To the Church Players

Do You Not See?

1) Beautiful girl at a Bachelorette party. Drinking, laughing at crude jokes, flirting with whoever she wants, then wakes up the next morning to sing on the Worship team at her church. Jesus stands, watching her empty praises, and longs for His daughter to truly know Him.

2) Teens having fun in their youth group, playing, laughing, hearing a quick message about loving others. Then they go out for fast food. As they eat and laugh about the fun they had, they don't notice a lonely teenager in the corner, drinking a soda by himself to escape the disorder at home. He wishes he could laugh and be free like the kids he sees. Jesus stands in middle of the restaurant, longing for them to see the boy as He sees him: hurting, lonely, and looking for hope.

3) Two women at church. One sitting with her family, well-off, dressed nicely and is very popular among the congregation. She nods in agreement with the pastor's message of the Good Samaritan. The woman behind her is less known. Doesn't have nice clothing, and longs to be included by the women she sees. Both go to the same store after church. The wealthy woman is clearly shopping for a party. Her cart is bursting with snack foods, drinks, and football themed party plates. As she skims the gossip magazine in the check out line, she doesn't notice the poorly dressed women in front of her, being told her card is declined from buying some basic needs for her children. The poor woman leaves with only 1 item, quickly wiping tears from eyes. Jesus stands, invisible to those around Him, longing for the wealthy woman to see the hurting needs of those around her. He has blessed her, so that she can bless others, but she squanders it for her own desires.

4) Young adult sitting at a park, headphones in, listening to worship music and working on the social media for his church webpage. He doesn't notice the man with slick hair and a gold chain, approaching a couple of young girls sitting by the swings. They think the man is nice because he told them they look too pretty to be sitting by themselves. He gives them each a rose and says he hopes to see them both again soon. Jesus stands nearby and longs for His Church to see the world through His eyes. He longs for His believers to wake up, and see the moments He gives them everyday to meet a need, heal a wound, or protect a child.

5) A Pastor stands before his church, cracking jokes trying to be relevant so that the young families keep coming back. No one realizes how truly scared he is of losing members, tithes, and failing as a church planter. Jesus looks at this anxiety-ridden man, longing for him to know what it truly means to be a fisher of men.

It breaks His heart to see us doing church things, instead of being the church to those who need help.

Do you not see? Do you not hear? Are you so caught up in playing church that you don't even see the lost and hurting souls right in front of you?

You were meant for more than this. You were meant to BE the hands and feet of Jesus. You were meant to do more than sit in a church on Sundays, nodding and smiling, and then going out to apply NONE of it.

And Pastors, you were meant to serve God, and shepherd His people, not bow your knee to money, turning God's house into a business.

²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Matthew 6:24 (ESV)

Wake up Church. There's work to be done. Jesus is coming SOON to gather His Bride before the tribulation begins, will you be taken up with Him? Or will you get the biggest shock of your life to see that you were left behind?

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’  And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:21-23 (ESV)

And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his commandments. 4 If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. 5 But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. 6 Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

1 John 2:3-6 (NLT)

Dear Teachers

 To all the Pastors, Teachers, and Ministry Leaders,


Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1 (ESV)

Judged.

With greater strictness.

Are you sure you still want to teach??

Everything you speak or post on social media about Christ carries weight. And one day we will all stand before Him and answer for the things that we taught in Jesus' name.

We must think about that, and have a healthy fear of the Lord in our hearts before we teach or click "Post."

I have lost count of how many social media posts from ministry leaders claim to be a "word" from the Lord, only to see no Scripture attached, and it's all purely from that person's own thoughts. And it tends to be totally self gratifying for the reader as well. Example: "This year God will bless you and make a clear path for your destiny!"

How is that biblical? That sounds more like a fortune cookie.

Or this one in particular caught my eye:

"God says, 'You weren't rejected, I hid your value from them because they were not assigned to your destiny.'"

What does that even mean??

First of all, they just put quotes on something claiming God said it, even though this is no where in the Bible. So right off the bat it's false teaching. Secondly, they say you weren't rejected (as if to protect you from the thought of being rejected) but rather you are extra special and the other person isn't as important as you or your destiny. UGH! How much more self centered, prideful, and arrogant can that get? Did it ever occur to the author of this quote that Jesus Himself was rejected, and that we should expect to be also?? And do they realize that Christ humbled himself as servant to save us, and that we should model that behavior as well?

Paying a visit to the Wedding Feast parable in Luke 14 might be worth a read:

Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, ⁸ “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, ⁹ and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. ¹⁰ But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. ¹¹ For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Luke 14:7-11 (ESV)

We cannot set ourselves apart; if we try to, we are setting ourselves farther from Christ.

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Philippians 2:5-8 (ESV)

Teachers, I implore you to pray for humility.  We need to be humbled daily in order to have the mind of Christ. We need to spend more time in prayer, and more time in His Word. The more we know Him and what HE SAYS, the less chance there is of us posting false teachings like that silly destiny example. As teachers of the Word, we HAVE to be able to recognize false teaching and either speak out against it or flee from it.

So practically speaking, if "a word" comes to you that you believe is from the Holy Spirit, DO THIS before teaching/posting it:

1. Does this thought align with Scripture?

2. Find the Scripture (reading the full chapter to get context) that backs up the word you received. But don't search the Bible for what you WANT to hear, search for the TRUTH.

3. If it checks out biblically, Pray and seek the Lord's timing on teaching it (sometimes it can be used in a later sermon or message, and sometimes it's meant for right now. Sometimes it's meant for only you, and sometimes it's meant for a friend through a face to face meeting out of love)

4. If you cannot find biblical proof of your "word" then toss it. It's not from Him.  There is another, one that prowls around you, like a roaring lion seeking to devour you. (1 Peter 5:8) One of his favorite things to do is whisper good sounding thoughts that are just one degree off from the truth, just to get you off track a little at a time. Don't let him!

