Now Is Not The Time To Retreat

Hopelessness written 

over her face

She feels drained, depleted 

with no fight left

Faith turned to fear

Peace to anxiety

Her mind is taken captive 

by negative thoughts

She feels like she has no 

where to turn

The furnace is seven times hotter

With no light in sight

Just unanswered prayers

Demons ready to take her out

Voices trying hard

to lead her astray

She can hardly remember 

the faith filled days

When her focus were steady

Her mind at ease

Her spirits high

Ready to battle every demon coming to steal from her

Now she is just a shadow

Of the faith giant she 

once was

The battles took its toll

She retreated to her cave

Overcome by passivity

Overcome by the voices

trying to scare her

Forgetting that there’s a reason for the resistance in the spiritual realm

Father can see

where we cannot see

Therefore the call to come 

up to higher levels of consecration and holiness 

Higher levels of obedience 

and coming aside

To discern the times and seasons

To pick up our swords that we 

laid down

To war, decree and declare 

Fighting the good fight of faith

To trust yet again like a child

Now is not the time to retreat

It’s time to get your fight back 

To war once again

in the secret place 

Work with heaven to take a hold

of what is yours 

Your promises and dreams 

are at stake 

It’s the strategy of the enemy 

to tire us to the point of giving up!

Monday morning I had a dream where I was in a church, the pastor on the platform had to be excused and she was scanning the crowd, came to me and guided me to the platform to stand in for her. The words that came out of my mouth were “Great changes are coming”. 

I believe it’s a message from Father for His church to hold on to every promise and dream that He gave us. Now is not the time to retreat, to be passive and to lay down our spiritual weapons. There is much resistance in the spiritual realm, because the enemy knows what is coming to each son and daughter walking in obedience. He is working overtime to make us despondent to the point of not believing and giving up on God. I know many are battle weary, with no strength left and feeling discouraged. I would want to encourage you to seek Papa’s face for direction and strategy. Worship your way through this time, lean into Papa and He will be your guide.

Attacks are coming from every side, even from those close to you, but there’s always purpose in every situation and soon everything will make sense. Although painful we must push forward, walk in love 

and not get stuck. Papa also reminded me to look back over my life and remember the times He showed Himself great on my behalf and I believe He wants each one of us to remember His faithfulness and His goodness towards us in the past. It will strengthen our faith to believe in the impossible and help us to focus and fight for His promises towards us.

Stand up, take out your sword, push back the forces of darkness, degree and declare your breakthrough and let no one steal your inheritance. Since last week, Papa keeps giving me this scripture and even confirmed it twice. Make it yours, and know that we serve a faithful God who cannot lie. 

Isaiah 60: 22

“When the time 

is right, I the Lord will make it happen.”

~ Ebigale Wilson

Now Is Not The Time To Retreat

The Journey

To Hell With The Hustle

This Sunday is not a song – it’s a short video from Jefferson Bethke. You might recognize him from other great videos he has done.

The Purpose Of Pleasure

In the Book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon wrote of pleasure, “What does it accomplish?”  In the New Testament, Paul writes that those who live for pleasure are dead even as they live.  The Book of Proverbs shares similar sentiments.

However, life’s pleasures are part of God’s creation and must serve some purpose, humble and limited though it may be.

Without the pleasure of dining, food consumption would be nothing but a chore.  Without the pleasure of rest, work might be acclaimed as the only purpose of God and man.  Without the pleasure of procreation, man might be perpetually alone and never know the joys of family life.

So, maybe Our Father has created pleasure to guide us discreetly in the general direction of a life well lived where we both work, eat, and reproduce in accordance with his best wishes.  Maybe pleasure is just as important as discipline in life and can be relished and treasured as just one of Our Father’s gifts to us, his children.  Maybe, pleasure can be redeemed as it is teamed up with love.

In Revelation 5:11, KJV, it is written that “for his pleasure we were created.”  In Psalm 149:4, it says, “The Lord takes delight in his people.”  In Zephaniah 3:17, it is written, “He rejoices over us with singing.”  In Proverbs Chapter 8, wisdom “rejoices continually in God’s creation and has his delight in mankind.”  Maybe earth’s natural pleasures are here to guide us constantly and consistently to Our God who takes great pleasure in us.  Maybe they are given to us to keep us from becoming too austere and joyless in this business of living.

