A Selah Moment: The True Call to Ministry
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Godly Principles, Holiness & Sanctification, Inspirational Articles, Other, Our children, Prophetic Word, Testimonies, The Faith Walk, Word of Exhortation, Words of Encouragement
Current Mood:
Anointed
Not everyone will understand the call that God has on your life, but will you still answer it anyway?
Sometimes the very people you’d think would be your greatest supporters are the very ones who will relentlessly try to instill doubt in your mind, but will you turn a deaf ear to them and an open ear to God?
When it feels as though unseen forces are working against you, and that’s because they are, will you still continue to press forward in the name of the Lord?
When your closest friends turn into your biggest haters and begin to slander you, mock you and speak all manners of evils against you, will you keep your focus and wait for God to vindicate you?
Will you obey God even when it hurts and even when you don’t understand?
Will you move when He tells you to move, although it may appear as though He’s moving you to a place that’s tougher, harder, and completely outside of your comfort zone?
Will you continue to stand even when the burden seems far heavier than what you can bear?
Will you still hope when hope seems hopeless?
Will you still follow God even when it seems unprofitable and as if you’re losing more than you’re gaining?
Will you still be faithful when it seems as though people who serve God less than you do yet gets more from Him than you do?
Will you absolutely refuse to conform to what the popular majority demands and adhere to all that God commands?
Will you obey God no matter what the cost?
Will you still have faith though it seems as though your prayers have gone unanswered?
Having lost all, will you still give more?
Despite your ability to flow effectively in the spiritual gifts God has given you, and the praises of men you receive as a result, will you still humble yourself under the mighty hand of God?
When people think you’re “super holy” because of the obvious anointing on your life, and begin to exalt you as a result, will you correct them and put their focus back on God and their relationship with Him?
Will you preach and teach God’s unadulterated, uncompromised, untainted Word?
Will you allow God to interrupt your day to go minister to others and do the things that He wants you to do though it may completely interrupt your plans?
Will you still talk to and lean on God even during the times when it seems as though He’s silent?
When He slays you, will you still trust Him?
When it seems like you’ve given all that you can, yet He says “There is still more that I require of you”; will you still follow Him?
.
Ministry is nothing to take lightly. It is a serious responsibility and it usually comes with a great cost. If God called you to a particular ministry (preacher, fivefold, deliverance, etc), simply embrace the call then allow Him to lead you in how He wants you to walk in that call. Don’t walk ahead of Him nor far behind Him, but rather with Him; allowing Him to cultivate you so that you can reach your full potential.
Don’t be shocked if your friends and family members begin to scatter, GO FORTH ANYWAY!
If it seems like all hell is breaking loose in your life, GO FORTH ANYWAY!
Even if church members begin to ridicule you and try to make you feel insignificantly low, GO FORTH ANYWAY!
God has equipped you to be able to walk in your divine calling, effectively; however, it does require your trust and obey Him. It also requires that you allow God to humble you, which is often a painful process; however, it is a much needed process. We tend to want the crown without the cross, but the Bible says in John 15:20 that the servant isn’t greater than the master; therefore if Christ had to go to the cross before getting His crown, then so do we! And us having to go through this process isn’t because God wants to make us miserable, but rather for us to become more intimate and dependent on God; which is absolutely needed in ministry. Our “going thru” also makes us more wise, patient, stronger, effective, compassionate and more able to relate to those whom we minister to. In addition, it’s also for our good, as we do not want our hearts to become prideful which can easily happen as God promotes you from glory to glory. You want to always keep your eyes focused on the prize, which is Christ Jesus! In Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” You do not want to gain earthly things at the expense of your soul. It’s not worth it. Let God be God and you just trust Him. He knows and is able to do much more than you could ever fathom, able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that you can ever ask for or think.
God bless you and your ministry!!!
.
SCRIPTURES
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34 NIV
“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.” James 3:1 NASB
“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels and to men. We are fool’s for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong: ye are honorable, but we are despised. Even unto this present hour, we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being defamed, we entreat; we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.” I Corinthians 4:9-13
He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen—for they are a rebellious house—they will know that a prophet has been among them. And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 7 You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious. 8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Ezekiel 2:3-8 NIV
Elevation Through Humiliation
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Godly Principles, Holiness & Sanctification, Inspirational Articles, Our children
Current Mood: Anointed & 
On Fire 4 God!
There are times when it’ll seem like God has dropped you off in the middle of the wilderness, just like you drop off a friend at work, and then drives off. And there you are, standing in the middle of nowhere, feeling alone and afraid, not knowing what to do or what to expect. Making matters worse is He didn’t tell you when He’ll be back to pick you up or how long you’ll be there. All you know is that you’re in a foreign land that seems barren, dry and lifeless, and you look around to see who else is there just to discover nobody else is there, only YOU.
So there you are in heart of the wilderness trying to grasp your new reality, and those who once said, “I got your back” are suddenly unavailable. For whatever reasons, you no longer have friends or family to count on; while others mock you and laugh at you. Unbeknownst to you, they secretly held jealousy and animosity against you because they perceived you as having “everything”. Now that you look like you’re in dire straits, they think you’re getting back everything you deserve. As you hear their accusations and judgments, a part of you begin to believe what they’re saying though you know it’s untrue. A part of you begin to feel as they feel; nevertheless, you cry out to God saying, “What have I done? Show me so that I may correct it?” But all you get is deafening silence in return.
