WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE
Written by Yolanda Ballard
AT THE FATHER'S FEET
WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE
DEDICATION
I dedicate this book, first and foremost, to our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been so faithful in my life. I commit my life to stand with Him in agreement to intercede for unity among the brethren.
Also, I dedicate this work to my dear sister in the Lord, Christine Speir, who is the first-fruits of this ministry. She has faithfully stood with me in intercession to accomplish intimacy among the brethren. Together we have sought the Lord and pressed in for breakthrough of God's glory, the mighty River of Love, to bust loose through God's people.
To Pastor Richard Cook, International Missions Ministry, Christian International Ministries. He has overseed this work and made sure I stayed within the perimeter of the direction of the Holy Spirit in my writing. He also activated the gift of writing that God placed within me.
Also, to my loving husband, Lee, who faithfully prayed and encouraged me throughout the period that it took to write this book. He stayed patient with me when my matronly duties seemed neglected.
Also, to my precious son, Levi, who is a mighty man of God by faith. I covet your prayers to see him through his trial with autism and epilepsy that he will be set free. At this point at the age of thirty, he is totally dependent upon us and has very limited speach. He has received prophesy from the Lord that he is God's spokesman to the nations; that he would speak forth the will of the Lord and it would come to pass. The Lord also said that many gifts of His Spirit are within him and he would touch many lives and bring much glory to His name.
The bottom line is that without each and every one of you, God's perfect will cannot be accomplished. As we come together in unity and intimacy with the Father, many things will take place. So I encourage you and appreciate you immensely. Halleluia!
INTRODUCTION
This is to encourage those who have struggled for so long to find their place in the body of Christ and to be able to function in it. This is to those who have not been able to break through the barriers built around themselves by the enemy of their soul and also by their own doing.
To those who have been locked in the midst of fears, insecurities, hurts and pain, there is hope. There is life for you in the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. The Lord Jesus Christ died to give you life. He promised you an abundant life here on this earth.
Turn over everything to Him, and He will give you a new beginning. He will show you your purpose and the call you are to fulfill. Never give up. Just believe.....
For We Need To Start Somewhere.
PREFACE
I chose these scriptures because they best described what the Father put on my heart as the vision behind this message.
Psa 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the Living God.
Psa 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of Thy waterspouts.
John 4:14 Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.
John 7:38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.
WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE
portrays one who is thirsting after the Lord. During times of intimacy with the Father, we are able to receive breakthrough in our spirit and are able to press in for breakthrough for others through intercession in prayer. The intensity of the breakthrough experiences break down the walls within us enabling us to release the travail of the Lord for the lost resulting in a great harvest of souls for the kingdom of God.
The deer portrays our hearts at the beginning of our walk of intimacy with the Father. At this point there is much work needed within our hearts and spirit to bring us to the place where we are able to catch the vision of how to press in for true revival.
The breakthrough experiences portrayed as waterspouts, growing in intensity during times of intimacy with the Father, result in a waterfall experience that is strong encough to break down the walls within us enabling us to receive healing through His love. This brings us to the place where we are receptive to the river of God's love. In return we are able to release His love back out radiating His glory repelling powers of darkness in order to draw in the lost.
TESTIMONY AND WRITING BACKGROUND
I set out to share some of my background on prophetic writing and some things the Lord put on my heart. I've been walking with the Lord for over twenty-five years. I asked forgiveness of my sins and asked the Lord into my heart when I was going through the toughest time in my life. I had a lot of depression at the time because of all the guilt from my sins. I had a lot of fear that I was an unfit mother. I had been raising a son with disabilities on my own, and my own mother was going through a nervous breakdown. Right after I asked the Lord into my life the depression lifted. Shortly after, the Lord delivered me of several strongholds of addictive habits.
I have a son Levi who is 30 who is presently battling autism and epilepsy. Levi has received several prophetic words about the Lord's calling on his life. These have been confirmed from several people who don't know Levi that the Lord will deliver and heal him and that he will travel around the world preaching and sharing his testimony. Several have had dreams and visions of Levi speaking at a pulpit. In the natural Levi does not speak. At present he needs a lot of supervision and care and this takes up most of my time. He loves to worship the Lord and listen to the Word of God. I am married to a man who is also a believer in Christ, and he adopted my son when Levi was twenty-one which was a real turn around for the good for me and my son. Many who see them together say that they look like Paul and Timothy, because of God's love flowing between them.
I love to enter into praise and worship where the Lord has blessed with me with the gift of prophetic dance and worship and intercession. The desire of my heart is to see God's people truly free to worship Him wholeheartedly. The Lord showed me what He intends to do through the body of Christ when she is where she needs to be in worship. I have been interceding for the vision the Lord gave me several years ago of the breakthrough of His river through His people through praise and worship. And also that He was going to release His mighty roar of travail through His people through worship that will repel the powers of darkness away from the lost so that they can respond to His love. I have experienced this travail, roar of the Spirit, unheard in the natural realm at times, and He showed me that this was His heart cry for the lost.
I have had a few pastors oversee my writing over the years. One activated the gift of writing the thoughts of God that was in me in a gifts of the Holy Spirit class, and I wrote my first New Testament Psalm. I have always liked to write when I wanted to get away and just meditate. Even before I knew the Lord and was searching for him I used to get words of inspiration as He was drawing me close. When I was a small child my mother was surprised that I was writing about God as creator when she had not taught me about Him or anyone else had. I have spent a lot of time getting before the Lord writing in my own journal communing with the Lord and meditating on His word. I have started writing about the book of John as a commentary and also Psalm 91.
I received a prophesy saying that it was time for me to start to write a book. One week later I started writing my book WE NEED TO START SOMEWHERE which I completed close to seven years ago. It is a prophetic work of what the Lord had to take me through, and is taking me through, so that I could catch the vision of the simplicity of pressing in for revival. He showed me that there is much power in praise and worship, unity, and spiritual intimacy in the body of Christ.
Our secret place with Him is where we need to dwell to receive the strength that we need to go on, and He also fills us with His glory which repels all powers of darkness. His love is like a mighty tidal wave that no evil can penetrate. That river will repel any force of darkness that will try to come against us.
I want to encourage you to put the Lord first in everything that you do. It is more important to take the time to sit at His feet like Mary, and listen closely to what He has to say, for He delights to share His heart with you. In His presence He can heal your heart, and bring down any walls that separate you from Him. God is faithful to bring down the dams within the body of Christ so that His river of glory can freely flow. That is what we long for....that He live His life fully through us!
He wants us to just lose ourselves in His intimate presence and to worship Him wholeheartedly and even lose ourselves in the dance of loving Him. He is our Bridegroom and we are His bride, and He wants to court us and embrace us and sweep us off our feet. He loves us so much and He wants all the distractions to be cast to the way side.
My main purpose is to encourage you. Lord bless you abundantly with His will of prosperity and divine health, as you soar in the Spirit with Him.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142547CHAPTER I - THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE FATHER
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142547CHAPTER II - INTERCESSION - KNOWING THE FATHER'S HEART
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142547CHAPTER III - GOING THROUGH THE FIRE - THE ACT OF ENDURANCE
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142691CHAPTER IV - PIERCING THE DARKNESS - THE REVELATION OF TRUTH
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142691CHAPTER V - OVERCOMING FAITH
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142693CHAPTER VI - SEASONS OF PRAISE
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142693CHAPTER VII - TRIUMPHANT THROUGH DYING - THE CRUCIFIED LIFE
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142694CHAPTER VIII - HEALING THE HEART
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142694CHAPTER IX - EXPOSING THE ENEMY
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142694CHAPTER X - BREAKING AWAY UNTO LIFE
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142695CHAPTER XI - THE CALL TO ARMS
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142695CHAPTER XII - THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO DEATH
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142696CHAPTER XIII - BREAK THROUGH TO VICTORY
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142696CHAPTER XIV - ASPIRATION FOR A SUFFERING SERVANT
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142697CHAPTER XV - THE CALL TO UNITY
http://www.ourchurch.com/view/?pageID=142697CHAPTER XVI - CATCH THE VISION
THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE FATHER
Chapter One
Deep within the recesses of man there is a calling. "Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of thy waterspouts....." (Psa 42:7, KJV). The calling within my heart is to bring glory to the Father by writing of the faithfulness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In the heart of the storm, there is peace. I have been through many storms or trials where the evil one has put upon me various circumstances that, in the natural, pointed to death and destruction. But God is so faithful, even in the storm, to put in my heart of hearts an inner peace that surpasses understanding (Phil 4:7). That inner peace is like a warm glowing feeling deep in my heart because I know that my life is in His hands completely. He will take care of me no matter what circumstances arise. We have the assurance that as we walk through the storms, He sustains us, restores our health, increases our strength, and brings us closer to His presence each time we are tested.
