| Isaiah 59:19 declares: "...when the enemy
| |
| | used. Yes, we hate those tests but we do
|
| comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the
| |
| | love the testimonies, don't we?We also
|
| lord lifts up a standard against him."I'm
| |
| | find in Isaiah 59:21 "As for Me," says
|
| not all that sure that the original
| |
| | the LORD, "this is My covenant with them:
|
| language in which this was written
| |
| | My Spirit who is upon you, and My words
|
| contained a comma after the word "flood."
| |
| | which I have put in your mouth, shall not
|
| I prefer to believe that the actual pause
| |
| | depart from your mouth, nor from the
|
| belongs after the word "IN." Try it
| |
| | mouth of your descendants, nor from the
|
| again: "When the enemy comes in, LIKE A
| |
| | mouth of your descendants' descendants,"
|
| FLOOD, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift
| |
| | says the LORD, "from this time and
|
| up a standard against him."There. That's
| |
| | forevermore."God has placed His Word in
|
| more like it.When we think of "spiritual
| |
| | our mouths. Not only in our minds (Psalm
|
| journeys," we usually envision
| |
| | 119:11 says: "Your word I have hidden in
|
| experiences that will lead us to peace
| |
| | my heart, that I might not sin against
|
| and harmony, serenity and contentment. As
| |
| | you!") Certainly, His Word is in our
|
| we attempt to deal with the stuff of
| |
| | Bibles, but He wants the Word in our
|
| life, whether it's emotional, physical,
| |
| | mouths. In our hearts. We overcome the
|
| relational or financial, as spiritual
| |
| | "flood" of the enemy by God's Words
|
| beings, we tend to tap into spiritual
| |
| | coming out of our mouths. Our testimony.
|
| things for comfort and guidance.As you
| |
| | Jesus used this when He was tested; our
|
| take your spiritual journey, beware! God
| |
| | example. Jesus only responded to Satan in
|
| may be taking you somewhere special and
| |
| | His wilderness discipleship course with
|
| unexpected. Don't fall for the illusion
| |
| | the Word.God has provided the perfect
|
| that spirituality is always a source of
| |
| | weapon to use. His Word is powerful and
|
| solace. There's an old Yiddish proverb
| |
| | Satan cannot stand against it. It is so
|
| that goes, "God is an earthquake, not an
| |
| | much more than a levee that diverts the
|
| uncle."Along those lines, do you recall
| |
| | flood he sends our way; it swallows it
|
| the Prophet Elijah's encounter with God
| |
| | up.We now have everything we need for
|
| on Mount Horeb? Here we have the mighty
| |
| | covenant living. We can have triumphant
|
| Prophet Elijah, fresh after his defeat of
| |
| | lives, pleasing to God, serving Jesus and
|
| the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400
| |
| | following the small voice of the Holy
|
| prophets of the Asherah on Mount Carmel,
| |
| | Spirit.IS GOD YOUR HIDING PLACE?I've
|
| being hunted by Queen Jezebel. While this
| |
| | faced some tragic crises, both personal
|
| mighty man of God was hiding from this
| |
| | and professional. My own dad once asked
|
| woman, he encountered some other, very
| |
| | me why it was I wasn't seeing a
|
| frightening things - natural elements
| |
| | psychologist after all I'd been through.
|
| that included an earthquake, wind,
| |
| | It's because Jesus is REAL to me; real as
|
| lightning, and fire. But by virtue of the
| |
| | you are. In the darkest hours of my soul,
|
| depth of his relationship with God, he
| |
| | the only place where I've found the
|
| knew these could not have been sent by
| |
| | genuine "peace that passes all
|
| Him, the God who had cared for him for so
| |
| | understanding" and the "unspeakable joy"
|
| many years. It was only when Elijah heard
| |
| | referred to by Paul the Apostle came as a
|
| "a still small voice," that he felt he
| |
| | result of a relationship with God in
|
| was finally hearing from God of
| |
| | trusting that He truly is my
|
| Heaven.ARE YOU LISTENING?It's that same
| |
| | refuge.Regarding Katrina, there will be
|
| "still small voice" that each of us can
| |
| | much to do to recover from this mess.
