Restoring the Fallen:
The Evidence Of Grace
~Danny Steyne~
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." (Galatians 6:1)
I watched him stumble. I watched the church quickly jump into action. "Accountability!" they cried, and then set up a system of hoops, hurdles and hoolas for the servant to perform. Whether or not the hoops, hurdles and hoolas were doing anything directly to bring about restoration was inconsequential. The fact that something was being done, was sufficient to keep the servant out of the limelight long enough to prevent them from being associated with the church that embraced him.
The word "restoration" has been thrown around the church for many years. I've watched, seen some good restorations, but mostly bad ones. Magazines, authors, TV shows, and tabloids continue to exploit failures long after the servant is gone. The servants of yesterday who failed miserably during their lives carry the darkness of their blemished lives well into the history books, without regard for the blessings and countless lives that were transformed through them while they lived. The malice of this behavior is abhorrent to God who is not looking for earthly advisors to increase punishment when He has increased grace! (Read Matthew 18:22-35) Jesus tells us that the ones who are "blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy". (Matthew 5:7) Paul writes that he was an example of the most hideous sinner, in order to display the unlimited patience of Christ Jesus! (1 Timothy 1:16)
Failure is history's school teacher for generations to come. It stands alone as the "principals office" as an example to those who walk naively by. I remember once in primary school in South Africa receiving two "cuts" (spankings) as they called them. It was with a bamboo switch and it helped me very quickly come to the decision that I would never get another one. I was made to sit in front of the principals office for what felt like hours, while everyone walked by, knowing I was about to enter a painful discipline process. My behavior was modified. I never endured that situation again! I failed. Others saw that I failed. They knew I was disciplined. But that was the end of it!
If restoration is truly from God, then the failures of the past are swept beneath the blood of Jesus too, and if we are walking beneath that blood, we too, must function as Our Father and forgive and move on! Restoration only occurs when we forgive.. and move on!
When we are invited into the process of restoration, it is to restore a brother or sister to the place destined for them by God who is STILL their Father! We are invited into that process with the caution to be careful. Be careful of falling as they have fallen and be careful of judging beyond the atmosphere of grace.
Paul deals with the this subject specifically when a man is caught and continues in the sin of adultery in the Corinthian Church. He administers the rod of correction when he tells the church to "turn him over to satan!" (1 Corinthians 5:5). Evidently the discipline worked and the man repented. But the church continued on in their discipline. They disciplined beyond grace. They went from discipline to punishment and from punishment to banishment and rejection. The didn't understand the restoration process was to restore the man to his function and calling in God. They operated under law. Law always produces a legal spirit that demands, extracts, and extorts more than what is required. The man was defiled and they didn't want to be associated with him anymore!
Paul writes to forgive and comfort the man so that he won't become discouraged anymore. He must again experience the LOVE of Christ. He must be embraced again or who knows what will happen to him! The schemes of the enemy are to produce self-righteousness in those who are trying to walk purely, and devastation for those who are trying to walk righteously. On either account. Grace is removed, and law prevails! We must not be outwitted. We must prevail.
(2 Corinthians 2:4-11) For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you. If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.
Time fails me to share about Peter who was restored fully after a bold, public, rejection of Jesus. The failure simply demonstrated that God invades humans who are frail. Peter's life reflected failure, but his life also, and more predominantly, reflected brilliant obedience that resulted in his ultimate martyrdom for Jesus! Or Elijah, who failed miserably and ended his days outside of the treasured promised land for disobedience in not anointing the two kings God told him to, and wallowing in self-pity. (1 Kings 19:15-16) I could also bring up Moses, who failed horribly during his life. He too, was prevented access to die in the treasured Promised Land. (Numbers 20:11-12) "Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.' " Interestingly, because of Grace brought by Jesus, both of these Old Testament examples were restored to the full Promises of God when Jesus invited them to the Mount of Transfiguration!
