Generals International’s Cindy Jacobs says the tide is turning for believers in 2016. Even if the enemy comes against you hard, she says, he’s only doing his job.

“When the enemy comes against you like a flood, get excited, because something supernatural is about to happen,” Jacobs says. “The Spirit of the Lord will raise up a standard against him. We’re called to live an abundant life. You have to get into the Spirit and go higher.”

Watch this entire teaching video by Jacobs and get blessed:

In Matthew 21, Jesus spoke the parable of the vineyard and the vinedressers. In the parable, the vinedressers grew greedy, attempting to keep the fruits of the vineyards to themselves.

In this video devotional, Christian author and Pastor Jamie Buckingham reviews Jesus’ parable of Matthew 21 and gives Christ followers the following exhortation:

“Each of us has a sacred obligation to take care of the field where we’ve been placed. Today, take a few minutes to check out the field you’ve been placed over, whether it’s your job, your family, your church, your money or your faith. We are tenant managers, but let’s never forget who owns the field.”

For the rest of the video, watch here: 

Transparency doesn’t exude from the mouths of men easily. Unless a man is caught with his hand in the cookie jar, transparency is as rare as a 23-year-old bottle of Pappy Van Winkle.

It’s why I feel it necessary to share a smidgen of my story to set the stage before responding to the public marital failure of Israel Houghton.

I’ll never forget the phone call I received from my wife on Friday, January 16, 2004. While driving with a friend, I answered the phone and heard a low, stern voice say, “You need to get home right now.” My first thought was that something had happened to one of my three children. When I asked, she assured me the kids were fine but we weren’t.

As I topped the steps to enter the kitchen, she was standing with my computer on the granite counter beside her. “What is this?” As she revealed the image on the screen, my first thought was to blame a pop-up and guilt her for not trusting me like I had so many times before. Little did she know, the image on the screen was just the first ripple of a tsunami that would destroy the very foundation of our marriage and change our lives forever.

As I fumbled trying to remember which story line to use, it became obvious she wasn’t interested. She was utterly devastated and heartbroken. This would be the second time in our 12-year marriage I would admit to multiple marital failures.

Just this week, the devastating news that Israel Houghton, the multi Dove and Grammy award-winning worship leader and his wife have called it quits after 20 years of marriage due to a past marital failure. You can read his full statement HERE.

I’m sure the mud will start slinging and well meaning adolescent “Christians” will start rolling up their sleeves and picking up stones. There will be no shortage soapbox preaching filled with useless speculation and a plethora of self-righteous opinions “as if they will change anything.”

How we respond will reveal our arrogance and pride or our understanding God’s grace, mercy, and judgment.

What if it was your brother, sister, or a close friend?  Would your response be different?

Well Israel is a son, a father, and friend. The guilt and shame he’s carried has surely been unbearable. The betrayal she’s felt, unfathomable. The Houghton family in some form has changed forever.

How should we respond? Should we join the crowd of stone throwers? How we respond will reveal our arrogance and pride or our understanding God’s grace, mercy, and judgment.

Let me suggest, through my own experience, we start with the following:

1. Pray first. Take a vested interest in their family by praying for them instead of being just interested in talking about them. Luke 18:1 tells us we “ought to always pray and not to lose heart.” We should pray that the Houghton family not lose heart. Pray they would continue to surround themselves with pastors, friends, and family that would love them unconditionally yet firmly. Even though the depth of pain is great, pray they would forgive themselves and each other. Pray for reconciliation, wisdom, peace, healing, and for their children. Pray.

2.  Show grace. To be gracious toward someone doesn’t make you an accessory to the offense. While the court of public opinion will attempt to be the judge and jury, they will never have the appropriate information to hand down a legitimate verdict. Only God and those in their inner circle have the right vantage point. As indicated in his post, Israel has accepted full responsibility and realizes the sobering reality of consequences. “Be not deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7, MEV).

Sow grace; reap grace. You’ll need it one day.

