To be honest, I have not given much thought to the Ukraine-Russia war. I have followed a few news reports about it just to stay abreast of what is going on. But I really wasn’t concerned or showing much interest in it, until recently.

Recently, something started bubbling up in my spirit concerning this conflict but for days I was not sure why. This gnawing in my spirit became so dominant that I finally had to stop, after being awoken out of sleep around 11 p.m. last night, and prayed to God about this disturbance that was in my spirit concerning this war conflict. What is it that God wanted to speak?

For about an hour I tossed and turned in bed trying to go back to sleep. When I realized I was not going to get any sleep not unless I allowed God to speak to me concerning this matter and whatever was on His heart. So, I asked God, "what is it? What is it that you are trying to show me that I am not understanding or even ignoring?" It was then that I felt led to go read the next chapter in my Bible reading in the book of Judges. So, it was then that I got up, headed downstairs to my home office, and sat at my desk to read Judges chapter 11.
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I usually do not take notes while I am reading my Bible, just for the purpose of reading. But the moment I sat down, I felt compelled to take notes while I read this chapter. As I read, the following was released in my spirit. 

In verse one, we are introduced to Jephthah, the son of Gilead. In his community, Jephthah was known for two things. He was considered a mighty (great, valiant, brave) warrior within the nation of Israel. He was also known as an illegitimate child of his father because he was not the son of his father’s wife. Jephthah was the son of a prostitute (Judges 11:1). As a result of this illegitimate ancestry, when Jephthah and his brothers grew up, his brothers rejected Jephthah, to prevent him from inheriting their father’s inheritance and forced Jephthah to leave his family’s home (Judges 11:2). What a betrayal.

So, at the hands of Jephthah’s brothers and the leaders of Gilead, Jephthah flees his home and leaves his rightful post. Once he departed from his home, he ends up in a city called Tob. And there a caravan of men joined him and willing submitted themselves to the leadership and authority of Jephthah (Judges 11:3).

Some time passes and the nation of Ammon rose against the Israelites to fight against them (Judges 11:4). During the invasion, the Israelites did not have a worthy leader in command that was able to successfully lead them against the Ammonites. There was not one mighty warrior in their camp that was able to deal with and overthrow the Ammonites. So, the leaders of Gilead gathered among themselves and decided that they needed to send out a search party for Jephthah, in order to convince him to return to his homeland to fight and rescue them from the hands of the Ammonites (Judges 11:5).

Now, we have to remember a few months earlier, the people of Gilead and its leaders wanted Jephthah out of their region despite his giftings, calling, or abilities. At the time, the value of Jephthah’s brothers’ inheritance was more worthy to them, than the purpose of Jephthah’s position, role, and status in his family, in his city, or in God’s Kingdom. When the Gileadites failed Jephthah by rejecting him and forcing him to leave his post. The nation was rejecting the appointment of God that was serving a greater purpose for God’s nation and its people. By rejecting Jephthah and forcing him to flee, they could not see at that time the impact that decision would have on their future – the sudden attack by the Ammonites. It was not until later that they came to see and understand the value Jephthah actual was to their people and nation. Therefore, they were desperate for the return of this brave and mighty warrior to his proper place in his father’s home to fight for their nation and lead them to victory against the Ammonites. 
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Now that God’s people were desperate. They needed a deliverer to deliver them from the hands of the Ammonites. But would Jephthah agree to return or would he leave God’s people to their own self-destructive fate?

So, we see in verse 6 of Judges chapter 11 that the leaders of Gilead plead with Jephthah to come back and lead his people against the Ammonites. Now, I find it interesting how the Gileadites had no use for Jephthah when it seemed to them that everything was going well for them. When it appeared they had no enemies – no major conflict before them. But at the moment, when their enemies rise against the nation of Israel and they had no fearless leader in place to stand up and lead the people against the brutal threats and attacks or a leader who could led them into war. They had no choice but to search for the one capable leader that they unitedly ran off because they felt that Jephthah was not worthy based on his 
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​So, how did Jephthah respond to the Gilead’s leader's request? Verse 7 said that he asked the Gilead leaders

Y’all know where I am about to go with this? We, as the people of God, far too often do things 

​So, it is wise to ask oneself. If Jephthah’s brothers and the Gilead leaders did not run Jephthah off when they did, for the reason they did, would they find themselves in the plight they were facing? Would the Ammonites feel confident enough to threaten or attack the Israelites knowing, Jephthah, who was known as a brave warrior in the region was there leading the nation of Israel?
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We, the people, have to learn not to only look at things from a position of what we think is for our advantage or in our best interest for us as the people. But we must learn to always and in everything inquire of the LORD. Seriously inquire of the LORD about people and decisions we need to make before making them. For the one person or thing, we are about to reject may be what or who we need to save our souls or to prevent or deliver our nation from unwanted threats or attacks. 

