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