Perplexed and afraid, you begin your journey not knowing what to expect ahead. A part of you feel upset with God because you’re not getting immediate responses at it pertains to your new situation; yet another part of you know that something great is happening though you can’t quite put your finger on it. As you continue along your journey, you try your best to encourage yourself by quoting every Scripture you know, but nothing seems to work. You sing hymns and songs in hopes of lifting your spirit, but you still feel down. You are hungry, thirsty, your legs are getting tired and your spirit feels as though it’s becoming faint, yet you persevere. Then here comes Satan, taking advantage of your time of vulnerability to try to convince you that you’re a fool and God doesn’t care. He throws his darts of doubt to try to get you to agree that really God isn’t with or for you. And though you can’t see any traces of God’s presence at this point, you hold your ground but you can’t help but wonder where is your God. Next thing you know you’re feeling heavier than you were and a part of you feels like giving up.
Just when you think you cannot take it anymore, you hear a still small voice. You are elated. In your mind you think, “He’s finally here to rescue me”, and you begin to leap for joy. Your heart is filled with praise and thanksgiving; however, that is cut short once you stop to really pay attention to what He’s saying to you. “My child, continue to go forward; for My grace is sufficient for you”. “Huh?” You feel the tears welling up in your eyes as you desperately hope you’ve misunderstood what He’s said. He repeats, “Go forward. My grace is sufficient for you”. You think to yourself, “All this time I’ve waited to hear from Him and this is what You say?” These were not the words you hoped to hear and now you find yourself at a crossroad; you can either obey and follow the Lord no matter what OR you can decide to give up and leave.
To some, this may be your testimony and to others this may serve as notice. To all, we are all called to a higher purpose than just drifting day to day, and in order to “enter and possess” the Promised Land or to walk in our God-given purpose, we must first take a trip into the wilderness. The wilderness is a place of preparation through testing, teaching and humbling (Deut. 8:1-5). We are pruned, purged and stretched beyond measure. We find out what’s really in our heart: the good, the bad and the ugly. We may also experience crucifixion (of the flesh), isolation and humiliation; however, it’s the work that happens in the wilderness that leads to our elevation. This is often a painful process, but the oil cannot be released until the olive is first crushed, and a seed cannot yield its fruit until it first go into the ground and die (John 12:24). So is the same with us: before we can reign with Christ we must first suffer with Him. And our suffering is not done in vain, for suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us. This is what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 5:3-5, right after he first tells us to rejoice in our suffering.
We may see someone operating in an elevated position and wish we had or could do the same. You see them on the platform and it appears as though God is using them in a powerful way. And He is! However, what you don’t see is the price they’ve paid for where they are in God. For a true servant of God, there is a crushing and a breaking that must occur in our spirit, and most people do not want to go through that process. But the process is indeed necessary; for the higher the elevation, the greater the humiliation and true humility often develops in the wilderness.
Beloved, God has given you a particular work in His kingdom but before you’re able to operate effectively in your ministry you must first take a trip into the wilderness. Christ went through the same process, for after the Holy Spirit descended upon Him, He was then led by that same Spirit into the wilderness (Luke 3:21-22, Luke 4:1-2). Then once He came out of the wilderness He began His ministry. So is the same for us. The illustration I used at the beginning of this article, I articulated what one may feel while journeying through the wilderness. There will be times when you feel as though God has left you and abandoned you; however, that is very far from the truth. God is a loving and faithful Father and He is certainly a promise-keeper and He promises throughout the Bible that He will never leave you nor forsake you. Thus, He doesn’t abandon us, but instead He gives us the grace to be refined so that we can shine like a perfect diamond. Initially, a diamond doesn’t look like much, as it is encased in rock and dirt, and once the miners get the diamond from out the deep of the earth, that diamond has to go through extreme processing which include pressure and heat. It also is uniquely cut so that its brilliance can shine radiantly. The end result is that you have a precious and valuable stone, but that is only once it’s gone through the fire.
Humility does not mean that we think less of ourselves but instead think less about ourselves. Paul admonishes us in Romans 12:3 to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought and this requires work on our part. In addition, humility keeps us in constant remembrance that we rely on God for everything; for every gift, every talent, every ministry and everything we possess was given to us by the Most High God. Pride says, “I did it”, “It’s all about ME”, “I am great”; whereas humility says, “It is only through Christ I can do all things.”
In closing, the more we earnestly seek God, the more we will grow in humility if we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. Humility comes with crucifying flesh and submitting ourselves unto God, and this should be a daily practice for the believer. It doesn’t matter how high God may exalt you or what high position you have, you are still called to walk in humility. Paul puts it quite simply in 1 Peter 5:6, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”
May the grace of God keep you and may a strong determination take hold of your spirit to walk in humility and crucifixion of the flesh, daily. May you seize your humiliation and leave your elevation to God; trusting Him, leaning on Him and depending on Him. This I pray in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
To God Be All the Glory!
Spirit of Intimidation: The Big Problem Least Dealt With
Current Mood: Anointed
For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. -2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV)
- The Big Problem Least Acknowledged
- Intimidation Defined –Exhaustive
- It was Bigger than Just Me
- Spiritual Giftings Doesn’t Mean Spiritual Purity
- Even the Anointed and Pure Hearted Can Be Affected
- How Intimidation Binds the Strong Man to Plunder the House
- Coming Next: Breaking the Chains!