In October 2005, I had a lengthy visitation with Jesus that indicated a "Restoration" among the prodigals would begin after a restoration took place in my own home. On February 2, 2006, my daughters who have been abducted over six years prior were returned to me. They are home, and are thriving in His Presence today! I received emails and letters from around the world indicating that the restoration of my daughters was a prophetic sign to many. They didn't realize Jesus had spoken that to me specifically. I knew in general that there would begin a restoration with children of those who love God, but I also knew that there would be a massive release of restoration upon those who had failed miserably in years past; those who were now simply sitting on shelves and collecting dust would be restored! I saw Fathers, Mothers, Sons, and Daughters of the King waiting on a bench for those who were playing the game to invite them back into the game. I knew that many of them were far better players with greater skills, but they had been sidelined and they simply waited. I knew that some died while they were waiting, knowing that the Father had laid hands on them, but they were discouraged to the point of excessive sorrow. They couldn't measure up to those who could invite them back into the game, and so in mercy God allowed them to come home!
Samson failed miserably. He had his very eyes taken from him. His future vision was removed. But where were the rescuers who would go and restore him rather than leaving him to grind grain with animals? He was a powerful servant of the Lord. He fulfilled the office God called him to, but the people of God were not included in that victory because they left him to fend for himself. Where were the mighty men of Israel in that day?
It is easy to remember what once was? It is easy to remember failures in each other. Even a simple Egyptian can do that. Moses had plenty of those reminders in his life. (Exodus 2:14) The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."
Knowing the past about a person doesn't make us prophetic... calling them into their future does! The question has never been, can we read the history of a man. The question has always been, can we restore the future of a man! Anyone can read the history of the man but the Heart of the Father is to release the unfulfilled destiny of His broken Children.
The Father is calling in the fallen. Come off the bench! Come out and play! Come and release what God intended for you from the foundation of the earth!
August 23, 2007
Pursuing His Wonderful Grace!
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Peace Pt. 2 - Addendum to the David Knowing
Hey folks, thanks for the encouragement regarding the "Peace" article. It's actually an addendum to the "David Knowing" blurb. I want to re-emphasize the point any way I can because I'm so sure - so impressed with the urgency/importance of being "Confident in Love" - i.e., God's. It's not just a good idea. Please go after it hard while you are NOT being shaken. There's a position of rest that can only be found in the confident "knowing" of God's Character. Now is the time to cultivate that. It is the oil of intimacy for the five wise virgins.
Can I take another shot at driving this point home from a different angle?
When Patti's sister was in trouble this last winter, the word we received in prayer was "Do not rely upon what you think or see, but upon what you know about Me." I've heard that echoed over and over again since then. I know that this position is challenging to lean into. I'm not minimizing it at all. I just know it must be contended for.
When I was little, I was held captive by Fears with a big, big F. They included: bees and wasps, spiders, dark rooms, life, death, the supernatural, poverty, loneliness, abandonment, rejection, school, tomatoes . . .
Do you know - It has been a lifetime of mostly failures in the arena of fear and then, eventually, a small, but victorious moment in Christ that has tutored me the most about the authority of peace (based upon reliance on the character of God) that I actually own as part of my inheritance. (I'm still walking this "knowing" out, so don't let the following illustration give you some sort of false notion that I'm holding up my conquests as the happy ending.)
When I was around 8 years old, I remember walking home for dinner one evening and as I approached our house there was a swarm of Carpenter Bees flying around the front door. They were carving out a home for themselves right over the entrance to the house. I was petrified.
I stood at the end of the driveway staring at the swarm for what seemed like forever. I actually was aware of the sun setting slowly and it grew darker while I stood paralyzed. I just could not figure out how to get past them. I was so afraid, I couldn't actually yell for help.
What was worse was the thought that no one apparently was aware of my plight and because no one in the house came looking for me – I assumed that no one cared about my circumstances. As I stared at the front door, I could see “safety” but had no way of accessing it. I prayed for a miracle – for someone to come to my rescue - but it seemed that there was no answer.
Eventually, and I mean what seemed like forever, someone (I think it was my Mom or Grandmother) noticed that I was still missing and opened the door. When the door opened, most of the bees flew away and I made a mad dash for safety. I was chided for my fear and because of the imprint of the experience, I made some dangerous assessments. 1.) No one understood me or how paralyzing my fear was and 2.) I ultimately couldn't rely on anyone, including God, to rescue me.
It was a lie I bought into because it had the weight of a twist on the experience to uphold it.
The truth of the matter though was that God answered my prayer for help and my Mom couldn't have been more than a few minutes behind the prayer, but my fears were exploited and as a result, exaggerated for years afterward.
