I came across this information the other day about the two Seas of Israel, and was inspired from it because it spoke so much of where I was at in my life. The analogy was a perfect description.
There are two Seas of Israel: the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. Both bodies of water are fed from the same source, the Jordan River, yet one sea is dead and the other is full of life. Why? The sea that is dead, The Dead Sea, has no outlet. The water lays stagnant.
This is such a good analogy of some Christians' lives. And sometimes it's not their fault. But many of us sit and learn and the Word continually flows within us, but our lives are stagnant because we are not given the outlet to share, to be used.
God has given us gifts to be used for His Kingdom. We all have a purpose in the Body of Christ. We all must be fitly assembled together, for Body Ministry. God gives you a gift, He gives you knowledge for the purpose of sharing to help edify and minister to someone else.
If you have spent years just sitting and receiving, begin to Pray for God to provide an outlet for you to be used so that you can be full of life, not being stagnant and dead spiritually.
Here is a video that you can watch about the Two Seas:
Don and I read this book called Faith To Raise The Dead, written by Dennis Callen. We highly recommend it. We are learning so much! It takes me back to years ago when a friend from Bible College spoke over Don and I with a Scripture explaining our ministry. I do believe that through the years we have lost sight of that, because of hurts and pains of the past. But through knowledge from this man, who wrote this book and God's Word, we are slowly being delivered and redirected to His will for our life.
If God has called you into the Deliverance Ministry, take a look at the Scripture prayed over us years ago is Isaiah 61:1 (also in Luke 4:18):
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me, to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed."
The problem today is some go around "casting out demons" but they return, because you see, the demon is not the problem. The demon is there BECAUSE of the problem. It's only after the brokenhearted is healed, can He "proclaim liberty to the captive". Jesus never sought to deliver anyone. They had to seek Him out for deliverance.
Whether it be a need to repent, harboring unforgiveness, rejection, hurts and disappointments, low self esteem, etc....what ever the problem is that has caused one to be heart broken, it must be healed first, then deliverance becomes easy and permanent.
You know, I haven't even thought of that moment our friend prayed that Scripture over us, in a long time. Isn't it amazing how far we can stray from our actual calling because of hurts and betrayal? But I praise God that we are finally learning and beginning
to see where we belong.
Throughout most of our walk with God, we always felt like we didn't fit it. But why try to fit in if God is wanting us to stand out? I have learned that it's not about what state you live in, or what church you're attending, but
it's about where we belong in God's Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is within us.
I was sent a little story one day through email that told about a little girl who came running to her daddy crying, saying that some of the other kids were calling her stupid. Her daddy picked her up and sat her on his lap and looked her in the eyes and asked, "Well, are you stupid?" The little girl quickly answered, "No."
"Well, see then," the father replied, "You know what the others are saying is not true about you because you know you're not stupid."
The little girl smiled and said, "Yea. Thanks Daddy." She hugged her daddy and ran off to play again.
What a short, sweet and simple lesson to be learned in this story. If we are taught early in life who we truly are in Christ - nothing can ever bother us what others may say or do to hurt us.
We must know that our self worth can only be found in Christ and that through His love and His Word, we learn who we truly are and know that nothing can separate us from the Love of God.
Have you ever experienced a time when you open the Bible and when you began to read, you could hear God's Voice leaping from the pages as He began speaking to you? It's like He is right there! This has happened to me quite a few times and every time was such a close encounter with God that can never be forgotten. These times change me.
I remember a time where I became very frustrated over a matter and I allowed it to consume me instead of giving all my cares over to God. I was in tears. Exhausted, I plopped myself down at the table and opened my Bible. It was then that the Lord began to speak to me. I had opened my Bible to the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10. Coincidence? I don't think so. The Lord began speaking to me, Not Martha. "Connie, Connie, you are troubled about many things.... But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." I sat there and cried as He overwhelmed me with His Love.
Not long ago, I was reading in Psalms and came across a Scripture that was very powerful to me.
Psalm 61:2 "From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
WHEN MY HEART IS OVERWHELMED: LEAD ME TO THE ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I!!!
