Finding Peace and Deliverance in the Midst of Tribulations
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Come out and get anointed and refreshed with the blood of Jesus. In a world full of trouble, it’s times like these that we need that special touch from the Lord.
The devil brings disaster, mayhem, confusion, hurt, terror, chaos, deception, distraction and defeat. Likewise, the list of negative connotations could go on and on. Simply put, he is like a thief who comes to steal, kill and destroy: On the other hand, Jesus came that you might have life more abundantly” (John 10:10).
Notably, there are many people today who are living a life of defeat, because they are so overwhelmed with tribulations, and they have somehow lost their zeal and faith in the Lord. Consequently, losing their zeal and faith in the Lord have prevented them from successfully defeating the devil.
In your weakest moment, that is when you have to be on the look-out for the devil. He likes to strike when you are down and out, as this is the point where you are most vulnerable to his attacks. He also uses great disguise in his tricks to defeat you. With this in mind, you have to be fully aware of the devil’s trick and distraction, in order to know how he operates, so you can defeat him.
In Ephesians 6:10-18, the Apostle Paul gave some very astounding encouragements and several key tools to defeat the devil. He advised you to put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, meaning his tricks and tactics. This is so, because you wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities; against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
The devil is a spirit; therefore, flesh and blood cannot defeat him. He was cast out of Heaven along with other fallen angels. The devil apart from utilizing fallen angels, utilizes evil spirits around, as well as humans who fall prey to his whims.
By and large, the devil has a lot of forces and powers to work for him. Alternatively, the Holy Spirit is a spirit, and God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Considering this, the Holy Spirit will help you to fight against the devil, as this is not a fist fight, but a spiritual fight.
If you have been trying so hard to fight your own battles, but kept losing in the process, then you need to rethink your strategies. I am not telling you to sit back, and have others walk all over you. However, you have to get to a point in your life where you allow God to fight your battles for you. He will not put you in the front line. Instead, He will take all the darts, while shielding you. He is capable of facing your battles better than you do. Accordingly, the fight is not against your neighbors, co-workers, spouses, friends, children, families, or others you may meet along the way. The fight is against the ruler of darkness.
As the scripture highlights, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, your real enemy is not those around you, but satan himself. He is a spirit, and the ruler of darkness. He sets out to use anyone he can recruit against you, in order to have you defeated, depressed and discouraged.
Considering this, you are up against a spirit of darkness. Therefore, when satan knocks at your door, just say, “Jesus, can you get that for me?” Leave your battles up to the Lord. He will fight for you (Exodus 14:14). I used to try to fight my battles for myself; however, I have come to a point in my life where I have Jesus fighting for me. Consequently, I have been gaining a lot of victories.
When satan realizes that you are not taking matters into your own hands anymore, he will feel like you have given up. Notwithstanding, you have not given up, but have secretly given your battles to the Lord.
When you have done what you can, God will do what you can’t.
Everyone faces many trials; however, these trials are not in vain. God uses them to do a work in us, developing us into mature Christians.
In James 1:2-4, we are told, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. In other words, God uses the tough times in life to sharpen us, making us mature and complete Christians.
Furthermore, God will not permit you to remain in the same trials all of your life; in His proper timing He will deliver you. Psalm 34:17 says, The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
So don’t run from your trials, because the testing of your faith develops you into a mature and complete Christian.
We wish everyone a Happy New Year. The year 2015 might have been a great year for some, while it was a rough year for others. Notwithstanding, 2016 is an opportunity to start fresh. It’s the beginning of new dreams, goals, objectives and aspirations.
While there are so many different avenues that you may wish to embark on for 2016, you need to remember to make sure you are prioritizing your goals. When you prioritize your goals, you are able to make them more realistic and achievable, thus eliminating unnecessary disappointments. You should start prioritizing your goals, by setting both short and long-term goals. In so doing, you can accomplish what you set out to achieve for 2016.
Remember that life is not without obstacles, setbacks and disappointments. However, when you trust God to take care of you and your family, He will not disappointment you. All things work together for good, even when they seem like they are impossible and failing (Romans 8:28).
As you embark on your journey in 2016, trust in the Lord with all your heart; and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).
In this world, there is always some storm going on. Some people may have just passed through a storm, while others may be going through a storm, or preparing to face a storm. I know that every one of us, including myself, would like to avoid any storm whatsoever. Regardless of this, in this life, you cannot see a rainbow without rain. Granted, whatever your storm status is, you have to remember that you can ride out your storm.
Last night I had a vivid dream regarding a very severe storm. In this dream, I saw a group of people who appeared to be involved in a political movement. As they marched down the street, they invited me to join them, but I declined. Immediately following this encounter, there was a storm approaching. After turning down their offer, I found myself caught up in this approaching storm. Alternatively, this storm appeared to be very severe and threatening. I could hear the violent sounds of thunder and lightning. Concerned for my safety, I was looking for somewhere to hunker down; however, I found myself in the opening, exposed to the elements of the storm.
Consequently, I noticed a few people gathered around me. These people were trying to cover me from the elements of the storm. However, as the storm got more severe, some of them ran away and left me. Instantly, I knew that they had removed their coverings, because I could feel the heavy rain pouring down on my bare head. Seeing that, I decided that I had to find shelter. As I prepared to move to a place of safety, I found out that there was only one man who had stayed with me during the storm. He then followed me through the storm to a shelter nearby. At this time, it appeared as if I were in another country. When I arrived at this shelter, I saw a woman who had been covering me during the storm at this place. Apparently, she ran away left me in the storm and sought shelter there. The man who was always with me, brought me to some people who gave me food and clean clothes to send me on my journey. As the storm subsided, I started out on my journey. Following this episode, I awoke from this dream.