3. Trust God. From the beginning, God’s people have sinned against Him. Israel’s admitted failure is not a sin against humanity but against the creator of the universe. Although we may feel hurt and angry, ultimately we have to trust that God who has the unambiguous right to pass judgment, waits to be gracious to us (Isaiah 30:18). God still exists and continues to be a father that cares deeply for His children, even those that go astray. He has always proven to be trustworthy. Let’s trust the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding.

Thirteen years has passed since that terrible yet amazing night when my life changed forever. Somehow through the unbearable pain and unfathomable betrayal, my wife chose to stay and be a part of an amazing story of reconciliation.

It took true repentance, unbelievable forgiveness, prayer, grace and trusting that God and His word were true. I hope against hope that the Houghtons can experience what my wife and I have. I hope you can too.

Fear not; fight well.

JT McCraw is the men’s pastor at Bethel World Outreach in Brentwood, Tennessee and the founder of the BE MEN Movement, where he provides oversight for this multi-ethnic, multi-site men’s ministry, focusing on engaging and equipping men to serve Christ. Presently they have locations in Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Louisiana, Alabama and Arizona. JT lives in Franklin, Tennessee, with his wife of 24 years and their five children. You can follow JT on Twitter @jtmccraw.

“It all started for me when I was 8 years old,” a friend of mine recently shared. She said, “I would sit at the kitchen table looking at Vogue magazine and even Victoria’s Secret.”

She would look at the pictures of the women in the magazines and pick out the ones she thought were the prettiest. In her mind, it set an expectation that one day she should eventually look like the women in those photos. When she got a little older, she realized that she would never look like those girls or even the popular girls she saw in school. The image in the mirror was a disappointment to her because it didn’t meet a standard of what she thought was pretty.

Unfortunately, comments about her looks, her weight in particular, from family and peers only reinforced the lies she was telling herself. Her mom would say, “Looks like you’ve gained weight” and “Do you think you should be eating that?” She began to feel guilty when she ate. The anorexia started when she decided to eat only every other day. When that didn’t work in keeping her weight down, she started to binge and purge. This story is all too familiar for many of our daughters. Even in a households that do not reinforce the lies, it is still becoming all too common. If you are wondering if your daughter is showing signs of anorexia or other eating disorders, this will help you gain some insight.

Warning Signs

Signs of eating disorders are difficult to spot. They will deny it when asked and are probably good at hiding it. However, a good place to start is with their dieting and exercising habits. One girl I know used to tell loved ones that she was too busy to eat. Watch out of they start making excuses for not eating or consistently skip meals. Listen carefully as they talk about their dieting. Are they obsessed with calorie count? If they go to the bathroom a lot during meals or right after, they may be throwing up. Look to see if their face and eyes are red. 

According to the Mayo Clinic, other possible signs are complaining about being fat, constantly weighing herself, obsessing about bodily imperfections, poor dental health, and calluses on her knuckles.

Most people think anorexia is all about not eating or throwing up after meals (actually, that is bulimia), but it can entail over-exercising. This could be a difficult one to test, but see how they do emotionally if you suggest they skip their workout for the day.

The Drive for Perfection

Many of the girls that struggle with eating disorders are perfectionists. There’s an ideal that they apply unnecessary pressure on themselves to achieve. Who’s beauty ideal they are trying to reach is the question. If you have a daughter who is an achiever, you want to pay close attention. The goal of perfection is a relentless pressure, an unhealthy disposition, and an impossible pursuit.

Control

Many suffer from an eating disorder because they don’t know how to deal with their feelings. The emotions of insecurity, fear, instability, anxiety, and pain make them feel out of control. Their weight is something they can control. They may also resort to cutting themselves. That way they can distract themselves from dealing with the stuff below the surface.

Self-Worth

Another cause is a low self-image. As was the case for my friend, girls are fed a lie that they need to look a certain way. When they don’t look the way they think they are supposed to look, they conclude that there is something wrong with them. They feel worthless and unlovable. The result is they go to dangerous lengths to something wrong with them. They feel worthless and unlovable. The result is they go to dangerous lengths to become what they, a boyfriend, their peers, parents, or society think they should look like.

