Continuing today with the Book of Daniel we witness Daniel continually defeating all the distractions that tried to remove his focus off of God. While the Book of Daniel is filled with distractions I want to bring the key distractions to your attention. · Daniel had to be enduring jealously from some of the children of Judah. (This is not written in the Word but I can imagine this scenario.) There is always someone that becomes jealous of another receiving favor. I can see all the gossiping going on behind David’s by his own people. “He thinks he’s better than us. Won’t eat the King’s food. Who does he think he is?” Can you see that? · Daniel had enemies that were scheming behind his back that were not of the tribe of Judah. (Daniel 6:7) “All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.” · Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel 6:10-14, " Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. 11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. 13 Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.” My God! I see nothing but distractions. But Daniel kept his eyes on God. He refused to look at everything that was going on around him. Once again he refused to compromise! Oh that we would have a spirit like Daniel. Tossed into the lion’s den and still held his focus. No screaming for help from Daniel. He kept his focus and trusted God to save him. Today if you are in the midst of the lion’s den, stay focus and keep all your trust in God, for as He did with Daniel, so shall He do for you. Keep your eyes on God! Evangelist Cheryl Davies (Fear Not Ministries) (www.fearnotministries.com)
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""Shalom" is comprised of four Hebrew letters: "Sheen", "Lamed", "Vav" and "Mem". The letter "Sheen", represented as teeth, illustrates destruction. "Lamed" portrays a staff and illustrates authority. "Vav", illustrated as a nail or a tent peg, carries the ideas of fastening, securing, or establishing. And finally, "Mem" is displayed as water, and illustrates chaos. So the Hebrew word picture for "shalom" communicates this message – "destroying the authority that establishes chaos"! Do you want "shalom" in your life? You will need to deal with the roots and causes of chaos. The one and only successful way to do that is through faith in and identity with Yeshua (Jesus) your Sar Shalom – your prince of Peace – because He has already disarmed the authorities which establish chaos and will soon destroy them completely. He said, These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." [John 16:33]" (Quoted from George Whitton, Worthy Briefs) You can find more of these great Worthy Briefs Devotionals at http://www.worthynetwork.com/sign-up Do you fight with feelings of being inadequate? The enemy within me. This is a fight within and the hardest battle to defeat. Am I living up to my full potential? Am I being obedient to God? I messed up once again. God said that he forgives me, but so He really? These are questions that we all ask ourselves at one time or another. I want you to know that this isn't you. This is words whispered at your mind. Thoughts that entered through the suggestions of the enemy because he knows that if he can make you fill guilty, he has a chance of persuading you to take that step out of alignment with God. If you beat yourself up it opens the door for him to beat you down even more. Just stop it. That's right. Stop them thoughts the minute they begin. Begin to take on the thoughts of God. Does He not say in His Word: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11) God's thoughts for us never change. He knows us better than we know ourselves so let's begin to see ourselves as God sees us. We have to stop listening to the report that does not belong to God. When those thoughts enter your mind begin to cast them out immediately. And if you begin to feel you are losing the battle in your mind, then you better go up. Use your spirit language because our spirit knows how battle even better than you. Be blessed! Evangelist Cheryl Davies (Fear Not Ministries) Bondage has only two purposes and that is to make you sin and to keep you out of heaven. It's time to stamp an expiration date on your bondage. Set your date and work to be free when that day is reached. Tell the Devil, "Your time is short because my freedom is at hand. You better vacate the premises by ___________ or face your destruction." Hebrews 2:14-15, "Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (NKJV) Evangelist Cheryl Davies (Fear Not Ministries) A few years back I was fighting several personal battles. It seemed like I was being bombarded by the enemy. But battle I did. As in the natural, when we battle for too long we become battle weary. I was tired of battling but it got to the point where I did not know how to come off the battlefield. It began to become a burden to me. I felt drained all the time. Couldn't sleep because I was waging war in my sleep. I was not just fighting personal battles, I was battling for others as well and I had not learned how to come off of the battlefield. Up until this point I had only fought 1 or 2 battles at a time. But in order to become what God has called you to be takes training and training goes from the easy to the extreme. This still did not tell me how to come out of the battle or that I needed to come off the battlefield. Our Father, God always knows what we need and so He sent me to someone that could help me. Her name was Pastor Rita Miles and the first thing out of her mouth when