To him that overcometh

I wrote this Friday, March 25, 2011 and was reminded by the Lord of it and post it for His sons.

I greet you in the wonderful name of Jesus. This note came from the Holy Spirit as I was in His Word learning of Him. He started to open the scriptures in a mighty way that I saw before I wrote. At the same time a Sister in the Lord wrote me a email and as I waited upon the Lord for her reply my study in this note became her email. I share this in hope and love that you will see and so much desire nothing else than to forsake this world and all your earthly desires and give your life unto Him in complete surrender of your will for His.

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And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord: and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them; And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it. And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the Lord. Judges 6:1-6                                 

The word 'midianite' means brawling, contention, discord, strife, quarrel. The root word of it means "to execute or minister judgement."

  

This group which I will say is like a plague of grasshoppers in the land of Israel is certainly being true to their name in their actions with God's people. They also appear today among the body of Christ to bring strife and contention with their false precept of the Lord and their lying doctrines through lips confessing service to the Lord Jesus.       

     

They can represent the strife we see in our flesh as we work at putting off the old man and putting on the new man. For we know that the flesh only desire is to turn upon the Spirit and quench His actions in our life.

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Galatians 5:17

Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19

We need discernment concerning things that come our way; for it can be for our growth or it can be judgement upon us for sin we have not asked forgiveness for. Strife is caused by the desires of our sinful flesh or it can be strife that happens cause we are living in a sinful world. We must know that whatever the source, the Lord uses all circumstances to show us and teach us His truth.

In Judges 6:1-5 you see that the Israelites were hiding in caves and dens, living in poverty and hunger. They were outnumbered, oppressed and living under judgement. Today many are also living in spiritual caves and dens. They are afraid of the light of fellowship with Him for they prefer to hide hoping their sins will go unnoticed.

Many also as cowards, hide, not speaking the truth of His Word for fear of persecution.

These modern day midianites have forced many of the children of God to forsake the bread and wine. They don't live off the living bread offered unto them and their walk in the Spirit is stale and very unfruitful.

For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. Isaiah 9:4

Here we can see that the Midianites was 'the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder. The rod of his oppressor used to draw the wondering hearts back to Him. 

The Lord will rasie up His holy Apostles and Prophets to break the oppressors from them, that desire to be made free of themselves and to serve Him with all their heart.

Many may wonder how or even where are these holy ones that are going to do His will in these last days.

And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the Lord because of the Midianites, That the Lord sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage; And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land; And I said unto you, I am the Lord your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice. Judges 6:7-10

What a vivid picture of todays children of the Lord.

By the victory upon the cross is the life given to be made free of Egypt, bondage, and the oppressors.

Yes! His Word the living bread teaches us that there is a victory for them that abide in Him.

A freedom to walk in His Spirit and to hear His voice in the here and now. Though many today hide in their caves and dens out of fear, need to pray that He send forth His anointed ones with the living Word the sword of the Spirit to help them out of the troubles they have hid their selfs in.

The modern idols are now in many hearts and they have been blinded to the truth by these idols, and many pastors and teachers have refrained from speaking out concerning these idols of today for they themselves have been blinded by the very idols.

However, the sons of the Lord there are those who are threshing wheat in the winepress in the midst of the night that has settled upon this world. They are humbled men of the Lord but mighty in His Spirit.

They are working for this end time harvest though many about don't see them; don't be deceived they are threshing out the wheat.

And there came an angel of the Lord, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites. And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. Judges 6:11-12

What a blessing to see this end time army of the Lord's; the "Gideons" at work while others are hiding in caves and dens.

These Gideons are the modern hewers which are the modern day men of God that shall tear down the idols that are in the hearts of many today.

Gideon name means tree cutter or hewer and he was called from birth to be a warrior for the kingdom of heaven. His name, his character, represents the Holy Spirit in action, tearing down the strongholds of darkness and cutting out the idols that consume many hearts.

There are many given names to prove the call and purpose of Gideon. One is the name of the property called 'Ophrah,' which means female deer. The word 'Ophrah' also means to pulverized to dust, powder or ash and the term deer being the name for its color of such. His dad's name was Joash and means 'The Lord is a burning flame, fiery and hot. Joash is a descendant of the Abiezrites which means "to aid or to help.

Such prophetic language, a beautiful painting of truth that comes from a family of those who as a deer pants after God. By the Holy Spirit these ones will seek out the children of the Lord and help and aid in seeing them made free from the darkness they are in.

For after all Christ came to heal the broken hearted and make the captives free in the final day which is the day of Jubilee.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Luke 4:18-19

God's on his way again, retracing the old salvation route, Coming up from the south through Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Skies are blazing with his splendor, his praises sounding through the earth, His cloud-brightness like dawn, exploding, spreading, forked-lightning shooting from his hand—what power hidden in that fist!

Plague marches before him, pestilence at his heels! He stops. He shakes Earth. He looks around. Nations tremble. The age-old mountains fall to pieces; ancient hills collapse like a spent balloon. The paths God takes are older than the oldest mountains and hills. I saw everyone worried, in a panic: Old wilderness adversaries, Cushan and Midian, were terrified, hoping he wouldn't notice them. Habakkuk 3:3-7

These end time men know the harvest is ripe and soon the sickle will be put into the land; for they are at work in the bottom of a dry winepress threshing out the wheat in the heat of the night; knowing the winepress shall be trodden out soon.

They are gap fillers standing before the wrath and humankind working hard.

A tomb is this winepress which would be hewing out of a rock. The men working away in a time of strong oppression about a darkness upon the land. They can see how down trodden the body of Christ is and how the Midianites are taking everything from the body. 

The actions of these Gideons' are not actions of a coward but brave men working at night threshing the wheat in the midst of the enemy.

