(Be blessed by this post by guest blogger Sathiya Sam)

For probably 2 or maybe 3 years now, I’ve been extremely keen on the topic of peace. I had a season where no matter where in the Bible I was reading, peace always came up.  On more than one occasion, someone has prophesied over me that I carry peace with me and am a peacemaker.

Peace is an interesting topic, because no one ever views it as a bad thing; we obviously value it. A lot of people would say that if there was one thing they want, it is peace on earth. No more war, no more violence, no more corruption, etc.  Who wouldn’t say yes to that?

In heaven, if peace had substance it would be the oxygen. There’s peace everywhere. Heaven doesn’t exist without it.

In Matthew 10, when Jesus sends out the disciples, He tells them to release their peace when they enter a home and see if it returns. I believe that we all contain a peace inside of us that longs to be released. The source of this is the Holy Spirit, the most heavenly thing in us!

The Greek word for “peace” is eiréné. One of its definitions is “to join, to tie together into a whole.”

A major part of peace is keeping it together, or keeping it in one whole, when something tries to break you apart into pieces.

The reality is that on earth we won’t be free of all the antagonists of peace, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t have peace in the face of our antagonists.

Circumstances bring stress into our lives: bills have to be paid, courses need to be passed, medical appointments have to be made, relationships need to be maintained and repaired, unexpected tragedies happen, life-changing decisions have to be made, etc.; all of these are a part of life. Not to mention the attacks that come spiritually and psychologically–often these are major stressors in our lives. Yet peace can thrive in these situations!

So how do we get it? It’s actually more a question of how do we release it? (Remember you already have it inside of you). Philippians 4:6-7 says: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” 

We all know that thanksgiving is a good thing, but I feel like it’s underrated. Thanksgiving is important for releasing the peace of God because when we give thanks, it shifts our focus to our abundance and away from our lack. A simple reminder of how God has provided for you in the past is really all it takes for you to trust Him for it again.

“The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Rev 19:10). There’s something about us telling ourselves who God is and knowing what He wants to do in our trials that releases peace. And where peace is, His Presence is.

The world tells us that peace is when things get taken away and removed. God tells us that peace is when everything is together and whole.

So wherever you find stress, take a minute to search out things within the circumstance/person/situation to be thankful for, and release your peace.

Watch God’s peace that surpasses all understanding keep everything whole, because ultimately, peace is not an absence, but a Presence.

(Sathiya Sam is an anointed singer/songwriter, who serves as worship leader at Morgan’s Point United Church, Wainfleet. He also happens to be the son of Jeeva and Sulojana Sam)

“David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off.” (1 Samuel 17:39).

David, the young shepherd boy, heard the challenge from the Philistines to send someone to fight Goliath. No one volunteered to fight except David.

King Saul reluctantly agreed and offered David his armour. David put on the weighty equipment, but quickly concluded he could not fight in this heavy armour. He gave it back to king Saul.

God equips each of us in such a way that is unique to our strengths and abilities. David knew who he was and who he wasn’t.

David was trained as a shepherd to use another weapon. For David, it was a slingshot. David showed great maturity in realizing he could not be effective with Saul’s armour.

What are the gifts and talents God has given to you? Have you ever tried to accomplish a task with tools you were not trained to use?

God allows each of us to develop skills that are unique to our life. He will not call you to use someone else’s tools.

However, this is only half of the equation. These talents must be mixed with faith.

Talent alone is not enough. Faith alone is not enough. It is only when the two are combined that God’s power is released and manifested in the physical realm.

Sometimes we admire the talents of others and seek to emulate them. The temptation arises to be someone we are not. This is a mistake. Let God live His life through the unique you.

Then, mix your unique gifts with faith today; you will be surprised at the power of God that will be manifested.

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org)

(Be blessed by this DWOD by guest blogger Luc Niebergall)

About a year ago I was heading home from a meeting, when I felt a sudden urge to go love on people. I headed over to Wal-Mart with the expectancy to see Jesus set some people free.

