Please see the video introduction to my message here:
There currently is so much “misinformation” politically speaking, it’s hard to know what to believe. Some off line news says that President Trump is cornered and must concede. Other news sources say all is well and he has a plan. For those of you that are just busy raising a family and all this is just too much, or for those of you that feel bad news/good news I’ve heard it my whole life and nothing really changes, I would say I understand your perspective.
For me, I feel I have the obligation and the privilege to pray for God’s righteousness to win in this day and hour and to pray earnestly for President Trump, interceding on his behalf. Spiritually this is where I’m at. I don’t want to come up short in what I believe is my duty. I did not use to care about politics but President Trump is the first President that stands for life, freedom, faith and seeks to protect America and not ship our jobs overseas like other Presidents. He has a belief in God, believes in prayer and writes and approves policies that benefit the American people (when not overridden) and I want to do my part to support him and his efforts. We are also told to pray for those in office.
1 Timothy 2:1-3
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,
What I am concerned about is that the church still needs to wake up more. We are not operating at our full potential. We really need to wake up and see the aggressive agenda that the left has in wanting change society. There is a saying that goes, “all that has to happen for immoral men (government) to take control is for good (moral) men to do nothing.”
Based on history the patriots saw the tyrannical reign of England and the heavy taxation they wanted to impose on the colonies so they rebelled against England. I sense the same is coming unless we as the church wake up. We need to pray against this leftist agenda and support those who (through legislation) fight against it.
The scripture enjoins us to do this, “that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” It is to our benefit, and to our prodigy that we intercede now when there is still an opportunity to keep our religious freedoms. I don’t want us to be the generation that would of, could of, should of, but didn’t and consequently our children and grandchildren are inheriting a society and social structure that is adversarial to them because we failed in our duties. I would rather die first than to be charged with this failure. I know there is not a one of you that does not echo my sentiments, you also do not want to fail in your duty before God. So I ask you to earnestly pray and seek to fulfill the scripture mandates that are before us. We do not want to fail in this our day (this coming Wednesday 1/6 is the day, pray for righteousness to win).
Here are some verses… first one we shared in the last Vida,
2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
“This promise is completely dependent upon us–God’s people–humbling ourselves, praying, seeking God’s face, and turning from our wicked ways!”
Ouch! That puts a new perspective on our usual thought pattern, doesn’t it? It brings home God’s message.
The Church in Revelation 2:4, which says: “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.”
God wants us to be in love with Him. Therefore, when you pray, pray for revival in our hearts and in our Churches. Pray for Christians to get right with God; to return to their first love; and to seek Jesus with all their hearts (copied from “Ibelieve.com).” We the church must divorce ourselves from our worldly comforts and pleasures, all that stands in the way from being 110% devoted to Christ we must let go.
In this next story we have the example of courage, faith, and humility, this is our pattern for today. The church needs to rise up and start moving mountains through faith. Will you join me and together whatever the future holds, its best entered into on our knees.
Daniel and his friends were faced with certain death. Daniel knew that God was able to show him King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, so he sought for time from King Nebuchadnezzar. Here’s a brief reminder of the events.
Daniel 2:5
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, “The word from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.
Daniel 2:10-11
The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand, for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. The thing that the king asks is difficult, and no one can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh ( so this is a behind the scenes look at how God orchestras His will to be done. He creates an impossible situation, here He is using the King and his unrealistic demand to set Daniel up, knowing Daniel’s faith that he will step right into the situation).
Daniel 2:12-16
Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. So the decree went out, and the wise men were about to be killed; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them. Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. He declared to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the matter known to Daniel. And Daniel went in and requested the king to appoint him a time, that he might show the interpretation to the king.
Daniel 2:17-23
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah ( their Hebrew names) his companions, and told them to seek mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not be destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered and said:
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things; he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him.
To you, O God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise, for you have given me wisdom and might,
and have now made known to me what we asked of you, for you have made known to us the king’s matter.”
Daniel 2:24
Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”
Daniel 2:26-28
The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these:…”
So Daniel was able to reveal to the King his dream, something that has never been and to this day has not been repeated to my knowledge. Who of us will become a Daniel, a Shadrach, Meshach or an Abendego? Is there anyone?
How does this apply to our us? We are either going to become a socialist/ communist country or we will remain free. We the church must rise up and turn the tide as 4 Hebrew men did. Surely there are many more than four of us that are willing to fast and pray for our nation in this her hour. I think it’s always important to be ready to be willing to ransom our earthly temple for a greater good, if need be. It’s a sure sign of where our affection is, but I’m more ready to rise up and through prayer and action do what needs to be done here to defeat those that oppose righteousness. Some may think that all this will blow over but I don’t think so, there’s too much at play. However, knowing that we are citizens of Heaven, we are to bring that hope and encouragement here which starts with our relationship to Christ. As Paul said...
