Battle in to Glory!

Paulette Reed:

"Marching Forth—Out of the Battle into the Glory"

As we "spring" into a new season, the Lord wants to bring refreshing to the Body of Christ, as is written in Isaiah 43:18-19: "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert."

Alleluia! God's Word is so amazing as it disciplines us. By it we learn to take every thought captive so as not to call to mind former things but, rather, march forward with the mind of Christ. For, beloved, if we look back, we draw back. Surely, rivers in the desert will sustain us as we prepare for a great harvest of souls.

Friends, there have been many long, hard-fought battles, and sin has tried to enter in, but righteousness will have its way! Holy Spirit recently reminded me of the woman at the well who had become entangled in darkness, possibly due to wounds from her past (see John 4:9-15). But Jesus met her right where she was at, even as a spirit of death (sin) crouched at her door. Jesus offered her exactly what she needed—living water, life...abundantly. Praise God!

He offers this "living water" to each one of us, no matter what has transpired on our journey—by nature or by nurture. For the Lord sees each person created in the image of God, and "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28). How exciting to read of the Samaritan woman hearing of eternal life and running from the well to share the Good News—whose name was Jesus. Beloved, we too are being called to run and share truth as living waters now flow from our bellies (see John 7:38). You are a well—go!

Healing Waters Healing Wounds

Many years ago, I had a vision of the Body of Christ, the army of God, marching but wounded. Thousands of men and women hobbled along, clothed in bandages, using crutches to prop them up as they moved forward on the battleground—ever so slowly, but not so surely.

Following the vision, I witnessed outpourings around the world as our Commander in Chief, yet loving Father, poured out His Spirit. It was truly a spirit of love likened to that of a compassionate parent kissing the wounds of precious children—bringing comfort and healing. Of course, that balm is always available as needed. But, His "army" is much stronger today, and we know that offensive troops gain ground quickly. It's time to occupy, Church!

Bless the Lord as He hands out "prescriptions" for wisdom. For if we don't draw upon the healing waters, allowing deep cleansing of the wounds, then spiritual infection can enter in. Bitterness, for example, can become cancerous to the soul if it remains as unresolved revenge. Internal poisons can become like deadly cells, multiplying and attaching to peace and joy—killing and destroying. Wounds that have superficially scabbed over can create barriers, interfering with intimacy with the Lover of our Soul.

The fact is, all warriors for Christ can be wounded in the battle, dear ones, so we must be attentive to the ploys of the enemy. It's crucial to remember, we march on a victorious battleground, so it is actually the deep, inner infection and poison that is the real war. But aren't we blessed to have the cleansing Blood of our Savior to bring healing and total forgiveness to us? Oh friends, ALL things work together for good, for God, and nothing the enemy throws at us is a challenge to the King.

Yes, we encounter temptations and if we're not careful we can create landing strips for the enemy. But we must keep in mind that satan only has as much power as God allows. So what the devil wants to use to draw us away from the Lord, Holy Spirit wants to use to draw us closer to the Lord. In actuality, battles can produce increased Christlike character in us, for godly purposes, and allow His Kingdom to be advanced with power.

If you've been wounded friend, today is a good day to let go and let God. Hebrews 9:22 is a living, active Word that can wash your wounds of all infection. It says, "Without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." In other words, no church, no therapist, no religion can do the cleansing Jesus can do, because the shedding of His Blood paid for every sin. There's power in the Blood yesterday, today and forever.

The Power of Choice

Sometimes I think we underestimate the power of choice—a power we see in mankind initially in the Garden of Eden. Beloved, each time we're wounded we can choose to become bitter or better. We can choose to inquire of our Heavenly Father as to how He wants to use every circumstance in our lives to conform us to the image of Christ. In other words, how do we process an event with the mind of Christ (see 1 Corinthians 2:16) so we do not allow sin to take a foothold? We must realize poor choices can cause distance in our relationships with our Savior and His/our family.

Question: What choice did our role model Jesus make each time He was hurt, wounded, betrayed? Answer: Love was always His greatest aim.

Another great example to follow is our brother Paul. We see in Acts 9:16 he was destined for pain in service, even before he was an apostle. The Scriptures read, "I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." There we have it...we're in good company.

Friends, have you ever been falsely accused? If so, you have even more in common with Paul. He was being falsely arrested in Jerusalem and ended up in Rome as a prisoner of the empire (see Acts 21-23). However, it's amazing that while in prison he wrote the letter to Philippi—the epistle of joy. May we do the same, shouting joy unspeakable—salvation—to the world during times of darkness, and letting them know there's an eternal joy from above that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away. We must let them know we can all be faithful, even in the hard times because we know eternity is coming!

