2016 Prophecy: A Year of Shifting Seasons and Suddenlies - JENNIFER LECLAIRE CHARISMA NEWS

2016 Prophecy: A Year of Shifting Seasons and Suddenlies

1/5/2016 JENNIFER LECLAIRE  charisma news

Last year, the Holy Spirit expressed to my heart that 2015 was the year of new beginnings. That rang true in my life and in the lives of many, many people whom God called from the waiting room to the delivery room.

2015 was a challenging year in many ways, a year of stretching and transitioning from the old to the new—and now we're going to the next. With regard to 2016, I heard the Holy Spirit say it's a year of "shifting seasons and suddenlies."

Those rhythmic words got my attention. What, exactly, does He mean? On the surface, it sounds like more change, more transition—and at least a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. I decided to press in to pray and study what this practically means. In this first article, I'm giving a general overview at the personal level. I will follow up with more specific details in the weeks ahead.

Embracing Shifting Seasons

We all know what a season is, but we don't always know what season we're in. Spiritually speaking, a season is a period of time—that can be specific or indefinite. We know that to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven (Eccl. 3:1). We know we're not supposed to grow weary in well doing because we'll reap if we don't give up—in due season (Gal. 6:9).

JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE.

We know that if we meditate on the Word day and night, we will stand like trees planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in its season and prospering in whatever we do (Ps.1:2-3). But we must also know that it is God who changes the times and seasons (Dan. 2:21). We can't change our own season, but we can position ourselves for a season shift.

Merriam-Webster describes a "shift" as to exchange for or replace by another; to change the place, position or direction of; to change gears; to go through a change. When the Holy Spirit said, "shifting season," it's easy to discern that He meant changes are ahead. Some of you are going to shift from a time of sowing to a time of reaping. Others will shift from weeping to laughing. Still others will shift from lack to prosperity.

I'm reminded of what God told Jeremiah, "For I know the plans that I have for you, says the Lord, plans for peace and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jer. 29:11). God has good plans for us in 2016. He wants to shift us out of what has held us back from His best and into His good, perfect and acceptable will (Rom. 12:2).

Creating a Climate for the Shift

Our part is to position ourselves for the shift—and that means creating a climate that sets the stage for God to move in our lives. Scientists will tell you that the earth's seasons have shifted in recent years—and they point to climate change as the foundation for the shift.

If we translate this to a spiritual reality—as natural surroundings often correspond to spiritual conditions—it's clear that changing our spiritual climate sets the stage for a shift in spiritual seasons. We can't shift our seasons—God does that. But we can create a climate that invites Him to do the work in our hearts that prepares us for the next season.

What is the spiritual climate over your life? If you are angry, ungrateful, complaining, angry, greedy, controlling, critical, impatient, indifferent, discouraged, jealous, frightened, frustrated, unforgiving, resentful, bitter, selfish or something of the kind, you're creating a spiritual climate over your life that repels the Holy Spirit. He loves you, yes, but your flesh is warring against His Spirit.

If, by contrast, you are thankful, peaceful, prayerful, joyful, generous, forgiving, loving, content, selfless, hopeful, faithful, inspired and worshipful, you are creating an atmosphere that attracts the presence of God. And the presence of the Holy Spirit is the ultimate key to spiritual change and growth. Put another way, we need to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and reject the works of the flesh. In doing so, we position our hearts for God to shift us into fruitful seasons of harvest.

Wait for the 'Suddenlies'

When you change your climate unto a season shift, it will lead to a "suddenly." Merriam-Webster defines "suddenly" as "happening or coming unexpectedly; a changing angle or character all at once; marked by or manifesting abruptness or haste; made or brought about in a short time."

After weeks of praying in unity, "Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind" and the 150 in the upper room were filled with the Spirit (Acts 2). When Paul and Barnabus experienced persecution for Christ's sake, suddenly an earthquake rose up and opened the doors to the jail (Acts 16:26). Suddenly.

Suddenly you may shift into a promotion. Suddenly you may shift from sickness to health. Suddenly you may shift into greater authority in the spirit. Suddenly you may shift from a dark night of the soul to greater revelation of Christ. Suddenly you may shift from feelings of oppression to new levels of freedom. Suddenly.

