Hope in the Winds of Adversity

 

Holding on to my hat as I made my hike up the mountain knowing it was going to be a windy prayer time. But instead of going to my usual spot which blocks the wind I felt urged to ascend to the highest point. Gale force winds quickly caused me to get on all fours as I reached the top and thinking to myself “I’m too old for this.”

These North East winds off of the Atlantic can be brutal as only a few months ago they tore down a rusty radio tower leaving it in a tangled mess. On this day the only way I could stand was to grab ahold of a cement post marker and hang on for dear life.

After being pounded on for a few minutes I descended to a cleft in the rock and pondered creation’s power. As I begin to pray over various situations I thought about how many people are facing difficult winds of change  and adversity already in 2023. There have been sudden unexpected deaths of loved ones, chronic health issues, a terminal diagnosis, a painful divorce, battles with addictions, economic woes, severed relationships, and a culture that seems in constant chaos.

 

 

My mind went back to the cement post that kept me standing in the midst of turbulent winds. Two Scriptures came to mind, Hebrew 6 and Psalm 91. Both of these texts preach on how we  as believers find security and hope when the winds of adversity are way too powerful for us to stand against.

Soak in these Spirit breathed words of Hebrew 6:

“And now we have run into His heart to hide ourselves in His faithfulness. This is where we find His strength and comfort, for He empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time- an unshakable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God Himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold, and where Jesus, our forerunner, has gone in before us. He is now and forever our royal Priest…” (18-20, TPT).

 These words are a beautiful commentary of Psalm 91 which describes our anchor of unshakable hope this way:

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…He will cover you with His feathers and under His wings you will find refuge…” (1-4, NIV).

 Oh, Praise the Father for the gift of Jesus!!! His finished work opens the door into the Holy of Holies where by faith we kneel on the heavenly Ark of the Covenant, sheltered under angel wings.

I stood up from my little wind shelter and looked at that cement post again thinking about the unmovable power of living on the mercy seat. No matter when the storm gales Christ holds on to His children. Not only can we survive the spiritual battles but we have this “unshakable hope” which gives us the spirit of victory knowing eternity is secure in His everlasting arms.

May 2023 be a year of “unshakeable hope” living with Jesus on the “mercy seat.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Spirit Lead Me…”

We drove onto a dirt road that twisted through shacks made of whatever materials could be found and arrived at a pre-school made of corrugated metal. Inside were beautiful children being taught and cared for by women with big hearts and bright smiles. Here was a little oasis in a troubled township called Khayelitsha, which is home to over 1 million people just 20 minutes from the modern city of Cape Town South Africa.

As Mike and I spent time in this township learning about it from various ministries we were overwhelmed by what we saw and heard. The need, poverty, violence, spiritual darkness, and injustice goes beyond anything I have experienced before. The pastor who took us to visit the pre-school shared that only 5% in that township know the love of Christ and the church struggles to survive in this spiritual war zone.

We learned from the leaders of Beautiful Gate, another powerful light in the darkness, how the schools are underfunded and don’t have enough qualified teachers or resources to effectively teach. They also shared with us the family crisis of fatherless homes that leads to gang violence that permeates the townships with fear.

As we were touring Beautiful Gate’s campus a young girl ran up to Mike and I and asked for a hug. Then she wanted us to watch her play on the play ground set with a group of other children. As we got ready to leave she once again wanted to give hugs and followed us back to our car and with a contagious smile said, “I love you!” A couple of mornings later I was reading about Paul’s vision of a man from Macedonia standing and begging him, “come over to Macedonia and help us,”  (Acts 16:9).  As I read these words my mind went to the little girl who needed hugs and love and the Spirit’s voice calling and tugging through her words.

I’m not sure what it all means yet but I know the Spirit is again calling Oceans to step out in faith to follow His leading. We had so many divine appointments and meetings that only the Spirit could have arranged. One morning Mike and I were worshiping together by listening to a play list of worship songs and sure enough the song Oceans popped up and called us again to live in radical faith following the Spirit’s leading:

“You call me out upon the waters – The great unknown where feet may fail – And there I find you in the mystery – in Oceans deep my faith will stand – Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders let me walk upon the waters wherever you may call me…”

Ask the Spirit to lead you today to a God ordained encounter that will will advance His name and love in way that He alone will be praised and glorified through you!

The Steps of A Disciple

A disciple of Christ will experience amazing highs and difficult lows and yet grow to know the amazing power and love of Kingdom of God breaking forth into the world.

Be blessed as you listen to Michele Bennett’s story of living as a radical disciple of Jesus Christ in Lesotho Africa.

From Orphan to a Messenger of the King!

Listen to the amazing story of a young young man named Lerato and his journey from Lesotho, Africa to Japan.

What Does God’s Kingdom Look Like?

I recently spoke with a group of men from southern California, parents of students at Ontario Christian High School, who accompanied their kids on a trip to Lesotho, Africa, and experienced God’s Kingdom in a tangible way.

Dads Kevin Hardy, Perry Eichor, Chris Congleton, and Bryan Vander Tuig discuss their experiences of traveling to Lesotho with their kids, seeing and experiencing God moving and working with them and through them during their time in Lesotho. The groups teacher/leader, Jeremy Zuidema of Ontario Christian, also relates how God provided for him to step out of his comfort zone to embark on the trip and was faithful beyond expectations in blessing the group’s time and efforts.

Listen to the entire conversation below: