Tag: pray

“That’s A W.R.A.P!”

What if Jesus said to you “That’s a WRAP!”?

What does that mean to you?

In today’s vernacular, He would be telling you that “a situation, project, or event is finished, concluded, or over” (Googled)

Many Christians are beginning to ponder seriously, if the return of Christ is imminent.

i.e. – ‘That’s A Wrap’.

Jesus made it perfectly clear that only the Father knows when He will give the ok for Jesus to return. (Matthew 24:36)

God, the Father, may be very close to telling His Son, “That’s a WRAP!”

It’s time for you to return.

I will leave the pondering of how close that is; and under what circumstances, Jesus will return.

As we embrace the turmoil in our world, the words of Jesus spoken to His disciples in Matthew 24 ring out loud and clear.

In the midst of the troubles, the ‘unprecedented unrest’, the lawlessness, the chaos, confusion, feelings of anxiety, dismay, and shock caused by something unexpected, God is moving, in midst of all this, throughout the nations of the world by the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is being preached, people are being saved, healed, delivered, water baptized, and filled with the Spirit.

Matthew 24:14, NKJV says, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world, and then the end will come.”

And when the end comes, ‘That’s A Wrap’!

The Gospel is being preached.

This is happening throughout the world and most of the known world is oblivious to it; even the Church.

When God is present one of two things takes place.

The first is John 3:16-17.

This results in justification as mentioned above.

The second is John 3:18-20.

This is the reality of God’s justice.

God is Sovereign over all the nations of this world.

We are living in an hour of increasing unrest, uncertainty, and upheaval.

The nations of the world have witnessed the judgment of God against evil this past weekend on February 28, 2026 in the nation of Iran.

This teaching of justification and judgment is found in the Word of God.

God’s redemptive plan of salvation and His judgment against sin, are clearly taught throughout the Word of God.

Both of these issues and the increase of evil at the ‘age’ are clearly taught in the Word of God.

2 Timothy 3 is one such passage of scripture.

In a little over a month*, many throughout the world will focus upon Jesus’ last week in Jerusalem prior to His crucifixion on the Cross.

*Palm Sunday is March 29, 2026, Good Friday is April 3, 2026, and Easter Sunday is April 5, 2026.

On the Cross, the wrath of God against sin, and the love of God for humanity intersected in the Person of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The result of this Seismic Spiritual Shaking completely satisfied the wrath of God and provided justification through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ that was declared totally righteous and justified by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

That is the message of the Gospel of G.R.A.C.E.-

God’s Redemptive Activity Changed Everything

In an upper room, the night of His betrayal, Jesus said to His disciples, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, “I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NKJV)

I do not think it is unreasonable to believe that many Christians today are not at peace in the midst of the tribulation that is happening in our nation and in the nations of the world.

Therefore what would Jesus say to us in this ‘hour’?

Remembering the words of Francis Schafer, he said, “How Shall We Then Live?”

Jesus, will tell us, “How Shall We Then Live?”

Jesus has a WRAP!

His W.R.A.P. consists of four words.

_______________________________________________

Jesus taught us four important words.

In Matthew 28:16-20, Jesus speaking to His disciples prior to His ascension gave them instructions which have been identified as the great commission. 

What we must must keep in perspective is that before the disciples embarked upon the great commission, Acts 1:4-8, NKJV, says that Jesus, “being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which”, He said, “you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (emphasis mine)

I wonder how many times, we (me included) have hurried off to accomplish the work of the Lord, we have been assigned to do, and have not stopped long enough, to be sure that we are prepared to move forward ‘in’ and ‘by’ the Spirit of God.

We just take it upon ourselves to go ahead and do the work.

The Lord had, commanded, them to wait. 

What if they had just run off in their own strength? 

What would be the outcome? 

Do believers do that today?

Does the Church do that today?

I suggest that much activity done by the Church is not governed by the Holy Spirit. 

I believe that the Lord is going to ‘shake’ His Church during the coming ‘Seismic Spiritual Shaking’ and realign His Church so that it will accomplish the great commission as He intended it to be done.

This realignment will be part of the Seismic Spiritual Shaking in 2026.

Like the disciples in Acts, the Church needs to wait in their ‘Jerusalem’ for the Promise of the Father.  

The Church cannot do the ministry of the Lord, as He intended it to be done without the governing direction of the Holy Spirit. 

The Holy Spirit is the CEO of the Church–the Chief Executive Officer.

The Promise of the Father was explained to the disciples in the Upper Room the night of Jesus’ betrayal and arrest.

Please Read John 13-17.

The Promise of the Father, was the ‘rain’ of the Holy Spirit that came down on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem to ‘reign’ in the Church.

