A CHALLENGE TO ARISE 1

“And when these lepers came to the utter-most part of the camp, they went into one tent and did eat and drink, and carried thence silver, and gold, and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent, and carried thence also, and went and hid it. Then they said one to another, We do not well: this day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace: if we tarry till the morning light some mischief will come upon us: now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household. So they came and called unto the porter of the city, and they told them, saying, We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of men, but horses tied, and asses tied and the tents as they were. And they called the porters; and they told it to the king's house within…” 2 Kings 7:8-11 KJV

When God lends you a key into divine intervention, to salvation, joy, and His power, a key to his Word, there is a responsibility that He expects of you. When those lepers came to the uttermost part of the camp and discovered there was no man, they went into one tent, ate and drank and carried from it silver and gold and raiment and went and hid them. They again entered another tent and carried things from there also and went and hid them. They continued in the same cycle until God lent them wisdom. As God gave them this wisdom, may God also open your eyes so that you may know what could prevent your joy, provision, and breakthrough from turning into emptiness.

God wants to lend you the principle of continuous growth, prosperity, expansion, and joy that will never end. Imagine what they started doing when they stumbled on abundance: they ate and drank, collected silver, gold, and raiment and hid them. Does that describe the summary of your activities? They ate, they drank; they carried gold, silver and raiment never to bless anybody else with them but to hide them in the bush! Did they ever imagine when they were going to spend the things they were hiding? You could have some good things you have been hiding and waiting for the opportunity to use while there are people who have the need for them now. It could even be some wonderful messages or songs that could have blessed lives; yet, you are keeping them for a time you do not know.

Maybe you are waiting for an opportunity to glorify self. Where would these lepers go when everybody in the city would have died of hunger? Where will the joy be? Beauty is not in the eyes of the person who is dressed up but in the eyes of the beholder, those that are watching. Have you ever imagined the agony of having a very beautiful dress when nobody is there to admire it?

As long as you have no vision to share your life, you are just like a mere pendulum repeating yourself, doing the same thing over and over again. Without a vision for sharing and pouring out your life, you become a pendulum Christian. It does not matter your excitement, it will amount to nothing.

Culled from GLEANINGS..."A weekly Devotional" by Gbile Akanni

Do Not Be Like Demas

Losing a friend can cause a lot of pain especially one who has labored with you and shared your vision. Such was the case of Paul the apostle. There was a man who labored with him called Demas who forsook him at a time when Paul needed him the most. 

The bible records in 2 Tim 4:10 that “Demas forsook Paul, having loved this present world and has departed to Thessalonica.” Prior to this, he was mentioned in Col 4v14 and Phil v 24 as a fellow labourer with Paul and the other servants of God.

This shows that he had a good start; he began with the right foot. Just like many of us today. Like Demas, many people today started well, they loved the Lord with all their heart, they labored for the Kingdom of God, obeyed His word and followed him wholehearted. And it seemed like they would continue on that same path. 

For the apostle Paul, he too would probably have thought so about Demas. He would have thought he found someone who would run the race with him and finish strong, someone who will continue to fight the good fight of faith even after he may have gone; someone like Timothy but it wasn’t to be so with Demas.

The bible says, he loved this present world and departed to Thessalonica. The tragedy of Demas reminds us again that “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning thereof” (Eccl 7v8). Many begin well but sadly end bad. Some begin on the narrow path that leads to eternal life but end on the wide path that leads to hell. How possible is this?

The bible says in the book of 1 John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. So why couldn’t Demas continue with Paul? Because the love of the Father had departed from his heart. Anyone who has the love of this world abiding in his heart, the love of the Father cannot abide in that same heart.

It is sad that such a great opportunity with the promise of eternal reward was exchanged for the things that are passing away. For the bible says, “for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes, and the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world and the world is passing away and the lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:16)

Demas exchanged the love of the Father for the love of the world. He found the fleeting and transient pleasures of the world more appealing than suffering for Christ. He chose comfort over hardship, he chose the broad way over the narrow path. Are the pressures of this present world tugging at your heart? Do you see it shameful to suffer for Christ and be persecuted for your belief in Him? Do you think the way of the Lord is too stringent for you and it allows no room for compromise? Take heed to what the bible says in Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Many today in the body of Christ are loving this present world and drifting to the wide gate. They are loving the fame, glamour and applaud of this present world; they are substituting the standard of Christ for the standard of the world, they are loving the lifestyle and dictates of this present world, they are choosing the lies of the devil over the undiluted word of God which says, “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.” (James 4v4). Jesus made it clear without mincing words in Mark 8v34 “Whoever desires to come after me let him deny himself, carry his cross and follow me.” This is what qualifies anyone to be his disciple and makes a Christian because “not everyone who calls him Lord, Lord, will enter into His Kingdom but those who do the will of the Father” (Matt.7:21). 

This is a great lesson to every believer in the body of Christ. Although we may start well, begin under the leadership of some of the prominent men of God, go to the biggest of churches, serve in the choir or evangelism department, our names may be mentioned in various Christian circles (which are all good and worthy of note) but we sometimes forget that the adversary is still going about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour and we fail to guard our heart with all diligence. “Let he that thinketh he stand take heed lest he falls” (1 Cor 10v12). We must nonetheless continue to “work out our own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2v12).

Paul started on the wrong part, an unlikely candidate for such things as were done through him by the grace and Spirit of God. He killed and persecuted the disciples of Jesus until the day he had an encounter with Jesus. He writes in Philippians 3:7-8, “but what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ.”

The apostle was not looking to gain the world, he was not looking to gain the riches and wealth of this present world, he was not looking to be remembered as a great scholar or anything of human significance, one thing and one thing only did he live and die for as he boldly declared in verse 10, “that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being conformed to his death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 

What a contrast between Demas and Paul. How many of us have departed from the fold of faith, having loved this present world, having bowed our hearts and bent our knees to the worldly pleasures and departed to Thessalonica. How many of us have abandoned our first love and returned to Egypt or Babylon, a land of fading glory which will soon be perish?

Choose you this day whom you will serve! Today we have an option to choose the way of Demas who started well and in the midst of the right congregation, but left and returned to the world. Or the way of Paul, who left everything and laid down his very own life for the Master, not minding the pain and persecution that he may at the end receive the crown of righteousness. 

Choose you this day, the love of the world or the love or the Father. Remember no one can serve two masters.

Thoughts In Check

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8) 

The apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Philippi to think on good things. Applying this Biblical truth to my life helps me manage my thoughts and keeps negative thinking at bay. When my thoughts are kept in check, I can keep my focus on Jesus and have His peace. 

As Christ-followers, we must give close attention to our thoughts. What we choose to dwell on can shape our lives for better or for worse. Bad thoughts can lead to bad actions, but good thoughts can help us prosper. Our thoughts are powerful and can even affect our health and well-being. Dwelling on our circumstances or replaying hurtful memories can take the joy out of life. When we fix our thoughts on Jesus, our problems become less magnified, and our hope is renewed. 