Are you imprisoned in some manner, today? Perhaps in your mind, your circumstances, your finances? If so, the epistle of joy clearly gives us keys to freedom. Paul kept his eyes on God! He knew God's peace, God's glory, God's salvation, God's effort and God's ownership. He kept his eyes on Jesus! His hope was in the return of Christ. He kept his eyes on the Gospel, on humility, on obedience, on faith, on knowing Christ, on the power of resurrection, on the sufferings of Christ, on the ownership of Christ, and on the grace (see Philippians 1-4). Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!

Of course, the devil would like to bring the focus back on ourselves, getting us to focus on our comfort or lack thereof when there's tribulation. But the Lord has created a divine plan whereby we can put our focus on others, defusing the pain of the battle. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves" (Philippians 2:3).

Paul recognized wounds as tools to advance the Kingdom. Listen to what he wrote in Philippians 1:12, "Now I want you to know, brethren, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the Gospel." He had made a choice to go through anything and everything for Jesus. He went on to say, "More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:8).

Spiritual battle wounds can be very productive tools if we allow them to complete a work in us—if we consider it all joy when we encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of our faith produces endurance. If we let endurance have its perfect result, then we lack nothing (see James 1:2-4). Did you catch that, friends? We lack nothing—Alleluia!

March Forth into Revival Glory

Okay, we know if something needs reviving, it must be dead. And we always rejoice in a God who causes ALL things to work together for good. How amazing—every spiritual battle wound can help crucify the flesh, allowing us to walk in the Spirit.

So we might ask today—Death, where is your sting? Praise God! Jesus, our Forerunner, conquered death thousands of years ago, and the same power that raised Him from the dead dwells in us—resurrection power. Therefore if we've been crucified with Christ, is it not time for revival? Beloved, if you've been wounded in the battle, if you know the Lord is near the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18), then contrition can equal revival. This is one of the keys, Church, for God has promised to "revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15).

A contrite heart has been broken and crushed. It's like particles of clay that can be molded into beautiful vessels, ready to carry the glory of God. A contrite heart contains inner brokenness that weeps over sin and sinners and leads others to be revived by the King of kings.

Contrition is powerful! It creates a heart of habitation. For the Lord says, "'Heaven is My throne and the Earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,' declares the LORD. 'But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word'" (Isaiah 66:1-2).

Oh, yes, out of the battle into the glory!

Onward Christian Soldiers

For Christians, the battle wounds we really need to be concerned about are the ones in our souls, when we choose to think sinfully. We must also be alert for the wounds we refuse to pray about or choose to hang onto, not forgiving others, for those can become poison from the pit. Yes, the war rages friends, but the battleground is victorious. Jesus has given you all that you need to win—it is finished. Walk it out, be watchful—recognize spiritual warfare as choosing good or evil.

Each time we find ourselves in a spiritual battle, we must remember that we are overcomers! It's not about the battle, it's about the victory! It's about slaying the giants and advancing Earth as it is in Heaven. March forth! Don't allow any dark cracks in your armor, beloved. You've made it through boot camp with the Lord of victory—so claim your inheritance as sons and daughters of the King! You are not prisoners of wounds from the past but totally free to walk in your true identity.

Take off the grave clothes as He prepares a crown of beauty for His Bride instead of ashes. He gives you the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (see Isaiah 61:3). Adorn yourself with faith in God, knowing that all discomforts and sorrow are covered by the Blood of Jesus. Forgiveness is mingled with forgetfulness. Arise, and put off despair as you clothe yourself in the praises of the Lord.

Fear not! Even the heat of fresh fire you may walk through only burns up more infection and ignites more anointing of His Presence. Your light has come! No more hobbling along—prepare for acceleration.

Prepare to MARCH FORTH, aggressively, occupying the land for the King of kings! YOU are a revival!

Paulette Reed
Extreme Prophetic Ministries
Email: info@xpmedia.com

About Paulette Reed: Paulette is operations manager for Patricia King and Extreme Prophetic Ministries, in Maricopa, Arizona. She is a powerful preacher, prophetic minister, encourager, and author. Her passion is to share the love of Christ and unite people to the inexplicable love of our Heavenly Father, exhorting them to arise and reach for their destiny. Paulette loves to see God's people awakened and proclaim the active extension of the Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. She ministers in the revival anointing accompanied by revelatory ministry, healing, miracles, signs and wonders.

Andres Bisonni - The Medic

Talented Young Man Trades in Planned Medical Career for Miracle Healing Ministry

by Steve Eastman, OpenHeaven.com TOP News

RALEIGH, NC – Andres Bisonni had it made until God interrupted his plans with something so much better. The young Baptist man who was fast tracking to a professional career had just earned pre-med, economic and chemistry degrees from Baylor University in Texas when he returned to his native Argentina for six-months of study in an exchange program.

“When I arrived, I found myself in the middle of a revival. I began to hear about the Holy Spirit. I began to see the Holy Spirit at work in many people’s lives. To make a long story short, I had a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit where He transformed my life and revealed that His calling, dream and purpose for my life was to carry the Gospel, pray for the sick and take the fire of the Holy Spirit to others.”

