Dear beloved: My spirit is bearing witness that we are in the calm before the storm, that a great shaking is about to begin in this country. This will be a time of great testing for even the strongest in the body of Christ, and for those outside the body it will be a sifting of unimaginable intensity. Where do you stand today, are your feet planted firmly upon the rock of Jesus Christ? Jesus said in Matthew 24:5 For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ', and will mislead many. v6 And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. v7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. v8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. v9 Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. v10 And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another.
Beloved, prepare yourself for the birth pangs are going to start to get more intense, closer together. And as they do, many will be mislead and follow false Christs, and many will fall into addictions of various kinds to soothe their pain, and many will take their own life and sometimes the lives of those around them. The enemy will mislead many down roads of destruction.
Jesus said in Matthew 7:24, "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. v25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. v26 And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. v27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall. So which is it beloved, are you going to act upon his words? Are you going to build your house upon the rock or upon the sand? Every day that is the choice we all have to make, the rock or the sand. Prepare yourself this day, act upon the words of Jesus that you have heard, get your house upon the rock. You will be glad you did! God bless you this day as you act upon His words. God bless you, in Christ, Jim
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt12
Dear beloved: In the ninth chapter of Nehemiah the sons of Israel again came together to pray and fast for God to intervene in the situation they were in. Neh.9:1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the sons of Israel assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dirt upon them. v2 And the descendants of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. v3 While they stood in their place, they read from the book of the law and the Lord their God for a fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. So you can see they earnestly sought the Lord with all their heart, and for hours they read from God's word and worshiped Him, all the while fasting and praying for releif. What was the situation that had brought so much grief and oppression into their lives? In verse 36 they summarize their situation; Behold, we are slaves today, And as to the land which Thou didst give to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, Behold, we are slaves on it. v37 And its abundant produce is for the kings Whom thou has set over us because of our sins; They also rule over our bodies And over our cattle as they please, So we are in great distress.
Beloved, we are in the same situation here in our land of America. We are slowly but surely being enslaved by the enemy by our own sin; we are losing the bounty of our land and the stage is set for our bodies also to be given over to captivity. Ezekiel 7:19 They shall fling their silver into the streets, and their gold shall become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion for stumbling. v21 And I shall give it (the beauty of His ornaments) into the hands of foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. v22 And I shall turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it. And so we see that just as in the day when Ezekiel cried out to the children of Israel to amend their ways, so too we here in America need to amend our ways. The robbers are ready to enter, and they will not show any mercy, in fact, we are handing our treasures and our abundance over to them without a fight.
Verse 27 in Ezekiel 7 gives the summary of all that the Lord will do to allow the enemy to come into the land. v27 "The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I shall deal with them, and by their judgments I shall judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord." Beloved, let us cry out to the Lord. As we repair the breach, and build up the age old foundations, let us fast and mourn and cry out for mercy. Maybe the Lord will relent and turn away the calamity He has in mind for us. It is the least we can do for our children and grandchildren.
God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Beloved, we are in the same situation here in our land of America. We are slowly but surely being enslaved by the enemy by our own sin; we are losing the bounty of our land and the stage is set for our bodies also to be given over to captivity. Ezekiel 7:19 They shall fling their silver into the streets, and their gold shall become an abhorrent thing; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, for their iniquity has become an occasion for stumbling. v21 And I shall give it (the beauty of His ornaments) into the hands of foreigners as plunder and to the wicked of the earth as spoil, and they will profane it. v22 And I shall turn My face from them, and they will profane My secret place; then robbers will enter and profane it. And so we see that just as in the day when Ezekiel cried out to the children of Israel to amend their ways, so too we here in America need to amend our ways. The robbers are ready to enter, and they will not show any mercy, in fact, we are handing our treasures and our abundance over to them without a fight.
