Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise (Hebrews 10:35-36).Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38).
Endurance or patience is an important ingredient of faith. It’s faith and patience that inherits the promises. The Greek word for endurance is hupomeno and it means to remain when under pressure. It’s the ability to keep your chin up when things aren’t going well. It’s the ability to remain joyful and expectant when it looks as though nothing you believe is coming to pass. It’s the ability to remain unmoved and unshaken by circumstances.
The very nature of what faith is makes patience so necessary in the faith fight. Faith is for what you don’t have in the physical realm yet. Faith takes the place of what God has promised you until it arrives in the physical and you can see it. Faith is the substitute for the thing God has promised you until you can physically see or feel it.
The Word promises healing, so you have prayed and exercised your faith. The pain increases and the symptoms worsen. Patience enables you to stand your ground in the tough time. Patience or endurance enables you to look away from the symptom and look at the promise of God, knowing that God is faithful to fulfill His Word.
The faith life is very challenging to the flesh! So many think that walking by faith means you receive instantly, but that is just not true! Abraham waited 25 years for the child of promise to come! And his patience enabled him to keep going strong when the impossibility of what he believed weighed on him.
Faith and patience are the twins of success! Patience keeps you from letting go of your faith! I remember when I was believing God to build our current building. It seemed that obstacles manifested every hour to keep it from happening. I had prayed, and I was believing that I received the answer to my prayer, which was a building being built.
At times I would get so tired of resisting the circumstances that just kept compounding! But it was the hupomeno, the ability to keep on going when the chips are down, that refused to let me quit. I gritted my teeth and praised God for honoring His Word! And you can see the results.
Don’t quit if you’re in a faith battle. Rest in the promises of God. He is faithful that promised. He watches over His Word to make it good. Heaven and earth may pass away, but His Word never will! Allow patience to under gird your faith today. Keep your eyes on God’s promises and not the unmoving circumstance. You will receive if you just don’t quit!
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Faith and Patience
Posted on Saturday, August 16, 2008 at 10:52 AM by Pastor Mitch
Friday, August 15, 2008
Jeri Calkins is With the Lord
Posted on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 1:26 PM by Pastor Mitch
For those that attend Victory Fellowship where I pastor, our beloved sister Jeri Calkins went to be with the Lord Jesus at 2:30 AM on Thursday, August 14th. Jeri had a severe physical battle for some time. She is now jumping, shouting, praising, worshipping, and learning all about a new way of life in the Presence!
Of course people have the why question when someone leaves us, and now is just not the time for me to deal with that. I’ll do that later. For now, let’s believe God for her family to be comforted and strengthened by the Lord and by trusting friends.
Jeri was a vivacious lady with a zeal and passion for Jesus. She was constantly looking for ways to give and to encourage. She has added to that legacy of giving by donating her body to medical research at Duke Medical Center! Even in her home going, her final act was a gift to help others.
We’re having a celebration service in honor of Jeri at Victory Fellowship next Friday, August 22, 2008 at 5:00 PM. If you knew Jeri, please come and honor her and encourage her family with your presence. We’ll have some praise and worship and a time of sharing together in her honor. Then afterwards, we’ll snack on some finger foods and fellowship with each other and her family.
Our home going is precious to God because we’re no longer separated from him by time and space. Please pray for Jeri’s family as they adjust to life separated from her. I’ll leave you with some thoughts from the word.
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. The Judgment Seat of Christ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:1-9). For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better (Philippians 1:21-23).
Of course people have the why question when someone leaves us, and now is just not the time for me to deal with that. I’ll do that later. For now, let’s believe God for her family to be comforted and strengthened by the Lord and by trusting friends.
Jeri was a vivacious lady with a zeal and passion for Jesus. She was constantly looking for ways to give and to encourage. She has added to that legacy of giving by donating her body to medical research at Duke Medical Center! Even in her home going, her final act was a gift to help others.
