Saturday, April 29, 2017

I Am Going To Touch Jesus!

Mark 5:24-34(NLT)

24 Jesus went with him, and all the people followed, crowding around him. 25 A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding. 26 She had suffered a great deal from many doctors, and over the years she had spent everything she had to pay them, but she had gotten no better. In fact, she had gotten worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe. 28 For she thought to herself, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately the bleeding stopped, and she could feel in her body that she had been healed of her terrible condition.

30 Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my robe?”

31 His disciples said to him, “Look at this crowd pressing around you. How can you ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

32 But he kept on looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the frightened woman, trembling at the realization of what had happened to her, came, and fell to her knees in front of him and told him what she had done. 34 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

In this passage from the Book of Mark, this woman had a problem. It was not a small problem, this was not a common cold, or the flu, this problem was stealing her life. She had been suffering for 12 years. She had seen all the specialists, had all the tests, spent all her money, but none of that had changed her circumstances. She had arrived at a location known as ‘Hopelessness.’

Most of us can relate to this woman, at least on some level, because we’ve all had a problem at some stage in our lives, it seemed like we’d never overcome. Maybe, you’re there now, I know I’m writing this to help someone this morning. Maybe you have a child on drugs, maybe your marriage is being torn apart, maybe you’re broke and you have bills you cannot pay, maybe you’ve gotten a bad report from the doctor, or sin has taken its toll on your life and your struggling to be set free – I don’t know who you are, or what you’re going through today, but God woke me up for you today.

You feel that it’s too late: the doctor said, “It’s too late, there’s nothing we can do.”

Your husband or wife said, “It’s over, I’m through.”

The devil said, “Stop wasting your time praying, it’s too late, it’s hopeless, God’s not listening!”
Maybe like this woman you have heard those words, and hope has died in your heart. Maybe like this woman you have had this problem so long that you think it is hopeless. Well I have good news for you, when you open your life to God there is no such thing as hopeless, and it’s never too late!

Romans 15:13 (NLT)

I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.
As long as there is a God in heaven there is hope!

In John chapter five, there was a man in the bible who had been lame, he had been waiting for a miracle, for 38 years – then Jesus came along and healed him. When Jesus shows up, he doesn’t ask how long you been sick, he don’t ask how bad is it, what are the doctors saying, what are the lawyers saying, or what are the bankers saying?

Jesus doesn’t ask you what does it look like, what it feels like, or what do you think?

All Jesus wants to know is, do you believe? Do you believe that I Am, and that I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly? Do you believe that I died on the cross for your sins? Do you believe that I spoiled principalities and powers in your behalf? Do you believe that I am the same yesterday today and forever?

In her darkest hour of hopelessness, the woman hears that Jesus is passing by, and light pierces the darkness. She had heard about Jesus. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. She heard about Jesus and when she did hope sprang alive in her heart. She thought, if I can just touch the hem of his garment I know I will be healed. It was no longer a question of whether she could be healed, it was just a matter of touching Jesus.

And I am telling you today: it is not a matter of whether you can receive your miracle, it is only a matter of touching Jesus!

She came to where Jesus was. We come to where Jesus is by coming to His word. The only place you are going to find Jesus is in the word of God.

She pressed through the crowd. To touch Jesus, you will probably have to press through a lot, you may have to press through religion and tradition that tells you sickness is Gods will, that God is working out his mysterious will for your life through sickness.

You may have to press through your own pride, and make up your mind that it doesn’t matter what people think or say about you, the most important thing is touching Jesus.

You may have to press through your feelings. You cannot expect your feelings to get you to Jesus. If you listen to your feelings or your emotions you may never reach Him.

You may have to press through pain: physical pain, and emotional pain.

You may have to press through the most adverse circumstances: everything in your life that could go wrong may be going wrong, but you must keep pressing. One touch and everything changes!

‘She said to herself!’ Sometimes you must talk to yourself. If you wait for other people to encourage you all the time you may never be encouraged. You have got to tell yourself, “I can make it, come on self, believe! I have a destiny, I was meant for more than this!”

Keep pushing! Keep pressing! You’re getting closer! Don’t give up, don’t stop now!

David knew the value of encouraging himself: When they returned from battle and their houses had been burned with fire and their wives and children had been taken the people became angry with David and discussed stoning him. The bible says: “And David encouraged himself in the Lord.”

