When the battle is bigger than you

April 18, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

Faith, Finding direction, Success & victory

King Jehoshaphat was blind-sided by the enemy. They were bigger and stronger than him, and they were coming from behind, according to all the news reports of his day. But Jehoshaphat was wise because he let his fear force him to focus on God. He cut off all the voices that were speaking fear. The Bible says “Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah” (2 Chronicles 20:3).

Men, women and children from all over the country came together to seek God’s counsel and this king of Judah bared his heart to the Lord. Then the word of the Lord came to them:

“Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. Tomorrow march down against them.… You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you.’” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17)

Turn off the voices

As in Jehoshaphat’s day, today all the news is prophesying gloom and doom; and I think we should respond the same way he did. Cut off all the voices that are speaking fear. This is not a battle you should fight in your own strength. Instead, position yourself, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.

There are many rules and even facts that have changed since the Coronavirus pandemic started. But the word of God is unchanging. The only way for us to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord is by positioning ourselves on God’s mighty, unchangeable Word.

When you find yourself struggling between two opinions, turn off the media and turn on the Bible. Don’t just sit and focus on the facts that you see with your eyes and comprehend with your mind. Use your imagination to see all the health and protection God’s promises say He has for you. Lay down your own plan and strategy, and pick up His.

Know the nature of the battle

If you don’t understand the nature of the battle, you’ll never understand the strategy. It’s a spiritual battle. We’re fighting against principalities and powers and the darkness of this world. Therefore, our strategy, like the one God gave King Jehoshaphat, must be spiritual.

When you’re filled with anxiety and fear, you’re fighting the wrong battle. Instead, choose to believe in the Lord your God, that He’s on your side. The strategy God gave this ancient king will work for you and me, if we’ll employ it.

Let’s face this pandemic battle praising God and prophesying His truth. Praise the Lord, for His mercy endures forever. In so doing, we loose confusion in the enemy’s camp.

“ As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated” (2 Chron. 20:22).

What was meant to be Judah’s demise turned into their double portion blessing as they collected the spoils of a battle they didn’t even need to fight (v. 25). There was so much plunder, it took them three days to collect it all. Then they really had a praise party!

Armor up

You are essential to the region in which you live because you release the power of God into it. You were placed in your neighborhood, your family, your job, and other spheres of influence on purpose with a purpose.

Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Put on the full armor of God so that when the evil day comes (like now) you will be positioned to triumph like Jehoshaphat’s army. Don’t fight in your own strength. Instead, position yourself, stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf.

As God told Judah, don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged. Put on the full armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-18 and stand firm in it. Put on truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and use the Word of God to cast down anxious thoughts. Then, when you have done all to stand, stand some more ( v. 13). That’s how we—not only stand, but—triumph in a battle too big for us.…

Recapturing lost opportunities

April 4, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Faith, Finding direction, Making positive change, Success & victory

The Lord says that He will restore lost opportunities. He spoke this very strongly to my spirit. You and I have had many opportunities that we passed up or messed up or realized too late. But fortunately for us, God’s promises have no expiration date. Just because you missed chances in the past, they are not gone forever.

Many times when God presents an open door before us, we back out saying, “No, I’m too old now… I’m not smart enough… I’m not strong enough…” You may have settled in to a minimum wage job because you’re afraid to believe for more. But God is opening supernatural doors this year—even for a new career.

Maybe you made bad parenting decisions and your kids are grown now. It’s not too late to be a good father or mother. Look for that phone call, that text message, that open door and walk through it.

“The Lord says, “I will give you back what you lost to the swarming locusts… (Joel 2:25).” Now, you’ll still have to battle fear, but FAITH is the antidote to False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear binds you to the present and to what you can see right now; but faith peers into the future and gives you the courage to step out even when you can’t see the end result.