As I walked past one of the aisles in the store, I began feeling a pain in the left side of my back. Looking down the aisle I saw a woman who worked at the store. I walked up to the woman and asked her if she ever gets pain in the left side of her back.

She looked at me in shock. I told her that God spoke to me and told me about her pain and that if she let me pray for her, she would be healed.

After I prayed a quick prayer, the woman stretched and her back was completely healed. The woman then gave me a response that I will never forget.

“I’ve seen this happen many times on television where God would miraculously heal someone and I never once doubted that it was true. However, I never thought that it would ever happen to me. After today. for the first time in my life I know that God truly cares about me.”

When I first went into the Wal-Mart, I was originally going to blitz the mall and pray for as many people as I could, but once this woman said this, I was too moved to continue.  I was moved because she understood that God chose her.

Once I finished my conversation with her, I just went into my car and wept because I knew that she would never be the same again after encountering the love of God.

As we develop a culture where the supernatural happenings of Jesus are common, we need to make sure that we don’t allow ourselves to become blasé when God moves.

This was not the first time I had seen God heal a back. I had actually already seen hundreds of backs healed, not only in the church but also on the streets.

If we aren’t moved when God moves, no matter how small the miracle is, then there is an issue in the inner man which needs to be addressed.

Psalm 103:7 says, “He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel.”

This is extremely important for us to understand when we see God moving supernaturally. Israel saw God’s acts. They saw all of the miracles, signs and wonders, yet their hearts were still bitter towards God.

Moses understood something greater than God’s acts–he understood God’s ways. This means that not only did Moses see God’s miracles, signs and wonders to deliver Israel from bondage, but he also understood God’s heart behind the miraculous. Moses saw that God did what He did because He deeply loved the Israelites.

Whereas Israel’s hearts remained bitter, Moses grew in revelation of the love of God for Israel every time God moved.

This is important. When you see Jesus do a miracle, no matter how small it may be, you have a decision to make.

If you see someone’s back healed, you can either only see God’s act which will appease your curiosity for the supernatural for a time. Or you can choose to see that God did the miracle because He is madly in love with the person who was set free from pain.

When we choose the latter, even if we are not the one receiving the miracle, we are still transformed, because we are encountering Jesus’ heart.

If we don’t understand this then our drive for the miraculous will only be out of curiosity for the supernatural instead of out of a deep love for people.

(Luc Niebergall lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife Eline where he ministers as the assistant pastor of Imagine Church. Luc has a passion for revival and to see heaven invade earth across the world)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Eph 6:12).

In the old West it was common to see a poster on the wall of the town jail or post office with a man’s picture below the words:

Wanted: Dead or Alive!

These were the most notorious criminals who posed the greatest danger to society.

 Let me ask you a personal question.

 Is there a “Wanted: Dead or Alive” poster in hell with your name on it?

•    Are you a real danger to hell?

•  Do you cause problems for Satan’s legion of demons?

•   Are you pushing back Satan’s agenda on planet earth?

•   Are the unsaved in danger of receiving salvation through you?

•  Will someone receive healing because you dared to pray for them?

•  Will someone’s life be impacted because you chose to pray for them in your workplace during a difficult time?

•  Will a city be impacted for Jesus Christ because of you?

Millions of believers sit on the sidelines everyday having no impact on the Kingdom of darkness. Their names will never appear on a Wanted poster in hell because Satan sees that they are no threat.

However, God wants you to be a threat to Satan’s kingdom.

What are some things you can do that will pose a threat to Satan’s agenda?

• Perhaps you can begin praying for one of Satan’s most notorious talk show personalities.

• Or maybe you are called to visit an elderly home to bring the love of Christ into a lonely place.

There are many ways you can earn a reputation in hell.

 Are you willing to be a force to be reckoned with by Satan’s legions?

