I write this today to encourage you. "En - courage - ment." The center of this word is courage. As you read this, my prayer is that you will receive a healing in your spirit, mind and in your body.

There is a wind of change about the land in this hour (January ‘09), but beloved, it is not the change politicos are prophesying. There is actually a positioning called by the Lord to give evidence of opposing sides which occupy not only this country, but also the world. You and others that are truly committed to the leadings of the Lord are now positioned to facilitate Holy Spirit winds of change. Encouragement is a word of the hour for you. Courage is resident in all true believers. So, as Peter writes in his second letter, “to stir up by reminding you” of the “present truth that is established in you” (2 Peter 1:12-13), I post theses thoughts to remind you of the courage you already know and have.

The Dictionary defines courage as, “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger with self-possession, confidence, and resolution, bravery, valor.” This is the definition. However, for a Christian the source of this courage is the Word of God and its empowerment by the Holy Spirit. A lot of people get themselves into carnal trouble by living in a place where they may know the Word of God, but because of their lack of courage, the Holy Spirit cannot lead them forward in courage that is rightfully theirs. In the face of a battle they freeze rather than advance into the valley of decision where the battle is to be won.

There is a difference in having knowledge of the Word and its application in your life by the Holy Spirit. A major part of Spiritual courage is communication and servant hood. This is communication with God and then serving His cause in the earth. Do you think He will allow you to fail when and as you step out in His cause? The first cause of your Spiritual life is to “Trust and Obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!” It must be the Holy Spirit who works in you to do God’s good pleasure. Attempting to serve God from the basis of your human strength is a disastrous failure that then foils communication and servant hood. Ambrose Pearce is quoted as saying, “Contempt (I add resentment) is an attitude against those whose position you cannot refute.” When this quote is analyzed in light of Christians who fail in communication and servant hood, it can be determined their resentment is challenged towards that one whose position they cannot refute -- namely the Spiritual leader to whom they pledged their communication and servant hood as before the Lord. We identify this pledge in its broadest term as becoming a member of a local Church. This then puts the one with the attitude on an opposite side of their initial vow where fear and idleness becomes the norm, resentment grows, plans fail, and God has to find another to complete a previously assigned task. This does not deny the knowledge of the Word the resenting one has received, but it does stop the flow of the Holy Spirit in that life and its attitude of contempt becomes immediately noticeable through their attitude of avoidance, a lack of eye contact and silence.

First Samuel 17: 20-32 (NCV) outlines this very well. “Early in the morning David left the sheep with another shepherd. He took the food and left as Jesse had told him (communication.) When David arrived at the camp, the army was going out to their battle positions, shouting their war cry. The Israelites and Philistines were lining up their men to face each other in battle.”

The Philistines were on a hill named “End of Bloods” - they meant to destroy Israel once and for all. -- The Israelites were on a hill named “Tilled” -- they were plowed, seeded, ready  for the battle, tilled. But upon being taunted by the visible sign of a giant, they had no spirit in them. The valley between these two hills is named for an oak. This speaks of strength and a place of victory. A point here is that if the army does not advance into the valley, there will be no victory. Israel had a few good war cry choruses and a knowledge of the Word. What they lacked was courage to move in the Holy Spirit

to complete their assignment. “David left the food with the man who kept the supply (this is servant hood ) and ran to the battle line to talk to his brothers. While he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath (Gath means “winepress”, signifying a tremendous pressure is at hand) came out. He shouted things against Israel as usual, and David heard him. When the Israelites saw Goliath, they were very much afraid and ran away (some translations say - they had no spirit in them. This is a photo of one knowing the Word [war cry] and a fear to move in the Spirit.) They said look at this man? He keeps coming out to challenge Israel. The king will give much money to whoever kills him. He will also let whoever kills him marry his daughter. (Money and politics would not then and will not now win the battle against the spirit of Goliath) And his father’s family will not have to pay taxes in Israel.” David asked the men who stood near him, “What will be done to reward the man who kills this Philistine and take away shame from Israel? Who does this uncircumcised Philistine think he is? Does he think he can speak against the armies of the living God?” The Israelites told David what would be done for the man who would kill Goliath. When David’s oldest brother Eliab (this brother’s name means “God is Father” - gives evidence of personal knowledge of the Word) heard David talking with the soldiers, he was angry with David. He asked David, “Why did you come here? Who’s taking care of those few sheep of yours in the desert? I know you are proud and wicked at heart. You came down here just to watch the battle.” (Can you hear the resentment -- the attitude of a brother who knows the Father - but refuses to move in the ? David asks, “Now what have I done wrong? (some translations say, “Is there not a cause here?”) Can’t I even talk?

The thoughts of the brothers are, “no, you can’t talk because we resent the truth that is you!” Their resentment is rooted in having been caught doing nothing, that is, not serving the cause of God. Concerning the cause of God it can be said that His cause through your life is always victory over the enemies He puts before you. The brothers nor other soldiers ever communicated among themselves concerning Covenant and its related virtues. An initial battle that must be faced always begins in you again any and all infirmities that cause you to feel weak and powerless The apostle says, you are to be strongest when you are weakest! When he turned to other people and asked the same question, they gave him the same answer as before. Listen, many have answers, but answers without actions. a song without a dance, sitting in a car and never driving it. The Word without the power of the Holy Spirit is useless. The questions David is asking are of a searching nature! Is there no one here that believes in the Covenant you pledged yourself to?Yet what David said was told to Saul, and he sent for David. (Notice this) David said to Saul. “Don’t let anyone be discouraged. I, your servant, will go and fight this Philistine.”

Then Saul begins his political speech of how the Church (David) should fight the battle. Politics continue even to this very moment telling the Church how it should live and fight its Spiritual battles. I am writing to tell you, “Don’t let anyone be discouraged!” Though you are on one hill and the enemy now openly glares at you from the other hill expecting once and for all to put you and God’s Church under - it is not going to happen! You are positioned for your destiny and your victory IS at hand.

The winds of change blowing around the earth are not political as some voices taunt. They are winds of the Spirit drawing lines in the sand between two hills, two opposing sides, which are licensed in the timing of God. He allows the earth to be compassed by this evil, political force so as to identify to the Church where these spirits hide. This evil spirit manifests itself in mammon, the infirmities attacking you, threats of job loss, voices are telling you to leave the Church and go to work somewhere, by inane contentions among family or Church members. It manifests itself in idleness among Christians. These find more important and personal agendas to serve rather than the initial cause of their salvation and vow to be a part of the local communication and servant’s purpose of the Church they say they love. This is often manifested in their assigning to themselves some projects and events to coincide and subsequently replace scheduled Church services. I am here today to encourage you and at the same time say “Woe to those that are at ease in Zion!” There is a wind of change about the land but this change is not found in the political glee being expressed.