5. Lastly, could you stand before King Jesus someday and defend THIS word? If you're not sure, DON'T POST IT. This is the Holy Spirit possibly trying to teach you beyond what you think you know, or convicting you that you've got it wrong. Listen to Him!

Teachers, Pastors, and Ministry Leaders, we must bow our knee to a healthy fear of the Lord. We must humble ourselves, take teaching seriously, and we must stop posting our own words without His. 

                                               Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
                                      which you have stored up for those who fear you...
                                                                Psalm 31:19 (ESV)

Posting your own words will only attract worldly glory, which fosters pride, and burns up when tested in the fire. But fearing Him (and posting ONLY what He says), unlocks an abundance of goodness that He has stored up for you! What a blessing!

So remember:

God's Word NEVER returns void. (Isaiah 55:11) Our words, on the other hand, fade like the mist that we are. (James 4:14)

                      Now let's go be the obedient and humble mist that we're supposed to be. 

Dear Confrontation

Have you ever confronted a friend and it's gone terribly wrong? Or maybe a friend has confronted you and you felt completely crushed by how hateful they were?


I've noticed in my lifetime that a great number of Christian women have been abusing Matthew 18:15-17, where the Bible gives instructions on how to confront another Believer that has sinned against you. Friends this should not be!

So today we are going to look at Matthew 18:15-17 as an example of how to understand and interpret scripture correctly. (If you missed the last post about misinterpreting scripture, click here to read it!)

Step one:  Pray. Repent of any selfish motives and ask the Holy Spirit to teach you as you read.

Step two:  Read the full context (full chapter) to understand what surrounds the verse you are studying.

Let’s try this.

Dear Lord, please be with us as we read. Forgive us of our sins, and create in us a teachable and humble spirit. Please reveal what you want us to learn from this scripture.

Please read Matthew 18 and then meet me back here.

Ok.

So quick run down. Matthew 18 talks about having humility like a child, the consequence of hurting God’s children, temptations, the lost sheep parable, how to handle conflict among believers, forgiveness, and lastly, the parable of the unforgiving debtor. I can already see an order to these topics and how they are all intertwined. Can you? (If you didn't read Matt 18, then go click on it now and read it!)

Nothing God does is thrown together last minute. There is order in all He does. So if you are upset at a friend and you read Matthew 18:15-17 out of context, you absolutely need to go back and read the full chapter, letting the Spirit teach you some things first.

Do you see anything special or interesting about the order of topics in Matthew 18?

This is what I see: Before I confront my friend who sinned against me, first I need to humble myself like a child.

When you were a kid did you hold onto grudges or were you best friends again by the next day? Kids typically get over things quickly and don’t have huge divisions among them. So the first thing God wants you to do in Matthew 18 is to learn this kind of humility. Don’t wonder who is the greatest, just be humble like a child with God and with others.

Secondly, it talks about what will happen to you if harm one of these "dear little ones." It says it's better to have a millstone tied around your neck and for you to be thrown into the sea than it is for you to cause one of His children to sin. So this is a warning, do NOT hurt His children. When you confront your sister in Christ, fear the Lord and do not cause her to sin!

The next part talks about the temptation to sin, and that if your eye causes you to sin it's better to cut it out than to continue sinning. God takes sin very seriously, and so should we. How can we apply this to confrontation?

Next is the parable of the lost sheep and then we get to the part of the scripture we've been waiting for. I love this parable because it speaks of how much God loves us. And in regards to friends, when one friend has gone astray and/or hurt us, we should be like the Father, going after them to find them and bring them home. Do you see how context can actually help you interpret scripture the way it was meant to be understood? God is so good at showing us this stuff, we just have to take the time to find it.

Now for Matthew 18:15-17. It says, ¹⁵ “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. (ESV)

Ok so for starters, this applies to you if a fellow believer sins against you. So first, Is the person who hurt you a Believer? Secondly, did they actually SIN against you, or did they just hurt your feelings? There is a big difference. Search the Bible for what counts as a sin. Some examples would be the 10 commandments. Some other sins can be slander, false accusations, etc.

Notice it also says “Go and tell,” this means it should be done in person. Or at the least over the phone if distance is an issue. No texting or emailing. I think we all have a story or two about how badly that went, and how we will never do it that way again!

Another thing to notice is the tone of this meeting. It says if you tell them the offense in private and they confess, you have gained a brother. The NLT says “you have won him back.”
It sounds like reconciliation is the goal here. You are essentially going to try and win your brother or sister back. So with that attitude, how would you speak? Would you accuse, name-call, point your finger and speak in anger?

NO.

This meeting with your fellow believer should be done with love, truth, forgiveness and the purpose of reconciliation. Meaning this is not a break up. This is not a time of petty issues and passive aggressive behavior. This is a time to let her know that you love her but you need to discuss something that she did to hurt you.

Do you have someone in mind right now that you've been thinking about confronting? After dissecting the verses, do you still think you should? Or is this something you need to go to the Lord about first? Is it something you need to work out within yourself (with God) because your friend didn't actually sin against you? Maybe she just doesn't see eye to eye on something with you and you need to let it go and pray for her?

Another thing to consider is that if there is too much emotion or hostility to meet, then sometimes both sides need to be still and wait. This could take days, weeks and sadly, sometimes years. As long as you forgive them (as the Lord commands) it’s ok to give yourself (and them) space and time. Ecclesiastes 3 says there is a time to be silent and a time to speak.