Maybe, as the writer of Ecclesiastes shared, “There is nothing better than to eat, drink, and enjoy our labor.  This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?”  Let us find our pleasure in a balanced life of work, recreation, rest, and worship.  

Let us enjoy this life that he has freely given to us!

~ Brad Heilhecker

Shabbat

I am writing this blog on Sunday, but preparing for a trip to Israel. I leave on Tuesday and will spend 10 days with a couple who are celebrating 50 years of marriage and 50 years of ministry. Their son spent time with us in Israel 5 or 6 years ago and it has been his dream to send his parents ever since. It is finally happening.

This blog is released on Fridays, which means as you are reading, I will be celebrating Shabbat with dear friends on their kibbutz close to the Sea of Galilee. Shabbat is one of my favorite times in Israel. The country truly has an understanding of what it means to rest and refocus on life and family. I will share about this a little later, but first, here are a couple of verses about Shabbat.

Genesis 2:3 God blessed the seventh day and separated it as holy; because on that day God rested from all his work which he had created, so that it itself could produce. (CJB)

Isaiah 58:13-14 “If you hold back your foot on Shabbat from pursuing your own interests on my holy day; if you call Shabbat a delight, Adonai’s holy day, worth honoring; then honor it by not doing your usual things

or pursuing your interests or speaking about them.

If you do, you will find delight in Adonai —

I will make you ride on the heights of the land and feed you with the heritage of your ancestor Ya‘akov, for the mouth of Adonai has spoken.” (CJB)

Mark 2:27-28 Then he said to them, “Shabbat was made for mankind, not mankind for Shabbat; So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.” (CJB)

Hebrews 4:9-10 So there remains a Shabbat-keeping for God’s people. 10 For the one who has entered God’s rest has also rested from his own works, as God did from his. (CJB)

I said I would share a little about Shabbat in Israel. I must admit that Shabbat in Israel is changing. It breaks my heart that ideas and thoughts from the West are creeping in. When we first began traveling to Israel in 2005 there was not much traffic on the roads and most shops were closed. I always had to plan to have enough diapers because Shabbat meant I couldn’t go get any! During our time there I began to see changes. More shops open. More people out and about. Not all of it is bad because some of it is family’s spending time together. However, more and more want to shop. It changes the dynamics of the land. It begins to take the focus off of Adonai, and being together with Him, and places it on man’s desires instead of God’s.

For those who live in the United States, think back to the time when stores were closed on Sunday. Remember the times when you could not get gas on a Sunday. It almost feels backwards now, but it truly MADE a person stop for a day. I remember Sunday being the day that families and friends spent time together after spending time with their community of faith. This is what GOD intended to have happen on the 7th day of the week.

The book of Genesis tells us that God BLESSED the seventh day. HE made it HOLY. The book of Isaiah says we should, “call Shabbat a delight.” Jesus teaches in Mark that Shabbat was made for man and that HE is the Lord of the Sabbath (meaning HE truly is our Shabbat rest – “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest…”). Hebrews reminds us that there is a Shabbat-keeping and we should enter the REST of God (just as God did from His).

What has happened in our society today? Around the world, we do not stop. Even on Sunday (which some people now consider their Shabbat), most people do not STOP. Most people have so many errands to run, or places to go (including church activities), that they do not take time to STOP, REST and REFOCUS on WHO is taking care of them. They get so caught up in everything around them that there is no true REST.

Shabbat for me is a time to STOP on Friday night and as often as possible our family will eat together. The father blesses the children and wife, than we participate in communion as a family before eating our meal together. It is a time when we FOCUS on HIM and bless HIM, than we focus on each other and talk about what we are THANKFUL for. It truly is a time to set things from the week aside and be WITH HIM and each other in a unique and special way.

Saturday (Shabbat) becomes a day of being together as much as possible. We play games, visit a park, or spend time with friends. It is supposed to be a day to be “off” our normal routine. It should be a day of recalibrating ourselves so we can begin fresh and new Sunday morning. I will be honest and admit that it doesn’t ALWAYS happen this way and I can feel it the next week. I truly MISS the time to REFOCUS on what HE wants me to do.