Opportunity often comes disguised as a problem. Instead of walking away from an open door because you think it’s impossible, believe God. Instead of seeing a wall, trust Him to create a steppingstone! Don’t wait until you figure it out. God will give you everything you need to walk through the problem. Put fear under your feet and let faith arise.
Opportunity is tied to your destiny. God’s not here to please you. You’re here to please Him. Look for ways to bless the Lord and live for Him. And, when opportunity arises, you’ll be ready for it.
Opportunity is time-sensitive. That’s why we usually describe it as a window. You’ll suddenly develop faith for something you had long given up on. Moses’ dream was delayed but, at just the right time, that window opened again and he led 4 million people out of slavery and into a new life. This is your year. Step out! Don’t hesitate. Don’t waste time in fear.
Opportunity requires the right mindset. If you’re closed-minded or still dealing with an old belief system, it will hinder what God wants to show you. Use what you have in your hand. A rod in the hand of Moses opened the Red Sea. A slingshot in the hand of David brought down Goliath. Give Him what’s in your hand, no matter how small it is. In the hands of God it will do exactly what God intends.

Be eagle-eyed, looking for and expecting God to restore lost opportunities. Don’t let fear hold you back. And don’t wait until you understand how it can happen. Step out and leave the result to God.

If this blog has been a blessing to you, please let us know by leaving a comment below.…

How to overcome anxiety, pt. 2

March 21, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Faith, Making positive change, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

See good.

If you have a negative neural pathway, even the good that you hear or receive you interpret as negative. We can blame the doctors, blame the virus, blame God. But, how much time do you spend with God. Pray like David, “Search me Lord, try me. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”

We all need more of God’s presence in our life. God can come in and give you right alignment. We are called to be disciplined Disciples. Ask yourself, how big is my God? You’ve got to know your God. Remember what He has done in the past. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If he was great yesterday, He is great today and will still be great tomorrow. And don’t just listen to Christian music. Most of the worship songs today are more soiling than sanctifying. Disciple, discipline yourself to get into the word. Let’s take our focus off the wrong things.

Jezebel just spoke words to Elijah “I’m gonna kill you tomorrow.” Then I Kings 19:3 says, “And when he saw that, he arose and ran for his life…” The Bible says Elijah saw what Jezebel said.He didn’t just hear it he saw it. Her words became visual to him. He pictured the negative thing and he got up and ran. He lost focus of what God had done just days ago.

How big is your God?

But, pastor, you don’t know what they’ve been saying. Are we disconnected from the truth? If you see it you can have it. Once we begin to picture evil and wickedness we can’t receive from God. Anxiety has reached maximum capacity.

Elijah was in a bad place, but not because of where he was physically situated. It’s because of where his mind was. A cave can be a grave where you die, or it can be a womb for rebirth. God called Elijah out of the cave just shows off to remind Elijah of all he could do.

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. (I Kings 19: 11, 12)

God wasn’t in the wind, the fire or the earthquake. He was in the still, small voice. That’s the same place where we’ll find Him when we search for Him, when we get into the Word of God. Don’t do something permanently foolish because you’re temporarily anxious or upset. Instead, search the scriptures and get into the wisdom of God’s Word.

Keys to overcoming temporary anxiety

Fill yourself with God’s Word. As I’ve already covered, fill yourself with God’s Word. Spend time with Him.
Look inside. Take inventory of what’s in your heart as King David asked God to do for him. It’s the things we’re most devoted to that cause fear and anxiety. Anxiety is a sin. It’s an open door for Satan to come into your life.
Let go. Live with an open hand. We often take God’s gifts and make them idols. Release them. Don’t keep your eyes on the wrong things. Let them go and don’t let them keep coming back
Be diligent to understand the message behind everything you hear. Don’t just listen or read superficially. Go deep. Jesus says in Mark 4:24, The Passion Translation:
“…Be diligent to understand the meaning behind everything you hear, for as you do, more understanding will be given to you. And according to the depth of your longing to understand, much more will be added to you.” (Mark 4:24, TPT)
Let joy unspeakable and full of glory overtake you. Be devoted to God and nothing else. Have the confidence that everything’s going to be okay. Give the things you’re worried about to God and refuse to take them back.

God is asking, “Where are you, Joe…Mary…Susan,…Gaspar? What are you doing here?” Go back to the place God called you to in the beginning. Return to your first love. Be diligent to keep your shalom. Go back and make sure your mindset is right and positive. That’s how you overcome anxiety. …

How to overcome anxiety, pt. 1

March 14, 2020 Gaspar Anastasi

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Faith, Making positive change, Overcoming depression, Success & victory

How big is your God? If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve heard that question many times. I ask because—depending on the circumstances we’re facing at this moment— the God we say we trust may not be up to the challenge, leaving us filled with anxiety, envy and hatred. We’re apt to focus on people and circumstances rather than the Prince of Peace we claim to trust. It happens to all of us.

