Raging Storm
March 6, 2001
In the past few weeks, I have been feeling a quickening in my heart, like "warning bells ringing
in my ears" impressing upon me to prepare for an impending storm that is coming upon the body of Christ.
As I waited for more information to enable me to pray and prepare more effectively for this storm,
I received these impressions which I am submitting to the body of Christ for you to test and to discern.
FACING THE STORM
The first question I asked the Lord was whether He wants us to rebuke this storm or to face this storm.
I felt Him impressing upon me that we are to face this storm.
FORM OF THE STORM
I then asked Him in what form will this storm manifest itself. I felt the Lord impressing upon me that
it will come in the form of FEELINGS OF DISAPPOINTMENT coming as wave after wave to overwhelm us.
The arena and stage will be varied for each person, but the effect will be the same. This will not only be
between people to people but at times, we may find ourselves in situations where we will be disappointed
with God.
PURPOSE OF THE STORM
Then I asked Him what could be the purpose for this storm. Then I saw the picture of a camel passing through
a needle’s eye. This was explained to me that it will be something difficult to battle on our own strength. We
have to totally depend upon the Lord. The purpose for this is for us TO CRUCIFY OUR FLESH (MIND AND
EMOTIONS) TO DIE TO HUMAN EXPECTATION.
THE ARMY OF GOD
The Lord is raising up an army whose eyes and whole being should, must, and will be totally FOCUSED UPON
THE LORD. Nothing must distract them from this goal.
However, the reality in many of us is that we are still very much VULNERABLE TO WHAT WE PERCEIVE
PEOPLE THINK ABOUT US, and many times our emotions and state of mind are affected BY OTHER
PEOPLE’S RESPONSES AND REACTIONS. Human perception has become like a button that the enemy
can press to bring us into a low or high gear.
As rubbing two stones against each other produces fire, and as iron sharpens another iron, so will it be in
the body of Christ. As we face each friction and pressure in a Christlike manner, the character of Christ will
be molded in our lives. We will learn how to accept one another in love, to forgive one another in Christ, and
to walk together in the midst of our differences for the glory of God.
Our Father's love for us is passionate. He is molding us to become an army full of His passion and zeal with
our whole being yielded totally to Him alone and nothing between Him and us, not even our own family, friends,
ministry, work and business or whatever else that is important to us.
THE WAY TO VICTORY
I was reminded by the Lord about the story of Moses and how He had trained him in the desert for 40 years.
I was also reminded of the story of Joseph and of how the Lord trained him in the house of Potiphar, and even
in the prison before being brought forward into public ministry.
Moses' good intention was taken against him by the people that he was trying to help, and he had to run away
and hide (I believe in disappointment ) in the desert (Exodus 2:12-15).
Joseph was wrongly accused by Potiphar's wife and thrown into prison. Even when he had rightly interpreted
the dreams of the baker and the butler, Joseph was forgotten. The butler did not keep his promise to speak to the
king about Joseph's case, and he remained there for two more years. (Genesis 39:20; 40:23; 41:1,9)
In these two stories, what the enemy had meant for harm, the Lord turned around and used as TOOLS to perfect
the man in the valley of betrayal, disappointment, misunderstanding and in the hurt of being forgotten, and ignored.
Like the prophet Habakkuk, the Lord will force us to face these issues and questions squarely in the face and will
guide us to the Cross of Christ to crucify them there. As we do, God will teach us that our dependency and our focus
should be upon the Lord and nothing and no one else.
Whatever the result of what we do, whether pain or gain, whether glory or shame, whether success or failure, all must
be brought to the cross of Christ to be crucified there so that only God and God alone will be lifted up at all times.
WHAT TO GUARD AGAINST
We must be careful to recognize that we don't miss the lessons that God is trying to teach us in this season and get
carried away by the emotions or lose sight of the goal and find ourselves focusing on the situations or the personalities.
WHAT TO EXPECT
I felt that many of these events or scenarios will take place from within, meaning that it will be among loved ones, between
brethren in Christ, in the midst of those that we treasure and love and are working with closely and even between us and God.
This will make the struggle doubly difficult.
WHAT TO DO
We must be careful that we don't allow the enemy to use our mouth to speak negative things against others out of our pain or
hurt. We have to constantly remind ourselves that our battle is not against flesh but against principalities in high places.
Furthermore, we must remember that the Heavenly Father is using these to mold us into the image of Christ who, when wrongly
accused, did not try to defend Himself before His accuser but trusted all things to the Father.
The Father does not want us to ignore these feelings when they do resurface. He desires that we face them honestly and bring
them to Him so that He can wash us thoroughly and repeatedly from these and make us wholly clean and pure before Him.
Like David, let our cry to God be, “Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost
heart." (Psalm 51:6)
JUST LIKE JESUS
Many of us are coming to a place in our walk where, like Jesus, we will find our good intentions being misunderstood, our friends
deserting us, even people that we trust wrongly accusing us and even God seemingly silent to our cry for help.
Every mature child of God will not be spared this battle. This is a path that we all have to walk through sooner or later. But praise
God that when we come out at the other end of the journey, we will find ourselves becoming like vessels prepared for noble use.
(2 Timothy 2:20-21)
Like the prophet Isaiah, we will then cry out, "For the Lord God helps me: therefore have I not been ashamed or confounded.
Therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame." (Isaiah 50:7- Amplified Bible)
PRAYER FOR COVERING
"Heavenly Father, as we prepare to walk through the storm that comes against us, we ask You to guard our hearts always.
Help us to fix our eyes upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Break us and mold us and put us back together. When it
is Your hands doing the work in our lives, we know that we will be safe. We entrust ourselves into Your loving hands and even
when we don't feel or see Your hands, we will trust Your heart for we know You desire only the best for each of us. In Christ name
we ask these things. Amen!"
PSALM 23:4, 6 (AMPLIFIED BIBLE)
"Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil for You are with me; Your rod
[to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. Surely only goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days
of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place."
Blessing to you all,
Sis. Ching Co
Cebu City
Philippines
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