Calm in the Storm

As a Christian, I know that God is in my life. What I didn't realize, is where He is in my life.

Consider any major storm system like a hurricane for instance. The wind speeds, the rain, the destruction seems to be everywhere. This is kind of like my life. It seems there is always something to endure or fight against just to stay where I should be and not be destroyed. This can be very exciting or disappointing, thrilling or scary. Then there comes a point where I just can't stand the fight anymore and want to give up. Is there any relief from this storm we call life? There is a bit of information that I am leaving out. I have always known this, but never considered this. In the center of the hurricane is what is called the eye. The storm/hurricane works kind of like a wheel, if you are on the outer edge of the wheel, far from the center, you are moving very fast when the wheel is turning (not a good place to be). But if you are in the center of the wheel or the hurricane, there is almost no movement even when it is turning very fast and causing much destruction. It is hard to imagine that there is a spot in the center of a very destructive hurricane that is calm, but there always is.

God is always at the center of our life. The problem is that we do not always live at the center. We wonder off to the edge. Sometimes as far from God as we can get, out on the edge where the storm is the worst. We have made the mistake of thinking in the terms of God-centered or self-centered. As Christians, we are God-centered. The center is where the life is. When we move away from the realization of God as our center, we do not live in the fullness of life. It does not change God's location we just choose to live off-center. There is no calm off-center. Everything of God is in the center—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

So how do we go off-center? It starts when we say “let me try to do it myself.” Maybe we find some good principles to start using to “keep us close to God.” Then we look at these principles as what works to keep us close to God, so we look for more principles to live by. We add a few good disciplines to keep us in line with these principles and before long we have a life full of self imposed rules. Our focus has become what we do instead of who we are and where we are. These rules or principles are hard to do because “who is perfect?” but we continue trying to follow all of the principles and rules that have led us off-center. Yes, we are off-center when we are looking to something other than God for our righteousness. Strangely, things seem to get tough, life gets hard. We are now attempting to live in the destructive part of the storm.

It’s now time to find some peace. Where do we find it? God is in the center. We should be in the center or in God. This does not change anything that is happening in the storm, but it changes where we are in the storm. The storm still looks destructive from the center, but it is strangely calm when we are in God. When we remain in God, who is in the center of our life, we can see the storm of life from a very calm perspective.

GOSSIP the eighth deadly sin.

Who am I? I have no respect for justice. I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives. I am cruel and malicious and gather strength with age. The more I am quoted, the more I am believed. I flourish at every level of society. My victims are helpless. They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face. To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become. I'm nobody's friend. Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same. I topple governments and ruin marriages. I destroy careers and cause heartache and sleepless nights. I wreck churches and separate Christians. I spawn suspicion and generate grief, make innocent people cry on their pillows. Even my name hisses. I am gossip.

Fifteen hundred years ago Pope Gregory the Great classified the sins that cause humanity to stumble (the 6th century). He looked at every sin mentioned in the Bible and boiled them down to 7 categories of sin. His list of 7 sins is known as The 7 Deadly Sins. The 7 deadly sins are pride, anger, indifference, envy, greed, lust, and gluttony. The 7 deadly sins include nearly every kind of human sin imaginable. But there is a deadly sin that failed to be included in the list of the 7 deadly sins. The 8th deadly sin is gossip.All the sins of the tongue are deadly. Profanity, insults, lying negativism, complaints, and criticism are all harmful. Gossip is a particularly deadly sin. Gossip has destroyed more people, tarnished more reputations, broken more friendships, and split more churches than any sin I'm aware of. Gossip is quickly told, quickly heard, and quickly spread. Worst of all, gossip is quickly believed. People will confess to theft, adultery, even murder. But no one confesses to gossip.The book of Proverbs warns us of the deadly allure of gossip as well as its deadly effects over and over again. Proverbs 18:8 says, "The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man's inmost parts." Whether we admit it or not, we have a fascination with gossip. That's why talk shows and grocery store tabloids are so popular. Proverbs says gossip is like a tasty morsel that we like to savor. Gossip is like a hot fudge sundae made with Blue Bell ice-cream. Gossip is like peach cobbler with real whipped cream. Gossip is like steak and lobster. Gossip is like an all you can eat buffet with a desert bar. We can't get enough of it.Not only does Proverbs warn us that we have a perverse attraction with gossip. Proverbs also warns us of the corrupting effect of gossip. When we listen to gossip, it goes to our "inmost parts." Gossip sinks its teeth into our hearts, souls, and minds and corrupts us like a fast spreading cancer.We know what gossip is when we hear gossip or when we speak gossip. But we don't often take time to define words like gossip.We want to see what God's Word says about gossip. Let's take a moment to consider the meaning of gossip and its sister words as the Bible uses them. It helps us to know the meaning of the words as they are used by Jesus and His apostles in the Greek New Testament. Simply put, "gossip" is talking about people behind their back.

