Storm - A violent weather condition with heavy winds, precipitation, and thunder & lightening.
What causes a storm?
A storm is produced when a center of low pressure develops with a system of high pressure surrounding it. In other words when hot air & cold air meet in an atmosphere.
The dictionary also says that a storm can be - a direct & violent assault on a stronghold.
What is a stronghold?
Stronghold - A fortress; a place of refuge, safety, & survival.
Could it be that some or all of the storms we face, are a direct attack from Satan on our stronghold, which is Jesus?
Think about it....We pray for things in our lives & the lives of others. We encounter a storm & what is the first thing the enemy will say? Jesus isn't listening to you or Jesus is not going to answer our prayers.
Ancient fortified cities in Old Testament times were built with a wall around the outside, at that time it was a powerful defense. Such walls were strong enough to keep out all but the most determined invader, but the inhabitants would also build a secondary defence in the center of the city in the shape of a tower. This was called a 'stronghoId", and couId be defended by just a few soldiers, so that if an attack came, the people of the city could crowd in for protection, confident that the tower could be easily defended. Jesus is our stronghold in this day & time. He is everything that keeps us safe from harm & evil's way.
The enemy is directly attacking the person in whom all of our trust is in. Satan knows that if he can get us to doubt the Lord that our defenses in the Lord will be broken or tore down. That is when the storms will over power us or over take us, when we quit believing or trusting in Jesus.
After thinking about natural storms, I began then to think about spiritual storms.
Don't allow storms in life make you doubt the Lord.
Spiritual storms can be caused by faith & hope colliding with fear & doubt. Those being hot air are faith & hope and cold air being fear & doubt. Fear and doubt will cause a disturbance in the atmosphere anytime they are present. Faith and hope will stand their ground as well & thats when a storm begins. Neither side wants to back down.
But the spiritual storm you are in...I have a question for you...What manner of man is this? You do not serve a God who can be measured! You do not serve a God who has no power!
Matthew 8:26,27
"And he (Jesus) saith unto them, why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, & rebuked the winds & the sea; & there was a great calm. But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds & the sea obey him!"
What manner of man is this? The one who spoke to Moses in a burning bush! The one who parted the Red Sea! The one who turned water into wine! The one who healed the blind, made the lame to walk & the deaf to hear! The one who said let there be light & there was light! The one who was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, & received up in glory! The one who made all things & without Him was not anything made that was made.
He is the One who commands something & it happens. When the Word comes from His mouth it happens. His Word does not return unto Him void.
He created the storm, He created Satan, and He created you & me. So what makes us believe that our storm or situation or whatever it is that we're facing, is too big for God? Is the creation created by the Creator? Does not the artist hold the paintbrush in His hand & make the paintbrush do what He wants it to? How much more do you think that God doesn't know what we all go through & need?
Satan wants us to worry & fret. When we do, we take our eyes off of Jesus & begin to look at our problems & situations. This is for me but I feel this is for others too. I hope this message from the Lord will encourage and uplift someone else.
Jesus told me in a dream, "We all go through pain but there is a certain amount of pain that is appointed unto man." He said, "We do not have to go through pain that is not appointed to us." That is because He (Jesus) has already went through the worst possible pain that anyone could ever go through. He died on the cross so that we could be victorious through Him & His resurrection. He died so that we could live an abundant life full of joy and peace. From the dream I learned that sometimes we cause ourselves more pain by not listening, believing, or trusting in the Lord.
Jesus spoke to the storm & said Peace be still, & the wind ceased, & there was a great calm.
This same Jesus has given you & me power.
Mark 28:18
Jesus said: "All power is given unto me in heaven & in earth."
Jesus has given us authority through & by His name. Let us start speaking to those storms & mountains and proclaim the victory.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
There Is No Neutral Ground!
What is the definition of the word neutral?
Neutral:
-impersonal: having no personal preferance.
-not supporting or favoring either side in a war, dispute, or contest.
-possessing no distinctive quality or characteristics.
-one who does not side with any party in a war or dispute.
In todays society we are taught to take a neutral stance on very heated and debated topics. Topics that Christians of all people, should be shining their lights & standing up in the way of holiness & speaking out against sin. For instance, the topic of homosexuality. We are not supposed to condone it but we are not supposed to speak our mind & voice our opinion & what the Word of God says about this abomination. We are stuck in a "middle ground" if you will. Where we are against these things but yet when faced in a situation to stand up for what is right we place our "tail" between our legs & we run from it. We are afraid of hurting someones feelings. Or worse yet we "go along" with it because it is the worlds idea of the nice thing to do or it is what the majority is doing.
