How to Regard Trials as Pure Joy - R.T. KENDALL CHARISMA MAGAZINE

How to Regard Trials as Pure Joy

2/14/2016 R.T. KENDALL  charisma magazine

Here's how you can turn your trials into pure joy. (Lightstock )

How are we to regard trials as pure joy? Only by sufficient motivation.

In Moses' case it was because of the reward he believed would be his later (See Hebrews 11:24-26). It was even what motivated Jesus. Imagine that! It was the joy that lay ahead that kept Him going (Hebrews 12:2). He was not enjoying the cross, not for a second. But it was because of the great joy that was going to His that He was able to endure the cross. He considered it pure joy because pure joy was coming. And it came!

James tells us, therefore, that trials are a good thing—if we have a positive attitude toward them when they come. He certainly doesn't say we will enjoy them. Instead, we endure them. But we regard the thought of them as pure joy because of what these trials can do for us. They are, says Peter, more precious than gold (1 Pet. 1:7).

The greater the suffering, the greater the anointing. If it is anointing you want, then expect suffering. If it is a great anointing you want, anticipate great suffering at some stage. The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit to make us do what we do with ease and without fatigue.

The main reason for burnout and fatigue is almost certainly because someone has gone beyond his anointing; he went outside it rather than functioning within it. It was because he could not accept the limits of his ability. None of us can do everything, but to the person who is not content with the anointing or gift that he or she has, there will be trouble ahead.

It is humbling to accept our limits, but there is considerable joy and peace in doing so, not to mention an increase of anointing. We can pray for a greater anointing—namely, an ability to do what we previously could not do in our own strength—but until that anointing has come, we must accept the limits of our faith and ability.

I myself would prefer a greater anointing than anything. It is literally what I want most in the entire world. In a word: more of God. This way, I can achieve all He wants of me. He never promotes us to the level of our incompetence. As long as we are content with the calling He has chosen for us, we will live and move at the level He has seen fit to give us.

This is partly what is meant when the psalmist said, "He chose our inheritance for us" (Ps. 47:4). It can be a testing in itself when we come to terms with His determination of what talent He has decided to give us. We may envy another's anointing. It is the way Peter felt when told how he would die, and all he could apparently think of is how John would die. Jesus replied, in so many words, "That's none of your business—just follow Me and quit looking over your shoulder." (See John 21:18-23).

A.W. Tozer used to say that we could have as much of God as we want. When I first came across this comment, I disagreed. But now I know what he meant. We do not prove how much we want of God merely by the intense desire at the moment. We prove it by how we react to circumstances in life, and the opportunities given to us to do such things dignify the trials He hands us on our silver platter.

When we are content with the anointing God chose for us, we do what we are called to do without fatigue. "I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Phil. 4:13). When I become mentally and emotionally fatigued in what I am doing, it is a fairly strong hint that I have chosen to move outside my anointing and what God specifically asked me to do. As long as I do what He called me to do and no more, I will not be edging toward burnout.

And yet I would like to have more anointing than I have! This is a legitimate desire because Paul told us to desire earnestly the greater gifts (1 Cor. 12:31). God will answer this request so long as it is sought with His glory in mind; He will answer the request if it is His will (1 John 5:14), God will consequently supply the need for this by granting the necessary anointing required for what I am called to do.

If, then, it is a greater anointing I truly want, and I wake up with one big enormous trial before me, I should grasp it with both hands! I must consider this pure joy! This is because the trial is a fairly strong hint from the Lord Jesus that I am going to receive the anointing for which I long. He knows what I want more than anything, so if He sends a trial or testing my way, then I have every reason to believe that the anointing I long for is coming—if I dignify the trial at hand.

James sees a time ahead for the person who dignifies the trial that will bring indescribable peace, the highest level of anointing, the soul uncluttered by greed, and a heart filled with the very presence of God. It is pure joy.

In other words, if you consider a trial to be pure joy, it will lead you to pure joy. Count it pure joy, call it pure joy, regard the trial as pure joy, and one day you will experience pure joy for yourself. I promise it!

Adapted from Pure Joy by R. T. Kendall, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. The Christian faith promises inexpressible and glorious joy. This book will show you the difference between trials and temptations and how trials can lead you to joy. It will help you experience the four levels of joy and see how you can receive God's gift of gladness in every trial. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of February 14, 2016

Although you can't avoid trials in this life, determine this week to ask the Lord to help you "dignify the trial" when it comes and count it as "pure joy." Bring your thoughts and feelings into agreement with the Word of God and cry out for His grace (enabling power) to help you to do all things, even give thanks in the midst of your most challenging circumstances. Ask the Lord to show you ways in which you can meet needs, share love and be a blessing to others who are hurting and suffering loss. Continue to pray for the nation and worldwide revival (1 Thess. 5:18).