We’re having a celebration service in honor of Jeri at Victory Fellowship next Friday, August 22, 2008 at 5:00 PM. If you knew Jeri, please come and honor her and encourage her family with your presence. We’ll have some praise and worship and a time of sharing together in her honor. Then afterwards, we’ll snack on some finger foods and fellowship with each other and her family.
Our home going is precious to God because we’re no longer separated from him by time and space. Please pray for Jeri’s family as they adjust to life separated from her. I’ll leave you with some thoughts from the word.
For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven,
if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. The Judgment Seat of Christ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him (2 Corinthians 5:1-9). For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better (Philippians 1:21-23).
Thursday, August 14, 2008
End Time Update
Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2008 at 7:08 AM by Pastor Mitch
Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, set your face against Gog, of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophesy against him, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. I will turn you around, put hooks into your jaws, and lead you out, with all your army, horses, and horsemen, all splendidly clothed, a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords (Ezekiel 38:1-4).
The Bible is an incredible roadmap. It shows us where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. I’ve been asked about the Russian invasion of Georgia and whether it has anything to do with this scripture in Ezekiel.
A reading of Ezekiel 38 and 39 shows that Russia plots with other Islamic nations to attack Israel. Study of the above scripture reveals that Rosh, Meshech and Tubal refers to what we know now as Russia. What we don’t know is when this attack against Israel from Russia and these Islamic nations will occur.
The Russian attack against Georgia last week could well be the beginning of Russia asserting power and influence to eventually carve a path to fulfill Ezekiel 38 and 39. We do know that Russia has forged an alliance with Iran to provide military arms and has worked with them in their programs to provide nuclear power in Iran. We also know from Ezekiel that Iran (formerly Persia) is one of the players in this coming battle.
In addition, there is speculation that Israel may attack Iran’s sites that are working to create nuclear material before the inauguration of our next president in January. The president of Iran is a hard line Islamic radical that has called for the destruction of the United States and Israel. News about what I’m talking about is all over the internet and a simple search will provide you with loads of info about this.
At the same time, the US is undergoing a huge financial hardship brought about by greed as the lending institutions lent money to borrowers who they knew could not repay the subprime loans that they were given. This has rocked the world financial system as these loans have defaulted causing investors to lose billions of dollars worldwide. The result here in the US is that property values have deflated and banks have become unstable as they have lost millions of dollars of investment capital.
The rise in fuel prices has had a huge impact on the US economy as well, fueling inflation and creating hardship on businesses and average consumers. These things may be the very issues that work together down the road to bring to an end the US role as the world superpower. The US is not mentioned in any of the scriptures dealing with end time events and that seems peculiar since it has been the major world power for decades now.
These and other events are working together to line the world up for the time of tribulation and the rise of the coming world ruler called The Anti-Christ that is predicted by bible prophecy in Daniel and in Revelation.
The skinny of all this is that we should be doing our due diligence as Christians to get our house in order and prepare for the coming of Christ in the rapture. And we should be committing ourselves to God sincerely and ministering to those around us and working toward evangelizing the world!
This is an exciting time if you know the bible. But it’s also a day of reckoning for those who don’t know Jesus and are living to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Spend time daily praying for the fulfillment of the plan of God in this hour. Pray that the purpose and plan of God would be fulfilled in every nation on earth. And pray for Jesus to use you in this last great harvest of souls prior to His coming!
Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).
The Bible is an incredible roadmap. It shows us where we’ve been, where we are, and where we’re going. I’ve been asked about the Russian invasion of Georgia and whether it has anything to do with this scripture in Ezekiel.
A reading of Ezekiel 38 and 39 shows that Russia plots with other Islamic nations to attack Israel. Study of the above scripture reveals that Rosh, Meshech and Tubal refers to what we know now as Russia. What we don’t know is when this attack against Israel from Russia and these Islamic nations will occur.
The Russian attack against Georgia last week could well be the beginning of Russia asserting power and influence to eventually carve a path to fulfill Ezekiel 38 and 39. We do know that Russia has forged an alliance with Iran to provide military arms and has worked with them in their programs to provide nuclear power in Iran. We also know from Ezekiel that Iran (formerly Persia) is one of the players in this coming battle.
