Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Steve Martin, Love For His People Founder/President
"Grace"
Love For His People video
with Steve Martin
Aug. 15, 2017
Greetings friends of Love For His People.
Grace is the word for today! And don't we all need much of it? We certainly do.
When I asked the Lord what the message should be for this edition of Arms of Love, the Holy Spirit gave me the word "grace" yesterday as I drove home from my accounting job. I really needed it there, as I close out my 5-year tenure come this Oct. 31. I am sure you need some more grace in your life too. Today possibly? I think every day!
I hope you are encouraged as you listen to this word shared from my heart. Please let me know if it does, will you?
Grace, grace, grace. Fill our hearts today Lord with your faith, hope, love and grace!
Ahava and shalom,
Steve
Grace abounds!
You can help us help others in Israel, Pakistan Northern Ireland and Nigeria, where we support families and ministries who also have a heart for Israel, and love the people in their land. Checks can be mailed to:
Love For His People, Inc. P.O. Box 414 Pineville, NC 28134 We have been a USA non-profit since 2010. Gifts are tax-deductible.
Above video - YouTube - Published on Aug 15, 2017
Arms of Love - Love For His People video with Steve Martin - "Grace" (message #2)
Aug. 15, 2017 Recorded in Pineville, North Carolina in our "studio" (born-again garage)
Videos filmed and shared by Steve Martin - to give appreciation to and love for those we support, through Love For His People, Inc.
Ever wonder why the Lord told Abraham your ancestors would be more than he could basically count?
Genesis 13:14-16, "The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, "Now lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward; 15for all the land which you see, I will give it to you and to your descendants forever.
16I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if anyone can number the dust of the earth, then your descendants can also be numbered." (NASB)
Why does the Apostle John give such detailed information, about fish of all things?
"So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. 10Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish which you have now caught."
11Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, ahundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn." John 21:9-11 (NASB)
Not quite the fish in the Sea of Galilee (Kinneret),
but I took this photo in Alaska in 2015 and wanted to show it. (Steve Martin)
And how about Job? (Iyov in Hebrew) Such detail. A true accounting picture, and historical fact!
"When Iyov prayed for his friends, Adonai restored his fortunes; Adonai gave Iyov twice as much as he had had before.11Then all his brothers and sisters came to him, also all who had known him before, and they ate a meal with him in his house. They consoled and comforted him for all the evils Adonai had inflicted on him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring. 12Adonai blessed Iyov’s later situation even more than his earlier one — he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 pairs of oxen and 1,000 female donkeys.
13He also had seven sons and three daughters."
(Job 42:10-14, Complete Jewish Bible)
Camel from the Land of Israel in my "transformed garage".
Maybe a descendant of Job carved it? Probably.
(photo by Steve Martin)
SO....
I wanted to share with you these following numbers. Being an Accountant by trade (tent-making job!), I check on all kinds of numbers and statistics throughout the day.
T'was exciting to see these ones for our blog Love For His People as of June 30, 2017 at 6:30 am EDT. (Even our clocks give us numbers. Just can't escape them, can you?)
These statistics below give a good "snapshot" of who, what, where, when, how and so what?
And...I am especially delighted at the wide range of nations that read our ministry website. That is why I often give Europe and other regional news, in addition to primarily sharing Israel and USA news, along with my Now Think On This messages.
Thank you Lord for numbers!!!
Joyfully,
Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S. Let me know what you think.
E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com
Thanks!
Help us keep sharing Good News, to keep you informed.
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“The steps of a man
are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way.” (Psalm 37:23, NASU)
One of my recent Now
Think On This messages was entitled The
What Ifs. It has been one of my most read and shared ones. It is because we
often find ourselves thinking about the “what ifs” in life, don’t we? But then,
on the other hand, how often do we consider the “if He had nots” that I believe
are just as important, if not more so.
As you look back on the
road you have taken in life thus far, where would you be if the Lord Himself
had not intervened in your life? What would have happened if His Almighty hand had not guided you to take that one specific step, or prevent you from taking one that would
have had serious consequences?
