FALSE PEACE

by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

America today is under the seductive power of a satanic lie. Yet, before I say anything more, please know that what I speak here has nothing to do with politics but everything to do with spiritual truth. The fact is, our nation’s leaders have cast aside God’s Word completely, showing no respect for biblicaltruth. And now the Lord has allowed a deception to fall upon us.

The demonic lie blanketing America today is a false peace. It is the idea that we can do whatever we please with no fear of consequences. We have alreadycrossed a line in this deception and now judgment is inevitable.

Paul lays out this divine judgment in Romans 1. He speaks of those who once held to biblical truth but later tried to retain the truth in unrighteousness. In short, they wanted God’s Word and their lust at the same time. So the Lord turned them over to reprobate minds. They wanted to believe a lie and He sent a strong delusion upon them.

This is the very state of our nation right now. One of our recent Presidents told the entire country, “I did not commit this sin,” but later was exposed for committing the very act he named. Today, eighty percent of Americans have turned a blind eye to both his sin and his lie, saying none of it matters. As prophesied, truth is fallen in the streets.

Americans are gambling on the stock market like drunken sailors—and prospering. In addition, a survey says sixty-five percent of college students cheat and think there is nothing wrong with it. People of all ages are treating God’s laws casually, thinking, “What I’m doing must be okay, because I’m getting away with it.”

We constantly hear lies, cover-ups and manipulations from our nation’s capital. But the strong delusion our nation is under is not simply about the sordid mess in Washington, D.C. No, Satan’s deceiving power goes far beyond those treacheries and depravity. His big lie is an outpouring from hell against God’s people.

Paul warns, “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables [lies]” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

Who are these deceived masses Paul is talking about? They are deceived Christians! He wrote this letter to the Thessalonian church -addressing born-again believers! These people had sat under biblical teaching and had known God’s truth, yet they held on to their lusts and sought out heresies that would comfort them in their sins.
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FOR MORE INFORATION ON THE MINISTRY OF DAVID WILKERSON PLEASE VISIT   www.worldchallenge.org

R.T. KENDALL'S LETTER TO JOHN MACARTHUR

Dear Dr. MacArthur,

I have admired you as an able writer and speaker for years. I have not only read your book Strange Fire but listened to your talks as well as the panel discussions at your recent conference. I am as Reformed theologically as you are and can say we are on the same page when it comes to many issues you address.

I was not prepared, however, for some of the things you said. I had to reread some parts to be sure you said what I thought you said.

First, if your book purports the danger of offending the Holy Spirit with counterfeit worship, I fear you are in greater danger of offending the Holy Spirit by attributing His work to Satan. Does this not worry you? You are risking an awful lot by counting on cessationism to be totally true. You have tried to turn the hypothetical teaching of cessationism into dogma.

Second, surprisingly, you imply that my predecessor Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones would agree with you. A major portion of my own book Holy Fire is devoted to what he believed regarding the gifts, the baptism and the immediate witness of the Holy Spirit. He was no cessationist; he loathed cessationism. Nearly every Pentecostal and charismatic in Britain knew he was their friend. Not only that, but he turned more of them into Reformed thinkers than anybody in the 20th century. He would be horrified that you dismiss as demonic all contemporary testimonies of experiencing the direct work of the Spirit. According to you, my own baptism with the Spirit was demonic even though it led me to Reformed theology without reading a single word of John Calvin.

Third, to be consistent, if you have got it right, we should counsel new Christians to disregard many Scriptures, such as those that encourage us to believe Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8), that He still shows us when we are on the wrong track (Phil. 3:15), that the Holy Spirit cannot speak today as He did to Philip (Acts 8:29) or that we should covet earnestly the best gifts (1 Cor. 12:31).

I hope you will consider reading my book. It will do you no harm and, just maybe, you might hear God speak to you in a way you never thought possible. I only pray with all my heart that you have not gone too far already. In the second panel discussion at your conference you actually said, “I know I am wrong somewhere.” If so, who would you listen to? Would you not want to know as soon as possible if you have got it wrong on those matters you are so dogmatic about?

If I knew for sure it would be honoring to God, for the sake of sincere Christians who are fence-straddling on cessationism, I would ask that you and I have a civil debate (presidential style) on the issue of cessationism. Could we pray about this?

R.T. Kendall

R.T. Kendall was the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London from 1977 to 2002. He now lives in Nashville, Tenn. He is a well-known speaker and the author of many books.

An Open Letter to John MacArthur From A.W. Tozer: He Being Dead Yet Speaketh

A.W. TOZER

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A.W. Tozer

That every Christian can be and should be filled with the Holy Spirit would hardly seem to be a matter for debate among Christians. ... I want here boldly to assert that it is my happy belief that every Christian can have a copious outpouring of the Holy Spirit in a measure far beyond that received at conversion, and I might also say, far beyond that enjoyed by the rank and file of orthodox believers today.

It is important that we get this straight, for until doubts are removed, faith is impossible. God will not surprise a doubting heart with an effusion of the Holy Spirit, nor will He fill anyone who has doctrinal questions about the possibility of being filled.

In light of this, it will be seen how empty and meaningless is the average church service today. All the means are in evidence; the one ominous weakness is the absence of the Spirit’s power. ... The power from on high is neither known nor desired by pastor or people. This is nothing less than tragic, and all the more so because it falls within the field of religion, where the eternal destinies of men are involved.

Fundamentalism has stood aloof from the liberal in self-conscious superiority and has on its own part fallen into error, the error of textualism, which is simply orthodoxy without the Holy Ghost. Everywhere among conservatives we find persons who are Bible-taught but not Spirit-taught. They conceive truth to be something which they can grasp with the mind.

If a man holds to the fundamentals of the Christian faith, he is thought to possess divine truth. But it does not follow. There is no truth apart from the Spirit. The most brilliant intellect may be imbecilic when confronted with the mysteries of God. For a man to understand revealed truth requires an act of God equal to the original act which inspired the text. ... "Now we have received, not the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God; that we might know the things which are freely given us of God.”

For the textualism of our times is based upon the same premise as the old line rationalism, that is, the belief that the human mind is the supreme authority in the judgment of truth. Or otherwise stated, it is confidence in the ability of the human mind to do that which the Bible declares it was never created to do and consequently is wholly incapable of doing.Philosophical rationalism is honest enough to reject the Bible flatly. Theological rationalism rejects it while pretending to accept it and in so doing puts out its own eyes.

