Faith

     Jesus had several disciples that walked with Him daily for around 3 years, they ate what He ate, they traveled everywhere with Him, listened to His teaching, watched Him interact with people, watched Him heal people, watched Him when He was exhausted and slept...but they still didn't quite get it. 

     Have you walked with Jesus for years, 5 maybe 10? maybe 20 or more and still not quite gotten it? Do you walk in the words of His teachings? Do you love with His love? Do you think and speak with the faith He taught us to have?

     I challenge you to consider the faith He taught us to walk in. He told us that if we had a small amount of faith that we could move mountains, have you moved any mountains lately? He told a woman that by her faith her daughter was healed, has your faith brought healing to another? On the healing example, I can tell you that I see many people pray and ask God to heal others, but that is not what Jesus taught, He told us to heal them! If the Holy Spirit lives in you then the power that raised Jesus from the dead is in you! That is the same power that heals! Why do you turn around and ask God to do it when He has already put you in place and equipped you for the job?

   And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Matthew 10:7-8

     And I see many people fearful when storms enter their lives, right now we're dealing with a virus that is changing our world in a way we could not have foreseen, I ask you, are you walking in faith or in fear? Are you choosing to believe the Lord or the enemy? The Lord has taught us to not fear, the enemy whispers all kinds of things in your ear to be fearful of, which do you choose to listen to? You have the power to take every thought captive, the scriptures tell us that we can and they wouldn't if it wasn't true!

   For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

     In our state we're entering the season we became known as tornado alley for, but I want to challenge you here also! This challenge is based on an example of Jesus with His first disciples, I say first because we are His disciples also, aren't we? Ok then, His first disciples were in a boat with Him and a fierce storm came upon them, they woke Him up telling Him they were about to die....this is the scripture~

   On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?” Mark 4:35-41

     Notice here that He asked them why they were afraid! They were afraid of the storm then very much afraid of Jesus! What would have been your reaction in this situation? Would you fear? Would you think you were about to die? Would You wake Jesus to calm the storm? Would you tell the Storm/Tornados to "Hush, be still" in your own situation? I can share my personal witness that when you step out and tell the storm to be at peace in Jesus' name, it has to obey! I have heard many forecasts of damage expected in our area and stepped out on the deck and told the skies to be at peace, for the storm to rise back up and evaporate...I do encourage you to use your own words though! I try to not interfere with rain, but I do interfere with any damage the storm may be packing with it! I don't send it to another area of our country, I don't want others to encounter damage either. 

     You have the authority where you are placed to bring the Kingdom there! Think about this, you are a disciple of Jesus, He has empowered you, given you armor to operate in, the Holy Spirit lives in you, He has defeated the enemy! Now we need to walk in the victory that He won! We are the conquering army, the enemy is not! That is the foundation of your faith, now suit up and walk it out! Walk in faith! Bring Kingdom! Calm the storms, whether they be viruses or tornados! You can do this, You were made for such a time as this! 

He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly. Matthew 15:28 ESV

When The Storm Comes...

Good day to you Mighty Warrior of the One True King!

We can become so familiar with a section of the Word that we can miss what is being conveyed. For example, take the story of Jesus calming the storm - we know the ending that we can easily skip the start of the story. Look at this first part of the story: “They [diciples] took Him [Jesus], just as he was, in the boat.”

Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him. And there arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” - Mark 4:36-40

Why does that part of the story matter? This actually is one of the biggest parts of this story - it is huge! To understand why look at the last section of this story: "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?" Did you catch it - Jesus had faith before the situation - just as He was. We need to learn to build up our faith before not during a situation!

The disciples were exercising fear rather than faith. Notice Jesus did not get onto them for coming to Him - it was because they were afraid! This is a great example that shows that fear cancels faith and faith cancels fear. We need to learn to build our faith up and not our fear.

How do we build up our faith? The following is not an all-inclusive list however it is a great starting place: 1) prayer, 2) study and 3) meditate on the Word. Fear will disappear as our faith grows!

- created by Lane Mercer (twoarrowsministries@gmail.com to schedule for ministry to your group)

One Person's Testimony is Another Person's Prophecy!

     Have you ever heard that your testimony can be someone else's prophetic word? I had heard it before, but I was able to experience it recently in my own life! I have shared that I had a broken foot diagnosed by a doctor, it was prayed for and healed. Thank You Lord! That is my testimony part.
     At our church I was drawn to our entrance way one Sunday morning, when I heard voices before time for church to start. I saw a young boy, named Austin, that was around 12 years old. Please forgive me if I have the age wrong, I'm not sure how old he is, but he was sitting in the foyer, with his foot wrapped up and with crutches. I asked him what had happened and he said he had a broken foot. I shared with him that I had had a broken foot but it was prayed for and healed! 
     As God would work things out we had a guest speaker at our church that Sunday that after speaking called people forward for prayer and ministry. I saw Austin making his way forward on his crutches, I started smiling and praying! 
     Austin patiently stood there on his crutches waiting to be seen behind the taller men that were being prayed for and eventually was able to move forward. The minister prayed and asked if he believed he was healed and he said "yes", then moved to the side on his crutches, I wanted to see him walking right then! ....but the next Sunday, at the very beginning of church Austin walked(without crutches!) to the front of the church and shared that he had been taken back to the doctor again and after the examination was told that there was now nothing wrong with his foot! Thank You Lord! 
     I'm don't know that my words to Austin caused him to go forward or that they caused him to say he believed he was healed, but maybe they were seeds planted? What I am saying is that we need to share with each other what God is doing in our lives, we need to encourage each other! We need to stir each other up in God's goodness!
     One person's testimony is another person's prophecy! 
   