I began to pray and study this portion of Scripture:
Earth - wilderness
Cry - call out, address by name
Rock - immovable, concealment, cleft, refuge
Heart is overwhelmed - covered over with darkness or distress (feelings, understanding)
Higher - out of reach of danger
Lead - guide, transport
This was such a perfect time finding this Scripture, because I had been in a wilderness season for a long time and had just come out.
After my study, here is what the Lord spoke to me:
"You are nearing the end of your wilderness. Call out to me! You feel overwhelmed, and your understanding has been darkened. I will guide you, transport you to that place of concealment, a refuge, a place of safety, where you will be solid and immovable. I will keep you out of reach of danger, raising you to heights that you are incapable of reaching on your own.
Bottomline is, when your heart is overwhelmed and you are troubled about many things, choose the rightful thing. Sit at the feet of Jesus. He will take you into that place of rest with Him!
A new song was introduced to our church that influenced many lives that day, including myself. the name of the song was "No Longer Slaves" by Jonathan and Melissa Helser. Later that day, I came across a video of them sharing an encounter they had with the Holy Spirit and how they learned to find clarity in their season. What they shared could not have come at a greater time for me.
For quite some time now, I've been in a very dry season --- a wilderness. I find this season to be a very hard one. You feel alone and you know that no one can bring you out except for the Lord himself. The hardest part of a season is you have no idea how long it will last.
Melissa Helser shared in the video that it was in February during Winter, when the Holy Spirit pointed out to her how barren it was in the winter but how you could see far off. Winter brings clarity. We don't see anxiety in the trees, worried about whether they will bloom again. It would be silly for us to run into the woods and cry out to them saying not to worry, they will bloom again, because there is a confidence and security there, they are rooted and grounded so deep that they get the necessity of seasons.
It is important that we do not misinterpret the season we are in. We must have that confidence and security in our hearts, knowing that we will bloom again. Being rooted and grounded in Christ brings that confidence and security and helps us to see the necessity of seasons in our life. We need those seasons of rest and barrenness to then bring about the fruitfulness of our spring and our harvest.
As Scripture says, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1
There IS a reason and a purpose for the season you are in right now. Trust God and acknowledge Him in it all and He will direct your path.
One of my most difficult struggles in
my walk with God is, Why does God heal one and not others...like me?
I felt many times that my faith was strong, and that my healing would
happen, but it didn't. I was so disappointed. I trusted God (at least
I thought I did at the time) for 3 years to heal my body, but it
never happened and I let fear enter in, so I turned to the doctor,
believing his report instead of God's and had the surgery. I try not to
let my decision then, mess up my faith in God now, as far as His
healing department, but it's hard. I feel that decision set me back
in my walk with God. But since then, I've been searching for answers and God is showing me many things that have helped me understand. God spoke to me through this Scripture:
John 15:7 “If ye abide in me and my
words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done
unto you”
Wow! Powerful Scripture, huh? Why then
when I get prayed for, for healing in my body, it doesn't happen?
The key words in the Scripture? Abide. Abide in Him and His Word
Abides in me!
Abide means to stay, remain.
We must remain in Him. Daily
communication. A relationship. And His Word must stay or remain in
us. Especially when storms come. But it seems we allow the word to
be stolen from our hearts when tribulation comes. That is why we
don't receive.
The number one thing that we must
believe is that God wants us well. He does not want anyone sick. He
is not a respecter of persons and just like the other healings we
have seen happen to other people, He also wants to happen to us!
You see, we have spoken words contrary
to God's Word for years, so it will take time to renew our minds and
develop faith in our own words as well as God's Word. The things
that we continually confess becomes a part of us.
It is true that God has provided
healing for us through His Word, but we must learn to appropriate
that healing by making the Word a part of our daily vocabulary. What
are we speaking concerning our health issue, after believing and
receiving our healing?
There are numerous Scriptures in God's
Word that shows us how important it is what we allow to come out of
our mouths. Just read Proverbs. It mentions a lot about the tongue. One being that Death and Life is in the power of the tongue. Also our tongue can be a snare to us. If we are taught properly and by practicing our faith,
we can grow to a point where it will be a common thing for us to
receive healing through the Word of God. But it doesn't happen
overnight. It takes time to develop our faith, so if we have a life
and death situation where the doctor says we need surgery immediately
or we are going to die – in other words, the disease has a head
start on our faith – then it is advised that we have the surgery
and believe God for a quick recovery.
