Door of Hope

^{Hosea 2:14-15}
“Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably (to her heart) unto her (to reconcile her to Me). Then I will give her her vineyards from there and make the Valley of Achor (trouble, affliction) a door of hope and expectation [anticipating the time when I will restore My favor on her]: and she will sing there and respond as in the days of her youth as in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt. (place of bondage)

The Book of Hosea is about God's relentless pursuit of an unfaithful people. It's about Him and Us.  I think everyone of us can say that God is definitely more faithful to us than we are to Him.  We all have times in our life that we put things before God and He must lure us into the wilderness to get back our loyalty and faithfulness.

I used to fear the word 'wilderness' because of always focusing on the negative that you hear about of time spent there. But the wilderness time does not have to be negative.  God directs our steps and has good reason for luring us there. 

The wilderness is a time of solace. A time alone with God. He wants alone time with us!  The wilderness with all its testing is precious.  It can bring tears to our eyes and soften our hearts.  We develop an intimate connection once again with God because He is solely the only One we can trust in this time.  

He brings awareness of the idols that have separated us from Him.  The wilderness helps these things become detestable to us when we develop a deep desire for only Him and all He has for us. We begin to see what really matters in life.  

Remember how times were, when you had reached rock bottom and so tired and beat down by the world, and that sudden connection with God happened? Nothing of the world mattered! All you wanted was God and all He had for you!  

Who or What Drew You Away From That Place? 

We tend to fear being brought into a wilderness time, but if we could only see the big picture of the beauty of His pursuit and the hope He wants to restore in us, after a long time affliction.  Praise God!

Often times when in that valley of trouble, I can see that wilderness as a place to hide away in the presence of the Lord, and get lost in worship, listening to music and a certain song will come and totally deliver me from whatever I was troubled about.  His Word always gives me Hope.

"You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance".  Psalm 32:7

Here is a quote I came across several months ago. It's so true! "MUSIC softens the pain, increases the joy and opens the heart." -author unknown 

God is the only One who can make a Valley of Trouble into a Door of Hope!   When you find yourself in trouble or in a valley of affliction, be encouraged, for the Lord gives a door of hope, an opening into better days and brings songs of deliverance to many.

 "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all". Psalm 34:19

When you are troubled, He IS your hiding place. He WILL protect you from your troubles, help you Discover the Door of Hope and He WILL surround you with songs of deliverance!   Praise Him!

 

Connie J. Schmoll

Identify The Source

Pastor Tommy shared with us Luke 8:26-39 when Jesus arrived in Gadarenes and was met by a man which had many devils. He fell down, cried out in a loud voice asking Jesus why He was interfering with him, asking him not to torment him, for Jesus had commanded for the unclean spirit to leave him. Jesus spoke to the demon asking his identity and he replied Legion for there were many demons in him. Jesus commanded the demons to leave him and to enter into a herd of swine, and the herd ran violently into a lake and drowned.

Afterwards the man wanted to follow Jesus but He told him to return to his home and show them all the great things that God had done unto him.

Even though we may know God, an evil spirit, a demon or what I call a “stronghold”, can reside in us. Anything in your life that controls you and you can't seem to overcome it, is a demon, or stronghold. Some strongholds or demons can be gossip, pride, jealousy, worry, anger, being judgmental, fear and swearing, smoking etc. Sometimes we find ourselves fighting against God, wondering why He is interfering with us. But He only wants us to be free of demons. Let Jesus take those demons from you and drowned them. Don't try and take them back.

I just wanted to add, that Tommy's message reminded me of when God began revealing to me some strongholds in my life that I couldn't seem to overcome. He taught me what must be done to overcome.

1. A Holy Ghost filled person CAN have an evil spirit (demon) or stronghold 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.

2. There is a door through which the demon or “stronghold” gains access, which is the ROOT cause. Offenses, Bitterness, Unforgiveness and Shame.

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. God will reveal. Casting them out takes care of the demons. But taking care of the ROOT cause, will close the door of access, making it easier for the demon to go, 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)

I want to share a few portions of Scripture that God led me to, concerning this 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 CANNOT 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 (overeating, gluttony) 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 thought 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. 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.