Rayni Risher

Partnering with God

by Leave a Comment

[Guest Post by Paula Friedrichsen] It takes perseverance to enter a season of sustained breakthrough, and it takes “continued perseverance” to go one step further and press into your destiny. Perseverance means “steady persistence in a course of action, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.”

The way to adequately maintain the perseverance needed to press into all God has for you is by “partnering with the prophetic.” Partnering with the prophetic involves hearing the Word of the Lord for your life—and then walking in faith, patience, preparation, and perseverance until that word is fulfilled. There’s an interesting example of this scenario found in the book of Esther.

Wicked Haman had devised a murderous plan to annihilate the entire Jewish nation. Through the courageous actions of Esther and her uncle Mordecai, the plot was foiled. However, what I find interesting is the fact that King Xerxes’ edict, “granting the Jews the right to assemble and protect themselves” was issued on “the twenty-third day of the third month”… yet the appointed day for this conflict wasn’t until, “the thirteenth day of the twelfth month” (over seven months later!).

If you think about it, in reality the entire situation changed the moment the king wrote that edict. But the Jews didn’t actually see the effect of that edict until many months later. The Jews had to “partner” with the King’s word. First of all, they had to believe the word. Then they had to exercise patience for that word to come to pass. Next they had to prepare for the conflict even though it was many months away. And eventually they had to persevere against their enemies in the day of battle. In the end, they had to partner with the king’s word to see it become their destiny.

And we must do the same. We are called to partner with the prophetic words the Holy Spirit gives us. We begin that partnership by pressing into our breakthrough and refusing to give up no matter what comes against us. Destiny is interwoven with breakthrough, and breakthrough will often precipitate destiny.

Here’s what the sequence looks like when it comes to partnering with the prophetic:

  • God speaks to you.
  • God confirms His Word.
  • It takes root in your heart and becomes an unshakeable thing which is dear to you.
  • You begin to speak about it, pray about it, and plan for it.
  • It is repeatedly substantiated in different ways.
  • The enemy comes for it (which in-and-of itself is further substantiation of its validity).
  • You fight for it with faith, patience, preparation, and perseverance.
  • In the fighting for it, your dream and destiny are refined and defined—and the roots grow deep into your heart and mind.
  • With deep roots, your dream and destiny are free to begin to flourish and thrive.
  • You step into it! You won’t be denied. You won’t be swayed. Fear of man and fear of failure cannot stop you. It is yours!

I’m not sure where you are along that journey—but be encouraged that God rewards tenacity. He’s seen you stand your ground when you have felt like giving up. He’s seen you stay obedient to His directives, even when they didn’t make sense to you. He’s seen you continue to press into your destiny and calling, even when others put you down or doubted your ability to rise to the top.

He’s seen you persevere through unfathomable difficulties and hardship with a smile on your face and worship on your lips. Be encouraged that God sees and God knows—and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Your new day is coming like the dawn! It’s going to be bright and beautiful, and it’s going to be worth each and every sacrifice you made along the way!

Paula Friedrichsen is an ordained minister who lives with her family in California. This article is an excerpt of her latest book, “A Season of Breakthrough: Four Strategies to Living a Life of Sustained Freedom”. To find out more about Paula’s ministry visit www.PFMinistries.com

 

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Taking the Long Way

by 2 Comments

This week is Passover so I was just re-reading the story of the original Passover in Exodus, chapters 11-13. At the end of the last chapter I smiled as I read these verses:

“It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt. So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea.” Exodus 13:17-18

After the final plague caused Pharoah to let the Israelites leave slavery in Egypt, God led them to the Red Sea. But on the way to the sea there were two different routes He could have chosen to take them. A shorter route and a longer route. To us, the shorter route always seems to be the most logical, doesn’t it? But God, in His wisdom, sent them the long way. It was for their own good but they didn’t know that at the time.

When the Road Seems Long
As it says in the verses above, the shorter route would have led the Israelites by the Philistines where there could have been a war. God knew that if that happened, the Israelites would, out of fear, run right back to slavery. That’s the exact opposite of what He wanted for them. So He decided to take them the longer way which was a safer route.

Have you ever felt like God was taking you the long way?

You feel like you’ve been waiting forever on a prophecy or promise to come to fruition. Or for freedom from a stronghold. Or for your prayers for another person to be answered. After a while it’s easy to start questioning God, wondering if He cares or if He’s even listening to you. But…

When You’re in the Wilderness Just Keep Trusting God
In the Bible the wilderness is usually a place of testing and refinement. Christians often refer to their own “wilderness experiences” as times when they wondered if God really still cared or existed. We read that the Israelites:

“…moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.” Exodus 13:20-22

Whether you are on the edge of the wilderness or right in the middle of the high brush…or if you’re on the longer route rather than the straight shot to deliverance…remember that God is with you. He’s leading you. He’s watching over you. He’s protecting you. He’s doing miracles in your midst. Whether you feel Him there or not. When you see Him and when your sight fails you. He’s there.

