Normalizing Anxiety?

 This teaching is such a breath of fresh air.  It is so rare to hear this topic so honestly addressed and without apology.  This is the type of truth that truly "sets captives free!"  Hallelujah!

Soul Power: The Counterfeit of the Holy Spirit's Power

 

The Violent Gospel

 

Among the Trees

    Tribulation is difficult.  No Christian who has ever experienced a tremendous season of tribulation would ever make light of the trial, nor would the Christian brush off a brother or sister's time of testing, yet no trial is designed to consume a believer.  We are promised hopeful results if we will steadfastly and humbly follow God's Words and directives. 

    When hope and faith are being tried by fire, we would do well to remember the Lord's specific instructions to His people . . .  

Jeremiah 17:

5 Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man (Hebrew word geber = means a valiant man or warrior) that trusteth in man (Hebrew word adam = means a human being), and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

6 For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

7 Blessed is the man (Hebrew word geber = means a valiant man or warrior) that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is.

8 For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful (Hebrew word da'ag = anxious) in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:  who can know it?

10 I the LORD search (haqar = to penetrate; to examine intimately) the heart, I try (bahan = to test -especially metals-; to investigate) the reins (kilya = kidney; figuratively the mind), and even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. 

    We are more apt to look to the left or to the right (the arm of flesh) when the trial seems unending and the confusion is mounting.  When a resolution looks bleak and God doesn't seem to be "moving," we may start looking to man (adam) for a faster solution:  Perhaps adam will be kind, maybe adam can maneuver in this way or that way, or adam could possibly bring the remedy needed to this difficult season.  And if we don't think adam can bring change, we can at least rely on adam to feed the worry and doubt surrounding the trial.  Yet - God's Words in the Book of Jeremiah indicate that this kind of "solution" will stunt us.  Our growth is impeded just as the heath's growth is stunted and gnarled when a believer lowers his eyes from seeking God's help to seeking man's (adam's) seeming solutions.  What a pitiful site for a believer (geber = valiant man or warrior) to begin looking to the arm of flesh to fix anything.  If we do that, God reveals the outcome: a curse.  I don't type that or quote the word "curse" as a subtle threat or an intimidating word.  Instead, it is simply, by default, all that a believer could expect as the result.  How could a believer (born-again Christian) ever expect mere man (adam) to solve or deliver him from this life's trials?  Stunted. Gnarled. Gloomy. Naked. Destitute.  

    When a believer chooses to place his hope and trust in the LORD, being blessed is the promise we will reap.  Notice in verse 7 that anxiety is truly alleviated, and fruit is certain.  Verse 7 does not promise the absence of heat or drought, but it does assure us that we will not be scorched by the heat, but will instead be planted near a plentiful supply of water.  Leaves and fruit will abundantly result - all because trust and hope were placed in the Lord, rather than in the gadgets, tricks, and carnal "power or might" that adam (the arm of flesh) can offer.

   Brother or sister in the Lord, perhaps you started running a good race.  Perhaps the Lord has been well pleased with your ministry of the past.  Maybe the Lord has appreciated that you have tried false prophets.  These things are important to the Lord.  Yet - there is something of greater importance that the Lord desires.  It is that we never forget our first love.  Him. Our Lord and Savior.  He implores His people who have dearly loved Him in times past to return to Him.  Return to the first works of childlike devotion, trust, and hope in Jesus.  A simple walk of prayer, Bible study, and unfeigned trust that the Lord can do and will do exceeding abundantly above all that we could ask or think.  

He promises life beside a river that never runs dry. 

His Banner Over Me Was Love

  A Word In Season . . . 

Wilderness

Joy In The Suffering

The word "CHAMPION" is used three times in the Bible.  Each time, the word is used to describe Goliath.  (Here are two of them:  1 Samuel 17: 4; 1 Samuel 17:23)

Didn't he look like one?  A real champion.  Physically intimidating.  Vocally aggressive.  Don't most people do that even today?  You know - they look at a person's "stats" and "presentation" to determine if he is a champion.  It's all about what humans can observe with their eyes and
hear with their ears    ➠     Goliath: The Champion.

                   〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜〜

"On the road marked with suffering, blessed be Your Name.  

On the road marked with suffering, blessed be Your Name."

We have been taught by the world that strength is in the apparent victor - the muscle-laden champion. Yet, for just a moment . . . if you would, please consider the strength found in those who suffer for the cause of Christ.


➻A bloodied and beaten body hanging from a cross didn't appear victorious at all to the onlookers.
(Yet in His suffering, Christ brought salvation)  STRENGTH
➻An imprisoned Paul with lacerations from his last beating looked a lot like a defeated man.
(Yet in his suffering, he wrote to all Christians throughout time)  STRENGTH

Christians are called to be led of the Lord's Spirit no matter the suffering that seems to engulf us.  Sometimes the suffering will feel much like a swarm of killer bees that you can't swat away fast enough, but even with that tremendous anguish, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

 "From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the Lord's name is to be praised" (Psalm 113:3). 

 I don't say that lightly.  The trials and tribulations of those who suffer for Christ are the most intense battles ever fought.  The pressure is excruciating and debilitating.

How is it possible to minister to others while we are suffering?  It was about a year ago that the Lord answered a prayer by directing me to Psalm 113:3.  The prayer directly related to my concerns that I had in being able to successfully serve Him in the way He has called me to serve Him.  I understood, in part, what He was saying to me, but it took literally until today to understand it on a much deeper level.

There are times of tremendous trials in a Christian's life, and if we are not careful, we might believe Satan when he whispers that the suffering hinders us or causes a delay in the Christian being able to "do the work" God has called the Christian to do.  Satan would have us to think that we need to break free of the trials so that we can run full speed in serving the Lord.  However, the Word teaches us that we are not to seek to avoid our trials.  We can't go over them or around them.  No, the Christian is called to go through them.  (James 1: 2-4)

Did Paul postpone sharing the Gospel when he was suffering?  Or did he work the work of Christ DESPITE the anguish he faced?  Did Paul walk around angry at God because he was suffering so much when all he really wanted to do was spread the Gospel?  Or did Paul rejoice in his sufferings and continue to spread the Gospel?

2 Thessalonians 1: 4-5

 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

We strive to make it to the mountaintop because we just can't stand the suffering of the valley, but it is in the valley of suffering where the Christian will share his strength with those who need it - just as Christ did, just as Paul did, just as David did, just as John did, just as all of the nameless Christians have done throughout history through today and into tomorrow.  We mistakenly think the victory is up at the top, but for a saint of God, the victory is IN the valley.  That's where the fruit of the Holy Spirit is grown and birthed.  That is where the strength of the Lord forges us into vessels fit for the Master to use.

From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same the Lord's name is to be praised.

David gathered five smooth stones from a brook (1 Samuel 17:40)

By definition, a brook is a stream found in valleys.  In valleys.  By definition, stones are made smooth by the amount of time they spend in the water that washes over them.  Those stones must have spent a lot of time in that valley's brook.

Here's my favorite verse describing the Champion Goliath:

1 Samuel 17:52
Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.