The Day of the Lord is Near! Updated (part 3)

Let us all cry out with the priests of God, “spare the people, oh Lord.” Joel's petition was to entreat God to deliver His people, not because they deserved it but for His own glory. Lord, restore your reputation in us. Let it be said that the Lord God Jehovah dwells among His people. That's what struck fear in the hearts of the enemies of God's people, that God was in their midst. The only thing that strikes fear in the heart of our arch enemy, Satan is that God lives in us, that we are possessed by God's eternal spirit. Spare your people, Lord, that the heathen should not rule over them. May God manifest himself within the daily lives of each believer. Through His abiding presence, we will throw off the encumbrances that have silently crept in. Throw off the doubt that has slipped in due to the lack the manifestation of Christ's presence in the Church. Break the chains of oppression that has gripped us due to the lack of freedom in the Holy Ghost. Throw off the cloud of ignorance that has anesthetized us because of the lack of receiving a fresh word from God.

Wake us oh Lord to the full measure of your truth. We will not be content with only the similitude of truth. Baptize us in your truth. Immerse us in your person. Let us put on the Lord Jesus Christ and be a representation of Him because He is in us.

Go back to the beginning! God is the beginning and in Him we live and move and have our being. He is the beginning, the beginning of time, the beginning of creation, the beginning of life, the beginning of man, the beginning of love, etc. James 1:16, “Do not err, my beloved brethren. 17Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” In this chapter, James is addressing mortal weakness of man and his propensity to sin. And right in the middle, he plants this golden nugget. Sure there is imperfection all around us but our life comes from above, from the Father of lights who never changes and there is not even an allusion to His changing. He is always the same, consistent, loving, compassionate, powerful, delivering, victorious Father.

In the beginning, God! I feel that He is pulling us back to Himself as in 1 John 1:1, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;” He has been with us from the beginning of this journey and He wants us to understand that it is through Him that we will finish. There is no other power, presence or virtue sufficient to complete our assignment. He will magnify our efforts and ministry as He receives the honor and glory for the results. The Holy Spirit is calling “come wrap yourself in the power of His presence and allow Him to perform in you His glorious works!” I am weak but He is strong. If we allow Him to fully control our lives, we are made strong in our weakness because our weakness is God's strength. There is no enemy that can stand against Him, there is no foe that He cannot overcome. There is no fortress that can withstand Him and no opposition that He cannot vanquish. Come, come to Him now. No! Run, run to Him now and allow him to wrap you in His mantle of authority and shelter you from the storms ahead. I hear the rumbling in the distance, the sound of a mighty army moving into position. It is a well prepared force, each warrior is in his place and prepared to do his duty. There is no fear in their number because they have been washed clean. Though their sins were as crimson, their raiment is white as snow. And there is one with them whose name no one can know except that His eyes are a flaming fire and He is clothed with a vesture dipped in blood and His name is the Word of God. Out of His mouth comes a sharp sword to smite the nations and rule them with the rod of Truth and He tramples the wine-press of the wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His garment and on His thigh written the name, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. At His appearing every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that JESUS IS LORD.