Stand Firm in Your Faith
Greetings in the Lord!
In my commute to work in Denver I often take a bus and metro train. I like the commute and the opportunity it gives me to chat with other people...or rather, I've made myself available to the Spirit to move and speak to other people. Yesterday I had a good conversation with a middle aged black man who was returning home from work. As we began talking he asked me where I worked and I told him the whole story of how the Lord had wonderfully arranged my current job situation--of all the prophetic words that had been fulfilled along the way. He was so delighted at the story and said, "Boy, that is a great testimony! So encouraging!" I discerned the Lord wanted to increase his faith and strengthen him with hope and it was well received. This was a man of integrity whose faith "battery" was on low and needed recharging.
Sure enough, he shared that he had been in the military early in his adult career and had often been challenged and ridiculed for his Chrisitian faith and adherence to integrity while there. He explained that most military guys around him liked to carouse on their off time and only gave lip service to God but really didn't walk out their faith. In times of temptation or trial they were quick to give in and do whatever eased their pain at the moment or what conventional wisdom suggested, contrary to what the Word of God said.
The interesting part of his story was that now during these days of financial unstability, war, etc. he was confused and "undecided" about his choice for President, although he liked the smooth words and style of Obama. When we discussed matters of integrity and faith he then wavered, still uncertain of his choice. It seemed that all the negative circumstances of the world were warring against his faith walk. We talked about different histories of nations and how a climate of financial crisis, war, and personal suffering had paved the way for evil leaders to come to power because the people chose to follow a false light and not the Light. They abandoned the fight for integrity and holiness and chose promises of worldly comfort, peace and prosperity. History recalls how many people admitted to ignoring warning signs or turned their backs while injustices happened or simply rejected their suspicions that these leaders may be up to no good to allow for them to come to power. In essence, they became willing participants.
In fact, the devil banks on that.
"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face." Job 1:9-11.
The early morning after the Vice Presidential debate the Lord gave me a vision of a soldier lowering his gun and walking off the battlefield while the war raged on all around him. I understood that many US Christians were leaving the trenches because they had lost hope after Sarah Palin's poor performance at her debate. But those Christians were no different than the millions of Americans who are choosing to follow Obama--they want to follow and believe a person instead of turning their eyes to the Lord and choosing His ways. This is a season of greater divide between those that really love and follow the Lord and the rest of the people.
After Job lost everything and had his body plagued with afflictions too, it was then that he stood firmer in his faith.
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:9-10.
So, the question (that stems from unbelief) that people ask is: "Are you saying that the current financial crisis was from the Lord?" Well, I do believe He allowed it to happen. In August of this year--one month before the Wall Street crash, I was talking with people when the Lord was giving words of knowledge about the crisis: I explained to the listeners what soon would happen financially and why the Lord was allowing it to happen--to re-structure our economic system away from being greed driven. Also, in September of 2007 I shared at a congregation in Michigan the vision the Lord had given me about huge skyscrapers shaking in NYC and money falling out of those shaking, waving buildings like confetti at Macy's parade.
Now is the time like from Isaiah 7, when the king of Judah, Ahaz is trembling at the allied forces against him--Aram and Ephraim, and Isaiah tells him the word of the Lord:
"Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood...(who) have plotted you ruin saying, 'Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.' Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'It will not take place, it will not happen,....If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" Isaiah 7:4-7,9b.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
In my commute to work in Denver I often take a bus and metro train. I like the commute and the opportunity it gives me to chat with other people...or rather, I've made myself available to the Spirit to move and speak to other people. Yesterday I had a good conversation with a middle aged black man who was returning home from work. As we began talking he asked me where I worked and I told him the whole story of how the Lord had wonderfully arranged my current job situation--of all the prophetic words that had been fulfilled along the way. He was so delighted at the story and said, "Boy, that is a great testimony! So encouraging!" I discerned the Lord wanted to increase his faith and strengthen him with hope and it was well received. This was a man of integrity whose faith "battery" was on low and needed recharging.
Sure enough, he shared that he had been in the military early in his adult career and had often been challenged and ridiculed for his Chrisitian faith and adherence to integrity while there. He explained that most military guys around him liked to carouse on their off time and only gave lip service to God but really didn't walk out their faith. In times of temptation or trial they were quick to give in and do whatever eased their pain at the moment or what conventional wisdom suggested, contrary to what the Word of God said.
The interesting part of his story was that now during these days of financial unstability, war, etc. he was confused and "undecided" about his choice for President, although he liked the smooth words and style of Obama. When we discussed matters of integrity and faith he then wavered, still uncertain of his choice. It seemed that all the negative circumstances of the world were warring against his faith walk. We talked about different histories of nations and how a climate of financial crisis, war, and personal suffering had paved the way for evil leaders to come to power because the people chose to follow a false light and not the Light. They abandoned the fight for integrity and holiness and chose promises of worldly comfort, peace and prosperity. History recalls how many people admitted to ignoring warning signs or turned their backs while injustices happened or simply rejected their suspicions that these leaders may be up to no good to allow for them to come to power. In essence, they became willing participants.
In fact, the devil banks on that.
"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have You not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face." Job 1:9-11.
The early morning after the Vice Presidential debate the Lord gave me a vision of a soldier lowering his gun and walking off the battlefield while the war raged on all around him. I understood that many US Christians were leaving the trenches because they had lost hope after Sarah Palin's poor performance at her debate. But those Christians were no different than the millions of Americans who are choosing to follow Obama--they want to follow and believe a person instead of turning their eyes to the Lord and choosing His ways. This is a season of greater divide between those that really love and follow the Lord and the rest of the people.
After Job lost everything and had his body plagued with afflictions too, it was then that he stood firmer in his faith.
His wife said to him, "Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!"
Job replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said. Job 2:9-10.
So, the question (that stems from unbelief) that people ask is: "Are you saying that the current financial crisis was from the Lord?" Well, I do believe He allowed it to happen. In August of this year--one month before the Wall Street crash, I was talking with people when the Lord was giving words of knowledge about the crisis: I explained to the listeners what soon would happen financially and why the Lord was allowing it to happen--to re-structure our economic system away from being greed driven. Also, in September of 2007 I shared at a congregation in Michigan the vision the Lord had given me about huge skyscrapers shaking in NYC and money falling out of those shaking, waving buildings like confetti at Macy's parade.
Now is the time like from Isaiah 7, when the king of Judah, Ahaz is trembling at the allied forces against him--Aram and Ephraim, and Isaiah tells him the word of the Lord:
"Be careful, keep calm and don't be afraid. Do not lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firewood...(who) have plotted you ruin saying, 'Let us invade Judah; let us tear it apart and divide it among ourselves, and make the son of Tabeel king over it.' Yet this is what the Sovereign Lord says: 'It will not take place, it will not happen,....If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.'" Isaiah 7:4-7,9b.
~Be blessed and be a blessing.
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