Dear Fellow Believers,
In "Christianese" I often hear phrases like a move of God the next great move of God or waiting on God to move as if He's just sitting on His throne, chillin' and taking the week off.

It is probably more accurate to say that He waits on us before He moves.  God is moving every day.  He has a purpose for each of us to fulfill every day. We just don't see it or hear from the Holy Spirit because we are so caught up in our own lives and distractions of this physical world.  He moves through us!  He is waiting for us to bow down and lay our pride, our earthy desires and our strong will at His feet.  He is waiting for us to seek Him more than we seek the world He gave us, with all it's earthly pleasures and distractions.  He is waiting for us to say "not my will but Yours".  He is waiting for us to ask what He wants us to do today.  

We can't hold on to the things of this world and think God will move greatly in our lives.  You don't have to live an impoverished life, only put Him first and let go of all that the world has to offer. 

Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and ALL these things shall be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33 

The next great move of God begins with His people.  If that is what you want more than anything, stop singing about it and get alone with Him in your prayer closet.  Get full of His Word and tune in to what the Holy Spirit is saying.  Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.  2 Chronicles 7:14  This verse is often quoted in reference to saving this world and the state of our nation.  But take a moment and read that verse in context.  God was speaking to King Solomon in reference to His people and His temple.  I'm keeping my words brief and to the point because reading God's words in this passage says it so much better:

So Solomon finished the Temple of the Lord, as well as the royal palace. He completed everything he had planned to do in the construction of the Temple and the palace.  Then one night the Lord appeared to Solomon and said,

“I have heard your prayer and have chosen this Temple as the place for making sacrifices. At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you.  Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.  My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place.  For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy—a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.

“As for you, if you faithfully follow me as David your father did, obeying all my commands, decrees, and regulations, then I will establish the throne of your dynasty. For I made this covenant with your father, David, when I said, ‘One of your descendants will always rule over Israel.’

“But if you or your descendants abandon me and disobey the decrees and commands I have given you, and if you serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot the people from this land that I have given them. I will reject this Temple that I have made holy to honor my name. I will make it an object of mockery and ridicule among the nations.  And though this Temple is impressive now, all who pass by will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do such terrible things to this land and to this Temple?’

“And the answer will be, ‘Because His people abandoned the Lord, the God of their ancestors, who brought them out of Egypt, and they worshiped other gods instead and bowed down to them. That is why He has brought all these disasters on them.’” 2 Chronicles 7:11-22 NLT

Waiting on a move of God?  Let it all go and seek Him first!

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
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Dear Fellow Believers,
What would you do, if you saw your neighbor's cat walking through your living room?  Well, probably after you got him out of your home, you would look for the open door or window that he came through.  What if you saw a mouse running through the kitchen one night?  Besides setting traps of some sort, you'd be looking for a hole to plug to be sure your home is secure from vermin!  

The same is true in our spiritual life.  But when something "pops up" in our life that we know is not in line with God's Word our first thought usually isn't to look for those open places in us that has allowed it to come into our minds and emotions.  Tempted to some kind of sin?  There's an open place in your soul.  We too often ignore it, let it set there and eventually succumb to it; or label themselves a victim. No, it didn't "just happen". If you don't find that opening, it will continue to get worse.  You may wonder why "the devil is attacking" you.  You may pray for relief and deliverance. But as long as it has access, it will come back and bring friends!

“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, searching for rest. But when it finds none, it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds that its former home is all swept and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before.”  Luke 11:23-26 NLT  

If you find yourself often saying that the devil is really attacking you, no matter what your terminology may be, look within yourself for holes.  Stop blaming the devil and close your temple up tight!  Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,  for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Where are holes?  You may think it sounds too simple or even silly, but look at the holes in your physical body.   Your eyes (what you see); your ears (what you hear); your mouth (what you say or put into your mouth); and your "private parts" (what you do sexually).  These things are direct lines to our soul (mind, will and emotions).  For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.  And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.  1 John 2:16-17  Guard those places!  Guard your soul--your mind, will and emotions!  Duct tape would be a little extreme, so be honest with yourself and stay on your guard.  Far too many Believers live with their heads in the sand.  They are in denial to what tempts them, what their weaknesses are.  Nothing "just happens".   Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.  1 Peter 5:8-9

Yes, fellow Believers in Jesus, I want to encourage you to move beyond elementary life in the Kingdom.  As long as you are in a defensive stance, trying to fight off the "attacks from the devil", you aren't advancing His Kingdom in your community.  As long as you stay distracted by your circumstances, you will never take the offense and do damage to Satan's kingdom here in the world.  I believe in football they say, "The best defense is a good offense!"  As a citizen in the Kingdom of God, never forget that!

A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.  For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Gospel so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.  Ephesians 6:10-18  

Be ready,

Deborah
DeborahLuchie.org
This article may only be reproduced, in print or on the internet, if the author's name and website address are included at the end of the article as originally placed.  Thank you