FACING ADVERSITY GODS WAY.

2nd Corinthians 1:3-4

All praise to the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. His is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.

What if my faith isn’t as strong as I think?  I was pleased with the progress in my spiritual journey. Now I’m not saying I’m perfect (far from it), but I’m certainly a kinder gentler soul than I used to be. But in the back of my mind that scary thought kept creeping to the front—what if my faith isn’t as strong as I think?
Life has its hills and valleys, we all know that. Life can be tough whether we are “good” Christians or not. Unfortunately, when life isn’t going our way we might start to question our faith—maybe we aren’t good enough—maybe God doesn’t love us—maybe God is mad at us—maybe…maybe…maybe.  The questions can go on and on, and if we aren’t careful our faith can get shaky and weak—just what the devil wants!

I’m all for a healthy dose of self-examination or even a little complaining to God about our circumstances, but somewhere along the way our faith needs to kick in and take over.

Here are ten steps that I find helpful as I’m facing these tough times:

1.     Read, Study, and Understand the Bible.

2.     Believe in God’s love for you.

3.     Accept God’s sovereignty.

4.     Expect trouble.

5.     Pray.

6.     Don’t get stuck in the valley.

7.     Praise God.

8.     Guard your thoughts, words, and actions.

9.     Keep an attitude of gratitude.

10.   Focus on others.

 The first four steps prepare us to face our problems so they should be focused on from day one of your Christian life or start today if you haven’t already. The last five steps are what to do when life gives us more than we think we can bear. The fifth step—PRAY—belongs in the before, during, and after of the adversity.

As Paul said, God comforts us so we can comfort others and that’s my purpose with this series of devotions. I want to share what I learned on my spiritual journey in hopes that it will help you find your way in the difficult times.

I don’t have the space here to discuss each individual step, but over the next few months I will be taking a more in-depth look at each step.

SHARING TIME: How has your walk with God changed because of an adversity in your life?

Terror shall not touch me.

Terror Shall Not Touch Me by Nike Chillemi

3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge;
My savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
And I am saved from my enemies. ~~ taken from 2 Samuel 22:3-4 [NASB]

Many of us face terror in one way or another every day. Even if it’s not directly on our door step, it touches us. We watch helplessly as bombs go off in our cities, our law enforcement officers are targeted for assassination, Christian clergy and the faithful are being imprisoned and tortured in communist and radical Islamist nations.

Let’s not get so overwhelmed by everything that we come from a place of fear. Remember He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and might. This is where making the time, getting quiet, and getting with the Lord is so vitally important.

When events are stressing us out, and we might be edging toward depression…stop and start praying. Go to Scripture, such as the portion above from 2 Samuel or to the 23rd or 91st Psalms. Read them aloud so you hear the Lord’s words of protection for you. Stand on that and start praying.

There is nothing quite as wonderful and practically useful as a prayer partner, somebody who’s on your spiritual wave length. When worries get too burdensome, go to visit your prayer partner for a cup of coffee and prayer, or phone them and pray. We are told to carry each other’s burdens and to lift each other up.

However, we need to do it…we need to go to God. His grace is sufficient for us. He is the Healer who has the divine healing balm for our soul. He can get rid of stress and the willies. He is the answer and He has the solution for us.

As a writer of classic whodunits with love stories set in the 1940s, I try to incorporate into my storylines the types of relevant situations we face today, in real life. In BURNING HEARTS, formerly an ebook which has just come out in print, Erica and Lorne face a terrifying arsonist/murderer. Ultimately, their faith in God and love for each other help them triumph over this evil.

UNSEEN BATTLES PT3 (powering up with Gods word)

Ephesians 6: 13-20

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


Yes, we are on Part 3 of Unseen Battles. Mmm. I wonder why? It must be because I think it’s important.  And I do! Very important!

Battles are coming your way and my way. Make no mistake about that. They always do! For every battle (big and small) that you can see, there are unseen battles being fought as well. And they are as important–if not MORE important than the battle you can see. God does NOT leave us defenseless in the battles–seen or unseen, but battles ar not won by being passive!

You are the one that must fight the battle!

I want you to be prepared for the battles coming in your life—seen and unseen battles. Because they are out there or maybe like me, you are already in them but find yourself sinking a little more each day into doubt and despair.

God does not leave us defenseless against the dark forces. He has given us numerous tools. We’ve already talked about faith, but another important spiritual tool is God’s Word.  The Bible calls the Word of God the sword of the spirit.

A sword is a powerful tool!

But you must possess the tool in order to use it.

To prepare for the battles—seen and unseen—you need to know God’s promises, His words, and His character before the battle begins. You MUST believe God’s there fighting with you but if you don’t know HIS Words before the battle, you might falter.  Knowing God’s Word ahead of time will prepare you for any and all battles coming your way.

The way to do that is to read, study, and believe His Words every day—before the battle, during the battle, and after the battle as well. Memory is not my strong suit so what I do as I read devotions and the Bible is I write verses on index cards that touch me in some way.

Those index cards sit on my desk and I read through them often.  After years of doing that, I may not remember the specific words but I remember the idea and call them to mind as needed.

Not to mention, I find them and read them when I need them specifically.

There is power in speaking God’s Words.

Don’t just read the words, speak the words.

God’s Words truly are the sword of the spirit. Each time, the enemy lies to you through your thoughts or through other people’s words and actions, you can cut their power to shreds by using God’s Words to lift up your spirit to God’s.

UNSEEN BATTLES PT2

Ephesians 6:
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

FAITH! FAITH! FAITH!
Our spiritual journey begins with faith when we take that first step to believe and to become God’s child, then faith continues as we grow and mature spiritually, and finally our faith becomes fulfilled on that glorious day when we reunite with our Creator.
In our last devotion, we talked about life’s problems, big and small and that with each of those real-world struggles come an UNSEEN BATTLE—the battle to steal our spiritual inheritance and legacy. That is what the enemy wants. He wants us to listen to his lies, to believe him, to believe we don’t have the power to change our circumstances. To believe that God is not God. To believe that God is not good. To believe that God doesn’t love us as much as the other people around us.

We can’t always choose our circumstances, but we can choose to activate our faith in and through every circumstance. In Beth Moore’s study—Living Beyond Yourself—she has a phrase for each of the fruit of the spirits. For faith, the phrase is FAITH FIGHTS!

FAITH FIGHTS!
Faith is not passive.
Faith is active.
Let’s look at today’s verse again in light of the fact that FAITH FIGHTS. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Which YOU can extinguish…. YOU must do it. Faith is not passive.  Faith is active. You must be the one who activates your faith.
But how?
A good start is with our thoughts, our words, and then our actions!
Every time, those seeds of doubt enter our minds, banish them with God thoughts! A great verse and very easy to remember is “With God, all things are possible.”
Every time, you are tempted to whine about the situation, change it to an act of faith, by using positive words:” It’s tough right now, but God is still with me.”
As you practice using your thoughts and words to activate your faith, let your actions show that you are believing God’s Words and His Promises, not the enemy’s lies.
Faith Fights!
In her study, Beth also talks about prayer and that prayer can change our circumstances. She uses the illustration of a wall of doubt but with prayer that wall can be knocked out and turned into a window to allow God’s Power into our lives. Can you picture that?
I can. I kneel before a sold wall but as I pray to God. I pick up my  axe of faith and start to knock out the wall. With each prayer a little more of the wall of doubt crumbles allowing more of God’s light and power to shine on me. And before I  know it, I am bathed in the light of God’s love.

Bring on the flaming arrows, enemy—I will use them to enlarge my window of faith!
FAITH FIGHTS!

