Trust your designer's perfect design!

I Know How I Designed It

Van Walton

"...we are God's workmanship created in Christ Jesus..." Ephesians 2:10 (NIV)

Devotion:

My amazing husband can do anything. He's a fix-it man. There isn't anything he can't repair or create. He rebuilds damaged computers for family and friends, repairs weed eaters and garage door openers for neighbors, and rescues broken furniture from trash heaps. Recently he brought a chair home from a dinner party. It wasn't a gift and we didn't steal it. Someone sat in it and broke it!

After two days of taking the chair apart - performing what looked like orthopedic surgery to me, you know when pins and screws are inserted to keep bones and joints from further damage -- followed by a little gluing, sanding, and staining, the chair looked brand new.

"Wow!" I said, impressed.

"Sit in it and rock back," he encouraged.

"Rock back? I don't think so! What if I break it?"

"Oh, believe me. You won't."

"How do you know?" I asked, not convinced.

"I know how I designed it. I know the pressure points and how much stress it can take" he responded with a smile of confidence. "Go on. Sit in it and rock back."

I sat down and rocked back.

The chair was solid. I don't care who sits in it, or how they land in it now, it will not break.

I think about the times we don't believe we can handle any more stress. The pressure seems overwhelming and we cry, "Time out! I can't take any more!"

God responds, "Trust me. You will not be destroyed. I know your pressure points. I know how much stress you can take. I know how I designed you."

I cannot describe the peace I felt when I related the work of my husband's hands to the work of God's hand.

Of course He knows how much I can take. After all He is my Creator, the one who bent down by the river and fashioned me with His hands. He's the one who knit me together in the depths of my mother's womb, the one who is called the Potter.

He knows the exact temperature needed in the kiln to create the perfect clay vessel. He knows how hot the fire must be to separate the dross from the silver and gold. He knows how much pressure a diamond or emerald must withstand in order for it to come forth solid and brilliant. He knows how long the irritant must sit in an oyster before it becomes a pearl.

My Father knows exactly how much I can take. He knows because He designed me. With that realization I am able to trust Him and smile at the future, no matter how hard life is today.

Lord Jesus, You are the Carpenter. You know exactly how to build a piece that will withstand pressure and stress, a work of art that will not easily crumble. You created me the same way. Rather than tremble in the face of despair, help me trust in Your design. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

From the Pound to the Palace by Van Walton

Beyond the Shadow of Doubt (DVD) by Renee Swope

Visit Van's blog

Application Steps:

Memorize this phrase and repeat it whenever you feel you "can take no more" pressure or stress: "God knows my stress and pressure points. He will not allow me to be crushed. He knows because He has designed me."

Reflections:

What brings me to the edge of despair?

Can I trust God that I may have to undergo stress and feel some pressure before I reach His final design for me?

Power Verses:

Malachi 3:3, "He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver..." (NLT)

2 Corinthians 4:7-9, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed..." (KJV)

© 2009 by Van Walton. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Look to Him, He is Your Answer

From the Bottom Up

1 Samuel 30:1-6

King David's psalms reveal that he faced some very lonely times. However, few experiences compared to his utter despair over the ashes of his city, Ziklag. The story of how he reached such anguished depths actually begins much earlier--at a time when his faith failed.

After years of fleeing from King Saul's death threats, David was discouraged and weary. He'd believed God's promise to make him king, but now he began to waver in his certainty. So he did what many of us do--he resorted to human reasoning. Under the circumstances, his best option appeared to be seeking refuge among the Philistines, who were Israel's enemies (1 Sam. 27:1). Blinded by his seemingly hopeless situation, David stepped out of God's will in order to get beyond Saul's reach. His lapse may have been just temporary, but it nonetheless proved significant: he stopped believing that God could guide him safely through "the valley of the shadow of death" (Ps. 23:4).

Several months later, the future king entered his ruined city to discover that his wealth, his family, and his people had been taken. David's band of warriors prepared to take out their frustration and anger on him. From the bottom of this pit of despair, a humbled man looked to God and found his strength and his faith renewed (1 Sam. 30:6).

Oftentimes, we reach our lowest points because we stop trusting in the Lord. At such times, it's easy to give in to the temptation of taking matters into our own hands. When we do,it's easy to wind up in a mess. But if we look to the Lord again, we will see the way out of our pit and back into His will.

