Author / Holly Young

by Holly Young

Encouragement From God

Recently, the Lord led me to post a message He spoke to me several years ago, as well as certain portions of scripture, because He wants to encourage His people.

The message He spoke to me was, “Nothing escapes My notice, nothing escapes My gaze, and nothing escapes My hand.”

When He said this, I knew He was specifically using these words to convey an important message, but I felt like I wasn’t really grasping it. So, I looked up the word’s notice and gaze in several dictionaries and found that the word notice means to observe or pay attention to someone or something, and the word gaze means to look steadily and intently at someone or something. Then, in order to understand what the hand of God represents in scripture, I searched some Biblical resources and found the following:

God creates by His hand, God holds the world in His hand, God’s creatures are fed from His hand, and God’s hand symbolizes His sovereign power over creation through which He executes judgment and acts on His people’s behalf, especially in redemption.

When I applied all of this information to the word God spoke to me, I realized that He was trying to encourage me by reminding me that He created and loves everything and everyone; that He is always watching over and caring for everything and everyone; that He has total power over all of His creation; and that nothing can ever keep Him from accomplishing His will.

Then, God drew my attention to the following portions of scripture:

Psalm 2, “Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, ‘Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.’ He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, ‘As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.’ I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

Psalm 37, “Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken. Better is the little that the righteous has than the abundance of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous. The Lord knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will remain forever; they are not put to shame in evil times; in the days of famine they have abundance. But the wicked will perish; the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away. The wicked borrows but does not pay back, but the righteous is generous and gives; for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when He delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread. He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing. Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. For the Lord loves justice; He will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks justice. The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip. The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death. The Lord will not abandon him to his power or let him be condemned when he is brought to trial.  Wait for the Lord and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off. I have seen a wicked, ruthless man, spreading himself like a green laurel tree. But he passed away, and behold, he was no more; though I sought him, he could not be found. Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace. But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off. The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; He delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him.”

Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come, behold the works of the Lord, how He has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; He burns the chariots with fire. ‘Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’ The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

Philippians 4:4-8, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice….The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”

1 Peter 5:6-11, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Ever since I received this word from the Lord and studied these scriptures, whenever I begin to feel discouraged by the chaos and evil that is happening in the world, I stand against it by opening my mouth and boldly declaring,

“Nothing escapes God’s notice, Nothing escapes His gaze, and nothing escapes His hand!”

Then, I meditate on these wonderful scriptures and receive God’s encouragement, assurance and peace.

May this encourage, assure, and fill you with God’s peace as well.

 

 

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by Holly Young

The Baptism of Love

The following article was written by Francis Frangipane and was posted with his permission:

 

To Dwell Upon God

It is hard for us in this anxious, fearful age to quiet our souls and actually dwell upon the presence of God in our hearts. We can engage ourselves with Bible study or other acts of obedience; in varying degrees we know how to witness, exhort, and bless. We even know how to analyze these things and then perfect them. But to lift our souls above the material world and consciously drink from the presence of God Himself seems beyond us.

Yet to actually grasp the substance of God is to enter a spiritual place of immunity; it is to receive into our spirits the victory Christ won for us, which is oneness with God in Christ.

Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit, which we have received, searches all things, “even the depths of God” (1 Cor. 2:10). We can have more, and we should want more. I am a pastor. I believe in church attendance and body ministry. The atmosphere provided when we gather together can be wonderful. Yet typically the spiritual light provided in church meetings is diffused, not focused. Yes, we can find God there, but our church activities must in some fashion become what the Lord has ordained them to be: means through which we seek and find God.

Paul’s cry was, “That I may know Him…” (Phil. 3:10). It was this desire to actually know Jesus that produced Paul’s knowledge of salvation, church order, evangelism, and End Time events. As a by-product of His quest to know God came revelation, the writing of Scriptures, and knowledge of the eternal. Paul’s knowledge was the overflow of his experience with Christ.

On the other hand, we have made ourselves content not with seeking the face of God, but with studying the facts of God. We are satisfied with a religion about Christ, without the reality of Christ.

The Bible is the historical record of man’s experiences with the Almighty. Out of the personal encounters that people had with the living God, our theological perspectives have developed. But knowledge about God is only the first step toward entering the presence of God. As much as the Bible is a book of truths, it is also a map to God. As Christians, we study and debate the map yet too often fail to make the journey.

Love Surpasses Knowledge

There is a place that transcends the boundaries of knowledge and dogma; it is a simple yet eternally profound place where we actually abide in Christ’s love. This is, indeed, the shelter of the Most High. Remember the apostle’s prayer was that we each would “know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge” (Eph. 3:19). As important as knowledge is, that verse tells us love “surpasses knowledge.” Doctrinal knowledge is a framework that opens door toward divine realities, but it is love alone that causes us to be “…filled up to all the fullness of God” (v. 19). Let this be our quest that our knowledge of God is fulfilled with the substance of God.

Consider, beloved, the Amplified Bible’s rendering of Ephesians 3:17-19. It reads:

“May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [that you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!”

Let this be our goal: to be rooted deeply in love; to grasp the breadth, length, height, and depth of God’s love; and to know for ourselves the deep, personal love of Christ. Can any goal be more wonderful? Indeed to be “wholly filled and flooded with God Himself” is the ultimate hope of the gospel!