Now, I must go there. Consider the current plight of this nation. Since the illegitimate appointment of Joe Biden as president, Kamala Harris as vice president, and Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the US House of Representatives, this country has plummeted at a rate that is unexplainable in all spheres of influence – i.e. government, religion, education, finance, healthcare, border crisis, media, military and security, etc. We, these United States, have no true political clout, power, or authority. We have no real leadership that is truly able to lead this nation through its current crisis. This country, like the nation of Israel, needs a savior, that is, a deliverer to save it from its fallen and miserable state and condition.

Now, we have to understand that God is capable and is well able to rescue us from our pitiful state. That is not an issue for Him. Other than that, God will always honor the provisions and orders in which He has put in place. He will not go against the establishment of things, laws, and orders that He has put in place for our benefit and to maintain order and structure in the universe. In establishing order, God gave to the sons of man the responsibility to care for the earth and all of its affairs. (See Genesis 1:28; 2:15; Psalm 115:16). Therefore, God is not quick to intervene in the affairs of man on the earth. For He has given them the responsibility to rightly govern over the affairs of mankind. But men – out of their want, selfishness, lack of understanding, ignorance, and lack of discipline to include God in their decision making, have steward over the things of the earth and the things of God poorly. As a result, God had to raise delivers among mankind to rescue themselves from themselves.
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In the case of the nation of Israel in chapter 11 of the book of Judges, the one that the Gilead leaders had rejected – Jephthah, was the one that God decided to use and raise him as their leader to get them out of the mess that they, the people, had created for themselves. 

We need to seriously evaluate ourselves as a people and as a nation (2 Corinthians 3:15). We need to determine if the decisions we have made truly align with what God is doing in this season? Does it align with what God wants not only for this nation but for His Church? Do we really have the right leaders in place? Are the right leaders fully operating as leaders over this nation, in authorized positions (posts) in the Church as God desires (1 Corinthians 12:11)? Are the right men and women fully granted their God-giving right to operate in their gifts and callings for the betterment of the Church and its people as God has appointed? (1 Corinthians 12:18, 24) Or have we the people of these United States, that is God’s people, have rejected who and what God needs in this season like the brothers of Jephthah?

 Now, the Scriptures do not tell us whether Jephthah’s brothers and the nations’ leaders ever repented from rejecting Jephthah. Obviously, considering the circumstances, they found themselves without an able leader that can lead them in their distressful situation. Their decision to force (vote) Jephthah out of their territory was a very bad decision on their part. As a result, the one man they threw away was the one man they needed the most in their time of crisis. 

But the lesson we can learn is that Gilead leaders were wise enough to recognize their graven error, the dumb decision they made concerning Jephthah. They were wise enough to set aside their pride and to plead with the one man that could rescue them. The one man that God was backing and appointed for such a time as this.
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As you read the remaining verses of Judges chapter 11, we see that God did deliver His people once again through the hands of His anointed mighty warrior, Jephthah, whom the people had originally rejected (Judges 11:29-33).

This nation and its people, especially its Church’s leaders need to repent. It needs to set aside its pride and recognize those God is calling. Those that God is calling to the front line of service in this season. God has chosen a new set of leaders to lead His people in such spheres as government, church, business, healthcare, military, education, media, etc. There is a new breed of men and women from all walks of life that God has called forth to lead His people.

Just as Moses recognized the time and change in season, he graciously and humbly took Joshua under his wing for one distinct purpose. To pass on his authority and leadership over to Joshua. So that, Joshua could lead God’s people onto the battlefield. So that Joshua and with the Church behind him could rightly subdue and take possession of what rightly belongs to God and to God’s people.
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We are in a season where we the people must relinquish our rights and get behind the will of the Father and what He is doing in this season and with whom He is doing it through. So that we the people can safely pass through, in this season, under the right set of leaders that the LORD has chosen for such a time as this. 