For more biblical teaching from Dr. Charles Stanley, please visit www.intouch.org
and
click here to listen to Dr. Stanley at OnePlace.com.

Praying for God's Leading

Lead Me Lord

Wendy Blight

"Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

Psalm 119:105 (NIV)

Devotion:

Do you pray for direction, and hear nothing?

Do you wonder if God even heard your prayers?

Friend, you are not alone. Often I come before God, pouring out my heart in prayer, seeking His will for different areas in my life. Then I hear nothing. He is silent. Not wanting to wait, I forge ahead on my own. In my busyness, I fail to sit and wait. No time, I say, because someone is waiting for an answer. No time, I say, because I need to act now.

Yet, when I examine Scripture, God consistently teaches: sit, pray, and wait. Jesus began His ministry by fasting forty days alone in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). He spent an entire night alone in prayer before choosing His twelve disciples (Luke 6:12).

Esther fasted and prayed for three days before she took the bold and courageous step of going before the king on behalf of her people, knowing it could mean her death (Esther 4:8-16).

Elijah went into the wilderness for forty days to hear the "still small voice" (1 Kings 19:11-18).

What do these great people of faith teach us? To know God's leading, to hear His voice, we must listen and wait. Maybe we think God is silent because we never take the time to sit in God's Word and wait. When we do, He promises it will penetrate us to the marrow of our bones, to the deepest places in our heart. Hebrews 4:12 says His Word is living and active and "sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow" (NIV).

When we choose to get alone with God, He promises to meet us there. Jeremiah 29:13-14a says, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you" (NIV). Take the challenge to meet Him in His Word.

Do you want direction? Follow these steps.

1) Read God's Word: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the [woman] of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (NIV) God was actively involved in the writing of Scripture. It is the infallible and authoritative Word of God written to speak Truth into your life today.

2) Study God's Word: 2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth" (NIV). When you study His Word, He plants it deep within your heart. His Spirit then takes the Word and bends your heart in His direction, enabling you to hear His Voice.

3) Pray God's Word: Isaiah 55:11 says, "...so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purposes for which I sent it" (NIV). Prayer is God's living Word spoken out of your mouth. When you pray in faith, you hold God' Word up to Him in prayer. You put Him in remembrance of His Word, and His promise is that Word will not return void. Furthermore it shall accomplish that which He purposes and pleases.

Join me today in applying God's Word to the circumstances in your life. Know that when you do, God promises to do abundantly more than you could ever ask or imagine!

Heavenly Father, I need direction in my life today. You seem distant and silent. Yet I know that You are not because You promise to never leave me or forsake me. Today, I commit to search Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see the wonderful things in Your Law. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear Your direction in my circumstances. Thank You, Lord, that in my seeking You will meet me. Thank You that as I trust in You completely, You will lead me down Your paths! In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story by Wendy Blight

He Speaks to Me, Priscilla Shirer

Stop by Wendy's blog.

Application Steps:

Commit one area of your life or one situation with which you struggle to hear the Lord. Search His Word for verses that speak to your situation. Write them down on a card, commit them to memory, and pray them back to God. Wait and watch for God to do a mighty work. Share your story with me on my blog. I would love to celebrate God's faithfulness with you.

Reflections:

Sit and soak in Psalm 119 and marvel at the many blessings that flow from knowing and obeying God's Word.

Power Verses:

Read, study, and pray the verses listed in the body of the devotional.

© 2009 by Wendy Blight. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Worship

Heart of a Worshiper

By Rev. Ernest V. George



Psalm 95:6 – “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.”

Dearly beloved in Christ,

Man was created for worship! What is worship? As I was preparing this sermon, I believe God gave me this definition. Worship is our intelligent response in worth-ship of God, even to the point of sacrifice. It is an understanding of the worthiness of God and thereby causing us to give HIM our adoration and appreciation. Worship includes our trust in Him, praise, thanksgiving, joy, music, dance, singing, clapping of hands, crying, raising up of hands, shouting, reading of His Word, confession of our sins, proclaiming that He is LORD. Worship is an attitude of the heart and it draws the favor of God. There are certain characteristics that are seen in a true worshiper. I would like to highlight five of them here in this message, so as to give you an understanding of what God is looking for as you stand before Him in worship.