We live in a fallen world that encourages wrong thinking. If bad thoughts pop into the mind, we can reject them and replace them with good thoughts. We can refuse to dwell on thoughts that bring us down rather than build us up. Filling our minds with God’s Word is our best defense against wrong thinking. When we trust Jesus and keep our thoughts on Him, we can live a life that is full and filled with His peace and joy. 

Father, thank You for practical Biblical truths that, when applied to my life, help me in my walk with Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Written by Susan Ferguson

Living With Eternity In View

An excerpt from the book titled “LIVING WITH ETERNITY IN VIEW” by Gbile Akanni

Until a man understands the meaning of eternity, he will not be able to prepare for it properly. This world is passing away with everything in it. This world and your condition in it will end one day. But eternity has to do with permanence. It is not measured in terms of time or change. In eternity there is constancy, permanence and consistency. When you step into eternity, you step into what is unchangeable. Your condition can neither improve nor depreciate.

Living in this world is but a step or passage into eternity. Every man is given a chance to live in this world where change can occur so that he can by himself make a choice of his placement in eternity where there will be no change. So, all the years of your existence in this world is to give you an opportunity to make a choice of your placement in eternity.

Eternity is infinity. Once a man steps into eternity, he cannot change his choice. He cannot change anything. It is in this unchangeable state that every man must remain once he enters eternity. The choice that determines your placement in eternity is not made in eternity. It has to be made in time in this life. Living in this world is the only opportunity you have to determine your placement in eternity. Once you step into eternity, you cannot change your mind, location or choice. Choices are not made there. The moment you step over into eternity, you automatically lose your power of choice. Any choice you do not make while you are here on earth can never, ever be made again.

Eternity is the final everlasting state into which everyone is going to enter. The truth is that you are already making a choice of what your eternity will look like, by what you are doing now. You hold the pen in your hand, and you are busy day by day, though unconsciously, writing the script of your eternity.

God does not want us to wake up on the other side in eternity, full of regrets. That is why He graciously speaks to us about eternity in His word now in the realm of time. If you enter into eternity with regret, you will forever live to regret it. If you enter into eternity with a sense of unfinished assignment, you will forever keep living with that sense of unfinished assignment. There is no programme for making up for your deficiency in eternity. It is given to man once to die, and after that, judgment.

My understanding of judgment here is placement in eternity. And that placement is an eternal placement. No promotion in eternity. Promotion is only possible here on earth. Once you enter into eternity, there is no promotion, no growth, no advancement and no regression.

You must strive to secure a correct placement for yourself in eternity no matter the cost. This is the wise thing to do rather than to get involved in self-indulgence on earth only to face eternity in hell fire. Whatever could cause you to sin, you must cut it off. It is better to enter into life maimed or crippled than to enter eternity on the side of hell. If there were no eternity, we would not need to put ourselves under any pressure of holy living. The time we have now is just to determine where to step into in eternity. Anything that will hinder me from eternity in God’s kingdom is not actually worth keeping in this world. My two feet may be useful to me here, but if they endanger my place in eternity, it is better to be crippled now and with one foot, make the right place in eternity. Remember in eternity you enter into permanence. You enter into a world without end.

The brief time you spend here is only to position you in eternity. Whatever I do at each point here on earth has an eternal consequence. It is only in eternity that it will be played back. Each of my actions and choices here on earth will serve to either jeopardize or enhance my position in eternity, so, when we talk about living for eternity we are talking about your choices that will position you properly in eternity.

Every day here on earth is like a point on an elongated line which reaches eternity. Each omission places an eternal, irreplaceable gap in my life in eternity. Living for eternity means living and making choices that will position you properly in eternity. It means living with eternity in view. Labouring for eternity means doing things here on earth that will have an everlasting positive or negative reward. Actually everything a man does here on earth, whether good or bad has an eternal component to it. It is possible for a man to squander all that eternity could hold for him within a short time.

Most people misunderstand eternity. We think eternity is far away but it is just one step away from here. There is just but a step between life and death. How will you give account of the days you spent in what has no relevance in eternity? If your life is not yet right with God, you must pause here for a sober reflection and prayer. Do you know anything in your life that places you on the wrong side in eternity forever? You will do yourself a lot of eternal good if you take your stand and deal with it. The things that you enjoy today that make you make wrong choices in life, will become a terrible offence to you in eternity.

You must repent before you cross the line to the other side where repentance is impossible. You know what you are involved in, that is secretly eating up your life, and pushing you towards a sorrowful eternity. Take your stand, be bold and cut it off.

Why You Must Never Stop Looking Into The Mirror

As a lady, one of the things I can’t help doing is looking into the mirror to see how I look. Even though my husband says am already beautiful without make up, I still cannot help but double check. Apart from checking myself in the mirror from head to toe to see if am all set and nothing is missing, the mirror also points out the little acne that is fast growing on the side of my cheek or for those that are older, a line of wrinkle at the corner of their eyes. 

The mirror is such a critical tool that is found in most houses, offices and even public toilets. You cannot go for an interview without spending extra time in the mirror just to see if you are looking your best. If you are going for a date, even as a guy who rarely checks the mirror, this special occasion will most definitely prompt you to take a look at yourself in the mirror, I mean you don’t want to show up in front of the lady you are hoping will be the ‘one’ looking awkward. Most women have a little mirror in their purses and men who value how they look will most likely check out themselves in the mirror just before stepping out. 

Although the mirror can only show us what we look like physically, there is another mirror that reveals even much more than the way we look physically. This mirror is the Word of God. 

The mirror on your bathroom wall or night stand shows you the things that are visible to the human eyes and these things are only temporary. We spend ample time focusing on these things, we spend our money correcting these things (which is not all together wrong) and we spend a considerable amount of effort making sure that we look perfect or almost outwardly. But how much profit do these efforts bring into the kingdom of God? 

“While we look not at the things which are seen but the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2Cor4v18

The word of God is eternal, it has the power to reveal both the things that can be seen and the things that cannot be seen with the human eyes. When we switch from looking so much into the mirror on our wall and focus on looking into the word of God, we see things about ourselves that only the word of God can show us. 

The word of God is the only mirror that can never break. It shows us the very heart of God, it reveals to us God’s perfect will. It uncovers our weaknesses and hidden sins. “For the word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even then division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and the intents of the heart.” Heb 4:12

There are many books you will read throughout your life time, but none of them can be compared to the word of God. There are many self-help books flooding the bookshelves but none of them can help you like the word of God can. The word of God has the power to transform your life; it has the power to bring to life that which was once dead and forgotten. It has the power to heal, restore, renew, refresh and create. 

