero and our conquering King.

                “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, AND HE ALSO WILL BRING IT TO PASS.” 1 Thess. 5:23, 24.

                “As you therefore have received Him, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the traditions of men, according, according to the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form and in Him you have been made complete and He is he head over all rule and authority…” Col. 2:6-10.

                If your life has been muddied up by men’s requirements and the things by which we judge each other, it is time to read Colossians chapter 2. In all that we seek to do, we are chasing shadows, but the substance belongs to Christ. Not that those things are unimportant, but they all point to Christ who is the real substance of everything. Everything points us to Christ and so He is the focus of our faith and He is the means of our salvation and therefore He is everything that we need. Cling to Him for His arms are aching to hold you.

                The walk of faith is a walk with Jesus. Remember the 23^rd Psalm. He is leading us to green pastures and beside still waters. And even though we seem to be about to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He will be with us there too and He will get us through to the other side and He will even pull us out of here before the wrath of God is poured out upon those who have tried to destroy us.

                Yes, He is bringing us into maturity, but that is because we are His sons and daughters. In a sense we are all prodigal sons and daughters coming home to the Father… children of flesh whom He will soon clothe in immortality.