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

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Thank God for His Wonderful Gifts - RUTH L. WHITFIELD CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Material things come and go, but relationships can last a lifetime. (Lightstock)

Thank God for His Wonderful Gifts

11/22/2015 RUTH L. WHITFIELD  charisma magazine

I recently celebrated a birthday and was blessed with a barrage of cards and gifts. Well-wishing friends and relatives called, sent cards, gave gifts and took me to lunch.

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I felt loved and special. The years, which are considerable, seemed richer as I faced yet another chapter of my life.

Although I received some wonderful gifts, what I valued most was the love expressed by those around me. I realized that the greatest gifts were not the things I had received but the people God had brought into my life.

Material things come and go—they wear out, go out of style, depreciate, and get old and worn. But love and its expression among those of like faith is eternal. This special love from God, which the Bible calls "agape," and these relationships will go on forever. 

They will not wear out or grow old; they will grow richer. They are priceless treasures that will only increase in value. 

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, Jesus (see John 3:16). Jesus so loved that He gave His life in order that we could be forgiven and become adopted sons of God and joint-heirs with Him. But beyond that and as a special bonus, He gave us each other and joined our hearts in His love. 

What if, after all that, we refuse to accept His gifts? What if we receive the gift of eternal life but are not willing to love the people He brings into our lives or allow them to love us? What if we choose to keep these expressions of God's love at a distance, as I once did? We will miss so much!

As I looked across the table at the friends who have weathered many a storm with me, who are growing "older" as well, and gracefully I might add, I cherish them more and more each day. It's as if God wrapped each one in a special package and presented them to me as His very own array of gifts.

How thankful I am, Lord! Not just for the tangible expressions of Your love given through Your people but for the intangible expressions as well—wise counsel, prayer support, laughter, sharing in good times and bad, admonition, instruction and mentoring.

I understand now that each person is a gift from the Father to someone. Each one comes in a different package, a different shape, size and color. But each one is a reflection of His love. 

In becoming more like Him, let's share the love He so generously pours into our hearts toward others (see Rom. 5:5). And let us gratefully receive those He brings into our lives as special gifts from Him, regardless of the packaging.

This Thanksgiving, when we express our gratitude to God for His salvation, His presence and all the material things He has given us, let's not forget to thank Him for our family and friends—and the gift of love He has blessed us with through them.

Prayer Power for the Week of November 22, 2015

This week receive all the "love" gifts God sends you through family, friends, new relationships, outreaches and opportunities to connect with others. Pray for their salvation, healing, wholeness, deliverance, prosperity and blessing. Ask God to show you how to specifically reach out to the lonely, lacking and needy. Thank Him for leading you to the ones He desires you to bless and carry His love and presence to them in tangible ways. Continue to pray for our nation, its leaders, all those serving our country, and those who have suffered severe losses this year. Lift up the persecuted church and pray for the protection of Israel so it can fulfill God's mandate in this season. Before you embark on the busyness of the week, schedule time alone with God to make Him a priority, seek His counsel and receive His peace (Rom. 5:5-8).  

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 - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

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For This Time, God Has Called the Jonahs

Are you running away from your prophetic destiny? (Lightstock )

For This Time, God Has Called the Jonahs

10/4/2015 JOHN ECKHARDT  charisma magazine

Are you a prophet on the run? Are you running away from your assignment to speak the word of the Lord? Are you running from the presence of the Lord? Are you hiding? You can run, but you cannot hide from God.

The Lord is calling the Jonahs. You will not be the first and you will not be the last because there are Jonahs in every generation. There are prophets running from God today. Don't be a prophet on the run. You have been called to bless your generation. Don't run and hide from the call. Embrace it and obey God today.

For those who don't want to speak for the Lord, I pray that His word in your heart will be like fire shut up in your bones (see Jer. 20:9)!

God told Jonah to arise and go to Nineveh. Jonah instead went the other way. Jonah ran from the presence of the Lord. There are many prophets who are like Jonah. I call them prophets on the run. They sense and know the call of God to be a prophet, but they say, "I cannot handle that calling."

If you are a prophet on the run, then you know you cannot hide from God. You cannot hide in the bottom of the ship as Jonah did. You cannot hide from the presence of the Lord.

