Dutch Sheets: "Strengthen Yourself in the Lord and Trust in Him" - THE ELIJAH LIST

Dutch Sheets: "Strengthen Yourself in the Lord and Trust in Him"

Jan 14, 2016

From the desk of Steve Shultz:

Dutch Sheets is a dear friend who has taught me many things.

He has amazing wisdom and insight into God and into His Scriptures.

In this profound Word from the Lord, God is cautioning us to Remember HIM and trust in HIM for our strength, even in the good times.

Here Dutch says:

"In this New Year, God is releasing grace to trust Him more. Lean into it, take hold of it. As you strengthen yourself in the Lord, He will add strength to your abilities and release creative thoughts, wise solutions, divine appointments, great favor, good contracts, and timely sales. Struggling ministries will soar in God's strength and families in need of help will experience breakthrough. The Lord will even bring good from your past defeats."

It's going to be a great and successful year! Let's be sure to put our Trust in the LORD so that we can succeed!

In HIM,

Steve Shultz

P.S.

Hey! Now one last thing. The "What is God Saying for 2016?" conference has JUST ended and NOW YOU CAN ORDER THE CDs, DVDs OR MP3 DOWNLOAD.

Friends, this truly, truly, truly was the best conference yet and I've NEVER EVER heard so many positive words coming forth from God's prophets. Our speakers were: Chuck Pierce, Jane Hamon, Dutch Sheets, and Dr. Alveda King (niece to Martin Luther King, Jr).

Here is the link to purchase the full message sets in DVD, CD, or MP3 audio formats:

http://www.elijahshopper.com/what-is-god-saying-for-2016-conference/

Enjoy! And thanks for forwarding this to your friends! They cansubscribe just below...

Steve Shultz, Founder and Publisher
The Elijah List & Breaking Christian News 
http://www.elijahlist.com

P.S. – Oh, and a Quick Note to our readers: To have daily, encouraging prophetic emails from The Elijah List sent to your inbox, just CLICK HERE or go to: http://elijahlist.com/subscribe. PLUS: HEY! Please EXPLORE our more than 4,000 Christian Prophetic books, CDs, and gifts at: elijahshopper.com.

"Strengthen Yourself in the Lord and Trust in Him"

Dutch Sheets, Dallas, TX

The new year is such a wonderful time, offering us the opportunity to look back on the road we've walked, and then dream with God to set bigger goals and tread higher ground. As this pivotal year has drawn to a close, troubles abound in our nation and abroad; even so some still find themselves joyfully celebrating great victories in the Lord.

God has blessed us with His goodness and hope for what lies ahead. While reflecting upon these things, the Lord reminds me of a paramount principle He long ago seared upon my heart. It is a fundamental truth that can help us stay in God's will and fulfill His intended purpose for our life.

Horses and Chariots

When an alliance of enemy armies threatened Joshua and the people of Israel in their quest to possess the land promised to them, God encouraged them not to be afraid, promising to deliver the enemy into their hands. But the assurance of victory was accompanied by a set of critical instructions for maintaining their success. The Lord told them to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots they had acquired as spoils of war (Joshua 11:6).(Photo via Wikipedia)

To hamstring a horse is to cut a particular tendon so as not to kill or completely maim the horse, but certainly render it useless for engaging in battle or pulling chariots of war. Disabling the horses and destroying the chariots was God's way of ensuring Israel would not become self-sufficient and dependent on their own military strength and ability for winning future battles. Instead, they would be reminded to trust Him.

The Lord set this safeguard in place because there was a tendency among the people of Israel, as there is within all of us, to lean on Him in times of great need, yet fall back on our own abilities and strengths when our struggles wane. Psalm 106 illustrates this unfortunate truth. After God so powerfully delivered Israel from slavery, they quickly forgot His miraculous works and did not seek His counsel (verse 13).

History repeated itself after Israel's conquest of Jericho when they set out to take Ai, a small and seemingly weak city. Having become overconfident and self-sufficient after miraculously winning the battle at Jericho, they did not seek the Lord's counsel for taking Ai. Attempting to go against the enemy in their own strength and ability, they suffered a most humiliating defeat.

