Thursday, April 26, 2007

Have Faith - Anything Is Possible With God

Our God is God of the impossible. He's calling us to keep our eyes upon Jesus and do that which He has called us to do. Get out of the boat and learn to walk on water. Anything is possible to those who believe.

JESUS IS CALLING US TO
DO THE IMPOSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM
by
Francis Frangipane

"The real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power."

Not only is Jesus our Savior, He is also the "Author and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Grab with both hands the thought that He is the "Perfecter of our faith." The faith Christ started in you, He is now working to perfect.

The fact that Jesus is the "Perfecter of our faith" is important because even if we seek to move in prayer and spiritual authority, even if we fearlessly continue to persevere, even if we continue forward with motives purified by love, it is the power of faith that undergirds all.

Now the idea that Christ seeks to perfect our faith makes a fine doctrine, but in the practical outworking of our lives, we deeply resist the idea. For we know that faith, in order be perfected, must be tested.

When I speak of faith, I do not mean a thorough compilation of Bible facts or an intellectual assent to our need of salvation, both of which are elements of spirituality, but not the very substance. To amass Biblical knowledge primarily takes time; to possess true saving faith, I will tell you again, takes courage. Christ desires we obtain a trust in Him that can actually withstand and overcome the terrible storms of life--faith that brings the reality of Heaven to earth.

Faith, therefore, is more than head knowledge; it is our lock upon the goodness and power of God so that no matter what we face outwardly, inwardly we stand secure. And no matter what the world looks like outwardly, it has the potential to be transformed by our faith. As Hebrews 11 makes clear, all those who possessed true faith changed the world around them.

Perfect or Protect?

Knowing that faith is much more than religious doctrines, I wonder: Do we truly know the Jesus of the Bible and what He seeks to give us? Too often, I think, we desire a Savior who, after assuring us of eternal life, leaves us alone until our next crisis. We want Him to comfort us but never convict us; we desire Him to heal us but not inhabit us. We want the Holy Spirit to help us obtain the "American dream." Yet what we have is a Holy Spirit who, instead, seeks to give us the dream of God: man living in the image of Christ (see Genesis 1:26).

This means that God's goal is not merely to save us, but to conform us to Christ. He seeks to perfect us, not merely protect us. To perfect faith, God intentionally allows conflicts to storm against our souls. I know we picture Jesus gently holding us, patting us on the back, saying, "There, there, it'll be all right." Listen, that is not the voice of Jesus; that is the echo of your mother speaking. Thank God for mothers, but Jesus is seeking to get us to stop being such babies. He wants us to grow up into His image.

Remember, I am talking about the real Jesus now, the one who said, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). If the Jesus you are following is not leading you into the realm of the impossible to make changes in your world, you are probably following the wrong one.

You see, we do a disservice to people when we tell them, "Give your life to the Lord and He will keep you from trouble." That is not true. We would be more honest to say, "Give your life to Christ, and He will empower you to overcome trouble and adversity." Yes, He will take care of you. But He will not do so by putting you in a harmless world void of problems; rather, He will perfect virtue in you by developing character and by requiring faith--all of which creates the spiritual shelter of a transformed life.

A Storm, a Ghost or Jesus?

Get used to the idea that Jesus is seeking to perfect your faith. Plan on the fact that He will probably set you in some otherwise impossible situation to force your faith to the surface. Sooner or later, the real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power.

Consider the incident when Christ sends His disciples ahead of Him by boat across the Sea of Galilee; that night He crosses this same sea Himself walking on water (see Matthew 14:22-33). Yet, He decides to wait until a storm is rolling in with contrary winds and waves before He sets out. He could have waited for a calm day or simply arrived at the other side, supernaturally, without stopping alongside the boat in the middle of the sea. No, He comes to the disciples with something in mind--He comes to teach a lesson on trust.

Please note that this is a violent storm and that He offers no preliminary instruction, no "Basic Water-Walking 101." He doesn't let them practice on puddles or wait until winter so they could walk on frozen water first. He waits for a storm to teach water-walking, which is by all accounts harder to do on rolling waves than on a placid sea. Then, on top of that, He does not come in daylight; He comes at night. So Jesus comes to the disciples in the middle of the sea, in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night to teach them to walk on water. He doesn't make it easy. But this is the real Jesus with His real disciples. And we can add to the degree of difficulty the probability that they are physically tired and more than a little fearful about the storm.