I caught up with Bisonni at the Worship Center in North Carolina’s Triangle area. He was the first out of town speaker at the brand new facility between Raleigh and Durham and minutes from Chapel Hill. Musicians from a nearby congregation led praise songs that brought to mind the harmony, tempo and dynamic range of choruses originating from Hillsong Church in Australia. The anointed words brought many to the place where they could freely worship God, joined together as one body. You could see it in their faces.

Nearly everyone was standing, so only a small percentage could actually see Bisonni kneel down on the carpet by the front row. Perhaps it was not so much the music that motivated him, as it was the result of the brokenness he has experienced at the hand of God.

“He uses many different things, but I do think it is not something you can build up or force. It’s something that the Holy Spirit does, and it’s supernatural. And it’s an inner work of the Holy Spirit where He talks you through a process. Sometimes you don’t understand what is going on through your life, but through that breaking He releases His power in your life.”

Worshippers applauded as this man left the auditorium without the aid of his walker.

Bisonni has a deep concern for the nations. Once a month he preaches in a different country. When it was time for him to speak at the Worship Center, he asked where everyone was from. The Latin American countries were well-represented including Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, Columbia, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Brazil and Ecuador. There was also a Vietnamese woman. Bisonni prayed for each of the countries individually.

The young, Argentinean man has a voice that reminds you of actor Antonio Banderas. He shared his experience of being filled with the Holy Spirit, but reminded people not to stop there.

“He’s a person. Therefore He has emotions, feelings and a will. One of his purposes here on earth is to guide us into the truth, to lead us. To be led by the Spirit is to walk in the Spirit, is to be in agreement with the Spirit, is to follow the Spirit, is to do what He wants to do and not what you want to do. I believe that is the secret to a victorious Christian life.”

The Bible tells us faith without works is dead. In other words, it must be demonstrated. Bisonni closed his sermon with general healing prayer. Then came the demonstrations. He interacted with people as they reported healings of arthritic hands, extreme back pain, fibromyalgia, bi-polar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, neck pain so severe that turning the head was out of the question, extreme tooth pain, diabetes, pain all over the body and deafness. One woman had had cancer for 20 years, but at the meeting shocking heat ran through her body for the first time in 20 years. She reported no more pain.

Bisonni would not quit till he had individually prayed for each person desiring prayer, arranging them around the perimeter of the auditorium. Then he prayed for the Worship Center volunteer staff one-by-one. When he had finished, Andres Bisonni was tired. It was close to midnight and just 10 hours till the next meeting.

Read about the Worship Center's origin and vision.

Visit Andres Bisonni's website.

From Infilling to the Power of the Spirit!

Mahesh Chavda:

"Moving From Infilling to the Power of the Spirit"

The Secret of Jesus' Power

Jesus upended the lives of His disciples the day He appeared to them shortly after His resurrection as they huddled in fear behind locked doors. He said, "As the Father has sent Me, I also send you" (John 20:21b). We would like to think that this is a nice Scripture passage to read instead of what it really is—a timeless call to follow Him into the world with the good news.

"As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." John 20:21b

This is the Lord's word to every disciple who hears His voice. Are you His disciple? Do you want to be His disciple? Then say with me right where you are, "As the Father sent Jesus, Jesus is sending me!" Jesus is our ultimate model in life, in faith, and in ministry. According to Him, you and I are called and anointed to follow in His footsteps as "sent ones" into the world.

How could Jesus do these things and accomplish the astounding miracles we see throughout the four Gospels? The secret of His power is found in Luke 4:14: "Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region."

Look carefully at the difference between verses 1 and 14 of Luke chapter 4: Before the temptation in the wilderness, the Bible says that Jesus was filled with the Spirit. That is a good thing, but look at verse 14. At the end of the wilderness temptation and 40 days of fasting, Jesus had totally defeated satan and came out of that experience in the power of the Spirit! He was led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tested. As He obeyed, under the unction of the Holy Spirit, He became empowered to pull down satanic strongholds. So there is a clear difference between being filled with the Spirit and operating in the power of the Spirit!

Something transformed Jesus from being a "Spirit-filled" man into a man who walked in the "power" of the Spirit. Remember that Christ was fully God and fully man. His example in fasting provides God's insight into dealing with obstacles of both flesh and spirit. We need to make the secret of Jesus' power the secret of our power, because He is, after all, our ultimate model.

Many of us function at the level of being filled with the Spirit, and I firmly believe that the in-filling of the Holy Spirit is wonderful. But it is only the first stage of progression beyond salvation. We need to go on.

