Life of Healing

 When reading Job, it becomes evident that we have the same wounds, lies and excuses as people did thousands of years ago. If we recognize the modern-day relevance of the Book of Job, it can be used as a revelatory and empowering inner-healing book. The lies, wounds, and excuses are the same; and so is the “advice” from friends and family. As we relate with Job’s struggle and come to the end of the Book, we receive an opportunity to encounter God, His viewpoint, and His transformative healing.

Life of Healing – What is necessary for a happy, adequate Christian life? What do you want from life and the Lord? We all have our reasons why we are Christians and pursue getting to know the Lord better. But are we motivated by the right reasons, and led by the right questions? In Proverbs 2, the Lord provides insight that clarifies our understanding so we can contemplate and purify our motivations.
Proverbs 2:1-11

River of Healing – The River is a journey that starts at the temple. The focus of the temple is the Lord, and the temple represents the regulations, exits, entrances, and plans for our lives. When we journey along the river we encounter new aspects of our life, and discover that there is fruit that serves for food and healing.
Ezekiel 40-47

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

Paulette Fraticelli

Women of destiny Life Group

Tuesday September 20 2011

BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT; BECAUSE YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL, AS A ROARING LION, WALKETH
ABOUT, SEEKING WHOM HE MAY DEVOUR. 1 PET. 5:8
1 Peter 5:8

Amplified Bible (AMP)

⁸Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [^[a]in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour.

1 Peter 5:8

New International Version (NIV)

 ⁸ Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

1 Peter 5:8

The Message (MSG)

He Gets the Last Word

 ^8-11Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.

"Dec 7, 1941, a date that will live on forever." These words, spoken by Franklin Delano Roosevelt, shortly after the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, bring to mind a fact that we all need to face in our lives. And that is, no matter how strong you are, how much intelligence you have, how well liked you are, or how much power you have, you can be brought to your knees, by someone, or some thing that, if you knew what was coming, you could have squashed it out, like an ant. In the martial arts, your size and physical strength, in many instances, can be used against you, by a smaller, weaker opponent. In all types of sports competitions, it is common, for representatives of opponents, scheduled to meet at a certain time, to scout out the opposition, to plan strategy on how to defeat them. Your victory or defeat, most times, hinges on how well you know your adversary.

When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, they had planned it, for some time, prior to that. Some of the military commanders, that planned and directed the attack, were educated in American colleges, and military schools. Through all of this, America, the most powerful nation on the earth, felt that it was invulnerable to any attacks, by any one. This complacency, cost us dearly, in lost lives, ships, and prestige.

Now what is the point to all of this, you might ask??? It is this. You have, or rather we all have an enemy, that seeks to destroy us, by any means necessary. This enemy, stalks us constantly. He looks for any avenue, that he can use, to enslave us, to tear us down, and kill us. Some of you might say, 'Let him come. I have my AK-47. My pit bulls, and my ADT alarm system. I am a 7th degree black belt in Karate. Let him come and try to mess with me.' Friend, if that is the way you really feel, then guess what ?? He already has you. For this adversary I am speaking of, is the devil. And unlike most of our other enemies, nothing that you can do physically, will stop him. It takes special preparation, to defeat him. And rest assured, he can be defeated. The question is, how???

First, and foremost, you have to know your enemy. You need to know why he is your enemy. You need to know what tactics he will use, and how to identify them. Then, you have to know what weapons to use, and how to use them. Just like America, and the Japanese. We had all the weapons to defeat any enemy, but because our enemy knew our weak spots, we were nearly taken out, by a smaller, less powerful force.

Look at the middle part of the scripture, where it says, 'he goes about, as a roaring lion....',showing, that just like a lion, that is searching for food, he will creep up on his prey, using all the cover he can, so that his prey, won't see, or recognize the danger, until it is too late. This is what the devil does, so well. He's been at this type of thing, since the garden of Eden. He makes most people, especially the unsaved, believe they are in no danger. He is so good at it, that many times, he gets them to believe, that he doesn't even exist. Therefore, their guard is down, and he can come right on in, and destroy them.

When I talk to some people, especially the youth, and I mention the devil, they look at me, as if to say, 'man, you still believe in a devil?? Don't you know that is all a bunch of nonsense??' When I hear that, I know that he has them, right where he wants them. This is why our young people are destroying themselves, and each other. By not believing in the devil, and having to blame some one, or thing on their problems, they resort to violence, which usually results in death. Our young men are killing each other, and our young women, are out here, giving up their minds and bodies, degrading themselves, because it somehow, makes them feel part of the group. And they are. They are part of the herd, that the lions have picked out, to attack. And, the devil, doesn't care if you believe in him or not. Unlike God, who created us, to worship Him, the devil doesn't care. All he wants to do, is destroy you. [JOHN 10:10] says, The thief, comes not, but for to steal, kill, and destroy, ..... And he does his job well.

