Guidance - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Guidance

- Now Think On This

by Steve Martin

“Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or to the left.” Isaiah 3-:21 NASU

We all need guidance in our life. The Lord promises to give it to us, if we ask Him.

While some would choose to just keep walking in the way that seems right to them, the Lord says that if we seek Him, He will show us the right way. Whether that would be a decision we need to make in marriage, buying a home, making a job change, or knowing what to do with one we ourselves are giving care to, the Lord has promised that He has the answer if we but ask. We can receive wisdom from the Lord.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” James 1:5-8 NASU

Over the many years I have walked with the Lord, there are several ways He has given me to help in my decision making, and to know if the answer is His will or not. I would like to share them with you, as you seek Him for guidance.

1.      Daily reading of God’s Word will bring guidance. There are many directives in His Word that we can already know what His will is, as they have been given as our daily life’s road map. With these already written down for us in His Word, He has already spoken what is truth. We can base our decisions on those standards, and not the world’s ways. At other times the Holy Spirit will have a verse or two “jump out at you” while reading, quickening your spirit, to give you an answer to your question.

2.      If the Lord has already blessed you with a mate (a wife in my situation), ask them to pray along with you concerning the situation. Discernment given to them can be an affirmation to what the Lord would speak to you. A pastor or close friend can also pray and ask the Lord for a word for you, as long as you don’t trust solely in them, but the Holy Spirit’s word. There is wisdom in the counsel of many.

3.      A prophetic word has often been an encouragement to me when received. Given by one who has the gift of prophecy has been very helpful, as the Lord will use them to bring enlightenment. If you know someone who has the gift of prophecy, ask them to seek the Lord on your behalf. Be mindful that you will always need discernment in receiving any word given by another, so as not to just go by what another would say. A word received is just another piece of the puzzle to consider.

4.      Circumstances do play a role in discerning the will of the Lord. Something may happen that seems to come “out of the blue”, or “it just happens”. Consider that the Lord is using that circumstance to bring further guidance. At times circumstances can also occur that will keep you from going a certain way. The Lord is known to use those in directing your path.

5.      The Holy Spirit can speak a word to you quietly in your thoughts. That sense of “Where did that come from?” thought may very well be the Holy Spirit nudging you, sharing with you a message in regards to the situation. It may just be a simple word, but that word can very well be just what you need. He may also use a dream or vision to guide you. Don’t dismiss those thoughts, but ponder them for further confirmation. Write them down so you don’t forget them. The fulfillment of that dream or other supernatural method of bringing you a directive may occur later,

6.      The timing of the Lord is vital to making the right decision. He is not in a hurry to just lay out His will for you, giving you all the steps at once. He delights when you take the proper time to seek Him. Often He will give you one step at a time. If He delays in giving you an answer (or what we many times deem as a delay), know that it is because He is lining up other situations that may have to come about before your time is now.

7.      Once you believe you have received the answer, have confidence in Him and make the move. Carry out what He has told you in obedience. Faith is always necessary when walking in the right way. Do not let the enemy bring doubt or try to make you second guess what you believe is right. The peace of the Lord should be with and in your spirit.

Though the enemy may try to bring confusion and double-mindedness along the way, the peace of the Lord will be present if you have made the right decision. As one teacher would say, “You know in your knower” that the decision you made is the one from the Lord. Carrying out that decision may take you on a rough road, but it will be the right road to take. There are many examples of taking the right road, even when the journey will not be so pleasant. Jesus’ crucifixion is a prime example.

Many good books have been written by trusted authors/teachers on how to seek the Lord’s guidance. One of the best ones I ever read, simple but very instructive, was by Bible teacher Bob Mumford in the 1970’s It is called “Take Another Look At Guidance.” The 20^th year edition was printed again by Lifechangers in 1993, and can be found on Amazon.com.

Another highly recommended Bible teacher is Derek Prince, who has several spoken and written words on guidance. His material can be found at www.derekprince.com, or www.derekprince.org.