UNSEEN BATTLES (power up with Gods word)

John 16:33

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

LIFE IS TOUGH! And then it gets even tougher. Sometimes it seems as if our problems and troubles will never end. And the truth is they might not! Or they might not end the way we want them to.

Disappointments, worries, and problems come. Illnesses happen. Tragedies strike. That’s the reality of the fallen world we live in.

Those are the battles we fight every day in the natural world.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose, and sometimes it becomes a wait and see what happens. But there’s another battle going on as well. This battle is much more important than whatever you are experiencing in the natural world.

It’s an UNSEEN BATTLE

The unseen battle is about stealing your faith, hope, trust,  power,  peace, joy, and all the other wonderful gifts God gives us as His heir. Paul says it this way in Ephesians 6:

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.



Paul knew what many of us forget in this modern world. Even though we can’t see the supernatural world, it’s out there and there’s an unseen battle going on. And that’s the battle that counts!

You may not be able to do much about the battle in the physical world. Sometimes, you can and you certainly should do all you can, but there are times, it is what it is and you can’t change it.

But the UNSEEN BATTLE.

God gives us the weapons we need for that battle, but it’s up to us to use them. If we don’t we’ll lose the war. So, what are the weapons for fighting the unseen battle?

Ephesians 6: 13-20

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.  In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.



As you can see, God has not left you defenseless in the UNSEEN BATTLES, but instead has given you many weapons. They are all important, of course, but it all starts with that shield of faith which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Wow! Did you read that line? Maybe you should read it again:  that shield of faith which YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Did you notice the word I put the emphasis on that time?

YOU can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one! YOU are the one that much activate your faith. YOU are the one that must use your faith.

The wisdom of Solomon

For in much wisdom is much grief: 

and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

( Eccl. 1:18)

If anyone ever was qualified to speak of things pertaining to wisdom or knowledge, I would have to say that Solomon, the ancient king of Israel, would be a likely candidate. For the Scriptures tell us that God appeared unto Solomon in a dream and gave him this promise: "Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee" (I Ki. 3:12).

The wisdom that God bestowed upon Solomon had nothing to do with human intellect or education, though unquestionably he possessed a high degree of these things also. The wisdom that he received from Heaven however, was a wisdom that could not be learned in earthly institutions. Actually it was a capacity to see things as God sees them: the ability, in other words, to see things as they really are; not according to man’s opinion, but according to divine truth. For this was the wisdom he needed, in order to execute righteous judgment among God’s people of Israel, over whom God had appointed him king.

Solomon's Magnificence

But before we think any more on the wisdom of Solomon, I would like to consider some of the other aspects of his truly magnificent life. When God appeared to him with the promise of wisdom, He included something more to go along with it: "and I will give thee riches, and wealth, and honour, such as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like" (II Chron. 1:12). And He wasn’t joking.

Solomon's set income alone was more than thirty tons of gold per year, "BESIDE that which he had of the merchantmen, and of the traffic of the spice merchants, and of all the kings of Arabia, and of the governors of the country" (I Ki. 10:14,15). We are also informed that he had a navy, which every three years came from foreign lands, "bringing [him] gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks" (I Ki. 10:22). All of his drinking vessels were of gold, for silver we are told, "was not anything accounted of in the days of Solomon" (II Chron. 9:20). In fact, the scripture says that silver was of no more worth to Solomon than stones (II Chron. 9:27). His throne of ivory overlaid with pure gold was the most elaborate throne of any king in the world (II Chron. 9:17-19). In short, he was quite possibly the wealthiest man in the history of the world.

Concerning his authority and dominion, the Bible tells us: "And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the [Euphrates] river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: They brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life" (I Ki. 4:21). This is to say that he had rule over a goodly portion of the existing world at that time.

The scripture says that "his fame was in all nations round about" (I Ki. 4:31). And consider this profound statement regarding the degree of honour, admiration, and prestige that he attained unto: "And ALL THE KINGS of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart. And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year" (II Chron. 9:23,24).

He was continually supplied with an abundance of the finest foods available to choose from (I Ki. 4:22,23). His dress and wardrobe was so marvelous that Jesus Himself referred to him as a gloriously arrayed man (Mat. 6:28,29). He also "had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines" (I Ki. 11:3); all of which I'm sure were elegant, beautiful and charming. I'm certain that he himself was also of superb physical features, for the Bible describes both his father and his mother as being such (I Sam. 16:12; II Sam. 11:2-4).

And everyone knows that tales of greatness and impressiveness are always exaggerated after being carried through many channels. But consider the reaction of the queen of Sheba, after having heard of the fame of Solomon, and traveling to Jerusalem to prove whether the stories were true or not. So overwhelming was his wisdom, his wealth, his kingdom, indeed his very manner of being, that she said: "It was a true report that I heard in my own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Howbeit I believed not the words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold THE HALF was not told me: thy wisdom and prosperity EXCEEDETH the fame which I heard" (I Ki. 10:6,7). In truth, God made Solomon so great that it simply could not be exaggerated.

Time and space will not allow us to continue with this inadequate description of the majestic grandeur of Solomon's unparalleled life in this world, except to say that his faculty of government produced one of the most efficient and prosperous kingdoms of all time, and that "he had peace on all sides round about him" (I Ki. 4:24). Oh, how staggering it is to really think on the vast variety of greatness that God endowed this man with! He truly had and was everything that anyone could ever hope to have or be, and much, much more!

The Reason For His Grief

Now the new testament scriptures inform us that the old testament scriptures were written for our learning ( Rom. 15:4). So what is the point of all of this about Solomon’s magnificence? For the answer, let us now go back to where we began. In our text scripture we see that Solomon declared: "in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Eccl. 1:18). Realizing that his godly wisdom was truly a vision of reality, superseding the common vision of appearances, let us take account of his sermon recorded in the book of Ecclesiastes: "The words of the Preacher (Solomon), the son of David, king in Jerusalem. Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; ALL is vanity" (Eccl. 1:1,2).

Now in order to understand the powerful and sobering message of the book of Ecclesiastes, one must realize that the word "vanity," as used in the Bible, does not have the same meaning that is commonly associated with the word in this day and time. Vanity, in the book of Ecclesiastes, is translated to mean "emptiness," "unsatisfactory," or "transitory" (passing away without continuance). So when Solomon made the statement "ALL is vanity," what he actually was saying was that nothing of this world is permanent (eternal), therefore nothing of this world can possibly provide lasting satisfaction for the heart of man.

In graphic illustration of this point, he describes in Ecclesiastes 2:1-9 some of the splendor and glory that constituted his lifestyle. Then he went on to proclaim: "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold ALL was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was NO PROFIT under the sun" (Eccl. 2:11). Praise God, how I feel the exclamation point of God's Spirit in this emphatic statement of truth! The phrase "vexation of spirit," used here by Solomon, is translated from the Hebrew language, and actually means "the pursuit of wind." Oh dear reader, I hope and pray that you feel something of what I'm feeling this very moment. Can you see that the Spirit of the living God earnestly desires for us to realize that true happiness and fulfillment of life can never, ever be realized by the pursuit and attainment of any earthly state or substance? We have no more hope of filling our lives with rich, lasting peace and joy, by earthly endeavors and accomplishments, than we have of capturing the wind and storing it in a bottle.

Truly Solomon's inescapable grief and sorrow was due to his keen and constant awareness concerning the emptiness and dissatisfaction of all possible achievements and attainments of this world. He had done it all, like no one had ever done it before, or will ever do it again. He had BEEN it all like no one ever could or ever would again, but he found that his heart was yet unfulfilled. The void, the longing for satisfaction was still there, and his clear vision of reality would not allow him to think it wasn’t so!

