A TIME TO WALK WITH THE LORD

Ephesians 2:10 in the Amplified Bible says, "For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them living the good life which He prearranged and make ready for us to live]."

The enemy of our soul has struck. He has hit America hard and challenged our very way of life and beliefs. Just like the children of Israel we have a choice. Just like the army of Saul, we have a choice. They were never without a choice of victory over what was before them. The army of Saul was the army of the Most High God. They had all of heaven ready and waiting. All they had to do was respond to their situation according to who God was, not how big Goliath was. The Philistines sent their biggest warrior, Goliath, to intimidate the Israelites. He was almost ten feet tall. Now, get this picture, Goliath was huge. They could see the giant, they could hear the giant, and he began to taunt them. 1 Samuel 17:8-10 says, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us. I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight together." The army of Israel should have responded like this. "That's not too hard for the Most High God. He is El Shadai, the God who is more than enough. He is our deliverer". However this was not their response. Verse 11 says, "When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid" They were defeated in their hearts and minds because they were not walking in God and in His Word.

However, there was a young whippersnapper, as we would call him back home, who knew who he was in God. David walked in Him in everyday life as he tended sheep. Now, this boy was a shepherd and the youngest son of Jesse. His brothers were in the army of Saul, so his father had sent him to check on them and take them some food. Let us look at this for a minute. David was not an important officer or even a soldier, but really just an everyday laborer who walked in the path of the covenant, which God prepared ahead of time for him to take. He was the youngest, and probably the smallest of the brothers, but when he saw the giant, the mountain and the threat, he immediately rose up to his full stature in his God. "Send me", he said. King Saul began to tell David that he was only a boy, however, David had been a warrior since his childhood. David told him of his experiences with a bear and a lion. He began to tell King Saul about the time while he was tending his father's sheep, when a lion and again a bear took a lamb from the flock. "I went out after it and smote it and delivered the lamb out of its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard and smote it and killed it. Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God!" 1 Samuel 17:35-37. David said, "The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you!"

Notice David spoke the outcome before he went out to do battle. He answered each opposing word with the truth of his covenant. David took his shepherds staff and chose five smooth stones and went out to the Philistine. When Goliath saw David he began to curse him by his false gods and said, "Come on I'll feed you to the buzzards, and wolves." David's response to that was, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied this day. The Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:45-47 Oh, Hallelujah! When we stand up equipped with the covenant of the Most High God we are equipped with and backed by all of heaven. The rest is history! Exactly what David said would happen, happened!

Isaiah 60:18 says, "Violence shall no more be heard of in your land, nor devastation or destruction within your borders, but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise." Chapter 54 verse 17 says, "But no weapon that is formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall show to be in the wrong. This [peace, righteousness, security, triumph over opposition] is the heritage of the servants of the Lord [those in whom the ideal Servant of the Lord is reproduced]; this is the righteousness or the vindication which they obtain from Me [this is that which I impart to them as their justification], says the Lord". Chapter 55:11 says, "So shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." When we speak the Word that violence shall no more be in our land and devastation or destruction within our borders, all of heaven comes to bring it to pass.

Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us: "For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper that any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." This is a time for the Body of Christ to stand like never before, shoulder to shoulder each speaking the same thing. We are not to sit back and wait for our armed forces to fight and be here to help them heal. It is a time for us, as the Body of Christ, to go before our natural armies and law enforcement agencies and fight the battle. I have just shown you your weapons.

The enemies of the One true living God hit us hard and caught two giants sleeping; one, was our government, and the other, the Body of Christ. WE are no longer slumbering. WE are awake! So let us take our weapons and begin to pray, speak, and declare, just as David did. Each service, at my church, is broadcast live world wide to 48 countries with a quarter million people in attendance. When I made the call to prayer with these Scriptures they joined us. What a mighty God we serve.

I am asking you to take the Word of the Lord and not be moved. This is a war unlike any other. We must fight the fight of faith and know that faith and fear are not compatible. Terror and fear covered America like a blanket, but the Word says in Philippians 1:9-10 says "…and this I pray: that your love may abound yet more and more and extend to its fullest development in knowledge and all keen insight [that your love may display itself in greater depth of acquaintance and more comprehensive discernment], so that you may surely learn to sense what is vital, and approve and prize what is excellent and of real value [recognizing the highest and the best and distinguishing the moral differences], and that you may be untainted and pure and unerring and blameless [so that with hearts sincere and certain and unsullied, you may approach] the day of Christ [not stumbling nor causing others to stumble]." We must not let fear rule our decisions or even influence them. We must operate in Gods' love, which we see has keen insight so we can comprehend with discernment so that fear is far from us. The Word says that perfect love cast out fear, and also that God is love. His Word will cast out fear, causing us to take back what the enemy has stolen, peace and safety in America.

I know that VIOLENCE SHALL NO MORE BE HEARD OF IN OUR LAND NOR DEVASTATION AND DESTRUCTION IN OUR BORDERS! As you and I take the Word of God and fight the fight of faith, our Lord will cause the hidden things to be revealed. In Him there is life, peace and safety. What a mighty God we serve! As I tell my people, be blessed so that you can be a blessing.

In Him, Pastor Barbara A. Thorne.

Note: All Scriptures are taken from the Amplified Bible