GOD is Our REFUGE and STRENGTH in the Midst of All the Hullabaloo!

Who again could better tell of the invincible strength of the Almighty God and the incomparable protection that He offers us the young shepherd boy, David? Sometimes, we lose focus of what our battle-cry ought to be when we see the blink-shots of the opposition the enemy parades against us! But NOT young David! He knew Whose praises he should sing/cry.

David did not fear because of the size of the bear, the killer-formidability of the predatory lion, the towering size of Goliath, or the mighty forces of the heathen lands that had dared warred against Israel. Let the devil roar. Let the heathen boil. Let the earth be thumped into the sea; yet, "we will NOT fear" David wrote in Psalms 46.

A lot has become stacked up against our modern world since the discovery of the Coronavirus. Many thousands have passed since its onslaught. Many businesses have closed and will never again re-open. But we will stand victorious because of His mercies. He will never forget to shield, protect and provide for us.

Our prayers are with those who have lost loved ones. Our eyes shall continually be raised up to the Throne above in Heaven, for our sustenance. We completely refuse to bow to the pressures of the times or the Devil only because of HE Who sits upon the Throne! Halleluyah!!

In the third week of March 2021, we shall yet again extol His banner. We invite you to join us for this virtual event. It shall be glorious. register freely today at HarvestWays.Org. Then, share with as many family members and friends as you would love to experience the supernatural presence and power of our REFUGE and STRENGTH! 

#Refuge #Strength #SpringUP #HarvestWays #Conference

Dealing with Disrespect, Unbelief, and Disbelief in the Immediate family of a Servant of God

Would you too want to know how to put the Devil to flight concerning these matters mentioned in the topic? Because you see, there is a specific flight-path meant for him to tow once you understand how to effectively harm him with the sword of the Spirit. If you want to know what to do without getting bogged down by these harmful darts of the enemy, then read on ...

There is the pernicious danger posed by the unbelief of a servant of God’s close relatives. Without a doubt, the utter damage to faith gets done by the disrespect, disbelief, or the unbelief of the very people who are of the same nativity as a minister: They who barter faith for unbelief on the cheapest platter, as had been demonstrated through the irresponsibility of the brothers and sisters of the Lord — the ‘fellow-citizens of humble Nazareth!’

Not just the unbelieving family members alone who would readily become distensible extensions of the Enemy’s fishing net-pole, those ‘fire-spitting’ believers in whose unbelieving hearts harbor a tirade of abuse aimed at the Christos in their midst once he/she refuses to accord them the benefits of their purported ways! Close-range, ricochet-attacks usually arise from siblings, or extended family members: Cousins, second-cousins, uncles and aunties, nephews and nieces; acquaintances, class/work-mates, distant friends, and/or strangers also could readily become idle tools in the demons’ vicinity!

Israel’s cousins, the Ammonites, and the Moabites had attempted to mercilessly strangulate her purpose. Jesus’ four half-brothers — and at least two, half-sisters — had flatly, dishonorably antagonized His Heavenly authority as they had lived in the same house, and had possibly shared the same table. Their undue, disproportionate, insulting references to Him, I could measure as not lesser than a thousand kilograms! Little wonder, they had stumbled at the Grace of God, purposely sent for their emancipation. Their eternal damnation had been steeply set dangling upon the cliffhanger that had protruded atop Hell until the Resurrected Jesus Whom they had so personally and privately dishonored had outreached to them, on a private, one-on-one basis!

This, then, is ‘how-to’ put the Devil onto his flight-path: ”Instruct your mind to resist every pressure he impresses upon it with the Word of God on your lips.” You resist him by speaking audibly to his eavesdropping ears: "It is written, ______________ Therefore, Satan, get lost!" Then, you go ahead with your day's mission! It's that simple, trust me!

Are you a disreputable, dishonoring family member of a Heavenly Ambassador?

Do you know anyone engaged in rustic disbelief of the anointing of God upon a holy vessel? One who needed to read this — and be sternly warned, before they traverse the pernicious milepost?

#HeavensAmbassadors

#Book

#SammyOJoseph

How Long is it Appropriate to Mourn or Grieve a Loss?

