When the Holy Spirit told me to press into the truth about modern-day deliverance ministry, I started studying, praying and teaching on this topic.

Amid this, I received a prophecy about new deliverance technologies that are necessary as Satan unearths gross wickedness in the earth.

Although he is a Christian, Rob Saunders admits that, for years, he walked with a divided heart—and had a tendency to do things his own way.

In 2006, however, Saunders received a prophecy that he would become a sounding board for God in the business world. Soon after, his attitude, his way of doing business and the results of his efforts all changed. When he decided to do it God’s way, grace and unmerited favor soon began to follow.

“It was prophesied to me that I would learn; that I would become God’s mouthpiece,” Saunders told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “But immediately when they said that, I told God, ‘You’re going to have to fill my mouth because I cannot be your mouthpiece with my wisdom.’

“And the Lord told me that He would give me an exact answer. The first thing the Lord told me was to start reviewing the life of Matthew, because he was by far the biggest businessman of the Twelve (disciples). The Lord told me if I learned about his life through the whole New Testament, then ‘I will teach you what he saw, and what changed him.’ Matthew eventually quit business, and now the Lord was saying to him, ‘Here is my money; do business with it.’

“So, it’s a process. All of a sudden, I didn’t want man’s ways anymore. I didn’t want to be the most clever, the most shrewd or the quickest person. It’s good to be shrewd and wise and quick, but if it’s all about you, then you’re just bullying others, and that’s wrong.”

For more about how this prophetic word propelled God’s favor into Rob Saunders’ life, listen to this podcast. {eoa}

Executive producer Brian Bird doesn’t see his hit Hallmark Channel show When Calls the Heart as an evangelistic tool. But, he says, it is a show that stirs up “soul cravings” in its more than 3 million followers, known as “Hearties,” and in turn gives even non-Christians a hunger for the benefits of the gospel.

“My pastor for 25 years, Rick Warren at Saddleback Church, once told me what I was doing was huge because it is breaking down barriers in our culture,” Bird told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “It’s breaking down barriers to the message of the gospel because we are stirring up heart cravings among even nonbelievers that need to be filled.

“We want very much to bring hope, faith and love to the marketplace and the media marketplace and to put it on screens everywhere. The great virtues of Scripture, the truths of Scripture, are truth for everyone—even those who don’t claim Jesus as their Savior or who don’t practice their faith in Christ.

“While we don’t see ourselves as an evangelistic show, our call, I believe, is to stir up deep soul cravings in people using story. God was the first storyteller, and story is soul food. My personal goal is to stir up soul cravings in people who watch our show, and if we’re doing our job, God will do the rest.”

For more about Brian Bird and his new Hallmark series When Hope Calls, listen to this podcast. {eoa}

Do you find yourself struggling monthly to make ends meet? Wealth Codes coach Rob Saunders says you don’t have to live such a mediocre existence.

It’s all a matter of biblical wisdom. In the Bible, Jesus talked more about money than he talked about salvation and grace. And when you understand and choose to practice the Lord’s way of doing business, you will experience the abundance that exceeds all you can ask or think, dream or imagine.

“Many people are on what I call a ‘hamster wheel’ of life, and I’m not sure they’re willing to get off because they don’t know anything else,” Saunders told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “But you can come back to the Divine Wealth Code of wisdom and knowledge. You can get off that crazy golden hamster wheel that’s wrecking your home life and your health every day.

“I have enjoyed happiness and joy because I don’t want it any other way than God’s. There are so many choices for our money. There are so many choices on how we can make it. You’ve got to be aware that you are on the hamster wheel, and you need to ask yourself, ‘How can I get off?’ God wants you to have happiness and joy, and you can find that with wisdom—God’s wisdom.”

For more about Rob Saunders and the Divine Wealth Codes, listen to this podcast.

