March 27, 2020

To the seasoned soldier/ambassador of Jesus Christ –

It has been a long journey.  Don’t lose heart.  The way is narrow, but God goes before you.  Set your face like a flint towards Jesus Christ.  Don’t turn to the left or to the right.  His eye is on the sparrow, so KNOW He IS watching over you, and He will NOT leave you or forsake you.  “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD,” He says to us, over and over.  It’s His invitation for us to “DROP IT!”  Drop the load you’ve been carrying.  Cast ALL your cares upon Him, because He cares for you!!  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress:  my God, in HIM I will trust.  Today is the first day of the rest of your life, as is every new day!  Weeping may endure for a night, but JOY comes in the morning, and HIS MERCIES ARE NEW EVERY DAY!  There is therefore now NO condemnation, for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Holy Spirit!  You are a WARRIOR OF CHRIST, and when He said, up on that cross that, “IT IS FINISHED,” He meant it!  Old things have passed away – behold, ALL THINGS HAVE BECOME NEW!  Grace and peace and love to you, in the mighty name of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ!  ❤

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The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid?  When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.  Though an host pitched against me, mine heart should not be afraid: though war be raised against me, I will trust in this.  One thing have I desired of the Lord, that I will require, even that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to visit His Temple.  For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His Tabernacle: in the secret place of His pavilion shall He hide me, and set me up upon a rock.  And now shall He lift up mine head above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in His Tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing and praise the Lord.  Hearken unto my voice, O Lord, when I cry: have mercy also upon me and hear me.  When thou saidest, “Seek ye My face,” mine heart answered unto Thee, “O Lord, I will seek Thy face.”  Hide not therefore Thy face from me, nor cast Thy servant away in displeasure: Thou hast been my succor, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.  Though my father and my mother should forsake me, yet the Lord will gather me up.  Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a right path, because of mine enemies.  Give me not unto the lust of mine adversaries: for there are false witnesses risen up against me, and such as speak cruelly.  I should have fainted, except I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Hope in the Lord: be strong, and He shall comfort thine heart, and trust in the Lord.  (Psalm 27)

For the mountains shall remove, and the hills shall fall down; but My mercy shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace fall away, saith the Lord, that hath compassion on thee.  O thou afflicted and tossed with tempest, that hast no comfort, behold, I will lay thy stones with the carbuncle, and lay thy foundation with sapphires, and I will make thy windows of emeralds, and thy gates shining stones, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.  And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and much peace shall be to thy children.  In righteousness shalt thou be established, and be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear it: and from fear; for it shall not come near thee.  Behold, the enemies shall gather himself, but without Me: whosoever shall gather himself in thee, against thee, shall fall.  Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and him that bringeth forth an instrument for his work, and I have created the destroyer to destroy.  But all the weapons that are made against thee, shall not prosper: and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment, thou shalt condemn.  This is the heritage of the Lord’s servants, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the Lord.  (Isaiah 54:10-17)

“Go back to the basics.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go.  DO NOT FEAR!  I am with you.”

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To the one who wants to know God in a real and tangible way –

The one true God of the Bible is alive!  Jesus Christ is alive!  The Holy Spirit is alive!  His Word is alive!  The Body of Christ (His church – His bride) is alive!  Our God is a faithful Father Who wants to walk with us in restored relationship (once broken by the Fall in the Garden of Eden but graciously re-established by the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ)!  The LORD God is our Good Shepherd, and He promises that His sheep will hear His voice.  He speaks to us if we have ears to hear!

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,” says the LORD, “Thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,” says the LORD, “And I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,” says the LORD, “And I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”  (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the LORD our God will call.”  (Acts 2:38-39)

And Ananais went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the LORD Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.  (Acts 9:17-18)

So if the Son liberates you (makes you free men), then you are really and unquestionably free.  (John 8:36)

Whoever is of God listens to God.  [Those who belong to God hear the words of God.] (John 8:47a)

I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone observes My teaching [lives in accordance with My message, keeps My Word], he will by no means ever see and experience death… If a man keeps My Word, he will never taste of death into all eternity. (John 8:51, 52b)

I will lift up my eyes to the hills… from whence shall my help come?  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.  He will not allow your foot to slip or to be moved;  He Who keeps you will not slumber.  The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right and [the side not carrying a shield].  The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night.  The LORD will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life.  The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.  (Psalm 121)

The wicked flee when no man pursues them, but the [uncomprimisingly] righteous are bold as a lion.  (Proverbs 28:1)

O my Strength, I will watch and give heed to You and sing praises; for God is my Defense (my Protector and High Tower).  My God in His mercy and steadfast love will meet me; God will let me look [triumphantly] on my enemies (those who lie in wait for me).  Slay them not, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power and make them wander to and fro, and bring them down, O LORD our Shield!… Unto You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my Defense, my Fortress, and High Tower, the God Who shows me mercy and steadfast love.  (Psalm 59:9-11,17)

David spoke to the LORD the words of this song on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hands of Saul.  He said:  “The LORD is my Rock [of escape from Saul] and my Fortress [in the wilderness] and my Deliverer; my God, my Rock, in Him will I take refuge; my Shield and the Horn of my salvation; my Stronghold and my Refuge, my Savior – You save me from violence.  I call on the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.  For the waves of death enveloped me; the torrents of destruction made me afraid.  The cords of Sheol were entangling me; I encountered the snares of death.  In my distress I called upon the LORD; I cried to my God, and He heard my voice from His temple; my cry came into His ears.  Then the earth reeled and quaked, the foundations of the heavens trembled and shook because He was angry.  Smoke went up from His nostrils, and devouring fire from His mouth; coals were kindled by it.  He bowed the heavens and came down; thick darkness was under His feet.  He rode on a cherub and flew; He was seen upon the wings of the wind.  He made darkness His canopy around Him, gathering of waters, thick clouds of the skies.  Out of the brightness before Him coals of fire flamed forth.  The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.  He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning confused and troubled them.  The channels of the sea were visible, the foundations of the world were uncovered at the rebuke of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.  He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of great waters.  He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.  They came upon me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay.  He brought me forth into a large place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.  The LORD rewarded me according to my uprightness with Him; He compensated and benefited me according to the cleanness of my hands.  For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.”  (II Samuel 22:1-22)