Move Beyond the In-filling Into
the Power of the Spirit

Jesus Christ showed us the way and personally modeled it for us. Being filled with the Spirit does not make you ready to move into the fullness of your calling in power. We need to submit to the discipline of the Holy Spirit, and during that time frame God will disciple us in the crucial works of prayer, fasting, and the skillful use of His Word as a weapon. Then we will go forth in the power of the Spirit to do God's will.

We have majored on the Word of God for centuries and have learned some things along the way. We are just beginning to step into obedience regarding the discipline of prayer today, but fasting remains a rarely practiced mystery to the modern Church. It is here that we find the principal key to going beyond the in-filling of the Spirit to tap the power of the Spirit.

Jesus fully completed the process in only 40 days, but it would probably take you and me much longer. The important point here is to begin. The disciples were with Jesus for three years, during which time they were discipled under the anointing of Jesus Christ. Yet it was only after the wilderness of the crucifixion and the time of fasting and prayer in the upper room that they pressed through and received both the in-filling of the Holy Spirit and the dunamis or "power" of the Spirit to boldly proclaim the Gospel in the face of opposition.

I want you to see that fasting helps release the power of the Spirit in our lives. It doesn't necessarily help you "earn" more grace from God, but it facilitates the freer flow of the Holy Spirit through you by dissolving and removing all the junk in your life. This can only be accomplished through times of fasting and prayer.

If you give yourself to the Lord in a life that's committed to prayer and to fasting, His anointing will begin to flow through you in greater and greater power. These things are the "first works" we are called to do if we want to do the works of Jesus Christ. The initial or first work of Jesus before He went into His ministry in the power of the Spirit was to fast and wage spiritual warfare in prayer and the Word.

I don't believe in accidents in the Kingdom. It is no accident that you are reading these words. I believe that you were led to this point by the Holy Spirit because you are one of the people He has chosen to serve in His end-time army—you are called and anointed to do the works of Jesus Christ, and even greater works!

You don't have to go on dramatically long fasts to get the benefits of fasting and spiritual warfare. The critical element is not the length of the fast, but that you yield to His leading. I've noticed that God always raises up certain men and women to personally live out certain truths to extreme depths so they can speak and teach them to others with proven authority. That is what happened to me. God released me to teach authoritatively about prayer and fasting, but only after I had quietly conducted many lengthy fasts over a period of two decades at a certain cost to myself and my family.

God is not interested in teaching "theory," but in imparting spiritual truths backed up by solid personal experience and application of His Word. God gives us such people as examples to encourage us to press into Him in certain areas of importance to His plans and purposes for our lives. He wants you to measure up to His purpose for your life.

The difference between the anointing of the Spirit and the power of the Spirit is dramatically illustrated in the incident described in chapter 17 of the Gospel of Matthew following Jesus' transfiguration on the mountain:

"And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 'Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.'

"Then Jesus answered and said, 'O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.' And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour.

"Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, 'Why could we not cast it out?' So Jesus said to them, 'Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." Matthew 17:14-21

When Jesus was alone with the disciples, He gave them one of the most important keys Believers can ever learn to win victory against the greatest obstructions the enemy places in our lives, ministries, and callings. This key can only be perceived and received in the realm of the Spirit because our victory lies in the realm of the Spirit. God has given us mighty weapons for the "pulling down of strongholds" according to the apostle Paul:

"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled." 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Since our weapons (and therefore our victory) are not found in the natural realm of "flesh and blood," our enemy, the devil, will try as often as he can to get us into the natural or fleshly mode of battle and struggle. The most effective way for you and me to put our flesh in its place and walk in the spirit is to fast and pray. If the Son of God fasted and prayed for power in His ministry, why should you and I think we are exempt from these things?

Jesus expects you to fast and to pray. In Matthew 6:5-7, He didn't say, "When you feel like praying…." No, He said three times, "When you pray…." Not if.

In the same way, Jesus didn't say, "If you should someday decide to try to fast, although I know it's almost impossible for you…" in Matthew 6:16-17. No, He said, "When you fast…." He didn't give us the option not to fast. He considered it to be such a natural part of the Christian life that He told the disciples and their critics that prayer and fasting would be a part of their lives after He left them. Nothing has changed since He said those words. If you are a Christian, then you pray. If you are a Christian, then you fast.

God wants to release a double anointing in us so that we can bring that authoritative word of healing, deliverance, and restoration that the disciples witnessed in the deliverance of the epileptic boy. The disciples later exercised that same demon-busting power of the Spirit in the Book of Acts and throughout the narratives of the Epistles. It is about time for us to do the world-changing works of Jesus as we see the devastation in the world around us!

If the Holy Spirit has stirred you as you read through this article, then God is probably preparing you for war! He has chosen you to do the works of Jesus in your generation, and that can only be done in the power of the Spirit.

If you are willing to take up the supernatural weapon of prayer and fasting as a regular part of your arsenal, then say to the Lord right now, "As You lead, Lord Jesus." If you are willing to pay the price of regular prayer and fasting so that you can pull down strongholds, have victory for your life, and bring deliverance and freedom to the captives in your generation, then tell the Lord, "Where You lead me, Lord, I will follow."

