I read two powerful words today that I wanted to share with you:
The first is from David Wilkerson.
David Wilkerson Today
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011
FAITH IS AN INVITATION MORE THAN A COMMAND
Faith is a command. It is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Without
faith it is impossible to please God. Scripture adds, “If any man draw back, I will have no pleasure in him” (Hebrews 10:38).
I shudder when I think of the terror and dangers of unbelief. Unbelief is a bottomless pit of fear, anguish and discouragement. The consequences of unbelief are horrendous. It begins with fearing what we cannot see. One fear today leads to two fears tomorrow, then three, and then fears become a bottomless pit of uncontrollable anguish and despair.
More and more I see that fear and unbelief end up as hopelessness. It leads into a wilderness of confusion and emptiness. It is not an option—it is not a small issue with God. It is a matter of life and death. It will lead to fearing everything, present and future. Fear is torment.
All God’s children are enduring afflictions and troubles of various kinds. It is heartrending to hear the painful things the righteous are now suffering. My family is also being severely tried and tested.
Some who face overwhelming and frightful sufferings, both physical and
spiritual, are losing heart. If you are going through the refining fires, I
have a word for you.
FAITH IS ALSO AN INVITATION TO PARTAKE OF THE GREAT GOODNESS OF THE LORD.
I refer you to one of the most encouraging promises in all of God’s Word. Let this promise sink deep into your soul:
“Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues”
(Psalm 31:19-20).
Here is great encouragement to hold steadfast in your faith. Here is a bold, glorious promise. God says, “You trust me before men and I will open my storehouse of great goodness and pour it on you. I will hide you in the secret of my presence; I will not allow strife to overwhelm you.”
Some may say, “We ought not trust God to obtain goodness from him.” Not so! It is also written, “Cast not away therefore your confidence, for it has a great recompence of reward” (Hebrews 10:35). It is also written, “He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). We must believe that he is a rewarder.
Those rewards of faith are spiritual goodnesses, such as rewards of
strength—peace and calm in the storm.
Oh beloved, God rejoices in our faith. He awaits to give us hope and open our eyes to his loving care. The decision is ours to make—even this moment. It is within our power to choose to trust God in our present and future trials. It is either the wilderness of despair or the smile of the Lord and an open heaven.
God help us all to hold fast our faith. Do not give up. We are too close to the end of the race.
“Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32:7-8).
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The second word is from Wanda Davis, wife of Paul Keith Davis. I believe this word is a “now” word not just for me but for many others.
Foremost among our enemy’s most successful strategies is to emphasize negativity through circumstances in life and amplify them beyond their reality. Nevertheless, the Lord wants us to view them from His perspective which is true reality. We do this by spending time with Him, intercession, meditation on the Word and the apprehension of His heart. As we join His attitude of victory through the warfare, the demonically imposed stress and anxiety will be alleviated.
One of the ways we can enter into this attitude is by not allowing anything in us to have agreement with the enemy and his accusations. When there is agreement in our heart with the enemy’s words spoken through other people or when he whispers them in our ear, it gives those words power; unbelief, defeat and hopelessness is then allowed to enter our hearts and rob us of our peace and victory in Christ. The Bible teaches us how to discern the Lord’s wisdom from the enemy’s tainted attitudes. James 3:17-18 tells us:
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
We must not allow our focus to be taken off who the Lord is and His purposes. I believe this attitude will be paramount in catapulting the Body of Christ into the faith of the Son of God. According to Galatians 2:20:
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
By understanding this we can reach into the unseen realm and call forth those things that are not through agreement with the Lord (Romans 4:17). Even though they may have not manifested in our present circumstance we can approach them from a posture and attitude of victory and maintain that mindset through all opposition of the enemy and his schemes.
Paul Keith and Wanda Davis
WhiteDove Ministries
Email: inquiries@whitedoveministries.org
I got this from ElijahList.com
"Oh that God would give every mother a vision of the glory and splendor of the work that is given to her when a babe is placed in her bosom to be nursed and trained! Could she have but one glimpse in to the future of that life as it reaches on into eternity; could she look into its soul to see its possibilities; could she be made to understand her own personal responsibility for the training of this child, for the development of its life, and for its destiny,--she would see that in all God's world there is no other work so noble and so worthy of her best powers, and she would commit to no other's hands the sacred and holy trust given to her." -JR Miller