One of my absolute favorite Bible events takes place in the fourth chapter of the book of John. It is a favorite because the entire narrative between Yeshua (Jesus) and the Samaritan woman is so convoluted that it is made up of one miracle after another, yet it all takes place within one conversation.

Like most of you, when I think about the miracles performed by Yeshua, my mind goes to the lame walking, the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the dead being raised. Yet, there are so many miraculous events that are equally powerful that we miss simply because the miracle takes place within words and hearts instead of outward physical experiences. One such series of miracles takes place in John 4.

We begin to read:

“So He left Judea and went back again to the Galilee. But He needed to pass through Samaria. So He comes to a Samaritan town called Shechem, near the plot of land that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. … A Samaritan woman comes to draw water. ‘Give me a drink'” Yeshua tells her. (John 4:3-7, TLV).

Before we begin looking at the actual text, let’s first establish that a miracle is a supernatural event, an event which takes place beyond the normal established expectations. Said another way, the supernatural is something that takes place which is beyond the natural.

Now, let’s look at the text. Yeshua is heading back to the Galilee from Judea. The normal route Jews took at that time was along the Jordan River to avoid travelling through Samaria. The Samaritans and the Jews were enemies living within the same country. The Samaritans were descendants of Jews who were not dispersed from the kingdom of Israel by the Assyrians and foreigners who were brought into Israel during the dispersion.

The Samaritans formed their own religion, blending Judaism and paganism. The Jews and Samaritans were two people groups who both based their religious faiths upon the same book. But having one book, they had two completely different understandings of that book, and they both believed they were right. The Jews worshipped in Jerusalem, and the Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim. Because of their history and belief differences, they grew to hate one another.

The result was that Jews avoided Samaria at all costs. Yet, contrary to the norms of the day, Yeshua chose to go through Samaria. If Yeshua had followed the natural expectations of that day, we would not be reading this event in John 4. (I don’t have time in this blog to go into the symbolism of Joseph and Yeshua that exists within this narrative; watch for it in a future blog.)

“Now Jacob’s well was there. So Yeshua, exhausted from the journey, was sitting by the well. It was midday” (John 4:6).

The second unusual happening in the text is that Yeshua is at the well in the middle of the day. Most people didn’t go to the well in the middle of the day. Normally, people went to the well in the morning before it got hot and in the afternoon once it got cool again. Only outcasts would be at the well at this time of day.

A Samaritan woman comes to draw water. “Give me a drink.” Yeshua tells her. (John 4:7)

The third unusual event that takes place is that Yeshua asks the Samaritan woman for water. We know this is unusual because the biblical text actually tells us so.

Then the Samaritan woman asks Him, “How is it that You, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink? (For Jewish people don’t deal with Samaritans)” (John 4:9).

The woman is actually shocked by Yeshua even speaking to her. You will notice that she was not at all shocked that a man spoke to her when she was clearly not a woman of perfect reputation (the reason she was at the well in the middle of the day). She was shocked only because of their religious differences.

Now, as we read through the rest of John 4, we see the conversation that takes place between Yeshua and the woman as Yeshua reveals that He is Messiah and G-D. The end result is that this Samaritan woman returned to her town told everyone about Yeshua, and that resulted in many from her town coming to faith in Yeshua as Messiah.

“Many of the Samaritans from that town put their trust in Him because of the word of the woman testifying, ‘He told me everything I ever did!'” (John 4:39),

And:

“They kept telling the woman, ‘It’s no longer because of your words that we believe. We’ve heard for ourselves! Now we know that this really is the Savior of the world!” (John 4:42).

As we read through John 4, we see miracle after miracle taking place, and each of them took place so that the miracle that followed it would take place. I wonder how many more miracles would take place and how many more people would come to faith in Yeshua if we followed His example and stepped out of the natural into the supernatural, if we looked for opportunities to speak to those who are not like us, to venture off the beaten path and enter our Samarias, to speak to those who others choose not to speak to, to reach out to those whose reputations might not be perfect and pure and to speak to those who read the same book we do but see it in different ways.