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org)

“Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant.” (I Corinthians 12:1)

In First Corinthians 12 and Romans 12, the apostle Paul is teaching us about the role of spiritual gifts in the Church. He correlates these gifts to a human body, telling us that each person’s gift helps the whole Body of the Church.

This is such an important principle for us to learn. I must say I learned this principle regarding my own spiritual gift the hard way.

“God will never speak as strongly to you as to someone else,” said my mentor to me one day.

The statement shocked me. “What in the world do you mean by that?” I argued with him.

“Your spiritual gift of administration/leading is one of the most dangerous gifts in the whole Body of Christ. The reason is that you can see the big picture better than anyone else, and you’re so task-oriented that you will run people into the ground getting your project completed because you think you see it so clearly. That is why the best friend you could ever have is someone with a prophetic gift to discern whether the big picture you see is actually the picture God is directing. It is the one gift that can almost stand alone better than any other – at least that is the opinion of the one with that gift.”

Oh, how I have learned this lesson the hard way! He was so right. There have been many a church staff destroyed by a person with the gift of administration.

During my years as an ad agency owner, I saw how I stressed out my staff because of the tremendous load I put on them with multiple projects. It was so easy for me because the more balls I had juggling, the better I felt. I was oblivious to how my multi-task personality impacted those around me.

Today, I have some special relationships with intercessors and prophetic people whom I depend on for confirmation of direction. I have learned their spiritual gifts of discernment are of great value in determining strategic direction.

I have learned that God has placed within each person a spiritual gift that is designed to make the Body of Christ function better for His purposes. When we discover the spiritual gifts God has placed in those around us, we are better able to see the Body function as a real body-totally dependent on one another.

Some of us are more sensitive to God’s voice because God has gifted us in that way. Others of us are less sensitive because God wants us to depend on others in the Body for their gifts. Find out whom God has placed around you today and discover a new dimension of spiritual productivity.

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org)

(Note from Pastor Jeeva: Today’s DWOD is from “Today God Is First” aka TGIF, a daily devotional written by Os Hillman. It was originally published under the title “Obedience With A Cost.” I sensed it would an appropriate follow-up to yesterday’s DWOD on being Delayed on the Road to Your Destiny.)

“Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble upon this people, and You have not rescued Your people at all.” (Exodus 5:23)

Have you ever felt like you have been obedient to the Lord for something He called you to do and all you get are more roadblocks?

This is the way Moses felt.

When Moses went to tell Pharaoh to release the people because God said so, Pharaoh simply got angry and made the people make bricks without straw.

Moses caught the blame for this from the people. Moses was just learning what obedience really means in God’s Kingdom.

You see Moses had not even begun to release plagues upon Egypt. He hadn’t even gotten started yet in his calling, and he was complaining about his circumstances.

There were many more encounters with Pharaoh to come, and many more plagues with no deliverances in sight. Why would God tell Moses that He is going to deliver them and not do it?

It was all in timing.

God never said when He was going to deliver. He just said He would.

In the next chapter, we find Moses arguing with God about not being capable of the job God had called him to:

But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips?”

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 6:12-13).

Do you get the feeling God was losing His patience?

God had a good reason for His delays. He said, “And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it” (Ex. 7:5).

God not only wanted the people of Israel but also the Egyptians to know Him. It would be the greatest show of God’s power on earth.

God often causes delays in our lives that we cannot understand. Sometimes it seems our obedience is not getting rewarded.

Jesus said He learned obedience through the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8).

Imagine that – Jesus having to learn obedience.

What does that say for you and me?

Sometimes God’s delays are simply because He wants more glory in the situation, more recognition, more Christ-likeness in you and me through greater patience and obedience.

Faint not, for the promise may yet come.

(Reprinted by permission from the author. Os Hillman is an international speaker and author of 15 books on workplace calling. To learn more, visit http://www.MarketplaceLeaders.org)