New Level. New Devil.

There is a war being waged in the heavens. The angels of God are fighting against the rulers of darkness. This war is going on but there are no news broadcasts to announce it or cover the story.

However, I am sure that you can go to talk to one of your brothers and sisters in the Lord and they can share with you the battle they are going through right now. And share with you the wounds that they have received.

The Lord has spoke and told the church that miracles are coming. This has built up our faith and hope in the Lord (I know it has mine). Looking forward to the blessings of God and hopes that lives are forever changed and souls are saved. This is good news for us who have been praying, fasting, and seeking for a move of God. But for the devil and his evil kingdom this has set him in a rage. He knows that he cannot stop a move of God. What God has spoken will come to pass. His Word will not and cannot return unto Him void. His Words will be fulfilled. And although Satan can't stop a move of God, he can try to hinder one. And he will come up with anything and everything he can to do it.

As Christians and children of God, we start out as babies. And as babies we fight in little battles and we overcome the enemies tactics and devices at the baby stage. But as we grow we will face a new devil with each new level. The enemy will continue to use his same tactics and devices as long as he knows they are working. If you know something is working why change it? But when he sees his tricks are not working he comes up with bigger and new things to try. That is usually where we as Christians get threw for a loop when we enter into a situation that we have never encountered before. Something that hits us hard and at the time we cannot see any way out. Or the situation looks hopeless.

In a game of basketball the object of the game is to keep your opponent from making a basket. You'll notice that the opponent is not interested in their side of the court when you have the ball. The opponent is already moved into position on your side of the court. Plotting,planning, and waiting for you so they can trip you up and make you lose the ball.

That is exactly what the plans of the enemy are. He knows that when we see God move in our circumstances and the things and people in our lives we have prayed for, when our prayers are answered our faith will rise and then not only can we speak that we have the victory but we will see victory.

The job of the devil is to wear us all out and to make us weary.

Daniel 7:25 says

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

We are going to suffer persecution as Christians in many ways. The devil will come at us with everything he has. But we should keep in mind "this too shall pass."

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

Paul said, "our light affliction." Paul was a man who went through and had endured many things.

In 2 Corinthians 11:23 Paul talks about how he was, "in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft." Then verses 24-27 he goes on describing other things he had went through. But even though he went through all that he did, he still called them light afflictions.

And in 2 Timothy 3:11 he says, "....what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me." Hallelujah!!!!

Circumstances and situations will arise in our life but as long as we are walking with the Lord, He will help us through them all.

Proverbs 3:5,6 says

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

I love that word shall. Shall is a future tense word. It means will or it will be done. So not only has God directed me on the paths I've walked in the past, I have the promise of my future paths being directed by Him also.

With Jesus leading and guiding us we do not have to fear about whether we are on the right path. I know that when things arise and come at us we begin to wonder if we did something wrong or if we are in the Lord's will or not. That is when our faith and trust must really kick into gear. Paul said the Lord had delivered him from all persecutions. He didn't say the Lord had delivered him from all tribulations, trials, or testings.

We have to remember God will not allow us to be tempted or tested more than we are able to go through. And He will always provide a way of escape that we can bear it (1 Corinthians 10:13). We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:37). We are mighty and victorious through Him.

The devil and his imps want us to become burdened down and weary. He would love for nothing more than for each of us to throw our hands up and say, "I QUIT." But praise be to God we have a Comforter and Helper who is always there. In the darkest of nights we always hear that small still voice saying to not give up and not to lose hope. Help is coming, it is on the way.

It may look like we are surrounded by the army of the enemy. It may look like he has us out numbered 2 to 1. But I just want to say that God says we have more for us than those that are against us.

In 2 King 6:16 Elisha and his servant were encamped about by the enemy. Elisha prayed that the servants eyes be opened. It says in verse 17 when God opened his eyes he saw, "the mountain full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."

My prayer for each child of God is to have our spiritual eyes and ears opened. For us to look past the pain, hurt, offense, trials, disappointments, abandonment, abuse, rage, bitterness, and any other feeling we may have. To look past it and see Jesus. To see that just as Elisha was surrounded by horses and chariots of fire, we too are surrounded. Only we are surrounded by the arms of God. The Lord has us covered and He will never allow us to fall as long as we are serving and walking with Him. Yes, we may stumble at times but Jesus is there to catch us and pick us up and straighten us out again. We will really never fall from His grace. For His grace is sufficient. (2 Cor. 12:9).

I pray we can hear the Words of God telling us to grow not weary in well doing for we shall reap in our due season only if we persevere and faint not (Gal. 6:9).

Now is the time if ever there has been for the children of God to rise up against the enemy. To rise up and fight even with busted noses, broken arms, and bloody knuckles. To know that it is time to fight or be killed. The devil will show no mercy and this "game of life" is no fair.

We need to suit up with the FULL armor of God (Eph. 6:11) and endure hardness as a good soldier (2 Tim. 2:3). So that we can withstand evil having done all to stand! (Eph. 6:13).