I love that Yeshua didn’t start His conversation with the woman by telling her that she was wrong and had nothing to offer. Instead, He let her know He was willing to drink water that she provided if she could provide it.

You will notice the woman does not ever provide water to Yeshua. He instead offers her water that only He could provide. John 4 is filled with supernatural events, most of which we don’t see, simply because we don’t understand just how supernatural a conversation can be.

Eric Tokajer is author of With Me in Paradise, Transient Singularity, OY! How Did I Get Here?: Thirty-One Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before Entering Ministry, #ManWisdom: With Eric Tokajer, Jesus Is to Christianity as Pasta Is to Italians, and Galatians in Context.

On the night before He went to the cross, Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. While it’s doubtful that most of you will face a similar fate, Jesus wants to know how willing you are to “wash the feet” of others on a daily basis.

Do you have a servant’s heart? Bishop Joseph Mattera says that is essential for kingdom leaders.

“You must have a heart for people,” Mattera told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “The greatest leader is the one who makes other people great. It’s the one who washes the feet of other people.

“It’s not trying to make a name for yourself, but being behind others and celebrating their success, and walking with them so they can be great.

“To those whom Jesus called, he said, ‘follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.’ That didn’t happen instantly. There is no such thing as microwave Christianity. You’re going to go through a long, arduous process—emotionally, spiritually and mentally. At the end of the day, when we allow God to have His process in our lives, we will have the influence we desire.”

For more about the principle of servitude from Joseph Mattera, listen to this podcast.

Note: This is the first of a two-part series.

The most repeated command in Scripture is, “Fear not!” Why? To refuse fear is to permit faith to flourish. Confident faith is free of fear and full of God’s peace during the storms of life.

We all have trials and hardships, but those who overcome are secure in Christ and rest in His finished work. They understand that their union with Jesus in His death, Resurrection and ascension glory imparts His authority over the chaos of this world. They realize that they are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, affording them the favor, resources and power of God’s kingdom in this life presently.

Last week, I had a strong impression that many in the body of Christ were struggling with fear. As I prayed more, I sensed that some may be struggling with a stronghold of fear—perhaps caused by trauma from past or present events.

Have you noticed that there is no shortage of “bad news” in our world? Negative news breeds fear unless one’s heart is grounded in Jesus. I want to look at a well-known passage of Scripture from Mark’s Gospel and discuss faith versus fear.

Jesus Calms the Stormy Sea

This story begins as Jesus and the disciples are leaving the western shore of Galilee immediately following the conclusion of the seed parables in Mark 4:1-34.

“Let us go cross to the other side … a great wind storm arose, and the waves splashed into the boat, so that it was now filling the boat” (Mark 4:35b-37).

It’s God’s will and His initiative for Jesus and the disciples to get to the other side to free the oppressed and heal the sick. The storm is filling the boat with water—the situation looks dire, and the disciples, many of whom are fishermen, know the danger of the sea of Galilee. The storm arises and the men seem powerless to do anything about it. The storm represents a hopeless situation.

In first-century Jewish culture, control of nature was attributed exclusively to God. Remember the story of Elijah and his confrontation with the prophets of Baal? Baal worshippers believed that Baal controlled the weather. Elijah’s prophetic proclamation that God was sending rain to end the three-year drought got the attention of the people—as the rain fell, they knew Jehovah was God (see 1 Kings 17-18).

At one time, signs on the western shore of the sea of Galilee warned drivers of what happens in high winds. This large lake can become very rough, producing big waves that can swamp cars parked on what looks like a safe beach. Boats on the lake can get “suddenly tossed” around like toy boats—the lake can become ferocious like an ocean in a storm. The disciples were in a “great wind storm.”

The storm is filling the boat with water—this is fact. Faith doesn’t deny facts, but it declares the power of God in the face of problems. The storm is a reality, but there is a greater reality to live from—Christ in you! Circumstances, resistance and spiritual warfare happen in this life. You must learn to live from His victory—your enthroning with Christ. Jesus gave Himself for you, for His church that He loves.