Verse 27 in Ezekiel 7 gives the summary of all that the Lord will do to allow the enemy to come into the land. v27 "The king will mourn, the prince will be clothed with horror, and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. According to their conduct I shall deal with them, and by their judgments I shall judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord." Beloved, let us cry out to the Lord. As we repair the breach, and build up the age old foundations, let us fast and mourn and cry out for mercy. Maybe the Lord will relent and turn away the calamity He has in mind for us. It is the least we can do for our children and grandchildren.
God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt11
Dear beloved: Nehemiah and his friends completed the wall on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.(Neh.6:15) v16 And it came about when all of our enemies heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it, they lost their confidence; for they recognized that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Beloved, when you do a mighty work for the Lord it will demoralize the enemy in your life. 1 John 4:4 tells us, You are from God little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He that is in you that he who is in the world. And so we have the confidence that when we are building for the kingdom God will give us the tools, the resources, the provision, and the strength to accomplish the task He has given us, and the enemy in our life will lose his confidence! That's good news for us in this day when we feel beat up and all alone in the face of our enemy.
It is this confidence we have in the Lord that gives us the strength to move forward in the kingdom pursuits even though in the flesh we know we are not adequate for the task. But when you listen to the Holy Spirit and then are obedient to the call, God will provide even the smallest of your needs. In Luke 16:10 Jesus says, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." and v11 "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?" And again in Luke 19:16, in the parable Jesus spoke of the minas, And the first appeared, saying, "Master, your mina has made ten more." v17 and the master said to him, "Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities." And the master gave a reward of five cities to the next slave who returned five minas for his work, but to the slave who put away his mina in a handkerchief, the master took the mina away from him and gave it to the one who already had ten minas. The master then explains himself in this way, v26, I tell you, that to everyone who has shall more be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And so God is saying to us to put to work for the kingdom that which we have been given, and if we are faithful in using that, then He will give us more. We need not shrink back in fear thinking that He will not provide or that we are not adequate for the task; God does not call the equipped, He equips the called!
The events following the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem prove that the rebuilding was just the start of a mighty work that the Lord wanted to do in that day. After the walls were built, the gates were made and hung, the Ezra the priest brought out the book of the Law (Chapter8) and read it before the people, and the feasts of the book were put into practice; the people lived in booths during the feast of the seventh month (tabernacles). And so what started out as an idea placed into Nehemiah's heart by the Holy Spirit of God led eventually to rebuilding and restoration of the kindom in Jerusalem, to repopulating and cleansing of the house and people of Israel. Beloved, what small thing is God calling you to do today? No matter how small or insignificant you think it may be, go ahead and step out it faith and act upon it. God will add to it and multiply it, your enemies will lose confidence, and you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. Faith without works is dead, James tells us in James 2:17, so put your faith to work today, and watch God go to work in your life. God bless you this day as you go about building the kingdom in your life, in Christ, Jim
It is this confidence we have in the Lord that gives us the strength to move forward in the kingdom pursuits even though in the flesh we know we are not adequate for the task. But when you listen to the Holy Spirit and then are obedient to the call, God will provide even the smallest of your needs. In Luke 16:10 Jesus says, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much." and v11 "If therefore you have not been faithful in the use of unrighteous mammon, who will entrust the true riches to you?" And again in Luke 19:16, in the parable Jesus spoke of the minas, And the first appeared, saying, "Master, your mina has made ten more." v17 and the master said to him, "Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, be in authority over ten cities." And the master gave a reward of five cities to the next slave who returned five minas for his work, but to the slave who put away his mina in a handkerchief, the master took the mina away from him and gave it to the one who already had ten minas. The master then explains himself in this way, v26, I tell you, that to everyone who has shall more be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And so God is saying to us to put to work for the kingdom that which we have been given, and if we are faithful in using that, then He will give us more. We need not shrink back in fear thinking that He will not provide or that we are not adequate for the task; God does not call the equipped, He equips the called!
