He Has Overcome the World

"None of these things move me" (Acts 20:24).

We read in the book of Samuel that the moment that David was crowned at Hebron, "All the Philistines came up to seek David." And the moment we get anything from the Lord worth contending for, then the devil comes to seek us.

***

When the enemy meets us at the threshold of any great work for God, let us accept it as "a token of salvation," and claim double blessing, victory, and power. Power is developed by resistance. The cannon carries twice as far because the exploding power has to find its way through resistance. The way electricity is produced in the powerhouse yonder is by the sharp friction of the revolving wheels. And so we shall find some day that even Satan has been one of God's agencies of blessing.  --Days of Heaven upon Earth

***

A hero is not fed on sweets,

Daily his own heart he eats;

Chambers of the great are jails,

And head winds right for royal sails.

--Emerson

***

Tribulation is the way to triumph. The valley-way opens into the highway. Tribulation's imprint is on all great things. Crowns are cast in crucibles. Chains of character that wind about the feet of God are forged in earthly flames. No man is greatest victor till he has trodden the winepress of woe. With seams of anguish deep in His brow, the "Man of Sorrows" said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation"--but after this sob comes the psalm of promise, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." The footprints are traceable everywhere. Bloodmarks stain the steps that lead to thrones. Sears are the price of scepters. Our crowns will be wrested from the giants we conquer. Grief has always been the lot of greatness. It is an open secret.

"The mark of rank in nature.

Is capacity for pain;

And the anguish of the singer

Makes the sweetest of the strain."

***

Tribulation has always marked the trail of the true reformer. It is the story of Paul, Luther, Savonarola, Knox, Wesley, and all the rest of the mighty army. They came through great tribulation to their place of power.

Every great book has been written with the author's blood. "These are they that have come out of great tribulation." Who was the peerless poet of the Greeks? Homer. But that illustrious singer was blind. Who wrote the fadeless dream of "Pilgrim's Progress"? A prince in royal purple upon a couch of ease? Nay! The trailing splendor of that vision gilded the dingy walls of old Bedford jail while John Bunyan, a princely prisoner, a glorious genius, made a faithful transcript of the scene.

***

Great is the facile conqueror;

Yet haply, he, who, wounded sore,

Breathless, all covered o'er with blood and sweat,

Sinks fainting, but fighting evermore

Is greater yet.

--Selected

***

Christ did not promise that there would be no trails; in fact, he said, "In this world you will have tribulation..." Contrary to popular belief, this ethereal journey of Christianity is not one of ease, but one of challenge and difficulty. Fortunately, Christ did not end with His proclamation of tribulation. He finished by saying, "...but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." No, the life of a believer is not one of ease, but it is one of reward. 

I have often said that there can be no attainment of the promise without there first being an endurance of the process. The human body grows stronger and larger in correspondence to the resistance it meets. The human soul and spirit is no different. As the vicissitudes of life pour into your existence, as the enemy attacks from every side, as the waves of discomfort and disquietude smash against the walls of your sanity, know that God is using your pain to develop you. He is the potter and you are the clay. Though painful, your trials are working for you a far more exceeding weight in glory (2 Cor. 4:17). ~ Dr. Rick Wallace 

Expectations Beyond Us

"But prayer" (Acts 12:5).

But prayer is the link that connects us with God. This is the bridge that spans every gulf and bears us over every abyss of danger or of need. How significant the picture of the Apostolic Church: Peter in prison, the Jews triumphant, Herod supreme, the arena of martyrdom awaiting the dawning of the morning to drink up the apostle's blood, and everything else against it. "But prayer was made unto God without ceasing." And what was the sequel? The prison open, the apostle free, the Jews baffled, the wicked king eaten of worms, a spectacle of hidden retribution, and the Word of God rolling on in greater victory.