I must share with you: the Lord is so faithful! No matter what circumstances you face, He is always there with you. Truly all things work for good for those who love God and are called according to His plan and purpose (Rom 8:28). We must read, stand on, and live the Word completely. God means what He says and is faithful to keep His promises (Num 23:19). Never fear that He will not keep His word.
He will allow His purging fire to go only so far. He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear (1 Cor 10:13). The fire will transform you into His image, and His glory will transcend all that you could ever imagine to be done in your life. Believe me, God is faithful to complete the perfect work that He has begun in you (Phil 1:6).
The Lord will cause us to become willing to allow Him freedom to bring the purging fire into every area of our hearts (Phil 2:13). Holiness is our calling and He is faithful to cause it to manifest in our lives. The Word of God will reign in our lives if we allow the Lord to shine His love and glory upon us, and purge every trace of impurity out of our hearts. He wants to move through a pure and spotless vessel, a broken vessel, cleansed by His blood.
It is necessary to pray for the baptism of brokenness and be willing to pay the cost, whatever it may be, to have Jesus freely live His life through us. We are to have singleness of heart and of eyes so that we know His heart and see through His eyes. We must let Him use our hands, go where He needs to go; and as the Church, we must carry His burden.
Allow yourself to draw close to Him, intimately, so that He can share His heart with you and transform yours. He wants us to pray and stand in the gap for those He has a burden for, and be so sensitive to His Spirit that we move in any direction He desires.
Deep calleth unto deep at the sound of thy waterspouts. He longs for our presence and our undivided love and devotion. He wants us to draw close to Him so that every wall of division can be demolished allowing Him to freely move through us.
Oh, Church, be faithful to your calling. Be faithful to your place in the body of Christ, for He loves you with an everlasting love. He is faithful to bring your life to the potential it needs to be so that He can touch others through you with His glory.
What is our calling and what is our mission? It is to share God's love to a lost and dying world. How can we share His love if we don't know of it in an intimate way? He longs to heal us in a way where His love can freely saturate every pore and then radiate from within. Allow His Spirit to go deep within your being, to touch every area of your heart and heal every suppressed hurt. We need to be able to trust Him and be completely open to Him. We must allow His Spirit to tear down the walls that we've put up to protect ourselves. These areas of fortification are only causing us to be in bondage to our own fears and insecurities. Be willing to come out from within these walls. It isn't God's will for us to be bound by the enemy. We cannot serve the enemy any longer.
We have a choice between life and death, blessing and cursing (Deut 30:19). I know that in your heart you want life. But we're accustomed to, and comfortable with these enslaving habits. Most of us don't recognize them or don't know how to break away from them. Our thought patterns, emotions, and actions have been rooted in the world for so long that we don't know how to change. We Need To Start Somewhere, and not set such high goals that are impossible for us to meet all at once.
Make a commitment to get before the Lord every day to read His word and to draw close to Him. He will do the rest. Believe me, He is faithful. Never give up! He will give you your heart's deepest desire, which is to love Him more intimately. Be faithful in the little things and He will be faithful to bless you beyond what you could ever hope or imagine.
INTERCESSION - KNOWING THE FATHER'S HEART
Chapter Two
Oh, the Lord longs to share His heart with us and to pour out His innermost burdens upon His people. But how can He do this unless we draw close to Him? Unless we lay our heads upon His breast and feel His heartbeat, we cannot hear His heart's cry to His Church. To know and pray the perfect will of the Lord, we need to draw close to Him!
Fear not that you cannot fulfill the heart's cry of the Father, for you can. Each of us has a specific function to fulfill in intercession and, if we all draw near, every desire He has will be brought to fruition. How rewarding it is to know exactly what the Lord wants us to do for Him. He might not give you much to pray about at times, but if you are faithful with the amount He gives you for the length of time He requires, then He will pour out more of His heart upon you because of your obedience.
I might not be speaking to those that are already involved in deep intercession and functioning well, but to those who have struggled drawing close to the Lord and functioning (being used in service, body ministry, or fellowship) in the body of Christ. I know there are many that fall into this category. I had a difficult battle overcoming and taking a stand against the enemy. I want to encourage you to never give up. The Lord has you in the palm of His hand and always has. He understands how you feel.
He is there with you every step of the way, pouring out His grace to bring you to the place where you are able to stand. You may feel that you will never reach the place you need to be in Him. Perhaps many years have gone by and you are still in great need of ministry; you may wonder "how will I ever become free?" Don't ever give up on the Lord's faithfulness in your life, for through His love, grace and mercy, He sets us free as we abide in Him.
Each day seek after your heart's deepest desire in the Lord. Mine was to be able to delight in reading God's Word and to bask in His presence, drawing close to Him. I have been a Spirit-filled believer in Christ for close to twenty years, but could not make a commitment in these areas. Because of the many problems in my life, I allowed myself to become hindered in doing what I truly desired to do. I had so many deep hurts, insecurities, and bondages, and so many struggles to overcome to even halfway live a normal life. Even so, I never gave up on the faithfulness of the Lord.
No matter where you are at in the Lord, you have to believe that He has a plan and purpose for your life in the kingdom of God. We all have a specific calling from the Lord upon our lives and are all very important to Him. He needs each of us to fulfill this calling, no matter how small we may feel it to be. Believe me, there is so great a calling upon your life that if He revealed it all at this time you would never imagine that you could fulfill it. I am sure it would be overwhelming; and sometimes is overwhelming. But take it as it comes. Be faithful right where you are, and minister to those close to you in the ways He shows daily. Then the Lord will show you more of your calling as you overcome trials and grow in His love.
Be determined to not punish yourself with feelings of unworthiness, which keep you from receiving His love. Allow His love to penetrate deep within your being. I know it is not easy to let go of the pain you have experienced all of your life, but it isn't doing you any good. We need to trust the Lord to heal those innermost hurts, even the ones we deny and suppress daily. We need to trust Him by opening up completely to the Father. He loves us deeply. Only He can truly understand and meet our needs. The ways in which we try to cope with these hurts only bring confusion, bitterness, and more grief. The Lord will never leave us nor forsake us (Deut 31:6, Psa 9:10). He is faithful. He will never let us down. Therefore, we can truly trust Him with our lives.
The Lord encourages us to come into His presence and seek His face. He wants us to press into intimacy with Him and to allow Him to pour His deepest burdens from His heart. We need to cast off all that would sidetrack us. Don't work it out in your own strength. Trust in the grace of the Father, and He will bring you to the place you need to be in Him. Allow the Lord to heal you by receiving His love and everything that He has on His heart. His burdens will be carried by His Church, prayed through, and brought to fruition.
GOING THROUGH THE FIRE - THE ACT OF ENDURANCE
Chapter Three
Church, we need to be willing to go through the fire, for it is good. The Lord has allowed me to go through many "fiery" trials. I have seen so much good come from being obedient and faithful, committed to God's truth no matter what price I had to pay. In the fire is where the Lord transforms us into His image, and this is where many fall short. We go a short distance, then run back for safety away from the flames. We try to preserve the flesh, which needs to die anyway.
Trust me, just like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, Jesus will be right there with you, protecting you every step of the way, but you will not come out the same (Dan 3:20-30). The glory of the Lord will shine upon you more and more; you truly will be going from glory to glory every step of the way (2 Cor 3:18). The fire purges everything that is not of Him out of our hearts and soul. Every impurity will be removed.
