One of the dictionary definitions of investing is to endow with power or authority. That is interesting to me because I believe in  people and I invest in people. I investing in people rather than investing in products, processes, ideas, companies or concepts. I see in social and spiritual history more grounds for investing in people than in any other asset. Why?

One is temporal and the other is organic. It is impossible to have an organic relationship with an idea or a process or product. It is probable that a relationship with a person can be established. It is not automatic and it is not a given, but it is a possibility. To me, the risks in making investments are the ricks involved in trusting people. Trust is easy when dealing people you already know and have experience with if the experiences are good. Otherwise, trust is developed by taking the risk that a person is trustworthy.

To invest in people then, one must believe in people until people prove that believing in them is a mistake. I don't believe in giving a person a chance to prove themselves. I believe in giving them a chance be all that they can be until they prove to me that I made a mistake believing in them. But they will have to prove that I was wrong because I am starting from the proposition that their potential will be realized if someone believes in them.

So I invest in people like others invested in me.

FROM THE MESSAGE PARAPHRASE OF MALACHI 4

1 “Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash—a black day.

2 But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking.

3 And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day.” GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies says so.

4 “Remember and keep the revelation I gave through my servant Moses, the revelation I commanded at Horeb for all Israel, all the rules and procedures for right living.

5 “But also look ahead: I’m sending Elijah the prophet to clear the way for the Big Day of GOD—the decisive Judgment Day!

6 He will convince parents to look after their children and children to look up to their parents. If they refuse, I’ll come and put the land under a curse.”

FROM THE MESSAGE PARAPHRASE OF LUKE 1:15 – 17

15 He’ll achieve great stature with God. “He’ll drink neither wine nor beer. He’ll be filled with the Holy Spirit from the moment he leaves his mother’s womb.

16 He will turn many sons and daughters of Israel back to their God.

17 He will herald God’s arrival in the style and strength of Elijah, soften the hearts of parents to children, and kindle devout understanding among hardened skeptics—he’ll get the people ready for God.”

Malachi called the Hebrews to repent and in chapter 2 he charged them with abandoning the Fatherhood of God. He charged with abandoning their natural fathers. By these acts they orphaned themselves. But God’s Fatherhood does not allow Him to abandon His chosen ones. He would not leave them as orphans. As Malachi closes his recorded word he declares to all, not just those who fear the Lord, that in the last days he will send an abiding word to awaken fathering in the fathers reverence in the children. There is a hope here that spiritual leaders will rise to a higher resolve than just to preach and minister.

I asked the Lord one day to give me wisdom to understand what was meant by the words pastor, shepherd, elder, father, bishop, overseer, etc. All of the words call up different things to us, images that suit our education, traditions, preference and experiences. Is there one word that might call up a common image and one that reflects well on just what God means when these other words are used?

Well, my good friend whom I have not met yet, author of The Message paraphrase, helped me identify such a word. The word is parent. In bold type above are segments of two verses which convey something that is relevant to this afternoon’s summit.

Some time ago, I undertook to speak to some of you individually. At that time a passion was burning in me for leaders of The City to rise to a new level of corporate appointment as caretakers of The City. The emphasis of what worked in me then was taken from 1 Corinthians 13. When I was a child I spoke as a child… when I became a man I put away childish things. Bill, put down your spiritual childhood and put on your spiritual manhood.

As I reflect now a question presents itself. When must a boy become a man? Well, if it hasn’t happened by then, he must become a man when he becomes a father. The ideals of and the demands of parenting might cause one to faint and cower. Or they may cause one to call upon God for wisdom, resolve, inspiration and courage to parent his family and husband his spouse. No less than this job is the heart of my request for you to be here today.

‘the Sentinel Group of George Otis, Jr. produced a video some years back which chronicles the impact of corporate spiritual parenting on four diverse societies, African, South American, Central American, and North American. Sweeping changes in whole societies resulted from one phenomenon which is summed up for me in the comments of a Pastor interviewed in the segment on North America. The city was Hemet, Ca.

His comment was this, “God is not going to hold me accountable for how I Pastored my church. He is going to hold me accountable for how I Pastored my city.”

An inescapable feature of the Sentinel Group’s production in each case is this; the leaders, translated FATHERS, of these four cities became a galvanized fellowship of Fathers intent on bringing the Kingdom of God to bear on the kingdoms of this world.