This dream represents the typical events of our lives in reality. If you are not going with the politically correct crowd, because of your Christian beliefs and way of life, you can be forced to weather the elements of the storm in isolation. Believers are faced with various obstacles from time to time, as they trod on their Christian journey. This politically correctness can come from any people with whom you are associated with. These people could be your own church brethren, families, co-workers, business associates, friends, or people you meet along the way. This isolation can force you into the path of a storm. Conversely, some of the people who you thought will cover you throughout your storm, or have your back, so to speak, will likely run away while you are going through your storm.
Nonetheless, there will be one man standing, who will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). He will hunker down with you, cover you, and take you to a place of safety. At this place, He will provide you with all the necessities that you have been deprived of during the storm. He will restore you, bless you, and give you peace and deliverance. In any event, you will have to ride out your storm with Him. Do not follow the ones who run away from the storm, hoping that they will still be rewarded, if they did not endure the test of time. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but to those who will endure to the end (Ecclesiastes 9:11). Just hold on to Jesus, and you can ride out your storm.
Listen to this inspirational song: “Ride Out Your Storm” in the video below.
Most people have no trouble finding things to complain about: traffic is slow, gas is too expensive, the weather is bad, prices are too high. Yet in every single situation, that same person also has a lot to be thankful for: he can drive, has a car, has a shelter to be protected from the weather, and has the money to purchase necessary items.
Your circumstances may not be all that great, but wherever you are it is God’s will that you give thanks in everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As a Christian, that is possible because no matter what your circumstances are, you can always thank God for deliverance through Christ (see 2 Corinthians 2:14; Romans 7:24-25).
Indeed, the Israelites knew that thanksgiving was so important that part of the official duty of the tribe of Levi was to thank God: They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord (1 Chronicles 23:30). They had heart of thankfulness and were instructed to be thankful regardless of what happened that day.
The psalmist wrote: Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name (Psalm 100:4). Notice that we can’t even enter God’s gates unless we’re thankful.
It certainly is possible to live giving thanks to God the Father for everything (Ephesians 5:20), because thankfulness depends on what is in your heart, not what is in your hand.
I once heard a story of a man who was desperately down to his wit end of troubles. In his desperation, he went into his room and loaded a gun. He was about to kill himself!
As he sat there with the loaded gun, he decided that he had to pray before committing this suicide. He prayed and asked God to intervene to show He’s really there, and if He does, then he would not kill himself.
After praying, the man waited to see what would happen. Lost in his suicidal thoughts, he was startled by the ringing of the telephone. He jumped and quickly looked to see who was disturbing his intended mission. To his surprise, he saw the name “Almighty God” on his caller ID!
Seeing this, he sat there scared and shaking. In a state of shock, he couldn’t even answer the caller on the other end of the line. After a few minutes had elapsed, he finally got the courage to investigate. As he pressed redial on the telephone, he waited nervously to see who would pick up. The phone rang for a while, and just as he was about to hang up, he heard the husky voice of a male on the other end of the line. “How may I help you?” he asked the caller. The caller replied and asked, “Where is this?” The other male replied, “Almighty God Tabernacle.”
The husky voice turned out to be that of a pastor, who was at his church that evening preparing his sermon for the next day. He had dialed his wife’s number to tell her that he was wrapping up for the evening, and would soon be home. Fortunately, he mistakenly dialed one of the digits, which happened to be the telephone number of the man about to commit suicide. The reason “Almighty God” came up on the suicidal man’s caller ID was because “Tabernacle” was too long to fit on the caller ID.
Well, to end this story, the man explained to the pastor what happened, and the pastor prayed and ministered to him. He was overcome with emotions, by seeing how God had intervened in his life when he was at his lowest point. Right there, the man accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior. From that day on, his life has never been the same again. This man was telling his story from the pulpit while preaching a sermon one day. That’s how I came to know this story.
You see, when you are in your darkest moment, God is there with you. Jesus is the light that will guide you through the roughest time in your life (Psalms 119:105). It doesn’t matter how bad the situation appears, God is still in control. While there is life; there are hopes. Suicide is not an option, if you allow God to guide you. He can take whatever the situation is and turn it around for your good (Romans 8:28).
I have heard so many stories of people who were about to kill themselves for whatever reasons, but were prevented, and their lives have changed for the better.
I have a song that I love so much, and I sing this song when I am at my lowest. It might not be the song that you sing, but I will share the first few lines, along with the video with you:
Like a ship sailing out on a trip so rough and long
So far from shore, so far from home.
I SET OUT IN SEARCH OF A REASON TO GO ON
And I found it in the eye of the storm
No matter what storm clouds may rock this ship of mine
The light of my Savior will lead me safely through the night
Though my ship may be rocky and my sails may be torn
I shall rest in the eye of the storm.
Trust me, I've been there, I've looked, I've searched and I know now, that there are no answers to be found in the bottom of a bottle or on the edge of a blade! Fighting Hard, Recovering, Rebuilding, REBORN. Moving on from addiction to a new life.
Executive Chef Robbie Joseph brings more than 35 years of culinary experience to his Montego Bay, Jamaica based restaurants and bars: THE SEAHORSE GRILL and ROBBIES KITCHEN. Specializing in fresh seafood, steaks, pastas, local Jamaican favourites and world class, gobal cuisine with a twist of west indian flare. Combine this simply great food with the casual elegant ambiance of both restaurants and you have an experience you won't soon forget!!!
Enough Tribulations Peace & Deliverance Ministries 
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