God wants us to be sharp-shooters. He does not want us to be hit and miss. For us to be in a place where God can use us at any place and at any time we must live in a place of preparedness.
READY!
What does it take to be ready? There is something to be said for a person who is ready to go. How many times have all of us experienced someone who is “not on time” in our family experience God works all things together for the good. We gain patience out of that. We also see that Jesus was serious about readiness. We don’t know what hour the Bridegroom will come, but Jesus makes it clear that we need to be ready. In the parable of the virgins, they are all virgins but five are wise and five are foolish.(Matthew 25)Five had the oil of intimacy in their lives, while the other five did not know how to get it or were lazy in their pursuit – probably both. If we seek the Lord with our whole heart we will find Him. It is a promise. Those virgins who did not have oil for their lamps were not ready for His return. Not only that, they were just not ready, period. In the parallel of our spiritual lives, without oil we will not go far or have any impact. A vehicle will not travel without fuel. The oil of the Holy Spirit, the anointing, is what we need for us to run the race that God has called us to.
There is something called “essential oils”. God has His essential oils as well for our lives to function on heaven’s circuit. His anointing is what we need to be prepared with. This anointing of the Holy Spirit will not come without our intimate engagement with the Lord in the secret place of our lives. When we dwell in the secret place of communion with God we will abide in the shadow of His Presence. This is an essential oil that we need in our lives. There is another essential oil that we need as well. It is the oil that is poured out on brothers and sisters in Christ when they dwell together in unity.
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!It is like the precious oil upon the head, Running down on the beard, The beard of Aaron, Running down on the edge of his garments.
Psalms 133:1-2
Our oneness in the Holy Spirit draws the anointing of God upon us. He cannot resist pouring out His oil on those who worship Him together in spirit and in truth. This also is part of our preparedness. Notice that the virgins were together. You had a group that was together in the anointing and a group that was together without the anointing of God. The latter represents a group of people that strive in their own works and flesh to please God but have run dry because there is no intimacy with God. We see two types of unity here. One with the blessing of God, the other without it.
Don’t mind if I choose to be in the anointed group! Without God and His anointing we cannot and will not accomplish anything. It is by the grace of God that we have this understanding, with it a humble heart of gratitude.
Be prepared in season and out of season, study to show yourself approved to God knowing as well that it is the Holy Spirit that teaches you all things. In other words, this is not simply an engagement of the mind, but of the spirit man within us to glean the truth of God.
AIM!
Our preparedness makes way for us to have vision, to see. Without vision we are not able to see where we are going, what we are doing. Without clarity of mind and heart we end up shooting in the dark just hoping we are hitting something. This is where many in the Body of Christ have been for a long time. Because of a lack of preparedness there has been a dullness. Because of this dullness of sight, they have made agreements with lies coming into alignment with thoughts that are not of the Lord. We cannot operate in the flesh. Our life is in the Holy Spirit. The carnal mind is at war with God. Carnality will not give victory.
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Romans 8:7
If the mind is not renewed by the Word and Spirit there is a deficit that will cause spiritual malnutrition. When this occurs there is a lack of discernment, vision is skewed, leaving a person with blurred vision. The result is people “acting spiritual”, taking aim at targets and hitting people instead because they cannot see straight. God wants us to realize that our war is not with flesh and blood. When Jesus comes into the heart, He comes as the Prince of Peace. That peace of God will crush Satan under our feet and lead us forth. His peace is key for us to see clearly.
FIRE!
Our vision enables us to hit the mark. Our intercession, when we stand in the gap with a pure heart, will strike the mark like lightning on the bullseye when we are prepared in the communal life with God. Our sight will be clear making us able to see where to strike our prayer, words, actions and strategies for the ultimate conquest. God has called us to victory, nothing less. Victory means something to the Lord. When Israel had crossed over into the promised land, the manna had ceased. Now they were eating the food of the land. After this and their circumcision Joshua has an encounter with the Lord of Hosts. it was not about Joshua’s business. It was about the Lord’s business. Joshua found out that what He was doing became such a part of the heart of God that He had become one with the Lord and His purposes. He asked the Lord, “Are you for us?” The Lord responds “No”, but I come as the Lord of armies.
And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries”So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?”
Joshua 5:13-14
Obviously He was there for Joshua, but also revealing that it was Joshua who had come to be on the Lord’s side. It was the Lord who would lead into battle striking the enemy. This was right before they conquered Jericho. Joshua had found that place of faith crossing over into the promised land rather than wandering in the wilderness for another season. He had found that place of consecration before the Lord having the people circumcised. They now ate the promised food in abundance rather than depending on a miracle every day. Breakthrough is a much better place than that of miracles because you are dwelling in the realm where miracles come from, the dwelling of the Lord Himself. Jesus, as the Lord of Hosts, waited for the people of Israel to cross over. It was there Joshua had the encounter. It was there he became the conqueror obtaining the promise.