IJM Freedom Partner

What or Who is YOUR Refuge and Strength?

Psalm 46 (AMP)

 ¹GOD IS our Refuge and Strength [mighty and impenetrable to temptation], a very present and well-proved help in trouble.

    ²Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change and though the mountains be shaken into the midst of the seas,

    ³Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling and tumult. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

    ⁴There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

    ⁵God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning].

    ⁶The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

    ⁷The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

    ⁸Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth.

    ⁹He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire.

    ¹⁰Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth!

    ¹¹The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

Haggai 2:6-7

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁶ “For thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; ⁷ and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the LORD of hosts.

There are many things that man runs to in a time of  personal trouble and temptation. Some run back to their comfort zone. Some run to drugs to escape. Some run to sexual pleasure or a person that makes them feel good. Some run to alcohol, food, pleasure..etc..etc. 

In times of  civil and national trouble some run to their own thoughts on politics and morality. They sternly take up a position and blame whoever is not in agreement with their point of view.  They blame religion, the left wing,the right wing or whoever they  can look to as a scape goat for the trouble they are seeing and feeling.

And when world wide calamity and war seems to be building, as the contractions of a world at war begin, many many are running out of places to run. Many are running out of people to blame. And many more will ultimately  lose hope, that there is any hope left.

Now you may be reading this as a brother and sister in Christ and think that I have unsaved mankind in mind as I write this, BUT YOU WOULD BE MISTAKEN.

There has been and there is an ever growing number of Christians that have many other things as their refuge and strength instead of The Lord and His Word. Far too many  people who proclaim Christ as savior have politicians, denominations, the government, their pet doctrines, belief statements  and yes even sins of the flesh and heart,as their refuge and strength.

We see it when there is a shaking in the world and instead of hearing The Word and Gods promises proclaimed from pulpits and Christians mouths, we hear  blame, fear,unbelief. We hear political talking points. We hear one denomination mocking another. 

But, before I go too far into a world view. Let me bring it back down to YOU.  What or who do you run to in a time of trouble personally? When your soul and emotions are hurting, scared, at a place of unease, what does your heart turn to in that time?

Oh my friend He is very present. More present than that glass of wine. More present than that cookie. More present than even your own body that can be used to escape for a few moments of pleasure.

Just turn to Him with all your heart, trust in Him with all your heart. Open your heart. He is ABBA FATHER! A perfect daddy who cares and is full of blessings, full of all you need to be comforted and protected in a time of trouble.

As the scripture says above, there is coming a world wide time of trouble. A war like we have never seen. A shaking of all the elements. A removal of all things that man thinks he can trust in, hide in. 

Will we as The Church be ready...scratch that. Will YOU as a Christian be ready to be a place of refuge for your family and neighbors. Will you show the confidence you have in Christ, demonstrate the POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION? 

Or will you be one mourns as the world mourns? I just want to say that this is coming from The Spirit as He teaches me, as I type. I am asking myself the same questions. 

Do we really believe His Word? Then we must prepare our hearts for the very real shaking of all things that can be shaken...but we will not be shaken if we are standing on the ONE AND ONLY THING THAT CAN NOT BE SHAKEN...OUR FAITH IN HIM,HIS NAME AND HIS WORD!

Days of Elijah--With short intro.

Hold On

This is going to be a week that will shift the course of nations. Hold on and pray for mercy. You cant kick down walls of protection and boundaries set up by God, without letting His enemy in.

The Root

This root was once a beautiful flower that bloomed year after year. However it was growing on the back side of our neighbors shed in an unseen area that no one could see and no one ever took care of. We could see it from our back yard, but no one else could.

So year after year my wife would ask if I would ask the neighbor if we could dig it up and replant it, so we could take care of it and put it in a nice garden. Two years ago we got new neighbors and I finally agreed to ask, or she ask, I can’t remember.

Well the neighbor didn’t care at all, so we dug it up and planted it in our garden. We took really good care of it. It was all for nothing. Almost immediately it began to die. No matter what we did, it didn’t work.

This dead root is what is left of it. Now instead being able to enjoy looking at it every year, it is forever gone.

The Lord really spoke to me through this about discernment and prayer. When things, people or whatever need to be left right where they are, even if it doesn’t look like they are in a place they should be. If they are flourishing and blooming every year, should we really uproot them, in order to replant them in a more visible comfortable place?

And concerning things and even ministers that we covet to see on “our land”, are they really meant to be there, or can we draw them in, just to see them wither on our vine because we wanted them so badly?

Isaiah 21: 12

Isaiah 21: 12

The watchman said,
“ The MORNING comes, and ALSO the NIGHT.
If you will inquire, inquire;
Return! Come back!”

Eric Ludy - Depraved Indifference

Proverbs 28:8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁸He who by charging excessive interest and who by unjust efforts to get gain increases his material possession gathers it for him who is kind and generous to the poor.

Great Series below. Click below to Link

Recovering From Spiritual Abuse

Jesus Is Lord AND Healer!!

The days are coming to an end, and indeed
are now over, that a Blood Bought Child of God will
sit year after year bound and afflicted by the works of the enemy.
While all the power we need to set them free is at our disposal.
Jesus called this woman to Himself..
He saw she was bound and had a covenant
right to be free. And He healed her.
How much more should those
who have a better covenant,built on better promises,
sealed by Gods own Blood, be set free!

He Himself will do it in the midst of His sanctuary!

A Spirit of Infirmity

Luke 13:10-16
10 Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
 

14 But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
 

15 The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite![b] Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? 16 So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?” 

17 And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.