In The Midst Of The Storm

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the
wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them,
walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they
were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But
straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not
afraid” (Matthew 14:24-27).

The disciples were so swamped, so suddenly overwhelmed, the very thought that
Jesus was nearby watching over them was absurd. One probably said, “This is the
work of Satan. The devil is out to kill us because of all those miracles we’ve
had a part in.” Another said, “Where did we go wrong? Which one of us has sin
in his life? God is mad at somebody on this boat!” Another could have asked,
“Why us? We’re doing what He said to do. We’re obedient. Why this storm all of
a sudden?”

And in the darkest hour, “Jesus went unto them.” How difficult it must have
been for Jesus to wait on the edge of the storm, loving them so much, feeling
every pain they felt, wanting so much to keep them from getting hurt, yearning
after them as a father for his children in trouble. Yet, He knew they could
never fully know or trust Him until the full fury of the storm was upon them.
He would reveal Himself only when they had reached the limit of their faith.
The boat would not have gone down, but their fear would have drowned them more
quickly than the waves beating on the ship. The fear of drowning was from
despair—not water!

“And when the disciples saw Him . . . they were troubled, saying, It is a
spirit [ghost]” (Matthew 14:26).

They did not recognize Jesus in that storm. They saw a ghost—an apparition.
The thought of Jesus being so near, so much a part of what they were going
through, did not even enter their minds.

The danger we all face is not being able to see Jesus in our troubles. Instead,
we see ghosts. In that very peak moment of fear, when the night is the blackest,
the storm is the angriest, the winds are the loudest, and the hopelessness so
overwhelming, Jesus always draws near to us to reveal Himself as the Lord of
the flood—the Savior in storms.

“The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord sitteth King for ever” (Psalm
29:10).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22481?src=devo-email

An Unusual Word

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Recently the Holy Spirit gave me an unusual word, one that I did not want to
hear! He said, “You are bound to a very limited vision of the Lord’s ocean of
tender, loving mercies. You have endured much guilt, condemnation and fear
because you have not allowed the Holy Spirit to reveal the vastness of My
forgiving, healing, reconciling mercies. You do not know Me for My tenderness!”

God showed me that this is a root cause for many giving up and falling away.
When sin strikes—when Satan comes in like a flood, when you fall into some
old habit or sin—the devil creates a bondage. First, the guilt comes flooding
in, then fear fills your heart. A sense of total failure and helplessness
overwhelms your soul. At this point, most believers run out of grace—because
their view of God’s mercy is so limited.

Satan comes to you and says, “You’ve reached your limit. You’ve confessed
your sin time after time. There is no way God will forgive you now, because
you’ve sinned against the light. If you return and confess once more,
you’ll turn around and sin all over again. So quit now!”

The devil does not want you to see God’s ocean of mercy; he wants you to see
only a trickle! Because of our ignorance of the forgiving, restoring power of
Christ’s love, we are destroyed. We run out of mercy for ourselves because we
are horribly bound by a limited vision. Our eyes have not yet been opened to the
endless mercies of our tender Father! We are so bound by a false, limited view
of His mercies, we find it almost impossible to believe or accept what James
said: “[We] have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful (full
of compassion), and of tender mercy” (James 5:11).

This verse means, “God is easily crushed by our troubles and hurts. He feels
our pain and our failures, and He is kind and compassionate to us. He loved us
even when we were His enemy. Even when we offend Him, He is quick to help,
restore and forgive us.”

The word mercy means “kind and compassionate treatment of an offender under
one’s power.” God has the power to damn us to hell every time we sin; He has us
under His control and can do with us as He pleases. And it pleases His tender
heart to be compassionate, loving and kind toward those who have failed Him the
most.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22159?src=devo-email

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Better Than At Your Beginning

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

 "I . . . will do better unto you than at your beginnings" (Ezekiel 36:11).
This is a promise of a great work of God—greater than Pentecost—that will
occur in these last days.

Think back to your spiritual "beginnings," when you first got saved. You were
so happy and excited about Jesus. Now God is saying to you, "I'm going to do
better than that for you!" He is going to do better things in the church than
ever before. Better than the Red Sea? Better than Elijah calling down fire from
heaven and shutting down rain? Yes, God has something better.