Few there are who without restraint will open their whole heart to the blessed Comforter. He has been and is so widely misunderstood that the very mention of His name in some circles is enough to frighten many people into resistance.

It is no use to deny that Christ was crucified by persons who would today be called fundamentalists. This should prove to be disquieting if not downright distressing to us who pride ourselves on our orthodoxy. An unblessed soul filled with the letter of truth may actually be worse off than a pagan kneeling before a fetish. We are saved only when our intellects are indwelt by the loving fire that came at Pentecost. For the Holy Spirit is not a luxury, not something added now and again to produce a deluxe type of Christian once in a generation. No. He is for every child of God a vital necessity, and that He fill and indwell His people is more than a languid hope. It is rather an inescapable imperative.

Now the Bible teaches that there is something in God which is like emotion. ... God has said certain things about Himself, and these furnish all the grounds we require. “The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing” (Zeph. 3:17). This is but one verse among thousands which serve to form our rational picture of what God is like, and tell us plainly that God feels something like our love, like our joy, and what He feels makes Him act very much as we would in a similar situation; He rejoices over His loved ones with joy and singing.

Here is emotion on as high a plain as it can ever be seen, emotion flowing out of the heart of God Himself. Feeling, then, is not the degenerate son of unbelief that is often painted by some of our Bible teachers. Our ability to feel is one of the marks of our divine origin. We need not be ashamed of either tears or laughter. The Christian stoic who has crushed his feelings is only two-thirds of a man; an important third part has been repudiated. Holy feeling had an important place in the life of our Lord. “For the joy that was set before Him” He endured the cross and despised its shame. He pictured Himself crying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost.”

The work of the Holy Spirit is, among other things, to rescue the redeemed man’s emotions, to restring his harp and open again the wells of sacred joy which have been stopped up by sin.

Aiden Wilson Tozer (April 21, 1897–May 12, 1963) was an American Christian pastor, preacher, author, magazine editor and spiritual mentor. This article is an excerpt from The Divine Conques

EVEN THE APOSTLE PAUL HAD BAD DAYS

David Wilkerson Today
A Ministry of World Challenge

by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011]

Paul was hit with a bad day while traveling in Macedonia. "When we were come
into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side;
without were fightings, within were fears" (2 Corinthians 7:5). This godly man
confessed that his inner man was plagued not just by one fear, but by many
fears!

Indeed, Paul was no superhuman. He was subject to the same human emotions we
all face. At one point, all the believers in Asia turned against him, people
he'd given his lifeblood for. He wrote, "The more abundantly I love you, the
less I be loved" (2 Corinthians 12:15).

Yes, Paul had awful days. But he never gave in to his feelings and the
temptations that accompanied them. He testified in his worst time: "I am filled
with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation" (2 Corinthians 7:4).
Then he added: "God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us"
(verse 6).

Are you going through a bad day, a bad week, a long season of despondency? Are
you cast down, discouraged, with thoughts of quitting? If so, then how do you
think God reacts to your trial? Does He rebuke you or chasten you? No, never!
Paul states, "The Lord is never closer to you, never more ready to help you,
than when you're down and hurting."

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulation,
that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort
wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). The Greek
word for comforteth here means "to comfort or encourage, to call to one’s
side." What an amazing truth! When we experience bad days, our heavenly Father
takes advantage of them to draw us closer to Himself.
(For more information on the world-wide ministry of World Challenge please visit their website at www.WorldChallenge.org)

WHEN GOD SAYS "TRUST ME," HE MEANS IT!

WHEN GOD SAYS “TRUST ME,” HE MEANS IT!
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Think for a moment about all the ways God has met the needs of His people
throughout history.

When Israel was in the wilderness, they had no supermarkets or grocery stores.
There was not even a blade of grass in sight. But God rained down manna from
heaven so the people would have bread, and He caused birds to fall by the
bushel from the sky so they would have meat. He caused water to gush from a
rock. And He supernaturally kept their shoes and clothing intact, so that they
never wore out in forty years of use.

In the Old Testament, we read that a hungry prophet was fed by a raven. A
barrel of meal and a bottle of oil supernaturally replenished themselves. And
an entire enemy army fled upon hearing a strange noise—leaving behind enough
supplies to feed an entire city of starving Israelites.

In the New Testament, we read that water was turned into wine. Money was found
in a fish's mouth to pay taxes. And five thousand people were fed with only
five loaves of bread and two fish.

All these miracles of supply cry out to us, "God is faithful. He can be
trusted!" And in Leviticus 25, we read of another supernatural phenomenon—an
especially ripe harvest in the year before the sabbath for the land.

Next, God commanded that the people observe seven consecutive cycles of
sabbaths for the land: "Thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee,
seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be
unto thee forty and nine years" (verse 8). In other words: "You are to
celebrate this sabbath every seventh year, for a period of forty-nine
years—seven sabbaths times seven."

In biblical terms, the forty-nine-year period would comprise a whole
generation. The implication here is that such a period would provide enough
time for an entire generation to learn to trust the Lord. Over that time,
parents and grandparents would build up a history of faith, so they could tell
their children: "Yes, it's true! God supplied everything we needed the first
six years, but when the seventh year came, many of us were afraid. Yet God's
provision saw us through to the eighth year, and right up to the ninth.
Sometimes it was frightening, but there was always enough. No one starved, and
no one had to beg. Every need was supplied. God tested our faith—and He
remained faithful!"

The point is, when God says, "Trust me," He means it!




Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/20577?src=devo-email

NOT BY MIGHT

NOT BY MIGHT
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Many Christians today quickly turn to manmade things in an attempt to achieve
victory over the flesh, just as Israel did. One glaring example is the vast
number of self-help books found on the shelves of Christian bookstores.
Literally thousands of books promise surefire ways of improving, appeasing and
subduing our flesh. Indeed, everywhere we turn we are offered fleshly options
to all our needs. Churches promise anointed revival meetings where all our
spiritual needs are fulfilled by a prayer or a touch. Evangelists offer instant
deliverance, instant healing, instant words from God.

The truth is, God gave Israel the option of choosing Him or the flesh in the
midst of their situation. He said, "Go ahead and exercise your own will. Dig
deeply into your inner man, study your books, plan your strategies, do
everything you know how to do. But you will still be leaning on the arm of the
flesh. None of your efforts will bring you one moment of victory."

The more I study God's Word, the clearer it becomes to me: All human striving
for deliverance from sin is doomed to fail. God will let us go through the
wringer time after time, until we are totally convinced we must die to all
efforts of the flesh.

