“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.”
The pandemic has shaken us but it has trained and shaped us to deal with and withstand the shaking that war brings.
God’s saints have been trained to discern between the different winds of the Holy Spirit.
Those like in Jonah that turn us back from going in the wrong direction.
Those like in the storm on the Sea of Galilee that need resisting by speaking into the ploys of the enemy.
Those that in maturity we will not allow to deter us.
“So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].”
As the body of Christ we know how to batten down the hatches and remain rooted by being Christ and kingdom centric.
We remain standing and not crumpled like a puppet with all its cords severed.
Our prayer is always:
“God have your way” Your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven”
Even in war we can see God’s hand exposing what needs to be defeated. It becomes clear we may need to cut loose from some doctrines.
We like comfort, we do not like loss of life, hurt and pain.
There are systems that we have ascribed to in the world that we assume bring security and comfort.
We have to be wary of not praying against God’s will in our ignorance.
Equally our love for others will draw us to pray for speed through travail and protection and assistance.
God hates ‘isms’ and we find ourselves caught up in their influences. Capitalism, socialism, fascism, nationalism, communism and others.
God’s interest remains only in His Kingdomism above all other world views. Historically we see Him punishing His people and nations for other mindsets, bringing them into exile and then into the promised land season.
All unrighteousness and chaos turned to righteousness and order.
We’ve created God in our image of personal preference and therefore need to open our eyes to our blind spots.
We are privileged to be given intimacy and council. We are privileged to be given authority and domination. We can intercede for others in their pain and anguish.
Christ does permit pain and suffering in reality because there is a purpose in it. A great purpose to seek, understand and find Him.
“This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.”
God has to birth new things and He too weeps and groans in the anguish and pain it brings to bring it forth.
““I [the Lord] have been silent for a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will moan like a woman in labour, I will both gasp and pant.”
He will shake us until we are wholly His.
We all see with different perspectives and yet are each so sure in our own heads that we are right.
We need the mind of Christ.
The illustration shows God’s spiritual hand giving us the keys to the kingdom in Jesus and His word that we might know how to access its light and it emanate from us to push back the darkness.
Four Scriptures that come to mind:
“And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Matthew 24:6-7 ESV
“So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].” Ephesians 4:14 AMP
“This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.” Acts 17:27 AMP
““I [the Lord] have been silent for a long time, I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will moan like a woman in labour, I will both gasp and pant.” Isaiah 42:14 AMP
The song King Jesus. Brooke Ligertwood
Lessisgreater 