How much time do you spend with the word of God? Are you distracted with all your day-to-day activities? Are you lost in the pool of “I have to do this, I must meet this deadline, I need to get this out of the way,” that you barely make out time for God’s word but you have a to-do list for everything else? The moment you begin to look less into the mirror of the word of God and more into the mirror on your wall, you will lose sight of God and the things he has in store for you. “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it, for the time is near.” Rev 1:3

How can you maintain your walk with God, how can you escape the destruction that is fast consuming the world? By abiding in the word of God and doing all he says therein. “How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.” Ps119:9

The word of God is not only for our reading but more importantly for our doing. 

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does”. James 1:22-25

Beloved, what really matters in this life and the hereafter is what the word of God says. Just as seasons change, opinions change, ideologies become obsolete, and school of thoughts fade away. If you base your life on all these, imagine how unstable you will be without any strong foundation. The word of God is only word that never changes and the wise build their lives upon it but the foolish ignore it. It does not fade away nor is subject to the opinion of men. It was, it is and it will forever be. 

“Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away.” Matt 24v35

“All flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the LORD endures forever.” 1 pet 1v24-25

Dealing With Foxes and Internal Spoilers

“Catch for us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vineyards; For our vineyards are in blossom.” Son 2:15 WEB

Catch for us the foxes…

There are little foxes, imperceptible and tiny. They are the spoilers that destroy the vineyards from within. They are the enemy from the very inside. They eat up my relationship with you with little or no notice. They work their destruction without any fanfare. They do not look like anything to pursue. They even look like part of the plants. Yet, they are focused on their purpose. Their vision is to destroy and to bring decay to the vineyards when they are blooming. Lord, help me to catch the little foxes that seek to spoil the vines.

The first wisdom I am hearing you release to my heart here is that I must locate and localise the little foxes and lay hold of them. I must identify the foxes within the vines. I need to set trap for the foxes and bring it out for what they are lest they spoil all that God is doing in my life and all He desires to do through me in his Church at this time. Little foxes! They do not appear bogus. They do not appear imposing. They appear so little that it will pass without notice. O Lord, help me to catch the little foxes within my bosom, lest they spoil what You are doing in my life.

I need to know this very firmly that what spoiled great works are not great mistakes. They are not big issues. If it were, most men will avoid them. The foxes are little and almost inconsequential in outlook, but the consequences of their damage is colossal. What brought great men on their backs were not big stumbling blocks, they were little foxes. They destroy not by power but by a definite strategy of introducing decay into the entire basket of their lives. What a wisdom I must learn of you today! “One rotten apple will spoil a basket full”. Wisdom is more powerful than weapons, yet one mistake can destroy all the good you have done. Eccl.9:18 (CEV)

And…

“Dead flies can make a whole bottle of perfume stink, and a little stupidity can cancel out the greatest wisdom.” Eccl.10:1 (GNB)

If the foxes are very visible, many would have shouted and cried for help, but they are always so little that it does not raise any alarm. It does not appear as an emergency. This is the cry of my own heart today. Do not allow me to spoil this vineyard due to the negligence of what I may regard as so little in my life.

Moses finally could not make the Promised Land because of the little anger he allowed to remain within his own vines. It was nothing to cry about while the vine was not yet blooming. Little foxes are not a threat until the time of bloom in the vineyard. Little foxes are not a matter until when the vineyard is blooming. It is at the time of revival that this foxes find expression. Lord, check me out again at this point. Help me to know what it is that is dormant in my life today, but will revive and become so active with the coming revival. Weeds look dry when there is no rain, but as soon as the heavens open and showers of blessing flow from up above, the weeds also gets revived and draws on the nutrients of revival to grow. It actually grows faster than the real crop. Lord, help me to uproot these foxes at this time now in Jesus name.

No one noticed any foxes in the life of Gideon, while he was struggling to thresh the wine in the winepress of his father. It all seemed he had no problem with greed for honour. But when God had brought him into victory all round, he secretly longed for a monument for his personal memorial. He made a calf of gold like Aaron of old and it soon spoiled the revival for which he laboured.

The instruction to my heart this day is ‘Catch for us the foxes ‘ I am so touched with the fact that you have identified with me. It is both my interest and your own interest. It is “for us” and that “us” is You and me. It is so assuring that these foxes concerns You as well as myself. Lord, I want to respond to You in this matter. I must not spoil this vineyard that is both Yours and mine. I am involved, just as You are. I must recognize that this life is no more my private property. You have invested into me and it cannot be handled as if it is my own exclusively. Lord, I can see that it is “for us”. It is also for the Church. It is a big cheat on the Body of Christ if I should allow my life to be spoilt by these little foxes. It would have wasted their allocation of grace kept in my charge for this generation.

Help me to walk with this sense of responsibility. It is “for us” and not for me alone. I cannot go anywhere I like anymore because I carry in my bosom the valuable resources meant for several men in this generation. Catch for us the foxes!

“… for our vines have tender grapes.”

The vines are corporately owned. This is yet another matter of your love for me. I have been brought into partnership with you in the things in which you have brought me to serve you in. Not just a worker but a shareholder. You have given me a share with You. I have been made a joint heir with you in all these things that God is placing in your hands, my Lord and Master Jesus. I must walk in this light. Thank You for this opportunity to belong to You and to be a co-sharer with You in your inheritance.

The very place where the little foxes like to hide is in the heart. It is the same place the best affection for the Lord must be hatched, yet the little foxes have chosen it to be their nest. I must arise with all diligence today to guard my heart and to check it night and day to be sure the foxes have not dug their holes within. God’s dear servant of blessed memory, F.B. Meyer had this to say in one of his devotional commentary, and I have found it of a tremendous help to my soul and I have quoted it here without any alteration:

“IN MOST of the old castles there is an inner keep, which is protected, not only by mighty walls and bastions, but by the portcullis at the gate, and sentries at every approach, who challenged every one that passed in and out. So the heart is continually approached by good and evil, by the frivolities and vanities of the world and the insidious suggestions of the flesh. It is like an inn or hostelry, with constant arrivals and departures. Passengers throng in and out, some of them with evil intent, hoping to find conspirators, or to light fires that will spread until the whole being is swept with passion, consuming in an hour the fabric of years to ashes.

We need, therefore, to be constantly on the watch; we must keep our heart above all else that we guard, for out of it are the issues of life (R.V. marg.). Our Lord says that “out of the heart of man come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, thefts,” etc. The devil and the world without would be less to be feared, if there were not such strong tendencies to evil within–many of them inherited from long lines of ancestors, who, alas! pass down to us the worst features of their characters equally with the best.

Keep it Clean. Just as the eye of the body is perpetually washed with tear-water, so let us ask that the precious blood of Christ may cleanse away any speck of impurity. Remember how delicate a thing the heart is, and how susceptible to the dust of an evil thought, which would instantly prevent it becoming the organ of spiritual vision. Sursum Corda! Lift up your hearts! We lift them up unto the Lord!”