God said there is no middle ground! Either you are for Him or against HIm. We can't have one foot in the world & one foot out. When we are out in the world, we act as those who are in the world. Then when we are around church folk, we act all holy. The bible says in Joshua 24:15 "...choose you this day whom ye will serve;" We can't be going in & out, only serving the Lord when we feel like it or when it is convenient for us. Either you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, & strength. And you want to serve Him & want His will in your life. Or you just simply don't! There is only two choices. There is no middle or neutral ground.
We as Christians should be standing up & proclaiming Jesus Christ, no matter how much criticism we receive. No matter if it isn't the popular "vote" of the people.
If we go around acting as the world acts & living the way the world lives, yet we confess we are Christians, What affect does that have on our testimony?......It makes it void!!!
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, & love the other: or else he will hold to the one, & despise the other...."
THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND!!!!!!!!!!
Not only will the things we speak & the way we live determine the side we have chosen but our thoughts as well. Are we thinking one way & speaking or doing another?
We are according to 2 Cor. 10:5 supposed to "Cast down imaginations, & every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, & bringing into captivity every, thought to the obedience of Christ;"
We are not to entertain evil thoughts. As soon as a thought pops into our mind, that we know is not of God, we are to cast it down.
Also knowing to do something that is right & not doing it but doing the complete opposite, that is rebellion.
James 1:8 says "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
We need to choose Gods righteousness or mans righteousness.
We need to choose relationship or religion.
We need to choose holiness or vanity.
If we don't make a decision to walk in the ways of the Lord to stay in the ways of true holiness but we continue to one day serve God then the next day not to serve Him, the Lord says, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke warm, & neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15,16)
It's time we get on fire for God. We are living in the very last days of the end times. We either get on fire for God now or burn in the lake of fire later.
Let's use the time we have left wisely. Use our time to promote Gods kingdom & bring in lost souls who do not know our merciful God & Heavenly Father.
Neutral:
-impersonal: having no personal preferance.
-not supporting or favoring either side in a war, dispute, or contest.
-possessing no distinctive quality or characteristics.
-one who does not side with any party in a war or dispute.
In todays society we are taught to take a neutral stance on very heated and debated topics. Topics that Christians of all people, should be shining their lights & standing up in the way of holiness & speaking out against sin. For instance, the topic of homosexuality. We are not supposed to condone it but we are not supposed to speak our mind & voice our opinion & what the Word of God says about this abomination. We are stuck in a "middle ground" if you will. Where we are against these things but yet when faced in a situation to stand up for what is right we place our "tail" between our legs & we run from it. We are afraid of hurting someones feelings. Or worse yet we "go along" with it because it is the worlds idea of the nice thing to do or it is what the majority is doing.
God said there is no middle ground! Either you are for Him or against HIm. We can't have one foot in the world & one foot out. When we are out in the world, we act as those who are in the world. Then when we are around church folk, we act all holy. The bible says in Joshua 24:15 "...choose you this day whom ye will serve;" We can't be going in & out, only serving the Lord when we feel like it or when it is convenient for us. Either you love the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, & strength. And you want to serve Him & want His will in your life. Or you just simply don't! There is only two choices. There is no middle or neutral ground.
We as Christians should be standing up & proclaiming Jesus Christ, no matter how much criticism we receive. No matter if it isn't the popular "vote" of the people.
If we go around acting as the world acts & living the way the world lives, yet we confess we are Christians, What affect does that have on our testimony?......It makes it void!!!
Jesus said in Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, & love the other: or else he will hold to the one, & despise the other...."
THERE IS NO NEUTRAL GROUND!!!!!!!!!!
Not only will the things we speak & the way we live determine the side we have chosen but our thoughts as well. Are we thinking one way & speaking or doing another?
We are according to 2 Cor. 10:5 supposed to "Cast down imaginations, & every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, & bringing into captivity every, thought to the obedience of Christ;"
We are not to entertain evil thoughts. As soon as a thought pops into our mind, that we know is not of God, we are to cast it down.
Also knowing to do something that is right & not doing it but doing the complete opposite, that is rebellion.
James 1:8 says "A double minded man is unstable in all his ways."
We need to choose Gods righteousness or mans righteousness.
We need to choose relationship or religion.
We need to choose holiness or vanity.
If we don't make a decision to walk in the ways of the Lord to stay in the ways of true holiness but we continue to one day serve God then the next day not to serve Him, the Lord says, "I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art luke warm, & neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15,16)
It's time we get on fire for God. We are living in the very last days of the end times. We either get on fire for God now or burn in the lake of fire later.
Let's use the time we have left wisely. Use our time to promote Gods kingdom & bring in lost souls who do not know our merciful God & Heavenly Father.
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