Believe for the suddenlies in 2016. Expect them to happen. Wait with anticipation, but understand that you have to do your part. Like the disciples in the Upper Room, you need to pray. Like Paul and Barnabus in the prison, you need to praise. In other words, you need to create a spiritual climate over your life that invites the Holy Spirit to work in your heart, in your life and in your circumstances. Your climate change will eventually lead to a season shift that will bring a suddenly you could never make happen in your own strength.

Take heart in Isaiah 48:3: "I have declared the former things from the beginning and they went forth from My mouth, and I announced them. Suddenly I did them, and they came to pass."

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

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.

UK Schools Told to Teach that Britain Is a 'Christian Nation' - CBN News

UK Schools Told to Teach that Britain Is a 'Christian Nation'

01-05-2016

CBN News

Despite American's often repeated outcry over the separation of church and state, Britain is officially a Christian nation.

It's just that the British government has not always acted like it is.

But last week, Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan announced that non-faith schools in the country must tell students that British religious traditions "are, in the main, Christian" when they teach about other religions, according to the International Business Times.

Morgan's comments came after Prime Minister David Cameron's unusally strong Christmas message this year, in which he emphasized Britain's Christian heritage.

"That is what we mark as we celebrate the birth of God's only son, Jesus Christ - the Prince of Peace,' he said.

The new guidelines were in response to a British High Court ruling in November, which found that the government had unlawfully excluded atheism and nonreligious views from school curriculum.

The new Department of Education guidelines state that schools will not be forced to give atheist worldviews equal time with Christianity.

Joel C. Rosenberg - What if ISIS tries to capture or kill presidential candidates or attack campaign events?

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog

What if ISIS tries to capture or kill presidential candidates or attack campaign events? Some thoughts on a very real threat. by joelcrosenberg With fewer than thirty days remaining until the Iowa caucuses -- and the  cancer of the Islamic State and other jihadists metastasizing across the globe in attacks like we've seen in Paris and San Bernardino -- I am become increasingly concerned about the possibility of an attack by the Islamic State on the campaign trail. What if ISIS operatives or loyalists (or jihadists affiliated with other terror groups) try to assassinate one or more of the presidential candidates, try to kidnap one or more of them, and/or try to bomb, strafe or otherwise attack a campaign event filled with hundreds or thousands of people? A terrorist attack against a presidential contender or his/her campaign event would be huge news, reverberating across the nation and around the globe. It would also be chilling to the political process because it could scare people away from attending campaign events as the caucuses and primaries are getting closer. Most of the presidential candidates -- both Democrats and Republicans -- are vulnerable because they are so accessible to the public. While local police may provide crowd and traffic control at larger campaign events in certain circumstances, historically they haven't actually been tasked primarily with protecting the candidates and their families and staffs, or with preventing a terror attack. Only a handful of the candidates currently have Secret Service protection. Hillary Clinton does as a former First Lady. Donald Trump does as a frontrunner who is drawing specific credible threats. Dr. Ben Carson also has federal protection due to credible threats made against him. (I'm not sure about former Gov. Jeb Bush). While I was writing my new thriller, The First Hostage, I spent a lot of time thinking about why and how ISIS might try to assassinate or kidnap the President of the United States and other world leaders, and use such attacks to humiliate the American people and recruit more foreign fighters to their apocalyptic cause. Such threats are central to the plot of The Third Target as well as The First Hostage. At the same time, however, I couldn't help but think of the tragic assassination of Sen. Bobby Kennedy, the Democrat presidential candidate, during the 1968 campaign. Kennedy was shot by a Palestinian extremist, Sirhan Sirhan, during a campaign visit at a California hotel. Who's to say such a tragedy couldn't happen again in this campaign cycle? FBI officials say they are currently running more than 900 investigations into suspected ISIS terrorists operating inside the U.S. In fact, there are active cases in all fifty states at present. Over the past two years the FBI has arrested at least 66 people in the U.S. on suspicion of ISIS terror activities. If this weren’t troubling enough, at least 250 Americans are believed to have gone to fight with ISIS in Syria and Iraq. What will happen when those who aren’t killed on the battlefield return to the U.S. with their American passports? What if they aren’t detected and stopped by federal authorities in time? Will they target candidates and campaign events? These are not normal times, or normal threats. The Secret Service is stretched quite thin right now. I'm not confident they have the manpower to cover all eleven Republican presidential candidates, plus each of the Democrat candidates. But the Secret Service should be working extra closely with the FBI and other federal, state and local law enforcement leaders to develop specific new guidelines on how best to keep the American campaign trail safe. Congressional leaders who oversee Homeland Security should insist that every safeguard is put into place in the next few months in the gap of time until the nominees are determined and comprehensive Secret Service protection is afforded to both nominees. "My view is that the candidates should use campaign funds to hire federal accredited security personnel," one highly-experienced national security expert told me. "The Department of Justice should provide a general set of Rules of Engagement for these security personnel. The Feds should ensure that all relevant intelligence is going to the security personnel of every candidate and every local law enforcement jurisdiction that candidates appear in. When the field narrows, and we have no more than six to eight total candidates, then it may be feasible to use a combination of Secret Service and Federal Marshals to protect them. This is going to be expensive, but it's a reasonable action given the seriousness of the threat."     Let's pray that none of these worst-case scenarios come to pass. But let's press our leaders to insist that every precaution is taken, as well. The stakes are very high. ————– Order The First Hostage today — it’s now available in hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Read the first chapter of The First Hostage right now The first reviews of #TheFirstHostage are in: “one of the final must-read novels of 2015,” “impeccably crafted,” “I simply could not stop reading” ——————- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and make a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution before the end of the year. Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | January 5, 2016 at 3:17 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL:http://wp.me/piWZ7-3Hd

