One of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us is the power to choose. In fact, every day we are faced with literally hundreds of choices. The question is, Are we making the right ones?

Think about your own life for a moment. When you have a decision to make, do you normally go with the flow, doing whatever feels right … or do you pray for wisdom and ask the Lord for insight?

I love Proverbs 3:5-6. It says, “Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths” (AMP).

If you are anything like me, you know how easy it is to “rely on your own insight.” However, just because something might sound good, feel good and look like the right thing to do, it doesn’t mean it’s God’s best for you or necessarily the right direction to take.

Let me give you an example. Early in my ministry, I had the idea to do a local TV talk show in St. Louis. We got a group of ladies together who were well-educated in the Bible, and we rented some studio space at a local TV station to do the taping.

I was trying to do an interview show. However, every time I asked a question, I’d answer it myself! I just couldn’t quiet down long enough to let anybody answer my questions.

Do you know what kind of response we got from airing that program? In six months, we received one piece of mail. Why didn’t it work? Because it was my plan, not God’s.  

A few years later, the Lord directed us to go on TV, and we didn’t have a clue what we were doing. We rented a banquet room where the ceiling was too low and some of the tiles were caving in. We placed a podium on a stage, and for a backdrop we took this blue thing that looked like a shower curtain and strung it up on a pole behind me.

It looked ridiculous, but the very first day my program aired, we received 125 calls! That was the beginning of our television ministry, which continued to expand and now airs throughout two-thirds of the world.  

Proverbs 3:7 says, “Be not wise in your own eyes.” I believe God is telling us, “Don’t think you can run your life and do a good job without My help and direction!”

Sure, we can come up with some good ideas on our own, but many times we settle for good when God wants to give us great. 

Looking for a Sign? Follow Peace.

I believe many Christians struggle with making decisions because they’re afraid they won’t hear from God. However, the Lord longs to give us direction, and He desires to speak to us in so many ways.

First and foremost, He has given us His Word. The Bible tells us that God’s Word is alive, active and powerful (Heb. 4:12). In fact, Jesus is called “the Word made flesh” (John 1:14).

So, when we read and study the Bible, we’re not just reading a good book; we are actually spending time with God Himself! The Bible is the instruction manual for our everyday lives.

The Lord can also speak to us through our conscience, other people and even the world around us. But one of the main ways the Lord will direct us is through peace. Take a look at Colossians 3:15:

“And let the peace (soul harmony which comes) from Christ rule (act as umpire continually) in your hearts [deciding and settling with finality all questions that arise in your minds.”

What exactly does this mean? I like to explain it this way: The umpire in a ball game decides if the ball or player is “in” or “out.” Similarly, peace is the umpire that decides if something in our lives should be in or out.

There have been times when I have been invited to speak at a conference or special event, and I have really wanted to accept. However, I didn’t have peace about doing it, so I decided to decline.

Now, I may not always know why I shouldn’t go, but I have learned (sometimes the hard way) that God knows things I don’t!

For example, several years ago, I said no to an invitation to speak simply because I didn’t have peace. A few weeks later, I found out that my home church was dedicating their new building the weekend I would have been gone. At the time, I was an associate pastor at that church, and it was very important for me to be there.

I encourage you to let the peace in your heart decide with finality every question that arises in your mind. If you are getting ready to make a major decision, put it before the Lord and ask for His guidance. Remember, when you acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will direct your path (Prov. 3:6).

If you are not used to praying about decisions, it may seem awkward at first. But the more you seek the Lord and ask for help, the easier it gets…and the more sensitive you will become to His presence and direction.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure.”

Don’t settle for “good enough.” God has a great plan for your future, and as you seek Him for guidance, He will be faithful to lead you in every single decision you make.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and God Is Not Mad at You (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit .

“Shake the dust off your feet.” I wasn’t really surprised when I heard the Holy Spirit say those six words—but when I read the Scripture in context, it sent me into intercession for the ones who rejected the word of the Lord.

The sad story begins in a local church where I was serving on the pastoral staff. The church’s works were good, reaching out to the poor with food, clothing and shelter. The pastor’s sermons were not theologically deep, but they were biblically sound.

