Hosanna Restoration Church

Please take note that Paul and Barnabus were operating in the power of God, encouraging believers to continue in the faith, and that they were not among the original 12. I only point that out, because some people want to say that the power ministry died with the Apostles. The biggest problem with that is the fact that God still anoints people with apostolic and prophetic ministries, as well as with healing, miracles, and etc.

It is so important that we continue in our faith. It is so important that we press, seek, and desire more in our relationship with God. This became ever clearer to me as I was reading in the 22nd chapter of Isaiah, where in verse 3 the prophet delivers this message from the Lord. “All your leaders flee. They surrender without resistance.” This is so sad, but Christians we must understand that if we are not continuing we are in fact surrendering to the enemy of our souls.

How sad it is, when leaders choose to flee to a message of compromise. Instead of resisting and standing on the truth of God’s word many quit all together or worse yet become people pleasers. The enemy says this is the best way, but it is the absolute wrong way. It does not produce peace or true pleasure. It is only in the presence of the Lord that there is peace and pleasure forevermore.

Remember, in God’s sight we are all leaders of one sort or another. We all have people who watch us. We all have people who follow us whether we know it or not. If we are continuing in our faith, then we have people watching to see how long we last and where it takes us. If we simply surrender without resistance and fail to press on, then we help to convince people that there is nothing to continue in.

Paul and Barnabus reminded the people that if they continued through the struggles and tribulations they would experience the Kingdom of God. People need to see Christians press on through. They need to see that we not only submit ourselves to God, but that we also resist the devil. Scripture says that the wicked flee while the righteous are as bold as a lion. No wonder God was so saddened to see His leaders flee and His people surrender without resistance. He had given them everything they needed to succeed and instead of continuing to worship and serve Him, they just blended in with the people around them.

God has called us to be a peculiar people. That means that we don’t blend. It does not mean are weird, we are just different. We have peace when there is turmoil. We have hope when it looks hopeless. We know that God is working even when it does not look good.

The way I see it, we have two choices. We can continue in our faith and see the Kingdom of God manifest in every area of our lives, or we can surrender to the lies of the enemy. I want to keep taking the land. How about you?