“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
~John 8:36
I’ve had struggles with food for most of my life, but had never considered what the spiritual components to weight gain, and eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia were.
Then half way through an online weight loss challenge that I’m doing on AskingMom.Org (one of my other websites,) I came upon a ministry that deals with the spiritual roots of obesity.
WOW, what a concept!
I’ve been working in “Freedom Ministry” aka “Sozo” for many years but had never thought of DELIVERANCE FROM FOOD ADDICTION until I met Doug Cromer.
If you have ever struggled with your weight, or felt the Holy Spirit moving in your heart about fasting and prayer to overcome food addiction, THIS is your confirmation.
They are also hosting AN AMAZING “Fire On The Altar” event in Topeka Kansas this coming July 2019. This could be the TURNING POINT you’ve been praying for.
“What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your works. Look, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut. For you have a little power, and have kept My Word, and did not deny My name.”
“This verse presents an area called the transition zone.
Think about the scene: Behind you is a door which the Lord has closed. You know you cannot go back. There is nothing to go back to. In front of you stands a door to new opportunities, new challenges, new ministry, new spheres of influence, a whole new future. In this transition zone in which you find yourself, the door to the past is sealed shut, but the door to the future has not yet opened.You know it is time to progress. There are all kinds of indications that the new door WILL OPEN, but so far you are at a stand still. What is expected of you in this situation?
You must maintain a good level of trust in your God. This is no time to oscillate, fluctuate, or vacillate. This is the time to be reassured that the same Lord who closed the old door behind you will also open the new door in front of you. His leading you into transition zone is NOT A SIGN OF ABANDONMENT, but of His CONFIDENCE in you and of your need of confidence in Him.
Remember…He did not bring you out to desert you; He brought you out in order to BRING YOU IN!”
~Dick Mills
…the waiting is never easy but it DOES build dependence upon, and trust in the One who is Holy and true.
“This verse contains a play on words: your care becomes God’s care. Reading in the original language helps add a dimension not always evident in the English version. The words ‘CARE’ and ‘CARES’ in this version happen to be two entirely different words. Looking closely at their meanings makes this promise even more precious to us.
In the Greek text, this word translated care is merimna (mer’-im-nah). It is a noun which has to do with anxiety, stress, distraction, preoccupation with insecurity, or worry. It suggests the kind of thoughts that trouble us and keep us from PEACE of mind. Jesus used this word when He said to His disciples: …take no (anxious) thought for your life…(Matt. 6:25). This is a reminder that time spent in anxiety could be better invested in Bible reading, prayer, praising the LORD, and waiting upon Him for direction.
The second word translated cares is melo (mel’o) a verb meaning ‘to be concerned about or interested in.’God IS AWARE OF YOU. He is INTERESTED in you. You can cast all your worries, anxieties, and insecurities upon Him because your well-being matters to Him.
Don’t carry around any unnecessary burdens; the LORD invites you to shift them onto Him. He has a 2000-year head start on burden-bearing. He can be TRUSTED. Give Him your cares; He cares!”
~Dick Mills
This is easier said than done though, isn’t it?
Today’s devotional reminds me of the Psalms and all the times David was up against insurmountable odds. In the natural it looked hopeless time and time again.
However what I’ve learned from reading about David, and all the giants that I myself have been up against is this: GOD ALWAYS CAME THROUGH.
He is faithful, and we can rest in the knowledge that although we may not be able to understand what’s happening in the midst of the storm…He is still on the THRONE.
Prayer for PEACE
“Father I thank You for all the times that You have been there for me. For all the times that You’ve held me in the palm of Your MIGHTY hand, where ‘not one shall be snatched.’
Thank You for building my faith into a strong tower, with every miracle that I’ve seen You unfold in my life.
Once again I come to You with my cares, my worries and my concerns, as I ask You to help me leave them at the Cross today.
Father You tell me to be still (at peace) and that You will do my fighting for me, that You are my Source and my perfect Provider.You tell me that You will protect my heart and mind, and I ask that You would do that now Lord…give me a peace that surpasses all understanding. Envelope me in Your PRESENCE…Teach me to hold every thought captive in obedience to Christ, as You have instructed us to do. Show me how to PRAISE YOU THROUGH the storms that life brings, and to not let anything or anyone steal my joy.
Please lessen my stress and give me a SUPERNATURAL faith.
I ask that You would deploy Your warrior angels from the windows of Heaven to encamp around me, as I come and as I go from this time forth, and forever more.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit and bring me into a closer more intimate relationship with You. Teach me to seek You in all things, and to not look to the world to fulfill me in ways that ONLY You can.
Please restore all the enemy has stolen; restore my physical health, and heal me of any emotional wounds that cause me to see myself and the world through the eyes of a wounded soul.