That’s what she did she encouraged herself, to keep pressing through the crowd. When she got to where Jesus was she found another problem, He was surrounded by people. It is still true today, Jesus is surrounded by people. Just like on that day many people were bumping into Jesus, they were touching Him physically but her touch was different, her touch was the touch of faith, and the touch of faith stopped Jesus in His tracks.

And Jesus Said: “Daughter thy faith hath made thee whole.”

Instantly her life changed forever! Just one touch from Jesus and years of misery, disappointment, and hopelessness, turned into joy, peace, and thanksgiving.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever, he never changes what he did for this woman he will still do today. Wherever there are people that will press through and touch him miracles happen. The blind see, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the lame walk, and broken lives are restored.

Multitudes gather around the world in church buildings on Sunday, and they move all around Jesus. They sing about him, talk about him, they bump into him, and yet many of them leave just like they came.

But then there is another group, that have made up their minds, they come for only one reason, they came to touch Jesus, and when they do their lives are changed forever!




Saturday, April 22, 2017

Our Primary Passion

Matthew 4:18-20
And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a
net into the sea: for they were fishers.
19 And he saith unto them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20 And they straightway left their nets, and followed him.

In this passage Jesus called Simon Peter, and his brother Andrew, to follow him he said. “Follow me and I will make you ‘Fishers of Men.’”

That word follow does not mean simply to come behind like a human trailer. Within these words, there was an invitation to become like Him. That was the meaning that gave those words their power, they had seen in Jesus’ a supernatural manifestation of God’s presence, and they wanted to experience for themselves.

They wanted to observe His character, to study His words, to walk where he walked, they wanted to learn with the expectation of doing the same thing. They watched Jesus cast out devils, heal the sick, open blind eyes, touch the untouchables, and they saw Jesus speak to the storm and the storm had to obey his voice. But it all started with an invitation to follow Him, an invitation to make to make Jesus their Primary Passion.

In this world, people have many heroes, entertainers, athletes, and politicians. And these ‘celebrities’ produce, besides the casual admirers, followers who are so obsessed they become stalkers. Stalkers go beyond a casual appreciation or enjoyment, they become obsessed. That's when the police get involved because at this point they feel that the stalker is now a threat to the object of their obsession.

As I was praying, I heard the Holy Spirit ask me, ‘Is Christ your Primary Passion? Are you consume with a desire to know Him, so intensely that nothing will stop you? Are you consumed with a desire to be like Him?’

And as I pondered these words the stalker illustration came to my mind and the Holy Spirit began to speak to me about Jesus: How far beyond any celebrity status he is: Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga, Elvis Presley, or any actor or any performer, or any sports hero all rolled together, don't hold a candle to how excellent, how perfect, how beautiful, and how holy He is.

And I heard again ‘are you consumed with Jesus?’ And I begin to understand that the Holy Spirit Was issuing an invitation to become Jesus’ stalker. An invitation to be consumed with Jesus, to be obsessed with knowing Him, watching Him, listening to Him, learning what makes Him happy, and what makes Him sad. It was an invitation to walk in His footsteps, to sit where He sits, to love like He loves, to forgive like He forgives, and to hate what He hates.

And then I begin to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when He showed me, that most people in the church today are just casual Jesus fans. They’re like a fan who sits in their home and watches their favorite celebrity or movie star or performer on TV. They enjoy the performance for a while then we go to bed and forget all about them.

But I heard the Holy Spirit say to my heart: He is raising up a new breed of Believers in the church and they are not just going to be Jesus admirers or Jesus fans, they're going to be Jesus stalkers, they're going to be consumed with Jesus. Jesus is going to be their Primary Passion.

Every waking hour and even while they sleep they're going to be stalking Jesus studying His Word, listening to His voice, watching where he puts His hands, they're going to follow Him everywhere, they're going to be right on His heels just like Elisha was on Elijah's heels.

I hear the Holy Spirit saying the day for the Casual Christian is over. The Casual Christian is the person who just adds Jesus to their life like one of their television programs, they just add him into to their programming, like a little sprinkling of salt on your food, like coming to church at least once or twice a month so you can convince yourself that you're still saved.

There is a group of people in the church who are sick and tired of dead religion and tradition and they are once again falling in love with Jesus! Not a historical Jesus, not a religious Jesus, not a dead Jesus, but a living Resurrected Jesus. They're hearts are on fire again! And they are being consumed by Him!