Because he had found ALL of his success, ALL of his wealth, ALL of his fame, ALL of his honour, ALL of his women; indeed ALL of EVERYTHING to be lacking in enduring substance, he came to this conclusion: "Therefore I HATED LIFE; because the work that is wrought under the sun (i.e. anything and everything) is grievous unto me: for all is vanity and vexation of spirit" (Eccl. 2:17). My goodness, how I feel the honesty, the wisdom, the power, just pulsating from this profound statement of truth and reality!

The Remedy For Vanity

So then, what hope is there for us? If EVERYTHING is futile, then what's the use? What is there to live for? Is there an answer of peace? Yes, thank God there is! The truth is, everything WAS vain and empty at the time Solomon was living, but not now. Now everything is vain and empty except for ONE thing, that being the one thing that was not available to Solomon or anyone else who lived in old testament times: the soul cleansing power of God - the blessed ETERNAL SPIRIT!

You see, my friend, Jesus came to this world and endured great suffering, ultimately giving up His life to the most cruel death known to man at that time, in order to make a way for the void in the hearts of all mankind to be filled. We are told in I Corinthians 15:22 that "in Adam all die...;" meaning that all of mankind has been severed from the fellowship of God because of Adam’s disobedience. That deep void in the inner being, which is experienced by all, and acknowledged by those who are honest enough with themselves to acknowledge it, is the result of that severed union with our Maker.

Because of Adam’s sin we were all born under bondage to sin and death. But Jesus has made available to us the means by which we can conquer both of these enemies (Romans 5:12-19). John the Baptist, who was appointed by God to introduce Jesus to Israel, informed the people of the purpose of Jesus' mission here on earth. The core of his message was as follows: "Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand...There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water; BUT HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY GHOST" (Mat. 3:2; Mk. 1:7,8).

Jesus could not baptize anyone with the holy Ghost while He was yet on Earth (John 16:7; Jn. 7:37-39). But after He had fulfilled His work here, and had risen from the dead, He gave these final crucial instructions to His followers before ascending into Heaven: He commanded them to remain in Jerusalem and "wait for the promise of the Father...for John truly baptized with water; BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST not many days hence" (Acts 1:4,5). Without question these instructions were given, to the intent that those who believed on Him would not miss the entire point of all that He had done. 

Several days later, after following Jesus' instructions, about a hundred and twenty people "were all filled (baptized) with the holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4). Yes dear one, these were the very first to receive this glorious experience which had come to mankind by means of such great cost.

The baptism of the holy Ghost, which is always evidenced by speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, is the very heartbeat of the Gospel. It very plainly IS the gospel experience. Period. "For BY ONE SPIRIT are we ALL baptized into one body" (I Cor. 12:13). In other words, without this unchangeable experience, we cannot possibly be a member of the true Congregation of God; because ONLY BY THIS EXPERIENCE can we have our sins washed away, be put in right standing with God, and be made a new creature in Christ (I Cor. 6:11; II Cor. 5:17).

The Conclusion Of The Whole Matter

In reality friend, this is the only experience in existence that can fill that lacking, or void, within the heart and soul of all mankind. The soul of man was made to be in fellowship with God, and the true spirit baptism is the means by which we are reconciled unto Him. It is in fact, the infusion of divine, eternal life into the hearts of those who receive it. Jesus described it as a "well of water" inside of us, "springing up into everlasting life" (Jn. 4:14). Isaiah, in prophecy, called it a rest and refreshing for the wearied soul (Isa. 28:11,12).

Let me say, dear reader, that this experience, which can only be received by repentance from sin, and faith toward Jesus Christ, is very real and powerful, for it translates our inner man into the heavenly kingdom of God (John 3:5; Eph. 2:6). You see, the holy Ghost is the very eternal life substance that indwells both the Father and the Son. Without it, the Bible tells us, we "are none of His" (Rom. 8:9).

What about you friend? Have you found, that regardless of what you accomplish or have, there still seems to be something missing in your life? Are you able to acknowledge, as Solomon did, that the things of this world have failed to provide lasting satisfaction to your heart and soul? Wouldn’t you like to possess the love, joy and peace that transcends all that can be imagined? It is yours for the having, if you are willing to meet God’s terms. Forsake all that you know to be wrong, and seek after Him with all of your heart; and Jesus will gladly receive you, and fill you as you’ve never been filled before. I guarantee it! (Amos 5:14; Jer. 29:13)

In closing, I want to say, that if you have received this experience, but have lost the joy and peace that you once had; your heavenly Father will be glad to do for you what He once did, if you will only do again for Him what you once did. Amen.

If you would like to learn more about this experience, please contact us. We want very much for you to have what we know to be the most wonderful thing available to mankind. You will not be put on a mailing list, nor will you be asked for monetary contribution to this ministry. May God bless you and yours. Amen. 

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Daniel~

Zechariah 3 - The Cleansing of Joshua the High Priest

A. The vision of the LORD, Satan, and Joshua the High Priest.

1. (1-3) The Angel of the LORD stands against Satan on Joshua’s behalf.

 

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the Angel.

 

a. Then he showed me Joshua the high priest: Joshua was the High Priest at the time (Haggai 1:1). In his vision, Zechariah sees the High Priest in the presence of the LORD (standing before the Angel of the LORD), and he is clothed with filthy garments.

 

b. Standing before the Angel of the LORD: The phrase standing before has the idea of priestly service. Joshua isn’t in God’s presence just as a spectator but as a ministering priest.

 

c. Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him: Satan hated the whole scene. He hates it when God’s people come into the presence of the LORD. He hates it when they come into God’s presence to minister unto the LORD.

 

i. “Satan must have been pointing to those [filthy clothes] and declaring forcefully that Joshua was unfit to stand before the Lord in this office.” (Boice)

 

ii. This is all according to character for Satan. The name “Satan” literally means adversary or opponent. He stands against us in spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:10-18). If you think it is bad to have Satan as an adversary, would you rather have him as a friend?

 

d. The LORD rebuke you, Satan! We see the LORD - either directly, if the Angel of the LORD is Jesus in this place, or indirectly exercising authority through the Angel of the LORD - standing before Satan and preventing his advance.

 

i. God does allow Satan to attack and harass His people, but He always strictly regulates what Satan is allowed to do. Satan wanted to destroy Simon Peter, sifting him like wheat (Luke 22:31-32) but Jesus prayed for Peter and stood beside him and did not allow Satan to carry out every evil intention of his heart.

 

ii. “Take note that this rebuke comes at the right season. When Satan accuses, Christ pleads. He does not wait till the case has gone against us and then express his regret, but he is always a very present help in time of trouble. He knows the heart of Satan, being omniscient God, and long before Satan can accuse he puts in the demurrer, the blessed plea on our behalf, and stays the action till he gives an answer which silences for ever every accusation.” (Spurgeon)

 

iii. The LORD rebuke you: Jude 1:9 tells us that Michael the archangel used this same phrase in battling against Satan. The example here of the Angel of the LORD and of Michael shows us a model for spiritual warfare - that we always should battle with the LORD’s authority.

 

e. The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you: With this phrase, God reinforces the important standing of Jerusalem in His eyes. As mentioned in Zechariah 2:12 it is His Holy Land.

 

f. Is this not a brand plucked from the fire? Joshua the High Priest had a place of high standing - next to the Angel of the LORD and protected against Satanic attack. Still, this place of high privilege was not based on Joshua’s own goodness or merit; he himself was rescued as a brand plucked from the fire. This is even more boldly stated in that Joshua stands clothed in filthy garments. Satan had a lot to accuse Joshua of, but Joshua had an even greater advocate in the Angel of the LORD.

