A Mighty Wind

Cindy McGill: "FACE THE WIND – IT'S A FAITH WALK"
[from Elijah List]


The Winds of Change are Blowing

Does it feel like everything in our lives is being challenged? Sometimes it seems like our spiritual compass is spinning out of control and we can't find our direction. We put one foot down and the ground moves under the other foot. There is no doubt that we have crossed over into uncertain times. The certainty in uncertain times is to keep our anchor in Jesus.

Isaiah 41:10 says, "Do not fear for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

It's time to walk by faith and not put a lot of trust in our own understanding. The winds of change are blowing and everything in our lives is affected. These winds will show us where our house is built.

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus is teaching about the two houses:

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

Two houses and two foundations. Often we feel that the winds are adverse times and difficult seasons of our lives, but what if the winds actually represents the Holy Spirit?

God is redefining His Church. God is directing the wind and we find ourselves faced with two choices. We can either turn our faces to the wind or turn our backs on the wind.

If we turn our backs to the wind, we lose sight of things to come and can become rigid and unmovable, possibly even fighting against God. If we face the wind, we find ourselves positioned to have old things blown off of us, capture new vision, and become strengthened for the days to come.

LET THE JUNK BLOW OFF YA!

This shift and change is from God and we must face this wind to get to our next place. He is getting old stuff out of us. Old mindsets, old methods, old comfortable paths and predictable lifestyles are being blown off of us in this wind.

We must avoid trying to reconstruct things God is dismantling. This change is essential. We cannot move forward without it.

God is challenging us to increase our faith. We must ask ourselves this question: Will we choose to be a people of faith or familiarity?

The truth is we cannot keep going like we are going to arrive at the place God wants us to be at. The path is turning. We have to follow Him to arrive at our destiny. We are faced with an opportunity of setting the stage for the greatest visitation of His presence that the world has ever seen.

Things are being removed and things are being added to our lives. The choice is ours. Do we turn our back on the preparation process or do we face the wind and let God reshape our lives, circumstances and mindsets for His purposes?

The very wind He sends, prunes, protects, directs and guides us. There is a higher plan in place. It is God sending this wind.

THERE GOES THE ROOF

These windy times are seasonal, but our faith must increase right now. God is blowing the lid off of our little world. When the roof is gone, there is no obstruction to seeing the Heavenly realm. Things are getting exposed. We are able to see things from God's view.

When the wind dies down, we will have a clearer picture of God, of ourselves, our assignment, and a deeper dependence on God with new levels of trust and faith. Honestly, most of the stuff we thought we just had to have, we discover we just don't need anymore and when it's gone, we won't miss it - stuff in the natural and in the spirit realm.

WHERE IS OUR FAITH?

God is taking over. He is directing the ship. As this storm comes up, will we remember God's words to us or will we be like the disciples who woke Jesus up in the boat, telling Him they were going to die?

Luke 8:22-25, "Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.' And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!'

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, 'Where is your faith?' And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, 'Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!'"

We are going to make it to the other side. The process may take us in a way we didn't see coming, but the end result is that we will be in a new place with new perspective and INCREASED FAITH!

Face the wind. It is a good thing and a God thing.


Anchored on the Rock,


Cindy McGill
Hope for the Harvest Ministries
Email: dreaminslc@hotmail.com

- - - - - -

ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

Expect the Unexpected

Carol Kelley:
God says, "PREPARE FOR THE UNEXPECTED. I AM THE GOD OF THE UNEXPECTED!"
[from Elijah List]


The Lord has been speaking to me for some time about "generations" and "glory." Earlier this spring, He said to me: "Prepare. Plan. Pray. Prepare for the unexpected. I am the God of the unexpected. Embrace Me. Embrace My ways. Look to Me. I will direct you. I am giving you new strength. Rise up!" "Arise, shine, your light has come! The glory of the Lord has arisen on you. His glory will be seen on you" (Isaiah 60:1). "Open the gates, that the King of glory may come in" (Psalm 24:7, 9). "All the generations will see My glory. The glory of the Lord will be revealed (Isaiah 40:5). The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). All the ends of the earth will see the glory of our God (Psalm 97:6). "Expect it, claim it, walk in it!"

He Spoke "Generation(s)!"