When Israel attempted to defeat their powerful enemy through human power, God
immediately denounced the effort: "Both he that helpeth shall fall, and he that
is holpen [helped] shall fall down, and they all shall fail together" (Isaiah
31:3). God's Word declares in very clear language that all victory depends on
Him alone. Only He has the power to deliver us from our enemies.

You may have a godly will, a solid moral background, an unpolluted mind. In
fact, you may be one of the cleanest people walking this earth, but the Bible
says that none of your human gifts or abilities will ever work against the
devil. You will always fail by your own efforts.

If you are in the midst of an overwhelming struggle, you must learn the word
God gave to Zechariah: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the
Lord" (Zechariah 4:6).

To read David Wilkerson’s Daily Devotions online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions

You can have the devotionals sent to your e-mail address by subscribing (free) on the World Challenge website.

FINDING THE KEYS TO VICTORY

FINDING THE KEYS TO VICTORY
by David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

As I studied the New Covenant, its glorious truths leapt out of God's Old
Testament dealings with Israel. Paul states, "All these things happened unto
them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends
of the world have come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). I sensed the Lord asking me,
"David, do you want the keys to victory? Do you want to know how to overcome
sin, flesh and the devil? Do you want to know how to do battle with the enemy?
Then go to my Old Testament and you will learn from the examples there. I have
recorded them all for you, so you can learn the lessons of godliness."

On the night of Passover, not a single Israelite was in danger from the death
angel who swept through Egypt. Every man, woman and child of God rested safely
and securely under the blood covering that was spread on the doorposts of their
homes (Exodus 12). This picture of safety represents the protective power of our
Lord's blood over His children today. As Christians, we are to be a believing,
trusting people who have the blood of Christ sprinkled on the doorposts of our
hearts.

Israel's trust in the blood of the slain lamb accomplished many things in the
lives of the people. It not only protected them from the death angel, but it
also brought them out of Egypt and delivered them from the bondage of Pharaoh.
Yet, there were other enemies from which Israel needed deliverance. Likewise
today, our trust in the blood of Christ is about much more than obtaining
salvation for eternity. It also involves relying on God's power to deliver us
from every stronghold of the enemy.

Please do not mistake me. If you are saved — living under the covering of
Christ's blood, secured by faith in His work on the cross for you — that is
absolutely wonderful. But what about your ongoing battle with the power of sin
that rages inside you? What about your besetting habit? What power do you have
to do battle with these enemies of your soul?

The fact is, even if we have been saved and secured by Christ's blood, we are
still engaged in a battle with overwhelming principalities, satanic powers,
demonic strongholds. We are to claim the power that is available to us through
God's New Covenant, but that power comes only by faith!




To read David Wilkerson’s Daily Devotions online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions

You can have the devotionals sent to your e-mail address by subscribing (free) on the World Challenge website page.

October 10, 2012 Dear Friend, Three weeks ago one of my daughters had a dream concerning the presidential elections. In the dream, she was attending a campaign rally for one of the candidates. (I'm not revealing which one because I don't want to politicize the strategy the Lord gave me through the dream.) My daughter stood in the receiving line of this candidate, at the halfway point of the line, waiting to shake his hand. When he came to her a shocked and panicked expression came over him. He re-gathered his composure and said, "You're the music lady, aren’t you?"   Boldly and confidently she replied, "That's right, I am."   He stretched out his hand to shake hers. When their hands met, his hand lost all strength and fell limp. He pulled it away, re-gathered his strength and tried again. Once more, he lost his strength and his hand went limp. This happened a third time, after which he was so shaken and frightened that he turned and walked away, not finishing the second half of the receiving line.   I believe the interpretation of the dream is obvious: the key to insuring that God’s choice wins this election is worship—the "music lady" is the worshipping Bride of Christ. As simple as it sounds, if the Church will worship over these elections, Psalm 22:3 and 149:5-9 will take place. This will remove the strength from one of the candidates and empower the other. Our worship will exalt the Lord and enthrone Him over our land. This is a simple yet powerful strategy.   Interestingly enough, some are already doing this. There is currently 40 days of 24/7 worship taking place on the White House grounds. You can find more details at www.davidstentdc.org. I encourage you to support this. I will be going to DC at least once, perhaps more, to join them in worship.   Because of this dream, I am going to host A Night of Worship Over America at Christ For The Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, from 7:00-10:00 P.M. CST on Friday, October 26. I am asking believers all across America to join us via live streaming (www.cfni.tv), or even hold your own live worship gathering on the same night.   Together we will exalt and declare the Lordship of Jesus over America, and release His will and His favor over the elections. Imagine this happening in every state simultaneously. The results will be powerful!   Help me spread the word. Let’s make sure God’s will is accomplished in these upcoming elections. "The music lady" will make the difference. Running with Him, Dutch Sheets

Phone: 214-438-3200 Web: www.dutchsheets.org Email: ministryinfo@dutchsheets.org

ALL THE FIERY DARTS!

“Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.” (Ephesians 6:16)


How do we raise the shield of faith?


Each time we engage in worship, each time we pray in faith, each time we open the Word of God believing that God is going to speak to us, we are performing an act of faith. Each time we activate our faith like this, we are taking up the “shield of faith.” Certainly, there are times when individual attacks come at us and by faith, we speak directly to those “mountains.” But please understand that as our faith is being exercised, we are continually raising the shield of faith.


 I recently did some research on what Paul meant when he used the term “fiery darts.” I always thought he was referring to arrows that had been set on fire, like we see in some of the epic movies. I wasn’t exactly right; I was close but a little incomplete. When Paul speaks of “fiery darts,” he is speaking from a First Century Roman context. The world Paul lived in was dominated by Rome, and Roman military might was everywhere. A permanent Roman military garrison was just a few hundred yards from the Temple in Jerusalem. Roman soldiers maintained the rule of Rome throughout the world that Paul lived and ministered in. Paul constantly used the Roman soldier to illustrate truths he was teaching about. 


The “fiery darts” were not exactly arrows. They were more like very thin, hollow pieces of reed or bamboo. Into the hollow portion, flammable liquid was inserted and somehow sealed in. Into one end of the hollow portion a wick was inserted and just before the dart was to be used, the wick was set afire. The soldiers would then throw or launch the dart filled with flammable liquid at the enemy. When the projectile hit, it would shatter, splash the liquid, and the burning wick would set it on fire. This was a first century equivalent of a “Molotov cocktail” or an incendiary bomb.