When I asked you to come today I told you about a dreamer and his dream. I told you about a vehicle that holds promise as a force to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on our justice system, our educational institutions, our corridors of commerce and even our chambers of politics. That is the substance of Warren Piersol’s conversations with me and others on how prayer might serve to galvanize the spiritual leaders of The City and impact The City.

Additionally, I told a few of you how, on a certain day, as I recalled the many times I have heard Warren speak of this, a picture presented itself to my mind. Warren was recounting the hope of impacting our society before a few others. As he conveyed his thoughts a look of increasingly intense resolve came on the faces of the listeners. Then, as though in unison, they rose and said, “We can do this!” A verse of scripture came to mind from the books of Joel and Acts. Your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions.

Is there a better time than now to take corporate responsibility for The City? It may be in each of you to do so, but no one of you, even with considerable resources, is equal to this duty. We don’t have the right to stand at the frontiers of The City and call it to repentance or cast aspersions on its waywardness unless and until we take responsibility to bring the love of God to bear on various domains that are now held in the malevolent sway of the spirit of anti-Christ. Does God have permission to meld us into one mind, one heart and one accord?

God helping, it is my great desire to see us mount to a corporate manhood and to advance on becoming a galvanized, melded fellowship of Fathers.

IT'S A PERCEPTION THING

     God has a viewpoint on everything, a perspective that is different than ours. It is part of what He means when He says that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways. But He is not saying or even suggesting that His thoughts and His ways cannot become our thoughts and our ways. Perhaps it is easier to assume that His ways and thoughts cannot become ours because then we think to ourselves that we are not responsible for what happens or what doesn't happen. However, God has that kind of thinking trumped by His words in Galatians 6. "God is not mocked.” He goes on to say there are consequences for intentionally sowing bad seed.

      Moving on to the topic at hand, spiritual breakout, let’s press in.

     Breakout is not a term we have heard commonly used in the Kingdom of God. Especially within the community of those who pray, a more common term is breakthrough. Breakthrough suggests that God is trying to penetrate INTO something that He is shut out of. "We expect a breakthrough in the peace negotiations at any time..." says the TV journalist (Not for the Gaza strip though, today).

     Or, “breakthrough” suggests a letting up of something that is adverse, like the weather. "We expect a break in the heat wave by the weekend..." says the weatherman.

     Or the believers pray for new vitality in the church and they talk about a breakthrough that is coming. The word breakthrough comes out more in prayer than almost anywhere else. But I think God has another perspective.

     If God is pushing for anything, I think it is a breakout. He has basically been held hostage within His own house in a lot of ways. Not the least of them is in worship, fellowship and love for the brethren. He has been studied, examined, tested, defined, and... CONFINED. But He is planning a breakout and He is rallying help. He does not NEED help, but it has always been His way to limit Himself to the agency of humanity. It has also been His way to involve sons and duaghters of God in the affairs of His family business.

     He is brooding over His house and a divine discontent for church au natural or church a la carte is percolating. Some of us are catching on and running to enlist in the rank and file militia that He is raising.

     Now lest you think that this means the church is declaring war on itself, let's back up and take a look at US history for a moment. There is an informative observation there. 

     As discontent with British oppression of the colonials grew in the 1700s, the sentiment for revolution grew. More and more of the rank and file found themselves volunteering to resist and to mount a vigorous resistance. The British turned the heat up to scare off the faint hearted, the weak, the old and young and to strike fear into the hard core rebels.

     There were some colonials who were vocal in the beginning and maybe even stepped up to be counted who subsequently withdrew, shut up and disappeared. Some of them even advocated for patience and peace and leaving well enough alone. They resisted the resistors though they were not friends of the King any more than they were friends of the devil. They were victims who had become used to the status quo.

     Others steeled themselves even more to fight and die for liberty and freedom. For many of them, their strength and resolve came from God Who forged their backbone in the fires of His righteousness. It was crucial that they keep their focus on the real enemy or they would make unnecessary enemies of their scared friends and find themselves fighting each other. Not good.

     Now pay attention here.

     The valiant rebels did not turn their attentions from the British oppressors to focus on the retiring, unwilling, scared, uncertain colonials. If anything, the internal disquiet only stoked the fires of the valiant ones because they were ALL being victimized by the oppressors from without and within. They raided the enemy camp. They would not be held in the prison of oppression. They broke out of the hold of their captors and jailers and abusers.