Last year, God spoke the words "generation" and "generations" to me over and over - more than 400 times - until I gave up counting. I kept asking Him what this meant. He didn't tell me right away, but just kept speaking the same words without explaining the mystery to me. After several months of this, the Lord gave me a prophetic word about generations:

"Call forth the generation to the purposes I have for them: the younger generation to follow Me, set an example (I Timothy 4:12), learn, and lead when it's time; the older generations to serve Me, teach by example, love and support, and lead or step back when it's time.

"Together, all the generations will experience a visitation of My Spirit and will be used to further the Kingdom of God on the earth.

"Together, all the generations will love and serve Me, love each other, and love, serve and reach the world.

"Together, all the generations will worship Me. Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:10-11; Isaiah 45:23).

"Is anything too hard for Me?" (Jeremiah 32:27) says the Lord. "I have spoken, I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it (Isaiah 46:11). The vision hastens to its time; it will surely come, it will not delay" (Habakkuk 2:3).

"Hear this, and listen: has anything like this happened in your days or in your fathers' days? Tell your sons about it, let your sons tell their sons, and their sons tell the next generation. There has never been anything like it, nor will there be again after it, to the years of many generations. For I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old will dream dreams; your young will see visions; even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days" (Joel 1:2-3; 2:2, 28-29).

Feeling Broken, Alone or Forsaken?

The way God moves among and through generations remains a mystery. But since the beginning of time, He has been working throughout history to draw people to Himself. We see in the genealogies of Jesus (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:23-38) that His human family line was filled with imperfect, broken people that God chose to work through.

Do you ever feel alone or forsaken? Ruth did. After her husband died, she was given a choice to stay in her own land with her relatives and everything that was familiar to her, or journey to a new land with her mother-in-law. So she ventured out in a new walk of faith, leaving behind her country, relatives and pagan religious system to follow the God of Israel.

The Lord gave her a new family and a new husband, Boaz. Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David (Ruth 4:13-17), and part of the family line of Christ (Matthew 1:5-6). Her obedience blessed her descendants and continues to bless us today through Jesus. As with Ruth, the decisions you make today have tremendous power to change history, influence the generations that will follow you and bear fruit that makes an impact for eternity.

God still chooses to work through imperfect, broken people today. He sees us through His eyes and not as we see ourselves. Do you struggle to overcome your fears or to know with certainty what the Lord is calling you to do? Gideon did (Judges 6). His life was ruled by fear and uncertainty. Yet God called him a valiant warrior!

Gideon was honest with the Lord, laying his fears and questions before Him, asking for signs to confirm his direction. God answered Gideon's prayers, helping him to step out boldly and confidently (Judges 7). The Lord taught Gideon to define himself by what He thought about him, and not by the expectations of others. He wants to do the same for us.

Have you suffered abuse at the hands of others? Joseph did. But God was faithful to bring him to a place of healing. It didn't happen overnight; the Lord took Joseph through a process. I see part of that healing process at work in Genesis 41:50-52, when Joseph names his two sons. The first son is named Manasseh, meaning "making to forget." Joseph said, "God has made me forget all my trouble in my father's household." The second son is Ephraim, or "fruitfulness." Of his youngest son Joseph said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction."

Later on in Genesis 48, Joseph's father Jacob blesses Ephraim and Manasseh. Jacob gives the firstborn blessing to the younger son. Ephraim (fruitfulness) will take precedence over and become greater than the process of working through the abuse (Manasseh). We see in Genesis 50 the healing of a whole extended family system with Joseph and his brothers fully reconciled after their father Jacob's death.

The stronghold of a deceptive spirit, passed down over generations from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph's brothers, was finally broken by Joseph's obedience and persistence. God also used him to help ensure the survival of two nations – Israel and Egypt.

Pioneers - Be the First in Your Lineage to Follow the Lord's Ways

All of us have generations in our family line that preceded us. Some were righteous and walked with God, while others did not. Their actions can influence us, yet we are individually accountable before God. We need NOT feel powerless to change.

God can help us sort through what has gone on before us in previous generations and know what to hold on to, what strongholds to break, and what new things to establish. Sometimes He calls us to make a generational "shift" so our obedience can help establish a pattern of blessing for future generations.

Some of us are pioneers in faith like Abraham and Ruth, the first in our lineage to follow the Lord's ways and establish new patterns for the future. If so, take heart - there is great blessing and reward in being a spiritual pioneer.

Genesis 15:1, "Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; your reward shall be very great." God has used the first-generation faith of Abraham and Ruth to bless the entire world.