It was to protect against these fiery darts that the Romans got rid of the small metal shields used in warfare and moved to the larger wooden shield covered in leather. The Romans soaked their leather in water before going into battle so that when the fiery darts of the enemy came, the “soaked” leather would extinguish the fire. And we are to raise our “soaked” shields of faith so that when the attacks come, we are ready! 


The fiery darts are not primarily going to be attacks on your physical person, attacks of sickness or disease. The majority of the “fiery darts” will be attacks of temptation, lust, greed, disappointment, discouragement, jealousy. The attacks will be against your faith, your mind or your emotions. The fiery darts of Roman warfare did not look all that lethal, all that menacing. If launched in daylight, you could hardly see the long, thin projectiles coming. While looking innocent in flight, when they impacted and shattered, pain and death was released. How many times have I heard people say that they didn’t understand how dangerous and hurtful the problem would become until it was too late? Thousands and thousands of men and women in the church today are hooked and devastated under the control of pornography because they thought it would be no problem to spend a few minutes of personal time looking at porn. That quick looking was the launching of what seemed like a harmless projectile that exploded in their mind with devastating consequences. Current polls indicate that up to 50% of church-going men and 20% of women are addicted to pornography.


When the enemy attacks and attempts to cripple your spirit and control your mind and emotions, it is time to take your stand in faith—it’s time to raise the shield. “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…” (Romans 5:1-2). If the embracing of sinful thoughts or sinful behavior opened the door to the attack, then confess that sin according to 1 John 1:9, know that God will forgive you, and take a stand in the freedom of grace that Jesus Christ has provided for you. Declare that you are God’s child, brought into relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Declare that “greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world” and that the power of the enemy is broken in your life! Declare that you are raising the shield of faith on the authority of the Word and in the Name of Jesus! Declare that by the shed blood of Jesus, “I am free!” And declare that the fiery darts of the enemy are extinguished by your faith in God, because God’s Word says so!

QUESTIONS FOR A FORMER REVIVALIST

Question – What does “former revivalist” mean? Are you backslidden or something?

Answer – No, I’m not backslidden! It means that I don’t talk about revival the way I used to.

Q – Why is that? Did you talk bad about revival?

A – From the time I was a boy, I heard sermons and stories about the revivals of the past and the ones “just around the corner.” When the old-timers talked about the early days of the Pentecostal revival, the stories were always tinged with, “Those were great days and we wish it could be that way again!” There seemed to always be a wistful desire to “go back to the good old days.”

I couldn’t begin to count the times I heard sermons about the great revivals that were coming—great tidal waves of His Spirit that would shake cities and countries—but never arrived. I picked up this jargon too, but no more!

Q - Have there been no revivals during your life?

A - I have seen God do some marvelous things that were a type of revival, and I have been able to participate in a few of them. For example, the Charismatic Renewal and the Jesus Movement both happened in the 60’s and 70’s. Also in 1970 a revival broke out at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, that eventually spread to dozens of universities and colleges. In the 80’s and 90’s there were flashes of revival throughout the U.S. and Canada and a lot more in other countries. But there were hundreds and hundreds of “impassioned messages” given about impending revivals and moves of God that never happened.

Q – So you stopped believing in revival?

A – That’s the odd thing. I see more need for revival now and want to see revival more than ever but I don’t feel inclined to talk about it like I used to. I am drawn more to pray about and personally live in revival but I’m tired of trying to talk up revival or to alternately coax people into revival using the old “carrot in front of the donkey” trick. I’m tired of trying to preach guilt and goad people into a worked-up revival. Hot preaching (with hot music) is not revival…it’s nothing more or less than a lively form of worship—a style of worship.

Q – What do you mean when you talk about “personal revival”?

A – The following verse from Isaiah has really spoken to me:

"For this is what the high and lofty One says—
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15 NIV).

Gods’ commitment is to be with His children, to live with them, and to bring revival/renewal to them on a personal basis. The only condition God sets on this personal revival is that His people be contrite and lowly in spirit, meaning that they be humble and honest.

Q – Do you think that’s what holds back revival…the lack of humility?

A –I believe revival is held back because people do not do the one thing that will bring humility.

Q – Which is what?

A – Repentance brings humility. When we ask God to forgive us for trying to do it on our own and we honestly repent and confess that we really are nothing, we break the back of selfish egotism. Pride is brought down by repentance.

Somehow in our lifetime repentance has gotten all tangled up with legalism, and misguided preachers are telling people to repent over clothing styles or drinking coffee or something equally mundane. Repentance is not about exterior issues, it’s about the heart and the core values of my life. It’s about giving Him the steering wheel of my life and my repenting for trying to drive by my rules and not His. Repentance is about laying aside the things that weigh us down and distract us from living a life that is pleasing to Him.

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

Every revival starts with one repentant sinner, people just like you and me.

Q - Are you suggesting that churches should stop having revival meetings?

A - We have focused so much on the Upper Room experience that we have lost sight of the fact that if you had visited the Upper Room a few days after Pentecost, you wouldn’t have found anybody there. The wind of the Spirit pushed the “newly empowered believers” out into the street to share their faith. When the newly revived didn’t fully understand what Acts 1:8 was saying and seemed to get stuck in the first part of the verse, again the wind of the Spirit blew many of them out of Jerusalem and into Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. The real revival meeting of the 21st Century has little to do with a church meeting and everything to do with His people being led by His Spirit to take the gospel into the marketplace and to the ends of the earth.

Q - So what’s your final word on revival?

A - I intend to continue living in the presence of the Lord and having my own personal revival. I also intend to keep encouraging others to do the same…to stay humble, to stay repentant and to continue living in the reviving, refreshing presence of the Lord according to His promise. I intend to continue letting the Spirit of God lead my life.

SHOUT "GRACE, GRACE TO IT!"

The forlorn leader sat on a pile of ruins looking over what had been a beautiful city and the center of worship for his nation. Twelve years earlier 50,000 exiles returned to Jerusalem with permission from the king of Persia to rebuild the altar and the temple. However, only the altar had been rebuilt and work on the temple had stopped without any apparent way to get it going again. The leader of the Jewish exiles was Zerubbabel and he sat looking out over the rubble and the unfinished rebuilding with a growing sense of discouragement.