I myself have published two books that are helpful in learning to walk in the Lord’s guidance. One is entitled The Promise – One Man’s Journey To See God’s Word Revealed. I share my life’s journey and how the Lord led me. It can be purchased at Amazon.com. Look here.

Another one is Prophetic Stories: Signs Along The Way. I share several chapters on how the Lord gave me words and dreams that gave guidance to myself and others. Look here.

The Lord Jesus does not want us to just let “whatever will be will be” for us. He wants to continually have His Holy Spirit give us instruction on how to walk in the way, and which way that is. Whether in making a life changing decision or one that seems too little to bother Him with, He has given us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter. He is always there for us. (John 14:26)

It is a journey of faith as we walk with the Lord. We must continually seek the Lord for His will and way, trusting that our times are in His hands, and that He wants the best for us and those we live amongst. As you learn to seek Him in all your ways, He will bless you with goodness.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

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Now Think On This #172 “Guidance” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (05.31.15) Sunday at 8:30 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Get 2 FREE Books on Israel's Oil ✡ "His Land Shall Be Blessed"

And of Joseph he said: “His land shall be blessed by the Lord, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below.” DEUTERONOMY (33:13)   וּלְיוֹסֵף אָמַר מְבֹרֶכֶת יְ-הֹוָה אַרְצוֹ מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמַיִם מִטָּל וּמִתְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּחַת דברים לג:יג u-l'-yo-sayf a-mar m'-vo-re-khet a-do-nai ar-tzo mi-me-ged sha-mai-yim mi-tal u-mit-hom ro-ve-tzet ta-khat

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Jennifer Eivaz: "The DROUGHT IS OVER! A Prophetic Word for California and How it Will Affect the Nation"

Jennifer Eivaz

"The DROUGHT IS OVER! 

A Prophetic Word for California 

and How it Will Affect the Nation"

The Elijah List

May 29, 2015

Word of the Lord: "The Drought is Over"

I was enjoying the cool beach air and the light rain in Carmel, California last week, as I took some personal time to think about and work on some writing assignments. The atmosphere was spiritually open and I sensed the prophetic anointing the moment I arrived. I normally encounter moderate to severe spiritual problems in each city I travel to, requiring a day or two of focused prayer just to find my balance. This time it was different and I was just grateful to have the peace of God on the very first day.

As I was walking towards the beach, the Holy Spirit spoke clearly to my heart. He said, "The drought is over." I didn't react, but continued to listen. He repeated it again saying, "The drought is over and the rains are coming back to California." 

California has been in a physical drought for three or four years officially and has been rationing water. I live in the farm belt of California and water is critical to our economy. I've had prophetic words connected to the appearance of rain in the past, but this time it felt like a much stronger word.

Elijah and Intercessory Prayer

I suddenly connected the analogy of Elijah on Mt. Carmel in I Kings 18 and my personal trip to Carmel, California. The opening verse of this chapter is a specific instruction to Elijah from the Lord to "present yourself to Ahab and I will send rain on the earth." They too were in their third year of drought and without a word from the Lord, it was not going to change. It was also the set-up for that famous showdown between the prophets of Baal, Jezebel, and the prophet Elijah.

I believe this was a God-ordained coincidence as I've had my own dealings with the spirit of Jezebel in California. I keep prophetic watch for the state and intercede deeply for it. This prophetic watch began with a vision about eight years ago that would play repeatedly inside my imagination. I kept seeing a scene of a mother bear fighting for her cubs. It reminded me of the bear on the California state flag, but I didn't connect it until a visiting minister from England came to speak at our church. She had shared a prophetic word about the coming glory revival for the state of California. 

When she shared the word, a prophetic burden came on me from the Lord and I began to fight in prayer for the children of California like a mother who had lost her "cubs." (Photo via Wikipedia)

Soon after, I also had a visitation from an angel with instructions on how to intercede for the state. I can't give all the details here, but one of the instructions was to: ask the Lord for the anointing of Elijah to come upon the state to 1) reconcile families and 2) to destroy Jezebel (Mal. 4:5-6). 

