Charisma Magazine

Editor's Note: Prophetic minister John Paul Jackson posted the following article on his Web site in June. The message is a timely one, considering the current concerns believers are facing regarding the economy, health care, religious freedom and other significant issues.

Over time, I have discovered that God takes our fears very seriously. We often do not. Most of us have been afraid of the same things for so many years that we almost don't notice how they're affecting us anymore—or worse, we choose to ignore them.

This isn't fear, we may think. I just don't do that sort of thing. I'm not outgoing enough.

It's not because I'm afraid of failing. I've just decided not to see this through.

I know God doesn't want me to be afraid of this (person, event, situation), but I am.

Our fears may seem small and insignificant to us, but they aren't to God. He will often go to great lengths to see that we are delivered from them.

Editor's Note: Below is a prophecy Chuck Pierce received as he sought the Lord in prayer during the first week of September.

The Lord is saying: "There is a wind that is beginning to blow the dust from your shelf. You are being called and will be sent forward again.

"There will be fastings in this next season that you didn't experience in the last season. But the fastings will be for the enlargement of your territory.

"I am beginning to amass My people and join them together in troops. They will be land- and structure-changers. They will find and release those [who] were held captive by old ruling systems and release them to be restored. Many of these captives will be the leaders of My armies in days ahead.

The Spirit of God is constantly seeking to plant new seeds of victory inside you. Why? He is enlarging your vision and increasing your capacity for faith, hope and love. God longs for you to dream big! Ephesians 3:20-21 assures us that our King, the Lord Jesus Christ, "is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us" (NKJV).

The Greek word translated "exceedingly" here is a marvelous word—one that should bring unspeakable joy to our hearts. It is hyper! We know what it means to be hyper—to be hyperactive, hyperacute, hyperalert, hyperexcited or hypersensitive. We know that a hyperbole is an exaggeration of the truth.

Editor's Note: The following message is the most recent posted on Barbara Yoder's new blog, which you can find at barbarayoderblog.com. The original title of the word is "We Are Contending."

We are in a season of contending. We must contend past the deception that has tried to mislead us. Deception blinds us from seeing what the real issue is, and hope deferred feeds deception. It feeds the faithless, half-empty-glass syndrome. I believe we are coming out of a season in which hope deferred seemed to abound.

Deception is part of the resistance that we have to overcome. It causes us to think, There are all kinds of reasons I can't break through this: "God doesn't care." "It's too hard." "I can't do it." "What did I do wrong?"

Deception tells us, "God hasn't come through before, so why would He now? And if He cares so much, why have things been so difficult during this season—and why has it hung around for two years? Why did God let this or that happen? He must not care." On and on the voice speaks.