The Wanderer

In my last post, I talked about wading deeper and surrendering to God’s compassionate mercy so that we may, in turn, fully love others. Oh, what a blessing it is to love others as Christ has loved us: unconditionally, unreservedly, and even in the face of adversity – to be a shoulder and arm for them to lean on or an ear to listen. Often, we are prevented from doing this very thing because we do not know His love. We may be followers of Christ, but we are still spiritual babes who do not yet sincerely know our Maker. One thing that can stop us from wading deeper into His word and His open arms is our captivity. Yes, Christians can be slaves too. Last week I was able to attend the River; my eyes were opened to many new little things. We discussed the Passover story and the amazing, yet often overlooked, minor details. One of the major things that hit me was the mindset of the Israelites throughout the whole story. They start in doubt and despair. They have been slaves for the Egyptian empire for 430 years (Exodus 12:40-41). A man named Moses comes from the desert and says he has a message from God: “I will bring you out… I will rid you of the burdens… I will redeem you…. I will bring… I will give it you” (Exodus 6:6,8). They do not believe, but God works anyway. Praise Him for His merciful kindness when we are too weak to trust Him!

He saved them while in bondage. He saved them on the way out of bondage. He saved them when they were physically free but mentally still slaves. That is the story of the church.

We are slaves to the dominion of Satan. Christ rescued us from those chains. He continues to heal us as we slowly make our journey with Him in this thing called life. Although we fail Him daily, He keeps us whole as we are mentally trying to become free from Egypt. Let me explain before I get too far ahead.

The Israelites were not prepared to leave Egypt. They asked Moses over and over to just keep quiet and stop ruffling the Pharaoh’s feathers (Exodus 5:21). Moses was obeying God and being the messenger. Who’s feathers need to be ruffled today? The Lord God of Israel made Himself known to both the Israelites and Egyptians during that period. He hardened Pharaoh’s heart temporarily with each plague so that His wondrous works could be shown (Romans 9:17, Exodus 9:16). It was not because He is a cruel God but because He loves mercy more than wrath (Ephesians 2:4, Exodus 34:6, Jeremiah 3:12, Joel 2:13, Psalm 103:11, Romans 9:18). God was showing the Egyptians they were believing a lie! He was being merciful and showing them the truth!
Another thing is that the Israelites were NOT freed until all ten judgments were dished out. We, the body of Christ, should not complain when we are caught in the crossfires of this world and God’s merciful judgment. Sometimes the lighting must strike before the needed rain comes. Without war, there is never peace. God didn’t just take Israel out of its problems. He used their predicament to grow them. The church is being tested today because He needs to purify us before He can work through us. The world has tainted us with materialism, idolizing politics, and many other things. So when the Israelites were freed, they were still slaves mentally (after 430 years, I probably would be too). It is the same spiritually with us. We are made free by the Blood of the Lamb. Yet, we listen to the lies of the enemy and, in turn, become defeated before we become more than conquerors through Him! Do you ever wonder why the Israelites wandered around for 40 years? Or why they even went south in the first place? I didn’t give it much thought til we discussed it that night. Not only was it the location of other slaves who worked in the mines, but it was also the hand of God. See what He says:

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:

Exodus 13:17

They were not mentally prepared. Beloved, before you start to doubt God and His timing, check yourself!! You may still be in slavery to some vice that was crucified with Christ, but you decided to pick it back up. YOU ARE NOT MEANT TO CARRY IT! Don’t you understand?? Jesus has come to free us of our bondage. 

When Moses was a child, the life of him and the other babies of his generation was threatened by Pharaoh’s command to have them thrown into the Nile. When Jesus was born, Herod sent men to murder children under two. Moses freed Israel from physical bondage, and Jesus frees us from spiritual bondage. (P.S. this idea is not originally mine, I have adopted it for this post) 

Satan not only loves to lie, but he also loves to deceive. His favorite targets are children, for they have simple faith and innocence (Matthew 18:4). Even Hitler knew this concept when he said one of his famous quotes: “He alone, who owns the youth, gains the future.” Satan also loves to deceive followers of Christ. Although he has no power over us, he can make us not trust the promises, just like the Israelites doubted God over and over for theirs. Jesus has come to free us from bondage. Are you holding onto something with fear and trembling hands? Is there a closet in your mind you have not surrendered to Christ? These things are what keep us enslaved and captive. We do not receive the full blessing when we are captive to the thoughts of the old man. Be free! The generation that did not trust God died off in the wilderness. DO NOT DIE IN A WILDERNESS OF DOUBT AND THIRST. Come to the water of life. Sustain your soul. Be free from the doubts that plague your mind. Break the chains by the blood of the Lamb.

Satan would like to hold the church captive. But we can break the gates of hell so that they shall not prevail over us. Hell knows this. It is why they are so scared and try to distract us. Satan asked for Peter to be sifted like wheat (Luke 22:31-32). Have you felt sifted? I sure have. Peter denied Christ three times. Yet, despite all this, Christ still called him Peter. He still gave him his calling to feed the sheep. Our identity is not found in our mistakes. Satan would love to bog us down and say, “well you slid so you cannot be a Christian. Christ will never love you. You are no better even after you were saved”. I am here to tell you to tell those voices to shut up and go back to the hole from whence they came (yes, I quoted a movie right there). They have no power over us in the name of Jesus. He is the firstborn of all creation (Colossians 1:15-18). Under His name, every knee shall bow. He is the ultimate authority. He is at the right hand of the father. He does not see our mistakes; He forgives them. Now before you take this as a license to do whatever you want, do not drag me with you. God’s grace and compassion do not allow us to live our life the way we want because we “purchased our membership card”. That Christianity is a made-up version in your head, fancying only your delusions. 

Following Christ takes sweat and perseverance. We are called to the narrow way: the hard path. From my short experience with hiking, the narrow path is hard – Oh! but the view is worth it. The hardest roads in life bring the greatest stories. The takeaway is this: do not succumb to the mindset of slavery in Egypt. You were delivered of that through the blood of Christ. Instead, when you are knocked down, get back up and make hell scream in terror. The gates of hell cannot prevail. Do not believe the lies of the enemy. Put on your helmet of salvation and remind yourself who your Shepherd is. Listen to His voice only. Do not be discouraged when you slip. God holds you tightly. Simply move on and continue your walk. The more defeated we become in thinking, the harder it is to start that uphill climb again. So this season, do not forget to run the race well. It takes courage, perseverance, dedication, and most of all patience. Look for those who drop out when the climb becomes hard. They do not know the Overcomer. Shut out the demonic and lying voices. Command them to flee.

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

2 Corinthians 10: 3-5

Break the chains of the slavery mentality. The old man is dead. Exit Egypt. Put the blood of our Passover Lamb across the doorpost of your heart. Rejoice that our Faith is not ill-founded and is not in vain.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. … But now is Christ risen from the dead

1 Corinthians 15: 12-17, 20

We serve a Risen lord. Anyone who disagrees… I have a post for you soon 😉

Toodles