So lets say you've studied the verses, you've given it time, and you believe that they truly did sin against you and you must meet with them, how do you go about it?

Just remember when you meet to start with prayer. Be careful with your words. When a person has sinned against you, you must train yourself to care more about glorifying God than catering to your own feelings. This is hard, I know! I have failed at this many times! And there were also times when I did the right thing and the person still chose to walk away.

But then there are the beautiful moments when both believers were humble and mature enough to lovingly speak and receive truth together. There were sincere apologies and mercy. Forgiveness washed over both like the sunrise of a new day, and God’s glory shone bright. Getting through a tough moment with a fellow believer and coming out more like Christ is something to be celebrated! The enemy looses every time that happens.

Let’s make him lose more often.

Remember friend,

Biblical confrontation is not for you to say your piece, it’s for the ushering in of His peace.

Then, according to Scripture if they do not seek forgiveness and they continue the sinful behavior, THAT is when you gather another believer or two to confront them with you. Notice this order God gives us. If we deviate from this order and include other believers in on it, then it is GOSSIP.

Friends we have to take His Word seriously and be careful, otherwise we can hurt the ones God loves. We can cause them to sin. And do we remember what scripture says about that?? *shudder*

The rest of Matthew 18 is vital for moving forward with your friend. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is probably the most important parable in the Bible (in my opinion). It speaks volumes to how Christ has forgiven us beyond what we could ever earn or deserve, so who are we to hold unforgiveness over someone else's head? We must show others the same mercy He has shown us.

I really hope this study of Matthew 18 has helped you see there is so much more to Biblical confrontation than meets the eye. It is a serious thing that we have to get right. If someone you know needs to hear this, please share it! Too many Christians are hurting one another by misinterpreting His divine order and purpose throughout Scripture. Thanks again for reading, and please reach out for prayer if you need it! God Bless

Dear Miss Interpretation

What if you fully believed and practiced something from Scripture that was totally wrong??

One of our biggest mistakes as Christians is misinterpreting scripture. We’ve all been guilty of this at one time or another because let’s face it, we’re human! But...

...there are a few different reasons WHY we misinterpret God’s Word and I’d like to explore them with you so that we can all learn and help each other see the truth for what it really is.

#1 We don’t study God’s Word daily

This is probably the most common reason. If you are not reading God’s Word daily or every couple days, then you aren’t furthering your knowledge of Him, His character, His people, His law, and His love. So when we hear or read scripture, we may not understand it’s meaning because we aren’t familiar with His Word. We are easily led astray, thinking, Well that sounds good, so it must be God's way. Yikes, that's dangerous ground. If you stand for nothing, you will fall for everything.

Joshua 1:8 says,
  
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. (NLT)

Here are some more verses about how important it is to read your Bible:

Romans 10:17
Hebrews 4:12
2 Timothy 3:16-17
Psalm 119:11

#2 We try to comprehend Scripture through our own understanding

The Bible can be hard to understand sometimes, so we need help! Our first and best helper is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is our teacher and can make the deeper meaning and understanding of scripture come alive! We need to ask Him for help every time we read the Bible.

1 John 2:27 says,

But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ. (NLT)

So even though it says we don't "need" anyone to teach us, it's still biblical to receive teaching from someone with the gift of teaching. This secondary help can be a trusted Bible teacher, pastor, or friend.  But we must be very wise with who we trust to help us. If the person you are seeking help from has a false perception of God's Word, then what you're learning will be a false gospel!  If they are interpreting scripture from one of these 4 ways then turn and run!

There are also inductive bible study apps available that allow you to click on any verse/word and see the original Hebrew translation and meaning, to help further understand what the author is communicating in that certain passage, and it's so helpful!

#3 We try to interpret Scripture based on our modern view

Sometimes we forget that we have to consider the time, the audience, and the culture when it comes to scripture. We shouldn't say, "Well because God told Moses to free the Israelites from bondage, I'm supposed to do that too!" Actually, that was JUST Moses' job. But we can take the Biblical principal of finding freedom in Christ, and we can help lead people out of the bondage of sin and shame when they surrender their lives to Him.

Imagine a friend claimed that "God told her" to divorce her husband. But you know that the Bible says God hates divorce. You also know that there are only two reasons where God's Law allows divorce, and neither of those reasons apply to her situation. She then justifies it by saying, "God told Moses to kill people, so why couldn't he tell me to divorce my husband if He knew it was a toxic marriage?"

It's this warped way of thinking that "because God did something back then" (completely different from your situation now) then you can condone something you think He is telling you to do currently. Here is an excerpt from an article by John Piper on what made it okay for God to use His people to kill other people:
  
So God has his times and seasons for when he shares his authority to take and give life. And the church today is not Israel, and we are not a political entity. Therefore the word we have from the Lord today is, "Love your enemy. Pray for those who abuse you. Lay your life down for the world. Don't kill in order to spread the gospel, but die to spread it."

Killing and divorcing are two VERY different things. We have to stop taking God's specific actions for something and someone else,  and applying them to what we want. Some things were specific to Israel or for a certain person. Not everything in the Bible was written FOR us, it is simply a retelling of another believer's journey with the Lord. Thankfully though, as readers we can take the biblical principle from the story and apply it to our walk with the Lord.

