Time To Fatten Up

Carpe Diem is a Latin phrase that means, "seize the day." I sense that we are in a unique moment in time where we need to take advantage of it in a spiritual sense. Spurgeon once said, "hoist the sail when the breeze is favorable, and times of refreshing ought not to pass over us unimproved." In some ways the season we are in, is similar to one that is found in the book of Genesis. Here is part of a dream that was told to Joseph the son of Jacob, by Pharoah ruler of Egypt:

Genesis 41:17-21 So Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I was standing on the bank of the Nile; and behold, seven cows, fat and sleek came up out of the Nile, and they grazed in the marsh grass. "Lo, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very ugly and gaunt, such as I had never seen for ugliness in all the land of Egypt; and the lean and ugly cows ate up the first seven fat cows.
"Yet when they had devoured them, it could not be detected that they had devoured them, for they were just as ugly as before. Then I awoke.

Jospeh would go on to interpret the dream, telling Pharoah that 7 good years would be followed by 7 bad years, those bad years would  be so severe they would swallow up the 7 good years as if they never happened.

Joseph then advises Pharoah that to avoid catastrophe he should use the 7 good years to store up as much as he can, and in that way, he would survive what was coming. Pharoah listened to Joseph and appointed him in charge of the storing up. Not only was Egypt saved, but the fledgling Jewish nation wound up being saved during the 7 famine years by going to Egypt and getting food.

The point of this story for us, is that I believe, we are in a season of calm before the storm. It is a time to pray more, not less. A time to attend church more not less, a time to give more, not less. It is time to fatten up spiritually for what is ahead of us. Jesus clearly told us near the time of His return there would be 5 wise and 5 foolish. The wise are not those who stored up food, or hid money, but those who had their lamps filled with the oil of the Spirit. 

Every fall bears that hibernate fill themselves as much as they can to prepare for the winter ahead. It is such a time. Fatten up now, the time is coming when you will need to draw from the reserves you put away now. The church is going to face a season of testing such as never was before. To him that hath will more be given, and he that hath not, even what he has will be taken away. Little faith will not see you through what is coming. Time in His presence, and in His word are two things for which there are no spiritual substitutes.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, he that soweth sparingly shall reap sparingly. The world asks, "can your retire on what you have laid aside?" The age in which we are living asks, "can you survive on the spiritual stores you have laid up?"

Fasten your seatbelts, we are in for a crazy ride. Keep your fire burning.

 Standing In The Counsel Of God

Jeremiah 23:18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear his word? Who has listened and heard his word?

This passage speaks of taking time to get with God and hear what He is concerned with. God is using Jeremiah to rebuke false prophets who haven't been with God, and don't have a clue with what He is wanting to speak to the Jewish nation. 

I want to take the text in a slightly different direction. Standing in the counsel of God means remaining firm in the things He has said. Paul in Ephesians 6 speaking of the armor of God says: Ephesians 6:13  Therefore, take up the full armor of God, that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. After you have equipped yourself with armor, stand firm. It is one thing to put on armor it is another to stand firm when an enemy is attacking.

It is one thing to claim a promise in the bible, it is another to stand firm in claiming it. That is exactly what the writer of Hebrews is saying in this passage: Hebrews 10:36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. That text tells that there is often a lag time between doing what God wants and getting what He has promised. The text implies God put some conditions on receiving, they were fulfilled but the promise has not yet come.

Standing in the counsel of God, is refusing to give up on His promises.

Standing in the counsel of God is remaining firm even when we don't see results. 1 Corinthians 15:58  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Standing in the counsel of God is remaining firm in the things God has taught you. 2 Timothy1:13  Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.

Standing in the counsel of God, is not allowing your standards to slip, or to go back to behaviors God delivered you from. God calls that returning to vomit.

In short, having done all stand, and keep on standing.