Paul declared, “Christ loved the church and gave himself for it” (Eph. 5:25b).

You are completely accepted, adopted, forgiven, valued and honored by God. You must receive God’s love, love yourself as He loves you and then love others with His love. The Father sees you as you really are, a new creation in Christ. The blood of Christ removes the sin and cleanses you from unrighteousness, and the Spirit transforms you. Consider what the writer of Hebrews stated:

“Their sins and lawless deeds will I remember no more” (Heb. 10:17b, from Jer. 31:34b).

Our ability to rest in the finished work of Christ (rest in what He has accomplished) and remain in the Father’s love affects how victoriously we live our lives. Paul explains how steadfast God’s love is:

“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13, NLT).

Love transforms us, and faith and hope sustain us. It’s been said that “faith is the anchor to our souls.” True. So, what does the enemy attack? Primarily our faith, hope and love.

He attempts to rob you of steadfast faith and trust in God by getting you to doubt the goodness of God and the power of His promises. He attempts to rob you of a future filled with hope and joy, and he tries to rob you of true love through counterfeit affections and emotions.

Without fail, when you act on what God has directed you to do, the enemy will bring circumstances to try and stop you. Remember, Jesus has defeated all power and authority of the enemy—He is the ruling king now!

Satan only has power over us to the degree that we agree with his lies.

When we agree with poverty, sickness or defeat, we live there. But God’s faith says, “No, you’re an heir of God and joint heir with Christ! You have a heavenly inheritance available now—make a withdrawal from heaven’s account!”

When you refuse fear, you cause the enemy to tremble!

Faith is a revelation to the heart of the revealed will of God. God’s revealed will creates faith and empowers us to take risks. Walking on the water is risky, but faith is willing to risk as God leads. It’s often during the storms that His grace is the strongest in our lives!

Keep in mind that Jesus is with you always. This is not a cliche point—it’s an accomplished fact. You are completely united with Christ, even on your worst day!

A glorious, advancing church takes her directives from heaven. She isn’t focused on circumstances or world events; she listens to the master’s voice. Our destiny is to progressively enter the glory of God prepared for us before the foundation of the world. You are a vessel of mercy and power—it’s your high calling.

Too many people are hindered by their past. Your past is not a prophecy of your future. God has good things for you if you dare to believe His word. The path of the righteous is like the dawn—your path is brighter each day!

Jesus Is at Rest

Mark records the “rest of Jesus” during this fearful situation:

“He was in the stern asleep on a pillow. They woke Him and said, ‘Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?’ He rose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ Then the wind ceased and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:38-39, MEV).

In the presence of chaos, Jesus is at rest, confident in the Father’s presence and power. The story contrasts the panic of the disciples—He is at rest, while they are in distress. The disciples saw the situation, and fear seized them. In their minds, God was distant, and it appeared He didn’t care. Have you ever had a moment like this, where the fear of a situation caused you to panic and fear the worst? Most of us have at some point in our lives.

But Jesus arose and “rebuked the wind.” “Rebuked” is from the same word used to describe casting out unclean spirits in Mark 1:25 and 3:12, suggesting demonic powers caused the storm.

Remember Jonah in Jonah 1:5-6, who slept while the pagan sailors fought for survival on board the ship? The first-century reader would have remembered the story of Jonah. But Jesus isn’t fleeing—He is at rest!

The sea for the Jews came to symbolize the dark power of evil. Daniel 7 records that the sea is where monsters came from! But Jesus destroys evil (1 John 3:8).

At the end of Mark 5, we read of the raising of Jarius’ daughter. Jesus states about the little girl, “The child is not dead, but sleeping,” and proceeds to raise her back to life (v. 39). Therefore, in the presence of Jesus, things may not be as they appear naturally.

