Face of Jesus

An important part of never giving up is making the right choices while you are hurting, discouraged, frustrated, confused or under pressure. The right choice is often the harder choice. When you’re in the middle of terrible stress, you naturally want to take the path of least resistance.

Those are the very moments when you need to make the tougher choice. To reap right results in life, you have to do right when you don’t feel like it. I call this “pressing in and pressing on”—and knowing how to do it is one of the most important components of being a person who never gives up.

You see, progress has a price. Being a person who never gives up costs you. You’ll never get where you want to be in life without willingly sacrificing and pushing through the obstacles or adversities that stand in your way.

Your obstacle might be an attitude or issue from your past, or a relationship, set of circumstances, mindset, feeling, or bad habit. Whatever it is, you are the only one who can press through it; no one else can do that for you.

Maybe you tried to overcome your challenges in the past. Perhaps you tried to the point that you are now weary, exhausted or discouraged. If so, then you are at the precise point where you have to summon fresh strength from God and press in one more time.

We’ll always grow weary, and we may even falter in our determination, if we do not continually lean on God. We have to make the decision to press through, but we never experience success in anything unless we rely on God to help us.

The Bible says that when we wait on God, our strength is renewed as the eagle’s (see Is. 40:31). To wait on God means to expect Him to do what needs to be done, to rely on Him.

One of the definitions I like for the word “press” is: “to exert steady force or pressure against something.” I often say, “You have to press against the pressure that’s pressing against you!” When something is pressing against you, you must be determined to press against it with greater force, because very little that is truly worthwhile or worth having in life happens without this kind of effort.

Sometimes you have to press through circumstances to overcome obstacles, such as when your dream is to open a business in a certain neighborhood but the zoning board repeatedly rejects your request to build the facility you need; or when your dream is to go to college, but you keep getting turned down every time you apply for a scholarship.

I suffered sexual, mental and emotional abuse as a child. Because of this, I needed to move away from home and begin supporting myself immediately after high school. My high school teachers recognized a writing gift in me and strongly urged me to try for a college scholarship, but I did not get to go to college.

Obviously, that didn’t stop God! I’ve written almost 80 books and I never went to school to learn how to do it. I have also received several honorary degrees and two earned degrees because of my writing. I could not go to college the so-called normal way, but God had another way to help me do what He wanted me to do.

I am amazed when I think of what He will do if we simply refuse to give up.

Difficult situations and challenges in life must be dealt with, but I am more concerned about your response to the obstacles than about the obstacles themselves. If you can keep your thoughts and attitudes right—and if you will refuse to give up—you will eventually have the breakthrough you need.

I can’t promise you will get exactly what you want, but if God doesn’t give you what you are asking for then He will give you something better. His ways and thoughts are above ours.

Think about your life and make a fresh determination to pay the price of progress. As you face the obstacles in your life, remember: Press in and press on.Copyright Charisma Magazine

This man knew what he was talking bout!

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Our generation is hungry for the paranormal. People everywhere are looking for answers, and their search has led to an obsession with various forms of spirituality that are devoid of God’s light and full of the lies of the enemy—witchcraft, astrology, necromancy, sorcery, spiritism and so on. Many have come to depend on psychics for the answers they seek.

We live in a time when the lost, often unwittingly, “[exchange] the truth of God for the lie” (Rom. 1:25, NKJV). Scripture foretold of this time: “‘For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect’” (Mark 13:22).

To lure the unsuspecting into their web of deceit, psychics often market themselves with such titles as “accredited psychic,” “proven psychic” or “registered psychic.”

They sometimes gain prominence because well-known celebrities who claim to have been helped by a psychic empathetically tell TV viewers they, too, can be helped. A few psychics even proclaim that the gift they display comes from God.

People who are at a low point in their lives are generally the most vulnerable to this deception. But surprisingly, the same hunger is portrayed in the church.

I am not talking about Christians who consult with fortunetellers, although it may shock you to learn that hordes of God’s people do so. What I am addressing is the temptation of Christians to make “fortunetellers” out of those in the church who have a prophetic gift.

Prophets, Not Psychics

For some reason, the church has begun to view revelatory people in the same way the world views psychics. They believe that prophetic people should have an answer for everything the inquirer wants to know. They treat prophetic individuals as if they were “Christian psychics.”

On several occasions earlier in my life, I experienced this type of feeding frenzy. In my immaturity, I succumbed to the demand of hungry inquirers who were a part of the body of Christ or who sat in the pew next to me. However, I have learned that we as prophetic people do not need to be driven by this demand.

We are not in competition with occult practitioners. Nor are we to take the place of God, who longs to speak individually to each believer through His Holy Spirit. The Lord gives all of us the assurance that if we call on Him, He will answer us in ways that will astound us (see Jer. 33:3; Matt. 7:7).

At the same time, God gives some individuals prophetic words and insight that we need to hear, just as He gave His word to Ananias to deliver to Saul before he was known as the apostle Paul (see Acts 9:17). To everything, however, there is a time and a season (see Eccl. 3:1,7).

In the midst of the feeding frenzy for prophetic words, some people gifted with revelation may wonder how to respond to the demands facing them. They may ask, “If I ‘know’ the answer to someone’s question, should I feign ignorance or lie?”

On various occasions, I have watched a friend of mine, who is very mature in his prophetic gift, exhibit great humility. Although God has revealed many things about future events, and the economy in particular, to him, my friend has felt impressed by the Holy Spirit not to reveal publicly everything God shared with him.

