On February 3, 2025,

I was reminded of the scripture in 2 Corinthians 3:17 that says, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

This request begs a question: are you tired? Poor? Are you in need of liberty and freedom?

Maybe you are so tired and so poor that you are beyond recognizing your need for liberty and freedom?  Have you given yourself over to the "Groundhog Day" movie or the old Duncan Donuts commercial effect of "it's time to make the donuts" again and again and again?  Or maybe you have been or are living in such a way that you have no idea what liberty and freedom in the Holy Spirit truly is?

There is a story about a baby elephant who was tethered a few feet from a stake in the ground. This elephant was forced to grow up in that same radius its whole life.  And even when a liberator comes and cuts that tether, the elephant, now an adult, never moves beyond the radius it had been forced to grow up in, having grown comfortable in his place of captivity even though he was no longer a captive. 

But in total contrast to the elephant above, in Ezekiel 47, the Holy Spirit is depicted as a river that runs out from underneath the altar of God, this river gets wider and deeper the further away from the altar it goes.  This river's ultimate destination is the Dead Sea, where it revitalizes and brings life with it; abundance, fruit, and healing.

If you have ever been tubing or white-water rafting, you understand from the picture painted in Ezekiel 47, life in the Holy Spirit will never be boring!  Life in the Holy Spirit is fun, unpredictable, refreshing, restoring; you will learn to trust and rely on him for your very survival and provision.  You will feed on his faithfulness and trustworthiness because He is able.

There is so much going on in the world right now.  In Matthew 24 Jesus leaves the temple for the last time before his crucifixion and goes out to meet with his disciples. He tells his disciples that the temple building will be completely demolished and that not one stone will be left on top of another.  And yes, that is a picture of what happens in Jerusalem in A.D. 70, but as it is with most biblical prophecy, it can also be applied to us today.  The church is being reformed and He is moving out with the remnant.

Jesus goes on to warn his disciples that many will come in His name and Jesus tells them that many will be deceived.  He tells them about wars and rumors of wars, nation will go against nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, that there will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world.  He talks about how Christians will be arrested and persecuted and killed and hated all over the world because we are his followers and that many will turn away from him.  False prophets will appear and deceive many people, that sin will be rampant everywhere and the love of many will grow cold.

The Spirit of the Lord went on to tell me:

Jesus goes on to tell us in Matthew 24:13 that the one who endures to the end will be saved. "Endure" in this case is the Greek word hupomeno (#5278) it means to hold one's ground in conflict. Bear up against adversity, hold out under stress, stand firm, persevere under pressure, wait calmly and courageously. It is not passive resignation to fate and mere patience, but the active energetic resistance to defeat that allows calm and brave endurance.

How can we navigate all of what Jesus talks about in Matthew 24?  How do we discern the false Jesus’s and false prophets?  How can we be sure that we are in the right place at the right time?  By leaning back, resting, trusting, depending on the Holy Spirit who lives within us! 

Prayer:  Lord, forgive me for every place I have knowingly and unknowingly trusted in “chariots and horses” in my life.  Forgive me for the places I have relied upon and the places I have put my hope in that were not you.  Today I declare and decree your name is my Strong Tower and your banner of victory is waiving over me and by faith I jump in the river of your Spirit and I say, have your way in me and in my life, in Jesus name, amen.

Activation:  Meditate on: Ezekiel 47:8 Then he said to me, “This river flows east through the desert into the valley of the Dead Sea. The waters of this stream will make the salty waters of the Dead Sea fresh and pure.  (North, south, east, and west directions in scripture have meaning:  East symbolizes:  new beginnings, enlightenment, and the presence of God.)  Ask the Holy Spirit to start to bring flow and wash into the salty, dead, and dry places in your life, in your family, in your neighborhood, town, region, etc.