|
| listen for and be guided by - even when
| |
| | God's presence and power will be
|
| we are in situations less
| |
| | available to guide and direct recovery
|
| life-threatening than the path of a
| |
| | efforts as well as the return to
|
| hurricane. Right now, we can let that
| |
| | civilization for all who will call upon
|
| voice direct our prayers for the refugees
| |
| | Him. Throughout the restoration effort,
|
| and the rescuers. We can listen and
| |
| | His love, mercy and grace will continue
|
| understand those who are impacted by
| |
| | to be available as the refuge that
|
| disaster when we recognize that Hurricane
| |
| | comforts, strengthens, and restores the
|
| Katrina was NOT God's way of punishing
| |
| | spirit of those in need. My warning to
|
| the Big Easy, though it's a fact that we
| |
| | those being tested through this recent,
|
| will ALWAYS reap the consequences for the
| |
| | overwhelming disaster: Do NOT be too
|
| seeds we sow - good seeds and bad. If
| |
| | quick to detest your current discomfort.
|
| we're listening, that still small voice
| |
| | We in the West would do well to learn to
|
| will guide us through our own life's
| |
| | embrace the thorns as well as stopping to
|
| disasters and strengthen us, even when
| |
| | smell every delightful rose.This life is
|
| the tide is rising.How strong is your
| |
| | not "it" for you.There's more.It gets
|
| faith? It WILL be tested.How strong is
| |
| | better.We can never expect to be
|
| your family? The tests will come.How
| |
| | satisfied here anyway.Need hope for the
|
| strong is your church? Your organization?
| |
| | "floods" that seem to be overtaking YOUR
|
| Your relationship? Your community? Your
| |
| | life right now? Read this from Jeremiah
|
| nation? Just as Jesus Himself was led by
| |
| | 29:11-14: "For I know the plans I have
|
| the Spirit to be tested by the devil
| |
| | for you, declares the Lord, plans for
|
| (Gee, thanks, Spirit!), so , too, will WE
| |
| | wholeness and not for evil, to give you a
|
| be tested. How else will we know what
| |
| | future and a hope. Then you will call
|
| we're made of? Jesus said several times
| |
| | upon me and come and pray to me, and I
|
| that He came "as an example." If He went
| |
| | will hear you. You will seek me and find
|
| through trials, we, TOO, shall face
| |
| | me. When you seek me with all your heart,
|
| trials. And if we FAIL the tests, we get
| |
| | I will be found by you, declares the
|
| to take them again and again till we pass
| |
| | Lord, and I will restore your fortunes
|
| to the next level.WARNING: New level, new
| |
| | and gather you from all the nations and
|
| devil, but we must soldier-on if our
| |
| | all the places where I have driven you,
|
| lives are ever going to exhibit the fruit
| |
| | declares the Lord, and I will bring you
|
| of our relationship with God. Don't
| |
| | back to the place from which I sent you
|
| worry...once you've passed through the
| |
| | into exile."DO YOU WANT TO HELP?The
|
| Refiner's fire, you won't smell a hint of
| |
| | largest displacement of Americans since
|
| smoke.We have God's promise.HERE'S WHAT
| |
| | the Civil War reverberated across the
|
| JESUS HAS TO SAY:"And every one that
| |
| | country from New Orleans yesterday, as
|
| heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
| |
| | more than half a million people uprooted
|
| them not, shall be likened unto a foolish
| |
| | by Hurricane Katrina seek shelter,
|
| man, which built his house upon the sand:
| |
| | sustenance and are facing the
|
| And the rain descended, and the floods
| |
| | uncertainties of starting some sort of
|
| came, and the winds blew, and beat upon
| |
| | new lives.Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt
|
| that house; and it fell: and great was
| |
| | Schilling and his wife Shonda paid to fly
|
| the fall of it," (Matt 7:24-27).