During my first and only
year of college (no degree here), I had become engaged to a sophomore who
wanted to be an English teacher in Iowa. I wanted to be a missionary in Africa.
As you guessed, the engagement did not last long. She wasn’t going the way I
felt led to go. But two years later, I met the one who would be my life mate,
and take the road the Lord had planned for the two of us, and yes, the kids and
grandkids that followed. If He had not intervened…
I think back on that
decision He led us to make when I left a well-paying, next rung-on-the-ladder
VP job in Michigan in 1987. Moving our family then to the southern end of
Florida, accepting a financial position with an international Christian
ministry, was not the typical way to go for a 33 year-old with wife and four
kids. Following that path had me help lead three ministries over the next 24
years with the administration and financial skills He has gifted me with. If He
had not directed…
Where would you be today
if you had married that one whom you knew deep down was not His choice? What
would have happened if He had not sent you the wisdom of another, to give you
scriptural advice in your decision?
If He had not closed
that door to the one job you thought you desperately needed, because He knew
you were to be at another, to bring His light into a dark place? Where would
you be now?
If the Lord had not enabled
you to escape that addiction gripping your life, whether it be drugs, alcohol,
pornography, anger? What sorry state would you still be in?
If Jesus had not saved
you from hell, your eternal life would end up there.
There are many
situations that the Lord has not only protected us from, but even more so are
the several times He has led us down the path of the narrow one. Those paths we have
taken, knowingly and unknowingly.
For all those times when He intervened, He
is worthy of our thankfulness and eternal love.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People,
Inc.
P.S.I would be most grateful if you'd share
this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can
easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
We are blessed when
the ministry receives gifts to support the families that we do, primarily in
Israel, Hungary, India, Pakistan and the hurting ones here in the USA. You also
can share out of the abundance you have been given.
Love For His People,
Inc. is a charitable,
not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love
of the Father in the nations.
If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Now Think On This - In
the Year of our Lord 02.20.17 - #276 – “If He Had Not…” – Monday 9:30 am
All previous editions
of Now Think On This can be found on this
Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most
grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You
can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
“Speak up, judge righteously, defend the cause of the poor and the needy.”
(Proverbs 31:9, Complete Jewish Bible)
It certainly wasn’t the best of weeks. My wife and I spent a lot of time
sitting in the hospital as one son went through two surgeries, for internal
bleeding and fractured vertebrae, after a horrific car accident. That in itself
wore us out. (You can read more in my message, The What Ifs).
And then after the postponement four times in much the same time period,
my mid-year work review finally happened. I had had some concerns going into it,
and had hoped it would just get over.
I normally am not concerned about the regular six month review process.
Having been a good employee for much of my life, I generally got high marks,
and was considered a valuable worker. But this time I wasn’t so sure, as I was
aware of a few mistakes in my accounting job I had made in the last six months.
The world hadn’t come to an end over them, nor would it, but being my boss is
very good at catching, and pointing out, every error made on my part, I had
some trepidation what would be said and written.
And there it was. On the 2nd page of the three page printed document,
was a “D” in one area. I can’t ever remember getting a “D” in my life. I was almost
always a straight “A” student throughout my educational years, and it regularly
showed on other job reviews these many decades. But I had never imagined I
would get a “D” on a work review.
The two mistakes pointed out were easily fixable, and had been already. And
they hadn’t cost the company money either. But in their opinion, I needed to
again be reminded of them (having happened a few months ago) and it would be noted
on this permanent review.
After the half hour was over, I signed the paper and left their office,
not quite on the happy note I usually experienced. I do take “pride” in doing a
good job, and want to excel in my position for the company’s sake. But this set
me back emotionally. Throughout the night it would not leave my mind.
The next day in our daily office meeting, after going over current
accounting work, I brought it up to my boss. I said I had never received a “D”
in my life, and pointed out that these two mistakes did not warrant that low
grade. I had other objections to share, which I did, and awaited the response.
The “D” was changed to a “C” on the review.