#4 We view Scripture through the lens of our pain or our desires

This is a big one. Women are often very guilty of this. When we have emotional heart ache and we search scripture for answers, sometimes we only see what we want to see.  I remember a few years into our marriage I felt lonely and regretful for marrying my husband. I didn't feel like I got the man I had prayed for. He had completely changed as soon as the pressure of supporting a family kicked in. Instead of loving him through it and remaining a godly wife, I focused on my own pain and disappointment. I searched the Bible for justification for a divorce. I found Matthew 19:8 which says, He (Jesus) said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. (ESV)

So being a disappointed wife, wanting peace and clarity on what to do in a difficult marriage, I twisted this scripture to cater to my wants. "Well, Jason's heart is hardened, so I guess it's okay with Jesus if we get divorced!"

WRONG.

Jesus was explaining that divorce was never God's plan. It's because of man's sin that Moses finally allowed it for certain circumstances. It doesn't mean God wants it or would "call" someone to do it. He doesn't call people to sin. He's GOD.

Do you see how your pain or desires can make you twist Scripture into what you want it to say?

I urge you Believer, to consider these points. Before staking claim on a topic, search His Word. Be sure you aren't looking through hurt, greedy, or modern eyes, but with a humble and teachable heart, ready to learn through the gift of the Holy Spirit.

It's true that no one is perfect, but we can get a lot better at studying scripture and understanding it's meaning by at least knowing what NOT to do. There are so many issues that Christians face in today's world, and we need to know where God stands so we can navigate through them in a God-honoring way. As a true Believer, you want to stand in alignment with God and what He says, not what YOU say.

I pray for God's wisdom and the Holy Spirit's teaching as we practice reading and interpreting His Word everyday!

More than Jesus

We must be careful Church.

There are wolves among us that don’t even know they are wolves.

They are teaching a belief that it takes more than Jesus to be set free.

You see, according to the Old Covenant, we were sinners that had to offer sacrifices to be forgiven. Certain criteria was required, different sacrifices addressed different sins. But when Jesus came, and He Himself was the one and only pure and sacrificial Lamb, He fulfilled the Old Covenant. He did it! The veil was torn. Thus beginning the new covenant: Forgiveness and Salvation through Christ resurrected. Now, we are saved by Christ ALONE. Any generational sins or curses were broken by His victory on the cross.

So when you hear people teaching that you have to do certain things, or bind certain spirits, you are quite possibly participating in witchcraft, because Jesus already bound those spirits! In fact he bound them in Hell and took the keys!

Now if you believe someone put a curse on you because you made an enemy with a Satanist etc., then pray for protection and ask in Jesus’ name to be set free from that. And boom it’s done. Because Jesus is MORE powerful than a curse. You need not toil and recite different lines somebody taught you for different curses, hoping you “get them all.” JESUS IS ENOUGH. He is the One that sets you free, not you or your special words you learned from an “expert” in healing and deliverance.

Secondly, spiritual gifts are exactly how they sound. They are GIFTS. Meaning they are GIVEN to you by the one and only GOD. If you don’t have a certain gift, you cannot go to a class to learn how to get it. You cannot make it so by practicing it. It’s not something you earn or strive for, it’s a beautiful thing that only the Holy Spirit gives. If He wants you to have it, He will give it to you. If we could earn it or learn it then it wouldn’t be a gift, it would be a desire forced into action... thus rendering it dust and meaningless in effort. Let us not desire gifts more than our Savior. He is the ultimate Gift. 

If you used to be involved in a religious cult, then when you surrendered and repented to Christ, you were forgiven and cleansed. You were set free. It is finished! Please don’t give in to the lies that there is more to be done than what Jesus did on the cross. Yes we all have sin issues or addictions that need to be dealt with, but that is part of learning and growing in our faith and being sanctified by grace for the rest of our time on earth. We might need physical healing for things, but it has to be His choice to heal you for His GLORY, not because you learned a new prayer that you think will “work.”

We are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, through Scripture alone, for His Glory alone! 

We don’t do any of it, earn any of it, cause any of it, nor is it for us. It is for Him, by Him, and we are here because He loves us and wants to graciously share it with us. 

If you have been caught up in the belief that you are still bound by curses after Jesus set you free, or that you can earn a spiritual gift, then please turn and repent. Get out from under the influence of false teaching and get back to Scripture. Learn what JESUS says. Then go and do likewise. He is enough. It’s not Christ plus something else. It’s just CHRIST.

Dear Worship

I've been discussing with a friend lately why some Christians claim to hear things from the Holy Spirit that don't align with scripture. Are different people hearing different things? Also, why do some believers read His Word, but they don't hear anything from the Spirit? If it's the same Spirit speaking to all of us, how come some churches are all about the spirit with very little scripture, and other churches are all about scripture, and very little spirit?

My initial answer is sin. Sin makes us imperfect humans, so also imperfect Christians. BUT I felt there had to be more to it.

The deeper answer showed up for me in John 4:21-24. This is in the story of the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus. You can read the whole passage here, but for the sake of this post, I am jumping in after she asks him why the Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, yet the Samaritans claim it's at their mountain. Her question actually reminded me of different churches today, each thinking they have it right. This is His reply to her:

Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. ²² You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. ²³ But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. ²⁴ For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.” (NLT)

Boom! This came ALIVE to me. We cannot worship God in just ONE way, ex: Holy Spirit driven, or Bible driven. It MUST BE BOTH. Spirit AND Truth. Holy Spirit AND Bible. 

So as you evaluate your walk with the Lord (and even evaluate your church), are you worshiping the Father in spirit and in truth? Does your church teach/worship/serve/pray in spirit and truth? Spirit-filled but Bible backed?

A good question to ask yourself: Do you tend to lean on "the feels" without confirming it in His Word? 

Or are you the type who knows scripture, and always goes to the Word, but you don't actually know how to hear the Spirit? 

