Rick Joyner's Daily Devotional - MorningStar Ministries

Day 132 - Where Are You From?

Rick Joyner

We have been taking a step-by-step approach to establishing a vision of what we are to grow up into as Christians. We have discussed how we are called to be a "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation" (see I Peter 2:9). We are called to be a separate nation within the nations whose very existence testifies of the excellencies of the King who rules over us. Christians should be strikingly distinguishable from all other people. We are in fact the "alien nation" within the nations, as we are a "new creation" that is vastly different from the Adamic nature of man.

This "holy nation" also has a different government. Of course, we honor the governments of the nations that we live in because they too have received their authority from God (see Romans 13:1-6), and they are our hosts. Even so, our main purpose on this earth is to prepare the way for the kingdom that is to come, to serve its interests, not just the interests of the nations of this world. That does not mean that we do not seek to be a blessing to the nations, but we serve another King, Jesus. We must place the interests of His kingdom first in all things.

As we proceed toward the end of this age, the "holy nation" will become more distinguishable. It will increasingly become a bright light set on a hill in the midst of darkness. The Christian community will become just that, a community within itself with a powerful and distinct identity. This does not mean that we must live in separate neighborhoods, but that the bond between Christians will grow so strong that they will be recognized as a community of people within the community. We will live by a faith and a purpose other than those that the world lives by.

To further understand just how we are to relate to the nations of this earth, I want to briefly discuss the two different kinds of governments that presently rule this world. Later, we will elaborate on how they are distinguishable from the kingdom of God in their basic functions.

Basically, the present governments of this world can be separated into two kinds, the lawless and the lawful. The lawless nations may have a strong authoritarian government, such as many of the communist governments. If they have a constitution at all, it does not have any real influence because the true rule is at the whim of those in power. In these nations the courts are not established for the purpose of providing justice, but for enforcing the dictates of those in authority. In contrast to this, the lawful nations are those that are established on a constitution that has real strength and a system of justice based on protecting the constitution and the rights of the citizens who live under it.

Generally, the lawful governments will be much better than the lawless, but both fall far short of the government of the kingdom of God. Even in the most lawful nations, law is an art and not a science. By this I mean it can change because of the influences of justice under the law. One who has the most persuasive lawyers arguing their case can win, the merit of facts actually having little to do with the outcome of the case.

In nations so devoted to the rule of law, such as the United States, right and wrong is often determined by what we can get away with, not what is right or wrong. Even though this may be the case, these systems will probably provide much more true justice than those under a lawless system. However, there will not be true justice until the Judge returns and establishes His kingdom based on truth.

For further study of these two basic types of earthly governments, I highly recommend the writings of Alexander Solzhenitsyn. He lived under the lawless regimes of communism and then spent years under the lawful (or full-of-law) government of the United States. He saw both as falling short of bringing forth the best and highest purposes of mankind. With the eye of a prophet, Solzhenitsyn's address, "A Warning," to the graduating class of Harvard (which was published on the front pages of newspapers throughout the country in 1976) shook our nation as few critics of our country ever have. This was probably one of the two most powerful prophetic proclamations made to this nation in the twentieth century, with the other being the "I Have A Dream" speech made by Martin Luther King, Jr. (We published Solzhenitsyn's address in The Morning Star Journal, Volume 3, Number 1.)

In contrast to the best governments of this world, the kingdom of God is based on the highest moral standard—love. We who live in the kingdom should not be governed by what we can get away with, but by what is right and what is of the greatest benefit to those we are commanded to love. It is true that when the King Himself comes to set up His kingdom on earth, He will come with a rod of iron to judge the nations, but even His judgment is founded upon His love. God who is love, does not do anything out of resentment or retaliation. This was proven for all time by the cross. Even if He must destroy a nation, it is because love makes it necessary.

This certainly is "tough love," but true love is uncompromising in its standards for the sake of those loved. As Proverbs 13:24 declares, "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently." If we do not discipline our children we are not preparing them effectively for the life that they are going to face, and are therefore harming them, not loving them. For this reason, Hebrews 12:6-11 states:

"For those whom the LORD loves He disciplines,

and He scourges every son whom He receives."

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons;

for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers,

then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them;

shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?

For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them,

but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful;

yet to those who have been trained by it,

afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

In our lives, such discipline in the form of trials we endure is for the purpose of preparing us for His kingdom. His church must be prepared so we are not only ready for it to come, but also ready to take responsibility and authority with Him when He comes. Everything happening in our lives is training for reigning. Don't waste your trials. They are coming upon you because the King loves you and wants to use you for a glorious purpose. It is by passing these tests that we advance step-by-step into the place of being ready for service to the King.

Day 131 - Who Are You?

Rick Joyner

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,

a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies

of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God;

you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (I Peter 2:9-10).