| |
| | a New Orleans family of nine to Boston
|
| Jesus warned us about the coming flood
| |
| | and pledged to provide them with housing
|
| of the last days, a storm that would be
| |
| | for a year. The Fields family, with seven
|
| unleashed against the people of God. He
| |
| | children between the ages of 5 and 12,
|
| described this flood to be accompanied by
| |
| | fled New Orleans just before Hurricane
|
| hurricane winds of testing, torrents of
| |
| | Katrina struck.
|
| trouble, and rising tide of demonic
| |
| | "When we realized how many people had
|
| fury.In such days of persecution, wrath
| |
| | nowhere to go, we didn't just want to
|
| and trouble will pour out of the devil's
| |
| | make a donation," Shonda Schilling told
|
| foul mouth against the Body of Christ:
| |
| | The Boston Globe. "We decided we wanted
|
| "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and
| |
| | to bring an entire family here and put
|
| of the sea! For the devil is come down
| |
| | them up."The families connected through a
|
| unto you, having great wrath, because he
| |
| | Web site, OpenYourHome.com, which matches
|
| knoweth that he hath but a short time...
| |
| | displaced families with people willing to
|
| he persecuted the woman which brought
| |
| | house them. The Schillings registered
|
| forth the man child... and the serpent
| |
| | Friday and on Saturday anonymously
|
| cast out of his mouth water as a flood
| |
| | arranged for the family to fly to
|
| after the woman [the church], that he
| |
| | Boston.Additionally, the American Red
|
| might cause her to he carried away of the
| |
| | Cross has set up a site where individuals
|
| flood," (Rev 12:12-15).Will Satan
| |
| | may volunteer their homes or request a
|
| literally spew floodwaters out of his
| |
| | place to stay. That site is located at
|
| mouth? No. The enemy WILL come against us
| |
| | KatrinaHousing.org. Check it out. To
|
| with words, lies, half- truths, and every
| |
| | Christians everywhere, we must ask
|
| wicked thing that can be verbalized or
| |
| | ourselves the question, if we do not take
|
| even written. He will use our own minds
| |
| | these displaced families in, taking
|
| and even other people to keep the "flood"
| |
| | advantage of the opportunity to make
|
| coming at us relentlessly to get us where
| |
| | disciples, who will?Over the years, I
|
| we have no solid foundation on which to
| |
| | have taken in homeless people myself. A
|
| stand.By now, we've all seen the TV
| |
| | gay witch. A long-bearded alcoholic
|
| footage of Katrina's floodwaters carrying
| |
| | brick-layer. A former Army Ranger who had
|
| with it everything from cars to trains to
| |
| | just become a Christian after years in
|
| houses, destroying everything in its
| |
| | the occult. A black crack addict. Several
|
| path. This is why God says our enemy
| |
| | others on a very short-term basis. I have
|
| comes in like a "flood", using words of
| |
| | also been that person seeking shelter,
|
| destruction to bring us down and to
| |
| | trusting that God was going to provide in
|
| destroy us. Satan wants to do to us what
| |
| | one way or another. He always did.My
|
| a flood does to everything in its
| |
| | advice to anyone is simply: (1) make sure
|
| path.LIFT UP A STANDARDAs was mentioned
| |
| | you're being led by the Spirit. A "good"
|
| at the start in Isaiah 59:19, a "standard
| |
| | idea is not always a GOD idea.(2) if you
|
| is lifted up by the Spirit of the Lord on
| |
| | take someone in, set the house rules IN
|
| our behalf. What is the "standard"? How
| |
| | WRITING so that your guests know what's
|
| do we make use of this resource? We find
| |
| | expected by both parties, what will not
|
| the answer in Revelation 12:11 "And they
| |
| | be tolerated and what the consequences
|
| overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and
| |
| | will be if rules are broken. (3) involve
|
| by the word of their testimony, and they
| |
| | church leadership; keep everyone
|
| did not love their lives to the
| |
| | accountable. There are more. implementing
|
| death."There it is, the "word of their
| |
| | these would be a good start.
|
| testimony" was the overcoming action they
| |
| |
|