In Psalm 139:8-9, 12 David wrote, "If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell at the end of the sea ... even the darkness is not dark to You, but the night shines as the day, for the darkness is like light to You." Even the darkness cannot hide from God, Jonah tried to hide, but God knew where he was. God knows where his Jonahs are. He knows where every prophet is.

Jonah did go to Nineveh. Jonah did speak the word of the Lord to that city. The results were astonishing. The whole city repented and was spared.

Jonah's assignment was to speak to a city. What is your assignment? How many lives hang in the balance as a result of your calling? How many people will be blessed when you obey God?

This is a call for the Jonahs to arise and go to Nineveh. Where is your Nineveh? Whom are you sent to? These are questions every prophet has to answer. 

Your Jonah experience has prophetic significance. Even Jonah's experience was prophetic. He was in the belly of the whale three days and three nights. This was a picture of Christ being in the heart of the earth three days and three nights (see Matt. 12:40).

When you are prophetic, even your experiences will be prophetic. Jonah was prophetic even when he was running away from the call. Prophet, you can't escape. You have been designed by God to be a prophet. You will see things even when you are running from the call (see John 1:11-12).

Jonah knew what was going on when the storm came. The men on the ship did not know, but Jonah knew. Prophets know when they are running. They know the trouble of running from the call. Jonah told the men to throw him overboard. Then a big fish swallowed him. Jonah cried out to God from the belly of the big fish. He promised God he would pay his vows.

Prophets, many of you have vowed to serve and obey the Lord, but you are running the other way. It is time to keep your vows, promises, dedications, and obligations.

Arise and obey, Jonah. Don't get yourself in trouble. Necessity is laid upon you. You have to obey God. You have to arise. Jonah prayed, and God brought him out of the fish's belly. God will bring you forth when you pray.

There are many ministers who have accepted the call to preach but are running from the prophetic calling. Maybe your group does not believe in prophets. Maybe you have seen people call themselves prophets who did not have good character. Maybe you have seen false prophets. These are reasons why some run from the call.

God is calling and transitioning many of His ministers. Many have been called to be prophets, but they are fearful. Don't be a Jonah. Don't run from the call. Embrace it. The prophet's ministry is designed to bring deliverance and salvation to many. Nineveh was spared and blessed because Jonah was there.

Adapted from Prophet Arise by John Eckhardt, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. Has religion and tradition hindered you from rising up into your true calling? If so, this book is a must-have for you. It will help you understand your anointing, unique characteristics, call and purpose while providing healing and deliverance where needed. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of October 5, 2015

This week respond to God's calling, whatever it is, by surrendering to His will and agreeing to do, say and go wherever He leads. Continue to pray for revival to ignite in our churches and spread throughout the nation. Pray that our leaders would seek God and ask for His wisdom to govern righteously. Begin to pray now for the upcoming elections and ask the Lord for direction in how you should vote. Remember Israel and the persecuted church. Pray for opportunities to share Christ and His love everywhere you go (Jer. 20:9; 1 Tim. 2:1-4; 2 Chron. 7:14). 

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 - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!

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'Lord, Help Me to Think Your Thoughts and Know Your Ways'

 5/17/2015 RUTH WHITFIELD  charisma magazine

Take Proverbs 3:5-6 to heart. Trust in the Lord. (Lightstock )

One morning during my devotional time, I asked the Lord to bless my young son, John, and "give him a good day."

That may not sound like much of a prayer request, but it was a significant one for John—he had been diagnosed with infantile autism when he was a year and a half. Doctors believed he would never recover and suggested that he be placed in an institution.

Thankfully, God had other plans, and after much prayer, love and hard work, John recovered to such an extent that he was able to attend first grade in a Christian school.

During John's preschool years, I had grown to appreciate many things parents generally take for granted—including their children's' ability to verbalize and express affection. John was 3 ½ when he was able to give us hugs and kisses. In light of his condition, my prayer request was for an uneventful, "normal" day. We had so few normal days.

I was blessed to teach the first-grade class next to John's. On the day of my special prayer, his class was scheduled to take a phonics test. Around noon, his teacher approached me and told me she had to give him a 0 on the test.

My heart sank. What could have happened? He knew the material.

The teacher said he hadn't written anything down on his paper. She had asked him why and given him several opportunities to provide an excuse. Did he not understand the instructions? Was she not clear in pronunciation? Did he not have a pencil?

