MY POWER PREVAILS

There’s Power in My Name

Psalms Chapter 20

I am so tired of seeing My people pushed around by the devil! I am grieved that so many dear saints are chewing their nails worrying about which part of their lives satan might wreck next. Will he attack their marriage, health, finances, or even their physical safety? I did not put you here on this earth to be abused by the devil, or to provide amusement for him, but to overcome him through the Blood of the Lamb.

So many Christians are forced to focus on defending themselves against a vicious devil for most of their lives, and it takes just as long for them to recover from a lifetime of devastating onslaughts by the powers of darkness. Some never recover at all, till they leave this world; especially in cases where they are not being fortified by sound ministry from a church rooted and grounded in My faith, love, and power. So many cry: “Where is the power You promised us, Lord? Why is the devil having such an easy time of it? Why can’t I ever score any significant victory over him?”

Remember, the devil is a liar. He’ll send his imps to lie to you all day, seeking to wear you down and get you resigned to a life of defeat. But I have already triumphed over those forces of darkness, and in My Name you will see the outworking of that victory in the physical realm where your earthly life is played out. By faith, receive the victory I have already won for you through My death on the Cross. Receive My resurrection power in your soul, and in your earthly body. Proclaim to saint and sinner alike that I alone am the Lord of Hosts Who fights on behalf of My loved ones to restore all that was lost through the Fall of Adam. Don’t try to triumph in your own name, or in your own ability, for you cannot do this. By faith, seize upon that victory Christ has already won. Proclaim to the enemy his defeat, and I will honor your confession by releasing My power on your behalf.

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength

Nehemiah 8:10; Psalms 66:8-9; Romans 15:13

A certain cynical saint observed the joy of a new convert and thought: The poor thing. His joy is like a shiny new penny now, but just wait till the trials come. He’ll wind up like me in a few years, just barely hanging on by a thread to his sanity.

This older saint, a veteran of many battles with the devil, was astounded to see signs and wonders follow the new ministry of the younger man. Whenever the new convert prayed for sick people, he’d get quick results, whereas the older saint found praying for miracles a daunting challenge he’d given up on a long time ago.

The difference? The battle-hardened veteran of trials and testings had been wrongly taught that the Christian life is a heavy burden, rather than a joyful gift I bestow. He thought it was up to him to produce the fruits of that life, period. He’d been taught that joy is a mere fringe benefit that comes with the Christian life, and it comes and goes like the wind. But it is my joy that gives you the victory, for it is an inner witness that I am in control of things, and will solve the problem at hand.

Your joy is always there, though it is not always at the forefront of your consciousness, especially in times of stress or sorrow. But it lies deep within the core of your being, in the deep chamber of your spirit, where My Spirit is constantly upholding you and renewing your inner life. Within your soul lies the outer periphery of consciousness which deals directly with the world. Sometimes you feel your joy has been tarnished from having to interact with such a soiled world, though that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve sinned. Whenever you feel your joy receding and heaviness coming to the forefront, ask Me to cleanse away the tarnish of this tainted world you must come in contact with everyday.

Joy is not a mere frill you can dispense with. The Joy of the Lord is your strength!

I MAINTAIN You in Blessing

Job 1: 9-10; Psalms 16:5-6

Many Christians have little to do with Me unless they are in need of My supernatural help. They are what I call Sunday saints. I am gracious, and willing to act on behalf of those souls who call upon Me. The vast majority of Sunday saints’ prayers are prayers of petition for earthly things, chiefly for themselves, or for a few loved ones. Even then they tend to come to Me only when money or other natural resources run short. Rarely do I receive heartfelt prayers of thanksgiving or prayers of consecration from such lukewarm souls. These people find it burdensome to offer up such prayers, and usually attempt such spiritual exercises only when a gnawing sense of guilt impels them to do it.

I often feel like a hard-working mother who toils all day to provide a special meal for her family, only to receive little appreciation for it afterward. My lukewarm children eagerly flock to My Table of Blessing, greedily wolf down the pleasant things, then rush away, until the next time they decide they need Me. Satan lulls them into a false sense of security, as they set their heart more and more on earthly things.

A wise believer will realize that he or she must lean on Me at all times, even when things seem to be going well. Since the Fall of Adam, the universe has degenerated steadily into decay and disorder. Ideal life circumstances in this world are fleeting, and you will always need My help to counteract forces of chaos coming against the blessings I have already provided for you. Remember Job. Once the hedge of protection was temporarily removed from his circumstances, everything fell apart. In the end, I restored that hedge, and he ended his days in prosperity.

I must uphold you in blessing continually, through the Power of My Holy Spirit, that the powers of darkness may be rendered powerless to harm or rob you.. During times of stress or trial, I must maintain you in peace until the trial is over and My peace once again rests upon your circumstances.

Your Deliverance is Maintained by Faith

Deuteronomy 28: 27-28,63-68; 32:20-21; Psalms 5:12; Chapter 106

I would never want My people to live in daily anxiety about My faithfulness, because that can never change. I cannot deny Myself. It is people who wander away from Me, and the blessed sphere of My Presence, either through rebellion or idolatry of some sort. Then they no longer enjoy the Rest of Faith I have called them into. They become easy prey for the devil, who is eager to rob them of victories I have already given them.

How jubilant were the children of Israel when I had just delivered them out of the Land of Egypt. They were set free from their captivity of 400 years.

It was through forgetting the mighty works of God that discontent set in, and their hearts grew colder toward Me. I warned them repeatedly through My servant Moses what would befall their nation if they stopped loving Me and worshipped other gods, which were no gods at all but demons in disguise.

I warned them that if they did not serve me with thankfulness and joyfulness of heart because of all the good I had done for them, evil would come upon them. I had promised them that so long as they remained faithful to Me, there would be no danger of their being taken captive again. They would never even see the Land of Egypt again. But if they rebelled against Me and My commandments, they would return to their old captivity in Egypt. They would be scattered all over the earth, and be heavily oppressed by their enemies. They would return to a life of fear, bondage, and anxiety, because they had forsaken Me, their Haven of Rest. Once Israel rebelled, I called them “children in whom is no faith”.

I have seen so many of my saints lose their answer to prayer, or be bound once more by a captivity situation. They become ensnared in the same old situations they were in before; because once they got their prayers answered, they forgot all about Me. They went back to their old destructive ways and thought patterns instead of walking in close communion with Me. I am a shield to those who trust in Me, but I cannot do this for those who forsake Me.

Weapons of Faith

Prov. 14:4; Romans 15:18-19; I Corinthians 2:5; and 12:7-11; II Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 3:7

What army on earth is more demoralized than My own? For I behold My own Church laying down the weapons of the Spirit in the most critical moments of the battle. Even now your enemy satan is frantically deploying the most hideous weapons in his own arsenal, which he has largely reserved for these end times.

Except for certain church properties and homes, the entire earth is yet under his usurped dominion. He is the prince of this world, while My people are strangers and pilgrims in it. The enemy continually strives to tear down My beloved ones at work, at school, in every circumstance of life. The eyes of the saints are assaulted by pornography on newspaper racks in supermarkets and elsewhere, and the very atmosphere of this world reeks of Sodom. I continually receive evil reports from My holy angels about the unutterable wickedness of this present-day earth.