Friends, especially after we've experienced times of great success, breakthrough, or promotion, we cannot forget our source of strength! We must rely on the Lord even more, with all the "more" He entrusts to us.

Lean On The Lord

In this season, God is attempting to give us a greater understanding of His authority and strength for breakthrough in our personal lives and family, for all of our labors, and for this nation as a whole. But we won't grasp the concept of operating successfully in God's delegated authority if, even unconsciously, there is any form of self-sufficiency in us. We must recognize that each day we need God's wisdom for our decisions and His strength for everything we undertake.(Photo via flickr)

There are times in life when we are traveling upon what seems to be familiar ground. In those instances, it is important that one not give place to presumptuous self-sufficiency with a "been there, done that" mentality. Even in the seemingly easy times, we must be careful to heed the words of Proverbs 3:5-8:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones."

Boast In The Lord

There are other times when the Lord will take us into situations where we feel a degree of intimidation, facing challenges that seem beyond our natural abilities. Following the example of the Apostle Paul, we go to the Lord and say, "Lord, I want to glory in my weakness, because You then can be strong in me," (2 Corinthians 10:17; 12:10; Psalm 20:7; Joel 3:10b).

Our greatest asset can be our area of weakness if we allow it to drive us to God, His vast wisdom, His limitless ability and His magnificent strength, rather than trust in our own.

"Thus says the LORD, 'Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me.'" Jeremiah 9:23-24a

"The people who know their God will display strength and take action. Those who have insight among the people will give understanding to the many..."Daniel 11:32b-33a

The Lord desires to accomplish great exploits through those who take time to know Him intimately and hear what's on His heart. He will cause them to rise up in great strength and take bold, strategic action that leads from victory to victory, bringing glory to His name.

New Strength For The New Year

Let's make this simple yet vital principle our plumb line for moving into the New Year: Trust God, not ourselves. In doing so, we won't forget the Lord after witnessing great miracles. We won't let our guard down or act in presumption after experiencing victory. And we won't become like a weakened Samson who awakened from sleep thinking, "I will shake myself free and overthrow my enemies as I've always done," not realizing that the Lord had departed from him (Judges 16:20). (Photo via flickr)

In this New Year, God is releasing grace to trust Him more. Lean into it, take hold of it. As you strengthen yourself in the Lord, He will add strength to your abilities and release creative thoughts, wise solutions, divine appointments, great favor, good contracts, and timely sales. Struggling ministries will soar in God's strength and families in need of help will experience breakthrough. The Lord will even bring good from your past defeats.

In this coming year, let's work hard and be diligent, being mindful of His faithfulness, and look to Him for all we need. My friend, put your trust in Him!

Dutch Sheets
Dutch Sheets Ministries
Email: click here
Website: dutchsheets.org

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized author, teacher, and conference speaker. He travels extensively, empowering Believers for passionate prayer and societal transformation. Dutch has pastored, taught in several colleges and seminaries, and served on the board of directors of numerous organizations. Dutch's greatest passion is to see America experience a sweeping revival and return to its godly heritage. 

Dutch is a messenger of hope for America, encouraging Believers to contend for awakening in our day and reformation in our lifetime. Dutch has written over 20 books, many of which have been translated into over 30 languages. Dutch and his wife Ceci have been married for 35 years and now reside in the Dallas area. They treasure time spent with their two grown daughters, son-in-law, and grandchildren.

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Leadership Through Love - Chapter 5 - "Burn Candles at Both Ends? – NOT!" (Steve Martin)

Leadership Through Love - Chapter 5  

(Steve Martin)

Burn Candles at Both Ends? – NOT!

A.    Rest and Sabbath Days

B.     Mornings with the Lord

C.     We all are given 24 hours each day

D.  Trust in Him at all times

Working seven days a week, 50 or more weeks during the year, is not the Lord’s plan for anyone, and certainly not for someone in a leadership role, be it business, a church or ministry administrator. The one who does this will burn out faster than a Roman candle at a July Fourth celebration.

Serving with one church/ministry combination for fourteen years proved this in my life. During the continual growth of that ministry, we were staffed with a secretary and myself for a period of four years. After six years in this position, in 1994 we moved the ministry office and three families from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Charlotte, North Carolina. In addition to having a family of myself, with my wife Laurie and four children at home (either in grade school, middle or high school), my time was pressed at both ends.