When the exiles arrived in Jerusalem they were excited and enthusiastic about what lay ahead. God had brought them out of exile back to their home and they felt surely they would quickly rebuild the altar and the temple. But things started to change as opposition arose from the neighboring Samaritans. Not only was there opposition but the pursuit of self-interest began to rise among the exiles. Families wanted to rebuild their own homes and their businesses; they had family needs that demanded attention and their interest and enthusiasm for the work of God began to fade.

Finally weariness set in among the people. After all, it had been twelve years, and when they arrived they had no concept of just how big the task was. First, all the destruction had to be cleared away before they could begin rebuilding. So after twelve years the task was unfinished—but the people were finished. They simply did not want to work on this anymore. No matter what Zerubbabel did, the people refused to go back to work and it appeared to be a hopeless situation.

Into this dreary mess of discouragement God sent a prophet with a message for Zerubbabel, for the exiles, and on down through the centuries it is a message for us. It is a powerful word for anyone who has ever faced the discouragement of an unfulfilled promise, the betrayal of someone close to you, the inability to finish a task that seemed so clear in the beginning. You could write your own list of discouraging and hopeless situations that you are currently facing, I’m sure. But Zechariah has a word from the Lord that is going to change your life.

“This is the word of the Lord . . . ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’
Says the Lord of hosts.
Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain!
And he shall bring forth the capstone
With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’” (Zechariah 4:6-7, NKJV)

As we understand the situation that confronted the leaders of the exiles, it helps us to understand the word of prophecy for Zerubbabel and the situation he faced.

“Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”

This sentence has been a part of the vocabulary of the Spirit-filled church for as long as I’ve been alive. When I was a boy at least once a week we sang a chorus at church that began with those words. The truth this statement declares is fundamental to success in the things of God and I am not sure how well I have learned that lesson!

This slogan line of Pentecost affirms that our success will not be constructed on the arm of flesh but it will be breathed into existence by the Spirit of God. This does not demean well thought-out plans or education, but it does prioritize for us God’s involvement in all our plans. “Seek first the kingdom of God . . . and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33, NKJV).

The prophecy then addresses the opposition that had stopped the work on the temple.

“Who are you, O great mountain?
Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain.”

“Just who do you think you are, ‘big mountain’? You are not going to stop the progress of God’s kingdom any longer. You are going to be reduced to nothing more than flat ground” (my paraphrase).

“And he shall bring forth the capstone.”

This is very encouraging. The capstone was the finishing stone of a construction project, the final stone to go into the wall. What this statement symbolizes is that the original vision will be brought to completion by the power of God working through His people!

“With shouts of ‘Grace, grace to it!’”

You may ask, “What is this supposed to mean? Is this suggesting that we face our problem and shout ‘Grace, grace!’ at it? This seems too simple and rather undignified.”

Is this undignified? Absolutely, and that’s the point! In our quasi-dignified and overly culturally relevant church we have lost much of our identity and our power, and this story symbolizes that. Somehow in our rush to success we have forgotten that true success in the kingdom of God comes “Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit.” Success in the things of God does not come from ideas copied from a best seller on business but from truths that are imparted to praying people who copy them down as heaven speaks them.

Is this exhortation to shout grace at the problem too simple? Probably for some who do not have ears to hear. To others, however, as the revelation comes they will realize that this is one of the most powerful truths we are given. Grace is defined as the “the unlimited and unmerited favor of God.” We can’t buy or earn grace—it is God’s alone to give.

Grace is miraculous and it reminds us, “It is not by might nor by power but by His Spirit!” Grace is the miracle that lifted Joseph out of prison and put him in the palace. Grace took David from being a lowly shepherd boy and constructed the path for him be to become the great warrior king. And grace took Daniel from the ranks of slavery to a man of influence in Babylon.

When Zechariah spoke this prophetic word, I believe he was saying:

“This promise, this vision, is going to be brought to completion not through the strong arm of flesh but by the Spirit of the Lord. You are to turn and face the opposition, this mountain of difficulty that has stopped your forward progress—“the mighty mountain”—and you will watch it turn into flat ground. Be encouraged, child of God, because the promise is going to be fully completed. Right now begin to declare that the favor and blessing of God is upon this promise; this was His vision, born of His Spirit. Go ahead and shout to the opposition, to every problem that is in your way. Shout, ‘Grace, grace!’ Go ahead, don’t just mutter it under your breath, child of God. Say it—shout it like you mean it!”

I first heard this truth taught by our pastor, Dr. Jack Hayford, when we lived in California. Dr. Hayford taught this all over the world in conferences and pastors’ gatherings. Pastor Jack would finish his teaching by leading the group in singing “Amazing Grace.” At the end of the song he would have the musicians continue to play but would instruct the congregants to bring to memory problems they were facing and begin to shout the words, “Grace, grace to it!” He testifies that he has received testimonies from all over the world of miraculous answers that have come because God’s children simply and humbly followed the prophetic word and shouted, “Grace, grace to it!”

WORSHIP LEADS THE WAY TO VICTORY

A huge enemy army was on its way to crush Judah. When King Jehoshaphat became aware of the impending invasion, the enemy was just days away from Jerusalem. This was long before the invention of any kind of rapid communication, so unless someone came and told you what was coming, it would be upon you before you had any knowledge. In many ways it’s still the same today, as problems often arrive suddenly with little or no prior knowledge.

King Jehoshaphat was alarmed and overwhelmed by the impending attack, so he prayed and called for a nationwide time of fasting (2 Chronicles 20:3). This is a very rich chapter and I can only touch on part of it in this article. We will visit here again in the near future.

Jehoshaphat led his nation in prayer and together they cried out to God for help (vv. 6-12). The heart of that prayer is, “We have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (v. 12, NKJV).

The answer to this prayer came through one of the Levitical worship team members who began to prophesy and brought the Word of the Lord to the nation. The essence of the word was, “Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s . . . . You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you . . . . Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.” (20:15-17, NKJV).

Jehoshaphat’s response to this powerful word was instantaneous and important. The king immediately bowed before the Lord as an act of submission and acceptance of the Word of the Lord and in worship. The whole nation followed his lead and they too bowed and worshipped.

The next day the people of Judah did as they were instructed and went out and positioned themselves to fight with the Word of the Lord still ringing in their ears, “The battle is not yours, but God’s.”

What happens next is truly enlightening. Jehoshaphat appointed a group of worshippers to go out in front of the army to “sing to the Lord . . . praise the beauty of holiness . . . they went out before the army and were saying: ‘Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever’” (20:21).

What a powerful truth we are given: Worship leads on the road to victory! Will we ever learn?

As the people of God were worshipping and praising, miraculous things began to happen. “The Lord set ambushes against the enemy” (v. 22). The Lord had some surprises in store for the enemy and suddenly the invading armies began to fight among themselves. When one army had destroyed the other, the warriors of the victorious army began to fight among themselves. Worship brings confusion and discord into the ranks of our enemy. Worship leads the way on the road to victory! Will we ever learn?

The Lord made these truths real to me during my months of treatment for cancer. There were many nights when sleep was impossible; wherever sleep was, it wasn’t in my neighborhood. I am most susceptible to anxiety and fear when I am alone and it is quiet, and most often this is at night. When I am tired and not feeling well, the combination of all components provides an open door for fear to take hold. I learned when this began to happen that I needed to begin to worship and praise Him. As I entered into worship, many times I would sense the presence of the Lord but even if I didn’t I found that as I worshipped, the fear that was trying to get a grip on me would be overwhelmed by the worship. Worship led me and kept me on the road to victory.

How do you worship when all hell is breaking loose around you and things seem impossible? It’s my experience that you just begin by thanking and praising Him for your salvation, for the Holy Spirit, for the Word, for the privilege of prayer, for the many blessings that He has given. The more you worship and magnify Him, the more things will come to mind, and the more you praise, the more His presence will manifest itself (Psalm 22).

Now that I am on the other side of the cancer treatment, there are still many nights that I am awake, so I get up and go to the den or into my office and spend time worshipping Him. Why? Because He loves me, I love Him, and I want to stay on the road to victory!

But doesn’t 1 John 5:4 (NKJV) say, “And this is the victory that has overcomes the world—our faith”? Yes, it does—and what is worship but an act and expression of faith? The people of Judah acted in faith when they were obedient to the direction of God’s Word and they acted in faith by letting worship lead them into battle and on to victory.

IN THE ARK OF SAFETY

At times it is difficult to process all the voices trying to talk to us, trying to get our attention:

• The secular media are on us all day, every day, trying to catch our attention, trying to put their agenda across, trying to get us to listen. The political agendas of America have found their voices in sound bytes picked up by the secular media and pushed at us as news.

• Our friends, and some not-so-friendlies, are constantly “talking” to us by cell phone, e-mail and the newest phenom of Facebook, Twitter and other social network sites. The volume here has turned up considerably in the last couple of years.

• Our families are in touch, thankfully, some almost every day—and these are welcome voices.

• God is talking! Can we hear Him over the noise of the life going on around us?

The voices are constant and at times, for our own sanity, we need to shut the door and listen to the One Who really has the answers.

I found this to be especially true a couple of weeks ago when David Wilkerson published his message “An Urgent Word.” Carol and I read the printed message when it came out on Saturday, March 7, and I admit that while I was not surprised, I was a bit stunned as I read it. The very next day, to my total surprise, a summation of David’s article appeared on The Drudge Report (which gets up to 26 million hits a day) and then the voices really started chattering about the prophetic announcement.

From the local newspaper in Tyler, Texas, to a mention in The Wall Street Journal by columnist Peggy Noonan, to countless references on blog sites and Web sites across the globe, the voices began talking about David’s prophetic insight. Joining the fray, of course, are the so-called “protectors of the truth” like Hank Hanagraff, who takes every opportunity he can to knock down everyone who doesn’t believe as he does. (Note to Hank: You are probably not going to be happy with your neighbors in heaven!) One of the articles I read was written by noted Baptist pastor John Piper who did a very credible job of exegeting 1 Thessalonians 5:20 but then blew it all when he said that he felt David’s suggestion about laying in store a 30-day supply of non-perishable foods was “extra-biblical.” (Note to John: Your prejudice is showing and this made you look petty and silly.)

Finally I stopped reading the articles; I closed the door and listened for what the Lord was trying to say to me about all of this. God didn’t talk to me about the article right away; He went to other issues first. First, the Lord reminded me that I have known David Wilkerson as a friend for over forty years. I know he is a man of prayer and I know that God talks to him. I trust David Wilkerson; he is a man of integrity and he is a man of the Word. Also, he is a man with a proven track record of faithful ministry. David is also a man of courage who has been willing to speak out even when others didn’t like it, and that’s more than I can say for a lot of other pastors and leaders who give voice only to popular things, things the crowds want to hear.

The next thing the Lord had me do was go to Genesis and read again the story of Noah and the flood. I read about how God spoke to Noah and when he shared what he had heard, nobody believed him; they thought he was crazy. I realized the flood was a type of the judgment of God on the sin of the world. God had Noah prepare an ark to house his family and a remnant of all living creatures. The ark, I realized, was more than a physical structure. It was the result of Noah’s faith and obedience and these, too, are where our deliverance and safety lies.

(Genesis 7:17-18 NIV).“For forty days the flood kept coming on the earth, and as the waters increased they lifted the ark high above the earth. The waters rose and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water”

Noah and his family were safe because Noah listened to God, stepped out in faith and followed His instructions to the letter.

Our ark of safety in the coming storm is constructed by our faith and obedience. Our ark will ride on the surface of the waters just as Noah’s did!

“Don’t ask God to guide your steps if you are not willing to move your feet” (author unknown).

THE TRAGEDY AT LAODICEA

Just as I was preparing to write this post, “The Tragedy at Laodicea,” Carol forwarded to me an article by a respected prophecy teacher referring to “the time of the Laodicean church” being now! Again, I was struck by the timeliness of the Holy Spirit’s leading. I trust that through this article I can show you something the Holy Spirit has been making real to me in just the last few days about the times in which we live, the Laodicean church, and the tragedy that happened there.

We are first introduced to the Laodicean church in Colossians 2:1. Neither the Colossian nor the Laodicean church were actually begun by Paul but he loved and ministered to them as a friend and an apostle. It is very likely that the church in Laodicea was begun by one of the converts from the Colossian church, which was just ten miles away.

Laodicea was a prosperous city, well known for its production of quality wool for clothing and also for its beautiful and luxurious carpets. As was the custom of this day, the church of Laodicea met in a private home (Colossians 4:15). As Paul concludes his letter to the Colossians, he instructs the brethren to make certain that the letter is also read to the church at Laodicea and that the letter he wrote to Laodicea be read to the Colossian church (4:16). The letter to the Laodiceans is no longer in existence.

When Jesus speaks of the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, He uses very strong and descriptive words to describe what is happening: “Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. . . . You say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked—” (Revelation 3:14-17).

What could have happened to the church of Laodicea and why do I speak of this as a tragedy?

