Battling The Giants

Before you read any further, open up your Bible and make sure you read I Samuel 17:20-58. My lesson was inspired by this portion of Scripture. And also, I want you to keep this in mind. A very powerful and thought provoking quote that I read today:   

"Every battle we fight in the flesh, Is one which was already lost in the spirit."

Yes, we are in a war, but our war is spiritual. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Our weapons are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds."   THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S!

FOUR STEPS IN FIGHTING GIANTS

I've just been looking back over the past several months and I see all the "meat" from God's Word that He has provided through other individuals and to me personally. And I've been amazed how it's all there - any answer - any strategy - any weapon that I need to tear down a stronghold, to move a mountain, to rise above circumstances, to be lifted to higher heights in GOD and especially how to fight physical "giants" in my life that seem to be continual attacks from the enemy.

So I have been taking EVERYTHING that I've RECEIVED AND LEARNED and been applying it to MY situation. And this is what got me thinking on the Scripture of how GOD DOES know what we need before we even ask.

Phil 4:9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Matt 6:8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

And I've realized that if we are "tuned in" and REALLY listening to GOD, that He is SO faithful and cares SO much for us, that He provides what we need before we even know we need it. He provides the answers before the questions even begin. HE IS AMAZING!

I THANK GOD.....like His Word says...that He KNOWS what we need before we even ask Him.

Just think about people who do not keep in communication with the LORD and miss out on the answers to their very problems that were right there waiting when their situation came upon them...but they didn't see it. I believe this is why some of our situations can become worse than what they were meant to be...because we do not apply the right "antidote" but do our own thing, go our own way, messing it all up to the point where we have no choice then in the end to CONSULT GOD, who then once again...brings the answer. BUT this time, our heart is prepared to receive it.

SO MUCH that we may miss out on, all because we MISS OUR TIME WITH HIM.

Help battle these "giants" in my life...will ya? When "Battling The Giant - Goliath" we see the four things David did in I Samuel 17. I will share here so you can join me on the front line:

1. Expose the giant. Give a name to the enemy who stands in your path.

David: "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine who defies the armies of Israel, the living God?" GOLIATH

I SPEAK TO THE "SPIRIT OF INFIRMITY" COMMANDING IT TO GO. ALL I NEED IS THE FAITH THE SIZE OF A GRAIN OF MUSTARD SEED TO MOVE A MOUNTAIN - TO CAUSE THE GIANT TO TUMBLE. AND I'VE GOT THAT FAITH FOR WE ALL ARE GIVEN A MEASURE OF FAITH.

2. Cast aside the naysayers. Be careful who you listen to.

The next thing David did was to cast aside the naysayers. Just as with David, he was asked by his siblings, "Why comest down hither? I know the pride and the naughtiness of thine heart?"

David answers, "Is there not a cause?"

You've got people who will join in with "the giant" with all the taunting. Again...be careful what voices you listen to and the thoughts you entertain.

I DO NOT ENTERTAIN THOUGHTS THAT DO NOT LINE UP WITH THE WORD OF GOD. I DO NOT LISTEN TO THE TAUNTING VOICES OF LIARS. I CAST DOWN IMAGINATIONS AND BRING INTO CAPTIVITY EVERY THOUGHT TO THE OBEDIENCE OF CHRIST.

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; ) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (2 Cor 10:3-5)

Whose report am I going to believe? I will believe the report of the LORD!

3. Create Comparisons. Remember your memorials.

David created comparisons by which to compare this unique situation that he had to deal with, with other situations he had dealt with in his past. "I killed lions. I protected my sheep. I've dealt with the bears". And if we work hard with the obstacle, that giant that's in our way, we can do that as well.

I'VE CONQUERED OTHER GIANTS IN MY LIFE, AND I CAN CONQUER THIS ONE AS WELL. IF GOD BE FOR ME, WHO CAN BE AGAINST ME? HE MADE ME MORE THAN A CONQUEROR. Rom 8:31,37

4. Count on God. The battle is the Lord's.

David created those comparisons but above all, he counted on God. He called out the name of this giant. He cast aside the naysayers. He created comparisons and he counted on God to do what he could not do by himself. Sometimes we have to speak to that giant!!

David: "You have come to me with a sword and with a spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel whom you have defied."

THE BATTLE IS NOT MINE....IT'S THE LORD'S. HE WILL FIGHT FOR ME.