Needs

Those who suffer from eating disorders need healthy ways to deal with pain and self-image. I would strongly suggest counseling. A professional can help identify the triggers and be able to suggest positive coping mechanisms. Second, a parent has the power to either debunk or reinforce the lies daughters are being told. The several girls I spoke to said that the thing they needed most and, in one case, what brought healing were parents who loved unconditionally. They need to be told that they are beautifully and wonderfully made just because of who they are. Tell her consistently and faithfully because the voice telling her the opposite is loud.

Not Just a Girl Issue

While the culture of beauty seems to hit girls more than boys, it’s important to know that this is not just a girl issue. There are plenty of boys that struggle with eating disorders. A good (male) friend struggled with the disease so much that a doctor told him that if he continued the way he was going he would eventually die. Pay attention to the signs regardless of sex and get them help as soon as possible.

BJ Foster is the content manager for All Pro Dad and a married father of two. For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

In John 10, Jesus said, “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”

Christian author and Pastor Jamie Buckingham says God calls us believers to lay down our lives for God’s sheep. It can be done in many ways, including service and giving to those less fortunate than yourself.

In this video devotional, Buckingham implores Christ followers to “find someone who needs you and be a shepherd to them for Jesus’ sake.” {eoa}

This is one of the great paradoxes of the Christian life: We need more and more preparation when we have more and more of the Holy Spirit. One might think that if we are full of the Holy Spirit, surely that is all the preparation we need. Wrong! We need preparation more than ever! It is partly because of the human tendency in all of us to take ourselves too seriously when we are given more and more success.

When Samuel anointed David to be king, “the Spirit of the Lord came on David from that day forward” (1 Sam. 16:13). But it would be another 20 years before David would be king. Why? It is because—strange as it may seem—being Spirit-filled is not enough. David’s anointing would need to be refined. He was only 17 years old. He was not ready to be king!

It takes a lot of maturity to admit to the need of preparation. Age helps us to come to our senses. Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest preachers of all time, said that if he knew he had 25 years left to live, he would spend 20 of them in preparation. Billy Graham said much the same thing, that if he had his life to live over, he would spend more time in preparation.

But God also has a way of doing on-the-job preparation. He did this with Elijah. Elijah’s greatest work lay in the future, when one day he would confront the false prophets of Baal. This would take place while the famine was still on, before the rain came—when Ahab had no choice but to listen to Elijah. Three years without rain got Ahab’s attention.

The three years after Elijah’s edict to Ahab were the era of preparation for Elijah. Those years were as vital to Elijah’s development as they were crucial for bringing Ahab to openness regarding Elijah.

Are you in preparation? Perhaps you are Spirit-filled. Could it be that you are not ready—even yet—for the greatest job God has in mind for you? Whom the Lord loves He chastens—disciplines—and He “punishes everyone he accepts as a son” (Heb. 12:6).

This punishment is not a case of God “getting even” with us owing to some terrible sin in our past. No, it is God getting us ready for what is coming. Chastening is essentially preparation. It enables us to share in God’s holiness (Heb. 12:10), thus producing “a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:11). The more God uses you, the more you will need preparation. I can tell you candidly, at the age of 76, I am still being prepared.

Elijah needed more preparation. After he left the presence of Israel’s king, he was ordered to turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine where he would drink from the brook and be fed by the ravens. I have seen what is said to be the Kerith Ravine in Israel.

The first thing you notice is that it would indeed be a good place to hide. There is almost no way King Ahab could find Elijah in such an area.

God has a plan for your life. His idea for your future is a thousand times better and greater than anything you could come up with on your own. God loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3); He wants only what is best for you. He will withhold no good thing from you when you seek to do His will above all else (Ps. 84:11). You may or may not be another Elijah, but God will go to the same pains in preparing you for what He has in mind for you as He did for Elijah.

One’s visible profile in the kingdom of God does not determine the extent of God’s love. Not all of us can be Elijahs, but all of us are loved and cared for as much as Elijah. The niche that God has determined for each of us requires preparation so that we will be ready when our ultimate moment comes.

