This is an account of miracles involving money. I hope it helps your faith.
1. The Keyboard $1,250
I purchased a keyboard at a time when I had very little money- no extra money at all. I was desiring a keyboard to use for praise and worship in my home. I purchased it on credit, since I had a large amount of credit but hadn't used any of it yet, believing God for the means to pay it back. Not long after I made the purchase, a mysterious deposit was made in my bank account for the exact amount of the keyboard. I hadn’t told anyone who had access to my bank account the exact amount of the purchase. Only my parents had deposit slips for my bank account. I hadn’t told them about my purchase. It was a bizarre miracle.
2. A Hospital Bill For $8,000
I was traveling in Canada while on a manic episode. The police stopped me because people at a hotel I had stayed at reported some odd behavior. The police determined from my behavior and language that I was delusional and brought me to a hospital. They kept me there for several days, but of course, not much care was given except for putting me up for the night and giving me medication.
When I returned to the States they sent me a bill for $8,000. I was paying for it with payments of about $15.00 a month. Once I forgot to make a payment and the bill ended up in collections,, but they retrieved it from collections and I was back to making payments. I was getting prayer for this bill from my church.
At one point, I heard God tell me not to make the payment for that month. I just knew I wasn’t supposed to make any more payments. I never received another bill and nothing came from a collection agency.
3. God Told Me I Would Receive $10,000.00
I heard God tell me that I would be receiving $10,000.00. I didn’t know where it would be coming from. I told a friend about this. Some time later, but not that much later, I received my first payment from my grandmother for $10,000.00 She was giving money from her estate early, before her death. We received more payments. I ended up receiving that 10,000 7 or 8 times worth. I used the money to go to the church in Toronto several times, and to buy my house.
4. A Hospital Bill For $48,000
Well, it’s simple. I had a bill that large, and it was written off. I got prayer from my small, charismatic church named Lovepower, and then went in to discuss the bill with the financial office. When they learned that I was almost jobless, they wrote off the bill.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Deeper Life
Lutheran "Deeper Life" camp on Lake Koronis is where I first experienced the presence of God as something pleasurable. The Lutheran Evangelistic Movement, alive in the 1960s, held four meetings a summer at this lake. They called their meetings "Deeper Life" and the name of the lake is Koronis, near Paynesville, Minnesota.
They had meetings for young people and adults, and cared for kids as well. At night there was a large tabernacle meeting for everyone, and there the presence of God was felt. The whole atmosphere was sweet! People were wonderful. People behaved like Christians. The only names of leaders I can think of who were present are Nels Pederson, who had a great message, Pastor Ellingson, and the Klawitters. Messages from the word of God were delicious food for the soul. The actual food in the dining room wasn't bad either, and we always enjoyed a visit to the canteen for snacks after the meetings.
I remember there would be guys I would be interested in and the magic of that first taste of sexuality, so innocent and so pure.
The atmosphere at the camp was magic. I felt so happy. That presence was very sane--something dependable. This was, to me, the greatest doctrine anyone could learn. It was that almost tangible presence which I kept in my memory in the following years to remind me that God was a Good God.
The only problem with this was that one could find that reassurance of the truth at camp, but once camp was over and it was necessary to return to ordinary life, the certainty of truth could get swallowed up by the powers of the world. So, in remembering the magic of that camp, I now remind myself continuously that we must find a truth so strong that it does not need the trappings of a lovely camp to hold up. At the same time, I am sure that "Deeper Life" Camp's indelible memories have helped me to build a stronger inner certainty, and that was the purpose of our week there each summer.
I am back at that camp now in 2005. I marvel that people who own it have kept it as a sanctuary, as hallowed ground. It is my prayer today, September 10, 2005, that God will bring a powerful work of redemption that will take place right on these grounds - a work of deliverance, healing, restoration as Minnesota has never seen at any time past.
I re-dedicate Lake Koronis Assembly Ground to the Lord for that purpose.
Sunday morning, I arose on the campground that adjoins Lake Koronis Assembly Grounds in Paynesville, MN.
I was planning to go to a church in another small town that morning, and got up early so I could pack up the tent, get my cats in the car and get to that church.
I was packing my things and thinking about the large tabernacle on the grounds where we once held the beautiful Christ-filled meetings in my childhood summers. Suddenly I thought I heard an honest to goodness Holy Ghost service - a super spirited meeting with hooping and hollering! It was hope! It turned out it was just a pack of dogs or something.
Was it a mirage? Did I conjure up the sound because I wanted with all my heart for a service like that in the tabernacle? Did the Holy Spirit do it?
But at first I was hopeful. Wow! Somewhere in Minnesota maybe someone is having those kind of services such as I have seen and experienced elsewhere.
I thought it came from the tabernacle, so I walked over there. I looked around, and walked into the tabernacle, left open, though the entire grounds were empty. Nothing. No one. Not a sound in there. I sat down on one of the old wooden seats they had managed to keep in the sanctuary. I thought - "I'm sitting in the first place where I found the presence of God was the sweetest thing in life. I'm waiting for that presence to truly come back, but this time come back even greater - to break bondages, to cause deliverance, to bring healing of every kind."
Monday, October 12, 2009
Gardening
Now that it's fall, and everything is dying, it's a good time to think about gardening, think against the grain, when everything is budding.
Oh the many analogies in gardening to the Christian life, and to human life. You realize them as you garden.
WEEDS
1. There are many varieties. Sometimes you don't know if a plant is a weed or something planted by the gardener.
2. They appear with no effort, they grow freely and appear easily. You don't have to choose them, buy them, or plant them.
3. Their roots are sometimes deeper and harder to dig up than the desirable plants. They are hardy and strong.
4. They grow up overnight-quickly.
5. They can look good but do damage to good plants. Deceptive. Desirable plants can be thwarted by weeds, so weeds have to be dug up or killed.
6. The dandy lion weed has a deep root like a carrot, like false vegetable or false food, and is very hard to pull out.
7. If you pull it out but don't get the whole root, it grows back. Bitterness: the bible calls it the root of bitterness-it runs deep, it has to come all the way out or it comes back.
8. If you are able to pull out the whole thing, it goes away.
9. Dandy lion and other weeds- so ugly, except for the yellow flower. Destructive to grass and other plants.
10. When the soil is watered, it's easier to pull out weeds by the roots. Analogous to the raining of the holy Spirit.
11. Sun causes weeds to grow as well as the good plants.
12. More sophisticated weed killers were not available in the past, but now we can kill them more efficiently and thoroughly.
13. As a child, I remember picking and fondling dandy lion weeds. So different from how I feel about them as an adult. Reason I dislike them as adult: dandy lions are a symbol of neglect.