Scripture says that the sight of a figure walking on the water, coming out of the blowing wind and spray in the darkness of the night, turns the disciples' fear into terror. They cry out, "It is a ghost!" (Note: Some of the things we label as "ghostly" or demonic are really the Lord stirring life to set the stage for a lesson on faith.)

As Jesus approaches the roll of the boat, He calls out, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

When Jesus says in the midst of your storm, "It is I," it is a call to faith. When He says, "Take courage," it is a call to action: True faith will always, at some point, require courage.

Peter says, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

This is wonderful, really. Here is an insight not only into Jesus Christ, but also into Peter's relationship with Jesus. Ever since Peter has known the Lord, Christ has required him and the disciples to do impossible things--heal the sick, feed multitudes with a lunch pail of food, and raise the dead. Over and over Peter has seen Jesus work miracles; over and over Jesus has empowered Peter to do what he saw Jesus just do.

That night on the stormy sea, Peter has this amazing discernment: "If it's really the Lord, He will tell me to do what He is doing--something impossible. If it's the Jesus I know, in a moment, He will be telling me to walk on the water, too." And true to form, Jesus calls out to Peter, "Come!"

Now Peter is not about to walk on the water, not really. When he steps out, he is walking on the word "Come." He knows that the power to accomplish the impossible resides in Christ's word, and it is this supernatural reality upon which he steps.

You see, this is all about trusting the integrity of Jesus Christ's command. Do you think Peter feels power when he steps on the water? I don't think he feels anything besides the storm. No goose bumps. No "glory chills." Peter sits on the topside rail of the rocking boat and swings his legs over the churning water. Peering through the wind and rain, he looks at Jesus. Then he slips down, stands upright in the water, and begins to walk!

Splash! One step. Splash! Then another and another until Peter walks right up to Jesus. This is no little walk. Admittedly, anyone can walk on water for the first step. It is the second step and beyond that is difficult. Peter walks until the waves grab his attention; then he begins to sink. Jesus saves him, of course, and when they get into the boat the wind stops.

Maybe we would expect the Lord to say, "Peter, you did it!" Maybe Peter was expecting praise for his short water-walking career, but no, Jesus rebukes him saying, "Why did you doubt?"

Christ sees the beginning of something great within Peter and He does not want it contaminated by pride or self-pity. Most of us want a medal every time we do something for God, but He is not about to let Peter or us build a monument to our accomplishments, especially when we are just beginning. If this miracle of Peter's were done by some of us here in America, in two weeks we would have tours, T-shirts and commemorative celebrations of the day we walked on water. But Jesus will allow none of that for His disciples. He sees greatness emerging in Peter and He will not press any of His disciples toward anything other than full conformity to His image.

Remember: God's goal is that we become Christlike. The real Jesus is going to call us to do the impossible. This means that we will be called to do what we have never done before. You will see Jesus ahead of you, probably in some kind of storm, but it will be the beginning of a miracle that will change you--and the world around you.

Let's Pray: "Lord, forgive me for seeking a safe life instead of a supernatural life. I want more of You. Call me out of the boat of my familiar, predictable world. Master, for the sake of reaching the lost, increase my faith until I am standing with You on the water of divine potential. In Jesus' name, Amen."


Francis Frangipane
www.frangipane.org
As posted on
www.elijahlist.com
info@elijahlist.net

Monday, April 23, 2007

Trust God To Give You All You Need

Francois de Fenelon was a godly man who left a treasure house of spiritual riches. He lived at the same time as Jeanne Guyon.

Here is an excerpt from one of his many spiritual letters.

Simply trust God. If you come to Him, He will give you all that you need to serve Him. You need to believe that God keeps His word. The more you are able to trust Him, The more He will be able to give you. Know that if you were lost in a desert, bread would fall from heaven for you alone.

Fear nothing except to fail God. And do not fear that so much as to let it upset you. Learn to live with your failures and forgive the failures of your neighbours.

Do you know what would be best for you? Stop trying to appear so mentally and spiritually perfect to God and to man.

There is a lot of sefishness and complacency in not allowing people to see your faults.

Be simple with God. He loves to communicate Himself to simple people. Live day by day, not in your own stength, but by completely surrendering to God.


Take time to get to know God more. Spend time with God every day. Your life will be richer if you do.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Believe God: Don't Let Unbelief Rob You

"THE ENEMY IS AFTER YOUR FAITH
DON'T LET UNBELIEF KEEP YOU FROM
RECEIVING YOUR PROMISED LAND"

"If He has shown you your promised land, then believe
He will lead you into that promise."

