Just Be a Shiny Bullet

11/26/2020

Perspective for the journey we are on:

It has been 20x100 years since Jesus was here. The Fire that GOD wants to bring to the earth must be Holy Spirit fire—not the gasoline of ambition or unrest.

Many generations of very godly people have done their best day by day. There is nothing “mundane” about laying down your life for your family and friends. Ambition or unrest never did anything to bring Jesus back or to conclude this present age, or even to bring one single person to True conversion. No one can say Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit. It is a self-serving mirage to be ambitious or restless, rather than passionate and filled with hope and love while sacrificial and trusting in “everyday life.”

“Big plans for God” hasn’t “worked” for the many generations of godly people who have passed this way before us. Are we better than they? It is far more like Jesus to lay down your life daily for your friends than to be restless.

God will do his thing, no doubt, no doubt! But we are the bullet and not the trigger. Here am I, send me! Having our INNER MAN cleansed with his fire is our preparation for whatever he wants to do: whether janitor or king, always patient and humble and sacrificial in our daily duties. That’s the only part that’s under our control. And that’s where our passion must lie... being like Him. Losing their first love did not go well in Ephesus.

Allowing God’s spirit to conquer our inner man of fear and lust and anger and laziness and pride and selfishness IS the war he wants us to fight, so that he can use us to fight principalities and powers IN HIS OWN WAY and time. Two thousand years of some awesome, devoted disciples discovered that THIS is what HE wants, regardless of what we want. Ambition and restlessness will find themselves burning up in a gasoline fire, not God’s fire.

And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the LORD has promised, for we have sinned [by not taking the Land].” But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the LORD [by going in your own way and timing] when that will not succeed? Do not go up, for the LORD is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. You shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.” Numbers 14:40-41

Jesus’ work is from the inside—in being not doing, and THEN when he unleashes all he wants to do, no man will be able to boast of his great commitment or exploits—because it will be fully and holy GOD’s commitment and exploits.

It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery. Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and obey him. Deuteronomy 7:7-9

Thank you so much for that. There’s still this thing inside me that wants to justify its existence by accomplishing something. Pray for me just to let that die. Yesterday we were talking about “washing with water through the word.” Thank you for that washing! I’m going to re-read this text often as we go.

The other end of the spectrum of the flesh tendency (for me at least) is to be asleep in Zion... to not stay ready and at full attention... to find other ways to fill and kill the time. He must find us ready and lamps Filled and Trimmed. I thought of that line from Braveheart, “We didn’t get dressed up for nothing.” Your message reminds me that it actually IS Father’s Heart for us to Get Dressed and Ready for Battle, even if it SEEMS like it is “for nothing” to our external eye. Truly “Waiting on the Lord” as a bond-servant in Ready Anticipation, not squandering time on self-centered pursuits. The discipline of Readiness is where I will live.

•  Preparation, On the Inside