Make me sensitive O Lord, not just to great and bogus things but to little foxes that spoil the vine. I must keep on the watch for the creeping tiny things that seek little crevices into my heart and into my affairs. As the vineyards blossom, I must expect the strange stream of these destroyers, whose appetite is for the tender grapes. Imperceptible little dead flies must not spoil this ointment for me and for the household for which I hold these things in trust. Help me to end well in Jesus name.

Culled from www.livingseeduk.org

The Power of Prayer

Written by Carmen Love

Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. If there are people, circumstances, or even your own behaviors simulating these three characteristics in your life… then you need to completely surrender and allow God to fight your battles. Spiritual weariness is a result of us focusing too much on trying to fix and control things beyond our control and it’s the job of the enemy to weaken your spiritual muscles long enough to prevent you from fighting at all. Think about it, if we could figure out the solutions to the tragedies, injustices, and heartaches of this life on our own, then we wouldn't need a higher power. 

When we get tired emotionally, the solution is to let it go by choosing to meditate on something more soothing, calming, maybe even the truth for a change. Ask yourself, what is God saying about this situation, this person, this problem? When we get tired physically, the solution is to simply rest. This oftentimes means saying no and delegating the responsibility to someone else, working smarter not harder, and getting proper sleep. When we get tired spiritually, the solution is to turn it all over to God. Yes, a complete surrender of everything weighing you down. 

My father taught me that "when things get hard, pray harder." He told me this at a time when the enemy came in like a flood and everything was coming against me in such a way that I found it difficult to pray. As a prayer warrior, I suddenly found it hard to do the very thing I was most equipped to do when times got hard and my heart grew weary. Pray. However, Dad was right, but I didn't feel like praying, just didn’t have the strength, and it seemed like the more I prayed the worse things got. My circumstances were speaking louder than my ability to conceptualize the reality of the whole mess, perpetuating my deepest darkest fears. The reality was, that God was the one who was really in control, yet still, I wanted to simply throw in the towel. 

Something on the inside kept nudging me and I eventually gave in. I prayed. 

Reluctantly, I forced my steps into my prayer closet trying to ignore my increasing panic. My legs grew heavier with each step but I somehow mustered up enough courage and strength to enter into this sacred place again, and it took every ounce of the little bit of strength I had left to get down on my knees, one knee at a time, until I was in total submission to a God I thought was not listening to me anymore and I gave it another shot. I struggled frantically, feeling the pressure of this negative intelligence trying hard to convince me that my prayers were in vain. I could feel this cloak of darkness hovering over me like a thick black cloud. I call a deep sense of despair. Insecure words were stuttered, then suddenly, they began pouring from my lips effortlessly, and I began to feel His presence all around me. His spirit hovered over me like a golden light of incredible purity illuminating the darkest places within my soul. 

After praying, I sat for a while lingering in His presence just a little while longer. Long enough to realize why it was so difficult for me to pray and why things appeared to get worse when I prayed. Satan knows that whenever we pray, whether we feel like it or not, weakens his power, limits his ability, and destroys his plans. Furthermore, the more fervently you pray, and the harder you pray, the more resistant Satan becomes. His attacks against you worsen! He will turn up the heat and fight you even harder. His strategy is to wear you down completely and to the point where you will get weary enough to stop fighting him and eventually give up. Your prayer life simply inconveniences him in every way. So, Never, stop praying! 

Praying is not about how we feel, it’s about obedience, faith, and the belief that the God we serve is much greater than whatever is coming against us. Let’s face it, whatever we focus on the most gets bigger, stronger, and more powerful. So what is it that you're focusing on? Are you giving the circumstances in your life more power than the one allowing them? Even in our darkest moments when it feels like God is nowhere to be found, this is when He is closer. Remember, the teacher is always silent during a test. 

Never give up on your children. Never give up on your marriage or other relationships that need healing. Never stop believing or praying. Never give up on your dreams and desires. The minute you stop praying, you give the enemy sovereignty over every aspect of your life. Every time you pray, you weaken Satan's ability to steal, kill, and destroy. It’s never about feelings but always about faith. 

7 Benefits of Trusting God

The bible is replete with verses urging us to trust in God and emphasizing the need for us to place our confidence in Him. A survey of some of these portions of scripture clearly lays out 7 compelling benefits of trusting God.

1. Happiness & Joy

Proverbs 16: 20

Those who trust the Lord will be joyful (NLT)
Trust in the Lord and you will be happy (GNT)
And whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he (NKJV)

2. Blessing

Jeremiah 17:7

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord.(NKJV)

“Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord. (AMP)

In contrast

Jeremiah 17:5

Thus says the Lord, “Cursed is the man who trusts in and relies on mankind, Making [weak, faulty human] flesh his strength, And whose mind and heart turn away from the Lord. (AMP)

Cursed is the man who trusts in man And makes flesh his strength, Whose heart departs from the Lord. (NKJV)

Proverbs 28:25

He who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. (NKJV)
He who trusts in the Lord will be blessed and prosper. (AMP)

Psalm 34:8

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! (NKJV)

Psalm 84:12

O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You! (NKJV)

3. Safety & Protection

Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man brings a snare, But whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. (NKJV)

2 Samuel 22:3

The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence. (NKJV)

Psalm 18:30

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. (NKJV)

4. Perfect & Constant Peace

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.(NKJV)

Jeremiah 17:8

He who trusts in the Lord will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought (NKJV)

Isaiah 28:16

So the Lord God says, “See, I lay in Jerusalem a Stone of great worth to build upon, a tested Stone. Anyone who puts his trust in Him will not be afraid of what will happen. (NLV)

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who relies on it will never be stricken with panic. (NIV)

5. Surrounded with Mercy & Lovingkindness

Psalm 32:10

He who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him.(NKJV)

He who trusts in and relies on the Lord shall be surrounded with compassion and lovingkindness. (AMP)

6. Shall Not be Moved

Psalm 125:1

Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever. (NKJV)

Those who trust in the Lord are steady as Mount Zion, unmoved by any circumstance. (TLB)

7. No Shame/Disgrace

1 Peter 2:6

For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (NIV)

As the Scriptures say, “I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem, chosen for great honor, and anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” (NLT)

For thus it stands in Scripture: Behold, I am laying in Zion a chosen (honored), precious chief Cornerstone, and he who believes in Him [who adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] shall never be disappointed or put to shame. (AMPC)

"Get Up And Pray!"

Written by Leonard Ravenhill

One day I was at a conference with Dr. V. Raymond Edman of Wheaton College, one of the greatest Christian educators in this country. He told us of an experience he had while he was in Ecuador as a missionary. He hadn't been there long before he was sick and dying. He was so near death that they had already dug his grave. He had great beads of sweat on his brow and there was a death rattle in his throat. But suddenly he sat straight up in bed and said to his wife, "Bring me my clothes!" Nobody knew what had happened.