Instead, he committed what the Lord showed him to prayer. When he was asked publicly about the economy, I watched with amazement as he responded with godly wisdom to the hungry demands of others. Although my friend had a clear word from God, he wisely said to eager inquisitors: “The economy is a very complex thing and has confused even the most educated men. What do you think God is saying?”

With his reply, my friend did not lie or violate God’s confidence. Instead, he responded as Jesus often did—by answering a question with a question.

From God’s perspective, everything has a proper time or cycle. Though God may reveal future events or the answer to a problem to a prophetic person, He may not release the person to share the information at that time. We must walk in the spirit of wisdom and discern the proper times and seasons.

God, who does know all, has granted to us as prophetic people a sliver of revelation. Therefore, we do not need to appear as prophetic know-it-alls. We do not always have to have “the” answer to a question or issue that is posed to us.

In fact, one sign of spiritual immaturity is attempting to answer everything that is asked of us. Remember, “even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; when he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive” (Prov. 17:28). Usually, it is insecurity and a need for recognition that cause a person with a prophetic gift to respond prematurely and with presumption.

Prophetic Tips

I’ve learned a few lessons in my last 20 years of prophetic ministry. Here are some tips to help you avoid mistakes:

* Don’t allow another person’s insistence and impatience to force you to produce revelation. If you do, you will be offering the person your soulish speculation or personal opinion.

* Don’t allow yourself to feel pressured into telling others everything you know about an issue. Be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You must believe God will promote you and raise you up, if that is His purpose for you.

* Don’t spend time seeking God for an answer to another person’s dilemma unless he has spent more time in prayer concerning the issue than you have. Another person will value what you have to say only if he has exhausted his own strength.

* Don’t feel obligated to generate a prophetic answer for every question posed to you. You are not God. You know only as much as He tells you. Furthermore, you were not given a revelatory gift to be a “prophetic 7-Eleven convenience store.” We are all called to know God and to listen to His voice.

* Don’t be compelled to give a direct answer. In your dialogue with others, practice asking questions rather than making statements.

This exercise of restraint will develop your listening skills and cultivate the fruit of patience. It will also help foster humility in your soul. In this way, you will practice allowing your spirit to rule over your soul.

As time goes on, psychics and occult practitioners will become more visible. Increased instability in our country will create an increased demand to know what lies ahead. Consequently, people will look either to the occult or to God for answers.

We need to be careful not to look to prophetic individuals as non-Christians would look to psychics and astrologers. Remember, God is faithful to tell us what He wants us to know. We simply need to seek His face and listen to Him.

As the church, we need to listen to God individually and corporately. This is not to say we don’t need prophetic gifts. I am convinced there will come a day when the “prophets of God” will openly challenge the “prophets of Satan,” much as Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal (see 1 Kin. 18:1-40).

In fact, I believe the highest use of the prophetic gifts is outside the walls of the church. I am expecting prophetic evangelism to flourish in the near future as never before. When it does, God will pour out His power in unprecedented measure.

I look forward with you to that glorious day!

Originally published by Charisma News

2 have a friend is something special. Without friends it is hard 2 get along. Even God seem 2 be in 'need' of Friends since He called Abraham 'a friend of God' and Jesus says in the gospel of John that He himself calls the discipel His friends – since only His friends know what He is going 2 do, not those who still see Him in a wrong way... with wrong attitude; they still refer 2 Him as their Master and believe that He himself calls upon them as servants who R supposed 2 do only one thing: obey!

How can then God know if we truly R His friends? By loving each other? Love is more than plain words, it is when we put our trust in Him and not in our own words, that we learn how it is 2 be one of His Friends.

By studying us in different situations as life goes on, He gonna make at a certain time some demand on each of us. This 'demand' that I'm talking bout has nothing 2 do with our salvation whatsoever, it's more like He must take a closer look at us 2 see who wants 2 put their TRUST in Him...not knowing if it's gonna work out or not. Of course God always know exactly everything in advance, but only 2 a certain degree...since He must respect our free willpower. SO...depending on how we choose 2 obey the things He sets in front of us, He then gonna know 4 sure if He can trust each and everyone who wants 2 act on His spoken word in every given situation.

Abraham one day heard when God spoke 2 him. The man obeyed. 2 the fullest. Exactly and very specific Abraham did whatever God said, even when the cost was astronomic in his own life and well being - he would loose his own son by obeying God! But Abraham did obey and he stood in a position 2 slaughter his own son, with the Knife already high up in the air....tears falling down from his eyes...blinding him....Is that why some people talk about 'blind faith'? I do not know, what I know is this: the Angel of the Lord was sent down 2 earth and he had only one mission: 2 stop Abraham from striking down with that big Knife of his and thereby killing his own son. After this event took place, God knew 4 certain in His heart that Abraham was surely a man that God could call 'a friend of the Almighty', a friend of God.

Noah was another fellow who God talked 2. He said: ”Build me a BIG bout and then I will let it rain until it's gonna float!” Well...Noah had never heard before that there was such a thing called 'rain'....but he obeyed the Lord and started 2 build that BIG ship. God then gave him several other instructions on how he should do and in what way he ought 2 do it. The man just obeyed – even though his 'friends' mocked him a lot. God liked it...that man pleased Him. And so, He also called that man a 'righteous man' and knowing God from His written word, we know that it meant that He saw Noah as a friend of Him, a friend of God.

God do not change, nor does His word. He's still looking for friends that He can count on.

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.John 15:15

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