Do you know who your enemy is? Often times we assume that the devil is our only enemy and that is partly accurate but, we have two additional enemies, the world and our flesh. We know more about the additional enemies because essentially, we live in the world and we know ourselves. We know and understand our fleshly desires and the lure of the world and we overcome with coming to Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (New King James Version)17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
God has told us that if we surrender our flesh and will to Him, that He will make the changes in our life. He will take away sinful desires and will give us His heart. Our flesh enemy can be brought under submission everyday by waking up in the morning and telling God that you surrender your flesh and will to Him and that you are putting them into submission to Him. If we focus on the cross daily and continue to “press onward toward the mark of the high calling” as Paul wrote, we can leave the world behind us.
But what about our other enemy? Do you really know our other enemy? The Bible is filled with descriptions and names of our enemy. In part one we will look at the physical and mental state of our enemy. In part two, we will explore his names and what they reveal to us.
So what does the enemy look like?
Read Ezekiel 28:12-19 (New King James Version) [excerpt v12-17]
12 “You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. 13 You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. 14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. 15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. 16 “ By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. 17 “Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor;I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you.
In the beginning, our enemy was very special to God. God made him so beautiful and with a great purpose. He was a musical creation (v13 explains, timbrels and pipes), it is said that Lucifer led God’s worship in Heaven; this made him very unique. It also said that he was an “anointed cherub who covers” (v14); he was a great creation, far from the guy in the red suit and pitch fork that many would have you believe. God makes everything beautiful!
So we know what he looks like physically, but let’s face it, we don’t see him with our natural eyes! So it’s not like we would know him if we saw him, that is why God has given us tools, such as the Spirit of discernment. God’s Spirit of discernment helps us to know by spirit if something is of God. Remember we don’t battle that which is seen we battle that which is unseen. Consider a blind person, their 4 other senses are heightened because one is lacking. Because we lack spiritual eyes, God gives us His spirit so that we may know that which is of Him and that which is not of Him. God also, mentions that Lucifer was very wise, which surely comes in handy now for his tricky ways. But for all his wisdom and beauty, Lucifer was proud and truly he was insecure.
Let’s look at his state of mind which brings about his fall.
Isaiah 14:12-15 (New King James Version) The Fall of Lucifer
12 “ How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer,[a] son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! 13For you have said in your heart: ‘ I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, To the lowest depths of the Pit.
If you are already highly favored, loved, created with care, beautiful and wise, why then would you need to be puffed up? Should you not feel satisfied with all that you have and have been given? The very heart of Lucifer is what gives the devil his characteristics and consequently he tries to sell you the same ideology. How often do you tell yourself “what I have isn’t enough”, “can’t I have more”? That is what he sold to Eve. They [Adam and Eve] could have anything and everything in the Garden, but the one thing they couldn’t have the devil tried to make them focus on. Kind of like, the one thing the devil could not have, God’s throne, though he had access to everything else, that’s what he wanted. He convinced Eve of the same. You have everything you could ever want but why not more? If you read both the passage in Isaiah and Ezekiel, you will see that once he fell, nothing changed about him. Not his thoughts, will, or looks. And what truly makes the devil mad is knowing that the one thing he wanted, has beeng iven to another, Jesus Christ! Who has been given the name above every name, who sits at the right hand of God till judgment, where he will reign forever and ever!
The passage in Isaiah and Ezekiel explain Lucifer’s defeat. God has already had the victory over the devil. The Devil has waged war against us because God Love’s us. He already knows his end. The devil knows the Word of God, he even quotes it (mostly misquotes, but that’s his way of twisting God’s Words), he knows he can’t win, so his goal is to take as many of us with him as possible. It is written in the bible that the pit was made for the devil and his minions, it never said that it was meant for human beings, yet when satan gets a hold of us we end up with him. God would have it so that none of us would suffer; hence the reason He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for us, and conquer sin and shame!
I hope that this post gave you a little more insight into our enemy. As stated before the next part will take a look into his names, which ultimately reveals more about his character and schemes to corrupt the nations. Let us remember, that while it is smart for us to know who our enemy is, it is much better to know who our Savior is. We must learn to focus on the cross and through that we have begun to defeat the enemy. Part 2 is coming soon!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
True Stormriders; 7 Christians Beheaded in Somalia
I was watching the 700 club this morning and saw a story about Islamic Militants, who beheaded 7 Christians. They accused them for abandoning the Muslim faith and spying for the government. This was such a sad and horrific tragedy.