My Church is meant to be an oasis of refreshing in the wasteland of this world, a wellspring of Living Water to revive weary souls, and a place to fortify saints to engage in spiritual warfare.

I gave the nine Gifts of the Spirit for the edifying of My Body the Church. They were meant to be an expression of My Love manifested through the workings of My Holy Spirit.

I long to speak to My assemblies through the utterance Gifts of Prophecy, Tongues and Interpretation. Many a weary, discouraged saint has been uplifted and encouraged by receiving a word in due season through these verbal gifts. Many lethargic believers have been inspired to renew their first Love for Me and to forsake lukewarmness through the ministry of the Prophetic Word.

There are times when the battle gets so heated that the human spirit would fail if I did not impart a special anointing of faith for victory over the works of satan. Ordinary faith will not suffice for every situation. Let there be those in your midst who seek Me for the Gift of Anointed Faith, so that victory can be achieved every time on behalf of weaker saints who might grow discouraged and fall by the wayside.

It took a miracle to part the Red Sea. It took an even greater miracle to raise the shattered form of My precious Son from death. There are times when one must operate by faith in the supernatural realm, when the laws of nature are suspended for the outworking of My own purposes. Let those held captive by satan find deliverance from his prison house through the operation of the Gift of Miracles.

Let My Church be a place of healing. I have no hands in this world but those yielded to Me, hands which are willing to anoint the sick with oil and pray the Prayer of Faith, that these afflicted ones might recover. Sometimes the healing will be instantaneous; other times it will manifest itself gradually. At times I will empower one saint to pray successfully for the healing of cancer; at other times, some other saint might have the anointing to pray for the healing of chronic illnesses or even blindness. In time of need, there should be manifestations of the Gifts of Healing, imparted to consecrated believers by the Spirit as He will; But My spirit is a Gentleman. He will not force My Gifts upon those unwilling to accept them.

Every army needs its intelligence operation, keeping track of enemy strategy, and planning its own strategy accordingly. Through the Gift of Divine Knowledge, My Spirit imparts crucial information on people, places, and things. He sheds light on hidden needs and areas of conflict. He uncovers the secret workings of satan, who has often tried to infiltrate My Church with false brethren and damaging heresies. Lives have been preserved from natural disasters and from criminal attack because of the working of the Gift of Knowledge.

Through the operation of the Gift of Discerning of Spirits, My Spirit can reveal the demonic origin of illnesses. I can help you detect a false, deceiving spirit trying to make inroads into the life of a person or an entire congregation. I will bestow an anointing upon believers to empower them to take authority over the evil spirits, and cast them out in the Name of Jesus. Many people have been set free from physical and mental disorders through the operation of this gift. Many churches have avoided splitting over doctrinal disputes or turning into cults because the insidious workings of satan were detected in time.

If wisdom was needed in the days of King Solomon, how much more is it needed now in these days of gross darkness. Far better that a believer seek MY way out of a deep difficulty than to resort to hit-and-miss tactics to repulse the attacks of the enemy. My special Anointing of Divine Wisdom will preserve lives from needless tragedies and help saints to steer clear of spiritual or circumstantial shipwreck.

Supernatural works of the Spirit were part of My commission I gave to My disciples just before ascending to heaven. Not for the sake of vainglory or show, but because the multitudes are perishing for want of deliverance from the works of satan. I came to destroy the works of the devil!

Yet My Church is rapidly veering away from My original commission to engage in spiritual warfare against the works of the devil. Genuine interest was shown by saints of the previous generation, and a beginning was made during that last great outpouring of My Spirit.

But now apathy has set in. My services have been "dressed for success", choreographed and even planned in advance down to the minutest detail and I can’t get a word in edgewise at some places. Just as businessmen are trussed up in their suits and ties, My anointing has been bound by the prevailing "success" culture. The flavor of the world has seeped into the sanctuary. In the interest of preserving so-called "order", My Spirit is quenched. Often, very little effort is made by My pastors to even study about the operation of the Nine Gifts of the Spirit. There is a deeply entrenched fear that chaos and confusion would result if My people were set free to actually begin to move in the Gifts of the Spirit. So My soldiers are obliged to throw down their weapons. Only the devil benefits from that!

When an ox stall has no ox in it, there is never any mess to clean up. If the gifts are banned, no mistakes can possibly be made in their use. But the power a church gains from them is missing.

It’s so easy to fall into the "someday" trap. SOMEDAY the Glory will fall down. SOMEDAY God will do great and mighty things. SOMEDAY the multitudes will be delivered, and a mighty work will be accomplished for the Glory of God.

This complacency has resulted from a loss of the expectancy of the imminency of My soon Appearing to receive My people to Myself. Predictions of My Appearing in the last generation failed to materialize, because My Father had other plans. So there is a false belief that you will be here many more years. But I would have you all to seek My face and plead with Me to send a fresh Revival of the Spirit among My people, even greater than the wonderful Jesus Revolution of the 60’s and early 70’s, which fizzled out because satan sneaked the false Prosperity Doctrine into My ranks, so that My people got too obsessed with earthly desires. Error has no power, and it diverts you from what I really want to accomplish for these last few days of your sojourn on earth. I would love to impart a fresh anointing upon you all to do My wonderful works of deliverance on behalf of the multitudes bound by satan.

Sickness: A Fish or a Serpent?

Matt. 7:7-11; John 11:1-46; I John 3:8

Some skeptics argue that you’ve got to accept all illness as being from my hand and give Me thanks for it because Paul said in Ephesians 5:20: Give thanks for all things. Truly when you receive a gift of love from someone, you thank the one who gave it, not the one who didn’t give it.

Every good and perfect gift comes from My hand, saith the Lord. But if you ask Me for a fish, would I give you a serpent instead? If you pray for health and satan tries you for a time with a severe illness, who gave you that sickness, Me or the devil? And if you are blind enough to you see your condition as a precious gift from My hand, are you not contradicting yourself when you pray for deliverance from it?

The wrong interpretation of Paul’s message is ludicrous. Taken to extremes, it means you could thank Me for every abortion, blasphemy, rape, murder, carjacking, drug-dealing, robbery and war going on in the world today. No, that verse means you should give Me due thanks for bestowing kindness and favor I bestow upon you as a child of God.

It was a sad day when Lazarus died of illness. But Jesus was still able to give Me thanks. He thanked Me that My glory would be manifest in the situation by raising Lazarus back to life in perfect health. Jesus did not thank Me that Lazarus had had such a miserable time, and did not thank Me for the illness itself. Christ knew it was the devil who had kept Lazarus sick, not Me. But because of the mighty miracle Jesus performed, many believed unto everlasting life. That which the devil meant for harm was used for good.

My Son came to destroy the works of the devil, not give thanks for them!

Mighty Works: Essentials or Extra Frills?