My boss afterward said they were questioning why I hadn’t said anything
during the review the day before, and also said it was the COO who was the one
who had made my boss change it from the original “C” to the “D” in this
category. But she was willing to change it back, and didn’t want me to feel
that my work was on a “D” level. (My overall review was 3.7 out of 5. I was
also told that the company policy had changed, dropping everyone basically a
full point on their reviews. Now it would be rare if anyone would get a 5 (“A”)
anymore in any category, as no one was thought able to reach perfection. How
encouraging is that?! On my previous year-end review I had gotten a 4.6 out of
5.)
I don’t have any big spiritual advice or wisdom to share with you at this
point. Just maybe the Lord wanted me to say something that in this matter
seemed unjust. Certainly there are far more greater situations happening in the
world that are of far more of concern that this, like speaking for the unborn or
those who are continually mistreated and misjudged. Of those important concerns
I will certainly keep speaking up.
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People, Inc.
P.S.I would be
most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and
friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below.
Thanks! Steve
We are blessed when the ministry receives gifts to support
the families that we do, primarily in Israel, Hungary, India, Pakistan and the
hurting ones here in the USA. You also can share out of the abundance you have
been given.
Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian
organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.
If these messages minister to you, please consider
sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us
bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our
humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt
for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Now Think On This - In the Year of our Lord 02.12.17 - #275
–“Got A “D” On My Review” – Sunday 2:30 pm
All previous editions of Now Think On This can
be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this
encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social
media icons below. Thanks! Steve
Posted: 24 Apr 2016 Michael Snyder THE ECONOMIC COLLAPSE BLOG
If nobody is working in one out of every five U.S. families, then how in the world can the unemployment rate be close to 5 percent as the Obama administration keeps insisting? The truth, of course, is that the U.S. economy is in far worse condition than we are being told. Last week, I discussed the fact that the Federal Reserve has found that 47 percent of all Americans would not be able to come up with $400 for an unexpected visit to the emergency room without borrowing it or selling something. But Barack Obama and his minions never bring up that number. Nor do they ever bring up the fact that 20 percent of all families in America are completely unemployed. The following comes directly from the Bureau of Labor Statistics…
In 2015, the share of families with an employed member was 80.3 percent, up by 0.2 percentage point from 2014. The likelihood of having an employed family member rose in 2015 for Black families (from 76.4 percent to 77.7 percent) and for Hispanic families (from 85.9 percent to 86.4 percent). The likelihood for White and Asian families showed little or no change (80.1 percent and 88.6 percent, respectively).
For purposes of this study, families “are classified either as married-couple families or as families maintained by women or men without spouses present” and they include households without children as well as children under the age of 18. Digging into the numbers, we find that there were a total of 81,410,000 families in America during the 2015 calendar year. Of that total, 16,060,000 families did not have a single member employed. So that means that in 19.7 percent of all families in the United States, nobody has a job. And of course there are lots more families that are “partially employed”. In other words, maybe the wife has a job but the husband does not. So based on these numbers, it would appear to me that the true rate of unemployment in this country is vastly higher than 5 percent, and John Williams of shadowstats.com agrees with me. According to his calculations, the broadest measure of unemployment in the U.S. would actually be sitting at 22.9 percent if honest numbers were being used. But let’s not just focus on where we are. Let’s take a look at where we are going. According to Challenger, Gray & Christmas, job cut announcements by big companies in the United States were up 32 percent during the first quarter of 2016 compared to the first quarter of 2015, and it appears that the job losses are going to continue to mount as we roll into the second quarter. For instance, late last week Intel announced that it is going to be laying off 12,000 workers…
As it navigates its path into the future, Intel, the 47-year-old corporation best known for making microprocessor chips that power personal computers, has announced significant changes to its business. On Tuesday, Intel’s CEO Brian Krzanich said in a letter to employees that the company over the next year will cut its 107,300-person global workforce by 12,000 people, or 11 percent.