You see, with Jesus, hopelessness is an opportunity for a miracle!

Jesus is asleep, secure in the Father. It doesn’t mean He is unconcerned about their situation—He is operating in peace. But the disciples awaken Jesus, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” They assume God doesn’t care about their storm. They forget, or are blind to, the times when Jesus stopped the evil that came against them or others. We often do the same. {eoa}

Dr. Bob Sawvelle and his wife, Carolyn, are the founding and senior leaders of Passion Church in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Sawvelle is also a . doctoral mentor for the Dr. Randy Clark Scholars cohort at United Theological Seminary (UTS); an adjunct professor teaching master’s level classes in evangelism, discipleship and church planting with the Global Awakening Theological Seminary (GATS) and an online course facilitator for Global Awakening’s Christian Healing Certification Program (CHCP) and Christian Prophetic Certification Program (CPCP). He has authored three books: A Case for Healing Today, Receive Your Miracle Now and Fulfill Your Dreams: Seize the Day and Be Extraordinary. Free chapters of his books, weekly blog articles, videos and podcasts are available at .

For more on spiritual warfare, check out this special $.99 offer on Charisma’s new e-book, The Spiritual Warfare Strategy Guide.

The great falling away is underway. On top of high-profile Christian leaders falling into gross sin, we’re seeing notable authors, songwriters and others denying Christ as Savior. All the while, pastors continue committing suicide.

The Holy Spirit told me several weeks ago to be a forerunner in the season of consecration He is leading us into. I have set myself apart at another level. On my “Mornings with the Holy Spirit” prayer broadcast, I prophetically announced the season of consecration. Then I prophesied:

“There is much deception rising in this hour—and even some of My elect are being deceived by doctrines of demons and spirits of suicide. And the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life are taking out some of My soldiers, whom I love.

“In this season, I’m calling you to draw yourself away, to set yourself apart. For I have set you apart for My purposes, but you must set yourself apart for My purposes in order to step into everything I’ve planned for you since before the foundation of the earth.

“For when you were in your mother’s womb, you were consecrated unto Me. And when you entered into this world, you entered a new reality, where your physical senses began to supersede your spiritual senses. But I want to make you so sensitive to My Spirit that when you open your eyes in the morning, you begin to see angels, you begin to see demon powers and you begin to see pictures of My glory.

“I’m calling you to set yourself apart. I’m calling you to consecrate yourself unto Me, now. Do not wait and do not hesitate, for the enemy is raging. He is attacking left and right, back and forth, from behind and in the front. He is taking out My children, one by one by one and it grieves My heart. And I want to protect you. I want to hide you under the shadow of My wings. But you must fear My name. You must walk circumspectly to walk in the fullness of My protection. You must not look to escape My will, looking here, there and everywhere for the pleasures of the world—the pleasures of the season.

“You must take your pleasure in Me. You must set yourself apart for Me because I have set you apart for Myself, and together we will go into places and see things that you did not know existed. And the holiness, the cooperation with My grace unto sanctification, more and more sanctification, will take you into realms that you did not know existed. And the price you will pay will be worth it because you’re not only working out your salvation with fear and trembling, but you’re also ensuring that you’ll cross the finish line.

“For those who endure to the end shall be saved. So pledge to your own heart that you will decide to live a consecrated lifestyle; not just for a season, not just for a few days of consecration, but a consecrated lifestyle. I am looking for some even to take a Nazirite vow, to go to the extreme for Me, to set themselves apart to the extreme for Me and to make some sudden changes that may shock those around you, but they won’t shock Me because I see you doing this. I see you succeeding in this. I see you.

“If you want to see Me more, pursue holiness. For My Word says (does it not?) to pursue peace with men and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord. Pursue holiness, and I will make you holy even as I am holy. Set yourself apart. Consecrate yourself to Me, for Me, and I will give you the grace to do it. And yes, there will be resistance against this endeavor. Yes, there will be challenges, and yes, the enemy will come and ramp up the temptations against your heart. But My grace is sufficient for you.