Please pray for our brothers and sisters who live in parts of the world, where the gospel is not accepted. We are so bless to live in a country where we still have liberty to gather in public to hear and speak the word of God. But there will come a day when Christians all over will be persecuted. Jesus said, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Matthew 24:9
That is why prayer is so powerful and essential in our walk. When we pray things happen and we are strengthen through it. Please continue to follow us this month as we go into the importance of having a strong prayer life.
Here is the link for the whole article:
http://au.christiantoday.com/article/islamic-militants-behead-seven-somali-christians/6648.htm
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1 Timothy 2:1
Please pray for our brothers and sisters who live in parts of the world, where the gospel is not accepted. We are so bless to live in a country where we still have liberty to gather in public to hear and speak the word of God. But there will come a day when Christians all over will be persecuted. Jesus said, "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake." Matthew 24:9
That is why prayer is so powerful and essential in our walk. When we pray things happen and we are strengthen through it. Please continue to follow us this month as we go into the importance of having a strong prayer life.
Here is the link for the whole article:
http://au.christiantoday.com/article/islamic-militants-behead-seven-somali-christians/6648.htm
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1 Timothy 2:1
Defeating the Devil in July!
Happy July Stormriders! There is so much going on in the world lately. I was watching the news last night and the principalities of darkness are running rampant. There were two stories from New Jersey related to Voodoo practices. One involved the removal of a young girl’s body from a cemetery; while the other involved the cutting of a child and forcing them to watch the cutting and sacrificing of animals while the adults chanted. With so much going on, it’s time to fight this unseen battle! This month we would like to focus on defeating the enemy! There are a couple of things that you need to know and understand to combat the enemy, they are;Prayer
Fasting
Knowing the truth (The Word of God)
Knowing the enemies weapons
Knowing and using the weapons God has given us
Faith
Perseverance
Worship
This month we will dive into these items and ask God to reveal more to us than ever before. God is good all the time! My prayer is that we all learn more about the spiritual war being waged against us!
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
- II Corinthians 2:14
Thursday, July 2, 2009
A Stormrider's Testimony: My Favorite Four Letter ‘F’ Word Meets Love
Forword: The following testimony is from a Stormriders reader. We believe that you will be truly blessed by these words, we know we were!
My Favorite Four Letter ‘F’ Word Meets Love.
I used to be this person that bought into that whole idea that many people are taught today: be independent, capable, fierce. Something in me wants to go back and poke this person’s eyeballs out.
You see, about two years ago, I met Jesus Christ. And no I don’t mean that I learned about Him, but that after 23 years of knowing about Him, going to church, including 6 years of being angry at God, I met Him. He became a real everyday part of my life, and an year later, I got baptized. Then almost immediately, the company I worked for announced it was shutting down and I lost my job in ten days, my following job turned out to be a nightmare I had to quit. Soon I had to leave the city, live in a half constructed house, with no transportation, no tv, no internet, or even a computer. I was my very own contemporary Robinson Crusoe. But while the situation was not pleasant, I only saw them as challenges to conquer like I had before. How wrong were my thoughts. I was totally wrong to think of it that way and most importantly, it turned out to be a revealing blessing in disguise.
When I was a little girl, there was a moment when I was molested by an uncle. I should have said something, told someone, but instead, I actively chose to stay silent and resolve the problem on my own. I did not want to burden anyone else and most importantly and eerily, as scared as I was, my little mind didn’t think she needed the help.
When I got older, there were other incidents that indicated a severe isolation and unhealthy idea of self-sufficiency. During college, instead of accepting a ride to the hospital, I insisted on driving myself to the ER, despite the fact that I did not even know where the hospital was. I eventually found my way there by asking a stranger on the street for directions, as if nothing was wrong. My love life wasn’t so much a love life but a shambles of sanitized laughter and entertainment. I dated men who amused me, but secretly I was choosing the ones that could never fall in love with me. I had a bad habit of never letting him pay or resenting roses on Valentine’s day. I ran the second I felt his emotions were in the picture. Many of my closest friends were people who wanted someone to listen, but people I had known from the beginning did not know how to give back. But I actively and willingly made these choices. I did not want the burden of ties. I was happiest alone.