- Prayer For Overcoming Intimidation
- Other Scriptures to Study
Minister Naima Williams. Originally posted on June 23, 2009
.
THE BIG PROBLEM LEAST ACKNOWLEDGED
I |
t’s amazing how much time and energy the enemy is willing to invest in order to close the mouths of the saints. Revelations 12:11 tells us that we overcome by the blood of Jesus and the word of our testimony, so it only makes sense that he would try to influence or stop the spoken word of the saints. This has been one of the many spiritual battles I’ve experienced throughout my life, and it seems to have intensified over the last few weeks. If you’ve read my eJournal entries titled Stand In Your God-Given Authority and A Call to Take Authority, then you know that one of the spirits the enemy used to try to close my mouth is the spirit of intimidation. It’s interesting how we use this word so loosely in today’s society not realizing how it can spiritually, mentally and emotionally cripple its victim. Additionally, many do not know that intimidation is actually a spirit, and this spirit seldom walk alone. The spirit of intimidation is often accompanied by the spirits of insecurity, inferiority, shyness, control and manipulation just to name a few. Up until recent, I used to get clobbered by the spirit of intimidation, and was its slave most of my life. But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ! (2 Cor. 2:14a). God has recently delivered me from the spirit of intimidation, and He is teaching me to walk each day in the power, love and sound mind He’s given me through Jesus Christ!
Y |
ou know the old cliché that says never judge a book by its cover? Well, I admit to doing this myself over the years. I am grateful, however, that the Holy Spirit is helping me to steadily UN-learn this behavior so that I’m less inclined to judge others. This is not only because the Lord tells us to judge not lest we be judged in Matthew 7:1, but also because I myself don’t like being judged. I’ve had people misjudge me because I look a certain way and/or have a particular style, and as a result, many would make up their mind about me before even speaking to me, much less knowing me. Throughout the years, I’ve been frequently mislabeled as either conceited or overestimated as a woman with great confidence. I guess between the two the latter would be much preferred; however, neither was accurate. I was very insecure, shy and timid, but this was often hard to detect because the nervous energy I had would somehow transform into what appear to be an outgoing personality. I never really understood why this was neither did I plan it to be so. It was as if I had a built-in fail-safe that would self activate when needed.
INTIMIDATION DEFINED-EXHAUSTED
I |
ntimidation was a problem for me for as long as I can remember, but it was just recent that I began to realize how destructive this spirit is and how it can quench the Spirit of God in any believer (See Stand In Your God-Given Authority to read more). John Bevere, the author of Breaking Intimidation expounds:
The objective of intimidation is to restrain you from action and coerce or force you into submission. Intimidation wants to overwhelm you with a sense of inferiority and fear. Once you’ve retreated into submission, either knowingly or unknowingly, you are a servant of the intimidator. You are no longer free to fulfill the will of God but are doomed to the desires of your intimidating captor.
Consequently, the gift of God, His spiritual ability in you, is inoperative. Now your authority has been stripped from you in order to be used against both you and those in your sphere of influence.
The origin of intimidation is fear, which has its roots in our adversary, the devil. He is the originator of all fear and timidity (Gen. 3:1-10), especially v. 10). He will attack us by way of thoughts, imaginations and visions, or he will use circumstances and those under his influence to intimidate us. Either way, he has one objective: to control and limit us. (Page 46)
IT WAS BIGGER THAN JUST ME
W |
hen the Lord began revealing this to me, I asked Him to show me how this rooted in my life. A few days after that prayer He began showing me flashes from my childhood, and how as a little girl living in an abusive home, the doorway was opened for these spirits to set up strongholds. Without my knowledge or consent, these spirits attached themselves to me and my life at such an early age that I mistook their whispering lies for my own thoughts. As God began revealing this to me, I began to see how intimidation played a major role in my life, preventing me from living in the freedom and abundance that Jesus offers His believers.
SPIRITUAL GIFTINGS DOESN’T MEAN SPIRITUAL PURITY
C |
ontinuing down this path of discovery, I also began to see how this spirit infiltrated the body of Christ. This spirit is so camouflaged and so subtle that it often goes long periods of time without being noticed. Consequently, it gains enough strength and control to form strongholds in the church. I believe the answer to why it goes unnoticed for so long can be found in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.“ Because we have the tendency of looking at the outward appearance, we make the grave mistake of thinking giftings, anointing or ministry “success” indicate purity in heart and motives. Think about it. If you were living during the days of Jesus’ earthly ministry, would you’ve been able to discern the heart and spirit of Judas Iscariot? This is a man who ate, traveled and somewhat lived with Jesus! Furthermore, did not Jesus himself charge him as an apostle? Did he not also heal the sick and cast out demons as well? (Read Matthew 10:1-5). SELAH
If that doesn’t do it for you, Jesus makes it very clear in Matthew 7:22-23 that anointing doesn’t mean a pure heart. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” I really don’t think you can get any clearer than this.