It wasn't until my 30s, when I lived alone as an adult that I really had to work through victory in this arena. There were spiders appearing over and over again on my ceiling and wasps were finding their way in to my apartment. It was either "face my fear" and kill them or be bitten/stung. Not the end of the world, but still - it was an unpleasant thought.
So, I took a chance on God again and looked to Him in what I was sure was a really ridiculous circumstance – or so I thought.
He came through in a way that was different than I had hoped for though. Somehow, I hoped that He would just make them disappear or that in His Name I could just command them to leave and they would obey.
Instead, the Lord began to talk to me . . . about who He was; how good and strong He was on my behalf and who I am because He is so, so, FOR me. He stirred up reliance in my heart regarding how much He loves me (something I still struggle with) and asserted that circumstances don't negate that. He wanted to show me that the truth of who He is juxtaposed against my circumstances would be the vanguard to my safety. Then, He brought to mind a memory that I cherish. . . .
It was of me as a little girl - sitting on my grandfather's lap while he reclined in his chair in the Living Room. He had a sweet, cushy belly that made a great pillow and I had nestled up against him and laid my head on his chest while he wrapped his arm around me.
I remembered that I could hear his heart beat and the rhythm of his breathing above all other sounds. It was intoxicating.
I had closed my eyes and pretended that I was asleep because I wanted to stay there for as long as I could. I was sure it was the safest place in the Universe.
Looking back, I think my grandfather knew I wasn't asleep but liked the love and intimacy as well. The memory makes me weepy to this day.
I was so confident and at peace at that particular moment because I knew that no matter what else came our way - I was loved by him. For a few moments, while I sat on his lap and rested - I had no fear.
As the memory came to an end, I knew that my Dad in Heaven was the archetype for that moment and He wanted that peace for me. In the confidence of the fullest expression of His Love - Jesus - He had provided a way for me to have victory over my fears.
However, I still had to walk it out. I had to exercise what I knew was the truth about Him and my ultimate safety in Him - regardless of what might happen to my body. I had to pit the "knowing" that God lives in me, cares for me, empowers me and loves me over and against my fear of pain.
As I took the first steps toward a shoe, I exercised faith and held onto hope that He might be telling me the truth – that I was huge compared to the wasps and spiders and that He was infinitely bigger than all of us and that He, not the insects, had ordained my days.
So, I exercised dominion. I began the methodical conquest of every foul creature that entered my living quarters. With each splat, I gained confidence in the word of the Lord and my “ginormity” (my favorite new word) because of Him. (His gentleness has made me great. Ps. 18)
My confidence in Him; in the truth that HE is my confidence and safety grew and began to chase away fears.
(Now, to you that may have been a small issue - for me, it was a bear. I still had to face lions and giants though.)
I've been bitten by spiders and stung by wasps since then (and have discovered that I'm actually allergic so that adds an additional element of risk) but I no longer am paralyzed by that particular fear. Now, whenever I am faced with insects in my living quarters, I have an unusual peace, although I’m still challenged to embrace fear.
I still must lean on the truth and my past victories before I can warn them that they must leave or die. Sometimes they obey and leave, but most of the time they end up flushed down the toilet.
Compared to other circumstances, I know that this is a cheesy illustration, but it is the same approach I've had to walk through with the Lord time and time again over much more serious challenges. I still - constantly - have to turn away from fear and lean on what I know about Him. You too I bet.
But . . . I get better at it each time I move from the acquiescence of thought to leaning upon what I know of Him and then actually exercising my will in the arena of my fears and circumstances.
I know that it’s hardest to maintain my confidence when “I get stung” even after exercising faith. But it is THEN that I have a choice to “lean not on my own understanding.” (Proverbs 3) It is THEN that I can lean on what I know of God and His posture toward me and my circumstances. It is THEN that Psalm 18 must come to life. It is THEN, that I have an offering of worship built upon faith. And it is only THEN, that I can kiss Him with my “knowing” regardless of the circumstances around me . . . even if it costs me big.
However, it is THEN that I find my safety and my holiness in the place He has always intended for me . . . upon my “Daddy’s knees” – leaning in rest upon His heart and nestling up in the safest place in the Universe.
It is only then that I realize that He has in fact “enlarged my steps”; that He is in fact My Refuge, and that “His gentleness has made me great.” Psalm 18. (Please, please, please – meditate on this Psalm. It’s an oldie but goody! And, it’s the truth.)
One last note – The other day I woke up to the phrase “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” I realized that He was emphasizing the word “Behold”. It seemed to me that the Lord was saying “Look at Me. Meditate on Me – upon My character, My heart, the Truth. If I take away the sin of the world, what does that say about Me? What else do I take away? . . . and remember, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”
He was once again saying – “It is time for standing in the David knowing.”
“Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD.”
Just a side note that I forgot to add - two days ago, I was sitting on
the porch talking to God and realized that there were carpenter bees
and wasps hanging around. I hardly even noticed them . . .
.
Can I take another shot at driving this point home from a different angle?
When Patti's sister was in trouble this last winter, the word we received in prayer was "Do not rely upon what you think or see, but upon what you know about Me." I've heard that echoed over and over again since then. I know that this position is challenging to lean into. I'm not minimizing it at all. I just know it must be contended for.
When I was little, I was held captive by Fears with a big, big F. They included: bees and wasps, spiders, dark rooms, life, death, the supernatural, poverty, loneliness, abandonment, rejection, school, tomatoes . . .
Do you know - It has been a lifetime of mostly failures in the arena of fear and then, eventually, a small, but victorious moment in Christ that has tutored me the most about the authority of peace (based upon reliance on the character of God) that I actually own as part of my inheritance. (I'm still walking this "knowing" out, so don't let the following illustration give you some sort of false notion that I'm holding up my conquests as the happy ending.)
When I was around 8 years old, I remember walking home for dinner one evening and as I approached our house there was a swarm of Carpenter Bees flying around the front door. They were carving out a home for themselves right over the entrance to the house. I was petrified.
I stood at the end of the driveway staring at the swarm for what seemed like forever. I actually was aware of the sun setting slowly and it grew darker while I stood paralyzed. I just could not figure out how to get past them. I was so afraid, I couldn't actually yell for help.
What was worse was the thought that no one apparently was aware of my plight and because no one in the house came looking for me – I assumed that no one cared about my circumstances. As I stared at the front door, I could see “safety” but had no way of accessing it. I prayed for a miracle – for someone to come to my rescue - but it seemed that there was no answer.
Eventually, and I mean what seemed like forever, someone (I think it was my Mom or Grandmother) noticed that I was still missing and opened the door. When the door opened, most of the bees flew away and I made a mad dash for safety. I was chided for my fear and because of the imprint of the experience, I made some dangerous assessments. 1.) No one understood me or how paralyzing my fear was and 2.) I ultimately couldn't rely on anyone, including God, to rescue me.
It was a lie I bought into because it had the weight of a twist on the experience to uphold it.
The truth of the matter though was that God answered my prayer for help and my Mom couldn't have been more than a few minutes behind the prayer, but my fears were exploited and as a result, exaggerated for years afterward.
It wasn't until my 30s, when I lived alone as an adult that I really had to work through victory in this arena. There were spiders appearing over and over again on my ceiling and wasps were finding their way in to my apartment. It was either "face my fear" and kill them or be bitten/stung. Not the end of the world, but still - it was an unpleasant thought.
So, I took a chance on God again and looked to Him in what I was sure was a really ridiculous circumstance – or so I thought.
He came through in a way that was different than I had hoped for though. Somehow, I hoped that He would just make them disappear or that in His Name I could just command them to leave and they would obey.
Instead, the Lord began to talk to me . . . about who He was; how good and strong He was on my behalf and who I am because He is so, so, FOR me. He stirred up reliance in my heart regarding how much He loves me (something I still struggle with) and asserted that circumstances don't negate that. He wanted to show me that the truth of who He is juxtaposed against my circumstances would be the vanguard to my safety. Then, He brought to mind a memory that I cherish. . . .
It was of me as a little girl - sitting on my grandfather's lap while he reclined in his chair in the Living Room. He had a sweet, cushy belly that made a great pillow and I had nestled up against him and laid my head on his chest while he wrapped his arm around me.
I remembered that I could hear his heart beat and the rhythm of his breathing above all other sounds. It was intoxicating.
I had closed my eyes and pretended that I was asleep because I wanted to stay there for as long as I could. I was sure it was the safest place in the Universe.
Looking back, I think my grandfather knew I wasn't asleep but liked the love and intimacy as well. The memory makes me weepy to this day.
I was so confident and at peace at that particular moment because I knew that no matter what else came our way - I was loved by him. For a few moments, while I sat on his lap and rested - I had no fear.
