The Lord Jesus Christ is looking intently into the hearts of those who name the name of Christ as their Savior.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be His Body that manifests the Life of the resurrected Christ in this world of darkness testifying to His victory over death.
The Apostle Paul wrote, ” I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh (my body) I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, NKJV). (insert mine) (boldness mine)
Notice the emphasis on the word now.
Paul is not talking about heaven.
Paul is explaining how we are to live now.
This type of living, knowing (ginosko*)how to live, now, is experiential.
The work of the cross (justification) is finished; but the way of the cross (sanctification) is now being applied daily to our lives.
One day the realization of our justification, and our sanctification, will become our glorification in a new body, in His presence. (Jude 24,25)
*WORD WEALTH (John) 8:32, know, ginosko (ghin-oce-koe); Strong’s #1097: Compare “prognosis,” “gnomic,” “gnomon,” “gnostic.” To perceive, understand, recognize, gain knowledge, realize, come to know, Ginosko is the knowledge that has an inception, a progress, and an attainment. It is recognition of truth by personal experience.” (pg 1459, New Spirit Filled Study Bible, NKJV, Thomas Nelson, c2002) (insert mine) (boldness mine)
I am confident that you saw the progression.
An Inception-Justification; A Progress-Sanctification; An Attainment-Glorification.
This is not head knowledge.
This is not knowing a lot of Biblical facts and theology.
This is not just scripture memorization.
Scripture memorization is important; but have the words you memorized become ‘Life’ in you?
Q: Are you growing as a believer?
Q: Are you maturing as a child of God?
Q: Is your personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ a living, experiential, relationship such that you are actually experiencing in your lifetime now what Paul said in Galatians 2:20?
This has nothing to do with your salvation.
Your are saved if you have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.
Your name is written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
What I am saying does not mean that you are more ‘saved’ than any other believer in the Body of Christ.
The reality is that not all believers in Christ have attained to the same level of maturity (Matthew 5:48, teleios*, perfect.)
When Jesus restored Peter after denying Him three times, He included in the restoration His future purpose.
He instructed Peter to “Feed My lambs”; Tend to My sheep”; and Feed My sheep.” (John 21:15-19)
The Apostle John, in I John 2:1-14, speaks to the different levels of maturity.
The Apostle John addresses “children”, “father’s”, “young men”.
*WORD WEALTH, perfect, teleios (tel-eye-oss); Strong’s #5046: From telos, “end.” Teleios refers to that which has reach an end, this is, finished, complete perfect. When it is applied to persons, it signifies consummate soundness, and includes the idea of being whole. More particularly, when applied to believers, it denotes maturity. ( New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, c,2002, Thomas Nelson, Inc. pg. 1751)
This is not sinless perfection.
It is learning to love others as the Father loves mankind. (Matthew 5:43-48)
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Q: What is your personal experience in the Lord?
Q: Do you know what purpose God, the Father, has purposed for you before the creation of the world?
What I am referring to is what Paul said to the believers in Ephesus.
The Apostle Paul wrote, “And you He made alive who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.”(Ephesians 2:1-10, NKJV)
Q: Are these verses becoming a living reality, now, in your life?
Q: Have you ever asked God, what is His purpose for you?
Q: Have you ever asked the Lord, “what is my functioning purpose as a member of the Body of Christ?”
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Q: Why are these questions important?
Because, you have been bought with a price, and your body is not your own. You are a temple of the living God, and He abides in You, by His Spirit. (I Corinthians 6:19-20)
In Ephesians 2:10 NKJV, Paul wrote, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared (purposed) beforehand that we should walk in them.” (insert mine) (boldness mine)
Q: Are you personally walking in the ‘good works’ that God, Your Father, purposed for you to walk in before the creation of the world?
That is a staggering thought.
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The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews, exhorts, “Now may the God of peace, who brought up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant , make you complete (teleios,perfect, mature) in every good work to do His will, working in you what is pleasing in His sight (His purpose) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 13:20,21, NKJV (insert mine) (boldness mine)
I encourage you to get quiet before God and ask Him, “what is the ‘good work’ You have purposed for me in my lifetime?”
If you know God’s purpose for your life, then Romans 8:28 takes on a whole new perspective. (context Romans 8:18-30)
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Paul, in Ephesians 5:8-16, NKJV, instructs the following: “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says, “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (boldness mine)
[Q: Are the days evil today? Please read 2 Timothy 3:1-17.]
Paul is quoting the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 26:19; 60:1)
Isaiah is speaking to God’s people, Israel.
Paul is speaking to God’s people, believers in Ephesus, members of the Body of Christ to ‘wake up’ to what is going on all around them.
We know that there is evil in our nation, and the nation’s of the world.
Evil is the result of Adam’s original sin.
Now , in the midst of this evil, is call to ‘wake up’ to what is going on in world.
There has been a cry of the Spirit of God, speaking to the Church, since the beginning of the 2026, to examine ourselves, and see if there is any ‘evil’ internally in our hearts.
Let us, like David, seek the LORD, and ask Him, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24, NKJV) (boldness mine)
What is the LORD doing?
The Lord Jesus Christ is preparing His Bride for His return.
Ephesians 5:32, NKJV, Paul says that he has been writing about a great mystery pictured in the relationship between a husband and a wife, mirroring the relationship between Christ and His Church.
Paul says in Ephesians 5:25-26 that husbands are to love their wives, “just as Christ also loved the church an gave Himself for her, (so) that He might sanctify (set her apart) and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word, (so) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (NKJV) (inserts mine)
Q: Is the Bride ready for her Bridegroom?
And, at the same time, as the Lord Jesus Christ is making His Church ready for His return; He is seeking out churches and individual believers for a ministry to be done now before His return.
What is this NOW ministry?
