ARE YOU A SOJOURNER?
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation. 1 Peter 2:11-17
Sojourners follow Jesus very closely, but can be found traveling with others in different faith traditions, who are also on a spiritual journey.
Did you hear that, we are not bound to man’s religionists systems. We are part of Jesus. He is the head and we are His body. I have said this before we are His Ekklesia.
Sojourners reach into traditional churches but do not naturally fit because Jesus is their church. They seek to discover the intersection of faith, politics, and culture to actively campaign and promote justice in democracy, in immigration, in economic justice, in gender justice, and are peace builders and more through the word of God.
However, to be a sojourners of Jesus, we must be found vulnerable in a way that God can protect and bless them, but be mover’s and shakers of God. I like to call it - stirring the sheep!
Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate. Psalm 127: 3-5
As I was preparing this word, I was reminded of the sea monster leviathan in my last message who was seen returning to the sea. I keep having the impression that this monster is bumping the boat out at sea by its strength and ability this creature bumps the boat and could easily flip it as it floats at sea.
“And they will pass through the sea of distress and anxiety [with the Lordleading His people, as at the Red Sea] And He will strike the waves in the sea, So that all the depths of the Nile will dry up; And the pride of Assyria will be brought down And the scepter [of the taskmasters] of Egypt will pass away. Zechariah 10:11
Worship in the key. We know worship comes in many forms it’s not just singing, but praying, reading God’s word and declaring God’s word ourselves and our circumstances.
We can’t miss this - - This sea monster is highly intelligent like a Orca killer whale who is known to be curious and playful, but sometimes they approach boats just to investigate them or toy with them.
When I began meditating on the various types of sea monsters we could be facing, I was lead by the Spirit of the Lord to look to Abram which means (“The Father [or God] Is Exalted”), and later named Abraham (“The Father of Many Nations”).
He was a native of Ur in Mesopotamia, is called by God (Yahweh) to leave his own country to become the founder of a new nation in an undesignated land that we learn later to be Canaan. He obeys the call unquestioningly and (at 75 years of age) proceeds with his barren wife, Sarai, later to be named Sarah (“Princess”), and his nephew Lot, and other companions to the land. But the geology isn’t the lesson at hand.
Abraham could see the move isn’t all that God planned for him. Abraham is also called by Yahweh to take his son Issac up the Mountain to be a sacrificial lamb. He loved his only begotten son so much, can you imagine the faith it took. I have sons so I can imagine it, but we are too suppose to give our children to Yahweh - He is asking him to sacrifice him. Not only is he filled with grief as he is being tested by God. Genesis 22.
But today, the message is around Abram when he heard that his nephew Lot had been taken captive by the four kings, and Abram mobilized all the men in his camp, 318 in all who had been born and trained in his own household, and he pursued the invaders as far north as Dan. Then, during the night, Abram strategically divided his forces and defeated them. His forces attacked them and routed them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. He recovered all the stolen possessions and brought back his nephew Lot, together with the women and all the prisoners. Genesis 14:1-16
The kings are not identified, but we make an educated assumption by their location. The metaphor for land in the Word of God is referring to our hearts, mind and emotions which makes up our soul, so these kings were raiding, conquering, and making slaves of God’s people.
I am going to make a correction in my last message, I wrongly identified my sea monster as the monster that Job battled and it was a great lesson, however, the real beast out at sea is found in the Book of Revelation.
Lot was just outside the Dead Sea only 34 miles from Jerusalem and only 80 miles to Joppa where miracle can be found, This is our season for miracles as we enter our destiny. You did the work last season and God is leading you to Joppa.
This is significant. I see the “beast” getting into position as the judge of the sea.
The point that is clear is this: As Jesus suffered even though he was innocent, we also must be willing to suffer at the hands of the ungodly.
“If we have been united with him in a death like his [Christ],” we must also consider ourselves “dead to sin.” Charles Spurgeon
Peter tells us, the time is past for living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4
But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled 1 Peter 3:14
New life in Christ makes a marvelous change in a person. What generally happens is that the ungodly see it and immediately begin to persecute. If you have found lots of opposition, you have been converted!