As the memory came to an end, I knew that my Dad in Heaven was the archetype for that moment and He wanted that peace for me. In the confidence of the fullest expression of His Love - Jesus - He had provided a way for me to have victory over my fears.
However, I still had to walk it out. I had to exercise what I knew was the truth about Him and my ultimate safety in Him - regardless of what might happen to my body. I had to pit the "knowing" that God lives in me, cares for me, empowers me and loves me over and against my fear of pain.
As I took the first steps toward a shoe, I exercised faith and held onto hope that He might be telling me the truth – that I was huge compared to the wasps and spiders and that He was infinitely bigger than all of us and that He, not the insects, had ordained my days.
So, I exercised dominion. I began the methodical conquest of every foul creature that entered my living quarters. With each splat, I gained confidence in the word of the Lord and my “ginormity” (my favorite new word) because of Him. (His gentleness has made me great. Ps. 18)
My confidence in Him; in the truth that HE is my confidence and safety grew and began to chase away fears.
(Now, to you that may have been a small issue - for me, it was a bear. I still had to face lions and giants though.)
I've been bitten by spiders and stung by wasps since then (and have discovered that I'm actually allergic so that adds an additional element of risk) but I no longer am paralyzed by that particular fear. Now, whenever I am faced with insects in my living quarters, I have an unusual peace, although I’m still challenged to embrace fear.
I still must lean on the truth and my past victories before I can warn them that they must leave or die. Sometimes they obey and leave, but most of the time they end up flushed down the toilet.
Compared to other circumstances, I know that this is a cheesy illustration, but it is the same approach I've had to walk through with the Lord time and time again over much more serious challenges. I still - constantly - have to turn away from fear and lean on what I know about Him. You too I bet.
But . . . I get better at it each time I move from the acquiescence of thought to leaning upon what I know of Him and then actually exercising my will in the arena of my fears and circumstances.
I know that it’s hardest to maintain my confidence when “I get stung” even after exercising faith. But it is THEN that I have a choice to “lean not on my own understanding.” (Proverbs 3) It is THEN that I can lean on what I know of God and His posture toward me and my circumstances. It is THEN that Psalm 18 must come to life. It is THEN, that I have an offering of worship built upon faith. And it is only THEN, that I can kiss Him with my “knowing” regardless of the circumstances around me . . . even if it costs me big.
However, it is THEN that I find my safety and my holiness in the place He has always intended for me . . . upon my “Daddy’s knees” – leaning in rest upon His heart and nestling up in the safest place in the Universe.
It is only then that I realize that He has in fact “enlarged my steps”; that He is in fact My Refuge, and that “His gentleness has made me great.” Psalm 18. (Please, please, please – meditate on this Psalm. It’s an oldie but goody! And, it’s the truth.)
One last note – The other day I woke up to the phrase “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” I realized that He was emphasizing the word “Behold”. It seemed to me that the Lord was saying “Look at Me. Meditate on Me – upon My character, My heart, the Truth. If I take away the sin of the world, what does that say about Me? What else do I take away? . . . and remember, if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.”
He was once again saying – “It is time for standing in the David knowing.”
“Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD.”
Just a side note that I forgot to add - two days ago, I was sitting on
the porch talking to God and realized that there were carpenter bees
and wasps hanging around. I hardly even noticed them . . .
.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Rule in the Midst of Your Enemies
Rule In The Midst Of Your Enemies!
Francis Frangipane
True peace does not come from extreme indifference, nor does it originate from becoming so "spiritual" that you fail to notice the world around you. Peace is the fruit of being confident in God's love; it is born of the revelation that, regardless of the battle, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). You are not self-assured, you are God-assured.
The God Of Peace Will Crush Satan
To wage effective spiritual warfare, we must understand and use spiritual authority. Spiritual authority, however, is not forcing your will upon another person. When you have spiritual authority, you have established God's peace in an area that once was full of conflict and oppression. Therefore, to truly be able to move in authority, we must first have peace.
The apostle Paul taught, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20). When we maintain peace during warfare, it is a crushing deathblow to satanic oppression and fear. Our victory never comes from our emotions or our intellect. Our victory comes by refusing to judge by what our eyes see or our ears hear and by trusting that what God has promised will come to pass.