     God is not held captive in the church, but in the world systems that have invaded the church by the craft and subtlety of The Perpetrator, Satan. The church is victim here and God is the liberator, the Captain of the Hosts.

     He will not be caged, nor will He suffer His own to be caged by the oppressions of darkness that have shut down worship and fellowship and devoted love of the brethren.

     Understand what is going on here and if you have the heart for it, take up the call to daring praise, breaking new ground in what your personal worship life has been. Take up the call to fearless worship and brave the contrary tides that resist drawing nearer and nearer to The One who loves your soul.

     I don't know what to tell you specifically to do different than what you have been doing, but I am urging you to find out from God where fear or preference has drawn confining lines around you and make a plan to break out of that captivity. God is with you and you are surrounded by a new breed of believer that is doing the same thing. Band with them in accord and unity and draw around you the company of those who are reaching for worship and fellowship and devotion for the brethren as they exist in the heavenlies. You can be part of making heaven touch the earth.

     Be assured that God is doing His part. He is gathering the governors and leaders of His Kingdom and bringing new coordination to the Bride by way of the accord and unity they are forging together. You are not alone. We are not alone. The quest for new ground and breakout is a worthy one. Let’s pray…

     Father, strengthen my friends whom I have not met yet to rise in answer to the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who comes in the name of The Lord. Open the spirit of their mind to receive the knowledge of the Lord and bring understanding of Your perspective to their heart of hearts. Out of a renewed mind, make Gideons of all of us, willing to defend to the death those whom you sent home from the fight against the oppressor without holding them up to any ridicule and disdain. Strengthen us in Your love and let the breakout that You are calling for reach magnificent proportions throughout the camp of those who love you.

Towards the will of God...

Bill Word, Facilitator

Fellowship of Brothers

www.fellowshipobrothers.org

wmwordjr@yahoo.com

A LIVING EXAMPLE OF

DARING PRAISE AND FEARLESS WORSHIP

     I was with my friend, Auther Culpepper and his wife, Linda, and their two children, Victoria and Nathan, for the Oasis Christian Fellowship family night and prayer gathering. I took my guitar and they asked me to worship. It was the first time in 5 years I have used my guitar and my voice to advance worship before a group. God truly blessed it and 30 minutes later we were all kneeling in honor to the Lord and praying. Pastor Culpepper prayed and worshipped in the reading and quoting of many scriptures. It was suggested that the Lord would have us focus on calling children to come to Him and present themselves before from all over the region that is Corpus Christi.

     There was stillness for a few minutes as we waited before the Lord and then there was the sound of a native Indian drum. Young Nathan had gone to the platform and started beating out a call on the voice of the drum. His sister, Victoria, came up and picked up an instrument called a rain stick and began to exercise with it.

     A lady stood and said the Lord is singing a song in her heart and the words are calling everyone to dance like children. She repeated the words and the simple melody a half dozen times and none of us did anything. I asked Victoria, “How does a child dance before the Lord? She shrugged her shoulders at first. Then she closed her eyes and looked thoughtful as though she was asking Jesus. Then she began to sway and twirl in a blind dance with her eyes still closed. Her brother started to beat the drum harder with more distinct rhythm. There was no other sound except for our voices and clapping our hands.

     Victoria continued to dance and then began to blow a shofar. After several long loud blasts the room erupted in glad shouts and bible proclamations. Victoria took the lead and one by one grabbed everyone in the group and began to skip around the room. A couple of the ladies picked up tambourines. This went on for some minutes and I felt I was beholding something akin to David’s dance in the streets of Jerusalem that caused his wife Michal to despise him. I sensed there was a response of spiritual disgust coming from the heavenlies where the demonic forces of darkness and principalities are lodged. But laughter and glee continued to break out upon this group.

     I do not yet capture the spiritual ramifications of this night, but the word of the Lord in me for it is “Spiritual Break Out.”

     There is more to relate that is relevant to these things, but there must be a stopping place somewhere. But isn’t it significant that it was children leading the parade here. That is no small thing. It is significant that it was an Indian drum and an Indian rhythm that was struck. I do not yet know why, but I know it was significant.

     I don’t know how to stop so I’ll just say there is more and there is more coming… Wow!