This article is an excerpt from The Hidden Power of Prayer and Fasting by Dr. Mahesh Chavda. Written from a lifetime of experience in the power of prayer and fasting, this book gives practical instruction and Biblical foundations to help you step into greater victory and power as part of God's end-time army of anointed vessels.

Mahesh Chavda
Mahesh Chavda Ministries

Email: info@maheshchavda.com
Website: www.maheshchavda.com

Be a Grand Master!

Playing Chess With The Devil

By Todd Strandberg

www.raptureready.com

I have always been terrible at the game of chess. It's not that I don't understand how the game is played--I perfectly understand the rules and moves. The problem is my inability think ahead. If I make a move on the board that seems to be prudent, three moves later, it usually turns out to have been a fatal mistake.

When I play against a computer, I normally get beat like a rented mule. The only way I've been able to win at the game is by cheating. I have one program that allows me to turn one of my pawns into an extra queen. Sadly, even with this unfair advantage, the devilish program still finds a way to overcome the shortfall and checkmate me.

Chess is often depicted as a sport for wimps, but this label is incorrect. A son once asked his dad why chess is not an Olympic game. His father’s response was brief and to the point: "Chess is not a noble sport. When you play chess, your object is to crush the opponent's mind. In today's world, a man's mind is his most precious commodity. Proving to your opponent that his most precious commodity is useless can be devastating for him."

Satan: The Chess Master

It is anyone’s guess what Satan does for recreation in his spare time, but I imagine he would be very good at chess. For someone who spends most of his time devising strategies for ensnaring humanity with various vices, he would likely be a formidable chess opponent.

One of the greatest mistakes we can make is to underestimate Satan’s cunning. We tend to view him as a loser who ran afoul of God and got fired from his job. Unfortunately, he found new employment: the task of damning men's souls to hell.

The Bible certainly doesn't play down the devil's abilities. We are warned that he is an enemy who wishes to destroy all of us. In fact, 1 Peter 5:8-9 says, “Your enemy the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

A wise person is someone who realizes it is impossible to match wits with the devil. Just as I would have no chance of winning a game of chess against the world's most powerful computer, Satan can outmaneuver me with hardly any effort.

A good example of this can be found in the waning days of World War II. As Germany was losing the war, many Germans realized Adolf Hitler was a mad man who needed to be stopped by any means. At least 42 attempts were made to take his life, and all failed in preposterously inconvenient ways.

Once you read some examples of these attempts, you would have to conclude that some unseen agent was protecting Hitler from harm:

An Iron Cross recipient at Nuremberg was going to stab Hitler in front of 1,000 soldiers at an assembly. Hitler had a cold that day and decided to go home early.

A bomb that was intended to blow up the Nazi leader in mid-flight failed to go off because cold weather had hindered the reaction of the chemicals in the bomb.

An infantry captain made plans to explode a bomb while he demonstrated a new army winter overcoat to the German leader. The day before the bombing was to take place, a British air raid destroyed the uniforms.

One general tried to kill Hitler with a concealed bomb that was to be detonated by acid. Unfortunately, Hitler left the building before the acid could act.

A bomb finally did go off next to Hitler. The Fuehrer was spared by a heavy desk that shielded him from the blast.

Historians actually joke that Hitler had “Satan's luck.” The truth is, the devil's hand was as work, and the opposition was pursuing an impossible quest. Perhaps if the Nazi leaders had prayed for “God's luck,” they might have accomplished their goal and saved millions of lives.

Satan's Favorite Moves

Most professional chess players have a series of favorite ploys they like to use against their opponents. Satan has several tricks he regularly uses against us. By being aware of them, we can avoid his snares. Paul said, "Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (2 Cor. 2:11).

Here are six of the strategies that Satan uses. Because they all begin with letter "D," they should be easy to remember.

Divide - A standard strategy is to divide the enemy force in order to make it easier to conquer. Satan loves to create division so he can pick off the weak and weak-minded people.

Doubt - The Bible says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Once Satan can persuade people to question God's Word and His goodness, forgiveness, and love, he is ensured of victory.

Discourage - This strategy involves getting us to focus on our problems rather than entrusting God to provide a solution. It can also be someone else’s problem that creates discouragement in our own lives.

Diversion - Not all problems are equal. The enemy may come at us with an attack of lesser importance to distract us from his main attack. He may also distract us with good things. For example, parents may become too focused on their careers, enabling their children fall into rebellion.

Defeat - The devil is at his best when he causes people to feel so overwhelmed by failure that they don't even try to resist his onslaught. If we’re not resisting the devil, he will move in for the kill.