Operating in the principles of God's
Word isn't easy. It takes discipline and commitment. It is not good
enough to just read the confessions but we must confess God's Word
audibly over our body 2-3 times a day just as you would do when
taking a medication. God's Word is medicine to our body. We receive
it in our spirit sooner by hearing ourselves speak it instead of
somebody else.
In my own personal situation about 4
years ago, I gave in to having surgery, not only because of fear, but
God showed me some other things of why I did not receive my healing:
Misguided Faith – I was
'believing' God for a healing which actually meant I was waiting on
God to heal me; I was 'hoping' He would heal me, which is misguided
faith. I actually needed to not only believe it but RECEIVE that
healing, knowing it is already done! By His Stripes We WERE Healed.
(I Peter 2:24) I was actually believing for a progressive healing.
Instead I should have believed and received it and continued to speak
God's Word concerning healing. But I know that there were times I
misspoke.
The Lord will meet us where our faith
is, but His best is now. “Now Faith is” (Heb. 11:1) Faith must
believe that God is (Heb 11:6), not that He was or is going to be.
Faith is now! We have to aggressively take the authority God has
given us and bring that healing into manifestation
The Forgotten Key – I
had forgotten the Key, the authority that was given to me by God to
lock out anything that tried to enter my body. My body is the temple
of the Holy Ghost (1 Corinthians 6:19) and I also have the authority
to evict anything that has managed to slip past the door of my mind
through doubt or fear and taken up residency in my body that I had
allowed to remain.
Relationship – I have a
lot of knowledge in my head and I know intellectually that by the
stripes of Jesus I am healed, but I needed to know this in my heart.
I was having trouble with it. “God, I want to know you. I want to
know your Word.” I needed to know that He did this for ME! “God,
I want to know YOU!” I needed to know THE GOD of the Word instead
of just the Word of God! This can only come by relationship, spending
time in prayer, praying in the spirit, and meditating on His Word
Daily. Abiding in Him and His Word Abiding in Me! Then anything I
ask, I will have! We need to let the Word of God paint a picture for
us of who God is and through that revelation have fellowship with Him
and know Him. Get that revelation of who He is to YOU personally.
The Lord told me that whenever I have a difficult time believing,
it's because I doubt His Love for me. HE LOVES US!!
Be Prepared – I had
neglected to apply myself to the Word like I should have been doing.
We can't wait for the storm to hit and THEN build the house! We're in
big trouble if we do. The storm may be too severe and we'll need to
run to the neighbors who are prepared and weather the storm there. We
need help to survive, wait until the storm is over and start
establishing ourselves in the Word, by confessing the Word.
Understand though that confessing the
Word does not make it happen. We are not creating it. We are not
making God do anything. It's already been done. It's present in the
spiritual realm, but doing no good for us until it's brought to the
physical realm which is done by us believing, receiving and speaking
it.
Warfare - There are
times when we're doing what we know to do, but realize that something
is there hindering the manifestation. There is a warfare going on
that can only be taken care of through prayer and fasting. Keep in
mind though that Prayer and Fasting does not move God. It moves YOU!
If your body has controlled you for a number of years, and you've
been giving it all that it wants and then suddenly decide to attempt
to be rid of that control, a warfare erupts! The flesh is not going
to give up easy! The devil is not going to give up easy! He's had you
for a long time! But now...you know what needs to be done. You just
draw on the spirit man to sustain you. You start living off the
spirit man and it will take your focus off the physical realm. It is
the same with prayer. If you focus your attention on the spirit man
through prayer, fasting, studying the Word, etc, it becomes more real
to you than the physical. You'll reach a place in God where what He
says is more true than anything you can see. That is the way a
victorious Christian walks. Make it a priority to never remove the
Armor of God (Ephesians 6) that He provides for us. And do not give
up! Keep believing!
Harboring unforgiveness in your heart
towards someone for whatever reason can also hinder you receiving
your healing. Ask God to bring to remembrance of anyone you need to
forgive in your heart.