"What could be better?" you ask. "Our very faith is built on these great
examples." Beloved, we are going to see the fullest revelation of Jesus Christ
in the history of mankind. And here is the greatness of such a miracle: God is
going to take the filthiest, most perverse generation of all time—a
generation with the stoniest hearts in history—and clean them up, give them
loving hearts, and turn them into a holy flock "I will increase them with men
like a flock. As the holy flock . . ." (Ezekiel 36:37-38). God is going to save
a "flock"—a great multitude—of men and women. We will see sinners from every
walk of life saved: Jews, Muslims, rich, poor, murderers, people of all
backgrounds.

You say, "That's not a new thing. Wicked sinners have always been cleansed by
Christ. God's been doing that since the cross." True, but remember, sin is
increasing; wickedness is growing worse and worse. And where sin abounds, God's
grace abounds much more.

At the Red Sea, the devil was advancing and threatening to pounce on God's
people. The difference today is, he already has prevailed against the
backslidden church, capturing and enslaving millions: "Because they have . . .
swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue
of the heathen . . . and are an infamy of the people" (Ezekiel 36:3).

But now, God is going to move in for this reason: "Because the enemy hath said
against you, Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession" (verse
2). Satan and his crowd have mocked and laughed, saying, "We have destroyed the
work of Christ on earth!" But God says, "For My name's sake, I'm going to do a
mighty deliverance."

You will need faith to understand this miracle, because it is going to come at
the neediest, most critical time in the history of the Church. God will cause
His flock to walk in righteousness. He will bring down such conviction that
believers will literally loathe their past sins. "I will multiply men upon
you... [you] will increase and bear fruit . . . and [I] will do better unto you
than at your beginnings” (Ezekiel 36:10-11).



Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/22072?src=devo-email

Christ Our Friend

“I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known unto you.”– Jn  15:15.

I HAVE READ somewhere that when Michael Angelo was in the height of his fame, a boy named Raphael, destined to be his worthy successor –was introduced to him as a promising-pupil. At first the lad was employed in the simplest duties of the studio, cleaning brushes and mixing paints, but as he developed the qualities of exactness, punctuality, and sympathy, he became entrusted with increasing responsibility, until the master made him his friend and confidant. So we come to Christ, first, as redeemed from the slavery of Satan, to be His Servants, and He calls us His friends.

A friend will reveal himself. All the world may suppose that it knows a famous man, but after all, if he calls me his friend, I expect to get closer to him and hear from his own lips items of confidential information. Thus it is with the Lord Jesus. He manifests Himself to those who love Him, and keep His word, as He does not to the world.

A friend will interest his friends in his undertakings. It is a joy to Christ when those whom He loves are able to take a share in His world-wide redemptive schemes. For us, of course, it is a high honour, but it is as great a pleasure and delight to Him as it is for some loving soul to have the pleasure of working with that other twin-soul, to which it is attached. It is wonderful that Jesus is glad to have us as His fellow-workers.

A friend will be interested in our failures and successes. Not otherwise is it with our Lord. When He sees some peril menacing us, does He not make the trial-hour one of special intercession? If we fail, He meets us with the same tender affection, not alienated from us, but only intensely sorry, ready to point out the cause of our failure and to encourage us to try again. If we stand our ground, He meets us as we come forth from the fight, glad for us, eager to refresh us in our weariness, careful to heal any wound that we may have received.

Such is the Friendship of Jesus. He is always the same, His love never wanes, its manifestations are never remiss. Is it not worth while to make every effort so to keep His commandments that our entire abandonment to Him may induce His entire abandonment to us?

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we pray that Jesus Christ may become dearer to us. May we love Him as a personal Friend, and hide ourselves in the hourly consciousness of His presence. May we have no taste or desire for things which He would disapprove. Let His love constrain us not to live unto ourselves, but to His glory. AMEN.

F.B. Meyer

It Rains On The Just And The Unjust

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

I would be lying if I told you that Christians will observe sorrow, trouble,
unemployment and depression on all sides while they themselves remain safe
within a cozy cocoon of health and wealth. The Bible says God causes the rain
to fall on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). Job was holy—yet he
suffered! But just as God brought Job out of his affliction, so He will bring
us out even though we, too, will go through the fire.

Hundreds of ministers are meeting to pray in different cities, and the same
confession is heard: “Never have so many been so deeply tested. Satan has come
like a flood, with trouble, hardship, deep sorrow and pain befalling the
godly.”