Jim Bakker - Word for 2016 - Dream Revealed - Day 5

The Jim Bakker Show 
Word for 2016 - Dream Revealed
Day 5

Morningside Studios
Branson, MO

Watch here: Jim Bakker - Word for 2016 

- Day 5

Lori's House for single pregnant girls

Jim Bakker's Dream Jan. 2016

Watch here: Jim Bakker - Word for 2016 

- Day 5

Jim Bakker Show 2016 | Show# 2910 | Aired on January 4, 2016

2 Thessalonians, Daniel, Ephesians, Genesis, Hebrews, II Timothy, Isaiah, Joel, John, Matthew, Proverbs, Psalms, Revelation, Romans

Jim Bakker Show © 2016 • Morningside Studios

Home » Video Archives » Word for 2016 (Day 5)

IT’S NOT ISIS, IT’S ISLAM - by Shira Sorko-Ram - MAOZ ISRAEL

A mosque in Lahore, Pakistan. One of hundreds of thousands of Mosques around the world
in which Islam’s goals are proclaimed, and all other religions defamed and cursed.

IT’S NOT ISIS, IT’S ISLAM

Monthly Report: January 2016  Tevet - Shevat 5776

Open in PDF

By Shira Sorko-Ram

---

In theory, a Muslim is a believer in the fundamental Islamic precepts brought to the world in the seventh century by Allah.

So what produces a peace-loving Muslim, versus a violent one?

True Christians understand the description of a devout follower of Yeshua - a person who loves and studies the word of God, and endeavors to live each day of his life as a disciple of the one and only True God.

On the other hand, a nominal Christian who may call himself a Christian, but knows little of the word of God and does not follow the commandments of Yeshua is the norm today in western civilization. At funerals, nominal Christians speak of their loved ones who are now in heaven, but on earth these people live as any other non-believer. The center of their universe is not God.

So it is with Islam. Many Muslims are not really interested in being “religious.” They know they were born a Muslim, and revere Islam, but know little of the precepts of their faith, don’t go to the mosque, don’t pray five times a day, don’t look forward to a “haj” - a once-in-a-lifetime religious sojourn to Mecca.

An Islamic Scholar teaches his clerical students in Iran’s clerical capital Qom, Iran.

On the other hand, a devout follower of Mohammed, a person who loves and studies the Koran and other Islamic holy books, endeavors to live each day of his life as a disciple of the “one and only true god, Allah.”