15. Weeds tend to crop up most where the good plants begin to grow.
OTHER areas of gardening
1. Good, desirable plants have to be bought and carefully cultivated, they don't appear instantaneously or effortlessly.
2. A beautiful garden or fruitful field has to be planted and cultivated by human hands. God doesn't just grow everything as it needs to be without us doing our part. He has left it up to human hands to bring it about. Saying: that a farmer planted a field and said, "look at the crops I grew." The person said in reply: "only God can grow a crop." the farmer turned to a field that was uncultivated and said, "oh yeh? Look at the field I let God plant all by himself!" In another teaching I will discuss our part and call it: 'our obligation to let go, and our obligation to hold on."
3. Beautiful breeds of flowers originated with wild flowers that in some places and times did just appear, but that humans cultivated. All plant life was made by God and comes from God. Our part as the gardener is vital, and yet, we aren't the creators. We have to do our part, and then the rest is up to God. We can't do the actual creation of the plant. We can't cause the actual growth, we can only encourage it. He gets the credit, but we get the benefits.
4. The good plants can be hardy also and can take over a garden eventually so that weeds don't grow.
5. Watering is essential, Sunshine is essential.
7. Plants are more vulnerable and may not become plants at the seed stage.
8. Seeds sometimes require more nurturing.
9. Different types of plants thrive in different climates.
10. Plants can be tended too much and die.
11.new plants in the ground also require extra nurturing.
12.moving a plant to a different location can traumatize it and kill it
Friday, September 11, 2009
The Bible
How can I pass on to you that the Bible is the only set of words actually given to us by God? These are the only words we have been able to find from such a source. The Bible is alive--the words live. The way we know this is that God said that in the beginning was The Word and The Word was with God and The Word WAS God, without Him was not anything made that was made (First chapter of the gospel of John). Therefore, words created every single physically alive thing in our world. Isn't that bizarre? By the same token life is given to us again and again through words. These are the only words that live in the here and now and create life. All nobility, every desire to be strong enough to have the right attitude, to love the unlovable, to have faith in oneself in the face of hatred and scorn lies between these relatively few pages. It is so hard to believe that this could be true, but it is. The Jews have preserved these words for us, and we should never forget the price they have paid to be the ones who have done this.
There are several stories in the Bible that are astounding and deserve attention. Now that you will attempt to read the bible, I wanted to tell you about some stories that are great examples of astounding miracles. These were very blatant manifestations of God on earth. These stories have, from childhood, always given me the greatest longing to see and know God in a tangible way.
You can look up and read for yourself the following stories: the story of Daniel in the lion's den--found in the book of Daniel (imagine that!) chapter 6 (however, the story begins before 6), the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--three friends of Daniel who survived being thrown into a fiery furnace, and merely walked around and then stepped out unharmed--in the book of Daniel, chapter 3; the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal--he made a deal with them that if their god would send fire from heaven instead of his God, then it would prove that theirs was the true god. He had no doubt in his mind that his God was true. The prophets danced around, and cut themselves and cried out to Baal and there was no answer. Elijah built an altar and had it covered with water--drenched--and then called upon the God of the Bible. Fire shot down from heaven and consumed not only the altar but trenches of water that surrounded it and the stones the altar was made of and the dust beneath. After this the people fell down and worshipped Elijah's God. I KINGS CHAPTER 18, vs 20-40
This becomes more meaningful when you discover that the people of Baal used to throw their children into a fiery death--the mouth of a huge face--and then would hear the child laughing as it went in--the laughing being merely caused by the effect of the flames on their lungs and vocal cords. This historic information comes from outside the Bible--and is the result of archeology, etc.
And the story of Elijah is more powerful when you realize that many people today are saying that it is very cool to be "pagan" again, because the people of the time of Baal were the perfect embodiment of pagan.
These stories are so much more exciting than most of what we experience in our everyday lives. They tempt me to step out into that world that is considered "mythical" and leave the world we live in behind.
We feel more comfortable believing that our world is not ordered in the way of the Old Testament, but I do believe that we deceive ourselves, and at the same time our world seems to be going back to looking more like the Old Testament.
There are several stories in the Bible that are astounding and deserve attention. Now that you will attempt to read the bible, I wanted to tell you about some stories that are great examples of astounding miracles. These were very blatant manifestations of God on earth. These stories have, from childhood, always given me the greatest longing to see and know God in a tangible way.
You can look up and read for yourself the following stories: the story of Daniel in the lion's den--found in the book of Daniel (imagine that!) chapter 6 (however, the story begins before 6), the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego--three friends of Daniel who survived being thrown into a fiery furnace, and merely walked around and then stepped out unharmed--in the book of Daniel, chapter 3; the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal--he made a deal with them that if their god would send fire from heaven instead of his God, then it would prove that theirs was the true god. He had no doubt in his mind that his God was true. The prophets danced around, and cut themselves and cried out to Baal and there was no answer. Elijah built an altar and had it covered with water--drenched--and then called upon the God of the Bible. Fire shot down from heaven and consumed not only the altar but trenches of water that surrounded it and the stones the altar was made of and the dust beneath. After this the people fell down and worshipped Elijah's God. I KINGS CHAPTER 18, vs 20-40
This becomes more meaningful when you discover that the people of Baal used to throw their children into a fiery death--the mouth of a huge face--and then would hear the child laughing as it went in--the laughing being merely caused by the effect of the flames on their lungs and vocal cords. This historic information comes from outside the Bible--and is the result of archeology, etc.
And the story of Elijah is more powerful when you realize that many people today are saying that it is very cool to be "pagan" again, because the people of the time of Baal were the perfect embodiment of pagan.
These stories are so much more exciting than most of what we experience in our everyday lives. They tempt me to step out into that world that is considered "mythical" and leave the world we live in behind.
We feel more comfortable believing that our world is not ordered in the way of the Old Testament, but I do believe that we deceive ourselves, and at the same time our world seems to be going back to looking more like the Old Testament.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Win Over Sin
The answer to the sin problem is very simple, but not easy. The primary thrust of this writing is: to overcome sin we must become so weak, so perfectly unable to do for ourselves what only God can do that we fall before his mercy and receive his grace, at last.
Our inability to receive His grace, especially those of us who are so good at being good and have long been taught the way of striving, is our main problem.
It took me so long to learn this, and I had to unlearn so much of what I thought I’d learned.
The bible makes it clear that His strength is to made manifest in our weakness, and that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Unless His strength replaces our weakness, we have attained nothing.
How does this play out? Since sexual desire has always been strong for me, and there has been a stronghold against my relationships, I have had to go for years and years without a mate as a way to find an outlet for this energy.
So, sexual sin was always my biggest weakness. Let me start there. The way to getting victory was so simple I missed it. We make these valiant attempts, even when we are sincere in loving God, to rid ourselves of sin, but we become freakish and self-righteous in the process. We make our Christianity a source of insanity. People become crazy over Christ and the sin problem. Balance is so difficult for most people. That’s why Jesus said that the way is narrow and not easy. That’s what he meant when he said, “few there be that find it.”