Delay - In the game of life, Satan wins by default. We are all born in a lost state, so unless we come to faith in Jesus Christ, we will perish. Because procrastination doesn't require doing anything, this strategy is an easy path for victory.

God: The Ultimate Chess Master

The rivalry between God and Satan is often seen as a battle between two equally skilled chess masters, playing against one another to see whose plan will be victorious. This vision is totally fictitious. There never was a real contest between God and Satan, and there never will be.

God is in charge of everything that happens. His level of control is so absolute, He sets the stage for everything that will happen in the universe. How can Satan compete against a Being who knows every move he is going to make ahead of time? God does more than just rule the chess board. He controls both the white and the black pieces.

The devil is so hopelessly outwitted, God published in the Bible many of Satan’s fatal mistakes far ahead of the time he made them. There are still some blunders yet to come. The Holy Word predicts that the devil will attempt to destroy the Jews and that he will make a stand against Jesus at the Battle of Armageddon. Both will end in total failure.

With God having proven himself unbeatable, one might wonder why Satan keeps challenging Him. The devil's problem is that he has such a depraved, arrogant mind, he is incapable of admitting defeat. There is no limit to the foolishness of a heart that is in rebellion against God. For this reason, Satan still thinks he has a chance to vanquish the Almighty.

The only reason we have the impression that God is in a fair contest with His adversary is the fact He grants His creation free will. Our decision to accept or reject God has no reflection on Him. We can make all the decisions we want, but in the end, they all fit into God's perfect plan.

Winning the Game by Following God's Will

One of the clearest indications of how vulnerable we are to Satan's willpower can be found in the warning Jesus gave Peter in Luke 22:31: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat." At first, I thought this verse meant that Satan had asked for dominion over Peter and Jesus rebuffed the request. Jesus then said, "I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail..." (Luke 22:31). But I didn't pay attention to the last part. Jesus added "...And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers," which means that God had allowed Satan to sift Peter.

Peter was the type of emotional person that made him easy pickings for the devil. In the space of one night, he rebuked Jesus when He told the disciple of His pending death, he turned to violence by cutting off the ear of the High Priest's servant, and he denied the Lord three times.

Peter met with failure because he was out of God's will. He trusted in his own strength, and Satan made mincemeat of him. When Peter realized his mistake and became totally dependent on God's guidance for his life, he then became a victorious leader of the Church.

I have been whipped by the devil several times because I failed to seek God's counsel on important issues. What has saved me from complete disaster is the belief that Jesus is Lord of life. Giving God credit didn't save me from having to seek His guidance on how to untangle problems that I allowed to come my way.

We generally fail to take our daily matters to prayer because we don't think it’s that important, we’re too lazy, or we just don’t think God will answer us. Because we live in an evil world with an enemy who drools at the thought of being able to destroy the lives of Christians, we can't afford to not seek God's direction.

I will end with these words of advice. Jesus Christ is our Eternal King, and He is Invincible--the ultimate Checkmate Master of this chess match of life in which we are engaged. If we put our trust in the Lord, He will lead us to victory.

"But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 15:57).

Be Fearless!

FASTING FROM FEAR

Today we’re fasting from the granddaddy of all wrong thinking: “I’m afraid.”

Fear is at the root of just about every negative thing that happens in our lives. We’re afraid of failing, afraid of being alone, or rejected; afraid of running out of money; afraid that people will let us down; that we won’t find a spouse, or a job; and the list goes on and on. All fear is rooted in the core belief that God’s Word won’t work. For example, the fear of not having enough is rooted in the fear that Philippians 4:19 isn’t true. If you believe that “God will supply all your needs according to His riches...” then fear leaves.

Let’s fast from the thought “I’m afraid.”

1. Meditate on the fact that God’s Word is true. In John 17:17 Jesus said, “Thy Word is truth.” What God says is fact—whether you feel it, whether you see it, whether you have ever experienced it.

2. Consider God’s track record. 1 Kings 8:56 says, "Thanks be to the Lord. He has given rest to His people Israel. He has done all that He promised. Every word has come true of all His good promise, which He promised...” (New Life Version). He has done all that He has promised. He has never failed. Fear leaves when you can rely on something that can’t fail. There are over 1000 predictions or prophecies in the Bible—promises that God made before they happened. The chances of merely 17 of these coming to pass is ONE out of 450 billion x 1 billion x 1 trillion! Yet, not one of these 1000 promised have failed. In fact, to this day, 668 of them have already been fulfilled. What does that tell us? God keeps His Word.

3. Accept the truth that what we fear comes upon us. In Job 3:25 Job feared that his children would curse God, and that’s what happened. When you realize fear has the power to produce negative results, you stop dabbling in it. When a child learns what fire can do, he no longer plays with matches!

4. Perfect love casts out fear...1 John 4:18. Flood your mind with thoughts of love—God’s love for you, what He was willing to do to rescue you. If He would die for you, while you were in sin, separated from God; what wouldn’t He do for you? There’s just nothing He wouldn’t do for you! Think on that, and fear will leave.