 

The preceding message is adapted from a chapter in Francis’ best selling book, The Shelter of the Most High and available at www.arrowbookstore.com. This book unveils powerful, biblical dynamics that help renew the reader’s consciousness so he or she can abide in the awareness of God. For additional information and resources, please go to: www.frangipane.org.

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by Holly Young

Important Warning for the Body of Christ

I don’t often receive a warning dream from God, but between February 20th of 2024 and January 11, 2025, God gave me five serious warning dreams that contained similar warnings. So, when I received the first dream, I immediately asked God if I had done something wrong, but He didn’t convict me of anything. So, I asked Him to show me what He wanted me to see and learn from it, and He led me to several scripture verses through which He revealed and taught me some things I had never fully understood before. Then, when I received the next four warning dreams, I asked the Lord the same questions, and He told me to apply what I learned from the scriptures to each dream, which helped me to see more. But along with the fifth dream, I also received a sense of urgency, so I asked the Lord about it, and He answered by telling me to type all five warning dreams into one document; then study them carefully because together, they reveal an important warning for the whole body of Christ.

When I did that, what I saw was very clear, and very serious. I will now give you a brief overview of each dream:

First warning dream (received February 20, 2024): In this dream, someone was asked to adopt an unwanted, neglected, newborn baby, but God told her that it was not His will for her to adopt this baby, so she initially declined. However, when she heard the baby crying and saw that it was being neglected, she felt such compassion for the tiny child that she was extremely tempted to disobey God.

Second warning dream (received July 13, 2024): In this dream, a person entered an orphanage to warn the woman in charge that a terrible storm was approaching. But the woman in charge said one of the children was not there because she was visiting a family that lived elsewhere in the city. The person thought the child would be safer at the orphanage, so they kindly offered to go out and bring the child back. However, this kind person did not know that the child was actually safer staying where she was because the orphanage was not properly caring for the children. So, the person left the orphanage and began to walk down a street toward the house where the child was, but by then, it was very dark and windy outside, and lightning was flashing all around them, which made it impossible for them to see where they were going. So, God miraculously rescued the person and took them out of the city to a place of rest where the sun was shining brightly in a beautiful blue sky.

Third warning dream (received December 10, 2024): In this dream, a woman was sitting in a park on a lovely day when a man approached her and asked her to come with him to help clean a place that was a terrible mess. Because he was asking her to do something she considered good, she agreed to go with him. So, he gave her a pair of black pants and a black shirt to put on, then he told her to get into his vehicle and he drove her to a building where she was then led into a room that was totally covered in thick dirt and grime, including the walls, floor and furniture. The woman then filled a bucket with soapy water and began to scrub a small table. But while she was occupied with that, the man, who was behind her, changed into a long snake and slowly slithered around the room, licking the filth with his tongue and swallowing it. When the woman turned around to look at the man, she realized that she had been lured into a trap by an evil shape-shifter.

Fourth warning dream (received December 22, 2024): In this dream, a person was walking down a city sidewalk at night and noticed a large crowd of people gathered around several women on the street a short distance away. As the person walked closer, they noticed that the crowd was staring at the women because they were dressed in long tunics that were totally transparent, and they were not wearing anything else underneath it, which made them look like they were totally naked. But these women didn’t know why the crowd was staring at them because they didn’t know that their clothing was transparent. When the crowd started making rude comments, the women looked at their clothing and realized it was transparent, so they crouched down in an effort to hide their nakedness, but that didn’t help at all. The person who was standing nearby observing all this felt so sorry for these women that they decided to try to help them by attempting to fix a small broken lamp that the women had brought with them, but that only made matters worse because the little bit of light that shone from that small lamp just revealed their nakedness even more, and that caused the crowd to become rowdy. So, a city worker, who was watching all this, took the kind-hearted person aside and told them not do anything more unless they got permission from a higher authority first. But the kind-hearted person said there was no need to get permission, to which the city worker replied, “I would caution you to stop and think before you act.”

Fifth warning dream (received January 11, 2025): In this dream, people were asked to bring toys and other items for children to an outdoor event, which had been planned and was being led by the local city officials as a way to help needy children in their area. People who brought items were told to set them on a large table, where they were to be display while some invited dignitaries gave speeches. After that, the items were supposed to be given to children who were seated together at a long table eagerly waiting to receive these gifts. However, dignitary after dignitary gave long speeches that went on and on for hours about how these donated items were going to help needy children, but no one actually gave the items to them. So, one of the kind-hearted donors felt such compassion for the children that they decided to go to the display table to retrieve a toy they had brought and give it to one of the children. But when they tried to do that, the city officials got angry, and that caused anger to spread through the crowd. Then, the sky darkened as if a storm was brewing, so some people in homes and shops nearby, quickly closed their windows, locked their doors, and turned off all the lights. After that, one angry man picked up a large stone, which caused the other angry people to picked up stones as well. Then, they all gathered around the kind-hearted donor with the intent to kill them just because they attempted to give their gift to a child without permission.

Years before God gave me these warning dreams, my husband and I had a few bad experiences through which the Lord taught us not to get involved with people who have great needs or great talents unless we ask Him first because the devil often uses needy or talented people to lead Christians astray. Then, when I received these five warning dreams and studied them along with the scripture verses that were brought to my attention, God showed me that the reason the devil can use such things to lead Christians astray is because Christians are often motivated by human compassion or presumption instead of being motivated by the Holy Spirit, who always knows the heart and the will of God. Therefore, God considers this as sin.