she spoke to me was, "Battlefield too long." There was other key words that she spoke to me but when God speaks to me I have to get to a place where it's just me and Him. So I went and found a quiet place and began to speak to the Lord. I told Him that I knew I had been in battle too long and that I had become battle weary. I didn't know how to come out of the battle, and that only He could help me come out. God softly spoke one word to me and my life was changed. What was that word? "Release." And with that word spoken, all tension left, all fatigue left, and I was free from the battles just like that. Now here's the thing. I was so caught up in the battle that my face was covered in spiritual sweat and blood and I could no longer see. I could no longer see that the enemy had been defeated. I could no longer see that the battlefield was empty and only I stood, swinging away at invisible foes. You must see when you have won the victory and stop battling. There is always a time when we must come off the battlefield. Do not let the enemy deceive you into thinking that you still have to fight after the battle has already been won. Sometimes also the enemy must see that he has been defeated. If you are still swinging and he's beaten, even he won't know that the fight is over and it's time for him to give up. As intercessors we have to learn how to sometimes come off of the battleground. As Christians we have to know when to stop fighting. When you have won, the battle is over and sometimes it just takes you walking it off to cool down before you can see that all your foes have been vanquished and that you can now begin to walk in the victory. This does not mean that there will not be other battles, but you must always know when the battle you have been fighting is won and come off of the battlefield. To God be the GLORY! Be blessed! Evangelist Cheryl Davies (Fear Not Ministries) So we have been through a season of battles. Faint not though because there was purpose in the battle. God sometimes have to tear things down before they can be rebuilt in manner He decreed. The reason for this is that we take on so much of the world that it becomes hard to tell the difference between what is godly and what is worldly. Even though we can’t see the difference sometimes, God always sees. He knows when we make a wrong turn and so in order to get us back on track he has to break some things down and then rebuild them the way He intended them to be. This takes going through a battle because our flesh does not want to let go. Our flesh hates change. Be honest with yourself. If you have a particular way of doing things, and you have always done things that way, you know you don’t want no one coming in and tell you a different way to do it. Now God is telling you, that way was wrong. That’s right. It was all wrong. Now do you think your flesh is going to take that without rebelling? No. 1 Corinthians 15:31, "[I assure you] by the pride which I have in you in [your fellowship and union with] Christ Jesus our Lord, that I die daily [I face death every day and die to self]" (AMP) It is a battle to die to the flesh. Paul says we are to die to the flesh daily. If it’s easy for you then you have not defeated a thing. Just as quickly as you agreed to God’s way of doing things you will go back to what you are use to. And then some ways down the road you will realize that you are back where you started. Wasting time. I don’t want to waste any time going through the same thing over and over again. I need the battle so that I can remember what it took for me to get to this place. Look at history. Even though we ourselves have not fought the past battles how many battles can you name off the top of your head that the World has fought? World War 1, World War 2, Civil War, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War. It’s not easy to forget a war that’s been fought. And when you are the one fighting the war, you know you will remember every mistake you make, because you won’t want to make that mistake again. But you don’t only remember the mistakes – you remember even more the victories and what you did to become triumphant!! That’s why it’s so important to know what season you are in. Are you in a Season of Battle or are you in a Season of Birthing. Because we know that after the flesh has been defeated God births something new in the spirit because now you have made room for what He has. So the battle has been won and now it’s time to get into the birthing position. 1King 18:41-44, “And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. 42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, 43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not." (KJV) Verse 42 says that Elijah cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. He got in his birthing position. He was ready to birth some rain upon the earth. What is your birthing position? You’re birthing position may not be the same as mine. My birthing position is prostrate before the Lord. I know some whose position is kneeling and others bent over, and even others who stand or walk during the birthing process. Know your position. This is the birthing season, but what position are you in? Are you prepared to give birth? The baby will struggle to be born if you are not in the proper position to help it make the transition into this world. This world needs what you are carrying so you have got to get into your birthing position. Be blessed! Evangelist Cheryl Davies Fear Not Ministries |
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