How do you get the victory? First, I am assuming here I am addressing those who have a desire to get a victory. If you don’t truly desire to get rid of sin there is no way. If your sin doesn’t grieve you, one would wonder if you have even gotten saved. The Holy Spirit, which God gave you, will convict you of sin.
Next, you rid yourself of dishonesty and you become totally open and honest about what you do wrong. By trying to hold things in, and rely on self-control, by trying to stuff things away, we also can deceive ourselves and keep from seeing our sin.
I have such good restraint. I am so controlled - never having had a drug or alcohol problem. I have no desire for substances. I don’t like bad habits. I brush my teeth regularly; I can eat just right, no problem. I can fast, no problem. I can exercise religiously - no problem. My problem has been that natural strength that I was born with. It has been so easy for me to be religious, to strive.
Natural strength has to be let go of.
The brief period of learning this was a sexy one. However, I soon found myself longing for victory, the real way, over sexual sin, because the consequences, which manifest internally and emotionally, were not so sexy. Externally, the usual bad treatment by my partner was painful.
Prior to this I got extreme in abstinence and self-restraint. I had a young, Christian roomie who was a virgin and thrived on her influence. I abstained from all forms of sex: masturbation, etc. I was harsh, ascetic, and fierce. I fasted, and resisted all involvements with the opposite sex; I avoided every form of temptation, and only spent time with Christians. It brought absolutely no lasting change. I eventually found myself frustrated again.
I then met a guy who became my boyfriend who wasn’t even a true Christian. Now I had the perfect temptation - a man in my life, and a man with no restraint. It was better he had no restraint than if I were dealing with the spirit of religion, however. But, no holds were barred – no self-restraints on my part. During the period of being sexually active with him, I came home to my sanctuary, and took communion a lot. I had been keeping these crackers made in Jerusalem - unleavened bread. And, I used whatever juice I had, preferably grape juice. I called the bread Christ’s body and the juice His blood and I took them.
I repented of my sin and recognized that there was no reason to condemn myself, and no reason to deny myself the body and blood. I was believing that the body and blood would give me victory over sin. Confessing and repenting in this case did not mean I would not sin again in the same way – I knew that. But for a besetting sin, this seems to be the way to handle it. You repent and confess until the next time, until you get the victory.
I have a nice prayer or confession to accompany communion. I did nothing at all outward to deny myself or to deny my sin.
I did sin again, but it was grief to me. I repeated the exercise, knowing that I would get the victory. It’s important to see that I kept the switch of faith on at all times. Jesus said that the work of God is to believe, and this is so true. I kept on believing through all this. But I also received God’s grace. These are the two important elements
I bought a ring with a cross in it, to wear on my left hand - a reminder of whom I belonged to. Eventually, I got a victory Later I praised God that He did it.
I received God’s grace. This is the thing that many Christians miss. – They simply have never been able to receive God’s grace. It is essential to receive that and nothing more - not try to fix ourselves, not try to put on a righteous façade.
I accepted God’s unmerited favor and I resisted the devil. The bible says that we submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee.
In the case of hatred, which can lead to murder, it was much harder for me to let go and allow whatever was in me come out. I don’t enjoy the feelings of hate.
This area was going to be much harder to deal with in the future, I found out, and to get a victory.
But the essential elements are: receiving God’s grace as you receive his body and blood and believing that you will have a victory over the sin, even while you are still sinning. The results can be profound.
Communion Prayer
Prayer: Father in heaven, I examine myself today to see if there is anything in me that is displeasing to You. In Jesus name I ask You to forgive me for _______, and to release me from the power of this sin. I break the hold of my judgment against anyone who has hurt me and allow him or her to go free of me. I ask You to forgive me for any part I had in causing this and to cleanse me.
And now we will repeat the words of Jesus as He broke bread with His disciples:
Take, eat, this is my body, like the body of the Lamb eaten by Israel, broken for you to bear your sins, so you may die to sin and live to righteousness. This body heals you of the results of sin, and heals the body. Do this in remembrance of me.
Drink, for this is my blood of the new covenant, not the old covenant of the blood of animals, but the new covenant of the blood of the eternal Lamb of God. This was shed for you to pardon sin, to release you from sin. This blood sets you free from the destruction that sin has caused, and heals the soul. Do this in remembrance of me.
Lord, we remember You and what You have done for us.
Our inability to receive His grace, especially those of us who are so good at being good and have long been taught the way of striving, is our main problem.
It took me so long to learn this, and I had to unlearn so much of what I thought I’d learned.
The bible makes it clear that His strength is to made manifest in our weakness, and that our righteousness is as filthy rags. Unless His strength replaces our weakness, we have attained nothing.
How does this play out? Since sexual desire has always been strong for me, and there has been a stronghold against my relationships, I have had to go for years and years without a mate as a way to find an outlet for this energy.
So, sexual sin was always my biggest weakness. Let me start there. The way to getting victory was so simple I missed it. We make these valiant attempts, even when we are sincere in loving God, to rid ourselves of sin, but we become freakish and self-righteous in the process. We make our Christianity a source of insanity. People become crazy over Christ and the sin problem. Balance is so difficult for most people. That’s why Jesus said that the way is narrow and not easy. That’s what he meant when he said, “few there be that find it.”
How do you get the victory? First, I am assuming here I am addressing those who have a desire to get a victory. If you don’t truly desire to get rid of sin there is no way. If your sin doesn’t grieve you, one would wonder if you have even gotten saved. The Holy Spirit, which God gave you, will convict you of sin.
Next, you rid yourself of dishonesty and you become totally open and honest about what you do wrong. By trying to hold things in, and rely on self-control, by trying to stuff things away, we also can deceive ourselves and keep from seeing our sin.
I have such good restraint. I am so controlled - never having had a drug or alcohol problem. I have no desire for substances. I don’t like bad habits. I brush my teeth regularly; I can eat just right, no problem. I can fast, no problem. I can exercise religiously - no problem. My problem has been that natural strength that I was born with. It has been so easy for me to be religious, to strive.
Natural strength has to be let go of.
The brief period of learning this was a sexy one. However, I soon found myself longing for victory, the real way, over sexual sin, because the consequences, which manifest internally and emotionally, were not so sexy. Externally, the usual bad treatment by my partner was painful.
Prior to this I got extreme in abstinence and self-restraint. I had a young, Christian roomie who was a virgin and thrived on her influence. I abstained from all forms of sex: masturbation, etc. I was harsh, ascetic, and fierce. I fasted, and resisted all involvements with the opposite sex; I avoided every form of temptation, and only spent time with Christians. It brought absolutely no lasting change. I eventually found myself frustrated again.
I then met a guy who became my boyfriend who wasn’t even a true Christian. Now I had the perfect temptation - a man in my life, and a man with no restraint. It was better he had no restraint than if I were dealing with the spirit of religion, however. But, no holds were barred – no self-restraints on my part. During the period of being sexually active with him, I came home to my sanctuary, and took communion a lot. I had been keeping these crackers made in Jerusalem - unleavened bread. And, I used whatever juice I had, preferably grape juice. I called the bread Christ’s body and the juice His blood and I took them.