And it was a high. When you’re alone, you have true independence, the kind that goes beyond the financial into the emotional. It’s easy in this situation to feel that every event in your life is your own creation. After all, you have no one to credit but yourself. There is a certain confidence that grows with you and a fierce conviction in who you are and what you can do. If I wanted something, I felt like I could have it. If I wanted to be someone, I felt like I could be her. My motto was “the only thing standing in the way is yourself.” I needed no one, I was beholden to no one, and I owed no one anything. I was free. In a sick masochistic way, I reveled in it.
But the empowerment, strength, and freedom of independence, comes with a sick cost to oneself. If I had spoken out about molestation I could’ve curtailed unnecessary pain to myself, or if I had accepted a ride to the hospital, that moment could’ve been a fond memory of someone’s affection for me. If I had learned to be a little more dependent, it could’ve been an earlier walk with Christ. A lot of things could've been easier, had I sought a little less isolation and independence.
Even after I accepted Jesus into my life, my Savior and God, I continued to seek independence. Even our relationship I thought of as a give and take I ahd to work for and resolve in my own capacity, instead of letting it just be. After I lost my job, I would wake up every morning and spend hours at my desk, reading the Bible and taking notes. I would look up devotionals on the internet and pray another hr before going to sleep. I even feared taking other jobs in the case they would not please the Lord. When the pressure mounted and I felt doors on all sides were closing, I found myself literally choosing to skip meals rather than admit need or accept help. I was still having difficulty accepting the blessings in my life. But one day, during prayer, I heard God speak these words into my ear, “Let me love you, child.”
I understood then, something He had been trying to tell me, it’s not about deserving His love through hard work or earning it, but just accepting it. He is a wonderful and great creator, who created you just for that purpose, to be loved. Because His love is FREE! God had already been loving me abundantly even to the point where He had taken away all my instruments for self-sufficiency and was forcing me into an austerity to teach me the most freeing lesson of all, to let in the love Jesus was sending me. IT was me who was rejecting His love by rejecting the love in my life.
It’s a funny feeling, that first time that you let someone pay for your dinner. Or to have someone offer you a place to stay and you accept. Or crying your eyes out in someone's embrace. It was unfamiliar, bizarre, and all very nice. It’s actually warm and cozy; a complete relief, like I was finally home. His love had already placed the people and things I needed for my joy. Even the trivial things I found myself blessed in, I ended up eating so much I gained all the weight i'd lost and more, I went to all the parties I wanted to, I still had delightful outfits coming out of my closet. I should've been unable to do any of these things! But here I am, fat, happy, spoiled, and loved. All I had to do was open up my heart.
I'm not perfect at this yet. Sometimes I'm even tempted to go back to the way I was and enjoy the thrill of running my own show, campaigning for myself. And still in other moments, I still feel I don't deserve without earning. especially a Savior. But no ego-trip or insecurity is worth losing what I now know. You can work hard and be strong, and someone will always always applaud you. But now, I can be weak and still be strong, because I'm letting someone else catch me. Someone so good He'll even force you to let Him catch you. His name is Jesus.
True strength is the courage to open your heart. True empowerment is the love of others in you. True freedom is a true love, one that takes you as you are and loves you. Even the secular saying goes, a true love sets you free. God's love is truly a true and good love.
So just let go, let down your walls, lose control, and BE FREE.
"What a man desires is unfailing love." Proverbs 19:22a
My Favorite Four Letter ‘F’ Word Meets Love.
I used to be this person that bought into that whole idea that many people are taught today: be independent, capable, fierce. Something in me wants to go back and poke this person’s eyeballs out.
You see, about two years ago, I met Jesus Christ. And no I don’t mean that I learned about Him, but that after 23 years of knowing about Him, going to church, including 6 years of being angry at God, I met Him. He became a real everyday part of my life, and an year later, I got baptized. Then almost immediately, the company I worked for announced it was shutting down and I lost my job in ten days, my following job turned out to be a nightmare I had to quit. Soon I had to leave the city, live in a half constructed house, with no transportation, no tv, no internet, or even a computer. I was my very own contemporary Robinson Crusoe. But while the situation was not pleasant, I only saw them as challenges to conquer like I had before. How wrong were my thoughts. I was totally wrong to think of it that way and most importantly, it turned out to be a revealing blessing in disguise.