Give me a breakthrough in my finances, and cause my giftings and abilities to become stronger and more valuable with each and every passing day.
If there is anything in my life that acts as a barrier to what Your plans are for me, please remove it, as I trust You with both the doors that You have closed, and those You choose to open.
I thank You for doing this, as I humbly pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
“To ‘commit your works to the Lord’ is to ‘roll’ into Him all your plans and schemes. It means to come to the place where you are willing to trust yourself and your future TOTALLY to His keeping, watchful care.
Before you and I became Christians, we learned self-preservation from the world system. Before conversion we thought we had to depend upon survival instinct based on human cleverness and native ingenuity. It is quite a transition from ‘Look out for NUMBER ONE’ to ‘The will of the Lord be done.’ To get self-will to God’s will takes quite a bit of doing. This verse placed in the Bible was to help us make the necessary adjustments to our attitude and actions.
Rolling your plans and activities onto the Lord can be done only when you are convinced that He is more interested in your happiness and well-being than you are.
…He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and so shall your plans be established and succeed.
Your thoughts are the equivalent of your plans, aims, objectives, hopes, and desires. Turn your future over to the lord 100 percent, and then you can know that your plans will succeed. It’s a paradox: hold on too tightly and you lose, release the Lord and YOU WIN! Try it!”
I have become accustom to living in the Lord’s presence, and hearing from Him through out each and every day, however there are times when He goes silent.
At first I find it odd, then after a day or so I try to rationalize that maybe He has nothing to say, but eventually I have to face the fact that there must be something that I’m doing or not doing that is causing an interference; a breakdown in our communication.
Scripture tells us that HEARING IS EASY, right?!? Then why are there times when I can’t hear Him?
For me many times it is because I’ve gotten into pride. I’ve been judging someone else, scorning them for something I think that they should be doing or not doing, and looking down on them with haughty eyes.
The reality is that SUPERIORITY and INFERIORITY are both fear based, and to be able to hear the Spirit, it is required of us to come with a clean heart. A heart full of love and gratitude, not fear.
I can’t stand in judgement and scorn other people, and then expect to have an intimate relationship with their FATHER.
It’s a humbling experience to be convicted of PRIDE. But I’m so grateful that the Lord corrects those who fear Him, and that His mercies are new every morning.
It’s a blessing to be able to hear the voice of God, and to be an instrument of His will.
Those times when He has spoken through me and it’s changed the course of someone’s life have been deep, profound, exhilarating experiences that I don’t take lightly.
I always WANT “knowledge to be easy;” I always want to “understand.”
But for that to happen, I have to keep in mind that it is ONLY God who searches the hearts and minds of men, and to keep my hands out of it. (Jer. 17:9-10)
The Lord is omniscient; He knows all things. In His Word He has promised to make available to His children all the treasures of His wisdom and knowledge. Our tendency is to complicate matters and make it difficult to obtain Divine knowledge. This verse assures us that knowledge is easy for the person who understands the ways of God.
One time I was walking through a public place of business headed for a conference room where I was to take part in a seminar. Suddenly I noticed a man sitting all alone. Instantly the Lord put it in on my heart to witness to the man about the love of God. I have a natural reluctance to go up to people I don’t know and start talking. I did have a burden for the man and knew that the Lord was putting him on my heart. My spirit was saying to me, ‘Share God’s love with him.’ but my flesh was saying, ‘But you don’t even know this man!’
Inwardly I was praying for help. In answer to my prayer, the Lord imparted the knowledge about the man that I needed in order to approach him. Knowledge is factual. The Lord gave me the complete facts about the man’s situation, his occupation, his relationship with his wife and children, and his attitude toward God. The man was so overwhelmed with my knowledge and concern that he broke into tears and surrendered his life to the Lord then and there.
The knowledge you need to be an effective witness is available. It is easy to come by. Jesus said that His yoke is easy. (Matt. 11:30) Teamed with Him in service, His knowledge easily becomes your knowledge.
~Dick Mills
Here’s a short sermon from the “Free Indeed” series that you may find helpful if you are having trouble hearing the voice of God and want to clear the lines of communication.
“In this verse, the Lord promises us not only a deliverance from every dilemma, but also an enlargement in our particular calling and station in life….
deliverance or liberation of a person from a temporary state of confinement, followed by…
enlargement or expansion of his/her sphere of influence.
We see this sequence in the life of David. In his youth as a shepherd he slays a marauding bear. Reports of this incident reach his family. Next he overcomes a lion which is attacking the flock of sheep…news of this exploit reaches the shepherds.
Next David faces the giant, Goliath. He draws upon his past experiences to declare openly: ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the bear and the lion will deliver me from the hand of this uncircumcised Philistine.’ Again David’s enlargement grows. This time to the whole Israelite army. The Lord then rescues David from the hand of King Saul, enlarging his reputation in all of Israel and from an insurrection lead by Absalom, and his sphere of influence reaches the nations.
