Come Out of the Stronghold

"...Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah ..." (1 Samuel 22:5).

David and his fighting men had been hiding in the cave of Adullam. He was fleeing Saul. Many of life's down-and-out had come and joined David's army. David was content to stay in the stronghold of safety. Then, God's prophet came to David and told him that he must leave the stronghold and go into the land of Judah. Judah means "praise."

When life beats down on us and we get to the place where we want to hide in a cave, God often places people around us who prod us into moving in the right direction. He does not want us to remain in the place of discouragement. He wants us to move into the land of praise.

I recall when I went through a very difficult time. It seemed to drag on and on with no change until finally I wanted to retreat to a cave and forget pressing on. It was a great time of discouragement. A godly man came to me and said, "You must keep moving! There are too many who are depending on you in the Kingdom."

I didn't totally understand what he meant at the time. Now I know he was saying that God is preparing each of us to be the vessel He wants to use in the life of another person, but we will never be that vessel if we give up and hide in our cave of discouragement. Not only must we keep moving, we must move into a new realm. Our attitude must move from discouragement to praise.

"He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners - to comfort all who mourn. ... a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor" (Isa 61:1-3).

It is only when we move past discouragement to praise that we begin living above our problems. Make a decision today to go into the land of Judah.
  - Os Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.

The Cost of Character

When we take a children’s storybook approach to the Bible we can actually think that Samson and Delilah was a love story, or sing cheerful songs about the “Arky, arky” and miss the tragedy of God’s judgment in the flood. It is this same simple perspective that frames the story of Daniel in the lions’ den as primarily about him sleeping peacefully among some big, cute, and furry felines.

Yes, Daniel was put in a lions’ den. Yes, the lions were kept from gobbling him up for dinner. Yes, this was an amazing miracle! But there is so much more to the story. Daniel 6 teaches us about how living with a high level of integrity and character can cost more than we dream. It reveals that habits of faith and a life of faithfulness are not private matters, but should be lived in the public eye. This chapter also portrays the power of a fearless witness. When God’s people hold fast to their convictions, a watching world stands amazed. Of course, the whole lions’ den part is very cool . . . but it is time that we hear the rest of the story

More than any time in history there seems to be a famine of character. We need examples of people who say what they believe and then live it out. Character is about holding convictions that honor God and letting those deep beliefs shape all we say and do . . . even when no one is watching! True character is about staying true to what we believe even when there are consequences. Daniel loved God. His faith was real and deep. By the time we catch up with him in chapter 6, he has been a political exile in Babylon for about sixty-five years! No longer a young man refusing to eat rich food from Nebuchadnezzar’s table, he is now well into his seventies or older.

Daniel has developed life disciplines and practices that grow out of a heart that is connected to his God, so three times a day he gets on his knees to pray. You can almost hear his old joints cracking as he lowers his elderly frame to the ground. His window is always open as he faces toward Jerusalem, the childhood home he has dreamed about for almost seven decades. This is his habit . . . and everybody knows it! Daniel’s willingness to die for what he believed became a witness to Darius and the world. It is interesting to note that the word “witness” comes from the root word martyria, from which we get the word “martyr.” It literally means “a person who shows Christ’s passion in life and death.”

Throughout history many Christians have held to their faith in the face of persecution and have paid the ultimate price. Here are a few prayers lifted up by these faithful servants before they died:

Let me be steadfast in my faith to the end.

I have no hope of seeing my brethren again in this life.

If they kill me, let me die as a witness to my faith;

If I live, let me go on proclaiming it. - Gabra Michael, died in 1855 in chains refusing to deny Jesus

This is the end, but for me it is the beginning of life. - Dietrich Bonhoeffer, executed in a Nazi death camp

What steps can a follower of Jesus take to stand strong and be a witness in times of persecution and pressure?

© 2014 by Zondervan. Used with permission. All rights reserved. Visit JohnOrtberg.com for more about John Ortberg's work and ministry.

Post by True Riches Club.

Prosperity in Afflictions

"The second son he named Ephraim and said, 'It is because God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.'" Genesis 41:52

When Joseph was elevated to rule over the Egyptian kingdom, he revealed some profound truths gained from the experiences of his years of adversity. He named his first son, Manasseh for, he said, "God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household" (Gen. 41:51b). His second son was named Ephraim because, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering."