“For to be carnally minded is death,
but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” (Romans 8:6)
Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the Lord, my
soul doth wait, and in His Word, do I hope.”
We all have something that we have been
waiting on God to answer. You need a healing? Salvation for your
children? A financial need? Whatever it may be, we find that the seasons of waiting can be some of
the hardest seasons. It is so difficult not to get impatient and go
ahead of God. It can be tough in “God's Waiting Room”.
In Hebrews 11, which we refer to as the
Faith chapter, there are many mentioned who graduated from “faith
university”. Many who waited: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Sarah, Jacob,
Joseph, Moses, Rahab...to name a few. In verse 36-39 it mentions that
there were some who..." having received a good report through faith,
waited yet received not the promise".
If you read Psalm 6 and Psalm 13, you
can see how David became impatient with the waiting. But you see,
it's okay like David, to “lament to God” about the wait. It's
okay to “ask how long”. If you're there in "the waiting room"
and growing weary, Pray what David prayed. Pray the Word. When you
pray the Word, you can be sure you are praying the will of God. Cry
the tears. But when you get up, be sure your trust and faith is
steadfast.
The one thing we need to be careful of
is not to fall prey to the danger of the waiting. Because you see,
with John, it was a different story. In Matthew 11, John questions,
is Jesus really who he says he is or should we send for another?
Jesus is healing MANY, yet John remains captive, growing weary in
waiting. And Jesus sends a message back to him in verse 6, “Blessed
is he who is not offended in me”. You see, it was complaining,
that David did, but it was the danger of the offense in the waiting
that Jesus sensed coming through John's question. You noticed that
Jesus healed MANY, not all. So I am sure that there were many
standing by waiting, yet He passed them by, healing the person next
to them. Doesn't seem fair, does it? BUT...God always has a plan.
In Matthew 13, we read about the
Parable of the Sower. In verse 21, the seed (Word) is sown on a
stony heart, does not take root, it dureth for awhile, but when
tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by he
is offended.
You see … Life, time and
circumstances try to overtake during the waiting. We get impatient
because we don't see anything happen. We start to feel like God isn't
even hearing us. We can even begin questioning if what He says is
really true. That is where the danger lies, “in the waiting”.
We become offended towards God because He is doing this and that for
someone else but not for us. Please be careful! Don't let the danger
of the waiting overtake you to the point you develop an offense
toward God.
Hebrews 12:12-13 “Wherefore lift up
the hands which hang down; and the feeble knees; And make straight
paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the
way; but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and
holiness without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently
lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness
springing up trouble you; and thereby many be defiled.”
Pray, lament to God. Cry the tears, but
get back up still believing and with the attitude of “Thou he slay
me, yet I trust in him”. Job 13:15
We must remember that we have HOPE in
the waiting........and GOD HAS A PLAN.
I Have Hope
Psalm 33:20 "We wait in
hope for the Lord. He is our help and our shield".
We are all familiar with
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,
saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not evil, to give you an
expected end.” (8615)
Let me share a little bit
here from Strong's Concordance.
Expected End - 8615 tiqvah
from 6960; lit. a cord (as an attachment - comp. 6961); fig.
Expectancy: - expectation, hope, live, thing that I long for.
6960 to bind together, to
expect, gather (together), look patiently, tarry, wait (for, on,
upon)
6961 a measuring cord (as
if for binding)
Psalm 130:5 “I wait for
the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His Word, do I hope.”
Hope - 3176 primitive
root; to wait; by impl. To be patient, hope: - (cause to, have, make
to) hope, be pained, stay, tarry, trust, wait.
Now I want to share about
Rahab. Read her story in Joshua 2:15-18
In Joshua 2:21 take notice
that this verse of what Rahab said, is similar to what Mary said to
the angel when he told her she was going to have a child (Jesus) verse 21
- “And she (Rahab) said, according unto your words, so be it”,
she sent them away, they departed. She bound the scarlet line in the
window. (she activated her hope)
Luke 1:38 Mary said,
“behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to
your word.” And the angel departed. She agreed with the Word,
establishing that fact upon the earth, and it came into being. The
Word of God came into Mary, and said, “it will be so” and Mary
received it by saying, Let it be done.