Indeed, from the outside looking in, it looked like an up-and-coming church that was really being the church. It was a breath of fresh air. Soon enough, I discerned spirit of compromise invading the hearts of leadership. Decision after decision was made to please man rather than please God. I knew these man-pleasing decisions would eventually erode the truth of the gospel in that local body. I just didn’t realize it would be so soon.

The Sin of Compromise

Over the course of a year, I gently but directly pointed out areas of compromise. The senior pastor tolerated a woman with a spirit of Jezebel wreaking havoc in the church. He frequently attended “rock star” megachurch conferences and brought the seeker-friendly principles he learned back to the congregation. He refused to confront sin of all sorts, from adultery to homosexuality and beyond. Over the course of a year, my prophetic words of warning were pooh-poohed time and time again. I was told, in subtle terms, that I was missing God’s heart in these matters. 

The day finally came when the compromise was so blatant that it sent me into weeping and travails for the church. After consulting with ministers more experienced and wiser than me, I boldly confronted the growing cancer in love with scriptural backing that could not be denied. But the prophetic correction was once again rejected—and not only rejected, but I was actually held in contempt for speaking the gospel truth in a Spirit-filled Christian church! And that’s when the Holy Spirit told me to shake the dust from my feet.

Let’s look at the Scripture: “Whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet” (Matt. 10:14). So what does it mean to shake the dust off your feet? I’ve heard that Scripture many, many times, but I had never studied it out until the Holy Spirit gave me the personal instruction.

Why Shake the Dust Off?

With regard to this verse, Matthew Henry’s Commentary suggests, “At their departure they must shake off the dust of their feet. In detestation of their wickedness; it was so abominable, that it did even pollute the ground they went upon, which must therefore be shaken off as a filthy thing. The apostles must have no fellowship nor communion with them; must not so much as carry away the dust of their city with them.”

That sounds hard-core but it’s reality. David Wilkerson used to say a “diluted gospel is no gospel at all.” A diluted gospel willfully allows compromise. A diluted gospel refuses to confront sin. A diluted gospel seeks to please man at the sake of grieving God. A diluted gospel tolerates Jezebel. A diluted gospel makes you feel good even when you won’t repent. A diluted gospel is powerless. A diluted gospel is no gospel at all.

Henry continues his commentary on shaking the dust off your feet: “It was to signify, that they were base and vile as dust, and that God would shake them off. The dust of the apostles’ feet, which they left behind them, would witness against them, and be brought in as evidence, that the gospel had been preached to them, Mark 6:11; Jas. 5:3. … They who despise God and His gospel shall be lightly esteemed.”

In Matt. 10:15, Jesus actually says it will be more tolerable in the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for the city that rejects the gospel. Whoah And that’s what sent me into intercession for the pastors that would not receive the gospel truth the Lord had me to deliver in slow and steady drips over the course of a year.

The reality is that a little compromise opens the door for a great compromise. Pastors who tolerate Jezebel will meet with a strong rebuke from Jesus (Rev. 2:20). Pastors who propagate a seeker-friendly gospel that makes people comfortable in their sin will have to give an answer on Judgment Day. Pastors who refuse to preach the gospel to sinners for fear of offending them will be held accountable.

Sometimes we have to shake the dust off our feet and even shake out our garments (Acts 13:51; 18:6). But before we do, we must have a clear conscience. We must do everything we can to reach those God sends us to. We must not leave with self-righteousness or anger but with weeping and intercession for those who refuse to hear God’s truth. Only then can we say, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean” (Acts 18:6). Amen.

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel. You can email Jennifer at  @ or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

One of the greatest gifts the Lord has given us is the power to choose. In fact, every day, we are faced with hundreds of decisions…

We decide whether or not to get out of bed, what we’ll eat, what we’ll do, what we will think about and what we will say. We make decisions about everything from how we style our hair to how we will react to more serious situations at work or at home.

While it may seem like many of our daily choices are not that significant, it’s important to understand that they do matter. In Deuteronomy 30:19, God says, “I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live.”

It’s important to understand that every choice you make is a seed you sow, and those seeds produce fruit in your life—either for life or death. So if we want to have the life Jesus died to give us—an abundant life full of peace and joy—then we need to make wise choices.