We will never know Christ's victory in its fullness until we stop reacting humanly to our circumstances. When you truly have authority over something you can look at that thing without worry, fear or intimidation. Your peace is the proof of your victory. Jesus' authority over the violent storm (see Matthew 8:23-27) was the exercise and expansion of His peace over the elements. He did not fight against the storm, nor did He fear it. He faced its fury and subdued it with His authority in perfect peace. In Pilate's court, in a world stirred to an emotional frenzy by the powers of hell, a holy tranquility surrounded Christ---peace that was born out of His resolve to do God's will no matter what the cost. His Spirit emanated a calm that perfectly represented the peace at God's throne. In a matter of moments it was no longer Jesus who was on trial, but Satan, Pilate and the religious establishment in Israel.
Satan's arsenal consists of such things as fear, worry, doubt and self-pity. Every one of these weapons robs us of peace and leaves us troubled inside. Do you want to discern where the enemy is coming against you? In the network of your relationships, wherever you do not have peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have peace, you have victory. When Satan hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.
Paul tells us to be "in no way alarmed by your opponents---which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you" (Phil. 1:28). Your peace, your immovable stand upon the Word of God is a sign that you are positioned correctly in focused submission to the will of God. The very fact that you are "in no way alarmed" by your adversary is a sign that you have authority over him.
Peacemakers Are Sons Of God
Peace is spirit power. Peace is an attribute of the Holy Spirit, and when you are walking in peace, you are walking in power. A peacemaker is not merely someone who protests against war; he is one who is inwardly so yielded to Christ in spirit and purpose that he can be called a son of God (see Matthew 5:9). Where he goes, God goes and where God goes, he goes. He is fearless, calm and bold. Peace emanates from him the way light and heat radiate from fire.
In the battles of life, your peace is actually a weapon. Indeed, your confidence declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil. You see, the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When Jesus confronted the devil, He did not confront Satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any other voice than God's. His peace overwhelmed Satan. His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.
Rest Before Rule
In the 23rd Psalm, David declared, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (v. 4). There is a place of walking with God where you simply "fear no evil." During his lifetime, David faced many enemies including a lion, a bear and a giant. In this psalm he stood in the "shadow of death" itself, yet he feared no evil. David's trust was in the Lord. He said, "You are with me." Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God. David continued, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (v. 5). The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
Only God's peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle. The source of God's peace is God Himself. Indeed, "before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal" (Rev. 4:6). The glass sea is a symbol: there are no ripples, no waves, no anxieties troubling God. The Lord is never worried, never in a hurry nor without an answer. The sea around Him is perfectly still and totally calm. All our victories flow out from being seated here with Him.
God is our Father. The heavenly Jerusalem is our mother, the birthplace of our new nature (see Galatians 4:26). And you, you are a beloved child of God, part of the Father's family and a member of His household (see Ephesians 2:19). You must know by revelation that you are not struggling to get into heaven; rather, you were born there in spiritual rebirth (see John 3:1-8 AMP). Let your heart be settled and positioned correctly in your relationship with the Almighty.
To those who have been born again from above, He says, "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet" (Ps. 110:1). Before you go into warfare, recognize that it is not you that the devil is afraid of; it is Christ in you! We have been raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2:6). This is why the Holy Spirit continues to speak to us that worship of God is our first response in battle. Position yourself in the presence of God. Sit, at rest, in the knowledge that Christ has already made your enemies the footstool for your feet. From a position of rest, the Word of the Lord continues, "The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies' " (Ps. 110:2).
Rest precedes rule. Peace precedes power. Do not seek to rule over the devil until you are submitting to God's rule over you. The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace. From full assurance at His right hand, as you rest in His victory, so will you rule in the midst of your enemies.
Francis Frangipane
True peace does not come from extreme indifference, nor does it originate from becoming so "spiritual" that you fail to notice the world around you. Peace is the fruit of being confident in God's love; it is born of the revelation that, regardless of the battle, "greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). You are not self-assured, you are God-assured.
The God Of Peace Will Crush Satan
To wage effective spiritual warfare, we must understand and use spiritual authority. Spiritual authority, however, is not forcing your will upon another person. When you have spiritual authority, you have established God's peace in an area that once was full of conflict and oppression. Therefore, to truly be able to move in authority, we must first have peace.