The pouring out of the Holy Spirit was to empower His followers to do the work of ministry. 

The coming of the Holy Spirit was the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to enable believers to live the new life that now resided in them in this world of darkness. 

Jesus had told them in the Upper Room in John 14:15-18 NKJV, “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever–the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”

Acts 2:1-4 records the coming of the Holy Spirit.

At this time, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. 

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, rises (Acts 2:14) to the occasion and says, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ”And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh…*The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, Before the great and awesome day of the Lord. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:16,17a,20-21 (NKJV). (See *Matthew 24:29)

As we begin this new year, let us wait on the Lord; let us ask Him to pour out His Spirit upon us; let us be empowered by the Spirit to do the works of the Lord during the ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Let us identify Jesus’ four words.

I want to turn our attention to Matthew 24:42-44 (NKJV), it reads,

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour Your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”

What instructions is Jesus giving to His followers?

What words in the text would you underline and/or highlight in your Bible?

I would like to suggest the following:

In Matthew 24:42, underline “watch”, Strong’s Concordance #1127, it means to keep awake, be vigilant, wake, (be)watch(ful). This is the same word Jesus used speaking to Peter, James, and John in the Garden of Gethsemane. He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death. Stay here and watch with me.” (Matthew 26:38 NKJV) In Matthew 24:43, He uses the word watched speaking to them, the exact same word that He used previously.

In Matthew 24:44, underline be “ready”, Strong’s Concordance #2092, it means prepared, (make)ready(-iness, to our hand) This is the same word Jesus used in His parable of the wedding feast. Matthew 22:4-8 NKJV, “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and fatted calf are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding. ” ‘…”Then he said to his servants, The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.”

Our first two words are watch (Matthew 24:22) and ready (Matthew 24:44).

I would like to suggest two additional words. 

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples did not watch with Him. 

Three times He found them asleep. 

In Matthew 26:40-41 NKJV, “then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping and said to Peter. ”What could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray lest you fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (emphasis mine)

In our watching, we need to pray. Paul writing to the Colossian church, says in Colossians 4:2 KJV, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” The NKJV reads, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Paul is exhorting our ‘watching earnestly in prayer‘.

Diligent watching includes our persistent praying.

The third word is the word pray.

The Greek word for watch, gregorio, Strong”s #1127, means either literally to be or keep awake (possibly as in vs.43 and parallels) or figuratively to be watchful and alert (as here) {Matthew 24:42}. No NT usage appears to be entirely without some sense of being watchful, on guard, or vigilant. The word came to be used more or less absolutely as a Christian virtue (see I Cor. 16:13) and to designate watchful preparedness for the Lord’s return (see Rev. 16:15; see also Col. 4:2) In I Thessalonians 5:10 it takes on the metaphorical meaning of being alive. The word is also used in Matthew 26:41. [Word Wealth: Spirit Filled Life Bible, page 1422]

Here is the fourth word that I would like to add to our list, one which is implied; it is mentioned in the above Word Wealth,the word is alert. 

The concept of being alert is the basis of the meaning of Matthew 24:43 NKJV, “But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched (been alert)[see above], and not allow his house to be broken into. (inserts mine) (emphasis mine)

As mentioned above, the word watch is found in I Corinthians 16:13, NKJV; Paul writes, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” To watch is identified as a Christian virtue, that is united with “standing fast in the faith, be brave, be strong”. All of these are virtues that a believer needs to exhibit in their walk with the Lord, especially in the last days.

In the Book of Luke, we have a parallel passage of Jesus’ teaching of the passage that we have been considering in Matthew’s Gospel.

The parallel account is found in Luke 21:34-38 NKJV.

Jesus says, “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and cares of this life, and the Day come on you unexpectedly.” (This is expressly referring to the Second Coming of the Lord; but do you see its application? Just “as it was in the days of Noah”? What is the implication? Are we paying attention to what is going on in the world.) “For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man.” (Insert mine)

All four of these words are woven into the fabric of thought found in Jesus’ words in the above text.

I suggest that in order to ‘be counted worthy to escape’, that in addition to watching and praying, you would need to be ready and alert.

What are the four words that have been emphasized: watch, pray, alert, ready.

What is the importance of these four words? 

As we walk with the Lord in the end times, there will be ‘unprecedented unrest”.

As we are abiding in the A.R.K. (Adonai’s Righteous Kingdom) of His refuge; we need to be watchful; we need to be praying; we need to be alert; and we need to be ready.

These four words are given to help us pay attention to what is going on in the world.

It might help you to think of the word WRAP to remember these four words: Watch, Ready, Alert, Pray–W.R.A.P.

