Dear Sisters and Brothers in Jesus the Christ,

“And I sought for a man among them, that would make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land . . .”  Ezekiel 22:30 (KJ21)

“I looked for someone to . . . repair the defenses of the city, to take a stand for me and stand in the gap to protect this land . . .” Ezekiel 22:30 (MSG)

GOD has told us and tells us to stand because the battle has always been His when we observe, understand, and do as the LORD strongly advises. Yet there is something in the DNA of man (i.e., male, female) that tends toward a mindset that we can do it of our own volition which was true in the beginning when man was fully clothed in the glory of God with the assignment to “fill the earth and subdue it” Genesis 1:28b (NLT). Such was prior to the fall of the first man by his free-will decision to act or behave or do contrary to God’s strong advice; for Eve was deceived whereas the LORD spoke directly to Adam (Genesis 2:16-17) whose apparent passivity allowed that ongoing conversation as well as actively joining the eat (Genesis 3:1-7). By the WORD we may comprehend that whatsoever God speaks must accomplish everything for which it is sent (Isaiah 55:10-11). Hence, God couldn’t take back dominion over the earth which He had given to man whose free-will turned the lease over to satan. Nevertheless, God who is ever faithful, entered Covenant after Covenant with man through to Abram, later renamed Abraham who would be steadfast in teaching the way of God to his family. None of these family members were perfect but God would work-a-thing (so to speak) through its lineage that satan nor his demons could neither foresee nor stop. Clearly, satan who isn’t all knowing and can only plant a thought, would try his best to kill the seed (Matthew 2:13-18) who would be YESHUA/JESUS. (Perhaps needless to say) nothing can stop the plan of The Omnipresent, Omniscient, and Omnipotent One – The Sovereign Lord God Almighty. It is the redemptive work of Christ Jesus’ that paid the way for man’s right standing with Abba Father. Jesus the Anointed One and His Anointing agreed to the plan of God the Father for the redemption, re-creation, reconciliation, and restoration of all mankind to right standing with God the Father just because of divine love/agape (John 3:16). On behalf of all mankind, Christ Jesus did that which was necessary, throughout His teaching and healing ministry as the Son of Man on earth (John 6:27), to His death on the cross and descension into hell wherein He took back the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18), to His ascension through resurrection in the “immeasurable and unlimited and surpassing greatness of God’s power” by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-20). I always thank the Lord God Almighty – my Abba Father by the blood of Jesus, for the mystery of His plan from before time began and revealed in Jesus the Christ; Whose perfect obedience (John 5:19 & 8:26,28,38 & 12:49-50 & 14:10) to the will of God the Father resulted in the seating of a full grown man at the right hand of the Father; Who gave Christ authority with all things placed under His feet (Ephesians 1:21-22). In turn Christ Jesus has given each person who believes and confess Him (Acts 2:21; Romans 10:9), the authority bestowed unto Him to do (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18).

Therefore, we stand for ourselves and we also stand in the gap against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11). Absolutely no latitude to the enemy of GOD; war forfeits no ground to the cohorts of satan. Rather, we endeavor to do in keeping with the Word of God; we speak Psalm 91 daily, we confess or affirm the Word of God that speaks to whatsoever attempts to obstruct in fulfilling our God given assignment(s). Though the battle is won, we are still at war because “The thief does not come except for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” John 10:10a (NKJV). Such thievery includes sly attempts to distract those rendered sons & daughters of God by the blood of Jesus from producing good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-discipline (Galatians 5:22-23a). More specifically, the deceitfulness of anything sent to illicit behavior contrary to the fruit of the re-created spirit such as doubt, fear, strife, hate, and confusion because the un-recognized cunning of the thief tends toward pre-occupying self-absorption that can limit or prevent the make-up of a hedge that stands in the gap for the lost. The key is awareness when being prompted of the things that aren’t of God who is Love, and knowing “all you know to do” as delineated in the Word of God. In other words, staying in the Word of God for (ongoing) revelation of the information in God’s Word by the Teaching of the Holy Spirit. We are spirit with a soul (intellect, will, and emotions) “housed” or living in a physical body. However, though the spirit is re-created anew at the onset, the soul requires continual or ongoing renewal in the Word of God by the Holy Spirit because we’ve been trained from natural birth in the way of the world. Through quality time with God, we become more sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Also, we become better at quick recognition when the cohorts of the fallen angel (Luke 10:18; Isaiah 14:12) are attempting to plant the thought that you and/or I are going nowhere fast, and cast it down immediately with authority in the Name above all names. For whatsoever is sent to trouble us has a name but we have been given the Name above all names – use it! Such involves comprehension and application of the Word of God, as the Lord Jesus exemplified (Luke 4:1-13). And, in the Name of Jesus, we pray all kinds of prayers and requests to Abba Father, yet not only for ourselves and our family but for our Nation and every level of government on the municipal, state, and federal levels, for our judicial system, for all those ordained of God to protect: every branch of the Military, Police, and Firefighters, for our neighborhoods, for our educational system, and for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all people. Yes, we’ve more to do than await the Second Coming of Christ; though a significant number of us say in the way of the Apostle John, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus” Revelation 22:20b (NIV).

 Speak the promise . . . Harriet