As a thief, he will steal your strength, your joy, peace of mind, your loved ones, and your blessings. As a killer, he will kill you, your spouse, your children, your mother, your father, sister, brother, and any one else close to you. He will do it through violence, sickness, disease, suicide and by what ever means he can. As the destroyer, he seeks to destroy families, friendships, plans for the future, or any thing, that may lift you up. He most of all, wants to destroy your relationship with God, if you have one. If you don't, he wants to keep you from developing one. He will try to kill you first. Why does he want to do all of this??? It is because, you, my friends, are made in the image of God. You are His pride and joy. God delights in His people. Now, the devil, hates God. He used to be God's most beautiful angel, until he tried to make himself equal with God. For that, he was cast out of Heaven [ISA. 14:12-17, EZEK. 28:12-19]. And he had been trying to get back at God, and couldn't. That is until, God made man, and put him on the earth. It was then, that the devil [a.k.a. Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, the serpent, and other names] decided to target us, to get back at God. He knows, that God is a righteous and just Creator, who hates sin. Therefore, like the devil, all of his angels [demons] are destined to go to hell. Hell, another place that people find it hard to believe is real, was not made for man originally, but for the devil and his angels [MATT. 25:41]. But, because man, is following after the devil, he will suffer the same fate [ISA. 5:14].

The devil, has people believing the lies that he tells them. That is because, he is the father of lies [ST. JOHN 8:44]. He will deceive you in to believing that God, being so full of love and mercy, will overlook your sins, and accept you in to Heaven, anyway. Or, he gets you to believe that any one of the thousands of other religions, that he has formed, are just as good. He, knowing the bible, better than most of us, can take a scripture, and twist it around, and make it say something that it doesn't. All sorts of false teachers, preachers, and doctrines, proliferate the world today [2 COR. 11:12-15]. A young lady tells me, that she has been going to churches for a long time. Yet, she says, she never knew that a person had to be saved, in order to go to Heaven. She finally decides to start going to a church that I recommended, and what does the devil do?? He makes her sick, so she can't go. He knows that if she goes, she will hear the truth, and get saved. This young lady, and another are friends. When talking to them, I see how the devil is working on them, to keep them from the truth, by making them too busy, to read specific things, that will let them know what they need to be doing, and what they can have, if they get saved.

He even has a doosey of a plan. He makes people think that God, is the one that makes them sick, to punish them. When tragedy strikes, and a person dies, many believe, that God, took them. Your house or property gets destroyed by a tornado, or something, insurance companies call it 'an act of God.' It is the devil's plan, that many, will get mad at God, and turn away from Him. Then they will end up in hell, with him. Another thing he does, is play on your intelligence. The more educated you get, the more susceptible you are, to his scheme. When presented with something from the bible, the well educated person will be told, by him, Don't believe those old wives tales. What did you learn in college?? You are too smart to fall for that dumb stuff.?? He, like the martial arts expert, is using your strengths, against you.

He knows all of our weaknesses, which can be categorized in three areas, 'The lust of the eyes. The lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. [1 JN. 2:16]. Everything he does, is geared to these three areas of our lives. That's what he did to Eve [GEN. 3:1-6], and that is what he tried to do the Jesus [MATT. 4: 1-11], and that is what he is using today.

He also uses isolation, and intimidation. He will either try to make you feel, that you are the only one, that is falling for ' this Jesus mess.' Or he will intimidate you, with threats of ridicule or violence. His arsenal is huge. He has been known to turn family, and friends against those that name the name of Christ. He will make you an outcast. It's not unusual for other Christians to come against a person, that truly seeks God's perfect will for their lives. That's right, he's in the Church.

God says, 'My people are destroyed, for a lack of knowledge [HOS. 4:6]. This lack of knowledge, not only concerns the things of God, but also the wiles of the devil. You can't defend yourself against something, that you don't believe exists, or is bound up somewhere, and can't get to you. You will have your guard down, and that's just the way he wants it. The last part of the subject verse, coupled with the first four words, let's us know, that the devil, can't get to everybody. He can only get to you, if you have your guard down. But, God, has given us all of the things we need, to overpower the devil, and they are all wrapped up in the name of Jesus. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strongholds [2 COR. 10:4]. We need to have on the whole armour of God, as recorded in [EPH. 6:10-18]

 
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all face many challenges and difficulties in life.  And these challenges span from the smallest offenses such as a child spilling something on your carpet to the gripping fear of a  sudden illness.  Nevertheless, each person must determine for himself that no matter how disappointed we are,  we’re not going to lose our joy.

John. 10.10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” 

1Peter 5.8 says, “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your

adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” We have been given the

means to defeat our adversary. God’s Word is clear, ‘all authority has been given to us over the satan and all

his works,’ Luke. 19.10.