The author of the book Breaking Intimidation speaks a little about ministry success and relationship with God:
Even though the church is experiencing a refreshing at this time, sin must be dealt with. It is wonderful that people are so hungry for the power of God, but let’s not neglect purity of heart. We have seen too many ministers fall. But they didn’t fall when they committed their first act of immortality. No, they began to fall earlier—the day success in ministry became more important than their intimate relationship with God. We’ve not only seen this among ministers but also within their congregations. (Page 23)
EVEN THE ANOINTED AND PURE HEARTED CAN BE AFFECTED
O |
n the other side of the coin are those who are anointed and have a heart after God. It is these that the spirits of Jezebel and intimidation seek to neutralize. The unfortunate fact is that these spirits are oftentimes successful, even when going against those who we believe are mighty in the Lord. An example of this can be found in the story of one of the most powerful prophets in the Bible, Elijah. The story of Elijah begins in 1 Kings 17, with chapter 19 showing how through intimidation and fear, Jezebel put this prophet to flight. During my study of intimidation, I stumbled upon a website that provided an excerpt from a book titled The Tactics of the Enemy (author unknown):
For seven years, God had carefully protected Elijah. God fed him in the wilderness. When Ahab’s armies sought to kill Elijah, they were unable to lay a finger on him.
Finally, in a showdown at Mt. Carmel, Elijah called down fire from heaven and resoundingly defeated and killed the priests of Baal. All Israel fell at his feet in repentance, worshipping the true God. Elijah was the man of the hour. He was vindicated, victorious, and clearly in charge.
Nevertheless, when Jezebel sent Elijah a single threat, he suddenly turned coward and fled to the desert. Anxious, depressed, and miserable, he begged God to kill him!
Think about this. It makes NO sense. Elijah enjoyed supernatural protection for seven years. He watched fire fall from heaven and defeat his enemies, yet when a single angry woman threatened him one time, he lost every shred of vision and ran away. He moaned in self-pity and depression, begging God to kill him!
This is a great example of Jezebel’s powerful demonic “anointing” to intimidate, create fear, and cause men of God to withdraw. Jezebel steals your vision. Jezebel will even make you depressed and anxious when there is nothing significantly different in your circumstances. If there are difficult circumstances, this spirit will tell you they are insurmountable, impossible, and overwhelming. Jezebel will make you feel like dying when in reality, you are God’s man of the hour.
WOW! The writer continues:
Jezebel’s witchcraft will attack key leaders in her targeted area through intimidation. Those under attack may awaken one morning to find it takes effort just to breathe. All joy seems to depart. Spiritual life seems irrelevant. Demonic voices will echo in their minds “something’s wrong with you!” They may suddenly find themselves in unreasonable anxiety, fearing tragedy or death. Much of what is called “depression” in the ministry is simply Jezebel!
| T |
his is exactly what I had experienced that day I wrote about in the eJournal entry titled A Call to Take Authority. I woke up to a series of mental attacks and didn’t understand why. Later on in the morning, the Holy Spirit told me to “take authority” and I did. In retrospect I now realize that He was preparing for what was to come a few days later (See Stand in Your God-given Authority). Not even realizing it at the time, I submitted to the spirit of intimidation, and as a result, I was knocked out of the spiritual authority God had positioned me in. I immediately began to experience the symptoms of intimidation and each day the symptoms grew progressively worst.
An intimidating spirit unleashes confusion, discouragement and frustration. Its goal is to cause you to lose your proper perspective. Everything will seem overwhelming, difficult or even impossible. The stronger the intimidation, the greater the discouragement and hopelessness. (Breaking Intimidation, Page 48)
These were the very feelings I had experienced; however, what was worst was that the Holy Spirit within me was quenched, the anointing went dormant and the sweet communion with God was interrupted. At the time I still didn’t understand what was going on, I just wanted it to stop. I prayed, repented, rebuked and bound evil spirits, and nothing I did seem to work. It was a few days later when God began to give me insight and revelation as to what was going on. Originally I was looking at what I was experiencing from a “me” perspective, but God then let me know that what I was dealing with was bigger than just me. He began to show me the spirits I was dealing with and have charged me with responsibilities I really can’t say that I wanted. BUT, when you’re used to communing with God and then that’s interrupted, you do whatever it takes to get back into communion.
HOW INTIMDATION BINDS THE STRONG MAN TO PLUNDER THE HOUSE
T |
here are still lots to tell, as this is a meaty subject, and it is one that I will be sharing with you over the weeks to come. What I want to make sure that I leave with you is the absolute awareness that intimidation is in fact a spirit, a spirit that is sent by Satan; for God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7 NIV). Since this spirit is sent by the enemy, we know that the ultimate agenda of this spirit is to kill, steal and destroy all of mankind, especially the saints of God. In effort to help the enemy accomplish his ultimate goal, this spirit, which works closely with the spirit of Jezebel, looks to enter the strong man’s house and plunder his goods; but they must first bind the strong man (Read Mark 3:27 and Matthew 12:25-30).
If the Spirit of God within a believer is quenched, then the believer is in fact bound, and this almost always causes a domino and/or rippling effect. The book I’ve been referencing throughout this entry, Breaking Intimidation, mentions:
What would happen if all believers functioned in their place? What tremendous things we would see. Revival is not for the preachers but for the entire body—when every person takes his position.
Remember, the gift is the ability God gives us. We are not responsible for that which we were not entrusted with. The leg is not responsible for sight. Even so, the will of God can only be accomplished by the enabling of the Spirit. “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” (2 Cor. 3:5).