When I was a little girl, there was a moment when I was molested by an uncle. I should have said something, told someone, but instead, I actively chose to stay silent and resolve the problem on my own. I did not want to burden anyone else and most importantly and eerily, as scared as I was, my little mind didn’t think she needed the help.
When I got older, there were other incidents that indicated a severe isolation and unhealthy idea of self-sufficiency. During college, instead of accepting a ride to the hospital, I insisted on driving myself to the ER, despite the fact that I did not even know where the hospital was. I eventually found my way there by asking a stranger on the street for directions, as if nothing was wrong. My love life wasn’t so much a love life but a shambles of sanitized laughter and entertainment. I dated men who amused me, but secretly I was choosing the ones that could never fall in love with me. I had a bad habit of never letting him pay or resenting roses on Valentine’s day. I ran the second I felt his emotions were in the picture. Many of my closest friends were people who wanted someone to listen, but people I had known from the beginning did not know how to give back. But I actively and willingly made these choices. I did not want the burden of ties. I was happiest alone.
And it was a high. When you’re alone, you have true independence, the kind that goes beyond the financial into the emotional. It’s easy in this situation to feel that every event in your life is your own creation. After all, you have no one to credit but yourself. There is a certain confidence that grows with you and a fierce conviction in who you are and what you can do. If I wanted something, I felt like I could have it. If I wanted to be someone, I felt like I could be her. My motto was “the only thing standing in the way is yourself.” I needed no one, I was beholden to no one, and I owed no one anything. I was free. In a sick masochistic way, I reveled in it.
But the empowerment, strength, and freedom of independence, comes with a sick cost to oneself. If I had spoken out about molestation I could’ve curtailed unnecessary pain to myself, or if I had accepted a ride to the hospital, that moment could’ve been a fond memory of someone’s affection for me. If I had learned to be a little more dependent, it could’ve been an earlier walk with Christ. A lot of things could've been easier, had I sought a little less isolation and independence.
Even after I accepted Jesus into my life, my Savior and God, I continued to seek independence. Even our relationship I thought of as a give and take I ahd to work for and resolve in my own capacity, instead of letting it just be. After I lost my job, I would wake up every morning and spend hours at my desk, reading the Bible and taking notes. I would look up devotionals on the internet and pray another hr before going to sleep. I even feared taking other jobs in the case they would not please the Lord. When the pressure mounted and I felt doors on all sides were closing, I found myself literally choosing to skip meals rather than admit need or accept help. I was still having difficulty accepting the blessings in my life. But one day, during prayer, I heard God speak these words into my ear, “Let me love you, child.”
I understood then, something He had been trying to tell me, it’s not about deserving His love through hard work or earning it, but just accepting it. He is a wonderful and great creator, who created you just for that purpose, to be loved. Because His love is FREE! God had already been loving me abundantly even to the point where He had taken away all my instruments for self-sufficiency and was forcing me into an austerity to teach me the most freeing lesson of all, to let in the love Jesus was sending me. IT was me who was rejecting His love by rejecting the love in my life.
It’s a funny feeling, that first time that you let someone pay for your dinner. Or to have someone offer you a place to stay and you accept. Or crying your eyes out in someone's embrace. It was unfamiliar, bizarre, and all very nice. It’s actually warm and cozy; a complete relief, like I was finally home. His love had already placed the people and things I needed for my joy. Even the trivial things I found myself blessed in, I ended up eating so much I gained all the weight i'd lost and more, I went to all the parties I wanted to, I still had delightful outfits coming out of my closet. I should've been unable to do any of these things! But here I am, fat, happy, spoiled, and loved. All I had to do was open up my heart.
I'm not perfect at this yet. Sometimes I'm even tempted to go back to the way I was and enjoy the thrill of running my own show, campaigning for myself. And still in other moments, I still feel I don't deserve without earning. especially a Savior. But no ego-trip or insecurity is worth losing what I now know. You can work hard and be strong, and someone will always always applaud you. But now, I can be weak and still be strong, because I'm letting someone else catch me. Someone so good He'll even force you to let Him catch you. His name is Jesus.
True strength is the courage to open your heart. True empowerment is the love of others in you. True freedom is a true love, one that takes you as you are and loves you. Even the secular saying goes, a true love sets you free. God's love is truly a true and good love.
