Far and Away

One of my favorite movies is "Far and Away," a 1992 romantic adventure starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Cruise plays the role of Joseph Donnelly, who seeks revenge after his family's home in Ireland is burned down by his landlord's men due to unpaid rent. Joseph sets out to kill the landlord Christie, but instead, fails miserably, and his gun backfires. The next day, he is challenged to a pistol duel with Stephen, the fiancé of Shannon (Nicole Kidman).

The passive, yet jovial father (landlord Christie) walks alongside Joseph. He tells him he didn't know about the eviction, that he is sorry for the pain caused to his family, and he doesn't blame Joseph for wanting to kill him.

During a life and death situation, Landlord Christie makes cordial small talk: "You had a good breakfast this morning, did you?" Joseph responds, "It was grand sir." He continues to express his sentiments in the heavy morning fog as he paces with him all the way up to the dual line before disappearing.

It occurred to me...isn't the personality of Landlord Christie the same voice of religion devoid of power?

Religion will give you small talk. In the midst of a battle, it will speak to you in your ear about anything and everything. It will speak to you about your past, about your problems, your situation, and your mountain. Religion is completely devoid of any relevant power, or life-changing application. It pollutes the air with vain repetition.

Religion will pity you, but not empower you. If there was a holiday set aside in honor of pity parties, religion would be the smiling hostess at the door. Ah...Are you angry? Bitter? Scorned? I don't blame you a bit...Come on in, lay down in your misery until bedsores form. I will make it so comfortable for you. Many times people mistaken pity for compassion. However, Jesus did not pity anyone. His compassion is what healed the afflicted.

Religion will disappear when the battle begins. When the pistols start firing, religion will reveal its true cowardly nature. 2 Timothy 3:5 warns of those "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

The enemy will masquerade as your landlord...one that will try to make you "pay" for your shortcomings, your mistakes, and your sin. If you believe he rules over you, he will evict you and burn your house. You may think you are on a revenge mission to recover what he has taken from you. He will challenge you to battle him, and make an appointment with you for a pistol dual. If you do not let God avenge your enemies in any area of your life, you will entertain the voice of powerless religion...and become easily angered and offended and think you are entitled to feel that way. Religion will lead you to believe that your performance or lack thereof will be the determination of the outcome. But when you are ARMED with the full armor of God, you will see that there is no ground level warfare...no eye for an eye...Only grace...where you freely receive and freely give what is not earned or deserved so you can walk uprightly. Only grace, where you are seated in heavenly places far above principalities, and the enemy is not "soldier toe to solider toe", but rather a defeated foe under your feet.

Romans 12:19, "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord."

Interestingly enough, in the movie, Joseph learns from landlord Christie's free-spirited daughter Shannon, that is plenty of land in America. All they had to do is claim it!

Shannon: They got so much of it (land), they give it away for free.
Joseph: (skeptical) No land is given away...in any part of the world.
Shannon: In America it is...and I'm going there.

Don't believe the lie that you have to fight an enemy to secure something that is already rightfully yours. All you have to do is claim it!

10:10, 11:11, 12:12

Lately, I have noticed when I look up to glance at the time, the clock almost always shows double digits. I felt the Spirit of the Lord prompt my heart that He was speaking to me through the ordinary to highlight the extraordinary truths of His Word. Much like a street sign that gives a traveler direction for the journey, God utilizes even the seemingly mundane to point us to JESUS throughout the day. Now, let me be clear, I do not put my trust in numbers or in any type of sign, for this would be a gross error. I do believe God speaks to us uniquely in many ways, to draw us into His word and ultimately closer to Him. If God can open the mouth of a donkey to declare His word, God can use a number to point to His divine order.