I repented of my sin and recognized that there was no reason to condemn myself, and no reason to deny myself the body and blood. I was believing that the body and blood would give me victory over sin. Confessing and repenting in this case did not mean I would not sin again in the same way – I knew that. But for a besetting sin, this seems to be the way to handle it. You repent and confess until the next time, until you get the victory.
I have a nice prayer or confession to accompany communion. I did nothing at all outward to deny myself or to deny my sin.
I did sin again, but it was grief to me. I repeated the exercise, knowing that I would get the victory. It’s important to see that I kept the switch of faith on at all times. Jesus said that the work of God is to believe, and this is so true. I kept on believing through all this. But I also received God’s grace. These are the two important elements
I bought a ring with a cross in it, to wear on my left hand - a reminder of whom I belonged to. Eventually, I got a victory Later I praised God that He did it.
I received God’s grace. This is the thing that many Christians miss. – They simply have never been able to receive God’s grace. It is essential to receive that and nothing more - not try to fix ourselves, not try to put on a righteous façade.
I accepted God’s unmerited favor and I resisted the devil. The bible says that we submit to God and resist the devil and he will flee.
In the case of hatred, which can lead to murder, it was much harder for me to let go and allow whatever was in me come out. I don’t enjoy the feelings of hate.
This area was going to be much harder to deal with in the future, I found out, and to get a victory.
But the essential elements are: receiving God’s grace as you receive his body and blood and believing that you will have a victory over the sin, even while you are still sinning. The results can be profound.
Communion Prayer
Prayer: Father in heaven, I examine myself today to see if there is anything in me that is displeasing to You. In Jesus name I ask You to forgive me for _______, and to release me from the power of this sin. I break the hold of my judgment against anyone who has hurt me and allow him or her to go free of me. I ask You to forgive me for any part I had in causing this and to cleanse me.
And now we will repeat the words of Jesus as He broke bread with His disciples:
Take, eat, this is my body, like the body of the Lamb eaten by Israel, broken for you to bear your sins, so you may die to sin and live to righteousness. This body heals you of the results of sin, and heals the body. Do this in remembrance of me.
Drink, for this is my blood of the new covenant, not the old covenant of the blood of animals, but the new covenant of the blood of the eternal Lamb of God. This was shed for you to pardon sin, to release you from sin. This blood sets you free from the destruction that sin has caused, and heals the soul. Do this in remembrance of me.
Lord, we remember You and what You have done for us.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Affliction
When tragedy comes, when horrible things happen, we first feel absolutely compelled to look at our lives and see if this came from sin. (John 1: 1-14 Healing at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus says “sin no more or a worse thing may come upon you”)(Ps 7: 3-5) How could we not?
Job at first examines himself with regards to sin. His conclusion is that he did not have sin. There have been sermons in which it is stated that Job did sin, and his sin was fear. This is so absurd. If the illustration here is of a sinless life, then saying Job has sin defeats the entire lesson.
The illustration is of a life that has no sin, at least, a life that is open before God with all sins confessed - a godly man. God told Satan that this man will not curse him even if he has to endure the ravages of Satan. If Job isn't the godly man God said he was, the point is lost.
God tells at the end of the book of Job that his friends are wrong, that Job is not being chastised for sin. To say that he had fear and sinned is then denying what God said to his friends.
One preacher (Jesse Duplantis) explained that the fear the scripture referred to was his fear for his sons. His sons apparently were questionable regarding sin, so he kept offering sacrifices for them so that their sins would be covered.
He was always concerned that their sins would reap terrible consequences. When his life was attacked and their lives were destroyed, he believed that his fear had come upon him.
If we are reaping bad things from sin, if we suffer because of sin, we need to recognize and deal with that area, or we've learned nothing, gained nothing. We may have opened a door for Satan, not knowing.
In Job's case, he didn't open a door through sin. God just took away his protection, and Satan attacked.
We know what to do when Satan attacks us now, many years later, with the writings of the New Testament. Much has been written about dealing with the devil.
When bad things happen, we get stronger, we learn because we allow God to use the thing that has happened for good, according to Romans 8: 28. It doesn't mean that God expressly sent the negative thing that occurred. Satan is in the earth and is always trying to send evil things, shown in Job, where he was anxious to attack. There was a hedge and Satan challenged that.
Mac Hammond preached a very good sermon one Sunday night on this topic.
He preached about how Job had no knowledge of the benefits or the necessity of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6). It was this piece, this missing piece that made all the difference in Job's experience.
He said that indeed the enemy tries to come against us, seeing the hedge about us, complaining. But with the many gifts of the spirit and the blessings of being able to attack back, we are not left to being bludgeoned in the same way as Job anymore.
The book of Job is not written to tell us that we are left to being overwhelmed by the enemy's power as it seems so many try to preach.
But what if Satan has attacked and we have experienced great loss? There we are, already sick, already down, already nearly destroyed.
It doesn’t matter if we have the power to overcome Satan. When Satan came against us, we seemed to lack the power and now it seems too late to fight back. He has already caused destruction. What now?
First we make sure that we are right with God, that all sins are confessed, that we have dealt with sin. If we are right in that area, we move on to faith in healing, and this is faith in the work of Jesus, who primarily went around healing and raising from the dead. There is restoration through the cross.
It is amazing how many people will defend the right to remain sick and broken, ignoring the explicit words of Jesus, which expressly command that we heal the sick and raise the dead.
I believe strongly in the power of communion, especially for those who find they do not have very good fellowship with other believers to rely on. Communion is symbolic of the work of Jesus on the cross and it is His work on the cross that has given us all of the life and power that we need for everything in this life. In a healing class it was made clear to me that his body was broken to heal the body, specifically, and his blood to heal everything else.
We overcome by the blood and communion reminds us of the blood and its power.
The next thing we do Is take up the Sword of The Spirit which is the Word Of God. By reading the Word and speaking God’s Word out loud, we will find great power for restoration and also to prevent further attacks.
It is very helpful to collect verses on specific topics, such as healing, and write them down so you can recite them regularly.
By taking these tools – confession, communion, and the Word Of God, we can find restoration from the destruction that the enemy has caused, and barricade ourselves against his tactics.
We must persevere in faith to see our restoration.
Job at first examines himself with regards to sin. His conclusion is that he did not have sin. There have been sermons in which it is stated that Job did sin, and his sin was fear. This is so absurd. If the illustration here is of a sinless life, then saying Job has sin defeats the entire lesson.
The illustration is of a life that has no sin, at least, a life that is open before God with all sins confessed - a godly man. God told Satan that this man will not curse him even if he has to endure the ravages of Satan. If Job isn't the godly man God said he was, the point is lost.