Appropriate Grieving and Mourning How long is the appropriate time for anyone to grieve or mourn? That indeed was the exact question God had posed to Prophet Samuel when he had continued to grieve for King Saul’s spiritual backsliding that unequivocally led to God’s rejection of him as the king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). While I may not be able to categorically recommend to anyone how long or short a period is advisable for grieving and mourning, there are examples of appropriate grieving and mourning found in the Word of God. Being able to consider the reactions of the following few bereaved people at their loss of loved ones, colleagues and mentors should answer this question: “How long is the appropriate time for anyone to grieve or mourn?” Let us together see through the lenses of God's Word, the Bible:

• At Jacob’s — Israel’s — death in Egypt:

When Jacob (re-named Israel by the Angel of God), the father of Prime Minister Joseph had died in Egypt at the ripe old age of one-hundred-and-forty-seven, the Egyptian parliament had according to their culture declared seventy days of national mourning in his honor! Thereafter, everyone had returned to work. But for Joseph — and his household — their mourning had been accompanied “with a great and very sore lamentation” which had lasted seven days.1

• At Prophet Samuel’s death:

When Prophet Samuel had passed on, David had departed for a more secluded place, in the desert of Paran to mourn his mentor’s transition. He had remained in a state of utter brokenness of heart, for just a while. There had been a hot, deadly, pursuing assailant who had wanted to snatch his life from him, whom he had to continue to flee from while training and enhancing his weak, six-hundred-man army unto strength, military, and tactical prowess!2

• At the death of the baby born of David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba:

King David had had an adulterous affair with the beautiful Mrs. Bathsheba Uriah. He had subsequently murdered Bathsheba’s husband, Officer Uriah. When the baby had been born, God had dispatched Prophet Nathan to the murderer-king! He had been sent to confront the king with God’s displeasure of his unscrupulous, heinous crime and inform him of God’s decision! Consequently, the baby had taken grievously ill. David had fasted and besought God’s mercy for seven days, to restore the baby’s health! But not so. God had not listened to his pleas! The baby had died.

As soon as “David saw his servants whispered,” he had rightfully perceived that the child had passed! His next set of action would baffle you: “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came into his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat” (2 Samuel 12:20).

• When Elisha had lost his mentor, Prophet Elijah to Heavenly chariots:

Prophet Elisha had become a bit irritated the morning after he had witnessed his mentor Elijah’s ascension into Heaven in a fiery, angelic chariot. He had bitterly cursed a band of irresponsible grown, set of mockers who had jeered at and taunted him: “Go up, Baldie; you are bereft of your master, Elijah.”3 Now, notice, the aggrieved younger Prophet had not remained irritable for too long. We were told that he had further proceeded away from that unfortunate incident onto Mount Carmel. This had been the starting place of his appropriating the anointing upon his mentor, Elijah, by a tangible double portion!4

When Jesus had learned of Herod’s beheading of John the Baptist:

Jesus Christ’s reactions at His knowledge of the ruthless beheading of his cousin and forerunner, the renowned John the Baptist by the ruthless King Herod had been drastic. The Master had withdrawn by a boat right into the seclusion of private isolation “for a while” before the throngs had found him.5 How long was a while? When He had resumed work, He had taught and fed the five thousand. St. Matthew had recorded that after these had happened, Jesus had departed alone, withdrawing further still for the mountains, until the dawn of the next morning (Matthew 14:13; 23). You too may request more time off work, should you indeed need to, until the dawning of the new strength!

Reading References:

1. Genesis 50:10 , 2. 1 Samuel 25:1 , 3. 2 Kings 2:23-24 , 4. 2Kings 2:25 , & 5. Matthew 14:13 (Blog article was excerpted and adapted for suitability on this medium from Dr. Sammy O. Joseph's book "You Are Not a MISMATCH" published by PULSE Publishing House, UK, New Edition 2020. Copyrights permitted.) Purchase your copies from HarvestWays.Org or Amazon.com or BarnesAndNoble.com #MentalHealth #Awareness #Healing