Matt. 10:8; 11:21; 24:12; Rom. 15: 18-19; I Cor. 2:4; II Tim. 3:3

For many centuries My Church has, on the whole, been hobbled by unbelief in My miracle-working power. Evangelists have faced the daunting task of trying to reach the lost multitudes without convincing evidence of signs and wonders or visible miracles. This lack of outward signs did not discourage the most faithful of soul winners, although they had been conditioned by their churches to believe that the age of miracles was past. These men and women continued to pray and travel to the ends of the earth to spread the great glad message of My love. I, in My great compassion, would still give them fruit for their efforts. There were always hurting, lonely souls who needed to be reached with the Good News that there was a Friend Who sticks closer than any brother, and a Savior Who could redeem them from the wretched lives they had been leading. Such people as this would respond to the Good News of Salvation and pray for My mercy so they could go to be with Me in heaven after death.

Telling the multitudes that I love them is wonderful and necessary, but many missionaries miss the other part of the Great Commission altogether: Multitudes need to be delivered of actual physical diseases beyond the power of medical science to heal. Millions need to be set free from demonic oppression. I could even raise the dead if My power were sought for and received in the modern church.

Souls are hardening in resistance to the Gospel because the love of many is growing cold and mankind in general is becoming deadened to the ability to feel even natural affection toward others. Sinners are involved in all sorts of occultic activity and are no longer impressed by mere tenderness of heart. They demand to see evidence that the true God of heaven is still powerful and able to make a difference in their lives.

I declared in My Word that seeing the wonderful works of God often leads sinners to repentance. So how can signs and wonders be considered extra frills you can just forget about? There is power in My love!

Recklessness Vs. Valor

I Samuel 17:47; Matthew 6:13; John 15:5; Romans 16:20; Ephesians 6:10;

Hebrews 4:16; James 5: 16-18

My beloved Son was brave in his fight against the devil, but He was never reckless. Before He undertook the greatest battle of His life, He humbly sought Me, His Father, in prayer, acknowledging His utter dependence upon My help. He certainly had no shortage of love for you as He contemplated going to the Cross to die for your sins. But like every other man faced with martyrdom, He had to overcome the very necessary survival instinct which I built into every living creature on earth. Christ harboured no illusions about the bitterness of the battle which lay ahead of Him, or the impending pain He would suffer on your behalf. And He knew that vicious demons of hatred and malice would come against Him to tempt Him, and struggle against the goodness of Christ in an effort to gain the mastery over His emotions so that He would become furious with His persecutors and hate them.

The devil wasn’t trying to get Christ’s enemies to kill Him in order to provide an Atonement for your sins. Satan and his demons were shut out of the councils of heaven where I designed the marvellous Plan of Salvation and its mysterious outworking on the stage of history. All satan knew was he wanted to bully Jesus and kill Him in the most merciless way, he despised Him so much.

Having come from heaven, where My Love permeates all things, the kind of hatred Christ experienced hurt Him even more than the whipping post and the cruel nails in His hands and feet. Apart from My help He could never have won the victory and stayed on that Cross to provide salvation for you! He could have called legions of angels to set Him free and destroy His tormentors.

A false teaching is circulating in these last days. Some contend that ever since Calvary, I have done all I’m going to do about the devil until My Son returns to this earth to imprison satan for 1000 years. Until then, it is strictly up to you to do all your fighting on your own, simply by confessing My Word.

But Who breathes upon that written Word to give it life? My Spirit does. You must resist the devil by using the Sword of Truth, which is the Word of God. But truth twisted or carried to extremes gives rise to heresy. The danger lies in relying on yourself to win the war. Without Me you can do nothing. You are to be strong in Me, and in the power of My might, not in your own self.

Many a saint has ceased to labour in intercessory prayer. Why? Reckless, impulsive self-confidence is one of the greatest pitfalls Christians must resist in the Life of Faith.

Some are misled into believing that the devil has been so completely divested of his power that even the weakest believer can whip him with one hand tied behind his back. In many fellowships, emphasis has shifted from fervent prayer to positive confession. Endless intonations into the air have replaced intimate communication with a loving Heavenly Father Who alone is able to dispatch mighty warrior angels to defeat the forces of darkness. Saints have been made to feel ashamed that they have to ask Me to deliver them from evil, although Christ taught His followers to pray that way. Instead, they are taught by "faith" teachers to rely solely on the power of speaking the Word, rather than approaching the Throne of Grace for My help in time of need. Thus, faith is directed at the Word of God printed on a page rather than the One Who inspired that Word. In their zeal to prove themselves mature saints who can stand on their own two feet and easily handle any situation, some Christians shoot themselves in the foot spiritually. They to take a shortcut to victory by neglecting prayer and focusing solely upon proper confession of Bible verses. Thus they bypass the Throne of Grace where they ought to approach Me to find help in time of need. It is even possible to make an idol out of the printed Bible, in your zeal to prove to others that your confessions are even more powerful than petitioning Me for help. Satan is a very religious guy, and that is one of his most subtle and ingenious latter-day deceptions. Self-sufficiency hamstrings many churches which otherwise could bring glory to Me, if only they realized the crucial importance of effectual fervent prayer.

This dangerous doctrine of self-reliance can be so thoroughly instilled that a Christian may resist the enemy with a false bravado gained by psyching himself up on popular catch-slogans. Clever confession is an anaemic substitute for the anointed faith which comes from seeking Me continually. One erroneous doctrine is that all believers have to do is mouth the right platitudes at the devil and he’ll take off running, regardless of the quality of their prayer life.

Some saints get tired of resorting to tried-and-true Scriptures in their war against satan. They’re so frustrated by their trials that they end up calling the devil dirty names or using some catchy barb they learned at church. That is just as stupid as firing a pea shooter at an angry bear. Oh, you might sting him a little, but you only rile him up and get ripped to shreds for your trouble. It is like an army private grabbing his gun and charging a line of enemy troops without first awaiting the orders of his commanding officer. Discretion is truly an essential part of valor.

It is I alone Who bruise the devil under your feet, and subdue the giants which come against you to trample you underfoot. Remember, the battle is the Lord’s.

Cutting Giants Down to Size

Numbers 13:33; I Samuel chapter 17

The Philistines were grinning with self-assured smugness. They saw no way they could lose. Saul, who once had fought valiantly in the Name of the Lord of Hosts, was too scared to take up their challenge himself, as were all his men. There were daily skirmishes in the valley between the two opposing armies, whose camps were situated on opposing hills. But no decisive victory was being won by either side. But it was only a matter of time, the Philistines thought, before Israel would give up completely. How could the powerful Philistines, with their superior technology, possibly be defeated ?

So confident were those heathens that they got to slinging crass insults at the Israelites and making fun of the Holy One of Israel. Now, isn’t that just like the devil?

The psychological warfare being waged against the Israelites was wearing King Saul down. This man been told by My prophet Samuel that I would no longer be with him to fight his battles, and he would soon be deposed as king. This happened to Saul because of his stubborn disobedience and rebellion against My expressly revealed will. Sin will rob a saint of holy boldness in the face of any enemy. The vision of such a one becomes distorted. Then the problem appears much greater than the Lord.

