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When Your Heart Is Troubled

When Your Heart Is Troubled

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There are moments in life when your heart is troubled. An emotion rises – agitation, hurt, fear, or indignation – and we feel the inward surge to respond, to justify, to rebuke, or to attack. The initial emotion may not be sinful in itself, but it places us on dangerous ground. In that moment, we stand at a crossroads and choose: will we let emotion govern us, or will we let the Holy Spirit lead us?

David understood that moment well. He speaks to it in this scripture:

Psalm 4:4 (NKJV) Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

The Hebrew meaning behind the phrase “be angry” does not point to explosive rage. It literally means you feel inwardly disturbed or agitated. It means your heart becomes troubled with emotions common to us all. Such feelings will shake you at times, even the righteous. But those emotions are not permission to react in a way which wound others or offends God.

So God gives the antidote in the very same verse: “…meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.”

Pause. Take a breath. Withdraw. Slow down.

Turn your heart to speak openly and honestly with your Father, who understands when your heart is troubled. Quiet your soul in His presence before you speak or act.

RESOLVING AGITATION IN YOUR HEART

It is remarkable how the apostle Paul picks up this verse and applies it directly to New Testament believers:

Ephesians 4:26-27 (NKJV) Be angry, and do not sin: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.

Paul understood David perfectly. His words echo the same thought. Yes, you will at times feel agitation. That is human. But you must not allow it to become sin. And you must bring it to a quiet conclusion quickly, before it intensifies and opens a door to the enemy.

Paul adds the warning to not give a place to the devil. Although a horrifying thought, the truth is that unresolved agitation becomes an invitation, a landing pad that welcomes Satan’s intrusion. I’m not talking of “possession”, I am talking about giving your adversary an advantage to encourage you to sin or manipulate you further. But stillness before God in an attitude of surrendered prayer denies that advantage and returns the heart to the control of the Holy Spirit.

ALIGNING WITH GOD’S HEART

David takes us one step further. After the insight into how to respond to our troubled heart, he shows us the right action that follows:

Psalm 4:5 (NKJV) Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

Once the soul has been calmed, once the inward storm has quieted, God calls us to make decisions that align with His heart. Not decisions born from panic. Not actions fueled by fear, resentment, or self-protection. But “the sacrifices of righteousness” – choices to honour God, even when they may cost us something.

And then comes the invitation: “…put your trust in the LORD.”

When you realign your heart with the Holy Spirit and the Father’s intention, you shift from allowing your humanity to govern you to letting His grace and enabling power lead you. You release the offense and forgive the person. With God’s help, you see differently. You boldly embrace tomorrow.

This is where the journey takes you: not into heaviness, not into pressure, but into restful assurance. Into the knowledge that the God who rescued your heart will also determine your steps. It is trust. It is a restored confidence. Not in the circumstances but in the One who is far greater than those circumstances.

My friend, you may be facing a situation today that has deeply shaken you. You may feel troubled. You may feel the tremble of uncertainty, the sting of injustice, or the pressure of responsibility. But all of this, fully surrendered to God’s grace, can be healed and turned into a point of empathy and identification with others travelling through similar circumstances. He redeems your pain and creates, from it, a cruse of oil.

Your Father does not condemn your emotion; He simply guides you through it, leads you beyond it, and transforms it into something beautiful.

Having a troubled heart is not the end of your story.  It is the beginning of a journey of grace. In the stillness you will find Him there, His Father’s heart extended, ready to embrace, ready to restore.

Do Not Be Intimidated

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My dear friends, what an incredible hour we live in! It is no exaggeration to say that the Church is now the last ray of hope for a planet that hell is trying to take over and control. And yet, when I listened to the voice of the Holy Spirit, I hear him thundering out the battle cry of God, “Do not be intimidated!”

I want to declare right at the beginning that at no time am I referring to people, politicians, or movements of any kind. I speak about a spiritual warfare!

Ephesians 6:12 (NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

But in order to control this planet, Satan and his hordes must first intimidate its people into a conformity and submission to his own agenda. Satan cannot rule the minds of those he does not first intimidate! But the blood-bought, Holy Spirit empowered Church of royal sons and daughters now raises its voice to loudly declare, “We will not be intimidated!”