The events following the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem prove that the rebuilding was just the start of a mighty work that the Lord wanted to do in that day. After the walls were built, the gates were made and hung, the Ezra the priest brought out the book of the Law (Chapter8) and read it before the people, and the feasts of the book were put into practice; the people lived in booths during the feast of the seventh month (tabernacles). And so what started out as an idea placed into Nehemiah's heart by the Holy Spirit of God led eventually to rebuilding and restoration of the kindom in Jerusalem, to repopulating and cleansing of the house and people of Israel. Beloved, what small thing is God calling you to do today? No matter how small or insignificant you think it may be, go ahead and step out it faith and act upon it. God will add to it and multiply it, your enemies will lose confidence, and you will be rewarded for your faithfulness. Faith without works is dead, James tells us in James 2:17, so put your faith to work today, and watch God go to work in your life. God bless you this day as you go about building the kingdom in your life, in Christ, Jim
Friday, August 13, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt 10
Dear beloved: When you are building up broken walls for the kingdom you will inevitably encounter the mocker spirit. Nehemiah encountered this evil spirit when he declared his intention to rebuild the wall in Nehemiah 2:17, Then I said to them, "You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach." Then in verse 19, But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Beshem the Arab heard it, they mocked and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" And again in Neh.4:2 Sanballat says, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble, even the burned ones?
The mocker spirit is a demonic spirit that derides and makes fun of all that the kingdom builders are trying to do. It can be present in unbelievers and even shows up in believers who are well established in positions of the church. It is a spirit that makes fun of attempts to do anything new, anything outside the box, anything that tries to restore and take back groung the enemy has stolen. As the day of Christ's return draws near, the mockers will become more prevalant and vocal. They will boldly mock all things of God, preaching, praying, fasting, and anything else that appears to be kingdom building. Peter says in 2Peter 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, v4 and saying, "where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
And so they are mocking also the promised return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While in Costa Rica a few years ago I preached several nights at the Cabecar indigenous people's reservation. A young teenage boy came to the service every night with his parents, but he sat on the back row and with his friends made fun of much of what was going on in the meeting. The last night I had all the teens come forward for prayer, and he came with them. I took that opportunity to lay hands on him and pray for God to remove that mocker spirit; the power of the Holy Spirit came down on him and knocked him down to the cement floor, where he stayed for several minutes. The next year when I went back to the reservation he was at all the meetings but did not have the mocker spirit, in its place was a humble spirit the Holy Spirit of God had placed in Him. Jesus said in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." So be prepared to be mocked and hated, its a sign the devil does not like what you are doing! God bless you this day as you build for the kingdoom, in Christ, Jim
The mocker spirit is a demonic spirit that derides and makes fun of all that the kingdom builders are trying to do. It can be present in unbelievers and even shows up in believers who are well established in positions of the church. It is a spirit that makes fun of attempts to do anything new, anything outside the box, anything that tries to restore and take back groung the enemy has stolen. As the day of Christ's return draws near, the mockers will become more prevalant and vocal. They will boldly mock all things of God, preaching, praying, fasting, and anything else that appears to be kingdom building. Peter says in 2Peter 3:3 Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, v4 and saying, "where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation."
And so they are mocking also the promised return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
While in Costa Rica a few years ago I preached several nights at the Cabecar indigenous people's reservation. A young teenage boy came to the service every night with his parents, but he sat on the back row and with his friends made fun of much of what was going on in the meeting. The last night I had all the teens come forward for prayer, and he came with them. I took that opportunity to lay hands on him and pray for God to remove that mocker spirit; the power of the Holy Spirit came down on him and knocked him down to the cement floor, where he stayed for several minutes. The next year when I went back to the reservation he was at all the meetings but did not have the mocker spirit, in its place was a humble spirit the Holy Spirit of God had placed in Him. Jesus said in John 15:18, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you." So be prepared to be mocked and hated, its a sign the devil does not like what you are doing! God bless you this day as you build for the kingdoom, in Christ, Jim
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Dream of Explosions
July 5, 2010 Dream of Explosions
Dear Beloved: This dream was given to me by the Lord in 2003, though I did not record it in my dream journal, it is still vivid in my memory. It occurred after the terrorist attack of 9-11 but it was not a replay of any of the images of that day. I have not posted this dream prior to today but I was reminded of it by a posting from another prophetic ministry that confirmed for me the importance of the dream, and brought to my attention to continue to pray for our nation and against the enemies who would desire to destroy us.