Philippians 1:20-24
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Therefore convinced of this I will remain and continue with you all.
Philippians 1:27-30
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing side by side in the defense of the gospel( maintaining religious liberty as well as living out the liberty found in the pursuit of Christ) and in nothing terrified by your enemies ( this is the church functioning as the church).
This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.
Bottom line Theology…
Romans 14:8
For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.
This is the church that the Father is seeking. We live for Him or we die for Him, in either case we belong to Him, not to the world. Amen
Now moving forward…
This next verse I want to be careful with, for it was given to Ezekiel but it makes the argument that I am my brother’s keeper. To what degree that is the responsibility we must individually answer.
Ezekiel 33:6
But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.
Ezekiel 33:7-9
“So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
As believers, we bear and know the truth. As many of us that go to church I would think that we would be having a revival, but we are not. Why, because we are weak and encumbered with our own affairs. Here’s a few questions. Last year how many people have we witnessed too, prayed with or for, invited or taken to church or have had a Bible study with, or taken a meal too?
These are all things in each of our reach, maybe not all but at least 2 or 3 are very doable. These are measurements of where we are in Christ. Do we have a heart to put Christ first in our life and then a mindset to spread the gospel? To be a light or be an ambassador for Christ (2 Cor. 5:20) or are we so caught up in our own affairs that we are hampered? Being a light is just being who you are in Christ, that His life is evident and visible in and through you; being an ambassador is actively looking for those open doors to share Christ.
Let me give you the context for this next verse. This is a picture of war in Heaven were Lucifer, God’s supreme angel and in charge of worship decides that he too is worthy of worship. Once that thought is conceived there is immediate war in Heaven. Lucifer is defeated and he and his demons are thrown out. His name changes from “son of the morning” (Lucifer) to slanderer or the Latin diablos, were we get the name devil.
Revelation 12:11-12′
And they have conquered him( satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony( the Word of God is our testimony), for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Interesting that the angels conquered their counterparts “by the blood of the lamb,” before Jesus died on the Cross, and by “ the word of their testimony” before the scriptures were ever written. It’s as if what has been in the mind of God has no beginning or end, and is truth before it is realized here on earth. All this happened prior man. The next time we read of satan he is the snake in the garden. So if knowing the truth for the angels was critical for victory how much more us, who are weak and encumbered with our carnal man? It is so easy for us to get out of focus and get on the wrong side of truth as Peter did.
Matthew 16:23-25
But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
For every serious believer this verse memorized is a MUST for it captures the full essence of what it means to be a follower of Christ.
And Paul gives us an example of what sacrificial life looks like. Here he is in Acts speaking to believers who know that this is the last time they are going to see him.
Acts 21:13-14
Then Paul answered, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” And since he would not be persuaded, we ceased and said, “Let the will of the Lord be done.”
Most of us would consider this to be “hardcore” Christianity. We live in an affluent area and can live fairly content lives without sacrificing much. What if I told you in other parts of the world this kind of Christianity is not hardcore, but the norm? In accepting Christ, persecution is not an if, but when. My concern is our content lives get in the way of sacrificial faith. True contentment does not lie in the possessions we process or the comfort of our life but in the relationships one has, foremost with The Lord. For some it takes a lifetime to learn this truth, as it took the Israelites 40 years to travel a two week journey to arrive at the borders of the promise land. A land “ filled with milk and honey” something God wanted to give them just like He wants to give us His love, peace and hope today. This is not a good comment.
So let me ask you a question, and this is where we get tripped up. As we start a New Year what are your expectations of the Lord? If you get seriously sick do you expect Him to heal you, and harder yet if your child gets sick do you expect God to heal him/her? What if today you get fired from your job, or your house goes into foreclosure what then? How much suffering, pain and just outright misery are we willing to go through? If God does not answer a single prayer, as it seemed for Job (last Vida) but promises us Eternity, AND His presence, for He promises to never leave or forsake us, what then? Can you and I agree with Paul, Jesus, the angels, Mesach, Shadrach, Abendigo, plus countless others that have said “even if He does not deliver me I still will not worship your statue,”or for us curse His name, or forsake my God. Can we say that?
In Hebrews 12, a chapter that is filled with victories for believers, as well as with sufferings and seemingly unanswered prayers.
Hebrews 11:32-38
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets— who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two ( Isaiah), they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
The world would see us as fools, they would post our names under the “Hall of Shame, or Losers,” for allowing our families to suffer for our resistance to denying Christ. However from God’s perspective, as His beloved sons and daughters we are in the Hall of Fame, for we did not “love our life unto death.” And this death refers to the cessation of life itself. We may experience that one day, but more realistically something we deal with daily is death to our flesh. This is our daily battle, and this is where we need to be strong and non-compromising. For one day builds upon another. There are believers who have “known” the Lord for years but are weak. Why, because they have not denied themselves, surrendering to the desires of their flesh instead of to the Spirit.
