Thursday, May 1, 2014

Faith and Patience


Back in June (approximately) last year, I spoke on air as well as posted about a dream I had.  The dream contained three words only..."test of endurance".  I understood that it meant a testing of faith, a testing of everything we had learned up to that time in our walk.  Sadly, it would mean a dividing, a separating because there would/will be those who will not see it through. 

A couple or few weeks later, another dream with three more words - "Satan's militant soldiers", which to me meant that the warriors involved in the test of endurance could expect vicious battles from Satan's (the adversary) best, his 'cream of the crop', which was a planned and allowed part of the testing.  Warriors must know how to battle and are expected to do so.  

Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [Eph 6:11-13]

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. [1Pet5:8, 9]

Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God [Eph 6:14-17]

And he said, Hearken ye, all Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou king Jehoshaphat, Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's[2Chron 20:15]

The dreams with the words of warning were put on the back burner for a time because nothing happened immediately (which is most often the way with prophetic words and/or dreams - even throughout the Word of God).  Yet, it (test of endurance) did and has come.  The war is never-ending, until that which is written in the Bible comes to fruition; (much is unfolding now) and the battles are relentless, non-ceasing and brutal.  

Yet the increase and intensity of the battles is unavoidably obvious amongst the people of God who have eyes to see and ears to hear.  We weary, but we go on.  We rise up as many times as it takes.  We pray, we read the Word - we pray more, we endure and we hold fast to the King of kings and Lord of lords. 

Obedience


(To the) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? [Rom6:16]


(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 
And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. [2Cor 10:4-6]

Though He (Jesus/Y'shua) were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered; [Heb5:8]

Victory Upon Us
When a ten-day fast was done in February, five godly women joined in with me for the last three days, when I was doing an Esther fast.  Each one committed to a day of fasting, with one sister going two days (no food only), whereas the precious Spirit of God Almighty directed that I go the three days without food or drink.  He strengthened all of us to complete this and we give the LORD GOD all the glory.

Prayers went up for the manifestation of long awaited promises/visions that many have been longing to see come to pass.  Prayers for healing, restoration, salvation of the lost, the return of the prodigals were also part of it - the longing to be doing the greater works as Jesus/Y'shua foretold, in global and astounding proportions.

It is understood that a falling away will happen, as this was also foretold by our Messiah.  Yet, I understood the Lord speaking about the "clash of the kingdoms" - escalated to phenomenal and unimaginable dimensions, intensity and acceleration as never before.  Just as the evil elite have fine-tuned their super-soldiers and nephilim walk amongst us, it is an imitation of the army the Almighty God, our Great Spirit Chief, is raising up.  

No, we will not be immortal as some would insist upon.  We too will see death, unless the Lord stops it or He returns first in all of His glory.  We all know that it is appointed unto all men (people) once to die.  

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation. [Heb 9:27, 28]

Whether we are protected through great dangers and spared death until the Lord's return, or whether our mission is completed and we rest until the day of resurrection is entirely in the hands of our Creator.  

Do I believe in divine protection?  Absolutely!  The written Word of God declares it and I have also been protected more than once, having even witnessed His angels in action. That does not make me invincible.  Godly people die every day, just as all the prophets and apostles did.  

Our lives are in the hands of the Sovereign Living God - we can trust Him.  We go forth day by day, doing as He leads, knowing that the vessels we occupy right now are temporal and this world is not our home.  That, my friends, is reality.  Yet, I do believe that we will see and participate in miracles and mind-boggling events, just as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Gideon, Samson and many of our forerunners did.  We must be on guard against the counterfeit also and pray for increased discernment.

Therefore, I state boldly that although Satan has an army of super-soldiers and nephilim he has chosen and is raising up, the Sovereign God has been and is raising up an army of supernatural warriors, scattered throughout the nations of the world (soldiers [true believers] that will accomplish the supernatural by the Spirit of the Living God Almighty) that He has chosen.  Hallelujah! Embrace the testing and give glory to God!

Child-like Faith
We know that it is crucial to have faith. Someone once asked what it meant to have child-like faith.  Best answer I could come up with was the following.

When we go to sit down on a chair, we have faith that the chair will hold us. Typically, we don't even stop to question whether the chair will hold us or not, we simply have faith that it will.  If we are extremely heavy, we may look for a larger chair, but we will have faith that the larger chair will hold us.  

A child, no matter what their weight is, simply looks for a chair and sits down, having faith and trusting that the chair will hold them.  If the chair breaks, a look of surprise comes over his face, then a reaction comes.  Whether it is laughter or tears depends on whether he was hurt or not.  The child will receive comfort if he is greatly shaken by the situation, but he get over it and move on.

He will find another chair.  He does not give up, although he may be more cautious, being wiser, but he will again sit down, trusting and having faith that the chair will hold him. Each time the chair holds him without fail, his confidence is restored, his faith becomes strong again and he continues on.