In addition, there is speculation that Israel may attack Iran’s sites that are working to create nuclear material before the inauguration of our next president in January. The president of Iran is a hard line Islamic radical that has called for the destruction of the United States and Israel. News about what I’m talking about is all over the internet and a simple search will provide you with loads of info about this.
At the same time, the US is undergoing a huge financial hardship brought about by greed as the lending institutions lent money to borrowers who they knew could not repay the subprime loans that they were given. This has rocked the world financial system as these loans have defaulted causing investors to lose billions of dollars worldwide. The result here in the US is that property values have deflated and banks have become unstable as they have lost millions of dollars of investment capital.
The rise in fuel prices has had a huge impact on the US economy as well, fueling inflation and creating hardship on businesses and average consumers. These things may be the very issues that work together down the road to bring to an end the US role as the world superpower. The US is not mentioned in any of the scriptures dealing with end time events and that seems peculiar since it has been the major world power for decades now.
These and other events are working together to line the world up for the time of tribulation and the rise of the coming world ruler called The Anti-Christ that is predicted by bible prophecy in Daniel and in Revelation.
The skinny of all this is that we should be doing our due diligence as Christians to get our house in order and prepare for the coming of Christ in the rapture. And we should be committing ourselves to God sincerely and ministering to those around us and working toward evangelizing the world!
This is an exciting time if you know the bible. But it’s also a day of reckoning for those who don’t know Jesus and are living to fulfill the lusts of the flesh.
Spend time daily praying for the fulfillment of the plan of God in this hour. Pray that the purpose and plan of God would be fulfilled in every nation on earth. And pray for Jesus to use you in this last great harvest of souls prior to His coming!
Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising (Isaiah 60:1-3).
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Some Thoughts on Our Authority in Christ
Posted on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at 9:36 AM by Pastor Mitch
Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions[demonic forces], and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you (Luke 10:19).
Adam’s sin gave Satan a temporary control over humanity and over the earth in general. Since that time he has become skilled in his killing, stealing, and destroying tactics (John 10:10). Romans 5 tells us that death reigned from Adam to Moses, indicating that there was a lessening of that reign when the law of Moses was established among those in covenant with God.
Under the Old Covenant sin was atoned or covered by the application of blood from a sacrificial animal to the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies where the presence of God dwelt. This atoning of sin severely limited Satan’s reign over God’s Old Covenant people. The problem with the Old Covenant was their rebellion to the will of God by wandering off into idolatry and gross personal sin. Humans are sinful to the core. So this Old Covenant was flawed because of sin and the wandering heart of man.
Jesus through the new birth gives us a new heart! We’re new creatures in Christ! The nature of sin is replaced by the nature of God in the heart of the believer! And Jesus captured Satan’s Adam given authority over man when He rose from the dead! That authority over Satan has been given to us, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The demonic forces that have terrorized men for thousands of years are afraid of believers understanding and walking in their authority in Christ. Their scheme now is two-fold.
First, they want to keep Christians ignorant of their position and authority in Christ by watering down what churches teach with man-made traditions. This makes void personal spiritual authority over Satan in the average church going believer. Because they never hear their rights and privileges in Christ preached, most believers are unaware of what they can do to hinder Satan’s kingdom. Hosea said my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Make sure you go to a church that strongly proclaims what Jesus did for us in His death and resurrection!
Secondly, if a believer knows about his personal spiritual authority over Satan, then the enemy schemes to push that believer to walk in the flesh. This will cancel the authority that believer has over him. Strife discord, disunity, unforgiveness, and lack of holy living are tools the enemy uses to keep an informed believer neutral in spiritual authority over him.
So the key to our walking in our God given authority is to feed our faith on the truths of who we are in Christ and on our position and standing before God in Him. And then make a choice to walk in the spirit by walking in love and by choosing to be a doer of the word.