I truly believe one of the greatest thieves in our walk with God is unbelief! When the spirit of unbelief rules our hearts and minds, God is unable to give us the wondrous, supernatural blessings He so desires. His incredible blessings and miracles are stolen away from us by this deceitful spirit.

God is looking for believers who will look at their circumstances with eyes of faith - people who will, despite all odds, believe for what God can do in any situation. He is also looking for people who will encourage the Body of Christ by reminding them of His great power. Will you be one of those who bring God's viewpoint to His people?

A Different Kind of Spirit

A person of true faith is a rare commodity. There always seems to be five negative people to every one positive person. Have you ever noticed how it is much easier to see the negative? It seems to be the obvious choice, at times. The circumstances that surround us often scream our defeat. But if we take the time to look into God's heart on the matter, we will see it differently. We will see that all is not lost and He has a plan for our good (see Jeremiah 29:11).

Two positive reporters in the Bible were Caleb and Joshua. In Numbers 13 and 14, Moses sent twelve men into the Promised Land to see what it was like and to bring back a report to him and the people of Israel. Twelve spies went in, but only two viewing the situation saw things from God's perspective. Caleb and his friend Joshua saw the land was good and wanted to go get it! Indeed, there were giants in the land, but they knew their God was bigger than any giant.

Unfortunately, their reports were contradicted by the negative reports of the other spies. The ten negative spies saw only the barriers that stood between them and their promised land. They did not believe God was bigger than their circumstances. They said,

"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us"(Numbers 13:31).
But

"Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, 'We should by all means go upand take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it'" (verse 30).

However, Caleb, try as he might, could not turn the people away from the bad report of the other spies; they refused to believe him. They continued to spread a bad report among the Israelites about the land they explored, saying,

"The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants" (Numbers 13:32)

That night all the people wept and complained about their situation. They grumbled against Moses and were ready to give up, even to the point of death. They cried out,

"Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?" (Numbers 14:2-3)

Of course, we know that God did not bring them to the wilderness to die, but rather to give them a great victory. But their hope in God had been deferred by the many bad reports they heard. Their faith had been stolen from them! Proverbs 13:12 says,

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick."

A spirit of unbelief had robbed the people of their faith in God and caused them to stumble and rebel against Him.

We see the same struggle today with the negative and positive people pitted against one another, fighting for the hearts and minds of God's people. Those with the positive reports, the ones who fight to declare God's goodness, are terribly outnumbered. But, oh, what a wonderful message they have to bring to God's people! They are the ones who bring the true GOSPEL, which is the good news.

Whether our situation is good or bad, we must have faith in God and know He is in control. Any obstacle that lies in our path is really just another opportunity for God to show us how much He loves us and what He can do.

We can trust Him! No matter how bad a situation is, He is bigger. Tell Him it's impossible and He grins from ear to ear, because He devours the impossible and leaves us amazed. How could we even think for a moment the situation was impossible?

"With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)

Caleb wasn't stupid. He could see the battle against the inhabitants of the land would not be easy. He saw the giants, but he also had a revelation of how BIG his God was. He said,

"Do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them" (Numbers 14:9).

Pious Deception


"We don't realize what affect our negative words have on God - how hurt He is by our disbelief in Him."

Even some Christians can come to us seeming to be very righteous, when in reality they have been sent by the enemy to discourage the people of God. They feel as though they have been given special insight as to just how bad the situation is. But it is not God's way to show us the negative circumstance without giving us an equal or greater revelation as to how He will redeem it.

Divine reporters view difficulty from God's point of view. They see the light of Christ even in the difficulties surrounding them, and know the favor of the Lord is with them. Refusing to be misled by fear, they allow faith to lead them.

We don't realize what effect our negative words have on God - how hurt He is by our disbelief in Him. He is not a bad God; He is very good and kind. And He wants us to believe and trust in His goodness. When we lead others to view God as "bad" or not in control, we cause them to lose heart and stumble. In doing so, we come under God's judgment, just like the ten spies who caused the Israelite people to rebel against Him.

God judged the Israelites for their rebellion, but His judgment against the ten "bad reporters" was much more severe.

"As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land" (Numbers 14:36-38).

Thousands of people died in the desert because of the negative influence of ten men.

When God saw He was treated with contempt (see Numbers 14:22-23), He became very angry with the Israelites. Their disbelief in Him and their focus on their circumstances had caused them to offend God.

Caleb, on the other hand, had pleased God.

"But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it" (Numbers 14:24).

