Boqer Or (Good Morning Light)!

Shalom Friends and Fellow Asymmetrical Warriors,

Wonderful downloads of precious manna for you’all this morning!  I was up early in the midst of the Shahar blackness and a pure stream suddenly opened up and infused me not only with new technical battle strategies for here in the Middle East, but also a strengthened battle resolve to keep pressing offensively against the gates of hell!  The violent take it by force (Matthew 11:12) and we must seize and occupy till the next wave of breakthroughs arrive!

For some these above words are too much stress to take on since their spiritual strength is waning and the storms of life are pressing in like never before.  I have talked to many as of late and they are just hanging on while being worn down systematically by wave after wave of assaults from the enemy.  The enemy has cruelly crushed the dreams and aspirations of many this year and many sense they are rudderless in a agitated sea of turmoil…with no end in sight!  Secret despair and disappointment have been settling in because the appointed time has come and gone without the much anticipated breakthroughs happening. Therefore, the idea to keep enduring and hanging on for a longer stretch of time by faith is not only less attractive, but the carnal options to co-exist with the “problems” have taken on a more comfortable and livable solution!  The fight of many has been bled out and I can see this trend in the thousands of emails asking for direction that are in my email inbox right now!  We are in a war of attrition that we must step up and win in this late hour!

…OK, let’s now open up the valve and let the hydration for our souls flow in and flush out all the spiritual lactic acid build up!  Now is the time to get re-invigorated for what lies ahead!

In Ephesians 6:11 we can see that the Apostle Paul employs the military term “to stand” as an example for the believers to keep holding a critical position in the battlefield of their sectors of responsibility.  This term according to the Linguistic Key to The Greek New Testament is also used to indicate either “to take over” or “to hold a watch post,” before the actual battle begins and the use of the imperative tense of this term is not an invitation but rather a direct command to take immediate action without delay.

Now what is all the rush here in the context of this beautiful Epistle written to the Church in Ephesus that unveils so much of the redemptive mystery of Messiah towards us in making Gentile and Jew a one new man?  Why are there such technical military terms employed by the Holy Spirit via the pen of the Apostle Paul at the end of this General Epistle that we need to be so acutely aware of in this hour?   

  1. Our struggle in this hour is not against people (i.e. flesh and blood) but against the entire gamut of spiritual wicked forces.  It is a colossal battle against unseen spiritual powers that have already been defeated at Calvary.  However, are still very energized to fight since they know their time is short (Eph. 6:12; Rev. 12).
  2. This struggle is also defined by Paul as being a hand-to-hand wrestling match that is characterized by trickery, cunningness, and strategy.  The schemes of our enemy are easily implemented against those who are naive and not alert in this 911 hour.
  3. To quail our mortal foe we must be properly clothed in God’s own amour which is found in Eph. 6:10-19; but also is directly related to Israel’s salvation in the flashflood event of Isaiah 59:16-20.  His armor is not just to fight your local battle but also the macro battle for Israel’s salvation in these last days!

Now what is the key to this success that all the items above hinge upon?  If you go back and read the big picture of Ephesians 6 you will see that we are enjoined to stand firm and persevere!  What is perseverance?  …Something personally severe!  It is a situation that can become your tombstone or stepping stone to the next phase of your life.  We are enjoined to have all perseverance (vs. 18) and this is tied directly to our ability to endure and keep going forward with a constancy of purpose.  Benjamin Disraeli, the former Prime Minister of England during the reign of Queen Victoria summed it up so precisely when he said,  “The secret to success is the constancy of purpose”. 

Think upon this statement as a fresh new tactic in your battlefield situation…instead of spending so much time and energy looking and searching for the breakthrough, instead re-calibrate yourself to conserve your energy to stay focused on enduring for the long haul.  Set your face like flint to wear down the assault instead of the assault wearing you down!  Stay constant and consistent to hold your ground through endurance instead of becoming disappointed when your appointment from God doesn’t come on your time table!  I really believe the key to success in this hour is to recalibrate ourselves for a race of endurance instead of a speedy 100 meter dash.  The race of endurance not only wears the enemy out but also refines our character and teaches us what the love walk is really all about…Love is patient and can endure all things (I Cor. 13:4-8)!

Therefore, the secret to success is this mystery of endurance (patience) fight of long suffering that is the watch post position on the battlefield that keeps us from being taken by the enemy’s schemes of cunning trickery.  It is the necessary preparation that is looked for by IDF commanding officers when they draft young soldiers for special tactical units.  This suffrage of constancy is so rare that it is described by Peter as the precious gold of our faith
(I Peter 1:6-25) and it is the very attribute that all the angles of heaven long to catch a glimpse into (vs. 12).  This mystery of perseverance is also the prerequisite for the true walk of holiness (1:13-16) and is what purifies us to be able to truly love another fervently from the heart in agape not just phileo friendship love (vs. 22)!

Keep the gate open and let this IV of hydration permeate your precious lives this day.  We love you and have very fond memories of you’all on the other side of this planet as we continue to wage the good fight here in the Middle East.

In His love and service,

Scott and Dalit