If so, then we may expect opposition in this season. This is the beast in the sea.
We do not need to be afraid of it, because the Lord is on our side.
“The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless.” (Ps. 146:9)
“Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another, 10 do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor, and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart.” (Zech. 7:9–10)
“He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing. 19 Love the sojourner, therefore, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” (Deut. 10:18-19)
“For if you truly amend your ways and your deeds, if you truly execute justice one with another, 6 if you do not oppress the sojourner, the fatherless, or the widow” (Jer. 7:5–6).
With gladness and rejoicing will they be led; They will enter into the King’s palace. Psalm 45:15
If we are full of ourselves; our plans and our opinions, we leave no room for The Lord’s filling, “the supply of oil dried up when all the vessels were full.” 2 Kings 4:1-7
God wants us full, but not with ourselves trying to solve our situations and circumstances, but this takes awareness to seek the Lord to provide His Oil or anointing over us.
LORD STRENGTHEN ME WHERE I AM TOO WEAK AND WEAKEN ME WHERE I AM TOO STRONG!” ― LEONARD RAVENHILL
He wants to fill us with His Spirit so our lives can be poured out into others in love and service.
This is the principle of the Cross to hear His Voice, to be filled or governed by Him no matter our circumstances. Once we lay down our own preconceptions and ideas of our circumstances, we have put our flesh to death and taken up the Cross of Christ.
WE CARRY OUR CROSS!
But we are not meant to stay here….. we have been delegated authority TO RISE WITH CHRIST IN HEAVEN!
In the book of Revelation Jesus speaks to the seven churches and we are told these seven churches represent the seven church ages. Or maybe theses churches describe the areas spiritual deficits in believers?
The age in which we live is compared to the ‘Laodicean’ church. These parishioners say, “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” Sounds familiar doesn’t it, however, if truth be told they look wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked! They know God but have no fear of him, they are lukewarm.
The Book of Revelation, Chapter 3 says the Spirit counsels believers to buy gold refined in the fire in order to become rich. In order for our clothes to be white garments without shame revealing nakedness, we must be anointed or poured into by God.
We can only be filled when we empty ourselves and God comes to open our eyes with salve, or in our case a sea monster beast. This monster is headed out to sea and we must rid ourselves of pride, apostasy and lack of empathy. — REVELATION 3:17-18, NKJV
We are told in the Book of Hebrews, the successful Christian is one who realizes he is but a pilgrim in this world looking for a city whose builder and foundation is God (Hebrews 11:10; 13:14).
We must come to accept that we as followers of Jesus, who is our shepherd that not only are we sojourners but pilgrims on this earth. I use to tease my family and say we are Gypsies because we move every 9 years, but now I know I am actually sojourners or pilgrim of God. And my only place is at the foot of Jesus.
We are to keep our hearts on Heaven’s eternal treasures. Jesus warned us that this world’s treasures are subject to loss.
Therefore, we must store up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–20). We are to hold all God gives us with open hands, knowing that any earthly gain is only temporary. Our hands can’t be open waiting for God to place blessing in them.
NO, we must be like Moses, holding our hands high above his head towards God to say, I give it all to you Lord! I surrender it all! And we don’t have to go into battle alone, God sent Aaron to help hold Moses’ arms up which is like you and I holding each other up in prayer 🙏 right.
Now, Moses was old and when he couldn’t hold his arms up - he got the help of Aaron. Every time his arms came down they began losing the battle, but as soon as Aaron helped hold his hands up towards God, they began winning again!
We want this imaginary to be seared into our minds, because we must worship now more than ever, so we are giving everything to God in our battle of the coming sea monster.
Let me remind you, you are resurrected at seated with Christ and we don’t put down deep roots in the places we reside because we know we will soon move again.
So let’s not pour our hearts and passions into things that won’t last. The wise sojourner is one who lives every day with bags packed, surrendered, ready to move on when God directs and eager to vacate this world when our Father calls us home.
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