It matters which voice you listen to when you are weak and weary.
“After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The devil came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:2-4
It struck me recently that many times throughout my life, I’ve opted to turn stones into bread rather than wait for the word-by-word nourishment from the mouth of my Heavenly Father.
So much of my ego and masculinity is wrapped up in being independent and only asking and waiting for help as a last resort.
This is all about Sonship and resting and relying on the Father-heart of God. Anything short of this is living as an orphan and not as a true adopted son.
It can also be construed as one listening to the Father of Lies, succumbing to his temptation of denying my relationship and dependence on God, and therefore, turning stones into whatever I need.
So, when life, love, and the necessities of food, shelter, and clothing are exhausted, don’t turn your stones into bread and become self-sufficient. It is a test, and if you remain steadfast in your dependence on God and his Father-heart, you’ll not be disappointed nor dissatisfied. Our God is no deadbeat dad but a Faithful Father.
And the Devil, well, he is the Father of Lies and selfishness. Nothing good can come from him.
The Devil would have you become so self-sufficient that you wouldn’t need or want God; he’ll keep tricking you until you’re emotionally drained, spiritually dried up, and drifting in loneliness.
The reward is waiting and suffering through the loss or the lack until God comes through, as God is always faithful.
“I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.” – Psalms 37:25
“Don’t be impatient. Wait for the Lord, and he will come and save you! Be brave, stouthearted, and courageous. Yes, wait, and he will help you.” – Psalms 27:14
Too much self-sufficiency can wreck your soul. Listen to the Father of Life and not the Father of Lies.
Standing in the gap for our nation has nothing to do with complaining, talking, podcasting, or even simple prayers. The word “Intercessor” is made up of two words:
(Inter) meaning: “between” and (ced) meaning: “go.”
To intercede literally means to go and get between God and the need. It means to actually stand in the empty void until God steps in and fills the need.
It is real labor and a deep spiritual endeavor and undertaking of intense pleading, repenting, and even arguing before God on behalf of others, who are either unwilling or unaware for the need to repent or change. Sometimes, this means going to a logistical place and filling the breach in a wall until restoration and revival begins.
Several years ago, a pastor commented about his disappointment with the decision by the Supreme Court, which redefined marriage. His concern, as I’m sure is the concerns of many pastors across the nation, was lawsuits and possible jail time for refusing to officiate certain marriages.
“Maybe I’ll just refuse to do any marriages,” the pastor sadly opined.
Standing in the gap, or becoming a true intercessor is not to abandon culture or society, or to abandon marriage rites altogether, but is to “go between,” even if it means lawsuit or jail time.
Standing in the gap is costly, and true intercession is not a quiet and passive endeavor, but stepping in and between the offenses of men, or even the offenses of a nation and the God of justice, righteousness, and holiness. It is indeed costly!
Daniel was such a man, which bravely stood in the gap of his time.
If you recall, prayer and worship, in public or in private to Jehovah, or any other god for that matter, was outlawed by King Darius. Unscrupulous men of the King’s court had encouraged the King to enact a law (sounds familiar) forbidding any prayer or worship for thirty days.
Daniel, being a continual intercessor for the return of his banished people to Israel, refused to cease his prayers to God. He faithfully prayed three times a day towards Jerusalem near his window, as he had regularly done. But these crafty men had set up surveillance, waiting for the man of God to violate the King’s edict. Having arrested Daniel, they brought him before the King.
Regrettably, as the King had been unknowingly coerced by these evil men to enact the law, the King had no other option but to pass judgment on Daniel, sentencing him to death by caged ferocious lions.
Even in this, Daniel did not waiver in his commitment to intercede or to even apologize for his violation of the new law.
Spoiler alert — When Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, the lions acted like kittens. When King Darius saw that Daniel’s God had saved him, the King realized that he was duped by the men in his court, and so orders the immediate release of Daniel. The King, now being furious with the men of his court, orders them to be immediately tossed into the lion’s den, where they were instantly torn apart and devoured by the lions.
God saves and protects his intercessors! Did you hear that? God saves his intercessors!
WHERE ARE THE DANIELS OF OUR DAY!?!
Where are the pastors who are willing to go to jail because they stood in the gap against the gods of our culture?
Where are the everyday men and women who’ll stand in the gap for the dismembered unborn!?!
Where are the men and women who will stand in the gap for the fatherless, homeless, or alien, illegal or not in need of salvation?
Where are the evangelists and preachers proclaiming God’s redemptive word in the streets and marketplaces?
Where are the voices of 70.6% of 318 million Christians in America!?!