God Will Anoint You With His Power To Go Into Battle

If you are operating under a full surrender with God the Father, and walking in all of God’s ways and staying out of any serious sins and transgressions against Him – then the next thing you will need to fully realize is that God will now anoint you with His power if you are ever forced to go into battle with your enemy.

The Bible tells us that we are now all good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Whether we want to face up to it or not, we are all living in a war zone as a result of the curse of Adam and Eve that is still in full operation on this earth. Anyone of us at anytime can come under human or demonic attack. The daily news will prove that to you without any shadow of a doubt.

Each Christian must now make their own personal decision on all of this. You can either choose to learn how to rise up in the power of your Lord and Savior and learn how to become a true warrior in the Lord, or you can continue to keep your head in the sand and let storm cloud after storm cloud keep beating you down. The choice is yours.
The following verses will show you that God can anoint you with His power to defeat any enemy that may come your way – but you first have to be willing to step into that anointing, and then be willing to take your enemy head on before God will release His anointing through you to be able to defeat that enemy.

Again, study these verses very carefully – as they will show you the incredible supernatural power that God can channel through you if you would only be willing to step into and walk with His anointing.

1. “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” (Luke 10:19)
    
2. “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases.” (Luke 9:1)
    
3. “And He called the twelve to Him, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits … And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6: 7,13)
    
4. “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.” (Matthew 10:1)
    
5. “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:6)
    
6. “No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from me,” says the Lord. (Isaiah 54:17)
    
7. “Through You we will push down our enemies; through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. For I will not trust in my bow, nor shall my sword save me. But You have saved us from our enemies, and have put to shame those who hated us. In God we boast all day long, and praise Your name forever.” (Psalm 44:5)
    
8. “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9)
    
9.  ”… but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” (Daniel 11:32)
    
10. “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6)
     
11. “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
     
12. “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit …” (1 Thessalonians 1:5)
     
13. “For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20)
     
14. “… in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God …” (Romans 15:19)
     
15. “Truly the signs of an apostle were accomplished among you with all perseverance, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds.” (2 Corinthians 12:12)
     
16. “God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit …” (Hebrews 2:4)
     
17.  ”And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.” (Mark 16:20)
     
18. “And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.” (Acts 4:33)
     
19. “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you …” (1 John 2:27)
     
20. “But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things.” (1 John 2:20)
     
21. “Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.” (Acts 2:43)
     
22. “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage …” (Joshua 1:5)
     
23. “Blessed be the Lord my Rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle – my lovingkindness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and the One in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.” (Psalm 144:1)
     
24. “For You are my lamp, O Lord; the Lord shall enlighten my darkness. For by You I can run against a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” (2 Samuel 22:29)
     
25. “It is God who arms me with strength, and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of deer, and sets me on high places. He teaches my hands to make war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze … I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed. I have wounded them, so that they were not able to rise; they have fallen under my feet. For You have armed me with strength for the battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.” (Psalm 18:32,37)

I believe all of these verses mean exactly what they are saying. God can anoint you with His supernatural power to defeat any enemy that may come your way – but only if you are willing to step into it and not be afraid to directly engage with whatever storm cloud is getting ready to come your way.

Notice the first verse tells you that you can have God’s power and authority to trample over “all” the power of the enemy – not just against some or part of his power. This means you can have God’s anointing and power operating in your life to come out completely victorious against any storm cloud that may attempt to come against you in this life.

God Will Give You His Strength, Boldness and Courage to Walk With His Anointing

All of the above Scripture verses are definitely telling you that God can anoint you with His power whenever that power is going to be needed to take on any kind of nasty storm cloud. However, there is one more thing that you are going to need before God will release His power through you. And that one more thing is the mental strength, courage and boldness to step out with His power to actually use it to directly engage with your enemy.

If you are not willing to step out and flow and operate with God’s anointing for whatever you are going to need it for – then absolutely nothing is going to happen. If you are not willing to speak out to any demons who may be trying to attack you – then God’s power will not come into the situation to blow them out of there, and they will thus stay right where they are at continuing to attack and torment you.

1. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
    
2. “The Lord is my strength and my shield …” (Psalm 28:7)
    
3. “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.” (Psalm 138:3)
    
4. “O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places. The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people.” (Psalm 68:35)
    
5. “He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29)
    
6. “For the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caught.” (Proverbs 3:26)
    
7. “Yet the righteous will hold to his way, and he who has clean hands will be stronger and stronger.” (Job 17:9)
    
8. “They shall walk after the Lord. He will roar like a lion. When He roars, then His sons shall come trembling from the west …” (Hosea 11:10)
    
9. “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” (Proverbs 24:10)

Notice the very last verse is telling you that if you faint in the day of any kind of adversity, that your strength will be considered small in the eyes of God.

In other words, God is telling you that He does not want to be a wimp – and He is expecting each and every one of us to learn how to war against any adverse situations that could come our way in this life operating under His authority, power and anointing to be able to do so. This is why we are all called to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, not just a select few.

 God Will Run Protection For You

Sometimes God will want you to go into the battle – and then He will fight the battle through you to defeat your enemy. However, there will be other times where you will have to do absolutely nothing. God will run protection for you so that no attacks will ever come your way in the first place. God will act as a shield and fortress for you. As you will see in the following Scripture verses, God will be:

• Your Hedge
• Your Refuge
• Your Fortress
• Your Deliverer
• Your Defense
• Your Front and Rear Guard
• Your Stronghold
• Your Strength
• Your Rock
• Your Savior
• Your Light

These verses in particular are extremely powerful, and I mean extremely powerful! These are the types of verses you will need to ground on in your walk with the Lord. These are the types of verses that can keep a lot of unnecessary attacks from ever coming your way in the first place. Quote these verses back to God the Father in your prayer life with Him. Tell Him that you will stand on the promises of these verses with full faith and belief.

If and when any storm cloud gets ready to come your way – pull these verses out, and go into prayer with the Lord telling Him that you are now going to stand on the wording of these verses, and that you will have full faith and belief that He will run protection for you against whatever may be getting ready to come your way.

Give yourself pep talks if need be, telling yourself that God is going to protect you – no matter how hopeless the situation may look and appear to you in the natural. Load your mind and spirit up with the wording of these verses and set your face like flint against your storm cloud – having full faith and belief that God will protect you and deliver you from whatever is getting ready to come your way.

1. “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side?” (Job 1:10)
    
2. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; the God of my strength, in Him I will trust, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my Savior, You save me from violence.” (2 Samuel 22:2)
    
3. “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.” (Psalm 62:1)
    
4. “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” (2 Thessalonians 3:3)
    
5. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all of his bones; not one of them is broken.” (Psalm 34:19)
    
6. “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:18)
    
7. “The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.” (Psalm 18:2)
    
8. “But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their strength in time of trouble. And the Lord shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him.” (Psalm 37:39)
    
9. “I will lift up my eyes to the hills – from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to be moved; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul. The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore.” (Psalm 121:1)
    
10. “… Deliver me speedily; be my rock of refuge, a fortress of defense to save me. For You are my rock and my fortress; therefore, for Your name’s sake, lead me and guide me. Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me, for You are my strength. Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.” (Psalm 31:2)
     
11. “Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.” (Psalm 31:19)
     
12. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, in this I will be confident.” (Psalm 27:1)
     
13. “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I will destroy them.” (Psalm 118:6)
     
14. “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
     
15. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea … God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.” (Psalm 46:1,5)
     
16. “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me? … In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Psalm 56: 3,11)
     
17. “When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people, He permitted no one to do them wrong; Yes, He reproved kings for their sakes, saying “Do not touch my anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.” (Psalm 105:13)
     
18. “Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man. Through God we will do valiantly, for it is He who shall tread down our enemies.” (Psalm 60:11)
     
19. “For the Lord God will help me; therefore I will not be disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed. He is near who justifies me; who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me. Surely the Lord God will help me; who is he who will condemn me? Indeed they will all grow old like a garment; the moth will eat them up.” (Isaiah 50:7)
     
20. “Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds His people from this time forth and forever.” (Psalm 125:1)
     
21. “Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard, who keeps your soul among the living, and does not allow our feet to be moved.” (Psalm 66:8)
     
22. “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:4)
     
23. “He who dwells 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 I will trust. Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feather, and under His wings you shall take refugee; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.
    A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.
    They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has 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 honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.” (Psalm 91:1-16)
    

If you will read each one of these verses one after another, you will really feel the power on these verses when you string them all of them together. All of these verses show us, without any shadow of a doubt, how protective God can get with His own. However, as the last verse points out, this protection will only be given to those who have established a true, personal relationship with the Lord.