Many years later he was retelling the story in Boston. Afterward, a little old lady with a small, dog-eared, beaten-up book, approached him and asked, "What day did you say you were dying? What time was it in Ecuador? What time would it be in Boston?" When he answered her, her wrinkled face lit up. Pointing to her book, she said. "There it is, you see? At 2 a.m. God said to get up and pray - the devil's trying to kill Raymond Edman in Ecuador." And she'd gotten up and prayed.

Duncan Campbell told the story of hearing a farmer in his field who was praying. He was praying about Greece. Afterward, he asked him why he was praying. The man said, "I don't know. I had a burden in the spirit and God said, 'You pray; there's someone in Greece that is in a bad situation.' I prayed until I got a release." Two or three years later the farmer was in a meeting listening to a missionary. The man described a time when he was working in Greece. He had been in serious trouble. The time? Two or three years ago. The men compared notes and discovered that it was the very same day that God had burdened a farmer, on a little island off the coast of Scotland, to pray for a man in Greece whose name he didn't even know.

It may seem the Lord gives you strange things. I don't care. If the Lord tells you something, carry on with what the Lord tells you.

Mindsets

Written by Curt Klingerman

Being aware of mindsets is crucial in our walk with Jesus. Our thought patterns greatly affect our belief systems and how we navigate through the walk of faith. It can have such an affect that it means the difference between victory and a life filled with shame. Our worldview will determine whether we are of the Kingdom or of the world. The most bipolar people are those who try to adhere to Kingdom principles while still trying to live worldly. You cannot embrace both and hope to walk successfully by faith. Relationships between people are greatly hampered when there's a disconnect between what true love is and what a person truly believes about love. For those in Christ Jesus, they have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16). If that is true, why do a number of them maintain the world's approach to life? Holding onto the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life leads to disaster. Lets take a look at a few examples that may bring clarity to what each of us cling to in relation to mindsets.

The Bible teaches us that we cannot earn God's love nor eternal life. Our behavior does not make God love us more, or less. He does not withhold love because we blow it, nor does He lavish us with more love because we do well. God never changes. He is love, which means His love never changes. His love sees beyond behavior. If we truly believe that, should we not love others in the same manner? Why do some believers withhold love when people do not meet their expectations? Simple, they still view love through the world's eyes. In come cases, it is ingrained because they have learned a pattern of earned love while growing up in a dysfunctional environment; but then, the world is dysfunctional. In some cases, people are afraid of guilt by association. They are fearful they will be negatively branded if they love a “criminal” or someone who misbehaves. Jesus identified with sinners on the Cross, criminals before God, in order to reconcile mankind to God. Yep, He identified with you! Does not love forgive, restore and reconcile? Love recognizes bad behavior is the result of sin and brokenness. People are in bondage to sin and fear. It takes love to deliver them. Does your mindset toward behavior cause you to despise others, or stir you up to see them healed and reconciled?  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning (James 1:17) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews13:8). And we have known and believed the love that God has to us. God is love; and he that dwells in love dwells in God, and God in him (1 John4:16).

Forgiveness is huge in the kingdom of God; yet, even some believers will say things as, “He got what he deserved!” Did you get what you deserved when you asked the Lord to forgive you? That attitude is based on self-righteousness which embraces unforgiveness. Self-righteous people can be some of the most arrogant and unforgiving lot on the planet. At best, they expect people to live up to their expectations before they forgive them. They have to “tow the line” before they embrace them. For some, forgiveness is conditional. They forgive some offenses while not forgiving others. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is the only unforgivable sin before God. That means all the rest are forgivable. Where does your list of forgivable sins lie in relation to His? Granted, emotions can greatly impede forgiveness; however, God's grace is more than sufficient to get you through those emotions. In fact, as you forgive through the power of His grace, your emotions will follow. Instead of hatred, anger, wrath and bitterness, you will have perfect peace ruling in your heart. Love and compassion replaces hostility and vengeance. The mindset that says, “I will forgive, forget and restore,” wins!

One last example: victory. If Jesus made us more than conquers, why do so many try to get the victory in various areas of their lives? Without realizing it, they move into pride and failure when they take that approach. I can repress the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes by using the pride of life for a season. That's still self-righteousness that is doomed to fail; in fact, it already did. Pride is something God greatly despises. When you take the approach that sees the battle won already, because Jesus already fought the battle for you, you will walk in victory. Trying to get the victory says, “Jesus failed, it's up to me now.” We must always see things from the standpoint of victory, no matter how low you may feel at the time. Our victory is an act of submission, which includes giving Jesus all the credit. We cannot even sneak in a little, “I overcame through Jesus by faith.” No, Jesus overcame and gave us faith to receive it. He did it all! Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For your sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us (Romans 8:35–37).

A Word To The Young (Part 6) - Give Yourself to Noble Purposes

Written by Paul Washer

Over the last few weeks, we've had a series of posts with compelling words to the youth: Remember the Brevity of Life, Remember your Creator, Set Your Heart to Follow Him, Read the Bible, Pray, Seek Out Godly Companions, Flee Youthful Lust. This is the last post in this series, we urge you to prayerfully consider the things you've read. If you find any truth in what is written, then we admonish you to adjust your life accordingly. Do not waste your life!

Give Yourself to Noble Purposes

I see young Christian men in the university who squander away their time playing video games and frequenting malls and movie houses, when they should be giving themselves to more noble purposes. You were not bought by the blood of the Lamb in order to give yourself to such things. You have been adopted into a royal family and royal deeds are expected of you. Shun the mindless entertainment of the age and give yourself to the will of God. The Scriptures declare in II Timothy 2:20-21: 

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 

Do you desire to be vessel of honor and used for noble purposes? Do you desire to be an instrument in the Master’s hand? Then cleanse yourself of the foolish games of little boys and vain girls, and become the man or woman you were called to be. I believe it was A.W. Tozer who said that on the tombstone of America would be written the words, “They entertained themselves to death.” This is a pathetic epitaph when compared to what was said about King David: 

“[He] served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers...” 

What legacy will you leave? What will be carved into your stone? Most importantly, what will God declare about your life on that great Day of Judgment that awaits you? May God have mercy on you and grant you grace to far surpass the character and deeds of the one who is writing to you this letter.

A Word To The Young (Part 5) - Seek Out Godly Companions and Flee Youthful Lust

Written by Paul Washer

Seek Out Godly Companions

At the risk of offending you, I must say that if you are young there is probably a great deal of foolishness still bound up in your heart (Proverbs 22:15). If the greatest influences in your life are other young people just like yourself, then you are a companion of fools and walking down a dangerous path. The Scriptures teach a very lifesaving truth that is often neglected today: 

“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” (Proverbs 13:20) 

The idea of a “generation gap” was born out of the godless counterculture of the 60’s and has now been thoroughly adopted by most churches. The idea that young people need to be with other young people is a direct contradiction to the Scriptures. Although periods of supervised fellowship with other youth can be both enjoyable and profitable, the Scriptures everywhere teach that young Christians need to be with older and more mature Christians so that they might learn their ways and avoid the pitfalls of the young and naive. 