We speak it into the cosmos, we speak it into the heavens, we speak it into the unseen spirit-realm! “We will not be intimidated!” Why? Because Jesus has made us a promise:

John 14:27 (NKJV) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

The dictionary tells us that ‘peace’ is “freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, intimidation or obsession; to be in a state of tranquillity; serenity, of mind.”

Take note of ‘freedom of the mind’. My friends, there is a spirit let loose in our planet right now that seeks to imprison the minds of God’s people. It seeks to rob us of our peace, our faith, our initiative, and our boldness of spirit.

You have to see what is behind it: Satan fears you! He fears the initiatives of faith and conquest that God is giving His people to possess in their vocations, their places of influence, their cities, and their nations. He fears the initiative of God in YOU!

And so, he has let loose the spirit of intimidation. Which he must first establish in order to impose a spirit of manipulation and control. Your spirit, your heart, cannot be manipulated and controlled unless you have first been intimidated. But Jesus has powerfully declared that we are not subject to that spirit.

John 8:36 (NKJV) Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Spiritual freedom is part of our inheritance as a believer.

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

The spirit of darkness speaks intimidation to you. But Jesus declares freedom to your spirit, to your heart, and to your mind! Tragically, many Christians today are being subtly affected in both the decisions that they are currently making and the vision that they are embracing for their future… the faith initiatives of tomorrow! Satan’s goal is to shut down your faith initiatives, your spirit of conquest, and the taking of new territory. But he must not succeed!

Let me give you some words that help identify that the spirit of intimidation is at work.

“However!” “But!” “If?” “Maybe?” The introduction of a question, “Has God really said?”

These four words try to qualify that which God has clearly told us to do.

The message I have been given to declare to you today, as a Prophet, is twofold:

  1. Do not be intimidated – in either your present decisions or your future vision.
  2. Realise that any shaking that God does allow, if correctly responded to, will always result in a greater spiritual authority, for the believer, for that church, than previously ever experienced.

Hebrews 12:28 (NKJV) Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

It is important to understand what this is saying. The Greek word for ‘kingdom’ is the word ‘basiliea’. Literally this means ‘the authority to rule over’. We need to be reminded of the incredible spiritual authority Jesus gave all those who are fully submitted to His own authority.

My friends, the kingdom of God has always, and will always, operate on a very simple principle: “The authority you are under determines the authority you carry”. Every demon of hell knows that!

  • Circumstances do not determine your spiritual authority! (your ‘kingdom’)
  • The opinions of others do not determine your spiritual authority!
  • The prevailing opposition against biblical truth does not determine your spiritual authority!

The kingdom of God CANNOT be shaken. Regularity of meetings for Christian activities may be shaken, perceptions of how we do church in any given season maybe shaken… but the kingdom of God (the authority of Jesus to rule over) can never be shaken!

And if we so choose to walk in daily submission to the lordship of Christ, we also carry an indestructible, undeniable authority that the vast bulk of Christians totally under-estimate.

The degree to which we carry that authority and exercise it effective is now, and will always be, determined by the degree to which we are fully submitted to the lordship of Christ and the truth of His unqualified Word. It is only as our decisions are an obedient extension of Father’s own will and purpose, that His authority is granted to us to execute that task!

But that kingdom authority itself cannot be shaken. We need to be reminded of this today!

The kingdom authority of God that we carry, is eternal, omnipresent, global, and it has existed from before the beginning of time and will continue beyond time as we know it. It emanates from the throne of heaven and fills our hearts by the Holy Spirit. It cannot be shaken! It’s the authority of God, it’s the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that we carry!

My friends, under the authority of the King, arm yourselves with His written Word and stand tall in the authority He has given you.

 

Watch a four-minute video where David shares about An Indestructible Authority.

 

God's light breaking over the horizon

God of Light

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God is a God of light, not a God of darkness. In a world where so much darkness abounds, this is a much-needed truth that we need a revelation of. We need to get our theology from God’s Word.

1 John 1:5-7  This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.

God is a God of absolutes. This scripture says that ‘in Him, there is no darkness at all’. There is far too much dilution, pollution and contamination when it comes to our view of darkness and light. It is not politically correct to talk in absolutes, but it is biblically imperative and theologically accurate. It’s not about being dogmatic – it is about truth.