It is the joint operation of these gifts the enemy wants to stop. When successful he can severely hinder out growth! He knows he cannot stop God from giving these gifts, so he is after our freedom to exercise them. Intimidation is the primary way he hinders this. (Page 40)
If there is a spirit other than the Holy Spirit that is controlling a person, family or church, than that person, family or church is in fact bound; and again, this almost always causes a domino and/or rippling effect. The author also makes another valid observation and point:
There are those who bear the title of pastor or leader, yet they are controlled by the manipulation and intimidation of others—usually the people who should be undergirding them, such as wives, associates, board members, deacons, intercessors and so forth. They run the show behind the scenes by controlling the person with the title of leader.
This also happens in homes. Parents are intimidated by their children; husbands are intimidated by their wives. They are not the head of their homes. It is important for a leader to consider the counsel of those around him, whether in his home or his ministry. (Breaking Intimidation, Page 52)
You may be thinking to yourself that you wouldn’t or couldn’t be a victim of such a thing (spirit) or that you would be able to spot such workings (manipulation, control and intimidation) a mile away. However, you must keep in mind that the working of these spirits is often camouflaged and subtle, and they can do an enormous amount of damage for years while going unnoticed. The enemy rarely comes at us in his true form because he knows he would have a fight on his hands. However, coming disguised allows him to do serious damage for long periods of time because your guards are down and unsuspecting.
Below are a few other quotes from the book that I wanted to share in this entry:
People who have strong personalities will use intimidation to make a lie look like the truth. You must stay in the spirit to overcome the strength of such attacks. (Breaking Intimidation, Page 86)
Usually intimidation will accuse you of the very weakness it seeks to hide. Those who act pure outwardly but have an impure heart will always attack the pure in heart. (Breaking Intimidation, Page 87)
Naima- I personally have had this happen to me a lot!
Jesus constantly faced intimidation. The impure Pharisees and lawyers tried to discredit Him or catch Him in His words. If they could only intimidate Him, then they could control Him. So they said He was a traitor, a glutton, a drunkard, and a demon-possessed sinner, which were the very characteristics many of them possessed. By refusing to come under their control, Jesus exposed their hearts.
Why do the impure seek to intimidate the pure? To relieve themselves of conviction and to maintain control. If successful, they don’t have to examine their hearts and repent. (Breaking Intimidation, Page 87)
COMING NEXT: BREAKING THE CHAINS!
I |
n closing, I have seen people smilingly admit to being intimidating, not realizing that in essence what they are admitting to is allowing this spirit of fear work through them. For many years of my life, I used to be that way myself. After having the revelation God has shown me, I now understand what this truly is and this spirit can do damage to individuals as well as the body of Christ.
PRAYER FOR OVERCOMING INTIMIDATION
In weeks to come, I will begin sharing on how to break the chains of intimidation from your life. In the interim, if you are serious about learning more about this subject, then I recommend that you read the book titled Breaking Intimidation by John Bevere. He does an excellent job at exposing this spirit in great detail as well as how this spirit has impacted the church. Additionally, you can begin your deliverance out of the world of intimidation by praying the following prayer:
Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus, confessing that intimidation has caused me to stumble. I ask Your forgiveness for thinking of myself as inferior, for I am created in your image, and I am Your workmanship. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is in me. Therefore, the power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in me and causes me to face life with hope and divine energy.The Lord is my Light and my Salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the Strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Lord, You said that Your would never leave me or forsake me. Therefore, I can say without any doubt or fear that You are my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me. Greater is He Who is in me than he who is in the world. If God is for me, who can be against me? I am free from the fear of man and public opinion.Father, You have not given me a spirit of timidity– of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear — but You have given me a spirit of power and of love and of a calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.
Scripture References:
1 John 1:9
Luke 17:21
Colossian 1:29
Hebrew 13:5
Romans 3:31
2 Timothy 1:7
Ephesians 2:10
Ephesians 1:19-20
Psalm 1:27
1 John 4:4
Proverbs 29:25
Philippians 4:13
(Prayers that Avail Much by Germaine Copeland, page 102)
OTHER SCRIPTURES YOU CAN STUDY:
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
Matthew 21:23-27
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
Prayer to Bear Fruit
Current Mood: Anointed
Lord Jesus, You chose me and appointed me to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Fathe4r will give me whatever I ask in Your name. Father, You are the Gardener. You prune every branch that bears fruit, so it will be even more fruitful.
The Apostle Paul said to be filled with the fruit or righteousness and that he desired that fruit might abound to our account. Therefore, I commit myself to bring forth the fruit of the spirit; love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. I renounce and turn from the fruit of the flesh, because I belong to Christ and have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts.
A seed cannot bear fruit unless it first falls into the ground and dies. I confess that I am crucified with Christ: Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Father, I thank You that I am good ground, that I hear Your Word and understand it, and that the Word bears fruit in my life – sometimes a hundredfold, sometimes sixty, sometimes thirty. I am like a tree planted by the rivers of wate3r that brings forth fruit in its season. My leaf shall not wither, and whatever I do shall prosper.
Father, in Jesus’ name, I thank You for filling me with the knowledge of Your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding that I may walk worthy of You, Lord, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of You. Amen.