The apostle Paul taught, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet" (Rom. 16:20). When we maintain peace during warfare, it is a crushing deathblow to satanic oppression and fear. Our victory never comes from our emotions or our intellect. Our victory comes by refusing to judge by what our eyes see or our ears hear and by trusting that what God has promised will come to pass.
We will never know Christ's victory in its fullness until we stop reacting humanly to our circumstances. When you truly have authority over something you can look at that thing without worry, fear or intimidation. Your peace is the proof of your victory. Jesus' authority over the violent storm (see Matthew 8:23-27) was the exercise and expansion of His peace over the elements. He did not fight against the storm, nor did He fear it. He faced its fury and subdued it with His authority in perfect peace. In Pilate's court, in a world stirred to an emotional frenzy by the powers of hell, a holy tranquility surrounded Christ---peace that was born out of His resolve to do God's will no matter what the cost. His Spirit emanated a calm that perfectly represented the peace at God's throne. In a matter of moments it was no longer Jesus who was on trial, but Satan, Pilate and the religious establishment in Israel.
Satan's arsenal consists of such things as fear, worry, doubt and self-pity. Every one of these weapons robs us of peace and leaves us troubled inside. Do you want to discern where the enemy is coming against you? In the network of your relationships, wherever you do not have peace, you have war. Conversely, wherever you have peace, you have victory. When Satan hurls his darts against you, the more peace you have during adversity, the more truly you are walking in Christ's victory.
Paul tells us to be "in no way alarmed by your opponents---which is a sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you" (Phil. 1:28). Your peace, your immovable stand upon the Word of God is a sign that you are positioned correctly in focused submission to the will of God. The very fact that you are "in no way alarmed" by your adversary is a sign that you have authority over him.
Peacemakers Are Sons Of God
Peace is spirit power. Peace is an attribute of the Holy Spirit, and when you are walking in peace, you are walking in power. A peacemaker is not merely someone who protests against war; he is one who is inwardly so yielded to Christ in spirit and purpose that he can be called a son of God (see Matthew 5:9). Where he goes, God goes and where God goes, he goes. He is fearless, calm and bold. Peace emanates from him the way light and heat radiate from fire.
In the battles of life, your peace is actually a weapon. Indeed, your confidence declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil. You see, the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When Jesus confronted the devil, He did not confront Satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any other voice than God's. His peace overwhelmed Satan. His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.
Rest Before Rule
In the 23rd Psalm, David declared, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me" (v. 4). There is a place of walking with God where you simply "fear no evil." During his lifetime, David faced many enemies including a lion, a bear and a giant. In this psalm he stood in the "shadow of death" itself, yet he feared no evil. David's trust was in the Lord. He said, "You are with me." Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God. David continued, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (v. 5). The battle you are in will soon become a meal to you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually.
Only God's peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle. The source of God's peace is God Himself. Indeed, "before the throne there was something like a sea of glass, like crystal" (Rev. 4:6). The glass sea is a symbol: there are no ripples, no waves, no anxieties troubling God. The Lord is never worried, never in a hurry nor without an answer. The sea around Him is perfectly still and totally calm. All our victories flow out from being seated here with Him.
God is our Father. The heavenly Jerusalem is our mother, the birthplace of our new nature (see Galatians 4:26). And you, you are a beloved child of God, part of the Father's family and a member of His household (see Ephesians 2:19). You must know by revelation that you are not struggling to get into heaven; rather, you were born there in spiritual rebirth (see John 3:1-8 AMP). Let your heart be settled and positioned correctly in your relationship with the Almighty.
To those who have been born again from above, He says, "Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet" (Ps. 110:1). Before you go into warfare, recognize that it is not you that the devil is afraid of; it is Christ in you! We have been raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places (see Ephesians 2:6). This is why the Holy Spirit continues to speak to us that worship of God is our first response in battle. Position yourself in the presence of God. Sit, at rest, in the knowledge that Christ has already made your enemies the footstool for your feet. From a position of rest, the Word of the Lord continues, "The Lord will stretch forth Your strong scepter from Zion, saying, ‘Rule in the midst of Your enemies' " (Ps. 110:2).
Rest precedes rule. Peace precedes power. Do not seek to rule over the devil until you are submitting to God's rule over you. The focal point of all victory comes from seeking God until you find Him, and having found Him, allowing His presence to fill your spirit with His peace. From full assurance at His right hand, as you rest in His victory, so will you rule in the midst of your enemies.
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