We will see how this threshing of wheat can be looked at in two different ways.

And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him, and said to him, “The Lord is with you, you mighty man of valor!” Judges 6:12

How many I ask would stop their work to accept this blessing set before them.

How many would jump up and grab this blessing and put the work of the Lord on hold for a title of "man of valor?"

We see how Gideon responded to the voice of Lord"...O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’ But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.” 

What a cry from a heart of a humble man of God.

Where Oh Lord are You in these times of oppression? Why are their many voices in the body teaching doctrines of devils? Why Oh Lord are so many living with the idols of technology in their hearts? Why Oh Lord are so many placed men above You in roles that only You should have.

The threshing of the wheat also represented both provision and blessing. It also shows a negative image of God's judgement upon His children.

Now also many nations have gathered against you, Who say, “Let her be defiled, And let our eye look upon Zion.” But they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, Nor do they understand His counsel; For He will gather them like sheaves to the threshing floor. 

“Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion; For I will make your horn iron, And I will make your hooves bronze; You shall beat in pieces many peoples; I will consecrate their gain to the Lord, And their substance to the Lord of the whole earth.” Micah 4:11-13

For thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; The daughter of Babylon is like a threshingfloor, it is time to thresh her: yet a little while, and the time of her harvest shall come. Jeremiah 51:33

This judgement comes about when the kernels of grain are separated by the threshing of judgement.

The threshing of wheat by Gideon symbolizes God working through His called men in these last days to bring about judgement upon the good and evil in His Church.

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matthew 3:12

You notice His fan is in His hand and the fingers of His hand are the called ones to do His work in these last days.

The Lord does not thresh His children out of anger; but to teach them how to live by His Spirit in the righteousness He has imputed to them He has called.

Give ye ear, and hear my voice; hearken, and hear my speech. Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rie in their place?

For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

For the fitches are not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the fitches are beaten out with a staff, and the cummin with a rod. Bread corn is bruised; because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Isaiah 28:23-29

Threshing is God trampling out the dross out of His pure body. For Christ Jesus warned us if we lost our salt we are good for nothing but to be trodden under foot.

This work will bring forth His harvest for the kingdom and it will bring forth the fire of His wrath. For we can not ignore the wine press.

The wine press is also like the wheat harvest in that it showed a time of great joy and as a reminder of God's judgements.

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. Isaiah 63:1-3

As the grain of the harvest is used for flour to make bread the wine when poured in one can represent Life from the blood of the Lamb .... Holy Ghost power.

It is here in the winepress the Lord shows up to the one that is threshing the Word to feed them about.

It is there when the glory of the Lord comes that the one working does not acknowledge the call but continues working at the will of the Lord.

But God faced him directly: "Go in this strength that is yours. Save Israel from Midian. Haven't I just sent you?" Gideon said to him, "Me, my master? How and with what could I ever save Israel? Look at me. My clan's the weakest in Manasseh and I'm the runt of the litter." God said to him, "I'll be with you. Believe me, you'll defeat Midian as one man." Judges 6:14-16

As you see the key to God wanting to use Gideon was for more than his work of threshing wheat; it was also for his humility and weakness.

See to the Lord these are the perfect ingredients for a successful warrior for the Lord's calling and will. Any called of God; their gifts will make their way and He will supernaturally place His leadership anointing upon them to turn the hearts of man back to Him. The key to being weak or even feeling weak is to confess your weakness unto Him and know He will bless you with His power and strength.

Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 1 Tim 4:12

A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men. Proverbs 18:16

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9

These that live as Gideon have learnt that they are nothing without Him, they learned to lean on Him in trails and tribulations. They have learned to trust Him for guidance in all areas of their lives and know His voice when He speaks.

If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11

Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Matthew 5:15

The awesome display of God's power will be through them that desire Him to use them in these dark times.

Gideon and his hundred men got to the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after the sentries had been posted. They blew the trumpets, at the same time smashing the jars they carried. All three companies blew the trumpets and broke the jars. They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, and shouted,

"A sword for God and for Gideon!" They were stationed all around the camp, each man at his post. The whole Midianite camp jumped to its feet. They yelled and fled. When the three hundred blew the trumpets, God aimed each Midianite's sword against his companion, all over the camp. They ran for their lives—to Beth Shittah, toward Zererah, to the border of Abel Meholah near Tabbath. Judges 7:19-22

You see the vessels carried a hidden fire inside of them and they went to the edge of the camp. It was there that these vessels were broken and their torches a blazed that they were a sword for God to use.

Even now outside of the lukewarm Church are warriors that are being prepared to be broken up so that the glory of God can be revealed to this world of darkness.

And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. John 17:22-24

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: John 1:12

But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.

Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people. Isaiah 64:8-9

For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. 2 Corinthians 4:5-7

As we lay ourselves bare before the Lord and reject our own will and strength than the Light of Christ Jesus will shine through us. Be assured the enemy does not know the broken and weak people of the Lord, for the Lord has them sheltered under His wing for a moment like this. 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm 51:17

"... They held the torches in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands, ready to blow, ..." 

No sword of man nor weapon of the flesh is in their right hand for they have forfeit their rights to extend their will to His victory.

Horns were used to blow like a trumpet and they also were used to carry the anointing oil. A horn in scripture always represented power and when we blow the horn we are spiritual declaring the Word of God to this world. This is what will release His power and anointing upon the Gideon of these end times.                           

In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the Lord. Ezekiel 29:21

Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

This all started with a man threshing wheat in a winepress during the night not afraid to do the Lord's work while others hid in caves and dens.

Are you now in that winepress threshing wheat for your life and them about you?

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. John 6:53-58

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. Revelation 2:17

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.