"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?"Luke 11:13

A reader submitted a question, "How can I get my second wind?" I believe a lesson can be learned after the disciples of Jesus returned after a successful outreach. The Lord took them and set them apart in a desert place, away from the cares of this world -- and in this time of separation they were refreshed. [Mark 6:30-31] Oftentimes, a second wind can only come by setting time aside to seek it! Early in the 1800's, Evangelist Charles Finney wrote about how God gave him mighty infillings of the Holy Spirit. He said, "[These infillings] went through me, as it seemed, body and soul. I immediately found myself endued with such power from on high that a few words dropped here and there to individuals were the means of their immediate conversion. My words seemed to fasten like barbed arrows in the souls of men. They cut like a sword. They broke the heart like a hammer. Multitudes can attest to this...Sometimes I would find myself in a great measure empty of this power. I would go and visit, and find that I made no saving impression. I would exhort and pray with the same results. I would they set apart a day for private fasting and prayer...after humbling myself and crying out for help, the power would return upon me with all its freshness. This has been the experience of my life." Charles Finney set apart time to pray and fast for a "fresh anointing" from time to time! In the late 1800's, evangelist D.L Moody stated, "I believe firmly that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and everything that is contrary to God's law, the Holy Spirit will fill every corner of our hearts. But if we are full of pride and conceit and ambition and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God. We must be emptied before we can be filled." Brothers & Sister, do you want a second wind? Then let's get right with the Lord today. Let's set aside some time to get before Him and empty ourselves of the world's influences and our selfish ways that we might be filled with His power and anointing! Let's seek his face -- in doing so, we'll find our refreshment! GET YOUR SECOND WIND!

"And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!"Judges 6:12

Judges 6 begins with an angel talking to Gideon saying, "thou mighty man of valour!" However, in this passage Gideon isn't feeling very valiant -- he's consumed with his circumstances -- how poor his family is and how he's the least of his fathers' house. He doesn't feel he's done anything worthy of being called valiant, yet the angel still addresses him "mighty man of valour!" Gideon is not the only one who struggles with feeling unvaliant, though, is he? Even the best of us struggle with feelings of failure and defeat. But we must remember that we are part of the Lord's army -- and in the Lord's army, we do not depend upon our own strength. We depend upon the power of the Lord! We depend upon the victory that He has already won! Imagine the countless thousands of saints like Gideon who have passed away before us and now sit in heaven's glory where every tear is dried, and every wound is healed -- who have already fought the battle of life and are calling down to us from heaven saying "Fellow Saint, you can get through this thing! Fight this battle -- for we have fought these same battles in our lives and been rewarded with heaven's glory! So fight through and we'll see you soon beside us! March forward you mighty man and woman of valor!" Brothers & Sisters, the Lord stands anxiously awaiting our call. He wants us to walk in His power, not our own! Let's give him our circumstances today and strive to rely on His strength to conquer them! BE VALIANT!

"If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up."Daniel 3:17-18;23-25

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king, "True, O king." "Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." Continuing our study of First (Old) Testament appearances of the "preincarnate" Jesus, we find ourselves in the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. These three men refused to bow and worship another God besides the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob. While they knew that God was able to deliver them, they also knew that He might choose not to do so–and whether He delivered them or not had no influence on their loyalty to Him. These three faithful Hebrews were convinced that idolatry was a non-starter for them, no matter what! Their unquestionable loyalty brought wrath upon their heads. Nebuchadnezzar's violent rage moved him to increase the furnace fires seven times! Brothers & Sisters, isn't this the crux of the matter for all of us who live by faith? Whether He delivers us or not??!! Wasn't this the Lord's example in the Garden of Gethsemane? And don't we know that this kind of resolution will increase the intensity of the attacks against us? Our faithful obedience and loyalty UNDER PRESSURE is the most powerful testimony we can give of our love and faith in God. And one way or another, Jesus will be standing there in the fire with us, just as He was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were delivered. But what really stands out is that they didn't make their deliverance an issue with God. Will you? HE'S IN THE MIDST OF THE FIRE!