Well, that’s a WRAP for this post. (lol)

These four words are foundational stepping stones paving our pathway as we walk with the Lord in good times and/or in tumultuous times. 

Jesus has highlighted these four words for our spiritual guidance, strength, knowing, comfort, and peace, His peace (John 16:33). 

Question: What adjustments, if any, do you need to make at this time in your life as you walk with the Lord? 

I encourage you to ask Him.

I would like to suggest that you read Matthew 24:45-51, Matthew 25:1-13, and Matthew 25:15-30.

These passages are the context of Jesus’ teaching regarding the four words.

Blessings, deo

THE A.R.R.O.W. OF GOD

I would like to bring this post to our attention again. It is imperative that the Ekklesia pray for this nation.

This blog was originally posted in October 2021.

It was republished August 8, 2022.

Today is October 31,2023

Reformation Day

This blog is about Psalm 64. I have been asking the Lord to fulfill the words of this Psalm in our nation. That aside, I would like you to read this blog carefully and consider what I have been praying in light of what has been transpiring in this nation. I invite you to pray for this nation, and use this Psalm accordingly. May the Lord minister to you as you read and contemplate His Word.

THE ARROW OF GOD (REVISITED)

TLV stands for Tree of Life Version. It is a Bible put out by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society. I enjoy reading it very much.

I want to bring to your attention Psalm 64. I have referenced this Psalm before during the past year. Today I want to share with you how I use it to pray for our nation.

Psalm 64 is a Psalm of David. David is lamenting how he is being treated by those around him.

In the margin of this Bible, I have written the month and year, April 2020, next to this Psalm. I do not remember if this was the first time that I read the Psalm; but it was certainly a time when I used it to pray for our nation and our leaders that were going through a trying time.

Let me begin by writing my paraphrased version that I pray.

Psalm 64 is entitled, ‘Protect Me from Conspiracies’. (are my inserts)

“For the music director, a psalm of David,

Hear my (our) voice, O God, in my (our) complaint. Protect my (our) life (lives) from the terror of the enemy. Hide me (us) from the conspiracy of evil doers, from the tumult of workers of iniquity, who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aimed their arrow–(their) bitter words, to shoot them from hiding at the innocent (us), shooting suddenly at him (us), (blatantly) with no fear. They are firming up their evil plan. They talk about setting secret traps. They asked, “Who will see them?” (Father) They are plotting injustices: (they believe) They have completed a perfect plot. (Father, You see them, You know what’s going on?) (You know that…) a man’s inward part and heart are deep.

BUT (You) God will shoot with an (Your) arrow, suddenly their wounds will appear. So their tongue will be their downfall. Then all men will fear. So they will declare (that this is) the work of God, and ponder what He (You) have done. The righteous will be glad in Adonai and take refuge in Him (You, Father). Let all the upright give glory. (and help us Father not to gloat over our enemies undoing. Let us fear and respect.)

It is not a secret that for the past five plus years this nation has endured an onslaught of verbal rhetoric designed to vilify individuals, tear down this nation’s political foundation, ignore our Constitution, and subvert our Republic.

The constant bombardment of words have been designed and deployed to indoctrinate our minds into submission through deceit and lies. This same strategy prevails today (October 22, 2021). Such has been the force of the disparaging vocabulary used daily throughout our media pounding our citizenry into a nation of P.O.W.’s-Prisoner of Words. (See my series: A Nation of P.O.W.’s, 1-5) We have been incarcerated with verbal chains. Slowly, I believe, we are experiencing a breaking of those chains. A liberation is coming.

The thrust of Psalms 64:1-7 is a picture of the verbal incarceration and plans poured out upon us. Beginning in Psalm 64:8, the atmosphere of the Psalm changes with the word, BUT. God is on the scene. A transition happens. David has a break through. David has worked through explaining to God his despair; and now ‘light’ breaks on the scene. God will intervene. How?

God shoots His A.R.R.O.W. God’s arrow is Adonai’s Righteous Revelation Of Wrongdoing.

All those ‘bitter words’ (v3) that have been spewed out upon the ‘blameless’ (v4) without fear of any reprisal or accountability; all those well thought out plans to manipulate situations (v5); all those those verbal traps set to snare their prey (v5) will be exposed.

The evil speaking ones pride themselves in their arrogance believing that no one sees what is going on, no one is paying attention to their schemes; but God sees, and in vs. 8, everything is exposed. There is a ‘knowing’ by all mankind.

