Resonance

Tag: Gideon

  • Gideon: When God Encounters A Man

    Last week, we discussed Judges 6:1-12 in the light of taking territories for the Kingdom of God. This week, we will focus on the encounter God had with Gideon.

    An Encounter Exposes Your Heart

    When God encounters a man, the man can only communicate what is truly in his heart. You can encounter God and say no to Him although your mind would have chosen a positive answer. It’s like meeting an important figure in an impromptu situation where you can’t possibly come up with a better idea in your mind so what is in your heart is exposed. Zechariah the high priest (father of John the Baptist) had no reason to doubt until his encounter exposed the little doubt lingering in his heart.

    Jacob didn’t make up his mind to wrestle but alas, all his desperation to see the manifest blessings of Abraham in his life took over him. Just look at how Gideon is talking to God. When you face an impossible situation, how do you talk to God? Your mind knows that God cares about you but your heart will say “carest not Thou that we perish?”. This is just the 7th book in the Bible and Gideon is already doubting that God is with His people. God’s Mighty Hand looks like past tense to a generation delivered into the hands of the enemy.

    When we forsake God by doing evil in His Sight, we later complain that He has rather forsaken us and delivered us into the enemy’s hands. It’s amazing that God’s elect is thinking this way. These are the thoughts of defeat and deceit. I pray God takes us through situations that will expose and rectify every foolish idea we have of Him. Some of us think He is too slow. Others think He is such a reluctant person. Until we know who God is, we will never know true strength. “They that know their God shall be strong…”. The goal was to greatly impoverish the nation but the real objective was to alter their perspective of God in order to keep them weak.

    An Encounter is a Turning Point

    The LORD turned to Gideon. There is a turning point where destiny-defining decisions are made. Do you know Moses decided to turn aside before having an encounter at the burning bush? It takes the Mercy of God for Him to turn to a man because according to the protocol, it is rather man who must turn to God for Him to respond. When we disobey God, we turn our backs on Him. When we turn to God, He shows us mercy. When God causes His countenance to shine upon you, you are highly favoured. When He turns away from you, you are irredeemable. Turn to the LORD!

    When God turns to us, we reflect Him as His image. That’s why He told Gideon to “go in this might of yours”. This Might of Mine has reflected in you and is your Might right now. Many are looking for the Hand of God in their lives when their hands were designed to be gloves of God’s hands. Until we begin to walk in the reality of being in the image and likeness of God, our encounter is not yet complete. An encounter is when we behold as in a glass the unveiled Glory of God so we are transformed from a greatly impoverished fellow who is the weakest in the clan and least in his father’s house to a mighty man of valour. The first turning point is an identity shift.

    God was talking to Gideon as though Gideon was just like Him; “you shall save Israel…” (verse 15) & “you shall defeat the Midianites as one man”. God is going to do through Him. Yes! The Words He has just spoken over Gideon empowers him to fully walk in it. However, until it becomes Gideon’s reality, that Word has not taken root in the heart of Gideon yet. We were created to represent the fullness of God in this earth realm. “Let Us make man in Our own Image, according to Our own likeness”. We settle for less at our own peril.

    An Encounter Leaves You With a Sign

    It actually takes time to incubate the seed of Glory sown into your heart. It takes time to brood over the experience, and time to also walk in the reality of the encounter. Therefore, a sign must be given so that you first of all believe in this thing that goes beyond your cerebral capacity. The reason for a sign goes beyond this, though. Mary was given a sign that Elizabeth was pregnant in old age, and she went to visit her. Gideon asked for a sign right away. It feels surreal, the experience. It sounds like an almost impossible situation too, what God is communicating. Perhaps, that’s why it requires an encounter.

    One of the protocols of an encounter, especially in the Old Testament, is that you have to offer a pleasing sacrifice of a sweet smelling aroma to the Lord. Samson’s parents had a similar encounter, and so did Abraham. Apart from that, an altar ought to be built to eternalize the encounter in the physical space. Every encounter reveals an aspect of God. All the names and attributes of God we know were not spoken by God alone. On many occasions, they were spoken by men after they had encountered God in that regard. Gideon encountered Jehovah Shalom, and that is why we know that He is the God of Peace, even before we experientially encounter His peace for ourselves too.

    When an encounter is stewarded, a “ladder” is created from earth towards Heaven where mere men can encounter God in the same light. Jacob thought his head was on a random stone, only to encounter God in the same physical location Abraham had encountered God. There is a protocol that allows everyone to walk in the reality of your encounter with God. By encountering you, we encounter the God who encountered you. There are certain assignments of God no man should dare touch until they have an encounter with God. Until you encounter God for yourself, He will remain the God of your fathers. When you encounter Him, He now becomes your God because you know Him personally.

    Today, we discussed Judges 6:13-24, hoping to continue yet again God willing next week. Kindly leave a comment and don’t forget to share to bless someone. Thank you

  • Gideon: Taking Back Territories for the Kingdom of God

    Has the enemy encroached on your land? Has evil taken over a territory? Has your nation become morally bankrupt? The United States moved from having global evangelical ministries and being the centrepiece of God’s endtime movement to not being able to define what a woman is when the woke virus infested the nation. The UK and many other European countries are now suffering from this moral decadence. It’s like Psalm 12 all over again. In countries like Ghana, inasmuch as there is still sin, the people involved in sin at least acknowledge their sinfulness and hide it from the public eye as much as possible. You know a territory is terrible when their definitions of moral objectivism is blurry and absurd. How do we take back territory for the Kingdom of God?