1. Sincere - John 4:23-24 – “23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The first aspect of a true worshiper is seen in the sincerity of his heart. Worship begins with a broken heart that is sincere and contrite before Him who knows all and sees all! [Psalm 51:17] If worship is done from a sincere heart, it will be affective and pleasing to God. Half-hearted worship is an abomination to God, so give Him your best in truth and transparency.

2. Steadfast - Psalm 34:1 - "I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." The heart of a worshiper is steadfast. He will worship God at all times…not just when things look good, but always! This Psalm [34] was David’s psalm of worship when he pretended to be mad to avoid being captured by King Abimelech. Another example was Job, who having received the news that he had lost his property and his children responded by worshiping God! Job 1:20

3. Sacrificial - Hebrews 13:15 - "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name. [NIV] Sacrifice and worship are two sides of the same coin. Worship is costly. In Genesis 22, God commanded Abraham to offer his son, Isaac as a sacrifice. On reaching the mountain, Abraham asked his servants to wait for him, while he and his son went up to worship. In the Old Testament, worship had to do with the sacrifice of bulls and goats, but today, God wants us to offer our bodies to Him as a living sacrifice. [Romans 12:1] David, a man after God’s own heart knew the importance of sacrifice. He wanted to build an altar on the piece of ground owned by Araunah on which he saw the angel of God standing. However, he chose to buy the land rather than take it for free as offered by Araunah. [2 Samuel 24:24] Do not give to God what costs you nothing.

4. Spirit-led - John 4:23-24 – “23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”The fourth aspect of worshiper is that he will be filled and led by the Spirit of God. The three wise men from the East were led by the Spirit of God through the appearance of the STAR in the sky and they came to worship baby Jesus. [Matthew 2:2] God is looking for men and women who will worship Him by the power and enabling of His Spirit. In 2 Chronicles 20, we see how the presence of the Holy Spirit during worship changed the battle strategy for King Jehoshaphat! Spirit-led walk always leads to victory!

5. Service-oriented - 2 Corinthians 9:12 – “For the administration of this service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding through many thanksgivings to God…”Finally, a true worshiper is ready to serve – God and fellow believers. In the above Scripture, the Greek word leitourgia is used by Paul to describe worship which means “service”. When asking for financial support – he uses the word which means worship. A servant-heart is a heart that worships God in humility and generosity. Worship doesn’t stop when we leave the church doors. We serve God through our actions throughout the week. What we do for others, we do for Him. Service to God is worship.

Worship is the only lifter of your soul. Develop a heart of worship with these attitudes and let God be glorified!

Website: www.gardencityag.org

The True Agape

A Divine Love Note

Karen Ehman

"He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' Jesus said to him, 'Feed my sheep.'"

John 21:17 (ESV)

Devotion:

Long before the current craze of texting messages back and forth on cell phones, in my junior high we had our own way of communicating with peers: it was called passing notes. When the teacher wasn't looking, we shot a simple, folded piece of lined notebook paper to our friend sitting a few rows back. We crossed our fingers and hoped the teacher's second set of eyes--the ones in the back of her head--were focused elsewhere. Otherwise, our note just might get read to the entire class!

While notes from our girlfriends were fun, what really got our excitement up was when the folded and scribbled message was from a boy. Usually it read something like this:

Do you like me? Check one: Yes ___ No ___ Just as a friend ___

Of course we would think long and hard before taking our pencil and marking our answer. Then it was passing time again; back to the boy who had posed the all-important question. It seems to me in today's scripture Jesus was sending a divine love note to Peter, quizzing him about the strength of his love for Him.

We pick up the story a few verses earlier when after breakfast, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" Peter seems a bit surprised and says, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." Jesus then tells him to feed His lambs. No sooner had he finished talking than He asks Peter the same question again. Then, a third time. Each time it appears as if dear Peter answers the same way. In a nutshell, "Ah...yeah Lord. You know everything. You know I love you. Haven't I made that clear? Why the twenty questions?"

This passage of scripture used to puzzle me, until one day I discovered, with the help of my husband's old Greek textbook from college, that Peter and Jesus were using two different Greek words for love in this famous exchange.

