Ask of Me

Here am I, send me!

‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance,
And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. (Psalms 2:8 NASB).

God the Father asked His only son to petition Him for the nations of the world.  After the resurrection of Christ, He goes to the right hand of the Father and assumes the ministry of a mediator and rules the universe through intercession.

Although Christ is a sovereign ruler, He does not just declare things done.  In Matthew 28:15 NASB, Jesus tells his disciples that all power has been given to Him, but chooses to complete this Great Commission with our participation.  Knowing man’s track record, I am not sure if I would have done this way, but then again, that is why I am not God.

Matthew Henry once said, “Christ’s throne is set in the church, that is in the hearts of all believers.”  As His seat of power rests in our hearts, it becomes imperative that He wins our allegiance and not usurp it.  Being, not just a powerful, but a loving king, He rules through persuasion and not by force.  Therefore, it becomes necessary to give his loyal subjects the freedom to obey Him or not.  Christ, through intercession, is accomplishing the sovereign will of the Father and yet, not infringing upon the free will of His followers.  King Jesus bids your presence in His throne-room.  Will we bend our knee to his royal decree, “go into all the world,” and will we say, here am I, send me?  The question is not if Christ will complete the task, but whether you and I will share in the joy of that process, and rule and reign with Him.

Image used with permission from Microsoft.

Ken Barnes the author of “The Chicken Farm and Other Sacred Places”  YWAM Publishing
Email:  kenbarnes737@gmail.com
website:https://sites.google.com/site/kenbarnesbooksite/

Blogs: http://kensblog757.blogspot.com

            http://gleanings757.blogspot.com

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem in 2018

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you." (Psalm 122:6 NASB)

God's Holy City

2018 could be a pivotal year in the State of Israel and Jerusalem, it’s capital.  President Trump has defied the nations of the world by announcing that the US Embassy will move to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel.  Due to his bold and courageous decision, unrest has spread throughout much of the Middle East.  If there was ever a time to pray for Israel, now is the time. We pray because we are blessed if we do, but more so because of Israel’s holy city, Jerusalem, is the apple of the Father’s eye.

Centuries ago King David prophesied the nations of the world would turn against God’s Anointed (Psalm 2: 2 NASB).  The Hebrew word for Anointed is Messiah. Last week the United Nations voted to condemn the decision to move the Embassy to Jerusalem.  There were 128 for the resolution, 9 against it, and 35 abstentions.   We are seeing prophecy being fulfilled before our very eyes. If we read on to v.6 we find out where the Anointed would reign. “But as for me, I have installed my King Upon Zion. My holy mountain.” Make no mistake about it, Jerusalem is holy ground.

The Maoz Israel Report tells us that Jerusalem has always been a battleground. It “has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, captured and recaptured 44 times.”  As Christians, we read the Bible and say that God has it all under control.  And He does, yet God’s sovereignty is worked out through man’s free will.  We can obey His command to pray or not.  Prayer is God’s vehicle to accomplish His will on this earth.  God cooperating with man in the place of prayer, makes God no less sovereign and man no less free.

There is a battle to be won over Jerusalem, and it will be gained in heavenly places on our knees.  We can ask the Lord how, or how much to pray, but not if we are to entreat Him, the Bible has already instructed us. We must stand against the powers of darkness that seek to obliterate His people. I challenge all believers to pray regularly for Israel in 2018; be it daily, weekly, or monthly.  In relation to prayer, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Let’s not let our prayerlessness make us miss our part in the great victory God wins over Jerusalem, the place that our Lord has chosen for His name to be honored.