
20230507_how_do_lambs_get_a_lion_heart_transplant.mp3 |
Contents
- Why Tribulation?
- God will Judge His People
- Overcoming Fear – Our eyes are upon Thee
- Broken Hearts
- Making Lions or how Lambs get Courage
- Lamb like disciples become Holy Spirit empowered Resurrection Lions
- Touching the Altar
- Seeking the Father’s Heart
Why Tribulation?
Why does God allow Tribulation? Why does God allow fearful and fiery trials? What do we do when we see the enemy coming to devour our flesh? Read Psalm 27 and find out. In Revelation 12 Zion is in pain to be delivered. Why would Yeshua allow Zion to be in such pain? Why do there have to be birthpangs? Why does God allow the greatest darkness to descend upon us when we are already doing our best to obey Him, when we are trying so hard to do what is right?
Of course I am assuming everyone that is reading this is walking in obedience to the Lord and is filled with the Holy Spirit and is not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh etc. If we are not then we can only look forward to judgement unless we turn to God fully. Seek Him now if you are in this category and keep reading.
If you are walking in obedience you may see the waves coming and you can be tempted to give into fear. Hold on. But you may ask why is God allowing evil to invade? What is going on? And how can we possibly overcome when all the power seems to be in the hands of the wicked that run government and big business? We know that light will eventually shine, Isaiah 60:1-2, but can we endure as good soldiers till then, II Timothy 2:3?
I think that to say that God’s people need encouragement is a profound understatement. I think we are all feeling the pressure of the times, even if we are only partially awake. Suddenly we feel the earth moving under our feet as the sure and predictable fabric of our nations and civilisation crumble below us, around us and above us. The devil's hands have been busy.
As we look at what is going on we can feel overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness as there seems to be far too many in our nations that are either simply fast asleep or straight out wicked. We are approaching a time when the Lord will strike but can we endure such an onslaught upon our freedoms and safety? There are many promises in the word of God. But there are also things that we must do to obtain them. There is often a spiritual fight to get to higher ground especially when the enemy attacks. I will share a bit more about what we can do shortly. But first I want to raise something that often people don’t want to know…
God will Judge His People
Well that is the case both with Israel and the Church, the Israel of God. Yeshua is the high priest of our faith and in the book of Revelation we are introduced to Him as one having eyes of fire.
His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Revelation 1:14
And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
…
And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
Revelation 2:18,23
6 Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.
7 Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
Song of Solomon 8:6-7
3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side according to it; and every one that sweareth shall be cut off as on that side according to it.
4 I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof.
Zechariah 5:3-4
So judgement is already out of the gate and running down the track. We have been spared the bulk of it’s impact until now. But I believe the four horsemen are about to hit hard. It’s not so much prophecy any more it is on the news. We need to number our days and seek God and get our hearts in order if we follow the Lamb.
If we obey the Lord then we have peace with Him. If we have areas of darkness and disobedience then there comes a time when the Lord will either deal with it or we are in danger of being cut off. The Lord is very gracious and longsuffering but He does have to judge sin eventually and judgement begins in the House of God first.
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
I Peter 4:17
For we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge his people.
Hebrews 10:30
There is a judgement for rewards. But there is also a judgement to separate the false swearers from the true worshipers of God. The letters to the 7 churches of Revelation show Yeshua warning and judging his people.
In Numbers 5:12 and to the end of the chapter we are given a test for infidelity of a woman. The test involves drinking bitter waters that if found guilty will cause her to lose her ability to have sexual intercourse and bare children. What was done in the natural realm of a husband and wife also has far more importantly, a spiritual application. Moses was a prophet and this test for infidelity applies to Israel and the church. The relationship between the Lord and His people in likened to marriage. If the Lord suspects His People of spiritual infidelity then they may go through bitter waters. Are we true to Him?
So this is another reason for the bitter waters of tribulation, the Lord is searching our hearts. He did it in the Old Testament and He does it in the New Testament.
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah 17:10
Overcoming Fear
– Our eyes are upon Thee
O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.
II Chronicles 20:12
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Isaiah 26:3
- Pray
- Pray
- Pray
- and Worship the Lord!
- Bible
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Worship
24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
Matthew 14:24,30-31
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;”
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.”