Scripture References
John 15:16, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 1:11, Matthew 13:23, Philippians 4:17, Psalm 1:3, Galatians 5:22-24, Colossians 1:9, 10, and John 12:24
Prayer from ‘Prayers That Avail Much’, 25th Anniversary Commemorative Gift Edition, written by Germaine Copeland; 1997Compromising Christians
Filed under: Godly Principles, Marriage, Our children
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed
Compromising Christians
Christianity is known as the largest religion in the world. Christians are people who believe in the doctrine of the trinity which is God as father, the son and the Holy Spirit. If you were to ask most people who attend church on a regular basis, read the bible and are actively involved in church activities if they considered themselves as Christians the answer would be a definite “YES” even though as a christian all of the above would be great and there would be nothing to worry about because we all would be in a perfect world. However, in a world of reality we have all done somethings that we are not proud of. How many times have you compromised your relationship with God? And now that you look back at that time in your life, was it really worth it?
To compromise your relationship with God could be anything that in God’s eyes is not bearing good fruit. We are all as Christians held accountable for the things we do in our everyday lives. When we get to a point where a closer walk with God is all we want, when we in our hearts know that God is the beginning and the end, we need to start to purge things out of our everyday lives that are not in his will for us. When I say purge, I don’t just mean your cell phones. Ask yourself the question: If God walked into my home would he be pleased with what he sees. If you went through your DVD collection would he be pleased to see Videos that contained cursing or nudity? Would he find your bible tucked away neatly on a shelf? If he listened to your Ipod or your child’s Ipod would he find it full of profanity or Gospel? These are just a few things to think about. There are some of us who want the life simply because our backs are up against the wall and it seems as if there is no one there, so we go to the one person who we have been Taught would help, but we are not willing to make the necessary changes. You see everyone else around you being blessed and you wonder when your time will come. Then there is the rest of us who really wants a closer relationship with God and are willing to make the necessary changes in order to get there.
Compromising your faith is so easy, in fact it is so easy that most of us do it and not even realize that we are compromising our faith walk. It comes so natural that it begins to be a part of our daily routine.
(Romans 8:9) it states “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the spirit, if so be that the spirit of God dwell in you now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”
This means that as long as God’s spirit dwells in you, we as Christians do not have to worry about living our life without him, however we should never think that we can compromise our faith and no one will ever find out. Since it is a part of our daily lives and we compromise unknowingly we think that others are not watching us and it will be OK. That is not true because God’s eye is on us every second of the day, and if no one else knows he does.
We as christians have a voice, we have a say so about the our lives and the world around us. Ask yourself how many times have you saw something you did not agree with? You feel like since no one else is saying anything “oh well”. We are at a convenience store and there just beside the ATM machines is a magazine stand and this stand has X-rated magazines. Although they are covered with plastic, what sort of message is the owner sending? What kind of relationship does he or she have
with God? Yet we sill support them by paying for the gas. Or we are in a restaurant and there are people there using profanity at the other table, we figure that we have nothing to do with it so we say nothing.
Exodus 20:7 states that “ Thou shalt not take the name of the lord thy God in vain; for the lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
We did not say anything when we should have, we should have written a letter expressing our concerns but we chose not to. Because we chose to remain silent, we have compromised our faith once again. We think that biblical principals are too hard to achieve however, when we compromise with evil, guess who wins the fight? The next time you go into an establishment or even your doctor’s office look around you, can you tell that these business persons are on the same journey as you are? The answer is probably no, and they don’t have to be, but do you have a choice to support them? Yes you do, but supporting them comes with a price. Even though they probably attend church on Sunday, give God his time but it is back to business on Monday. They look at it as if “ Yes, I have made it and I thank God” but it is a silent praise. Compromised! He or she should be leading others to salvation. This is a real successful business man or woman.
There are so many ways that we including myself can compromise our faith, and it is without even knowing that we have done so. God has no mercy on a compromising christian. He does not want to be or feel betrayed by one of his very own. The next time you want to start purging things out of your life to be closer to God think to yourself: Who am I putting first in my life? Who gives me the direction I should go in? Did I perform any of the commands of Jesus recently? Have you, yourself tried to save at least one person? Purging is not only numbers out of your cell phones, nor is it just getting rid of what people in your past gave you. Take real inventory over your life and lastly, ask yourself “ Is it really worth it to compromise my faith.”
Christian Masons???
Filed under: Biblical Teachings, Deliverance, Godly Principles, Marriage, Other, Our children, Testimonies, The Faith Walk, What Does the Bible Say About That?, Word of Exhortation
Current Mood: Anointed & 
Faith-filled & On Fire 4 God! & 
Righteous Indignation & Blessed & Triumphant
Do you know a Christian who’s contemplating becoming a Mason?
Do you believe something is conflicting between Christianity and Freemasonry, but you just don’t know the facts?
An elder at my church wrote a very enlightening article that I would like to share with you today. The article is titled Christian Masons??? And I’ve provided an excerpt of it followed by the link to the full article. Unlike several other articles written on this topic by people of one persuasion or another, this article provides documented truth and facts without emotionalism. Therefore, you know that the information you’re reading is based upon truth and facts and not just one person’s opinion. It provides you with clear, legitimized truth in a very digestible manner.
I’d recommend forwarding this article to every believer you know, especially those who are considering becoming a Mason (or even Eastern Star). For the Christians whom you know who aren’t considering becoming Mason, send it to them anyway; as this will be something they can contain in their witnessing arsenal. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe (Ephesians 1:17-23). I pray this in the mighty, matchless name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Christian Masons???