In the dream, I am standing on the shore of a coastal city, looking across the bay at the skyline of the city. I cannot identify the city because I am not familiar with it; however, had I been familiar with it, I would have been able to identify it, because the skyline and buildings were in very sharp focus and easily identifiable. Suddenly, two or three very large explosions erupted, one after another, and huge clouds of smoke and fire billowed up into the air above the city. These were huge explosions, obviously caused by very powerful bombs. As the clouds billowed up into the air, I could only think about the devastation and loss of life that would follow as a result. This dream may have a correlation to dreams posted on this blog relating to San Francisco and New York City.
Psalm 18:1-3 "I love Thee O Lord, my strength." v2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. v3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Beloved, pray for this nation, that the Lord would protect us from our enemies. God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Dear Beloved: This dream was given to me by the Lord in 2003, though I did not record it in my dream journal, it is still vivid in my memory. It occurred after the terrorist attack of 9-11 but it was not a replay of any of the images of that day. I have not posted this dream prior to today but I was reminded of it by a posting from another prophetic ministry that confirmed for me the importance of the dream, and brought to my attention to continue to pray for our nation and against the enemies who would desire to destroy us.
In the dream, I am standing on the shore of a coastal city, looking across the bay at the skyline of the city. I cannot identify the city because I am not familiar with it; however, had I been familiar with it, I would have been able to identify it, because the skyline and buildings were in very sharp focus and easily identifiable. Suddenly, two or three very large explosions erupted, one after another, and huge clouds of smoke and fire billowed up into the air above the city. These were huge explosions, obviously caused by very powerful bombs. As the clouds billowed up into the air, I could only think about the devastation and loss of life that would follow as a result. This dream may have a correlation to dreams posted on this blog relating to San Francisco and New York City.
Psalm 18:1-3 "I love Thee O Lord, my strength." v2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. v3 I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Beloved, pray for this nation, that the Lord would protect us from our enemies. God bless you this day, in Christ, Jim
Monday, August 9, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt9
Dear beloved: Nehemiah 4:16-18 gives us a great picture of how we are to carry on our kingdom work in the face of enemy harrassment and persecution. Neh4:16 And it came about from that day on, that half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. v17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who were carrying the burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and one hand holding a weapon. v18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. And in verse 20 Nehemiah says "At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there, Our God will fight for us."
