How Your Excruciating Labor Pains Are Bearing Incredible Spiritual Fruit - ROBIN BERTRAM CHARISMA NEWS

Do you remember the pains of pregnancy and childbirth? (Pexels/freestocks.org)

How Your Excruciating Labor Pains Are Bearing Incredible Spiritual Fruit

9/23/2017 ROBIN BERTRAM  CHARISMA NEWS

My husband and I were walking by a large pond in our neighborhood. We live in the low country of South Carolina, and our ponds are full of alligators as well as other reptiles and amphibians. We also have blue herons, snowy egrets, cormorants, ospreys, red-tailed hawks, ibis and wood storks, all of which make our walks so incredibly delightful. That day, the gators were out in full force. We must have seen five or six on our short walk. For the first time ever, we heard an alligator growl. Our neighbors, who were walking several steps ahead, stopped and shouted back, "Hey, did you hear that?"

"Yes," I said, "but what is it?" Our neighbor replied that it was the sound of an alligator in mating season.

It reminded me of a time when I was a young woman, and I growled at my husband in that same way. It was in the labor room as I was getting ready to give birth to my son. I had been in hard Pitocin-induced labor, with its characteristic intense and abrupt contractions of the uterus, for 18 hours. I cannot remember ever being in such pain. It seemed as though it would go on forever. However, when my sweet baby son was placed in my arms, all the pain I experienced seem to fade from my memory. As I peered into his beautiful blue eyes, I saw in him the reflection of my husband and me looking down at him. Joy. What joy. He was perfect.

When a baby is being born, it has to be pushed through the birth canal. He has to leave his place of security and comfort and go to a new place of the unknown. It cannot be a pain-free process for either the mother or the child, but when complete, the baby feels safe in his parents' arms. The child quickly identifies with the mother who carried him for nine months, and then recognizes the father as he quickly connects with him also. The pain is soon forgotten, and the joy of new life takes its place.

If you have ever had children, you might remember that precious look in your babies' eyes when they first looked up and recognized their father. The newborn knows almost nothing, yet he knows to whom he belongs. Think back to the time when you saw the father gazing into the eyes of his newborn. Dad was beaming with joy at every sound and every little movement.

Now take this picture of a father and a newborn and apply that to how God feels when we have come through a difficult period of refinement. He smiles down at His child. He is so pleased. He sees more of His own perfect reflection as He gazes into the soul that has been refined. Was all the pain worth it? Yes. Yes. Yes. Pain is here for a time, but joy comes in the morning after the darkness of the night. Joy bubbles up inside you when you come through the fires of refinement. It is a joy that cannot compare with mere happiness. It's deeper. It's richer. It's more intense.

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Trials come. Tribulation comes. However, as believers, we are to count it all joy when we have to face various trials and temptations (James 1:2). How can we do that? Are we supposed to fake our way through it? Are we to put on a happy face when everything in us is hurting? I think our real test is to not become a victim of our own circumstances but instead to be victorious, knowing that through the trial we are being refined. In the process, we are being purged of all that is not like God.

And this is an important process. After all, as Charles Spurgeon once said, "No faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods."

Adapted from No Regrets by Robin M. Bertram, copyright 2017, published by Charisma House. This book is a manual for living your life to the fullest, without regrets and embracing what lies ahead to make your life more meaningful and rewarding. To order your copy click on this link.

Prayer Power for the Week of Sept. 17, 2017

This week, in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma as well as remembering the impact of the terrorist attacks on 9/11/2001, continue to pray and ask the Lord to guide your steps to make you a blessing to those who desperately need it. Pray for unity among believers and across the nation as we combine efforts to help those victimized by both natural and terrorist disasters. Continue to pray for the president and those working with him to do what's best for the country. Remember our allies as well. Read James 1:2; 1 Peter 1:6-7; 2 Corinthians 8:7.

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Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT CHARISMA NEWS

(Artwork by Jean-Leon Gerome)

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction

 1/6/2016 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT  charisma news

Lutheran Pastor Wolfgang Schuch was one of the giants of the 16th century. According to Charles Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, Schuch was imprisoned for denying "the Church and the sacrifice of the mass" and was sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Upon hearing his sentence, he began singing the 122nd Psalm, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

In fact, it was in the 19th-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon's aforementioned commentary on the Psalms that I read about Schuch. But Spurgeon read about Schuch from within the pages of Foxe's Book of Martyrs. When Christians stand with courage and conviction—even in the face of death—their testimony inspires others for generations to come.

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis faced her own trial and dilemma in 2015. She would either knuckle under to secular judicial elites and compromise her beliefs as a Christ follower, or she would go to jail. Confrontation with evil is nothing new; John N. Oswalt says believers throughout history have been "flayed alive, impaled, mutilated and killed" (Isaiah Commentary). Theology can make for splendid Bible study discussion in the safety and comfort of a yet-free society, but the real question is this: Will you bet your life on it?