The Lord never allows the severity of the trial to go beyond what we are able to bear (1 Cor 10:13). Believe me, it will go way beyond what we think we can handle, but this is a good thing. We need to know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God is faithful and that He keeps His word. How do we know unless we are first tried? We must be firmly grounded in His Word so that nothing can shake us. His timing is perfect. Therefore, we should not try to hurry the process by turning to other areas for provision. Believe me, the fire gets hot and sometimes you may feel you cannot endure. Even so, we must remain focused on God's promises rather than look at the circumstances facing us. The Lord will bring us through to victory if we do not listen to any voice other than His.
This is to be our testimony as the Church: "They overcame by the word of their mouth, the blood of the Lamb, and they loved not their lives unto death" (Rev 12:11). There is great power in this willingness to die in order to prove the Lord faithful. "Though He slay me yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15). Examples throughout the Word show God's people willing to go through the fire, allowing Him to prove His faithfulness, no matter what price they had to pay (Dan 6:16-24). Those who hold on to their life will lose it, and those willing to lose their life for the sake of the Kingdom will save it (Matt 16:25).
The Word gives many promises proving His will for our lives (3 John 2, Psa 41:3, Phil 4:19, Psa 91:3). But we are afraid to prove His faithfulness by laying down our lives. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8); so what do we have to lose? The glory is there for us if we are willing to go through the fire no matter what the outcome. All that will be left in us is the Lord Jesus. We'll be completely yielded and broken vessels through whom His power will be able to freely flow. That is what we long for. We may not know what the hindrance has been in our lives because the enemy has deceived us, but God is setting us free. We are beginning to see the Truth - the light of God's Word is penetrating every hindrance.
PIERCING THE DARKNESS - THE REVELATION OF TRUTH
Chapter Four
We read God's Word, but do we really see what it says? The enemy has blinded us to the truth for so long that it has become a way of life - the only way we know how to live. We have accepted a mixture of truth and error, because it has been passed down from generation to generation. God's perfect will is in His Word, and the Early Church has been our example. But are we willing to receive the truth - the undefiled Word of God?
A greater amount of God's power would be flowing through the body of Christ if we were willing to die to our ways and walk in Truth. The devil knows this, so he sends out many types of spiritual cancers to destroy the faith in our hearts. Fear and deception run rampant throughout the camps of God's people. Not many are willing to stand on His Word alone, because they were taught that God supplies needs by other means. We must be careful that we are not turning to Egypt - the flesh (Acts 7:39, Phil 3:3, Jer 17:5). It is so important to know the Lord's will for our lives and not give into the enticements of the world.
The testing of our faith through our trials is not just to see the Lord provide all our needs, but to do a deep work in our spirits. That work is to teach us of the Lord's faithfulness and help share it with others. Through deception the enemy causes us to escape the purging power of the Holy Spirit, tempting us to leave the Lord's will for our lives and to follow after the ways of the world. These are easy paths, but they are all in vanity. Believe me, God's ways are not our ways for they are so much higher (Isa 55:9).
I know if we truly seek after Truth, the Lord will reveal it to us and cause it to transform us into His image. We should be willing to change so that God's perfect will is fulfilled. I am not saying it won't be painful; that's why this walk is referred to as living the crucified life (Gal 2:20). We serve a Holy God and holiness is our calling.
The closer we come to the Father, the more His light shines through the darkness in us. Change should be considered normal, just like an ever-flowing river. We must press in for Truth because the Church is not where it needs to be. The enemy has dammed up the river of God's Spirit. We need to press through by faith, and bring down every stronghold in our lives. So many distractions are taking precedence over the Lord's perfect will. We need to be willing to pierce through the darkness to receive the revelation of God's Truth.
OVERCOMING FAITH
Chapter Five
We have a desire to stay in the center of God's perfect will. In the midst of the battle His will is that we overcome the onslaughts of the enemy, boldly without wavering. Oh, Church, we need to be immovable, our head set like flint, so that no wiles of the enemy can shake us (Ezek 3:8-9). Yes, the Lord's perfect will for our lives is that we overcome. Many of God's promises are to the overcomers (Rev Ch. 2 and 3). The Lord is encouraging us to courageously take our stand against the armies of the enemy, pressing them back while taking the land. We're to take what is already ours. But we cannot do this if we don't take our post in the mighty army of the Lord.
Be bold; be strong, for the Lord thy God is with thee. Do not be afraid or dismayed but walk in faith and victory! (Josh 1:9). We sing so many praises from God's Word that encourage us to overcome. The Lord knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows what we are capable of. We cannot even imagine what we can do in Him.
I have always been a very fearful and timid in the natural, but the Lord is changing me, building my boldness by allowing me to go through trials. He's been purging this fear and giving me greater confidence so that I can stand bold and courageous in the face of battle.
Everything the Lord allows us to go through is for our good (Rom 8:28). He is using each trial to cause us to grow stronger and stronger. We need to trust Him completely with our lives, because He is doing a mighty work in us. We are being prepared so that He can move mightily through us. Believe me, God makes no mistakes. Everything we go through is for a purpose. From the time He has set us on the path of holiness following His dear Son, Jesus, no time has been wasted.
Every step of the way He is allowing situations that cause us to choose to die to our ways of doing things and to put His will first. This is a painful walk to our flesh, but great glory results as we see ourselves conforming to the image of our Lord and Savior (Rom 8:29). The nearer we draw to His side, the more we see traits in us that are not like Him. This can be disheartening, but we must remember that we cannot conform in our own strength. Because of His grace He loves us right where we are - full of sinful attitudes and imperfections. We need to accept ourselves and know that God is extracting from us all that is unlike Him. He will not leave us in this state. He is purging it out by His love, grace, and fire.
Believe me, the Lord loves us right where we are. He wouldn't bring us this far just to leave us stranded and defenseless without Him. The more we see that He loves and accepts us, the more we are willing to change. We are the ones who see our imperfections then judge and condemn ourselves. We need to love and accept ourselves and have peace in our hearts that God is doing a purifying work in our lives. We are to be content in this truth and never feel that our situations are hopeless, for there is nothing that is impossible for the Lord (Luke 1:37). He is our miracle-working God and Father who loves us.
Many of God's people want to function in a specific place in the body of Christ. Yet they are afraid that they are inadequate for this calling, and therefore, remain on the outskirts of what is happening. Even so, the Lord pours out His anointing upon us, and when there is a true calling for us to fulfill, He gives us the boldness and confidence to stand up and accept it. Yet there are times we confuse His calling with a false sense of responsibility. We see a need and feel that we should meet it without first seeking the Lord's will. When we step out of the Lord's perfect will, the results can be devastating. There is no fulfillment or accomplishment. The work is done in vain.
To overcome works done in vain, we need to ignore the temptation to be constantly busy, and spend time drawing close to the Lord to find out what He wants us to do. Remember the passage referring to Martha and Mary? (Luke 10:38-42). Martha was busy with things that truly needed to be done, but Jesus desired that she attend to what really mattered at that time; being at His side. Too many of us have become involved in things that distract us from our highest calling; delighting in His presence. We need to be sensitive to knowing God's perfect will for our lives because when we don't, we then end up falling into the snare of busyness and complacency. We should stay in the center of God's perfect will in His presence. During times of intimacy with the Lord, we receive strength enabling us to overcome the mighty onslaughts of the enemy, and we also receive what is on the Father's heart. We need to draw close to Him so that He can show us the tactics and schemes the enemy will use to try to defeat us.
If the enemy can keep us caught up in the busyness of religious works, then when we finally find time to get before the Lord, we are too tired from the busyness to make the time with Him effective. The enemy will either try this tactic, or he will distract us with the pleasures of the world so that we don't desire to come before the Lord. We need to be aware that both tactics would ensnare us with complacency.
Many of God's people have submitted to a nonchalant attitude towards resisting the enemy's attacks against our faith. Many have become complacent and unwilling to intercede for the needs of God's people. If the enemy can keep us in a lazy frame of mind, he can run all over us. We need to take a stand against the schemes and maneuvers the enemy is using to attack and destroy our faith. We must position ourselves against complacency and this deadness in our hearts toward what needs to be done in the camp of God's people. Don't let this continue in our lives.