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The LORD of Hosts, ADONAI Tzva’ot, is knocking on the door of churches; and knocking on the doors of the hearts of believers asking if they would respond to His desire for them to fulfill His purpose to fight in the spiritual battle the Church is facing in these evil days.
[Q: Does His knocking on the door of a church remind you of any of the seven letters that were sent to the seven churches in Asia? See Revelation 2,3]
The LORD of Hosts is asking, “Are you willing to follow Me into battle?”
Q: Are you interested in knowing if this is God’s purpose for you now in your life?
If your are interested in knowing, then you need to open your heart, and let the Lord Jesus Christ come in and talk with you.
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Paul writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, reminds him, “You therefore, my son, be strong in grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with he affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:1-4, NKJV)(boldness mine)
Paul knew Timothy’s calling, his purpose.
He was encouraging him to continue to do the work God, His Father, had purposed for him, before the foundation of the world.
Notice, that doing the work of the Father, means you will live a separated (sanctified) life unto the Lord Jesus Christ, focused on pleasing Him who enlisted you as a soldier.
Are you willing to be enlisted by Him?
Why do I ask?
Because,
The Lord is putting together an end time Army to engage in spiritual warfare.
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The Lord Jesus Christ is looking for vessels, willing to be set apart unto Him, and live a separated, sanctified life, holy unto the Lord.
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In the Book of Judges, the LORD chose, Gideon to lead His people against the Midianites, who the LORD had raised up against His people Israel because “the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 6:1, NKJV) (boldness mine)
I submit that Gideon was God’s workmanship whom He had purposed (boldness mine) to lead His people into battle against the Midianites before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 2:10)
Gideon was very reluctant; but God was very gracious, as Gideon negotiated with Him.
God settled Gideon’s reluctance. (Judges 6: 1-40)
The call to ‘arms’ went out.
The people responded.
Now, it’s time to fight.
Gideon and the people of Israel gathered for battle. (Judges 7:1)
But…God!
Judges 7:2-8 God reviews the troops and gives Gideon instructions about who to select, and how to select.
God says to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ (verse 2)
What does God know about Israel?
He knows the condition of their heart?
Judges 21:25 explicitly reveals what God knew.
The last verse of Judges says, “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” NKJV]
The LORD knew their hearts; and the Lord knows our hearts.
The LORD is looking intently into the hearts of His people today.
He is looking for those who will serve Him, and not claim the glory for themselves.
Those who desire to serve the Lord, must have clean hands and a pure heart, not seeking their own glory.
If you have been following these posts since the beginning of 2026, then you will understand the importance of Psalms 24:1-10, NKJV.
“The earth is the Lord’s and all its fullness, the world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the waters. Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol*, Nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory.” (boldness mine)
[*Idol-I.D.O.L. = Idolatry Destroys Our Life. This is what the Spirit of God has been speaking about to the Church since the beginning of 2026-their idols and idolatry of the heart. If we have idols in our life and/or we have have idolatry of the heart, then we do not have cleans hands and a pure heart.]
In Judges 7:3-8, NKJV, God reduces the assembled army to 300 people.
How?
Gideon said to the people, “whoever is fearful and afraid, let him turn at once and depart from Mount Gilead.”
Twenty-two thousand people left.
There was no criticism, no shame, no guilt, no condemnation.
There were still 10,000 people who did not leave. (verse 3)
But, in God’s eyes, this was still too many people to accomplish what He purposed to do.
God, in verse 4, directed Gideon to bring all the people down to the water, God told Gideon, that He would “test them for you there.”
It is obvious that God, Himself, is sovereignly selecting the individuals that He wants to provide for Gideon to accomplish the purpose He had given him to do.
Can you believe that those chosen by God were His workmanship created for this purpose before the foundation of the world?
I can.
Verses 5-6, reveal how the final selection was made.
“So he (Gideon) brought the people down to the water. And the LORD said to Gideon, “Everyone who laps from the water with his tongue, as a dog laps, you shall set apart by himself; likewise everyone who gets down on his knees to drink. And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people got down on their knees to drink water.” ” (insert mine) (emphasis mine)
This is a sovereign work of God.
I think that it is best to leave it at that.
Verse 7, “Then the LORD said to Gideon, “By the three hundred men who lapped I will save you, and deliver the Midianites into your hand. Let all the other people go, every man to his place* (margin-*home).”
Again, no criticism; no shame; no guilt; no condemnation; just the LORD’s sovereign choice.
Completing this passage of scripture, verse 8, reads, “So the people took provisions and their trumpets in their hands. And he (Gideon) sent away all the rest of Israel, every man to his tent, and retained those three hundred men. And the camp of Midian was below him in the valley.” (insert mine)
Commentators are divided about the selection process; but the general concensus centers on readiness.
Q: Which of the two positions to get a drink of water puts a soldier in a more vulnerable position if they are suddenly attacked?
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So, what is the purpose for sharing this story?
To bring to our attention, what the LORD showed Gideon, about making a definitive distinction, separating who was chosen and who was not chosen to go into battle against the Midianites.
The battle is the LORD’s.
David, facing the giant, Goliath, shouted out, “Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into my hands. (I Samuel:17:47, NKJV, context, I Samuel 17:1-58) (boldness mine)
The armies of Moab and Ammon threaten Judah, the prophet Jahaziel, speaking the word of the Lord, says, “…Listen all of you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you King Jehoshphat! Thus says the LORD to you, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” ” (2 Chronicles 20:15, NKJV, context 2 Chronicles 20:1-30) (boldness mine)
It all came down to how each man “took a drink of water” when they came down to the shoreline of the water to drink.
Now what?
Ezekiel 47:1-12
I will meet you down at the shoreline of the water that “was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar.” (Ezekiel 47:1b, NKJV)
Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo
