Pondering How To Answer

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Relationships take work! In dealing with people, we are sometimes hurt by their flaws or sins. We are then left with the choice of how to respond. It can be really complicated at times!

“The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things.”(Prov 15:28)

Thoughtful believers want to walk in Christlikeness, however tempted to attack or withdraw. God calls us to relationship and fellowship, knowing that we will rub against one another from time to time. We might be called on to extend mercy and overlook a wrong, or it may be time to speak the truth in love.

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Seasons of Change

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“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.” (Eccl. 3:1)

Just as the earth experiences the change of seasons, so do we, spiritually speaking.

In the spring of our walk with the Lord, everything is fresh and alive. We were born again into spring, as spring lambs, to whom every day is warm sunshine in the love of God, and refreshing showers of joy in the Holy Spirit. Life is exciting and couldn’t be better! Then the seasons begin to change and summer appears. It is a time of much work and the promise of harvest. The days are long and glorious. We begin to mature and gain strength, walking in authority and spiritual gifts. At this time, we begin to take on the characteristics of mature sheep, bearing wool, producing for the Master. It is a time of exhilaration in the things of God.

But somehow, in all of our growth and learning, we didn’t yet understand about the seasons of the Lord, even though nature and the Scriptures teach it. We didn’t know that autumn and winter were coming… Continue reading →

Give A Drink of Water From Your Well

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You have been given the ability to be an avenue of refreshing to others. There is life-giving water from the well of salvation within that you can draw out to give to someone else. (Is. 12:3)

We are living in a time in which people need encouragement. God is sending people your way who need a refreshing drink. Jesus said, speaking of the Spirit, that from your innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38-39)

You may not think you have anything to offer that discouraged or troubled one. But as you pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, the Spirit of God will begin flow out of you. You are the conduit to release the love and power of God. You have something to give. Seek to be one who encourages and strengthens. It will return back to you.

“A word in due season, how good it is!” (Prov. 15:23)

Be sure to watch for the next announcement for the Ministering Spiritual Gifts Seminar or contact us to schedule it for your group.

A Foolish Consistency

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Surrounded by guests at his birthday banquet, King Herod swore to the dancing girl that he would give her whatever she wanted, even up to half his kingdom. Prompted by her mother, she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter.

Grieved at her request, but because his oath was made in front of all his guests, he agreed. And John was killed.

Keeping your promise or staying with your original decision is a usually a good idea. Far too many promises are made and broken these days.

But sometimes the initial decision, like Herod’s, is faulty. For many people, it’s just easier to stay with the first decision, rather than go to the trouble of attempting a new solution. Additionally, the desire to save face and avoid embarrassment fights against admitting that a change is now needed. This is pride and foolish consistency.

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What you don’t know CAN hurt you

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Life is a great teacher. And the older you get, hopefully, the more you realize how much more you still need to learn.

If we apply our hearts to gaining wisdom, we can actually become even wiser than our teachers. But first, appreciate the wisdom your teachers have gained.

God has established the laws of natural realm and the laws of the spiritual. Paying heed to these laws can keep you from serious harm — the law of gravity for example.

I have met so many Christians with little to no understanding of spiritual laws, and who are bewildered and despairing because of those unknown laws at work within their every day life.

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God Speaks

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God didn’t stop speaking in the past; He still speaks today.  It’s normal for God to speak and should be normal for believers to hear Him!

Through the voice of the Holy Spirit, dreams, prophetic ministry, the Word of God and all the ways God continues to speak– we will receive the instruction and life that comes from hearing God speak if we will tune our ears to listen!

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He’s listening in…

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In a public place, we often overhear conversations that reveal a great deal about a person’s life, attitudes, and priorities.  They talk as though no one were there to hear. Indeed, people on cell phones often talk louder than usual, oblivious to who is nearby.

On the job or at church or at home, we may have heard statements about ourselves or those we love — remarks we were not expected to hear.

Consider this:

“Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.”  (Malachi 3:16)

When the Lord listens to your conversations, does He hear His name? Or is it only at church?

Mention His name today in your conversations. Give Him something to listen to and remember.

What was your dream about?

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“A picture is worth a thousand words.”

Jesus favorite method of teaching was telling stories in order to convey spiritual truth – parables. When He spoke of seed falling on good ground, He wasn’t giving advice to farmers, but speaking of the Word of God falling upon receptive hearts. When He told of the wise man who built his house on the rock, He taught the importance of a life with a strong and sturdy spiritual foundation.