Something had to be done to dispel any lingering doubt that the Philistines were invincible. This was their challenge to the men of Israel: “We’ll make it easy on you,” they said. “Instead of prolonging the bloodshed, let’s solve the problem this way: Let each army send its champion down into the valley. Then they’ll fight each other till one of them dies. If your man kills our man, we’ll serve you. If our man kills your man, you’ll be our slaves.” How reasonable the devil always seems to be. He is such a crafty deceiver.

But the Israelites had seen the size of Goliath. Their already low morale had plummeted to zero. Not a single man had the guts to go down to the valley to do battle in My Name. Goliath was a thick-set, brawny giant nearly ten feet tall, encased in a massive coat of armor. His spear tip alone weighed some fifteen pounds.

King Saul, a man once admired for his great bravery and tall stature, sat trembling in his tent. Having lost the favor and the anointing of the Lord, he was in no position to encourage his men to believe in their God and take up the challenge. He even offered temptng rewards to any man who would go kill Goliath and restore Israel’s honor. But there were no takers. Without faith in My might, any challenger Saul could have sent against Goliath would have been killed, and the people of Israel would have remained under the tyranny of the Philistines, enslaved by them.

Forty days went by. Still no takers. A young shepherd boy came to the Israelite camp to deliver food for his elder brothers who were in the army. He overheard the loud boasting of the big noisy braggart, and was incensed that no one would go kill the one who was insulting the Nation of Israel and her God.

Without hesitation David offered to do it himself, small though he was. By faith, he considered not his own diminutive size in the face of such a powerful giant. He considered only the victories I had already given him in so many other dangerous situations. Through the eyes of faith, he saw only the size of the God he served. He refused to wear King Saul’s armor, relying instead upon the protection of My Presence.

The anointing which I had placed upon little David not only enabled him to defeat the Philistine, but dispelled the spirit of fear hobbling the Israelite soldiers. Through the godly example of their future king, they were greatly strengthened in their hearts, so that they completely routed the enemy.

By faith, David had already won before he even cast the stone at the giant.

Faith Works By Love

John 13:35; Acts 4:32-33; Galatians 5:6; I John 4:7-8

Some churches ignore the centrality of My Love to the outworking of My divine will and purposes in the earth. These groups are unaware that outsiders perceive their churches to be cloistered social clubs closed to those who are unable to merge into their exclusive cliques.

Once My Glory has departed from their midst, there comes a persistent dryness in the life of such a church which will alarm any of its members who are still sensitive to the voice of My Spirit. They are shocked to realize the fruitlessness of their church in the things of the Kingdom of God. They are driven to despair by their own powerlessness to win the lost; and their inability to see signs and wonders occurring in their midst to meet needs.

Unless they care enough to prayerfully examine their collective condition in the light of Scripture and discover what the root of the problem is, they will bypass My solution: keeping my most fundamental commandment, which is: Love one another as I have loved you.

Instead, I have seen desperate measures taken to try to remedy the problem of a powerless church. Lengthy fasts of many days’ duration in which some saints try to go the whole period taking only water or fruit juice. Frequent prayer vigils in the sanctuary. Surely, those saints think, if they impose enough discomfort upon their flesh, the Lord will take notice and transform their churches into replicas of the first-century churches.

I have already shown you what the problem is. I cannot operate effectively in any church where cultural and social strictures stifle the flow of My Spirit of Life and Love. I absolutely will not be hidden beneath a bushel basket of carnality any longer. I will pour out My Spirit of power upon those assemblies which conform not to the cold, uncaring apathy of this present evil age, but to that Spirit of Love which so transformed the early believers that outsiders testified of them: Behold, how they love one another!

Diverse Ministries of My Body

Exodus 17:8-13; Numbers 11:16-17; Ephesians 4:11-13

Many congregations have perpetuated a tradition that one man_the pastor_is responsible for all the spiritual work of the Church, while the deacon gets the church bulletins printed up and oversees the janitorial work. This is all wrong. I have set office ministries within My Body to teach and edify My other sheep, but I never ordained the man-made pecking order of clergy and laity in My New Testament Church. My Church began to lose its power when carnal clergymen began to substitute man-made structures for the Church blueprint which had originally been ordained through apostles and prophets, using the excuse that My Divine Order for the Church had been “done away with” with the death of the original twelve apostles.

All of you who belong to My Church are given a place and a ministry to fulfill. Not everyone is placed in one of the full-time Office Ministries of the Church, for these carry a heavy weight of responsibility and authority. Although women are not to rule over men and everyone is to pay due respect to godly leaders, operation of the spiritual gifts is open to all to whom I impart them. I anoint many for the performance of specific types of tasks in My Body. And when I give you a task to do, I expect you to be faithful in executing it, not to use the excuse that you’re just an ordinary lay-person and haven’t been ordained by an earthly theological school. I Myself have ordained each one and every one of you to impart to others that same degree of blessing and wisdom which I have shared with you. And I will give you discretion and specific guidance as to how, when, and to whom to minister.

No, I never intended that the pastor should bear the burden alone. My original plan was that there should be seven office ministries and many other supporting ministries in the Church. Five of the office ministries comprise the fundamental Five-fold Ministry, fulfilled in the life of Christ on earth. These are:

1. APOSTLE-One of the two Foundational Ministries upon which the Church is built,

Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20). The Apostle Paul was divinely appointed as an Apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13). He was given

the oversight of many widely scattered churches. These congregations would receive periodic visits from him, in order that he might strengthen them in their faith and impart new revelations to them for their edification (Romans 1:10-11). He would also minister rebukes to backsliders whenever necessary (I Corinthians chapter 5). Christ Himself is the Apostle and High Priest of your profession as a believer (Hebrews 3:1).

2. PROPHET-The other foundational ministry. Together with the apostle, the prophet has the authority to set foundational truths in the Church. While the foundation of My Church has already been laid by the original apostles and prophets, modern apostles and prophets wisely build upon the originally laid foundation in the edifying of My Body the Church, without adding to or changing the explicit instructions of My Word already given. While all believers may seek the Gift of Prophecy and exercise this gift to edify the Church, the Office of Prophet carries leadership responsibility with it. This anointed minister may be given visions of catastrophes to come affecting the congregation, or divine insight into steps which ought to be taken to forestall problems brewing within the Church. At times the Holy Spirit will address particular issues or spiritual matters affecting the Church of that place or time in history. The Holy Spirit revealed to Agabus the Prophet that there would be a widespread famine. Because of this revelation, believers prepared to send relief to their persecuted brethren in Jerusalem (Acts 11:237:30). That same prophet later gave Paul the Apostle a special sign. He bound his own hands and feet with Paul’s belt, and proclaimed that that the Jewish authorities in Jerusalem would bind the owner of that belt, and turn him over to Gentile authorities to be tried as a criminal. Thus Paul received advance warning of what would happen if he took a planned trip to Jerusalem. His brethren wept and pleaded with him to heed the warning and not go, but Paul decided to go anyway, his sense of duty outweighing concern for his own safety. Christ Jesus is My divine Prophet Whose words must be heeded. Eternal life is forfeited by those who reject or rebel against His message (Deuteronomy 18:15,18-19; Acts 3:22).