Genesis 12:1-3, "Go forth from your country, and from your relatives, and from your father's house, to the land I will show you. I will make you a great nation. I will bless you, and make your name great, and so you shall be a blessing...and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."

Others like Timothy have an incredible spiritual inheritance spanning generations. II Timothy 1:5, "I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is within you as well."

Rejoice! He will enable you to build on this foundation (I Corinthians 3:10-11) of faith, experiencing even greater spiritual depth, intimacy, breakthrough and victory than your predecessors did. He may also call you to venture out and do something entirely "new" in His Kingdom.

Reclaim Parts of Our Spiritual Inheritance

Whether you are a first-generation believer or can trace your spiritual roots back for generations, God wants to work through you to express His love to the world. He wants us to reclaim His Kingdom on the earth, securing His blessing in our own generation, and positively influencing those who follow us. Like He did for Gideon, He wants to teach us that our acceptance is rooted in Jesus - how He sees us and what He has done for us; not in any false expectations or wrong view of ourselves.

Ephesians 2:8-9, "By grace you have been saved through faith; it is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God; not as a result of works or human effort, that no one should boast."

The choices we make now can affect not only ourselves and our own survival, but like Joseph, also the very existence and survival of future generations.

My parents, like many in their generation, were profoundly impacted by the events of World War II. My father entered the U.S. Army, was seriously wounded in Europe and taken prisoner. He eventually ended up in a German POW hospital, nearly dying of starvation by the time he was liberated by Allied forces. He made a choice to survive, and his twenty direct descendants, including me, are alive today because of this decision.

God can help us reclaim parts of our spiritual inheritance and destiny which our parents, grandparents or other relatives did not fulfill. What one generation sowed, another may reap (Galatians 6:7-9; I Corinthians 3:6-8). What one generation did not or could not complete, another can through God's grace and power.

So rise, take up your place in your generation, and change the world for Christ! All the generations working together can help His Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven (Matthew 6:10).

All the generations will see His glory!


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ElijahList Publications
310 2nd Ave SE,
Albany, OR 97321
www.elijahlist.com
email: info@elijahlist.net
Phone 1-541-926-3250

The Spirit of Rejection

by Ron Wood

Alienation, isolation, and rejection are paralyzing the church. Loneliness is like a plague on the land. The ties that knit our lives together seem to have unraveled. Covenant love has grown cold and casual contacts can‚t replace them. The tapestry of society is like a mass of individual threads, no longer woven together. Broken homes from divorces provide a vivid picture of our inability to stay in meaningful relationships. (In Cuba, where I have ministered, the divorce rate is 78%.) Ask any modern school teacher how many children in their classroom still have the same original parents. The answer is always, "Hardly any." The feeling of abandonment hurts. These kids usually suffer from rejection.

Even if you can't explain it, you can describe it. It is a reality in our souls. What is rejection and what does it do to people?

Rejection affects adults as well. Many people have come to full age still carrying the scars of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse. These men and women look normal but inside they are filled with terrible insecurity, anger, or fear. Others are sitting on a ticking emotional time-bomb of resentment and rebellion, just waiting to boil over into rage. These scars, if left unhealed, will render a person incapable of entering into committed, wholesome, long-term relationships.

One particular problem is very common. It undermines the confidence of many Christians and interferes with true fellowship between friends. It is a lying spirit from our enemy called a spirit of rejection. Rejection is the worst pain the human spirit can suffer. Anyone who has been abandoned, suffered abuse, or endured discrimination can relate to this kind of anguish. Let‚s examine this assault from Satan so we can recognize this form of mental oppression.

The Mind-Set of Rejection

First, the spirit of rejection refers to the mind-set ingrained into us which tells us that we are unloved, unwanted, or will never be good enough. This may start in childhood. This mind-set makes us strive to earn our acceptance. It makes people feel driven to perform in order to be approved. This mind-set makes people feel they are loved for what they do rather than for who they are. It is demeaning. It robs people of peace. The sad thing is that no amount of achievement is ever enough to satisfy it.

In other people, the injustice of being treated unfairly or rejected or disrespected makes them boil over in anger. They quit trying to fit in, rebel against everyone, and try to break out of the box being forced on them. In refusing to be a victim, they may victimize others. Resentment covers their soul like a dark shroud. They wind up in an emotional prison of their own making.