Jesus tells us it MUST be both. Spirit without truth (God's Word) isn't His Spirit. And truth without Spirit, isn't the whole truth, it's just information that you may or may not be getting right. The Spirit is what clarifies scripture to us, reveals what it is really saying, behind just the general knowledge. (John 14:26) We need the Spirit just as much as we need the truth, and vice versa.

Also, when Jesus says we are to "worship" in spirit and in truth, He's not just talking about singing praise at church. He's talking about your relationship with God. How you talk to Him, praise Him, listen to Him, obey Him, serve Him, love Him, learn about Him by yourself and with others, etc. ALL of that is how we worship our Father. It must be done in spirit and in truth.

So now the question for those of you in the spirit camp, how do you worship in truth? The answer: read God's Word DAILY. Don't just depend on worship music or feel good devotionals. You need to be IN HIS WORD, communing with Him and letting the Spirit teach you truth.

For those of you in the truth camp, how do you start tuning into the Spirit as you worship? For starters, I would practice being still in His presence. Open your Bible, but before reading it, ask His Spirit to awaken your senses to Him. Spend some time being still before the Lord, welcoming His presence. You can even turn your palms up, letting Him know that you are open to His Spirit, and ready to receive what He wants to teach you in His Word. Praise Him for everything you have to be thankful for, thank Him for your trials, and then read where He guides you. Bible time isn't about you having knowledge, it's about the Spirit teaching you truth. Let Him guide you.

Take a look at what Jesus prayed for us in John 17:20-23:

 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. ²¹ I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.
²² “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. ²³ I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me." (NLT)


 Believers, how we worship is not just about us and our walk with the Lord. When we worship Him in spirit and in truth, it shows the world WHO we belong to, and how much He LOVES! This is bigger than us, and we need to stop with the arguing and division, and start being ONE for His glory. The way we can do it is by following His command to worship our Father in spirit and in truth. 

May God bless us and refresh this land with His Spirit as we move forward as one!

To the Hurting Wife

Sweet friend, 
My heart is heavy over the pain you've endured. The news of your husband's unfaithfulness and your decision to divorce is not only a blow to
your family, but to your spiritual family as well. We mourn with you in this decision. I wanted to write this letter in hopes to encourage you, and to share with you what God has shown me from my experience.

You see, I was the "offender" in my marriage. I was unfaithful. For 10 years I was unhappy, hiding my dissatisfaction about my life and marriage. Eventually the unhappiness lead to my infidelity.

My husband though, resonating God's grace, forgave me, and chose to love me without condition, just as you were determined to do with your husband. I was torn, I knew what was right, but my flesh wanted so badly to be "free" and follow my heart's desires. Being a Christian, I knew what God wanted, but I was fighting my flesh.

At the time, only 5 people on this planet knew our situation, and they were praying for me to come back to the Lord, and to my husband. Only 5 people. But God heard their prayers. I felt the Spirit move inside me, drawing me back to Himself, and I was ready to turn from my sins and repent. Thank God for those 5 people. Thank God for my husband's willingness to forgive, and thank God for Jesus' mercy, grace, and unconditional love! My chains were broken and I was set free. And our life has never been the same. God is so good. Since then I have dedicated my life to following Jesus, and serving the desperate housewife, reminding her of the hope found in Christ.

The reason I tell you this is to encourage you that with only 5 people praying for me, I was able to hear Jesus calling me. The veil was lifted and the chains were broken. It is still possible for this to happen to your husband, especially since you've got a little more than 5 people praying. You have hundreds of thousands people praying, because you are loved by many! Your impact has been great--and now the enemy is trying to derail that. This is a call to arms!

What if, instead of telling us you are pursuing divorce because your husband is unrepentant, you implored us to pray on your behalf? To pray on his behalf? To pray that the God of the miraculous would draw your husband back to Himself? What if you chose to stay with your husband until God unveils his eyes and releases him from the chains of bondage--even if it's until death?

What if you stood up as a wife unwilling to give up on her husband--just as Christ is unwilling to give up on His bride--so that wives everywhere could see a living example of unconditional love in you? When you felt God say, "You've done all you can.." you didn't hear the ending to His sentence. The last part was: "Now let Me do the rest."

Hurting Wife, I implore you, don't give up! I have not walked in your shoes, but I have walked in shoes similar to your husband's, and had my spouse given up on me, I don't know where I'd be today. I don't know who I would be today! But I do know the ripple effect of God's grace in my life never would've happened.

We cheat on Christ everyday. But He promised to love us anyway. Thank God He doesn't divorce us when we break our covenant with Him. I was a Christian wife, going to church on Sundays, praying, and serving others for 10 whole years while hiding my sadness and addiction for male attention. 10 years! Imagine if Christ had left me because I was taking too long to repent? We are called to love like Him. To not give up--no matter how much the other person hurts and betrays us.

Friend, I believe there is an amazing redemption story for you and your husband. It might take 10 weeks, 10 months, or even 10 years, but it will be worth it. I am proof of that. Marriage is the ultimate exercise in becoming more like Christ. We are being asked to love when it's the hardest thing to do. When you feel like your heart is so broken that even God Himself couldn't put it back together. But God allows the brokenness so that He can be the One to put us back together in the image of Him. He is refining you, and you are in the fire right now, and it hurts, but He is with you. Will you let the heat of the flames consume you, or will you continue to fan the flames of His love into your marriage? I know it's hard, but it can be done.

I hope you can see that my heart is for Christ, this letter is not to judge you, but to encourage and challenge you to love your husband like Christ loves you. You have an army of women--more than you could even count--watching and praying for you. Let us stand in the gap for you, let us come on this journey with you as you step out in faith that God will heal your marriage.