Good Choices Lead to a Good Life

I think many times we can be good at focusing on life’s “big” decisions only to be defeated by the small ones. The Song of Solomon 2:15 actually tells us that it’s the “little foxes” that spoil the vine. Likewise, the many small decisions we make every day add up and greatly impact our lives. Let me give you an example.

I make it a habit to go to bed at nine o’clock every night so that I can be asleep by about 9:30. If I get to bed on time, then I’m able to get up on time and spend quality time with God before I have to go on with the rest of my day. Now, some people might think, Does your bedtime really matter that much? Yes! Because if I decided to simply go to bed whenever I felt like it, I would sabotage my time with God—the very thing I need to grow as a Christian.

After a few days, I would also end up feeling tired and worn out from staying up late and begin to wonder why everything seemed so difficult. This seems so simple, yet I believe “little” things like this affect our lives more than we realize. Using wisdom in our choices means living deeper than what we want, what we think, and what we feel. Wisdom always chooses to do now what it will be satisfied with later on.

Conversely, foolish choices are often made without any consideration of the consequences. I’ve actually seen the word foolishness defined as “without common sense.” Now here’s the great news: If you have made foolish choices (and we’ve all done it) and you’re not happy with the way things are right now, you can change.

The greatest way to overcome a series of bad choices is to make a series of good ones. The first step is for us to take responsibility for the wrong choices we’ve made. It’s important to be honest with ourselves if we are ever going to change. Jesus says that the truth will set us free (John 8:32), and that includes the truth about ourselves. The next step is to make a determined decision to change…to begin making a series of wise choices for your future.

There’s Something You Need to Know

It is extremely important to understand that none of us can change ourselves. Only God can give us the strength and ability to change our habits and the way we think, talk, and act. Only He can help us make great decisions for our lives.

I know this because there was a time in my life when I desperately wanted to change. I wanted to be a better person who made right decisions. But it was clear that I couldn’t do it on my own. I needed God to heal me, strengthen me and make me secure and whole in Christ. Only then was I able to choose life on a regular basis.

Whatever changes you need to make, I encourage you to go to God for help. Pray and ask Him to guide you and give you the strength to make wise choices. In addition, begin to look up scriptures and study the Bible in the areas where you are struggling—whether it’s anger, unforgiveness, self-control or anything else.

There is power in God’s Word to change your life, and the more you read and study it, the more joy, strength and freedom you will experience. So, think about this: What could your life be like if you started making better choices right now? Don’t put it off any longer. The truth is there won’t be a more convenient time, and you don’t have to waste another day missing out on a better future.

I believe you can do it. If your progress seems slow, don’t get discouraged and never give up. Because when you stay determined to make wise choices, things will eventually start to change and you will begin to see the great life God has for you.

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times best-selling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and God Is Not Mad at You. She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit .

I count it an extreme honor to have served alongside Steve for the past decade. It was in 1996 that my life was forever changed as a result of the Brownsville Revival.

I didn’t know then just how much of a role the evangelist at the revival would play in my life. Since that time, he’s been a mentor, a friend and a fellow warrior. He will be greatly missed.

Steve once said that “a soldier is not tested in the barracks; they are tested on the battlefield.” That’s exactly where he lived his life—on the battlefield, fighting hell for the lost souls of men. 

These last five years, the battle certainly intensified. Steve said we were watching him fight through the greatest trial of his life. 

“I’m going through this,” Steve would say. “I’m coming out the other side.”

That was Steve, always the optimist in every situation. He processed everything through the lens of eternity. There were times the pain of the cancer would be so intense that he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He would cry out in agony. You felt helpless; there was nothing you could do except be at his side. He would then compose himself and ask that we not be concerned about his pain. “This is nothing compared the suffering our Savior endured on the cross,” he would say. “Oh, the pain. No one could imagine that sort of pain.”

Yes, Steve was an extraordinary man, the likes of which one often reads about in the journals of the great saints that preceded him. No doubt that is how history will remember him as well.

I’m going to miss the times we spent together sitting in his office as he spoke of the things he learned in the past and then we would dream of the future. He shared much wisdom during those times, and I’m eternally grateful for those moments. But the most impactful thing for me was not found in what he said but in what I saw.

For 10 years, I was able to see another side of the man of God—the one that lives away from the platform. I saw the kind of faithful father he was to his children, the devoted husband he was to his wife, and the kind of person he was when few were looking. As impressive as he was behind a pulpit, I was even more impressed by who he was as a person.