The very first group of people to be called a "cult" were the first century Christians. At that time, it was not considered to be a derogatory comment to be called this because the word "cult" was derived from the word "culture." Christians were so different from other people that they were perceived to be an entirely different culture in the midst of the nations at the time. Of course, the word "cult" has a different meaning that we would not want applied to us today, but even so, Christians should be strikingly distinguishable from all other people.

In the Scripture quoted above, we are first declared to be "a chosen race." Have you ever considered that once you became a Christian you became part of another race of people? We are no longer white, black, red, Jew, or Gentile. As Christians we are called to be a different race within the earth that is distinguishable, not by the color of our skin, but by our lives and character. Our lives and character should be so different and powerful in Christlikeness that we stand out because of them.

It is more difficult for minorities not to think of themselves first as a red or black man or woman, etc. Wherever there has been a history of racial prejudice, those discriminated against have their racial identity thrust upon them in a much stronger way than majorities. Even so, if our identity is not first as a Christian, we have much maturing to do. If our attraction to fellowship is not first toward other Christians above those with whom we are just racially identified, it is an indication that we are placing our identity in the flesh above our identity in the spirit.

This is not to imply that there should not be some identity and fellowship around one's natural race or culture. However, if our identity is not first as a Christian then something is awry. This is probably something that is askew with most Christians today because we fail to see ourselves as the separate race that we are called to be, the "chosen race."

The second identity that we are given in I Peter 2:9 is "a royal priesthood." One of the great truths highlighted by the Reformation was the priesthood of all believers that the New Covenant makes clear. How many Christians even think in terms of their priestly calling and duties on a daily basis, or at all? Of those who know this doctrinal truth concerning our priesthood, how many are actually functioning in this calling, which we all have?

Not only are we a priesthood, we are a "royal" priesthood. Christians are the true royalty in the earth. We are sons and daughters of the King of kings. We should conduct our lives with the dignity, grace, and integrity of such royalty. We should also understand that a priesthood is first for the purpose of serving the Lord, but also serving all nations, races, and cultures with intercession and ministry. If our identity is truly with the Lord first, this duty as priests should be foremost in our minds above any other earthly duties or professions.

The final description that Peter gives to believers is that we are a holy nation. The Greek word translated "holy" in this text is hagios (hag'-ee-os), which is defined as "sacred, pure, morally blameless," as well as "religious, ceremonially, consecrated." Recent studies indicate that there is no longer a moral difference between those who consider themselves born again Christians and non-Christians, when just fifty years ago the difference was striking and profound. What has happened? It is the fulfillment of the Lord's own prophecy concerning the last days in Matthew 24:12, "And because lawlessness is increased, most people's love will grow cold."

There is clear evidence that in fact most Christians' love has grown cold, and they are no longer distinguishable by their character, or their love for God or one another. Even so, nowhere does it say that those whose love has grown cold cannot be reignited. This too is happening. One of the great revivals that is taking place at this time is the recovery of backslidden and lukewarm Christians.

The Word is also clear that before the end comes there is going to be a church that is pure and spotless. This is one of the primary purposes for restoring prophetic ministry to the church. Just as John the Baptist pre-pared for the Bridegroom the first time he came, there will be a prophetic ministry that will call God's people to repentance in preparation for His second coming. These messengers will be flames of fire, not to condemn, but to save and reignite the passion of our first love in the hearts of the "chosen race, the royal priesthood," that will actually be a separate, "holy nation" on the earth when He comes.

Day 130 - D-Day

Rick Joyner

Several years ago Mahesh Chavda gave me the book, D-Day by Stephen Ambrose, stating that he thought it contained a message for me. It did. In fact, I think it contains a crucial message for the church in our time.

Even the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin, acknowledged that the Allied invasion of Europe on D-Day was one of the most extraordinary human accomplishments in history. The plans were so complex that they required hundreds of units, and tens of thousands of men to be at exactly the right place to accomplish their mission by the designated time. When Winston Churchill viewed the plans, he felt the entire mission was an exercise in insanity. If just one unit failed to meet their objective, it could throw off the entire operation. He knew this kind of complex operation was hardly possible in the best-run small organization, much less an entire army. Not only was such coordination between so many units from the navies, armies, and air forces of different nations, far beyond anything that had been accomplished before, even in war games, but they had to cope with a desperate and powerful enemy who would challenge them at every point. Churchill was sure that it could not be done. Then he looked up and saw the confidence of General Eisenhower, and immediately agreed that they could do it!

After leaving the meeting with Eisenhower, Churchill acknowledged to General Montgomery that the plan was impossible, but he also marveled at how differently he felt every time he looked at Eisenhower. In truth, the entire plan that Eisenhower had put together was far too complex, far beyond the ability of any army on earth to accomplish, and would in fact collapse within the first twenty minutes of the invasion. Of the hundreds of different units with specific objectives for that day, not more than a few dozen actually accomplished them. Many actually landed on beaches miles from where they were supposed to be. Under the merciless fire of the Germans, it was impossible for them to march down the beach to get to the right places.