None of these was the problem. John told her he simply did not want to take the test. She had no choice but to give him a 0.

I took John aside and, being the good teacher, principal's wife and parent that I was, applied strong disciplinary measures. I ended with, "Don't you ever decide that you are not going to do your work again, young man. Is that clear?" Through tears, John replied, "Yes, Mom. I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

I went back to my classroom and silently cried out to God. "Lord, I wouldn't have minded something like this any other day, but today, Lord, I specifically asked You to give Him a good day. Why did this have to happen today?" My emotions were in a whirlwind.

Then I heard Him ask me quietly, "Would you have preferred that he lie or make excuses like some children you know?"

"Oh, no, Lord! I wouldn't have wanted him to do that."               

"Well, then. He did wrong, told the truth about it, accepted the consequences for it and repented. In My eyes, he had a VERY good day. My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways. This was a great day!"

WOW! What a revelation! I felt like a foolish little girl throwing a tantrum. He had answered my prayer—just not in the way I expected.

"Oh, Lord!" I prayed. "Truly You know the end from the beginning, and everything You do is right. Forgive me for my lack of understanding. Help me to think Your thoughts and know Your ways."

I realized that my definition of a "good day" was one in which John would earn 100 percent on his test, behave well and look good. But that wasn't God's definition. God called the day good because He was able to reveal John's heart and build his character. I had to align my thinking to agree with His.

This experience taught me to look beyond what appears on the surface to see God's plan and purpose. We need to trust Him to show us His ways when we ask Him, and trust that His ways are perfect.

Prayer Power for the Week of May 18, 2015

This week ask the Lord to show you His ways and be prepared to receive what He wants to teach you. Embrace the knowledge and thank Him for the adventure of discovering more of Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you aspects of His character and personality through His Word, and study how this affected His dealings with His people. Pray according to His Word and character for those suffering persecution for their faith in Christ, suffering the loss of loved ones through war, sickness, natural disasters and street violence and those ministering on the front lines. Remember Israel and pray that our leaders would heed wise counsel and seek the Lord as they make decisions affecting our nation and the entire world (Is. 55:6-11; Ps. 139:17-18).

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Yes, There is More Than This! - R. Loren Sandford

Yes, There is More Than This!

 5/10/2015 R. LOREN SANDFORD  charisma magazine

Are you looking for an experience or to develop intimacy with Christ? (Lightstock )

It seems to me that the goal of some has shifted from seeking intimacy to seeking to be supernatural. I've learned the hard way in a lifetime of exposure to the things of the Spirit that if your goal is to be supernatural, then you'll end up shipwrecked.

If, however, your goal is intimacy with the Father and you hunger for His nature and character to be your own, then you'll end up being supernatural.

This subtle shift of focus on so many fronts has created a growing sense of disappointment in an increasing number of people. The same sense of disappointment is gradually taking root in the so-called seeker sensitive churches, which have not been part of the flow of revival. Even there, hearts are crying out, "There must be something more than this!"

As 2013 came to a close, the youth group at our church began to see an influx of young people from a fast-growing megachurch in the Denver metro area, all saying, "I need more. I'm tired of the emptiness over there. It's not enough!"

Excerpts from some emails I received illustrate well what I am hearing on a broad spectrum. See if something doesn't cry out, "that's me!" when you read this one.

This person wrote: "I'm 'sick' of all the me/focused 'worship' music and the whole 'me getting my feeling' emphasis, along with all the hoops to keep jumping through, along with the latest 'prophetic' word/vision stuff—and not to leave out the 'alignment' movement. More hoops! There I said it! It is time to get back to the Word, Christ-like character, and the Great Commission and kick all the latest charismatic-gimmick hoops aside. Isn't it time to seek the genuine blessings of the Spirit and thresh out the chaff?'

What we once did in innocence, obeying the sweet moving of the Spirit, we now make into methods, structures, impartations, and alignments. But Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 18:3). There's the secret!

The answer to our hunger comes not from a focus on receiving from God, although we'll never stop receiving. We serve a giving God, a loving Father, and one of the highest forms of praise we can offer Him is to gratefully receive what He sends.

A growing number of believers, however, are coming to understand that the balm to soothe our growing ache focuses not on what we are getting or receiving but on what we're becoming. It's about the impartation of the Father's heart, nature, and character in us until we truly can be called sons and daughters of God who, from the deepest reaches of the heart, radiate who our Father is. Therein lies the second part of the message of the Father's love.

