October 1, 2009

  • "Then ALL the people of Israel came out..."

    We've been focusing on the unity we have in Christ based on the unity of the nation of Israel as they went to battle against the Benjamites (see my posts here and here) in Judges 20, yet we can have no true unity if we are not ALL responding to the Lord's call to us.

    v. 1 Then all the people of Israel came out ... and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD...

    v. 8 So all the people arose as one man...

    v. 11 So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, united together as one man.

    Verse 1: Then all the people of Israel came out, from Dan to Beersheba, including the land of Gilead, and the congregation assembled as one man to the LORD at Mizpah.

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    Today I would like to focus on the need for all of the people of God to come out to battle, to respond to His call to them, not just some of the people...

    Holy God, our Redeemer,

    We are all called to be engaged in the battle against the wiles of the devil, against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness, spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. We like the idea of being seated in heavenly places, but don't always like the idea of battle or of responsibility. Yet Your call to battle goes out to all of us whom You have birthed into Your family by Your Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ. We are not merely family members but we are also Kingdom warriors. As soon as we are Yours, we are the devil's target, and we are engaged in battle, in spiritual warfare.

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    This call to battle is not limited to a few particular people in the church. Yes, we are gifted differently, we all do not have the same gifts, we are all different parts of the Body, yet each one of us is called to battle with the gifts and resources You have entrusted to us. Your gifts are given to us so we might glorify You and build up the Church, not for our own selfish interests. You have placed the members in Your Body as You will for a particular purpose. As soon as You delivered us from the power of darkness and the evil one, You conscripted us into Your army. You have intended for all of us to be engaged in fighting for Your glory and Your Gospel. That is part of our calling as children of God. We can pray all day long for unity, as well we should, but if each and every one of Your people You are calling are not responding in faith to Your call to battle, the battle will not be won. We will be hampered. We will be at a disadvantage. We will be weakened. May we be like the Israelites, may none of us be disobedient to Your call. Circumcise and soften hearts to respond to Your call to battle.

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    Captain of our salvation, You are calling soldiers to enter the battle.
    Give Your people ears to hear what You have to say to the Church.
    Give each of us ears to hear what You have to say to us.
    Give us all hearts to respond to Your call to us in trusting faith.
    Make each of us willing to come out so we might assemble as one Body.
    Strengthen us to endure hardship and not be entangled with the affairs of this life.
    Strengthen us to fight as good soldiers of Jesus Christ.
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can the battle be won?
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can we see Satan crushed under our feet?

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    Lord of the harvest, You are calling laborers to go into the harvest fields
    Give Your people ears to hear what You have to say to the Church.
    Give each of us ears to hear what You have to say to us.
    Give us all hearts to respond to Your call to us in trusting faith.
    Make each of us willing to come out so we might assemble as one Body.
    Strengthen us to continue to plant and water and wait patiently.
    Strengthen us to work hard as patient farmers of Jesus Christ.
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can the harvest be reaped?
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can we enjoy the precious fruit?

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    Forerunner, You are calling athletes to compete in the race.
    Give Your people ears to hear what You have to say to the Church.
    Give each of us ears to hear what You have to say to us.
    Give us all hearts to respond to Your call to us in trusting faith.
    Make each of us willing to come out so we might assemble as one Body.
    Strengthen us to compete according to the rules and discipline ourselves.
    Strengthen us to persevere as good athletes of Jesus Christ.
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can the race be won?
    If all of us do not respond in obedience to Your call, how can we obtain the incorruptible crown?

    Then all the people of Israel came out...

    Please pray for God to give you ears to hear what He has to say to you and a heart of obedience to respond to His call.

Comments (3)

  • Thank you for posting this pricless prayer and call to stand with our Lord and King.

    May the Lord, our God and King, who has called us to eternal life in Him, continue to fill you with wisdom and discernment; may the light of His glory continue to flow out of you, as shown by the annointed words written in this post, delivering many from darkness and deliverance into the kingdom of the Light of the Glory of the Lamb of God. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen

  • Father, I thank you for the prayers of my brother @mpwarren and others who pray for this site and for me. I thank you for Your children You have been giving a burden for revival and a desire to pray for the Church. So often we can find many good things to do, but we often do not do that first thing, to sit at Your feet and pray. To sit and adore You. May we continue to persevere in prayer. May we never cease to enter Your throne room. We are in great time of need now, Holy Father. The Church is but a weak image of what You have intended us to be. We pray expectantly that Your Spirit might come down again as He did at Pentecost and baptize us again with fire. The light on many candlesticks is dim now. This grieves us and how much more must it grieve you. Would You return in blazing glory and refining fire for the sake of Your Holy and Blessed Name? May Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior be restored to the preeminent place in the Church for He alone is to have the preeminence, to Your praise, honor and glory, O great God and Redeemer. We love You, Father because You first loved us. May we be filled with all Your fullness as You teach us more the breadth and length and height and depth of Your love for us in Christ Jesus. Amen.

  • "Make each of us willing to come out so we might assemble as one Body." Amen

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tent_of_meeting

"he called it the tent of meeting..."

I am burdened to pray to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ for the reformation and reviving of Christ's church.

The phrase tent of meeting comes from Exodus 33:7: Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting. And everyone who sought the Lord would go out to the tent of meeting, which was outside the camp.

This site is devoted to God first and foremost. In all that is done here, my prayer is that God is glorified and His Name magnified and Christ and Him crucified is lifted up so He might be preeminent and God might receive all the praise, honor and glory due His Holy Name. All who have come to a saving knowledge of our Father by grace through faith in the all-sufficient sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ are welcome to enter this tent of meeting to seek the Lord.

This blog is a place for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to come and seek God's face for revival. My intention is for this tent of meeting to be a holy place where we can enter into PRAYER together to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, as the Holy Spirit leads you, please enter into prayer either here (think of "comments" as prayers) or on your own.

Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

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