I understand that there are many arguments that can be gotten into about what day “Shabbat” is, but that isn’t the point of this article. What I want us to focus on is the question, “When do YOU stop?” When do YOU take time to bless your family (aloud) and take communion together? Are you taking time to LOOK vertical, and then LOOK horizontal to make sure everything is aligned properly? That is what Shabbat is about.

Our bodies NEED rest. Our bodies NEED a time to recalibrate. And it isn’t just at night… God asked us to take a DAY to do this. I believe this is one of the “secrets of the Word.”

When you realize that HIS command to take a day to REST should be an important part of your life, than you really will find REST in HIM. You will RESTORE yourself to Him. You are then REFRESHED to walk forward day to day.

Shabbat Shalom from Israel,

Rose Horton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drop It All

Matthew 4:19-20:  “And He said to them, ‘follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.”

Have you ever asked yourself what it was about Jesus that caused these fishermen to drop everything and follow Jesus?  At that point, no one knew Who Jesus was.  There were not yet any recorded miracles, signs or wonders.  No hashtags on social media to make Him famous, no news or media coverage and no hot gossip going around.  What was it about Jesus that made a bunch of ordinary men just drop everything to follow?

Let me ask you this as well – what made you drop everything to follow Jesus?  Do you even remember? This is such a challenging question for so many, including myself.  Was it a message that you heard in a Church or religious meeting?  Was it a man on a street corner?  Was it an overwhelming encounter with a loving God?  Was it a feeling that came over you that brought a deep conviction and a sudden understanding of scripture?  I love knowing how others came to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I recently participated in an evangelism training course that taught us skills and tools to share our faith without fear.  One of my favorite tools was something called the “15 Second Testimony.”  Basically, you share what Jesus did in a form something like this:  “I once was insecure and angry , battling depression and addiction…but then I repented of my sins, gave my heart to Jesus and now He has made me secure in Him, full of joy and peace and I am walking in freedom.”  What I love about this tool is that it makes you really remember what Jesus has done.  It was a challenge at first to recollect everything that I was before I met Him or even just before I had a revelation of just how free I am in Him as His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:17-21), but it made me have to engage with the transformation that actually has taken place in my life.  

I definitely walked away with not only a new tool for sharing my faith, but also a fresh perspective and appreciation for my beautiful Savior.  My times with Him have thus gone deeper, and my soul is more awake than ever to Who He is and what He has truly done in me!

I’d like to issue a challenge to you this week:  WHAT HAS JESUS DONE in YOU?  If you had to share your “15 Second Testimony” with a friend, what would you say?  What is it about Jesus that you can convey from your own life that would make another want to drop everything and follow Him?  Do you remember?  

I dare you to get alone with Him, grab your journal and really dig deep into everything that He has done.  Ask Holy Spirit to remind you of the amazing transformation that God has done in you, and then challenge yourself to share it with someone else.  

You are a NEW CREATION IN CHRIST (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

 

“So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, ‘Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.’ He answered, ‘Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see’” (John 9:24-25).

~ Mandy Woodhouse

 

The Real Thing

Worthy Thought: You can see the character of a person the same way you look at a tree.

Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.

-Abraham Lincoln

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.”

-Matthew 7:16-20

Holy Bible (NIV)

~ Angela Lipe-Pattengill

Flawed Diamonds Still Shine

Stop viewing yourself by your current limitations and start seeing yourself with endless possibilities!

Flawed diamonds still shine!

“What seems impossible to you is never impossible to God!”

-Matthew 19:26 TPT

~ XXOO Michelle

Restored Ministries

Your Healing Hour

Our Eyes Have Seen The Father

She walked a long road

A journey set out for her 

before the foundation of

the earth

Looking back trying to 

retrieve the steps she took

She is amazed at how far 

she has come

For the road she walked 

was not an easy one

Different journeys we are on

From different countries, 

races and backgrounds

Papa’s sons and daughters

walking out life

One day at a time

Tough days, hard challenges,

dark nights 

With only His voice to serve 

as our compass

 