3. EVANGELIST-He is specially called to minister on the mission field. A very special anointing to harvest souls rests upon him. Philip was called an evangelist. He had four daughters who prophesied (Acts 21:8-9), although they did not hold the Office of Prophet. Philip was one of seven deacons who had been appointed to relieve the Apostles of the details of food distribution (Acts 6:1-6), With maturity, he was given the greater task of a full-time evangelization and healing ministry. He converted many Samaritans, and I confirmed My Word by pouring out miracles of healing upon the afflicted (Acts 8:5-7). Because of this great visitation of My Holy Spirit, Samaria was filled with joy. Gifts of Miracles and Healings were manifested through this faithful man. Philip was specially directed by the Holy Spirit to join an African official in his chariot, explain to him a Scripture he was reading, lead him to Christ, and baptize him (Acts 8: 26-40). Christ fulfilled the calling of evangelist during His own ministry, for He came to seek and to save those who are lost (Matthew 18:11; Luke 19:10).

4. PASTOR-Oversees a local congregation. He is a shepherd of souls, and ministers under the authority of Christ, Who is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11); Who alone is the Chief Shepherd ( I Peter 5:1-4). The pastor is set into the Church by the Lord to feed his flock with knowledge and understanding of the Word (Jeremiah 3:15). A good shepherd is vigilant, and will guard against the intrusion of false teachers (Galatians 2:4-5; Hebrews 13:17). He is to minister to those of his congregation who are in need of wise counsel, or beset by either spiritual or physical sickness (Ezekiel 34:4).

5. TEACHER-Occupies a position of authority in My Church, and is anointed to expound upon the Scriptures. New revelations come to him from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Fresh insights are given into My Word. It comes to life in the congregation as My revelations are prayerfully applied to individual lives, and to the operation of daily Church life. The main goal of a teacher should be to impart to his hearers a clearer understanding of the nature and workings of Christ in and through His Body. The Apostle Paul was a teacher of the Gentiles, who generally had no prior teaching about the God of Israel (I Timothy 2:7). Jesus faithfully taught His flock the precepts of the Kingdom of God as He received the from the Father (John 7:16; 8:28; Matthew 7:28-29).

The other two anointed office ministries assist the pastor in the work of the local congregation. These are:

6. ELDER-Under the authority of the pastor, he helps tend to the spiritual needs of the Church. They are to anoint sick saints with oil and pray for their healing, and for forgiveness of any sins the sufferer might have committed (James 5:14-15). There are times when sin brings on sickness (John 5:14; Isaiah 33:24), and this type of prayer is necessary. Peter exhorted elders to be faithful to feed the flock. Not for money or out of a grudging sense of obligation, but with a godly attitude. These were not to lord it over My heritage, but to walk as living examples of My grace. A Crown of Glory is promised all faithful Church elders (I Peter 5:1-5). Christ is your elder Brother, the Firstborn among many brethren (Rom.8:29).

7. DEACON-He is responsible for fulfilling practical duties in My Church. Even Christ fed

His followers bread and fish on several occasions, even prepared a meal for the Apostles after His resurrection (John 21:9, 13). Indeed, He speaks of Himself as a Servant (Matthew 20:25-28; Luke 22:24-27). I demand a high standard of godliness in the lives of men called to this office, just as in all the other ministries of My Church (I Timothy 3:8-13); for if a deacon fails to keep his own life and house in order,how shall he take care of the House of God (I Timothy 3:5)? Blessed is that man who is faithful, even in seemingly insignificant things.. His Lord will give him authority over even greater things (Matthew 25:23).

Every Believer is Important to Me

I Corinthians 12:31

All believers are called to serve Me, whether or not they occupy one of the seven office ministries. There has often been a misconception about the significance of subordinate ministries, particularly the Ministry of Helps (I Corinthians 12:28). I’ve heard many women complain that it’s the men who get to do all the important things, because only they can be church authorities. Some have even said: “Helps? That’s what’s left over after all the other ministries have been taken.”

I can foresee what will happen at the Believers’ Judgment Seat, held just after the Rapture of the Church. Many a woman’s face is going to light up with joy when she realizes just how highly I valued her lonely prayer vigils for foreign missionaries. That dear saint who contributed her sewing or cooking skills to aid in a church charity project. That one who baked an extra plate of cookies for a lonely shut-in, or delivered a big bag of foodstuffs to a hungry family. That skilled typist who labored over boring church reports in order to free up her pastor for other duties. Nothing is more precious to Me than the faithfulness of My people. I have not called you to be a superstar, but to be faithful, and to keep on keeping on being that way.

The Ministry of Helps is an honorable one, and is carried out by faithful individuals who love their Savior and His Church. Some mistakenly think Paul considered women second-class Christians, just because they are not called to authoritative office ministries. But he knew My divine order, and he faithfully stuck to it in his teachings. Paul was grateful for the help of women disciples (Romans 16:1-4, 6; Philippians 4:3).

Everything I call you to do in My Name, I grant you a special grace to do it. Indeed, it is a wonderful gift I have bestowed upon your life (Romans 12:6). Even giving and showing compassion for others are extremely important expressions of the Life of Christ (verse 8). The disciple Dorcas was loved by many because of her works of charity in distributing handmade garments to the poor (Acts (: 36-42). Someone who gives a cup of cold water in My Name will be rewarded for that (Matthew 10:42). I treasure all your kindnesses toward other believers, and I will never forget them (Hebrews 6:10).

No, your pastor can’t do the entire job all by himself. Moses was physically unable to attend to the needs of all his people single-handedly, and began to unravel from the stress. He cried out to Me to relieve him of the practical burdens of people’s whining demands for food and reassurance. I appointed seventy men to help him, and put the same anointing of My Spirit upon them for their task as was upon Moses. Moses was saved from a nervous breakdown, and the people’s needs were attended to (Numbers 11:10-17). These men were Moses’ faithful elders, and they also performed a Ministry of Helps.

The Amalekites came to Rephidim to fight a battle with the Children of Israel. Moses, along with Aaron and Hur, climbed to the top of a hill overlooking the battleground. So long as Moses held up his rod, Israel prevailed against the Amalekites. But when Moses’ arms grew weary and he had to drop them, the Amalekites got the upper hand. Finally, Moses just had to sit. Hoping I would understand Moses’ human weakness, his friends brought him a large stone to sit on, and held up his hands for him. I was gracious toward My faithful servants. Those who supported Moses’ ministry merited the same reward for service as he did, for he could not have completed his ministry without their faithful, consistent help. It was needful that My standard be lifted up to defeat the enemy, but I never insisted that one person should bear the burden all alone. Because of this vital Ministry of Helps, Moses didn’t fail in his own ministry and the Israelites were able to win the battle (Exodus 17: 8-13).

Never forget, My people, the great need you have of one another.