Every time you faithfully trust the Lord for His deliverance, two things happen:
He sets you free, and
He enlarges your potential.
You will not stay in the same trying circumstances perpetually.
You will come out, and with expansion!”
~Dick Mills
Today’s devotional really hits home for me…
I’ve actually seen this play out in my own life.
With every obstacle I’ve faced, God’s brought me through it with ease…each time with more expansion, and more influence.
God has built my faith into a STRONG TOWER, one unbelievable miracle at a time.
Over the years I’ve come to find myself getting excited by the fact that each challenge I face seems more impossible than the LAST, because I know it’s putting me in the unique position of having a front row seat, to see what the Lord is going to do.
I know He’s going to come through in VICTORY….however, the exact way it will be accomplished often remains a mystery, until the moment it unfolds.
So I just stand in AWE of my Father in Heaven, releasing and decreeing what I already know to be true!
Have you received a promise from the Lord? A profound vision or knowledge of your destiny?
Is it something SO AMAZING that it’s hard to even believe, and yet the circumstances in your life are in contrast to what you feel God has promised you?
In FAITH cling to that promise, and keep going!
In the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50) we read of all that this young man destined for greatness endured, AFTER he received a promise from the Lord about his future.
We read that even in his darkest moments, he ministered to other people.
We see that whatever was asked of him he did with excellency and that throughout all his struggles, those around him couldn’t help but see God’s favor upon him.
“Tried by the Word. Tested by a promise from the Lord. Joseph was 18 years of age when the Lord gave him the promise of a miraculous ministry. Joseph waited 12 long years for the fulfillment of that promise. The waiting period was not easy, but he had a promise to cling to. That very promise tried him as a person. The Hebrew word translated tried in this verse means ‘to purify and refine.’ It is a term used to describe the removing of impurities from gold ore in order to produce pure metal. The Word of God refined and purified Joseph…..
It was not the circumstances which tested Joseph and refined him, it was the PROMISE OF GOD. His adverse circumstances cried out, ‘No Way.’ But the PROMISE came back emphatically: ‘There shall be a performance of those things promised you by the Lord.(Luke 1:45)
When your situation contradicts the promises and assurances God has given you, you have two choices: you can CONFESS the CIRCUMSTANCES or CONFESS the Word of the PROMISE.
Remember circumstances can change, but the Word of God will never change.
Like Joseph, you can live to see a beautiful fulfillment of all those things promised you by the Lord.
~Dick Mills
I urge you to continue to live expectant of the amazing future God has promised you, and to lean into a deeper relationship with Him as you walk through the challenges that you now face.
Stand on the promises! For “He who has promised is FAITHFUL.”
“God’s Word will change your life. You may choose to read other things, but the Bible is the only book that makes everything else make sense. There are many ways to read Scripture. Some people meditate on a single verse, others study specific subjects, and still others chose to read large amounts of the Bible every day. There are many ways to explore Scripture. Try them all. Every recipe will turn out well.
As you make a habit of reading God’s Word, you will fall deeper in love with God and the Bible itself. If you are hungry to know God and yourself, start with the Bible.
“Craning the neck, scanning the horizon, and shading the eyes with the hand in order to see at a distance: these are all expressed by the phrase reaching forward. Paul is telling the Philippians to forget the past and start looking ahead.He knew what he was talking about. Since he had earlier persecuted the Church and consented to the stoning of Stephen, Paul had to learn to put such negative memories behind him and get on with life. Instead of allowing the past to become an unbearable burden and weight to him, Paul simply dropped it to the ground and used it as a stepping stone to the future.
Reaching forward is a good exercise for all of us. It stimulates hope. It puts us in a state of expectancy. It declares that what has been is only a prologue to what will be: Yesterday was good, today is better, tomorrow will be better still. Reaching forward anticipates miracles, revivals, outpourings of the Spirit of God, deliverance’s, and answered prayer. It looks to the future with intensity and great expectation, as Isaac looked and waited eagerly for the arrival of his new bride. (Gen. 24:63)
As Christians we have so much to look forward to:
the salvation of our families
the evangelization of the world
the reviving of our churches, and
most of all, that blessed hope, the return of Christ the Bridegroom for His Bride, the Church.”
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you, and not harm you, plans to give you a hope, and a future.” (Jer. 29:11)
“What a future we have to look forward to!”
~Dick Mills
YES & AMEN!
A few years ago I found myself in a dark, seemingly hopeless chapter of life, with no logical reason to believe that God was going to come through with the miracle, that I so desperately needed.
I clearly didn’t deserve it.
My circumstances were a direct result of my own disobedience and sin.