Born-again, devout Christians are often called “fundamentalists.” Their belief system is considered “mainstream Christianity.” Many Christians like to explain that their faith is based on “original Christianity” which in turn is based on “early Christian” belief based on the Old and New Testaments.

In a way, the same adjectives apply to devout Muslims. Instead of the misnomer “radicalized,” these Muslims are fundamentalists. Their belief system is based on “mainstream Islam” because they are following “original Islam” based on “early Islamic” belief of the three pillars of Islam, the Koran, the Hadith (stories about Mohammed) and the Sira (biographies of Mohammed).

The difference between the two faiths is that the closer a Christian or a MessianicJew is in a personal relationship with God and His Son, Yeshua, the more he or she studies and practices the Word of God, the more like the Messiah of Israel this person becomes. 

Through the Holy Spirit, the Christian aims to exude these qualities: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Because of the incredible role-model of Yeshua who gave His life for us, the true Christian/Messianic aims to be a giver and a blessing to his world.

On the other hand, the more devout a Muslim, the more he adopts the lifestyle of his role-model Mohammed and studies and practices the chief doctrines laid out in the written words of Islam. Some of the most important laws of Islam are:

1. The penalty for leaving Islam is death. Freedom of religion is not an option with Islam.


2. Human rights for women are all but non-existent.


3. The goal of Allah and all true Muslims must be to conquer all nations and create a global caliphate (a world super nation).


4. Sharia will be the law for all human beings.


5. The sword is to be used, if necessary, to reach this goal.


6. Every Muslim is obligated to spread Islam. Devious methods are obligatory when necessary. These tactics are particularly suitable to the methods of the Muslim Brotherhood.


7. Although there is no promise in Islam that a Muslim will be selected to go to heaven, there is one exception: If a Muslim becomes a martyr while fighting for Islam, he is guaranteed a place in heaven, with the well-known hope of 72 virgins at his service, and “eternal virginity” for women martyrs.


8. The Jihadist is stimulated in this world by the knowledge that women he captures in war are his sex slaves. (Part of the great attraction of ISIS.)


9. Christians and Jews must convert to Islam, pay a tax or be killed. No new buildings of any other religions can be built.

The Muslims-in-name-only cannot successfully argue against these Islamic standards because it’s all written down in clear and forceful language in the books they supposedly believe are sacred.

MAINSTREAM VERSUS NOMINAL ISLAM

But the raging question among westerners is just how many fundamentalist Muslims are there? The usual figure given is about 15%. Out of 1.6 billion, that’s about 240,000,000 Muslims who are bent on conquering the world.

But then, 85% of all Muslims are thought to be peace-loving people. That’s the usual benchmark given by experts and only some 15% are considered died-in-thewool Jihadists.

But the percentage of “nominal” Muslims worldwide who say they desire Sharia law is actually much higher. Among the Palestinian population, 89% want Sharia law according to a Pew poll.(www.pewforum.org)

No wonder an 11-year-old Palestinian child who grabbed a knife and seriously wounded an 11-year-old Jewish boy on a bike told the police, “I wanted to be a martyr.”

In Europe, according to the Pew poll, 13% of Muslims believe that Muslims who convert to Christianity should be executed. In South Asia, 76% believe the same way.

THE SEAT OF SUNNI ISLAM SPELLS IT OUT

The Islamic university, Al Azhar in Cairo, Egypt, is considered by Sunni Muslims the most prestigious university in the world. It has 450,000 students and 9,000 schools. Within this university, there rages great controversy over the above violent laws.

Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah Nasr is a scholar of Islamic law and graduate of Egypt’s Al Azhar. When asked why Al Azhar, which regularly denounces secular thinkers as un-Islamic, refused to denounce the Islamic State (ISIS),(www.al-monitor.com) Sheikh Nasr explained,

The Islamic State is a byproduct of Al Azhar’s programs. So can Al Azhar denounce itself as un-Islamic? Al Azhar says there must be a caliphate and that it is an obligation for the Muslim world [to establish it]. Al Azhar teaches the law of apostasy and killing the apostate. Al Azhar is hostile towards religious minorities, and teaches things like not building churches, etc…Al Azhar teaches stoning people. So can Al Azhar denounce itself as un-Islamic? (www.meforum.org)