We get some insight into what happened through a warning Paul issued to both churches in Colossians 2, that false teachers would come with a message of bondage that would try to lead them away from the centrality of Christ.

In Colossians 2:8, Paul specifically warns that the false teachers would try and introduce contemporary pagan philosophy into the church in the guise of “new and progressive” Christianity. Through their teaching, Paul warned, the false teachers would bring “basic principles of the world,” indicating that the false teaching primarily would be concerned with visible and perishable things that would replace the centrality of Christ (also see also Galatians 4:3).

So what is the tragedy at Laodicea? The scope of the tragedy begins to unfold in the words of Christ Himself in Revelation 3:20: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”

The tragedy is that Jesus is no longer in this once thriving church—He is no longer central to the church. Jesus is on the outside, knocking and calling out to His bride, who has gone whoring after others. This church, birthed in a move of God’s Spirit, has totally lost its way; it has lost its focus; it has lost Christ as the center of its being. Jesus Christ is no longer the head of this church. He has become a fond memory, a piece of stained glass, an icon hanging on the wall—but He is no longer the living, vibrant center/head. Christ is not worshipped in this church but has been largely replaced by a preoccupation with self and its needs.

This is a tragedy of unspeakable magnitude! It is a description of large segments of the church in America where wealth, success, acceptance and political correctness are celebrated and Jesus is rarely mentioned or worshipped. Thankfully, the Laodicean spirit has not gripped the whole church. There is still a bride who loves and cherishes the Bridegroom. Her garments are white, her praise is loud and clear, she refuses to be seduced or compromised by the beggarly elements of the world, and her eyes are fixed upon her Beloved. This is the overcoming church who will sit with Christ on His throne (3:21).

The tragedy of Laodicia did not have to happen—but it did! And the tragedy will be compounded if we do not learn from this.

THIS IS WHAT THE LORD SAYS.....

It was more than difficult to sit in the medical office listening to the treatment plan and being advised of the difficulties and pain of the weeks ahead. To have medical professionals describe the cancerous tumor on my neck as difficult to deal with because of its location was not greatly encouraging. All in all, it was a painful and discouraging hour.

About seven or eight weeks ago I discovered a swelling on the left side of my neck right along the jaw in the lymph gland area. After a couple of trips to the doctor, treatment by antibiotics, a CT Scan and a needle biopsy, my doctor called to tell me that the growth was cancerous. That set off a whole string of other doctors getting involved. Suddenly I had a medical oncologist, a radiation oncologist, an ear-nose-throat surgeon, and I had more scans and additional biopsies taken from my throat and tongue. I can heartily recommend that you not have your tonsils removed at my age! That procedure opened up a door of pain and discomfort that I have not experienced before.

Before Carol and I sat down with the radiation oncologist’s staff to hear them lay out for us the treatment plan and fully explain what would be involved, we prepared ourselves both spiritually and medically for what was to come.

Spiritually we have taken our stand for healing. We both believe that God heals the sick and our foundational healing Scriptures are Isaiah 53:4-5 and Psalm 91:1-3. We had the elders of our church anoint me with oil and pray for healing; we have enlisted an army of family and friends to stand with us in prayer and faith; and every day I cry out to God for healing. I know that the Lord has not given this infirmity to me and I also know that He has not, at this time, taken it from me. I understand that right now this is the “deep water” I am to walk through and I am at peace.

On the medical side the Lord has supernaturally led us to some of the very best cancer specialists in this area. The doors have opened for almost immediate appointments and the care has been incredible.

All through the process I knew the doctors were not telling us everything about the level of difficulty and the side effects of the treatment. I can tell when someone is holding something back but eventually most of that came out. The radiation nurse told us, “I wish I could tell you different but the last couple of weeks of treatment are going to be hellish. The pain and soreness in the neck and throat is going to build up until you won’t want to eat or drink anything because it will just be too painful.”

It was a sober drive home and in the SUV Carol reminded me of a passage of Scripture that I had shared with our daughter Leslie the day before. I had printed out a copy of Isaiah 43 and it was sitting on my desk when I got home. The passage reads like God participated in the conversation in the doctor’s office and He was now having the final word.

“But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you….he who formed you…. Do not fear, for I have redeemed you…you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God…you are precious and honored in my sight and because I love you…do not be afraid, for I am with you… (Isaiah 43:1-5 NIV).

I am not writing this blog post to elicit pity or sympathy…frankly I don’t want either. I have prepared this because some of you, like me, are going through your own deep waters, your own fires of tribulation, and a few of you are about ready to give up. His promise to you is the same as it is to me: “You are mine…you are precious and honored in my sight…I love you…do not be afraid!”

We do go through treacherous experiences but He will be with us to protect and keep us. We will pass through rivers of trouble and pain that will threaten to overwhelm us but He will not allow that to happen—His hand will restrain the destruction. We will go through fires of temptation and affliction; we’ll feel the heat but we will not be burned nor will we be destroyed.

I love God more today than I ever have in my life. I trust Him and because I am passing through deep waters doesn’t mean that somehow I have failed Him or that I am lacking in faith. It means I am passing through deep waters and He will show Himself strong on my behalf.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (Jesus to the Apostle Paul, 2 Corinthians 12:9).

“For when I am weak, then I am strong” (Paul’s declaration, 2 Corinthians 12:10).

YOU WERE BORN TO FLY!

One of the more interesting visual images given in Scripture is that of the eagle. Two brief passages present the imagery of the eagle; the first passage presents the visual of God likened to an eagle caring for its children and the second passage likens the people of God to the eagle.

• As an eagle stirs up its nest, Hovers over its young, Spreading out its wings, taking them up, Carrying them on its wings, So the LORD alone led him, And there was no foreign god with him. (Deuteronomy 32:11-12, NKJV)·

• But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31 NIV; also see Exodus 19:4 NIV)

So, what do you think? If the parent is referred to as an eagle and the child is, too, what does that mean? Yes, that’s right! We were born to fly, to soar like the eagle!

Eagles are known for their ability to soar high above the earth. Some eagles are reported to be able to catch a thermal draft and fly 15,000 to 20,000 feet high. But the ability to fly is not something that eagles are born with—they have to learn this skill. Eagles are not eagles if they cannot fly! Turkeys don’t fly, they strut and cackle!

Eagles build their nests far above the earth, usually at the top of a tall tree high up on the side of a cliff or mountain. In a few minutes you will understand why.