The Spirit of Prophecy

Proverbs 14:4; I Thessalonians 5:19-21; Revelation 19:10b

The testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy. I long to impart a fresh Word to encourage My embattled people, but all too often My voice is silenced by church leaders who fear the misuse of the spiritual gifts. Several of my anointed saints out in the congregation might feel My message of love burning in their hearts and long to share it with people who need to hear it. But they are implicitly or expressly forbidden to do so by their leaders. My people long for refreshing from heaven, but the avenue of prophecy has been sealed off by pastors over-zealous to keep their sheep fenced in.

In a desperate bid to prevent the barn from getting dirty, the ox is sold down the river. The pastor then wonders where the power has gone and why the harvest fields are left unplowed. Such leaders fail to realize that I am able to forgive even slips of the tongue and errors made by devout Christians in their first efforts to move in the gifts. When you first began to walk, weren’t there occasions when you stumbled and fell? But you got right back up and tried again until you acquired correct balance. So long as prophecy is open to judgment and correction, no one will be any the worse because some saint obeyed Me and began to venture out in faith to speak in My Name.

My Spirit of Prophecy will not be extinguished from the earth just because men try to quench it. A fresh word is always needed to impart strength to the weary, and hope to the failing soul. I will not be stopped by the repression of lukewarm church leaders. If I cannot operate within the context of a formal church setting, I must speak to My children outside the church building. But I will not be muzzled.

Remember how David was driven from the congregation of Israel by a jealous Saul? He had temporarily lost access to the rituals of the Tabernacle of Meeting. But he was in danger and needed to know that I was still with him and willing to guide him and protect him. Out there in the wilderness, Abiathar the priest used the sacred ephod to obtain help for David, for that was an important way of obtaining My guidance during that Old Testament dispensation. I did not refuse David My succor just because he had been cut off from formal church services. Nor will I withhold divine help from My children, just because their pastors do not really believe that My supernatural power is relevant in modern times.

Indeed, there is coming such a mighty outpouring of My waters of blessing that it would be just as futile to try to dam up the waters of the sea as to try to keep it under wraps.

Set My Spirit Free

II Corinthians 3:17 I Thessalonians 5:19

I say to My lukewarm congregations, who claim to possess the Full Gospel: Why are you so ashamed of Me? With every head bowed and every eye closed you wheedle and beg sinners to get up out of their seats and come to the front to repent.

Must you encourage timidity in new converts from the very outset of their walk with Me? If these spiritual babes lack the courage to acknowledge Me before the congregation, how will they bear witness of My salvation before this lost and dying world?

Why should any of you be ashamed of Me to begin with? I certainly wasn’t ashamed to die for you on the Cross of Calvary. If you act ashamed of Me before men, then I will also be ashamed to acknowledge you before the Throne of My Father in heaven.

If you claim to be a Full Gospel congregation, why are you always looking for ways to put the damper on supernatural manifestations of My Life? “We don’t want to offend visitors,” you say. So you quench the Fire of My Spirit in your service as you preach your powerless, non-offensive message in a well-modulated tone which only serves as a lullaby for slumbering saints.

What good is a perfectly formed corpse with no life in it? Many churches are beautiful mausoleums devoid of My life-changing Power. Not because I am withholding it, but because you just won’t let it in the front door. I can barely sneak in through the back to take My rightful place in your church! The Power of the Gospel has been banished and barred by pastors who want to keep the atmosphere of the Sunday morning service “nice” for visitors dead in sin. They really need to be resurrected to newness of Life.

I can barely get a word in edgewise even on Sunday evenings, or during the midweek service. I just don’t get star billing on your program.

Far better that you be cold or hot, rather than lukewarm. At least if you’re cold, you have no excuse to be complacent, and will more likely seek Me for the Fire of My Spirit. Lukewarm souls congratulate themselves on not being so deficient as others, and able to squeeze through the Pearly Gates “by the skin of their teeth.”

But I said in Revelation that I’ll spew you out of My mouth if you settle for a lukewarm condition. Nothing is more dangerous to a Christian than to lose his awareness of his continual need of me!

I hold the pastors responsible for discouraging the flow of the Spirit in My congregations. I command them to seek Me for wisdom and guidance on the operation of the spiritual gifts. They are responsible to incite My people to boldness, and to encourage them to glory in the God of their salvation before a lost and dying world.

Shutting Me Out

Matthew 13:22; John 15:4-5

Oh, the myriad distractions that divert My children from Me! Television programs. Radio. The stereo. The Internet. Work projects. Hobbies. Other people. Worthless books and empty novels. Social engagements. Whenever I call My people to seek My face, there are all sorts of reasons to put Me off.

You’ve often wondered why your prayers lack power, why the answers don’t seem to come quickly enough. But you have distanced yourself from Christ, your Source of power.

When I try to speak to you about sin in your life, you shrink from Me, tune Me out, and tune in the TV instead, just to create a welcome diversion. But the joy of your salvation is missing.

When a miracle is needed to solve a pressing problem, it is often the result of ignoring My clear warnings about smaller problems which weren’t nipped in the bud and had time to grow into great difficulties.

Repent now, you who have put me last on your “TO DO List”. I would have our broken fellowship to be restored, that our joy may be full and your prayers be not hindered.

“If It Be Thy Will”

Exodus 15:26; 23:25; Isaiah 53:4-6; James 1: 5-8; Hebrews 11:6; I Peter 2:24 ; I John 3:8b

There is no place for vacillation in the Prayer of Faith, for true faith imparts a deep certainty in your spirit that I have heard you, and will grant your petition. It is the earnest Prayer of Faith which will raise up the sick from his bed of suffering, not a feeble prayer which makes allowances for possible failure of that prayer. If you think your prayer will probably fail, it will fail, because you don’t really have that deep knowledge in your spirit that I will answer it! Before you go to pray for someone to receive a miracle,draw aside to be alone with Me first, that I might infuse into your heart My Assurance of Faith that I will be present in power to bring healing, or grant any other miracle which is needed to resolve a crisis.

My sovereign will must always be respected, and when I do not give assurance of immediate healing, there is always a reason for it. But I have promised in My Word to heal My people, and to forgive their sins. Stripes were laid upon the back of My own precious Son to provide healing for the total person, for there was no sickness in this earth before the Fall of Adam. Through Christ’s sufferings for sin, He purchased your right to be made whole, and to walk in divine health and healing. He came to earth to destroy the works of the devil, among which are sicknesses and diseases of every sort. The Children of Israel were promised freedom from sickness and disease, so long as they remained obedient to Me.

Sometimes healing is gradual, or there is a reason it doesn’t immediately manifest. I had My reasons for not removing the Apostle Paul’s thorn in the flesh, even after he had petitioned me three times to do it. Your body is still awaiting its redemption, and is still corruptible. I must constantly renew your strength.

I have seen many ministers pray over sick folk, but these servants of God possessed no more faith than the afflicted one. Some are bound by the constraints of their denominations, and will not receive certain promises of My Word. These men fear invoking the displeasure of their church board or other earthly authority.

I have always taught My people to be submissive toward duly appointed authorities, whether secular or in the Church. But I am the ultimate Authority, and every one of My people must first answer to Me for what they believe, teach and practice. Whenever My Truth is suppressed, My people always pay a bitter price, and the enemy triumphs. Many well-meaning saints have died prematurely because they thought divine healing was no longer for today. It rejoices My heart when one of My children comes home to heaven and is finally freed from earthly suffering. But it is never My perfect will for a life of service for the Kingdom of God to be cut short by sickness and disease.