Secularism is a pagan ideology, a religion. According to Harold J. Berman's Law and Revolution, secularism divorced itself from Christianity, and yet still retained "from traditional Christianity both its sense of the sacred and some of its major values." But a rival now challenges secularists in the form of revolutionary totalitarianism.

For instance, homosexual militants once lobbied for a libertarian acceptance of its lifestyle with this mantra: "Allow us to live our lives in the privacy of our homes." But then, the homosexual movement shifted to a totalitarian posture: "Bakers, photographers and Christian retreat centers will take part in our weddings or be bankrupted." Finally, the situation Kim Davis faced introduced us to the next chapter: Fascism, with its declaration, "You will ceremonialize and pay homage to our weddings, or you'll spend time in jail."

Pro-life evangelical and Catholic Christians have favored an esoteric, academic approach over the last two to three generations. But in the battle with secularists for ideological supremacy in the public square, the cancer of secularism has now run its course. The decay to this once-great Christian nation is nauseating.

In plain English, Peter J. Leithart spelled out his diagnosis and corrective to the gathering storm when he wrote in Between Babel and Beast:

"Until American churches actually function as outposts of Jesus' heavenly empire rather than as cheerleaders for America—until the churches produce martyrs rather than patriots—the political witness of Christians will continue to be diluted and co-opted."

Edmund Burke observed that those who refuse to look backward to their ancestry would not look forward to their posterity. Jewish talk show host Michael Medved observes, "The Founders weren't atheists, agnostics or secularists; they were, almost without exception, deeply serious Christians."

I predict that a future American leader will conclude that America's greatest need is a spiritual awakening. Once inaugurated, repentance will be the first order of business; first confessing his own sins, and then admitting his and the nation's folly for replacing Jehovah and traditional Christianity with a "religion of secularism." (This is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's prophetic language in his lone dissent in the 1963 SCOTUS ruling to remove the Bible from public schools in America: "It led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism.")

According to Eric Metaxes, this historic figure, "something like what a Moses was to Israel" will have set in motion a movement to oust the false religion of secularism from the political, legal, economic, religious and cultural institutions of America. And analogous to Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, a "cataclysmic" explosion of faith will rock the world for generations.

But this movement likely won't come into view until the church returns to the priority of prayer, establishing righteousness above sacrifice and the priority of ethics over ritual. God's name has been brought into contempt, but like the prideful Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, secularists have misinterpreted their victory:

"The only reason that they had defeated Israel was because Yahweh was using the Philistines to discipline His people. How much better it would have been for His glory to be revealed on the battlefield, but He couldn't give victory to a disobedient people. The living God cannot be used, manipulated or managed. God allows Himself to be humiliated and exalted. But through it all, He will not compromise His holiness or integrity. In the church God often appears to be losing because Christians refuse to submit to His lordship. The Lord longs to show up in a powerful way, but He is waiting for us to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet 1:16). So instead of blaming the church for being anemic, lethargic and irrelevant, perhaps we should blame ourselves" (Dr. Keith Krell,1 Samuel).

Once we return to God, He will then attend to the honor of His name. Public education and universities will again focus on the principal component of education: incorporating the character of the Father into our children, thus creating an exceptional and virtuous people. Test scores in education will soar for, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7).

Once gospel righteousness is restored to the public square, virtue will suddenly come to the forefront at City Hall. America will again bring forth outstanding men and women of character, produced by a Christian culture, Christian thought and biblical wisdom. As Charles Spurgeon said, "He who is taught of God has a practical wisdom such as malice cannot supply to the crafty; while harmless as a dove he also exhibits more than a serpent's wisdom."

We simply need a Gideon or Rahab to stand.

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction - DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT CHARISMA NEWS

(Artwork by Jean-Leon Gerome)

Christians Must Stand With Courage and Conviction

1/6/2016 DAVID LANE/AMERICAN RENEWAL PROJECT   charisma news

Lutheran Pastor Wolfgang Schuch was one of the giants of the 16th century. According to Charles Spurgeon's The Treasury of David, Schuch was imprisoned for denying "the Church and the sacrifice of the mass" and was sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Upon hearing his sentence, he began singing the 122nd Psalm, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go into the house of the Lord.'"

In fact, it was in the 19th-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon's aforementioned commentary on the Psalms that I read about Schuch. But Spurgeon read about Schuch from within the pages of Foxe's Book of Martyrs. When Christians stand with courage and conviction—even in the face of death—their testimony inspires others for generations to come.

Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis faced her own trial and dilemma in 2015. She would either knuckle under to secular judicial elites and compromise her beliefs as a Christ follower, or she would go to jail. Confrontation with evil is nothing new; John N. Oswalt says believers throughout history have been "flayed alive, impaled, mutilated and killed" (Isaiah Commentary). Theology can make for splendid Bible study discussion in the safety and comfort of a yet-free society, but the real question is this: Will you bet your life on it?

Secularism is a pagan ideology, a religion. According to Harold J. Berman's Law and Revolution, secularism divorced itself from Christianity, and yet still retained "from traditional Christianity both its sense of the sacred and some of its major values." But a rival now challenges secularists in the form of revolutionary totalitarianism.

For instance, homosexual militants once lobbied for a libertarian acceptance of its lifestyle with this mantra: "Allow us to live our lives in the privacy of our homes." But then, the homosexual movement shifted to a totalitarian posture: "Bakers, photographers and Christian retreat centers will take part in our weddings or be bankrupted." Finally, the situation Kim Davis faced introduced us to the next chapter: Fascism, with its declaration, "You will ceremonialize and pay homage to our weddings, or you'll spend time in jail."

Pro-life evangelical and Catholic Christians have favored an esoteric, academic approach over the last two to three generations. But in the battle with secularists for ideological supremacy in the public square, the cancer of secularism has now run its course. The decay to this once-great Christian nation is nauseating.

In plain English, Peter J. Leithart spelled out his diagnosis and corrective to the gathering storm when he wrote in Between Babel and Beast:

"Until American churches actually function as outposts of Jesus' heavenly empire rather than as cheerleaders for America—until the churches produce martyrs rather than patriots—the political witness of Christians will continue to be diluted and co-opted."

Edmund Burke observed that those who refuse to look backward to their ancestry would not look forward to their posterity. Jewish talk show host Michael Medved observes, "The Founders weren't atheists, agnostics or secularists; they were, almost without exception, deeply serious Christians."

I predict that a future American leader will conclude that America's greatest need is a spiritual awakening. Once inaugurated, repentance will be the first order of business; first confessing his own sins, and then admitting his and the nation's folly for replacing Jehovah and traditional Christianity with a "religion of secularism." (This is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart's prophetic language in his lone dissent in the 1963 SCOTUS ruling to remove the Bible from public schools in America: "It led not to true neutrality with respect to religion, but to the establishment of a religion of secularism.")

According to Eric Metaxes, this historic figure, "something like what a Moses was to Israel" will have set in motion a movement to oust the false religion of secularism from the political, legal, economic, religious and cultural institutions of America. And analogous to Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, a "cataclysmic" explosion of faith will rock the world for generations.

But this movement likely won't come into view until the church returns to the priority of prayer, establishing righteousness above sacrifice and the priority of ethics over ritual. God's name has been brought into contempt, but like the prideful Philistines in 1 Samuel 5, secularists have misinterpreted their victory:

"The only reason that they had defeated Israel was because Yahweh was using the Philistines to discipline His people. How much better it would have been for His glory to be revealed on the battlefield, but He couldn't give victory to a disobedient people. The living God cannot be used, manipulated or managed. God allows Himself to be humiliated and exalted. But through it all, He will not compromise His holiness or integrity. In the church God often appears to be losing because Christians refuse to submit to His lordship. The Lord longs to show up in a powerful way, but He is waiting for us to be holy as he is holy (1 Pet 1:16). So instead of blaming the church for being anemic, lethargic and irrelevant, perhaps we should blame ourselves" (Dr. Keith Krell,1 Samuel).

Once we return to God, He will then attend to the honor of His name. Public education and universities will again focus on the principal component of education: incorporating the character of the Father into our children, thus creating an exceptional and virtuous people. Test scores in education will soar for, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" (Prov. 1:7).

Once gospel righteousness is restored to the public square, virtue will suddenly come to the forefront at City Hall. America will again bring forth outstanding men and women of character, produced by a Christian culture, Christian thought and biblical wisdom. As Charles Spurgeon said, "He who is taught of God has a practical wisdom such as malice cannot supply to the crafty; while harmless as a dove he also exhibits more than a serpent's wisdom."

We simply need a Gideon or Rahab to stand.

David Lane is the founder of American Renewal Project.

For a limited time, we are extending our celebration of the 40th anniversary of Charisma. As a special offer, you can get 40 issues of Charisma magazine for only $40!

NEW from CHARISMA: Do you want to encounter the Holy Spirit and hear God speak to you? Increase your faith, discover freedom, and draw near to God! Click Here

"I Saw a Huge Rusty Plow Sitting in Many Churches" - Bill Yount, The Elijah List

"I Saw a Huge Rusty Plow Sitting in Many Churches"

Bill Yount, Hagerstown, MD 

The Elijah List

I saw a huge rusty plow sitting in the sanctuary of many churches. Its size filled the back of the sanctuary to the pulpit. Its pointed blade now dull, rested just short of the altar. The plow seemed ancient and out of place, like it should be in a museum. 