God tells at the end of the book of Job that his friends are wrong, that Job is not being chastised for sin. To say that he had fear and sinned is then denying what God said to his friends.
One preacher (Jesse Duplantis) explained that the fear the scripture referred to was his fear for his sons. His sons apparently were questionable regarding sin, so he kept offering sacrifices for them so that their sins would be covered.
He was always concerned that their sins would reap terrible consequences. When his life was attacked and their lives were destroyed, he believed that his fear had come upon him.
If we are reaping bad things from sin, if we suffer because of sin, we need to recognize and deal with that area, or we've learned nothing, gained nothing. We may have opened a door for Satan, not knowing.
In Job's case, he didn't open a door through sin. God just took away his protection, and Satan attacked.
We know what to do when Satan attacks us now, many years later, with the writings of the New Testament. Much has been written about dealing with the devil.
When bad things happen, we get stronger, we learn because we allow God to use the thing that has happened for good, according to Romans 8: 28. It doesn't mean that God expressly sent the negative thing that occurred. Satan is in the earth and is always trying to send evil things, shown in Job, where he was anxious to attack. There was a hedge and Satan challenged that.
Mac Hammond preached a very good sermon one Sunday night on this topic.
He preached about how Job had no knowledge of the benefits or the necessity of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6). It was this piece, this missing piece that made all the difference in Job's experience.
He said that indeed the enemy tries to come against us, seeing the hedge about us, complaining. But with the many gifts of the spirit and the blessings of being able to attack back, we are not left to being bludgeoned in the same way as Job anymore.
The book of Job is not written to tell us that we are left to being overwhelmed by the enemy's power as it seems so many try to preach.
But what if Satan has attacked and we have experienced great loss? There we are, already sick, already down, already nearly destroyed.
It doesn’t matter if we have the power to overcome Satan. When Satan came against us, we seemed to lack the power and now it seems too late to fight back. He has already caused destruction. What now?
First we make sure that we are right with God, that all sins are confessed, that we have dealt with sin. If we are right in that area, we move on to faith in healing, and this is faith in the work of Jesus, who primarily went around healing and raising from the dead. There is restoration through the cross.
It is amazing how many people will defend the right to remain sick and broken, ignoring the explicit words of Jesus, which expressly command that we heal the sick and raise the dead.
I believe strongly in the power of communion, especially for those who find they do not have very good fellowship with other believers to rely on. Communion is symbolic of the work of Jesus on the cross and it is His work on the cross that has given us all of the life and power that we need for everything in this life. In a healing class it was made clear to me that his body was broken to heal the body, specifically, and his blood to heal everything else.
We overcome by the blood and communion reminds us of the blood and its power.
The next thing we do Is take up the Sword of The Spirit which is the Word Of God. By reading the Word and speaking God’s Word out loud, we will find great power for restoration and also to prevent further attacks.
It is very helpful to collect verses on specific topics, such as healing, and write them down so you can recite them regularly.
By taking these tools – confession, communion, and the Word Of God, we can find restoration from the destruction that the enemy has caused, and barricade ourselves against his tactics.
We must persevere in faith to see our restoration.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Black People, Listen to Me!
A Message of love and hope.
God revealed the star shining over the African American. It is like the star that stood over Bethlehem that foretold of something great.
Black people need to know that their sojourning in America has been for a glorious future that God has prepared for them. I needed God to confirm this outside my little world, and then ran into a book by modern day prophet Rick Joyner. God has given him special gifts to predict things that will occur, proven by what has already occurred. His knowledge is by the spirit of God and has gone out to that part of the church that recognizes these gifts.
His little book is entitled Overcoming Racism. Here is an excerpt:
“If the white race, or any other people, had suffered the same historic problems as the black race, we would be having the same problems the are having now. I have heard many white leaders actually say that we would have no inner city problems if blacks just had some ambition. What do you think slavery did to the work ethic? Such deep cultural wounds cannot be healed without the intervention of the cross.
The black race in America was allowed to be subject to slavery for the same reason that the Lord allowed Israel to become slaves in Egypt - they have a destiny with God. When they come into this destiny, the rest of America is going to be very thankful for this great and noble people in our midst. It is the destiny of the black race to carry freedom to a new level. This will be true freedom, with the dignity and honor that God created men to have.
THE POWER FOR HEALING
It was by the Lord's stripes that we were healed. In a sense we too, receive the authority for healing in the very place where we are wounded, once the wounds have been healed. Even when the wounds have been healed, there is sensitivity in that area that remains. Someone who has been subjected to abuse will be sensitive to others who have been abused. When someone who is subjected to abuse is truly healed, they will not only be truly free, but they will have the authority to carry healing to others with those same wounds.
The black race is going to embrace the cross, receive healing for their wounds, and start loving white Americans with such power that we will all be set free by that love.
The Uncle Tom of Uncle Tom's Cabin [you know how negatively black people have thought of this man] truly was a prophetic figure. In spite of all the abuse that he suffered at the hands of his 'owners,' he was freer than they were, and he was willing to use his freedom to lay down his life if that would result in his owner's salvation. The black believers in America, when they have been fully healed will bring revival and true spiritual liberty to the whole nation.
The inner cities of America will ultimately become the inner sanctuary of God's tabernacle; the place where his glory and presence dwells. The greatest move of God that America has ever experienced will come out of the inner cities. The suburban church may have the gold, but the inner church will make them jealous with the glory. Those who are wise will take the gold that they have and use it to build a tabernacle for the Lord that is not made with hands, but with people.”
I was shocked to read this. I had the same "premonitions" but thought it too bold to say as much as he has said. " Bring freedom to a new level!"
WHAT YOU ARE
You are the ones who have been humbled. You are the people of God who have been put into the iron furnace that God talked about when He said that he would take the Israelites out of the iron furnace of Egypt (Deut 4:20).
African Americans are not just called, they are chosen. The journey has been leading to things that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the heart has not conceived of.
White people will come bleeding and broken to you, asking for mercy, telling you they are sorry for treating you like dirt. Sorry that they thought you were simple and less than they. Sorry that they ignored you and kept you in a box. They will come for mercy and knowing you, you will embrace them with open arms. As my mother has said, I have never seen people who change more through the power of Jesus Christ to become forgiving and loving than the African American.
If this is true, and I believe she is right, then it means that you glorify God in ways that no other people on earth glorify Him.
While some African Americans cringe to think of Jesus Christ as the banner for the American Negro, or of Martin Luther King being the prophet, because they feel that all has failed, you know that this is not true. You know that who you are in Christ is more precious in your journey than it has been for anyone else in America. You must also know that you are chosen, precious, singled out and created for a special purpose in America that will amaze every American and the world.
It's the African American and not the African, in particular. It's what you have become in Jesus Christ in your journey, your humiliation and travail in America that has made you the unique people that you are. Your place in God, your destiny is similar to the Jews, even to the point of having been slaves.
Don't you know that God doesn't waste our tribulations?