One afternoon we sat in his office discussing a mutual friend of ours who had fallen into sin. Most wouldn’t have thought the conversation came close to venturing into gossip, but I didn’t at the time. Steve stopped midsentence and began to pray for the brother and asked Jesus to forgive us for speaking negatively. He then focused the conversation on reaching the lost. The lessons learned that afternoon will stay with me forever.

Steve didn’t have to live his message because his message was a true reflection of his life—just as it should be for all of us.

Steve was a man of passion, so he preached with much passion. He was a man of holiness; therefore, he preached about living holy before the Lord. Steve cared about the eternal souls of man, so he refused to quietly let anyone continue on their way to hell. With tears in his eyes, he compelled sinners to come to Jesus in the altars of a sanctuary, and with tears in his eyes, he’d plead with individuals in the streets.

I was once asked by a good friend to give three things I’ve learned from being around Steve. I’ll offer those to you here:

First, Live for Eternity

You could see the mark Leonard Ravenhill had left on Steve. He lived with his eyes fixed on the next life. Everything was weighed with eternity in mind.

Steve once shared a story about Leonard calling him in the middle of the night. 

“What are you doing, Stevie?” Leonard asked him.

“I’m sleeping.”

“I’ve been up praying for you for the past hour. I need you to come over right away!”

Steve said when he walked into Ravenhill’s office, he was in his chair staring at the ceiling. He asked Steve to make him a sign that simply said “Eternity.” He told Steve, “When I look up from my desk, all I want to see is the word Eternity.”

Leonard went to be with Jesus a few weeks later.

Ravenhill’s epitaph reads, “Are the things you’re living for worth Christ dying for?”

Steve sought to live his life in such a way. He wanted everything he did to be worthy of the price Christ paid for upon Calvary. You and I would do good to do the same.

Second, Draw Yourself a Circle 

I am going to miss hearing Steve ask me, “You got a minute?” For Steve, a minute usually meant at least an hour. I was always humbled that this man of God who had been used to speak to millions would take the time to spend an hour with me—especially as the cancer progressed and the pain intensified. Here he was, battling for his life, and he wanted to take time to impart into me. He did this with so many. 

One of the greatest lessons he shared with me, and more importantly modeled before me, was to draw yourself a circle. Wilkerson had drilled it into him.

“You want to know why Wilkerson was the way he was,” he’d say, “or why I’ve been able to accomplish so much? It’s because I learned to draw myself a circle and stay in it.”

By this, he meant to literally draw a circle and place everything in that circle that the Lord has told you to do. These things you say yes to. Anything that would come your way that would take you out of your circle, you say no to.

I would sit on the other side of Steve’s desk as a call would come in, offering him what most would consider to be an incredible opportunity. He’d humbly decline. Why? It wasn’t in his circle. Another lesson learned.

Lastly, It’s All About Souls 

During the revival, Steve often said, “You don’t see a hearse pulling a U-Haul.” He understood most people spend their lives accumulating stuff that one day will simply perish. The only thing of eternal significance is the souls of man.

“People are the only thing you get to bring past the threshold of death,” he would say. 

Steve sought to be responsible for delivering millions to the Savior. 

He told me, “When I look out into an audience, I look for the person who seems to be the furthest away from Jesus, and I preach straight to them. I know if they can understand what I’m saying, then everyone will understand the message.” 

Every message he preached and every interaction he had with people, he saw it as an opportunity to win one more soul for Christ. Jesus said, “Go!” So Steve went!

Steve was truly a battle-tested warrior, a general in the Lord’s army who dared to do great exploits for the Lord. Some may mistakenly believe that the cancer won the fight, as if the enemy scored a great victory when Steve passed from this life. Oh, they couldn’t be more wrong!

The truth is, the enemy lost the fight back in October of 1975, when Steve called upon the name of Jesus for the first time. The enemy then lost every day that Steve lived. The enemy lost every time a lost soul came home at the plea of this great evangelist. And the enemy will continue to lose as Steve’s legacy lives on in the lives of thousands of spiritual sons and daughters.

Today the earth feels significantly lighter as one of God’s generals who carried such spiritual weight has exited this life and entered the next.

