I began this writing with a deep sense that the Father desired me to bring words of comfort to his people who are hurting and confused by various trials. There are so many of His kids who have in the past, walked very closely with Him, but they’ve undergone some tremendously difficult trials and testings that have left them battle weary and unsure.

Maybe you are one of these Saints; you have a love for God and a passion for the Kingdom that is uncommon for this hour we live in, but because of this, the devil wants you arrested and silenced before you do too much damage to the realms of darkness. However, little does He know, that all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. If you are one of these weary believers, I’d like to encourage you to remain hopeful that your trials will end and better days will prevail as the Father reveals His purposes and Jesus walks you into His victory. I’m a living testimony to the faithfulness of God to come near to those who have drawn near to Him while under trial.

I am a fairly unknown voice in the christian world, not for any reason, other than I’ve made the choice to surrender my life and earthly pride to Jesus. The calling of God upon our lives and His anointing isn’t there to promote self, it’s there to promote Jesus and reveal the Kingdom of God to dying people who need a Savior. It’s been a glorious and sometimes very lonely road to walk down, but what I’ve attained in Christ, far exceeds anything I would have gained by following the ways of man or the desire for the ever-changing praise of men. This broad path of self-exaltation is a compromising road to success that has no eternal value, it only brings with it earthly, temporal rewards, meant to satisfy the fleshly part of us that the Lord longs to crucify in our hearts, as it’s not a part of Him.

In this present world where high-end christianity is a saleable product to the masses; it’s not a popular or easy road when you decide to not be self-exalting, and follow the Master outside of the city gates to the place of true obedience, regardless of the cost. It’s much easier to go with the flow and take the way of the crowds, which may end up getting you a few pats on the back and an occasional “way to go” from a colleague in ministry, but it can never position you in the heavenly places to be a voice against the spiritual adversaries of God. Truth is the only established weapon against Satan that prevails and being clothed with Jesus is how we are recognized as having authority to speak it.

We are in a war with unseen enemies and unlike many believe, this war is real and it’s fierce. Yes, Jesus won complete victory over the enemy through His death and resurrection but look around you and see if there is not a war still waging in the earth between good and evil. God has called His church to be more than conquerors in this life, and to show His wisdom to principalities and powers, but it can’t happen as long as we are confessing His name while clutching onto this world. We are foolish to think we can stand in such a place of warfare without being clothed in the full armor of the living God. Our only victory over the god of this world, is the blood of the Lamb and the word of our Testimony; which should be His Word and His wonderful works in our mouths.

God allows all of those who love Him deeply to be sifted thoroughly, so that we can be raised up and recognized, not among earthly dignitaries as some so desire, but among the one’s who count the most, which are heavenly hosts of wickedness as well as Angels. If the enemy does not recognize you as being clothed with Christ, he will by no means take your words with any weight or seriousness.

In order to be an effective warrior for God, you must allow His truth to be a living part of who you are. It must be more than something we learn to quote or clichés we learn in church. It must become a way of life for us; born from a sincere desire to be His disciple. Jesus put it this way “If you abide in me and my word abides in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you” Having His truth in your heart is a vital key of the Kingdom of God to possessing a voice that moves the spirit realm. Truth is a difficult road: the path is narrow and unpopular but the reward is unimaginable. Allowing the truth of Gods Word to become an integral part of your very existence is to make a shout out to God that says “I LOVE YOUR SON!” Jesus said these words to His disciples “ If you love me, you’ll be loved by my Father and whatever you ask the Father in my name, that will He do” This is matter of fact statement to true possession of the favor of God. If you love me, keep my commands.

