tested | Revelations From The Road

Deliver Us From Evil

April 12, 2018 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given April 12, 2018

I was praying the Lord’s Prayer this morning, as I usually do several times a day, and a thought came to me as I prayed Matthew 6:13, “…and deliver us from evil”. I thought, “How does God deliver us from evil?” The general idea, I think to answer this question, is that when we’ve been captured by the enemy, as we cry out for help, God comes to our rescue grabbing us from the chains of sin, rebuking the devil and delivering us once again into His saving grace. And that;s how it can happen. But as I thought about it, several other ways came to my mind. Let’s look at them.

First, I thought of Paul who was in prison. He and Silas were singing and praising God when an EARTHQUAKE came and released them and the other prisoners from their chains, (Acts 16:25-26).
Then, when Peter was in jail awaiting trial the next day, an ANGEL appeared in the cell and released him from his chains and escorted him out onto the street, (Acts 12:7).
Samson was threatened or bound by an enemy six times and the POWER OF GOD came on him and he was able to subdue the threat or break free and defeat the enemy, (Judges 13-16).
The last example that came to me of how God delivers us from evil was of Jesus in the wilderness. He used THE WORD OF GOD to confound and defeat the devil and was delivered from him, (Luke 4:4, 8, 10, 12, 13). “It is written!”

So from this, I realized that God not only comes on the scene Himself and snatches us out of the clutches of the enemy but He may and will use many other methods of delivering us from evil. We do not have to put up with the lies, temptations and devices of the devil! “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” (! John 4:4). “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31). “Submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished.” (John 19:30). We have the victory, we have been delivered from evil! Claim it, speak it, receive it! #Godisincontrol

A Follower

March 8, 2018 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given March 2018

A follower…what or who do you follow? Maybe you follow a sports team or a TV show. Surely you follow someone on Twitter or Facebook. But really, in this capacity, you’re just an observer hanging around, listening to conversations, watching and wandering in and out of connection with whoever or whatever you’re following. You probably don’t have that deep connection or relationship with them or maybe even no relationship at all! You just follow and when something else comes your way, you leave that following and go off to another. Think about it.

Now, think about your relationship with Jesus. Are you JUST a follower or have you counted the cost and decided to go, “all in”? Luke 14:33 wraps up examples of people who needed to “count the cost” in certain situations: “In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.” Jesus also said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). If we are to be true followers of Jesus, it’s going to take a full commitment not just a, “whenever I need to” attitude. Sure we’re pretty good followers at church but what about at the ball game, at home, at work, at school or in the store? I hope you can see the difference and will #thinkaboutit.

Week of Prayer

January 16, 2018 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given January 15, 2018

Our church, Zion Family Ministries, has entered into a week of prayer where we are gathering at 6 AM and 7 PM daily to pray for certain things. Our prayer topics are: Repentance, Ourselves, Our Community, Our Government, The Lost, Our Church and Revival. Last night was the first night and we had almost 60 people there to pray for the first topic, repentance. As I walked around the sanctuary in prayer, God kept speaking to me; answering questions, reminding me of things He had shown me in the past and speaking new things to my mind. I’d like to share one of these things with you because I know God’s communication will be helpful to all.

First, I asked God what it means to repent. The dictionary defines it as, “To feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin.” I think it means to feel AND express sincere regret or remorse about one’s wrongdoing or sin. Our “feeling” shows that we really know something’s wrong and to “express” it to God is repentance. God reminded me of something He showed me several years ago during another time of prayer at church. I was praying thanking God for my successes, “Thank You for my wife and family, my education degrees and my job.” I was feeling pretty good for myself then God’s response came and it floored me, “Yeah, you’ve done pretty good for yourself but it’s not all I have planned for you.” I prayed, “Oh God, I’m so sorry for thinking about all I had done for myself.” “What do I need to do?” His reply was, “You need to be broken!” I said, “OK God, break me.” Then, in my Spirit, I saw myself being broken, reduced into a pile of light brown dust. God came over and began pouring oil from a jar onto the top of the pile and started working the pile of dust and shaping it into the man He had in mind for me to be.

That vision was what I needed at that time and many times since then when I get to thinking too highly of myself, (See Romans 12:3). God showed me this night that true repentance involves being broken, admitting it and asking God for forgiveness. You might be in a place of hard times where you say, “Well, I’m already broken.” God told me that means you have been broken by the world but now you must allow God to break you so He can build you back up in the way He intended. When God re-builds us, we will be much better than any building up of ourselves we could do.

Last night I repented and asked for God to do four things: TAKE me as I am, BREAK me into original pieces, MAKE me into what He wants and WAKE me to His plan. I prayed this for my family, my church, my circle of influence and for God’s people. It’s time to be broken and repent!

Around the Bend

January 14, 2018 by Bill 1 Comment

Given January 10, 2018

I want you to picture this in your mind because some of us are in this scene.

You’re on a path, the path of life maybe, and as you walk the path, up ahead it takes a sharp turn to the left. God has told you that there’s something great for you just around the bend. “And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.” (2 Corinthians 9:8) Your anticipation and joy increases as you get closer to the curve and wonder what God has in store for you. What is it that’s around the bend?

Well, as you round the bend, there in the path it is, but it’s not what you expected. There blocking your way is an obstacle, a trial, some trouble, a shadow of death. Whatever it is, you can’t get by. So now what do you do? Do you cut and run the other way? Do you try to figure it out on your own? Are you on that path right now? Has God promised you something? “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

You turn to God, who is with you, and say, “What’s up with this Lord. What do I do?” To which He replies, “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13) “Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways submit to Me, and I will make your paths straight.”(Proverbs 3:5-6, paraphrased) You’re encouraged and say, “OK Master, I’m with You, let’s go!” And as you move forward toward the obstacle with God, He shows you the way through it. You may get a few scratches, bumps and bruises but you get through it. And then you look up ahead, and there it is, God’s blessing! Your joy returns and He motions with His right hand, “There you go child it’s yours.” “Thank you Lord, thank you, thank you, thank you!”

We’re all on a path. Don’t be sidetracked. There’s something great…just around the bend.

Hold On!

June 5, 2017 by Bill Leave a Comment

Given June 2013

I once saw a news report about serious flooding in a southern locality. The report was about a lady who had been caught up in a flooded river and carried downstream until she caught hold of a fallen tree branch near the bank until she was rescued. She held on to that branch for her life.

After seeing that news story, I got the vision of what may have happened after the rescue. While she was in the river, she was subjected to dirty, muddy water and trash flowing over and around her as she held on to the tree branch, and a heavy rain was pelting her as well. But I saw that, when she was rescued after holding on as she sat on the river bank, a gentle, cleansing rain began to fall washing all the filth of the flood from her. She raised her hands and head to take in the cleansing rain that now was welcome compared to the devastating torrent that she had just endured.

I guess God was showing me, and any who read this, that when we are immersed in a hard time in our lives, we must hold on to the promises of God. We must not give up but wait for our rescue. And once that happens, we will experience God’s cleansing Holy Spirit rain to wash us from the filth of the trial we’ve just endured. So, the lesson from this vision is, HOLD ON!

“Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.” (Hebrews 10:23)

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.” (Isaiah 43:2)