Those are good middle class jobs, and they are exactly the kind of jobs that we cannot afford to be losing. Meanwhile, the “retail apocalypse” appears to be accelerating once again. Bloomberg is reporting that teen clothing chain Aeropostale is preparing to file for bankruptcy. Aeropostale currently operates more than 800 stores across the nation, and it is unclear if any of them will be able to stay open as this process plays out. But of course it isn’t just Aeropostale that has gone bankrupt lately. Here are a few more examples of major retailers that have recently filed for bankruptcy…
April 16, 2016: Vestis Retail Group, the operator of sporting goods retailers Eastern Mountain Sports (camping, hiking, skiing, adventure sports), Bob’s Stores (family clothing and shoes), and Sport Chalet (general sporting goods), filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It will close all 56 stores and stop online sales. In the filing, it blamed the going-out-of-business sales at “certain Sports Authority locations,” plus the weather, which had been too warm, and trouble with switching to a new software platform. It’s owned by private equity firm Versa Capital Management LLC. April 7, 2016: Pacific Sunwear of California, clothing retailer with nearly 600 stores and derailed ambitions of skate-and-surf cool, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. PE firm Golden Gate Capital, a lender to the company, agreed to convert over 65% of its loan into equity of the reorganized company and add another $20 million in financing. Wells Fargo agreed to provide $100 million of debtor-in-possession financing. March 2, 2016: Sports Authority filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It said it would close 140 of its 450 stores, including all stores in Texas.
Just because the stock market has been doing well in recent weeks does not mean that the crisis has passed. In fact, many experts believe that the crisis of 2016 is just getting started. Albert Edwards of Societe Generale is one of them…
But what I do know is when in the last few weeks I have heard that Janet Yellen sees no bubble in the US, when Ben Bernanke hones and restates his helicopter money speech, and when Mario Draghi says that the ECB’s policy of printing money and negative interest rates was working, I feel utterly depressed (I could also quote similar nonsense from Japan, the UK and China). I have not one scintilla of doubt that these central bankers will destroy the enfeebled world economy with their clumsy interventions and that political chaos will be the ugly result.The only people who will benefit are not investors, but anarchists who will embrace with delight the resulting chaos these policies will bring!
All over the world, the underlying economic fundamentals continue to deteriorate. Here in the U.S., retail sales have been extremely disappointing, total business sales have been steadily falling, corporate revenues and corporate profits continue to plunge, and corporate debt defaults have soared to their highest level since the last financial crisis. All of these numbers are screaming that a major economic downturn is here, and with each passing week things look even more ominous for the second half of 2016. *About the author: Michael Snyder is the founder and publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog. Michael’s controversial new book about Bible prophecy entitled “The Rapture Verdict” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.*
"Therefore take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Eph. 6:13).
I never once thought my life would go the direction did a few years ago. I once had no reason to fear having to face a disease such as cancer, particularly since I knew of no major history of it in my family. And yet for more than eight years I fought a grueling battle against non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Prayer was always been my first weapon, though I have sought input and treatment along the way from as many sources as possible. I endured dozens of treatments, had some amazing God encounters, and was pronounced clear and free of cancer at least three times—only to find it return in a different region of my body.
But to be completely transparent, I'm not sure even my own bout with cancer prepared me for the degree of loss I faced in almost every area of life and ministry in recent years.
Suffering Times Two
Shortly after I began fighting for my own life, my dear wife of 32 years, Michal Ann Goll, discovered she had colon cancer. After having her entire colon removed one Christmas, we had great hopes of her conquering this beast and we were believing the Lord for new body parts. She was relentless in her pursuit of healing and wholeness and, in my opinion, fought harder than I ever did. Yet her cancer continued to spread to several other organ systems.
Despite this, Michal Ann never lost her smile, she never let one negative word be echoed in her midst, and she loved God through every moment. She was devoted to the Word of God, lived a hidden life of prayer and was fearless in the face of the enemy.
Together we fought hard. We prayed, fasted, declared Scripture, praised the Lord, took communion, were committed to the local church, were properly aligned with apostolic authority, continued to believe in the supernatural ... and on and on. We'd experienced miracles several times before and had seen every gift of the Holy Spirit flow through our own lives into the lives of others around the world. We were desperate and did everything we knew to come out on the other side victorious. We made sure to identify and shut every generational door that might have been jarred even a little bit.