Keep short accounts with the Father. Confess your sin when you miss it. The moment you mess up, fess up! Feed your faith daily on who you are in Christ Jesus. Pray the prayer of faith for yourself and your family. Believe you receive answers when you pray even when it seems as though the prayer isn’t answered. Pray on behalf of others. Take their needs before the Father and ask Him in specific ways to meet them. Take time daily to pray in the spirit. If you do these things, demon forces will fear the Jesus in you. And you’ll live in the cubicle of the Father’s care while living in a fallen world.
Adam’s sin gave Satan a temporary control over humanity and over the earth in general. Since that time he has become skilled in his killing, stealing, and destroying tactics (John 10:10). Romans 5 tells us that death reigned from Adam to Moses, indicating that there was a lessening of that reign when the law of Moses was established among those in covenant with God.
Under the Old Covenant sin was atoned or covered by the application of blood from a sacrificial animal to the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies where the presence of God dwelt. This atoning of sin severely limited Satan’s reign over God’s Old Covenant people. The problem with the Old Covenant was their rebellion to the will of God by wandering off into idolatry and gross personal sin. Humans are sinful to the core. So this Old Covenant was flawed because of sin and the wandering heart of man.
Jesus through the new birth gives us a new heart! We’re new creatures in Christ! The nature of sin is replaced by the nature of God in the heart of the believer! And Jesus captured Satan’s Adam given authority over man when He rose from the dead! That authority over Satan has been given to us, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ!
The demonic forces that have terrorized men for thousands of years are afraid of believers understanding and walking in their authority in Christ. Their scheme now is two-fold.
First, they want to keep Christians ignorant of their position and authority in Christ by watering down what churches teach with man-made traditions. This makes void personal spiritual authority over Satan in the average church going believer. Because they never hear their rights and privileges in Christ preached, most believers are unaware of what they can do to hinder Satan’s kingdom. Hosea said my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Make sure you go to a church that strongly proclaims what Jesus did for us in His death and resurrection!
Secondly, if a believer knows about his personal spiritual authority over Satan, then the enemy schemes to push that believer to walk in the flesh. This will cancel the authority that believer has over him. Strife discord, disunity, unforgiveness, and lack of holy living are tools the enemy uses to keep an informed believer neutral in spiritual authority over him.
So the key to our walking in our God given authority is to feed our faith on the truths of who we are in Christ and on our position and standing before God in Him. And then make a choice to walk in the spirit by walking in love and by choosing to be a doer of the word.
Keep short accounts with the Father. Confess your sin when you miss it. The moment you mess up, fess up! Feed your faith daily on who you are in Christ Jesus. Pray the prayer of faith for yourself and your family. Believe you receive answers when you pray even when it seems as though the prayer isn’t answered. Pray on behalf of others. Take their needs before the Father and ask Him in specific ways to meet them. Take time daily to pray in the spirit. If you do these things, demon forces will fear the Jesus in you. And you’ll live in the cubicle of the Father’s care while living in a fallen world.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Prayer Importance
Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 11:17 AM by Pastor Mitch
And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. (Luke 24:53). These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14). So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart (Acts 2:46). And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness (Acts 4:31). Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God (Luke 6:12).
The foundation for all that God does in us and through us is in our prayer life. Jesus set the standard. Jesus’ days of ministry were preceded by nights of intense praying. The early church was formed after Jesus ascension in the incubator of prayer.
The kingdom of God functions on the prayers of the saints. The mighty forces that shape the world are not physical but spiritual. The answer to every challenge we face is first of all found in that place of solace with the Father. If Jesus heeded the importance of praying things out in His earth walk, should we not heed His example?
We’re facing pressures unheard of in previous generations. The climax of the ages is upon us. God has a grand and glorious strategy for the church in this hour. And it begins and ends on our knees! To neglect the place of prayer is to neglect the very purpose and plans of the Father for life.
Start today. Move yourself into a deeper place of prayer. Find a private place, and begin to tell the Father how wonderful He is to you. Ask Him to help you pour out your heart to Him. Then, take to Him every concern and problem. Give Him the details of what bothers you. Then ask Him to intervene and bring the solution. Remind Him of the promises of His Word to you. Spend time in thanksgiving for the answer.