Do we know the power of our supernatural weapon? Do we dare to use it with the authority of a faith that commands as well as asks? God baptize us with holy audacity and Divine confidence! He is not wanting great men, but He is wanting men who will dare to prove the greatness of their God. But God! But prayer! --A. B. Simpson

Beware in your prayer, above everything, of limiting God, not only by unbelief, but by fancying that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things, above all that we ask or think. Each time you intercede, be quiet first and worship God in His glory. Think of what He can do, of how He delights to hear Christ, of your place in Christ; and expect great things. --Andrew Murray

***

Our prayers are God's opportunities.

Are you in sorrow? Prayer can make your affliction sweet and strengthening. Are you in gladness? Prayer can add to your joy a celestial perfume. Are you in extreme danger from outward or inward enemies? Prayer can set at your right hand an angel whose touch could shatter a millstone into smaller dust than the flour it grinds, and whose glance could lay an army low. What will prayer do for you? I answer: All that God can do for you. "Ask what I shall give thee." --Farrar

***

"Wrestling prayer can wonders do,
Bring relief in deepest straits;
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates."

***

I can think of no greater weapon of the believer than prayer. Not prayer in the broad sense of the word, but faith filled prayer that bears specificity in its expectations. I'm am speaking of prayer that is not presumptuous in believing that it can comprehend the omnipotent power of God to respond to its requests in ways that are far beyond the believer's limited perspicacity.

When prayer is executed through the conduit of audacious faith, its results in efficacious and supernatural transcendence of what the human mind can fathomed.

The effectiveness of every believer is inextricably bound to the commitment and consistency of their prayer life.

Efficacious prayer is never regimental, ritual or religiously driven. True prayer yearns God's presence and relishes the relationship that develops through one on one communication with Him.

So, I encourage each of you to commit yourself to consistent prayer. Let God move in your life in ways that will excite your friends, confound your enemies, and elevate your existence. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

Standing on the Edge of a Breakthrough!

Many of you are standing on the edge of a breakthrough right now, but you can't see it because you have been blinded by circumstance. I want you to understand that the darkness, anguish and pain that is in your life right now is real, but it is not your final reality. God is working in the midst of the darkness, heartache, and struggle to shape His masterpiece in your life. He is perfecting you through your pain. He is building spiritual aptitude through your anguish. He is developing character as you traverse the enigmatic conundrums that seem to plague your life. He is perfecting love through your loneliness (I know this one is a hard one to accept; trust me).

Make no mistake about it my friends, there can be no attainment of the promise without there first being an endurance of the process. The thing is not to become discouraged in the process, but to engage it with hope; understanding that God is about to perform a supernatural transformation in your life.

My great-grandfather was an uneducated man, at least by our standards; however, when it came to wisdom, it literally seethed from the pours of his skin. My geat-grandparents adopted as an infant and reared me in the Christian way, so in truth and in heart, they are my parents. When I evaluate all of the wisdom that my grandfather imparted into my life, the greatest piece of advice he ever gave me was simple. As we sat on the front porch, he said, "Son, as you engage life you will find yourself in one of three places; going into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of a storm...your responsibility while in the storm is simple, come out of the storm a better man than when you went in."

Well, how do you come out of the storm better than when you went in? You do it by surrendering to the movement of God as he shapes you through the hurt. By acquiescing to His will while He refines you through the heat of the purifying flame of distress. You come out better by resisting the seed of bitterness and anger. You come out better by understanding that many have traveled this road to greatness: 12 Beloved, do not be amazed and bewildered at the fiery ordeal which is taking place to test your quality, as though something strange (unusual and alien to you and your position) were befalling you.
13 But insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, rejoice, so that when His glory [full of radiance and splendor] is revealed, you may also rejoice with triumph [exultantly]. (1 Pet. 4:12-13, AMP). This is simply the pathway to fulfilling your God-ordained destiny.