The confusion on the beach itself caused a great number of men to get completely separated from their units, with some not being reunited for weeks. From the beginning, the beaches were a caldron of death and chaos. The insanely intricate plan the generals had spent years developing was useless, even before the sun had fully risen. Even so, it worked! The Allies won. How did this happen?

Sergeants and junior officers improvised, making up their own plans as they went. If they couldn't accomplish their own objectives they would take up someone else's, hoping another group would accomplish theirs. They won the day because in the midst of terrible confusion they did not let the confusion prevail. They took initiative and fought with all they had. Nineteen and twenty year-old sergeants and lieutenants boldly made decisions that should have been reserved for generals. Everyone decided to do whatever it took to win and worry about who got the credit or blame later.

Stephen Ambrose wrote that it was not the plan that won that day, and not even the might of the army, but democracy won the Battle of D-Day. Freedom had produced men and women who could think for themselves. Freedom is hard. It is hard to make decisions, and freedom allows many mistakes to be made. These mistakes can cause very hard times, such as the Great Depression these young men and women had grown up in. In the Depression, the government did not have the kind of "safety nets" that we do now. If you did not take initiative, you could very well starve. The hard times had worked in them an ability to survive and take initiative even under the worst of circumstances. One could actually say that the Great Depression was what enabled the Allies to win World War II.

In contrast to the Allied forces, even the German generals could not make a decision without approval from Berlin. If the German officers had the same freedom to react to the circumstances as needed, they could have quickly and easily repelled even the most organized invasion. And the one that hit the beaches on D-Day in such confusion and disorder would have presented an easy task.

Did General Eisenhower know the day would unfold as it did? To some degree he must have. Every soldier who has experienced battle knows that no battle ever unfolds as it is planned. The force that can best cope with the confusion of battle and take decisive action will win. Any general would have known this outrageously complex plan would never unfold the way it was planned, and Eisenhower must have too. Just as every successful football coach will spend days formulating a brilliant game plan, they usually know they will have to throw it away quickly, since situations on the field rarely unfold according to such neat plans.

What does this have to do with us? As we are told in I John 5:19, "We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." We are living in enemy territory. We have been dropped behind enemy lines! We are an invasion force that is here to retake the land. What kind of soldier is the church producing for this invasion? Will they have the faith, resolution, and courage to take initiative when they need to? Or are we producing automatons that have been so conditioned by a weak and intimidated leadership that they cannot function without the approval of others?

As Dr. R.T. Kendall points out in his classic work, Believing God, it seems that the only common denominator found with those listed in Hebrews 11 is that they all did something no one had ever done before. Is that not one of the greatest demonstrations of faith, to press beyond the present limits, to take initiative, and be creative? Is that not what Jonathan did when he attacked the Philistine garrison with just an armor bearer? Is that not what David did when he slew Goliath? He was not even in the army yet!

True faith is only experienced when we press beyond our comfort level. Great faith requires that we even step out past others. The greatest faith may be going where no one has gone before, and doing what no one has done before. However, faith is not from trust in ourselves, but in the One whom we know rules over all.

Day 129 - The Rock

Rick Joyner

Because Robert E. Lee esteemed loyalty to his native state of Virginia above some of the basic principles he believed, his misplaced loyalty cost multitudes their lives. Many Christians likewise justify their actions, which are in basic conflict with the Scriptures and the nature of the Lord they claim to serve by esteeming loyalty to their nation, denomination, or other institution, above the basic principles of the faith.

This is not to in any way imply that loyalty to our nation, denomination, or even our company, is wrong. Loyalty is a noble characteristic found in every truly noble soul. However, we must esteem loyalty to our God above all of these or they have become idols. We must always obey God rather than men when there is a conflict between the two, if He is truly our Lord.

Many have probably compromised the basic tenets of our faith in this way because they do not really know the basic principles of the faith, having failed to search the Scriptures for themselves. Every nation that goes to war will try to fan the flames of religious zeal on behalf of their cause. Few things are a greater motivation than religious zeal for the devotion and sacrifice required to win a war. Many are duped for the cause of evil in this way. What can we do about it?

If you are wondering where this is leading, I am actually trying to keep you from taking "the mark of the beast." Many have simplistically thought that it will be easy to refuse the mark because they believe if anyone tries to put it on their forehead or hand, especially a mark that includes 666, they simply will not take it. However, a study of this quickly reveals the probability that this mark is far more subtle. It is not just having truth that will keep us from being deceived, but having a love for the truth, which we read in II Thessalonians 2:8-12:

And then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay

with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming;

that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan,

with all power and signs and false wonders,

and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish,

because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence

so that they might believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged

who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

Robert E. Lee was a remarkably Christlike man in his daily life and demeanor. He once got down from his horse to minister to a wounded Union soldier who had just cursed him. Several times his top generals failed to carry out his orders at the most crucial point in several major battles, in two cases probably costing him a decisive victory that could have won the war. Even so, he never publicly berated his subordinates, but took all of the blame upon himself. He once got up early to personally serve a meal to a junior officer that he had misjudged. He refused throughout the war to sleep in anything but a tent, sharing all the same hardships that his soldiers did. While Union soldiers burned fields, farms, and towns throughout the South, when Lee marched through Union territory he severely punished any who damaged the property of his enemies, and he made his generals pay the full price for any provisions they took from farmers.