There are even those preachers who insist that I find sickness a valuable tool to make saints more patient, or to get sin out of their lives. Their faith in the power of Christ’s Blood to sanctify a soul is weak, and they cannot pray for a sick saint’s healing with any confidence. They themselves have been wrongly taught that it brings Me great glory to see My people patiently putting up with the attacks of satan, so it must be My will for them remain ill indefinitely. But these same preachers will rush to the medicine chest whenever they get the slightest headache or feel the first signs of flu. They will pay high insurance premiums so they can rush to their doctors at the first sign of a complaint. If they truly believe that sickness brings Me glory, why don’t they pray for an even worse headache, instead of taking aspirin?

My Son instructed His people to pray that My will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. Are there any sick angels in heaven? Are the saints in Glory sick? If it is My will for them to be well, why shouldn’t you desire to be whole also?

That’s why the spiritual gifts of healing, faith and miracles must be sought for by My people.

Put No Confidence in the Flesh

Philippians 3:3

Do not depend on the gifts of nature to maintain your health day by day. If you reject the healing Christ, you must, of necessity, place your confidence in something far inferior, the flesh. Some will reason: “I don’t believe God heals anymore, so it’s a good thing I’ve got good genes and won’t end up as sick as some people. At least that’s in my favor.”

By all means eat properly, rest and take daily exercise in moderation, but don’t put your confidence in the flesh. Let your confidence be in the power of Christ within you to strengthen and enable you to be well and strong enough to complete what I have given you to do in this world. Remember that even the most dedicated and skillful of doctors are also created beings, bright though they may be. Appreciate them, for they have their place in My scheme of things. Don’t look down on them, for even the apostle Luke was a physician and served Me in that capacity. Yet remember that while their understanding of how the body ticks is great, My own is immeasurable. Always pray at the first sign of illness or trouble and I will show you what further steps to take. Never treat prayer as a last resort, though I in My mercy will always receive your petition because you are My dear child.

The old order of things shall soon pass away. You shall soon be completely rid of the weak cocoon of the flesh nature and clothed in glorious immortality. Then it will be easy to trust only in Me to maintain you in eternal health and life.

Getting There Quicker

Jeremiah 1:12

Through the operation of the Gift of Faith I would even cause answers to come to prayers you prayed long ago, prayers you felt like giving up on. This Gift, when activated by My Spirit, gives the saint confidence to see mountains of great difficulty moved.

It is true that sometimes in My wisdom certain prayers take a great while to be answered. Other times I would do a quick work, and the Gift of Faith is often the channel through which this comes about. When the answer seems to come more quickly than usual, with far less struggle in spiritual warfare, this can be compared to the difference between getting to California by travelling over the Mojave desert in a covered wagon and flying over it in an air-conditioned jet.

Either way you get there, but the Gift of Faith is a miraculous work of my grace in the life of any believer through whom it is manifested.

Sickness is No Virtue

I Corinthians 11:30-32

Many preachers insist on extolling the power of sickness to work the fruits of the Spirit into a person’s life. Therefore, I am said to use pain and sickness to make a person more Christlike.

Sickness does not sanctify an individual, although maintaining faith in Me in the midst of suffering has sometimes served to provide a good testimony to others. Conversely, a person who feels terrible may take it out on others, or even accuse Me of being unfaithful to My Word. A sick person may become more self-centered and cantankerous than ever, and so engrossed in his own world of pain that the needs of others are far from his mind.

Certain individuals, like Job, have endured terrible trials, in order that My own purposes for them, in them, and through them might be realized. There are mysteries of My will which mortal saints cannot fathom in this present evil world. Through Job’s suffering, an enduring testimony to his faith in God was left behind for the blessing of future generations, and his eternal reward for his faithfulness is very great.

No, it was not because of sin that Job was sick for a long time. This applies to many true-hearted believers who are resisting the devil and standing on My promises in this war zone of a world. My promises may not always manifest immediately in the visible realm, but ultimately they must be proven true, and My Word must ultimately triumph.

Unfortunately, there are times when a believer rebels against My Lordship and refuses to humble himself before Me. As a result, he removes himself from under the Blood Covering and leaves himself wide open to satanic attack. Sickness can come as a result of unrepented sin, and be a chastisement for it. Only when the backslider gets his priorities straight with Me can I undertake to heal him.

While much sickness springs from direct demonic attack, sometimes it comes from natural causes like strong resentment toward another person, smoking, alcoholism, bad nutrition, or overeating. I am able to show each person where the problem lies, so appropriate steps can be taken to resolve the situation. Insufficient intake of pure water has caused much physical infirmity.

Victory comes to all My children who trust in Me, though sometimes the manifestation of the promise is delayed. Remember that your ultimate victory, and the total redemption of your body, will only be realized when you are changed into immortality. Never let another Christian make you feel like a failure just because you have prayed for healing and are still waiting for it to manifest in your body.

Eating for Spiritual Health

Numbers 11:4-34; Psalms 78: 20-31; Eph. 4:14-16; Col. 2:8; Heb. 13:9

Many of My people tend to be far more concerned about their overall diet quality and the types of food they put into their bodies than the sort of stuff they take into their soul. And they will go to great lengths to insure the purity of their groceries, making sure there are no artificial additives and chemicals. They will keep their refrigerators and kitchenware scrupulously clean, they are so cautious about what goes into their mouths.

But they can be indifferent about the quality of their spiritual nourishment. Pure truth can become tainted beyond recognition. Even after I provided manna for My people in the wilderness to satisfy their hunger, they did not rest content. The bread which fell from heaven met every nutritional need they had, but they aroused My wrath by demanding flesh food, because its taste was much more exciting. Many are turning back to go sit by the flesh pots of Egypt once again. They forsake from the Bread of Heaven in favor of exciting fleshly doctrines of men which cannot satisfy the deepest needs of the soul. Only Jesus is able to impart eternal life. Substituting carnal things for Him leads to perdition.

Even if a doctrine or teaching is partially based on the Bible, undiscerning saints are liable to swallow a lot of New Age error mixed into it. Strange doctrines spun from personal speculation or popular philosophies are passed off as gospel truth by ministers who often don’t know any better themselves, the enemy has them so blind. That is just another of satan’s tactics to move Christ out of the center of your focus, and to confuse you as to what My Word really does say on an issue.

Beware of spiritual junk food!

A Time to Ask Abundantly

John 16:23-24; James 1:5

You never have to back off from Me with the reserve you sometimes show towards human friends. People love to play cat-and-mouse games with each other. A lack of openness can damage or even destroy human relationships. Some transparent souls never master the shadowy art of tit-for-tat, give-and-take personal interaction. That’s why their “friends” are so few, and why the world looks down on them. Worldly people are very careful about which buttons they push in the give-and-take of human friendship. They are calculatedly cautious about how they approach even those who profess to like them.