"So the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A Man of God came to me, and His countenance was like the countenance of the Angel of God, very awesome; but I did not ask Him where He was from, and He did not tell me His name. 17 Then Manoah said to the Angel of the Lord, "What is Your name, that when Your words come to pass we may honor You?" 18 And the Angel of the Lord said to him, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" 21 When the Angel of the Lord appeared no more to Manoah and his wife, then Manoah knew that He was the Angel of the Lord. 22 And Manoah said to his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God!"Judges 13:6

The children of Israel were delivered into the hands of the Philistines for 40 years for doing evil in the sight of God. Then a wonderful event takes place: an announcement to a barren and childless woman that she will conceive and bear a son. The announcement is given by one who is called "malach-God", literally "Angel (of) God. This messenger, in two separate appearances, reveals God's commandments concerning the boy to be born. At the angel's behest, the couple offers a sacrifice to God, then they ask to be told his name. What happens next opens the eyes of the woman's husband, Manoah. The angel asks why do they desire his name for it is, "פלאי", a Hebrew word translated variously as, "miraculous", "wonderous", "supremely wonderful", "secret", "beyond understanding", and a word seeming to be used as both an adjective and a noun. But then, as the flame of their sacrifice blazes up from the altar toward heaven, this angel of God ascends in the flame! At this, Manoah exclaims to his wife, "We are doomed to die! We have seen God!" From this we conclude that the Image of God, the pre-incarnate Jesus has once again appeared to His beloved servants for deliverance at a critical moment in the history of His people Israel. Forty years, often described as a number of testing, a long season during which time the Lord allows the sins of His people to produce their inevitable fruit of judgment and subjugation. Then, at His chosen moment, our God returns for deliverance. And He returns in Person, with unequivocal authority and deep wonder. Brothers & Sisters, are you also wondering, "When will God show up!?" The story of the birth of Samson may hold an answer. God will show up precisely when His time of testing has been accomplished! And when He does, you may need to deal with the divine impact of His revelation, and as you worship Him, stand in awe of how "absolutely and supremely wonderful" He is. So, don't be impatient during the time of testing. The deliverance and the wonder will be well worth the wait. IT'S ALL IN HIS WONDERFUL TIMING!

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, "Are You for us or for our adversaries?" So He said, "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, "What does my Lord say to His servant?" Then the Commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, "Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy." And Joshua did so."Joshua 5:13-15 ; "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."Revelation 19:11-16

Joshua son of Nun had been commissioned by Moses to bring Israel into the Promised Land. He was a leader and a general. Having spied out the land and returned with the other 11 spies, he was fully aware of the impending battle and the ferocity of the enemy.There were giants in the land. Having miraculously crossed over the Jordan with all the people and 40,000 armed soldiers, Joshua sensed deeply his responsibility to protect and lead Israel to victory and the inheritance God had promised them. At this significant moment, somewhere near Jericho, the first battlefield, Joshua "lifted his eyes", to behold a Man. Focused in a mindset of warfare, he asks the obvious question:-- "whose side are you on?" The Man's answer immediately brings Joshua to another plane of existence: "No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come." The young general is standing before the Eternal Captain, Commander of the Lord's Army-- and the ground he is standing on is Holy! The book of Revelation describes a Man who "judges and makes war". He is called the "King of Kings, and the Lord of Lord's", and undoubtedly He is God's 5 star General. It is very likely that this is the very Man who identified Himself to Joshua as "Commander of the Lord's Army". We know his name. It is Jesus. Once again, the Lord Himself appears in human form at a critical moment in history, to someone He loves. Do we recognize a pattern emerging? Abraham on the plains of Mamre; Jacob wrestling near the Jordan; and now, Joshua, right before the battle of Jericho! Brothers & Sisters, our natural tendency is always to ask "whose side is the Lord on?" How many wars have been fought by people who said, "God is on our side."? But the correct question is "Who is fighting on the Lord's side?" Who is truly standing for His interests and representing Him in the battle against the darkness? The flesh will always invoke the name of God to justify its own desires, political, military, or whatever they might be. But the Lord will only "show up" for His loved ones that are truly fighting with and for Him. So we must always ask ourselves if we are with Him. When we're sure that we are on His side, we can rest assured that He is on ours. Victory follows! WHOSE SIDE ARE YOU ON?

"Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, "Let Me go, for the day breaks." But he said, "I will not let You go unless You bless me!" So He said to him, "What is your name?" He said, "Jacob." And He said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked, saying, "Tell me Your name, I pray." And He said, "Why is it that you ask about My name?" And He blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."Genesis 32:24-30

In the most extreme moment of his life, when his entire household was threatened with annihilation, the Patriarch Jacob wrestled with a Man through an entire sleepless night. Somehow, after this astounding encounter, Jacob came to the realization that he had been wrestling with God, and face to face! Once again, the Lord God of heaven showed Himself as a human being to a man He loved; this time, for the purpose of rescuing, blessing, and preserving the man's destiny. Jacob was relentless during this struggle and his perseverance changed him profoundly, forever, in several ways: he was wounded and walked with a limp for the rest of his life, a sign of human weakness and dependance on the Lord; he was given a new name ("Israel") and with it a new identity, as a prince with God, and one whose struggle with the Almighty saved his life, his family, and his God given inheritance and posterity; and finally, Jacob received the long-awaited relief and closure with the brother whom he had deceived and enraged so many years before. So this wrestling match with God was a massive turning point in Jacob's life, and though it must have taken every ounce of human effort he could muster, the victory he won affected every human being in history, since, of course, the Man that Jacob wrestled with was almost certainly the same Man who became his most important descendant, the Savior of the world, Jesus, the Messiah; (Jesus the Christ). Brothers & Sisters, how often difficulties and crises are used by the Lord to bring us closer and to develop intimacy with Him. It is sometimes the Lord's will to draw us to Himself through extreme and even terrible circumstances or threats. The inner transformation that can take place when we pass through these intense prayer battles, cannot perhaps, be accomplished any other way. But consider the fruit and the blessing which can result from these mighty wrestlings. And consider how being that close to God Himself may change you forever. So, you who are gutting out that anguishing trial--don't let go until you receive the blessing, the change, the victory. I believe the Lord also wants to say to you--- that you have struggled with God and with men -- and have prevailed! ARE YOU WRESTLING WITH GOD?

"And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,"Genesis 18:1-2 ; "And the LORD said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old? Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."Genesis 18:13-14 ; "And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do; Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?"Genesis 18:17-18 ; "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am."John 8:56-58

The (Old) Testament contains numerous appearances of God in the form of a man, sitting, speaking, even eating with those that love Him. Abraham was sitting in front of his tent on the plains of Mamre, when the LORD (God) came to him and declared the fulfillment of a promise He had made to him many years before, saying that through Abraham's seed the world would be blessed! (Genesis 12:7; 13:15-16, 15:18, 17:7-9) For a long season, the Patriarch had patiently waited for the fulfillment of this promise, but it wasn't until the LORD came to him personally, speaking face to face, that the fulfillment of this promise drew near. No wonder Jesus told the Jews of his day that Abraham rejoiced to see Him! It was the day that the promise -- the long awaited promise -- was coming to pass! Brothers & Sisters, the visitation of God, the Creator of the universe, to this Earth, in the form of a man, seems preposterous to normal human understanding; yet we know it is true, historical, and certain because God has revealed it to us by His Spirit and His Word. Because of this astounding Incarnation, every other promise of the Word is absolutely reliable. Faith and patience are all that are necessary for us to receive them. Is there anything too hard for the LORD? Follow the example of our Father Abraham and stand on the WORD He has given you. Every one of His promises will be fulfilled....... in His time! IS THERE ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THE LORD?