The word rendered 'love' in our English Bibles here is really two distinct words. One is "phileo" and one is "agape." Phileo is defined as brotherly and tender affection; true friendship. It is based on common interests. Agape, on the other hand, is sacrificial and giving love; a love that can't stand being apart from the other. It isn't based on having a common interest with someone. It loves the other not for what they do, but for who they are. It is the laying down your life for another kind of love.

It is helpful to know that the first two times Jesus posed the question to Peter, He asked him "Do you agape me?" Peter answered, "Of course I phileo you!" It was as if Jesus was asking, "...so you really, sacrificially love me, based on Who I am? And you'd gladly lay down your life for me?" And instead, Peter was checking the box that said "Just as a friend!"

The third time Jesus posed the question, He asked Peter, "Do you phileo me?" And Peter truthfully answered "yes." Now, before we are too hard on ole' Simon Peter, we must assume that He indeed did grow to love our Lord in the agape sense of the word. History tells us that Peter met his death by crucifixion. However, he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same manner as the Lord, so he was crucified upside down!

What about us today, in 2009? If Jesus passed us a divine love note asking if we love (agape) Him, which box would we check? Undoubtedly, many people today would scoff and check the "No" box. There are millions who care nothing of Christ and His love. Others would check "Yes." They are fervent Christ followers who love until the end. I am reminded of many modern day martyrs who have willingly given up their life for Christ.

I fear that many of us would check the "Just as a friend" box. We love, but just to a point. We aren't afraid to hang around Jesus, we just don't want to be asked to share in His sufferings! Oh may God turn our temporal phileo fascination with Jesus into an all-out, agape, laying-down-our-life, love for the Lord.

Pencils sharpened? He is asking us this question today!

Dear Lord, I don't want to be just Your casual friend. I want to love You sacrificially and passionately. Help me learn how. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Related Resources:

Do You Know Him?

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

A Love Worth Giving: Living in the Overflow of God's Love by Max Lucado

For more on loving God, visit Karen's blog

Application Steps:

Take time this week to be encouraged by reading the life stories of some great heroes of the faith who truly loved God. Try Jim Elliot, Fanny Crosby, Dwight L. Moody, Bill Bright, Mother Teresa or William Wilberfource.

Reflections:

How would you rate your love of Christ right now? Cold? Lukewarm? On fire?

Was there a time in your walk with the Lord that your love and devotion for Him was very strong? Why? What happened to change it? More importantly, what steps do you need to take to rekindle that fire again?

Power Verses:

John 14:23, "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'" (NIV)

© 2009 by Karen Ehman. All rights reserved.

Proverbs 31 Ministries

616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road

Matthews, NC 28105

www.proverbs31.org

Be in Step!

In Step With God
Ephesians 4:1-3

People are saved when they trust Jesus Christ as Savior and choose to follow Him. Right then, most Christians realize that they will dwell with Him forever in heaven. But many don't understand what they can expect for the remainder of their lives on earth.

One benefit that's available immediately is a growing relationship with the Lord. The Father's oneness with Jesus (John 10:30) illustrates the intimacy God wants to have with His children. He had this type of closeness in mind at creation--a relationship with man is an avenue for Him to express His love and for us to worship and understand our Maker.

Another advantage is that Christ-followers are promised clear guidance through God's Holy Spirit. Decision making is a part of everyday life. It is impossible for a mere human to know every variable and nuance before choosing which path to take. But the Lord knows all things--past, present, and future. With godly wisdom available, it's hard to understand why anyone would prefer to trust his own hunches.

Provision is yet another blessing guaranteed for believers. There will be hard times, but God gives Christians everything necessary for following Him (Phil. 4:19). And His grace will always prove more than sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9).

How abundantly God gives to His children! One word of caution, though: these gifts are effective only when believers walk obediently with Him. Sin can stifle them.

The heavenly Father desires that all of His sons and daughters have these blessings; if you're living in obedience before Him, they are available to you. Is anything getting in the way of your total submission to Him?

To see more resources from In Touch Ministries, please visit us at www.intouch.org or go directly to our bookstore at In Touch Ministries.

God's Phone Number!

John Belt:

"Dialing God's Phone Number:
P-R-A-I-S-E!"

"Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy..." Isaiah 60:5

Dialing God

As I was just soaking in the Lord's presence with praise music, I heard a touch-tone telephone dialing as I was listening. I was thinking to myself "How can this be? No phone is in here!" I then realized I was hearing this in the spirit of praise, which was coming from spontaneous praise from what I was listening to. These were like ultra-big touch-tone sounds I was hearing. Wow!

P-R-A-I-S-E is our Lord's phone number!

"Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name." Psalm 100:4

God is releasing a fresh sound of praise in the earth. The angels of God are being released in greater measure to break open the heavens over regions as we praise the Lord. There is too much worship music today that engages the head more than the spirit. You might as well be studying a book.

It is such that people never get beyond the veil of their natural minds that keeps them from having an encounter with God. But if we can enter into the simplicity of praise and worship, we can break through into a place of intimacy and encounter the Lord like we have never experienced before.

Worship in the Spirit

"But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him." John 4:23

We must slay our intellect and learn to worship in the Spirit—from the spirit within us and out of the depths of our heart. God has glory to be revealed beyond the veil of your head. The mind is a good thing that God has given us, but it only operates correctly in submission to your spirit-man under the influence of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the Master of our hearts. He is the Director. We must submit to Him and lay down our natural understandings. Our theology is only as good as the reality of our intimacy, connectedness, and life with Him.

"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you." John 15:7

This means we continue to come to Him in a living-life of worship and prayer, and then we allow His words to abide in us. If we only study His words without soaking them in our spirit and without knowing the power of an intimate prayer life, then His words are without life in our hearts. His word in us without the Spirit is like being constipated. This is where mean, cruel, critical and abusive religiosity sets in.

Childlike Simplicity

"But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:3

It is important that we engage in childlike worship that is simple and not complex. It is this kind of worship that is foundational to our lives. We never outgrow simple praise. There is a place for songs that have a theological bent. But our devotional worship is experiential and foundational to our lives. We do not have the option of cutting the life-flow of God to us.

When we come to Christ, we come in simplicity of devotion. When we first dedicate our lives to Him we are simple, not theological giants. He never wants us to lose the simplicity of devotion to Him. If we do have lost connection to the Head, we must learn and grow in our understanding through our relationship with Him. But it cannot be without the Spirit of wisdom and revelation.

Much of what has gone around in religious circles is either revelation that has dried up or is rotted leftovers. It has become information-based learning, which is no different from the world's way of learning. One way the spirit of the world is manifest is when the ways of the world become commonplace in a people who used to walk with the Lord and have compromised or people who have never known Him.

"But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned."
1 Corinthians 2:14

The natural mind craves information where the spirit of man craves living revelation from God. The natural mind will bypass God and try to accomplish things by its own power—its soul power. This is just the worship of self. This points us back to the reason simplicity of praise is so important. Simplicity in worship tells the natural mind that it is not in control and must submit like a child. This is where humility is developed.

Jesus said that without childlike faith, we couldn't even see the Kingdom of God. It is faith that pleases God. Faith does not come from the intellect, but emanates from the spirit-man within us—the new creation. This is the new man that is created in God's image. This is how we are called to live— from the inner man. We can also see in the writings of Paul that he was very aware of this.

His Weighty Presence

"Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne." Revelation 4:2

This is a beautiful illustration of what happens when we truly enter into the spirit of worship. In our hearts and minds, worship takes us before His throne. The reason John was taken in the spirit is because his heart was already there. He was not pondering the theological and intellectual glories, but was soaking in the wonder of Jesus, His love and grace.

Go beyond your natural mind. Drink deeper. Ask the Lord to help you. Be encouraged into a life of simple worship. New songs are good because you have to depend on God in order to get one. It is a great habit. It will help release the Spirit of wisdom and revelation on your life. Be creative. God is creative. Ask the Lord to give you a new song. Worship God for the testimony of Jesus in the Spirit of prophecy. Then the prophetic is released when you worship God in simplicity from your heart. Keep it simple, don't make it complex and you will find a new freedom in your worship life as well as a deeper intimacy.

"...Those who seek Him will praise the LORD. Let your heart live forever!" Psalm 22:26

Be filled with the spirit of praise every day! Let the joy of God be your strength. Get connected to His life. He is your power source! Let your heart live forever! Let's make room for His wonderful weighty presence to rest upon our lives every day through the glory of perfect praise.