 

i. A brand is a burning, burnt, or smoldering piece of wood. Think of a campfire with a blackened, charred chunk of wood smoking in the ashes. It isn’t worth much at all and will be consumed completely if it isn’t plucked from the fire.

 

ii. “So it is with the child of God. What is he at the best? Till he is taken up to heaven, he is nothing but a brand plucked out of the fire. It is his daily moan that he is a sinner; but Christ accepts him as he is: and he shuts the devil’s mouth by telling him, ‘Thou sayest this man is black - of course he is: what did I think he was but that? He is a brand plucked out of the fire. I plucked him out of it. He was burning when he was in it: he is black now he is out of it. He was what I knew he would be; he is not what I mean to make him, but he is what I knew he would be. I have chosen him as a brand plucked out of the fire. What hast thou to say to that?’ Do observe that this plea did not require a single word to be added to it from Joshua.” (Spurgeon)

 

iii. “Such is the divine economy, that God makes much of brands, fragments, castaways. What others regard as unworthy of their heed is dear and priceless to the great Lover of souls.” (Meyer)

 

iv. “This question, as it appears to me, will bear three renderings; first, it may be looked upon as an exclamation of wonder: ‘Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire!’ Secondly, as an enquiry or hope: ‘Is not this a brand’ - this one particularly, ’plucked out of the fire?’ And, in the third place, it is certainly a defiance for us, assured of our safety, to throw into the face of Satan, the accuser: ‘Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?’ ” (Spurgeon)

 

v. When John Wesley was only six years old, he was trapped in a burning house and was only rescued when one neighbor climbed on another’s shoulders and pulled him out of window. A picture of the scene was drawn for Wesley and he kept the drawing until he died, and wrote under it Zechariah 3:2: Is this not a brand plucked from the burning?

 

2. (4-5) Joshua’s iniquity is removed, and is given clean garments.

 

Then He answered and spoke to those who stood before Him, saying, “Take away the filthy garments from him.” And to him He said, “See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head, and they put the clothes on him. And the Angel of the LORD stood by.

 

a. Take away the filthy garments from him: As Joshua the High Priest stood in the presence of the LORD, Satan accused him and on seemingly solid grounds - Joshua was guilty of standing before God in filthy garments. Nevertheless, the LORD fixed the problem by cleansing Joshua, taking away the filthy garments and the iniquity they represented.

 

i. The Hebrew word translated filthy is “the strongest expression in the Hebrew language for filth of the most vile and loathsome character.” (Feinberg, cited in Barker)

 

b. And I will clothe you with rich robes: Joshua not only enjoys having his iniquity removed, he also is given a positive righteousness - clothed with rich robes. The thought of being clothed by God in righteousness runs from Genesis (Genesis 3:7 and 3:21) to Revelation (Revelation 7:13-14).

 

c. Let them put a clean turban on his head: The turban was part of the High Priest’s garments and on the front it had a gold plate inscribed with the phrase HOLINESS TO THE LORD (Exodus 28:36-38).

 

B. God’s message to Joshua the High Priest.

 

1. (6-7) A personal admonishment and promise to Joshua.

 

Then the Angel of the LORD admonished Joshua, saying, “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘If you will walk in My ways, and if you will keep My command, then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts; I will give you places to walk among these who stand here.’ ”

 

a. If you will walk in My ways and if you will keep my command: Joshua in Zechariah’s day was admonished much the same way that the first Joshua was admonished. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7)

 

b. Then you shall also judge My house, and likewise have charge of My courts: God promised Joshua that he would indeed continue to serve as High Priest as he was diligent to stay obedient to God.

 

c. I will give you places to walk among these who stand here: God promised Joshua privileged access into the presence of God. This isn’t a surprising promise for a High Priest, but we have the same promise: Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

 

2. (8-10) A prophetic message of Messiah and His reign.

 

“Hear, O Joshua, the high priest, you and your companions who sit before you, for they are a wondrous sign; for behold, I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH. For behold, the stone that I have laid before Joshua: upon the stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave its inscription,” says the LORD of hosts, “and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. In that day,” says the LORD of hosts, “everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree.”

 

a. I am bringing forth My Servant the BRANCH: “BRANCH” is used several times as a title for the Messiah (Isaiah 4:2 and 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5 and 33:15). The BRANCH is associated with fruitfulness and life. Jesus used the same image when He said that He was the vine and we are the branches (John 15:5).

 

b. For behold, the stone I have laid before Joshua: If a branch seems “weak,” then God gives us another picture - a stone, having seven eyes. In the thinking of the ancient world eyes represented knowledge because we learn more through our eyes than any other way. The seven eyes speak of the perfection and fullness of the knowledge and wisdom of the Messiah.

 

c. I will engrave its inscription: Early Christians saw the engraving on the stone to be a picture of Jesus’ wounds but the engraving could also be a mark of identification or beautification.

 

d. Everyone will invite his neighbor under his vine and under his fig tree: This is a proverbial expression that means prosperity and peace (1 Kings 4:25, 2 Kings 18:31) - ultimately, the peace that the reign of the Messiah brings. This vision and word from Zechariah shows how much God wanted to encourage and strengthen Joshua, and He does it in the best way: setting his eyes on our Messiah, Jesus Christ. That’s our best encouragement also.

The Ministry of Angels

The ministry of angels is a very important, foundational and fundamental part of our Christian faith. The reason is because every single person who believes in the existence of God demonstrates this belief through what we call the art of prayer. This means that we communicate with our creator through prayer in order to get results and answers for situations or issues within our lives. The bible gives an explicit teaching from Genesis to revelation about the involvement of angels in bringing answers to the prayers of God’s people. Every time in the scripture we are shown that when God answers prayers angels carry the answers to the individuals that have offered up the prayers unto God.When Jesus was to be born, angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she was going to conceive. When Zachariah was going to father John the Baptist, it was an angel that brought the news to him saying your prayers have been answered. When Cornelius was praying in the book of Act and there was going to be the out- pouring of the spirit to the Gentiles, which is what we call the Christian church and the manifestation of the spirit to the Gentiles; it was an angel that came with the answer and said “Cornelius, your prayers and your arms have come as a memorial unto God”. Also in the book of Daniel we see this expressed very clearly when he prayed and fasted about certain things and after 21 days an angel came through and said I have come from the first day which you uttered the prayer unto God and a commandment was issued to give you skill and understanding and to confirm to you that this prayer has been answered by God. The examples above clearly show that angels are messengers that carry heavenly gifts and the intent of God to individuals that have prayed on the earth.Angels are very important. In the book of psalm 91 it says God has given His angels charge concerning us. This means that it is the operation of angels in the life of a person that will make a thousand fall on their left and ten thousand on their right but only with their eyes shall they behold the reward of the wicked and no evil will come near their dwelling place. The reason is because the individual praying is conscious about the presence of angels and he has prayed for their release into his earthly space in order to activate such happenings. Therefore, in terms of winning souls or the spread of the gospel or the demonstration of the power of God on the earth; know that angelic beings will be assigned on the earth by God to bring about the manifestation of these things. Only those who understand clearly how to release or activate it will see the full benefit of it in the end times.It is very important you understand the ministry of angels in this end times because demonic power is being unleashed on the earth in an unprecedented way in human history like never before. The spread of certain things that we see today and the validation of certain practices which ten years ago would have been forbidden in the society should tell us that we are dealing with things today on the earth whose origins are demonic. Therefore it is important we understand how to operate in the spirit and how to function with angels because it will go a long way to help us in our spiritual life and in our everyday life as believers.