So just let go, let down your walls, lose control, and BE FREE.
"What a man desires is unfailing love." Proverbs 19:22a
Friday, June 26, 2009
Our Time Here is Limited: What Are You Going To Do Before You Die?
The Holy Spirit spoke to me last night as I was writing a e-mail to a friend. I was responding to her statement on the sad news of Michael Jackson's passing. The Holy Spirit led me to write, that everyday we go to bed and wake up, we should praise the Lord for allowing us to see another day.
The 9 people that died in the DC Metro accident had no idea that they were not going to make it home that day. They did not have time to say good bye to their families or friends. They were not able to make peace or mend arguments/disputes or broken relationships. And we also don't know if they had a chance to repent, receive salvation and make things right with God. The same goes for the well known individuals in the media that died this week.
I pray that this word will be a reminder that we do not have much time on this earth. Please take the time to think about those you have offended and ask for their forgiveness. Also forgive those who have offended you. Reach out to those friends and family members that you have not talked to in awhile and tell them how much they mean to you. Thank God for His mercy and grace for keeping you here to fix your wrongs and make them right.
Think about the legacy you would want to leave behind for your love ones. Think about what people are going to remember you for and the impact you had on their lives while you were here. But the most important of them all is to consider if you are being a good steward of the gifts and talents God has given you. The things and people of this world will pass away but the Word of God will never end. I encourage you to tell people about God and His goodness, so that they can get in on this freedom before their time is up.
Please think about all these things and pray that the Holy Spirit leads you in the direction you should be heading before it's to late.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Waiting is not a Passive Word
By Nicole West
Stormrider Introduction:
A fellow stormrider would like to share a word on waiting. This is truly a great word as it speaks to what, we think, a lot of people are going through right now. Thanks to Nicole for blessing and edifying all of us with this Holy Spirit filled message.
Right now I am facing some serious challenges in my job. Challenges that cause me to question God and myself (come on let’s not get too spiritual and act like we don’t question God!) – did I make the right decision? Am I where I need to be? Did I hear Him right? Each morning seems to be another climb as I struggle to get up and go into that office yet again. Don’t be deceived – I am grateful for the job and the paycheck, but my heart feels so unfulfilled. Oh, but in the midst of my tears (yes, sobbing, snotty-nosed, red-eyed tears!!), I can hear the voice of God through the revelation of His word:
I ask: “Lord, why am I here? How is this where I am supposed to be?”
“…you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things,” the Lord responds
“Okay, well if this is part of your plan, then what do you expect from me while I am in this uncomfortable situation? This is so hard, and in my opinion completely unnecessary!” I say.
Again, He responds, His voice filled with peace and pure love, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Furthermore, He adds, “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
My heart jumps when I think about how thoroughly he loves me and that He would guide my path and comfort me with His word and increase my faith muscle when I begin to falter. In my situation, God has ministered to me and told me through his Word, through sermons over the past couple weeks,and through praying in the spirit, that I must wait.But what does God require of us when we wait?Often when we think of the word wait, we think of the passive passing of time. Counting minutes, hours, days or months until “something” happens. For some of us, we wait impatiently for the Lord to give us a wife or husband, for others it’s a new job, for others maybe it’s peace, and for me, as I’ve said, it’s waiting to understand why I am in this job and in this city. Either way, God puts the word wait in the Bible more times than I have time to count – so He must think it’s important!
So what does it mean to wait? Look at the following scriptures…
Psalm 119:166
I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (New International Version)
4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (emphasis mine)
Dear friend, the Lord commands us to wait as He works His mighty hand in our lives. But this doesn’t mean that we sit back and kick it, living in sin or ignoring the power of our gifts through the Holy Spirit. It means that we fervently seek him, follow His holy commands, and use our spiritual gifts as evidence of our love for Him.
Let’s promise to run toward Him – the only One we should be running toward - our hearts waiting patiently, trusting in His perfect will. Let’s expect that we will be strengthened. Let’s claim forcefully and unrelentingly the promises of God because He said it. Let’s wait actively and not passively. Thank you, Jesus!
Stormrider Introduction:
A fellow stormrider would like to share a word on waiting. This is truly a great word as it speaks to what, we think, a lot of people are going through right now. Thanks to Nicole for blessing and edifying all of us with this Holy Spirit filled message.