Listen to what I am saying! The spirit of Ananaias and Saphira is being executed! The Holy Spirit is sick and tired of the Ananaias and Saphira spirit in today’s church! What is the spirit of Ananaias and Saphira? It's the spirit that offers Jesus bits and pieces of their lives and say that they have given him everything. It's a religious spirit, it goes through all the Motions but there's no heart in it. It's a spirit that gives what is easy, comfortable, a little change in the offering, a little thank you Jesus hallelujah, maybe even clap the hands, and possibly even speak in tongues a little bit.

But when you get home you never pick up your Bible, your spouse and your children never hear you pray. You watch and listen to things on TV and the internet that would embarrass a sailor. And you tell yourself that you’re all right because you know all the religious protocol, and you know how to look the part.

My friends: I love you, so I’m going to tell you the truth - That is a deceiving spirit. It looks the religious part, talks the part, but is lying to the Holy Spirit. Friend you can fool some of the people some of the time, and all the people some of the time, but you can never fool the Holy Spirit, not for one minute.

Let me go farther: If the world doesn’t see Jesus manifested in and through the church, they will never see Him!

The world doesn’t need a history lesson on Jesus. They world needs to see a vibrant demonstration and manifestation of a living savior that can save them, that can heal them, that can deliver them, and set them free. They need to see Jesus lovers, not just Jesus fans. They need to see us obsessed with Jesus, and possessed by the Holy Spirit! We need to be on fire with his Love, consumed with every part of Him, Jesus must become our Primary Passion.

I’m not embarrassed to tell you: I am obsessed with Jesus! He is my Primary Passion! Piece by piece He’s taking me over, until eventually, I hope to become unrecognizable, and I want it that way.


What I’m saying is this: being a Jesus fan may be enough for you, but it’s not enough to deliver the homosexual or set the drug addict free, and it’s not enough to open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears.


Saturday, April 15, 2017

The Power of His Resurrection

Luke 24:46-49
He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

As Christians, we will never mature spiritually until we begin to apply God’s Word to our lives in a personal way, as they are written. We tend to take God's Word and sift it until all that is left is likeable, comfortable, convenient, easy on the flesh, and tickles the ear. Somewhere between our ears and our hearts, is this filter that edits out all the Commandments, and all the conviction, until all we’re left with are suggestions and blessings.

That's why so many of our churches today are full of the spiritually anemic. Weak and sick believers with a blood deficiency – we need an infusion of the blood of Jesus in our churches! Many have become spiritual midgets, undernourished dwarfs that should be, and could be, men and women of supernatural spiritual stature. They could have great spiritual power and authority, but because they won't eat anything but spiritual cookies, they are on life support, barely hanging in there, and hoping that no one pulls the plug.

They should be and could be Mighty Warriors but they are "Gerber” babies, cute but no power. They should be spiritual Warriors, but instead they’re spiritual whipping boys. They're surviving on smashed bananas and processed prunes because they won’t take the word as it is.

When we take God's word as it is: It comes loaded with life, and health, and strength! It contains power for living! Jesus said the words that I speak unto you they are spirit and life. If you will take them in and digest them, they will build his life into you, they will build His character in you, and the anointing and power will increase in your life.

The last command that Jesus gave to His disciples before His Ascension was go to, ‘tarry for the promise!’ Go to Jerusalem, get in a quiet place, pray, and wait until you be endued with power from on high. It was not a suggestion, it was a command, and that commandant has never been withdrawn. To every disciple, to every follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, that commandant still stands!

Out of at least 500 people Jesus spoke those words to, only 120 made it to the upper room. That means 380 of them thought they had a better idea, and bypassed The Upper Room. You cannot bypass the upper room and get this power. There is no alternative route to the power of God you must go to the upper room and wait until the power comes.

That simply means you must agree with Jesus and never be satisfied until the power of God comes upon you. To wait for the upper room experience, means I agree with Jesus and I will obey His commandments. I will ask, I will knock, I will hunger and thirst, I will worship, and I will wait until the enduement of power comes, “You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you.”

After 10 days of waiting in concerted prayer suddenly, heaven responded, the earth cried out, and heaven answered. Suddenly there came a sound from Heaven, as of a rushing Mighty Wind and it filled all the house where they were sitting. Cloven tongues like as fire sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. Tongues of fire on their heads became tongues on fire in their mouths.