Solomon declared that as a man thinks in his heart so he is. It is important for you an me to keep our eyes on the promise rather than the difficulty. Doing so allows us to operate from a place of confidence and security. Our words shape our destiny. No wonder Jesus said that we must give an account us

that every idle word.  As Judah (praise) led the armies of Israel let your praise lead you against the attacks of  the devil. As long as you keep the praises of God in your mouth Satan cannot defeat you.

Question: Why do you think that “choosing joy” in the face of adverse circumstances is often times an after thought for many of us?

Follow Up Questions:

1.  What are some practical ways that we can choose joy on a daily basis?

2.  Why do you think that situations such as: sickness, wayward children, difficult job situations, eats away at our joy?

3.  Why do you think our attitudes are directly correlated to our words?

4.  Why do you think that our words are directly correlated to our lives?

Scriptures:

James 1:2 “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”

Psalms 34:1 “I will bless the Lord at all times.  His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

John 16:22 “No man can take your joy.”

Nehemiah 8:9-10 “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.  The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Challenge/Assignment:

Look at your day and your week.  Was today a reflection of your attitude? 

What was the tone of your week? 

What type of words were you saying?

 What can you do to be more conscientious of what is coming out of

your mouth and what type of attitude you are harboring?

Thought for the Week:

Choosing joy is not a one-time event.  We have to choose joy on a daily basis.

In closing, who are you a servant to?? To whom do you owe your allegiance?? If you say nobody but yourself, then you are serving the devil by proxy. Since there are only two ways to go, or two masters to serve, then, if you are not serving God, through Jesus Christ, you are serving the devil. Jesus said, 'no man can serve two masters, he will love one, and hate the other, ... [MATT. 6:24]. Choose you this day, who you will serve. As for me, and my house, we will serve the Lord [JESUS CHRIST]. 

"In my name shall they cast out devils."

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils" (Mark 16:17).

The very first sign Jesus said would follow any and every believer was: "In my name shall they cast out devils."

Jesus wasn't talking necessarily about casting the devil out of people who are demon-possessed. Jesus was simply saying that in His Name believers would have authority over the devil. They would break the power of the devil over their own lives and the lives of their loved ones. They would be free from the enemy, because they would exercise authority over him.

Notice again that Jesus didn't say a word about praying to God or Jesus to do something about devils. Jesus said that believers would do it. Believers will cast out devils. Believers would speak with new tongues. Believers would lay their hands on the sick and they would recover.

Don't pray that God would lay hands on the sick, you do it! And don't pray that God would cast out the devil, you do it!

Confession: I am a believer, and this sign follows me. In Jesus' Name, I cast out devils. I keep them out of my path. I break the power of the devil over my life. I break the power of the devil over the lives of my loved ones. I walk free of the enemy, because I exercise authority over him. 

Snatched Away from Danger

"Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence" (Ps. 91:3 KJV).

God delivers you in different ways from different types of danger. And that deliverance can be based upon what type of person you are and what the type of situation it is. It can also depend upon what type of faith you are operating in, or lack there of.

Sometimes the way God delivers you out of a situation is to quickly remove you from it. That is the context of Psalm 91:3. The word deliver here means to snatch away. It means to pluck; to rescue. God will remove you from a situation of danger when you are dedicated to Him.


I don't know if you have ever been in a situation where the spirit of God said to leave now. But if you ever encounter such an ordeal, don't think about it. Don't question it. Just leave. Immediately obey. Get yourself out of there as fast as you can. You can think about it later. That snatching away is usually to save your life.

God loves you and He is in the business of saving your life. As you meditate on today's text, make it your confession of faith. Say, "The Lord snatches me away from danger and I am obedient to His leading."

Scripture References: Job 5:19-27 

Sin plays strange tricks

You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. - John 8:32

Self-confidence is dangerous even to the most devout Christian. We are in danger of forgetting that we are nothing, and that Jesus Christ is our all in all. This very day children of godly parents need to be on their guard against the sin of these ancient Jews. How is it that they imagined themselves to be “free,” whilst at the same time Roman soldiers occupied and their city.

Both these errors are common enough. Many people boast more of their “blood” than of anything else. It truly is a great privilege to have good ancestry -- it is good capital (like money in the bank) with which to start in life -- but beyond a certain point it does not count. The first question may be, “Who is your father?” Parents may lead a child to Christ in infancy, but when the child is old enough for moral accountability they must accept Christ by a personal faith. Nothing else really lends itself for salvation. We must enter Christ's kingdom as individuals. Abraham had some descendants who were far enough away from his virtue, and whom he would scarcely wish to recognize as his children. Sadly, many godly parents today have worthless son and daughters.