John 1:12 says, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. In Hebrew linguistic usage, to be a "son of" or a "child of" something is to resemble that thing in a significant way. Romans 8:19 applies the usage as well: "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God."

I see a developing movement focused on impartation of the nature of the Father in character, disposition, heart, and spirit. It is a time of conformity to "the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). It has nothing to do with religious legalism or performance and everything to do with transformation of character from the inside out until we have the Father's heart as our own.

God's heart, then, would be to move us in this season from the remedial to the transformational, from receiving to becoming, so that we could exude the nature of the Father and the world would see and know Him by what they see and sense in us.

We're not living for an experience. We're living for oneness with our Father through our Savior, Jesus Christ in heart, character, and spirit. There lies the substance we long for. It leads to a greater intimacy with the heart of the Father than we have ever known.

Adapted from Yes, There's More by R. Loren Sandford, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. Are you hungry to experience more of what God has actually promised? Ultimately, the solution can be found only in the deeper understanding of the Father's heart. In this book Pastor Sandford shares how to return to childlike faith and a deeper experience of God. His topics include but are not limited to the difference between faith and feelings, the intimacy that comes from being God's friend, the importance of aligning yourself with Him in prayer, and the correct understanding of grace. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of May 11, 2015

This week, pray that the Lord would continue His transforming work in your heart so that you would carry His presence and reflect the image of Christ in a dark and dying world. Continue to pray for open doors to share the gospel and be a blessing to those who desperately need Christ.

Pray that we, as the body of Christ, would unite in prayer and purpose for the persecuted church and worldwide revival. Remember those victimized by street violence, earthquakes and other natural disasters. Pray that Israel and our own nation will fulfill God's plan and purpose in this season (Rom. 8:29; 12:1-3; 2 Cor. 3:18).

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Do You Ignore or Acknowledge God’s Protection?

 4/26/2015 LEONARD DAVIDSON Charisma Magazine

Do you run to God for shelter, if even you don't agree with His wisdom? (Flickr)

I was going to a birthday party. Like any great Pappy, I stopped on the way to the party to get my grandson, Elijah, a present for his first birthday.

He was at the age where he mimicked sounds. If you asked him, "What does a doggie say?" His reply was "Arf." How did he get to be so cute?

As I walked into the little toy area of a drug store, I spotted the perfect toy. A drug store doesn't have a really big toy section I found out. But here it was: a cute, fuzzy, battery-operated puppy. A long cord was attached to the toy, with a small box on the other end. It had two buttons on it, to make the doggie bark and walk. Now this was a cool toy! It was well worth the $5.99 price tag. 

A little while later, when Elijah opened it, he was so excited. Because he is a little genius, he learned how to push the correct buttons very quickly. He pushed one to make the puppy bark and one to make it walk. It was by far his favorite gift and he dragged it with him everywhere.

However, as I watched him play with the toy, I became concerned about the cord that attached the doggie to the little control box. Several times Elijah got tangled up in the cord. My immediate fear was that he could be harmed if the cord wrapped around his neck. I dug the box out of the trash and read the outside. It said, "Recommended for 3+ years of age." Now I had a dilemma. 

How could I take the toy away from the birthday boy? Simple. I waited until he took a nap, and I confiscated the dangerous toy. Protecting my grandson took precedence over his happiness with the toy. And the amazing thing is, he doesn't even know I protected him. He may never know. He, in fact, never missed the toy. But regardless of how he would react, his protection from harm and trouble was paramount in my mind.

In Psalm 32, David declares to the Lord: "You are my hiding place; You will preserve me from trouble; You will surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah" (v.7). Then in Psalm 61:7 he writes, "May he sit enthroned before God forever; oh, prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him."

Dozens of times in the Psalms alone, David acknowledges God's protection. Make no mistake about it. The Lord God is our protector. He goes before us to make the crooked places straight. He is our rock, our fortress and our deliverer. His shield surrounds us. "The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble." (Ps. 9:9, emphasis added). 

Please do not miss this: It is His love and faithfulness that protect us. Our happiness is not as important as our protection. His hand of protection is over us, even when we don't realize it.

For instance, we may have had a flat tire, and that may have protected us from danger ahead. Or perhaps we missed an appointment, but that protected us from a bad situation. Even a broken relationship that we simply did not understand may have been a means of protecting us from what was to come. If we walk in the Light of His Word, our way is protected. We are covered in perfect love and covenant faithfulness.

