You are not alone: We are Many

Are things going pretty well for you now? Do you have a good job, a few bucks in the bank? Maybe your retirement is coming in every month as it should? The vehicle is running well, no major projects around the house, no relational issues, life is good?

The American life breeds apathy, complacency, and also dependence upon the government for life’s needs. It is completely contrary to the ways of God.

Obviously, it isn’t an accident that life has been engineered to be that way here in America. This is the life that those who control you want you to live…. content with what you have and dependent upon the government for what they feel you need as long as you fulfill your obligation to them.

Content with the “status quo”
I remember in High School when my speech teacher introduced me to the word “status quo”. I thought that was an interesting word and I still do.

The dictionary says that “status quo” means “the existing state or condition“. It seems that as long as people are comfortable they are content with the status quo. However, that approach to life is contrary to Yeshua and His ways.

Here in America it is very easy to fall into a lifestyle of spiritual complacency: Or better said, the “sin of complacency”.

However, God expects His people to be constantly on the move; always going places, always doing things; always advancing.

Now I don’t necessarily mean always doing different things and going places physically, although it certainly may include that.

I am primarily referring to advancing spiritually. However, the reality is, if you are advancing spiritually then there will be some kind of very tangible manifestations of your advancement in the natural realm as well.

Comfortable or progressive?
I hope that you are not content with the “status quo” as I described above.

I hope that no matter your station in life, you are “going for the gusto” as the saying goes. Again, I am referring to the “spiritual gusto” in Yeshua. I hope that you are reaching for your star. God has so very much to offer; but He wants you to pursue it.

Not only does God not respond well to apathy but people don’t either; even in themselves. While being apathetic might appear appealing, comfortable; in reality, it is deadly.

While, it may seem comfortable to sit with a bag of potato chips and watch another episode of that television show on the death box (television, computer, phone), in actuality, it leads to (spiritual and/or physical) obesity and death whether you realize it or not.

Just for clarification I am not necessarily speaking physically (although it certainly applies) but rather spiritually. I am referring to spiritual death; spiritual obesity, or perhaps to spiritual bulimia, or anorexia so to speak: a spiritual eating disorder of one type or another.

How you manage your life spiritually will dictate how you manage your life physically.

An example of “life” in Yeshua
Recently I responded to an ad that someone had placed regarding a puppy. The woman ended up living in a rural area. She had children and grandchildren, lived on 28 acres with her family, raised dogs and I don’t know what else, and had a home business: She was a health coach.

From my perspective, most importantly she claimed Yeshua as the Messiah and was Born again; born from above.

I ended up not pursuing the puppies but I was very blessed to have a very pleasant exchange with her.

Afterword I pondered that encounter. Was this just a chance encounter? Or was this a divine appointment? I am quite confident that it was the latter. Its purpose is yet to be determined; perhaps it was only to be a blessing to me. If that is the case, the encounter has already hit its mark.

Being able to connect with wonderful, God-fearing people that have a real and genuine heart for the Messiah is something that I feel particularly blessed to be able to do.

How I put it is we are few and far between…. but there are many of us. If that is you, this article is specially written for you.

Where is everyone?
As you know, sometimes it is easy to feel alone. There have been many times that I have stopped and wondered “is there anyone out there”?

Do you feel like you are just sort of “out there “serving God” to the best of your ability but things are pretty lonely?

I want to encourage you that God is answering prayers and He is raising people up all around the world to serve Him in an extravagant way.

There are many of us like the dear woman I referenced above who are out there “on the farm”, (so to speak) alone, sifting through the pollution of the natural world in order to fulfill the destiny in the Kingdom of God that is awaiting them in Yeshua.

Dependence upon God
In 1 Kings 19, Elijah had already faced off with the 450 satanic priests and was now fleeing from jezebel who had threatened to murder him.

He was feeling pretty disparaged and alone as he sat under a tree, out in the desert, bemoaning his situation.

At that point, God reached out to Elijah saying that he was not alone and that there were 7,000 who had not bent a knee to baal.

There are many similar references in the Bible: References of God’s people who are out there accomplishing things.

There is the story of Elisha who encouraged his servant by saying that “those with us are more than those who are with them” right before he blinded the army that wanted to kill him in 2 Kings 6:18.

David killed a lion and a bear that threatened the sheep that were under his charge. Noah built a ship out in the middle of the desert and Moses led Israel even though he had trouble speaking. David slew Goliath.

I can promise you that things were pretty lonely for all of these guys from time to time. When they weren’t making headlines, they were doing what needed to be done, taking care of business.

“We are many”
Some of the stories I mentioned above can be found in the “faith hall of fame”; Hebrews chapter 11.

Today I would like to encourage you: You are not alone. There are many of us: Not only physically but spiritually. In Hebrews 12:1 some of our spiritual company is referred to as a “cloud of witnesses”.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:1

The book of Joshua is an amazing blessing of Scripture that God has given us. I am going to include some of it here for our consideration.

Joshua 1:3-9
3  Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.
5  There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of you life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with you: I will not fail you, nor forsake you.
6  Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shall you divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto their fathers to give them.
⁷  Only be you strong and very courageous, that you mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou may prosper wheresoever you go.
8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then you shall make thy way prosperous, and then you shall have good success.
9  Have not I commanded you? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with you wheresoever you go.

What a blessing to know that God’s promises never fail. The same principles that He expressed to Joshua apply to you today.

Be not afraid, neither be you dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with you wheresoever you go.

God

Knowing that I am not alone in the Kingdom of God is a great comfort to me. I pray that it is to you as well.

Conclusion: While it may seem that you are alone: Know that you are in a company of many. You belong to a spiritual family that existed even before time. Along with that, there are many, many, even in this natural realm who do not bend a knee to baal. You are in good company!

Confession: I am in good company. I am moving forward in the plans and purposes that were established for me and recorded in my book in Heaven.

Prayer:  Father God I thank you for the plan that you have for me. Thank you that you will never leave me nor forsake me and that I am part of a great company.

Please help me to do whatever it takes to walk out my destiny so that You would be blessed and glorified. Please help me to take my place in the Kingdom of God.

Dr. Rayphe
God’s Kingdom Realm

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