"10:10"
As the clock turned 10:10, I immediately thought of the verse John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." I believe that this verse lays out a spiritual warfare strategy. When the enemy comes in to test you (10 represents testing), God has given everything you need to conquer the enemy (10 also represents divine order and completeness). So the first half of the verse deals with the seeming "reality" of a circumstance. The enemy comes to steal. To steal what? Anything that is good...your peace, your joy, your health, your prosperity, your vision. His very purpose is "to steal, kill, and to destroy." BUT GOD....His purpose is the very opposite--to give you life, and not just life, but life more abundantly. A life that is better than the life we have now. The Greek word for abundant is "perrissos," which means "all-around, more than, better than anticipated, exceeding expectation, going past the expected limit." So IMMEDIATELY when the enemy comes, we should respond with speaking LIFE. Instead of automatically thinking, "this is going to be worse than I expected," think and SAY, "this is going to be even better than I expected." To press into the abundant life of Jesus Christ. Our response should be as automatic as the second hand on a clock. When the enemy comes, respond by worshipping God in Spirit and in truth. Remember that the enemy is not an equal power, but a defeated foe through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  When you look at the face of a clock at 10:10, the hands are similar to the formation of the letter "V" which stands for VICTORY!! Know that God has already ordained your victory. Your part is to stand firm and believe! AMEN!

"11:11"
As the clock turned 11:11, I remembered back when I was a child and used to say, "It is 11:11...make a WISH!" I believe that God wants to give us the desires of our heart, but more than that, He wants our heart to beat in tandem with His heart. He wants us to surrender our plans for His plans. The enemy will want you to think that by doing this, you will "miss out" on something wonderful...this is a lie! There is no life outside of the life of JESUS CHRIST!! The numbers 11:11 remind me of two sets of legs walking together in unity. Amos 3:3 reminds us, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Once we speak life to our situation, we must then align our hearts, our thoughts, and our words to the Word of God so that His power can manifest in our situation. Why do we pray for something, and then immediately speak against it? We need to start speaking forth God's wishes over us! 3 John 1:2 says, "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Start declaring and decreeing God's word over yourself, your family, your community, and your nation. Pray Psalm 139:23, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts." Ask God to illuminate anything in you that is operating in rebellion or unbelief so that you can conquer those self-destructive areas in your life through His love and divine order.  May whatever is in disorder be brought back to God's divine order in Jesus name!

"12:12"
The number 12 represents divine government. It symbolizes God's power and authority. God called twelve men as His disciples to bear witness of Him and to spread the good news throughout the entire world. Once we walk in unity with God, we start to discover the power of Christ in us! The same power that resurrected Jesus from the dead lives in us...Selah! Pause...let that marinate in your spirit...Ephesians 1:19-20 says, "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of His mighty power, Which He wrought in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and set Him at His own right hand in heavenly places." And you know what? Because we belong to Him, we sit with Jesus in heavenly places!! HALLELUJAH!! Ephesians 2:6 says, "And hath raised us up together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Because He rules and reigns, we can rule and reign in this life through HIM! We must embrace the poignant truth that to rule and reign with Him means we must suffer with Him. To suffer persecutions from this present world that is at enmity with God. 2 Timothy 2:12 says, "If we suffer, we shall also reign with Him, if we deny Him, He will also deny us." Let us be called a fool in this world for standing up for what we believe or rather WHO we believe. Call me a fool for believing that Christ has forgiven me of all my sin. Call me a fool for believing in total supernatural healing and laying hands on the sick. Call me a fool when I give mercy and grace instead of judgment and criticism...(How can a dead man hold a grudge?) Call me a fool for believing when it looks impossible..Let us be dead to the offense of the world...for we who believe are crucified with Christ. For His resurrection power to be visible, He must increase and I must decrease (see John 3:30). If I want to rule and reign with Christ Jesus, I must not trust in the anarchy of my flesh, but rather be led by the Spirit. I must let Him guide me, mold me, and hold me in His hand, actively surrendering to His plans and purposes for my life. I love the verse Isaiah 62:3, "Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God." To come to a place of divine government in our prayers, we have to allow God to teach us how to pray. Too often, our prayers fluff our flesh, market our ways, and reveal our unsanctified desires. When I think of the number 12, I think of divine order. I have to remember to not let my emotions or insecurities lead me, but rather to let the Spirit lead me. Only then can I truly experience His government in my life.