1 Sam 17:47 And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands.

Do we count on God? In the face of all the other things we trust in, is God underneath and around in everything we do?

I AM COUNTING ON GOD. IN FACING THIS GIANT IN MY LIFE, I DO PLACE MY TRUST IN HIM AND HE IS UNDERNEATH AND AROUND EVERYTHING THAT I DO. HE IS IN CONTROL. AND I KNOW THAT WHEN THE ENEMY SHALL COME IN LIKE A FLOOD, THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD SHALL LIFT UP A STANDARD AGAINST HIM. AND HE WILL ALSO GIVE ME PERFECT PEACE WHEN MY MIND IS STAYED ON HIM! 

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isa 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

If you want peace? Well...look how you can have PERFECT peace.  Keep your mind on HIM and only what HE wants, and only what HE says. 

Connie J. Schmoll

Our Place of Safety

With all that is going on in the world, and knowing that there are worst times coming for us, we wonder, when things start to really get bad, where is the safest place to be (live)?

The truth is, there won't really be a safe place to live. BUT THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE IS IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST. 

Psalm 91

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.
Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

King James Version (KJV)

Do You Believe All You Just Read In Psalm 91?  Can You Say All Of This For Yourself?  Are You Safe IN HIM?  If not, SALVATION IS YOURS TODAY!   

Receive When You Believe

We can believe God for something, yet not receive it.  Many times we find that we have the head knowledge, yet have not received it in our heart.  True faith which is believing in the heart = receiving. 

There have been many times when it troubled me that I wasn't receiving what I'd asked for, thinking, ..."well, I believed!"  But did I?  Did I truly believe to the point that I received it in my heart or was it just mental assent = head knowledge?   That is the question that we have to ask ourselves.  Maybe you believe that God will do it, but do you believe He will do it for YOU?  If you have a hard time having faith to believe it for YOU, then it's because you doubt His Love for you. But that's a whole other lesson.

Here is the lesson  that really inspired me to receive when I believe.  Don't just "believe it" (have head knowledge) but also receive it in your heart to stay (true faith). It's done...the minute you ask.  

After I read this lesson, God lead me to go tear off the leaf of the tree in our backyard. So I did.  Did the leaf look dead? No. But I took the leaf inside and set it up on my desk and watched it daily. It took several days for it to completely dry up and crumble into pieces in the palm of my hand.   Detaching that leaf from the tree, killed it. But it was not noticeable until it completely dried up after being detached for some time,  because it was no longer being nourished from the tree.

The Lesson:
Matthew 21:19 "And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away."

The Greek word for presently means "instantly; immediately; soon." However, the disciples didn't realize that the fig tree had died until the next day. If the tree died instantly, why didn't they notice it until the next morning? The answer to this question is found in Mark 11:20. The tree was dead from the roots up. The tree did die instantly just as the Word declared, but what had happened to the roots wasn't visible until the next morning.

There is a spiritual lesson here that applies to us receiving things from God. When we ask, we do receive, but it may take a period of time before we perceive it in the natural realm. God's answer comes before we see the manifestation of what we have believed the Lord for when we prayed. Just as with this fig tree, the answer lies beneath the surface, and therefore we don't "see" what God is doing until the answer manifests.

Not all answers to prayer are manifested instantly. Satan can hinder God's power even after it has been released. In Daniel 10:1-13, God answered Daniel's prayer instantly, yet it took 21 days for Daniel to see God's answer manifest, because the prince of Persia (a demonic power) withheld the manifestation.

Prayer that meets the requirements outlined in God's Word is always answered.

We can be the cause of our own unanswered prayer.  Maybe we are harboring unforgiveness in our hearts concerning somebody or a situation.   That can be a hindrance in one receiving a healing.  Forgiveness is a powerful thing.  It brings freedom within.

Many times we don't perceive the answer because it always comes in the spiritual realm first then is manifested in the physical realm. If we waver from our confident faith, then we abort the manifestation of our answer to prayer. But God did answer. Everyone that asks receives. 

What is hindering your answers to prayer? What could be the cause of your detachment from the Source of Life? 

Connie J. Schmoll
 

Goliath Had A Brother

Wow!  This lesson ministered to me so much that I could not help but want to share it with you all! 

Ministries of Francis Frangipane

GOLIATH HAD A BROTHER

Here's the scene: You are in a battle against sickness, oppression or some similar struggle. You seek God, and in some special way the grace of God touches your life. Your victory may have come through a word or prayer or some other encouragement, but you absolutely know the Lord has delivered you. Using the five smooth stones of divine grace, you defeated your Goliath.