THE WORD 'BLACK'
Why are you called black? We call sin black, we call dirt black, and we call night black and equate night with the darkness that one hides in to hide from sin. But I've been told that the blacker real dirt is, the richer it is for growing crops. The red river valley of the North has rich black dirt. So has southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.
I am a night person. I love the night. I love the quiet of the night, the peace of darkness that doesn't make my light-sensitive eyes strain, and the beauty of the lights that show in the sky against the backdrop of dark.
I wear black often because it is a dignified color. When I was a little girl I would walk a mile to school every day alone, and relish things in nature along the way- leaves, stones, and more than anything, the chestnut. I remember clearly how I loved the color of the chestnut. I would keep and collect chestnuts because of the beauty of the wood.
Do we look at mahogany and think of sin? Do we look at the gorgeous slick sides of a dark reddish-brown Arabian horse glistening in the sun and think of it as evil? When we open a can of coffee and look a the rich color and take in the rich aroma of coffee, which is awesomely more beautiful than the taste, do we think of human dung or of the filthiness of human hearts?
Why would the skin color of the African-based human being have any ugly connotations compared to the beauty of other things that also have rich tones created by the sun?
Lots of people through the ages have seen the African skin and thought it was beautiful. Anyone who thinks otherwise is blind, absolutely blind and stupid. This is a beautiful color. White people want to get a tan, many times in excess. Doesn't that say enough?
Black people are a piece of art.
From my window far away, growing up in a small town with rather indifferent white people, to living in the inner city, I have watched black people everywhere and waited. I have waited for this sojourning to come to a beautiful purpose. God has shown it will someday come to be.
It can be discouraging, but a black face is still a happy thing to behold.
WHAT YOU POSSESS
You have the most incredible endurance of spirit. You have passion and energy. God gives greater burdens to the strong than to the weak. You are strong people. Oh my Lord you are strong people.
I am a musician. I have studied mainly classical music but my favorite music as a child of God has been black inspirations such as Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin. I recently ventured into teaching some flute students who had only classical music in their background to play flute to a CD background of rock inspirations such as the Beatles. This was far more difficult for them than the mechanical style of classical. All rock and similar styles are rooted in blues and jazz - the creations of African Americans. It is the work of true genius.
Genius has been overlooked. Not very many white people think about that, maybe because of pride or just ignorance.
It is not a myth that musical genius runs strong in the black race. It is a great legacy. Rhythm is a beautiful heritage. Being a musician I also know that math and music have a strong connection. People good in music have that sense of order that makes them good at math as well. Many black people seem to excel in this area.
Black people tend to be aggressive and excellent in the power of persuasion. This implies having a gift for sales.
Black people tend to be flexible, hearty, resilient - able to bounce back.
What are you waiting for? You have genius, sales ability, flexibility, and endurance. Go in and take the Promised Land.
WHY HASN'T IT HAPPENED?
Black people, you don’t have a passion for becoming a part of the world of the white world, or becoming a part of their ways, for the most part. This has been an important factor in the fulfillment of the prophecy. You don't want the messed up ways of the white world, but you need an alternative to your own problems.
You know the problems. The list is long: poverty, drugs, sex, violence, and crime. But Rick Joyner and Jesus say that you will come out of this and set an example to others - to the white race. That is awesome!
FEAR OF MAN
One of the biggest obstacles to going into the Promised Land is the fear of man. It brings a curse according to the ancient prophet Jeremiah.
Though fear of man is wrong, God understands how hard it is not to fear him. But black people, this has got to go in order to conquer and go into the Promised Land.
The death of Martin Luther King inspired fear, but God doesn't want black leaders to die in their prime. It's not His will for us to die before we have finished our work on earth. Since this battle to emancipate the African American is vehemently hated by the devil, we need to fight a spiritual battle to stand strong. Perhaps Martin Luther King waged too much of a political battle. This is not to say that he wasn't a true Christian or that it wasn't also a spiritual battle. This is not to say that people weren't praying or that Christians failed.
But the weapons of the Spirit are the only weapons that will win in this battle, no matter what we do on a human level. And we don't need to wait for any one person. We already have that one person - Jesus Christ.
Stand against that fear by God's spirit. It is not too late. God is watching over His word to perform it. He will perform it in you - His black people.
FORGIVENESS
Everyone has a problem with forgiveness to some degree. It is one of our greatest obstacles to moving forward. Forgiveness must be a very difficult thing for the African American. But bitterness has to go if you are going to possess the Promised Land.
Black people actually possess an amazing ability to forgive and embrace another human being. It is called being "magnanimous."
One of the best portraits of forgiveness is the black Baptist minister who visited Jeffrey Dahmer in prison, resulting in his conversion. What kind of character would it take to be the only person visiting a man who killed and ate black men, and be black yourself? This minister is the kind of black person I have seen that I believe in.
So you may ask, if that is true, what has been going on in our world with people such as Tupac, demonstrating such rage? It is because the sojourning has gone on for so long, and African Americans have begun to buckle under it. The time is ripe for a breakthrough.
God usually asks us to make the first move. That move is toward forgiveness. He understands how hard it is for black people but He cannot bless sin. Maybe your ancestors sinned. Forgive them. The heart of stone must turn to a heart of flesh. That is when we will see this prophecy fulfilled.
BELIEVING THE LIES
Stop believing the lies about you! You can do that when you stop trusting man and start trusting God. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man," says Jeremiah. You don't need to hear what people think of you when God has you in the palm of His hand and has created you for good works before the foundation of the World. What God thinks of you is what matters. His opinion is the one that matters.
SHAME
People who have been degraded take on the shame themselves. Stop the shame. Stop blaming yourself. Stop accepting shame just because someone may look at you in a certain way and it may be that they don't like your color. It may be that you imagine it, or it may not. God made you in His image. Jesus sees you as His righteousness. You were created in Christ Jesus for good works. You are the apple of His eye. You are His workmanship.
IT'S TIME.
It's time, black people. It's time to win. It's time to go in and possess. It's time to know who you are in Christ.
In the world you have been the sad brunt of a joke and sometimes the object of scorn. But as God has it so often in His kingdom, you are the pearl inside the oyster (black pearl). You are the treasure that He has been working on for a glorious purpose. You are the fulfilling of the prophecy in Micah that says He is doing a work in our day that we would not believe if we were told.
But I know and believe, in part. I want to go to the Promised Land with you. I just want to be with the winners.
YOU CAME INTO JESUS LATE
The white race had Christianity in a whole culture in large numbers before any race on earth. We probably needed help a lot sooner!
You came late.
In America, you may not realize that though Europe had Christianity all the way back to early AD (England, not long after 500A.D.) Europe was still a bastion of evil and oppression.
My Swedish ancestors were sharecroppers. Most people were poor and the wealth was inherited and owned by an elite group - the upper class. Over all of Europe this was true. My ancestors as sharecroppers lived on the property of someone rich and were allowed to live in a dump and survive by working for the people on that land. They did not necessarily even eat well. The need for forgiveness was great for them too.