The mind-set of rejection is the result of having believed a lie. It is a syndrome of self-talk that comes from being programmed with falsehoods. Having been told a lie often enough, victims begin to say, "Yes, it‚s true." The lie becomes accepted when the victim agrees with the accusations. They become their own accuser. They have internalized the venom. The deceit becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The victim begins to expect to be rejected and thus sabotages their own relationships.

This mental stronghold of rejection is powerful. It will be torn down only when we find God‚s Word about our case and choose to believe the truth instead of a lie. Only God‚s truth can set us free. The truth will connect us to God‚s love. God‚s love will cure our wounded souls.

The Wounds of Rejection

The spirit of rejection also refers to the residue within our personality of being deeply wounded. This mental or emotional scarring can occur due to being neglected, abandoned or abused. It can also come from being betrayed, being shamed, or being made to feel unloved. Racial discrimination often leaves scars of rejection. Children who were abused sexually suffer cruelly from this inner hurt. Divorce can also leave a lingering, festering wound. The fear of being rejected can make a person run from relationships. They reject others before they themselves are rejected. They spiritually "stiff-arm" those who try to get close.

Just like you can be injured in your flesh and form a bruise or a scar, so you can be injured in your inner man and develop a sensitive place or perhaps a hardened area like a scab on your feelings. When that irritated place gets touched, a reaction occurs. The Bible speaks of having a "wounded spirit." One symptom of having a wounded spirit is that you feel absolutely nothing, like you are dead inside. Another symptom is that you are hypersensitive in that area and can explode at the slightest provocation. God‚s unconditional love, realized and received, can cure this wound.

A Lying Spirit called Rejection

The spirit of rejection is also a specific lying spirit, a demonic messenger from Satan. This spirit whispers to people that they are unloved, not wanted, or are being ridiculed. The devil inflames insecurities and fears. This demon seeks to undermine the Christian‚s true standing before God as a saved, cleansed, redeemed child of God. He does this by lying and attempting to deceive the believer regarding God‚s love, the atoning work of the cross, and our righteousness before God.

This lying spirit comes between family members and divides brothers and sisters and makes them feel isolated. The spirit of rejection pours gasoline on the fires of racial hatred. This demon is very successful in splitting up marriages, churches, and partnerships. These are vital relationships which the Holy Spirit wants to establish between friends. These relationships are necessary in the Body of Christ in order for God‚s work to be done. Disunity, like divorce, often has this lying spirit as its agent provocateur.

The Spirit of Adoption

To understand the spirit of rejection, we need to understand its opposite, which is the spirit of adoption. In the Bible, Romans chapter eight speaks of God‚s antidote to the spirit of rejection. This cure comes from our Heavenly Father, through the grace of our Lord Jesus, and is born witness to by the Holy Spirit. It is called the spirit of adoption. This is the Holy Spirit telling us that God the Father loves us and Jesus accepts us.

Sin and suffering cause people to be cut off from God and mistreat one another. Many unsaved adults are mad at God or are so deeply hurt that they blame God. This resentment keeps them from feeling God‚s love. Their image of God is wrong so they refuse to accept Him. God‚s grace offers us pardon even while we are angry and sinning. God knows we need to be healed of the consequences of our sins and the injuries of sins committed against us by others, even our parents. The spirit of adoption comes from heaven‚s throne. It can also be mediated by unconditional acceptance through other Christians. When we accept one another in Christ, relationships in Christ‚s body are formed. The Holy Spirit connects us together and affirms our self-worth. We are empowered to appreciate each other.

God‚s merciful provision for our healing comes by Christ‚s atonement on the cross. It is made real and effective in our lives when we confess our sins and receive His forgiveness. Then the Holy Spirit comes into our heart and testifies that we have become God‚s child. He does this by bearing witness in our spirit that we are adopted by God. This is the spirit of adoption.

The spirit of adoption goes beyond believing that God loves us; it is the actual felt love of God, so that we are enabled to know that God loves us. It ends loneliness, literally forever!

This marvelous work of affirming who we are in Christ is the work of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth. He only bears witness to what is true. He testifies in our spirit that we are truly loved by God. The Holy Spirit uses the Scriptures as well as the affirming voice of God to tell us the truth about ourselves. God‚s voice will cause us to know God‚s thoughts toward us. Those thoughts, always in agreement with the Scriptures, will reprove us of our sin and will affirm us as His children, but will never condemn us or drive us away. God will always tell us the truth in a merciful way. Our response is to believe what God says. Believing the truth about what Jesus did for us and believing the truth about who we are in Christ sets us free. We need to believe both aspects of the truthˆ about Jesus and about ourselves.