Whenever God takes us through the land of affliction, He will do two things through that affliction: 1) He will bring such healing that we will be able to forget the pain, and 2) He will make us fruitful from the painful experiences.

God does not waste our afflictions if we allow Him the freedom to complete the work in us. 

His desire is to create virtue that remains during the times of testing so that He can bring us into the place of fruitfulness in the very area of our testing. He has never promised to keep us from entering the valleys of testing, but He has promised to make us fruitful in them. He is the God who turns the Valley of Achor (trouble) into a door of hope (see Hos. 2:15).

If you are in the valley of affliction, now is the time to press into Him. When the time comes to bring you out of this valley, He will heal your memories and bring fruit from this very time.

- Os Hillman 

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Managing Money

 

  “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A successful businessman once confided in another businessman known for his wisdom. “I’ve made a lot of money. I will soon be able to retire comfortably and do just about anything I want.”

“John,” the wise businessman replied to the man, “I’ve noticed that every time someone thinks they’ve built a tree that is so tall it almost reaches heaven, God often decides to shake the tree.”

The minute we start trusting in riches, God will, in fact, “shake the tree” to demonstrate who is the source of wealth to turn us back to trusting Him completely. He did it in my life, and He’ll do it in your life too because He loves us too much to allow us to continue down this destructive path.

Money is mentioned more than 2,000 times in the scripture. Jesus used it many times in illustrating an important lesson to his disciples. He spoke often of being a good steward of the resources He entrusted to us. He wanted a return on His investment and He wanted us to stay away from making money an idol in our lives.

Jesus understood that He was here on earth only to do the will of the Father. “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; He can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.”

As we look at our relationship to our heavenly Father and our use of money, it is clear that we, like Jesus, are here to do the will of the Father in all areas of life. This means seeking to live a life that is totally yielded to His purposes -even in the financial area.

Money, independence, and security are often the reasons many start their own businesses or change jobs. Check your motives today and see if your financial life can stand Jesus’ scrutiny. Are you operating as a steward of the financial resources He has entrusted to you?  - OS Hillman

Post by True Riches Club.

Season of Turmoil, Upheaval and Contention Will Bring Change – James Goll

This Hebrew New Year has been proclaimed the "Year of the Open Door." 

Many have proclaimed this New Hebrew Year, 5774, the "Year of the Open Door." While I concur with that, I often look at things from an additional perspective that includes not only the revelation of the Holy Spirit but the ways of God. So, if it is the "Year of the Open Door," then it is helpful to ask: "What are the requirements to go from one stage to the next?" We need to consider: "To go through an open door, do you have to close some old doors first?" I personally believe we are in a season of turmoil, upheaval and contention—resulting in change. We are at a crossroads of change. This is true politically in the Middle East, in the United States and in many other nations. There are issues—such as global economics, the very moral foundation of this generation, concerns of social justice, required change in the body of Christ, and all the ramifications these bring into our personal lives and families. We truly need grace for this transition! So, let's go on a journey together and see if we find some principles that will help us go from "promise revealed" to "promise fulfilled." From Narrow to Transition to Enlargement We are in a process of change. The government of the church is changing. Our authority level is changing. Our gifts are being drawn out of us in stretching dimensions. We have been and are going through places of testing and confinement in the body called a "narrow place." What is this narrow place? This is a place less wide than we are accustomed to or have expected to be in. If we respond properly to the narrow or confined place, we will enter into the phase of transition to be brought into a larger place in the Spirit. The new place is like the camel going through the eye of the needle. One school of thought is that it was a narrow gate. The only way a camel could get through it was to be unloaded. This is the needle—the narrow gate. This is a place of unloading the weights of the past and a place of fresh commitment to the cross, where we die to self all over again. The "narrow place" can lead us out of captivity into a new and open field. How Can We Make the Transition? Transition means "to pass from one condition into another." Transition times are when the Lord redefines and makes adjustments necessary for us to move forward. He gives us new focus and direction. He teaches us about Himself in a new way. A transition, in a literary sense, is the phrase that connects the past communication or paragraph with the future thought. We must seek the Lord for revelation and the ways of God in times of change. His revelatory perspective bridges the past season with the new one. Without clear revelation and communication during transition, we can lose the strength and wisdom of our past victory. But we desperately need His strength to go from glory to glory. At the time of birth, transition is the most difficult time. This is the time when the woman feels she cannot go any further. Only the vision of the child to come causes the endurance and perseverance toward the ultimate goal of a lineage and legacy being secured. It isn't the new thing coming that is so hard to deal with; it's the transition from the old state of affairs to the new one. How we respond during the time of transition before the new birth makes all the difference. As you travail in this season, ask the Lord to give you strategy to protect your vision. Remember, the dragon attempts to steal new birth (Rev. 12:4). Press forward! Cry out for greater grace to be granted to you to keep moving forward. When these changes manifest, enlargement occurs. To enlarge is to expand, to set free, to become greater in size and intensity. Enlargement—or going through the new open door—is a process, not just a proclamation. Press through the narrow, withstand the transition, and receive enlargement.  The Process of Change Here are few thoughts on the process of change: 1. A new level of revelation is released. 2. Your present vision starts to be adjusted. 3. New vision is secured and established. 4. A mantle of restoration is placed upon you. 5. You go through the healing process concerning things of the past. 6. A new identity is developed within you. 7. Fresh strategies are revealed to you. 8. You see a greater fullness of your inheritance before you. 9. You have the strength to overthrow your enemies. 10. You secure your new inheritance. Observing from my own prayer posture in life and ministry experience, if you are experiencing a narrow place of confinement or you sense you are in transition, be assured. He is about to visit you with a fresh demonstration of His Spirit! May your resources increase and your trials become stepping stones to renewed power and revelation. And know this: When you have come through the "new door," there are others who have been watching your pilgrimage. When you are strengthened, you will be enlarged to strengthen others in Jesus' name!