Fear or Faith? You choose!

Today I was going to read in Joshua where I'm currently studying, but the Spirit took me to  the Book of Numbers instead~

This is Caleb's faithful report:
 Numbers 13:30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said "we should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we shall surely overcome it."

But the fearful men with him gave a different report,
Numbers 13:31-33 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us." So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone, in spying it out , is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size.
...we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

The reaction of the people, because they listened to and believed a report based only on physical facts, not spiritual!
Numbers 14:1-2a Then all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel grumbled....

     This is where they made their fateful decision to fear instead of trust. If they had only listened to Caleb's report, made through his trust and faith in God and stirred up their own faith! The people would have been able to enter their promised land instead of dying in the wilderness!!
     There was a time I was prayed for by a minister's wife and her wise words to me after she was through praying was "don't trust anything except God's words, don't even trust facts! just God's words". At the time I thought that was a curious idea because I had always thought facts were trustworthy, but with reading these scriptures I can totally understand what she meant.
     There is so much sadness when we choose to live through our own wisdom or even what we consider the wisdom of others. Do we choose to trust the "wisdom" of men, given through our news reports and articles or our political sphere, or do we trust only God's words?

     God's word says:

    
Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you, He will not fail you or forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:6
    
.."Do not fear or be dismayed! Be strong and courageous, for thus the Lord will do to all your enemies with whom you fight." Joshua 10:25
    
‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Isaiah 41:10
    
     These are just a sample of the verses that encourage us to NOT walk in fear, but to walk as we should, with courage and strength! God does not like the cowardly! There is even a verse putting the cowardly in with the ones that are abominable to God!
     
But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, Revelations 21:8a

     In our world currently there is a lot of fear being stirred up, I would encourage you to close the door on fear and instead stir up your faith and courage. Beloved, you are a child of God! He is the most powerful force ever! If you are in His will nothing can touch you that He has not allowed and if He has allowed it, you need to trust that it is for your benefit. The only concern you should have is whether or not you are in His will. When we live as His will as His children He is our Protector and Provider. Read Psalms 91 below and consider it, it is yours!

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
My God, in whom I trust!”

For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper
And from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with His pinions,
And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

You will not be afraid of the terror by night,
Or of the arrow that flies by day;

Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon.

A thousand may fall at your side
And ten thousand at your right hand,
But it shall not approach you.

You will only look on with your eyes
And see the recompense of the wicked.

 For you have made the Lord, my refuge,
Even the Most High, your dwelling place.

No evil will befall you,
Nor will any plague come near your tent.

For He will give His angels charge concerning you,
To guard you in all your ways.

They will bear you up in their hands,
That you do not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread upon the lion and cobra,
The young lion and the serpent you will trample down.

 “ Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him;
I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.

“He will call upon Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.

“With a long life I will satisfy him
And let him see My salvation.”

     Make your choice, choose to listen to a fearful report brought by man, or choose courage and faith as God's word has instructed us! If you choose God's word as your foundation then start stirring up your courage and that of your fellow believers!

The All - Sufficient One

     Today's entry, posted by Lane, comes from a devotion book that I try to read an entry from each day. I don't always succeed at this, but I am really glad I did today! What I read was something that really stood out and I wanted to share it here with you.

The All - Sufficient One

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God,

'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.'" - Revelation 1:8

You are Holy Lord, the Only God,

   and Your deeds are wonderful.

You are Strong.

You are Great.

You are the Most High,

You are Almighty.

You, Holy Father, are King of Heaven and Earth.

You are Three and One,

Lord God, all good.

You are Good, all Good, Supreme Good,

Lord God, living and true.

You are Love,

You are Wisdom.

You are Humility,

You are Endurance.

You are Rest,

You are Peace.

You are Joy and Gladness.

You are Justice and Moderation.

You are all our riches and You suffice for us.

You are Beauty.

You are Gentleness.

You are our Protector,

You are our Guardian and Defender.

You are Courage.

You are our Haven and our Hope.

You are our faith, our great consolation.

You are our Eternal Life,

Great and Wonderful Lord,

God Almighty,

Merciful Saviour.

- Saint Francis of Assisi

Thank you Lord for all of these attributes and yet even so many more!

**This is from the book "Promises to keep: Daily devotions for men seeking integrity" by Nick Harrison. This book draws together the words of hundreds of prominent Christian authors and leaders.**

Good News, Bad News

     OK, we were told when we moved close to World Revival Ministry that we could expect both blessings and challenges in our spiritual life.        

     Yesterday was an example of challenges with a blessing thrown in. When we originally thought we were going to be traveling in our RV throughout the 50 states of the Union we joined the Good Sam's service that would provide road service for our vehicles. At the time we weren't really aware that it covered our cars also, but that is a bonus that we've appreciated more than once now. When Lane was on his way to work the car made a loud and grinding noise, causing him to immediately pull over. He had to have the car towed (that's the blessing part, because we still had towing coverage) to a mechanic. The Good Sam representative had a tough time finding anyone that would take our car to work on it because they consider it too old. The representative finally found someone to work on the car but as soon as the tow truck unloaded our car there, the manager came out telling Lane that they "would not" work on the car, it was too old. I've never heard of a car being refused because of age and it makes me wonder, except that's a whole 'nother conversation. Thank goodness for Google, I was home and able to search online and found a mechanic shop that was rated highly, however he was too busy but still recommended another shop that would accept our broken car, now is the part that is challenging. The mechanic called today and advised us the car would cost $1500 to repair, that is more than we paid for the car. We're down to one car, the truck, and it makes weird noises and the transmission jumps. We are trusting God to provide or to keep the truck running, we have a lot of opportunity to practice living and walking by faith. =}