Hannah, Woman of Faith

There are many faith-promoting stories in the Old Testament, but one in particular recently captured my attention. Many years before the Savior was born, an Israelite family from Ramah went yearly to Shiloh to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord. Elkanah, the husband, had two wives, Hannah and Peninnah. But Hannah had no children. (See 1 Samuel 1:1–3.)                                         

First, 1 Samuel 1:6 states, “her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret” because she was barren.

Second, instead of becoming bitter, Hannah chose to go to the temple and share with the Lord the sorrows of her heart. That year when she and her husband went to Shiloh to worship in the temple, her pain was so intense that “she wept, and did not eat” her portion of the sacrifice offered by her loving husband (see 1 Samuel 1:7). She even called herself “a woman of a sorrowful spirit” (1 Samuel 1:15). However, while in the temple, Hannah turned her sorrows over to the Savior. She covenanted with the Lord by promising to give her child to his service in the temple if He would bless her with a “man child” (1 Samuel 1:11). I thought about the things I could give up to the Lord. Perhaps I would not be expected to give up the very blessing I sought as Hannah did, but I can give up my sins.

Most impressive to me about this story is not that Hannah’s desire was granted by the Lord but that she had the faith to follow through with her promise. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been to entrust her only child to the priest Eli, knowing she would see him but once in a year. But because she was faithful, this “man child” became a great prophet and judge of Israel (see 1 Samuel 3:19–21; 7:15). He helped Israel return to the Lord and forsake their strange gods. His name was Samuel.

After Hannah “lent him to the Lord,” (1 Samuel 1:28) she sang praises to and rejoiced in the Lord (1 Samuel 2:1–10). She was content in the wonderful blessing He had given her. I doubt she knew at the time that she would later conceive and bear three more sons and two daughters (1 Samuel 2:21).

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The Seven Sons of Sceva. acts 19:13-20

I would not choose to preach a sermon on the seven sons of Sceva but for the fact that I am working my way through the book of Acts. The details recorded by Luke are bizarre and far removed from my experience. I do not find it easy to comment upon the failed exorcism of Sceva's sons.

All seven of Sceva's sons were able to make a living from exorcism. It would be difficult for anyone to do that now. Exorcists at the time of Paul had plenty of work because so many illnesses were attributed to evil spirits. Any complaint accompanied by disturbed behaviour such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, malaria or depression was explained in terms of demon possession. So if a man had the power to cast out demons he could cure the disturbed person.

God was doing miracles in the name of Jesus through Paul - illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them. v11. It was believed that because illnesses were cured then what caused the illness, the demons, were cast out. The writers of the New Testament were influenced by current medical knowledge. There is nothing in the Bible about the real cause of disease. It does not, for example, provide an accurate explanation of how malaria is contracted. Jesus did not come to advance medical science. He came to save men from their sin.

(B) The seven sons were men without authority.

(1) Their authority was questioned.

As the sons of Sceva tried to heal a very disturbed man his evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" The man, troubled though he was, respected Jesus and Paul but cared nothing for Sceva's sons - "Who are you?"

The seven exorcists were not genuine followers of Jesus and so lacked the authority and power to heal in Jesus' name. They were trying to do good without the means. A painted fire provides no heat. A hungry man does not require a photograph of a good meal but the real thing.

It is futile to:

(a) Preach without belief. No preacher, notwithstanding his eloquence, exercises power without really believing what he says. We have to speak with conviction to convince others. I wasn't the most personable or even the most amusing speaker in school assembly but I did speak from the heart. Sometimes my pupils were moved in spite of themselves!

(b) Sing gospel songs without belief. I would rather hear a solo from a true believer - sang from the heart - than a polished performance from a professional with no religious conviction. The song of a person with a true love for Jesus is an act of worship - not a performance.

(c) Pray without belief. We often go through the motions and say the things we think God wants to hear. What we pray for does not coincide with the dominant desires of our heart.

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

Uttered or unexpressed,

The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

(2) They were punished for their presumption.

The disturbed man punished the seven sons of Sceva. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding. v16. Nothing could have been more humiliating for the exorcists.

It is still possible for the world to punish false believers harshly. The tabloid press has been known to beat up and humiliate those who presume to call themselves Christian but whose conduct belies their profession. In the 17th century three successive Japanese Shoguns dealt with the Roman Catholic Church with great savagery because it dressed itself in Japanese clothes.

(C) The Ephesian Christians were taught a salutary lesson.

The humiliation of the Sons of Sceva resulted in:

(1) Respect for Jesus.

Luke informs us that: When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honour. Fear can be therapeutic. The humiliation of Sceva's sons did mean that the name of Jesus was respected. I always believed as a schoolteacher that those who defied authority should be very firmly dealt with. Physical punishment is derided as uncivilised in our society. It is not as uncivilised as the revolting behaviour of the drunken louts in our city centres at the weekend. They care for no-one but themselves and jeer, sneer and spit at the police. Their behaviour is tolerated and therein lies the problem.

Elisha did not tolerate the disrespect of the youths from Bethel. They jeered at the prophet and cried, "Go on up, you baldhead!" 2Kings2v23. Elisha cursed them in the name of the Lord. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the youths.

God taught David a severe lesson on respect. The ark was being moved from the house of Abinadab to Jerusalem. David thought it was appropriate to move it on a cart. He had not consulted the regulations about moving the ark of God from one location to another. So when the ark was in danger of falling off the cart and Uzzah grabbed it: The LORD's anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down and he died there beside the ark of God. 2Sam6v7. David was both angry and afraid. He abandoned his endeavour to move the ark. The next time David attempted it he did so according to the instructions the LORD gave to Moses.

(2) Sins confessed.

Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. v18.We do not know for sure what these evil deeds were but probably it had to do with dabbling in magic and relying on spells and charms for good luck.

It is important to confess our sins to God and to admit them to one another. It is very wrong to pretend that we are better than we are. Jesus hated hypocrisy. The biography of a famous Christian should never omit the failings of its subject. I have just finished an account of the Charles Finney's life. It was very instructive but it would have been more so if some of the great man's faults had been aired. The Bible is ruthlessly honest in this respect.

(3) True repentance.

Some of the Greek converts to Christianity, who had practiced sorcery, retained their books of magic spells as a sort of insurance against their new religion not working. This showed lack of faith.

After the rout of Sceva's boys those who were slow to abandon the old ways repented to the extent that they brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly. v19.This involved substantial financial loss. The scrolls were worth 50,000 drachmas or 50,000 days work by a labouring man. In today's money that would be about 4 million pounds.

It is wrong to have a foot in both camps. That was the position of the Jews in the time of Jeremiah. They feared the LORD and served other gods. They worshipped the LORD in his temple in Jerusalem but the women kneaded the dough and made cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. Jer7v18. Jesus said, "You can't serve God and mammon."

We should be different from the World. Our values and life style should be distinctive. A Christian must not pursue ambition at work at the expense of serving the church. If necessary, promotion must be forfeited for the sake of the Kingdom. Jesus' words are unambiguous: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God." Nor should elderly, retired Christians so devote themselves to leisure, recreation and pleasure that they are unwilling to accept responsibility for regular church activities. It is just plain wrong to take so many holidays that your fellowship cannot rely upon you for anything.

(4) Success for the gospel.

The reaction of Christians to the treatment handed out to the seven exorcists resulted in the growth of the church. In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power. v20.

Whenever there is visible evidence that men and women's lives have changed for the better because of their Christian beliefs Jesus is always honoured and his Kingdom extended.