The truth is, God likes us! His love toward us is tremendous. He wants us to really know Him and He wants to dwell in our hearts. God wants us to have fellowship with Him without condemnation. He accepts us into His family by virtue of Christ‚s work on the cross. He gives us a new identity as His sons and daughters.

Unlike some earthly fathers who failed us, our Heavenly Father will never abandon us. He will not cast away His children. God maintains a relationship with His offspring so that we need never fear being rejected by Him. His love is steadfast. It is covenant love.

Recovering From Rejection

God understands rejection and knows how to remedy its pain. Christ was rejected when He came to His own people and they would not receive Him. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him." (John 1:11). He endured rejection when He bore our sins. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." (Isaiah 53:3).

In other words, he specifically included in His suffering the substitutionary pain which was required to relieve us of our rejection. He bore it so we don‚t have to. On the cross, He felt the pain of being cut off from his heavenly Father. "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Mt. 27:46).

God understands your feelings. Therefore, He can be touched with your pain and is ready to heal you. "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Diagnosing Rejection

Here‚s how to diagnose if you suffer from the spirit of rejection. Three areas to examine are circumstances, emotions, and thoughts.

Let‚s start with your circumstances. Did you have an alcoholic parent? Were your parents divorced? Were you abused? Have you been abandoned or betrayed in marriage? Have you suffered from discrimination? Have you had to break away from a controlling relationship? Have you been repeatedly de-valued as a person? If you fit any of these categories, then you could be a victim of the rejection syndrome.

Now let‚s consider your emotional hot-buttons. Do you have great difficulty receiving correction? Do you take it personally and get offended? Do you resent all authority? Do you get angry for no apparent reason? Or, Do you have an unnatural need for everyone to like you? Does the need for approval control your decisions? Does insecurity sweep over you? Are you plagued by chronic self-doubt? Do you wrestle with chronic bouts of loneliness? At times, do you despair of life, or are you tempted to take your own life? If so, then you probably battle rejection.

In addition to these diagnostic questions, ask yourself this about your thought life. What kind of thoughts run through your mind when you are with a group of people? Would you characterize these thoughts as mostly negative or positive? The spirit of rejection inserts these kinds of thoughts: "These people don‚t love me." "They won‚t talk to me." I‚m not worthy to be here." "I know they are judging me." "They don‚t really want me here." This is mental torment that typifies the spirit of rejection.

Inner Healing & Deliverance

If these questions point to your problem as the spirit of rejection, then you need to take it to God in prayer. If the problem persists, get someone to pray with you for deliverance. But first, realize this, rejection often carries with it unforgiveness toward those who have offended you. We might have been an innocent victim, but we have to take responsibility now for our reactions. We can‚t do away with our will and our choices or our reactions. We can be sinned against, begin to cherish a grudge, and as a result, begin to sin against our oppressors. Unforgiveness is itself a sin.

God‚s grace will enable you to make a choice, to give forgiveness to all those for whom you hold grudges. This is important! Freedom won‚t come without this vital step of forgiving others. In this case, your forgiveness must be explicit, by name, and it must be spoken aloud even if it is only to God, and even if it is for someone who is now dead. That does not matter. God is the judge of the living and the dead. Don‚t make any exceptions.

Don‚t allow any resentment to remain in your heart. Healing begins with a decision to repent and to give undeserved forgiveness. Give away grace and God will give grace to you. Repent of all bitterness and hatred.

When forgiveness is totally accomplished, it paves the way for successful inner healing. Inner healing is the actual curing of your soul of the wounds and traumas you have suffered and accumulated. The finger of God touches the sore spots and makes them well. This is the transformation of the inner man, the end to unrighteous reactions and automatic defenses. It is being at peace in Christ.

Inner healing must accompany deliverance. The place where damaged emotions have given way to this mind-set of rejection must be torn down, or else deliverance will be merely temporary.

The house of your thought life must be swept and cleaned, then occupied with God‚s reassuring truth and love. Determine to think God‚s thoughts. This is a decision you must make in order to be free. Automatic judgements, racial prejudices, and defensive reactions need to be removed.