These verses in Hebrews were the early beginnings of the church, and because of them the Christian Faith was preserved for other generations, and generation after generation their have been the faithful, the true, the ones that were willing to die to self so that Christ could live through them. And to the degree that there was a price to pay, they paid it and because of them we now have our faith. We are a part of this legacy, these are our brothers and sisters who because of their unwillingness to compromise we have the Christian faith, we stand on their shoulders. Can future generations say that about us? Will Christianity be around after we are gone because of our actions and faith here and now?
I pray with all my might that this generation will not fail our children, grandchildren, great grandchildren etc., because we were too busy indulging in what I would consider the most materialistic and prosperous generation, where money and things were attainable without too much sacrifice. God forbid that we should fail them. The sacrifice we have very unfortunately made, is that of the family via divorce. It has become as prevalent in the church as outside the church (that is awful). We do so, so we can keep that promotion or keep that high paying job that requires us to work countless hours etc., this sacrifice we very foolishly have made. There is our perspective and reason for doing it, and then there’s God’s unwavering stance on marriage.
**Malachi 2:13-16
And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD’S altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand ( or hears or answers your prayers) . But you say, “Why does he not?” Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, s the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”( I shared this verse two Vida’s ago).
Hebrews 12:1-6
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him.For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
We say, why God, why all this pain? Why is life so hard? He simply says look to the Cross and know that I love you and I see your tears. What I do now you cannot understand, nor could Job, but you will. Stay the course and you will reap the fruit of your suffering, and not just you but your prodigy after you.
In looking back at the trails God used to give me a heart that seeks Him, they were trials that brought tears, forced decisions and set the course for the man that I am now, and that I am still becoming. Precious trails but also so painful and difficult I could not have stood without the hand of my Father holding me. So my sister or brother if you are in a season of trial and pain know that the outcome will be peace, strength and maturity in the knowledge of the Lord. Despite the difficulty there is no other path. The path the world offers may appear easier, but it to has its pain and hardship as well and there is no peace and no peaceful, joyous Eternity.
Stay the course and after you have struggled a time there will be victory, and you will have something to look forward to both now and in Eternity. With the world there is nothing to look forward too that has any lastly impact on your life. Life in this world is one tangling carrot after another, but never an inner peace or the ever growing knowledge that you are dearly loved. It’s worth it, the narrow way is worth it all.
Matthew 7:13-14
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Romans 8:29-30
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified ( conformed, to be made into His likeness.”
Imagine the effort and labor it takes to get raw steel and conform it into a sword. Countless hours, countless blows with the hammer, countless hours in the fire till every impurity is gone and the steel has been completely tempered so that it can be shaped and hold an edge. For what good would it be if in the middle of battle the sword became dull? There would be no time to sharpen it. So with us much time is spent in the tempering process so that we hold our edge in the day of trail. That worry, fear, anxiety and the like do not rob our joy, our confidence and most importantly our relationship to our Lord.
And here’s the prize for all the tempering….
Romans 8:37-39
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
The knowing of His Love, present with us in whatever we our facing, makes us invincible and it is a wonderful place of maturity to be at as we face this new year with all its uncertainty. There is nothing in this life that would ever change His love for us and in that lies our victory.
Father God,
Thank you for the repetition of this truth. Many times we here this truth of Your love for us until one day that is all we need to hear. No more petitions to remove this trial from me, please grant me this thing, or this job or this person in my life, or save my child, or heal me or my love one and these latter requests should absolutely be made, but ultimately these things are tempted because we know that whether You heal or don’t, change a painful situation or not, all is well in your love. As the brother who wrote the song “It is well with my soul” on the heels of a shipwreck were his children drown, he was comforted in knowing that they were in good keeping, in your glorious presence. Amen and Amen
Note: In these last three Vidas I have felt the urgency to bring unremovable faith into our souls, so the Vida’s have been strong, raw in the sense that we have discussed hard things. As I finish this Vida on 1/1/2021, the first day of the New Year, my absolute hope is that President Trump assumes office again. The last thing I want is for Biden to come in under the pretense of stealing the election and with Harris not far behind him with all her immoral beliefs. She and Biden remind of King Ahab and Jeezebel. They have the same spirits. This has been my prayer all along. However today as I was running I prayed a prayer that I have never prayed to date. I said Father if President Trump gets in will your church go back to sleep again? Will we all go back to seeking our own comforts and neglect the business of the Kingdom, and most importantly growing closer to You? And if Biden gets in will the church through the governmental legislation that will be placed against it come alive and bring more people to you? Father only you know these answers, therefore whichever way will bring more believers to You answer in that way. I trust You with my most precious possessions, my family.
Amen Arthur Navarrette