That is why it is
important what we speak, during our waiting. And definitely speaking
and declaring His Word is speaking the will of God.
It is important to speak
His Word back to Him (praying the Word) because we have that promise
in Isaiah 55:10,11 that His Word will not return void but will
accomplish what it's sent forth to do.
As we learned in Strong's
Concordance, the Greek word Tiqvah is Hope. And Hope is a whole lot
more than just wishful thinking. It's not just a state of mind. It's
a covenant He has made with us. We may wait and may even die before
seeing the promise, but if we will “hang our cord out” for all to
see, no matter the ridicule, if we may not see the promise, know that
there is a new world coming and we will be a part of it.
This is where it gets
exciting. The Scarlet cord means HOPE. Rahab was to hang out the
cord from the window. That Cord was her line of hope!
God gives us Hope but we
have our own responsibility as Rahab did. She put the cord out and
her family was saved. It took her act of believing, and trusting and
standing on the promises. Visibly and physically, it took a physical
act of displaying (the cord) her hope to any who cared to see.
Her acquaintances and
loved ones saw the cord and had no clue what it was or why she was
doing it but she did it anyway. She knew that the cord was not just a
nice gesture. She knew it was a matter of life and death. That red
cord either meant the end or beginning of her lineage. It either
meant end or death OR hope and a future.
We don't know how long she
waited. We don't know how many came in to her home and was saved.
The red cord activated
her hope. Her promise. The cord did not mean that war was not going
to come. War came. It meant though that her household was saved. It
didn't mean that she was going to escape the circumstances of war,
but it meant that she would be counted worthy to suffer in His
lineage and His bloodline.
John 16:33 “These things
I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world
ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.” Tribulation is going to come but take heart for He has
overcome the world!
Tiqvah (hope) doesn't mean
it will happen because we “will it” to happen. It just means that
when we connect with it and we declare it and we activate it and
audibly claim His promises, and join with His Hope, we join with an
eternal future, and the bloodline and lineage of Jesus.
Once you get the
revelation of HOPE, doubt cannot stay. Stress is no longer allowed.
We have a guaranteed investment of His Promises.
There might be something
that you've been waiting on for a very long time and you feel God has
forgotten you. He hasn't. He knows. (Psalm 139) He knows you. He
knows where you are at. He knows what you are going through.
He offers you HOPE, but
you have to activate it! Live by faith, not by sight. Trust the word
even when you don't see the promise. Activate your portion of the
promise!
Here are several Hope
Scriptures for you to read and hide in your heart, daily praying back
to God.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know
the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of
peace, and not evil, to give you an expected end.
Job 6:8 Oh that I might
have my request, that God would grant me the thing that I long
for. (hope for)
Psalm 9:18 For the needy
shall not always be forgotten, the expectation
(the hope) of the poor shall not perish forever.
Psalm
71:5 For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my
trust from my youth.
Proverbs 24:14 So
shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul: when
thou hast found it, then there shall be a reward, and thy
expectation shall not be cut off
Lamentations 3:22-26 22 It is of the Lord's
mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my
portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The Lord
is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It
is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait
for the salvation of the Lord.
Psalm 62:5 My soul wait
thou only upon God, my expectation (my hope) is from him
Zechariah 9:12 Turn
you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I
declare that I will render double unto thee; Jeremiah
31:17 And there is hope in thine end, saith the LORD,
that thy children shall come again to their own border.
Romans 15:4 For
whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our
learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures
might have hope.
vs
13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in
believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of
the Holy Ghost.
We have a scarlet cord
(hope) of eternal promise! Our Hope! An Expected End! A Hopeful
Future!
The answer is not in what
you see, feel or wish for, but our hope is what has been declared in
His Word from the foundation of the world.
Let me ask you this: What
if the healing never comes? What if you die before you see your
children come to God? What if life circumstances are rough and you
aren't seeing things getting better? Are you still going to serve
Him? Why do you serve God, for what He can give or for who He is?
Now I understand this Scripture, that Hope is the Anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast!
Hebrews 6:19 "Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil".