But then, a few weeks or months, or perhaps years later, all the old symptoms suddenly return with a vengeance. If you were struggling with an illness, it manifests worse than ever; if your battle was regarding a relationship or a particular sin, it seems as though all progress has been lost. You are back to square one.

Have you ever been there? These negative experiences can drain the life from your heart. You lose the anticipation and power of faith, and a quiet spiritual paralysis immobilizes your soul. You may still attend church, but your faith is unresponsive. When others testify of deliverance, you worry secretly that they, too, will "lose their healing."

For many, the result is one of faith-shaking disillusionment.

Scripture says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick" (Prov. 13:12). This "heartsickness" is a spiritual disease that can cripple your walk with God. Remember, faith is the substance of the things you hope for. If you lose hope, your faith becomes hollow. How can you trust God when it seems as though He let you down? You wonder: Did I lose my breakthrough or was I only deceiving myself and never really had it?

Dear one, it is very possible that what you are experiencing is not a loss of God's blessing but an entirely new spiritual battle. This new tactic is a very clever and effective deception that Satan uses to try and worm his way back into the lives of those delivered by God.

I had been praying about this very thing, this recurring battle, when the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart: "Goliath had a brother." I was immediately reminded of David's war against the Philistine giant. We all know that David became a great hero by trusting God and defeating Goliath. However, things changed as we see in 2 Samuel 21:

"Now when the Philistines were at war again with Israel, David went down and his servants with him; and as they fought against the Philistines, David became weary. Then Ishbi-benob, who was among the descendants of the giant . . . intended to kill David. But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and struck the Philistine and killed him" (2 Samuel 21:15-17).

Years after David conquered Goliath as a lad, after he became king he had to face other giants. In fact, 1 Chronicles 20:5 reveals that at least one of those warring against David was "the brother of Goliath," and four were Goliath's children (2 Sam. 21:22). We can imagine that these giants, being Goliath's kin, looked like Goliath, boasted like him, dressed like him and probably even smelled like him. The Scripture says that while fighting one of the descendants of Goliath, "David became weary" (2 Sam. 21:15). The Bible is silent as to what might have been going through the king's mind as he battled these giants. Perhaps he wondered, "I thought I killed Goliath. What is he doing back?" But Goliath had not come back; he really was dead! David was actually fighting the giant's kin. It just looked like the same battle!

Likewise, you also have had many successful victories. Just because the current giant you are facing looks like one you defeated in the past, do not accept the lie that you never really won the first battle! By the strength of God's grace, you trusted the Almighty and conquered your Goliath. The first giant is dead. Satan is masquerading as your former enemy so he can slip past your shield of faith and thus regain entrance into your life. Resist him. Do not accept the lie that you were never delivered. Stand in faith. Remember: Faith is the victory that overcomes the world (1 John 5:4).

The living God who helped you conquer Goliath will empower you to overcome his brother as well.

Prayer: Father, I come to You as Your servant. Like David, I have become weary with fighting an enemy I thought I had defeated. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, however, I expose the lie that this is the same foe I previously conquered. In Jesus' name, I rebuke the enemy. I ask You, Lord, to send angels to strengthen me supernaturally, just as angels often strengthened Jesus. In the name of the Lord, Amen.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Adapted from a chapter in Francis Frangipane's newest book Spiritual Discernment and the Mind of Christ. 

The Master Plan

“Many are the plans in a man's heart but it's the Lord's plan that will prevail” - Proverbs 19:21

It is God that gives you the plan for your life and God gives the provision for the execution of the plan. A man without a plan, plans to fail because he has no purpose or direction for his life. God has a purpose for your life. A Mission. He knows the plans He has for you.-  Jeremiah 29:11

You are fulfilled, happy, and joyful if you are fulfilling God's purpose for your life. Life is exciting...a celebration. But you live a continual life of frustration and disappointment if you're not.

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:10

With all the trials that we go through, this verse should comfort us. Before time began, God knew where we would be and what we would be doing. We are all handcrafted by God for good works. The most comforting thing about Ephesians 2:10 is that we don't have to fear the road that we have ahead of us, because Christ prepared it specifically for us to walk. Though the road may be treacherous and narrow, especially at the speed life has been going lately, at the end of it is Christ!  This is why in every situation that we encounter, we need to "acknowledge God" in it.  Acknowledging God in every situation helps us incorporate our trust in Him and He'll direct our path.  - Proverbs 3:5-6

When you gave your heart to God, He filled you with greatness and a purpose, a master plan for you to fulfill. You must find out what it is. Do you know??