Then, God gave me the following warning message for the body of Christ:

 

“If My people are motivated by their own compassion to help someone, or by presumption because they assume it is a good or right thing to do, but they have not been given permission to do these deeds by Me, and by those to whom I have given authority, it can cause disastrous consequences. For My people are now living in perilous times that are becoming more and more volatile, and this volatility will continue to increase until a very small spark is able to ignite a huge fire. In the past, I have extended grace to My people for these sins, but I will no longer do that. Therefore, it imperative that My people learn to be precisely led and directed by Me.”

 

In order for you to fully understand the importance of this, I have included the following scripture verses and definitions of key words related to this below:

Psalm 19:12-13, “Who can discern his errors? Declare me innocent from hidden faults. Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me! Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.”

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

John 5:19-20, 30, “So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing…I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me.”

Definitions for the words presumptuous, lawlessness, acknowledge, and assume:

Presumptuous – According to Strong’s h2086, presumptuous is the Hebrew word zed, which means: insolent; presumptuous. The origin of this word is from the word zuwd, which means arrogant. And, according to www.collinsdictionary.com, the root word presume means: to take (something) for granted; assume; to take upon oneself (to do something) without warrant or permission; dare.

Lawlessness – According to Strong’s g458, lawlessness is the Greek word anomia, which means: lawlessness; iniquity; disobedience; sin. The origin of this word is from the word anomos, which means illegality. And, according to www.mirriam-webster.com/dictionary, the word lawlessness means: a state in which there is widespread wrongdoing and disregard for rules and authority.

Acknowledge – According to Strong’s h3045, acknowledge is the Hebrew word yada, which means: to know. And, according to www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary, the word acknowledge means: to recognize the rights, authority or status of.

Assume – According to www.collinsdictionary.com, the word assume means: to take for granted; accept without proof; suppose; to take upon oneself; undertake or take on or over (a position, responsibility, etc.)

 

Please take this message to heart and pray about it.

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by Holly Young

True Freedom Is Inner Freedom

Recently, I re-read a book I have called, “Autobiography Of Madame Guyon,” which is about the life of Jeanne-Marie Guyon. For those who have not heard of her, I will give a brief synopsis of her life.

Madam Guyon was born in France in 1648 to a wealthy aristocratic family, but was mostly raised by nuns in a Catholic convent until she was considered old enough to marry. Then at the age of 16, she was forced to marry a much older man who did not love her, and she was constantly subjected to cruel treatment by his mother and her maidservant, who lived with them. During the twelve unhappy years of her marriage, added to her misery were the deaths of her half-sister, followed by her mother, her son, and her daughter and father who died within days of each other. Then she bore another son and daughter shortly before her husband’s death in 1676, which made Madame Guyon a widow by the age of 28. Also during that time, France was filled with spiritual and moral darkness, which was caused by corruption and immorality that were rampant in the leadership of the Catholic Church and in the leadership of the Country under King Louis XIV. However, all of this caused Madame Guyon to earnestly cry out to God, but her mother-in-law would not allow her to pray, so she cried out to God silently from her heart, and God answered her by drawing her into a close, inward relationship with Himself, which delivered her from darkness and filled her heart with light, love, peace and joy. Then, she began to share her testimony in letters written to her friends and acquaintances, and some of them were also drawn into a close relationship with God. But the Catholic leadership in France found out what Madame Guyon was doing and considered it heresy, so they sent her to prison where she spent years in dark, cold, and damp conditions until the wife of King Louis XIV intervened on her behalf and was able to get her released. But she was then banished to spend the remainder of her life in a place called Blois, where she lived under house arrest and was forbidden from engaging in public discussions or correspondence, except with special permission, until she died on June 9, 1717 at the age of sixty-nine. However, while she was in prison, she wrote her autobiography, and while she was under house arrest, she wrote other books, numerous letters, and many poems, which were somehow circulated throughout France, and eventually throughout the world as well.

After I finished reading this book, I thought about the spiritual and moral condition of France during Madam Guyon’s lifetime and realized that what is happening in our time is probably worse because corruption and immorality has now become rampant all over the world. Then, I thought about what governing authorities are now doing to try to take freedom of religion and freedom of speech away from people, and realized that in Western democratic countries, people have been taught that freedom of religion and freedom of speech are a fundamental right, and that has caused many (including Christians) to believe they should fight against their governing authorities in order to retain or regain these rights. But as I pondered what I have read regarding Madam Guyon, and many others who suffered persecution throughout history, I realized that most of these people never fought against the ruling authorities of their time. So, I searched the New Testament scriptures and found that what Jesus, the apostles, and other leaders of the early Christian Church taught does not support fighting against earthly rulers and authorities. So, I asked God how He wants Christians in our time to respond to the governing authorities. In answer, He told me the following:

“From the beginning of Christianity, many Christians, such as Jeanne-Marie Guyon, did not fight against the ruling authorities of their time because they had inner freedom, which is only found in an intimate relationship with Me. Inner freedom is true freedom, which can never be taken away from you because love, faith and truth that come from Me are far more powerful than any weapon that could ever be formed against you. And, in this place of inner freedom, you will be filled with My Holy Spirit and be led by My Spirit to walk in the fruit of the Spirit and the peaceful fruit of righteousness, which will give you an inner peace that will make you unshakeable regardless of your outward circumstances. Therefore, the best way for Christians to fight for freedom is to find inner freedom through an intimate relationship with Me, and speak the truth in love if, when, and as you are directed to do so by My Holy Spirit. Then, if you are persecuted and lose your outer freedom, nothing will be able to stop My truth, love and faith from going forth into the world, and growing and spreading until it is shed abroad in hungry hearts everywhere.”