By speaking metaphorically, Jesus awakened the spiritual ears of His listeners, giving them something to think about. Parables gave them a chance to gradually understand and accept His words as they considered the meaning.

It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter. (Prov 25:2)

Sometimes we may wish to have been there to sit at His feet and hear His wonderful stories. Yet even now, the Holy Spirit is using the same method to give us personal instruction while we dream. We receive individual “night parables” as He seeks to awaken us to understanding.

Scripture speaks favorably of dreams, and we read of Joseph the dreamer who was able to interpret the dreams of the cupbearer, the baker, also Pharaoh.

Not realizing that God wanted us to understand our dreams, we shrugged them off as last night’s pizza, or ourselves as too unspiritual to figure it out.

In this last days outpouring, God is speaking to you, to me, to believers and to unbelievers through dreams (Acts 2:17). Through study of the metaphors of dreams, visions, and parables of the Bible, we can begin to gain a much greater understanding of our own night parables.

Contact us for the next Biblical Dream Interpretation Seminar.

Pursuing the High Calling

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With the gift of salvation Jesus also gave the challenge that we would take up our own crosses, put away old ways of living and become new creations.  God calls us to live a higher life and calling.

Paul used the example of an athlete as how we are to pursue the high calling of Jesus Christ.  We are to train, restrain and develop ourselves to come up higher and pursue the calling of God on our lives.

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What is a network?

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A network is an organization of people and/or ministries uniting together. It is similar in the way denominational churches are connected to one another, except a network (in our case at least) is less hierarchical. People partner with organizations and networks because they believe in the vision and want to promote it. Some ministries call their contributors and associates “partners”. People want to belong; they want to work together; they want to associate with others like them.

In our network, people give and pray and serve and receive benefits of that association, just the same as people do when they join a church. A network generally has a larger focus than a local church. Participating in Destiny Spirit Ministries can either be in addition to or instead of a local church; it depends on your situation.

Contact us for further details.

Peaceful Living

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This article was taken from a teaching by David Alsobrook of Sure Word Ministries:

What is something almost all of nature abides in? Stillness. Quietness. Confidence. God’s will is that we should be that way too. Focusing on what might happen in the future is “what iffing” (pardon the grammar). “What if such and such happens tomorrow?” “What if the check doesn’t come in by the 15th?” “What if I get farther behind on my bills, what will I do then?” “What if he doesn’t keep his word to me and then I’m left without any recourse?” Many millions of people “what if” their lives away, and so very much of it never materializes anyway. Continue reading →

Your Ministry of Light

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Every single believer is called to “ministry.”   This may not be preaching from the pulpit or other public positions, but each of us is called to impact lives and change the word around us by letting the light of Christ shine!

Sinners loved Jesus.  Jesus attracted people by His goodness, and we are to do likewise.  When we do good for other people, we allow the Glory of God to be seen.

Let your light shine!

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Where Are You Looking?

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When people are under stress, fear and desperation, that is when they begin to make wrong responses to situations.  Our wrong responses at best don’t help us any, and at worse… make things worse!

It is in times of difficulty is when we ESPECIALLY need to look to the Lord, and make right, godly responses to the challenges facing us.  Obedience to the Lord and His word include our service, tithing, giving and ministry– these are the seeds to sow when we most need a harvest!

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Victory Over Reproach

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The Word instructs us that we are to live above reproach– to conduct ourselves in such a way that our critics can find no fault in us.

Of course, there are people who are always going to look to find fault, criticize and judge. We can have victory over reproach, and not fall into the trap of judgment and condemnation of others by sowing mercy, accepting mercy and living in faith that God is truly on our side!

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It’s My Life!

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When a person becomes a teenager, they begin to question the rules by which their parents have governed them.  As they mature (one hopes!) they will come to realize that some of the rules are wisdom and for their benefit– going to bed at a reasonable hour so they can make it to work in the morning, brushing their teeth so they don’t rot out of their mouth, etc.

But many teenagers who think they are finally “free” of their parents rules actually become slaves to their rebellion.

We are not to require continual monitoring, control and correction to do the things that are wise and godly.  That is what children require.  As we grow and mature, we are to take responsibility for our own lives– naturally and spiritually– as WE are the ones who will answer to God for them!