Rise up, O Church! Awake from your sleep. Take your stand and fight, for the enemy is going about as a roaring lion devouring all in its path (1 Pet 5:8). Be vigilant. Cover yourselves completely with God's armor and Jesus' blood (Eph 6:11-18). Stand firm and resist. Press the armies of the evil one back, and take your ground. Conquer all that is yours for all of God's promises are yes and Amen (2 Cor 1:20). The nations are your inheritance. Claim the land and its people for the Lord Jesus. The Lord says that we are His faithful and committed people, and that He is going to use us mightily in the end times. Again, I encourage you to keep your armor on for we need this equipment for the battle. Put on the Lord Jesus. He is all that we need. He is your Captain. Just stand in rank and follow Him. When the Lord says "March!" then march! March into battle. We are to take the land tearing down strongholds and principalities over the land. March on...into the victory!
Prepare your hearts for the Lord is ready to manifest unto groaning creation His sons - the mature sons of God (Rom 8:22-23). We are His chosen people, and He will move mightily through us. Keep praising your Lord. Keep pressing in on the enemy for his armies are being scattered in your midst! (Psa 68:1). Halleluia!
SEASONS OF PRAISE
Chapter Six
The Lord encourages us to rise up over our circumstances and onslaughts of the enemy by praising Him. He reminds us that we are seated with Him at the right hand of the Father far above all powers and principalities (Eph 1:20-21). We are to stay in this realm, because this is where our victory presides. The Lord conquered the enemy at Calvary, and anything that the enemy puts in front of us is a lie. Therefore, we are to take our authority over the situation and cast down vain imaginations that set themselves up over having the mind of Christ (2 Cor 10:5, KJV).
When we dwell on the negative circumstances, we believe the deceiver. We need to get a hold of ourselves; immediately cast down the thoughts the enemy feeds us before they build a stronghold in our hearts. The battle is in the mind, and at times we fail to walk in victory in our thoughts. But if we repent, cast the enemy out of our hearts, and claim our hearts totally for the Lord, the victory will be restored in our lives. The Lord is faithful to manifest His victory in us. Holiness is our calling, and the Lord prepared the way for us to walk in it. All we have to do is to trust Him and cry out for more grace. (Heb 4:16).
The enemy seeks to rob us of our joy. One way he tries to take our joy is by fiercely attacking us in our thoughts until we forget our position in Christ. Not only do we forget who we are in Christ, but we also forget about praising Him. The enemy wants us to walk in the earthly realm, never looking up to see the victory, but looking down only to see the negative circumstances. But, praise the Lord! He has delivered us from that realm into His victorious kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy (Rom 14:17). No longer will we portray the image of a chicken scratching in the dust. We will rise up as eagles and soar far above that realm with healing, love, and victory in our wings (Isa 40:31). Remember that all things work for good to those that love God and are called according to His plan and purpose (Rom 8:28). Our calling is to rise above the circumstances and praise our God. Halleluia!
I know what it is like to give in to the enemy and walk in the earthly realm. The writing of this chapter came after an attack where I felt like I could not rise up over the circumstances. After kicking and screaming, and confessing things I shouldn't, I finally cried out for grace and repented for not trusting the Lord. One thing we need to be aware of is that after mighty victories, the enemy is right there ready to attack again to rob our victory. This is where most people fall short. They become laid back and at ease and neglect to keep up their guard against the enemy. In the battle there is never really true times of peace. We are always at war, but not in actual combat. If we seek Him, the Lord will give us discernment of the schemes the enemy uses to try to rob our joy and praises to God.
No matter what faces us in the natural, we need to stay centered on God's promises. Prosperity and divine health, two of His many promises to us, are ours as we grow and prosper spiritually (3 John 2). Everything contrary to this is a lie. This is our inheritance. We should praise Him for it, no matter what circumstances lingers before us. Be diligent to look forward, through the eyes of faith, to the victory - His will established in us.
The Lord allows us to go through seasons where we don't feel like praising Him. There may seem that we have no praise in our hearts. Be assured that this is when the Lord does a deeper work in us, through our praise sacrifice (Heb 13:15). God gives us the ability to praise Him even when it is so hard in the natural to do so. No matter what we feel, we are commanded to praise Him. It is by faith (2 Cor 5:7). It is an act of sacrifice. Sometimes we don't feel like praising Him, because we don't feel His presence. But He is always with us. Draw close to Him. Despite all feelings and circumstances, believe that He is with you.
The way the Lord stretches our faith is similar to the way an eagle trains its eaglet to fly on its own. The Lord allows us to not feel His manifest presence at times during trials, and we might feel tempted to believe that we are on our own. After experiencing this dry season, the Lord will restore His presence. Then He might allow a trial more severe and allow this same testing. He is strengthening us in spite of the way we feel during this process. Always be patient knowing that He is doing a perfect work in us; preparing us for the calling He has on our lives (Phil 1:6).
We are assured that we can always rest in the faithfulness of the Lord. Remember that tests occur in order to purge out of our hearts all that is unlike Him. His ways of doing things are not like ours (Isa 55:9). Never grow weary in the battle, because we fight from a place of victory in Christ. We can rest in peace knowing that the Lord allows each trial to conform us into His image (Rom 8:29). No matter what we face in the natural, no matter what we are going through, we need to dwell on the truth that He is worthy to be praised.
The Lord wants us to draw close to Him; to come to our destined place in Him. It is a place of victory, love, fulfillment, and joy. A place where we allow Him to have His will and way. We must cast off the wrong attitudes and mindsets that distract us from staying in His presence and from praising God.
This is a fight for your life in Christ. The enemy wants to keep you from drinking from the wells of everlasting joy, peace, and anointing in Christ. Don't become discouraged. The enemy seeks to rob your hope. But don't let him. Remember that in the battle, the Lord will not allow us to be tempted more than we can bear, and He will provide an escape (1 Cor 10:13). Fight to keep your place in Jesus. Fight to stay strong in His power. Fight, by praising Him always.
The Lord wants us to know that He is always with us and that we are to be encouraged that as we walk in His perfect will, we are in a place of safety. He says in His Word not to fear because He is with us; not to be dismayed because He is our God. He will strengthen us; He will help us; He will uphold us with His righteous right hand (Isa 41:10). With this in mind, we are to rejoice always for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us! (1 Thes 5:16).
TRIUMPHANT THROUGH DYING - THE CRUCIFIED LIFE
Chapter Seven
Most Christians desire to break through all bonds of slavery and allow Jesus to live His life through them unencumbered. This can only come through the process of emptying out of ourselves, the kenosis experience, also known as the crucified life. The flesh is our greatest enemy and most difficult to conquer. But our souls will find it easier to allow this process if we remember that dying brings life.
Dying to the flesh was even difficult for our Lord and Savior. He went to the Garden of Gethsemane and struggled with it before His final walk of victory over it at Calvary (Matt 26:39). He is God and He experienced every temptation the flesh had to offer (Heb 2:17-18). Yet He was completely victorious over it (Heb 4:15). Jesus kept the flesh under subjection to His Father's perfect will by continuously drawing strength from the Father. How much more we need to consistently draw strength from our Lord!
We need to know the schemes and tactics the enemy uses to ensnare us to our fleshly ways. Victorious living comes only from abiding in the power we receive through grace as we walk with Jesus in the crucified life. He made it possible for us to walk in this victory because of His own death and resurrection. The veil has been torn in two (Matt 27:51). The way is now clear for us to enter into the throne room of grace.
Jesus has made it possible for us to come before the Father and receive the anointing of God. This anointing is the strength we need to overcome the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16). Oh, such freedom, when we get a hold of the victory in dying to ourselves and reigning with Jesus through His love. Living according to the carnal nature allows many traps of bondage to our soul and spirit. We need to break away from the hindrances so we can freely run the race (Heb 12:1).
Jesus is our victory and our liberty. But we must allow His Spirit to do this work in us. Pride is our greatest enemy. It will control us completely if we give into the carnal nature. We are warned; where pride is comes a fall (Prov 16:18). The Lord will not allow anything to come against His rule and reign in the throne room of our hearts. We must determine to allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts, causing us to completely and continuously die to the flesh.
We need to contuously humble ourselves before the mighty throne of God and not allow the flesh to rise up and control us. There are many deceptions that we face daily that try to ensnare us into areas of legalism, self-righteousness, control, and manipulation. Grace is the key to life and it frees us as well as everyone with whom we come in contact.