Fight Back!

1. The Full Surrender

The first thing you must be willing to do before you can even begin to get God to protect you and fight some of your personal battles for you is that you have to be willing to fully surrender every part of your life over to God the Father for His direction and handling.You must be fully submitted to the Lord before you can even begin to do battle with Satan, any of his demons, or any human enemy in the natural realm.

Here is the very first verse each Christian must get under their belt before they can even begin to enter into any kind of true, spiritual warfare in the Lord. This verse is only one sentence long, but a lot is being said in this one sentence.

This is absolutely the number one foundational verse in which all true spiritual warfare in the Lord will be based on.

Here it is:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7)

Most people skip the first part of this verse and jump right into the second part of it. However, the first part of this verse gives you the secret in which you will be able to engage with the devil.

The first part is to “submit to God.” Submitting to God means you are in a full submission with God. To be in a full submission with God means you are in a full surrender with Him.

This lack of a full surrender to the Lord in a believer’s life is the main reason why so many of His people are coming under such serious and heavy attacks from demons and the other bad and evil people in this life. It’s “your all for God’s all.” If you want God’s maximum protection on you and your life – then you will have to be willing to give Him your all. And your all is a full and complete surrender of your body, soul, spirit and your entire life over to God the Father.

If you are not willing to fully surrender every part of your being and every part of your life over to the Lord – then you simply will not be getting God’s full protection on you and your life, and you will thus be subject to various types of storm clouds being able to come against you.

2. Going On the Offensive Against Your Enemies

The second part of this verse then gives you secret #2 to spiritual warfare – and that secret is to “resist the devil.” Notice the verse says to first resist the devil, and then he will flee. Resist means you fight, you engage, you take your enemy head on. You do not sit passively by while he continues to attack and beat you down.

If there is one major secret I feel the Lord has given me in the area of spiritual warfare – it is the strategy of going on the offensive against whatever enemy is coming against you – just like David did with Goliath.

3. Walk in All of God’s Ways – Keep All of God’s Commandments!

As you will see in the next two verses, the second thing you must do after making a full surrender with the Lord is that you have to seek to walk in all of God’s way’s and keep all of God's commandments.

If you are out cheating on your wife and committing adultery behind her back, then you will not be getting God’s full protection on you or His power to help deliver you from any attacks that may be coming against you from your enemies.This is another main reason why many of God’s children are coming under such serious and heavy attacks from the enemy. They have “holes in their hedges” as result of operating in some of these heavier sins. If you are operating in any of these heavier sin areas – then you will need to get it all worked out with Lord before you can even begin to step out onto the battlefield to do spiritual battle with your enemies.

1. “If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them … you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land. You will chase your enemies, and they shall fall by the sword before you. Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you.” (Leviticus 26:3)
    
2. “For the Lord your God walks in the midst of your camp, to deliver you and give your enemies over to you; therefore your camp shall be holy, that He may see no unclean thing among you, and turn away from you.” (Deuteronomy 23:14)

Notice in the second verse that God will walk in the midst of your camp, which is your life, and He will deliver you and keep your enemies from overtaking you – but only if your camp is “holy.” If it is not, then He will turn away from you, and you will then have no protection from your enemies!

The first verse is literally telling you that if you keep all of God’s commandments and do them and stay out of any serious sin – then He will give you safe dwelling in your present set of circumstances, and also give you the power and the ability to engage and chase your enemies away from you should they even try to launch an attack against you.

Notice the last part of this verse says that a hundred shall put ten thousand to flight. What I believe God is trying to tell us with this last sentence is that no enemy, no matter how big, will be any match for you as long as you are living under God’s wing and protection.

My God is a Warrior!