Okay, let’s look at the expression “I love Jesus“ for just a minute. Loving Jesus: is it an emotion or an experience? No! These things accompany love, but true love walks by faith and in truth by appropriating the Words of God into our lives and hearts. Do I say I love Jesus but allow my own desires to dictate what I do, feel, say? No! Do I say I love Jesus and walk in an unforgiving spirit? No! Do I claim to love Jesus but find it comfortable fellowshipping with the unruly and disobedient? No! I am in no way suggesting that we are not to extend love and mercy to those in need of Him and show grace to those who are new in Christ and need discipled but what I’m saying is, should our circle of friends and those who influence our lives the most be made up of ungodly people or disobedient believers? We are not to sit in the counsel of the ungodly, so therefore, this compromise is not according to the Word of God; it plainly says to come out from among them and be separate says the Lord and I’ll be your God and you will be my sons and daughters. I know many believers who surround themselves with ungodly counselors and then wonder why they don’t see God moving in their lives.

In this time and hour we’re living in, we desperately need to realize that those who truly, passionately love the Lord, will be tried by the fires of God. We must be refined so that what separates us from Him and causes the enemy to have a place in our lives; gaining victory over us, is totally destroyed. This comes when we humble ourselves in our trials and draw near to God, then in turn He draws near to us; changing and transforming us through His Spirit. His Presence draws near to every place in us that has been surrendered to His control. What we surrender to Him, is what He will cause multiplication to come to. Jesus said, “If you lose your life, you’ll find it, but if you seek to save your life, you’ll lose it” He was in essence saying, if you give me your whole life and lose control of it, I will give you the life abundantly that you so desperately were seeking after and couldn’t find, but if you cling to what’s rightfully mine, death will come because you will have control and it will be out of my hands.

When we really love the Lord, we need to count ourselves blessed when He takes us into the wilderness to be confronted by our enemies temptations. He only does that for those whom He loves; He only allows correction and purification by fire to come to those whom He receives. So, don’t count those hard times as enemies, but press into Him and see Him reveal to you His intended purpose. Take up His Word in your heart and fight against what’s battling you, that’s contrary to His Word. Even in the war, God is making us strong and ready for battle. He desires His Church to move in the grace that Jesus Himself moved in and truly bring light to a dark world and liberty to the captive souls. This is the path chosen by God that is the narrow one which leads to life. This is the avenue by which all great men and women of God who’ve went before us have come; not those who have their names in the lights of this world, but those who’ve had a voice in heaven. This is the way of our Master and this is how we are sanctified: through truth and through fire.

It’s an opportune time right now to find out what the will of the Lord is; by reading it daily, receiving it and living it. Jesus said “If you abide in my Word, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” The epistles state that if any man loves this world, the love of the Father is not in Him. We can’t change His ever abiding Word to satisfy a lust filled, worldly church. It’s time we consecrate ourselves once again to God and separate ourselves from this world. Jesus gave His life willingly, to close a gap between mankind an a Holy God; a gap that was not crossable without the shedding of blood. He laid down His own life, so that His Spirit could dwell within you and present you, through sanctification, as a living sacrifice to God; Holy and acceptable. Because of the obedience of the Son of God, when we approach our creator, the blood of the lamb is before us to prevent holiness from judging unrighteousness and His Spirit was provided to us, so that what is unholy could be cleansed and presented as spotless before His glory. This is the reason for the trials that come by fire to our lives. So then, Let’s commit our lives fully to the one who’s called us by His own glory and virtue and receive with meekness His implanted Word which is able to save our souls.

The truth of this unshakable Word is what’s beating from the heart of Jesus to His people and resonating as a beckoning call to us from the Holy Spirit in this hour. Truth is what makes us free from all of the Satan’s lies, deceptions, temptations and attacks. It’s what sets us free from the strongholds of the enemy that try to come into our lives and into the lives of those we minister to. Gods people should seek out, not only to know the truth by acquiring greater knowledge but also by walking in truth, through obedience to it. We need to not be forgetful hearers but be doers of the work, this is how our blessings will come. To love Jesus means to abide in truth, His Word is truth. So let us take up the whole armor of God, by which we will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

Written by: Pamela Halstead
Midnight Oil Ministries