5. There is a promise, from God’s Word, for every need you will ever experience. In fact there are over 7000 promises in the Bible. That’s 7000 solutions to life’s problems! For example, there is a promise of protection in Psalm 91:1-12, which delivers you from the fear of tragedy.

6. Pause and think about the fact that God is with you. Psalm 23:4 says, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil—for YOU ARE WITH ME.” God’s presence is the secret to a fear-free life. All fear ultimately is a sense of God’s absence, or our separation from God. By contrast, a sense of God’s presence delivers us from fear. Hebrews 10:19 says we enter the holy place of His presence by the blood of Jesus. YOU ARE IN HIS PRESENCE, NOW—therefore fear not!

THINK IT & SAY IT
God’s Word is true, whether I feel it or not. He has kept all of His promises, and has never failed. Fear leaves me because I rely on something that can’t fail—His promises.

What I fear comes upon me, therefore I will fear ONLY GOD, and He will come upon me! God loves me perfectly, and I will not think otherwise, no matter what!

God has made 7000 promises to me, because He knows we need them! God is with me, and therefore I will fear no evil, in Jesus’ Name!

God has not give you a spirit of fear, but power love and a sound mind,

Gregory Dickow

Website: www.changinglives.org

Open Doors Ahead!

Keith Miller:

"Great, Effective, and Spacious OPPORTUNITIES are Coming Your Way!"

"For a great and effective door has been opened to me, and there are many adversaries."—1 Corinthians 16:9

Have you been faithful in what God has given you? If so, say goodbye to mediocre! God is promoting the faithful and opening great and effectual doors, gates, and wells this year. You are about to awaken into realms of the vastness of God, into new fields of His grace and favor—Rejoice! The Captain of hosts goes before you!

God is Opening Your Future

Promotion is here. There is great favor coming for the next level of your destiny! "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11).

The Lord is opening your future; new doors of opportunity and breakthrough, anointing and favor in new fields. You will not have to strive, because your ceiling will be your floor for the next level! You will not start at square one either, because that "block" or realm of destiny that you have established and have been faithful to accomplish will be your starting point; bigger and greater doors will open to you.

This is the year of expansion in the Kingdom of God! Tent pegs will span to the north, the south, the east, and the west in the realm of revelation in the dominion of the Kingdom, where you will walk in a greater dimension of the manifestation of the Kingdom for your life!

Many have hoped, dreamed, and prepared for this moment. I hear many saying they feel they are in a time of transition. The faithful are dreaming big and daring to believe the impossible to be possible. If this is you, God has already prepared you for new opportunities and fields. Whatever He has planned for you will be in greater effectiveness for the Kingdom.

God is Promoting You

Faithfulness to your calling brings promotion from God and spacious opportunities in the Kingdom. This translates as great favor and influence. Perhaps you are in the marketplace and God will give you new business opportunities to influence people for the Lord Jesus. If you are in ministry, wells of salvation and healing may open, for instance, in various cities or regions. Or you have a talent and perhaps God will open a door in the entertainment industry for you.

Whatever it looks like, be careful that you do not compare or define greatness as anything other than the fulfillment of that which He has called each of us to do. You may see someone doing something that is more monumental in scope than what you have been called to, but what you are doing is equally as great if you are fulfilling it. "Rejoice with those who rejoice..." (Romans 12:15). Rejoice with those who rejoice over their breakthroughs! It strengthens you and may even help your breakthrough come more quickly.

The Church is taking a new direction today. We are learning not to look to man for promotion. It has failed in the past—we are always let down because people will always let us down. But when we come into the revelation that HE opens the door that no man can shut, we don't look to man for promotion any longer. We look to HIM, and we walk through our doors.

Great and Effective Opportunities

The word great in context of "a great and effective door" means "large and spacious." God is about to reveal Himself in such a way that will cause you to walk out this year in awe of Him, for His glory. Great doors in the Spirit will swing open. Old and new gates are opening.

"Great" also means "blessings; to have stature; great and old." Gates of redemption; gates of blessings; large, spacious, prominent old gates will burst open. Wells will overflow with blessings of the Lord. New and old wells, spacious and fruitful! Isaac redug the wells of his father, giving them their original names, honoring Abraham. Afterward, Isaac built a new well, calling it Rehoboth, which meant, "a spacious well; a place of fit; a place of fruitfulness" (see Genesis 26:22).

Get Ready for Your Rehoboth!

Doors, gates, and wells—spacious, great, new, old, fit, and fruitful—are opening in your life. The door of Revelation 4:1 will open to you, the door to the "come and see" place of revelation. Do you know what makes that door so powerful? The One who sits on the throne and says, "Come up here! I have opened up the door for you. Come up here!"