PC Billy Burns was shot in the face on April 6th 1983 by Korsa-Acquah who was attempting to rob Lloyds Bank in Bristol. Billy Burns was seriously injured and medically retired from the police force. Korsa-Acquah spent 20 years in prison - most of it in Broadmoor. During his time in Broadmoor Billy Burns sent Korsa-Acquah a Christmas card. This gesture was a turning point in the robber's life. He wanted to meet Billy Burns and apologise to him. They met and the two began a friendship. Mr Burns said: "I had no issues with forgiving him, that was the very essence of my Christian faith."

In 2003 Korsa-Acquah was freed on licence after Mr Burns spoke up for him at his parole hearing. He is working with school pupils in Haringey, north London, as a member of Peace Alliance, a group campaigning to stop gun crime in the area.

The forgiveness of Billy Burns honours Jesus. It spreads the word widely and with power.

Whenever we abandon the values of this World we are living letters to the transforming and constraining power of the love of Jesus.

The spirit of Faith

 you were to ask most Christians what faith is, they would probably say that it is trust, confidence, assurance, or belief.  All of these are true, but according to the Bible, there is more to faith than just believing.

The psalmist demonstrated the spirit of faith to us when he wrote, “I believed, therefore I spoke…” (Psalms 116:10).  Later, the Apostle Paul recalled those words and wrote, “Since we have the same spirit of faith…we also believe and therefore speak” (2 Corinthians 4:13). We can see, then, that believing and speaking are both vital elements of faith.

Notice that Paul said, “We have the same spirit of faith.” He wanted us to know that anyone who has faith – whether it is you or me or Billy Graham – has the same spirit of faith and that it operates the same way for everyone. It has nothing to do with how old you are or how long you have been a believer. The Bible tells us that David had the spirit of faith when he was a teenager and that Joshua and Caleb operated in it when they were in their eighties. 

Faith Sees Victory

It is very easy to see the contrast between those who have the spirit of faith and those who do not by reading Numbers 13 and 14. There, we see that Moses sent twelve spies – including Joshua and Caleb – into the Promised Land. For forty days those men traveled together and scouted out the territory.

When they returned, they gave very different reports even though they had all seen exactly the same things. Caleb said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30), but ten of the spies banded together and said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we” (Numbers 13:31).

What was the difference? God said that Caleb had “a different spirit” (Numbers 14:24). That different spirit was the spirit of faith! Joshua also had the spirit of faith, and because of it, both he and Caleb were able to inherit the land God had promised. Those who did not have the spirit of faith were unable to enter in.

All twelve had observed the same things, but their perspectives were determined by what was inside them, not by what they saw. Likewise, you and I don’t see with our eyes, we see through them. We see with our hearts, and anyone with the spirit of faith can see victory even before it is visible to others.

Faith Smells Victory

John wrote, “This is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith” (1 John 5:4). Undeniably, it is faith that gives us victory and enables us to overcome. 

I once heard about a man who was taking a nap. As a joke, someone put Limburger cheese on his mustache. When he woke up, he thought, “It really stinks in here.” He walked out into the living room, sniffed and thought, “It stinks in here, too.” 

Knowing that his wife had just baked a pie, he went into the kitchen thinking it would smell better there, but it smelled just as bad!  Trying to escape the odor, he went outdoors and inhaled deeply only to discover that it smelled just as bad outside as it did inside! To him, the whole world seemed to stink!

When you have the spirit of faith, the whole world smells like victory and you carry the scent of it with you wherever you go. While one person can look at a problem and think that there is no way out, you ca look at the same problem and say, “With God, I am well able to overcome it!”

The Arena of Faith

Indeed, faith is the victory, and as long as you and I stay in faith, we are overcomers. The devil knows this and will try every play in his book to get us out of the arena of faith.

I once saw a bicycle competition between ten athletes from a variety of sports. It was quite a sight! There they were at the starting line on identical bikes: a big, muscular NFL linebacker, a seven-foot tall NBA basketball player, a fit-looking golfer, and seven others including a meek-looking ping pong champion.

The starting gun went off, and the linebacker took off like a flash. He was way ahead of everyone for the first two hundred yards, but then the basketball player and the golfer went by. Everyone – including the ping pong player – passed him. By the end of the race, the football player barely managed to cross the finish line. 

You and I would not want to meet the linebacker on a football field, but on a bike, either of us could probably beat him! On the football field, he is an overcomer, but when he is outside his arena, he is not even a contender.

That is how it is for Christians. The devil will attempt to get you into the arena of sight or circumstances, your past, your feelings, or your failures. He wants to face you anywhere except in the arena of your faith. He’ll say to you, “It looks to me like things are getting worse instead of better. It looks like you are going under.” But when you have the spirit of faith, you don’t let him lure you out of the arena of faith. Instead of believing the devil’s lies, you simply say to him, “I walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). 

Faith Speaks Victory

In Mark 11:22-24, Jesus was teaching His disciples, and He told them, “Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you, whosoever shall say unto this mountain, be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith” (KJV).

  

According to Jesus, if we believe, but say nothing, that is not faith. He didn’t say, “This works for those who believe in their heart.” He said it works for “Whosoever shall say…and not doubt in his heart.” We need both parts: believing and saying.

The mountain you are facing needs to hear your voice, and it is not going to budge until you speak to it. Someone might say, ‘Well, I just believe that my mountain (my problem) comes from God. He sent it and is using it to keep me humble. He’s using it to teach me or test me.” But, think about this: if God wanted you to have the mountain, why would Jesus have taught you how to move it?

You see, it is not up to God whether the mountain stays or leaves. Jesus said it will move for “whosoever shall say.” In other words, it is up to you. Maybe you have been waiting for God to move in a situation, but the truth is, He is waiting for you to speak to the mountain and tell it to move.

Faith that “Pops!”  

When you make popcorn, you put it in the microwave and turn it on high. For awhile, absolutely nothing appears to be happening. After a period of time, you’ll hear a “pop.” If you were to take it out right then, you’d be like someone who speaks to their mountain, and when something good happens, they say “Is that all I get? I’ve been confessing positive things for months, and this is all I get?” But, if you leave the popcorn in the microwave and wait, you’ll hear another “pop,” then another “pop, pop, pop” and pretty soon, all you can hear is popping! 

Whatever you do, do not turn the microwave on defrost. If you do, you can leave the popcorn in all day and never hear a single “pop.” Likewise, you don’t want to be a believer whose faith is on the defrost setting. Don’t say one thing in church but another in the car on the way home or one thing to your church friends but another to your co-workers. Instead, keep your faith on high, consistently believing and speaking everything that the blood of Jesus Christ has purchased for you!

(All scriptures are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise stated.)

The gift of faith

          
The spiritual gift of faith is not to be confused with saving faith.  All Christians. have been given saving faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), but not all receive this special gift of faith.  The word for faith in the New Testament is Pistis.  It carries the notion of confidence, certainty, trust, and assurance in the object of faith.  The gift of faith is rooted in one’s saving faith in Christ and the trust that comes through a close relationship with the Savior.  Those with this gift have a trust and confidence in God that allows them to live boldly for Him and manifest that faith in mighty ways.


In the Bible the gift of faith is often accompanied by great works of faith.  In Acts 3:1-10 we see this gift in action when Peter sees a lame man at the Beautiful Gate and calls on him to stand up and walk in the Name of Jesus.  Jesus said even a small amount of this faith could move mountains (Matthew 17:20; 21:21).  Paul echoed this truth in 1 Corinthians 13:2.

The Holy Spirit distributes this gift to some in th e church to encourage and build up the church in her confidence in God.  Those with the gift of faith trust that God is sovereign and He is good.  They take Him at His Word and put the full weight of their lives in His hands.  They expect God to move and are not surprised when He answers a prayer or performs a miracle.

 See also I Corinthians 12:9, Hebrews 11:1-40.