27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”
Luke 21:25-27
So we need to have our feet firmly planted upon the rock of our Salvation, Yeshua. Yeshua is the Son of David according to the flesh. David was a man after God’s own heart. It is the heart that is being assaulted right now. Be strong. The strength we need is not the strength of mere positive thinking, and I am not saying that that does not have it’s place, it does when based on the word of God. But real strength comes from God and it is obtained by seeking His face. Our hearts need to be exercised when fear wants to invade the soft and fleshy fabric of our heart and nature. When Israel was overwhelmed in Egypt they cried unto the Lord and it was not in vain because He heard them and He sent them a deliverer. God is waiting to hear our cry to Him. And we must not let the darkness of fear to overcome us. We must persevere in prayer.
We need to know where to go when our heart is overwhelmed. I am not superman, my heart needs encouragement. Hearts are soft by nature. There is a vulnerability in our hearts that is intended by our loving Creator. Hard hearts are no use to God. We need to yield. Yielded hearts were made for fellowship with our maker. We need to guard and protect our hearts as a husband should guard and protect His wife. But we also need to expose our yielded heart to the only One that we can fully trust, our Lord. And our Lord will strengthen our hearts when overwhelmed.
1 Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
3 For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.
4 I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.
Psalms 61:1-4
The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.
Leviticus 6:13
For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Amos 5:4
Broken Hearts
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
זִֽבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב־ נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶֽה׃
Psalms 51:17
Making Lions or how Lambs get Courage
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
Ephesians 3:16
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
Isaiah 60:1-2
…I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception;
in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;…
Genesis 3:16
22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.
Romans 8:22-23
The church is feminine and like Eve, and like a leavened loaf, has disobedience at the end of the age, so she shall be in pain. And Her child is not just the 144,000 it is ultimately the Kingdom of God (and the 144,000 are just the beginning of the coming of the KIngdom to the earth along with Yeshua at His return). For the Kingdom of God is within us, and what prevents it coming down and taking over the earth is the sin that is within us.
I believe that part of the purpose of the travail the body of Messiah is entering is to turn Lambs into Lions. Both are brave. A Lamb in some ways is braver than a Lion, it has to bravely face it’s own death or the very real possibility of death. It’s bravery is internal in the sense that it is ready for self sacrifice. In order to be a good soldier we must not only be ready to face the enemy but we must be ready to face the very real possibility of death. Before one becomes a good Lion they need to face the challenge of being a good Lamb. Soldiers need to learn obedience to their Master and then they can be entrusted with dominion. A soldier is both a Lion and a Lamb because not only can they devastate the enemy like a Lion, but at any moment they could be killed like a Lamb. And so both a Lion and a Lamb display courage and acceptance of their duty. A Lion needs courage not only to face the possibility of death (as a Lamb is also vulnerable) but they must also have the courage to take the battle on to defeat an enemy, to destroy their foe.
I believe this is one of the main purposes of the birth pangs, to change Lambs into Lions. To turn weak and broken people that can then become Holy Spirit empowered devastators. We can begin to learn these lessons now. This is a battle that only God can win, and only a meek, lamb like, yielded heart will be entrusted with the Power of God. We have to prove ourselves as good Lambs before we can be good Lions.
So let us strengthen ourselves and the ‘little flame‘ that is within our own hearts by getting closer to the ‘big flame‘ of the great fiery flame that is the intensely Loving & intensely Jealous and Holy Heart of God!
Wait on the LORD:
be of good courage,
and he shall strengthen thine heart:
wait, I say, on the LORD.
קַוֵּה אֶל־יְהוָה
חֲזַק
וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ
וְקַוֵּה אֶל־ יְהוָֽה׃
Psalms 27:14
We have been with child, we have been in pain, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth; neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.
Isaiah 26:18
Remember Jacob feared meeting Esau, just like many believers fear the New World Order. But God used this time of Jacob’s trouble, this tribulation to get at Jacob’s heart. To turn a well meaning but fearful trickster into a prince with God, to turn a man that was living like a refugee into a straight talking, straight walking Leader named Israel. And this is the purpose of tribulation and ‘The Tribulation‘, to bring us to God and enable us to walk with our Lord and trust Him.