Jesus Is With Us When the Storm Clouds Gather

Matthew 14:22-33
Mark 6:45-52
John 6:15-21

(v22)And straightway Jesus constrained (compelled) his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitude away.

Why did Jesus compel His disciples to go in the ship before Him? Why didn't He go with them or go on before them first?

I believe He was teaching them that they should never get ahead of Him. We can't get ahead in life trying to go before the Lord. Jesus has to either be in the same ship with us or He has to have already gone before us in the way.

(v24)But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

Jesus sent His disciples over to the other side. Now all of a sudden the waves begin to start up & the winds begin to blow. There was a storm beginning to form. Surely the Son of God knew there would be a storm to come upon them on their journey to the other side.
Jesus sent them without Him to allow them to know that no matter what may happen in their life and no matter where they are at, He would always be there for them.

(v25)And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

Why did Jesus let them stay in the midst of the storm through the second and third watches of the night?

The fourth watch of the night is considered 3 a.m. until 6 a.m. The disciples had took off in the ship right before the second watch of the night (I am assuming). They had been trying to get to the other side for approximately seven hours give or take.
Jesus wanted them to have faith. No doubt the disciples were scared. They probably thought their life would end that very night.
The Lord might of wanted them to see that it doesn't matter if things look bad, that He will show up right on time.
Jesus wanted them to see that although they worked all night they couldn't save themselves.
Sometimes God will not show up in a situation until all of our options are depleted. He will not show up until the time is right for us to see He is the One who has came through for us. He wants our dilemmas and situations to bring Him glory! But He also wants to show us who He truly is.

Jesus came walking on the water and spoke to them and said...."Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid (v27).

(v28)Peter wasn't exactly sure that it was Jesus calling out to him. He believed in his heart this was Jesus but he wanted to be sure. Peter asked the Lord that if it truly was him to bid him to come to him on the water. (v29) And Jesus told him to come.

These scriptures remind me of when Jesus comes into our lives and we feel He is speaking to us but we sometimes are not sure it is Him or if we are in ourselves. So we ask the Lord if it is truly you show a sign or confirm that this thing is of You.
Once the Lord told Peter to come, there must of been some unction and excitement in Peter's spirit. If there hadn't of been something there he would of never attempted to leave the boat. Probably a little nervous Peter put one foot out and then the other. The hardest part would have been letting go of the boat! To let go or not to let go was the question Peter asked himself. Boldly he let go and began walking toward Jesus.
Just like our walk with God, we know when we get a word from the Lord. If He has called us to do something. The Lord said in Matthew 10 that His sheep know His voice and no other will they follow. Peter was definitely one of the Lord's sheep.

(v30)but when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus and d o not pay attention to the other things we hear people saying about us, we will not sink. But as soon as we begin to listen to what others think we should do and what others say we cannot do, we get doubt in our hearts. We begin to even question on whether or not we've heard from the Lord, and we begin to "sink".

(v31).....O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Whatever the Lord has called us to do, we do not have to worry about how we will accomplish it. For He has prepared the way before the foundation of the world. And He has placed inside of us, while we were yet in our mothers wombs, the tools and necessities we would need in our life. The Lord will never call us to do anything that we are not equipped to do.
By Peter stepping out of the boat the other disciples got to see Jesus' saving power at work right before their very eyes.
Even though we make mistakes and sometimes mess up, God can still use those situations to bring Him glory!

Making It To The Promised Land

Numbers 20:11

When Moses disobeyed God in smiting the rock twice, I believe he was irritated and under a lot of pressure. He might of been at a point where he was through with the murmuring and complaining of the people. God told him (Moses), to take the rod and gather the assembly together. Then He told Moses to speak unto the rock before them and the rock would bring forth water.

But instead he became irritated and impatient and smote the rock twice and the Lord was not sanctified in the children of Israel's eyes. The Lord told Moses and Aaron, that they would not be allowed to bring the congregation into the promised land.

Deuteronomy 34:4
Moses got to see the promised land with his own eyes but could not cross over into it.

It would be terrible to make it all of the way to the promised land to see it and to be just inches away from entering into what God had promised. But because of disobedience and not trusting God we couldn't enter.

I wonder at times, just how often do we feel that something good is about to happen, but then we wonder what happened or what went wrong. We really felt that God was about to move or we were just at the thresh hold of our breakthrough. But we don't see the promise come to pass. I believe it is a mixture of things. Doubt and unbelief, fear, or maybe disobedience to what God has told us to do. I would like to say that Satan cannot stop a move of God, he can try to hinder it but cannot stop it. (However, we can stop a move of God by disobedience, doubt, fear, unbelief, and etc. We are the only person who can stop the blessings of God in our life.)

We need to be sure to speak spiritual and positive things pertaining to ALL things in our lives. Do not allow vain or idle words to come from our mouths. We need to give God glory in all things, even when we are fed up and frustrated. Do not allow anything to hinder what God has promised. If God says to do something a certain way, then we should do it. It will be profitable for us but it ultimately brings glory to God!!