And yet the battle raged on.
We took an integrated approach the entire time—and I still do to this day. We brought together the best of many healing streams. We received counsel from the best and intensive prayer from those who move extraordinarily in the gifts of healings and working of miracles today. We combined the very best of alternative and traditional medicine with nutritional understandings, soaking worship and high praise. We had hands laid on us by the elders of the city, were interceded for by the global prayer movement and extended forgiveness wherever needed.
And yet the battle raged on.
We were faithful in our marriage covenant and faithful to the Lord. I'm not saying we were perfect. I am not perfect. I stand by grace in faith in the finished work of Calvary, as every believer does. But I do know Michal Ann and I did everything we could, and we trusted in God to do what we could not.
And yet the battle raged on.
The result of our fight? On Sept. 15, 2008, after four years of warring against cancer, my dear wife moved on to a great eternal realm called heaven. Thank God for heaven! We are only separated for a short time.
Still, it's perplexing to say the least why I made it and she did not. Michal Ann was an amazing champion for the Lord. My kids and I greatly miss her to this day.
Adding Salt to My Wounds
Losing my wife was hard enough. Yet in the midst of my grieving—and while still fighting my own battle with cancer—I received another blow.
Financial hits to both my personal and ministerial life left me almost drained. Within a short time, I lost three-fourths of my monthly donor base funding our global ministry. Due to medical expenses not covered by insurance and other unforeseen complications, I ended up with a massive amount of accumulated debt. Prior to this, I had paid every bill on time and had a great credit history.
As the bills piled up, my fight against cancer continued as I used every means possible to win. On Oct. 7, 2009, I finally received news that the 3½-by-2½-inch cancerous growth close to my stomach had melted and that every cancer cell advancing in my body was eradicated. Praise the Lord! I thank God for my second chance in life and declare that the cancer will not return again.
I am not alone in my journey. Some of you have been there as well in recent days. We have been enduring seasons of storms. And for many of us, these seasons have ushered us into times of severe questioning.
The Questions Come
What did I do to deserve all of this? This was one of the most prominent thoughts ringing in my head during the storms of this last decade. After all, I'd walked with the Lord every day of life since youth. Jesus has been my closest friend and companion through all my 58 years. I had been in full-time vocational ministry since I graduated from college in 1974. I had been true to the light given me and never backed away from the progressive truths as an ambassador of Christ. Why me? Why my family?
At times I felt like Job. I became acquainted with some of his well-meaning friends, each of whom gave me frequent input on the reasons why we were incurring such difficulties. It was supposedly because we prayed wrongly against some power of darkness or didn't have enough faith. Some chided that I must have been ignorant of God's Word concerning healing, while others reasoned that we were encountering such difficulties because we took a stand for Israel. Still others said it was because we had hidden sin, and if we would only bring it to the light the circumstances would end. A few acquaintances even claimed my suffering was because I wasn't a vegan.
People gave us every lotion, potion and natural remedy under the sun. I finally had to come to the conclusion that they cared for us and merely wanted us fixed. Yet the truth was, I wanted our situation fixed more than they did. As a result, I had to learn to love these well-meaning people while maintaining my personal convictions and my consecration and devotion to Jesus. The culmination of my trials and others' unsolicited input gave me the opportunity to trust the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding (see Prov. 3:5).
Lessons Learned
If I had to do it all over again, there is little I would change in the approach Michal Ann and I took. Of all things, I would have sat more on my southern front porch with my Annie, quietly drinking green tea in our rocking chairs, enjoying God and nature. Just being. Resting. Enjoying. I learned from my oncologist that every day we have is a gift from God.
And so I am left with today—for which I am truly grateful. I don't take it for granted, nor do I want to ignore the pain endured through these past storms. I am yet a work in progress. I'm still leaning in upon my beloved Jesus and learning more each day. But I know I can at least share with you some basic practical concepts that have been anchors in my life along the way. Here are a few.