John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries
Email: admin@liveinhispresence.com
Website: www.liveinhispresence.com

God's Intention

Kathie Walters:

"God's Intention is that Our Faith is Not Influenced By Circumstances, But By the Truth"

When will you believe you've won? When you see a result or when you get the victory in your spirit? If you are waiting to see the victory before you believe, well you may never see it at all—Jesus said, "When you pray, believe," not, "When you pray, wait and see and then believe."

David (Before He was King) Had an Interesting Situation

David was trying to keep out of King Saul's way, so he went to Gath in the land of the Philistines. Achish, king of Gath, gave David the city of Ziklag, and so Ziklag became his military base for a while. From Ziklag, David and his men attacked the enemy.

One day after a battle, David returned to the city and found that the Amalekites had ransacked Ziklag. They had set fire to the city and taken all the women and children away (the word "Amalekites" means "people that wring"). If that wasn't enough, David's own men were so upset they wanted to stone him. David put up with a whole lot from his "mighty" army. They did great when they were winning, though they often were fearful when they were losing. How about you?

God's intention is that our faith is not influenced by circumstances, but by the truth. The truth will set you free from what may seem to be true in the natural realm. It may be "true" that maybe you don't feel so good, maybe you are sick, but the truth is, "Jesus Himself took our sicknesses and bore our infirmities." The truth is, "By His stripes you were healed."

David had no one left—what a great opportunity to get discouraged and down! He might've said, "I need a worship CD; I need to find the prayer group," but there was no worship CD and there was no friendly prayer group in sight. You know what the Bible says he did? "He encouraged HIMSELF in the Lord." He had learned that secret, hadn't he? In the Book of Psalms, he spoke to his own soul, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?...HOPE THOU in God."

My friends in Orlando had a situation where it looked like they were going to lose just about everything. I mean, it was unreal the things that were stacked against them. Most people told them to give up, but they wouldn't. They went after the "thief" and got back everything and more.

What You See Depends on Your Perspective

Someone told me one time, "Only Christians and mad people talk to themselves." I guess that's true, although the Apostle Paul said (paraphrased), "Speak to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

What about Paul and Silas in prison? They were in an inner prison. That's a prison inside a prison. Their feet were fastened in the stocks. I am sure it was cold and damp. Does it say they whined and moaned and complained? "O God, why have You left us here? We are ministering for You. Where are the love offerings?" No. You know that they did? They sang praises to God. They made a lot of noise. I think they shouted.

Maybe they had a worship tape. Maybe they had a praise band secreted away in that prison. Or maybe there was a great preacher in the next (inner) cell? I don't think so. Well, the prison couldn't contain them and the angel showed up and responded to the praises—and then, guess what?

The doors burst open and the whole place began to shake, rattle and roll. But you see, they were not shaken. Why? Because they were in the Shaker. Best place to be in a shaking is in the Shaker. In the middle of it all, they were able to tell the jailor how to get saved.

Do you let your situations take all of your attention? If you stay in the Shaker you can stand still and minister to others. Maybe everything is whirling around you, maybe it looks all upside down. It depends where you are looking. God isn't shaking. God isn't wondering what to do.

I have a cartoon picture in a book by Arthur Burt. The picture is of a little boy and his sister standing in an elevator. The little boy had an ice cream cone and in front of him was a large lady in a fur coat. The girl says to the little boy, "Be careful, Willy, you are getting fur all over your ice cream." What you see depends on your perspective doesn't it?

David Had Confidence that God was Able to Do Everything He Couldn't Do

Well, back to David! He was tired; he had been in a three-day battle, but he didn't stand by and feel sorry for himself. Self pity is a spirit that keeps you from RECEIVING. You can't receive anything when you sit around feeling sorry for yourself. David got mad at the Amalekites and took off after them.

Two hundred of the 600 men couldn't make it; they were too weary. Do you know discouragement makes you feel weary? Here's what makes a leader—true leaders are people who forget to ask themselves how they feel. I believe they were all weary, but 400 of them decided to go, regardless.

David and his men came upon a man in a field. The man was sick and dying. The Amalekites had left him behind because he was of no use to them. But David saw an opportunity, and the man ended up telling him where the enemy was camped out. A bit of compassion goes a long way. If the Amalekites had not left him behind, David wouldn't have found them so quickly.