Prophetess in the bible

A prophetess is simply a female prophet. Just like a prophet, a prophetess is a person called by God. A prophet (male or female) is the mouthpiece for the one who sends him or her; the prophet speaks on behalf of the sender (Exodus 7:1-2). A prophet is considered a seer (1 Samuel 9:9), because God gives him or her the gift of foreknowledge. God reveals his secrets to prophets (Amos 3:7), and true prophesy is initiated by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). 1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11 both rank prophets as second only to apostles.

Furthermore, predictions should be tested to see if they come to pass. Prophets who make all sorts of predictions, but they don't come to pass should be ignored (see Deut 18:20-22, Jer 28:9). Still, discernment is required because certain prophecies have stipulations of coming to pass that are contingent upon the recipient's response (see Jonah and the judgment upon Nineveh).

Marital status is not a prerequisite to be considered a prophetess. Of the ten female prophets mentioned in scripture:

Three were married (Deborah, Huldah, and obviously Isaiah's wife)
One was a widow (Anna)
Four were virgins at the time (Philip's daughters)
And two do not even have their marital status mentioned (Miriam and Noadiah)
Even during times when women held low standing in the eyes of men, the Bible tells stories of women in God-given positions of power and influence. After all, it is just like God to choose what mankind considers as the "weak things of the world to put to shame the things which [mankind considers] are mighty" (1 Corinthians 1:26-31).

God gave certain women divine approval and divine authority to speak to his people. Just as their male counterparts, many used their position for good but some for evil. Following is a descriptive overview of women prophets mentioned in the Bible.
Miriam

Micah 6:4
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage; And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
Miriam was the older sister of Aaron and Moses. She is the sister described in Moses' adoption story. In an effort to control the Jewish slave population, Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys were to be killed. Jochebed, the mother of Miriam and Moses, defiantly refused to allow her baby son to be murdered. She hid him as long as possible. When Jochebed could no longer hide Moses she put him in a little ark of bulrushes and laid it in the reeds by the rivers bank.

Miriam watched over her little brother in the reeds. One day the Pharaoh's very own daughter was bathing in the river when she happened to find baby Moses in the reeds. She was enchanted with the little baby boy. Miriam, seizing the opportunity, bravely approached Pharaoh's daughter and suggested someone that could nurse the baby. The nursemaid she had in mind was her mother. Because Miriam took the initiative, Moses was able to spend his formative years with his biological mother. Miriam and her mother saved Moses' life before he could ever save a single Israelite.

As an adult, Miriam is given the title of prophetess. She leads the women in publicly celebrating and worshiping God after the Israelites cross the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20-21).

Deborah

Judges 4:4
Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time.
Besides being a prophetess, Deborah was a judge. As told in the book of Judges, Deborah is the fourth judge to lead the nation of Israel (Judges 4:1-5:31). The Hebrew word for judge is "shaphat " which means "to deliver" or "to rule".

As a judge of Israel, Deborah would have a wide range of responsibilities including: deciding controversies, giving verdicts, and executing judgments. In addition, an Israelite judge was tasked with delivering the people out of self-imposed bondage by being lead by God's spirit in military action. Of all the leaders of the book of Judges, Deborah is shown in the best light: she is sought for her decisions, she is honorably called "a mother in Israel", she boldly speaks forth God's commands, she honors God in a song of victory, and no scandals (compare to King David) or moral controversies (compare to Sampson) are mentioned about her.

Reading the book of Judges seems like perpetual déjà vu; it's like driving around the same neighborhood block over and over again. The pattern goes like this: first the Israelites forget all God's done for them and drop him like a bad habit, then they start worshiping other gods and living wickedly which inevitably gets them into bondage. After suffering miserably the Israelites remember the God they dumped and beg him to rescue them. God moves with compassion and raises up a Judge to deliver them.

The story of Deborah begins with the Israelites once again in bondage and beseeching God for deliverance. The people of Israel have suffered cruelly for twenty years under the oppression of Jabin king of Canaan and his military commander Sisera. Deborah summons Barak, an Israelite General, to go to war with 10,000 men against Sisera. Deborah says that God has promised them victory.

Barak, however, is reluctant to go to war against Sisera unless Deborah goes up with him. His reluctance could have been because General Sisera had 900 chariots of iron, a formidable military advantage for the times. Because of his lack of confidence in God, Deborah prophesies that victory will be obtained, however the glory will not go to Barak but to a woman instead. The great Sisera will be defeated by a woman! Naturally, we assume Deborah is referring to herself.

So, Deborah, Barak, and the Israelite army go up to Mount Tabor. Sisera gets wind of their plot and takes his massive army, along with the 900 chariots of iron, to the river valley of Kishon. Choosing the flat lands gives a clear advantage to Sisera and his iron chariots. However, Deborah is unfazed because her trust is in almighty God. Deborah tells Barak that God has gone out before them and to go down to the valley and utterly defeat Sisera. Just as Deborah prophesied, God miraculously gives complete victory to Barak and the Israelite army.

As a point of interest, Sisera wasn't killed in the battle by a man. Sisera was apparently a wily fellow because he escapes the battle and goes to hid out at the home of a supposed ally, Heber the Kenite. Heber wasn't home but his wife, Jael, allowed Sisera into their tent and hid him under a rug. When the infamous Sisera passed out from exhaustion, Jael snuck over and killed him by driving a tent peg through his skull. Thus the glory for the victory over Sisera did indeed go to a woman just as Deborah prophesied.

The godly leadership of Deborah brought the nation of Israel forty years of peace.

Huldah

Kings 22:14
So Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. (She dwelt in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter.) And they spoke with her.
Huldah is a prophetess mentioned in 2 Kings 22:14-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:22-28. She was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah, during the reign of King Josiah.

2 Kings 22 begins with Josiah, at the tender age of eight years, becoming King of Judah. Josiah was a righteous ruler following in the foot steps of a long lineup of wicked kings. Under the leadership of his godless ancestors, Judah had descended into idolatry and forgotten God. Josiah was attempting to rehabilitate the nation's standing with God. A major aspect of his reform was the repairing of the temple of the LORD. During these renovations of the temple, Hilkiah the high priest makes an amazing discovery by finding the Book of the Law. Astonishingly, Judah had abandoned God to the point of being completely ignorant of the Law!

The book of the Law reveals that covenant curses will fall down on the nation because of its many years of evil and rebellion against God. When the book is sent to the king and the contents read to him, he rips his robe in anguish and weeps. King Josiah commands five of his top leaders to go and inquire of the LORD, and see if judgment is indeed going to fall.

So the five officials, including the High Priest, go and seek out the counsel of the Prophetess Huldah. Huldah authenticates the book and presents a grim prognosis. She doesn't sugarcoat her response but plainly and truthfully presents God's verdict.

As is necessary for prophets (see 2 Kings 5:10-12 for the story of Elisha and the rich and powerful general Naaman), Huldah is not moved by big titles or intimidated by the power of men. This attitude is affirmed by the way she responds confidently and with authority to the high ranking government officials. She refers to the king as just any other man by saying in an unceremonious manner to "Tell the man who sent you to me".

Huldah continues by prophesying that divine judgment will indeed fall on the nation of Judah. God, however, responds with mercy to the king. Because Josiah had shown humility and responsiveness to God, he will not see this horror in his lifetime. Judgment will not fall until after Josiah is dead and buried.

The conclusion to this story is found in 2 Chronicles 35:20-27. Judgment did indeed fall upon the nation of Judah just as Huldah prophesied, but King Josiah didn't die in peace.

Some that oppose women holding any role of prominence within the church believe this is some sort of "Ah-Ha moment". These agenda driven naysayer's use Deuteronomy 18:22 to impugn Huldah's status as a true prophet of God. They say that if Huldah was any sort of prophet worth her salt then her prophecy would have come true.

