Today is Monday and thus far it has for me been less than kind. Mostly just the issues of life that tend to get us down at times. However there are a few things that I am battling that are huge to me and I am not in a position to see how they will turn out good without divine intervention. I suppose being in a place where I must depend on God completely is not really a bad place at all.
That said, I am mad. I am mad that I see so many things in God's kingdom that are not, in my way of thinking the way they should be at all.
I just read an email from a missionary friend asking for prayer for a new pastor in the 10/40 window that was put in jail for his faith. I'm mad about that.
I read another email from an official with our church that is concerned that our missionaries are having a hard time raising their support. I'm mad about that. I got wind of several of our missionaries that are all dealing with cancer. I'm mad about that.
Laura Sebold has cancer that makes me mad, Chris Fought has had a recurrence of a brain tumor I'm mad about that. I'm mad about all the other sickness in God's family that disrupts His people from serving Him. I'm mad!
I'm not mad as hell, but I am mad at hell. I am tired of seeing God's people not receive God's best.
This ministry that I lead has had God's blessing on it for decades, but for some time now there has been a stranglehold on the church. It is financial. It is other things as well, but from my perspective, there is nothing that the church faces right now anymore debilitating than the financial struggle that has endured for years. I'm mad, I'm mad, I'm mad.
Who am I mad at? I am mad at the enemy, the deceiver, the liar, the devil. He has had his way with too many of God's people, too much of God's business for way too long.
Paul says "we wrestle not with flesh and blood, but with principalities and powers" and I believe that. He also says "our weapons are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds". There is nothing wrong with being mad. It is a normal emotional response to various stimulus. What is important about anger is how we deal with it and how we choose to handle it.
Here's how I want to handle it. I want to start pulling down strongholds. Enough is enough. Let's become like the widow that pressed in... the blind man by the road who would not be quiet... the woman who would not release the unjust judge until he gave her favorable judgment... the woman outside the house of Israel who would not let Jesus go and told him "even the dogs get the crumbs from the master's table."
Well I don't know about crumbs, I'm too mad for that.
I want to sit down at a banquet in the presence of my enemies.
I want my head to be anointed with oil.
I am ready for my cup to run over.
I'm MAD.
I wonder if I am the only mad person out there. Maybe there a few others who are ready to join me until the strongholds come crashing down.
PULLING THEM DOWN,
Pastor Steve
9 comments:
You are not the only one who feels that way. I have prayed for a long time for God to break the stronghold that Satan seems to have on our church. We have a great church, with powerful ministries and I have felt that if we can break the stonghold, our church can be a explosion of God's love to our community. I also pray that the believers catch that same vision. I BELIEVE IN PRAYER. Our society has become so busy that God gets pushed aside until we need Him in a crisis. Let's bind together, put ourselves aside and push on to break the strongholds and see our church and its ministries flourish with the blessings I know God wants to pour out on us. Let's bombard heaven with our requests continually, unceasingly, forcefully and see what amazing things God will do.
Cheryl R
My list of stuff to be mad about is pretty big too. For me the good thing about being mad is that it causes me to act. Whether it is to pray, to give, or to remind myself of what God promises. I love Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold UNSWERVINGLY to the hope we profess, for He who promised is FAITHFUL.
I here ya and I am with you 100%. There are so many ideas I have but it all takes $$. I feel like if we could get through to the entire congregation the importance of this and get them all praying in one accord for the same thing it would happen. Faith is something all us have to have and beleive in. I really feel that there in lies the problem, not enough people as a whole believing that it will happen. I am praying for a complete belief system to take effect in our church and people to get on board like never before. God will not overlook our effort and He WILL give us all what we desire and what this Church leadership is longing for. Thanks for being our leader!! God Bless!
Chris W
Jesus was "mad" at the money changers who had converted the focus of the temple into a source of personal prosperity rather than a sanctuary of transformation for God. I am praying that God will allow to rise up within me a righteousness from God that will transform my own complacency into a renewed passion. A renewed passion for revival and God inspired/God glorifying victories over the enemy that you speak of! Thanks for inpsiring my Monday with your "mad-ness"!
I am right there with you. I have never felt so handcuffed to finances as I do now, both personally and at church. I am mad too! God is bigger than all this. I know I am a fixer. I want to go around and make things ok. I can't now. I have spent many nights awake praying for miracles. It makes me mad that Laura has cancer, that Chris has to go through more surgery, that my Pastor had an illness, that my husband is sick because of stress, that I have been sick for over a week. What can we do? I find a little peace in knowing that my family and my church family all feel the same way. I know that we are all praying for the same cause.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (The Message)
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.
Lets keep praying! And being mad at satan! LaDon
You can count on Us!
Reaching Beyond Ourselves,
Kevin & Mindy Currie
I know this year has not started off good for so many people in our church. I feel that we are on the brink of our church exploding and that is why Satan is coming at us with both guns blazing, because he knows that we are about to break though!!! I have never felt God's presences more than I have in the last couple of months.
I have a suggestion, that we as a church come together once a week for an hour of prayer for the Sunday services and the needs of the people in the church. You can count on the Nantz family to be there!!
you know i'm mad today...at some personal stuff that happened. BUT...what is that compared to life & death issues that my church family and others i know are facing? i'm angry that our missionaries (our WARRIORS) are out on the battlefield, struggling to make ends meet, which totally affects their ability to fulfill their calling. i’m completely disturbed that our own country is forgetting that we are ‘One Nation Under God’. BUT, i know God has placed a burden in my heart to pray for our church, as i KNOW it will be a place of restoration/healing/salvation for the Tampa Bay area. if He’s placed this in my heart, i know He has in others. it’s going to happen; the resources will come in. lives are going to be transformed; our community will be reached, which is a start to reaching our nation, and the world. it has to start somewhere, right?
As I have read the comments I am very blessed to know that so many of us are praying for our church and our church family. We do have a wonderful church and a Pastor that loves the Lord and is leading us to be in the word of God. There is nothing impossible with God. We do not fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of the air. Also in Ephesians 6 the Lord says that it is not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Living God. Lord since we do not have the might nor the power to overcome the enemy of our soul I ask that by your Spirit that you would intervene on behalf of Laura and Chris, Sophie, and others that are in need of healing in the congregation. Also I pray that your Spirit would bring in the finances needed to operate the church and for the needs of all those in the congregation. You say in your word that you will never leave us out begging for bread but that if we ask you will supply all of our needs according to your riches in glory. Lord continue to stir us up to pray and intercede on behalf of our church congregation and nation. God Bless you Pastor and Ruth, and the entire congregation.
Marsha
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