Lee was so noble and steadfast in his basic character that few generals have ever inspired their men to suffer such hardship, and to fight so hard. With little to eat, marching sometimes hundreds of miles with no shoes, suffering the news of their homes being burned and farms destroyed by ravaging Union soldiers, rarely in history have any fought with more valor against greater odds, or for a worse cause. Hundreds of thousands of these great and noble souls died fighting for wrong because of their loyalty to Lee.

Loyalty is a wonderful and glorious motivator, but if we are loyal to any person or entity more than we are loyal to the Lord Jesus and His truth, we too will be in jeopardy of fighting for wrong regardless of how noble or valiant we are. In history there have been great spiritual men and women who have led great movements, motivating multitudes to sacrifice and valor for the sake of truth and righteousness. There have also been many with seemingly noble character and courage, who have likewise motivated many to sacrifice and valor for doctrines of demons. Being noble in character is important, but it does not negate the need for a devotion to the truth.

I personally have a great concern for Christians in these times. Too many are like sheep who are possibly being led well now, but it is obvious they could easily be led astray because they lack depth in their own convictions. They have not dug their own wells. They have not come to know the Lord's voice, or His ways, for themselves. In John 10:4, we are told that the Lord's sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They know His voice, not just the voice of a pastor, teacher, or writer. We each have the responsibility to know His voice for ourselves.

We must each dig our own well. We all must go deeper. We must build our lives on sound biblical truth, established in our own hearts. There was a time when Jesus asked His disciples: "…Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" (Matthew 16:13) Of course, men were debating that He was the resurrection of many former prophets and righteous men. Then Jesus asked them who they thought He was. When Peter answered that He was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Lord responded with:

"Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood

did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

"And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock

I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it"

(Matthew 16:17-18).

The Lord was not saying that He was going to build His church upon Peter, as some have asserted. Jesus alone is the foundation of the church, and the rock that we must fasten our foundation to is the revelation from the Father of who Jesus is. It is not enough for us to just believe in who our parents say Jesus is, or even who our pastors say He is. We must have our own revelation from the Father of who Jesus is. We will never be able to cast out demons "by Jesus whom Paul preaches." The Jesus whom Paul preached was true for Paul, and all of Paul's writings are true and accurate for doctrine, but we must still have more than that—we must have our own revelation of Him, and even our own conviction about Paul's writings. We will not get to heaven because we are close to someone who is born again, or is growing in Him—we must be born again, and grow up into Him.

Day 128 - Integrity

Rick Joyner

Recently, I felt compelled to read the memoirs of the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. He is considered to be one of the greatest military leaders of all time, as well as one of the most truly noble in character to have been produced by this country. In many ways, he demonstrated remarkable graciousness and nobility of character, which actually caused him to be almost as beloved in the North as he was in the South after the Civil War. He was regarded as one of the truly Christian men of his time, yet there are some profound inconsistencies in his life that I have not yet seen addressed by any of his biographers. These inconsistencies with what he claimed to have believed probably caused the deaths of tens of thousands of people, not to mention the ravaging of a nation. Should we not at least try to understand them?

I am not bringing these issues up to defame Robert E. Lee. He was truly a remarkable leader and person. Even so, I believe the same kind of inconsistencies, which are actually contradictions, are today doing great damage within the church, and within our nation. They will continue to ravage us if we do not understand them.

The inconsistencies in Robert E. Lee's actions are highlighted by two of his writings before the Civil War. In one, he gave what must be considered one of the most articulate, concise, and powerful arguments ever written on the evils of slavery. In the second, he did the same for the potential evils and tragedies that would follow the secession of the Southern states from the Union. Yet, he was the most effective warrior on the side that fought for the very things he obviously believed to be great evils. How could this happen? How was it that so many of our founding fathers, who decried the evils of slavery, owned slaves? How could a man who so decried this as one of the "great evils," fight so valiantly for the right to have slaves?

In Robert E. Lee's case, the contradiction between his stated beliefs and his actions happened because he said he could not take up arms against his native state of Virginia. That may seem like a noble loyalty, but is it noble when that state was fighting to preserve something he believed to be evil? Was it right to be loyal to his state and disloyal to the Union that he had sworn an oath to defend when he was an officer in the United States Army? Many others who fought on the side of the South in the Civil War, also declared themselves to be against slavery and secession. How could they fight so hard for the things they did not believe in? How do we?