One tactic the enemy uses to ensnare us to pride is independence. It causes us to believe that we are becoming more righteous through our own strength. Independence leads us to death by ensnaring us into the bonds of slavery, keeping us from drawing close to Jesus. The Spirit of God brings life. Oh, we need to hold on to this truth and experience the freedom in allowing Jesus to live His life through us.
The resurrected life can only come through a daily crucifixion of the flesh. We need to receive a revelation of this truth so that we will be aware of this deception and overcome this error in every area of our lives. We can only receive life as we abide in the vine: Jesus (John 15:4-5). Independence causes us to fall into the deception that we can receive strength in ourselves to walk the crucified life. Jesus is the only person able to overcome sin. We need to draw strength from Him.
In reality our righteousness comes by our daily act of total dependence upon the Father for His grace and mercy. We must be sensitive to His Spirit so that we recognize anything tainted with this error of independence before it takes a stronghold in us. The enemy wants to destroy our walk of love and grace. He wants division between us and God, and us and our brethren. Therefore, our hearts, actions, and words must be sanctified by God's purifying grace: the cleansing blood of Christ.
Even in relationships with others, our ways are not God's ways; His are so much higher (Isa 55:9). We cannot understand them with the carnal mind. For an example, if we try to figure out a plan to help someone, it will often be the opposite of what God wants us to do. But, if we would just get quiet before the Lord and examine our hearts, we could discern whether we are moving in the flesh or by His Spirit concerning the situation. The Lord wants us to be completely pure in our motives, thoughts, and actions so that His love can freely flow through us to touch others.
Be assured that the Lord is working in us, enabling us to yield to Him so that He can truly move through us (Phil 2:13). It is a process of learning and discerning what is right for our lives; a process of us growing smaller while He becomes great in us. He must increase and I must decrease, as John the Baptist portrayed the example in God's Word (John 3:30).
One secret to a victorious relationship with others is humility. We need to be able to admit when we have failed to walk in the spirit of love with others. When we discern that the enemy has attacked, and we have given into the ways of the flesh, we need to immediately confess it and repent of it. Pray for grace to be able to preserve God's love among the brethren. We need to be closely knit, one to another, and this can only come through humility through God's love.
The enemy loves to control and manipulate to eventually destroy relationships. We need to be so free in God's grace so that we can allow others the same freedom. Only the Lord can bring freedom and change into another person's life. Only He can convict others of sin and liberate them. When we try to be the Holy Spirit in someone's life, we fall into a great deception. If we had such a burden to see them walk in freedom, then we'd get on our knees and travail for them. When we see fault in others, it is usually because we have criticism and judgment, which are sin.
Just because we don't have the same convictions as others doesn't mean that the Lord isn't working in their lives, or that they aren't yielding to His Spirit. He does not work the same way in everyone's life. We are all so unique, having completely different needs. The Lord has a special plan to conform everyone into His image. Let us abide in Christ; only then will we be able to walk in love with others, because of His grace and truth (John 1:17). Only by His Spirit will we be able to walk in this balance of love. Remember, freedom can only come by dying and walking in the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and only by His grace can we walk in this revelation of truth.
Never become discouraged or believe that you will never be able to die to your old ways or that the pain in dying will be too much to bear. Be assured that as you obey the voice of the Lord and bring your flesh into subjection to His Spirit; that His joy, love, and grace will far exceed any struggle that you face. You truly will be going from glory to glory as the Lord transforms you into His image (2 Cor 3:18).
It is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). We can never glory in our own strength, for it is only by His grace that we overcome. He started the good work in you, and He is faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6). So rest assured this day that the Word is working mightily in you!
HEALING THE HEART
Chapter Eight
God's people want to rise above the flesh and walk continuously in His Spirit; but they cannot do this if they are busy struggling with deep inner hurts. God's Word cannot penetrate deep into the depths of the heart if you don't allow Him. Open your heart that the Lord may enter and heal all that is wounded. God will not enter into these areas of deep hurt unless we invite Him in to do the work. By His Spirit, the Lord is constantly drawing us close to pour His love into us, but we have to willingly respond to it and receive His love.
Many of us have been so deeply wounded that we have built strong defensive walls around us. Because of these fortifications, allowing God to enter and trusting Him with our hearts and lives is difficult. But we cannot hide behind walls of fear, resentments, and bitterness any longer. We are locking ourselves up with our greatest enemy; the flesh. We are constantly allowing Satan to build strongholds of ungodly habits in our lives. Worry and anxiety are byproducts of not allowing God to pierce our hardened hearts. We choose to carry our own loads, and not receive God's love and grace. But by faith through salvation we have committed our lives into God's hands. Therefore, we can be sure that in God's timing and by His grace, He will bring us to the place where we will feel safe enough to remove the walls and open up to Him. Then the Lord will be faithful to do the needed work in us that we are desperately crying out for.
Many have received help through others in the body of Christ who allow God's love to flow through them. So many are hungry for love but don't know how to open up and receive it. Pride gets in the way. Pride keeps us locked behind our own prison walls. It makes us afraid to truly admit who we are and what we are experiencing. We cannot get help if we give in to this fear and not allow ourselves to be vulnerable. God's love is the answer. He is so willing to shed an abundant supply on us. He is faithful to provide all our needs and innermost desires. We can rest in His faithfulness. God wants us to trust not in man, but in Him alone. He will keep us and direct us to the sources of His healing power.
Because I needed so much healing, I understand the feelings of desperation and hopelessness. But God is faithful. There is nothing too big for Him. Never give up on His faithfulness. He deeply loves you.
Jesus experienced the turmoil of emotional upheaval that man faces daily. Yet He overcame by drawing strength from His Father. We must also draw from this source. We cannot be independent from the Lord, and run into a life of emptiness and constant torment. Jesus is our only hope of recovery.
We need to make an honest effort to take steps to overcome our weakness. Make a commitment to draw close to God daily. Read His Word and listen to His voice as you get quiet before Him. Allow Him to fill you with His Spirit. If you take the first steps to draw close to Him, He will be right there to lift you into His loving arms. Never give up on drawing close to Him. Don't believe the lies of the enemy when he tells you that the feelings and emotions you may be experiencing prove you are getting worse. The way we behave at times in the natural may look like we will never be able to get better. But we are not to walk by feelings or by sight, but by faith (2 Cor 5:7), knowing that God is faithful to complete the good work that He started in us (Phil 1:6).
During the healing process the Lord will dig into our hearts and remove the roots of ungodly seeds that have grown into a huge tree. Usually rejection has set in which has so many branches of defensive and offensive reactions. Fear and anger are the main outshoots. We turn to these devices when trying to cope with our deep seated hurts and fear. But they are only opening us up for more oppression. We can never overcome the pain in our own strength.
As we yield to God's healing power, we are able to let go of these strongholds and trust wholly in His Spirit to bring us to recovery. "Not by might nor by power but by My Spirit saith God" (Zech 4:6). Love is the answer. God's ways are higher than our ways (Isa 55:9). When we hold on to the hurts and choose not to forgive those who have done us wrong, we are turning our lives over to the oppression of tormenting spirits (Matt 18:32-35).
Trust the Lord and allow His will to be done in your life. By trying to cope in our own strength, we are only bringing ourselves more harm. Choose abundant life; walk in God's love, follow Christ's example. "Forgive them for they do not know what they are doing," said our Lord in the midst of persecution (Luke 23:34). You can see this same heart of forgiveness displayed through Stephen. As he was being stoned, he let out this same cry to the Father to forgive them (Acts 7:60). And also through Joseph, you see this same heart of mercy and compassion (Gen 45:1-15).
We are to be more than conquerors through Christ (Rom 8:37). Stay on the victory side where Jesus reigns. Do not give into the schemes the enemy uses to deceive and enslave you. Shake loose the chains that bind you by one easy step: Forgiveness. Commit all into God's hands. Allow love to penetrate every area of your heart and become free; and stay free, once and for all! Halleluia!
EXPOSING THE ENEMY
Chapter Nine
Veiled within the midst of darkness the enemy lurks within our beings. This is not to come across as a negative confession but as a revelation that the enemy is trying to stay hidden as long as he can. But as long as we stay in God's presence, the enemy doesn't have a chance and has to pack his bags and move on.