Satan was Job’s troubler and he is your troubler. Could it be that he has stood
again before God and issued a great accusation against the last-days church? He
might have challenged God, “It is the last hour, but You have no true church.
You have no spotless bride. There are no wise virgins; in fact, most of them
are asleep. Look at them—materialistic, self-centered, grasping for riches
and the good life. Listen to their teachers telling them they need not suffer,
that all things are theirs for the asking.

“Take down Your wall of protection, God! Let me put them to the test. You won’t
even have a holy remnant left. I’ll take away their employment. I’ll smite them
with sorrows. I’ll pour out a spirit of fear and despondency, and flood them
with temptations. You will see this last, pampered generation fold. There are
no Jobs in this church. They are spiritual wimps!”

Beloved, this is why the Scripture says, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth
and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath,
because he knoweth that he hath but a short time” (Revelation 12:12).

In the midst of your trial, some of you already have adopted the despairing
language of Job. Your heart cries out, “God, what did I do wrong? I don’t
understand why this calamity has fallen on me when I loved You most, my walk
was holy, my heart pure, and my spirit was longing after You. It seems like the
closer I draw to You, the deeper I fall into trouble and the more sorrows
come.”

We do not realize how important it is to God that we trust Him through all the
floods of trouble that come upon us from hell. You see, the devil cannot touch
you or test you unless God first lets down the wall and allows it.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/21371?src=devo-email

A Rod Of Iron

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

The apostle Paul writes of Christ's ascension into heaven: "And having spoiled
principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them
in it" (Colossians 2:15). That's right! Staggering behind our Lord's triumphant
procession was the prince of darkness himself, bound in chains. And behind the
defeated devil — underneath the wheels of the heavenly hosts — were all the
powers of darkness, bound and vanquished. They were being put to an open shame
before all those who had died in faith before the cross.

“And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall
they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father” (Revelation
2:27). Jesus entered the gates carrying in His hand a scepter of righteousness,
His "rod of iron" with which He rules all nations. Then, after His triumphant
entrance, He took His rightful place on the throne in full possession of all
power, authority and dominion.

What a glorious picture! Satan is not in control. Communism is not in control.
Atheism is not in control. No, the enemies of Christ exist only by His
permission. And right now they only continue to fill up their cups of iniquity.
Jesus is in control of all things and one day, when He is ready, He will "break
them with a rod of iron; [He] shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel"
(Psalm 2:9).

Beloved, our understanding of Christ's victory over Satan and the dominion of
sin cannot be a vague, confused theology. We must know and understand that
Satan is totally defeated. He cannot hold us prisoner, and Christ has freed us
by His blood from every bondage. Now He sits on His throne with all power and
authority, offering us peace, joy and freedom.

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/20641?src=devo-email

Know That God Is Good!

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

God is good in your life, watching out for you and protecting you. There is not
one thing in your life, not one habit, one sin or one emotional difficulty you
face that Jesus does not have power over.

When Nehemiah came to Jerusalem and saw the terrible, broken-down condition of
the city, he led the Jewish people living there into a spiritual breakthrough
and time of rebuilding (see the book of Nehemiah). I can say to you today, just
as Nehemiah said to his people, that if you will trust Jesus, turn your whole
heart, energy and life over to Him, Satan and your enemies will be crushed,
conquered, and completely defeated. No enemy that is deeply lodged against you
behind any gate will be able to be protected. Those enemies are going to be
removed and made to flee.

Old habits, old fears, old addictions approach and afflict us and sometimes we
turn back to them. But God is saying to us, “Fix your eyes on Me! If you will
let Me be your victory, we will see the last of that.” Listen to what God is
saying!

If we will let Him be our victory then we have seen the last of our enemy. Oh,
the enemy will still buffet us just as he did Jesus when he left Him after the
temptations in the wilderness. But if you will keep Jesus on the wall of your
heart, the wall of your life, He will root out all those emotional
difficulties.

You may be living in fear of habitual patterns of sin, the things you might
return to. You know that you are cleansed from them but because they are so
close, you feel that any moment you may be drawn back to their bondage and you
are afraid.