Once having moved to North Carolina, within six months after landing in Charlotte we started building the local church, which took additional time and energy. With annual conferences continuing, starting at two per year and then four, plus Friday all-night prayer meetings from 10 pm until 6 am, followed by Saturday labor in building projects, added to the usual Sunday morning services, the toll indeed took its physical, emotional, and spiritual toll on myself and others.

When my father, who had moved here from Iowa in 1997, to help me with the ministry, after his retirement shortly before at age 63 years old, died two years later in July, 2000 from lymphoma cancer, my strength and desire to continue on ended soon thereafter. I was burnt out. And when the seemingly only hope and one request I had left, to travel at least once a year on an international ministry trip with the head of the ministry and senior pastor, was not to happen for me, my heart and hope completely left for staying there.

Dad's clock - in His time He took him to glory.

I resigned from the church and ministry staff as Administrator six months later, and our family left the church in July, 2001. It had just gotten to be too much.

If not for the encouraging prophetic words I had received along the way over those years, and the opportunity to return to Derek Prince Ministries after being gone for ten years, I am not sure where I would have ended up. Nor where my family would have gone. I am not sure it would have been with another ministry.

But only because of the Lord, Who was still giving me that continuing flicker of hope, which still lingered in my heart, and had not totally gone out. I yet longed to complete the call that had been on my life since my youth.

Early on in my Christian walk, certainly because of the great example my Mom, Lila Martin Parker, had set, I still continued to be diligent and faithful with my morning prayer and Bible reading time. Spending the early morning hours with the Lord was not only a good habit, but a necessity, if I was to do what I needed to do in my work of the ministry.

My Mom - June 2013

Typically I would rise at 5 am, shower, and spend the next half hour reading a chapter from the Bible, plus a Proverb, and then pray in tongues the rest of the time. As I saw it, letting the Holy Spirit, Who knows all, was much more intelligent than I was in praying. So I let Him pray through me, which would be more effective than if I prayed a list, or as thoughts came to my head, in English, my native tongue.

And so I prayed in tongues. This is a good practice that I continue to this day. Someday, once I have met my Lord in the heavenly realm, I will certainly begin to know how effective these prayers have been. I do know, as the Scriptures promise, that my inner spiritual being was being built up, and gave me daily strength and wisdom for the responsibilities I maintained.

We each are given 24 hours each day. What we choose to do with them will determine much in the direction we walk, the relationships we have, and the work that is completed. Our daily choices today will determine where we are at next month, next year, and ten years from now.

Back in 1985, as a member of Shiloh Fellowship in East Lansing, Michigan, I heard a message spoken by Erik Krueger, Founder and Senior Co-Pastor of the church (later renamed New Covenant Christian Church), that still speaks to me this day. Erik shared a word that just sank into my spirit, which I think about on occasion. He simply said that we each are on a path, and along the way there are roads we can take, which will either take us closer to the mark, or farther away from our destiny.

Even if we were to take a slight degree shift from our destined path at any point in time, if no course correction later occurred, years down the road we would find ourselves way off course. In some instances, it could be too far off to be corrected, without a major shift or repentance on our part.

We each need the help of others to make sure we continue to walk the walk, and stay on the right road. We need the encouragement of others to see the path ahead, when often it looks like we have come to a cliff, and the only way is down, or to a mountain, and we neither have the strength nor the desire to climb another mountain. (Even if we watch the Sound of Music movie many times!)

During the last year of my tenure with All Nations Church and Mahesh Chavda Ministries, when I was struggling to hear the Lord and confirm His direction I felt I needed to take, I called my good friend in Andalusia, Alabama, George Payne. George and I first knew each other in the early 1990’s, when he had called our Fort Lauderdale office to see if he could print our ministry envelopes. I was fairly blunt at the time, and told him on the phone that we didn’t do business with anyone outside of town. Well, the Lord changed that!