David captured those Amalekites, who were partying, and took back the women and children. Not only that, he saw a whole lot of cattle and sheep and added them to his inventory—their main wealth was in cattle and sheep. When he got home, his 400 men that went with him didn't want to share the bounty with the 200 men who couldn't make it, but David gave them all an equal share. "A brother is a brother," one of my good black preacher friends once said.

When David was done restoring everyone's family and their stuff, he sent presents to his friends. David was a "sharer." That's God's heart in operation. Jesus shares His inheritance with YOU. The Father shared His Son with YOU. The Holy Spirit shares (reveals) truth to YOU.

David had confidence that God was able to do everything he couldn't do. Have you ever been glad that you can't do it? Then you have to let God.

The Bible says, "God looks to and fro over the whole earth seeking to show Himself strong on behalf of those that love Him." He can't stretch forth His mighty arm on your behalf if you've got your own arm in the way. We are great sometimes at praying our heart out and then trying to fix it.

God is Greater than Any Voice

I one time asked everyone to pray for my daughter Lisa. Lisa had her luggage disappear on her flight from Atlanta to Barcelona, then to Liverpool, Paris and London. When she got to Paris she was freezing, as all her warm clothes were in her suitcase. The problem was, the airline kept saying it was on its way and, well, you don't want to go and buy all new clothes when your own clothes are just about to arrive. However, no suitcase arrived, and after eight days she gave up. By then she had to go and buy all new clothes—including suits for her business appointments, a coat, etc.

But I had a vision of a suitcase that had written on it the word "Found," and in the vision I saw it being delivered to a hotel where Lisa was surprised. Day after day there was no case. When she went on to London, I said, "Lisa, you will get a surprise." Well, her suitcase was delivered to her London hotel the day before she left!

A friend of mine who has been in the ministry for about 85 years always asks, "What do you do with your lemons? Do you make a face, or add some 'Amens' (sugar) and make lemonade?"

What you see in the spirit and witness in your spirit is more real than anything you can see with your eyes or hear with your ears. God is bigger than our concepts. He is greater than every voice raised in the natural, no matter what any "powerful" voice says. He spoke and the worlds were framed and the whole of creation sprang to life.

Kathie Walters
Good News Ministries

Email: Kathiewalters@mindspring.com

Website: www.goodnews.netministries.org

Peace

Kathi Pelton:

"Peace, Be Still! Do Not Let the Enemy Move You From the Rock of Your Peace"

"On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, 'Let us cross over to the other side.' Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?'

"Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, 'Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?' And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, 'Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!'" Mark 4:35-41

How many of you can relate to this story? I am sure that the Lord is hearing prayers from His people each day that sound similar to the words of His disciples: "Do you not care that we are perishing?" I guarantee you that His answer today is still the same as it was two thousand years ago: "Peace, be still."

Why are so many so fearful? If you are one of those, you aren't alone. There are days that it feels as though our lives have become targets for the enemy's fury and it is on those days that we wonder, feeling tired and tested, "How is it that we have no faith?"

We are in a great storm throughout the world, but I encourage you with the words that Jesus spoke to the storm (and to those who were with Him in the storm), "Peace, be still." His words were directed at the storm and were obeyed by the winds and waves, but I believe that they were also words to His disciples.

What Has Rulership in Your Life?

In May of 2008 the Lord gave me a word of caution for His people. I feel this is a "now" word that will help many during these times of storms. Here is what He spoke to me on May 1st, 2008:

"Watch carefully, for the enemy is coming like a thief who will try to steal your peace. He is unleashing demonic assignments to exaggerate emotions and to bring forth vain imaginations that will try to exalt themselves above truth, wisdom, and the knowledge of God. His goal is to cause My people to move off the Rock of their peace so that they are vulnerable to being harmed during times of storms and shakings."

As I prayed into this word, the Holy Spirit began to show me that when we give fear rulership in our thoughts and our actions, it actually creates a "landing strip" for the enemy to exaggerate and exacerbate difficult circumstances and causes our perspective of those circumstances to become warped. The key is to give the peace of Christ rulership in our hearts.

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." Colossians 3:15

We must not allow fear-based rulership to drive us in any way. We are led by peace—the peace that surpasses all our understanding. The rulership of Christ is vital to the life of the Believer; without it we open ourselves to an amazing amount of unnecessary emotional and spiritual turmoil.