​There is a difference between crying out to the LORD and crying out to the LORD. Let me explain but let's first establish a few things about God and His relationship with His people through the account in the book of Judges.
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In the book of Judges, did we see the above things take place with Israel? Well, after the death of Joshua, God’s people lose their way, and God had to raise judges to deliver His people from their enemies. But the people, God’s people “did not listen to their judges….” They choose to openly sin, and live a debauchery lifestyle. The book of Judges puts it this way. They choose to “played the harlot after other gods and bowed themselves down to them” (Judges 2:16-17). In other words, they prostituted, pimped themselves out to other gods, customs, celebrations, and things that were not of God. They celebrated the same things that the people of the nations were doing and abandoning any and everything God called them to give honor to or celebrate (remember).

Therefore, God could not continue to protect, bless, and show His people favor due to their behavior, their sin. Whenever God removes Himself from the midst of His people, this always leads to God turning His face away from them, removing His protective hands from upon them. Resulting in their enemies coming in and plundering them. Verse 14 says it this way. “… Then the anger of the LORD turns against Israel, and He (God) gave them (God’s people – the Israelites) into the hands of the plunderers (God’s people enemies) …. Why? Because of their actions, their behaviors, their sins, their disobedience.

Like it or not. This is God’s way, His justice when we are completely in the wrong and refuses to repent, refuses to turn away from our, not His, but our wicked ways. When we refuse to listen to the voices of His chosen vessels. When we choose to outright disobey the commandments of the LORD – breaking our covenant individually, as a family, as a congregation, or as a nation with the LORD. God will respond with justice and judgment (Judges 2:14-15).
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The purpose of God’s judges was to deliver His people from those who plundered them. But the problem became for Israel was this. 

This is a good place to talk about my opening statement. “There is a difference between crying out to the LORD and crying out to the LORD.”

Let’s turn to Judges chapter 6, verse 6. As we read Judges chapter 6, we see God’s people, the Israelites, fall back into their vicious sin cycle. It says in verse 1, “… the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD.” Of course, this eventually leads to God’s judgment upon His people, which leads to the Midian plundering everything they had for seven years (Judges 6:1-5). So, what did the Israelites do? After much persecution, they begin to cry out to the LORD to deliver them from the hands of their enemy the Midianites. But here is the problem with their outcry.
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The reason why they keep recycling into old sinful habits, behaviors, customs, traditions, and practices – make sure you get this. THEIR CRIES WASN’T ONE OF REPENTANCE. No. They were not truly repenting from the heart to God. (Compare to Psalm 51:17). They just wanted the persecution, the oppression by their enemies to stop. Their cries to the LORD were due to their anguish toward the Midianites and what the Midian were doing to God’s people. They were not crying out to God because they truly realize they have sinned against a mighty and just God. (Compare to 2 Corinthians13:5). They were mad and fed up with their poverty-stricken state, their losses, their insecurities, and their life of normalcy being taking away. They wanted to go back to what was normal. Therefore, they wanted God to put an end to the Midianites' tyranny. Because the condition and the position of their hearts were not right, God had to remind them of why they were in the situation they were in the first place. Was it because He had failed them or because He was incapable of protecting and taking care of His people? Certainly not! Their condition, their plight was the way it was with the Midianites because of their own historical records, their own accounts, their own deeds, their own actions. (See Judges 6:8-10). 

Simply put. We all are no different from the Israelites. We constantly recycle old sinful habits, behaviors, practices, worldly celebrations, and customs. Serving and worshipping all kinds of false gods and idols and altars by being part of such things of the world that God has not called us to do. We change the names of many of these customs and practices and habits and behaviors and worldly celebrations and customs in order to make them seem to be more acceptable to the LORD. Yet, not one of these things can be found in the Old nor the New Testament of God’s Word. Other than being linked to the historical records of such gods as Baal or Asherah, etc., in some form or way. We simply glazed over these matters as if they are small and do not matter to a Living and Mighty God who calls for complete obedience and exclusive worship.

Yet, we the people, are choosing to mix the ways of the world with our worship of God, in order to fit in with a pagan society and call it exclusive worship. How cynical.

We have forsaken our first love and call evil good and good evil. And yet, God, out of His love, grace, and mercy, raises voices that speak about such matters from the throne of God – from His nature and His heart so that His people can be delivered. And yet, just like the Israelites in the book of Judges, God’s chosen people. Today, God’s people will not listen to His voices. Instead, they continue to do what is right in his or her own eyes. Resulting in God’s people sinning to a point of no return and provoking God’s anger. And therefore, in His righteous anger, He must respond. He must shake His house. And what does not or no longer belongs must fall out. But what is sorrowful from the heart, will remain.
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