Come Let Us Reason Together

In the previous article, the language was more prophetic than originally intended. This is the fourth entry on the FOB web log and the direction of travel might be apparent or even obvious to some. The journal began by speaking of God as a seeker of men. He is unique in the universe of gods because none of those who are falsely thought to be gods seek men, or minister to them.

But Jesus seeks the lost to save them. He seeks the upright heart to show Himself strong in their behalf. He seeks those who will worship Him in spirit and in truth or reality. And He has put in the hearts of all men to seek Him. It is we who settle for lesser principalities who are not gods at all.

The next article is a short view of a mysterious and, perhaps Billish (more Bill that Bible), perception drawn from the OT and the NT. The OT speaks briefly of a clan among the Hebrews known as the sons of Issachar. They were of some repute among the Hebrews because they knew what Israel should do at any one point. The mention of them is written in such a way as to infer they knew progressively what was next for Israel.

This article connects the testimony concerning the sons of Issachar with the rebuke of Jesus to the Hebrews in the book of Matthew. He chided them that they did not know the times or the day of their visitation. They could tell the weather by the skies, but not the times and seasons of the Lord.

It was a stinging rebuke. Maybe it sounded unreasonable to them and maybe to us, too, except that God always addressed Israel as a spiritual people, a chosen nation. The nature of the sons of Issachar to know what is next is part of what God wants to perfect in all believers today and He wanted it for them then. Despite the times of the sons of Issachar, the Hebrews inculcated nothing of the instincts or reflexes of Issachar’s facility to seek God. So Jesus rebuked them openly, en masse. This was not the first time.

The prophet Ezekiel rebuked the Hebrew leadership for leaving the peoples without shepherds, leaving every man to go his own way. Ezekiel used many words to describe the scope of the sin of the priesthood. However, lest any of us glory in their judgment, Ezekiel then turned on the peoples. He sternly rebuked them saying that they have not sought God nor heeded His instructions and commandments. Ezekiel’s rebuke of the people was just as stern and incisive as to the priests.

Well, here we are today and what can be said for our version of the congregation of God’s chosen people, the church? Would His rebuke of the Hebrews scald us as it should have scalded them? In the large part, I say yes. We may have good intentions as church people, but intentions do not exonerate us any more than sincerity would. A person can be sincere and still be sincerely wrong headed.

The church is an organism, not a human possession. The church is the bride of promise for the Son of God. She is not her own and does not have the privileges of self-determination. She cannot be so selfish and shut-up and remain the Bride of promise, the betrothed of the Son.

That is as ridiculous a proposition as Esther assuming to herself the necessary preparations to be presented to King Ahasuerus for betrothal. At Mordecai’s word she consented to the regimens of separation from her loved ones and months of beautification in a culture not her own just so she might lay with the King for a night on the prospect of becoming his queen. All of her decisions over her time and disposition were made for her by others of the King’s servants. Why? Mordecai could only propose to Esther that perhaps it was for just such time as that one for her to come to the place of imperial influence that she gained.

So it is with the Bride of promise;  she must be spotless and without blemish. Whew!

We, the church, are being beautified for a time of imperial influence which begins here, on the planet. We are not our own. The one Who is our Lord, however, is slow to judge. Because of this it is thought that He will not judge our attitudes of puniness and rights and ownership of that which is not ours. We sink to the depths of those who have gone before us and think to tell God what is decent and in order within His congregation. In this we ere just as Michal erred in her heart to despise her husband, David, the King, for his abandon in celebration and worship on the streets of Jerusalem.

So if we are to wake up and smell the coffee and see the reality of the times of the Lord, and if we realize that newness in praise, worship, the prophetic and prayer is a priority of God, what must we do? Well, if you hear the call, the invitation to join the break-out, there is more ground to break and more ground to cover. Just remember that to go where He is going is a valiant quest. Daniel would call it a great exploit. Paul would call it apprehending that for which you were apprehended. Peter would call it partaking in The Being. Jesus would call it, “Take up your cross and come, Follow Me.

Do you have to leave your present fellowship to make the changes? No, but you do have to leave the unrighteous trappings and subjugation and imposition. But the Lord Who suffered and lives again is worthy. Remember, if you fix your eyes on the prize of present tense fellowship with the Father and with the Son among the congregation of those who reverence Him as the Apostle John spoke about in 1 John 1:3, … if you do gain sight of that prize, no price is too great.

