“for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.” 2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV
Is anyone working on the memory verse for this month? How is it going? Are you at the very least keeping the verse before you and thinking on it daily? God has been speaking loudly and saying many things this month and we study and hear more and more – but quietly in the background this verse stands and has significance! So let me pull it back to the foreground.
Dear Heavenly Father – Please open our ears to hear what you are saying. Please open our eyes to see and open our understanding that we may know you. Please continue to pour out your grace upon us and give us a real experience with you. Continually, all we want is more of you! – In Jesus name we pray, Amen
Correction – it should not be “So let me pull it back to the foreground”. It should be God wants us to look at it again. I sat here reading and praying and not feeling any direction. I sat here wondering if God just had nothing for us, and wondering if I should just randomly select a passage – This is new. God always tells me clearly what to study. But to be honest, lately a whole lot is new.
“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19 KJV
Occasionally I have visions and dreams, occasionally God says to share them here, sometimes I share them with friends or wherever God has me share them. This one provided a clear date. The whole vision is too long and has various symbol meant for other messages, so let me tell you this part:
The sky was dark and cloudy, then it parted and light poured out like a river. This Holy light was not directional like earthly light – but it was liquid and could bend and flow and fill every dark nook and cranny. With it came truth. This was followed by power, authority and deliverance. And then the river began to worship and out poured worship.
So on that particular date which was 15 days after the vision, at lunch time, I was home and I could not eat because I was fasting. So, I sat in the front windows of my house and prayed. The weather was overcast and gray, and the day just felt dark. I prayed about the vision: “God, that vision was today and look it is dark…” …then it suddenly became bright… blindingly bright! I could not even look into the sky as it was just bright and warm and glorious. It didn’t feel like just the sun shine – it felt like God’s presence came to me. I could not see a river or anything like in my vision – quite frankly I was blinded by the light – I could only feel the heat and the light and the presence of God!
It was tempting to get up and go back to work. It was warm and glorious and also probing and made me feel vulnerable so there was definitely a desire to NOT be bathed in that light. But I heard a preacher the day before say, that when God wants to give you the download, do not unplug from His system until the download is complete!
I just sat there – and worshiped God. I have not been the same since.
It was quiet – not an explosion, not a breaking, not anything of consequence to anyone else but me. I am free. I went back to work. I went about my days and week – no one seems to notice, I am different. There is no stronghold. There is no resistance. And I cannot stop worshiping. God is good – so good!
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal. God said to fast and pray, and humble myself, and read scriptures out loud – work on memorizing and meditating on them – and I have and I still am and will until the day He tells me to stop.
These weapons are divinely powerful – It isn’t us, not anything we do or say it is divine. It is all God. God gets the glory. God gets the glory! GOD GETS ALL THE GLORY!!!
Like we discussed last Friday – we lay ourselves down – all in – a living sacrifice.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1 KJV
Then, do not be surprised if He sends His fire to consume, His light to reveal, His glory to transform, and His Spirit to give you power and a boldness.
I want this for you, the readers. I want this for my pastors. I want this deeper revelation for everyone. God showed me that the head pastor at my home church has had a similar experience and that one of the associate pastors is going through it. Thank you Lord. Please Lord, help us all to seek you and experience this new thing that you are doing.
So I tried to share this with a seasoned Christian, to encourage her to press in deeper and go after this new thing God is doing! And her salt ran out of savor and I think she is seasoned by nothing but the passing of time. There are no trials, no travailing in prayer, no attacks of the enemy, no struggle of flesh (as even Paul continued to struggle with as he said in his letter to the Romans, which was late in his ministry), and no signs of life. I am not criticizing or judging her – I am discerning and seeing her how God sees her: which is lifeless and dead or maybe just sleeping. And she says it is so sweet that I reached that stage, and I am so zealous for the Lord, and not to worry, I will settle in.
WELL! Get Behind me satan!