This chapter is to encourage and bring hope to those who have struggled with deep emotional turmoil, deep-seated fears, and torments. To those who have endured many years of their expectancy rising and falling, going from one prayer and deliverance session to another. Never give up. The Lord will never fail you. Press forward under the anointing of our wonderful and powerful Savior; for the anointing does break the yoke. As the fire of the Holy Spirit purges and burns down the walls, the deep roots of the enemy within is being loosened. The light of His truth is piercing the darkness causing the enemy to become exposed.
Our greatest foe cannot continue to hide because our Father God is so faithful to set us free! I know from experience. I have had this struggle, and I know that God's timing is perfect. the Lord is in control of all situations that we face for He is working all things for good toward the culmination of our mighty and glorious deliverance (Rom 8:28). As the mature sons of God arise, the enemy is being defeated (Rom 8:19). Satan has no legal hold on our lives for it was broken at the cross of Calvary.
All we need to do is to trust the Lord. He will manifest this victory in our lives. Remain faithful to your calling at this point in time, and praise Jesus with all your heart. We know deep within that from the time we made Jesus our all, everything we have faced in life is in preparation for the work He will do through us. He needs a completely yielded and broken vessel, and He is accomplishing this in us.
For many years I have suffered much torment of not being able to let go and truly allow the Lord to have control of every portion of my life. Many people have tried to encourage me to trust the Lord with my son, husband, and my entire life. I could not understand why I couldn't let go and let God have control. The Lord has revealed much truth to me after going through severe attacks from the enemy. Although it might have appeared like I had been defeated, by the grace of God, I have always been lifted back up, restored to the path of righteousness and strengthened. What the enemy means for harm always work for our good (Gen 50:20).
It is not by anthing that we do, but by the shed blood and resurrection of our Lord and Savior that we are saved. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isa 64:6). We obey and walk the path of holiness only because we love Him. Oh, such glorious victory to receive revelation of truth. The Lord revealed to me for the first time that it is no longer I, but Christ, the hope of glory (Col 1:27). I no longer am in charge of my life. Now I truly can let go and retire from all the toil I bore all of my life. I can rest in Him. This is a wonderful revelation of deliverance to me. I want to encourage you to just rest in the faithfulness of our Lord and Savior, that He will expose the root of bondage in your life.
Maybe this is a good time to share part of my testimony. I have always been an extremely fearful person, unable to do anything that involved other people. I avoided grocery shopping, eating with others, having people over to visit, or any other association. I couldn't make eye contact with others or even get a coffee cup up to my mouth without shaking. I wasn't able to take the Bread and Cup at church without feeling unworthy. I struggled praying with others. And there's many more problems I had.
Nightime was extremely hard for me, because I was afraid of the dark. This is when I had the worse mind battles. When I finally would sleep, I'd have a nightmare. The effects of it would last throughout the following day. At times I would actually experience the sensation of rising up from the bed, because of being so terrified by the spiritual attack.
I tried to stay close to Jesus by staying in His Word. As I did He delivered me more and more of the fear. Later in life my son experienced grand mall seizures, and because of the root of fear that was left in my life, the trauma began all over again. I could not completely let go and trust Jesus with this situation, and I could not understand why.
After weeks of being under attack by spirits of insecurity, frustration, fear, and rage, I experienced feelings that I couldn't go to the Father for forgiveness. I felt so hard and stubborn, and I had a strong need to be in control. My husband tried to explain to me by the Holy Spirit that I needed to give it all to Jesus and to humble myself before Him, but I felt like I could not do it.
Then the Holy Spirit revealed to me that the root of bondange in my life was pride, the deceiver. It had me so convinced that I had to be in charge of my life. I felt like I had to watch over, protect, work out, and be responsible for everything. It had me believing that I was strong enough to be in control. But I knew deep in my heart that I couldn't keep everything in control. This caused me much torment.
After pride was exposed and cast out, the void was filled with the strength of Jesus. It is no longer I but Jesus (Gal 2:20). I actually felt strong and confident in Him for the first time when He filled me. All glory to God! Such joy came over me at the thought that what Satan meant for harm worked out for my good. I felt in the Spirit that while I was experiencing such joy, the enemy was actually running away wounded like a dog with its tail between its legs.
We can never give up on the faithfulness of the Father. His timing is always perfect. We need never forget that all things work for good for those who love God and are called according to His plan and purpose. There is, therfore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). The enemy fights being exposed so that he can have complete control over our lives. Satan will do anything to hinder our intimacy with our Lord Jesus, because he doesn't want to forfeit control of us to Jesus. It truly is a fight for each of our lives in Christ (1 Tim 6:12).
We wrestle not with man or with carnal weapons but with principalities and powers in the heavenlies sent out to destroy our lives and our walk with Christ, and to cause us eternal suffering (Eph 6:12). If our lives are secured by the shed blood of Christ, there's nothing the enemy can do to destroy our faith. Whatever the enemy does to try to defeat us will always work out for our good, because God is on our side, and He truly battles for us (1 Sam 17:47). In time the enemy will reveal his stupidity, by setting his own trap that will reveal his identity.
He will try to stay hidden so that he can bring torment and control in our lives, but the Lord will not allow this. In time, the Lord will allow various situations to arise that will cause the enemy to become exposed. Because of the faithfulness of the Father, we can rest assured that the roots of bondage in our lives will become exposed and glorious liberty will become manifested in our lives.
No matter where we are in the Lord, we are in transition. Whether it is a matter of deliverance or crucifixion of the flesh we are in transition. The Lord is bringing each of us to the place where we relinquish control over our lives to Jesus so that He can release His glory through us. The enemy's chief mission is to hinder us from answering God's call. We need to be aware of this. Make sure you're off the throne of your life completely so that Jesus can live His life through us freely, to touch a lost and dying world, to heal the sick, and set the captives free (Mark 16:15-18).
BREAKING AWAY UNTO LIFE
Chapter Ten
The Lord Jesus Christ wants to bring us as the Church into a dimension we did not know existed. There is so much unfolding of revelation in the areas of truth and grace that the Lord wants to introduce us to (John 1:17). No one will ever be at the place they need to be in Him completely. It is a process of going from glory to glory as we transform into His image by feasting upon His Word and receiving more and more of His power through the infilling of His Spirit (2 Cor 3:18).
I want to share with you a life-changing experience which began as a result of receiving a dream from the Lord. After having the dream, I awoke with the feeling that something was different about it; but at the same time, I thought it might have been from something I ate before going to bed. Still, days later, I thought about it and started seeking the Lord for the dream's meaning.
The dream consisted of a large house with many large compartments in it. Many people were in this house. A large dining area was filled with people who were eating contaminated fruit. Word was out that we were not to partake of this fruit or even associate with the people eating it, or we would be contaminated also.
Another large area of the house was a banquet hall with many men sitting around a large, long table. I flew into this room and was rebuked that I was out of order, so I graciously left. Throughout the other sections of the house, people were eating something appearing to be paper and cardboard.
The Lord revealed to me that the people in the house represented the Church as a whole. There are areas of legality in my life and in the Church, portrayed by the eating of bad fruit, which represents the knowledge of good and evil. (The letter of the law kills, but the Spirit of grace brings life and truth (2 Cor 3:6). When Adam and Eve partook of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil against God's command not to, sin and death entered the world (Rom 5:12).
It is interesting to notice that the sections of the house that were clearly recognized were those we were to avoid. Those who partook of the life of Jesus (those who were feasting on His Word) were in areas where little attention was given. This could refer to areas in the body of Christ where God's Spirit is now being quenched. There are many large beautiful churches in the land where there is no life at all; and at the same time, many places where saints meet together under a mighty anointing are small or not given a second glance.
In the dream, flying into the banquet hall portrayed being free in the Holy Spirit. The hall represented areas of my life and the Church where formality is the dominant factor. The Lord enncourages us to be so free in Him that we move only by the leading of His Spirit. Only then will we have His perfect will in our lives rather than the bondage of precise law and order.
The Lord revealed an area in my life where He wanted to set me free and bring the breath of life into my being. I know this is only the beginning of a new freedom the Lord wants to bless me in as He shows me other areas of my life that need this same type of change. I spent most of my Christian life in a church where there was a lot of the same type of form and precision as in the dream . I received much truth during those years, but because I was so bound, I could not receive the full measure of freedom through the revelation of God's grace.