I am pressed in my spirit today to tell you what God is saying to the Church: the only church that is going to make a difference in this world and have an eternal impact for the kingdom of God is a Church that has been to the upper room. A Church that has the wind of the Holy Ghost pushing them and tongues of fire upon them and tongues of fire in their mouths!

Jesus said this is the route to spiritual power! You can recalculate all you want, but the route that allows the believer to reach God’s throne will never change! 120 men and women were filled with the Holy Ghost and power because they obeyed the God's command.

A great many Christians today are powerless, because they have bypassed the upper room. They’ve looked at the path Jesus commanded, a path of holiness, and they have chosen alternate routes that are easier on the flesh, that don't require waiting, praying, sacrifice, or self-denial. What so many churches today are left with, ‘a form of godliness but denying the power thereof,’ pews full of ‘Gerber’ babies – cute, but powerless!

On the day of Pentecost, 120 men and women were filled with the Holy Ghost and power. Why only 120 out 500? Because only 120 were willing to be emptied, so they could be filled with something better! Emptied of opinions, traditions, selfishness, pride, religion, bigotry, carnal expectations, and the world! And as soon as they were emptied, God filled them with His presence, and His power!
Nothing repulses the Lord more than flesh that refuses to die. ‘The Lord has respect unto the lowly but the proud He knoweth a far-off.’ (Psalm 138:6)

That means the proud stink and God keeps His distance from them.

I don’t want to be far from His presence, been there, done that! I want to echo the words of the Apostle Paul – ‘I want to know Him, and the power of His resurrection!”


So, I don’t know about you, but I will knock, I will pray, I will hunger and thirst, I will worship, and I will wait until the power comes.


Saturday, April 8, 2017

If You Want It, Here It Is, Come And Get It

ZECHARIAH 10:1-10 (I encourage you to read this passage)

I must admit that sometimes God speaks things to me that seem like nonsense to my natural mind, they seem out of order. This passage in Zechariah, at first glance is one of those things. Why would you need to ask for rain, when it's raining? That doesn't make any sense at all. That’s like walking outside and standing in the pouring rain and looking up to the sky and saying: I sure wish it would rain.

But the truth is: This is a spiritual rain and what God is saying to us is, there are seasons of visitation, there are times of refreshing, there are times when He will manifest His presence, His power, and His glory to His people, but only those that asked for the rain, only those that desire to be touched by His presence, filled with His power, and blessed by His glory will be baptized by the rain.

In a spiritual sense, you don't get wet just because it's raining, you must put a demand on God, you must let God know that you need the rain, and that you want the rain, and that you will not be satisfied without the rain. You must position yourself to receive the rain: It doesn't matter what God is doing, if you are out of position you will miss it.

Attitude has a lot to do with positioning, because in a spiritual sense your attitude determines your position. If God is manifesting His presence, His power is being manifested, and His glory is filling the atmosphere, but your attitude says, ‘I don't like these songs, or I don't like that sermon, or I can't wait till service is over so I can go eat,’ your body may be in the right place, but your spirit is not in the place it needs to be to receive the rain – there may be a river of rain all around you, but not a drop will land on your spirit.

The bible says: Repent then times of refreshing will come from the presence of the Lord (ACTS 3:19).

I want to tell you something: I love God’s people with all of my heart, and I want as many people to read and be touched by this blog as possible, but God didn't place the burden for this ministry on me to make friends, to feel good about comments, likes, and shares, and tickle your ears – I am obeying the divine plan of God to push you, to empower you, and to help position you to receive all that God has for you, so that you can walk in His anointing and power. And that means sometimes you'll get uncomfortable, because growth means stretching, and growth means change, and if my messages never challenges you, then I'm wasting my time.

But I believe in the power of God’s Word, and I believe that if my messages line up with the Word, the blessings of God come like rain.

We're entering a season of divine prosperity: There has been a major shift in the Spiritual climate. A major part of the prophetic ministry is knowing where we are at in the spirit so we can position ourselves for what is coming next, it's a spiritual radar system. In Mississippi, we often hear the radio or TV telling us that radar had detected a major thunderstorm heading our way: with the potential of producing strong winds, large hail, dangerous lightning, and heavy amounts of rain. This is to help us prepare for what is coming: in other words, so we can get out of the way.