Yes, my friend you are at a "not so comfortable" place in your life, but do not despair, the God you serve specializes in the impossible and He is working your moment out for your blessing. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.~ Dr. Rick Wallace

The Depth of Audacious Faith

"Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him..." (Job. 13:15)

In the midst of the most trying and devastating time of his life; while his friends falsely accused him, Job declared that even if God would take his life, he would trust him. I just want to take a minute to talk about this type of trust. I call this type of trust "audacious faith".

I see a lot of posts of self-proclaimed faith on different social-media sites and Facebook is no exception. The thing is that speaking about faith and living it is two totally different things. I am a preacher of faith. I understand the immense importance of faith in the life of the believer. When I began my ministry, one of my mentors told me to that when I preach faith I would have to live it. This year has been the darkest and most painful in my life. I have been attacked on every front. I have experienced loss in multitudinous ways. For the first time in my life, I literally thought I was going to break. I found myself facing the reality of walking in my words. No amount of reasoning could level out the rough places in my life.

There were times I wondered if God knew just how close I was to breaking. The truth is that He knew very well my state. The truth is that God was giving his testimony of my faith by placing me in a situation in which I had no choice but to use it. I was in a situation that extended beyond my intellectual prowess. I was being plagued by enigmatic conundrums that transcended my limited perspicacity of God's plan. What I did have was faith. I believed that God is God and that nothing is impossible with Him. I believed His promise that He would never leave me nor forsake me. I believed His promise that no weapon formed against me would prosper; no matter how it looked on the surface.

Although I could not understand why He was allowing the enemy to wreak immeasurable havoc in my life, I decided to trust Him with my life. I decided even if I lose my life, I will not relinquish my hope and trust in Him.  I do not dare compare my struggles this year with Job's devastation, but I know what it feels like to have darkness settle over my life with no sign of reprieve. I know the pain of loneliness while traveling though the darkness. I know the heartache of loss; however, I don't want you to feel sorry for me. In the midst of my darkness, God showed up and responded to my faith.

Audacious faith refuses to allow the circumstances in your life to dictate your state of mind. Audacious faith does not consider impossibility. Audacious faith does comprehend failure and acquiescence. Audacious faith is not shaken by the darkness. Audacious faith dares to trust God, even when it seems that God has chosen to destroy all that matters in your life.

I want to encourage you to learn to trust beyond your circumstance. Learn to stand beyond your pain. Learn to believe beyond your intellect and rationale. Learn to trust God with your life, even to the point of death; only then will you truly live. ~ Dr. Rick Wallace
http://focusedchristian.blogspot.com

Know The Heart of the Pilot

To Know the Heart of the Pilot
Three passengers share a row of seats in an airplane. As the plane is taxiing for takeoff, their conversation turns to the topic of the airplane pilot.

Stunningly, passenger “A” doesn’t believe one exists. “No one flies the plane. We are guided by a computer system in the terminal. This plane is an occupied drone.  Why should I believe otherwise? The cockpit door is closed. Who can know? There is no pilot.”
Passenger “B” disagrees. “Oh, there is a pilot. Someone sits at the controls of the plane. But, once we take off, he takes a nap. He gets the plane in the air and then goes to sleep.”
The third passenger is shocked by what she hears. “You don’t know what you are talking about. First, there is a pilot. Second, the pilot is alert, competent and kind. I know; he is my husband. He is seasoned and sensitive and has every intention of a successful flight. We are in good hands.”

Three passengers. Three opinions. A plane with no pilot. A plane with a disengaged pilot. A plane with a seasoned and concerned pilot. Fast forward a few minutes. Turbulence shakes the plane like popcorn in a paper bag. Will the three passengers experience the flight in the same way? Of the three travelers, which is most prone to stay calm?
Nothing is more important than the right view of God. Nothing. I’ve seen the wealthy and highly educated crumple like cowards at the face of death. I’ve seen the simple and humble take their final breath with a smile and a song. The difference? They knew the Pilot.
You need to know the heart of the pilot. That is why the story of Jesus is in the Bible. He is the only picture of God ever taken. To know Jesus, is to know God. To know God is to know: this flight gets bumpy, but the Pilot? He knows how to get us home.

Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com

The Truth Without Photoshop

The Marriage Institution in America

Relationships:
I don't believe that it is a coincidence that I have been approached in person concerning struggling marriages 4 times in the last two days or that posts concerning relationships seem to be dominating Facebook's news feeds. When I wrote the "When Your House is Not a Home" Series I was keenly aware of the current turmoil of the marriage institution in Western Culture.

The conundrums that face marriages here in the United States are multitudinous and cannot all be addressed in one post; honestly, they cannot all be adequately addressed in a single book. However, if I could narrow it down to 3 major problems that if properly addressed could positively impact the current state of the marriage institution here in America, it would be:

1. Men abdicating their God ordained roles as leaders, protectors, and providers in order to pursue self-indulging behavior. Men left a huge void in American culture as we trickled out of the family home into the world of selfish and narcissistic behavior. We have done exactly what the Bible said the wayward would do; we have became lovers of ourselves, having a form or Godliness, but denying its power. As men, in general, we have given the the Christian faith a black eye. We have failed our homes and our women.

2. Women having misplaced their self-worth in a meaningless shuffle to have a man, even if the man belongs to someone else. As men  moved out of their anointed positions, we drafted women in behind us to fill roles that we left behind; roles they were not designed to fill. As women begin to fill these roles, they became more vulnerable to the influence of secular and cultural paradigms that fostered the feminist movement. It is simple, a woman desiring a man cannot take on a state of mind that is determinate to not having one, or should I say, not needing one. Over time the moral fiber of this nation disintegrated and the standards of women plummeted along with their self-worth. As long as a woman doesn't understand her worth as it is revealed through her relationship with Christ, she will always be at the mercy of men who fail to value her. In order to be valued by others you must first value yourself. (Ladies, here's a little secret from a man that believes that women are God's greatest creation, bar none. Even a man that values a woman will not settle for a woman that does not value herself. He knows that she will eventually self-destruct and take him down with her.)

3. A poor understanding of the marriage as a biblical institution and the significance of the covenant that binds both mates in marriage. In western culture (the largest dating culture in the world), we have the highest divorce rate. I will cover the significance of that in depth at another time. In America we marry based on feelings, emotions, and every other thing that is fleeting. In truth a biblical marriage stands on its own merit, not the emotions of those within it. What I mean is in Eastern Culture, husband and wife marry the marriage first. That means they understand what the marriage means and they marry the commitment and they personally adapt to one another. Marriage is a triangular covenant and it is unique in that way. While most covenants are either horizontal (between men) or vertical (between man and God), the marriage is both. If you will take the time to read Malachi the 2 chapter you will begin to gain a small insight to how God views marriage and the covenant that sustains it.  In short, we must get over ourselves and put God first.

The simplest way to address the dilemma succinctly is through my favorite quote: "A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first in order to find her." When a women is truly hidden in Christ she protects herself from the ungodly element that is wreaking havoc on this culture. The problem is most of our women are looking for godly men at the club, happy hour, and every other secular social event under the sun. The truth is that its hard enough finding true Godly men in church (trust me, there are plenty heathens there too), what are the chances you are going to find him in a place controlled and patrolled by the enemy. Its like looking for a 4kt diamond at the city dump. Is it possible you will find one? Yes, but not likely.

Ladies, make yourself ready by hiding your heart within the arms of Christ. He will prepare you for your blessing (And for Heaven's sake stop shopping for Christian Dior at Walmart). Men, let go of self and seek God and allow the Holy-Spirit to transform you into men of valor so that you can adequately honor your woman of virtue.

God bless- Dr. Rick Wallace

I Will Wait for You!