There is a miracle waiting to happen for your marriage. How do I know that when I don't even know you? 
Because I know God. 
And He is the God of miracles. 
He is in the business of bringing the dead back to life.
Don't forget that.

I hope this letter makes it's way to you and that the Spirit of the Living God refreshes your heart today. God bless you, you have my prayers.

With love,
Shannon Bishop, just a wife with the faith that God can do ANYTHING!

Are you in the Wilderness?

Luke 1:80 says,  
John grew up and became strong in spirit. And he lived in the wilderness until he began his public ministry to Israel. (NLT)

Do you think John is the only one who needed to spend time in the wilderness, growing and becoming strong in spirit before beginning his ministry?

You might recall that Jesus himself had to go through 40 days in the wilderness, facing temptation and fasting, as well as encouragement from the angels.

I would dare to say that we ALL must go through something similar, in order to be ready for God's calling on our life. Believe it or not, we all have a ministry. Whether it's a 5013C, official ministry with a name and website, or it's a quiet stirring within your soul that becomes your way of life, we all have a ministry. 

If you question what yours may be, here's a hint:


Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

We have been given the ministry of reconciliation, imploring the world to be reconciled with Christ.

So how can you do that? What is your specific calling within that calling? How will you teach the world to be reconciled to God?

If you want to know the answer to these questions, you must first grow up strong in spirit, like John...and accept that there will be a time of wilderness. Because that my friends, is where the most  growth can happen.

The wilderness is an uncultivated place. It's inhospitable...it's not exactly kind to you. This is the time when you learn reliance on God. This is a time of solitude in His Word, with little distraction from the fast paced world we're used to. This is a time to let the Lord cultivate your heart. A time to learn how to sit and be still in His presence. A time of worship. 
This is also a time of trial. Every wilderness has moments of beauty and peace, but also moments of darkness and fear.  This is where you learn to be thankful for the dark times because they draw you into a deeper reliance on Him. You learn that you are victorious through Christ, a conqueror, a warrior.

Do you feel that you are in the wilderness right now? Take heart, and remember that He is with you, and He is growing you, so don't fight it or try to make your own way out. Accept it and learn to lean on His understanding and grace.
  
Another version of the wilderness can be when you are frustrated that your ministry isn't going how you imagined it would. You feel like no one cares or wants to listen to what you are trying to tell them. 
Maybe God is saying you need to take more time to grow up in the spirit. Maybe, like me, you are a dreamer, and sometimes you rush into new ideas and passions because you envision a grand outcome, only to experience a grand let down! 

If we try to rush out of the wilderness and pave our own path, we will experience less than the glorious plan that God has in store. He will still find the good from the bad of course (Romans 8:28), but getting where He wants us may just take a little longer and contain more disappointment than it would've if we had just stayed on His path.

So wherever you are in your spiritual walk right now, whether in the wilderness, in the middle of your ministry, or trying to make your own path, remember that there is a time for everything, and God wants to take you through the wilderness so He can ready you for the ministry He has planned for you. Don't try to deny Him that. Instead, deny yourself, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24) wherever the path leads, knowing that His goal is to be glorified and reconciled with His children through your life and ministry.

Dear Masterpiece

Ephesians 2:10,  For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)

God sees you as His masterpiece. Not just because He made you, and not just because He thinks you're beautiful, but because He has BIG plans for you. 

You serve a bigger purpose than to hang in a museum like most masterpieces. He doesn't want you sitting and staying in one spot..hiding away in your comfort zone! He wants you out, doing the good things He has planned for you.

When you look in the mirror you may not see a masterpiece..you might just see the extra weight you can't lose, or the tired face that was once full of life..but God sees His precious child. His masterpiece. He doesn't see you through the world's eyes. He sees you through His righteous eyes. His holy, pure and perfect eyes. Eyes that are worthy to make a judgement. And the verdict is in. He sees you as priceless.

Just accept it. 

Don't let unhappiness with your body get in the way of the amazing plans God has for you. The enemy wants nothing more than to hold you back by getting you self-focused. When all you see is your dissatisfaction with yourself, you can't see the needs of others crossing your path. Look up. Look out. Look for those divine appointments that you've been letting pass you by b/c you were embarrassed of your appearance.  YOU ARE A MASTERPIECE. YOU ARE WORTHY BECAUSE OF JESUS CHRIST.

Now live like it!

Come out of hiding, claim victory in Jesus and go do the good things that He has been calling you to do! New life awaits my friend, now go and live it!

Dear Control

I am one of those people that wants everyone to feel happy and comfortable.  I get this from my mother. When we were growing up (and still to this day) she would try to plan activities so that we were all happy and taken care of. She had pure intentions, but unfortunately sometimes she would come off as controlling and irrational, thus producing arguments and tension from her children, completely rendering her attempts at "having a great plan" useless.

But of course, as an adult, you don't realize right away that you are becoming your mother.
So when I would throw parties, plan events, or have people over for dinner, I would always be sure no one was feeling left out, everyone was enjoying their time, and that we could all walk away better, having had that experience.

It's been the same when it comes to Bible studies too. I want the women to understand the material, with no distractions, so that they can all get something out of it to better their walk with the Lord.

It all sounds good and fine, right?

But the question is, if my main focus is making sure everyone is happy and comfortable, am I really focusing on what Jesus wants, or my own agenda?

I recently learned a big lesson that I want to share with you because I think there are more of you like me than we realize. Especially those of you who are mothers and wives.