If He’s taking you the long way He’s doing it out of wisdom, not to torment you.

Maybe there is danger in the shorter route, or you just need the extra time on the road to understand what He’s teaching you or for Him to prepare you for what He’s leading you into. But He’s there…so just keep going. Because He’s trustworthy. His character precedes Him.

 

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

God Encounter-Leviticus

by Leave a Comment

How many of you out there can’t wait to sit down and read through Leviticus? Wait, I don’t see any hands raised. While surely there are some people who enjoy reading this book of the Bible, for most of us it can feel like a bit of a chore to get through. Lots of instruction for the Israelites about sacrifices, offerings and daily life.

But here’s the thing.

There is a lot of amazing truth we can learn from Leviticus. Not the least of which is this:

God is holy.

God or gods
“We try to reduce God to a size that conveniently fits our plans, ambitions and tastes. God cannot be fit into our plans, we must fit into His. Holy refers to a life burning with an intense purity that transforms everything it touches into itself. Because the core of all living is God, and God is a holy God, we require much teaching and long training for living in response to God as He is and not as we want Him to be.” (Eugene Peterson, Introduction to Leviticus, The Message)

In the book of Leviticus God communicates to the people of Israel in meticulous detail about everything from the ordination of priests to how to treat infectious diseases. Through all of it they are reminded that God, with all of His wisdom, is in charge and that they have a choice of whether they obey Him or walk away from His wisdom.

In Chapter 26 God lovingly and very specifically lays out what the results of their choice of obedience (or disobedience) will be. Living by God’s decrees include an abundant harvest of food, a country of peace, and God’s very presence among them. Rebelling against God will bring the exact opposite. The Israelites have a clear choice and they will reap what they sow.

This is About a Relationship
But this isn’t about a killjoy rule-keeping Creator. It’s about a God who is so desperately in love with His people that He desires to live in communion with them. And because God is holy, their fellowship with Him becomes broken and polluted when they willfully choose an unholy and disobedient path. God doesn’t love them any less but His holiness can’t abide unholiness.

Peterson also tells us, “Back in Egypt (where the Israelites had come from), a great god’s “holiness” meant that only rich and well-connected people could expect any attention. For daily needs, ordinary people stuck to household gods who did what you wanted. In Canaan, where the Israelites were heading, things were worse (if possible): Canaanite gods liked orgies and child sacrifices, just for starters. No wonder the Israelites needed to get clear on what their God meant by holiness.”

God’s instructions and rules were designed to protect the Israelites from falling into the horrific actions that the Canaanites were practicing, like murdering their own children as a sacrifice to their god. God’s instructions to them are about their own welfare as well as His holiness; He wants to protect them and also live among them.

God is in the Neighborhood
One of the most beautiful promises from God to the Israelites, if they choose a holy life, is this:

“I’ll set up my residence in your neighborhood; I won’t avoid or shun you; I’ll stroll through your streets. I’ll be your God; you’ll be my people. I am God, your personal God who rescued you from Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians. I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely. (Leviticus 26:11-13)

The Creator of everything and everyone created us so He could love us and have a relationship with us. He wanted that with Adam and Eve, He wanted that with the Israelites.

He wants that today…with us.

Let’s take some time this week to think about the holiness of God and how we have the opportunity to let our life, thoughts and actions invite God’s Holy Presence to purify and transform us, creating a deeper fellowship with Him.

In the end this isn’t so much about following a list of rules as it is desiring to walk away from impurity and walk closer toward our Holy, loving Father God.

 

 

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

God Encounter-Exodus- A Holy Experience

by Leave a Comment

One of the most famous God encounters in the Bible comes with Moses and the burning bush. But there is another interesting, and actually heart breaking, encounter in the book of Exodus between the Israelite people and God.

A few months after God demonstrated His compassion, mercy and miraculous power by rescuing the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He tells Moses to get everyone ready to encounter His presence as they are camped in the desert at Mount Sinai.

Get Ready for God
“God said to Moses, ‘For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God…because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make His presence known to all the people.’ On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.” (Exodus 19: 9, 10-13, 16)

“All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, ‘You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.’ Moses spoke to the people: ‘Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin. ‘The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.” (Exodus 20: 18-21)

Fear or Fear?
After reading about the intensity of the scene at Mount Sinai it’s understandable that the people were afraid. But here’s the thing…In the Bible when the “fear of God” is talked about, normally the word “fear” is a Hebrew word that means “respect, awe, reverence for God.” That is what Moses was describing that God wanted to instil in the people.