One press report spoke of the similarity between ISIS thought and Al-Azhar University’s curriculum, which “allows for killing a Muslim who does not pray, one who leaves Islam…gouging their eyes and chopping off their hands and feet, as well as banning the construction of churches…” (www.al-monitor.com)

A sermon delivered by popular Saudi Sheikh Muhammad Salih al-Munajjid clearly demonstrates why Western secular relativists and multiculturalists - who currently dominate media, academia, and politics - are incapable of understanding, much less responding to, the logic of Islamic intolerance. Journalist Raymond Ibrahim explains the thinking of the Saudi Sheikh:

“Some [Muslim] hypocrites” wonder why it is that “[Muslims] don’t permit them [Western people] to build churches, even though they allow mosques to be built.” Any Muslim who thinks this way is “ignorant” and wants to equate between right and wrong, between Islam and kufr [non-Islam]…and gives to each side equal weight, and wants to compare this with that, and he asks: “Why don’t we build them churches like they build us mosques? 

So we allow them this in return for that?” Do you want another other than Allah to be worshiped? Do you equate between right and wrong?... And Prophet Muhamad said: “By Him in whose hand is the life of Muhammad (By Allah) he who amongst the Jews or Christians hears about me, but I have been sent, and dies in his state (of disbelief), he shall be of the resi- If, as Munajjid points out, a Muslim truly believes that Islam is the only true religion, and that Muhammad is its prophet, why would he allow that which is false (and thus corrupt, cancerous, misleading, etc.) to exist alongside it? Such gestures of “tolerance” would be tantamount to a Muslim who “wants to equate between right and wrong,” as the sheikh correctly deplores. (www.raymondibrahim.com)

EGYPT’S PRESIDENT CALLS FOR ISLAMIC REFORMATION

It is true that the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah al-Sissi has made a call for reforming Islam. And there are voices within Islam that are taking up his cry for a religious revolution. Al-Sissi has gone further to protect Christians in Egypt than any other recent ruler. But he has a tremendous uphill challenge. Primarily, he must avoid assassination by Jihadists who believe he has made himself an apostate to Islam.

Al Azhar University in Egypt of course has different theological movements within its walls. There are voices within Al Azhar trying to remove from textbooks such subjects as sex slaves and the spoils of war, saying they were applicable during the Muslim conquests but are now considered out of date. They are insisting that students should not read old religious texts without guidance. On the other end are the Salafists [considered the strongest “fundamentalists” or followers of original Islam] who are fighting reform with all their might. They claim that the “reformers” within Islam “are seeking to destroy the university’s important role in protecting Egypt.” (www.haaretz.com)

In short, the phenomenon known as “ISIS” is not a temporal aberration within Islam but rather a byproduct of what is considered normative thinking for Al Azhar - the Islamic world’s most authoritative university. (www.meforum.org)

Many western military experts, not impeded by political correctness, say the West could easily defeat ISIS. Islamic expert Daniel Pipes says, “It’s a little bug that the powers could quash at will if they put their minds to it.”

But mainstream fundamentalist Islam among 1.6 billion people is the evil weapon that no human force can defeat.

There are hundreds of fundamentalist Islamic groups who are fighting for a worldwide caliphate. When ISIS is defeated, if it is, many other mainstream Islamist movements will continue to rise up out of the womb of original Islam.

From the book of Revelation, where it speaks of multitudes of believers in heaven that were beheaded, it appears that worldwide Islam will continue to grow until the Lord himself with His two-edged sword smites the evil one. However, there is no doubt in my mind that there is power now in the universe that can stop Islam today in specific local areas. God’s people must wage a war in the Spirit and cast down the evil forces that are bent on taking our neighborhoods, our towns, our states and our nations.

Famous Quotes of Godly Leaders - America & The World

 

 

 

 LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE blog
Steve Martin, Editor
Charlotte, NC
Jan. 5, 2016

How to Stand With God Through the Storms of Life - JAMES W. GOLL CHARISMA MAGAZINE

How to Stand With God Through the Storms of Life

 1/4/2016 JAMES W. GOLL charisma magazine

"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. Goll is 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, visit encountersnetwork.com.

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

Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.