Moms tend to plan things around how to have a peaceful family experience. If the family is sitting down to eat, you don't put the two children next to each other that don't get along. If you have a road trip planned, you make sure you have plenty of snacks and coloring books (one for each child of course) so as to avoid fighting, and the dreaded question, "Are we there yet??" We basically try to set the atmosphere. Nothing is wrong with this.

Unless.

Unless you are stepping on the Holy Spirit's toes. (That's right, I just implied the Holy Spirit has toes.)

So...setting the atmosphere. That is HIS job. The Holy Spirit's. Not MINE.

I realized recently that in my attempt to control the atmosphere, I offended a friend. It then caused her to stumble, reacting angrily and bitterly toward me, and messing up what should've been a nice Bible study together.

I was more concerned with setting the atmosphere that I spoke without thinking and offended my friend. Now granted, my friend didn't exactly react in a godly fashion, she was quick to get angry, but I'm sharing MY lesson with you here. Had I just taken my concern to the Lord, the Author of the atmosphere, and prayed that HE would set the tone and provide peace for our study, then He would've done it, or He would've opened her eyes to the issue in His awesome God-way! He's the One that convicts, teaches and draws, not me.

I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha. Martha was more concerned about making sure everyone was taken care of, than she was about listening to Jesus' teaching. When she called her sister Mary out in front of the Lord, He defended Mary saying "she has chosen the right thing, and it will not be taken from her." (Luke 10:38-42)

We must remember that even though God has given us a brain and abilities to multi-task, we are not meant to take it so far that we try and take over what the Holy Spirit is doing. We need to step back, stop controlling, and let Him do what only He can do, because THAT is when God moves the hearts of people. THAT is when true peace is experienced, and THAT is when we are able to be the best friend, sister, daughter, mother and/or wife we can be.

So take a lesson from me, release your control today. Ask the Holy Spirit to set the atmosphere for peace, and then watch what He does. Live in the freedom of His sovereign grace, instead of your silly human attempts to control the uncontrollable.

Believe me, it's a much better way to live.

Dear New Year

As we say farewell to 2016 and welcome in a New Year, it's good to reflect on some things. I want to encourage you to clear the schedule for tomorrow and make quality time with the Lord your first and foremost objective. Or if you're like me and this year you desired to be at home for New Year's Eve, take some time with Him tonight. I did and this is what He showed me.

In Philippians 1:12-14 we see that Paul is in jail for the cause of Christ. He says this, 12 I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (ESV)

The part that stood out to me was "..what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel.." 
It got me thinking, do I use the trials and tragedies in my life to advance the gospel, or do the trials and tragedies use me to hinder the good works the Lord is trying to do through me?

When trials come, you can either use it for His glory or use it for the enemy's purposes. Those are really the only two choices. Look at people's Facebook statuses as an example. It's either something positive or something negative. A complaint or a praise. Which one do you tend to do?

I have a friend who lost her baby boy last year. He was 4 months old and in the NICU for the entire span of his short life. They knew he had complications, they knew he might not make it, but they also knew what the purpose of his and their lives were: to give God glory no matter what. They named their son Triumph, because he was a miracle baby.  And when he went to be with the Lord, their hearts were broken but their spirit was not because they knew that God had used his little life as a testament to God's grace and mercy. Everyone around them could see that something was different about these people, they had a hope like no other. The doctors, the nurses, the specialists, and the other parents in NICU could all see something…and little did they know it was the glory of the Lord. 

Friends, can others around you see His glory when trials come?  That is our whole purpose for being here. Maybe you have cancer, or maybe you lost your job. Maybe you have a sick child, or maybe you have faced rejection from someone who was supposed to love you. No matter what you have endured or are enduring now, God is allowing it to use you as a vessel of His glory because when you are weak, He is strong. And He shares that strength with you:

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Cor.12:9-11)

Do you see that? We are made strong through weakness because Christ's love shines through us. His power is made perfect in weakness. Just like the cross. The weakest moment Jesus could ever endure, yet the most powerful. 

So this coming year, 2017, let's go into it ready to live out the glory of the Lord through whatever way He brings our way, good or bad.  Let everything you say and do be for His glory and His kingdom. You can start with your next Facebook post. ;)

Dear Christians

Sometimes my letters are full of love and grace, and sometimes they are what my friend Courtney calls, "a spiritual spankin"...

This probably falls into the spiritual spankin' category. But, it comes from a place of love and grace, I promise! I want you to be the best YOU you can be. First, let's read this passage from the Bible:

 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. ² For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, ⁴ treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV) 

I believe we are in the last days. And I believe that everyone who claims to be a Christian falls into one of these categories:

1. A Pharisee
2. A Follower
3. A Fake

You are either a Pharisee -legalistic, cares more about the rules (the Law) than the miracle and mission of Jesus Christ.

A Follower- someone who believes the Bible to be true, and walks in the Spirit by praying, reading God's Word, making disciples, and living FOR Jesus.

A Fake- someone who goes to church, claims they are a Christian, but in fact doesn't live how a Christ follower would. A "Sunday Christian" is another term for this kind, very worldly during the week, but acts like a Christian on Sundays.

Do any of these sound familiar to you? 

Which one are you?

One way to tell if you could be more like a Pharisee is how you view other Christians. Do you look at them out' the side of your eye when they are saying things about Christ? Are you judging whether or not they "know" all the things they should about the Bible? Then do you feel the need to start a debate? This is exactly what the Pharisees did to Jesus EVERY TIME.  In every story, they judge what He said, they challenged Him, and they accused Him. Do you do that with fellow Christians?

The Apostle Paul (called Saul at the time), was a Pharisee before His encounter with Christ. But it was JESUS that changed Him. Not another person telling him he was wrong. Not a Facebook post declaring a personal stance on something. Only JESUS can change a Pharisees heart.