We see His fingerprints on 

the highs and lows of our lives 

On every painful experience

Every betrayal, every hurt, 

every closed door

How He made everything in 

our lives, beautiful in His time

We learned to discern His 

voice in the midst of many storms

Though many voices would 

cry out to get our attention

We learned to be captured 

only by One

As the winds of adversity 

blew all around us and 

through us

We held tight to His hand 

In the midst of rejection, betrayal, our deepest pain

We found rest in the shadow 

of our Father

When all hell broke loose to escort us back to our past

We held on with all our might

To the gaze of our Father

Guiding and leading us to 

His perfect rest

Till we were strengthened 

to face the world again

We were stretched beyond 

our wildest dreams

Training on higher levels 

Battles left us weary and weak

At times we failed, but Papa would encourage us to not 

give up

The old disappeared 

We were changed by His grace

We said goodbye to many daughters who returned to 

their past

The price of surrender was 

too much to ask

We took possession of a 

place known by few

Where peace is the air 

we breath

Not a trace of the scars,

the pain and the hurt

Not a trace of the old we 

have dealt with

Everyday as we went 

higher with Him

We guarded our hearts

Dealt with the issues that 

held us captive

Looking back we started 

our journeys with promises from Papa’s heart

We couldn’t wait to make 

it our own

We went through strenuous training

To be a holy, set apart people 

Now we stand empty handed

Stripped of ourselves, our wants and our needs

Ready to lay down whatever 

Papa asks

The promises are on the horizon, but not important anymore

He brought us to this consecrated place in Him

Where nothing else matters, but to be One with Him

To know Him in the fullness 

of His majesty and glory

As His love washes over us

Leaving us breathless

Desperate to know Him more

We thought it was a journey 

to take a hold of all His promises

He knew it was a journey 

that would lead us to be

sold out to Him

Captivated by every facet of His heart filled with love for us

When we open our mouths

People know we have been with 

the Father

And we can smile, because 

like Job we have heard of Papa before our journeys ,

But now after the journey 

our eyes have seen the Father.

~ Ebigale Wilson

Our Eyes Have Seen The Father

The Journey

I’m A Mess

This weeks #SongSunday is an older song by Steffany Gretzinger – I’m A Mess.

The hook lyric is:

I’m a mess I’m a mess I’m a mess right now …don’t fix me up just spread me out …You fill me up to pour me out …I am undone!

I hadn’t heard this song before but a friend recently shared it with me.

It is encouraging to know that God can handle our raw emotions and our messes.

~ XXOO Michelle

Vanquished

In our fantasies, we may play the conquering hero, but in real life, God the Father is the hero of the story; Christ is his “Robin Hood,” and the Holy Spirit is his “maid Marian.”  In the natural, we often look to mortal men to save the day, but, in the Spirit realm, God rules; God saves, and God gets all the glory.  Often, we are the afflicted peasants that need the valiant knight to come and rescue us.  Undoubtedly, we ourselves are sometimes called out to perform feats of valor, but it is always with divine enablement that we conquer villains and with eternal purposes that we are motivated.  

It is only the man who has been vanquished by The King himself who can venture forth in the name of truth and justice to fight battles on behalf of his Lord.

For “It is not against flesh and blood that we battle, but against powers and principalities, against the rulers of this dark age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly realms.”  

Don’t misunderstand, our battles often involve human vessels, both righteous and otherwise, but underlying every human conflict lies God’s arch nemesis striving to disrupt Our Father’s plans to create a paradise for his children.  

We may remember that Jesus never had to use his fists to defend himself.  God vindicated him, even after he submitted to the ultimate injustice of the cross.  And, just like Jesus, we also must often retreat to the wilderness, where alone with Our God we must face down our spiritual enemy.  

Then, we can venture forth among mankind to begin our ministries and carry our own crosses, just as he commanded.

Only the man who has allowed himself to be mastered by The Prince of Peace is called to go forth in his name to slay dragons and demons and set captives free.  

For peace is Our Father’s ultimate aim – “Peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  Only the wicked and the violent will suffer wrath in the day of judgement.  

The righteous and the peace loving will be vindicated, rescued, and ushered into a kingdom of peace where they will walk eternally with their God of Love.  “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.”  Not a bad reward for the price of acquiescence to The Almighty!

~ Brad Heilhecker