As we go about our kingdom building jobs we must keep the gospel armor strapped on, keep one hand free to lay the bricks while at the same time keep the sword of the spirit in our other hand to slay the enemy if he should come near. Ephesians 6:10 tells us, Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. v11 put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. v12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. v13 Therefore take up the full armor of God, That you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. And of course we know that the sword is the sword of the spirit, the word of God as it tells us in Ephesians 6:17, and we know also that the sword, the word of God, is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, able to divide asunder the soul and the spirit, the bones and the marrow, even to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Beloved, if we are going to impact our communities and this nation and turn back the onslaught of the evil schemes, then we must take our place on the wall and not shrink back with fear. God is calling each of us to get in the battle, to stand firm. We can win back what the devil has taken from us and from our families. Nehemiah 4:23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water. Stand strong in the Lord, the battle belongs to the Lord. God bless you as you build His kingdom today, in Christ, Jim
As we go about our kingdom building jobs we must keep the gospel armor strapped on, keep one hand free to lay the bricks while at the same time keep the sword of the spirit in our other hand to slay the enemy if he should come near. Ephesians 6:10 tells us, Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. v11 put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. v12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. v13 Therefore take up the full armor of God, That you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. And of course we know that the sword is the sword of the spirit, the word of God as it tells us in Ephesians 6:17, and we know also that the sword, the word of God, is quick and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword, able to divide asunder the soul and the spirit, the bones and the marrow, even to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
Beloved, if we are going to impact our communities and this nation and turn back the onslaught of the evil schemes, then we must take our place on the wall and not shrink back with fear. God is calling each of us to get in the battle, to stand firm. We can win back what the devil has taken from us and from our families. Nehemiah 4:23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water. Stand strong in the Lord, the battle belongs to the Lord. God bless you as you build His kingdom today, in Christ, Jim
Friday, August 6, 2010
Dream of Tornado
Dear beloved: This week I finished a three day fast of water only, praying for the nation, the elections, and my family. At the end of the fast the Lord gave me a dream about a tornado. In the dream I am at the house of a person here in town who is affiliated with a bank. On the southwest edge of town a big dark cloud started to form, and out of the cloud a twister kept dropping down and wanted to touch the ground. I watched it form and began to think, I must get word out to the people of the town to let them know the tornado is coming. I was desperate to let them know, and kept looking for my cell phone to call the radio station, but I could not find it. I kept looking for it as the tornado formed and grew bigger and closer. Finally, I thought I'll just run to the radio station and tell them that it is coming. I really had a burden to get the word out. Then I woke up and the dream was over.
Beloved, a storm is coming, I believe it has to do with financial situations, possibly rampant inflation and breakdown. Just in the past 2 weeks wheat and other commodity prices have jumped dramatically, so food prices will again be on the rise. Matthew 8:26 And He said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" And He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. v27 And the men marveled saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Hide in Jesus today, He is our only refuge. In Christ, Jim
Beloved, a storm is coming, I believe it has to do with financial situations, possibly rampant inflation and breakdown. Just in the past 2 weeks wheat and other commodity prices have jumped dramatically, so food prices will again be on the rise. Matthew 8:26 And He said to them, "Why are you timid, you men of little faith?" And He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. v27 And the men marveled saying, "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Hide in Jesus today, He is our only refuge. In Christ, Jim
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt8
Dear beloved: You will be tempted during your times of prayer and fasting, not only to quit the fast but also to abandon or be distracted from the kingdom building you are doing. When Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness, he was tempted by the devil three different times. Had he not kept his resolve to walk in obedience to his Father, the outcome for all mankind would have been much different, and yet because he was obedient to the Father in every way, the Father knew Jesus would withstand the temptation. The devil came at Him with everything that he had to tempt Him: the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1John 2:16) Each time Jesus was tempted He referred to the Word of God to defeat the devil. Matt. 4:4 but He answered and said, "it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Therein lies the secret to staying on the fast and keeping your resolve. Stay in the Word, stay on your knees, stay in fellowship, stay in communion with the Holy Spirit.
Nehemiah faced the same test of distactions in Nehemiah 6:2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono," But they were planning to harm me. v3 So I sent messengers to them saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
v4 And they sent messengers to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Beloved, the devil is persistent and does not give up easily, he will continue to attack and badger and pester you until you give in. But Nehemiah knew that the Lord was with him and so kept his focus on the task. In fact, he told the messengers that he was doing a great work for the Lord. Are you doing a great work for the Lord, maybe if you are not that might explain the lack of resolve and commitment. When you start to walk in the center of God's will, your purpose for being and for building will be much more evident to you and you will more likely finish the task.