Though I am deeply saddened at the loss of a brother in arms, I am stirred more now to honor his legacy by living each day with eternity in mind, staying inside my circle and doing all I can to bring in the harvest.

There is a void to be filled. So much work to be done. We have no time to waste! Though no one could ever fill Steve’s shoes, each of us can strive to walk in his footsteps.

Steve lived with his eyes fixed on the finish line. Let us do the same and run the rest of this race with everything we have in us. Steve would tell you that heaven is depending on you and that the world is in need of you!

Oh, to have seen the moment when Steve passed the finish line and received his crown. He lived for that moment. It’s time to do the same.

Daniel K. Norris is an evangelist who works alongside Steve Hill bringing the message of revival and repentance to the nations. Together, they co-host a broadcast called From the Frontlines. Norris also hosts the Collision Youth Conference that is broadcast all over the world. He can be contacted at .

If you listen to my teachings on prophetic ministry for long enough—and maybe even just for a few minutes—you’ll hear me say this: “You can’t put a prophet in a box.”

What do I mean by that? Well, no two prophets are alike. I talk about this at length in my new book, The Making of a Prophet, as it relates to the office of the prophet. But you could take this saying—“You can’t put a prophet in a box”—and apply it with equal truth to prophetic people. In other words, you could rightly say this: “You can’t put prophetic people in a box.”

Think about it for a minute. God created us all as unique individuals—masterpieces. (See Ephesians 2:10.) No two of us are alike, so wouldn’t it make sense that there would be different prophetic expressions?

Prophetic Bible Writers

Consider the Bible itself. It has a number of authors, all chronicling the oracles of God. But if you know the Bible well, you can easily distinguish the Holy Spirit-inspired writings of John from the Holy Spirit-inspired writings of Paul from the Holy Spirit-inspired writings of Isaiah.

Although the Holy Spirit inspired them all to write the words they recorded, there is some uniqueness in their expression because it flowed through their individual beings. In other words, God didn’t turn John, Paul, Isaiah and others into expressionless robots to record His words. You’ll find their personalities expressed in their writings. Their personal stories are woven through the pages of the Old and New Testament. And the language they use is unique to their level of education and understanding of God’s past words.

The Bible writers have unique prophetic expressions. Prophetic psalmists are another good example. God is speaking to the heart of these minstrels, but how they express what God is speaking to them varies—and thank God it does. Would you like to hear the same song forever, or don’t you enjoy a little variety? Prophetic preachers have unique expressions based on their own personalities and life experience. The same holds true for prophetic teachers, prophetic artists and prophetic people of all sorts.

Yielding to His Spirit

So, what’s your prophetic expression? Our soul, our flesh and the devil too often tempt us to mirror someone else’s prophetic persona. That’s a mistake because it robs the world of the unique gift God wants to share. There’s nothing wrong with having role models, but we need to yield to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to express His prophetic ministry through us and with us. (See Galatians 5:25.)

God has created us all in His image, but I believe we manifest different expressions of His image. (See Genesis 1:27.) God is like a diamond with many beautiful facets. If you notice, some people have a grace gift; others have a mercy gift. Some people are bold; others are gentle. Some are all of these things wrapped into one. The Holy Spirit has distributed different gifts to us all in different measures, including the prophetic. (See 1 Corinthians 12:11.)

God has given you a unique prophetic expression. You don’t have to be a prophet to flow in that prophetic expression. Again, you just have to yield to His Spirit and allow Him to move through you how He wills. If you are going to morph yourself into another’s image, morph yourself into the image of Christ by gazing on His beauty. What a prophetic expression you would manifest then! (See Psalm 27:4.) Amen.

You can download a sample chapter of Jennifer’s new book, The Making of a Prophet, by clicking here.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at @ or visit her website at .

How do you write the obituary of a man who so changed the way you look at true revival forever? That was my unwelcome task on Monday, when I learned evangelist Steve Hill went on to glory after a long fight with melanoma.

I got the news through a text message at 3 a.m. I retired early after not sleeping much the previous night due to my coverage of Ulf Ekman’s conversion to Roman Catholicism out of Sweden. Yes, I got the news through a text message—and then a flood of email and Facebook messages—when I woke up at 3 a.m. Of course, I could not go back to sleep.

