Jan | 02 | The prophet’s position

MASTERY

The prophet’s position

Habakkuk 2:1
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected. NKJV

A long time ago, on the planes of Mamre, Abraham was quite literally shooting the breeze in the heat of the day. Whilst sat at his open tent flap door, three beings disguised as men were seen passing by. Abraham persuaded all three to engage in his hospitality and in the so doing, he entertained angels unawares. Now one of these beings was the pre-incarnate Lord Himself, and the other two, a pair of SAS angels on a snatch and destroy mission to Sodom. It is often said in the media today that Jesus said nothing about homosexuality. Well, i
n Genesis 18, He is on His way to destroy a couple of cities because of it and its seemingly perpetual smoking of the aftermath, would be seen for centuries to come in the dead sea area of the Jordan rift valley. Now then, Abraham rushed to refresh the hearts of these three strangers and once he had hastily prepared their meal, he stood by them, like some silver-service waiter, ready to attend to their every need.

“So he took butter and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree as they ate.” Genesis 18:8 Now I mention this verse in Genesis today for two reasons. First regarding Abraham’s acts of hospitality and service. Abraham had his suspicion who these beings were and where they were from. So, he was expectant in his waiting; indeed, Abraham clearly expected a reward for his hospitality and service. Even an angels reward, even a prophet’s reward, even a reward from the hand of the Lord! For this reward, whatever God deemed it to be, he ‘stood’ by them for it and waited. In Abraham’s case of course, that reward was the affirmation of God’s promise of a son, the strengthening of Sarai to believe for it and in the end, the arrival of baby Isaac himself!

The second reason I mention this incident is the word used for ‘stood’ or ‘standing’ by them, in Genesis 18:8 it is the same word used here in Habakkuk. The prophet Habakkuk therefore ‘stood’ with great expectation before the Lord. His question had been asked, his praise and complaint had been given (so like us) and now he stood with great expectation.

As an old sailor in the Royal Navy, I am used to four-hour watches with a two-hour dogwatch covering varying cycles. Whatever the watch system utilized at sea, however, the purpose is the same: To keep the boat functioning and fully operational twenty-four hour per day. So, when Abraham’s son Isaac, later experienced a great famine in the land of his living, he was tempted to go back to Egypt. God came to Isaac and said “No! You shall not go. Stay where you are and I will protect and provide for you, bless you and make your descendents be multiplied and give you the land I promised to your father Abraham” and in the so saying, God also explained that He would do this “because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” Genesis 26:5. That is, Abraham, kept my ‘watch’ or ‘charge’ (same word).

So for tonight then friend be sure of these two great truths: You have your ‘watch,’ you have your set period of time to be alert and to be attentive, to be useful and to be faithful.

If you are alive, then you are still on your ‘watch’, the length of which is still unknown to you, for the watch change ending of your expectant life is in the hands of the Master of the boat. Now then, I say 'expectant' because you must stand your watch, that is, you must be looking to the Lord of your watch with expectancy. What have you asked for? Look for it! What have you dreamed for? Hope for it! What have you desired from the Lord? Long for it with the expectancy of soon to be satisfied sailor.

The main mark of the man of God is essentially one of faithful expectancy. Are you standing your watch tonight?

Listen:- Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2NKJV

Pray: -  have kept Your word O Lord. I have served You with my whole heart. I have sacrificed my all to You my God and opened wide the door of my tent. I stand my watch O Lord. I wait for You to come. Speak Lord in the stillness, while I wait on thee, hushed my heart to listen, in expectancy. Amen

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Jun | 13 | The early day coffee shop of the Bright Morning Star

MASTERY

The early day coffee shop of the Bright Morning Star

Isaiah 26:8,9
Yes, in the way of Your judgments, O Lord, we have waited for You; The desire of our soul is for Your name And for the remembrance of You. With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early; For when Your judgments are in the earth, The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. NKJV

I keep referring to this I know, but I am old enough to remember watching a black and white TV whose programming went on at a particular time and went off at another, the night time shut down always being preceded by a drum roll and the national anthem before the picture collapsed like a tiny star into a small dot at the center of the green cathode ray tube. I remember a time when the world was afforded time to contemplate and time to consider its purpose, its pleasures and its end.

By choice, practice and discipline, I am a 4:40 man. I rise each day at 4:40am. I enjoy these times of day for in the 21st century though many people love the night, very few folk love the mornings. Indeed, if you want to, you can feel the rising disdain for the day and the reluctance to embrace it, groaning together beneath a million shoulder tugged duvets. For me though, to watch the night plunge its hands into its trouser pockets and trudge home grumpily toward the West, kicking all the cans of the fading moonlight along its path as it winds its way through all the stuff the world has left lying around from the day before, is a great sight indeed, yes, it lends itself to some silent staring and coffee and contemplation. I have grown to love these morning times.

After writing a most moving departure note which he left to his wife, Jonathan Edwards, that ‘Great American Awakener,’ aged just 54 years, left this breathed out life with both an honest observation and a great expectation. He said: “Trust in God and you need not fear,” and more wonderfully, “Now, where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing friend.” I love that.

In cities that never sleep, the reluctant mornings are still the best times of the day, when the world and its demands are diminished to a dot. They are times when the national anthem of heaven can still be so clearly heard, yes, they are times when you can rise from your own slumber and declare “Bring on the day for I trust in God and I shall not fear” yes, they are the quiet time of the coming day when you can brush your teeth, make your coffee, grab your Bible and your seat in your own quiet corner and say with expectant glee, each and every brand new day, “Now, where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing friend.”

Discipline is a mark of true spirituality. Desire is a mark of what you consider pleasing, precious, valuable, and worthy. In these Lukewarm and tepid days, Christian conversation, especially amongst the remaining males of the church, is marked mostly with the absence of such a desirous looking for the Lord, and the fat flabbiness of a great spiritual lethargy. I tell you, tonight though, that if you want to be a muffin top man whose mouth is full of nonsense, then just sleep on my friend, yes, just keep on sleeping on.

Desire and discipline are covalent sparks. Choose one and you shall get the other. Man of God, I say choose one and you shall get the other! The morning hours await you and if you embrace them, they shall prepare you for the day and prepare you for heaven. Choose one by setting the alarm clock an hour earlier than usual. Do it now for I wonder if the resting God who never sleeps nor slumbers enjoys His own cup of coffee in the mornings and in the so doing, is always pleased to welcome friends to own His fresh morning table? Yes, I think the Son of God loves these early morning hours, indeed, isn’t one of His best and brightest names indicative of this?

Listen:- "….. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star." Revelation 22:16 NKJV

Pray: - “Now, where is Jesus of Nazareth, my true and never-failing friend.”

If this Everyday Bible Insight has helped you - then do please share it! 
Also, why not go to your devices iTunes store (or other) and write us a great review - 5 Stars if course!

Did you know that we are preaching from each of the 66 Books of the Holy Bible in the 66 Most Influential Cities of the 250 Nations of the World? That's 16,500 cities which will hear a solid prophetic message from each book of the Bible over the next 25 years! Do you want to be part of this? Then please go to www.66Cities.TV to find out how.