God is pleased with those who trust in Him. If He has shown you your promised land, then believe He will lead you into that promise. We need to take captive any thought, word, or report that would raise itself above what the Lord has declared to be true. If God says you can do it, then you will!


Warning Against Unbelief

God equals the sin of unbelief to that of rebellion (see Hebrews 3). I have never been sorry that I have trusted in God, even if what I have believed for has not happened. However, I have regretted not trusting in Him. Our unbelief hurts God, so much so that He refers to it as a hardened heart (see Hebrews 3:15).

"For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:16-19 emphasis mine).

Many of the children of Israel were unable to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. They saw the miracles God had previously performed, and heard the Word of God He spoke through His prophets.

"But the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Hebrews 4:2).

Their unbelief led to their disobedience to God; it caused them to sin.

God is honored by our faith in Him. He takes it very personally, and rightly so. If we truly have a personal relationship with Him, we would know Him as faithful and true (see Revelation 19:11). Indeed, our faith in God is an element of our worship to Him. Do not let unbelief keep you from giving Him your heart completely and receiving ALL that He has for you.

Pray this with me:

Dear Father,

Forgive me for not trusting in You completely, and forgive me for my lack of faith and any discouraging words I have spoken. Help me to be an encouragement to Your people. I want You to be pleased with me, so help me to follow You with my whole heart.

In Jesus' name, Amen!

Victoria Boyson Speaking Life Ministries Email: victoria@boyson.org

Thursday, April 12, 2007

The Assurance Of Faith: Faith Is The Assurance Of Things Hoped For

Let me encourage you to spend time with God every day. Take your eyes off the circumstance and put them firmly on Jesus.

I have another guest article for you this week. This article really encouraged me to be a believing believer. I hope it blesses you as much as it blessed me.

It was posted on www.elijahlist.com


FAITH'S ASSURANCE - STAND ON THE PROMISES
AND EXTEND YOUR STAFF INTO THE WATERS OF ADVERSITY
by
Kathi Pelton

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1

We have all read this Scripture time and time again, but do we fully understand the very faith by which we live? How do we know that we are saved? The answer is - by faith alone. We know that the Bible is true by faith alone. And we know that we have been forgiven by faith alone. Yet, we often bring this very faith that we rest our eternal life upon into question when life's circumstances seem more troubling than our minds and emotions can process. But be assured - our faith has nothing to do with our emotions!

The other day, I was remembering back to the beginning of this year, when my family stood together in front of our burning home watching three fire companies try to contain the fire that would take our home from us. My husband, Jeff, was an emotional rock for all of us. When he is in a crisis situation, he becomes absolutely calm and reassuring until the crisis has passed and the pieces are put back together. Our oldest son is the same way. The two of them went from family member to family member bringing comfort and help. They remained calm and steady for many days following. I, on the other hand, felt like I was having an "out-of-body" experience for the next few days. Nothing seemed real and my emotions were raw. I felt like I'd been thrust into a nightmare. The first three days were absolutely terrible for me.

Now, let me ask you: whose faith was greater, my husband's or mine? Neither! Just because I'm wired emotionally different than him didn't mean that I didn't have the same assurance and knowing that God was in control and He would come through for us. My faith is what kept me from entering into hopelessness and despair. I just process differently than Jeff does. I had three days of processing my emotions immediately after the fire, and my husband had a few of days of it a month after the fire, because he processed "after" the crisis had passed and his family was taken care of. Grieving or processing the emotions of a traumatic situation does not mean that you don't have faith; it merely means that you are human.

Emotions vs. Faith

God gave us emotions so that we could feel things like love, pain, joy, and sorrow. These emotions are healthy, but they sure can play with our minds regarding our faith. Many people feel as though they have wavered in their faith when they are having an emotionally hard day (or season). This may not be true at all. You may be having a day that brings strong feelings, even negative feelings, regarding your health, finances, or relational issues. You may feel deep sorrow and pain, but this does not mean that you have lost your faith. Who do you cry out to when your emotions are failing you? Is it God? If so, then you have not lost faith! You probably just need a greater dose of intimacy and comfort in that dark hour.