Portions of Scripture that I would encourage you to prayerfully consider:

In Matthew 5: 2-16 Jesus said, “…’Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.'”

In Matthew 5:38-48 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.'”

Acts 4: 16-22, “‘What are we going to do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.”

Acts 5:27-29, “And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, ‘We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.'”

In Romans 13:1-7 Paul said, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.”

In Titus 3:1-2 the apostle Paul said, “Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.”

The writer of Hebrews 13:17 said, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

1 Peter 2:13-23 the apostle Peter said, “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor. Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.”

Romans 8:31-39, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Galatians 5:13-24, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.”

Ephesians 6:10-18, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints….”

 

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by Holly Young

Weapons of Mass Distraction

The following article has been posted with permission fromThe Ministries of Francis Frangipane.

The glory of God is coming but we must live in His presence now if we expect to walk in His glory later. And it is this very thing — this entering God’s presence now — that Satan fights the most.

Yet the nature of our battle is not easily discerned. The enemy does not typically appear with fierce countenance, threatening us with retaliation if we begin to seek God. No, Satan’s attack is more subtle. He whispers his crafty manipulations, stealing our time and draining us of spiritual passions. He even manipulates the good things of God’s blessings to keep us from the best gift of all: God’s presence.

The devil has a willing accomplice in our fleshly nature. Recall Solomon’s astute observation: “Behold, I have found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices” (Eccl. 7:29). Our “many devices,” gadgets, and technologies, for all the convenience they supposedly provide, are not much more than “mind candy.” They fritter away our time and energy.

As our world experiences increased trauma and shaking, it will be evident: there is no substitute for the presence of God. Yet instead of having hearts full of God, or at least hearts that are seeking God, our hearts are weighed down, bloated with worldliness and addicted to pleasure. We are saddened if we have nothing to entertain us.

God is judging this excessive focus on materialism. When God is done, we will be much leaner, spiritually speaking. We will be ready for the days ahead.

 

The Unappreciated Gift

“Be on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap; for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth” (Luke 21:34-35).

What is the most valuable yet most unappreciated gift men receive from God? It is not money. It is not even food and housing. The gift we most fail to appreciate is time. Beloved, it is wisdom to number our days (Ps. 90), for we only have a certain allotment of time to fulfill our calling. Yet too many of us are squandering our days with meaningless distractions. Yes, all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable (1 Cor. 6:12).

Let me assure you, most of the things of our world are not evil in themselves, especially when dedicated to God and used in moderation. We need points of relief and times of recreation. My concern is that we not become out of balance. For what we call moderation, to the rest of the world is excess. My concern is that the things of this age not crowd out our time with God.

 

A Land of Idols

The issue for us is not about things, but discerning those things that keep us from God. The pleasures of this world can become intoxicating, numbing our discernment and our capacity to see clearly. Yet if we are truly seeking the Lord, setting apart time each day for Him, then our hold on life will be clear-minded.

Let us beware. Like the ancient Babylonians, ours is a “land of images, and [we] are mad over idols” (Jer. 50:38 Amplified). We worry about weapons of mass destruction in our world, but Satan also has weapons of mass distraction. Idolatry is so familiar to us, we think it not strange that our sports, music and movie stars are called “idols.”

In the midst of a world of distractions, the Lord wants us to walk with a single mind toward His glory. Can we do it? Yes, but we may need to rid ourselves of the control our modern media and devices have over our will. Let us fast from entertainment for a month and use that time to seek God. If that is too long, deny it entrance to your mind for a week. The degree of difficulty in turning them off is the measure of our bondage to them. If we cannot let them go, it because such things hold us captive.

Let us make our portion in life the presence of God. Let us not be mastered by the issues, fears or distractions of our times. Rather, let us break the power of Satan’s weapons of mass distraction. Let us return full-hearted to God.

 

Adapted from Francis Frangipane’s online course, In Christ’s Image Training, available at www.icitc.org.

For additional information and resources, please go to: www.frangipane.org.

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by Holly Young

Another Dream About Perspective

Below is a dream I received many years ago, which the Lord recently brought to my mind and wants me to share with you because it is a clear illustration of our need for God’s perspective.

In this dream, a large sailing vessel was taking approximately fifteen passengers on a sightseeing journey. On a day when the weather was very hot, some of the passengers asked the Captain if he would stop the ship and allow them to go for a swim in the ocean to cool off. The Captain granted their request by ordering the crew to bring the ship to a stop and lower the anchor. Then he gave orders to have rope ladders, which were attached to the upper edge of the port side of the ship, lowered down to the water so that people could climb down them and enter the water. Some of the passengers used the ladders to enter the water, some jumped into the water, and a few stayed on board.