I’ll always remember the first time I actually spoke to Steve Hill. I had written about him in June 2011, when his staff called for 48 hours of prayer. He was on the brink of death. But death’s grip wasn’t strong enough to hold him. It wasn’t his time. He defied death, hell and the grave.

Five months later, I had an opportunity to interview him. Not only was he alive and well, but he was ready to win another million souls for Jesus. He was full of fire and passion. In that article, “After Defying Death, Evangelist Steve Hill Sets Out to Win Another Million Souls,” he shared with me, “My funeral was planned and my burial plot was purchased. I can’t believe I’m alive.”

I guess I thought he would never die. Well, not to this enemy anyway. There were so many close calls, but he always bounced back. He was a walking, talking miracle.

That interview lasted nearly two hours, and not just because he was telling me stories of miracles and gospel crusades—because he was interviewing me! Steve Hill wanted to hear my story! He was just like that.

“I can tell you love the Lord,” he said to me. “I don’t know how you were raised. I wish you would tell me. What kind of church were you raised in?”

Yes, that’s just how he was. Steve Hill was interested in talking about other people and their stories. He loved a good testimony. He enjoyed seeing lives transformed. When I explained to him that I was saved in jail, it was like we were old friends—there was an instant bond. He had a similar story.

“I’m going to send you my mug shot,” he beamed. We traded testimonies, and he wanted to know where he could read more about my life. He wanted to know if I was writing any books—he later offered glowing endorsements of my next two works. He told me stories about David Wilkerson and Leonard Ravenhill. He shared his passion for the gospel. It was contagious.

One day I wrote an especially hard-hitting article on Charisma News. The phone rang and, as was often the case, it was Steve Hill calling out of the blue. He often called, emailed or sent text messages to cheer me on. On this particular call, he wasted no time telling me he just read an article I had published 10 minutes ago. My heart jumped. I thought he was about to correct me for being too bold. But it was just the opposite. He encouraged me to keep being a bold voice for the Lord, no matter whether anybody liked it or not. I’ll never forget it.

Another time he called to tell me about a vision he had just had a couple of days before. He described an alarming vision in which he saw “a massive, majestic mountain covered in glistening snow.” He said, “It reminded me of the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps. Its peaks were sparkling white, and I was amazed by God’s attention to detail. It was so realistic, I wanted to go skiing! But I sensed that there was more that the Holy Spirit was about to reveal.” He wound up writing a book about that vision called Spiritual Avalanche that exposes the great lies in the church today.

I could go on and on about Steve Hill. He was a man of conviction, a man of courage, a man who refused to compromise the gospel. He was more than an inspiration to me; he was a general of the faith whom the Lord used to strengthen my stand against anything that would come between God’s love and His creation. He imparted to me a heart for evangelism, a determination to see revival and so much more.

I write this through tears, knowing I’ll miss Steve Hill more than I realize as the shock wears off but grateful for what he imparted to me during his journey. I know he heard the words, “Well done, My good and faithful servant.”

Steve, we’ll strive to keep the revival fires burning until we see you again. 

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at @ or visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Perhaps best known as the evangelist for the Brownsville Revival in Pensacola, Fla., evangelist and pastor Steve Hill went home to be with the Lord on Sunday.

“Today, March 9 Steve crossed the finish line. Steve lived every day with eternity in view, today he finally saw it with his own eyes. The Church has lost a general in the faith, heaven has gained a saint,” reads a post on his Facebook ministry page. “Please remember Jeri, Ryan, Shelby, Kelsey and the family in your prayers.”

Hill passed on to glory after a long battle with melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer and the leading cause of death from skin disease.

“A great warrior has fallen,” says Billy Wilson, president of Oral Roberts University. “One of the great evangelists of our generation is standing in God’s presence today. My heart grieves for us, yet my heart rejoices for Steve—he has made it. I have lost a friend, a cheerleader and a fellow laborer in Christ. We love you, Steve.”

Fueled by his own dramatic deliverance from drugs, alcohol and crime in 1975, Hill dedicated his life to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ around the world. His passion to help those who are hurting and his pursuit of genuine, God-breathed revival continued to intensify after years of missionary work, church planting and evangelistic crusades.