The problem with this perspective is with the underlying interpretation of Deuteronomy 18:22. The passage speaks of ignoring false prophets who say all manner of outlandish things but they never come to pass. However, this scripture alone is incomplete and a common sense comparison of scripture to scripture reveals that many prophecies clearly have conditions.

It is doubtful that anyone would argue that Jonah wasn't a true prophet of God, yet Jonah prophesied something that didn't come to pass. Jonah prophesied that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days, but it wasn't (see Jonah 3:4, Jonah 3:10). Did Jonah or worse yet, God, make a mistake? No, of course not! The king and people of Nineveh repented from their evil ways upon hearing Jonah's prophesy, so God suspended his judgment. The same can be said of King Hezekiah and Isaiah's prophecy over him (see Isaiah 38:1-5).

These examples illustrate an excellent point. Most prophecies of judgment are contingent upon our response. Huldah may have prophesied a judgment of mercy over young King Josiah, but the prophecy was still contingent upon his response. The few people that like to impugn Huldah's status as a true prophet of God, conveniently ignore the fact that King Josiah died in battle because he blatantly ignored the command of God to not go to war against Neco, king of Egypt (2 Chron 35:22 NLT) . If Josiah would have obeyed God and not leaned to his own understanding then he would have surely died in peace.

Noadiah

Nehemiah 6:14 NLT
Remember, O my God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Sanballat have done. And remember Noadiah the prophet and all the prophets like her who have tried to intimidate me.
Noadiah was a prophetess that Nehemiah didn't particularly like. Noadiah was trying in some unclear way to thwart Nehemiah. Just like numerous men in the Bible, Noadiah attempted to stop God's will for Israel. Noadiah is similar to Balaam the prophet who used his gifting for evil (Numbers 22-24).

Isaiah's wife

The major prophet Isaiah considered his wife to be a prophetess.

Isaiah 8:3
And I went unto the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.
Anna

Luke 2:36
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity;
Anna is a prophetess that bears witness to the redeemer. She is mentioned in Luke 2:36-38. She was very old and spent all her time worshiping God by fasting and praying at the temple. Upon seeing the baby Jesus she praised God; she joyfully told of the child to everyone in the community seeking deliverance for Jerusalem.

The Daughters of Phillip

Acts 21:8-9
On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
Of notable mention are the four daughters of Phillip. They are briefly mentioned as prophesying in the book of Acts. The Greek word used in Acts 21:9 for prophesying is prophēteuō. Prophēteuō means "to prophesy, to be a prophet, speak forth by divine inspirations, to predict".

The scripture is unclear on what exactly or how often these women prophesied. Perhaps their prophesying was used to edify, exhort, and comfort the church (1 Corinthians 14:3-4). Perhaps their prophesying was given for learning and for comfort (1 Corinthians 14:31). Or, perhaps these women foretold of future events (1 Peter 1:10). Whatever may be the case, Phillips four daughters had a prophetic ministry and prophesied by inspiration of the Spirit of God.

Ironically, the gift of prophesy operating on Phillip's daughters is the fulfillment of another prophesy. The prophet Joel foretold in Joel 2:28 that when the Holy Spirit would be poured out "your sons and daughters shall prophesy". Acts 2:17 reaffirms Joel's Old Testament prophesy.

False Prophetesses

False prophetesses and their magic bands

Ezekiel 13:17-23
"Now you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who are prophesying from their own inspiration. Prophesy against them and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all wrists and make veils for the heads of persons of every stature to hunt down lives! Will you hunt down the lives of My people, but preserve the lives of others for yourselves?
. . . therefore, you women will no longer see false visions or practice divination, and I will deliver My people out of your hand. Thus you will know that I am the LORD."
Ezekiel chapter 13 deals with the denunciation of false prophets and prophetesses. These false prophetesses told deliberate lies. Even more, they subsequently profaned the name of God by pretending to have received the lies they told from him. These women encouraged the wicked and profane and discouraged honest and good people. These women practiced divination and where not true prophets of God.

The Jezebel at the church of Thyatira

Revelation 2:20 NKJV
"Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols."
This woman referred to as Jezebel, calls herself a prophetess, but that alone doesn't make her a prophetess. While addressing the corrupt church in Thyatira, Jesus mentions this woman as having an unacceptable influence on the church. Furthermore, Jesus is obviously not impressed with her claim to being a prophet; She is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Jezebel could be this woman's actual name or a nickname because her wicked actions parallel Queen Jezebel's in 1 Kin 16 and 2 Kin 9. She teaches and seduces God's servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. Jesus is displeased with the church of Thyatira because they tolerate this Jezebel.

Different Levels Of Faith

There are different levels of faith during spiritual growth.  Each one has a test….and with each successive higher level, there is less support from God….Finally God does nothing for us at all, and we suffer and lose the battle…..but do we still love him?  Do we still trust in him?

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There are various levels of faith:

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1. Weak Faith – Everyone begins here. Weak faith considers circumstances. It constantly limits God and His benefits. Wrong teachings are an influence here. It cannot see the Spirit, the power of God, or that God can do all things.

2. Temporary Faith – As we grow stronger, we receive the Word of God for awhile, and believe, but then fail when tests come. (Luke 8:15)

3. Active Faith – Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26) We need to do more than just believe, since even the demons believe and tremble. The apostles acted on their faith, preached the gospel, and did good works.

4. Strong faith – This is a faith that staggers not at God’s promises. One refuses defeat, and will not take no for an answer. The person speaks out loud to the devil, rebuking him, and releases God into action.

5. Great Faith – has a great expectation, that just hearing the word is enough for the request to be granted. As in the centurion, who said “you only need to speak the word, and my servant will be healed.” He did not even ask Jesus to come. His words were enough. (Matt 8:10)

6. Unfeigned faith –(genuine) – It knows no hypocrisy. It does not brag or put on a show. (2 Tim 1:5) Very childlike, trusting and innocent, and is well founded in the Word of God.

7. Perfect (divine) faith – Absolute confidence in God’s own Word and Being.

This will be tested with fiery trials.

While other levels of faith receive some support, and encouragement from God, this level takes what is learned from earlier levels, and endures to the end without apparent support.

Tribulation will come. Suffering will come.

Good works continue, in spite of persecutions.

We no longer care about our own needs. We forget who we are, and only desire to serve His purpose, and have His needs met.

Prayers are spoken, but there is no answer, yet one continues to hold on and believe.

There are wars, and one loses the war.

There is sickness, and there is no healing.

There are problems, and they are never resolved.

One does good, and it is called evil, and is punished for it.

One is faithful, and is betrayed by others.

One is generous, and loses everything.

One is alone, and no one comes to comfort.

One blesses, and is cursed and rejected in return.

One calls out to God, and does not receive an answer.One feels abandoned.

You are afflicted, but there is no deliverance.

Where are the promises, and the answers we have been waiting for?

But will that person respond by abandoning God?

This is the level of “the cross.”

There is no reward in this life at this point. Suffering seems to be around every corner. Will we endure to the end? Will we be faithful, without helps, and rewards, and interventions from God?

This is the point where we could lose our lives for the gospel.

Are we ready? Will we die for Him?

Is our love enough? Is our faith great enough? Have we died to ourselves yet, where HE is the only One that matters any more?

Have we forgotten who we are yet, and can only think of Him?

The faith God is looking for is NOT the faith that comes, because he helped us, or rewarded us, to encourage us.

The faith he is looking for is the faith that continues to trust and love, when God has seemed to turn away, and there is NO reward coming at all.