Lamb like disciples become
Holy Spirit empowered Resurrection Lions
Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
Luke 10:19
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Matthew 13:30
Psalm 91 starts off with those that hide themselves in the Shadow of the His Wings, in the secret place of the Most High. We are to pray to our Father in secret, in the secret place of the most high. To be a warrior, our hearts must be connected to the Most High, in the secret place. Towards the end of the Psalm they are not hiding anymore. They are on the warpath.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Psalms 91:13
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Genesis 3:15
We really have to get the prophetic voice of God in scripture, the seed of the Woman triumphs. It is not all doom and gloom for the remnant, it is Victory.
In the following two articles I also discussed how Lambs become Lions;
8 And the remnant of Jacob shall be among the Gentiles in the midst of many people as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep: who, if he go through, both treadeth down, and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
וְהָיָה שְׁאֵרִית יַעֲקֹב בַּגּוֹיִם בְּקֶרֶב עַמִּים רַבִּ֔ים כְּאַרְיֵה בְּבַהֲמוֹת יַ֔עַר כִּכְפִיר בְּעֶדְרֵי צֹאן אֲשֶׁר אִם עָבַר וְרָמַס וְטָרַף וְאֵין מַצִּיל׃
Micah 5:8
Touching the Altar
How do we reach other hearts? Well I believe the the following parable from the Torah gives us the key.
Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it;
and it shall be an altar most holy:
whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תְּכַפֵּר עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְקִדַּשְׁתָּ אֹתוֹ
וְהָיָה הַמִּזְבֵּחַ קֹדֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁים
כָּל־הַנֹּגֵעַ בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ יִקְדָּֽשׁ׃
Exodus 29:37
Before the altar could become operational it first had to receive many sacrifices to be Most Holy, קֹדֶשׁ קָֽדָשִׁים. This is a picture of our heart that must become softened to allow the Holy Spirit to minister through us among other things.
The brazen altar (our heart) is where sacrifices are offered and burnt up. These physical sacrifices represent the relationship of our heart. It was never God’s intent to sacrifice animals all day long. It was a parable to tell us how to relate to God. True Sacrifice occurs first in the heart and then in how we live.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Psalms 51:17
Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
Hosea 14:2
Now once all the sacrifices of the heart have been made, the heart like the altar is made most Holy and whatever touches it can become holy too. We can touch other people's hearts because our heart is now a place for the divine presence. Hearts touch other hearts. We all have some sort of an anointing if we belong to Messiah.But we can block the Holy Spirit through our carnal mind and unbroken heart. Our hearts require sanctification, to be made holy and then the anointing will flow.
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
I John 2:27
Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it;
and it shall be an altar most holy:
whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
In numbers chapter 7 we are given an exhausting and repetitive list of all these identical sacrifices and offerings that are brought by the 12 tribes of Israel in order to dedicate the altar. The Lord is emphasising how important the heart is. Are hearts need to be fully operational. That is why we go through so many troubles, to get our hearts broken and contrite and yielded to the Lord. The Lord says to us when troubles come, ‘I know this hurts but please give me your heart’. We must trust in God.
My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
Proverbs 23:26
And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.
Daniel 12:7
Seeking the Father’s Heart
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
II Timothy 1:7
- Know God’s word and put it in your mind. Meditate upon it.
- Get that word deep into your heart. This is where prayer comes in.
Knowing is connection. Adam knew Eve, it was a sexual connection. He didn’t just know about her. He was in this case physically connected to her. The heart needs connection too. And prayer opens the door and let’s the Lord in. Moses often met the Lord at the door to the tent of meeting where the brazen altar lay nearby where sacrifices were made. So the door that Yeshua knocks on is our heart! If fear is knocking on your door, how about letting Yeshua in instead. Let us get down on our knees and really seek Yeshua! We need supernatural heart knowledge, not just dry as a biscuit tin head knowledge (and acutally we need that too!). To know the Love of God is to be connected to God by faith. What does it take for God’s people to Seek His Face and LIve?
For thus saith the LORD unto the house of Israel,
Seek ye me, and ye shall live:
Amos 5:4
When thou saidst, Seek ye my face;
my heart
said unto thee,
Thy face, LORD, will I seek.
Psalms 27:8
Rory