The Lord told us that we would be hated for his name, and the NT writers warned us that we are appointed to suffer with him. Loving those who hate us is the very essence of the gospel, and it is the one thing that transforms our sinful hearts. Our hearts are under siege. Our love is under attack. We have to guard our hearts as never before, because God is pouring out his Holy Spirit to shine His glory to the nations, and Satan is also pouring out his evil spirit. It is time soar on wings as eagles with His divine strength if we will wait and trust in Him alone!
Words are spirit. I dreamt that "hate steak" was being served through media talking heads, political pundits, and even misguided Christian leaders. If we listen to words of anger and hatred, no matter who is speaking, we are eating that steak. The act of listening and attending to something is a form of worship. Jesus abruptly stopped Peter from trying to dissuade him from the cross because he knew that Peter's words, and the spirit behind them, were a hindrance to God's will for him.
Peter was well-meaning, but he was dead wrong.
We are in a time of visitation leading up to Christ's return. In this season of rain, PRAY for rain! God wants us to open our mouths for the outpouring of His Spirt. He has so much to say right now! Satan is also speaking as an angel of light. He will deceive many who listen to the words from those who may not even know, like Peter, what spirit they are really speaking from. Satan sounds oh so wise and reasonable, and only illumination of the Spirt can discern his forked tongue speaking and reasoning (and sometimes preaching and prophesying.) We have to get that oil.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem because they did not recognize the time of their visitation. They listened to false teachers and thought like mere men, so instead of being blessed (and being a blessing), they were destroyed! Their spiritual leaders wanted a Messiah who would bring the Millennial Kingdom to Israel. They wanted a powerful King, not a humble Lamb who would get them in trouble with Rome and cost them their very lives. Because of this, Jesus wept over Jerusalem, longing to gather them beneath His wings to speak to them, and to hide them under His divine protection.
Stay out of the fray that the natural man gets tangled up in so easily. Hear Him and flee from any other voice. God's ways are infinitely higher than our ways. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. He hates what the world loves, and the world loves what God hates. In fact, in 1 John, we are told that is one way to discern a prophetic word: if the world loves it, it's not from God. So, if it appeals to our human wisdom and nature, most likely it's from below, and not above. (Some people express this idea by saying that if it doesn't have a cross in it, it isn't from God. The Spirit desires contrary to the sin nature, and visa versa. His Spirit always puts flesh to death.)
May we not miss the time of our visitation.
Take a listen:
Comments