Fresh encounters are coming with the Lord Jesus Christ to release impartation and bring forth fruitfulness for the Kingdom. Your time in communion with the Lord will raise you to that "Come up here, let me show you something you didn't know before" place for substantial breakthrough.

Effectual Working of His Power!

Check out the literal meaning of effective: to be at work; for something to be effectually active in your life; the opposite of being idle or inactive or ineffective. These are not idle, inactive or ineffective opportunities, friends, but huge opportunities for breakthroughs.

In the Greek "opportunity" alludes to a door. The Lord is opening old and new gates, wells and doors, releasing blessings to see the effectual working of His power so that you can enter into His promises for your life with amazing confidence and power.

The Captain of Hosts Goes Before You

Paul's opened door was a great and effectual opportunity. But he said that many enemies were there. We know that to be true, don't we? The greater the opportunity to advance the Kingdom it seems the greater the droves of enemies there are to thwart the plans of God.

God is Dealing with Adversaries

The Lord is busy on your behalf dealing with your adversaries! As you walk through the doors, as you tap into your Rehoboth, as you hear the gate-locks click open, nothing will stop you from passing through or tapping in. Opportunities and breakthroughs that should have happened, that you received promises for, that you knew were to happen right away because you received a prophetic word and confirmation and you decreed "yes" and "amen," will have no major hindrances.

Rivers you knew you were supposed to cross into the fulfillment of God's promises, but couldn't because of intense battle, will be crossable because the Lord will release angels to fight the battle for you.

An Anointed Wind

As the Philistines prepared to war with Israel, David, as he always did, inquired of the Lord for His counsel. God gave him the timing as to when to come against his adversaries. "And let it be, when you hear the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out for the Lord will go before you to smite the Philistines" (2 Samuel 5:22-25). When David heard the sound of "a going," he moved confidently forward...in victory!

This anointed wind speaks of much activity coming from the throne room of God, released on your behalf to bring forth breakthrough. When you hear the sound you will know that the battle is being fought for you at your gate, well, or door.

Revelation of the Captain of Hosts

Do you know the Captain of hosts? Revelation of Him gives you strength and courage to move forward. Joshua had an encounter with the Captain of hosts; he knew what God could do. God told him, "Be strong, be strong." Joshua knew that when God fought his battles he would win. If God is for you, who can be against you? Joshua, in leading God's people, moved forward in strength knowing that God had gone before them.

The Captain of hosts opens before you the double doors so that gates will not be shut. He goes before you to make the crooked places straight. He breaks in pieces the gates of bronze and cuts the bars of iron, to give you "the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places" (Isaiah 45:1-3). Iron gates are symbolic of gates that are shut, withholding something. When God breaks them in pieces, whatever is withheld or hidden within them will be released.

"Rain down, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it."—Isaiah 45:8

Wells that have been swelling, swelling, swelling with salvation and righteousness will suddenly burst open and gush forth. Expect to see spacious flows of the wells of salvation and righteousness spring forth in cities and regions. Trickles will become flows!

"Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation."'—Isaiah 12:2

Prepare For Promotion

Strengthen Yourself in the Lord! David was anointed king over Israel three times before he actually functioned in the office of king. During that time, the Lord had him go through a season of preparation before he ruled and reigned over Israel. David learned how to strengthen himself in the Lord, and in this strengthening he learned how to walk in the encouragement in which he fought and won his battles.

Sing and Pray unto the Lord. Many of David's battles were won through singing and praying unto the Lord.

Shout! Your shout is key to winning the battle. That's right. The next time you feel a shout rise up in your belly, don't hold it in! When I know that something is happening in the Spirit, or when the Lord tells me He's prepared a straight path and opened up a gate, or that He has just done something for me, I'm like, "Yeah!"

Stop Beating Yourself Up! "And to the angel of the Church in Philadelphia write, 'These things says He who is holy, He who is true, "He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens": "I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name."'"—Revelation 3:7-8

If you are faithful in the measure He has given you, He will give you open doors. Some people are of the mindset that they have to be more faithful and beat themselves up that they are not faithful enough. But if you are faithful in the measure He gives you, He will open the door which no one can shut. When He opens the door, it will stay open; He will deal with the adversary.

It is also true of when He shuts doors. Once He shuts a door, no one can open it back up. There may be some doors that He will shut in your life so that the enemy can't pass through. When Jesus closes a door, it is shut and sealed by His Blood; the enemy cannot reopen it.

This is the time to shed some old stuff and step into those new things God has for you. Don't try beating against a door already closed, you will wear yourself out trying to reopen it. Just trust God to open the new one for you!

God is about to release keys of access to exciting new doors! Favor, promotion, and restoration are coming! What are those doors, what will favor, promotion, and restoration mean to you?

Keith Miller
Stand Firm World Ministries
Email:info@sfwm.org
Website:www.sfwm.org