TUESDAY, APRIL 7
Scripture: Acts 5:1-11

Peter learned firsthand that restraining evil had a very difficult side. He had to announce the grinding of powder over two people who refused to fall on the Rock. Those two people, one at a time, were first Ananias, and then his wife, Sapphira. Peter did not shrink from representing the Judicial Christ. But he fully followed the Holy Spirit. When we sign on to Christianity, we sign on to kat-ekh-o/keeping what is good and not letting it go, and we sign on to directing the Rock that falls and grinds to powder those who refuse to first fall on it themselves. How far are we willing to go with the Lord in the last days? Current events make very clear that we had better be prepared to go all the way. Whether it is martyrdom because it is what the Holy Spirit has ordained, or the announcing of grinding evil to powder. Fully following the Lord means we must be prepared for either one, knowing full well that those who try to take out our life may have just signed up to have theirs taken. And how many times will radical extremists kill the innocent until the judgment of God destroys them? We do not have the answer, but we do know this – judgment will destroy them. Jesus made it clear that those who live by the sword will die by the sword. If led by the Spirit, we should be praying it over every militant jihadist. And when one sheds innocent blood, the promise is that God will shed theirs unless there is repentance. When led by the Spirit, pray that every member demonic radical groups who sheds innocent blood be ground to powder! If we are going to pray judicially, we must make sure we have walked in the whole way of the Lord and done righteousness. Otherwise the fire we call down will fall on our own lives first. This is walking in righteousness. Kat-ekh-o means we are called to hold fast to what is good and we are called to restrain evil. But kat-ekh-o has to be applied by the Spirit. That is how we have to live our whole lives – by the Spirit. Just because we recognize evil does not mean we pray judicially. We only pray judicially when we are prompted by the Spirit, but always hold fast to what is good. Only the Holy Spirit can lead us in the application of kat-ekh-o.