Even the great prophet Elijah once found himself filled with anxiety and hiding in a cave. You see, he had boldly slain the prophets of Baal— a tremendous victory— and now Jezebel the queen had put out a contract on his life. She said, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them,” (I Kings 19:2).

Anxiety is about tomorrow.

It’s always tomorrow that the enemy has plans for. However, just like in Elijah’s case, most of our enemy’s “tomorrows” never come. We just worry needlessly and allow anxiety to steal our precious peace. He had just called down fire from heaven and now he’s running for his life because Jezebel said. So when the Lord comes to the man of God and asks him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” (v. 9) he blames all of Israel and their idol worship for his circumstances.

The question I want to ask you today is “How big is your God?” Oh, you may hear a good Word on Sunday, but do you really believe it? Is He bigger than the threats of the enemy? Is He bigger than Corona Virus? And what do you really believe about Him? If you and I want to triumph over the enemies in our lives, we must spend more time in God’s Word than in the social media wisdom of this age. We Christians must be wise.

What are you full of?

Here’s another question to consider: What are you full of? The news of the day or the Word of God? Anxiety? There’s more to anxiety than meets the eye. It opens the door for sickness, disease and all kinds of negative things. It causes us to filter everything through a negative lens. Like Elijah, the great King David started out blaming his enemies before he came to the real crux of the matter. He asked God to search his heart and deal with his “anxious thoughts”.

Psalm 139:19-24 says “If only you, God, would slay the wicked! Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!…I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.”

Then suddenly in verses 23 and 24, David shifts his focus.

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Suddenly, David stopped blaming other people and looked inside himself. He asked God to fix what was broken inside his heart. [Continued next week]…

Mustard Seed Faith

December 22, 2018 Gaspar Anastasi

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Faith

Matthew 17:20, “So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

In this passage Jesus is speaking to His disciples and a father who is in great despair because his son is bound up with evil spirits that caused him to be epileptic. The father was frustrated because although the disciples prayed for the young boy, they were unable to set him free him from his bondage and see him healed.

Jesus told them that the reason this boy wasn’t healed; the reason that mountain of sickness was still in his life wasn’t because God wasn’t able to do it or that God wasn’t willing to do it. No…. God was able and He was willing, but because of their unbelief His disciples lacked the ability to apprehend the power of God for this boy.

I am convinced that a deep root of unbelief within our hearts is still a major obstacle that we face in receiving miracles from God. Whenever there is a discrepancy in what the Bible tells us about how God sees something or what He wants to do about something and what we are actually experiencing in our life, the problem isn’t on God’s side. When circumstances don’t line up with what it says in God’s word; it is because of us… because of our unbelief.

Unbelief can be buried so deep in our heart that we don’t even recognize it. Sure; we can mentally ascent to God’s word but deep down in our heart; where it really counts, we don’t truly believe it. The author of Hebrews knew that there were consequences when God’s people fail to mix His word with their faith as we read in Hebrews 4:2b, “….but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard.”

Jesus said something very important to His disciples in Matthew 17:20. He said if that one mountain was removed, nothing would be impossiblefor us. Can you imagine that one mountain in our life being removed and taken out of the way? Maybe it’s a sickness, maybe it’s a marital problem, maybe it’s a financial problem or maybe we have an emotional issue; but if that mountain was removed we would have the freedom and the ability to go forward and fulfill God’s destiny.

We need to get the seed of God’s word. It can be as small as a mustard seed but when it is planted in our heart it becomes a belief and that belief will produce faith. We will begin to see God’s word greater than we see the circumstances…. when we speak it to that mountain, it will be removed.

It’s time to examine our heart and realize that if we take God’s word (which is the seed) and mix it with our faith, we can say to the mountain that is before us…”Be removed!” Let’s remove mountains in our lives today and walk in God’s possibilities rather than being constantly hindered and defeated by the impossibilities that surround us in life.

God loves you…. God loves me… and His desire is that we succeed. He redeemed us by the precious price of His son’s life so every promise that comes from heaven (through faith) could be ours!!!…