According to the Scriptures, the greatest influences in your life ought to be your mother and father, provided they are godly and mature Christians. Following them, it is the role of the church elders and the entire adult congregation to model the Christian life before you. In summary, you will do well to surround yourself with men and women whose progress in sanctification and usefulness to God are evident. Get to know, not only the godly Christians of our time, but also the saints of yesterday through their writings and the writings of others about them.

Flee Youthful Lust

In Ephesians 6:10-12 you are commanded to make your stand against the devil. In James 4:7 you are given the promise that if you resist him, he will flee from you. Nevertheless in II Timothy 2:22 you are commanded to “flee youthful lust.” It is rather amazing that you are commanded to be strong, take your stand, and fight against fallen angels, while at the same time, you are commanded to flee with fear from youthful lust. This demonstrates that the youthful lust of your flesh and the unbridled sensuality of your culture is more dangerous than a face to face battle with the devil. 

I have known countless Christian youth who demonstrated genuine evidence of conversion, and yet upon entering into a relationship with the opposite sex, they fell into immorality. I have known them to memorize Scripture, pray, and even fast to be pure in their relationship, and yet still they fall. Why? Because they do not understand that all the spiritual disciplines in the Scriptures cannot save them from youthful lust. They are trying to wage battle while God commands them to flee. To put it simply: You cannot be alone in a relationship with a person of the opposite sex for any extended period of time without falling. Therefore you should never be alone together in a house, car, or any other place where lust can be kindled and failure is certain.

A Word To the Young (Part 4) - Study the Entire Bible and Cultivate a Life of Prayer

Written by Paul Washer

Read the Bible

Now there’s a novelty! One of the greatest things a young Christian can do is to make a lifelong practice of reading the English Bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation over and over again. If you can do so in the original languages it is even better, but I know only a handful of men capable of such a thing and I am not one of them. 

Most Christians’ knowledge of the Scriptures is very fragmented because they have only read parts of the Bible. I have known individuals who were brilliant in certain aspects of doctrine, but whose overall knowledge of the Bible was very weak. To avoid this pitfall, you must read the Bible systematically and from cover to cover. No one in their right mind would read a work of literature by bouncing to and fro through the book and randomly reading only certain chapters. They would begin at the beginning and move progressively through the book chapter by chapter until they reached the end. And yet very few Christians have ever read the Bible this way! Remember: the Bible is the inspired and infallible Word of God given to us in book form. To understand it in whole and in part, we must read through it! 

One of the most rewarding ways to read the Scriptures is to write your insights and questions as you read through the first time. On your second reading through the Scriptures you will notice that you are able to answer many of your old questions and that new questions have come to mind. You will also be able to refine and clarify many of your previous insights. By this means, you will learn that the Bible is the best commentary of itself. One word of caution: Most people never make it through the entire Bible because they wear themselves out trying to understand everything or trying to write a commentary on each book. Two suggestions: First, write your questions and keep on reading. Secondly, only write down the things God has impressed upon your heart to remember and be brief. We already have enough commentaries to bankrupt every seminary student on earth! 

To a young Christian, the Bible can seem overwhelming. This will never change. The Bible is overwhelming! It contains more truth about God than any man will ever comprehend or obey. Nevertheless, it is a magnificent journey to read through its pages and not only learn, but be transformed. Christianity requires that the mind be fully engaged, but it is not solely or even primarily about the intellect. It is about knowing God in a personal and intimate manner and being transformed into the likeness of His Son. Do not be discouraged! Every day that you give to the reading of God’s word will eventually add up to years of study and a wealth of biblical knowledge. Every day lost will reduce the size of that final treasure.

Pray

I divide my praying into two separate categories: Praying in my walking shoes and praying in my work boots. The first category refers to communion, adoration, and thanksgiving. It is walking with God as an ever-present companion, enjoying His fellowship, and seeking greater and greater manifestations of His presence. This type of praying has one purpose - to know Him and to simply “be” with Him. Apart from this type of praying, all the knowledge in your head will never be anything more than second hand theological jargon. You will spend your entire life speaking correctly about someone you do not even know and about things that have never become realities in your life. 

I have heard people say that they do not have a specific time of seeking God in this way, but they commune with God throughout the day as they go through their daily activities. It has been my experience that the ability to “practice the presence of God” throughout the day and in the midst of my activities is only made possible because I have separated myself from my daily activities and sought God in specific times of prayer. This seems to have been the practice of our Lord Jesus Christ during His incarnation: 

“In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house, and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there” (Mark 1:35). 

The second category of praying - praying in my work boots -refers to intercessory prayer. Let no one mislead you, this type of praying is hard work! It is not a small thing for a mortal man to wrestle with God (Genesis 32:24-32) and against the devil (Ephesians 6:12). The stakes are high and everything is won or lost on this battle field. We labor in prayer for the Glory of God, the Great Commission, and the advancement of the Kingdom (Matthew 6:9-10); we labor in prayer for the preservation and sanctification of the Church; we labor in prayer for every need and for the fulfillment of every promise that God has given. This may very well be the most holy task given to men! 

I will leave the subject of prayer behind with a bit of advice that has been very helpful to me. It was given to me by an older preacher, who received it from an even older preacher. It goes something like this: 

“Pray until you can pray, and then pray until you have prayed.” 

Often when we bow our knees in prayer we do not sense the liberty or power to pray. It seems as though there is a sky of brass above us. This should not be a cause of discouragement, but it should lead us to wrestle in prayer until we have “broken through” to God. It is then that we should set ourselves to praying until our burdens have lifted and we know that we have prayed.

A Word To the Young (Part 3) - Set Your Heart to Follow Jesus

Written by Paul Washer

I am hesitant to use this type of language with you because I am afraid that you will misinterpret. To most Christians, the admonition to “follow after God” conjurers up thoughts of duty, obedience, and ministry, but these things by themselves will only leave you tired, hollow, and bitter. I have been down that road and I will do everything in my power to keep you from it. It leads to a horrid place! 

When I speak of following Him, I am primarily referring to fellowship with His person; to acknowledge Him and share with Him every experience; to purpose not to hide from Him or shut Him out of some area of your life; to see everything as sacred and nothing as secular; for Him to have preeminence in every moment of your life, every thought in that head of yours, every word that proceeds from your mouth, and every work that you endeavor to do - walking, talking, eating, drinking, laughing, crying, working, playing - experiencing all of it in Him, through Him, for Him, and most of all WITH Him!

Do you realize that you can do almost anything for all the wrong reasons. You can do ministry for the personal satisfaction or fame it may bring. You can even grow in knowledge and piety for the reputation they may reap for you among other believers. But it is the true and loyal heart that seeks only to be with Him for the sake of being with Him! 

I know you look upon me as a godly man who has learned many things, but I have been so wrong in so many ways, and this has been my greatest error. I have always pressed hard to accomplish something, when I should have pressed hard just to be with Him! Yes, my dear young Christian, you can even waste precious drops of your life in the work of ministry and missions! 