You’ve heard this one countless times: “Oh, no bother at all. Ask me anytime, night or day. I’ll always be there for you, you can always count on me.”

But if you take their promises at face value, you pay a heavy price for being so naive. Those people usually begin to freeze you out. Or, they’ll just drop you abruptly. Alas, you can seldom trust people to say exactly what they mean, or mean what they say, can you?

Oh, My precious child, I am not that way. Although many well-meaning Christians will tell you: “Be careful not to present too many petitions to God in one day, or He might consider you a spoiled brat instead of a dutiful child of His. After all, you mustn’t treat God like your personal errand boy.”

There are lots of Christians who act just that way, begging Me for material “blessings” for no higher reason than to keep abreast of all the latest fashion trends and innovations in consumer goods. I am not interested in pandering to people’s lusts for unnecessary things.

How true, Paul’s inspired words: “Having food and clothing, let us be content.” So long as you and your loved ones are well and able to serve Me in this world, you should never see a half-empty cup, but be grateful that I have made your lives complete in Myself.

But there are times when genuine, pressing needs pile up in your life. When your personal well-being is truly at stake, or you lack something you need to serve Christ effectively, you must give extra attention to prayers of petition. It is then your cup must be viewed as partially empty.

No, I don’t get irritated when you come to Me again and again and again to meet your personal needs, nor does My supply ever fall short of your need. Human love and patience are indeed limited, but My love for you is inifintely more wonderful than human love!

Don’t ever be ashamed to ask. Come to Me with all your needs, both great and small, and I will gladly meet them all.

Take Time to Plant a Tiny Seed

Exodus 4:10-16; I Cor.3:6-7; II Cor.3:5

My dear children, so many of you tend to look only at your personal shortcomings, and focus on your lack of talent and abilities in the area of people skills. You find a ready-made opt out when it comes to witnessing because you are shy, or inarticulate in speaking, either to individuals or crowds. You somehow have bought into satan's suggestion that only trained, certified experts have the right to share the Good News. After all, whispers satan, what if you make a big blunder and do far more harm than good?

Even the great prophet Moses pleaded earnestly with me to be let out of his assignment. He had been caring for dumb sheep in the wilderness for forty years, hardly uttering a word to a solitary soul. His public speaking skills were abysmal, he pleaded, so can't You please appoint someone else to do this difficult job, O Lord?

I found a ready mouthpiece for Moses in Aaron, though Moses retained the position I'd chosen for him. Moses' very humility was a tremendous asset to him. I never could have used a proud, haughty man to lead multitudes of Israelites out of the Promised Land.

Yes, you are but dust. But I have breathed My own everlasting Life into your nostrils and I have anointed thy tongue to speak a word in good season to him that is weary. There are those who will coldly rebuff you when you get past a certain point and throw up defenses of all kinds. But at least say something which glorifies Christ and what He has done for you, and how you could never get by in this difficult world without Him. Perhaps the other person is a stubborn intellectual or other type who seems hard as a rock and cold as ice. But all people want to feel loved and secure, especially where it pertains to their ultimate destiny.

Don't fool yourselves, my people. These so-called atheists will ofttimes lie awake at night and wonder, "What on earth am I here for?" There are secrets lurking within their consciousness which they would never dare tell even their own mother. People of this age are extremely proud, boasting of their self-sufficiency, that they are full, and rich, and in need of nothing. But when infirmities, weakness or creeping age eats away at their self-bravado, it is then they feel their fragile fortress of pride beginning to crumble and it is then they just might remember the word of encouragement you shared concerning Christ. It is then the seed begins to sprout.

Spiritual Toadstools

Romans 8:1-2; Gal. 1:6-9

A certain couple sallied forth into the woods to collect mushrooms for supper. The husband was a stubborn fellow, too proud to take advice from his wife, for he thought he knew everything about mushroom hunting. The wife was a more prudent person, willing to wait until she was certain she’d found the genuine article.

The man spied some pretty fungi beneath a tree. Swayed solely by their appearance, he picked a few and tossed them in his basket.

“Leave them alone,” said his wife. “I just know they’re poisonous!”

“No,’ said the man, “these are rare morels. You can’t get them at the supermarket.”

“Well, I’d rather stick with mushrooms I know for sure to be safe,” the woman said, “and I’d rather do without than risk poisoning.”

“Not me!” said her husband. “I didn’t come all the way out here for nothing. We’ve been out here for an hour and I’m not going home without any mushrooms.”

“Harry, please,” she begged. “Really, it’s just not worth the risk.”

But he refused to heed her warning. He argued that the fungi were so beautiful they couldn’t possibly be harmful, and it would be a waste not to eat them. That night, he cooked them up and ate them over her protestations. He ended up being driven to the hospital to get his stomach pumped. Harry lived, but he was mighty sick for several days.

Lots of my children swallow religious teaching that appears breathtakingly beautiful, deeply stirring a person’s religious sentiment. It might even be flashy and exciting, such as the get-rich-quick gospel. Or it might be on the opposite spectrum and lay heavy emphasis on denying the flesh and asceticism to gain points with Me. Either way, it is harmful and often deadly to your faith. Satan often appears in gorgeous religious robes to get you to veer off the Narrow Way to Life, faith in Christ and Him Crucified.

Spiritual Rat Poison

Psalms 58:4-5; 140:3; Eccl. 10:11; Jere. 8:17; Matt. 12: 33-37; 17:21; James 3:1-12

Any expert toxicologist knows how hard it is to remove all traces of poison from a person’s system. Even after death arsenic remains in the corpse. It can even be detected in the bones and hair centuries after the person was poisoned. The passage of time fails to flush poison out of a system.

How much more insidious is spiritual poison left in hearts by insensitive individuals who systematically ridicule and berate others? Especially if the offender is a professing Christian who ought to know better. You can much more easily brush off digs and insults from an unbeliever, but when some professing believer piles on the abuse it sinks deep into the marrow of your psyche.

The spirit and soul comprise that part of a person that endures for eternity. Why should you think it is easier to recover from spiritual abuse than physical? Whenever you notice yourself spitting up poison you swallowed years ago, it’s time to seek My face for deliverance from the power of satan. Fast, pray, at least for a few solid hours a day until you feel My power is at work in your innermost parts to completely cleanse you of poison some spiritual viper injected into you.

Beware of Spiritual Butchers

Matt. 5:7, 44-45; 9:12; John 8:1-11; Acts Chapter 10; Rom. 2:4; 12:14;

Gal. 3:13; I Cor. 6:17; 13:1-7;II Cor. 5:17; Col. 2:14; II Tim. 1:16-18; I Pet. 2:20; 4:8

Beware of which pastures you graze in, and I speak especially to those who are geographically cut off from true agape fellowship, those people who must glean what prayer support and edification they can through means other than a sound local church.

Some of those who claim to be "deliverance ministries" are little better than spiritual butchers, the clumsy way they handle hurting, seeking souls. They know much about the fearful penalties cited in the Old Testament for breaking My Law. But they know precious little about My grace and willingness to forgive. Those with plenty of knowledge but no love minister hopelessness and fear to hurting people who seek from Me a word of reassurance, comfort, and hope.