As my intercessory teams and I obeyed the Lord to pray, we experienced very complex spiritual warfare that told us to never be complacent about the sick and violent assignments against children. The Jezebel spirit hates and destroys children and we were to pray always. We've continued our intercession for California and have not given the Lord rest on this matter (Is. 62:7).

Prophetic Dream: Storms of Glory Coming to the Church

At the end of my week in Carmel, the Lord gave me a prophetic dream. I was in a two-story educational facility in the middle of a well-watered, lush valley and hillside. The facility didn't belong to me, but in the dream I held authority to provide counsel within this building. I only saw one room on the top floor, but it needed some attention! It was dusty and the furniture was all out of place. 

I looked out the window and watched a white tornado hit a home about 1/3rd of a mile away. It flattened the garage and then went through the interior and gutted the inside. I also knew there were 30 tornadoes coming towards this educational facility very soon. The facility leader was a pretty red-haired woman who had a small company of followers with her. I warned her in the dream about the coming white tornadoes.

The timing of this dream concerned me at first. Understand that I had heard a specific prophetic word about rain and then I had a specific dream about the coming tornadoes! The very next day after this dream, and as many of you have read, there were dangerous rain downpours in the mid-west with tornadoes touching down in different places as well. In all sensitivity, I don't think my word and dream were about the mid-west situation, although it can appear that way on the surface. I have too much intercessory history with California and it resonated with me to be more about the West Coast with promising implications for the rest of the United States. I wanted to make that clear and to remain sensitive to the serious weather mayhem that occurred with all prayerfulness.

With that being said, what is God saying? First of all, to California He is saying: there are storms, actually movements, of white glory coming to the Church. This is good news. It's a deep glory, it's full of His holiness, and has movement on it. Ultimately, this is about the salvation of souls and advancing the Kingdom of God in ways we couldn't make happen on our own. 

This glory "movement" will first challenge anything out of order by removing it or cleaning it out. If you are a pastor, you will most likely experience your church being sifted. People who aren't with you will be moved out. You need them to go so you can move forward. Set your heart to not stay in grief, to not be bitter, but to praise Him because it needed to happen. (Photo via Wikipedia)

For others, this will challenge your friendships for the same reason. Your friendships and relationships will be reordered so you can run with those who are willing to run. 

We are also going to learn on a whole new level that just being sincere is not enough. Sincerity must also host the Presence of God to be effective. We will have to be in step with what God is doing and really learn how to carry the Glory of God in a way that "moves." It will be a new thing for many of us. Glory!

For the rest of the nation, here is what I believe God is doing in connection with this white glory – this "movement" coming to California. Former San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsom, once said, "What happens in California will happen everywhere" (my paraphrase). I'm not in agreement with most of the former mayor's stances, but many of us heard the prophetic word in his statements. (The Holy Spirit does prophesy through unbelievers on occasion: John 11:49-51.)

When I was attending college in Tulsa, Oklahoma, I began to notice a weather pattern. When it rained in California, that storm would many times show up three or four days later in Oklahoma. It would pick up force along the way, however, and be much stronger once it came to the mid-west. I believe this is a prophetic illustration for us. 

This glory movement coming to California will travel through the United States and pick up force along the way as it travels into different states.

California is a "Revivalist" State

California is a historical "well" for revivalists and revival movements. God blesses each state with its own glory and we recognize California as a consistent carrier of revival. I'm not saying that powerful moves of God will never start anywhere else. Of course they will! Either way, we can always count on California to bring forth a move of God and she's going to birth another.

When Elijah heard from the Lord about the rain, he didn't sit there. He went into a cave and actively prayed for the rain to come. With that said, I actively make the decree to California, "Your drought is over. The rains are coming!" 