But in the spiritual realm, the advance notification is to prepare us for what is coming so we will be directly in the path of what’s coming and so that nothing will get in the way of the rain soaking our lives. That means you need to get rid of anything that would get between you and the rain: resentment, self- pity, un-forgiveness, anger, jealousy, lust, deception, pride, stubborness, rebellion, and gossiping.

I'm bring this message to you today, not just as writer, but as a prophetic voice and I’m telling you, the rain is coming! This is just a window of time, and we must seize the day! We must become more spiritually aggressive than we have ever been. We must be more committed to obey to His Word, we must pray more aggressively, worship more aggressively, and give more aggressively.

The world: does not understand what is happening: they are dumbfounded the liberals are scratching their heads and are extremely angry. It is the God of heaven answering the prayers of His people and giving us one more chance to bring in the harvest before night falls. Jesus said: 'We must work while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4).'


In our text, God does two things he reinforces his love and his commitment to his people: He says he will bless his people, He will restore them, He says they will become like Mighty Warriors who tread down their enemies in the street. He says Joy will be restored to them. He says this Joy will be so great and so impacting that their children will see it and be glad and rejoice in the Lord. And He says where they had suffered loss increase shall return. He says he will make His people like His Royal horse that He rides in battle.

This all comes under the category of the Rain, the refreshing, and the blessing.

But the second thing God does is He rebukes the false prophets and the false Shepherds that lied and deceived His people. He says His anger is kindled against them and He will punish them.
So, I'm going to prophesy to you that in this great season of the rain of God's blessings and divine prosperity, at the same time there is going to be some judgment coming on these false prophets and false Shepherds that preach and prophesy for money and only say what the people want to hear.

And there's one more thing that God said in our text that He was going to deal with, the goats. The goats are the rebellious, goats are those who cannot be led, they refuse to be led, they ignore instruction, goats are those who refuse instruction and they oppose the truth. When you oppose the truth, or resist truth, you are not opposing or resisting a message or a concept, Jesus is the truth (John 14:6), and the Holy Spirit is the spirit of Truth.

Jesus said my sheep know my voice and a stranger they will not follow. So, this rain is bringing blessing and judgment. I don't know if you've recognized the polarization that's been happening in our nation but it's not all bad, because the Holy Spirit has been drawing a line through the body of Christ, and what we see in the natural is just mirroring what is taking place in the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit is drawing a line separating the good from the evil, the true from the false and the Holy from the profane.

Those who hold to the standard of Truth and righteousness and Holiness are going to be showered with unspeakable blessings, but those who forsake the truth are going to experience judgement. I don’t speak this lightly, because I don’t consider myself a prophet, but I am speaking today as a prophetic voice to declare a new season of visitation for the body of Christ. The atmosphere has shifted, the heavens are pregnant with rain!


But I close with this word, if you want it, you must ask for it!


Saturday, April 1, 2017

Shut Your Pie Hole Liar!

Then the angel showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel’s right hand, making accusations against Joshua. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire.”
3 Joshua’s clothing was filthy as he stood there before the angel. 4 So the angel said to the others standing there, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And turning to Joshua he said, “See, I have taken away your sins, and now I am giving you these fine new clothes.”
5 Then I said, “They should also place a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean priestly turban on his head and dressed him in new clothes while the angel of the Lord stood by (New Living Translation, Zechariah 5:1-5).”

Zechariah had a vision of Joshua, the high priest, standing in the presence of “The Angel of the Lord” with Satan at his right hand.  Satan was there making accusations about Joshua’s sin.  The devil was there to throw Joshua’s past in his face, to remind him that his sin had made him “filthy,” and even though Joshua had a call on his life, the accuser wanted him to feel that he was no longer fit to stand in God’s presence.

This is a perfect example in scripture of the enemy’s tireless efforts to deceive the people of God, to discredit the redemptive work that God has done, and to hinder their desire to worship the Lord. We have all experience feelings of unworthiness because of our sin, but those feelings never come from God. Once we have repented, the Lord has snatched us from the fire and has made us clean.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (King James Bible, 2 Corinthians 5:17).”