This week as you walk the path of your Christ journey, acknowledge His protection. Thank Him for it, even if it is not readily visible. Trust that your times are in His hands. Continue steadfastly, praying and believing. If you sense trouble coming, run into His shadow. Find refuge in Him as your stronghold.

The storms will blow. That is inevitable. Trials and temptations abound. Satan came to kill, steal and destroy. Remember this: Your protection is more important to your Heavenly Father than your happiness. Be strong and of good courage. The Lord your God is with you—everywhere you go. And you are protected; I promise.

Prayer Power for the Week of April 27

This week thank God every day that He is your hiding place and a refuge in times of trouble. Thank Him for His continual protection over you and your loved ones, and that He is with you everywhere you go. Remember the persecuted church around the world, and continue to pray for Israel's protection. Thank Him for His mercy on our nation and cry out for repentance and revival to spread across the land. Pray for unity among believers and for a release of concerted prayer for our national, state and local leaders, for a harvest of souls, and a return to honoring God as a nation and as individuals (Ps. 32:7; Ps. 9:9; 2 Chr. 7:14).

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Accept It: God’s Love is Unconditional - SpiritLed Woman

Accept It: God’s Love is Unconditional

 3/15/2015 DAWN SCOTT JONES  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

God's love is unconditional. Will you accept it? (Lightstock)

Of all the eternal truths declared in God's Word, one prominent reality is essential to grasp: God made us in His image. We have been exquisitely designed by Him to reflect His image and reveal His likeness. As the "grand finale" of all God's unique creation, mankind stands unequaled, elevated as the Creator's crowning achievement, showing forth His radiance and splendor. Simply put, we're awesome!

Yet in spite of our resident worth and inherent value, many of us deeply struggle to feel a sense of acceptance and love. The recognition of our real significance escapes us, exposing a profound emptiness, leaving us with an acute awareness of unfulfillment. The problem is we were created with an inner desire to be needed and have meaning, with the desire to leave our mark on the world. Consequently, this wanting condition is a set-up for trouble.

Our longing for more feeds the natural obsession to find authentic value through a faulty system involving our own schemes and methods. Although we should be looking to God and His Word to validate our existence, we have, instead, looked to our own ability and human strength to somehow prove our merit. But this striving at importance will prove futile because God has not designed us to find significance through any other means than Himself. Yet the struggle for acceptance continues and the addiction for approval intensifies as we try to fill the void.

So what's up? If we really are so intrinsically valuable and precious, why do we spend so much time trying to improve our self-worth? Why are moments of complete self-acceptance so rare and attempts at personal improvement more of the norm? The answer is simple. Our quest for significance is a result of mistaken identity. We have failed to discern, or believe, who we really are and have settled for a self-appraisal with an "as is, scratch and dent" price tag. We are selling ourselves on clearance because we are unable to see that our approval does not come through what we achieve, how much we earn or the amount of accolades we receive from others. Nor are we rejected because we experience difficult personal failures, traumatic childhood events or because we lack certain talents and abilities. Not so!

God loves us unconditionally because we are His possession ... not only by creation but also by redemption. Although it is true that in ourselves we fail and fall short of God's original purpose for us, the good news is we are not in ourselves. If we have been redeemed by God's Son, Jesus, through the provision made for us on the cross, then we are no longer "in" ourselves, we are "in" Christ.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight." (Eph. 1:3-4, emphasis added).

We are His dear children, washed and forgiven by His sacrifice and made blameless and holy in His sight. This truth boldly confronts the subtle deception that has so many people bound. They have become slaves to the approval of others and captive to the drive of selfish ambition, all in an attempt to feel good about themselves. But Christ has set us free from this fruitless endeavor and has given us the right to say with confidence:

• I am lovable because of who I am in Christ, not because of what I do.
• I do not have to strive to earn my acceptance because God has made me accepted in the beloved.
• I am not accepted based on my performance or my ability to get someone to like me.
• I do not have to keep up with today's so-called standards of living to be worthwhile or credible.
• I can have opinions that differ from others without fear of being disqualified from love because God's love makes me secure in Him. Therefore, I can risk being me.
• I am free to explore and develop all the uniqueness of my God-given personality without penalty.
• I no longer have to struggle or perform to fill the gnawing void that tells me I am nothing without accomplishments, awards or popularity.

Remember God accepts and loves you not just because He's God but also because He created you, He knows you and He is intimately involved in everything you do. Won't you accept His unconditional love today?