The enemy loves to come to us when we are in grief or sorrow to throw accusations about our "lack of faith." He will try to rob us of our intimacy and comfort when we need it the most. He comes with words of condemnation accusing us of being "double-minded" and weak. Can our emotions and thoughts enter into doubting God's promises in stressful times? Of course, but this is part of discerning between your soul and spirit. At the point of doubt, we must rely on what our spirit knows, not what our feelings feel or thoughts think. If I remember correctly, the Bible tells us that God manifests His strength in our weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9 states:

"And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Is Paul talking about physical infirmities? Probably not! He is most likely talking about struggles and sufferings that all of us battle. God loves our emotions, and He loves our dependency upon Him for strength in those weak times. When my kids are hurting, I am honored when they come to me and find strength and comfort in my arms. It is very intimate, and it is a privilege to comfort them. The last thing I want is to find out that they have cried alone. God is a much better parent than I am, so I know that He is the same regarding our times of sorrow and weakness. He loves it when we allow Him, our Comforter, to comfort us in times of pain.

"If you love Me, obey Me; and I will ask the Father and He will give you another Comforter, and He will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit who leads into all truth. The world at large cannot receive Him, for it isn't looking for Him and doesn't recognize Him. But you do, for He lives with you now and some day shall be in you. No, I will not abandon you or leave you as orphans in the storm - I will come to you." John 14:15-18 (paraphrased)

This is a promise that we can put our faith in. He will not leave us as orphans in a storm! If you are facing a storm, know that you can stand in the realization that you have not been left orphaned or abandoned. You may not feel strong, but let your faith arise knowing that your Comforter is there with you.

Fear vs. Faith

"When we come into an agreement with a spirit of fear, it binds us to its control."

This past weekend, I went to see some friends who were speaking at a church in our city. As they spoke, they reminded me of a very important truth that we need to understand about fear. There are two types of fear: emotional fear and a spirit of fear. The emotion of fear is a very healthy thing to have. When we feel fear it causes us to quickly evaluate a situation for the sake of a proper response. Such as, do you need to call 911? Do you need to move out of the way of a falling object? Do you need to stop and ask God for help?

While my friend Carol was speaking, she told a story of a woman that she knows who was shopping at her local mall. When the woman had finished shopping, it was just past closing time. She walked out to the garage where she had parked her vehicle and noticed that the garage was completely empty, except for her car. She was not afraid, but she was cautious as she walked alone in the dark.

When she arrived at her car, a strange woman came up behind her and told her to get in her car and drive her to the nearest ATM (automatic teller machine). Carol's friend refused to obey her command. The woman once again insisted, and then pulled a gun on her. Obviously, at that point Carol's friend was frightened, and rightfully so! The fear caused her to quickly evaluate the situation. She realized that it would not be wise to get in her car alone with an armed woman, so she did the only thing that she knew to do--she yelled as loudly as she could, "Help, Jesus!"

As soon as she did this, the armed woman was thrown against the vehicle by something unseen, and what appeared to be a cloud wrapped around Carol's friend. She ran away from the armed woman, and then noticed her attacker ran away from the parking garage, leaving her in safety. She also realized that she had been surrounded by angels immediately after calling out for God's help.

Why did I tell this story? Because it is an example of healthy fear. Apart from this fear, this woman may have gotten into her car with this armed woman and become a victim of a violent crime. But healthy fear caused her to quickly evaluate the situation, and she responded in the counsel of the Holy Spirit.

A spirit of fear is a different issue. A spirit of fear stays with a person whether there is rightful cause or not. For example, sometimes people with a history of cancer in their family line can enter into a spirit of fear. Healthy fear (the emotion of fear) would probably cause an individual in that situation to do some preventive tests and to be sensitive to any unusual pain or abnormalities in their bodies (and possibly get some prayer ministry).

A spirit of fear would cause the individual obsessive fear and anxiety. It would likely steal the peace of God from them and could cause them to be defensive rather than offensive. A spirit of fear brings forth a reaction rather than a healthy response. When we come into an agreement with a spirit of fear, it binds us (chains us) to its control, rather than to the counsel of the Holy Spirit that leads us into a wise response. 2 Timothy 1:7 states,

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."

Breaking The Spirit of Fear

If you have a spirit of fear, you can either pray alone or ask someone to pray with you to break (renounce) the binding agreement with the spirit of fear. You can begin by praying this simple prayer:

"Father, I want to thank You for my emotions and even for the emotion of fear that You have put within me to keep me safe and to alert me when I need to respond to a situation. I confess that I have moved from an emotion of fear into a spirit of fear that has bound me and stolen my peace and confidence in You. I renounce any agreement with the spirit of fear that has tormented me and caused me to react in anxiety and strife rather than allowing me to respond in the counsel of Your Spirit. I now come into agreement with the fear of the Lord that keeps me in confident peace and healthy responses. I ask for peace, power, love, and a sound mind to return to me. Thank you for aligning me with Your truth. In Jesus Name, Amen."