Then the illusion of freedom, while one is really in chains, is not altogether rare. Many people living in sin imagine they are the only free people there are. They have thrown off the restraints of religion and of law, and they think they are free, while they regard those who follow Christ as slaves. Sin plays strange tricks with men. Insane people sometimes imagine themselves to be great people. The devil often puts similar notions into the heads of his deluded followers. None are free but those who take upon themselves to walk as Christ walked.

Apply This To Your Life Today... Have you deluded yourself? Are you living a life of compromise and merely pretending to be free?

emotional buildup

Today I had a vision of an ocean seine with rough water. The Lord said to me, "Do you see the rough surface of that water? That is because there is turmoil under the surface. The same is true with people who are rough around the edges and are easily triggered to things such as pain, anger, hurt, etc."

Have you ever seen somebody who is tense, where it is easy to get on their nerves? Do they always seem irritable? Does this describe how you feel? Have you ever wondered why a person is like that? It is certainly not part of God's design for us, for His Word is clear that we are given a sound clear mind:

2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

Turmoil in one's system is usually caused by emotional buildup (things in the past that were never let go of) or unclean spirits. If something is bothering us, we need to make the choice to release our concerns to the Lord. Whether it be bitterness, fear, hurt feelings, emotional damage, feelings of rejection or abandonment, those feelings are devastating to our spiritual health and must be released from our systems. God's Word clearly tells us to cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us:

1 Peter 5:7, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

God wants us to release our emotional buildup, hurt feelings, etc. and give those things to Him. Why did God tell us to do this? Because He knew the devastating effects that such negative buildup can have on our systems. If we don't fail to follow God's command, and allow an emotional buildup in our systems, we then make ourselves available for spirits of anger, hate, bitterness, rejection, etc. Once that happens, those spirits can lay under the surface, and continually remind us of why we are hurt or angry. It's like a record playing in your mind over and over again, continually escalating you to higher levels of bondage and turmoil. If this has happened, the first step is to release the negative buildup to the Lord, stop listening to all the reasons as to why you are upset, etc., and if the problem seems to linger... seek deliverance from those spirits! 

It is not normal for our rivers to be rough from turmoil that has been brewing under our surfaces!

The deadly side of hurt feelings

Hurt feelings are a sign of an underlying struggle with forgiving those who have hurt us. What you may not know is that unforgiveness can send a person to grave if they die without resolving those issues in their life. The Bible makes it clear that if we are going to be unforgiving, we not only become spiritually defiled (Hebrews 12:15) and turned over to tormenting evil spirits (see Matthew 18:23-35), but our unforgiveness actually blocks God's forgiveness towards us concerning our own sins:

Matthew 6:15, "But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

That means if you are an unforgiving or bitter person, then you are not clean to stand before God. You're sins are still hanging over your head, if you fail to release others for what they have done to you.

About your Sozo Appointment

About your Sozo Appointment:  Thank you for your interest in receiving Sozo ministry through Women of Destiny.  Sozo is a process of inner healing and deliverance, which is done by a team of 2-3 people, and lasts up to 3 hours.  It is done by volunteer lay people, and is not a counseling session or time of prophecy or intercession.  It is an individual appointment, not for couples or families together, and spouses or family members should not plan to be present during the appointment.

Sozo is a Greek term that means, “saved, healed and delivered”.  Our goal is to help you hear and sense God, to get to any root problems, such as internalized lies and vows that are keeping you from experiencing the fullness of God’s love and presence in your life.  Every sozo we do is unique and one-of-a-kind, because each of you is on a unique journey with Him unlike anyone else!

In a sozo, we do not need or want to hear your whole story.  Our goal is to connect you with God and facilitate helping you hear God for yourself; where He wants to lead and do to bring healing about.  He is incredibly creative and will treat you as your own unique person as He reveals the truth He wants you to understand.

Inner healing refers to the focus on seeking to remove the root problem, and replacing lies with truth, and deliverance refers to removing any demonic attachment that was allowed in because of the root problem.  We do not speak to demons, or focus on them during a sozo.  If deliverance takes place it is generally quiet and as a consequence of you, the sozoee, renouncing lies or vows and hence removing the permission that was unknowingly given to demonic entities.

We will treat you with honor and confidentiality.  We also want you to know that we rarely get very surprised, so if you think what you have gone through would be too shocking or bizarre, that probably is not the case!  

Regarding scheduling your appointment:  When you are contacted regarding your sozo appointment, there will be two attempts made to contact you.  If we do not hear back from you after the second attempt, we will assume you are no longer interested in receiving sozo ministry from us.  We’ve had to initiate this policy due to the long waiting list.  If you were unable to respond due to unforeseen circumstances, please get back to us as soon as possible and we will make every effort to schedule you as soon as possible.