Church revolution

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Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 30, 2009 at 8:12am

No Pain No Gain

By Stan Tyra

Acts 16:25-34, where Paul and Silas, beaten and locked up in the Philippian jail, offer prayer and praise to God. He delivers them with an earthquake, and the jailer and his household become believers.

It is taught by some in the modern church that believers can expect an easy road in life if they will only have faith. It is good—even absolutely necessary—for true believers to believe and have faith in God. But the Christ of the Bible has never said “Life should be a breeze!”

Anointed Fighters— good Anointed Fighters—sometimes go bankrupt. Anointed Fighters get cancer. Anointed Fighters lose their jobs. Trials and adversity are real, even for believers—perhaps especially for believers. They touch every one of us and they hurt (and they usually have nothing to do with our faith level).

So how do you handle adversity in your life? Do you gripe and complain, saying, “Oh, woe is me!” Do you challenge or question God? “Why are You letting this happen to me?” Or have you learned to view trials as an opportunity to grow and to draw closer to your heavenly Father?

Children who get a cut or a scrape run to Mommy or Daddy for comfort—somehow their comforting and reassuring kisses make life better. The pain offers yet another opportunity to exchange love and deepen the bonds of unconditional love between children and parents.

In the same way, trials and hard times should propel us into our Father’s arms. Rather than run from Him, we must run to Him and find comfort, strength and direction in His presence. Our faith is in Him, in His abiding love, and in His Word; not in the false expectation that all trouble and adversity will leave our lives.

Jesus said, “A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” He also gave us this great promise: “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” You are on assignment in enemy territory, and trials and adversity are part of living in a fallen world. As God walks through the hard times with you, the problems serve as purifying fires burning away your impurities and strengthening you for service— if you embrace the process of growth. Your trials tend to either make you or break you—it all depends on your response.

Paul and Silas were thrown into the Philippian prison, with their feet in stocks and their backs bruised and bleeding from wrongful beatings. They could have moaned and groaned, but at the midnight hour they were too busy “praying and singing hymns to God”! They transformed their pain into praise and their stripes into songs of joy. The jubilant worship birthed in the midst of fierce tribulation became a sweet fragrance in the nostrils of God. The presence of the Father arrived with such force that it shook the earth and brought deliverance to His worshipers. The sweet fragrance of their worship even affected the lives of the jailer and his family and changed their lives forever.

Athletes know that in order to grow stronger their muscles must be stressed and stretched in exercise so even stronger tissue will generate. This principle of “no pain, no gain” even applies to the Christian life. We cannot grow without pain and resistance. While the Lord is never the source of the pain, He works all things together for good for those of us who are called according to His purpose.

God uses the trials and hardships of life to draw us closer to Him and to develop greater maturity in us so we can go on to greater things. Willing worship in times of tribulation becomes the sweet fragrance that brings God near.

It’s easy to praise God when things go well. Have you learned to worship Him in hard times as well? Your trials and adversity are fresh opportunities to praise and worship God—and to experience new growth. When life hurts, don’t run away— run to Daddy!

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 17, 2009 at 10:00am

There is a Fragrance in the Air
by Stan Tyra

Because we in Northwest Arkansas recently went through a major ice storm, there has been a lot of cleaning up to do which has included the burning of brush piles. Because the tree damage was both wide spread and extensive, there have been many piles of limbs and debris of which many have been burned. The days following this storm there were small fires all over the place which released an almost continuous aroma throughout the region. All of this has reminded me that God has called us to a greater purpose and the aromas of those small fires are beginning to be noticeable. I may at any moment throughout the day get a whiff of something in the air that is the result of fire.

In the spiritual realm, I am also getting a whiff of something in the air that is the result of fire, the fire of God’s presence. It’s creating an aroma of revival. Not a one week or two week revival that leaves you the same as before, but a tsunami of God’s presence poured out on His people who are so hungry for Him they will not dictate how He comes, just that He comes. A wave of God’s presence that sweeps through a city, a region, and a nation pushing before it all of mans arrogance, pretense and religious rituals and leaves behind nothing but evidence of brokenness and repentance. The waters have been stirred and the swell is building!

Comment by alvarino aka vino vieira on March 15, 2009 at 11:50pm

AMEN

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 15, 2009 at 9:17am

AMEN STAN! May the same be said for this Anointed Fighter Online fellowhsip ! In Jesus Christ Name !

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 15, 2009 at 9:16am

Unity Not Uniformity Carries the Glory

By Pastor & Anointed Fighter Stan Tyra,

Do you feel like you are carrying a load that is too much for one person to bear? Are you looking for others to help you carry the load, bear your burdens? The answer is not more people around you. The answer is to lay your burden down so you can lift up Jesus’ name. The only way the Levites could carry the ark was to put down whatever else they had been carrying to pick up the ark. They had to walk in unity. Just as God was in the midst or middle of the cherubim, He was also in the middle of the four men, the ark bearers. God always dwells in the middle of unity.

Carrying the ark wasn’t the sort of job that brought fame or the fortunes of men to those who did it. We find no record of an “ark-carriers hall of fame”. We don’t even know the names of most of the selfless individuals who swerved in this critical capacity. Yet without them, how many battles would have been lost? How might history have been altered if they were absent? One thing we know; if the ark was carried, they did it together. God could have designed the mercy seat and the ark in any numbers of ways, but I find it interesting that he chose to design it in such a way that one person would not be able to carry it alone. The Ark of the Covenant, the earthly dwelling place for heavenly glory, was just too big to be carried alone.

I long for the glory of God to invade our cities. However, just as the ark could never be borne upon a single set of shoulders, nothing that I could ever do alone will ever be sufficient to make that dream a reality. That task requires many committed, consecrated individuals who are willing to “grab the poles” and walk together to carry the presence of God into their homes, churches, and cities.

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 10, 2009 at 5:33pm

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 10, 2009 at 7:35am

Someone reflecting on the mysteries of walking by the Spirit said, "I think we need to pull in the oars and put up the sail!" I like that. When we walk by the Spirit, we stop striving. We are no longer driven; we are led. "For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14). When we come to the end of our resources, we discover His.

Prayer:

Father, In the name of Jesus Christ, help us to quickly set aside human resources today so we may walk in the strength and adequacy of Your Spirit.

Comment by Zeal on March 9, 2009 at 6:23pm

"...Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven..."

Adon, Your will be done, not ours...
B'shem Yeshua Mishiachanu...

*Smile~...Welcome,...appreciate your exhortation and encouragement for knowing who are in Him and what we have in Him, and for fighting the good fight...; I look forward to learning more about you and church revolution

~Z

Comment by Nathaniel Baker on March 9, 2009 at 9:51am

thanks for the invite sir.

Comment by ANOINTED FIGHTER on March 8, 2009 at 10:15pm

Stan, Great to have you and Church revolution on Anointed Fighter. Welcome in the name of Jesus Christ. We look forward to "Fighting The Good Fight" with you.