The Lord is blessing me now in the area of reading His Word. My whole life as a Christian I desired to feast on His Word but did not know how. I would study occasionally by gathering scriptures relating to a certain topic depending on my need at the time. This helped me some, but it was only bringing the Word into my mind, and not into my heart. Later in life, I disciplined myself to stay in the Word for one year, by reading the Bible according to a schedule. Each day I tried to keep up with the schedule, but there were days I fell behind, and I had to really buckle down to catch up. I realized at times that I wasn't even paying attention to all that I was reading.
Through all this I developed a good habit of wanting to stay in God's Word and a desire to receive more from reading it. All things work out for good for those who are called according to His plan and purpose, even our mistakes work out for our good. I started to enjoy getting before the Lord and spending time with Him, but it was so empty compared to what the Lord wanted me to receive.
After receiving this dream, a sister in the Lord shared with me that I should break away from my reading chart and just feast on the book of John in the Bible. She said to just go slow and pray in the Spirit, and then ask the Lord to speak to me. I had showed that even though I was reading in the Word, I was not benefiting as much as I would have if I had been before the Lord feasting on His Word.
In the dream where others were eating what appeared to be paper and cardboard, this represented the need to eat of the Bread of Life, the Living Manna (John 6:48). The Word of God is our only true sustenance. We need to partake of it in a way that will bring nourishment and growth in our lives. Now I am beginning to receive a glimmer of the light the Lord wants me to have, resulting in definite change in the way I receive from His Word. For a week I struggled to break away from the ritualistic pattern of reading the Word and to partake of the grace the Lord had for me in this area. This is only the beginning of a journey with the Lord as He unfolds His perfect will to me by showing me different areas of my life where I am not completely free. The Lord loves us so much and He has an abundance of blessings He wants to pour out upon us where we will be fulfilled in Him beyond what we could ever hope or imagine (Eph 3:20).
I am just amazed at how much I have received from Jesus by reading just a few verses from the beginning of the book of John the way He intended me to read it. As He unveiled revelation and understanding of His Word to me, His anointing and His awesome presence has encouraged me to press in for more. I have missed out of so much by not partaking of His Word His way.
We need to always guard against the tactics the enemy uses to try to rob us. Many are deceived and place importance on how much they read, rather than how they are reading the Word. Others are ensnared by the religious practice of adhering to a schedule rather than being led by the Holy Spirit in what they are to read.
Balance is so important. Whatever we use to help us develop the good habit of staying in God's Word should never hinder us from being led by His Spirit. Always remember to not partake in your own strength but to ask for the grace to receive the blessings contained within His Word.
Be still and know that He is God and that He is faithful to lead us into all truth (Psa 46:10). Slow down. Really come before Him and let Him nourish you with the sustenance that He provides through His Son. Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35). Partake of Him daily as you partake of His Word!
THE CALL TO ARMS
Chapter Eleven
Most likely, every Blood-bought believer in Christ will come to the place he needs to be where he will be willing to lay down every weight and entanglement with the world, and be ready to pick up his battle arms, and really begin to fight the enemy (Heb 12:1). No more allowing the distractions of the world to cause him to have cold, disinterested, nonchalant, and uncaring attitudes toward what is happening all around him.
The enemy is on a rampage; out to destroy and hinder all the work the Lord has begun in His kingdom. Every new believer in Christ is being attacked right and left. Many of the overcomers are being grievously slaughtered. All because the true intercessors have not picked up their arms to fight for the wounded.
I am not saying there aren't the faithful few who have remained committed to their call no matter what. But I am admonishing those who have a calling to be intercessors, yet have allowed the enemy to bring them to the place of not just defeat, but of not even beginning to fight. The enemy knows these precious ones are a threat to his kingdom. That is why he is constantly bombarding them, trying to keep them from coming to their place in the Lord where they are able to stand against him. I am persuaded that they are a might army, and that their time is coming where they will stand bold and unwavering, with head set like flint, against the evil one (Ezek 3:9).
Althought it may appear that this camp of saints is defeated, the Lord is in control. He has them where they need to be at this point. They are going through a period of training that might be one of the hardest things they have ever faced. Yes, the evil one has come in like a flood at every angle, but they are being preserved and strengthened. And yes, like a mighty oak tree, through every storm they face, their roots are going deeper and deeper into the nourishment of the Word of the Lord (Psa 1:3).
Yes, they are going through many tests and mighty onslaughts, but they are being prepared for war as never before. So, do not be discouraged if you feel you haven't been able to stand and take your place in the army of the Lord at this point. The Lord has you in the palm of His hand, and you are precious to Him. Faithful are those who will not give up in spite of all their apparent weaknesses. Only when they accept that they are weak can they truly be strong in Him (2 Cor 12:10). That is when great strength comes.
Many have fallen away because they have looked in the natural at the fruit of their life at this point. They have thrown up their hands and said that they can't go on; that there is no hope of ever reaching the place they need to be in Him. Don't let that be you. Don't give up! Stand on God's promises that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it (Phil 1:6), and He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).
Pick yourself up and brush yourself off and equip yourself with the armor of God (Eph 6:11). Sharpen your sword and place your shield where it needs to be. Be clean. For the Blood of Christ washes you of all your impurities (1 John 1:7-9). Look to the righteousness of Christ, not to your own (Tit 3:5, Phil 3:9). Draw close to Him and be willing for Him to transform you (Rom 12:2). Do not be defeated for the Lord thy God is with you. Don't allow yourself to become robbed any longer.
Today is a new day. Let the past melt away and let today become a new beginning for you - a fresh new start. Let this year be one of the most overcoming years in the Lord that you have ever experienced. Fulfill your destiny in Him. Go from glory to glory as you reach out for renewed strength from God's Spirit each day. Put on the Lord Jesus for He is your Captain (Heb 2:10, KJV). Stand in rank, follow Him, for you are more than a conqueror in Him (Rom 8:37). The nations are your inheritance. You will stand undefeated in Him.
All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28). So, don't let your circumstances defeat you; they are for your good. The fire from your trials is purging all traces of dross and impurity out of you. Allow the Lord to do this work in you. Don't draw back when the fire looks severe. You will not be burned by it. Always remember Shadrach, Meschach, and Abed-Nego (Dan 3:26-27). The Lord Jesus was right there with them and delivered them completely unharmed but totally transformed.
Be faithful to His Word by allowing it to do its work in you. Be transformed into His image daily (Rom 8:29). As you go from glory to glory, your flesh is being stripped off, and His glorious radiance is being poured out through you to touch a lost and dying world: those who truly need the Lord Jesus (2 Cor 3:18). So, be assured this day that the Word is working mightily in you (Col 1:29). And, no matter how you feel about your progress in Him, the Lord is pleased with you. Everything is in His timing, and He is in complete control of your life.
So, rest in Him and be refreshed for the Lord is about to bring you through a mighty and conquering battle. The victory is the Lord's!
THEY LOVED NOT THEIR LIVES UNTO DEATH
Chapter Twelve
More fulfillment has been drawn by appeasing the flesh than by any other method since the beginning of mankind; but oh, what a deception to fall into, for the flesh is man's greatest enemy ever. This fulfillment is not a true fulfillment. It is all vanity, leaving in us a never-ending void, causing an insatiable craving for more. An ever-increasing lack of satisfaction is produced from appeasing our flesh.
The flesh is always at enmity with the Lord (Rom 8:7). Before receiving God's saving grace, the ignorance that we possessed drove us to please the flesh. Even after becoming born-again, we have to be on guard to the tactics of the enemy. He constantly tries to ensnare us to the old-man nature that was crucified with Christ at Calvary (Gal 2:20).
The more we draw close to Jesus in times of temptation, the more we are able to put down this nature and victoriously rise up as more than conquerors in Jesus (Rom 8:37). The fulfillment that we receive from crucifying the flesh is so much greater in value than pleasing the flesh (Rom 8:6). So much greater that we can hardly believe it when we allow ourselves to be driven in the wrong direction. The Lord wants us to love ourselves and have respect for the vessel that He dwells in by His Spirit (1 Cor 6:19). How can we allow ourselves to be robbed in this way any longer? We have the opportunity to experience God's overcoming grace by fulfilling His will in our lives.