While people were frolicking about in the ocean, the Captain asked one passenger who had remained on board if he would like to climb up to the crow’s nest to experience the view from there. When the man looked up and realized that the crow’s nest was near the top of a very tall mast, he told the Captain that he didn’t want to climb up there because he was afraid of heights. The Captain then asked if he would be willing to do it if an experienced sailor went ahead of him to help him and another sailor went directly behind him to keep him from falling. After considering his offer, the man somewhat reluctantly agreed to try it.

So, the Captain called for two of his most experienced sailors and gave them orders concerning what he wanted them to do. Then the sailors gave the passenger some directions on how to climb the mast. When they were all prepared, one sailor began to climb a rope ladder that was attached to the length of the mast. After he had climbed up several rungs, he turned to the man and told him to begin climbing. The man swallowed his fear and began to follow the sailor up the ladder. When he had climbed up several rungs, the other sailor began to climb up the ladder behind him.

While they were climbing up toward the crow’s nest, the passenger kept looking down, which caused his fear to rise up, so the sailor that was climbing ahead of him told the man to keep his eyes on him and keep climbing upward no matter how he felt. Then the sailor that was beneath him assured the man that they would help him reach the top.

It was a long, slow climb, but they all made it to the crow’s nest safely, and the man’s fear vanished the moment he was able to see the wonderful view. From where he was positioned, he could look out across the water and see many other vessels in every direction for a very long way. Then, he looked down at the ocean below him and was amazed that he could see into the depths of the water below.

However, while he was looking down at the people who were swimming the water, he saw some sharks in the depths below the people, and it looked like the sharks were heading toward them, so he tried to warn the people by yelling, “I see sharks! Get out of the water!” But the people didn’t hear him, nor did they see the sharks, so man yelled louder. The Captain heard the warning from above and quickly conveyed it to the people in the water, who then swam to the ship and scurried up the ladders to safety.

END OF DREAM

 

I think the message portrayed in this dream is quite clear, so I will just encourage you to ponder it and pray about it, and I will end this post with the following portion of scripture:

Colossians 3: 1-4, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

 

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by Holly Young

We Need God’s Perspective

On October 27, 2023, God gave me a very insightful dream that began with a scene in which I was walking with a friend in a small park-like area filled with trees and flowering bushes that were suffering from severe drought. I brought my friend there hoping she would like it, but she didn’t, so I asked her why and her answer was, “Because everything in this place looks like it’s half dead.” In response to her I said, “I love this place because despite the dryness and deadness, I always find some life and beauty to enjoy.” When she looked at me in disbelief, I led her to a rose bush and began examining it closely to see if there was anything blooming. After moving some dead foliage aside, I found two red roses in full bloom, so with great delight I pointed to them and said, “There are beautiful roses blooming inside this bush!” She glanced at the bush, but didn’t see them, so I pointed to them again, and said, “They’re right here. You just need to look beyond the dead foliage to see them.” She then took a closer look and was able to see the roses, but she wasn’t impressed with their beauty at all. So, I led her toward a cluster of trees hoping to show her some of the wildlife living there. As soon as we approached one of the trees, a cute little squirrel stepped out from behind it and ran to me. Then I picked it up, held it close to my heart and said, “What a joy it is to see you again!” But my friend wasn’t impressed with the squirrel either.

In the next scene, I was riding a bicycle down a short residential street in my own neighborhood. As I rode along, I noticed that a car filled with people kept driving past me as if they were looking for something, so the next time they came toward me, I waved at them and they stopped. When I asked if they needed help, they showed me an address and said they were having trouble finding it. I looked at the address then pointed toward a house and said, “It’s just down the street on the right side.” They thanked me and drove off in the right direction, but instead of stopping at the house, they passed it and continued on to the end of the street; then they turned around and drove back to where I was standing. So, I pointed to the house again and said, “It’s just a few houses from here. See, it’s right there.” Then they thanked me again and off they went, but they still didn’t find it. So, I kept pointing to the house and they kept driving up and down the street until they did find it. When they finally found the house, I was so happy for them that I shouted, “Hooray!” Then, I hopped onto my bike and headed for home. By then, it was well past midnight, but a myriad of beautiful stars were shining so brightly in the night sky that I wasn’t afraid of the darkness at all.

In the third scene, I was still riding my bicycle toward home, but it was now morning and the sun was shining in a lovely blue sky. Just after I turned onto the street where my house was located, I had to stop because a massive tree had fallen across the street, blocking both it and the sidewalks on either side. When one of my neighbors saw me, she said, “Oh dear! Now you can’t get to your house.” In reply, I said, “I appreciate your concern, but I’m sure there is a way to get to the other side.” Then, I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, after which she frowned and said, “Now I will have to wash my cheek.” Though her remark was meant as an insult, I just smiled and began to walk along the length of the fallen tree until I found a space between some branches that was large enough to get through. Then, I picked up my bike and carried it to the other side.