Remember this: To confine God to a quiet time is grotesque, to reduce discipleship to only obedience is pathetic, and to make ministry into something other than Christ’s life flowing through your intimate relationship with Him is to make it nothing more than a stupid work of the flesh.

A Word To the Young (Part 2) - Remember your Creator

Written by Paul Washer

Knowing something of the brevity of life, “How then shall we live?” The writer of Ecclesiastes answers this question for us in the form of a command: 

“Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth...” (12:1).

The word “remember” comes from the Hebrew word zakar which means to recall or call to mind. This command to remember God is calling you to more than a casual recollection that there is a God. Its requirements are not fulfilled by simply bowing your head every time you pass by a steeple, or even by attending church faithfully every time the doors are open. This is a radical and life changing command to know and understand the God of Scripture, to acknowledge His preeminence in all things, to seek His glory in all things, and to strive to obey Him in all things.

The great importance of this command becomes clear when you realize that in this fallen world you are constantly bombarded with temporal distractions designed to make you forget the worth of God and the joys of His will. Unless you purpose in your heart to remember God and use every means at your disposal to remain true to that purpose, you will fall into vanity and your life will be wasted! Consider carefully what I have written. I am not asking you to simply agree with me. I am pleading with you to purpose in your heart to fixed your eyes on God as though your life depended upon it (for it does) and to actively, aggressively, even violently (Matthew 11:12) seek out and use every means at your disposal to keep from being distracted and falling into the vanities of this fallen age! 

It is important to note that the preacher of Ecclesiastes not only commands us to “remember God,” but he tells us the most convenient time to do so - in the days of our youth. It does little good to prepare for a battle at the end of the battle, or to wait until the last lap of the race to tie on one’s running shoes. Likewise, it is a ridiculous notion (found in the head of many young people) that one should delay living for God until later in life and usually after a great portion of life has been wasted. Do not be like the prodigal who “came to his senses” only after squandering his fortune and the strength of his youth. Come to your senses in the early days of your life. Set your heart to seek God now - to know Him, worship Him, serve Him, and rejoice in His goodness. As one older than you, as an ambassador for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through me, I beg you on behalf of Christ, do not waste your life.

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance” (Isaiah 55:2).

A Word To the Young (Part 1) - Remember the Brevity of Life

Written by Paul Washer

Over the last few days I have felt compelled to write the following word to the youth. I ask you to prayerfully consider the things you will read. If you find any truth in what is written, then I admonish you to adjust your life accordingly. Do not waste your life!

Remember the Brevity of Life 

The first man was created in the image of God. If he had submitted to the will of God, he would have been immortal. He would have passed through the years of his unending existence from strength to strength, without deterioration or decay. The passing of time would have brought him to greater levels of maturity, contentment, and joy. His existence would have abounded with purpose and glory. 

With the advent of sin, all was lost, and man’s existence became tragically twisted and deformed beyond recognition. Man became a mortal being of brief duration, weariness, and futility. He now lives his life until all vitality is drained away, all purpose is demolished, and the body finally returns to the dust from which it came. It is not without reason that the preacher cries out, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). 

As a young man or woman, you must constantly fight off the temptation to forget about the brevity of life and the vanity of even the longest life lived apart from God’s will. You must learn from the Scriptures that your life is less than a vapor. You must become convinced of this truth, and then you must set it before you as a constant reminder. You are mortal and your days are numbered! 

“As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer” (Psalm103:15). 

“...You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away” (James 4:14).

You know the Scriptures are true. You know that death is a certainty for you. Every tombstone and eulogy bear witness to the inescapable reality that you are going to die. And yet, how is it that you so quickly forget and give yourself to the passing vanities of this life? It is because you are surrounded by a culture that does everything in its power to avoid any thought of the end of life. It is because the god of this age works with all his cunning to keep you entertained and distracted. It is because, although you have been redeemed, you still dwell in a body of fallen flesh that runs for all that is carnal and temporal. Knowing these things, you would do well to both memorize and often pray the prayer of David in Psalm 39:4: 

“LORD, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. 

Keeping your mortality at the forefront of your thoughts is not for the purpose of being morbid or lamenting as those who have no hope, but to compel you to hope in Christ alone and to give yourself wholeheartedly to His will for your life. Only in Christ is the grave swallowed up in victory and temporal futility replaced by God’s eternal and glorious purpose for you.

Do You Feel Like A Joseph?

Written by Curt Klingerman

Sometimes circumstances in which we find ourselves appear to be the opposite of the promises of God. The temptation is to reject the promises or in the case of the prophetic, assume we were given a false prophecy. This is when it pays to slow down and not try to figure things out on our own. 

If we take the natural approach to reason, we could miss hidden treasure in our circumstances. The obvious verse of Scripture that comes to mind is, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Question, do you know what God is doing behind the scenes? 

There are some lessons we can learn from Jacob's son, Joseph. If you haven't read about him or you need to refresh your memory, read Genesis 37-50. You may find a number of lessons beside what we address here. Before we dive into those lessons, lets start with a very important premise. God is good and He is good all the time. If you don't filter your outlook on life through this truth, your perspective is already severely tainted. Understand our God is a loving and merciful Father. He is not cruel, and He does have our best interest at heart. 

Do not confuse bad situations as the result of bad decisions with some sort of punishment from God. We can be pretty darn good at shooting ourselves in the foot. Fortunately, because He is loving and merciful, full of compassion and is very kind, the Father will be with us through those times. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. He brings to the table, wisdom for course corrections and healing for our wounds. 

Joseph had two prophetic dreams which reveal that he would rule over Israel (see Genesis 37:5-10). They also revealed how God would use a famine in the process of their fulfillment (his bothers' sheaves bowing to his sheaf). What happened after Joseph wisely told his brothers the dreams? Okay, maybe it wasn't a wise move, but it was bold. There some lessons tucked in there. 

One is that we can be bold as a lion when God gives us a Word.  Another lesson is there's a time to share and a time to keep silent; however, even if we speak when we shouldn't, God will still validate His Word. That also means He will make the provision for our times of foolishness. This is not to say Joseph was not suppose to tell his family; in fact, it actually helped propel him into his destiny. What he said to his brothers really stirred the pot. It helped move them to envy which in turn spurred them to sell Joseph into slavery. 

Fast forward: Joseph winds up in Egypt as a slave. Even though God's favor was upon him and he was faithful in his service to his master, Potiphar, he was falsely accused of attempted rape and finds himself in prison. Does this look anything like his dreams? Hmm, probably not. Even in prison, God's hand was upon Joseph and he was promoted in that place. Joseph remained faithful, even where “he was not called to be.” 

