Dry Season Instead of Fire Season

2019 Fire near Prescott Arizona
2019 Fire near Prescott Arizona

Since we live in Arizona, the Lord reminded me this year not to refer to Arizona’s dry season by the phrase Arizona’s “fire season.”  The first reference is to the season of dryness before the monsoons come and the other is actually a confession that we expect fires to come, as it is the season for them.

As God’s people, and especially His praying people, there is power in what we say and what we pray, according to these verses in Proverbs:

Proverbs 18:21 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Since we can speak “death” or “life” to our situations, we should ask the Lord how to phrase the things we say and pray, because we reap what we “say” or “confess,” according to the above verse.  For example, if I am under attack with symptoms of any kind of illness, I do not confess that it is mine, even if a doctor states that I have some infirmity.  I simply say, this is what the doctor has diagnosed me with, but I declare I am healed according to the Word of God that says, “By His stripes I am healed.”  This is not denying that I am experiencing the symptoms of an illness, but rather I confess the Word of God over it, as God’s Word and His power is greater than any sickness the devil may want to inflict me with. As Christians, we must always side with the Word of God in every circumstance as circumstances or feelings should not rule our lives. If we line up with the Word of God then the devil will have to flee. This is how Bud and I overcome any disease that tries to invade our bodies.  The verse below says if we submit to God and resist the devil with the Word of God, that the devil will have to flee.  It does not say “maybe” he will flee, but that he “will” flee!  Praise God!

James 4:7: “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
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Overcoming Fear So We Can Yield to the Call of God

2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Jesus knew we would live in a time where we would be exposed to multiplied fears all around us; yet the Bible tells us in many places that God does not want us to be fearful. He also explained that fear does not come from God, but rather God wants us to walk in His power, His love and to have a sound mind. People who yield to the spirit of fear can, at some point, become emotionally unstable or end up in bondage that keeps them from functioning normally. I have known a number of people that allowed fear to rule them to such a degree that they no longer fly on an airplane because of fear of it crashing, or they refuse to drive on freeways for the same reason. No longer can they make decisions based on the will of God, but rather fear keeps them from doing the things the Lord wants them to do. Fear has torment and it can even affect our bodies by the stress it causes. Actually fear is at the root of stress and anxiety. Years ago, I personally suffered with this tormenting emotion until the Lord set me free. I was one of those people who was tempted never to fly again after a long stressful flight years ago. However, I was determined not to allow the enemy to keep me from doing anything the Lord wanted me to do. (more…)

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Is “Once Saved, Always Saved” Biblical?

Coming from a background that taught eternal security to the degree that “once you are saved, you are always saved,” I am very well versed in all the Scripture that supports this view. However, when I came into the Spirit-filled walk, I began to study and read opposite views on this subject and came to embrace them. However, I could not find a peace in the extreme of needing to be saved again every time I sinned, as that certainly had no security in God’s keeping power. Both extremes cause problems in the body of Christ. Let us look to God’s Word and find the balance between these two extremes.

God does not want us to take our salvation lightly, nor does He want us to be constantly insecure with the fear of losing our salvation. Therefore, He gives us Scripture to prevent both of these extremes. (more…)

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Sowing and Reaping

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8).

Our choices each day determine our growth in the Lord. We can sow or plant things in our lives that will later bring us blessings; or just the opposite, we can sow seeds of selfishness and rebellion and we will reap things that are corrupt. We will either become more like Jesus by walking and obeying the Spirit of God, or we will become carnal Christians, displeasing to God, when we give in to carnal desires. Sowing to our flesh brings the death principle to our lives for Romans 8:6 says, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” From this we can see why so many Christians are not enjoying their inheritance in God. They are refusing to “walk in the Spirit” and are reaping the things they are sowing in the flesh.

What does this mean and how do we “walk in the spirit?” This is working out our salvation and allowing the Holy Spirit to sanctify us. (more…)

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Overcoming Fear with Faith

 Mark 4:37- 41:  And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Jesus Calms the StormJesus spoke these words to His disciples when they became fearful because of a storm that arose while they were with Him in a boat on the sea. Jesus was resting, asleep in the boat when the storm hit and in panic they woke Him up and asked Him if he really cared for them, as it looked like they would perish. As His children today, when we become fearful, we take this same attitude when our personal “storms of life” look like we might sink. Even though the Lord is with us, we act as if He is not there to do anything. The disciples forgot that Jesus told them to get in the boat and go with Him to the other side. Since He told them where they were going, they could have trusted Him to get them there. They had seen Him do miracles for many, but doubted that He could do a miracle for them. They forgot He was the true Master of everything, even the wind and the storm. We can find ourselves in the same place if we look at the storm instead of looking to Jesus, the Master of the universe, who has power over the storm.  He is the One that can bring peace into any situation and has the answer for every problem we face.

We need to understand that fear is the opposite of faith. We cannot operate in fear and faith at the same time. Now, how can we overcome fear and walk in faith? (more…)

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