Go ahead and receive this for yourself and receive it for the Body of Christ. When the physical rains come, recognize it as a blessing. The Lord spoke to me a few years ago out of Deut. 28:12 and said, "When you see the rain, know that I am blessing all the works of your hands." With that said, we bless the rain. We don't curse it, complain against it, or accept the attitude that it inconveniences us. We bless the rain! (Photo via Pixabay)

Finally, how do we prepare ourselves for these "white glory" movements coming to our lives and to our churches? I haven't experienced this before in the way I see it coming, and honestly feel inadequate to instruct for it. I do know the Word, however. It says, "The Lord God is a sun and shield, He gives grace and glory..." (Ps. 84:11). 

I believe that God shines His light on what needs to be seen and He then shields your heart as you see it. This helps us to see what needs to be set in order in our lives with joy and not condemnation. He also gives grace at the same time He's giving glory. He's not bringing a glory movement to California and then to the nation so we can fail at it. There will be His grace to match His glory.

Jennifer Eivaz, Executive Pastor
Harvest Christian Center, Turlock, CA

Email: Asst2jeneivaz@harvestturlock.org
Website: jennifereivaz.com

Jennifer Eivaz is a vibrant minister and international conference speaker who carries the wisdom and fire of the Holy Spirit. She presently serves as an Executive Pastor with Harvest Christian Center in Turlock, California, and is focused on raising up a passionate and effective prayer community that is tempered with love and hears the voice of God accurately. Jennifer loves the presence of God and is a prophetic voice to her Church and to others. 

Her teaching style is authentic and aimed at the heart, having been built on her personal testimony of God's incredible goodness and miraculous display in her life and in the life of her Church. Jennifer is a graduate of Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is married to HCC's Senior Pastor Ron Eivaz, and they have two wonderful children. She has written a book called The Intercessor's Handbook.

May 29, 2015

Jennifer Eivaz: "The DROUGHT IS OVER! A Prophetic Word for California and How it Will Affect the Nation"

From the Desk of Steve Shultz:

Jennifer Eivaz lives in California and she and her husband Ron pastor a vibrant church in Turlock, CA.

 When the Lord gave Jennifer this assignment years ago – to carry the state of California in prayer, she was obedient to the call. I'm sure it must be gratifying to now be able to declare prophetically that the drought is over. It is also an act of GREAT FAITH because the drought appears anything but "over."  

When I receive words like this from credible prophetic and intercessory voices, I LOVE IT! Because now I get to agree in prayer and I get to watch it come to pass. I hope you'll be as excited with this word as I am. Here's how you should respond...

Agree in prayer, reminding God of this promise and telling Him you are partnering with this prophetic word to both declare and yes, DECREE that the drought is over. Just keep doing that until the clouds begin to burst with rain!

I was raised in California, met my wife in California, was married there, and our first two children were born there. MY HEART is WITH CALIFORNIA and I am partnering with this word that, "THE DROUGHT IN CALIFORNIA IS OVER." I plan to agree with and decree this word and I hope you'll do the same.

Enjoy!

And we encourage all who get this article and appreciate the revelation in it – be sure to become a FREE subscriber to THE ELIJAH LIST daily emails. Go here to subscribe:http://elijahlist.com/subscribe.

Blessings,

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News 

http://www.elijahlist.com

Have a good weekend...

A Word to Self-Righteous Christians Attacking Josh Duggar - Michael Brown

A Word to Self-Righteous Christians Attacking Josh Duggar

 5/28/2015 MICHAEL BROWN  charisma magazine

Though Josh Duggar did wicked things, that doesn't mean God did not transform his life. (Reuters)

I have been terribly grieved by some "Christian" responses to Josh Duggar, as if there are some sins God cannot forgive or some people that He cannot transform. Such an attitude betrays a fundamental lack of understanding of the gospel of grace and is actually a slap in the face of the Savior.

When I shared some redemptive thoughts about Josh's situation earlier in the week, I did not for a moment minimize the gravity of his acts. Specifically, I wrote that "he did sin grievously"; I put his actions in the category of "wicked things" that some of us did as teenagers; I stated that, "There's no excuse for sin, so own up to it"; I referred to Josh committing "serious sexual sin"; and I said "there are consequences to our actions" but that God can redeem, also stressing the importance of the church helping the victims of abuse.