1. God is good—all the time!This is at the top of my list on purpose. I believe and declare loudly, "The Lord is good to all, and His compassion is over all His works" (Ps. 145:9). If you want to be an overcomer in any area of life, you must have this foundational truth in place. Everything else hinges on this one truth! Always remember, Jesus "went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him" (Acts 10:38). "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever," and He is always going about doing good (Heb. 13:8)!
2. All things work together for good.I hang my hat on this belief system. Romans 8:28 uncompromisingly declares: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." That verse isn't for some generic person "out there"; it's for me and for you! Note that the verse doesn't say "everything is good" or that "God causes everything." Yet somehow in the great majesty of who He is, God takes even our failures, temporary disappointments and messed up circumstances and, when we are yielded to Him, He reconfigures them to work together for good. That is the Jesus I know dearly.
3. Keep your expectations high.Just because I haven't seen every person get healed does not mean I will stop praying for the sick. I won't stop declaring the good news of the gospel of the kingdom just because not everyone will be saved. Don't doubt in times of darkness what has been revealed in the light. Don't lower your theological bar to match temporary setbacks. Press on. Keep your expectations high and on God. Keep on believing!
4. Rely on a trusted community of believers.I am so grateful for the body of Christ. Some of you have walked with my family and me through our dark night of the soul. I need God, and I also need you. The second part of 1 John 5:4 says: "And this is the victory that overcomes the world—our faith." It doesn't say "my faith"; it says "our faith." We need each other. Sometimes we just need the body of Christ—Jesus with flesh on. Be a committed part of the community of believers called the church.
5. Be open to change.This has been one of the hardest lessons for me during the last decade. I love consistency and stability. But to make it through to the other side you have to be flexible in the hands of the master potter. You must learn to recalibrate, adjust and understand that change is not your enemy; it is good. To help cut my monthly budget, I had to move out of my ministry center and into a set of small offices. I didn't like it at first, but I knew it was good. The truth is, whether we embrace it or not, things will change. To transition more smoothly, we must be open to new things, new revelations, new places and even new connections.
6. Fear not! Renounce fear—be delivered from it. Get whatever cleansing is needed, because what you fear will come upon you. Fear is not your friend. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear paralyzes you, while faith propels you. Doubt your doubts and trust your dreams. Fear not! He is with you, beside you and in you. And as 1 John 4:4 says, "You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world."
7. Never, never, never, never give up.I carry a card in my Bible. On the outside cover it reads, "Never, never, never, never give up." And on the inside are these words: "I will never, never, never, never quit cheering for you." These were my dear wife's last words to me and our four kids. It was her last prophetic statement to the body of Christ. Jesus is our dread champion! As you press on in life, put your hand to the plow and don't look over your shoulder (Luke 9:62). Keep looking straight ahead. God is not finished with you yet. He who began a good work in you will complete it (Phil. 1:6).
8. You are not a victim; you are a victor!We must engraft this truth into our souls. At one of my low points, one of my kids lovingly got in my face and said something like: "Dad, you've got to rise above this. Trauma happens in life, but you must not be its victim." I am here to tell you I am a victor in Christ Jesus, and so are you! Jesus always leads us into a triumphant processional: "Now thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us reveals the fragrance of His knowledge in every place" (2 Cor. 2:14). You are not a victim; you are more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus!
Let me re-emphasize, I am still a work in progress. My journey—pain and all—is still being walked out. But I pray that you can benefit from the lessons I am learning in the process of becoming. I have lived an amazing life and am so grateful that I have been given a second chance in life. I pray that whatever season of life you are in, you will cling as I have to the truth of Ephesians 6:10: "Finally, my brothers, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." And when you have done all ... stand!
James W. Gollis the co-founder of Encounters Network and director of PrayerStorm. He also coordinates a coalition of leaders called Encounters Alliance. Author of The Beginner's Guide to Signs, Wonders and the Supernatural Life, Goll has shared Jesus in more than 40 nations worldwide teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry and life in the Spirit. For more information, visitencountersnetwork.com.
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I am not alone in my journey. Some of you have been there as well in recent days. We have been enduring seasons of storms. And for many of us, these seasons have ushered us into times of severe questioning.