I just finished a 3 day water fast yesterday; I was interceding for my family as well as the nation, the election, and the country. It was a battle as of course the devil did not want me to succeed. The first two days I really had to battle to stay with it and stay focused, then the third day I had a breakthrough and felt really good, like the Lord had lifted something off of me. Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. We are at a critical junction in the destiny of this nation and the devil knows it, that is why he is coming against God's people with such intensity at this time. The future of this nation and our children's opportunites for religious and financial freedom are at stake. Beloved, stay focused and don't get distracted, keep praying and keep building. God bless you this day as you put your shoulder to the task. In Christ, Jim
Nehemiah faced the same test of distactions in Nehemiah 6:2 then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono," But they were planning to harm me. v3 So I sent messengers to them saying, "I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?"
v4 And they sent messengers to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Beloved, the devil is persistent and does not give up easily, he will continue to attack and badger and pester you until you give in. But Nehemiah knew that the Lord was with him and so kept his focus on the task. In fact, he told the messengers that he was doing a great work for the Lord. Are you doing a great work for the Lord, maybe if you are not that might explain the lack of resolve and commitment. When you start to walk in the center of God's will, your purpose for being and for building will be much more evident to you and you will more likely finish the task.
I just finished a 3 day water fast yesterday; I was interceding for my family as well as the nation, the election, and the country. It was a battle as of course the devil did not want me to succeed. The first two days I really had to battle to stay with it and stay focused, then the third day I had a breakthrough and felt really good, like the Lord had lifted something off of me. Isaiah 58:8 Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. We are at a critical junction in the destiny of this nation and the devil knows it, that is why he is coming against God's people with such intensity at this time. The future of this nation and our children's opportunites for religious and financial freedom are at stake. Beloved, stay focused and don't get distracted, keep praying and keep building. God bless you this day as you put your shoulder to the task. In Christ, Jim
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt7
Dear beloved: As the wall building commenced in the third chapter of Nehemiah, the anger of the mockers also intensified, the spiritual warfare reached a higher level. Nehemiah 4:1 Now it came about when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. And again in verse 7 it tells us, Now it came about when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. Nehemiah's response was to cry out to the Lord. Neh.4:4 Hear O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. v5. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before Thee, for they have demoralized the builders. And again in verse 9, Nehemiah cries out to the Lord. v9, But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night. v10 Thus in Judah it was said, The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; and we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall.
Beloved, what you see happening as Nehemiah attempts to rebuild is exactly what is happening all across the land. The builders are running out of strength, the morale is low, and the enemy is getting the upper hand in every aspect of wall building, from government, family, business, arts and entertainment, and every aspect of our culture, including in our churches. The battle is raging, the enemy is coming at us from every direction and at first glance it is easy to get demoralized and think it is a sure victory for the enemy. But take heart, cry out to the Lord just as Nehemiah did, and let our God fight the battle for us. Spend more time in prayer and fasting, for therein lies the victory. Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. v20 God is to us a God of deliverances; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. v21 Surely God will shatter the head of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
Beloved, do not get demoralized and give up the fight or stop building, stay in the fight and spend more time on your knees in prayer. For it is in prayer that the battle is won, it is in prayer that we petition the Lord to send his ministering angels to war on our behalf. The battle belongs to the Lord, therefore, let us rise up and keep building! God bless you this day as you take your place on the wall, in Christ, Jim
Beloved, what you see happening as Nehemiah attempts to rebuild is exactly what is happening all across the land. The builders are running out of strength, the morale is low, and the enemy is getting the upper hand in every aspect of wall building, from government, family, business, arts and entertainment, and every aspect of our culture, including in our churches. The battle is raging, the enemy is coming at us from every direction and at first glance it is easy to get demoralized and think it is a sure victory for the enemy. But take heart, cry out to the Lord just as Nehemiah did, and let our God fight the battle for us. Spend more time in prayer and fasting, for therein lies the victory. Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. v20 God is to us a God of deliverances; And to God the Lord belong escapes from death. v21 Surely God will shatter the head of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who goes on in his guilty deeds.