While praying, take time to pray in tongues. This is the most effective form of prayer. Praying in the spirit enables you to pray the perfect will of God about the unknown future. It enables you to pray the will of God into manifestation in so many ways! Don’t neglect this secret weapon God has given to you! Use it regularly and watch the forces of the enemy back up!
The success of your day today begins in your prayer closet. Make it count!
The foundation for all that God does in us and through us is in our prayer life. Jesus set the standard. Jesus’ days of ministry were preceded by nights of intense praying. The early church was formed after Jesus ascension in the incubator of prayer.
The kingdom of God functions on the prayers of the saints. The mighty forces that shape the world are not physical but spiritual. The answer to every challenge we face is first of all found in that place of solace with the Father. If Jesus heeded the importance of praying things out in His earth walk, should we not heed His example?
We’re facing pressures unheard of in previous generations. The climax of the ages is upon us. God has a grand and glorious strategy for the church in this hour. And it begins and ends on our knees! To neglect the place of prayer is to neglect the very purpose and plans of the Father for life.
Start today. Move yourself into a deeper place of prayer. Find a private place, and begin to tell the Father how wonderful He is to you. Ask Him to help you pour out your heart to Him. Then, take to Him every concern and problem. Give Him the details of what bothers you. Then ask Him to intervene and bring the solution. Remind Him of the promises of His Word to you. Spend time in thanksgiving for the answer.
While praying, take time to pray in tongues. This is the most effective form of prayer. Praying in the spirit enables you to pray the perfect will of God about the unknown future. It enables you to pray the will of God into manifestation in so many ways! Don’t neglect this secret weapon God has given to you! Use it regularly and watch the forces of the enemy back up!
The success of your day today begins in your prayer closet. Make it count!
Monday, August 11, 2008
Praise Power
Posted on Monday, August 11, 2008 at 1:06 PM by Pastor Mitch
Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls — Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer's feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
Praise is the language of faith. When life turns sour, turn up the praise! James tells us to count it all joy when hard times arrive. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Praise brings a manifestation of the presence of God that will give inward strength and that will attack the problem and bring a solution. Enemy armies had surrounded the people of God in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehosophat and the people began to seek the Lord.
Through the prophet God told them that He would fight their battle for them. All they needed to do was to send the praisers to the front line of the battle and God would do t he fighting for them.
They obeyed and the praisers began to sing Praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever. As they sang, the presence and power of God manifested and the enemy were slain before they could lift a sword!
God will undertake to bring you out of the hard place if you will choose to put on the garment of praise. There is no feeling in this, it’s a total act of faith! When your flesh is screaming at you and the problems pile up, the best thing to do is to praise. Paul and Silas were set free from prison because they chose to pray and to sing praises to God while sitting in a dungeon.
Stop the complaining and begin to praise God in the troubles of life. God is not partial. He helped His Old Covenant people and fought for them. He will do the same for you!
Praise is the language of faith. When life turns sour, turn up the praise! James tells us to count it all joy when hard times arrive. Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice!
Praise brings a manifestation of the presence of God that will give inward strength and that will attack the problem and bring a solution. Enemy armies had surrounded the people of God in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehosophat and the people began to seek the Lord.
Through the prophet God told them that He would fight their battle for them. All they needed to do was to send the praisers to the front line of the battle and God would do t he fighting for them.
They obeyed and the praisers began to sing Praise the Lord for His mercy endures forever. As they sang, the presence and power of God manifested and the enemy were slain before they could lift a sword!
God will undertake to bring you out of the hard place if you will choose to put on the garment of praise. There is no feeling in this, it’s a total act of faith! When your flesh is screaming at you and the problems pile up, the best thing to do is to praise. Paul and Silas were set free from prison because they chose to pray and to sing praises to God while sitting in a dungeon.