I am here today to call you to a place of security and safety in Christ Jesus
when you trust Him with all your heart.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus
Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Read this devotion online: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/node/20420?src=devo-email

God’s Protective Power

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

Isaiah uses the image of birds to illustrate God‘s protective power over His
people: “As birds flying, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending
also he will deliver it; and passing over he will preserve it” (Isaiah 31:5).
The Hebrew meaning of this verse is, “As the hen birds flutter over their
young, so shall Jehovah, God of hosts, spread out His wings over Jerusalem.”

God was telling Israel, “If you want to be protected from the onslaught of the
enemy, then hide under My wings. I will secure you, covering you the way a
mother hen covers her chicks. You do not have to live in fear of your enemies
any longer!”

http://powerofyou320.com/2012/11/28/battered-shield/

Let me ask you: Are you in great warfare right now? Are you facing an enemy
that is too powerful for you? If so, how do you expect to remain pure,
faithful, Christlike, while others around you are falling left and right? How
will you gain victory over your lusts and temptations when Satan comes against
you like a roaring lion?

God asks simply that you lay down your sword and trust Him to take up His sword
on your behalf. He wants you to come to the point where you say, “Lord, I know
the battle is not mine anymore. I have failed so many times. Now I come to You
in simple faith. Help me, God.”

The Lord is urging you: “Cling to Me in the midst of your battle. Your
victory is all a matter of faith in My power and willingness to deliver you.
When the enemy has overwhelmed you, come to Me and pour out your soul. Seek Me
with all your heart and I will do battle for you.”

The battle is never ours. It is always the Lord’s.

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust:
his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the
terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day” (Psalm 91:4-5).

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I Will Strengthen Thee

By David Wilkerson
[May 19, 1931 - April 27, 2011]

I want to talk about bondage to sin— that is, your battle with the flesh.

Get Thee Behind Me, Satan (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Under the New Covenant, God will allow situations to show you how wholly
dependent you are on Him to deliver you through faith.

God will never lead you into temptation but He will allow you to come to your
wits’ end. If you have a besetting sin, Satan will come against you continually
with his lies: “You’re too weak! You’re never going to make it.”

You hear the rattling of chains as Satan tries to bind you to your habit once
more and you wonder, “Lord, how will I ever get up from this? I’ve gone down so
low!”

What can you do? You know you can’t outrun the enemy and you are no match for
him in a fight, so you cower before him, trembling in fear.

You may say to yourself, “I’ll just go back to my old ways. At least I’ll be
spared from all this spiritual warfare. It’s too much for me!” But you know you
can’t go back to your old master. If you turn back now and desert Christ, it
will cost you your life.

Many Christians become caught in the hellish cycle of sinning and confessing,
sinning and confessing. They run to friends, counselors, anyone who will listen
to them as they cry and pray. Such believers will do everything except stand
still and trust the Lord to bring their deliverance.

The Old Testament gives us example after example of how we have no power in our
flesh to fight spiritual battles. Our old man is utterly weak and powerless but
we have a new man inside us. This new man understands there is no human way
out, that God has to do all the fighting. We resist the devil not in our
strength, but by the power of the Holy Spirit, which is revealed in us by faith
alone.

“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will
strengthen thee” (Isaiah 41:10).

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Self-Inflicted Adversity

Read | Psalm 119:65-72

The difficulties we face originate from one of three sources. Some are sent to us by the Lord to test our faith, others are the result of Satan‘s attacks, and still others are due to our own sinful choices.

As you consider these three causes, which type is the hardest for you to bear? I think most of us would say the last one, because we have nobody to blame but ourselves and it seems as if no good can possibly result. After all, the Word of God says that we will reap what we have sown (Gal. 6:7), so we see nothing ahead except a painful harvest.

What this kind of thinking fails to take into account is the Lord’s redemptive abilities. Although He never promises to remove all the consequences of sin, He can use our failures to teach us to fear Him, hate evil, and walk in obedience. The difficult lessons we learn can also become our protection from sin in the future. Having suffered the pain of going our own way, we’re more likely not to take that path again.

God’s arrows of affliction are sharp and painful so He can get our attention. He won’t let His beloved children get away with sin because He knows it robs us of blessings, opportunities, and even character refinement.

As painful as your situation may be, thank your heavenly Father that He cares enough to send out His loving discipline. Now it’s up to you. How will you respond to His warning? When we learn from experience, the scars of sin can lead us to restoration and a renewed intimacy with God.

Dr. Charles Stanley

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