From 1995 to 2000, Hill served as the evangelist of the Brownsville Revival. The meetings drew more than 4 million from more than 150 nations through the doors of the Brownsville Assembly of God Church.

During the five-year revival, hundreds of thousands wept at the altars, repented of sinful lifestyles and gave their lives to Jesus. Lives were dramatically changed, marriages were restored and addictions were broken as the gospel of Jesus Christ was presented with clarity. After Brownsville, Hill and his evangelistic team continued to hold arena and stadium crusades around the world.

Hill also founded and served as senior pastor, along with his wife, Jeri, of Heartland World Ministries Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Hill founded Heartland School of Ministry, a soul-winning, presence-driven ministry school, as well as , a website that encourages people to come back to God.

“A mighty warrior is fallen, earth is the better for his life and the poorer for his passing,” writes John Jeffs on Hill’s Facebook page. “May the Lord raise up a 100 like him, that many may know of the greatness of [God]. Our hearts go to his family at this time of sorrow. Heaven rejoices as the Earthly battle ended the heavenly praise begins. Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

Read some of our tributes to Steve Hill:

A Tribute to Steve Hill

Steve Hill, a Good and Faithful Servant

Steve Hill’s Death Leave Enormous Void in Spirit-Filled Church

During his Sunday morning service, Ulf Ekman announced the he and his wife, Birgitta, are converting to Roman Catholicism.

Ekman is the founder of Word of Life, a megachurch in Uppsala, Sweden. News reports and blogs coming out of the nation reveal the congregation was “partially stunned” after hearing what was packaged as a “special announcement.” The theme was “Follow the Lamb Wherever He Goes.”

“For Birgitta and me, this has been a slow process were we have gone from discovering new things, to appreciating what we have discovered, to approach and even learn from our fellow Christians,” Ekman says on his ministry website.

“We have seen a great love for Jesus and a sound theology, founded on the Bible and classic dogma. We have experienced the richness of sacramental life. We have seen the logic in having a solid structure for priesthood, that keeps the faith of the church and passes it on from one generation to the next. We have met an ethical and moral strength and consistency that dare to face up to the general opinion, and a kindness towards the poor and the weak. And, last but not least, we have come in contact with representatives for millions of charismatic Catholics and we have seen their living faith.”

According to the Aletheia blog and think tank, Ekman’s conversion is a news story that affects a relatively large part of Swedish Christianity. Word of Life has about 3,000 members and a staff of 12 pastors. The church’s school has about 1,000 students. Ekman also launched Scandinavia’s largest Bible school, constructed Scandinavia’s largest free church building, rolled out a media program with TV on all continents, recorded teaching that has been spread around the world, published books in 60 languages, and promoted a strong engagement for Israel.

“We have, as many know, followed Ekman’s steps towards Roman Catholicism since 2007, at times under a lot of ridicule from both members and leadership of the congregation, but also from others within the Christian Community in Sweden,” writes Andreas Glandberger, who operates the think tank. “Based on Ulf Ekman’s various articles, sermons, statements and even type of organizations he decided to support financially, a painstaking puzzle has been laid in which the last piece of the puzzle now is in place.”

Glandberger went on to say that “shock, anger, sadness, despair and confusion” were among the reactions to the news. Others, he writes, were relieved that Ekman’s long love affair with the Catholic Church finally was consummated openly, which is also a help in theological discussions.

“All this has been both attractive and challenging,” Ekman says. “It really challenged our Protestant prejudices, and we realized that we, in many cases, did not have any basis for our criticism of them. We needed to know the Catholic faith better. This led us to the realize that it was actually Jesus Christ who led us to unite with the Catholic Church.”

Ekman calls his conversion a “personal journey” and says it was not his agenda to lead Word of Life toward Roman Catholicism or to collectively unite the church with the Catholic Church. “That would be unreasonable,” he says.

Ekman retired as the church’s senior pastor in March 2013. He founded and served at Word of Life for 30 years with a mandate from the Holy Spirit to “equip My people with the word of faith.”

You can watch the video of the sermon here.

Feeling misunderstood? As I shared in my last column, it seems I’ve been misunderstood my whole life. That’s why I had to find ways to deal with those negative emotions and the reactions they spark in my soul.