God the Father was absolutely ferocious in His defense of the Jewish people when the situation would warrant Him coming to their aid. The Bible tells us that God the Father does not change – and if God is the same today as He was in the past – then this means that He will also come to the aid of all New Testament Christians who are walking in good stead with Him. The best analogy I can give you on this is the family analogy. For those of you who are married and have children just imagine that you just found out that someone was going to try and abduct and kill one of your children. What do you think your natural response to such a horrible threat would be? You would have a strong righteous wrath rise up on you and you would not hesitate to go into battle to either kill this abductor in self-defense if you had to, or arrange to make sure he got caught by the police and properly prosecuted. I have had mother after mother tell me that they would not hesitate to kill someone like this if they thought their child was going to be killed or seriously injured by such an evil individual.

It is the exact same way with God the Father.God is our real Father, and as such, can you imagine what some of His emotional responses may be when He sees one of His own children come under any type of human or demonic attack? God the Father is a God of maximum intensity. This means that all of His emotions within His personality are going to be of a maximum intense nature. So if God would have a very strong righteous wrath rise up on Him when seeing any of His own children come under any kind of an evil attack – can you just imagine what the intensity of that righteous wrath would be like?

This is why some of the battles God fought for the Jewish people back in the Old Testament were so bloody and so intense. Some of these battles were the full wrath and anger of God coming into full manifestation to defeat some of Israel’s enemies.

However, in order to be able to get God’s maximum protection on you, there are several things you must do before God will go this far with you. Many of God’s children are getting beat to a pulp in the playing field of life.The main reason for this is that many Christians are lacking real, working knowledge in the area of spiritual warfare. God says in His Word that His people will perish for having lack of knowledge – and not having the right kind of knowledge in spiritual warfare is what is getting so many of His people beat to a pulp.

Demons, and humans who have chosen to live this life on the dark side, are constantly on the prowl seeking who they are going to try and devour next. All you have to do is watch the daily news and it is one horror story after another. Robberies, rapes, abductions, murders, and thefts are occurring every minute of every day in our country and all across the world. And some of those who are coming under these types of evil attacks are Christians.Pray & read the Word how to go into battle against some real adverse situations.

Persecution!

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

—John 15:18-20

The title of my blog...

A prisoner of Christ might sound like a contradiction. I am a Prisoner by choice embracing the world's eviction. Basically... I choose to be a servant to the Lord. I am completely consumed by Him. I do everything according to His Word and His way. (Just as a Prisoner obeys a Warden)


I believe in sovereign will. I believe that there is nothing more important in this world than the Gospel.

My FAVORITE song! :)

"Praise You In This Storm"

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus:]
And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

[Chorus]

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

[Chorus x2]

Hell dances when God's people are afraid!

Ya know- I can honestly say that I do not live in fear anymore. I have been afraid of the dark since I was a little girl. And from a past drug addiction- I have been tormented by demons. To someone who never experienced this.. . I know it sounds crazy. But it is the truth! & If you believe in angels you must know that demons exist as well. For the past few years (sober) I have still felt, seen & heard the presence of demons. I believe my meth addiction opened me up the a spirit realm that most people do not even know it exists. Talking about it makes me realize, how insane it sounds. I am perfectly aware of that. But my point in sharing this is... I have been tormented by one demon in particular. A black wolf (dog) with golden eyes that look liquid. It started in my dreams and moved to reality! The more I feared this demon the more I gave life to it's ability to scare me and affect me. Although, I believe in Jesus and I know that no weapon formed against me can prosper... I was terrified. This thing had me living in fear for a few years and I reached out to fellow believers looking for help. Every time I prayed I would get even more afraid. It would taunt me and had me completely convinced that if I told it out loud it could not hurt me- that it could. I was too afraid to rebuke it in person. I would only do so in my dream when it attacked me!

In my dreams I could see, hear and feel it. In reality, I could hear and feel it's presence but, it was invisible. Trust me- I know this sounds like I am losing my mind- but it is the truth. I tell you this because I wanna share what the Lord did for me. He came to my heart and spoke these words. "You know... hell dances when my people are afraid." And I DID NOT want the evil ones rejoices over my failure to know who I AM in Christ. I got angry with the evil that was always tormenting me! I knew who I was in Christ. And I'll tell ya... I am not afraid anymore! I will kick the door in on that beast and tell IT right to it's face greater is HE who is within me than he who is in the world! I am not a scared christian. I am a child of God who knows WHO my Father is! My Father is a KING and I am his princess!

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
1 John 4:4

(1/3) Glenn Beck - Islam's "12th Imam" (2.17.11)

(2/3) Glenn Beck - Islam's "12th Imam" (2.17.11)

(3/3) Glenn Beck - Islam's "12th Imam" (2.17.11)

Allah or Jesus?...