Excerpted from R.T. Kendall’s book, These Are the Days of Elijah. Dr. R. T. Kendall, renowned pastor and author, spent 25 years as senior minister of the historic Westminster Chapel in London. He has authored numerous bestselling books, conducts conferences all over the world and is a columnist for Ministry Today. You can order the book here.

Intercession broke out. Travail ensued. Groanings too deep for utterance seemed to echo throughout the church—and then the spirit of the fear of the Lord fell on the entire congregation (Is. 11:2).

Everybody froze. The intercession stopped. The travail stopped. The groanings stopped. The church was silent. The spirit of the fear of the Lord permeated the atmosphere. There was an awe among us, a reverence for God. It was a holy moment. You could hear the proverbial pin drop.

In that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke something that shook me. He told me, “False revivalists would rise up in this hour.” These false revivalists don’t truly have a heart for revival or awakening or transformation. Rather, they are motivated by the potential profits in the latest church trend.

Listen to Jennifer’s podcast on this topic: “A Prophetic Warning About False Revivalists.”

Much like we saw false prophets arise amid a true prophetic reformation, and false apostles rise amid a true apostolic reformation, false revivalists are rising even as sincere believers are making an urgent appeal to heaven in desperation for a Third Great Awakening.

What Is the Fear of the Lord?

Before I move on, let’s define the fear of the Lord by looking at some Greek and Hebrew words. One definition of the Hebrew word yare means “to fear, to respect, to reverence.” The Greek word phobos can be translated “reverential fear.” Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary defines it as “not a mere ‘fear’ of His power and righteous retribution, but a wholesome dread of displeasing Him.” That’s intense!

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The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prov. 8:13). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 9:10). The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov. 1:7). The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him (Ps. 25:14). There is no want for them who fear Him (Ps. 34:9). In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence and a fountain of life (Prov. 14:26-27). By the fear of the Lord are riches, honor and life (Prov. 22:4).

I could go on and on about Scriptures that talk about the benefits of cultivating the fear of the Lord in your heart, but I’ll stop with this example as it relates to revival. Indeed, the fear of the Lord marked the early church in revival. Acts 9:31 tells us that “the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and were built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”

We yearn to see signs, wonders and miracles manifest today as they did in the book of Acts, don’t we? But are we willing to pay the price the early church paid? Are we willing to die to self? Are we willing to relinquish control to the Holy Spirit so He can move like He wants to move? Are we willing to repent for the character flaws that hold us back? Are we willing to walk in love and unity with true believers who don’t believe exactly the same as we do? Are we willing to war against the spirit of compromise that is raging against the church in this age? Are we willing to walk in the fear of the Lord and the comfort of the Holy Spirit?

False Revivalists Rising

We’ve seen false revivals before, so it’s not altogether surprising that false revivalists would rise in this emerging move of God. I believe the fear of the Lord is what will ultimately separate the true revivalists from the ones who are looking to the latest wind of the Spirit for an opportunity to merchandise the saints.

I am praying for a Hebrew 5:14 reality in the body of Christ—that believers would have powers of discernment and would be trained to distinguish good from evil through practice. In these last days, we cannot take everything we see at face value. I am not suggesting suspicion. I’m advocating for righteous judgment, prophetic insight and spiritual perception. I’m pleading with believers to study the Word of God, fellowship with the Spirit of God and pray without ceasing. Ultimately, I’m just suggesting we do what the Bible says we should do:

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). You can’t read a New Testament epistle without finding a warning about deception. Jesus Himself said, “For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect”  (Matt. 24:24). 


Unfortunately, it’s time to add false revivalists to all the warnings. If you go to a meeting where something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t. If people try to manipulate you for money, run for the door. If ministers are pushing people down at the altar and standing on top of their “slain” bodies—yes, there is a photo of such a thing on Facebook—from such turn away. God is bringing a Third Great Awakening to America marked by signs, wonders and miracles. We should expect that if the devil can’t stop it—and he can’t—he will try to offer a counterfeit move to fleece the sheep hungry for an authentic outpouring.

Clouds are closely connected to those times when God reveals himself.