And although I have never been the victim of sexual abuse, I have listened to the stories of abuse victims for years, often devastated by what they shared.

I remember reaching out to a blind, facially disfigured teenage girl at a church service one night. She told me that her problems began when she was sexually abused as girl, after which the pain was so great she got into drugs, finally making a death pact with her boyfriend and another friend. The other friend would shoot each of them in the head and, hopefully, not get caught.

Tragically, her boyfriend died as a result of his wounds, the other boy did go to jail for his actions, but instead of dying, she was blinded.

I thought to myself, "What kind of divine judgment awaits the man who abused her if he does not repent and find mercy before that day?"

A number of our ministry school grads work tirelessly in several nations to combat human trafficking, and I support their work however I can. They tell me in detail about the trauma experienced by these kids and teens sold into sex slavery, with full recovery being extremely difficult and rare (if they even manage to survive and are rescued).

In no way would I dream of minimizing the sin of a sex offender, even a younger one like Josh was, but I absolutely believing in maximizing the grace of God, who delights in saving the worst of sinners.

That's what Paul wrote in 1 Timothy, using himself as an example. He explained that "I was previously a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and an insolent man. But I was shown mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. The grace of our Lord overflowed with the faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, first, Jesus Christ might show all patience, as an example to those who were to believe in Him for eternal life" (1 Tim. 1:13-16).

Sadly, professing Christians have written to me, assuring me that God could never forgive Josh for what he did or that "once a molester, always a molester." And they also assure me that they understand grace and believe in the power of the gospel.

Nonsense.

Responses like theirs make me wonder if they have ever experienced God's mercy themselves.

The fact is, the very best of us are worthless wretches outside of His grace, and on the holiest day of our lives, in ourselves, we are utterly depraved in light of God's perfect brightness.

If you have ever come under deep conviction of sin, either as a sinner or a saint (meaning, as a nonbeliever or as a believer), you know what I'm talking about.

Suddenly, your flesh is revealed, as happened to the prophet Isaiah when he encountered the Lord, crying out, "Woe is me! For I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts" (Is. 6:5)

Suddenly, you become aware of the depth of your guilt and depravity, of the impurity of your motives, of the corruption of your actions, of your selfishness or greed or envy or lust or hatred or pride or rebellion or bitterness—or all of the above.

You feel as if the worst hell is too good for you, and you are completely overwhelmed when you realize that not only is God willing to forgive you, but that Jesus died for you and paid for every one of those sins, pronouncing you righteous through faith and bringing you into His family as a fellow child of the Father.

In the words of John Newton, the former slave trader, guilty of committing atrocities against fellow human beings, "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me."

I know extraordinary men of God today who used to be in involved in terrorist activities or who were once sexually depraved or consumed by hate, and they are some of the saintliest people on the planet. And all of us, no matter how we lived our lives, were sinners in need of salvation and mercy.

Those who have been shown mercy should lead the way in showing mercy; those who have been forgiven should lead the way in forgiving others; those who have been transformed should be the first to believe for the transformation of others.

We should exercise wisdom when it comes to putting certain people in certain positions (for example, no matter how transformed a convicted former child molester might be, I would never put that person in the church's children's ministry, for many obvious reasons), but we should absolutely believe in the power of God to forgive the worst of sinners and trust the power of the blood of Jesus to make us truly clean.

I really do fear for those who do not recognize the depth of their own sin in light of God's holiness and who do not understand the principle that "he who has shown no mercy will have judgment without mercy, for mercy triumphs over judgment" (Jacob [James] 2:13).

May we be ambassadors of the transforming mercy of God, and may we glory in the life-transforming power of the gospel.

That's what the cross is all about.

Michael Brown is the author of 25 books, including Can You Be Gay and Christian? and host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show "The Line of Fire." He is also president of FIRE School of Ministry and director of the Coalition of Conscience. 

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