Could it be the same thing that compels people to fight for their denomination, or other institutions, even when those institutions are in conflict with some of the basic truths of the Scripture, and at times the very nature of Christ? Spurgeon once declared that he could find ten men to die for the Bible for every one who would read it! Could this basic hypocrisy be the cause of the civil wars now raging within the body of Christ?

Loyalty is a good and noble characteristic, but we must never let our loyalty to an institution, to a group (such as fraternal orders), or a person, eclipse our loyalty to the Lord Jesus Himself, or to the principles of truth found in the Scriptures. The basic way we can avoid this is not to make vows of allegiance to any organization or group that could lead to a conflict with our allegiance to the Lord and His truth.

Integrity means "to be whole," consistency between our beliefs and our actions. It is this consistency between the Lord's Word and His actions that is basic to His nature. This should also be basic to the nature of all of His true followers. Is it our nature? Where might the conflicts be in our own lives?

The inability of Robert E. Lee to see the conflict between his proclaimed beliefs and his actions cost untold thousands of young men their lives, since it was his genius that prolonged the war for years beyond what it would have otherwise taken for the Union to prevail. Such a dichotomy in our lives may not be that costly, but there is always a cost. We may not know until eternity just how many would otherwise have been able to receive the truth of the gospel, if its messengers' lives reflected its message with more integrity.

Day 127 - You Will Prophesy

Rick Joyner

Another remarkable characteristic about Enoch is that he is the first one recorded in Scripture to have prophesied (see Jude 14). Prophecy is a definite product of walking with God. When we walk with God, so that we are changed into His image, we will begin to see with His eyes, hear with His ears, and understand with His heart. God is beyond time. He sees from the perspective of eternity. To Him the future is just as clear as the present. Because of this, Enoch, who lived in the days of Adam, was able to look all the way to the end and see the second coming of the Lord with His hosts.

It is fitting that Enoch should prophesy of events all the way at the end of this age, since he is a prophetic model of the church at the end. The church at the end is going to walk with God, prophesy, and be caught up into the heavens to be with Him. That is why we see in Acts 2:17-18:

'"And it shall be in the last days,' God says, 'That I will pour forth of My Spirit

upon all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days

pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy.'"

Enoch was the first one after the Fall to recover the most important purpose for our creation, to walk with God. And when he did, he could not help but to prophesy. Why is this?

First, prophecy is not just predicting the future, but it is speaking on God's behalf. Man was created to be God's representative on the earth, to speak for Him. Remember, Jesus, the One all things were made through and for, is called "the Word of God." It was by His Word that all things were made, and His Word, His communication, is found in everything that was made. That is why Jon Amos Comenius said "Nature is God's second book." This was a paraphrase of what Paul wrote in the first chapter of Romans, that the Lord is revealed in everything that was made.

God speaks. He made His creation to speak through, and man was the crowning glory of His creation. He made man in His image to represent Him, which includes speaking for Him. That is why it appears that everyone in Scripture who walked with God also prophesied. If we can recover our basic purpose to walk with God, we will also recover our basic purpose to speak for Him.

This is also your destiny. When you were redeemed it was the first step toward recovering the ultimate purpose that you were created for—to walk with God, and to represent Him on the earth. Because He is the Word, He speaks. We cannot represent Him without speaking for Him. That is why we are told in Ephesians 4:29:

"Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth,

but only such a word as is good for edification

according to the need of the moment,

that it may give grace to those who hear."

Because Jesus Himself is the Word, words have infinite value. Words have power, for good or evil. Words have changed the world far more than armies or politics. Therefore, if we are walking with God, our goal should be for our words to be His words. As we are told in Proverbs 18:21, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."

What is the fruit of our words? Do they impart reconciliation, faith, love, joy, peace, and patience—the fruit of His Spirit? Do our words represent what the Lord is saying in that situation? Do they impart grace to those who hear them? If we are walking with God, they will, and we will also speak for Him. As the Word Himself told us in Luke 6:45:

"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good;

and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil;

for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart."

Is Jesus the One who fills our hearts? If so, we will speak His words.

Nowhere in Scripture does it say that you cannot do what Enoch did. The greatest testimony of the last day church will be that she walked with God, and she "was not," because God took her, so she did not even have to taste death. She did not have to taste death because she died daily to herself by walking with Him every day, taking up her cross daily to sacrifice anything that was required to walk with Him. This is the ultimate quest of man. It is your ultimate quest—to walk with God.

Day 126 - Walking With God

Rick Joyner

One of the shortest, but most remarkable stories in Scripture is found in Genesis 5:22-24:

Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years

after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters.