How can you discover the plan? How can you embrace that plan? How can you walk in that plan and how can you live out your purpose in life?

You were created with the capacity to fulfill that plan for your life. You were born at the right time, to the right family, living in the right city. Everything can begin right where you are, because tomorrow begins today.

Change your thinking, for as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. -  Proverbs 23:7 The way you think, defines who you are. A new attitude determines your altitude, how high you go. Develop a new attitude of gratitude.

Know who you are! Know your purpose!

The only plan that works out, is God's plan for you.

Discover it!

Live It!

God has placed the DNA in you, and in you is written the mission for your life!

The way that you find out that mission is to Pray in the Holy Ghost. When you pray in the Holy Ghost, God begins to “download” His Plan into your spirit. He downloads great revelations. And in His time, they will come forth through YOU.

Prepare, then Be Ready!

Connie J. Schmoll

Watch, Write and Wait

"...without a vision, people perish" (Proverbs 29:18)

A Vision is an experience in the life of a person, whereby a special revelation from God was received. It's purpose may be given for immediate direction or given to develop the Kingdom of God by revealing the moral and spirited deficiencies of the people of God in light of God's requirements for maintaining a proper relationship with Him.

“If there is going to be the establishing of vision, first it has to be planted in our hearts by God's Spirit and through His Word.” – Alastair Begg

Every dream fulfilled begins with a vision – Today I stopped for a moment and revisited those dreams and refocused on seeking Him. Matthew 6:33 tells us to “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything else will be added unto you.”

When seeking God first and foremost, the rest of our life will fall into place, piece by piece. Before pursuing a dream, talk to Him about it first. We can have all kinds of plans and dreams for our life, but it's God's purpose that is going to prevail. (Proverbs 19:21)

He will give you the desires of your heart if you delight yourself in Him. By putting Him first, His and your desires become one and the same. (Proverbs 37:4)

I remind you of God's plan for Abram. Which came first? Hope or faith?

First came the image of hope as He led Abram out to see the stars. By that method, the Father painted hope on the canvas of Abram's heart. He now had a vision! First comes vision - that image of hope. A lively hope imparted. A hope more real than the natural circumstances.

YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN IT BEFORE IT HAPPENS!

Instructions came to Abram by the Spirit that they change their names. By following these instructions, faith then appropriated what was first obtained by hope. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Romans 12:1). They are not seen in the natural but they are most certainly seen in hope. If hope cannot see, faith cannot bring.

We have always put so much importance on the changing of the name of Abram than to the vision imparted to him by seeing the stars. Know and understand that the confession alone, without the vision of hope, would never have produced Isaac.

On the other hand, the vision alone, without following the instructions of faith would only have caused hope to be deferred indefinitely to make Abram's heart sick. (Proverbs 13:12). Both are required. Hope, a living hope must come to the people. The vision must be strong and the image alive. Let us never discount, nor place below faith, the importance of hope.

What has God spoken to You? Do you SEE it? Do you BELIEVE it?

I remember when God spoke to me through Habakkuk 2:1-3 and told me to Watch, Write and Wait.

Habakkuk 2:1-3

I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will WATCH to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. And the Lord answered me, and said, WRITE the Vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the Vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, WAIT for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

WATCH

Stand at your watch, set yourself on the tower and give both ears and all your heart to understand what God would have you to know and to learn what He would teach you. We must always be attentive to His Word (Proverbs 4) Watch to see what God will say to you. First SEE the vision and hear what God has said unto you.

This is merely a withdrawal of the whole soul from the earthly, and fixing it upon the heavenly. (Colossians 3:2) Setting your affection on things above.

WRITE

Write the Vision (make it known) upon tablets (the table of their hearts) He who writes, addresses a larger audience than the man who merely uses his tongue. It is a happy thing when the tongue is aided by the pen of a ready writer.  Put up a Vision Board. 

Maybe the Vision is given to you for someone else, Write it on the tables of man's heart. Say things that will strike and stick and give permanent impressions on their heart. Make it plain. Don't drudge up all the difficulties of the Word, raising a cloud of dust. Make it practical that he may run that reads it- a message that concerns him personally and will strike a desire in him to run to Christ. THEN....