Moses encountered clouds when God gave him the law at the top of Mount Sinai. The morning Jesus was crucified, a dark cloud appeared, but out of that dark cloud of despair came life on Easter. But the most significant cloud in of all history is the one that received Jesus when He ascended after His resurrection from the dead

Christian pastor and author Jamie Buckingham explains the connection between God and clouds in this video devotional: 

Are you constantly worried about what kind of trash your son or daughter might be watching on television?

Is television the dominant social presence in your home? Are you afraid to limit your kids’ usage because you’ve tried to go down that road before, and it was nothing but whining and complaining and breaking the rules?

If you answered, “YES!” or have any other TV issues constantly in the back of your mind, it’s time to step up and establish manageable standards and limits in your home. There’s nothing to be afraid of and a whole lot to look forward to, once you get over the hump and introduce protocols that are fair and consistent.

A majority of kids—53 percent—in a Kaiser Family Foundation survey said their families had no rules for TV viewing. The remaining kids said they had rules, but just 20 percent said those guidelines were enforced most of the time. As if that’s not bad enough, the proportion of children with cable or satellite television in their own room grew from 29 percent to 37 percent in the past five years. What does all this mean? Big trouble. Television is raising many children. And most of television is not sending our children the right message.

So if you want to remain in control of your children as the parent, you must have these 10 TV rules.

1. Television is a privilege, not an inalienable right. Supervision and usage of every television in the house must fall 100 percent under the dictatorial authority of the parents. This is a foundational and non-negotiable principle.

2. Television’s natural posture is “off.” This idea is apparently novel! However, television as a constant background noise and a background visual is not only distracting, but it is antisocial. In the absence of a well-considered decision to watch a specific program, there is no good reason to have the television on.

3. Parental modeling must be consistent with household standards. It simply doesn’t work to have one set of guidelines for children and a blanket waiver for mom and dad. Obviously acceptable content shifts with age, but if standards such as decency and overusage are good enough for the children, then they’re good enough for the grown-ups too.

4. Turn the television off when company enters the house. Have you ever noticed how good conversation is stilted at sports restaurants with multiple screens? Television catches your eye, your ear and your attention. But people and conversation are much more important. Keep the television off, unless the purpose of the invitation is “The Game,” or “Movie Night” or “Let’s Watch the Debate.”

5. Television has no place in the bedroom. “How can I stop my 10-year-old watching South Park late at night?” Well, it’s not going to be such an issue when there’s no television in his room! Television is easier to monitor in family spaces. Remember, it’s not a right.

6. Television is always off during family mealtimes. Mealtimes are for conversation, checking in, sharing family stories, and the teaching of manners and social skills. Television sucks community right out of the room.

7. Only parents may program access and restrictions. This is another version of the who’s in charge? question. Take this bull by the horns, and make sure it’s clear that your home is parent-run.

8. Stupid and mind-numbing can be as harmful as immoral and violent. Make sure that your standards are not only clear but also consistent. It’s important to make decisions about programming based on content, not just rating.

9. Television is more fun when it is not overused. Moderation turns out to be the opposite of killjoy. Rather than taking the fun out of family entertainment, moderation eliminates the inflationary I’m tired of this or I’m bored reaction. Carefully vetted and well-supervised family viewing ramps enjoyment up a notch.

10. Television must take its place among a broad spectrum of family activities. Think of television as one more piece in the entertainment puzzle. Family games, outings, reading time, projects, homework, television, computer games and sports—these and other activities are all valid but also in need of balance. When television finds its proper balance, then the abuse of the privilege will likely all but disappear.

For the original article, visit allprodad.com.

Dr. Michael Brown says there are many ways God can harden a person’s heart. In Exodus 4:21, God told Moses that He would “harden” Pharaoh’s heart “so that he shall not let the people go.”

“God can reveal Himself to someone, and they simply don’t want to hear it. That hardens their heart,” Brown says. “Have you ever shared the gospel with someone, and they tell you they are not interested, and the further you talk with them, the further you drive them away from God?”

So was the case with Pharaoh in Moses’ day. In this video, Dr. Brown gives some Hebrew insights into the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart, and what it means to us today. {eoa}