God is a God of light, not a God of darkness. It says that if we walk with God, then we will not continue to walk in darkness. This is not talking about people who made a decision once or prayed a prayer once. It is describing people who actually walk in fellowship and friendship with God. It is not talking about having moments of making wrong choices. It is talking about people who continually walk in darkness.

Jesus is the Light of the World, and if we are truly walking with Him, we will walk in the light.

1 John 1:8-10 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.

This scripture is a good reminder that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). To claim to not sin is pride and this displeases God. Acknowledging our sins ‘as sins’ is imperative to walking in freedom. Ignoring them or watering them down is always to our detriment.

Our freedom comes, not from perfection, but from Christ, the anointed Son of God. And that freedom is released through taking responsibility for our sins and asking Jesus to forgive us. Yes, we have all sinned. This is a reality. But we also all have a Saviour who wants to forgive us, cleanse us and give us life to the full!

Praise God that He is the God of Light and that we can walk with Him in the light.

One Handful or Two

One Handful or Two

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God asked me one day, “What do you have in your hand?” Not literally in my hand, but what was I juggling in my life? And when I answered the question honestly, I realised that it was not just one handful that I was carrying, but actually I had both hands full. And my hands were full to overflowing. I was so busy doing things for God that I had been distracted from chasing after God himself.

I have found myself at times chasing many things. And they may have been good things – related to family, ministry, or church life. But as a bit of an over-achiever, I can easily find myself with too much on my plate. I say yes out of enthusiasm to help others, which can result in feeling worn out or depleted.

Ecclesiastes 4:6 Better one handful with tranquillity than two handfuls with toil and chasing after the wind.

When I was younger, my Dad used to have a bit of fun when offering us certain foods – such as a slice of cake or slice of cheese. He would ask whether we wanted a one-handed slice or a two-handed slice. Of course, if my friends were around, they would always ask for a two-handed slice – it sounded like it was going to be so much bigger and so much better! But in fact, a two-handed slice was so thin and fragile that it needed to be held with both hands. It would crumble at a moment’s notice. The one-handed slice was the one you really wanted – it was thick and stable and easily held in one hand.

When both our hands are so full of stuff in our lives, it is like that two-handed slice. Life seems like it will be so much better when we have two hands full – but in fact, too much and our lives feel thin and as if things would easily crumble. We end up chasing after the wrong things, and it takes all of our energy to ensure that things don’t fall apart. But we don’t want to drop the ball or let people down, so we keep straining to juggle our many responsibilities. As a result, our life feels unstable and uncertain.

When I chase after many things that are not in God’s plan, I lose my tranquillity. I forfeit that inner state of being calm and settled. I end up toiling and working so hard I lose my joy. And if we are honest, amidst the many good things in our lives, we can end up a slave to what seem to be good things. But too many seemingly good things are not always right if they are not in God’s plan.

Matthew 6:33-34 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

Jesus teaches us not to worry about tomorrow, and to seek Him first. God’s ways are always higher than our ways. If we stick to one handful of the things in life, we have the other hand free – to hold God’s hand. To allow Him to lead and guide us. To ensure that we have the margin and space in our day to hear His voice and be led by the Holy Spirit. With one hand full, our lives are stable and secure in Him. And with just one hand full, we also have the other hand free to help others along the way as He directs.

So, allow Father to speak into what you have in your hands. Don’t get caught up in meaningless toil – live your life with one handful, not two.

Philippians 1:6 (TLB) And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns.

Stillness and Silence

Stillness and Silence

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Sometimes when the pressure of decision is very real, there is a place that I like to go.  It’s a place in which stillness and silence reigns, where the beauty of God’s handiwork is seen so clearly.  It’s so easy to love a place like that for so many reasons: the quietness, the beauty, the serenity of nature’s touch.  But most of all, for me, it is a place where I find my Father’s heart.

Psalm 23:2 is such a well-known scripture – He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

His silence is still golden. In an age where the pressure of decision seems to be an ever-present adversary, we need to know a place where we can find our solitude.  A place uncluttered by the affairs of man and the tension of the time clock ticking our moments away. A place where we can hear God clearly.