Beloved, do not get demoralized and give up the fight or stop building, stay in the fight and spend more time on your knees in prayer. For it is in prayer that the battle is won, it is in prayer that we petition the Lord to send his ministering angels to war on our behalf. The battle belongs to the Lord, therefore, let us rise up and keep building! God bless you this day as you take your place on the wall, in Christ, Jim
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Prayer and fasting pt6
Dear beloved: Nehemiah found favor with the Lord and with the king because he had cleansed his spirit, soul, and body before the Lord during his prayer and fasting time in Nehemiah chapter 1:4. The Lord is anxious to hear your prayer, beloved, if you are walking upright before Him. He tells us over and over in the scripture that He hears the prayers of the righteous. Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. And again in Proverbs 15:29 The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous. And so God is waiting and anxious to see His kingdom move forward on this earth, and He is pleased with us when we ask to activate His angelic army to bring about His kingdom here on the earth.
And so Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem with the officers of the army and horsemen, and when he arrived he was not exactly given a hero's welcome. Neh. 1:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel. Beloved, you can be assured that when you set about to do kingdom building that the devil will not be pleased and will rise up against your work. The devil always wants to raise up his throne above the throne of God, he always wants to subvert, divide, and eventually destroy anyone who comes to look after the sons of Israel. The devil had a problem submitting to the will of God from the beginning. Isaiah 14:13 But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. v14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.
Expect opposition when you set about to rebuild kingdom walls in your life, or even in praying for your family, your church, commmunity, or nation. The devil has a plan and it is to continue to tear the walls down, and he will do everything in his power to see that his plan succeeds.
Nehemiah did not share his vision with anyone, he kept it to himself and went out in the night and surveyed the situation without arousing a lot of discussion. Neh.2:12 So I went out at night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting in my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So he looked at the situation, which to his eyes it must have seemed to be a daunting task, but he knew that his God was with him. So he said in verse 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me, and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work. And again in verse 20 he speaks to Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem, the mockers and despisers, "the God of heaven will give us success; therefore we his servants will arise and build, but you(mockers) have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.
Beloved, have faith to build even in the face of mockers and despisers, even when the task looks formidable. If it is too big for you then it must be of God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith and not by sight. Believe that God is big enough to provide everything you need, and to give you the courage to do the job. Take up the cry of Nehemiah, let us arise and build! God bless you kingdom builders this day, in Christ, Jim
And so Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem with the officers of the army and horsemen, and when he arrived he was not exactly given a hero's welcome. Neh. 1:10 And when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel. Beloved, you can be assured that when you set about to do kingdom building that the devil will not be pleased and will rise up against your work. The devil always wants to raise up his throne above the throne of God, he always wants to subvert, divide, and eventually destroy anyone who comes to look after the sons of Israel. The devil had a problem submitting to the will of God from the beginning. Isaiah 14:13 But you said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. v14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will make myself like the Most High.
Expect opposition when you set about to rebuild kingdom walls in your life, or even in praying for your family, your church, commmunity, or nation. The devil has a plan and it is to continue to tear the walls down, and he will do everything in his power to see that his plan succeeds.
Nehemiah did not share his vision with anyone, he kept it to himself and went out in the night and surveyed the situation without arousing a lot of discussion. Neh.2:12 So I went out at night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting in my mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. So he looked at the situation, which to his eyes it must have seemed to be a daunting task, but he knew that his God was with him. So he said in verse 18 And I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me, and also about the king's words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us arise and build." So they put their hands to the good work. And again in verse 20 he speaks to Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem, the mockers and despisers, "the God of heaven will give us success; therefore we his servants will arise and build, but you(mockers) have no portion, right, or memorial in Jerusalem.
Beloved, have faith to build even in the face of mockers and despisers, even when the task looks formidable. If it is too big for you then it must be of God. 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith and not by sight. Believe that God is big enough to provide everything you need, and to give you the courage to do the job. Take up the cry of Nehemiah, let us arise and build! God bless you kingdom builders this day, in Christ, Jim
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