Last week, we talked about four reasons for misunderstandings and two ways to deal with it. Now let’s talk about four more tools for the misunderstood: 1) cry it out, 2) forgive, 3) confront the misunderstanding, and 4) trust God. I’ll also offer you 6 ways to get your mind off the misunderstanding. Are you ready?

Understanding Joseph’s Strategy

Joseph could understand dreams, but nobody could understand him. His family misunderstood his motives. (See Genesis 37:4-10.)

Joseph is an example of a young prophet who probably needed to keep his mouth shut about the call of God on his life. Family members rarely understand our calling unless they are on fire for the Lord. Remember, Jesus said a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown (Mark 6:4). Joseph was so misunderstood that his brothers just got him out of the picture.

How did Joseph handle this? He kept doing the right thing even when the wrong thing was happening to him. I believe he carried that pain with him for the 20-some-odd years that it took him to get from the pit to the palace. When his brothers came to Egypt and he finally revealed himself to them, he wept. It’s possible that’s when all those hurts and wounds came out.

Many times, if we are feeling misunderstood or rejected, we need to go ahead and have a good cry. But we don’t cry in pity of ourselves. We cry and sob at the Lord’s feet, asking Him to take the pain away from us, asking Him to heal our hearts, asking Him to help us to forgive.

Job Mastered Misunderstandings

If anyone was misunderstood, it was Job. His friends just kept trying to convince him that he needed to repent of hidden sin. He was falsely accused. He was wrongly judged. On top of everything else, he suffered horribly from the circumstances the enemy brought his way.

What did Job do in response? First of all, he was humble. He cried out to God to show Him the error of His ways. Job 6:24 says, “Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; cause me to understand wherein I have erred.”

Second, Job kept on trusting God no matter what. His wife said, “Curse God and die” (Job 42:9)—but he refused. Of course, it wasn’t until Job prayed for his friends, the ones who had falsely accused him, that he got his victory.

Hannah Was Falsely Accused

And let’s not forget Hannah. She was sorely misunderstood and falsely accused. There she was, pouring her heart out to God. The Bible says “she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish” (1 Sam. 1:10) before she made a vow to commit to her child to the Lord if He would break her barrenness.

“And it happened, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth. Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she was drunk. So Eli said to her, ‘How long will you be drunk? Put your wine away from you!’” (vv. 12-13).

Hannah had three choices. She could have walked away angry, speaking ill of the priest and becoming bitter and unforgiving. She could have walked away in misery, feeling sorry for herself and accusing God. Or she could confront it respectfully. She chose the latter and turned an accusation into a blessing:

“Hannah answered and said, ‘No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor intoxicating drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord. Do not consider your maidservant a wicked woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have spoken until now.’ Then Eli answered and said, ‘Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him’” (vv. 15-17).

Eli got into agreement with her and she got her blessing, and Eli was blessed too since Samuel went into his service.

Mary Was Surely Misunderstood

Mary was about to marry Joseph, the love of her life, when suddenly God called her to be the mother of the Messiah. She wound up pregnant, and she had to tell Joseph. Her only explanation was, “The Holy Ghost did it.” Joseph was like, “Yeah, right.” He was probably brokenhearted and even angry.

Imagine all the emotions these two experienced, but let’s focus on Mary. She was misunderstood. Joseph probably thought she was a harlot. According to Jewish law, if your fiancée turned up pregnant, you could either divorce her or have her stoned. (See Matthew 1:18-24.) How did she handle it? She simply trusted God.

Get Your Mind Off the Misunderstanding

Whether we face an honest misunderstanding or a nasty accusation, we need to respond right because the Lord is watching. He wants to make it right. He wants to vindicate us. So if you are misunderstood, here are some practical tips for getting your mind off the misunderstanding:

1. First, pray for those who misunderstand you.

2. Be kind and respectful toward those who slight you.

3. Seek the good of those who judge you wrongly.

4. Protect the reputation of those who slander you.

5. Privately work in the best interests of those who are working against you, and purposely avoid telling them what you do for them.

6. Thank the Lord for the purifying effect it has on your life when you are misunderstood.

When we do these things, we have the Spirit of Jesus, “who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when he suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23). Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is news editor at Charisma. She is also the author of several books, including The Spiritual Warrior’s Guide to Defeating Jezebel and The Making of a Prophet. You can email Jennifer at @ or visit her website at .