Post by True Riches Club.

Divine Setups

"Simon, Simon, satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32

Have you ever perceived yourself to be at one place spiritually only to discover that you were actually far from this place? Peter perceived himself to be so spiritually strong that he was prepared to suffer greatly for his Master. Yet Jesus knew where Peter really was in his own pilgrimage. He knew that Peter's enthusiasm did not match his reality. He was suffering from an attitude of self-righteousness. So, how did Jesus help Peter match his perception to his reality? Peter was the object of a divine setup.

First, notice that satan asked permission to sift Peter as wheat. Jesus determined that satan would be used to bring Peter to the maturity level both Jesus and Peter really desired. And Jesus was praying that Peter would pass the test. Jesus told Peter that he would deny Him three times that very day. Peter could not believe what Jesus was saying.

Sometimes the lessons we must learn are very painful. This experience was necessary in Peter's life. It was necessary to purge Peter from his sin of self-righteousness. This very lesson would allow Peter to come face to face with his own misperception of where he was in his relationship and devotion to Jesus. When he was forced to confront this, it nearly broke him apart. He wept bitterly once he realized he had done just as Jesus had predicted.

This confrontation with reality is necessary at times in our lives. Do not be surprised if Jesus allows you to experience some painful circumstance. You may be the subject of a divine setup designed to bring you to a greater maturity level in your walk with Jesus. It may not be a fun experience when you go through it, but you will, like Peter, become a leader whom God will use to lead others. 

-Os Hillman

Have You Done What You Know to do?

"Therefore to him who  knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin."

James 4:17

        It is never a minor thing to know God' will and not do it. God calls this sin. We can make excuses for lack of obedience: "I'm just not ready yet" or "I'll do it later!" or "I don't think it will make a difference" or "I can't afford to!" We rationalize, we procrastinate; yet, in God's eyes, rationalization and procrastination are nothing more, than disobedience. At times we deceive ourselves into thinking  that good intentions equal obedient actions. They do not. A good intention without corresponding activity is disobedience. When we encounter God and He gives us a direction it is not enough to write down the date in our spiritual journal, or even to tell our friends and church of our "decision." God's call is not to "make a decision" but to obey! Deciding to obey is not equal to obeying (Matt. 21:28-31)! Loudly affirming the necessity of obedience is not the same as obeying (Luke 6:46). Making commitments, even publicly, is not the same as obeying our Lord. Substituting our own good works is not the same as obeying.

      God told King Saul to wait until the prophet Samuel arrived. .  Instead of waiting, Saul took matters into his own hands and offered a sacrifice. Saul discovered to his deep dismay, that other acts of supposed piety do not take the place of obeying a clear command from God (1 Sam. 15:22). As with Saul, God expects you to obey everything  exactly as He tells you. Only obedience satisfies God's desires for obedience!

- Henry T. Blackaby