I shall wake up every day and beg God for the fire so I do not burn out! Lord, do not let me settle in! Open her eyes – this is not the old revelation of you that you poured out in the 1980s! oh no! I was there and I remember! I thank you for that revelation – but this, my friends, is a new thing! And for all of you who had experiences which changed you…. I am not putting them down or invalidating them. BUT THIS IS A NEW THING!!!! THIS IS A NEW THING!
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” Romans 13:11 KJV
This is a well in a desert like the verse says but it is acted out and you swore you weren’t a desert! This is a new thing! It gives you a certain look – and on the other side is an understanding. A powerful supernatural understanding and new way of seeing and feeling and knowing. I wish I had words that could describe this. Lord, open the understanding of those who want to know.
RELATIONSHIP:
Do you already have a relationship with a powerful God who cares about your every need because He loves you? Did you know my God can communicate with you and protect you – He has a plan for you to prosper if you just submit to His will and let His plan play out in your life!!! God wants a relationship with you and has already made a plan for your life. He loves you so much He sent His son to this world, to die as a sacrifice for your sins and rise from death with victory over sin and the ability to have a personal relationship with you.
“9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV
Here is a prayer for you to pray:
Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins, and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!
Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus I pray ~ Amen
I CONFIRM:
I confirm that through my relationship with God and through prayer and communication with Him, I can be open for life transformation. I will ask the Lord to reveal who He is and what His plans are for my life. I praise and thank Him for His grace and goodness!
MEMORY WORK: 2 Corinthians 10:4
NKJV – “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds”
NAS – “for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses.”
ESV – “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
NLT – “We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.”
NIV – “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
Thank you for reading.
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!
BIBLE READING: Genesis 38-40 NKJV
Judah and Tamar
38 It came to pass at that time that Judah departed from his brothers, and visited a certain Adullamite whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua, and he married her and went in to her. 3 So she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. 4 She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. 5 And she conceived yet again and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. He was at Chezib when she bore him.
6 Then Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, and her name was Tamar. 7 But Er, Judah’s firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord killed him. 8 And Judah said to Onan, “Go in to your brother’s wife and marry her, and raise up an heir to your brother.” 9 But Onan knew that the heir would not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in to his brother’s wife, that he emitted on the ground, lest he should give an heir to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did [a]displeased the Lord; therefore He killed him also.
11 Then Judah said to Tamar his daughter-in-law, “Remain a widow in your father’s house till my son Shelah is grown.” For he said, “Lest he also die like his brothers.” And Tamar went and dwelt in her father’s house.
12 Now in the process of time the daughter of Shua, Judah’s wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, “Look, your father-in-law is going up to Timnah to shear his sheep.” 14 So she took off her widow’s garments, covered herself with a veil and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which was on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given to him as a wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought she was a harlot, because she had covered her face. 16 Then he turned to her by the way, and said, “Please let me come in to you”; for he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law.
So she said, “What will you give me, that you may come in to me?”
17 And he said, “I will send a young goat from the flock.”
So she said, “Will you give me a pledge till you send it?”
18 Then he said, “What pledge shall I give you?”
So she said, “Your signet and cord, and your staff that is in your hand.” Then he gave them to her, and went in to her, and she conceived by him. 19 So she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil and put on the garments of her widowhood.
20 And Judah sent the young goat by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman’s hand, but he did not find her. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, “Where is the harlot who was [b]openly by the roadside?”
And they said, “There was no harlot in this place.”
22 So he returned to Judah and said, “I cannot find her. Also, the men of the place said there was no harlot in this place.”
23 Then Judah said, “Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; for I sent this young goat and you have not found her.”
24 And it came to pass, about three months after, that Judah was told, saying, “Tamar your daughter-in-law has played the harlot; furthermore she is [c]with child by harlotry.”
So Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!”
25 When she was brought out, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “By the man to whom these belong, I am with child.” And she said, “Please determine whose these are—the signet and cord, and staff.”
26 So Judah acknowledged them and said, “She has been more righteous than I, because I did not give her to Shelah my son.” And he never knew her again.