So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

Concerning this we read in Hebrews 11:5:

By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death;

and he was not found because GOD took him up;

for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

In the last mention of Enoch in Scripture, but not the least important, we are told in Jude 14-16:

And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam,

prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands

of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all,

and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds

which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things

which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."

These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts;

they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage.

Enoch's is one of the most enigmatic and important messages in Scripture. As we read in Jude, it is also one of the most important for the last days. The special fact about Enoch is that he walked with God. Adam was still alive when Enoch lived. It is probable that he talked with Adam about what it was like to walk with God in the Garden, and his heart was so stirred that he began to yearn for such a relationship with his Maker. One of the great, eternal truths is, if we seek God we will find Him. Enoch found Him. He recovered the most basic call of man that had been lost by the fall—the relationship we are called to have with God. Because of this he was delivered from the consequence of the Fall, which is death.

Walking with God remains the ultimate and highest quest of man. When this is truly recovered, we too will be delivered from the consequences of the Fall. Enoch walked with God so closely that the Lord took him directly to heaven. This was a foreshadowing of what has been popularly referred to as "the rapture." As Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:51-52:

Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,

at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound,

and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

Enoch was but the first fruits of the last day church that will also be caught up without tasting death. There have been many books written about how and why this takes place, and many have speculated about the timing of it, but the reason this happens is the same reason it happened to Enoch. The last day church will walk with God so closely that He will be obliged to bring them into the fullness of His presence, transforming them from the mortal to the eternal in the "twinkling of an eye."

I have often heard Christians say that they were trying to decrease so the Lord could increase in their life. This seems noble, but it is not biblical, and is actually the opposite of what John the Baptist said, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30). If we try to decrease before He increases in our lives, we will just be empty, and the void will usually be filled with an evil, religious spirit. "Enoch walked with God, and he was not...." When we walk with God, we will decrease because He is increasing in our lives.

The Lord did not come just to make our lives better and easier. He did not even come simply to change us—He came to kill us! Even though Enoch did not "taste death" in the natural, his old nature was consumed in God. When it says that "he was not," it means much more than him just disappearing. By walking with God His glory changed him, consuming his fallen nature and replacing it with His nature. The same is our goal—to be dead to sin, dead to our former lusts, dead to this world, but alive unto God.

Even so, if we try to crucify ourselves, the result will be self-righteousness. Our old nature was crucified with Christ on the cross. The rendering of our old nature as dead, so we can experience the resurrection life in Christ, is a process that takes place as we walk with God. We identify with His crucifixion, and therefore His righteousness. We will never be so good that we do not need His life and His righteousness. We are only able to enter into the presence of God because of His blood—His atonement. He will forever be our righteousness. Therefore, it is our goal to be found in Him, to abide in Him so that He might dwell in us.

The more we walk with Him and see Him, the more we are changed by who He is. When we focus on crucifying ourselves we are still focusing on self. We will never be changed by seeing who we are, but by beholding who He is. As we behold Him, we embrace and identify with His cross and His resurrection.

Christ is everything. He is the message and purpose of the whole creation. When we lose ourselves in Him we do not lose, we gain everything to infinity. We are exchanging the worthless and the death for that which is beyond valuation, and a life that cannot be destroyed. We will never make a better transaction.

Your ultimate purpose for being on this earth can be summed up in one thing—you are called to walk with God. Your highest purpose for this day is to walk with Him. If you do, you will also make the greatest transaction that can be made on this earth, exchanging some of the death in you for the indestructible life in Him.

Day 125 - The Veil

Rick Joyner

The true gospel of the kingdom is a presentation of the King through His people. We read in II Corinthians 3:18, "But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit."

It is by beholding the Lord, and seeing His glory that we are transformed. However, we must do this with an "unveiled face." What does this mean? We can behold the glory of the Lord, but if there are veils or things in our lives that can distort what we are seeing, it will distort what we are changed into, so we will present a distorted image of Christ.

One of the primary veils that separate and distort our visions of Him in our time is the love of money. As Paul wrote in I Timothy 6:10, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (KJV). I quoted from the King James Version here because some of the modern translations have tried to dilute this text by saying such things as the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. But the original text literally said it is the "root of all evil." How can that be?

Money can be one of the ultimate idols of the human heart. An idol wasn't just something that the people worshiped in place of God, but it was what they put their trust in instead of Him. Likewise, money is the primary thing that even Christians tend to put their trust in, instead of God. That is why learning to handle money rightly is fundamental to walking in the kingdom, as we read in Luke 16:11-13:

"If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon,

who will entrust the true riches to you?

"And if you have not been faithful in the use of that which is another's,

who will give you that which is your own?

"No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one,

and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and mammon."