Prayer Power for the Week of March 16, 2015

This week ask the Lord to help you see yourself as He sees you and enjoy being who He made you to be. Spend time renewing your mind in His Word and meditate on His unconditional love for you. Allow His Spirit to bring you understanding of your true worth and receive His full acceptance, forgiveness, healing, comfort and provision. Thank Him for opportunities to carry His love to those who need a touch from Him. Pray for the persecuted church around the world, for unity in prayer and purpose among believers, and for our leaders to seek the Lord for His guidance as they make decisions affecting our security, peace and protection. Continue to pray for a rich harvest of souls whenever and wherever the gospel is presented (Eph. 1:3-4).

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Do You Want God to Use You in Mighty Ways? - R.T. Kendall

Do You Want God to Use You in Mighty Ways?

 2/22/2015 R.T. KENDALL  CHARISMA MAGAZINE

(Lightstock)

Do you want God to use you in mighty ways? How great is your desire to be His anointed instrument in setting captives free, healing and bringing Him glory?

I have said many times that I would rather have a greater anointing than anything. I suppose that is a God-honoring request, but I am not so sure. I want it so much that I cannot tell whether this desire is natural or spiritual. The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit that makes our gift function with ease. When I live within my anointing, my gift works without effort, but the moment I go outside my anointing, I find myself struggling.

God does not want us to struggle. He wants us to cast our anxiety on Him (1 Pet. 5:7). But at least twice in his life Moses struggled. First, he was overwhelmed by people coming to him in droves to get his verdict on civil matters among the children of Israel. His wise father-in-law, Jethro, saw all that Moses was doing for the people and said to him, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself while all the people stand around you from morning until evening? ... What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you, and these people who are with you, for this thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself" (Ex. 18:14, 17-18). Jethro then advised Moses to designate authority to others—appointing capable men as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—letting them handle the simple cases and Moses the more difficult (vv. 19-26).

The second occasion was when the people complained about the food—pining for what they ate in Egypt and complaining that they now "never see anything but this manna!" Moses brought this to the Lord and told him he could not bear the burden of their constant complaining. Moses was then instructed to choose 70 elders.

God assured Moses that he would lighten his load: "I will take of the Spirit which is on you and will put it on them, and they will bear the burden of the people with you, and you will not bear it by yourself" (Num. 11:17). After that the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke with Moses. God "took of the Spirit that was on him, and gave it to the seventy elders, and when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but did not do it again" (v. 25). However, two of them who had remained in the camp prophesied, and Joshua was upset. "My lord Moses, forbid them," he said to Moses. "Are you jealous for my sake?" he asked Joshua. "Oh, that all the people of the Lord were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!" (vv. 28-29).

Why would Moses want everybody to prophesy and all to have the Spirit on them? Because when one person is in leadership and sees people struggle with their maladies, he realizes he needs all the help he can get! Joshua had not yet inherited Moses' mantle and wrongly assumed that Moses wanted to be the head and center of everything. How wrong Joshua was. The transfer of anointing to others lightens the load of the one with whom the buck stops. When all the people have the Spirit on them, it will mean that the work of God functions with ease—and with no rival spirit in control.

We learn from this how God can take from our anointing and pass it on to others. We are not told that Moses laid hands on the 70 elders. The impression is given that God merely did it by Himself—taking from Moses' anointing and passing it on without Moses losing any measure of the Spirit in the process. This is the wonderful thing about Christian ministry; what we give away we keep.

Nothing would be more thrilling than God taking from one's ministry and passing it on to others. I have longed for the day that not only would my anointing change lives and increase their measure of the Holy Spirit but also even heal people's bodies under my preaching. But if we want to keep the Holy Spirit to ourselves, it is unlikely that God will use us much.

We also learn from this account that God does not want us to bear a heavy load. He knows how much we can bear and will step in—never too late, never too early, but always on time.

Ask the Lord today to give you an ever increasing anointing to operate under, and then for it to be transferred to many people for His honor and glory.

Adapted from 40 Days With the Holy Spirit by R.T. Kendall, copyright 2014, published by Charisma House. If you want to experience more of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit this book is ideal. Take 40 days to focus on getting a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and encounter Him in a fresh new way. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of Feb. 23, 2015

This week ask the Lord to give you an ever increasing anointing to operate under, and then for it to be transferred to many people for His honor and glory. Ask Him to give you divine connections for impartation and ministry. Continue to pray that the gospel would spread around the world and ignite a global revival. Remember Israel, the persecuted church and those who continue to suffer persecution and losses for the gospel's sake. Lift up our leaders and ask God to give them godly wisdom and direct them in making the right decisions (1 Pet. 5:7; 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

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Faithfulness Carries Its Rewards - Mike Bickle

Faithfulness Carries Its Rewards

1/25/2015 MIKE BICKLE

God will reward you in your faithfulness and diligence in pursuing Him. (Lightstock )

How diligently are you seeking God? Do you remain steady in your love for Him no matter what, or do you let life's disappointments interfere with your pursuit of Him? Daniel loved God and showed it in his daily life in spite of his circumstances, and the Lord responded.