There was no religious freedom in Sweden. The Lutheran church in Sweden was oppressive. You were not allowed to worship God in the way that you chose.
My great-great grandfather was fortunate enough to come to America after the great exodus of Swedes in the mid 1800's. The rest is history. My family from there on was able to make a simple, adequate living. My grandfather was a schoolteacher. My father was a minister. We always had enough and my parents taught me the value of giving and of having enough and that it didn't have to be more than that. They also taught me that racism is a sin.
My English ancestry goes back to some guy that baled out of the army and got a boat to America.
Most American Caucasians have similar backgrounds and stories. We were humiliated and degraded in many cases in Europe. We lived no better than slaves, even lived like slaves. In America, those people who ran the slave trade were the same people who had enslaved white people and who many Europeans were trying to separate from. The people who opposed slavery were people such as my ancestors who despised the ways of the old world.
We had a head start in America, though we too had humble beginnings. The African American beginnings were more difficult.
White people were the first in America to have the chance to reverse the evils of our original homeland. We didn't fully succeed. Our generational bondage has been deep and lasting. Our need for Christ's salvation is also evident.
You were last. We had Christ before you. You were last, but the last shall be first.
Believe in the meaning of that passage and seize the Promised Land!
To order Rick Joyner's booklet call: 1-800-542-0278
Or write to: Morning Star Publications
16000 Lancaster Highway
Charlotte, NC 28277-2061
God revealed the star shining over the African American. It is like the star that stood over Bethlehem that foretold of something great.
Black people need to know that their sojourning in America has been for a glorious future that God has prepared for them. I needed God to confirm this outside my little world, and then ran into a book by modern day prophet Rick Joyner. God has given him special gifts to predict things that will occur, proven by what has already occurred. His knowledge is by the spirit of God and has gone out to that part of the church that recognizes these gifts.
His little book is entitled Overcoming Racism. Here is an excerpt:
“If the white race, or any other people, had suffered the same historic problems as the black race, we would be having the same problems the are having now. I have heard many white leaders actually say that we would have no inner city problems if blacks just had some ambition. What do you think slavery did to the work ethic? Such deep cultural wounds cannot be healed without the intervention of the cross.
The black race in America was allowed to be subject to slavery for the same reason that the Lord allowed Israel to become slaves in Egypt - they have a destiny with God. When they come into this destiny, the rest of America is going to be very thankful for this great and noble people in our midst. It is the destiny of the black race to carry freedom to a new level. This will be true freedom, with the dignity and honor that God created men to have.
THE POWER FOR HEALING
It was by the Lord's stripes that we were healed. In a sense we too, receive the authority for healing in the very place where we are wounded, once the wounds have been healed. Even when the wounds have been healed, there is sensitivity in that area that remains. Someone who has been subjected to abuse will be sensitive to others who have been abused. When someone who is subjected to abuse is truly healed, they will not only be truly free, but they will have the authority to carry healing to others with those same wounds.
The black race is going to embrace the cross, receive healing for their wounds, and start loving white Americans with such power that we will all be set free by that love.
The Uncle Tom of Uncle Tom's Cabin [you know how negatively black people have thought of this man] truly was a prophetic figure. In spite of all the abuse that he suffered at the hands of his 'owners,' he was freer than they were, and he was willing to use his freedom to lay down his life if that would result in his owner's salvation. The black believers in America, when they have been fully healed will bring revival and true spiritual liberty to the whole nation.
The inner cities of America will ultimately become the inner sanctuary of God's tabernacle; the place where his glory and presence dwells. The greatest move of God that America has ever experienced will come out of the inner cities. The suburban church may have the gold, but the inner church will make them jealous with the glory. Those who are wise will take the gold that they have and use it to build a tabernacle for the Lord that is not made with hands, but with people.”
I was shocked to read this. I had the same "premonitions" but thought it too bold to say as much as he has said. " Bring freedom to a new level!"
WHAT YOU ARE
You are the ones who have been humbled. You are the people of God who have been put into the iron furnace that God talked about when He said that he would take the Israelites out of the iron furnace of Egypt (Deut 4:20).
African Americans are not just called, they are chosen. The journey has been leading to things that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and the heart has not conceived of.
White people will come bleeding and broken to you, asking for mercy, telling you they are sorry for treating you like dirt. Sorry that they thought you were simple and less than they. Sorry that they ignored you and kept you in a box. They will come for mercy and knowing you, you will embrace them with open arms. As my mother has said, I have never seen people who change more through the power of Jesus Christ to become forgiving and loving than the African American.
If this is true, and I believe she is right, then it means that you glorify God in ways that no other people on earth glorify Him.
While some African Americans cringe to think of Jesus Christ as the banner for the American Negro, or of Martin Luther King being the prophet, because they feel that all has failed, you know that this is not true. You know that who you are in Christ is more precious in your journey than it has been for anyone else in America. You must also know that you are chosen, precious, singled out and created for a special purpose in America that will amaze every American and the world.
It's the African American and not the African, in particular. It's what you have become in Jesus Christ in your journey, your humiliation and travail in America that has made you the unique people that you are. Your place in God, your destiny is similar to the Jews, even to the point of having been slaves.
Don't you know that God doesn't waste our tribulations?
THE WORD 'BLACK'
Why are you called black? We call sin black, we call dirt black, and we call night black and equate night with the darkness that one hides in to hide from sin. But I've been told that the blacker real dirt is, the richer it is for growing crops. The red river valley of the North has rich black dirt. So has southern Minnesota and northern Iowa.
I am a night person. I love the night. I love the quiet of the night, the peace of darkness that doesn't make my light-sensitive eyes strain, and the beauty of the lights that show in the sky against the backdrop of dark.
I wear black often because it is a dignified color. When I was a little girl I would walk a mile to school every day alone, and relish things in nature along the way- leaves, stones, and more than anything, the chestnut. I remember clearly how I loved the color of the chestnut. I would keep and collect chestnuts because of the beauty of the wood.
Do we look at mahogany and think of sin? Do we look at the gorgeous slick sides of a dark reddish-brown Arabian horse glistening in the sun and think of it as evil? When we open a can of coffee and look a the rich color and take in the rich aroma of coffee, which is awesomely more beautiful than the taste, do we think of human dung or of the filthiness of human hearts?
Why would the skin color of the African-based human being have any ugly connotations compared to the beauty of other things that also have rich tones created by the sun?
Lots of people through the ages have seen the African skin and thought it was beautiful. Anyone who thinks otherwise is blind, absolutely blind and stupid. This is a beautiful color. White people want to get a tan, many times in excess. Doesn't that say enough?
Black people are a piece of art.
From my window far away, growing up in a small town with rather indifferent white people, to living in the inner city, I have watched black people everywhere and waited. I have waited for this sojourning to come to a beautiful purpose. God has shown it will someday come to be.