In the last scene, I was still on my way home, but was now walking along the sidewalk instead of riding a bicycle. When I was still several houses away from my own, I saw my father’s car stop in front of my house. Then, I saw my father get out of his car and walk up my driveway to the front door. He rang the doorbell and waited for a moment, then turned away and began walking back down the driveway toward his car. Hoping to stop him from leaving, I called to him, “Dad!” But he didn’t hear me, so I started running toward my house yelling, “Dad, Dad!” When he still didn’t hear me, I ran toward his car hoping he would see me, but he didn’t. When I reached my father’s car, he was about halfway down the driveway, so I decided to stand beside the car and wait for him. But as I stood there watching him, I realized that he couldn’t see or hear me because his eyes were downcast and he was totally lost in thought. So, I walked toward him, and when I was close enough to touch him, I gently said, “Dad?”  That is when he heard my voice. Then, he lifted his head to look at me. When our eyes met, I smiled lovingly at him and said, “Hi Dad.”

END OF DREAM

 

Right after I woke up, there were two things that really stood out to me about the dream. One was that I had a totally positive perspective on life no matter what situation I found myself in, and the other was that I felt so full of love, joy and peace in every situation that absolutely nothing upset me.

When I prayed about the dream, the Lord showed me the following:

  • The perspective I had in the dream represents God’s perspective, which we need in order to help us walk in unity and agreement with God’s Spirit and His will.
  • The way I felt in the dream represents the Fruit of the Spirit, which are attributes of God that we receive along with God’s perspective, and are needed in order to help us overcome evil with good.
  • That God’s perspective and the Fruit of the Spirit were guiding my life in all four scenes, which were all different, indicates that God wants His people to have His perspective and the Fruit of His Spirit guiding our lives all the time so that we can be unshakable, steadfast and immovable in our faith and trust in God, and in our love for Him and for others no matter what difficulties we go through in our earthly lives.
  • The first three scenes represent theoretical examples depicting how having God’s perspective can help us to respond to people and situations the way God wants us to.
  • The last scene represents a real-life example of something I experienced in my own life, which God wants me to post along with this dream because it is a powerful testimony that depicts how having God’s perspective can change lives.

As I pondered the last scene, I realized that it was about how God helped me to overcome rejection and abandonment issues regarding my father. The following is my experience:

My father was a talented, hard-working man, but he had serious problems, which created so much fear and instability in our family that it exploded when I was eight years old, leaving harmful fallout of broken relationships and broken hearts filled with fear, abandonment and rejection. Because of all that, I was no longer allowed to be with my father. However, when I was sixteen years old I became a Christian and God gave me a desire to reconnect with my father. So, I got his phone number from a relative then contacted my father, and he agreed to let me visit with him. During the visit, my father was quiet and standoffish, but his wife, whom I had just met, was friendly and welcoming. After that, I visited them occasionally, but whenever I was with them, my father continued to be standoffish and sometimes he was even drunk, which frightened me, so I got discouraged and wanted to give up on him. But God urged me to keep trying, so I did. However, after years of trying to bridge the gap between us, nothing had changed. So, I decided to back off and wait to see if he would reach out to me, but he didn’t. Then one day, his wife called and told me that my father had left her and moved to a remote place by himself because he wanted to be alone. Soon afterward, the Lord led my husband and I to move across the country, so I wrote my father off and tried to forget about him. But a couple years later, God suddenly began urging me to write to my father, so I reluctantly got my father’s mailing address from his wife, then wrote him a letter and mailed it to him. When he didn’t respond, I asked God why He kept urging me to contact my father when it was obvious that he didn’t want me in his life. God’s answer to my question was to let me see my father from His perspective. What I saw was a lost and lonely man who carried a heavy load of guilt and shame for all the harm he had caused, but didn’t know how to change, so he chose to stay away from those he loved in order to protect us from himself. When God showed me that, I immediately repented for judging my father wrongly and giving up on him. God forgave me for my sins and I forgave my father for his sins. Then, God filled my heart with His love for my father. Afterward, I sent my father a letter telling him that I forgave him and that I loved him. In that letter, I also told him that Jesus loved him and was willing to forgive him. Then he sent a reply, so I continued to send him letters telling him more about God and His love, and about my growing family as well. But it was a long time before I received another letter from him, and when it finally came, it contained bad news. In it, he told me that he had lung cancer and was having chemotherapy treatments, so I wrote him back and told him that we were praying for him. A few months later, I received another letter from my father, in which he told me that he was in the hospital because the chemotherapy treatments he received made him very sick and weak. However, he also told me that reading my letters made his day, so I wrote to him more often, but he didn’t respond to any more of my letters, so I contacted a relative to find out how he was doing and was told that my father couldn’t answer my letters because he was dying. Then one day soon afterward, I was stunned to receive a phone call from my father. By then, his lungs were so far gone that he could hardly speak, but he was determined to talk to me, so as he struggled for air, he told me that he had been reading a Bible and wanted to know how to be saved. So, I told him that he needed to surrender his life to Jesus and ask Him to forgive his sins, and he said he would do that. Then in a very weak voice, he said, “I love you,” and with tears streaming down my cheeks, I answered, “I love you too Dad.” After that, he couldn’t talk anymore, so I said goodbye, and he hung up. That was the first and the last time that I ever heard my father say he loved me, and I will treasure those three beautiful words in my heart forever.

Soon after my father surrendered his life to Jesus, he died.

 

God is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), and omnipresent (all present). Therefore, His perspective is the only one that is true.

God is also love. Therefore, He never gives up on people and neither should we.