The Lord revealed His love to Daniel in a deep way through an angel, who addressed Daniel as the beloved of the Lord: "He [the angel] said to me, 'O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have been sent to you now.' And when he had spoken this word to me, I stood trembling" (Dan. 10:11, 19).

I assume that receiving the understanding of how much God loved him was one of the most powerful things that happened to Daniel personally. The angel said, "O Daniel, greatly beloved." Imagine a high-ranking angel telling you, "The Lord greatly loves you, and you are beloved by your God." In other words, he is saying, "The Lord is moved by the way you live. He is moved by your hunger for Him and by your lifestyle choices."

We know that God loves the world. He loves unbelievers, even though He does not enjoy a relationship with them. But there are those in whom God takes special delight; that is, He delights in the choices they make for Him. In this sense His love for them is different than that with which He loves the world. He takes greater enjoyment in those who seek to love and obey Him with all their hearts.

And God clearly took great enjoyment in Daniel. In essence He told Daniel, "I am moved by the way you care about My kingdom and My glory and the way you care about who I am. That touches Me."

Jesus taught that the Father loves all who obey Him. He loves the relationship He has with all who keep His commandments, and He loves their life choices.

"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father. And I will love him and will reveal Myself to him" (John 14:21)

Lest we think that Jesus loves only those who love Him, let's remember that Scripture says God loved us first (1 John 4:19). But He loves the choices of those who love Him.

Jesus made the amazing statement that He would manifest Himself to those who show their love for Him in their words, actions and lifestyles. No one is "good enough" to deserve a greater manifestation of God's glory. It's not about being good enough but about positioning ourselves to receive more from God.

Every believer can have a close relationship with the Lord. Daniel was forcibly taken to Babylon as a prisoner of war in his youth. Yet even as a captive, far from his home in Jerusalem and in a foreign culture, he determined to seek God with all his heart for all his days. Today the Lord is looking for men and women like Daniel, who will set their hearts to live before God as Daniel did.

Some people are easily offended. If they don't get on the worship team at their church or aren't hired for the job position they were hoping for, they ask, "How could God allow this to happen to me? It's so rough." Yes, your heart hurts, and the pain is real, but your response to life's trials and disappointments is the crucial issue.

Look at Daniel. He was taken into captivity, and yet he determined not to defile himself and to be a man of prayer all his days. He did not let any person or any disappointment steal the vision of what he was determined to be from his heart. He remained steady in his love for God and lived out his commitment in his daily life until he died.

In my 40 years of ministry I have seen many people go hard after God for five or even 10-plus years. Most of them were young and in their twenties. By the time they reached 35, several had "good" reasons for drawing back and being more "practical."

I have seen only a few people stay consistent in seeking God with diligence for 20 or 30 years or more. Daniel stayed consistent in seeking God for 60 years, even during his time in the pagan city of Babylon.

I want the Lord to say to me on the last day, "I loved the way you spent your time and money and the way you obeyed Me; I loved the way that you loved Me." I want Him to be able to say the things about me that He said about Daniel. I want to be steady like this great man of God, even when I'm 80. What about you?

Adapted from Growing in Prayer by Mike Bickle, copyright 2014, published by Passio-Charisma House. This book will help you develop a passionate life of prayer where it ceases to be a dutiful ritual and becomes a time of personal encounter with the God of the universe, who will listen and respond with great love, revealing His heart, giving you guidance, blessing your circumstances and making a difference in your world. To order your copy, click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of Jan. 26, 2015

This week set your heart to live before God as Daniel did. Seek Him daily through prayer, the Word and worship. Declare His Word over your circumstances and exalt His Name as the God of the universe, our only Savior, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Commit your ways to Him and surrender all to His will. Continue to pray for worldwide revival, more laborers for His harvest fields, the spread of the gospel into unknown places, the persecuted church, the protection and destiny of Israel, our own nation and its leaders and the next generation (Dan. 10:11, 19; John 14:21; 1 John 4:19).

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