DON'T BE ALARMED: BRUISES COME WITH THE JOB

Praise the Lord everybody! because He alone is worthy to be praised! I pray you all are enjoying God's blessing. My wife and I are still experiencing a time of refreshing, praise God. He has opened some doors and answered some prayers, Hallelujah! allowing us to start making some plans for the first time in our marriage, like looking for an appropriate size apartment on the first or second floor. We need so many things and God is providing for some of those things and what He is not providing for I guess we don't need it right now. God knows what we need and when we need it.

In the past three or four months there has been much unrest in the world especially in America. there have been protest and riots due to the rash of young black men being killed in what appear to be unjust shootings by police. People are angry and crying out for justice. Even the Church in America is divided in what it's roll is in these volatile times. Should we be praying or should we be marching? or should we be marching and praying?

I have been vilified by other Christians for being more concerned for one victim's soul rather then the manner in which he was killed. My one question is why is everyone so surprised by the events of these last and evil days? Are these things new? People are being murdered unjustly everyday in other parts of the world. was not our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Himself unjustly killed? Yet the word says "It pleased the Lord to bruise Him..." read Isaiah 53. Why was God pleased? because these things had to happen and still have to happen to fulfill His word and His plan.

When Jesus knew his time was near He told Peter that after His death to "feed my sheep," not stir them up to fight and rise up against Pilate and the government including the religious leaders of that time but to realize the problem is not that we wrestle against flesh and blood but against Powers and spiritual wickedness.   Ephesians chapter 6 states For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

God's word also says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-5King James Version (KJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:

4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

So yes prayer is a very important part of what the church should be doing in these times. We need to pray that God's will be done in all these things, ask God what He would have you do and If He says march then march. We are to be seen as a peculiar people, when the world gets hysterical and paranoid we must be at peace, sober minded and even tempered. Jesus said in
John 16:32-33King James Version (KJV)
32 Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

So we who have the mind of Christ should have that peace because Christ has over come the world and so have we, through Him.

                  God bless you all, This Is Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall

THE STANDARDS OF GOD

Praise the Lord everybody, for He alone is worthy to be Praised!! I pray you all are enjoying God's blessing. My wife and I are now in a season of refreshing. God has opened the windows of Heaven and poured out a blessing and relieved some of our burden, has the storm completely passed over us? No, but God has reminded us that  He has heard our cry and that He will see us through to the other side. Praise His holy name,

the other day I was meditating and the Lord brought to mind one of my favorite scriptures, Isaiah 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. 

This is a scripture I turn to a lot when I'm going through a particularly strong attack from the enemy. I often ask God to "raise up a standard for me against Satan as you promise in your word. When I feel I've been waiting too long for Him to move Sometimes I wonder "where is your standard Father?" In His time He would answer me by delivering me out of the hands of the enemy. This time when I asked "where is your standard oh God?" He revealed to me that He had raised up standards for me throughout my life in Christ and that I had just finished speaking to one on the phone, my Pastor, Elder Johnny Green.

God began to show me that the "Standards" being raised have been the men of God He has put in my Life. True, uncompromising men of God who I could look to in the time of trouble as living examples in order to gain strength and hope to help carry me through my "flood."
These men not only upheld the standard, they were the standard.
The Dictionary says a "Standard" is a flag or emblematic figure used as a rallying point for an army, fleet, etc. The "standards" God has raised and placed in my life over the years let me know just how much He loves me. They were and are men of integrity, gap standing men, men whose one desire in life was and is to live in holy obedience to the Lord. 

Even in my struggles with addiction they taught me how to trust God and never give up, no matter what. When the storms come I think of their testimonies, the testimonies that allowed me to create my own testimonies. Paul once said "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."( 1st Corinthians 11:1) He was a "standard" raised by God, an example for the Church's he planted among the Gentiles and even for us today. He endured many trials and indignities yet he remained steadfast and immovable in his faith walk with God. 
God wants to raise us all up as a "standard" of strength and victory over the enemy, a person other Christians can rally around as a visible example, proclaiming " If God can carry me He can carry you through too!" Let's not just be standard bearers but standard bearers and "standard" all rolled into one, worthy representatives of Christ who can be viewed as a role models by those in need.

            God Bless you all, Brother Darrell, Speaking Off The Wall