It’s important to go back to the Word every day to get fortified and remind ourselves of who God is and what He has done for us!

for•ti•fy (verb): To strengthen; to give physical strength to; to invigorate; to add mental or moral strength to; to confirm. To strengthen and secure by forts. Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary*

Those who love your law have great peace, and nothing causes them to stumble. Psalm 119:165

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3

But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. Psalm 3:3

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth change and though the mountains slip into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake at its swelling pride. Psalm 46:1-3

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1-2

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

If you’re feeling drained, worried, or stressed, set some time aside to strengthen yourself through prayer and reading and the confession of God Word. God wants to be your firm foundation and fortress.

God bless you!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2011 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. *Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary Fifth Edition. Copyright 1936 by G. & C. Merriam Co.

Thus says the Lord to you, “Do not fear or be dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.” 2 Chronicles 20:15b

Are we ever going to learn that last line? How often do we try to take the battle back into our own hands! Our God is a warrior and has a plan for this whole universe. He knows more about the future than we do about the past, and He is worthy of our trust.

When Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, learned that his enemy was about to attack him on three fronts, he sought God. Instead of dwelling on all the problems, he deliberately focused on how big and great God is: “O Lord, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the heavens? And are You not ruler over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You” (2 Chronicles 20:6).

Then Jehoshaphat did something unprecedented in military history: He put praise-and-worshipers on the front line of battle.

He appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.” Now when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated. 2 Chronicles 20:21b-22 NKJV*

While they were worshiping God, the enemy was defeated! God is telling us something about the power of seeking Him: Your flesh may loathe praising God when you are going through a struggle, but that is right where you’ll find the solution.

As Jehoshaphat sought God, he declared, “We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (2 Chronicles 20:12b). So gaze at God and only glance at your problems. Rededicate yourself to reading the Word, where you’ll see the faithfulness of God through the ages. Pull up breakthrough moments in your past and write them down.

“Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the Lord is with you” (2 Chronicles 20:17b). You can face tomorrow with confidence because the forever-faithful God is with you!

Give it to God,
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. * New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Do not give the devil an opportunity. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:27, 31-32

Love, conforming to the image of Christ and valuing people, produces an atmosphere charged with potential. If we let ourselves become bitter instead of living this Christian life to the fullest, we are of no good to those who desperately need help. Jesus, with ultimate love, came to bridge a fallen world to a holy God and to set captives free. But He didn’t stop there. He sent the Holy Spirit to help us so we can overcome every obstacle in our lives and help others break out of their bondage.

Sow with a view to righteousness, reap in accordance with kindness; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord until He comes to rain righteousness on you. Hosea 10:12

There are seasons when God will move on a generation and give them an opportunity to turn to Him. I believe we are approaching such a season, and now is the time to deal with the weights and encumbrances that try to make us back off (Hebrews 12:1). As we humble ourselves and are quick to repent, we open the door to an increased flow of God’s love in and through our lives.

Keep your eye on the big picture of what this life is all about: As you believe for God’s perfect will to come to pass and stay ready to follow the Holy Spirit, you will see resistant hearts open up to the gospel and closed nations welcome Jesus’ perfect love.

Get Ready!
Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2009 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.

Of the sons of Issachar, men who understood the times, with knowledge of what Israel should do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their kinsmen were at their command. 1 Chronicles 12:32

Like Issachar’s tribe, God wants to sensitize us to His timing. Solomon wrote in Ecclesiastes that “there is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven” (3:1). It’s essential to understand the times in order to prepare for God’s calling.

God is bringing the nations to our doorstep and we must rouse ourselves. We’re getting ready to expand as a church, despite the fluctuating economy. It’s the right time to move forward. The church is not subject to the world’s ebb and flow because “we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken” (Hebrews 12:28). When darkness encroaches, we’ll step up and bring the light. “For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).

Get Alone With God: 1. In Prayer 2. In Quietness 3. In the Bible 4. In Praise. Esther prepared for her “such a time as this.” There are things that God wants to do through your life that you must prepare for. Between birth and death you have this thing called life, which is your season on earth to champion the cause of Christ: to manifest the love of God, to exhibit kindness, to press on through the battles, to achieve the great accomplishments for which you’ve been set apart.

Above all else, we must be sensitized to God’s timing and to what He is saying. During the dark time in her nation Esther relied on prayer and fasting. In the next month or so, some of the most significant decisions are going to be made for our land. We must pray now. Don’t lethargically wait to see what happens. Be an active doer of the Word. There are people attached to your obedience to pray big prayers, to avoid sin, to press on and not grow weary in well doing. As you push aside distraction and seek God in prayer, what was meant for harm God will turn around for good (Genesis 50:20).

Let’s move forward,

Pastor Jeff Perry
St. Louis Family Church®

Copyright © 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.