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Kingdom Unity

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Unity is powerful, and it gets God’s attention.  Scripture tells us that where there is unity, there is God’s blessing, provision, power, and presence.

True Kingdom unity begins at the ground level of relationships.  We must maintain unity by learning to successfully overcome sin, conflict and transitions in our relationships.  When we continue to walk in agreement with the higher purposes for which our relationships exist, we will see and enjoy the fulfillment of God’s promises and blessings.

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Throw Out the Slave and Her Son

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In order to come into the fullness of our true identity, we have to break off the bondage of old mindsets. We are to live and serve out of true Sonship, and not slavery.

Rather than deal with the responsibility of freedom, many people revert back to a slave mentality. But in order to obtain the full legal rights of our Sonship in Christ Jesus, we must persevere and reach out for the freedom to which we were purchased!

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Metamorphosis

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God has a plan for each and every one of us! And the plans of God are always going to include change and transformation! We can observe in God’s creation how a caterpillar goes through tremendous metamorphosis into a butterfly– and understanding God’s processes of change can give us faith to trust and go through it and come out beautiful on the other side!

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How Not To Get Eaten Alive

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1 Pet 5:8 reminds us the the devil is always looking for someone to devour. How can you make sure that someone isn’t you??

The enemy uses very common strategies to make us vulnerable to attack. By being alert and applying the principles of God to our lives, we can keep ourselves clear of the enemy’s devices and spiritually strong and thriving.

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The Head

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God is good, and He is faithful…. and as we continue to seek after Him, the Word of God and our relationship with Him is supposed to produce glorious fruit in our lives. This is a GOOD thing!

Yet, there are times that we get so caught up in all that we’re doing with Him & through Him, that we sometimes forget that Jesus is to have the ultimate preeminence in all things.

Our actions as the Body are important, but our worship of Jesus the Head of the Body is far more important!

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Why We Gather

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The Church is a group of people called together to one purpose. When we gather, there is to be a life flow from the Head (Jesus!) to the Body (the Church!).

Unity is where love and power flow– as we minister the love of God one to another. God is not as concerned with how much we are loved, as He is how much we have loved. Let us gather together looking to give and receive the Love of God.

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Hearts Of Stone

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The enemy has strategies of infiltration, depression and passivity to get believers off-track in their devotion and discipleship to the Lord. Getting people to develop a heart of stone is part of the strategy.

A heart of stone may seem like a defense mechanism against pain and wounding, but it is also a wall that keeps us from intimacy and receiving love from the Lord and people.

A heart of stone will grow from a root of bitterness, but surrendering to God’s strategies of peace, love and intimacy will melt a heart of stone and give us a heart pliable in His hands.

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The Day After The Word

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A prophetic word starts something in motion, but the path to fulfillment requires perseverance, patience and testing.

It is normal that things will look worse before it gets better. We are instructed to fight the good fight of faith in accordance with the words spoken over us.

God has a purpose in our destiny and the process of walking it out. Learn to dig deeper into Him and remain connected to the Body that God may be glorified in the fulfillment of all things.

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Discerning Spiritual Experiences

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God says he has hidden the secrets of the kingdom from the “wise” and revealed them to “little children.” God says we are to come to him like little children— because children are the most inquisitive, open and eager to believe.

Like children, we are to be filled with wonderment and delight in everything God does!

And though we are to receive with eagerness, there is still wisdom and measure to be applied to how we weigh and determine the origin of the revelation we receive.

Download Handout for ‘Discerning Spiritual Experiences’ as a PDF.

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Seeing the Glory

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We can hear about the glory, but God wants us to actually experience it. Seeking Him is crucial to seeing the glory. We need tune in to what God is doing, and respond!

In scripture, we see that the Glory of God came when everyone was united in worship. The same is true today! We should expect Jesus in the midst of our corporate worship–and to experience the Glory!

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Meeting With God

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To “wait on the Lord” as scripture instructs is not intended to be a passive state. Rather, we are to “lie in wait” with watchful expectancy and focused, unwavering attention– like one who is waiting to ambush someone. We are to ambush the Lord!

When we sense the Lord’s presence, that isn’t the end goal, it’s our invitation. Learn to discern His presence, position yourself to enter in, and ambush Him! Like Jacob who wrestled with God all night, we must determine not to let him go until we have an encounter with him that changes us forever.