Money is our least valuable resource in the kingdom. It is a resource, and it does have some value, but it is the least of what we need to effectively represent the kingdom. Much more than money, or anything money can buy, we need the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

We do need to learn to manage money properly, and until we do, we cannot be trusted with the true riches of the kingdom, which are such things as the gifts of the Spirit. What amount of money could possibly be worth one word from God, or a single healing or miracle? One of the primary ways that we rightly handle the financial resources we are entrusted with, is to always give the first fruits to the Lord. It is being faithful in this that opens the windows of heaven for us as we readin Malachi 3:10:

"Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,

so that there may be food in My house,

and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts,

"if I will not open for you the windows of heaven,

and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."

This is the only place in the Scripture the Lord actually invites us to test Him. I have never met a Christian who has done this who does not have the testimony that the Lord is always faithful. I do not think that I have ever met a Christian who was under constant financial stress who was faithful in tithing. Giving our tithes as first fruits to the Lord does not guarantee we will never have financial challenges, but it does guarantee we will be brought through them.

I have met many Christians who believe tithing was the Law and they,therefore, no longer have to do it. This is not the case, and is a misunderstanding of the New Covenant priesthood, which is the Melchizedek priesthood. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek before the Law. As we have studied Jacob's ladder, his commitment to the Lord came immediately after he saw this ladder that reached into heaven. We read this in Genesis 28:16-22, but here I will just quote the last three verses where he makes a sacred vow to the Lord:

Then Jacob made a vow, saying, "If God will be with me

and will keep me on this journey that I take,

and will give me food to eat and garments to wear,

and I return to my father's house in safety, then the LORD will be my God.

"And this stone, which I have set up as a pillar, will be God's house;

and of all that Thou dost give me I will surely give a tenth to Thee."

Both Abraham and Jacob understood the importance of the tithe long before the Law was given. Abraham gave in response to the victory that God gave him, and Jacob committed to it in response to the heavenly vision.

Again, our goal is to bring the blessings of heaven to earth, so the world is touched with the reality of heaven. One of the great witnesses of those who have their Source in heaven is how free they are from the love of money. Those who are free of this can have a lot, or have a little, but it does not have them. When we walk in this freedom, we will also begin to experience the power of heaven and its unlimited resources.

Day 124 - Who makes Who?

Rick Joyner

There is an important question that many ask which seems appropriate to address here. Does the Lord make us into what we should be, or does the bride "make herself ready"? There is sound biblical teaching that reveals both to be true. When we run into paradoxes like this in Scripture it is because there is truth to both. In fact, many of the historic heresies are the result of Christians embracing a truth without understanding and embracing the counterbalancing truth. These are like those who cannot see that a coin has two different sides and therefore half the coins they see, they believe to be fake.

It is an eternal truth that only the Spirit can begat that which is spirit. We cannot make ourselves into what we should be without Him. However, He will not change us without our desiring it. We must want the things of God badly enough to pursue them, as we are told in Matthew 7:7-8:

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find;

knock, and it shall be opened to you.

"For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds,

and to him who knocks it shall be opened."

When we are born again we begin coming to God like a newborn. We cry when we need something, and He usually responds quickly. Like an infant, we need affection as well as food, diaper changes, etc. Experiencing the affection of God is the greatest joy and fulfillment that we can know as human beings, but it is hard to receive it if we are hungry. Therefore, the Lord gives us food as well as affection. Even so, a touch from Him has the drawing power to lift our spirits into realms of glory and beauty that are far beyond the earthly realm.

Many have the false concept that the Father is this rigid, intolerant, holy God of the Old Testament, who would be smiting us right now if Jesus had not come to sacrifice Himself for us. The truth is the Father so loved the world that He gave His Son. The Father loves us and loves to affectionately hold His children. God is Spirit and His touch is not like a physical touch—it is much more than a physical touch could ever be. We need this more than we need the things that so often captivate us. The Father loves us much more than we could ever know. He loves us even when we are in sin. In fact, He loves us so much even when we were in sin that He gave His own Son to help us out of it.

Just as a father's relationship to his children changes as they mature, so does the Father's relationship with us change as we mature. When my daughters were small children, I could hold them for long periods of time without saying a thing and it seemed to be all they wanted. Now that they are teenagers, they want me to take them out to dinner, and sometimes just sit and talk for a while. In the same way, the Father's love and affection for us is no less when we mature, but the way He shows it is different because He relates more to our maturing state.

When my children were very young their mother and I made almost all the decisions in their lives. Even when they cleaned their room, we would have to point out each thing to do. That's okay for a three year old, but if we had to do that for a sixteen year old, we would have a problem! It does not mean I love my sixteen year old less because I do not give her specific instructions about every little thing, but that I trust her more. I would get very concerned and annoyed if I had to give her the kind of specific instructions when she is sixteen as I did when she was three. Neither is it pleasing to our Father in heaven when we fail to mature.