So! What is daring about Daring Praise? And what is fearless about Fearless Worship? It is daring to break the molds of your own confinement. It is daring to make solid plans to take your personal worship up a notch or two or three. It will feel so awkward and clumsy at first.

It is fearless to defy your inhibitions and the reckless warnings of our own congregations and to set your heart to draw nearer to God than anyone you know. It is fearless to cultivate your appetite for fellowship with Jesus. It is fearless to notch up your devotion to all you understand of the purposes of God for you personally. Have you ever looked to see how many times Jesus said, “Do not fear …” It might be interesting to look it up. You can do this thing… I believe in you.

See you in the Holiest of Holies.

DARING PRAISE AND FEARLESS WORSHIP

Wildfire in the Kingdom of God is sort of scary and it is commonly associated with new freedom and liberty in worship, prophecy and prayer thought to be excessive. Maybe we've all seen excesses and fringe behavior that we vowed not to duplicate or permit. But we cannot survive as spiritual beings and impose sweeping limits on the celebration and worship of God.

Michal, David's wife, got offended at David's liberty. You should hear my friend, Steve Samford, talk about her. The consequences of her reaction to David's dance cost her dearly. Her distaste did not stop at the worship and celebration. She despised David himself. Herein is the danger of reacting to those who turn over new ground in worship and praise, prophecy and prayer. If it offends you, the danger is in that you may come to despise even those who are closest to you. Your reward will be barrenness and loneliness and very awkward aloneness. Why? Because God is always breaking new ground and He will do it with those who will and without those who won’t.

If the choice is to be where God is or where God used to be, which would a thinking person want?

David said something prophetic to Michal. He said it will get more vile than this but it will turn to honor before those for whom you pretend to be embarrassed (maidens in the street), Michal.

Isn't it clear that God confirmed David? HE heard David's words to Michal. HE didn't correct David. David had lots of children, BUT his wife, Michal, bore none of them. David had children with those hand maidens and with Bathsheba. Michal wilted all alone. I don't have a complete picture of how David's words to Michal were fulfilled, but I know what He said has come to pass in the generations of and since David.

David told Michal that it would get more vile than whatever she accused him of in the streets that day. Whatever else that means; it says that the senses of those who cooperate with and serve the anti-Christ spirit have only just begun to be affronted. Man-made, institutional religion has not even yet begun to hear and see what will happen as God continues to break new ground in celebration.

Praise has become and will yet become more daring. I know that some of you translate daring into defiant, but, remember, God confirmed David and punished Michal. He confirmed liberty in worship and ignored the reaction of the traditionalists. David's words to Michal even betray that David knew what he was doing. He said, "I will abase myself even more and even before my own eyes."

Perhaps a synonym for daring is boldness or vice-versa. But God is limbering up a bunch of us old folks and freeing up a bunch of you young folks to break new ground in celebration praise, prophecy and prayer. New instruments and new implements even some of the old ones are vibrating with the life of the Holy Spirit and breaking out of established molds. It's like fire on dry kindling, WILD but not exactly the kind of wildfire that so many of the spiritual police of man-made religion are scared of.

It is the heat of desire for God that is making us fuel for a heavenly pyre - it won't be quenched - it will just keep breaking out because this is the season of Revelations 4 when the worship that takes place in eternity will touch ground with flames that kindle upon us, but do not consume us.

At the core of this liberty is fearless worship. Again, the terminology might be scary to some. I am sure Michal trembled at David's retort if she knew her husband even a little. He was good to his word and so is Father God. HE is seeking those who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth and He intends to tabernacle with these brazen, bold, daring types - NOW - not in some far-off dreamscape of the city foursquare.

Those who will dare to embark on fearless worship will shun earthy inhibitions in order to draw nearer and nearer and nearer to the Father God, The Lover of their souls.

There is always some ignorance that must be overcome to draw nearer and go beyond that which stopped us before. We have been coached for eons that no one may draw near to or see God and live. After all, He lives in unapproachable light. Right?

That terrible incantation has for too long dampened the desire of those who would dare to believe that God really did want ALL of Israel to go up the mountain with Moses so He could show Himself to ALL of them. And why didn't all of them go? They said it themselves. You go, Moses, we are scared.