The darkness is so vivid that even the smallness of true faith can brighten a single city!
WHERE ARE THE FAITHFUL OF THE LAND?
Where is the authority of the believer?
Our silence and passivity have reached heaven. The cries of the unborn and the blood of their partially born dismembered bodies have reached the eyes and ears of the God of Creation. The lost and abandoned children of our cities and towns have reached the courts of God. America’s sins will not go unpunished.
If the sinners will not repent, it is time for the people of God to repent in their stead and stand in the gap, even for the unrighteous acts of our great land!
In all of this, God is still looking for men and women to stand in the gap; to risk time, treasure, and talent; and, if necessary, blood, sweat, and tears for the Good News of the Kingdom.
Diabolic means to “divide” (di) and “abolish” (abolic) – di-abolic. To divide and abolish. It is literally the opposite of the word intercessor!
Can you not see what is happening before our very eyes? Every sector of our culture and society is being divided and abolished, including history, children, family, marriage, sex/gender, education, justice; race, religion, etc.
The evil in our nation is diabolic and is a serious spiritual virus, spreading like an airborne pathogen, infecting the very soul and foundations of our nation and people.
Intercessors in our nation, cities, towns, and villages must stand in this gap and reestablish what darkness has divided and abolished. Fill in the gaps of the moral and spiritual holes in our nation’s walls.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30
Can one man make a difference? According to Ezekiel, one man or woman can!
Christ made the difference by his standing in the gap between the just wrath of God against the sins of mankind. Christ was hung on a vertical alter, pointing all people towards the God of Heaven.
Because of what Christ achieved, God exalted his Son to the highest honor and now sits on the right side of God’s throne.
You, too, are seated in heavenly places with Christ and because of Christ.
Do you know how much authority you have in Christ at this very moment?
Be that man or woman, young or old, and stand in the gap on behalf of the lost and our land.
Silence the diabolic and divider with the heart of an intercessor and stand in the gap! AMEN
My wife, Toni, and I had a short but great conversation about the subtlety of compromise.
The story of the wayward prophet, Balaam, son of Beor, came to mind during our conversation from the book of Numbers, Chapters 22-25.
I truly believe this story of how a wayward prophet was able to cause God’s blessing to be removed from the Israelite Nation is so relevant for today.
It is happening right before our eyes!
Some would say, “but that’s Old Testament. There’s no contemporary relevance.”
Well, the unfortunate actions of Balaam, son of Beor, is herald, not only in several other Old Testament books, from Numbers to Psalms, and from Psalms to Micah, but also in the New Testament; in 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11, and the Book of Revelations, 2:14.
When prophets, as they are doing today, align themselves with divination, the occult, etc; when they are touted and listened to; when they cause God’s people to act and worship as the pagans do, God’s blessing is removed from our Churches and Nation. Evil will then run rampant, as it so obviously is today.
When we are reluctant to do what honors God, our reluctance is a dishonor to his Name. It’s a dishonor to Jesus!
When we place the pleasure (feelings) for others above the holiness and righteousness of God, we’ll experience his displeasure and disfavor.
God’s favor is on the one, or the many, whose zealous but humble actions bring honor to his Name, even in the small things.
Take Sydney McLaughlin, for instance. She sets a new world record and wins the gold metal for the USA in the women’s 400-meter hurdles.
“Records come and go, but the glory of God is eternal. And, I no longer run for self-recognition, but to reflect His perfect will that is already set in stone. I don’t deserve anything. But by grace, through faith, Jesus has given me everything.” – Sydney McLaughlin
Do not align yourself to the subtle compromises of others or the rantings of false prophets, If you do, you’ll share their horrible fate. It is a dangerous thing to rob God of his glory and sovereignty.
Haven’t we compromised far too much as individuals, and especially as a nation?
Haven’t far too many Churches lowered their standards of Godliness and righteousness?
Evil runs rampant, but not because evil is powerful but because we lack the zeal of the Lord. God is all powerful, and evil is not. Complacency and passivity however empowers evil by weakening holiness and righteousness. The Church is to be a radiant expression of Christ and not a redundancy of worldly compromise and passivity.
It only took one man, named Balaam, a wayward Prophet, to cause a nation to compromise. It only took one man, Phinehas, son of Eleazar, the grandson of Aaron, whose zealous act turned away God’s wrath.
Where are the Phinehas’ of our day?
Where are the Sydney McLaughlin’s of our time that without compromise, give glory and honor to God?
“Courage, dear, heart…” … defy reluctance! Be zealous and passionate for our Father’s house!
Call To Courage 