 

Scripture References:

1 Samuel 16:7, “… For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

2 Corinthians 4:17-18, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Galatians 5:22,23, “…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control…”

James 1:2-3, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”

 

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by Holly Young

The Shelter Of His Glory

The following article was posted with permission by The Ministries of Francis Frangipane:

 

What we define doctrinally as “salvation” is, in truth, the entrance, and then expansion, of Christ’s Presence throughout our person. What we call salvation is, in truth, the beginning of God’s glory in man.

If you are a Christian, then Christ is in you; you are already in glory. You have been clothed with Christ, who is Himself the “radiance of [the Father’s] glory” (Heb 1:3). The fact is, Satan knows you are a Christian, not simply because he heard you repeat a prayer at a church altar; the Devil sees what happened when you prayed: The glory of Christ entered your spirit!

There, within you right now, abides the substance, the radiance, of Christ. Your prayer to receive Jesus into your heart was eternally effective.

The Divine Refuge

To attain the manifest glory of God is the reason for our existence. Consequently, the Lord is more concerned with our full conversion than our fleshly comfort; He seeks to establish in us true holiness rather than false happiness. He will even bring us through floods and fires, if necessary, to scourge away our addiction to the goals of men.

The outcome of what seems like harsh or severe dealings is that, having been delivered from the frail defenses of man, the glory of God becomes our shelter.

Isaiah 4:4-5

“When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion … by the spirit of judgement and the spirit of burning, then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.”

The glory of His Presence “will be a canopy.” Isaiah continues, “And there will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain” (Isaiah 4:6).

Think of it! In the last days the glory of God shall increasingly become so tangible, so substantial, that it will become a “shelter,” a “refuge,” and a “protection” to those who have learned to live in the Presence of God.

For all the compelling reasons to serve God, His highest calling to our hearts is nothing less than the attainment of Christ’s glory: “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 2:14).

Yes, Christ will part the skies and be manifest in finality, but first He comes to be manifest in our humanity! Paul tells us that Christ is coming specifically “to be glorified in His saints on that day, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thess. 1:10).

As the return of Christ approaches, entrance into the glory of God shall not only become more attainable; it shall become ever more necessary. For as the battle at the end of the age intensifies, only the shelter of God’s glory shall preserve us.

 

This article was taken from one of Francis Frangipane’s E-word messages. For more, go to http://www.frangipane.org.

 

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by Holly Young

Rest in God Releases Peace that is Powerful

Recently, the Lord spoke to me more about how to enter the place of rest that He has provided for us under His wings, and why it is absolutely imperative that we learn how to enter and stay there.

You enter God’s rest by choosing to trust Him regardless of what you see, hear and feel in the natural.

You abide (live, stay) in His rest when your trust (faith) in God exceeds your faith in everyone and everything else.

And when you truly rest in God, then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Then the Lord told me this, “My peace is powerful! For when My peace is guarding your heart and mind, I will crush satan under your feet.”

 

Scripture references:

Philippians 4:6,7, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:15, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush satan under your feet.”

 

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by Holly Young

Encouragement for Christians who are Suffering Hardship

Back in October of 2017, the Lord told me that the shaking of His people was about to begin and as a result, we were going to see and hear of terrible things happening all around us. He also told me that this shaking was necessary because most of His people were not maturing as they should be and therefore, not ready to survive or be useful to Him in these last days. He then instructed me to keep my focus on Him and keep going forward in Him no matter what is happening around me. Immediately afterward, we began to hear of people we knew and loved suffering tragic accidents and illnesses that caused many to die.

Then, during our 2019 family Christmas celebration, the Lord told me to enjoy it while we could because it would be quite a while before we be able to be together again. Soon afterward, Covid-19 hit the area in which we live, and the virus was spreading around the world causing much sickness and death. But by June of 2020, Covid-19 cases in our area were down to a trickle, so we were hopeful that the pandemic would end soon. However, the Lord told me that this was not going to end any time soon because it was part of the shaking, and that He was about to increase this shaking because many of His people were not responding as He desires. And since then, the shaking has continued to increase affecting everyone and everything in the world.

Even though God warned me ahead of time, I have often found it hard to not become burdened and discouraged by it all. However, on July 2, 2022, the Lord gave me a dream I call, “The Turning Point,” which has been a great encouragement to me, and He now wants me to share it with you.

In this dream, I was watching everything unfold from a distance as if I was watching a movie. I saw a man and a woman who were the leaders and perpetrators of evil plans that were being carried out on the earth. The man was in charge and the woman was working in agreement with him. The woman was the one who carried out the plans of the man, but she didn’t do any of the ‘dirty work’ herself. Instead, she used others to do it, and many of the people that were used to carry out these evil plans had no idea that they were being used for evil purposes. This is because they were each only given one a little job and they were completely unaware of anything else that was going on. Then after a person completed their job, the woman would have someone else set a trap to eliminate the one who had just finished obeying her commands. In this way, these leaders made certain that there was never any trail of evidence left behind that could point to who was orchestrating these things or what their ultimate plan was.

As I watched these events unfold, I saw many innocent people being sent to do what seemed like a small normal job, and when they were finished, someone else (who was not innocent) would be sent to eliminate the other person in a way that the person being killed would have no idea what was happening until it was too late. The innocent people were considered ‘little people’ and those who killed them were considered ‘secondary people’, but all of them were considered ‘expendable.’