Circumstantial Evidence

Recently, I was sitting alone and thinking about a number of circumstances that were quite difficult in the lives of some believers who I am acquainted with. The circumstances surrounding their lives were quite contradictory to the prophetic promises that God had spoken over them. As I pondered these situations, I heard the Holy Spirit speak these words:

"Will My people draw a conclusion about what I have said in My promises based on circumstantial evidence?"

I was taken aback with this question. Have we stood as the judge of God's promises based on circumstantial evidence in our lives? Will we lose heart and reject His prophetic promises based on circumstances that are contrary to what God has said? Circumstantial evidence is usually a theory (opinion or speculation), supported by a significant quantity of corroborating evidence.
Think back to Moses and the people of Israel leaving their captivity in Egypt--they had the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind them with no place to go. The circumstantial evidence was stacked heavily against the promise that God had given for deliverance. If Moses had allowed the circumstantial evidence of the situation to be his dictator, he would have surrendered himself, and the Israelites to death then and there. But he did not allow circumstances to deter what the Lord had said to him. His faith in the midst of fear caused him to respond to the situation by touching his staff to the Red Sea, causing it to part, and allowing the promise to be fulfilled.

By My Spirit, Says The Lord

It is very difficult emotionally to have circumstances stack up against all the promises you have received from the Lord, but do not lose heart! Even when you feel like death is about to take you over, stand on the promises and extend your staff of faith into the waters of adversity. You will see the parting of the waters as you walk in obedient faith. Remember - do not let your emotions dictate your behavior and decisions. Always go with what you know, not what you feel.
Many people are having their faith tested in this season. We are being prepared and strengthened in the current season to be able to stand firm in the seasons ahead - in times when we will have to live by what we know, not by what we see or feel. In God's mercy and grace, He is allowing a "spirit work-out" to get our spirits into shape so that we are not ruled by thoughts and emotions (or circumstances) but by His Spirit!

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit," says the LORD of hosts." Zechariah 4:6

May you rest in the assurance of His promises this day!

Kathi Pelton - Choose Life - jkpelton@sbcglobal.net

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Hearing God - The Counsel of the Lord

If you've got a decision to make, you might like to read this article by Simon Whitton. One size doesn't fit all. God does things differently with different people. We can take principles from Scripture, but it's never a good idea to reduce the things of God to a formula.

The Counsel of the Lord

"The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. "Quick, get up!" he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.

Then the angel said to him, "Put on your clothes and sandals." And Peter did so. "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me," the angel told him.

Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision.

They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him ...

After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed." Acts 12:6-10;19a

The chains fell off Peter’s wrists and a gate opens by itself! What an amazing account of the Lord's intervention in a grim situation. However, it did not end so well for his guards, who were executed.

A couple of chapters after this, Luke writes about a similar situation but this time it's the other 'super-apostle' Paul who is in jail:

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the
other prisoners were listening to them.

Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.

The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" ...

The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-- he and his whole family." Acts 16:25-28;34

Paul is praying and singing and there's an earthquake, the doors fly open and everyone’s chains come loose. Wouldn’t he think 'God must have sent an angel to release me'; but Paul stays!

Two very similar circumstances, yet completely different decisions and outcomes: Peter's jailers were executed, Paul's jailer was saved along with his family; yet God seems to endorse both.

How do we make decisions like this … to stay or go? Using scripture is always good, but unlikely to help when there's a biblical precedent for either decision. Common sense decisions would have kept most of the amazing events of the Bible from ever occurring. The 'What Would Jesus Do' approach wouldn’t help because, what Jesus would do often varied. 'Getting counsel from many advisors' is a commonly quoted proverb, but it's not always right to take a poll.

A less quoted proverb says "Counsel and sound judgment are mine"; (Prov 8:14 & Is 11:2) they belong to the Lord. Surely the answer is found in our relationship with Him. Although all of the above should be considered, only He can ultimately guide us in the complicated circumstances of our lives.

Take some time to pray, and give to the Lord any difficult decisions you have to make. He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes, or decide by what He hears with His ears; He has wisdom, understanding and knowledge, and the Spirit of counsel is upon Him. He will show you what to do; and then you will see His purposes unfold in amazing ways.

Copyright: Simon Whitton ©2006-2007 www.spiritsword.org

If you haven't yet tried keeping a spiritual journal and using a journal to hear God, I recommend that you take a look at A Guide To Spiritual Journaling.

You might also want to take a look at Journaling For Personal Growth