Right now I am facing some serious challenges in my job. Challenges that cause me to question God and myself (come on let’s not get too spiritual and act like we don’t question God!) – did I make the right decision? Am I where I need to be? Did I hear Him right? Each morning seems to be another climb as I struggle to get up and go into that office yet again. Don’t be deceived – I am grateful for the job and the paycheck, but my heart feels so unfulfilled. Oh, but in the midst of my tears (yes, sobbing, snotty-nosed, red-eyed tears!!), I can hear the voice of God through the revelation of His word:
I ask: “Lord, why am I here? How is this where I am supposed to be?”
“…you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things,” the Lord responds
“Okay, well if this is part of your plan, then what do you expect from me while I am in this uncomfortable situation? This is so hard, and in my opinion completely unnecessary!” I say.
Again, He responds, His voice filled with peace and pure love, “Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Furthermore, He adds, “they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
My heart jumps when I think about how thoroughly he loves me and that He would guide my path and comfort me with His word and increase my faith muscle when I begin to falter. In my situation, God has ministered to me and told me through his Word, through sermons over the past couple weeks,and through praying in the spirit, that I must wait.But what does God require of us when we wait?Often when we think of the word wait, we think of the passive passing of time. Counting minutes, hours, days or months until “something” happens. For some of us, we wait impatiently for the Lord to give us a wife or husband, for others it’s a new job, for others maybe it’s peace, and for me, as I’ve said, it’s waiting to understand why I am in this job and in this city. Either way, God puts the word wait in the Bible more times than I have time to count – so He must think it’s important!
So what does it mean to wait? Look at the following scriptures…
Psalm 119:166
I wait for your salvation, O LORD, and I follow your commands.
1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (New International Version)
4I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. 5For in him you have been enriched in every way—in all your speaking and in all your knowledge— 6because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you. 7Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. 8He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. (emphasis mine)
Dear friend, the Lord commands us to wait as He works His mighty hand in our lives. But this doesn’t mean that we sit back and kick it, living in sin or ignoring the power of our gifts through the Holy Spirit. It means that we fervently seek him, follow His holy commands, and use our spiritual gifts as evidence of our love for Him.
Let’s promise to run toward Him – the only One we should be running toward - our hearts waiting patiently, trusting in His perfect will. Let’s expect that we will be strengthened. Let’s claim forcefully and unrelentingly the promises of God because He said it. Let’s wait actively and not passively. Thank you, Jesus!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Reader's Testimony
This month we asked to hear from you. We wanted to know how the Lord has blessed you and kept you. The following is a testimony from one of our readers.
I am blessed,
For the past 22 years I have been in the USA as a semi-legal immigrant. I was born in Liberia and came to the US at the age of 3. I had a normal American childhood, very unaware of my fragile status in the US. This all changed when I was graduating high school and found that I was unable to receive financial aid because I was not born here and do not have a permanent status in the United States. Beyond this limitation the Lord removed barriers, sent angels which allowed me to graduate within 4 years with a minimal amount of college debt. AMEN!
Since then, I've always had employment, even though my employers were not sure if I would be legally allowed to work after the annual expiration of my status. My friends would discuss traveling abroad and I would sit silent knowing that I could not leave the country. This year everything came to a head when my differed enforced departure was expiring within 10 days and we had not heard anything regarding an extension, which meant I would need to leave the country. My company was discussing transitioning my duties and figuring out if they can rehire me in another country. Mind you, I had not left the country since I was 3! Anyways, through my doubts and fears the Lord allowed an extension to be granted for Liberians! I had another year to figure it out. After the last minute alarms, my job decided to sponsor my employment and I found out the application is approved for 3 YEARS!!! I am THANKING GOD for coming through as he always does! I can now leave the country, I have a status, and some time so that the other pending applications for permanent residency can come off the very long waiting lists. GOD IS GOOD!
What a awesome testimony! Please continue to e-mail us with your testimonies, exhortations, scriptures and anything else the Lord has laid on your heart to share. Who knows it might be a word that will really touch someone. God Bless!
I am blessed,
For the past 22 years I have been in the USA as a semi-legal immigrant. I was born in Liberia and came to the US at the age of 3. I had a normal American childhood, very unaware of my fragile status in the US. This all changed when I was graduating high school and found that I was unable to receive financial aid because I was not born here and do not have a permanent status in the United States. Beyond this limitation the Lord removed barriers, sent angels which allowed me to graduate within 4 years with a minimal amount of college debt. AMEN!