Stop the complaining and begin to praise God in the troubles of life. God is not partial. He helped His Old Covenant people and fought for them. He will do the same for you!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Open Up to the Father
Posted on Saturday, August 9, 2008 at 10:15 AM by Pastor Mitch
O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, And laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:1-12).
I want to clarify something today concerning walking by faith. I’ll be ministering tomorrow about the importance of living by faith. Part of the faith walk is maintaining a positive confession while waiting for the manifestation of answered prayer. Faith is always released from your heart with words. So saying what you believe is all important to having effective faith.
But the other side of the coin is that we are human and life brings disappointments and frustrations along emotional hurt and pain. Just the way we’re wired we sometimes need a place to vent these things and sort out our thoughts. And I have found that the best place to do this is in the presence of the Father.
You’ll find David in the Psalms venting his heart-felt frustrations to the Lord over and over again. Instead of stuffing his emotions, he let them go in a safe place. That safe place for all of us is in our closet in the Father’s presence.
Over the years in my life as circumstances have brought disappointment and frustration, I’ve learned to run the Father and tell Him everything, the good, the bad, and the otherwise. He understands our deepest thoughts and reasonings, and knows why we do what we do. He is the only person in the universe that knows us to the core of our being.
Taking time to get comfortable enough in His presence to pour out all your motives and thoughts will be one of the most worthwhile things you’ll ever do. Pouring your heart out to the Father is like a pressure valve being release from within.
I’ve learned to tell the Father every single thing I think and feel about a situation and why I feel that way. Then I just let His word minister to me. I ask Him to help me overcome the issue and give Him permission to speak into my life. He won’t unless you invite Him to. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Since He already knows everything about everything, why hide?
The more honest you are with the Father, the freer you will become. And the easier it will be to really be yourself with others. Faith will become a heart-felt process if you’ll spend time with the Father and talk to Him about life’s challenges and how you think about them. Afterwards, when you leave His presence and make a confession of faith, your intimate relationship with the Father will boost your faith and you’ll rise above the circumstance, carefree and joy filled.
In this context, the confession of faith that comes from heart-felt words will defeat the circumstance and bring you personal victory every time!
If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me. If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me," even the night shall be light about me; indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, but the night shines as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to You (Psalm 139:1-12).
I want to clarify something today concerning walking by faith. I’ll be ministering tomorrow about the importance of living by faith. Part of the faith walk is maintaining a positive confession while waiting for the manifestation of answered prayer. Faith is always released from your heart with words. So saying what you believe is all important to having effective faith.
But the other side of the coin is that we are human and life brings disappointments and frustrations along emotional hurt and pain. Just the way we’re wired we sometimes need a place to vent these things and sort out our thoughts. And I have found that the best place to do this is in the presence of the Father.
You’ll find David in the Psalms venting his heart-felt frustrations to the Lord over and over again. Instead of stuffing his emotions, he let them go in a safe place. That safe place for all of us is in our closet in the Father’s presence.
Over the years in my life as circumstances have brought disappointment and frustration, I’ve learned to run the Father and tell Him everything, the good, the bad, and the otherwise. He understands our deepest thoughts and reasonings, and knows why we do what we do. He is the only person in the universe that knows us to the core of our being.
Taking time to get comfortable enough in His presence to pour out all your motives and thoughts will be one of the most worthwhile things you’ll ever do. Pouring your heart out to the Father is like a pressure valve being release from within.
I’ve learned to tell the Father every single thing I think and feel about a situation and why I feel that way. Then I just let His word minister to me. I ask Him to help me overcome the issue and give Him permission to speak into my life. He won’t unless you invite Him to. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you (James 4:8). Since He already knows everything about everything, why hide?
The more honest you are with the Father, the freer you will become. And the easier it will be to really be yourself with others. Faith will become a heart-felt process if you’ll spend time with the Father and talk to Him about life’s challenges and how you think about them. Afterwards, when you leave His presence and make a confession of faith, your intimate relationship with the Father will boost your faith and you’ll rise above the circumstance, carefree and joy filled.
In this context, the confession of faith that comes from heart-felt words will defeat the circumstance and bring you personal victory every time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