27 Now it came to pass, at the time for giving birth, that behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And so it was, when she was giving birth, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took a scarlet thread and bound it on his hand, saying, “This one came out first.” 29 Then it happened, as he drew back his hand, that his brother came out unexpectedly; and she said, “How did you break through? This breach be upon you!” Therefore his name was called Perez.[d] 30 Afterward his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand. And his name was called Zerah.
Joseph a Slave in Egypt
39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. And Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him down there. 2 The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord made all he did [e]to prosper in his hand. 4 So Joseph found favor in his sight, and served him. Then he made him overseer of his house, and all that he had he put [f]under his authority. 5 So it was, from the time that he had made him overseer of his house and all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had in the house and in the field. 6 Thus he left all that he had in Joseph’s [g]hand, and he did not know what he had except for the [h]bread which he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance.
7 And it came to pass after these things that his master’s wife [i]cast longing eyes on Joseph, and she said, “Lie with me.”
8 But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”
10 So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.
11 But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, 12 that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13 And so it was, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and fled outside, 14 that she called to the men of her house and spoke to them, saying, “See, he has brought in to us a Hebrew to [j]mock us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. 15 And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside.”
16 So she kept his garment with her until his master came home. 17 Then she spoke to him with words like these, saying, “The Hebrew servant whom you brought to us came in to me to mock me; 18 so it happened, as I lifted my voice and cried out, that he left his garment with me and fled outside.”
19 So it was, when his master heard the words which his wife spoke to him, saying, “Your servant did to me after this manner,” that his anger was aroused. 20 Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison. 21 But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and He gave[k] him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph’s hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; whatever they did there, it was his doing. 23 The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under [l]Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
The Prisoners’ Dreams
40 It came to pass after these things that the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt offended their lord, the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief butler and the chief baker. 3 So he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison, the place where Joseph was confined. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.
5 Then the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison, had a dream, both of them, each man’s dream in one night and each man’s dream with its own interpretation. 6 And Joseph came in to them in the morning and looked at them, and saw that they were [m]sad. 7 So he asked Pharaoh’s officers who were with him in the custody of his lord’s house, saying, “Why do you look so sad today?”
8 And they said to him, “We each have had a dream, and there is no interpreter of it.”
So Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please.”
9 Then the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “Behold, in my dream a vine was before me, 10 and in the vine were three branches; it was as though it budded, its blossoms shot forth, and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes. 11 Then Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.”
12 And Joseph said to him, “This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days. 13 Now within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your [n]place, and you will put Pharaoh’s cup in his hand according to the former manner, when you were his butler. 14 But remember me when it is well with you, and please show kindness to me; make mention of me to Pharaoh, and get me out of this house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and also I have done nothing here that they should put me into the dungeon.”
16 When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Joseph, “I also was in my dream, and there were three [o]white baskets on my head. 17 In the uppermost basket were all kinds of baked goods for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket on my head.”
18 So Joseph answered and said, “This is the interpretation of it: The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days Pharaoh will lift [p]off your head from you and hang you on a tree; and the birds will eat your flesh from you.”
20 Now it came to pass on the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, that he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants. 21 Then he restored the chief butler to his butlership again, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand. 22 But he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet the chief butler did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Footnotes
- Genesis 38:10 Lit. was evil in the eyes of
- Genesis 38:21 in full view
- Genesis 38:24 pregnant
- Genesis 38:29 Lit. Breach or Breakthrough
- Genesis 39:3 to be a success
- Genesis 39:4 Lit. in his hand
- Genesis 39:6 Care
- Genesis 39:6 Food
- Genesis 39:7 Lit. lifted up her eyes toward
- Genesis 39:14 laugh at
- Genesis 39:21 Caused him to be viewed with favor by
- Genesis 39:23 Lit. his hand
- Genesis 40:6 dejected
- Genesis 40:13 position
- Genesis 40:16 Or baskets of white bread
- Genesis 40:19 Lit. up
If Not For Grace 