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Positioning for Divine Encounters

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God’s intent for the people of Israel is that they would be a KINGDOM of priests. Divine encounters weren’t to be just for one person, but corporate encounters with the living God.

God has promised to reveal himself and to pour out His Spirit– we must position ourselves to receive. The prerequisites are not complicated: Love God and love one another; present yourself to God; seek the things above and forgive as you have been forgiven.

As we seek after God, he will reveal himself to us.

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Avoiding Shipwreck

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When the storms of life come is when people will often cast away the very things that they need in order to survive. Tossing away the anchor the last-ditch effort of desperation, but it is not the way to avoid shipwreck.

If we will heed the voice of wisdom, hold to the anchor of faith and fight the good fight, we can avoid being shipwrecked in our faith. Hope, the Word of God, confession and consistency are the very anchors that will see you through the storm. Hold fast, and fight the good fight of faith.

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Prophetic Worship

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God has given us instruction on how to come into His presence and give the offering of spontaneous praise where He dwells.

Music and worship are powerful ministries that bring prophetic release, victory in warfare, deep revelation, teaching, and salvation to the lost. God has ordained that we can participate now in the worship that will be eternal in heaven.

Martin Luther spoke of music and art saying “…art is a reflection of creativity and evidence that we were created by God.”

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The Faithfulness of God

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God’s loving kindness toward us is because we are in covenant relationship with Him. The Lord is GOOD, and He takes holy pleasure in being able to bless His people.

Our sin can make us is timid to trust in God’s goodness. But God’s goodness is not like ours. His goodness is self-caused, and does not depend on or fluctuate because of circumstances.

Focusing on His goodness will cause our hearts to have full assurance of faith. The Lord is good, and His mercy endures forever!

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Decoding Kingdom Secrets

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God is after reformation– not just believers who can do the “church thing” once a week, but He desires believers who can live a kingdom lifestyle at all times no matter what the circumstances.

Understanding kingdom secrets is a key to being transformed. The revelation and truth we receive is intended to change they way we function, but God has intentionally encoded those truths so that there would not be illegal access. We are the ones who must, by listening, obedience, attitudes and actions apply ourselves to decode the secrets of heaven that we may be transformed.

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The Ministry of Believers

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Each of us has a ministry call. Jesus said those who believe in him would do the things he did AND greater works!

Our lives are to include our ministry, and God has set five-fold ministers in place to equip us so that our ministry is effective. The ultimate purpose of our ministry is to build the Body of Christ.

There are people who need your ministry–you are someone’s answer to prayer! Let us diligently seek how we may be perfected and mature so that every joint can supply the needs of the Body!

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Overcoming Failure

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Everyone is going to fail at something at some point. Big or small, a failure is inevitable.

Our response to failure and our perspective if it, however, will determine whether we move forward, learn from it and grow, or whether the failure shuts us down and we get stuck there.

Throughout scripture we read of phenomenal men and women of God who had HUGE failures, but they weren’t characterized by their failures and continued to go on and fulfill their destinies. By learning to have the proper perspective and responses to our failures, we, too, can learn the lessons and move forward to fulfill our destinies.

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Understanding Transition

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We all go through seasons of transition. Transition– the process of change from one thing to another– is a necessary process in which God ordains for us in order to be fully conformed to His image. In order for us to go from the promise to the manifestation, we must go through transition.

Transition has a fair amount of uncertainty, and can be painful and disappointing. God intends for us to learn, and unlearn some things as we go through transition.

The keys to successfully getting through our transition is to get the message of what God is having you learn, and to respond properly. As we seek the Lord and the comfort of the Scriptures, we will see the end result of transition.

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What’s Growing? Part 2

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God has set Pastors, Teachers, Prophets, Apostles and Evangelists to equip us for the work of the ministry; to make us ready for the Lord. Getting us ready means they will be dealing with character issues, discovering our gifts and callings, and equipping and releasing us into that calling.

So, how is your field looking? Is it producing the fruit of the Word of God? Or have you gotten lazy and are weeds choking out your fruit?

It’s time to take a hard look at our fruit, and tend the areas that have fallen into disrepair because of our laziness. The Word of God WILL produce in our lives, provided something is not choking it out. And, our five-fold ministers are bringing out the shovel and the weed-killer to help!

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