Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you. Proverbs 3:28.
Today your LORD (יהוה) God (אלהים) says:
Today I will be addressing two lies of the devil that cause procrastination and vegetation, and the solution, which is participation.
There is a lie of the devil that appeals to people because it puts things off to the future but does not say that they are not going to do them—just later. It is the lie of procrastination about doing the works I prepared for you in advance that you might walk in them, and it goes along these lines, “You can serve God later when you have more time.”
For many people this means after they retire, after their children are all grown up and out of the house, after their parents die, after they finish the project at work, after they have saved up plenty of money, after they have finished school, and a multitude of other excuses of why you have no time now.
That thought is not from Me. You can serve Me at any time, anywhere, and any season you are in right where you are. If you are working, work as unto Me and be a light of excellence and integrity and tithe and share with those in need. If you are raising children teach them how to fight the good fight of faith and win over the devil every time. If you are at school, be diligent, kind, helpful, and respectful, letting your light shine attracting people to Me and My Word. Witness for Me there wherever you are. Be a godly example to your friends and so not join in their immorality. If you are caring for your aged parents do it to lead them to Me and do it with honor and cheerfully. Ask Me the best way and the answers for your projects at work and let Me amaze your co-workers and boss through you. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing and give constant thanks. Be My ambassador at home, at work, at school, and even in the market.
And what you hear Me directing you to do and to share, do that.
Be a prophet for Me. That means to encourage, edify, and exhort in accordance with My Words and precepts, right where you are. And be an intercessor in prayer.
When I called Jeremiah to be My prophet to the nations, I told him I had called him before I formed him in his mother’s womb. But do you remember what he answered? That he was too young and would do it later when he was older and knew how to speak with more maturity. Jeremiah 1:6. I did not accept that. I answered, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you.” Jeremiah 1:7-8. And Jeremiah never said he was too young again. He became My prophet. He fell in love with My Word that I shared with him and he found out that he really was formed in his mother’s womb for his glorious assignment. And you are still reading the Words I gave him today. What if he had put off My call?
Jeremiah only had a short window of time to do his assignment, for he lived just before the conquest of Jerusalem by Babylon. I always try to warn you, correct you, protect you and deliver you, telling you of things to come by My Spirit, but My people refused to listen to and do what I told them would save them through My prophet Jeremiah.
They could have avoided being defeated and their city destroyed, even the beautiful temple where they worshipped Me, if they had only listened and recognized their visitation of merciful love. But they were too busy enriching themselves at others’ expense and building up their mansions and their savings unjustly by not forgiving debts or letting slaves go free in shabbat and jubilee years. And they stopped worshipping Me and keeping My laws. And yet they thought the enemy could not touch them because of the Covenant Moses and their ancestors had with Me. But they broke it and refused My jurisdiction.
Jeremiah told them exactly what would happen if they did not repent and change their minds to agree with My Law but they hardened their hearts to Me and went the way the devil had planned for them.
They were even more stubborn then My people who I brought out of Egypt who refused to take the Promised Land according to My Word and procrastinated forty years in the desert. They never went in and enjoyed sweet victory, but their children did. I finally had to tell them they had gone around the same mountain over and over again long enough and it was time to move forward and take possession of their possessions that I had already given them but they had to reach out to take them and not just stay wandering in the wilderness around the same mountain. You speak to mountains and take them out of the way, you do not keep circling them until you have more time.
Jesus had a three year window to conduct His public ministry, which He walked with great purpose and diligence to finish the work I gave Him to do. And He called people to follow Him, but they often had excuses to put it off and in procrastinating they missed the time of their visitation. For not too many years after Jesus was crucified the Romans came in and leveled the city, and all the people who had been so very busy found all they were busy about gone. They were captured and scattered abroad.
Then they had time on their hands but Jesus was not present in the same way. They still could have joined His body the church. Your gifts and calling are irrevocable, so if you ever choose to get on track they are there for you, but it would not be quite the same as walking with Him for those three years He had been available to them on earth, but they were too busy, or at least thought they were, at the first call.
Another of the disciples said to Him, “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and allow the dead to bury their own dead.” Matthew 8:21-22.
What you keep putting off will likely never happen.
Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,” when you have it with you. Proverbs 3:28.
You know not the day or the hour My Son will return. And when He comes it would be good if He found you busy about My business, which you can make your own business and profit thereby. Fruitful and much fruit comes when you are attached to the Vine. Jesus.
I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. John 15:5.
For Behold, now is “the acceptable time,” behold, now is “the day of salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2.
“A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ Luke 14:16-20.
Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what My Will is. Redeem the time.
Be like the tree planted with its roots tapping into underground rivers of living water, its leaves never fade and it is fruitful and prosperous all the time, even in times of drought.
Another facet of this lie of devil is not just you are putting off serving Me to the future but putting off receiving what you already have until the future. That is, are you saying you will receive it, but sometime in the future. This is vegetation, that is, to vegetate where you are. Camp at the mountain and never move it out of your way but just keep saying it will move later.
And this is the lie, “You are waiting on God to give you what you need before you can go forward.” This includes your healing, forgiveness, pulling you out of the pit, your victory over the devil, the plan for your life, your provision, your prosperity, and all of My other magnificent promises. This leads to begging, and waiting for Me to do something that I have already done and to give you things I already gave you that you could have immediately but you are waiting for Me to hand them to you again as if you cannot take them yourself.
Have you not noticed? I speak things as done already, not that they will come to you, but that they have already come. And I do this because they already have. When Jesus came, everything became “yes” and “now” for you. It is done.
Let Me show you and you will understand. Do not be waiting for what you already have, be taking possession of it NOW. For NOW faith is the substance (title deed) of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.
Listen now to just some of the things you already have and have now.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who HAS BLESSED us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He CHOSE us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. Ephesians 1:3-4.
You already have every spiritual blessing in Heaven as your own. Come with confidence to My throne and receive mercy and find grace just when you need it. You take it. It is yours. This is participation. I have given you the Kingdom.
Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has chosen gladly to give you the kingdom. Luke 12:32.
And with respect to healing, which so many of you need and are waiting and “believing” for but never see it as already yours.
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24.
You WERE healed. And you are healed. Isaiah 53:5; Psalm 103:3. I SENT My Word and HEALED you and delivered your from all destruction. Psalm 107:20.
NOW is the day of Salvation. NOW there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1. I HAVE forgiven you all your sins. Ephesians 4:32. Your sins and offenses I remember NO MORE. Hebrews 10:17.
My Spirit shares with your spirit what I have already freely given you.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God. 1 Corinthians 2:12.
And whoever eats His flesh and drinks His blood HAS eternal life. Now.
I love you. What are you waiting for? It is time you opened your heart and received what I have given you in Christ. Everything. Begin to run your race, the time is short, the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. And death and life are in the hand of your tongue. Faith speaks NOW.