Child-like faith in God is trusting and having faith that He will hold us, no matter what.  If something goes wrong, we may have a look of surprise. We may laugh or cry, even receiving comfort if need be, but we will get over it and move on.

We must continue to go forward, putting our trust and faith in the Lord again, believing that He will hold us.  We will be wiser, but each time we sit (or get thru a situation), our confidence is restored, our faith grows stronger and we continue on.

By My Spirit
[...]  This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts. [Zec 4:6]

The book of Hebrews 11 breaks down faith.  The first verse begins:  Now faith is the substance [material, matter, stuff] of things hoped for, the evidence [data, confirmation, sign, facts] of things not seen.

The end-time, last days church will move in faith, trusting God to perform greater works through them because of Christ in them, the hope of glory.  Jesus gave the best wine in His first miracle at the wedding of Cana.  God saves the best 'til last.  Always - and the last days church shall be greater than at the first.  Jesus/Y'shua said so: "greater works".


Think upon our forerunners. The book of Hebrews records (and reminds us) of the faith of Enoch to be translated.  The Greek word used is metatithemi, which means to transfer (literally), change sides, exchange, transported.

It reminds me of Philip when he was baptizing the Ethiopian eunuch in Gaza (the desert lands).  Whilst the eunuch was coming up out of the water, Philip disappeared, literally, body, soul and spirit.  He was translated/transported to another place, a city called Azotus, which was Ashdod in the Old Testament.  Then he went on to preach in all cities until he came to Caesarea.

And he (Ethiopian eunuch) commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.  [Acts8:38-40]

The writer of the book of Hebrews goes on to speak of Noah, having faith to build an ark; Abraham, who left his father's house to sojourn in a strange country; Sarah who by faith conceived seed though she were barren.  The book contains multiple examples.

Do we have faith to believe that water would come out of a rock, if the Lord told us to strike it and thirsty people could drink? Could we walk around a fortress with monstrous walls as thick and solid as the walls of Jericho, believing they will come down when we complete God's instructions?

If we were only a group of 300 strong, will our faith be strong enough to face thousands upon thousands of vicious, blood-thirsty warriors, such as nephilim or super-soldiers, believing that as we followed God's instructions, we will have victory?

Will we believe that if we are imprisoned, God can send His angels to break us loose, have our shackles fall away and walk past trained and alert guards into freedom?  We have to stop thinking in ways of 'entertainment', sci-fi movies and believe that God is beyond what we can comprehend.

We will do the greater works, a remnant...and yes, this remnant goes through hell (so to speak) with relentless vigorous training and the testing of our faith almost makes us quit or give up.  Yes, we get weary, but we do not give up - we do not quit!

We Rise Up to Bow Down!
We rise up again by the power and Spirit of our Creator (all glory is His alone), in order to bow down humbly before our mighty and holy King.  As He strengthens us, we go forward, again and again and again, battle after battle after battle - as many times as it takes, until the day we are called home or Jesus (Y'shua) the Messiah returns and the day of resurrection occurs, whichever comes first.  Hallelujah!

Yes, there are those who have gone through more, almost non-stop throughout their lives. Many believers have nearly written them off (or have) thinking that something must be wrong with them if they are continuously being chastened by the Lord.  Yes, we too have been chastened, but many times, training and testing is mistaken for chastisement.

There will be a falling away, but an army of true believers will appear to the world, doing the greater works in such astounding measures that the news media and evil entities will not be able to stop the fast-spreading reports.  Hope will be restored; people will be healed, saved, delivered and restored.  
 
Why, oh why do you think Satan is working so hard to perfect technology and ways that will restore 'youth' to people, a clean bill of health, healing even incurable diseases, abilities to live extremely long lives, immortality, super-abilities - power to see as an eagle and even a bat; strength to scale walls, leap tall buildings, run faster than a cheetah and much more?

This is not fantasy.  These things have almost been perfected, but Satan/Lucifer is the father of lies, a counterfeiter/imitator who mirrors/copies all that he sees and knows God is doing.  He knows the Word of God (scripture) better than most Christians.  

He knows that the last of the last days is going to be the 'clash of the kingdoms', a time like has never been before and shall never be again.  It is all because of Jesus the Christ and all that He accomplished with His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.  We will not only witness, but we will be part of the great signs and wonders, as the Lord works through His vessels (instruments), as He did in days of old - even as He is doing now amongst us.

Yet, what I speak of are signs and wonders, miracles that will be so plenteous, so profound, so unbelievable that it is going to go global, meaning grand scale, where word of mouth will quench any negative news media report.  That is, if the news media reports any kind of good news report at all. Glory to the Lamb!  (I will write more on this at another time.) 