Since then, I've always had employment, even though my employers were not sure if I would be legally allowed to work after the annual expiration of my status. My friends would discuss traveling abroad and I would sit silent knowing that I could not leave the country. This year everything came to a head when my differed enforced departure was expiring within 10 days and we had not heard anything regarding an extension, which meant I would need to leave the country. My company was discussing transitioning my duties and figuring out if they can rehire me in another country. Mind you, I had not left the country since I was 3! Anyways, through my doubts and fears the Lord allowed an extension to be granted for Liberians! I had another year to figure it out. After the last minute alarms, my job decided to sponsor my employment and I found out the application is approved for 3 YEARS!!! I am THANKING GOD for coming through as he always does! I can now leave the country, I have a status, and some time so that the other pending applications for permanent residency can come off the very long waiting lists. GOD IS GOOD!
What a awesome testimony! Please continue to e-mail us with your testimonies, exhortations, scriptures and anything else the Lord has laid on your heart to share. Who knows it might be a word that will really touch someone. God Bless!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Beauty and Promises of Psalm 23 (Most Popular Post)
This was one of our most popular post last year. It still speaks to my heart when I read it and reveals to me God's unchanging love and protection for His children. Click on the link to read it again. If this is your first time reading this post please meditate on it and receive the blessing from this beautiful passage from God's word.
The Beauty and Promises of Psalm 23
The Beauty and Promises of Psalm 23
Friday, June 5, 2009
We Want to Hear From You!!!!!
Okay readers, now it's your turn. We want to hear from you. We want to know how God is working in your life. We want to know which post is your favorite, which one motivated you and which one touched your heart.
Please submit your testimonies, words of encouragement, a word you have received from God, an article that will edify our readers, pictures, drawings or anything else that you would like to express.
Send all of your entries to stormridersunite@gmail.com.
This is our one year anniversary and we want to highlight you, our reader, and show the world what our God is doing in the lives of His people. Thank you and Keep Riding the Storm!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Thank you Lord for all you’ve done for us!
Praise be to God! He is our Faithful Friend, Provider, Healer, Strong tower, Refuge and Strength! He is Great and worthy to be praised! Our souls jump at the name of Jesus and are peaceful at the whisper of the Holy Spirit!Twelve months ago my sister and I moved to NYC with high hopes and big dreams and what we found when we got here was that God is always in control! We found that we had no power in ourselves to do anything for ourselves but that it is God’s grace and mercy that sustained us. It is one thing to hear and know this concept; it is another thing to experience the process of being broken and remade in His perfect image.
It was through our process of being broken and tried that this very blog was birthed. God separated us from all distraction and gave us this very simple task; to tell of His goodness and mercy and share His heart with you. He commissioned us to write the words given to us by His Holy Spirit that you (and us as well) would be blessed.
During the 12 months that we have spent in NY, we have grown tremendously in the Lord. We praise Him for the hard times and the good times. There were times when we thought about giving up and moving back to Maryland but God said, “Wait, I have something for you, I am taking care of you, I will never leave you”. So we cleaved to His words and believed Him for what He was going to do in our lives. It has not been easy, but we have had a marvelous outpouring of His Spirit filled with the peace that passes all understanding! There are truly not enough words to express the goodness of the Lord towards us! God paid our rent when we weren’t working! We survived NYC for almost 1 year without steady income! God put food on our table, God spoke to friends and family who came to our aid without us even asking or them knowing what we were going through! God provided finances from the most unexpected places! God even allowed us to bless others financially out of what we thought was our nothingness. God healed us when we were sick and could not afford medicine or a doctor visit. He blessed us with a church of believers that pray and worship and help hold us up when we were down. If you ever wonder why we love the Lord so much, I am sure by now you can see why!
He is Wonderful! His name is Wonderful! He is our God and we are His people. We know without a shadow of a doubt that He is real! He hears our cries and answers us! He makes us strong when we are weak! He gives us a word in season to edify our spirits, hearts and our minds. We know that our redeemer lives! We know that the Bible that we read is alive and speaks good things to us! The Lord is Good and His Grace and Mercy endures forever!
Thank you Lord for all you’ve done for us!
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