There is a reason why I went from talking about the way the bride makes herself ready to our relationship to the Father. Many fail to distinguish, or understand how to relate to God the Father and God the Son. I knew the day my girls were born that a day would come for each of them when I would no longer be the main man in their life. For a girl to mature into a woman, there are ways she needs a father, but there is a time when that changes and she needs a husband. Even though her relationship to her father will change even more drastically at that point, it can continue, and even grow deeper and more special. A wise father will consider all along that this change is coming, that it is natural and right, and will try to prepare his daughter for it.

Likewise, we need a special relationship with our Father in heaven for us to be prepared for the marriage of the bride to the Son. The Father loves us and we will always have a relationship with Him. It will grow deeper and richer for all of eternity, but there is a different kind of relationship that we are called to have with the Son. We are now preparing for the marriage, but for all of eternity our relationship to the Son will likewise mature and grow deeper. Both of these relationships are required for us to mature spiritually, thus becoming who we are called to be.

Paul Cain once said, "Spiritual maturity does not come by the passage of time, but by right responses to the dealings of God." This is true. We could say that spiritual maturity can only come by right responses to our relationships to both the Father and the Son.

Great movements have recently been born out of the church's need for the affection and love of the Father. This was timely, and badly needed. However, as we get closer to the end of this age the bride is going to be maturing, and she will start yearning for her Husband. Then she will begin to "make herself ready." That will be the greatest sign of all that we have indeed come to the end of this age and are beginning the great day of the Lord.

Day 123 - Dressing for Heaven

Rick Joyner

On Day Twenty-Two we looked at the remarkable statement that Peter made when he said we should be "looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God...." (II Peter 3:12). We discussed how the "coming of the day of the Lord" can be hastened by the bride making herself ready (see Revelation 19:7). The Lord will not return until the bride says: "Come!" (see Revelation 22:17). When the yearning in the bride grows to the point where she can no longer endure without Him, He will be so attracted to her that He will have to come for her. It is this yearning for the Lord that will cause the bride to get ready for Him.

We may think all Christians long for the return of the Lord, but it is more likely very few really do at this time. Of course, as soon as we have a major trial, we tend to want Him to come to get us out of it, but few seem to want Him to return because they love Him so much.

Few Christians would actually admit it, but most actually do not want Him to return any time soon. For some it would mess up their ministry! Others just have it too good in this life. As Paul wrote in II Corinthians 5:6, "...while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord." If we are too comfortable in the world, if our hearts and homes are not in heaven, we have little incentive for seeking to hasten the coming of the day of God.

It is not wrong for Christians to be devoted to their lives on earth. One of the great mistakes of much of the modern church, which has been devoted to the message of the Lord's return, is their failure to build with strategy and vision for the future of the church on the earth. It is good to have a heart for the work that we have been given to do. The answer is not to think less of these things, but we need to love the Lord and His coming even more. The yearning of the bride, which will hasten the coming of the Lord must be, and will be, a passion for Him above all things.

It is not going to be fear of the times, or even fear of the Lord, that causes the bride to make herself ready. She wants to be without spot or wrinkle because she loves Him so much and wants to be perfect for Him. As John wrote concerning His return in I John 3:3, "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure." When the yearn-ing for the return of the Lord compels the church to make herself ready, she will consequently hasten His return.

There is nothing more contagious on this earth than a person who is getting closer to the Lord. If just one person in every congregation catches this passion for the Lord, the entire worldwide body of Christ would soon be transformed. This will happen at some point, and the conditions are right for it now. The drier the wood the quicker it will catch fire, and much of the body of Christ is in quite a spiritual drought at this time. Only the thirsty will seek a drink, and some are becoming thirsty enough to begin seeking Him again.

It is good to want the Lord so much that we yearn for the second coming, but why don't we start by yearning for His manifest presence in our congregations? Our families? Our jobs? Jesus said in John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." Of course, He was talking about the cross here, but the earth and all it contains was made by the Lord and for Him. Nothing that was created can be fulfilled until it is accomplishing the purpose for which it was created, and that can only be done in union with Him. Even if it is misunderstood by most, there is a deep yearning in every soul for God. When He is lifted up, He attracts.

Lifting up the Lord is much more than just talking about Him. It is also more than acknowledging His lordship and glory—it is seeing Him transcend over all things. It is seeing more of Him than anything else. When I fell in love with my wife, I could not think of anything but her, day and night. That is what we can call "first love," or the way we loved at first. We may think this cannot be maintained in a marriage, but it is possible. However, our union with Christ is supposed to be much greater than our union with anyone on earth, since these earthly relationships are but a type, or model of the relationship we should have with Him.

The fire and passion of our first love with Christ can easily be maintained if we will seek Him. Not only is He perfect, but there is no end to the treasures of wisdom and knowledge in Him. He is forever not only interesting, but intriguing beyond anything ever created. We will never exhaust the wonders and marvels of God Himself. Once we start truly beholding the glories that are in Him, we are ruined for life. We just have to have more and more of Him. The more of Him we have, the more addicted to Him we become. But don't worry—He is a well of living water that will never run dry!