Repent, Be Holy, A Warning

The above title (Repent, Be Holy, A Warning  ) was the one the Holy Spirit gave me, which
was one of my first written messages and published online in May, 2006.  The first message was:
A Call to Repentance-Do You Hear It?  [A Call to All Nations – Sound the Alarm], spoken in a public forum in December, 2005 and released online in December, 2006. I have always said that the messenger receives the message first, so it is NOT a matter of being 'holier-than-thou'.  Perish the thought!  Each and every one of us, myself included, must repent and be holy.

However, we can not expect to be doing the greater works without repentance, or if we are compromising with the world and its ways.  As harsh as that may sound, it is true.  The Lord continues to a work in all of us (first the inside of the cup), but continue it He does, but we must allow Him.  We must keep a repentant heart, choose to walk holy (set apart), picking up our cross and dying daily.  We learn obedience and we do the will of the Father .

Our Creator is not looking for the wise, the perfect, the strongest.  In fact, we know that He chooses the weak things of the world to confound the wise.  Remember Gideon?
  
And he said unto Him, Oh my Lord, wherewith (by means of which, or with what) shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house. [Judges 6:15]

But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty [1Cor1:27]

We will cry out as Isaiah (58:1):  Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.   

We will be as Elijah (1Kings18:21): And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt you between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

 Choices - it is all about choices.  Joshua exhorted the people (Josh24:15]:

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

In the days of the Jesus, a report came to Him that Pilate had murdered some Galilaeans and had mingled their blood in with their sacrifices. There was also news that a tower in Siloam had fallen and eighteen people were killed.

Jesus/Y'shua must have understood the critical spirit and the judgmental nature of people when some suffer tragedies.  Perhaps it was the way or tone that the people reported the news to Jesus that He spoke the following words:

And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? 

And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose you that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. 

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think you that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.   [Lk13:2-5]

Not a popular message.  Certainly not a way to win friends and influence people, as the adage goes, but truth is not popular or well-received.  It cuts to the quick and exposes the intents and motives of the heart.  The thoughts and the intents of the heart is important to the Lord God Almighty.

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. [Heb 4:12]

And you shall be My people, and I will be your God. Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goes forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind: it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked. The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart: in the latter days you shall consider it [Jer30:22-24]

We have to keep a repentant heart, and we should desire and pray that all come to repentance, even those who have have treated us wrongly.  Whether they repent or not is not something we can force or control, but we can and should pray.

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. [2Pet 3:9]

We also must ourselves search our hearts continually, asking the Lord to reveal all, so that we will not deceive ourselves.  

Patience
Along with faith must come patience.  That is what the Lord revealed after the ten day fast.  We must patiently wait for the breakthrough/birthing/outpouring/infilling (whatever you choose to call it), but it is indeed almost upon us.  This I truly believe and I am not the only one who feels the urgency of this in the spirit man.  Yet, we do have to be patient.

It is understood that many of us have been waiting (some years/decades) for the manifestation of promises/visions and answers to prayer.  We anticipate doing the greater works, yet we must wait a little longer.

For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.  [Heb 10:36]

He is continuing the work in us.  He has been purging, purifying and perfecting and it has not been easy to endure, but it will be worth it.  Have we not prayed that we would be without spot or blemish, that we would be found worthy?  Well, we can only be found worthy with Christ in us and the work of the Father continuing until the day of our Lord.

Testimony and Lessons of Faith

Last night's program was delayed due to circumstances beyond my control, but it did go forward at 8:00 pm with a sister in Christ and personal friend named Sue.  She shared some of the bizarre requests the Lord made of her and her husband, their steps of faith into unknown territory and the faithfulness of God to see them through and provide - even when it meant waiting for Him to move.

Tonight, Sue will be sharing a prophetic word that the Lord gave her last week, and expounding further about faith.  The last half hour will be open to calls if anyone would like to call in and ask questions and/or prayer.

Thursday, May 1, 2014 - Prophetic Word and Further Insight into Faith with sister Sue

7:00 pm EST (6:00 pm Central - 4:00 pm Pacific)




The call-in number is:
347-945-6708  In order to be noticed in the studio as a caller who wishes to speak on air with the host and/or guest, you will be prompted to push 1 (number one)

Please feel free to call in and ask for prayer, or share what is on your heart.  We all need and learn from each other, and through it all, God is glorified.

Upcoming Soon on Warriors of Endurance Radio Program

On Tuesday, May 13th at 7:00 pm EST (6:00 Central - 4:00 pm Pacific), I will have a special guest on whose 14 year old son was killed when he was a youth missions trip, along with four others.  The struggle of faith that this man had when tragedy struck and how God brought him through it all is an incredible testimony.

I will be posting further details later, but it will be a program and testimony that you will not want to miss.

for His glory
Bonita                  dovesofthevalleys4@gmail.com