Man in his depravity (v6) believes that he can plan and scheme in the deep recesses of his being, in the darkness of his heart, where no one can know or see what is being devised. Verse 6 says, “Both the inward thought and the heart of man are deep.” Jeremiah said it this way (Jeremiah 17:9,10 NKJV), “The heart is deceitful about all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.” And this is exactly what God does, He gives to the evil speaking ones the fruit of their doings. How?

God shoots His arrow. God exposes their wrongdoing. God causes their ‘bitter words’ to return to them who spoke them, ‘suddenly’ (v7), inflicting upon them ‘wounds’. Verse 8 says, “So He (God) will make them stumble over their own tongue.” Those who spewed out words, inflicting wounds upon others will be wounded by the return of their own words upon themselves.

What is happening? God, who is Light, is exposing the darkness. God, Who is Truth, is exposing the folly, the lies, and the deceit of those who have been perpetrating falsehood as truth. God is peeling back the covering of darkness that blankets this nation.

Verses 7 and 8 counteract the evil ones arrogance found in verse 3. The evil ones in verse 3 “sharpen their tongue like a sword”. In verses 7-8, God uses their tongue as a sword to inflict upon them wounds. The result is their downfall.

It is important to notice the reaction that follows because of God’s intervention shooting His arrow. At the end of verse 8, it says, “All (mankind) who see them (the evil speakers) shall flee away.” What they assumed was done in secret (v5) is exposed to everyone. Secondly, (v9) “All men (mankind) shall fear”. Fear what? The following words tell us what their fear is based upon. The testimony of what the men (mankind) have seen. Their fearful response is the result of them realizing that this is “the work of God” (v9). The verse continues, (9) “For they shall wisely consider His doing.” What has taken place is profound. A response is warranted.

What God chooses to do, and how He chooses to do it, will be a major wake-up call to all mankind. Mankind will witness the power and presence of God intervening in the events of this nation and the nations of the world. It will be time to stop and take a serious inventory of the trajectory of one’s life and the implications of witnessing the presence and power of God manifested in our midst. Throughout the pages of the scriptures, God has stepped in when needed to make a Personal statement reminding humanity of Who He is.

I don’t know what God is going to do, except that He will shoot His ARROW, and I believe there will be A Righteous Revelation Of Wrongdoing. The consequences of this arrow of judgement will be emphatic and profound.

We need, as does all of mankind, to “wisely consider His doing”. (v9)

Verse 10 says that, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.”

The lamenting of David has turned to praise.

Two closing thoughts: 1. the righteous in heart must not gloat, they are to glory in the Lord. 2. The righteous in heart need to pray for those who see the manifest presence of God, are fearing Him, and do not know how to respond. We need to be there for them.

God’s manifest presence is for the purpose of the redemption of mankind.

Why have I shared these thoughts?

I have prayed this Psalm to the Lord, asking Him to fulfill these words in the life of our nation. I have spoken freely in the past on my blog site about what I understood was happening to our nation.

I am still asking the Lord to ‘shoot His ARROW’ and reveal the truth, exposing the lies and deceits that have been thrusted upon us. Have we been a perfect nation? Absolutely not! We are a nation that has turned it’s back on God. God is a God of justice. God is a righteous God. God is Sovereign. I am praying that God will be compassionate and merciful to us and forgive us of our sin. We need to seek His face and turn from our wicked and evil ways. We are not exempt from God’s judgement. The release of God’s ARROW into our midst might be the very impetus that is needed to awaken us and turn our hearts to God. I pray that that is true.

We are in a spiritual battle. I pray for those in authority over us. I do not agree with most of their decisions; however I do not pray against our leaders. I commit them to God. God rules and reigns over the hearts of men. I do pray against their policies that I am not in agreement with for our nation.

Ephesians 6:12-18 outlines for us the spiritual battle that we face. We are not wrestling against flesh and blood but against principalities, and powers, and rulers of darkness in the heavenlies. There are principalities and powers of darkness shrouding this nation. We are being assailed by darkness; however, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of Light is more powerful; and it WILL dispel the darkness.

We, the Ecclesia of God, the Church, the Israel of God, must STAND against the “wiles of the devil” (Ephesians 12:11). If there is going to be a change; if there is going to be a defeating of the spiritual forces in our nation, then God’s Ecclesia needs to fast and pray. God WILL respond. He WILL shoot His ARROW. The enemy WILL be wounded. The lies and deceit WILL be exposed. Mankind WILL witness the Presence and Power of God in our midst, and our nation WILL be changed.

God WILL mobilize His Ecclesia, empowering them by the Holy Spirit to engage this nation with the message of the Gospel, the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and the preaching of the Word of God for all mankind.

Things WILL change. Truth WILL prevail. God WILL be glorified.

Habakkuk 2:14, “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (NKJV)

blessings, deo