Mom and dad eagle build the nest from sticks and then they pad the interior with feathers, down, grass and leaves. They don’t want their babies to have sticks poking them all day long so they make sure the nest is comfortable and softly lined.

An eaglet has a pretty good life. A great view, a soft bed, and room service throughout the day as mom and dad bring in the latest menu items of road kill.

Baby is growing and enjoying this good life. How easy it would be to spend the rest of one’s life living in this kind of laid-back comfort.

One day mother eagle seems to lose her mind. Instead of bringing the hungry eaglets food, she hovers over the nest and with the downdraft of her powerful wings she blows all the comfortable padding out of the nest. The comfort flies away and what’s left are the eaglets and a less-than-comfortable bed of sticks. But, hey, this is still a pretty good life, with room service and a great view.

But with the stirring of the nest everything begins to change. Instead of bringing the food into the nest, mom and dad start having the children come to them. First, the children have to climb up and get their food at the edge of the nest. Well, that’s new and a little inconvenient, but the children handle it. Then one day no more service into the nest at all. Instead, the parents hover with the food just outside the nest and baby is forced to climb to the edge and stretch out and take the food. A few days later, parents have moved back a little further and as hungry baby tries to reach for the food, it slips and begins to fall.

Baby cannot fly because it has no strength in its unused wings, so down it tumbles and “it ain’t flying but it’s sure trying.” Mother is ready for this and she swoops down and under the falling child, catches it and carries it back to the nest. Baby is unharmed and safe because mother is there.

The next day it’s the same thing. Down goes the child with wings flapping and flapping but it has not learned to fly—yet. Over and over the lesson is repeated and slowly strength comes into the baby’s wings. One day as baby falls and instinctively begins to flap its wings, suddenly everything begins to work and it begins to fly for the first time. Baby is not a baby anymore; now it’s an eagle because eagles know how to fly.

Mother had not lost her mind when she stirred the nest and blew the comfort out of the eaglet’s life. Mother knew that for an eagle to be an eagle, it had to learn to fly.

God will stir our nest and at times He will remove the comfort from our life. He knows that left to our own ways we will choose comfort over faith and so the training begins.

God knows that we have to learn to walk by faith, because without faith we cannot do His work and we cannot please Him.

He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will never be inattentive to your cry but He will stir your nest and teach you to fly because, “They shall mount up with wings as eagles.”

You were born to fly!

GOD'S STIMULUS PROGRAM

(Written in March of 2009)

As I write this article, American news is filled with articles and comments regarding the “stimulus” bill that was signed by the President just days ago. While it will take time, perhaps even years, before we can really know what this particular piece of legislation has accomplished, the initial response from Wall Street and the world financial markets has not been very positive. It has already begun, but in the days ahead we will hear a great deal of “explaining” by both sides of the issue attempting to help us understand why the stimulus has or has not worked. I know this is cynical, but the lawmakers in Washington treat the general public like we are mushrooms—they keep us in the dark and spread manure on us.

God has a stimulus program that does work and it works in good times and bad.

Genesis 26:1-3, 12 says: “There was a famine in the land…. Then the LORD appeared to him (Isaac) and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father…. Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.”

When the economy tightens, our natural tendency is to respond by tightening our belts. We tighten things up financially by cutting down on discretionary spending, and that’s not bad. For the believer, however, giving needs to be separated out of our discretionary file. I don’t give to my church or to the work of the Lord using the same consideration as I do when I am considering buying an extra pair of socks or taking my wife out to dinner. When it comes to giving, I do not weigh the positives and the negatives and see which one carries the most weight. If you do that when considering your giving, you will never give. I give because it is a part of my worship and I understand that God blesses a giving and generous spirit. I refuse to allow any taint of legalism or legalistic principles to get into my giving. I give because I want to, I have purposed to, and it is a joy!

Isaac sowed in the midst of a famine because he understood the law of sowing and reaping. “Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7b) and, “Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Corinthians 9:6).

So what do we do as the economy continues to falter and inflation begins to show its ugly face? What were God’s instructions to Isaac? “Don’t go back to Egypt.” Don’t allow worldly principles to guide your decisions. “Live in the land of which I shall tell you.” Stay firm in the faith and in the truth of God’s unwavering care for His children.

God’s promise to His children was really quite simple:

· Don’t stop living as a Kingdom dweller; don’t stop giving because we are in a famine. If we give into that line of thinking, there will always be a famine of one thing or another to stop you from giving to the Lord’s work. If you are not a giver then you need to start, right now, because you are missing the blessing of the Lord. Giving is not going to affect your salvation and you are not cursed if you don’t give, but you will miss out on a lot of the blessing that God promises to the generous!

· Listen for the voice of the Lord and He will speak to you. God has been very precious in speaking to Carol and me in the last few months about our lifestyle and some adjustments He has asked us to make. If God can talk to a hardhead like me, He can certainly talk to you—and He will.

· God promises to be with you. In a way, this is the best promise of all…to know that God is with us, right here, right now! God is with us! If that’s not security, then nothing can be!

· God promises to bless His obedient children. I believe in the law of sowing and reaping. In the natural, if you sow carrot seeds you don’t reap pumpkins. In the spiritual world, when we sow our financial gifts as an act of worship, it is foolish to think that the only way we are going to reap is to reap monetarily. When we give and release it to the Lord, then He promises to bless us and He will do it in the way that He knows will meet our needs and circumstances the best.

So, do you want to “stimulate your harvest?” Plant more seed!

OVERCOMING FEAR AND ANXIETY

Matthew 6:25-34 (NIV)

25 Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?

26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28 And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.

29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

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

John 14:1, 27 (NLT)

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.

I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

Psalm 23:4 (NLT)

4 Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me.

(The shepherd’s rod is a symbol of the Word; it is with us to protect, guide and comfort us. The shepherd’s staff is a type of the Holy Spirit who also is with us to guide, protect and comfort.)


Psalm 91 (New Living Translation)

1 Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

2 This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.

3 For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.

4 He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.

5 Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, nor the arrow that flies in the day.

6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, nor the disaster that strikes at midday.

7 Though a thousand fall at your side, though ten thousand are dying around you, these evils will not touch you.

8 Just open your eyes, and see how the wicked are punished.

9 If you make the Lord your refuge, if you make the Most High your shelter,

10 no evil will conquer you; no plague will come near your home.

11 For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go.

12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.

13 You will trample upon lions and cobras; you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

14 The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name.

15 When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
16 I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

Philippians 4:4-7 (New Living Translation)

4 Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!

5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon.

6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.