“And pretty soon, the passing pleasures of this age will not be appealing to you any longer. As you consecrate yourself to Me, those things that used to tempt you, that used to woo you, even the food that you eat—your desires will change. The closer you get to Me, the less you’ll desire of the things of the world. And I will use you to do great and mighty things—exploits. Consecrate yourself today and even by tomorrow, you will see the difference in the sensitivity to My Spirit, the joy in your heart and the peace in your soul. Consecrate yourself.

Jennifer LeClaire is the former editor of Charisma magazine and the founder of Jennifer LeClaire Ministries. She is the author of the following books: Becoming a Next-Level Prophet, 101 Tactics for Spiritual Warfare, Waging Prophetic Warfare, Decoding Your Dreams and Defeating Water Spirits.

If you have ever put yourself down or spoken poorly of yourself, author Mike Shreve says you are diminishing the significance of what Jesus did for you on the cross at Calvary. And that means you’re making the Holy Spirit a liar.

Shreve says believers must find out who God says they are and then boldly walk in that identity.

“In Hebrews 12, the Bible calls us ‘the general assembly’ and the ‘church of the firstborn’ in the sight of God,” Shreve told Dr. Steve on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “And that means a church in which every member is considered to be a firstborn son in the sight of God.

“So, there are no big ‘I’s’ or no little ‘yous.’ Nobody is more important than you in God’s sight. You are one of His firstborn children. I would just encourage you to keep that mindset and realize you are important to the work of God. …

“I found out that, in the Bible, there are over 1,000 names and titles that belong to the children of God, like ‘the apple of God’s eye,’ ‘the anointed believers,’ ‘the children of the resurrection.’ When you see all of those God-given names, you get this full, panoramic view of who God says you are, and it just lifts you up to the next level of destiny and purpose. You’re not grasping and struggling, trying to be something that you’re unsure of. When you discover who you are, it’s powerful.”

Shreve goes on to emphasize the need not just of knowing Jesus’ names, but of knowing how He sees us.

“I felt an unmistakable, penetrating word from the Holy Spirit,” Shreve says. “He told me it would be just as important for us to know our God-given names, as sons and daughters of God, [as it would be to know] His names and titles.”

For more about how to find your identity in Christ, listen to this podcast. {eoa}

With what he is seeing Jesus do in Pakistan and other parts of the Middle East, Chris Mikkelson knows firsthand of the crucial need for Holy Spirit evangelists worldwide. Indeed, the harvest is plenty, but the laborers are few.

In his last crusade in Pakistan, Mikkelson, the protégé of Christ For All Nations’ Daniel Kolenda, says he saw an amazing 157,600 people come to salvation in Jesus. It only confirmed what he knew all along: God is beginning to raise up a new generation of evangelists to reach the world with the gospel, even in countries that are hostile to it.

“In Pakistan, we are seeing literally hundreds of thousands in attendance at our crusades, and they people are hungry for God,” Mikkelson told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of “Greenelines” on the Charisma Podcast Network. “Sometimes they travel 8, 9, 10 hours by bus to get to our meetings.

“In our last meeting, we just had tremendous miracles happen. We literally had lines of hundreds of people waiting to get on stage to testify. We’re just excited because we believe God is really doing something new on the earth today.”

Mikkelson, the host of a new podcast called “Salvation Today” on the Charisma Podcast Network, says he believes God is raising up Holy Spirit evangelists today—even in America—to bring in the harvest.

“These are people who are filled with God’s Spirit and want to go out and share the gospel everywhere they go,” Mikkelson said. “I hope we can equip, edify and encourage people to do that and realize that we have the Spirit of God on the inside of us, the same Spirit that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. We can take the Holy Spirit out and heal people and deliver people, see them free and share the gospel with them.”

For more on Chris Mikkelson’s ministry, listen to this podcast.