Take all negative thoughts captive. Don‚t let them rule over your mind. Replace them with words and images of faith that come from your heavenly Father. Take God‚s thoughts, God‚s attitude, God‚s will as your creed, not the words of this sinful world.

Repeat what the Scriptures say until they replace the lies you‚ve heard. Soak in God‚s word and let it renew your mind. Meditate on the Scriptures until faith, hope, and self-acceptance fills your personality. This takes time but it is something you can do for yourself.

Renounce the spirit of rejection and stand against it. To renounce means to take a stand against something that you had previously been identified with or had claim to. Like renouncing your citizenship, it is a legal action that has power to affect your status. Pray aloud and say with your own words that rejection will not rule over you.

Instead, ask God for His fatherly affirmation. Ask God to give you the spirit of adoption. Every child needs to hear their father‚s voice saying, "You‚re mine and I love you!"

After you‚ve prayed against rejection, read the Scriptures, especially the epistles of the New Testament. They teach us our new identity in Christ, to "lay aside the old self" and "be renewed in the spirit of your mind." (Eph. 4:22) Replace Satan‚s lies with God‚s word. Soak your thoughts in the truth of who God is, what He has done for you, and who you are in Christ. Banish all self-doubts. Tell yourself the truth until you truly believe it. Find new friends in Christ who affirm you and love you with God‚s love. "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called the children of God." I John 3:1.

Recovering in Community

God loves us so much He accepts us just as we are! Yet, He loves us too much to leave us like we are. This tension between acceptance and transformation is the balancing act of divine love. God tells us the truth about ourselves so that He can build us up, not put us down. God‚s love is full of light. It illuminates our hurt areas then it heals them. Having the light hit our injured heart may seem painful at first. But Biblical repentance always leads to restoration. Why? Because that‚s the nature of our wonderful Lord. He is a true redeemer.

Our Father in heaven knows we cannot change ourselves. So, He credits us with the worthiness of Christ while He works in us and on us to conform us to Christ‚s image. Here is where we learn to believe the right thing, and a result, to have the right feelings, and to behave properly. The cross is our exchange post. At the cross of Christ we exchange our sins for His righteousness, our failure for His success, our guilt for His holiness. And all the while, God wants to surround us with other transformed believers who can help us make the journey.

One part of our Father‚s plan is the community of believers. Here is where we learn to belong in the body of Christ. God wants to plant us in a place that will help us stay well. Here, we experience God‚s love through human hands. "Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." (Rom. 5:5 NAS). God‚s kind of love constantly believes the best. It is always filled with hope and encouragement. God‚s love has a vertical dimension, between God and us. It also has a horizontal dimension between us and others.

The essence of Christian community is our acceptance of and acceptance by our brothers and sisters in Christ. "Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God." (Romans 15:7) Unfortunately, some churches are sick with legalism. Some groups emphasize individualism so much that no one ever thinks to love one another or to build Christian community.

It is important for Christians who are recovering from a spirit of rejection to belong to a church which is not contaminated by an atmosphere of criticism. That error results in an emphasis on law instead of grace. According to Romans 7, this defeats the purpose of grace and aggravates our failures. Instead, we need to walk in the grace that sets us free by virtue of Christ‚s complete atonement and His indwelling presence in our lives. The church should be a place where it is safe to be a sinner on the way to being saved, where we feel loved even when we know we are still weak and imperfect.

God‚s Word prevails over the spirit of rejection. The Father‚s mercy, poured out by the Holy Spirit in the church, affirms for us God‚s love and acceptance.

God wants to heal us of the internal strongholds that have been hidden inside us. Only then, with Christ‚s love and authority and truth, can we be prepared and strengthened to pull down the external or heavenly strongholds that damage society and enslave humanity.


© 1995 by Ron Wood. Visit us at www.touchedbygrace.org. Feel free to duplicate this article for distribution as long as it is unchanged and this byline and attribution of authorship remains complete. Touched by Grace Inc. is a ministry devoted to equipping emerging leaders in the developing church. Write TBG at P. O. Box 12749, Wilmington, NC 28405 USA.

Kept From Harm

The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm – he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121: 5-8


The Lord gave me this passage of scripture last night before going to bed. It reassured my that He DOES take care of me and keeps me safe.

This morning, two people in the office told me they noticed that I lost weight. I knew this already since I had dropped from 125 pounds at the start of the year to my current 120 pounds. The two people who pointed out my weight to me made it sound like my losing weight was fearfully negative or a cause for concern. And it made me feel a bit worried.