Well, the new breed that is rising to the quickening of the Holy Spirit are finding a strengthening to overcome the fear AND the ignorance. They are making for the Holiest of Holies, the lap of Father God and we are in the fullness of time to reach the secret place of the stairs. A very important prophetic understanding of scripture is breaking on the landscape from where it has been hidden, like so many others of the Lord's "mysteries," right in plain sight on the pages of His book.

Proverbs 25:2 says "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.

It is the glory of Kings to search it out."

That's IT. That's the prophetic understanding. Do you get it or am I imagining this? There is a promise in Hebrews 11:6. "Without faith it is impossible to please God, but those who would see Him must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

If He rewards those who seek Him, what is the reward? Wouldn't it be to FIND Him and even to FIND HIM OUT and His mysteries and His glories? Wouldn't the reward be to actually come to the knowledge of the Lord? Wouldn't that outstrip simple knowledge of the Bible or the Book of Church Order?

While everyone who has ever believed is included in the NT verse that says we are Kings and Priests unto our God, there is yet a new breed who are reaching to apprehend that reality, to take custody of it because that is why they, and we, have been taken into the custody of the Holy Spirit. We were not apprehended for no cause nor for any unworthy claim upon our lives.

We have given ourselves into love-slavery because the Kingdoms of this world have become the Kingdom of our God and of His Christ and He is worthy. He has made a way and we will draw near in devoted, pronounced, daring and fearless exultation.

The tactics of man-made religion charge us to count the cost as though the cost is the righteous center of focus. This is not so. And the new breed isn’t buying it. For us, counting the cost means comparing the price the prize. We have been freely given the currency with which to make the transaction. It comes in three denominations: faith, hope and love.

When one gets even a dim view of the prize, fellowship on earth that is with The Father and with The Son, the price doesn't count. Even a simple man finding a pearl of great in a field will go and sell all that he has in order to purchase the field so he may claim the prize. How much more we who are the beneficiaries of the great grace of the Lord Jesus.

If I must die to behold him, slay me in all my flesh and the deeds of the flesh now. HE is worthy. Out of the offering of a grateful heart I will bring to Him daring praise and fearless worship. I will seek His pleasure to break new ground in daring praise and fearless worship within me. HE is worthy. And I know He will do it in us. He has exhorted us to reach for it. He has promised to fit us and outfit us for it. Paul wrote in 1 Thess. "The Lord sanctify you completely in body soul and sprit and He will do it."

Hearing God testify of David that he is a man after God's own heart, did our hearts not burn to be worthy of that testimony of God over us. Well, that desire in us did not originate with us. It originated with God. He put it in us so He could fulfill it.

Take up the chase. Run the race. Feed your appetite for the person of Jesus, my friend. Don’t starve it or ignore it, especially on the word of some jealous religious institution whose claim on us can only make us twice more sons of hell than we ever were. It is not longer of walking the walk or talking the talk or any combination of the two. TODAY, WE RUN THE RACE. We run so as to win laying aside every weight and sin that does so easily beset us. We run the race to finish. We have another Comforter. Whom should we fear?

Catherine Russell, my friend and a practicing Pastor of the Kingdom, a worshipper with eternity in her mouth, taught me this riddle,

"If you chase HIM, HE will catch you."

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.

It is the glory of Kings to search it out.

You know what to do... Oh God, please catch us and catch us up until we are whole heartedly lost in the knowledge of Your glory and caught in the folds of Your will. Do it Father...

Bill Word, Facilitator
The Fellowship of Brothers
www.fellowshipofbrothers.org
wmwordjr@yahoo.com
(361) 241.9939

     The sons of Issachar knew the times of the Lord for the nation of Israel, for the generations and the peoples. Scripture implies that their discernment was sought after, probably by the judges and captains. They knew what the next thing to do was or, maybe, they just knew the next thing. They must have been skilled in the learning of the schools of the prophets. God said in the OT record that He never does anything without telling His servants, the prophets, yeh.

     So what happened to them? Either something happened to them or something happened to the leaders of Israel. One can tell because Jesus rebuked the Hebrews with a word saying that they could well enough tell what tomorrow's weather would be like by looking at the sky. But they were clueless and uninformed and ignorant concerning the day of their visitation because they knew nothing of discerning the times.