WAIT

Every promise of God's Word has its own appointed time of fulfillment. The tarrying of the truth becomes a testing of the people. We must run with a vision. Be FULLY PERSUADED as Abraham was. (Romans 4:20-22)

There will be many obstacles that we may stumble upon that will try to destroy that image of hope. Without hope, there is nothing for faith to give substance to. We must allow hope to be painted on the canvas of our hearts, for without a vision people perish. If the vision dies, the dream dies. If you stop seeing it, it's not going to happen! Being fully persuaded is the only way it will get you over those obstacles when they come.

AGAIN...What has GOD spoken to YOU?

A friend of mine (thanks Roberta) gave me the idea of making a Vision Board. Place Scripture and Photos upon a board of the visions, dreams and desires that God has spoken to you, and hang it up to where you can see it everyday. When we begin speaking our dreams and envisioning them everyday, the vision enters our heart, becomes real and it makes it much easier to become fully persuaded and to tarry for it, until it's appointed time.

DON'T GIVE UP!  KEEP BELIEVING! Revisit those dreams and visions that God has given and spoken into your life. WATCH - Always be attentive to His Voice, and WRITE that vision - keep the dream alive by allowing God to plant it within your heart through His Spirit and Word and WAIT with an expectancy for it's appointed time to be fulfilled!

When God gives a Vision, He makes Provision.  So Believe God for the Provision of the Vision!

WATCH, WRITE and WAIT!

Connie J. Schmoll

Jesus Wept

This is a devotional written by author Morgan L. Busse.  I pray that it ministers to you as it did to me.


Morgan wrote this post two years ago and still finds comfort in the truth she discovered during a dark time in her life: that God still cares about us even when He is working everything for good.

If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you are told that all things work together for good and God’s glory. The suffering that comes into your life will make you a better person. Just give it to God.

Then you find yourself hit by life. The pain is far beyond what you thought it would be: It goes right to the core of your heart. And suddenly those platitudes you have heard uttered by Christians give no comfort whatsoever. You see no good in what you are going through. And you see God as a stoic being, moving around the pieces of life like a chessboard. You are only a piece to be moved around so God receives the glory.

I felt like this a couple weeks ago. I knew all things work together for good. I knew that my life is not my own, but for God to use for His glory. But I felt like God didn’t feel for me. That God was up above, moving around my life with a look of disinterest. I was only a means to an end. And my suffering meant very little in the grand scheme of things.

Then I began reading the book of John. And God showed me a picture of himself. Yes, He is orchestrating all of our lives for good and yes, He does all of this for His glory (for when God receives glory, we bask in the warmth). But He is not looking down on us with a stoic expression. He is moved by our hurt.

Sometimes He weeps.

As a child, it was a contest to see who knew the shortest verse in the Bible. And in case you didn’t know, it is “Jesus wept.” (John 11:35). But I never understood the full power of that verse until a couple weeks ago. As I read John 11, I felt moved by the story of Martha and Mary and their brother Lazerus.

Lazerus is deathly sick. So his sisters send word to Jesus. They know Jesus can heal their brother. They have seen His power and miracles. But Jesus never comes. And so Lazerus dies. Can you feel their shock, their feelings of betrayal? Why did Jesus heal so many others but never came to help them, His friends? They bury Lazerus, probably along with their hope.

Now let’s look at Jesus’ point of view. Jesus receives word that Lazerus is deathly ill. But He has a plan: a plan for good and God’s glory. So Jesus waits. And waits. Until Lazerus dies. Then he tells his disciples they must head back to Judea so he can awaken Lazerus.

However, you do not see an unemotional Jesus in this chapter. Look how He responds when he sees Mary and the others who are grieving with her: “When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.” (John 11:33). Jesus was moved by the grieving he saw.

They head out to the tomb. And at this point Jesus weeps. He sees the grief and hurt of the people around him. My friends, God sees the hurt and grief going on inside of us too. He is not callous to our battered hearts and lives. Even while God is using us for good and for His glory, I believe He is also weeping with us. We have a God who has also suffered. “Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.” (Hebrews 2:18).

Jesus wept. What a powerful verse. Those two simple words opened my eyes. I no longer see God as a stoic being above me, moving around the pieces of my life with a calloused hand. Instead I see a God who weeps with me.