If you have allowed a spirit of fear to rule your heart and life, take a moment now to ask the Lord to free you of fear and invite His peace to come and take rulership of your life. You can also invite Him to speak to the "winds and waves" that are tossing you and bringing you so much fear. He has authority to speak peace to your circumstances, too.

Exaggerated Emotions and Vain Imaginations

When the Holy Spirit spoke to me regarding exaggerated emotions, I understood that the enemy was literally sending assignments that would attack the weak places in people's souls, attempting to trap them into being led by their feelings rather than by the Spirit. This is going on in young and old alike. The enemy is attempting to exaggerate situations in our lives in order to bring forth an emotional reaction.

On the other hand, God is in the process of strengthening His people so that they will live by the Spirit and respond to Him rather than react to the enemy's assignments or their fragile emotions. He is allowing many of these trials so that our spirits will rise up and be exercised and strengthened. Remember, our flesh will always try to gain rulership in our lives by reacting to circumstances with fear and unbelief. We must exercise our spirits to submit to the rulership of Christ, which will bring forth a response that is full of truth, grace, wisdom and peace.

We live in emotionally charged times. The enemy will use this to stir up our emotions and to create vain imaginations in order to keep us from the knowledge and the wisdom of God. This is a time to be very aware of what the Spirit is saying to the Church so that you are not moved out of your posture of peace and truth. Do not let the enemy move you from the Rock of your peace or you will be susceptible to imaginations that are not founded on God's truth.

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..." 2 Corinthians 10:5

Overcoming Disappointment and Defeat

One of the things we are witnessing at this time is that the spirit of the overcomer is arising in the land. In the past season, the Church was often left vulnerable by many of our responses to the giants that we faced. As giants of opposition came face to face with God's people, many did not apprehend their God-given authority and found themselves believing the lie that they were defeated. This has left many disappointed with God.

I tell you the truth: If you are in God, YOU ARE NOT DEFEATED! Our Savior is the Master of every situation, the Victor in every conflict; therefore you, too, are victorious. Though you may not understand some of the circumstances that you have faced or the outcome of these situations, even so, you are not defeated. To believe so is to believe a lie!

We need the spirit of understanding and the knowledge of God to discern many of life's situations, so that we do not try to discern the things of the Spirit with human understanding. This is where we see vain imaginations exulting themselves above the knowledge of God.

"My son, if you accept My words and store up My commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.

"For the LORD gives wisdom, and from His mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, He is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for He guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul." Proverbs 2:1-10

I personally believe that in this season and in this day we are once again coming face to face with giants of opposition, but there is a remnant of God's people who have been prepared to stand in the face of great adversity and not be moved. They will not be defeated by their foes. They will be a part of those who break the spirit of defeat and disappointment off the Body of Christ in North America and throughout the world.

This spirit has plagued God's people and harassed them endlessly. But God is arising in His people, they are grasping the truth of grace and will not be moved by these giants. Like young David, they are picking up the stone of faith and the slingshot of grace, to stand courageously before Goliath and overcome this enemy who speaks lies.

The Prayer of Agreement

"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in Heaven." Matthew 18:19

God uses the "prayers of agreement" and the unity of the Saints to multiply the power that will overcome any spirit of defeat and despair. It is very important to walk with your brothers and sisters in Christ. This is a day of corporate unity and corporate agreement that will break the assignments that have strongly opposed the Body of Christ. As many arise as one, just as the Father, Son and Spirit are One, there will be a spiritual breakthrough that has not been seen before.

God is calling the Body of Christ to rise up in corporate authority to face these giants that previously caused us to walk in a posture of defeat. There is safety and victory in unity and agreement. Do not walk alone!

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me..." John 17:20-23

Final Thoughts: I keep remembering the words of Jesus that remind us that while we are in this world, we will face tribulation, but He goes on to say, "...but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Let us face today with good cheer. Let us give the good report like Joshua and Caleb, who understood that there were giants in the land, but they knew that the Lord was with them and would grant them victory.

And so, I speak over you: "Peace, be still!"

May the Peace of Christ Be Yours,

Kathi Pelton

Light Streams Ministries

Email: jkpelton@sbcglobal.net