The enemy inserted fear about my health and about my image – I don’t want to be too thin. The enemy made me worry about my body and its state if especially if keep busy and eat little these days. It almost got me really down.

But as I continued on the work day, the Lord reminded me of the passage of scripture that He gave me last night: Psalm chapter 121, verses 5 to 8. He reminded me that one of the devil’s tactics is to make me doubt His word. So I went online and searched for this scripture on Biblegateway and the Lord’s comfort came.

God’s word is fixed. God’s word is unchanging as He is. God’s promises are yes and amen. The devil comes to steal, kill and destroy through lies, doubts and fear. But Jesus came to give us life and life in abundance. This challenge from the enemy just makes me want to bury my head even more in God’s word!

The Lord watches over ME – the Lord is MY shade at MY right hand; the sun will not harm ME by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep ME from all harm – he will watch over MY life; the Lord will watch over MY coming and going both now and forevermore.

That’s one of God’s promises to me…

…and He never breaks ‘em!

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This entry goes out mainly to the demonic spirit who tried to make me despair and doubt the Word of God earlier. “Nice try!”

A Day of Religion

I was having lunch at the office cafeteria the other day when I overheard some co-workers talk about the topic of religion. They were discussing how some religions have become a "business", with men of the cloth duping laymen and using the name of God for unscrupulous purposes. Listening to their conversation made me think about the truths of their argument (yes, there are certain religious sects that have made faith a cash cow for personal gain) and the fallacies of their thesis (there are true believers of Christ and servants of the One True God that serve Him wholeheartedly for the benefit of others).

I was also saddened how many ungodly wolves in sheep's clothing have tarnished the image of Christianity -- or any religion for that matter -- and as a result, have led astray many people genuinely seeking God. We need to come against these spirits of greed, deception and manipulation as these are present in our country.

Prior to having lunch, a friend of mine at work asked me what religion I belonged to. I had a hard time answering him. I ended up muttering, "Uhm... I don't have one." Haha! Discomfort sat it. Frankly, I still don't know how to answer this question. I would sometimes answer, "I'm a Pentecostal Christian!" But does that really cover it all? I mean, I have always heard it said in church that Christianity is not a religion but an intimate relationship with Christ. So, I lived most of my Christian life eschewing the label of religion.

But according to Wikipedia, "religion is a set of common beliefs and practices generally held by a group of people," and most dictionaries' definition of the word "religion" pretty much describes some of the things that are involved in my relationship with God. I guess part of the reason why I don't consider myself religious or belonging to any religion is because there is -- whether I like it or not -- an existing stigma attached to religious groups and sects. And this leads to the discussion I heard at lunch time (above paragraph).

*Sigh* There is still so much to learn about the whole religion-relationship thing, and although I'm still not comfortable with the religion label, I totally have no problem with the relationship tag -- that's a more succinct description of what I have with the Lord.

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"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." -- James 1:27

Let the River Flow 2007: Day Three

November 25, 2007 / Sunday

Morning Session
The worship time was really powerful and God's presence was unmistakable. Pastor Joe DiSarno came up to the pulpit and sensed the Spirit asking, "Where are the watchmen? Where are they?"

Because the glory of God was so great in the hall, one of the giants in the land came crashing down -- Jezebel! Stacey Campbell called on the men to rise up and take our place of leadership, as watchmen of the Philippines, and as gatekeepers of our families. It was really amazing. I believe the men coming forward to the altar and declaring victory over the Jezebel (controlling) spirit in the nation was really symbolic of what was happening in the spiritual. Whoa! Jesus has given us the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions, and to overcome "ALL" the power of the enemy! Hooooooooooooooooooooo! Hallelujah! Freedom!!!

I'm telling you it was a great way to "anoint the warriors" of Cebu! Haha! Daddy!!!

The Lord's reassurance to the body was that He loves us no matter what. Therefore, we don't have to strive as children of the Father. We don't have to fall under the performance trap. We don't have to prove anything to anyone. WE ARE LOVED BY THE KING! WE ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE ALMIGHT GOD! PERIOD. Haha! The God who holds the universe in His hands has His eyes locked on us. Whoa!

Rise up, men of God! Rise up, WARRIORS! "Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!'" Rise up, sons of God! PREPARE FOR WAR!!! Haha!