In the man of God’s vision, Joshua is clothed in “filthy garments” which represent his sin, and the untiring accuser of the brethren was there to declare that his sin had disqualified him as a servant of God. Joshua was, “filthy,” and no acceptable sacrifice could be offered to make him clean. Satan is always quick to suggest to the God’s children that they might as well stop rebuilding, stop reinstituting genuine worship, and stop attempting to stir up revival, because it’s too late and their sins have taken them too far from God’s presence.

One of the things the devil still tries to get me with, nearly every Sunday, he whispers in my ear, “you better stop crying so much, they’re gonna think your back to your old ways preacher.”

It’s true, I cry a lot, but not because I’m convicted over sin, because we’ll sing a song, or the pastor will say something that reminds me how far I’ve come from where I had been, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for God’s mercy and His grace will remind me of His great love for me, and I break into tears at the thought of How good He has been to me – and I know I don’t deserve it!

Listen! It is important to note that the most important part of this passage reveals to us that the accuser’s efforts were in vain! The devil’s effort to discredit Joshua were a failure, in fact it says, that when he opened his mouth to accuse Joshua, the Lord rebuked him, God told the devil to shut his mouth!

He said, you tried to get him, but I snatched this one from the fire, you’re not getting this one devil, he repented, and the blood has made him clean! Then, the Lord ordered the “filthy garments” which represented Joshua’s sin, to be removed, and the Lord took away Joshua’s iniquity he and clothed him with “pure vestments” and a “clean turban” was placed on his head.

There is much that we can appropriate for ourselves from Zechariah’s vision as we too struggle with sin and Satan’s accusations daily. Sin can hinder revival if we allow the devil to deceive us and fail to repent and allow the Lord to purify our vestments.

 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:9-12).”
 “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world (1 Peter 5:6-9).”

Our enemy, the devil, is still as persistent as ever to accuse and discourage us in our efforts to serve the Lord. He is always there standing ready to accuse us, but our Advocate, our Lord Jesus Christ, stands in our defense, and at the very moment the devil opens his lying mouth – The Lord says, “I Rebuke you,” or to be blunter, God tells the devil to shut his filthy lying mouth.

I John 2:1
“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Our adversary is very real, he is not a myth, and we should take notice of an important fact mentioned in the text: the only reason he was there, was to accuse. He had no power, no authority, and no effect on the outcome of the redeeming work that God was doing for Joshua. And the same is true for us, if we walk uprightly before our God. Anyone that messes with God’s people, is messing with God.

“For thus saith the Lord of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye (Zechariah 2:8).”

The devil is a lie! He wants to keep us out of God’s presence and he will try anything and everything to accomplish his goal. He wants to get us to the point where we want to just throw our hands in the air and surrender to defeat and step back from the Lord. But I come with a word of encouragement -  Tell the devil to shut his mouth!

Yes, throw your hands in the air, while you open your mouth and begin to praise God! Stand strong in the Lord and know that God will give you strength to endure. The enemy knows that God has redeemed us from the fire, and that God’s burdens are light, so he will take the smallest things and place it them a microscope to make your circumstances and burdens appear to be bigger and heavier than what they are.

Since I started this blog, just a little over 2 years ago, I’ve had to battle the enemy. He tells me that I’m wasting my time. He reminds me that I lost my pulpit because of my sin, and tries to make me feel that this is just a consolation prize. It appears, once I told the Lord yes, the enemy has been working overtime to stop me. He is constantly reminding me of the failure of my past, and I must say, I don’t always dismiss his reminders so easily.  I left the door wide open and Satan came in and stole from me what I should have been vigilant to protect.  He is always saying things like, “No one cares what you have to say anymore, your sins have tainted your ministry and silenced your voice."

A few years ago, that may have been true, but now it is just another attempt of the enemy to keep me out of God’s presence, another attempt to silence the anointing that God has placed on my life through His Holy Spirit.  My pastor spoke a word over me a few years back, “God is going to restore what Satan has taken from you.”


By the grace and mercy of my Jesus I have my voice back, I have the Holy Ghost’s presence and power back in my life, and I won’t let the lies of the enemy keep me from my calling.  The devil is the one who should watch out because the wind has blown into my life and the dry bones have been restored.  I am a born again, baptized in Jesus’ name, Holy Ghost filled, child of the Living God and a soldier in the Army of the Lord.  No weapon formed against me can prosper and I’m on a mission to kick in the gates of hell!  Who’s with me?