It can be discouraging, but a black face is still a happy thing to behold.
WHAT YOU POSSESS
You have the most incredible endurance of spirit. You have passion and energy. God gives greater burdens to the strong than to the weak. You are strong people. Oh my Lord you are strong people.
I am a musician. I have studied mainly classical music but my favorite music as a child of God has been black inspirations such as Fred Hammond and Kirk Franklin. I recently ventured into teaching some flute students who had only classical music in their background to play flute to a CD background of rock inspirations such as the Beatles. This was far more difficult for them than the mechanical style of classical. All rock and similar styles are rooted in blues and jazz - the creations of African Americans. It is the work of true genius.
Genius has been overlooked. Not very many white people think about that, maybe because of pride or just ignorance.
It is not a myth that musical genius runs strong in the black race. It is a great legacy. Rhythm is a beautiful heritage. Being a musician I also know that math and music have a strong connection. People good in music have that sense of order that makes them good at math as well. Many black people seem to excel in this area.
Black people tend to be aggressive and excellent in the power of persuasion. This implies having a gift for sales.
Black people tend to be flexible, hearty, resilient - able to bounce back.
What are you waiting for? You have genius, sales ability, flexibility, and endurance. Go in and take the Promised Land.
WHY HASN'T IT HAPPENED?
Black people, you don’t have a passion for becoming a part of the world of the white world, or becoming a part of their ways, for the most part. This has been an important factor in the fulfillment of the prophecy. You don't want the messed up ways of the white world, but you need an alternative to your own problems.
You know the problems. The list is long: poverty, drugs, sex, violence, and crime. But Rick Joyner and Jesus say that you will come out of this and set an example to others - to the white race. That is awesome!
FEAR OF MAN
One of the biggest obstacles to going into the Promised Land is the fear of man. It brings a curse according to the ancient prophet Jeremiah.
Though fear of man is wrong, God understands how hard it is not to fear him. But black people, this has got to go in order to conquer and go into the Promised Land.
The death of Martin Luther King inspired fear, but God doesn't want black leaders to die in their prime. It's not His will for us to die before we have finished our work on earth. Since this battle to emancipate the African American is vehemently hated by the devil, we need to fight a spiritual battle to stand strong. Perhaps Martin Luther King waged too much of a political battle. This is not to say that he wasn't a true Christian or that it wasn't also a spiritual battle. This is not to say that people weren't praying or that Christians failed.
But the weapons of the Spirit are the only weapons that will win in this battle, no matter what we do on a human level. And we don't need to wait for any one person. We already have that one person - Jesus Christ.
Stand against that fear by God's spirit. It is not too late. God is watching over His word to perform it. He will perform it in you - His black people.
FORGIVENESS
Everyone has a problem with forgiveness to some degree. It is one of our greatest obstacles to moving forward. Forgiveness must be a very difficult thing for the African American. But bitterness has to go if you are going to possess the Promised Land.
Black people actually possess an amazing ability to forgive and embrace another human being. It is called being "magnanimous."
One of the best portraits of forgiveness is the black Baptist minister who visited Jeffrey Dahmer in prison, resulting in his conversion. What kind of character would it take to be the only person visiting a man who killed and ate black men, and be black yourself? This minister is the kind of black person I have seen that I believe in.
So you may ask, if that is true, what has been going on in our world with people such as Tupac, demonstrating such rage? It is because the sojourning has gone on for so long, and African Americans have begun to buckle under it. The time is ripe for a breakthrough.
God usually asks us to make the first move. That move is toward forgiveness. He understands how hard it is for black people but He cannot bless sin. Maybe your ancestors sinned. Forgive them. The heart of stone must turn to a heart of flesh. That is when we will see this prophecy fulfilled.
BELIEVING THE LIES
Stop believing the lies about you! You can do that when you stop trusting man and start trusting God. "Cursed is the man who trusts in man," says Jeremiah. You don't need to hear what people think of you when God has you in the palm of His hand and has created you for good works before the foundation of the World. What God thinks of you is what matters. His opinion is the one that matters.
SHAME
People who have been degraded take on the shame themselves. Stop the shame. Stop blaming yourself. Stop accepting shame just because someone may look at you in a certain way and it may be that they don't like your color. It may be that you imagine it, or it may not. God made you in His image. Jesus sees you as His righteousness. You were created in Christ Jesus for good works. You are the apple of His eye. You are His workmanship.
IT'S TIME.
It's time, black people. It's time to win. It's time to go in and possess. It's time to know who you are in Christ.
In the world you have been the sad brunt of a joke and sometimes the object of scorn. But as God has it so often in His kingdom, you are the pearl inside the oyster (black pearl). You are the treasure that He has been working on for a glorious purpose. You are the fulfilling of the prophecy in Micah that says He is doing a work in our day that we would not believe if we were told.
But I know and believe, in part. I want to go to the Promised Land with you. I just want to be with the winners.
YOU CAME INTO JESUS LATE
The white race had Christianity in a whole culture in large numbers before any race on earth. We probably needed help a lot sooner!
You came late.
In America, you may not realize that though Europe had Christianity all the way back to early AD (England, not long after 500A.D.) Europe was still a bastion of evil and oppression.
My Swedish ancestors were sharecroppers. Most people were poor and the wealth was inherited and owned by an elite group - the upper class. Over all of Europe this was true. My ancestors as sharecroppers lived on the property of someone rich and were allowed to live in a dump and survive by working for the people on that land. They did not necessarily even eat well. The need for forgiveness was great for them too.
There was no religious freedom in Sweden. The Lutheran church in Sweden was oppressive. You were not allowed to worship God in the way that you chose.
My great-great grandfather was fortunate enough to come to America after the great exodus of Swedes in the mid 1800's. The rest is history. My family from there on was able to make a simple, adequate living. My grandfather was a schoolteacher. My father was a minister. We always had enough and my parents taught me the value of giving and of having enough and that it didn't have to be more than that. They also taught me that racism is a sin.
My English ancestry goes back to some guy that baled out of the army and got a boat to America.
Most American Caucasians have similar backgrounds and stories. We were humiliated and degraded in many cases in Europe. We lived no better than slaves, even lived like slaves. In America, those people who ran the slave trade were the same people who had enslaved white people and who many Europeans were trying to separate from. The people who opposed slavery were people such as my ancestors who despised the ways of the old world.
We had a head start in America, though we too had humble beginnings. The African American beginnings were more difficult.
White people were the first in America to have the chance to reverse the evils of our original homeland. We didn't fully succeed. Our generational bondage has been deep and lasting. Our need for Christ's salvation is also evident.
You were last. We had Christ before you. You were last, but the last shall be first.
Believe in the meaning of that passage and seize the Promised Land!
To order Rick Joyner's booklet call: 1-800-542-0278
Or write to: Morning Star Publications
16000 Lancaster Highway
Charlotte, NC 28277-2061
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