As I watched this happen over and over again, I became very discouraged and sad because so many innocent people were being deceived and harmed, but God didn’t seem to be doing anything about it. This represents what is happening in the world right now – how so many of God’s people feel discouraged because they are going through serious hardship, and everywhere around them evil is rising causing innocent people to suffer and die, and they are wondering why God isn’t rescuing them.

But suddenly, I was shown a different scenario in which I saw two men who were in a room working together to repair a ceiling light fixture because the light coming from it was very weak and intermittent. As they worked on it together, they were able to fix it. Then, they turned the light on and it brightly illuminated the entire room. The light fixture represents our hearts as vessels that God wants to use to shine His light through, and the two men, who were repairing the ceiling light fixture, represent us being willing to partner with Jesus to fix what is broken and dark in our hearts so that Jesus can fill us with the light of His glory.

After that, I was shown another scene that was part of the evil scenario: A man, who I recognized as one of the men I had seen repairing the light fixture and who was now filled with the light of Jesus Christ, was ordered to do a small job. The order came from the evil woman, but he didn’t know it. He just thought he was being sent to do a normal job because all he had to do was drive to a certain building to pick someone up. So, the man got into his car and drove to that building. Then, he parked his car alongside the building and waited for the person to come out. But while he was waiting, someone snuck up behind his car and lit a long match stick. Then, they held the lit matchstick under the back of the car and set the car on fire. Instantly, flames engulfed the outside of the car and then quickly spread to the inside of the car. Then, my view zoomed in on the man who was trapped in the car. I could see that he was completely surrounded by flames, but he was not on fire, and he didn’t panic. He just calmly looked up at the ceiling of the car to where there was a sunroof; then he took a deep breath and blew air out of his mouth toward the sunroof, and his breath immediately extinguished all the flames that area. Then he calmly reached up, opened the sunroof and climbed out of the car without being harmed in any way. After that, everyone who was filled with light was supernaturally protected and rescued from harm. This represents a TURNING POINT that will happen on the earth, after which those who have partnered with Jesus to deal with the darkness in their hearts will be filled with the light of His glory, and they will go forth in the strength and power of God.

In the last scene, I saw the evil woman along with another man who worked for her, laid out on a slab of cement. They were dead, and I saw the chief evil man standing in front of them looking at their dead bodies. Suddenly, he threw himself on top of the evil woman’s body and tried to bring her back to life, but he did not have the power to do so. My dream ended with the evil man screaming in anguish and anger.

Comments:

For the past 2 years, my husband and I have also been battling against many physical problems, but the Lord has been using this to reveal and deal with some deeply rooted issues of the heart, and in December of 2022, the Lord told both of us that we were finally free.

Then, at the beginning of 2023, a sense of quietness settled over me and I found it hard to continue praying for the many serious needs that were all around me. So, I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do, and His answer was that He is working mightily in the midst of the evil and He is in control of it all, so all I need to do now is rest under His wings in quietness and in trust. When I told my husband this, he said it brought Isaiah 30:15 to his mind. The essence of this chapter is that Israel was stubborn and wouldn’t listen to the Lord, so instead of taking refuge in the Lord, they wanted to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and seek shelter in the shadow of Egypt. Then in verse 15, the Lord says, “In repentance and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But the Israelite’s were not willing. From this, I realized that many Christians are still struggling between relying on the world and relying on the Lord, but God is calling those who are willing, to come into a deeper place of full surrender to Him regardless of how we feel and what is going on everywhere around us. If we are willing to fully surrender to Him and His will, our soul will become quiet and we will learn to completely trust in God’s love for us no matter what happens.

Then on March 22, 2023, God reminded of another dream He gave me called, ‘The Path of Transformation,’ which is on this website at https://www.brideofchristarise.com/the-path-of-transformation/. In that dream, one of the primary instructions the Lord gave to those of us who were willing to leave all and travel the narrow upward road to transformation, was that we were not to stop moving forward for any reason. But before long, I became so weary that I decided to stop walking forward/upward until I had rested and renewed my strength. However, stopping to rest did not help me regain my strength, so I could only keep going by crawling on my hands and knees. The Lord then made a point of saying that my having to crawl in the dream, was not because I was being punished for my disobedience, it was just the result of my own choices and decisions. Then, the Lord told me that Christians everywhere are suffering hardship, not because He is punishing us, but because we are in such a habit of relying on our physical senses and our own strength instead of on God and His strength. That causes us to make choices and decisions based on what we think we can and cannot do, and even on what we want and don’t want to do, which prevents us from doing what God wants us to do. Therefore, He is allowing these hardships in order to break this bad habit because it is the only way that we learn to rise above our circumstances and obey God regardless of what we see, hear, feel, think or like.

So, as we go through these difficulties and hardships, let us surrender to God and choose to love, trust and obey Him and rely totally on Him for our strength regardless of our circumstances. If we do that, God will help us to endure, persevere and keep moving forward toward the goal of our upward call in Christ Jesus, which is to become a faithful, fearless, loving Bride through which He will reveal His glory and power to the world!

Scripture references:

Proverbs 3:5-12, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine. My son, do not despise the Lord‘s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

2 Cor. 4:6-11 & 16-18, “For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

Hebrews 12:1-8, 9-11, & 25-29,”Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? ‘My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.’ It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”

1 Peter 4:12 &17-19, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And ‘If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?’ Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.”

1 Peter 5:6-11, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

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