Toward the loving and loyal You will show Yourself loving and loyal, and with the upright and blameless You will show Yourself upright and blameless.  To the pure You will show Yourself pure, and to the willful You will show Yourself willful.  And the afflicted people You will deliver, but Your eyes are upon the haughty, whom You will bring down.  For You, O LORD, are my Lamp; the LORD lightens my darkness.  For by You I run through a troop; by my God I leap over a wall.  As for God, His way is perfect; the Word of the LORD is tried.  He is a Shield to all those tho trust and take refuge in Him.  (II Samuel 22:26-31)

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the LORD with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding.  In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths.  (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Keep and protect me, O God, for in You I have found refuge, and in You do I put my trust and hide myself.  I say to the LORD, “You are my LORD; I have not good beside or beyond You.”…  The LORD is my chosen and assigned portion, my cup; You hold and maintain my lot.  The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yes, I have a good heritage.  I will bless the LORD, Who has given me counsel; yes, my heart instructs me in the night seasons.  I have set the LORD continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  Therefore my heart is glad and my glory [my inner self] rejoices; my body too shall rest and confidently dwell in safety.  For You will not abandon me to Sheol (the place of the dead), neither will You suffer Your holy one [Holy One] to see corruption.  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forever more.  (Psalm 16:1-2,5-11)

For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.  He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Defense and my Fortress.  I shall not be greatly moved…  My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.  He only is my Rock and my Salvation; He is my Defense and my Fortress, I shall not be moved.  With God rests my salvation and my glory; He is my Rock of unyielding strength and impenetrable hardness, and my refuge is in God!  Trust in, lean on, rely on and have confidence in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him.  God is a refuge for us (a fortress an a high tower).  Selah [pause and calmly think of that]!   (Psalm 62:1-2,5-8)

So you, my son, be strong (strengthened inwardly) in the grace (spiritual blessing) that is [to be found only] in Christ Jesus.  And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.  Take [with me] your share of the hardships and suffering [which you are called to endure] as a good (first class) soldier of Christ Jesus.  No soldier when in service gets entangled in the enterprises of [civilian] life; his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him…. Therefore I [am ready to] persevere and stand my ground with patience and endure everything for the sake of the elect [God’s chosen], so that they too may obtain [the] salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with [the reward of] eternal glory.  The saying is sure and worthy of confidence; If we have died with Him, we shall also live with Him.  If we endure, we shall also reign with Him.  (II Timothy 2:1-4,10-12a)

Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?”…. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.  But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.  (Matthew 6:31,32b-33)

Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our LORD, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.  But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.  For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren or unfruitful in the knowledge of our LORD Jesus Christ…  Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election for sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ.  (II Peter 1:2-8,10-11)

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.  So trust in the LORD (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the LORD God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].  (Isaiah 26:3-4)

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand].  I will say of the LORD, “He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean and rely, and in Him I [confidently] trust!”  For [then] He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence.  [Then] He will cover you with His pinions, and under His wings shall you trust and find refuge; His truth and His faithfulness are a shield and a buckler.  You shall not be afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow (the evil plots and slanders of the wicked) that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor of the destruction and sudden death that surprise and lay waste at noonday.  A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you.  Only a spectator shall you be [yourself inaccessible in the secret place of the Most High] as you witness the reward of the wicked.  Because you have made the LORD your refuge and the Most High your dwelling place, there shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent.  For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].  They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.  You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot.  “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness – trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never].  He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him, with long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation.”  (Psalm 91)

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].  (Philippians 4:13)

Such is the reliance and confidence that we have through Christ toward and with reference to God.  Not that we are fit (qualified and sufficient in ability) of ourselves to form personal judgments or to claim or count anything as coming from us, but our power and ability and sufficiency are from God.  [It is He] Who has qualified us [making us to be fit and worthy and sufficient] as ministers and dispensers of a new covenant [of salvation through Christ]…. (II Corinthians 3:4-6a)

After those days, says the LORD, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people…  For they will know Me [recognize, understand, and be acquainted with Me]…  For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will [seriously] remember their sin no more.  (Jeremiah 31:33a,34b)

Since we have such [glorious] hope (such joyful and confident expectation), we speak very freely and openly and fearlessly.  (II Corinthians 3:12)

God reigns over the nations; God sits upon His holy throne.  (Psalm 47:8)

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control.  (II Timothy 1:7)

And as you go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons.  Freely (without pay) you have received, freely (without charge) give.  (Matthew 10:7-8)

“I am the LORD, that is My name; and My glory I will not give to another, nor My praise to carved images.  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”  Sing to the LORD a new song, and His praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you coastlands and you inhabitants of them!  Let the wilderness and its cities lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar inhabits.  Let the inhabitants of Sela sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains.  Let them give glory to the LORD, and declare His praise in the coastlands.  The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war.  He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies. (Isaiah‬ ‭42:8-13‬)

Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Lament and mourn and weep!  Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the sight of the LORD, and He will lift you up.  (James 4:7-10)

Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.  For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.  For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.  Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.”  (Isaiah 55:6-13)

Thus says the LORD:  “Keep justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.  Blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold on it….”  (Isaiah 56:1-2a)