Word for Today, Thu, 17 Dec 2004: The Great Battle
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>
Dear friends,
Today's devotional message comes from Joni Ames. I have not used
this particular author in my messages in the past, but Joni makes
a number of strong arguments in this long message. Yes, it is a
long one, but it is well worth reading and giving your serious
consideration. You may or may not be going through any issues
yourself right now, but chances are fairly good that someone who
know (whether you know it or not) is struggling at this very
moment. These collection of thoughts, many directly inspired by
scripture, may be just what's needed. The message includes some
encouragement, but it also includes some words of caution. My
friend Betty Hayes originally sent this message to several
friends, and it worked its way back to me again. I think it's
worth making our Word for Today. Save it, read it, think about
it, and pray.
Yours in Christ,
Brian
HOW TO BATTLE IN TIMES OF ONSLAUGHT - Joni Ames
JONIAMES@aol.com
Dec 10, 2004
HOW TO BATTLE IN TIMES OF ONSLAUGHT
- Joni Ames
It seems that, in recent time, there has been quite a bit of
spiritual warfare that has been attacking the emotions. Have you
recently been experiencing any of the following feelings?:
* A sense of wondering whether you've actually been following the
* plan of God for your life, or have totally "missed" it.
* As though your life and/or ministry has not been effective and
* has had no meaning, reason or rhyme.
* Lack of direction.
* No matter what you do, you can't "get it right."
* No matter what you do, you can't "get rid of" your past
* mistakes.
* No matter where you go, you can't "escape" condemnation.
* Rejection.
* Relationships in upheaval.
* Series of setbacks.
* Series of "accidents."
* Series of physical attacks.
* Appliances & vehicles "on the fritz."
* Bizarre happenings.
* Fear for the future.
* Financial mishaps.
* Nagging "weird" dreams.
* Asking yourself what your life means.
* Feeling as though there isn't enough time to accomplish what
* you felt God wanted to do with you and your life.
* Feeling that the promises you thought you were holding onto
* have slipped through your fingers.
* Having a sensing that you never really properly understood
* and/or walked in what God had for you anyhow.
* Nagging uneasiness.
* Crying out to God, "I can't take any more."
==================
WHAT IS HAPPENING?
==================
Through a recent series of events that have happened, I've felt
much of the above and asked myself question after question,
repented of everything I could think of, and sought God over and
over, and finally came to the conclusion that I'm tired of being
"hit" with all of this junk! And to top it off, tired of feeling
having it come with the condemnation that it was somehow ALSO all
my fault! I needed answers, and didn't just want to hear some
patented responses like, "Maybe you have an open door," "You need
to repent of something," "Maybe it is witchcraft," "Maybe God is
trying to get your attention." - I even got tired of sending out
prayer requests, because I had people sending me "words" like
that! - Plus, I was getting hit so much that I was embarrassed to
send out another story of ANOTHER "hit!" I began to feel that I
was glorifying the enemy by speaking out what the "bad things"
were that were happening. Yet I knew that I also needed
intercession on my behalf, because I was truly in a battle.
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WORD CURSES
=============
One thing that was sure during this time was that there were
"word curses" being spoken. I thank God for those who would pray
for me and send notes of encouragement. However, I would also
receive some messages back that sounded like "Job's comforters"
revisited! In that, the Lord showed me that I was to be publicly
silent about what was going on and to only share the situations
with a few close friends and intercessors that I knew I could
trust to speak words of LIFE over me and about me.
God spoke the world into existence with His words, and when
anointed people speak, their words also have creative power. The
Bible tells us that LIFE and DEATH are in the power of the tongue
(Prov. 18:21). So, whether it is us sharing about our situation
with others, or others sharing their opinions about it, we need
to be cautious of the words we speak.
===================================================
SO, HOW SHOULD WE HANDLE TIMES & SITUATIONS LIKE THIS?
