Take No Prisoners

12/20/2021

Regarding a lunchtime conversation with a wanderer (who admires us) recently…

For us: When it is time again to go on the Offense again, it will be “take no prisoners.” We will NOT be playing around with “Wellll, I see your point, but have you considered thisssss?” Someone acting spiritual, but with nothing to show for it, who has done nothing for their whole life, or a “pastor” or “author” who are doing nothing except being Talking Heads, will not be granted the privilege of a kind patient conversation. Bellicose is OK, though we have not done that sort of thing in the past. Time is running out. This is not a game or debate. Whether it’s a lunchtime conversation or traveling to Nairobi, it will be “Look guys, no more playing around. If you’re not willing to change everything in your life as an admission that you’ve had nothing to show for your life, then leave the room now. There’s absolutely nothing we want to talk to you about if you’re not willing to risk everything starting this very moment and change everything starting this very moment. If you wanna have a conversation and then go think about it and muse or whine and stay in control on your current dead-end path, go have a conversation with somebody else rather than us. Today we mean business or we won’t play at all.”

If you are looking up the word bellicose, the best definition is not “belligerent”—but standing up—and poised for war.

SOME of you take pride in “playing nice.” You will relegate yourself to being Useless if you continue to be a man pleaser and diplomatic.

We are ready to “disguise fair nature with rage” and “lend the eye a terrible aspect!” You are worthy, Jesus!

I truly believe everyone needs to understand that strategic posture for the future. We have been relaxed and Family and Jesus centric for a while, while we Built the future internally. When the time comes to build the future externally, that will be our posture. No apologies, take no prisoners, take it or leave it we are moving on.

Understanding that humans are weak and are generally victims of their human past and their religious past, there will be no expectation that everyone sees everything or understands everything immediately, take it or leave it. However, Mickey Mouse-ing around with people who want to hold onto their own opinions and do things as they please—regardless of pathetic fruit so-called—there’s no time for them anymore.

“For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (I Corinthians 1:22-24 NKJV)

What you’re saying is how Jesus lived when he knew he only had three or four years left in his earthly body. Full of grace but also full of truth. An invitation to everyone, but no time for diplomacy and no compromise or weasel words for the fruitless religious.

True! He took His time getting there, 18 years, actually. But once He did... LOOK OUT.

Bellicose: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword.”

Take it or leave it: “Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Yes! Was just looking up and reading through all the scriptures where Jesus said “follow me” to people and the different responses. Striking.

https://biblehub.com/revelation/3-16.htm
“So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”

I was making a twofold application of this—first, regarding ME being very clear for Jesus, avoiding being middle-of-the-road, man-pleasing, or just “nice”; and second, emphasizing the clear response required from unbelievers, along with the consequences of being wishy-washy or indecision.

I read this on Dwell’s passage of the day this morning... I couldn’t help but think of the conversation from a couple of days ago. Although this is from the Message, it is very close to what the actual passage is... but more clear. Zechariah 9:11-17

And you, because of my blood covenant with you, I’ll release your prisoners from their hopeless cells.
Come home, hope-filled prisoners! This very day I’m declaring a double bonus— everything you lost returned twice-over!
Judah is now my weapon, the bow I’ll pull, setting Ephraim as an arrow on the string. I’ll stir up your sons, O Zion to counter the sons of your enemies.
From now, I’ll wield My people as swords.
Then God will come into view, his arrows flashing like lightning!
Master God will blast his trumpet and set out in a whirlwind.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies will protect them—all-out war,
The war to end all wars, no holds barred.
Their God will save the day. He’ll rescue them. They’ll become like sheep, gentle and soft,
Or like gemstones in a crown, catching all the colors of the sun.
Then how they’ll shine, shimmer, and glow... the young men robust, the young women lovely!