Written by Elder Jonathan L. Williams
Should A Christian Become a Mason?
Should a Christian be a Mason? This is a seldom discussed topic in the Church, even avoided by some. The average parishioner might be astounded to know just how many fellow worshippers have ties to freemasonry. Many merely view freemasonry as a social organization with benevolent causes seeking to promote self-enlightenment and development, contribution to society, and friendship among the brotherhood/sisterhood. Others contend that is evil or are cautious of any mysterious organization. The purpose of this article is to provide biblical perspective to the issues pertaining to freemasonry.
Christians that oppose freemasonry will often cite its secrecy as a primary reason not to join, even insisting that any organization outside of the Church is unnecessary and evil. The Bible teaches that God is love and we are therefore to help the disadvantaged. The Shriners, a group within freemasonry, raise billions world-wide each year for its Shriner’s Children’s Hospital, specializing in burns, spinal cord injury, cleft lip and palate, and orthopedics. This is one of a number of charitable causes supported by Masons. How many churches raise significant funds for causes other than those which benefit the church or its pastors? What is the percentage of the churches in your city that are united to sponsor large-scale charitable enterprises? How much can the Church criticize this organization for its unified efforts aiding the disadvantaged?
As stated, the purpose is not to criticize but provide insight into the Word of God on issues concentric to freemasonry. Candidly speaking, Masonic Lodges in some communities give more money to social initiatives than churches within the same communities. Sadly, many churches are more concerned with building funds and where they will worship than whether God truly honors their worship. Churches invest millions of dollars in the edifice while investing only hundreds of dollars in the communities surrounding the edifice. Many churches offer no outreach at all, giving only limited help to members. If it is true that through benevolence freemasonry conceals its real agenda, likewise in many churches selfish agendas are hidden behind the stained glass and muffled by the sound of the praise service.
The question before us is should a Christian be a Mason? This article is intended for those with a desire according to 1Pet. 3: 15 to, “Sanctify [or separate from everything else] the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear [of God].-NKJV” Though this article will only survey information relative to the topic, it will provide useful knowledge to anyone serious about growing in the faith. 2Tim. 2: 15 instructs us to “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.-KJV” It is dangerous to take a lax approach to study and growth in understanding the Word. “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge, because you have rejected knowledge I will also reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God I will also forget your children. Hosea 4:6.-NKJV” As an aside, I suppose the latter part of that verse helps some youth minister better comprehend the trouble within the youth group. While this article may be an interesting read it is faith food for the serious believer.
Having a bad feeling about freemasonry is not enough because feelings can change. Freemasonry is not wrong because your minister preaches against it. Freemasonry need not meet the approval of a stronger brother/sister in Christ. It is validated or invalidated by the Word of God alone. Before freemasonry can be evaluated according to Scripture one must gain insight into the organization itself. The fact is that most know very little about freemasonry or its tenets. Much concerning freemasonry is shrouded in secrecy. Masons actually swear an oath of secrecy, so most of what is learned of it is shared by current or former Masons. While this composition required many hours of research on freemasonry, it would quickly become a book if it included all the information examined. A survey of the information will suffice the purpose of this article.
What Do Masons Say About Freemasonry?
Let us begin with what Masons say about freemasonry. Any number of Masonic websites will share some basic information. This article will quote Masons regarding freemasonry. This way it cannot be said that an anti-mason group influenced the conclusions of this discourse. Most of the following was gathered from www.grandlodge-nc.org. First, Masons do not ask others to join.
“Many good men over the years have had their feelings hurt because close friends whom they knew to be Masons never invited them to join Freemasonry. They did not know, of course, that these close friends were prohibited by Masonic law from issuing such invitations. A man must seek Masonic membership of his own free will and accord.”
Further, going to a meeting will not guarantee membership. Members are chosen through secret ballot. Once selected the individual joins the Blue Lodge, the entry Lodge for all Masons. In the Blue Lodge the Mason learns the craft of freemasonry. Freemasonry is aimed attaining greater self and spiritual knowledge or as they refer to it, the light.
The first degree is that of entered apprentice and during it the candidate is introduced to the basic principles of Freemasonry. As noted in an earlier chapter, symbolic use of various building tools is employed to impress upon him moral truths and doctrines. The degree is serious throughout and, contrary to some wild tales occasionally circulated, there is never any horseplay or frivolity involved (this is true of all three symbolic degrees). Upon completion of the degree, the candidate begins learning a catechism in which he must become proficient before he may receive the next degree.
In the second degree he becomes a fellow craft, learning still more of the principles and teachings of Freemasonry, especially of its close alliance with the arts and sciences. Again, he must commit a catechism to memory before proceeding to the next degree.
The third and final degree is that of master mason, teaching still more of the moral truths of the fraternity, culminating with an impressive lesson concerning the rich rewards awaiting all good men.
Freemasonry is about learning as the words doctrines, teachings, and truths are mentioned. Just as one earns a degree upon achieving a level of knowledge, a Mason is conferred degrees for successfully completing levels of learning. Upon having earned the third degree in the Blue Lodge becoming a Master Mason, an individual can seek to further his Masonic education in other Masonic Orders, mainly the Scottish Rite or the York Rite. The Masonic Lodge is a place where teaching occurs and lots of it!