There is a difference, then, in fearing God and, say, being afraid of someone who is chasing you with a knife. Those are two completely different fears. The Israelites were just plain afraid. Instead of letting reverence and awe turn them toward the good and kind God who had already demonstrated His trustworthy nature to them, they allowed fear to persuade them to not want to encounter God directly.

While God wanted to have a relationship with each one of them, they were scared so they asked Moses to be their middle man. You notice that even though Moses was also trembling at the encounter with God, he still walked up into the cloud of God’s presence to meet with Him.

Moses wanted to hear from God!

I Have Experienced That Trembling
There have been a number of times in my life where I have been so overcome with the deep reverence, respect for and awe of God—the fear of God—that all I could do was to lay down completely prostrate on the floor, whole body trembling, and worship God. It is a “fearful” experience but not in a bad way.

It’s a holy experience.

One of those times came in the middle of the night in the midst of a loud and fierce Florida storm. The bright flashes of lightening and the loud claps of thunder kept awakening me throughout the night. As I lay awake I kept thinking that this must be a portion of what it sounded like that very day at Mount Sinai.

About the fourth time I was awakened by the thunder I completely felt the fear of God (awe, reverence, etc). The only way I can describe it is that God’s presence felt like a thick atmosphere in my room. The only possible response I had was to get up out of bed, lay with my face to the ground and worship God. In the middle of the night. In my dark bedroom. My entire body was trembling and it was an awe-inspiring experience.

The Same But Different
Encountering God, being in His presence, exposes how unclean and sinful we are. And yet, because Jesus’ blood has cleansed us and made us righteous in the eyes of the Father, the Bible says we can “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” (Hebrews 4:16)

The writer of Hebrews continues, talking about the scene in Exodus, “Unlike your ancestors, you didn’t come to Mount Sinai—all that volcanic blaze and earthshaking rumble—to hear God speak…No, that’s not your experience at all. You’ve come to Mount Zion, the city where the living God resides. The invisible Jerusalem is populated by throngs of festive angels and Christian citizens. It is the city where God is Judge, with judgments that make us just. You’ve come to Jesus, who presents us with a new covenant, a fresh charter from God. He is the Mediator of this covenant. (Hebrews 12:18, 22-24)

Let’s rejoice in Him!

So…
God wanted to meet with the Israelites but out of fear they declined. Have you ever done that? Turned your back on God because you felt scared or full of shame or unclean?

This week I encourage you to meet with God. Take the time to read His words, listen for His voice, serve Him, get on your face and worship Him with reverence and awe. Trust that as a follower of Jesus, made righteous because of His death and resurrection, you can boldly approach God’s throne and fellowship with Him.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Permission to Be Human

by 1 Comment

I had great plans for the first part of last week. Articles to write, a video devotional to record, a blog with technical problems to update.

And then my husband got sick and was home for the entire week.

Suddenly my plan was thrown into chaos and then put on the back burner. Onto the front burner came extra cooking, cleaning, sanitizing, organizing, a visit to the doctor, and watching movies with my husband who was laid out on the couch in misery.

Then I started reading updates via Twitter, Facebook and email about all the wonderful things that other writers were accomplishing that week. And I thought about everything I had planned to write and didn’t.

I started to compare myself to others and sink low.

But here’s the deal. I’m deciding to give myself permission to be human. Because God does.

“As a father has compassion on His children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear (respect, revere, stand in awe of) Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.” (Psalm 103:13-14 NIV)

No, permission to be human doesn’t mean choose to be mediocre for the rest of your life. No, it doesn’t mean start willfully sinning because God’s grace will cover it.

But it does mean that sometimes something you didn’t expect happens and you have to put the rest of your life, and your ambitions, and your control of the situation on hold to do something more important.

Like taking care of your very sick husband.

Like actually living the life you’re writing about anyway. And trusting that God’s holding your future and it’s not going to be ruined by something unexpected being thrown into your path.

Because in the end, in terms of ministry, my husband comes before my writing.

Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission to be human. Whether your plans change because of sick kids at home, unexpected overtime at work, or something else you didn’t envision happening.

Maybe some nights you make a quick microwave meal instead of something fabulously homemade. Or you give yourself extra rest time because you need it, rather than making sure every last dish in your sink is clean and put away.

“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.” (Psalm 145:8)

We’re human. Stuff happens. Some days we feel like we just summited Mt. Everest. Other days we feel like a flop. And God has compassion for us in the midst of it.

When is a recent time you had to give yourself “permission to be human”?

 

 

 

Facebook Twitter Pinterest

Subscribe