If you recognize yourself in some of this description, then ask Christ to change you from the inside out. Ask Him if there is any offensive way in you, because Pharisees have a hard time believing they could be wrong. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in real and mighty ways. Then go serve in a humble position somewhere where you get NO recognition. Look the poor or hurting in the eyes and get to know them. Learn how to LOVE like Christ loves.

Pharisees tend to point out the wrong in people more so than just love on them. I know this because I used to be one! My friend Catherine says that when it comes to people, we need to "love the hell outta them!" and I couldn't agree more. LOVE is the answer, and God is love. So love like God. 

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35 (ESV)


Then there's the "Fake"... the disciple Judas would be an example of this kind of christian. He walked with Jesus, he learned from Jesus, but when it came down to it, he chose deception and wealth over love and loyalty to Christ. He's the one who chose to turn Jesus in to the authorities, for a profit. Only to throw the money back in their faces, and in hopelessness commit suicide over his guilt of betrayal. 

But as long as you are still breathing, there is HOPE.

We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever.. Hebrews 6:19-20 (ESV) 

Lastly, we have the Follower.  I think of the disciple, Peter. He knew he was an unworthy sinner, but a relationship with Jesus changed him. He followed, he learned, then he DID as Jesus did. He spread the Gospel, he healed the sick, he made disciples! We too can do these things! They might look a little different in today's age..we might spread the Gospel through social media, help bring healing through love and prayer, and make disciples by having Bible studies with people in our towns. BUT, Jesus said in John 14:12 :"I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." Anything is possible with Jesus IN us!


So no matter where you find yourself as a Christian in this world, whether Pharisee or Fake, you can change. You can be made new by the grace and mercy of our Lord, and you can be the Follower that He has called you to be (if you aren't already!)

Pray this with me, "God, please help me to love like you do. Please forgive me, and help me to turn from any legalistic or false beliefs that I may have of you. Help me to learn the truth of who you are by studying my Bible and by surrounding myself with true Followers of you. Help me to turn from my selfish ways in order to pursue you with my whole heart. Give me the desire and perseverance to read my Bible daily, to pray for those around me, and to go and make disciples as you have commanded me to do. Help me to choose mercy over judgment, and help me to LOVE. I love you Lord, In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen!"

Shine On

"Don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine.."

That's actually a line from a Taylor Swift song called "Ours." She wrote it years ago for her boyfriend at the time. But I want to pass it along to you, because what she meant for a fleeting relationship, I think God meant for a word of encouragement to us.

If you are following Christ, then you have a brilliant light shining out of you. It's a light that can spread His love into the darkest of places. But sometimes it makes others upset. Maybe it's too bright, and they feel uncomfortable or even jealous. Or maybe when it shines, it exposes a darkness in them that they don't want seen. So they throw rocks. 

Expect it.

Know that attacks will come, but that it's Christ in you that people hate, it's not you. So have compassion on them, and pray for them, for they know not what they do. Matthew 10:22, and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

You will be saved, all will be well. In the meantime, don't take it personal when people hate you. Pray for your enemies, and keep shining the light of the Lord! Stay in His Word and keep your eyes on Jesus so that you can continue to reflect His glory. 

And "don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine!" 

 

When Storms Come

Here are some lessons I've learned when times are tough, whether it's with finances, emotions, marriage, family issues, friend drama, stress, whatever!

#1 Set your hope in Christ alone
God allowed me to be rejected by several christian women, and by a family member who meant a lot to me, to get me to that point where I was no longer able to put my hope in them. All I had left was to put my hope in Christ, where it should've been in the first place. 
"..hold fast to the hope set before us. ¹⁹ We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, ²⁰ where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever.." Hebrews 6:18-20 (ESV)
Is there someone or something else that you are putting your hope in? Why? What makes you think they would be a better answer over Jesus?

#2 It's either a storm of Perfection or a storm of Correction
We are either walking with the Lord in obedience (perfection) and the enemy wants to knock us down with storms OR we are not walking with the Lord and so He allows a storm of correction to try and get us back on the right path with Him. Seek His Word and ask Him which storm you are in. If you are in complete obedience with Him then it's a storm of perfection and you just have to keep your eyes on Jesus. Do not give in to the enemy's attempts! If it's a storm of correction, then you have some sin in your life that you need to turn from.  Get that sin into the light so it can begin to heal. In doing so, the storm of correction will soon turn into a rainbow of promise. 
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.
 Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,and chastises every son whom he receives.” Hebrews 12:5-6 (ESV)

Do you have sin in your life that you need to turn from?

#3 Let praise be your battle plan

No matter what trial you face, you can choose praise over worry or fear. Choose to praise Him and watch as your worries fade and your faith grows. Read the story of King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20 to see what happened when he sent the worshipers before the army.  There are so many verses of encouragement in this passage, like, This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. 2 Chron. 20:15 (NLT)

How can you turn your worries into praises today?

#4 God has already conquered your battle, you just have to walk through it in obedience!

God has already defeated our battles for us, we just have to walk through it trusting and obeying Him. Look at what the Lord told Joshua about the battle before him, And the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and mighty men of valor. ³ You shall march around the city, all the men of war going around the city once. Thus shall you do for six days. ⁴ Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ And when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.” Joshua 5:2-5 (ESV) God had already delivered Jericho into Joshua's hand, Joshua just had to follow through on what the Lord instructed him to do in order to experience the victory. 

How can you view your trial as a battle already won? What do you need to do to walk through it in trust and obedience?

When storms come, set your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith. He will never leave you nor forsake you! God Bless!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-3 (ESV)