In my quest for such a place over the years, I have often found some beautiful and wonderful spots.  Places that still linger and minister to my mind.  But not always so.  There are times when such a place, is not to be found.  For reasons many and varied, our search for solitude remains an unfruitful one.  For too many this moment becomes a time of crisis.

It is in such moments that the reality of the Holy Spirit is such a comfort.  I have discovered that we can find a place of haven, wherever we are.  It’s not a place of trees, and soft waters in the natural, but rather a place where our minds are at peace and our hearts are ministered to by His love.  The Bible says that the love the Lord Jesus Christ can give is a love “beyond all understanding”.  He speaks of a peace which is above all ability to reason or comprehend.  It’s a peace which knows no limits and has no barriers.  It’s a peace not borne out of the efforts of man, but has upon it the sweet touch of the Divine. A place of stillness and silence where the loving heart of the Father ministers to us by the Holy Spirit.

When people question me concerning the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ, there are things I can refer to.  The miracles, the healings, the transformed lives, the sheer joy in our services from people who have previously only known despair.  But perhaps one of the greatest evidences of all is that ever present peace which is greater than my understanding.

The peace of which I’ve written, is a peace freely available.  But will never be found in the strife and struggle of physical or intellectual endeavour, for it is spiritual in nature. By coming to the Lord Jesus who is its Source and Supply we can receive in a moment that which may be the quest of a lifetime.

My prayer is that you will find your haven of stillness and silence soon, for I know how much I value mine.

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A dove representing the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Power

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We live in a time when too many Christians accept such a small part of what God intends for our new life in Christ. We also live in a time when so many (myself included far too often) try hard to be good, rather than be filled to overflowing with the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:11-12 (NKJV) I (John the Baptist) indeed baptise you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

This scripture can be a little confusing, yet because it is one of the first mentions of what Jesus will do, I feel it is important to look to see what God is saying. As I pause and listen, I see two things: Firstly, all that God wants to accomplish in our lives is through the power of the Holy Spirit, not through our best efforts. Secondly, God wants to do a thorough and truly transforming work in us, not just a slight improvement.

The work of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit is a thorough clean out work. We need a deeper revelation of this in our lives. But we also need a deeper revelation of why Jesus wants to thoroughly clean out the chaff of our lives.

Freedom is the reason Jesus is an all-or-nothing Saviour. He has no desire to simply improve our present reality and our spiritual condition. Sure, we might measure our lives compared to some other people and think we are not too bad. But compared to a holy, righteous and perfect God, well, we all miss the mark terribly.

And this is why Jesus came! He came to remove restrictions, to remove barriers and to remove obstacles! He came to pay the price, tear down the veil, disarm the devil and usher us boldly into God’s throne of grace! He came to live as a man, sinless, reliant on the Holy Spirit, in communion with His Father and as a tangible example of this new life He was purchasing for us!

All of this is done by the power of the Holy Spirit.

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Present Possession

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We all want to walk with freedom in our lives. But do we really understand our present possession in Christ?

Jesus is our present possession as true Christians. Sometimes as Christians, we live too much in a future anticipation for what Jesus has legally provided for us now. If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, then we have received salvation (Ephesians 2:8).

Our spiritual address has shifted from death to life (Romans 6:11). Our spiritual identity has changed from slave to son (Romans 8:15, Galatians 5:25, John 15:15). This has happened! It is done! It is finished! It is ours now!

Yes, there is a work of sanctification and renewing that continues to take place, but the legal requirement has been met in Jesus, and salvation is our present possession in Him! Jesus is our present possession.

Jesus is also our future salvation: One day, Jesus will bring freedom from the penalty, power, presence and pleasure of sin. What Jesus accomplished on the cross was not incomplete or insufficient, but we still live in a world where the enemy is at work and his influence is seen and felt by many.

But one day, this will change! The enemy’s time is short! He is a defeated foe, and one day he will also be banished!

Then, our present possession will take on an even deeper level of completeness as evil ceases to be present in our reality and where there will be no obstructions or obstacles in any form!

Revelation 21:4 says, And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. (NKJV)

Glory, majesty, awe, wonder, and the deepest, purest form of worship and intimacy will be our eternal joy and pleasure!!! Oh what a glorious day! Praise God for our present possession of salvation! Praise God for our future salvation!

I encourage you to take a few minutes to thank God for what He has done for you.