|
|
Week Six: Future Harvest Day 40: Worshiping May 5, 2016
_____________________________________________________
"Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of
unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD, until He comes
and showers righteousness upon you."
|
|
|
MORNING MEDITATION
Glean the Word: Revelation 11:15-19
Glimpse of Glory: "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign for ever and ever." (v.15b)
As we come to the end of our 40 day journey, our Lord's final act and parting words are given to us just as they were given to His first disciples two thousand years ago. "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. After He said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight" (Acts 1:7-9). The torch of truth has been passed down through generation after generation of faithful witnesses, and it now rests in our hands. Throughout history the flame of the gospel has been trampled on, smothered, doussed, and suffered many failed attempts to keep it contained - but the light of Christ has kept on burning just the same. What the evil forces aligned against the kingdom of God fail to recognize, is that oil is produced only when the olive is pressed and crushed (2 Corinthians 4:7-10). It is through persecution that the gospel candle keeps burning brightly. This is why the five wise virgins couldn't share their oil with the foolish five even if they wanted to, because each person must take up their own cross and follow in the footsteps of the crucified Christ, enduring the trials of life which is the fan that stirs the fire of God into full flame (Matthew 10:38; 25:9). The darkest hours of suffering for the church have always been the brightest hours for the spreading of the gospel flame.
When Jesus ascended to heaven, before the disciples eyes, they didn't respond with worry or despair, instead they worshiped their Savior and Lord from that moment on. "When He had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, He lifted up His hands and blessed them. While He was blessing them, He left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God" (Luke 24:50-53). The ascension of our Lord to the right hand of the Father is a sign of victory painted all across the sky. Every time we look up we are reminded that our Lord is seated on the throne and reigns victoriously. "Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us" (Romans 8:34). As the attacks against the kingdom of God continue to intensify, we do not have to despair or worry about defeat. All we have to do is look up and remember that God is in control and Jesus is our King of kings and Lord of lords. "When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near" (Luke 21:28) When the seventh trumpet sounded in heaven all the saints and angels rose from their seats and fell on their faces and worshiped God. They recognized the right of the Savior to rule and reign over all the earth and His reign shall never end. "We give thanks to You, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign" (Revelation 11:17). Let us lift our voices with praises on high and worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness. Praise Him "who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father - to Him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen." (Revelation 1:5b-6).
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
|
|
AFTERNOON DEVOTION
Glean the Word: Revelation 14:14-20
Gift of Grace: "Take Your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. So He who was seated on the cloud swung His sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested." (v. 15)
When Jesus walked the earth He was rejected by the religious leaders and many of the people of His day, all who were expecting a political ruler to step on the scene, like Moses did, and deliver them from their present plight. What they didn't expect is that God Himself would show up and rescue them with His own righteous right hand. Tragically, the Jews refused His right hand of friendship, and instead drove a nail through the hands that had His people engraved upon them (Isaiah 49:16). Their rejection didn't hinder or alter God's great kingdom plan. The suffering of Christ on the cross provided the flow of holy oil which ignited the spread of the light of the gospel to the whole world. The people wanted Him to set up His kingdom, but they didn't understand that His kingdom is not of this earth, and that God has been on the throne and in control before the creation of the world, and His reign will never end!
The Lord has called all who believe in Him to be the priests of His kingdom, and to be His ambassadors of reconciliation and serve His purposes on the earth. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9). While the seed of the gospel is spreading and growing across the globe, the seeds of iniquity are also spreading right alongside in the wilderness of the world. As His priesthood we have been given a harvest field that is ripe and ready to be gathered in, and we are to be busy about our Master's business; but there is a day coming when the worldly tares will be severed completely, when God begins to swing His sickle during the great harvest of the earth.
This season of fasting and prayer has been a season of preparation to refresh and strengthen the Body of Christ for the harvest season before us. Anyone who has ever gardened before knows how much work and effort it takes to keep the weeds from choking the produce in the soil; it is an endless toil. It requires diligence and determination to bring forth a bumper crop. It is the same with spiritual matters, and even mores so, because the forces we are up against are in the spiritual realm. The discipline our Lord has taught us these 40 days to depend upon Him for our spiritual nourishment day by day and meal by meal, is a necessary discipline for the course of our Christian walk and not just for certain seasons. The Israelites learned that manna looses its freshness the longer it is on the earth, that is why the Lord wouldn't let them gather any more than what they needed for the day, so they would learn to depend upon Him moment by moment (Deuteronomy 8:1-5). This is God's desire for us.
The Lord has been tenderly ministering to His Body during this season of prayer and fasting to rebuild His holy temple where His Holy Spirit dwells, and now He is inviting us to tarry with Him a little longer, just as He did with His disciples when He asked them to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. He always has something special for His servants if we are willing wait on Him (it is in the waiting that we receive His very best. Don't forget that waiting is the highest form of worship!)). Thank you for taking this journey together as we have walked by our Savior's side and listened to His heart, and united our hearts in prayer for the kingdom of God. I pray that you have found this to be a season of insight and revelation, and of spiritual refreshment and strengthening for the season ahead. I also pray that you have experienced a renewed longing for more of Jesus Christ these past 40 days that will keep you tarrying a little while longer and continuing in prayer. Our journey continues on Friday, May 6th....
Revive the Priesthood
May 6th through May 15th
"Go throughout the city of Jerusalem
and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament
over all the detestable things that are done in it."
(Ezekiel 9:4)
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
|
|
EVENING PRAYER
Glean the Word: Hosea 10:12b
Fruit of Repentance: "until He comes and showers righteousness on you."
Evening prayer focus: A prayer of praise for our King - Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (click on the image below for our evening prayer)."To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (Revelation 5:13b)
This evening, draw close to the fire and experience the warmth, love and light of Christ as we come boldly before the Throne of Grace and join our hearts together in prayer:
Click on either image below to access the YouTube Evening Prayer Audio
(then click the Play button to listen to the evening prayer)
HARVEST The Kingdom of God - A 40 Day Prayer and Fasting Journey to The Throne of Grace Copyright © 2009, 2016 Traci A. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
|
|
|
|
If you've missed any of the previous day's emails of the HARVEST The Kingdom of God 40 day prayer and fasting journey please visit the Trumpet and Torch Email Archive HERE "On That Day" - Day One - Resurrection Sunday Email
Contact us by email at: info@trumpetandtorch.org
If you have received this email from a friend and would like to continue receiving this daily devotional email journey
please sign up forthe Trumpet and Torch Mailing List HERE
Thank You For Praying!
|
|
|
|
|
|