“The catechisms a Mason is required to learn as he progresses through the degrees are often, at the outset, regarded as considerable chores and candidates sometimes wonder why they are required at all. But, they serve useful purposes for the fraternity and—although he may not realize it at the time—they are particularly useful to the Mason all through his life.”
What Does the Bible Say About the Philosophies and Doctrines Adopted by Masons?
Masons will generally argue that the path to enlightenment is the same as referenced in scripture. John 1: 9 refers to Jesus as, “That True Light which gives light to every man that comes into the world.-NKJV” The issue is whether the light of freemasonry is in fact the True Light or what is described in 2Cor. 11: 14-15, “For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers transform themselves into ministers of righteousness.-NKJV” In fact, John 1: 9 and verses like John 14: 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through Me-NKJV” are problematic for Masons because these verses assert that Jesus is the only true way to God, thus nullifying [cancel out] any other path to God. On their website www.grandlodge-nc.org, the Masonic chapter of North Carolina contends
In a Masonic lodge, he will not hear one religion advanced as being superior to any other.
TO CONTINUE READING CLICK HERE OR GO TO http://www.sgomonline.org/faithfood/2010/06/24/christian-masons/
.
Right Now Comes With A Price
Filed under: Godly Principles, Marriage, Our children, Prophetic Word
Current Mood: Anointed & Blessed & Free & 
Happy & Highly Favored & 
Humbled & Prayerful & Thankful
Too Busy Thinking about Myself, I didn’t have time to think of nothing else. Don’t ask me about no kids, cause I didn’t know, see I ain’t seen my son in a couple days, last time I seen him he was going to a party with some friends. I didn’t think nothing of it, I just thought while he was gone I would get me some “Me Time” with my Boo. (Mr. Right Now). Now today at 1pm we will be viewing his body. I should have payed more attention to him, made sure he got to school… See we used to go to church. I just don’t know what happened.
Too often we find ourselves asking these questions after the fact. The problem is her son did what he wanted to do, when he wanted to do it, and she did what she wanted to do and when she wanted ” Right Now”. The problem is it came with a price. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.” This means that no matter how far this child strays he will always return back to what you taught him. A lot of parents take their hands away before it is time leaving the child to raise themselves. Today children are making their own decisions from going to school to making a decision to attend church. We have left the days of old and replaced with them the new traditional ways of giving children more freedom to do whatever they want.
Bottom line is children should not be making adult decisions. We should be making decisions for them. We are here to protect our children from the ways of the world and we should not loose site of that. We should not remove our hands from them before time. Everything around them moves at a fast pace and it is a ” Right Now” world, a world that they are not ready to conquer just yet.
About the Author
Name: Naima, aka "MsLadyNi"
Email:
Web Site: http://www.naimawilliams.org
Yahoo IM:
Bio: This fiery yet humble servant of God ministers under an authentic prophetic anointing yet has a teaching ministry style. She also has a deep, genuine passion for the building up and edifying the body of Christ. Since her membership of Shekinah Glory Outreach Ministries International in Chesapeake, VA, under the pastorate of Bishop A. Ray Rouson, she’s faithfully served as a part of the street team ministry, a Sunday school teacher, an Associate Minister, and later the Director of Evangelism. She also spearheaded their Online Outreach Ministry and served as its President and Editor in Chief. During her tenure at SGOMI, she also became certified by Christian International Apostolic Network founded Dr. Bill Hamon, to teach how to properly minister in the prophetic based upon Scripture. Additionally, she also served on the prophetic team at Destiny Spirit Apostolic Network under the pastorate of Apostle Astern. She served in these capacities until the Lord called her to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia in July 2010. To read more about Naima, click "About" then "Who's Naima" located on the top horizontal menu. You can also visit her official website at www.NaimaWilliams.org and her eJournal at www.NaimaWilliams.com/blog! Be sure to connect to her through MySpace and Facebook!
Subscription Options:
Random Posts
-
Elevation Through Humiliation
Current Mood: Anointed & On Fire 4 God!There are times when it’ll seem like God has dropped you off in the middle of the wilderness, just like you drop off a friend at work, and then drives off. And there you are, standing in the middle of nowhere, feeling alone and afraid, not knowing what [...]
-
When the Righteous Cry
Current Mood: Blessed & Thankful & TriumphantWhen the righteous cry, the Lord hearth and delivereth them out of all their troubles (Psalms 34:17). God has spoiled us to a certain extent that he gives us favor when we don’t think we deserve. Why? Because He is faithful. He is love, longsuffering, gentle, kind… the list [...]
-
Real Talk Part II
Current Mood: Anointed & BrokenThere will be moments in your walk with God when it seems like He’s called you to hardship and keeps putting you in places where you feel alone, forgotten and forsaken. But the words “seem like” and “feels” doesn’t necessarily reflect the reality. Your reality becomes that which you give the [...]
-
Elevation Through Humiliation
- Profiles of Egypt's main presidential candidates
- Explosion near U.N. ceasefire monitor chief's convoy: Reuters witness
- Syrian army shelling, gunfire kills 34 in Hama: group
- Thousands begin NATO protest march through Chicago
- In tornado-weary Joplin, graduates eager to move on despite Obama visit
Entries from Naima’s eJournal
The Latest Top News
News Plugin created by Jake Ruston's Wordpress Plugins - Powered by Dior Sunglasses.