    Gideon was the fifth of the 12 Judges of Israel. It’s amazing that we have discussed 4 people so far; David, Nehemiah, Esther, Jehoshaphat (the fourth king of Judah) and we are now on the 5th Judge of Israel; Gideon, under the Warfare Strategies of the Kingdom of God series. You can follow by reading Judges 6 alongside this post for a better understanding. Let’s delve in!

    Legal Governance of Territories

    Just like in government, every territory has a ruler/governor who rules the place legally. By “legally”, I mean the powers are vested in that entity by the people themselves. It’s the same in the realms of the spirit. Every territory is ruled legally by whom the people choose as a cooperate body. Judges 6:1 shows that the people chose evil and did not want God to rule over them. Thus, there was a change in government; a handing over. The Bible is intentional about the choice of words. It clearly emphasizes that God delivered them into the hands of the Midianites. There was a change of hands. See, there are territories legally ruled by poverty (many places in Africa). There are those legally ruled by lust, like Vegas. Others are legally ruled by greed while others are ruled by filth. Note the word “legally”. God will not force Himself on anyone. It’s the will of the people that determines their ruler.

    The enemy now had an upper hand after the handing over, and decided to only attack their substance at the time of harvest. Every altar is powered by the sacrifices offered on it. Once a nation gives themselves to evil, there will be a rise in a particular vice as an offering to service that national altar. A rise in abortion, huh? Or a rise in suicide rates? A rise in obesity and health-related problems? Or a rise in political corruption? Sometimes, it’s a waste of time to try to solve symptoms when the underlying problem hasn’t been dealt with. The nation of Israel became greatly impoverished.

    Recognizing Patterns

    I have noticed that when the enemy gets the upper hand in a territory, people are not quick to realize. Perhaps, he kills an aunt by elephantiasis and no one realises it was him. Then two years later, he kills another aunt with the same disease but people brush it off as a coincidence. By the time it happens the third time, too much damage has already been done. The Midianites did not invade Israel randomly—they showed up only during harvest time. This was no coincidence; it was a diabolically calculated move to keep Israel impoverished. Judges 6:3-6 describes how the enemy would swoop in and take everything, leaving Israel with nothing.

    Israel, can’t you see that for the past 7 years, the Midianites only show up at harvest time? Can’t you see the negative pattern? Aren’t you aware of the diabolical trend? That is the “offerings” that the enemy comes to legally take as his dues for ruling over you. The enemy is wicked o. Meanwhile, if God asked for 10%, we will be grumbling. The enemy is taking 100% of all the produce. Sometimes the “dues” are that it doesn’t matter how much money anyone makes in the family, they will be poor; all their money will keep being used to pay for some strange unplanned expenses from time to time.

    The enemy is a thief but he makes sure that he steals from you by consent. He deceives you to get your consent and steals what rightfully belongs to you. How does a territory/family/community/nation break free? They must cry out to the LORD. I have seen people blame God for the problems the enemy caused because of their own decisions. Proverbs 19:3 says “there are some people who ruin their own lives and then blame it all on God”. Stop blaming God. Cry out to Him.

    How merciful God is; He heard their cry right away. However, here is the issue. It didn’t happen in a day when we chose evil instead of God and yet, we expect God to do magic in a day. God is all-Powerful and will deliver you the same day you call on Him. For sure! However, you have been masturbating or drinking or smoking half of your life; you have to go through an entire mental deliverance session. Your spirit is free but your mind needs to unlearn your old ways and that must take time. This is why the first thing He did was send forth His Word through prophet. Selah!

    The Gideon Strategy: A Sustainable Victory

    All this is part of the Gideon strategy. We want a quick fix but God wants a sustainable victory. God is about to take the least of this greatly impoverished nation and make him into a warrior who will rule the land for the Kingdom of God as long as he is alive. He will take the foolish things to always confound the wisdom of darkness. Surely, you are not more zealous than God to see your territory sane again. Trust His recovery plan. Your territory has to be transformed by the renewing of the mind because it conformed to the system of the world for long.

    Even Gideon himself was filled with bitterness and mediocrity when God encountered him. He was so greatly affected by the great impoverishment of the nation. How many people in corrupt countries think their countries will always be corrupt? Even the good people start to believe the lies. He called Gideon a mighty warrior, even though he saw himself as weak. God does not define us by our past or present circumstances—He defines us by His purpose for us.

    When you cried out to the LORD, He heard you immediately and work began behind the scenes. He sent a prophet with a message of God’s verdict and the hope of restoration. God told them that He has delivered them from the hands of Egypt before. Believe 100% in His track record and watch Him restore the territory to its former glory. God also made it clear that they brought this upon themselves because they didn’t obey His voice.

    God is justified in whatever decision He chooses to make but He decides to show them mercy by raising a Judge, and that is where He encountered Gideon in a winepress threshing wheat. Where you have a personal encounter with the LORD gives a clue about what He is about to do; He is about to thresh His people and consecrate their gain to Himself again. Also, never forget God’s choice of words in your encounter with Him.

    What we have discussed so far in 12 verses;
    1. Recognize the enemy’s legal hold over your territory. Evil gains power through the people’s choices.

    2. Understand the enemy’s strategy. Here, he attacked during harvest time to greatly impoverish the nation.

    3. Break the cycle by crying out to God. Stop blaming Him and start repenting.

    4. Trust in God’s track record. He has done it before and He will do it again.

    5. Embrace the Gideon Strategy. God’s plan is not a quick fix but a lasting transformation.

    If your family, community, or nation is under demonic oppression, God is looking for a Gideon. He is searching for someone He will raise up to tear down demonic altars and establish the Kingdom of God in that territory. Will you answer the call and let His Kingdom come on the territory as it is in Heaven?

    ….to be continued