===================================================
(1) I'm reminded of a little phrase in the Lion King movie:
"Remember who you are!" - We must not let the enemy belittle us
TO us! We must shake off any demonic impressions that would try
to implant seeds and suggestions into our hearts that would cause
us to forget that. We were bought with a price - the blood of
Jesus - and He paid for our victory, and thus deserves to see us
walk in it! (1Co 6:20; 1Co 7:23)
(2) Know and be assured of your calling. "Write the vision and
make it plain that they may run who reads it!" (Habakkuk 2:2-3)
Write out the vision the Lord has given to you, and hang it in a
frame on your wall or even tape it to your refrigerator! Call it
your vision and purpose statement, and lay hands on it every day,
feeding, watering and saturating it with faith-filled
declarations, proclamations and prayer!
(3) Pull out the prophecies the Lord has given you. Even put them
all on one cassette tape or CD, and play them loudly, reminding
yourself of them. Then "Wage war with the prophecies made
concerning you!" (I Timothy 1:18 & 19)
(4) Pray and break the power of word curses and demonic ley lines
(demonic lines of communication) off of you, your household and
your property, and plead the blood of Jesus over all.
(5) Keep a diary/log of your blessings, and thank God for them
daily!
(6) Play the Word on CD or tape and play praise music that
touches your heart and the heart of God - Jesus is the Word made
flesh (I John 1:1 & 14), so fill up on Him, and God inhabits the
praises of His people - and the enemy flees from His presence!
(7) Don't forsake assembling with others of like mind and heart.
At the holiday season, many churches in your area have plays and
Christmas concerts - go to them, and allow yourself to enjoy
them.
(8) Want to change your finances? Give finances! - "Give, and it
will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with
the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you."
(Luke 6:38; NKJV) - Even if it is only pocket change that you
toss into a salvation army bucket, GIVE, and that change will
bring a change in your financial picture. It will do your heart
good, and it can be the catalyst - like a priming of the pump -
to receiving your own miracles.
(9) Lonely? Open your home to others throughout the holidays and
even on Christmas. There are a lot of lonely people, and there is
no reason for that when, if you open your home, you can all share
the holiday together.
(10) Have a party! You don't have to have money to throw a party.
You can have one, even if you just open your home for a covered
dish dinner, where everyone brings something. One person can
bring hot dogs, another bread, and another beans. That's a meal!
And where two or more gather, the Lord is in the midst!
(11) Depressed? Get your focus off of yourself and find creative
ways to bless others. You can't out-give God. Give out plenty of
hugs and words of encouragement, and you can't help but feel
blessed and loved right back! "The generous soul will be made
rich, And he who waters will also be watered himself." (Prov.
11:25)
(12) LAUGH! When everything I've been going through "hit" me, my
daughter and I looked at each other and just burst into laughter!
Even though I was in pain, it was so absolutely ridiculous that
we just laughed! There I was, just out of the hospital, where I'd
gotten burned while IN the hospital, then traveled to WV for my
granddaughter's surgery, and on the way out of the hospital after
her surgery, tripped on a rug and flew through the air, as if in
slow motion, knocking my head and body for a loop! We finally
just laughed until we couldn't laugh anymore, and something
broke! Pr 17:22 says: "A merry heart does good, like medicine,
But a broken spirit dries the bones." And Ps 126:2 says, "Then
our mouth was filled with laughter, And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations, 'The LORD has done great things
for them.' "
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PRAYER
=======
Lord, you say in Isa 26:3 that You will keep him in perfect
peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. We
ask you to help us do that, and to help us battle appropriately
and in such a way as to cause us to walk in victory. We do repent
of any wrong doings, and we ask your forgiveness for them and for
any lack of faith or ways in which we have opened doors to the
enemy, and we turn from those things and ask you to close the
doors that should be closed and open the doors that should be
opened, so that our paths would be made plain to us. We thank you
for the many wonderful things you've done for us, from "big
things" like salvation right on through to the "little" every day
things. We love and worship you, and bless your name. In Jesus
name we pray, Amen.
- Joni Ames
=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
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