The Muslim religion is the fastest growing religion per capita in the United States, especially in the minority races!!!

Allah or Jesus? By Rick Mathes

Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs. I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say.

The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video.

After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.

When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: "Please, correct me if I'm wrong but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?"

There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, "Non-believers!"

I responded, "So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commanded to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in Heaven. Is that correct?"

The expression on his face changed from one of authority and command to that of "a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar." He sheepishly replied, "Yes".

I then stated, "Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in Heaven!"

The Imam was speechless.

I continued, "I also have problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to Heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to Heaven and He wants you to be there with me?"

You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame.

Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were not happy with Rick's way of dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.

In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. to elect the President! I think everyone in the US should be required to read this but with the liberal justice system, liberal media, and the ACLU, there is no way this will be widely publicized.


This is a true story and the author, Rick Mathes, is a well known
leader in prison ministry.

Drugs & Homosexuality

I represent God! If you're a Christian then you have to remember- that you represent Him too. Be careful about the people that you run with- And the choices that you make when you're together. The decisions you make reflect on you're character. If you have made mistakes in the past and are haunted by them, move forward with your life. Learn from the mistakes- and let go. Satan has a tendency to remind us of our past! Especially if it causes us to live in pain and heartache. The devil tries to distract you from God's love and the forgiveness you can find in His arms. If he can get you side tracked- he is winning. That's his ultimate goal! If, you want to make a fresh start and move in a positive direction take control by asking Jesus into your life. Ask Him to guide your ways.That way you make wonderful memories! So when you look back, there is a beautiful story line behind your life! Your past doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Sometimes the people closest to you will persecute you and try to discourage you. They may not believe that you have corrected your life and that's okay. You are not obliged to change for them. It's for yourself and most importantly for Christ and His Kingdom. So many of us pick apart scripture and choose to only follow the parts that are easiest for us.

For example, some people who call themselves 'Christians', think that it's okay to smoke pot because it isn't as harsh as other drugs. It's safer and an herb. If you are representing God you must be careful what you support publicly and behind closed doors.Yet what does scripture say about this?...

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour."- 1 Peter 5:8

I am pretty sure being high is not being sober. A drug is any substance other than food that alters the way your mind a body function. Jesus will return and when He does, I doubt you wanna get caught stoned out of your mind. What would you say? That's the reason I stopped smoking! I knew that it went against God's word. I didn't want to b/c the flesh is weak. And empty justifications are weak. That verse goes with any and all drugs.When you chase a temporary high it turns you from God's grace and you are more susceptible to spiritual attacks for the evil one. That is his goal in this life- to lead us astray! If this is something you have been battling with, than take a stand once and for all. You can be a huge impact to the kingdom of God by changing your life. Those around you will take notice and your change will be an example to them. No drug in this world is as amazing as the high you get from being drunken in the spirit. Guaranteed.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders."- 1 Corinthians 6:9

What happened to Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities near them is an example for us of the punishment of eternal fire. The people of these cities suffered the same fate that God's people and the angels did, because they committed sexual sins and engaged in homosexual activities."- Jude 1:7

The rainbow is not a symbol of gay rights but of a covenant. If you were born that way, you can get born again. People may think this is a hate speech but it's not. I think the church has been too quiet. Everyone now days are marching in a movement. Wanting to legalize everything. All they really wanna legalize is sin. Same sex marriages, let me just testify- God's word speaks distinctly about this subject. If you are a Christian and yet you turn your head to this and say, "well people can do what they want"- b/c you don't wanna seem like your being prejudice- then you are allowing yourself to fall short of the spiritual leadership your job entails. Don't just ask for the free gift of salvation and then refuse to stand up for Christ b/c you live in fear that people may get offended. We are supposed to help spread God's word. It is your business and your responsibility to help others see what is true. God is the TRUTH!

"I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth."- Genesis 9:13

♥ Maybe the atheist cannot find God for the same reason a thief cannot find a policeman. ♥ Hell dances when God's people are afraid.♥Every Saint has a past. Every Sinner has a future!♥

Luke 9:22-26 [22] And he said, "The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." [23] Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. [24] For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. [25] What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? [26] If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels."

On my mind tonight. I realize what it means to be a true disciple of God. That walking in the Spirit means to die in the flesh. You can't just talk God. You must walk, talk, live, love and completely be consumed by Him. I can honestly say I will pick up my cross, and deny myself (flesh) daily. I love Jesus!