The Phenomenon of a Godly Woman

I had to Re-post:

Females, lets be clear....and REAL....a man isn't cheating with you because you are so good at being the other woman....he's cheating with you because you aren't good enough to be THE woman. I laugh at women that brag about being the "go to" woman when the man gets bored at home, & you try to put down a submissive woman for being who God designed her to be. Learn what submission really means. A submissive woman is far from weak, because a true submissive woman knows how to carry the load for him and her both without him even having to know it. She knows how to speak to his spirit & not his lusts. She knows how to push him to his dreams instead of pulling him to destruction. She knows how to pray with him and not play with him. She knows how to be quiet even when her flesh wants to speak. She knows the value of his hard work & not just his dollar. A submissive woman is his "LIFETIME" but you are just a "GOOD TIME"...and that's all you will ever be. He knows that he can throw a few dollars & material possessions your way & that's all you will ever expect. The other woman makes it easy for a man, the submissive woman makes it easy for herself by making him EARN & not buy her. You are the O.T.H.E.R. woman...an Overplayed Toy He Eventually Releases.... Original Author Unknown

**********

I still believe that the power of a Godly wife is underrated and her role misconstrued. For the men that have a Godly wife, be grateful and honor her. Don't fall for the trap of what looks good outside of your marriage. For those that are waiting, pray that God sends you a Godly wife at the right time.

It is often said that behind every good man is a good women; no, she is  great. Do you know why she is great? Because of what was written above and the fact that she knows his weaknesses and instead of belittling him or exploiting those weaknesses, she stands beside him and serves as his strength until he becomes strong enough in those areas. She understands that she is his glory, so she gives great care to reflect his strengths because his greatest reflection is seen in her. In her smile she reflects his love. In her posture she reflects the security he provides. In her gait she reflects his leadership. If you want to know a character of a man, simply observe his wife. If you want to evaluate the potential for greatness in a man, simply observe his wife. The Bible tells us that he that finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor in the Lord. I will say that outside of salvation, God has provided man with no greater gift than the virtuous wife.

For the women that don't understand the phenomenon and power of the Godly wife and her submissive role, a great deal of your misery lies there within. Strive for the virtue of holiness only found in a Godly and submissive women and God will bless you with the honor, love and happiness that you seem to be seeking erroneously.  ~ Dr. Rick Wallace

A Call to Order

Men: I am often asked the question: If you can change anything about you life, what would it be. The common answer would be "I would not change a thing."...However, the truth be told, if I could change one thing, it would be this:

"I would strive to honor every woman in my life (mother, daughters, sisters, friends, and especially the wife that God will provide). I would take my Godly manhood more seriously and apprehend the immense impact that I have on those around me. I would choose to empower the women in my life instead of belittling or berating them through my acts of indifference and disregard. I would exude quiet and effective confidence in lieu of arrogance and self-indulgence. My swagger would based on the power of God present in my life instead of some false sense of self-importance." I thank God that he is a God of second chances and that it is never to late to find your way.

So men I am calling each of you to step up and live out your design as husbands, leaders, coverings, providers, protectors and the ultimate reflection of Christ."

Women: "To my Christian sisters, on behalf of every man who has hurt you, every man who has left you with the responsibility of raising your child alone; to every woman who has had a man decimate their dreams; to every woman who’s scarred emotionally, physically, or spiritually, I personally apologize. You too, have been scarred, disappointed, disenchanted, and in many ways cheated. You have been deterred from fulfilling your own destiny, but the time has come to rise up and become all that God designed you to be." (Dr. Rick Wallace, The Invisible Father: Reversing the Curse of a Fatherless Generation, Odyssey Media Group, 2011)

Ladies it is time for you understand your self-worth; to determine what you will and will not accept and to walk in your design. Whether you realize it or not you are the strength of a man. Your words of affirmation confirms his manhood and directs his energy and focus. [A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek him first in order to find her]. Allow God to place a man in your life that will honor you and together you will fulfill God's design for your life.

God bless

Dr. Rick Wallace