I was sure that God didn’t even want to hear from me, but I reached out anyway and said,
“Daddy, I’m so sorry…I’ve messed up really bad this time. Please forgive me, protect me, and guide me through the wreckage I’ve caused.”
Right then I opened a Bible for the first time in a very long time, and my eyes fell to this scripture verse….
“I know the plans I have for you…to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future”in Jeremiah 29:11.
WOW,
“where sin abounds, grace abounds more.” (Rom. 5:20)
My heart was TRULY repentant, and over the coming months, He DID COME THROUGH WITH THE MIRACLE I SO DESPERATELY NEEDED!
I still stand in awe of that, and it causes me to understand why prodigals like me are often so on fire for Jesus!
It’s because when you have made mistake after mistake, and no matter how hard you tried you just couldn’t get it right…you really KNOW how much you NEEDED the sacrifice that Jesus made.
Makes me think of ~Luke 7:40-48…
….and just like the woman in “Luke 7” I haven’t stopped kissing His feet since.
“Your God is saying to you: ‘Your prayer has been heard. I am intervening and responding to your petition. The answer is on it’s way. I am speeding up the answer, so get ready for a quick and sudden release of Divine Power in your situation.’
In the Greek text of this verse, the expression short work is suntmno logos (soon-tem’-no log’-os). Logos has many definitions, among them ‘topic,’ ‘matter,’ ‘a thing,’ ‘a report,’ ‘a subject,’ and ‘a word.’ Suntemno means ‘to reduce or contract the size of a thing by concise and speedy cutting.’ Thus we are promised here that God’s Word covering final things, and the consummation of time, will be speed-ed up and shortened.
The Lord is doing a ‘quick work’ in His Church. Do not be surprised when He accelerates:
1. YOUR ANSWERS
2. YOUR GROWTH AND MATURING
3. YOUR ABILITY TO WORSHIP HIM IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH
4. YOUR DESIRES TO PLEASE HIM AND DO HIS WILL
~Dick Mills
I have to say that the Lord has never let me down, however sometimes in the face of a daunting challenge, fear begins to creep in.
What the Bible tells us, and what the world says are in such contrast that I need that CONSTANTconnection to my Source, to stay sure of my path..and when I’m in doubt, I ask the Lord for a Word…I ask for a SIGN, or a confirmation…
As believer’s we need that encouragement and edification. We NEED relationship with our Father in Heaven.
I encourage you today to turn on some worship music…lift your hands and become enveloped in His Presence…in the middle of your living room, or in your car…play a song that moves you. That fills you with the Spirit, and PRAISE HIM, because THIS is your WORD:
God is releasing a fresh anointing of the spiritual gifts over you…and a breakthrough in your finances. Demonic strategies are being scattered right now in the name of Jesus Christ, and He is raising a standard against them. He is saying, ‘I am your Source, MOVE FORWARD IN FAITH…I don’t see anything wrong with you. I want you NOW, as you are.’
“This is a good verse for those of us who seek guidance and direction from the Lord. It is an assurance that our heavenly Father is going to move us from a weak transmission to a ‘clear-channel station with no static.’We will be able to hear the gentle voice of the Good Shepherd without interference.
The Lord makes three direct promises in this verse:
I will instruct you…This is like having a private tutor. The purpose of the instruction we thus receive is to make us more intelligent, skillful and circumspect in our dealings, more adept in making decisions.
….and teach you in the way you should go; The original word used here indicates the pointing of a finger in a certain direction. It also implies shooting an arrow at a target in such a way as to avoid missing the mark. This word from the Lord is an assurance that we will not drift aimlessly through life, but that He will give us a definite direction and clear goal to aim for.
…I will guide you with My eye. One translation phrase says: ‘I will keep My eye upon you to see how you are doing.’
Here is my paraphrase of this verse: ‘I will make you skillful and proficient in decision-making and will aim you in the right direction; I will watch your progress and see how you are getting along; My eye will be upon you for your benefit.”
~Dick Mills
I am so glad that the Lord is such a “Good Father,” aren’t you?
As the Lord “instructs us” like a tutor, and “guides us” by pointing us in the right direction, the “Spirit Filled Christian” becomes a light in this dark world.
Just like Joseph in the Bible, those around us will see the Lord’s favor on us, and His light within us.
I’m grateful for everything that happened in my life that made me humble…that caused me to finally submit everything to the Lord, because it’s in being humble and teachable, following His lead with “child like faith” that He is able to transform me into the woman He’s called me to be.
Everyday we’re able to become more a reflection of His character; His very nature…and yet it begins NOT with religion, but as we step into RELATIONSHIP with Him.
~Romans 8:29
“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son,”
♦We are in fact, LIGHTS in a dark world, and He is our FATHER♦