     I may be out of bounds here, but Jesus basically told them off. It was as if He was asking them why they don't concern themselves with the times. Why aren't they seeking God when they are living in a time of prolific fulfillment of scripture? Why are they so dense and dark minded? Where, at least, are the sons of Issachar? Why aren't they talking or why aren't they being sought out?

     God is seeking out the lost man to save Him. John the Baptist is shouting it from the city streets. Jesus is preaching to the poor, healing the sick, cleansing the leper, raising the dead ... Nobody is putting it together. Even the disciples are dark minded. God the Father is showing off through His son and His prophet and Jesus' followers.

     He contrasts the reality of God alive with the folly of vain tradition and the rules of the elders by confirming the repentance of a naked woman thrown in the dust of the street, accused alone of having a man, not her husband. She left justified and her accusers just left.

     God is seeking out the upright heart to show Himself strong on his behalf. Of all people, a Roman Centurion presents himself before the Jew's Messiah with a sick servant at his home miles away. He rejects Jesus' offer to come to his house saying, "Only speak the word..."

      Before all who are present Jesus commends him saying, "Never have I seen such faith as this in all of Israel." And he heals the servant with a word, and he did it before the Centurion even asked.

     God is seeking those spiritually aching for the capacity to know and worship God in spirit and in truth. He prays for them before their time and ministers to them one by one at Samaritan wells, in dusty villages that do not even welcome Him, on the road to Emmaus, and on the seashore at breakfast time. He sets the captives free as they run to worship from foreign caves and throw themselves into fires right before Him and their parents. He casts out tormenting spirits while they sit before Him in Synagogue.

     Because He is seeking and calling all who are weary to come to Him, he put it in us to seek Him. At least that's what I read in the book of Acts. It's what I see in the Gospels. Why else would a motley crew like the disciples leave everything to come follow Him? Why would a bunch of Greek outsiders in Jerusalem at the time of the Passover cautiously seek Him out, sending Andrew and Phillip to say they want to see Him?

     I guess that not everyone came to see Him because of the miracles and the food. Nicodemus came secretly at night to parlay with Jesus. Pilate didn't know what to do with Him. Gamaliel even began to discern something and counseled the Pharisees to be careful how they went forward, "We don't want to be found fighting against God.

     In the end though, the spirit that God had given in type to the Hebrews to know the times of God and what is next did not arise and, if it was there, it did not prevail.

     But we are still in the day when God seeks men and no other sect on earth can make that claim of the ones they take to be their Gods. Only we have a God Who seeks us. Only we are served by a God and a Lord and a Savior who gives us capacity and heart to seek Him. Only we have been given power to become sons of God according to John 1:12, who have been born of the spirit and not of the flesh alone, or of the will of man, but of God.

     The Father is worthy of that which he seeks. He is worthy of willing sons borne to Him and born in Him by the finished work of His One Son.

     The Father is worthy of sons who make themselves responsible to rely on and to depend on and to call upon Him out of love and obedience so He can show Himself strong on our behalf.

     God is worthy of adoration from a heart in one accord with Him, united to fear Him with reverence and devotion.

     Understand that the Lord seeks a people and that we are them. How can we withhold from Him the reward of His suffering and the fellowship of His own adoption of us?  Once we were no people, but now we are the people of God, partakers of His Being. So......

     Bring to Him that which He is due and that for which He seeks and longs.     

     Bring Him the thanks of a grateful heart.

     Bring to Him in your sound, your posture and your actions the spiritual worship He is due. Present your bodies a living sacrifice which is your spiritual service of worship and see what He will add to that offering. It will be grand, indeed.

     If you lack strength or understanding or courage, run to Him and make request of Him for what is wanting.

     This act alone is worthy worship. And to him who asks, He gives more grace, more strength, more creativity, more innovation, more skill, more passion.… To him who asks, HE GIVES MORE.

1. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro (seeking) throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him. Amplified Version
2. Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.  Amplified Version
3. John 4:23
A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. Amplified Version

     We know from the scriptures that God does not change - He is always the same, yesterday, today and forever. Why should He not find those whom He seeks? Why should He not find what He seeks in you? Why shouldn't He find who He seeks in us ...?

     The point, as bmxwraith, asks in his comment, BE FOUND. I can answer that question more fully by way of a personal email if anyone else is asking the same question or a different one, too.

Towards the will of God...

Bill Word, Facilitator

Fellowship of Brothers

www.fellowshipofbrothers.org

fob@tricordsupport.com