Be Free

As soon as I realized that my being overweight was a spiritual matter, I began to watch the times I would seem to lose control. I realized there were many different reasons I would run to food. Food had become my COMFORT. I have been trying to figure out for years why I run to food for comfort instead of God. I LOVE Him! I know He loves me! I trust Him! I want to please Him! I love His Word! So WHY can’t I come to Him in difficult times but instead I choose to indulge in food? Why have I been so out of control in this area? Well...Let me share with you some points on what I have realized concerning myself, and maybe it will give some of you insight on YOUR situation.

1. Some do not believe this, but I realized that a Holy Ghost filled person CAN have an evil spirit (demon) resident in them, co-habitating. (Spiritual Co-habitation) If there is something in your life that controls you and you can’t seem to overcome it, then there is most likely a “demon” that has taken up resident within. I like to call it “a stronghold”. It sounds better. For me...it was OVEREATING or the spirit of gluttony.

2. There is a door through which “strongholds” gain access, which is the ROOT cause. Offenses, Bitterness, Unforgiveness Rejection and Shame. For me...It was pretty much all of these but REJECTION and SHAME were the big ones.

3. We must identify the SOURCE...generally unforgiveness or bitterness. If you have been hurt and you are carrying around the offense, it needs to be gotten rid of. It has to be FORGIVEN. You must forgive the person and ask God to forgive them and bless them in every area of their life. God will begin healing within you.

4. The “demons” need to be cast out. For me...spirit of gluttony, perhaps slothfulness too. God will reveal. A person CAN perform a deliverance on self BUT there may be some “spirits” that they may not see that others gifted in this area CAN. So it is good to have those others there. Casting them out takes care of the demons. To take care of the ROOT cause, the door of access must be closed, so they cannot reenter.

5. Shutting the door so the “demon” cannot enter, is “renewing of the mind” through the Word of God. Our battles begin in the mind. This is usually where we allow offenses, bitterness, shame and unforgiveness to start...our thought patterns. We must immediately “bring into captivity every thought...” (Read 2 Cor. 10:4-5)

Did you know that harboring unforgiveness in your heart can also be a hindrance to receiving a healing?  FORGIVE the offense and the offender, whether it be yourself or someone else, then have the "spirit of infirmity" and any other spirits that God reveals, cast out and begin to renew your mind with the Word of God, that by His Stripes you WERE healed, and that He sent His Word to HEAL YOU!  

I want to share a few portions of Scripture that God led me to, concerning my situation:

First in Joshua 7:12-13 about the Sin of Achan. God had told Joshua that Israel could not resist their enemy because of the accursed thing in the midst of them.

Joshua 7:12-13 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. (13) Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow: for thus saith the Lord God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

Numbers 33:51-55 The Children of Israel were told that once they passed over Jordan into the Land of Canaan, they were to drive out all the inhabitants. And if they didn’t, those which they allowed to remain would be “pricks in their eyes” and “thorns in their sides” and would vex (afflict, bind, distress) them. Sounds pretty painful, doesn’t it? There before them was Jericho, a fortified walled city, shut up tight. But God told them the city was theirs and for them to go and possess it.

Most of us may have finally “crossed over” but now we face the “giants”. Here we stand now before “our Jericho” and we find “enemies” that are still living in our “land”. We have simply learned to live with certain characteristics because we’ve never found a way to permanently drive them out of our lives. But just like God did for the Israelites, He will give us the strategy needed to tear down the walls (strongholds, habits, fleshly desires) or “demons” that shouldn’t be there. He will reveal them to us. We must drive them out! Cast them out!

In Genesis 2 and 3, there is a Bible event that opened my eyes to my situation and helped me reveal the Source of my problem. This was so simple yet brought such freedom to me. First, if you notice in Genesis 2:25 it says ..."they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed".

But then when Adam and Eve sinned and God asked why they were hiding, their reply was, because they were afraid. They hid from GOD and were afraid to go to Him and face Him because NOW they were ashamed of what they did. They had sinned.

This made me realize that because of SHAME in my life, I would run to food for COMFORT instead of GOD, because I was ashamed to go to Him. Offenses against oneself results in Shame.

God does NOT want anything controlling us. He wants us to be free. But because of hurts and offenses, we end up carrying things we shouldn’t and believing the lies of the devil that he quickly places in our thoughts, and unforgiveness, bitterness, shame, and offenses fester up within us, and opens the door for the “spirits” that enter and cause us problems which only lead to bondage and even death (physical and spiritual).