It struggled to remember the glory days when plowing was crucial in the Kingdom of Heaven, for without plowing there can be no planting, and therefore no harvest. The plow knew it was never meant to be in one place this long. (Photo via Pixabay)

Suddenly, a knock came pounding on the door of these churches. A knock so powerful that it shifted the huge rusty plow forward enough to touch the altar. I could then see that this huge plow was made up of the congregation as a spirit of intercession came upon it. The spirit of prayer shook the whole house as fresh heavenly oil began dripping down upon this rusty plow.

The Lord then spoke, "As in the days of old, I am returning to this house with great power to bring in the harvest."

Immediately, confidence came upon the plow as the congregation proclaimed, "I can do this. I can do that. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." A get-up-and-go had come upon us. A pioneering spirit was rising up to take us where we had never gone before: Outside to unknown territories and regions where awesome adventure had been waiting for us. We were about to make history.

Who Was that Knocking on the Door?

I asked the Lord, "Who was that pounding on the door of these churches?"

He said, "It's the lost knocking to get inside My house. But the huge rusty plow was taking up all the room and they couldn't get in. Not one of them. But now with My oil dripping on the plow and the shaking moving it forward to outside the house, a great harvest is guaranteed with acceleration. So much so that the plowman will overtake the reaper." (See Amos 9:13.)

(Photo by Robert Bartow "Harvest" via elijahshopper.com)

"Churches will be filled again with standing room only. People will line the streets to get in as that well-oiled machine moves outside of My house. I will continue to help by shaking the heavens and the earth, releasing My reverend fear into communities and nations. I will continue to get people's attention, for I want no one to be lost. My shaking alone will cause hardened children and grandchildren to run like prodigals into the arms of Jesus."

I used to think to plow the ground first was a long hard season, and then to wait for the harvest was another long season. But I believe this Scripture (Amos 9:13) is saying that the reaping will be in the same season as we are plowing. In fact, we will overtake the reaper. That's acceleration.

The plow was V-shaped, having two huge sides on it. The V-shape reminded me how geese fly and how they partner working together, going forward even in adverse winds.

He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. As thou knowest not what is the way of the Spirit...even so thou knowest not the works of God who maketh all. In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening withhold not thine hand: for thou knowest not whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether they both shall be alike good. Ecclesiastes 11:4-6

My Hand is Coming Upon Your Plow

"The blood, sweat, and tears that you have sown will now catapult you to find your joy and strength in the harvest fields: Crack houses, human-trafficking, in fields of addiction, and in the company of man slayers. Where fear abounds, you will discover you are well able to take down every giant in the land. For My hand is now coming upon your plow. I am releasing an electrifying jump start upon it. It is now unstoppable. Don't look back. Don't even look ahead. Look up, for I now go before you and I have your back covered."

Redemption is Coming Upon Your Fields

"Know that your labor until now is not in vain, and though in times past you were weary in well doing, you will be glad you didn't quit.For I am coming onto your fields of labor with redemption. New anointings and unctions will open up new ground and opportunities, for the earth is Mine. Joy will be found in the plowing along with the reaping." (Photo via Wikipedia)

I found this short sermon to be interesting by Charles Spurgeon:

"If a farmer knew that a bad year was coming, he would perhaps only sow an acre or two; but if some prophet could tell him, 'Farmer, there will be such a harvest next year as there never was,' he would say, 'I will plough up my grass lands, I will stub up those hedges: every inch of ground I will sow.'

"So do you. There is a wondrous harvest coming. Plough up your headlands; root up your hedges; break up your fallow ground, and sow, even amongst the thorns. Ye know not which shall prosper, this or that; but ye may hope that they shall be alike good. Enlarged effort should always follow an increased hope of success."

It's time to plow.

Bill Yount
Blowing the Shofar Ministry

Email: theshofarhasblown@juno.com
Website: billyount.com

Bill Yount has been a member of Bridge of Life in Hagerstown, Maryland, for the past 36 years where he is now an elder and a home missionary. He is currently an advisor at large for Aglow International. Bill faithfully served in prison ministry at Mount Hope for 23 years and now travels full-time, both in the U.S. and internationally, ministering in churches and Aglow circles. "Humility and humor" characterize his ministry as he brings forth a fresh word that is "in season," proclaiming the Word of the Lord! 

The shofar (or ram's horn) is often used in his meetings, breaking the powers of darkness over regions, churches, and households. The shofar represents God's breath blowing into the nostrils of His people, reviving them and awakening the lost. Many of God's messages, which Bill ministers prophetically, come out of his everyday life with his family and friends.

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