Ironically, the prison was part of the promotion process. It was from prison where he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker. It was the butler who told Pharaoh about Joseph, when he needed his dreams interpreted. Even though there was a significant amount of time (two full years) between his prison ministry to the butler and his position as Pharaoh's right hand man, he was promoted. We are not told how long he had to wait to even meet the baker and the butler. In all, it took more than a day to fulfill the prophetic dreams; in fact, it took 13 years just to get to this point. Interestingly, it may seem like a long time to wait, but it is already part of recorded history which was thousands of years ago. It might be a good idea to embrace the moment we're in now, so we can be better prepared for our future. 

Do you feel like you are in prison with no chance of escape? Could it be that there's a butler coming your way? Are you faithful where you are right now? If not, your “prison sentence” could be extended. It is amazing what happens if we do all things as unto the Lord. When we offer up praise and thanksgiving, instead of murmuring, we will move faster into our destiny. Question, did the baker and the butler need Joseph in order to get their dreams interpreted? Has it occurred to you that the Lord wants to use you where you are now? 

We will find ministry opportunities where we are, if we are faithful. Does this imply that you will have to stay where your are now for years to come? Not at all. Nonetheless, it would be a great idea to leave the timing up to God. Do you feel like a Joseph? Remember, God is good all the time and He is faithful!

All must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ - It is time to repent and be saved (2)

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE FARE WELL AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT?

The Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:9-10 that they always tried to please the Lord because we shall all appear before his judgment seat. Therefore the sinner must repent of his sin, accept God’s grace and forgiveness for it while the backslider must return to the Lord like the prodigal son of the scriptures returned to his father. 

We have to resist sin and cannot rationalize our actions to soothe our consciences. Jesus will not accept any of our rationalizations of sin. The only correct posture before God for sin is repentance. For example, the homosexual cannot say to him you made me this way. He will not accept it. Homosexuality is sin. 

God wants his people to know that this is sin. He did not cause anyone to be homosexual. They succumbed to temptation. In James 1:12-15 it admonishes, “Blessed is the man that endures temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death”. Yet some would argue, “These feelings and attractions were with me since I was a child, how is it that I was not born like this?” For those who understand the mechanics of sin this is not surprising. We read about the school where 4 and 5 year olds engaged in oral sex with each other. What made these children want to repeatedly commit this sin that they had observed somewhere? They were tempted by what they saw, once they committed the sin, the feeling of it drew them in and they succumbed to it continually. Temptation is not afraid of even the very young. To be tempted with any sin, including homosexuality, when one is very young is not surprising at all. 

The enemy engages us in temptation from the time we are children to create patterns of sin in our lives that will be difficult to overcome when we grow into adulthood because we will be practiced at them. He does this to create a place for himself in our lives and to rob us of salvation and a deep, abiding relationship with God. Homosexuality is not different from any other sexual temptation. 

Do not believe the lie that Jesus made you that way. It is a lie and when you give yourself fully to homosexuality you will find that it will impair your relationship with Jesus. Many have experienced this estrangement from him even though it does not appear that such is the case. What I am telling you is the absolute truth and if you forsake homosexuality and all other sin you will find the peace of knowing Jesus indeed and no one can take that from you. In the judgment, Jesus will not excuse sexual sin or any other sin that we commit that has not been expiated by his blood. Many will find no place with God on judgment day and this is why there will be great weeping on that day. If you overcome your sin, whatever that sin is, you will enter into the kingdom of heaven. 

If you think, contrary to what has been said above, that God will accept your homosexuality, here is what the Lord says about homosexuality in the scripture. In Leviticus 20:13 the Lord says, “If a man lies with mankind as he does with a woman both have committed an abomination…”. The penalty under the Law for this was death the same penalty as adultery and murder. Do you really think as some have purported that this refers to lying in bed only and not to anal intercourse? It is very lucid. Romans 1:26-27 states, “For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet”. Do you think that this does not refer to homosexuality that it is speaking about something else? What other interpretation could there be that would not misconstrue, abrogate or dismiss the words of this scripture? Again it says in 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God”. The term ‘effeminate’ refers to a youth kept for homosexual relations with a man or a male prostitute. The term ‘abusers of themselves with mankind’ refers to a homosexual. Thusly, we understand that the bible labels homosexuality as a sin. 

Your peers may tell you that the word homosexual is not mentioned in the scripture so the bible does not show that homosexuality is sin. Are the above scriptures unclear to you? In any case, how could the word homosexual be mentioned in scripture since it did not yet exist when the King James Version was translated? The term was first used in the late 1800’s. Newer translations have the word because it exists in our time. You can be sure that no one will tell Christ on that day you have made me a homosexual. He knows the absolute truth about how and when they fell into that sin, nothing is hidden from him.

The only way to hear, “Well done you good and faithful servant enter into the joy of the Lord” on that day is to live a holy and righteous life for the scripture says, “Without holiness no man can see God”. Titus 2:14 instructs, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. 

These are the days to turn from sin, to seek the Lord in repentance for judgment is about to come to the nations in the earth and in some cases, it has already begun, also, the Lord is about to pour out his Spirit upon mankind yet again and those who call upon his name in sincerity will be saved. He is calling all who have turned away from him to return to him and to walk in holiness, righteousness and godliness in his presence. In Zechariah 1:3 he says, “Return to me and I will return to you”. He has left the righteous ones and has come looking for you, please heed his command. This is the time to appeal to God’s mercy, a time to forsake all wrong so that you may be ready for the snatching away of his bride and his return for these events are soon to occur. 

PRAY THIS IF YOU WANT TO BE SAVED AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SAVED 

Dear Lord Jesus 

I am a sinner and I want to have eternal life so that I may fare well in the judgment. I repent of my sins. Wash me in your blood and save me. I give my life to you. I give my heart to you. Make me yours now Lord. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Come to live inside me and help me to obey you and live a righteous life. Give me the power to turn from all ungodliness, all unrighteousness, the power to live righteously, soberly and godly now in the earth. Make me a part of your bride. Keep me and my spiritual garment pure and clean. Lord, write my name in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Thank you for saving my soul. Amen 

PRAY THIS IF YOU HAVE BACKSLIDDEN AND WANT TO RETURN TO THE LORD 

Dear Lord Jesus 

I have sinned against heaven and against you. I have failed to live as you have required. I repent of my sin. I want to return to you my Savior. Remove the stony places from my heart and the stiffness from my neck. Wash me in your blood, cleanse me from every sin and stain, fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit, renew my spiritual life. Clothe me in a new spiritual garment and help me to walk in righteousness so that I may maintain a clean and pure garment in your presence. Strengthen me with might in my inner man, by your Spirit and dwell in my heart by faith. Renew my vigor in the faith, let no deceit envelop my life, protect me from the deceit of sin, from the deceit of the enemy. Protect me from the enemy, from principalities and powers, from the rulers of the darkness of this world, from spiritual wickedness in high places. Help me to put on my spiritual armor that I will be able to stand in these days and having done all to stand. Help me to accept your forgiveness, purge me from a guilty conscience that I may live in faith before you. Thank you for washing and rescuing me. Amen