Many years later, after using boxes and boxes of envelopes that he had printed, serving together at conferences, and building a long lasting friendship to this day, George was one I could call on for advice. Knowing my situation as well as anyone, he had gained my trust to give me some good counsel. So I called him from my office in Charlotte during the summer of 2000.

He encouraged me to call a lady who had a prophetic gift, whom he had known for years, to ask her if the Lord would give her a word for me. And so I did.

When I called Helen, and introduced myself briefly so as to not give my situation away and let the Lord speak through her, she started praying in tongues, and then shared some very encouraging words. One being that the “changing of the guard was taking place”, and that the Lord’s direction was to be made clear to me. Truly words of light in my place of darkness and weariness.

The “guard” did change, and my faith was strengthened. Changes were needed, and I gave thanks to the Lord for His rehema word, and His written Word. As I shared above, the Lord had a turn in the road, and within a year I had taken it.

The first Scripture I ever memorized (being raised Catholic we didn't do too much of it), when I was 18, comes from Psalm 37:4,5, “Have your delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

I would be the first to say that I have not always depended on the Lord as I should have, nor did I always trust Him for those daily needs that occurred regularly, but I can testify that I am still walking with Him this day. He has sustained, upheld, protected and watched over me and mine since I first put my trust in Him as a first grader in 1960. The teachers and preachers heard along the way, with the backing of the truth found in the Bible, have kept me on the destiny path the Lord desires.

I have learned not to burn the candles at both ends, to take each Saturday (or Sunday) as the holy day of the Lord to rest from my labors, and acknowledge Him in all my ways, along the way. This has been very instrumental in administrating His directives with staff and situations during the building processes.

Shalom!

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.

Love For His People, Inc. truly appreciates your generous support. Please consider sending a monthly charitable gift of $5-$25 each month to help us bless Messianic Jews in Israel. 

You can bless this ministry work now, through: Online PayPal gifts

You can also send checks to the address below. Todah rabah! (Hebrew - Thank you very much.)

©2013 Steve Martin      Love For His People, Inc.  12120 Woodside Falls Rd. Pineville, NC 28134      

E-mail: loveforhispeople@gmail.com martinlighthouse@gmail.com

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Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA organization. Fed. ID#27-1633858.  Tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation.

Note: To read the Intro, Chapter Listings and first four chapters please use the Search Box in the top right hand corner of this Blog, and enter "Leadership Through Love." Be blessed in your reading!

Leadership Through Love

Chapter Listings

1.      A Gift for His Purposes

- The Early Years

- On the job training

2.      Use the Tools You Have, But Not the Staff

- Treasure the people, while digging the foundations

- Do unto them as you would…

- Bless and curse not: honor those who serve with you

3.      Right Man (or Woman!) for the Job

- All are created equal – make the most of this!

- If the Shoe Fits, Have Them Wear It

4.      Train and Let Loose

- It IS Who You Know and Are Known By

- Hire To Complement Your Strengths

- if you are weak, then they are strong

- Outsource as needed

5.      Burn Candles At Both Ends? – NOT!

- Rest and Sabbath Days

- Mornings with the Lord

- Trust in Him at all times

- We all are given 24 hours each day

6.       The Visionaries Need You!

-          They dream it - you make it happen

-          It takes a team

-          Head Won’t Get Far without the Neck

(or heads will roll)

  

7.      Field Trips and More!

- Staff Retreats

- Party Time!

- Birthdays and BBQs

- After Hours

8.      It Doesn’t All Depend On You

- The Lord is the Rock – Not You

- Whose strength  - yours or His?

   - Key Staff to Lean On

    - Trustworthy managers and assistants

9.      Practically Speaking…and Walking

- Handle each piece of paper once

- File so you can find it!

- Early morning – before the others come

- Take a Break

10.  Meetings – Time-manger or Time-waster?

- Do you really need all those meetings?

- Group or One-On-One?

- Why Morning and Mid-Week?

 - Prov. 24:6 “By wise counsel…multitude of counselors

11.  Acknowledge Him in All Your Ways

- Heart of Thankfulness

- Heart of Worship

- Heart of Service

12.  Another Man’s Vineyard

-          Follow & help fulfill their vision

-          Faithful with another’s

-          Learn and growth until your time

-          The proper way of moving on