Afternoon Session
The afternoon meeting was more of a time of instruction as to where our "war efforts" were to be concentrated. Stacey said she felt Cebu is going to be a place of training and instruction for the Kingdom, and that she sees the city as a spiritual refreshing station for the nation. Wow! I live in Cebu. I am so blessed! Haha!

Later on, Stacey shared part of what she and her husband, Wesley, were doing in their ministry. She shared about the need to reach out the women and children of the world, emphasizing that children at the most at risk today. She also pointed out the spirit of poverty as one of the major enemies of the Church. Looks like we've got our work cut out for us. Hehehe. Thank You, Lord.

Stacey used the parable of the good Samaritan to drive home her point. In the passage, an expert of the law asks Jesus, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" Then Jesus tells him the story of the traveler who fell into the hands of robbers, and how a priest and a Levite who were passing by didn't do anything to help the poor guy on the ditch. Instead, it was the most unlikely -- the Samaritan -- who extended a helping hand to the beaten man. Stacey challenged us, as Christ did in this scripture, that if we want to go to Heaven, we should "Go and do likewise" -- or as I summed it up in my notes: "Love God. Love people."


Evening Session
The last session of the conference was really something else. It was as different and as unique as the other sessions the came before it. Stacey shared to us part of what she does during her personal devotional time. We were reading passages of scripture, and singing the Word as a way of praying the Bible. It was intense. Everyone was on their feet and singing the Bible to God, singing prophetic words to the nation. It was really great. I got a lot of tips from this evening's session.


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Let the River Flow 2007 was incredible, to say the least. With the changing of season in the Philippines, it was timely to hear what the Spirit of God had to say. I believed we got what we needed in preparation for the new season. I believe the men in this city, in this nation are hearing the call of God to take their place of leadership, and are rising up. I really believe things are starting to change in the spiritual atmosphere in my nation.

I am excited about what God will do next.

"Maranatha!"


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To Pastor Benjun and Ate Malou: I hope these notes gave you an idea of what took place during the conference. God bless you guys. ;o)

The First Act of War

Wow! This is it! After the briefing and equipping for war last weekend, I get back to the battlefield and find the first act of war already pointed out to me. I visited Elijah List yesterday and the headline that greeted me? "Declare War on Ungratefulness and Grumbling with a Heart of Thankfulness."

Whoa!

The prophetic word from Francis Frangipane zeroed in on the problem with grumbling and how it can lead to moral decay. "The offenses we do not transfer to God in surrendered prayer inevitably decay and become a venom we transfer to others through gossip. In the process, we embrace slander, but we feel justified. We become malicious gossips, but in our minds we're only communicating a 'truth,' a character flaw, that we self-righteously 'discerned.'"

This sentence also spoke to me when I read it yesterday: "Grumbling caused people to stop seeing and appreciating miracles. It caused disciples to be offended by Jesus' teaching and they stopped walking with Him."

The old song used to say: "Give thanks with a grateful heart." That's the remedy, the cure, the weapon of warfare we should use against grumbling, ingratitude, gossip, slander, malice. Frangipane states, "An unthankful heart is an enemy to God's will. Can you join me with this? Can you crucify a murmuring spirit? We have received too much from God to allow ourselves opportunities for ingratitude and unbelief! We have received too many gifts and privileges to allow grumbling to disqualify us of our destiny."

{read the full text of the prophetic word here}

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I pray that we would keep our hearts grateful with what God has done in our lives. We need to recognize His hand of blessing, protection, provision, guidance, love, mercy and grace. There is so much we need to be thankful for. An ungrateful heart and a grumbling spirit has no place in the Kingdom of God.

Underfoot

I visited the Elijah List website today and read the recent prophecy [prophetic dream] by Bill Hamon. In the article, Hamon exposes the "five kings" [demonic spirits] that have been coming against the Body of Christ.

Hamon identifies the five spirits as the spirit of oppression, the spirit of religion, the spirit besiegement, the spirit of blindness, and the spirit of accusation. As I read the entire article, I recognized that these are the same demonic spirits that are attacking Christians -- collectively and individually -- here in the Philippines.

The article goes on to reveal what the Lord would have us do to these kings: "It's time to put your feet on the neck of the enemy and enforce your victory!" Amen to that! Now that these spirits are exposed, let us put them in their proper place -- under our feet! "Jesus is waiting until all enemies are made His footstool."

Read the full text of the prophecy.