BEGIN TO SEEK GOD on this matter. Ask Him to REVEAL the source of your problem. Then TAKE AUTHORITY over the “demon” and CAST IT OUT IN JESUS NAME! God will begin revealing to you the events, individuals, etc. that happened causing offense. God will reveal to you the events that brought you shame. And He will give you the strategy to tear the walls down that keep you bound. Every person or event that God reveals to you, PRAY for them.

FORGIVE OTHERS, FORGIVE GOD (anything you seem to be holding against God) and FORGIVE SELF.

YOU ARE ON YOUR WAY TO FREEDOM.

Connie J. Schmoll

Let Go And Let God

When things get a little difficult for us, whether it be financially or in other areas of our life, God is teaching us a new level of dependance on Him. I find that when I am confronted with some difficult situations and take them before God, there are three things that God is always reminding me, and that is to ... "Fret Not", "Fear Not" or He just simply answers by saying, "Trust Me". 

I was fretting and fearing over something the past several days but when I finally stopped fretting about it and actually accepted the fact that there was nothing more I could do about the situation, because I had done all I knew to do, then it happened! What I needed was manifested the very moment that I LET GO and LET GOD. I believe we can sometimes "tie the hands of God" by not giving it to Him to take care of.  

God always will meet us through our “waiting” in ways beyond what we can ask for or imagine. Sometimes in the bleakest moments, His intervention manifests itself…whether it be receiving the perfect job, a physical healing, a necessary fund, etc…then the wait is finally over! Other times He does the miracle IN US.

Why do we doubt Him, why do we fret, and why do we fear, when we know He always comes through for us, IF we only let Him? 

If you are in that place today fretting about something or fearing that something is not going to go right or get fixed, begin to truly TRUST GOD by accepting the fact that you’ve done all you know to do….now Let GO and LET GOD!

Connie J. Schmoll

Full of the Word and the Spirit

Adverse circumstances come to us all. What we do with those circumstances determines the outcome of our lives. We can allow them to move us and shake us or we can refuse to allow adversity to defeat us and keep us from our destination.

Our hearts must be prepared when adversity comes so that we do not fall into wrong behavior but be able to make right choices during this time.

"And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD" (2 Chr. 12:14)

This passage in 2 Chronicles 12:14 is speaking of Rehoboam, the king of Judah and the son of Solomon. He started off as a good king who was seeking the Lord. But just as many people today, he wasn't prepared for what would inevitably come his way. When satan throws temptation our way or we become bombarded with many trying things and become overwhelmed, if we are not already prepared, it will be too late and we'll probably lose the fight or make the battle more difficult than what it should have been.

We never know what each day has waiting for us. But we do have the capability to do our best to prepare ourselves for whatever may come. Whether a day brings us temptation, a trial or even a day of disappointments, we can overcome if we are prepared. Everyone faces temptation. Everyone faces disappointments and hurts. And everyone faces trials and tragedies. But the truth is, very few people are prepared to deal with it effectively and that shouldn't be the case and it doesn't have to be the case for believers.

When adversity comes our way, we may think that God is a careless God because He allows things to happen that He is capable of stopping. But we must remember in those times, He has fully equipped us to handle whatever comes our way. What we really need is HELP in using that “equipment”.

God's Word and His Spirit are freely available to help us. The Bible imparts to us essential wisdom: He promises to be near us and take care of us, He shares exhortations that help us avoid sinful snares, and there are many offers of forgiveness when we “miss the mark” and much more.

God does indeed equip us to handle adversity well, But we have to make the effort to use what He provides: His Presence. His Word. His Spirit.

Here are two simple things we can do to keep from being moved by the devil's attacks:

1. Build Ourselves Up In The Word of God.  We can keep ourselves full of the Word. When the Word is hidden in our hearts, it will come forth in times of crisis.

2. Build Ourselves Up By Praying In The Holy Ghost. (Jude 20)  We can keep ourselves built up in the spirit by continually praying in tongues. This causes us to become more sensitive to the Spirit's voice.

Psalm 108:1 My heart O God is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul

Psalm 57:7 My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed. I will sing and give praise

Psalm 112:7 He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the Lord

We will have no fear in bad news. Our hearts can be steadfast, trusting God. If we prepare our heart in advance, we will never fall.  Stand firm, let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless. (1 Corinthians 15:58)

Stay Prepared For When Adverse Circumstances Come!

Connie J. Schmoll