All His riches are attached to our being as we walk in His victory always. Put on the full armor of God which is the Lord Jesus Christ. The helmet of salvation signifies that all that He purchased at the cross is ours just by believing it. We have His name upon us, which is His authority over us that delegates to us His power over the enemy. We have the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16) and we need not receive any of the lies of the evil one (John 8:44). Everlasting freedom through His grace, joy, and love is ours just by our simple act of obedience to the mind of Christ and carrying our cross daily following Christ in His will and ways (Mark 8:34). The resurrection power we receive, by identifying with the Lord Jesus in His own death and resurrection, is our victory (Rom 6:4).
One of our greatest weapons against the evil one is that of loving not your life unto death, along with the power of the Blood of Jesus and the words of our testimony (Rev 12:11). The enemy defeats us in every area of faith only if we allow him to ensnare us to the flesh. It is not Satan who robs us of the victory....it is ourselves. We are our greatest enemy.
When our attitude towards our trials causes them to look greater than the promises of God, then we aren't allowing the Lord to do the work He intended to do in us through the trial. When we allow our thoughts to take over, and figure out our own way of escape from the fire, then we have given into our greatest enemy again. We are disobeying the Father if we are not staying behind our shield of faith and using our sword, the Word of God, to bring defeat to the enemy. We are looking at the circumstances, allowing more and more fiery darts to hit us, destroying our faith (Eph 6:16). Doubt, unbelief, and fear soar in this realm strengthened by our flesh. Prosperity, healing, overcoming through persecution, great anointing and manifestation of Gifts, power in witnessing drawing many into the Kingdom, and all other areas of victorious living in Christ can only come through living the crucified life.
Complete rest in knowing that Jesus is in control and that we don't have to struggle to work things out is a precious blessing God promises us, if we obey His will. We can't be concerned with time, space, symptoms, or any other aspect of the natural (flesh) realm for God is not limited by any of these things (2 Pet 3:8). He will manifest the answers to our needs only in His timing, (which is always perfect). We need to trust Him completely in this.
Our trials can cause our flesh to panic if our eyes are not centered upon God's promises in His Word. The problems are not ours any longer if we have asked Jesus to come through and provide for us. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Heb 11:1). Our faith actually takes the place of what we are believing for until the manifestation of the promise is brought to pass. Our faith has great value in the spiritual realm when we confess what we believe in our hearts, and take steps of faith directed by the wisdom of God (Rom 10:10).
Whatsover things that you desire, believe that you have received them at the time you have asked the Father (Mark 11:24). Continue to thank the Lord, resting, knowing that in His timing they will come forth. The time of endurance through the trial, between the times of asking and receiving, can be full of rejoicing if we allow Him to do this deep work of faith in us. We need to be patient and trust that whatever He has allowed is only for our good. The Lord loves us and is on our side even if the circumstances look like everything is against us. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31).
When we allow ourselves to look at the circumstances and become tempted to turn to the flesh, we lose our position of victory in the natural realm temporarily, until the Lord, by His grace, restores us. One example is debt. We need to remember that when we allow ourselves to become indebted to another financially because oflack of faith, we are no longer the head but the tail, because we did not heed the commandment of God to trust Him (Deut 28:13). The Lord wants us to be prosperous where we have abundance to help others in time of need (2 Cor 8:14). We are to be blessed in every area of our lives, and the price to pay is minimal. Jesus wants us to yield ourselves to His safety and provision, not to look to the arm of the flesh. Be yielded, for He will give you the grace and wisdom needed in every situation (Jam 1:5). God is faithful to complete the perfect work He began in us. He has already given us all that we need to be able to live a victorious life in Him (2 Pet 1:3). The enemy is a defeated foe, and we are more than conquerors over him in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:37).
Our lives are no longer ours, so we need to completely entrust everything into His care. The Lord gives and takes away (Job 1:21), and all things work for good for those who love God. We need to be in agreement with the Apostle Paul to count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of the Lord Jesus (Phil 3:8). We are to be willing to suffer the loss of all things that we may gain Christ.
The final outcome in our lives will always be in agreement with His Word that we are to prosper in all things and be in health, just as our soul prospers (3 John 2). Be assured this day that the Word is working mightily in you and that all God's promises for you are yes and Amen (2 Cor 1:20). If we are faithful to His Word, He will remain faithful to us. He even gives us the grace that we need to become willing to obey His will (Phil 2:13). We have all we need to live a victorious life in Him.
The battle is the Lord's and we carry His victory banner. The enemy is already defeated and we are taking the land. Always remember the victory is in dying to our flesh and walking in His resurrection power daily, not afraid of losing all for the Kingdom. For God is always faithful to restore now or in the Kingdom to come. We live in agreement with the multitude of saints rejoicing that the accuser of the brethren has been cast down (Rev 12:10). We continue to overcome the enemy by the Blood of the Lamb, and by the word of our testimony, and we do not love our lives unto death. Having done all to stand (Eph 6:13); therefore, we triumph in Jesus knowing that we cannot be cursed for the shout of the King is among us! Halleluia, the King is coming!
BREAK THROUGH TO VICTORY
Chapter Thirteen
God's perfect will for our lives is that we walk in His glory one hundred percent of the time. His will is not for us to have just a fleeting experience here and there, but to walk in His glory where even our passing shadow radiates His love and anointing, convicting, changing, healing and delivering people around us. Yes, God wants to bring us to a level in Him where He is able to touch those around us through His anointing and to freely flow through us to reach others with His saving power. The Lord has a ministry to complete through us; to touch a lost world and reconcile them unto Himself. But He needs yielded vessels, those that have been prepared completely by the Father for this purpose.
So many of God's people are hurt and wounded, and lack God's love in their lives. Even though they know Jesus, they know Him only in a shallow way. God wants to call us to higher levels of intimacy with Him. He wants to reveal to us deep truths and revelation concerning His Word that will set the captives free and bring them to a level of discernment where they know the strategies of the enemy. Yes, Satan is like a roaring lion sent out to steal, kill, and destroy God's people and to hinder and even stop God's love from flowing through them (John 10:10).
Most are not aware of the strategies the enemy uses to try to hinder God's ministry through His people. If we are diligent to break through into the realm of God where He is able to illuminate His truth to us through His Word, then we will become enlightened and empowered by His grace, transforming us and those around us. We are to be lights that reflect and radiate the glory of God, which is His love. We have a river of life within us, Jesus Himself, which is so ready to spring up and gush out and touch everything in its path. But Satan has tried to dam up this river even before we were born.
God has a people prepared before the foundation of the earth in which He has set out to nurture, to love, and to mature them so they could become a strong and healthy bride, fit for the Master's use. The enemy has set out at the same time to devour this work. The enemy's plan was to rob us of God's love even before we were born, and all the way through our lives. Even after we are born-again, he's sent out forces to repel God's love from flowing through us. We are to rise up and allow the Lord to do the necessary work deep within us so that by God's grace we are strengthened to repel these powers. Through His anointing power, we are to continuously radiate God's glory to touch other lives and to repel the enemy.
We need to go through different levels of intimacy with the Father so that He can replenish us with the levels of love that He has in store for us. Since many were raised in a family where God's love was not known, the enemy had free access to rob them of the special love God had for them even before birth.
Even in the womb God had a special love for us that He wanted us to experience. We needed that love so that we could grow and mature in the healthy way He intended both spiritually and emotionally. Because of this lack, we became emotionally, spiritually, and physically damaged. God wants to take us through these levels of intimacy, healing and restoring that which the enemy deprived us of and even destroyed. We need to be willing to humble ourselves before the mighty throne of God for He is faithful to lift us up (1 Pet 5:6).
So many in the body of Christ are at war with each other. Many are easily offended resulting in backbiting, gossip, and even hatred among the brethren. God is calling His Church unto Himself to go from glory to glory into high levels of worship where He can overflow His love unto a lost and dying world. How can this happen if the Church is sich within? There will be no breakthrough unless we are willing to die to our pride and let the Lord heal us no matter what the cost.
God is calling us to intimacy. Are we willing to be patient and faithfully come before Him with the attitude of just wanting to bask in His presence? Are we willing to make Him our number