Some thoughts from Patrick…
I wanted to send out what I believe God spoke to me regarding this event [The Solemn Assembly, 1/15-1/17] and the subsequent effect it can have on us. Everything in our lives has the potential to produce good or bad fruit. It really depends on how we embrace it and if we allow the Spirit of God to fashion us into someone He can partner with to accomplish His will. This trial that Steven and Rachel are facing is no different. Yet we often conclude that, because someone else is going through the actual trial, that we are not affected. We can forget that this trial is shaping Steven and Rachel directly, but its also shaping us indirectly. They are responding to the trial, but we are being invited to respond to them responding to the trial and so enter the reward that they are receiving. Their response will bear fruit, and our response, or lack thereof, will also. With that in mind, this is what I felt like the Lord dropped in my heart regarding the process we are being invited into in this hour and the change He is desiring to work in us. He said, “It is time to be transformed from being weariers to being warriors.” He also lead me to the following passage in Isaiah 1:12-17 from The Message bible:
“Why this frenzy of sacrifices?”
God’s asking.
“Don’t you think I’ve had my fill of burnt sacrifices,
rams and plump grain-fed calves?
Don’t you think I’ve had my fill
of blood from bulls, lambs, and goats?
When you come before me,
whoever gave you the idea of acting like this,
Running here and there, doing this and that—
all this sheer commotion in the place provided for worship?
“Quit your worship charades.
I can’t stand your trivial religious games:
Monthly conferences, weekly Sabbaths, special meetings—
meetings, meetings, meetings—I can’t stand one more!
Meetings for this, meetings for that. I hate them!
You’ve worn me out!
I’m sick of your religion, religion, religion,
while you go right on sinning.
When you put on your next prayer-performance,
I’ll be looking the other way.
No matter how long or loud or often you pray,
I’ll not be listening.
And do you know why? Because you’ve been tearing
people to pieces, and your hands are bloody.
Go home and wash up.
Clean up your act.
Sweep your lives clean of your evildoings
so I don’t have to look at them any longer.
Say no to wrong.
Learn to do good.
Work for justice.
Help the down-and-out.
Stand up for the homeless.
Go to bat for the defenseless.
Imagine…that God can be worn out! Its funny, but I remember times of so much religious activity that I was physically worn out trying to accomplish so much for God and now I see the parallel in this passage. He gets worn out, too. But its more than just mere activity – He’s worn out by activities that act as a replacement for what He really wants us to do. We should know by now that there’s no substitute for true worship, yet we’ve been trained well in darkness and we can’t seem to break our bad habits from the past. All our little gatherings, our church going, prayer meetings, teaching…it can be such a convenient cover-up for our lousy attitudes and sick hearts. And we find that all those things we do for God don’t have one ounce of power to enable us to keep our mouths shut from spewing out all the crap in our hearts or turn our thoughts away from living defeated lives. Do you realize that your enemy is defeated? He lives in defeat every single second of every day, of every year, of every century, throughout all time. He is defeat. And he cuddles right up to us – which we allow – and his very nature rubs off on us and we act just like him – defeated. That’s where it comes from. It doesn’t come from just lies, but from the father of lies. Which family are you a part of? And who is your father? Would others know it by your actions and words, or would your actions and words deny your confession?
All this stuff wearies God. Doesn’t it weary you? And don’t you think it wearies others? Like Moses in the desert, its to his credit that he bore with the Israelites for 40 years, but it was to their disgrace he had to. Is God wearied by you? Are others, even ones you love? Isn’t it time to change from being a wearier to being a warrior? On the horizon a battle is looming, like the sun about to peak over the curvature of the earth. And the Spirit is calling out. His voice is calling out to the warrior and to the wearier, because regardless of your past and your present, there’s a warrior deep within every wearier that is hearing the voice of the Son of God and rising up to battle and to everlasting life. Respond to the warrior within you and leave behind your wearying ways.
Love,
Pat
