The wind is a funny thing. We do not know where it comes from nor where it goes. We cannot see it, but we can see and feel its effects. Wind can be gentle and refreshing, cold or hot, strong, and dangerous, and everything in between. When the wind blows, we must decide our stance. Will we stand and face it, turn against it, or get out of it altogether? It depends on the behavior of the wind. We know that we cannot control it as it will blow where and when it pleases. There is also a spiritual wind of which we should be aware.
As we walk alone with the LORD in the cool of the day, we ask Him to show us His Ways, so that He can conform us into His image and likeness. What does it mean to be in His image and likeness? It is to allow Him to reflect His character through us that others can get to know and love Him. If we don't allow His Glory to radiate through us, we are depriving others of knowing His Presence.
There is a key weapon in spiritual warfare that many believers don't know. This weapon activates alignment in the spirit. It releases blessings and favor in the Courts of Heaven. You find the key weapon in Genesis 12:3: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." There is a secret spiritual warfare weapon that believers in Christ don't understand. Anytime you're standing or dealing with Israel, you have an alignment issue–you can either be in or out of alignment, depending on your position with Israel. I'll explain to you what I mean by that.
Shout for joy to God, all the earth! Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds!" Psalm 66:1–3 NIV As we take time to sing, worship the Lord, sing in the Spirit and shout for joy, we will be drawn closer to the Lord. There is a special anointing and power of the Lord in worshiping, praising and joy. This will continue to increase as we press in and don't give up. It will also help us if we recount the good things the Lord has done for us. It is important to stay encouraged and to encourage others. Stay in a place of prayer, reading the Bible and worshiping the Lord. The joy of the Lord is your strength!
Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. Psalm 91:9-10 When I was a student, I took on a part-time job in a factory that manufactured refrigerators. Like any teenager, I had just wanted to earn some extra pocket money. It wasn't a complicated job. I was part of an assembly line and all I had to do was use an electric drill to create an opening and to fasten a condenser securely onto the back of each refrigerator. I would be buzzing away on the power drill all day, earning my keep.
When you are building a house, you don't build the roof before you build a foundation, and THEN you build the pillars for the roof. Then you build out the rooms. Many church "rooms" are very bare and sterile, which can be fine for some things, but they are not LIVED IN. We do need those different kinds of places for different functions, but we also need life things for living life. We need rooms to worship, seek and pray, (and where are the altars today?) and we need rooms for learning and teaching, we need places for activities and group events, and even God will say to clean things out for His Visitation.
One of the greatest gifts God has given us is the power to choose. In fact, every day we are faced with literally hundreds of choices. The question is, "Are we making the right ones?" I love Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, Trust in and rely confidently on the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know and acknowledge and recognize Him, and He will make your paths straight and smooth [removing obstacles that block your way) (AMP).
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1) Faith is the substance of things, but hope is a very important part of the faith connection. Sometimes people say, "You don't get anything by hoping." And that's true to a certain extent, for there is no substance to hope. But hope is a very important partner to faith. Hope is the goal-setter. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. The substance of "things" - what things? The things you hoped for. What do we hope for? We hope for the things that God has given us.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues are important aspects of the Christian faith. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is the source of power and comfort for believers. And we need to know Him personally. He is an incredible and exciting person who loves to glorify Jesus and talk to us. And He gives us spiritual gifts, distributing them to His kids as He wills (1 Cor. 12:11). Speaking in tongues, or "glossolalia," is a manifestation of a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit within an individual and is a sign of being filled with the Spirit. And the Bible has a lot to say about the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues.
The stores are stocked with school supplies and kids are ready to go back. Some are anxious, and some are excited. Even if you don't have kids, you likely have nieces or nephews, neighborhood children or grandchildren. I happen to believe the kiddos of our nation need prayer and blessing as they go back to school. The power of praying scriptural blessings over your kids is huge, especially as they head back to school where they will be spending countless hours each day. How can you cover them as they go?
