Have you ever had those times when you’ve doubted God and said to yourself, “He just doesn’t care about me?” If you’re honest with yourself, the answer is a cowering “yes.”

Ashamedly, I know I have. Probably too many times to count.

There are times when the expectations of life don’t match reality, and frustration sets in. It’s a time when the enemy can steal your confidence and your joy. It’s easy to become stressed and doubtful of God’s Word.

For me, that’s when divine appointment comes. God knows how to deliver a good word at just the right time, and He did it recently through my pastor, Ed Garvin, who preached a sermon called “Reality Check: When Expectations and Reality Collide” (the sermon starts at 16:20).

We all know the story of Joseph and the trials and tribulations he went through during his young life, before he became an extremely influential man. However, I had never heard it preached this way before.

Joseph was a man of destiny, and he sensed that at a very early age. He was convinced, as Pastor Garvin said, “that his tomorrow held greatness.” Indeed it did, but little did Joseph know of the hardships he would endure before he reached that potential.

After his brothers unexpectedly turned on him and sold him into slavery, Joseph served a man named Potiphar, and he began to find favor with his master. Yet God knew better than Joseph that Joseph wasn’t ready for his destiny. Joseph still had ego issues with which he had to deal, and more trouble loomed on the horizon.

Because Joseph shunned her sexual advances, Potiphar’s wife accused Joseph of sexually attacking her, and Potiphar had Joseph thrown into prison. According to Genesis 39:2, “The Lord was with Joseph,” yet he was imprisoned. Sound familiar? The Lord is also with you, yet your trials and tribulations overwhelm you.

Most of you know the rest of the story: Joseph languished in prison for many years, but was brought out by Pharaoh because of the gift God bestowed upon him to interpret dreams. Joseph then became, as Pastor Garvin put it, the “second most influential man on the planet” and realized his destiny. In other words, something incredible happened between Genesis chapter 40 and Genesis chapter 41. Joseph matured in the Lord. Romans 8:28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

Sound familiar? For every 40, there is a 41.

• God rained his judgment upon the earth for 40 days and 40 nights. On the 41st day, a rainbow appeared and God vowed never to destroy the earth again.

• The Israelites wandered through the desert for 40 years. In year 41, they reached the Promised Land.

• For 40 days, Goliath hammered on the armies of Israel. But on the 41st day, David showed up and slew Goliath.

• For 40 days and nights, Jesus fasted and prayed in the wilderness. On the 41st day, Satan left Him and the angels ministered to Him (Matt. 4:11).

For every season of difficulty, there is a season of destiny. So what should you do during your season of difficulty in order to help find your season of destiny? As Pastor Garvin says:

1. Recognize it as God’s course of preparation. You need to be refined.

2. Respond to the needs of others. Stop the “woe is me” mentality and focus on others who need help.

3. Resist the urge to compromise. Keep your integrity and don’t take shortcuts.

4. Remain patient in the process. As Joyce Meyer says, “the longer you complain about your situation, the longer you will remain in your wilderness.”

5. Realize your “41 moment.” It’s coming. God wants it for you so badly.

Joseph needed wisdom and humility, and it took 13 years of tribulation to find it. I’ve been through a similar process. But thankfully, a good friend has prophesied over me that my time is coming, if I remain faithful to the Lord. Thank you for the good word, Kathy DeGraw.

Unlike Joseph, hopefully it won’t take 13 years for you to have your rough edges sanded. But you can rest assured God knows exactly when you are ready to fulfill your destiny and He won’t pull you out of your season of testing—or your 40—before He feels you are ready. Get ready to fulfill your destiny.

And as I always like to say, “there is that.”

I’ve noticed a not-so-subtle spirit rising in the body of Christ in the past few months. It’s not-so-subtle to the one who is not under its attack, but its target often doesn’t see the assignment until it’s too late.

That not-so-subtle spirit is offense. I’ve been witnessing believers getting offended over slight corrections, unreturned phone calls and even the way certain people say “Holy Spirit.” I’ve heard about believers getting offended over new relationships forming, being asked to sit out travel trips, or not being invited into a back room meeting.

A couple of months ago, the Spirit of God showed me clearly that these aren’t immature isolated incidents. There’s an actual spirit rising that’s causing these unreasonable offenses. It’s Satan’s plot to divide believers in an hour of church history when it’s more vital than perhaps ever before that we unite on our common beliefs.

Running Rampant in the Church

When I asked the Lord about this, He explained what is going on:

“A spirit of offense is rising and running rampant through the church. Those who are easily offended are candidates for the Great Falling Away. Those who cultivate and maintain an unoffendable heart will escape many of the assignments the enemy will launch in the days to come.

“For my people must band together in this hour and refuse to allow petty arguments and soulish imaginations separate them. This is the time to press into community and relationship and reject the demonic notions and wisdom the enemy is pouring out.

“The love of many is waxing cold. Brother is turning against brother and sister against sister—in My body. You must come to the unity of the faith in order to accomplish what I’ve called you to do in this hour. The time is upon you. The opportunity is before you. Lay aside the resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness and, as far as it depends upon you, seek peace with all men.

“Humble yourselves even among those who you feel are your enemies and I will work to bring reconciliation that sets the scene for unity from which the anointing flows. You need My anointing to combat the antichrist spirits rising in this hour.

“Many of My people are wrestling in their flesh, engaging in works of the flesh, and otherwise letting the flesh lead in battle—and they are battling flesh instead of the spirits influencing the flesh. This is the result of offense. Forgive, let go, embrace your brothers and sisters despite their flaws and sins. I have.”

Battling the Spirit of Offense

John Bevere has a classic book about offense called The Bait of Satan. I’d highly recommend picking up a copy in this hour, especially if you find yourself getting easily offended.

How can you tell if you are easily offended? Here are some markers: you are quick to argue and defend yourself; you are quick to anger; you get your feelings hurt easily; you keep playing comments or actions over and over in your mind and growing resentful; or you don’t want to talk to a certain person anymore.

JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE.

Offense is dangerous because “a brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city, and their contentions are like the bars of a castle” (Prov. 18:19). But love is not touchy or easily provoked (see 1 Cor. 13:5-6). We know that, “good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense” (Prov. 19:11). And the Preacher offers some really good advice: “Do not give heed to everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you have spoken a curse against others” (Eccl. 7:21-22).

Ultimately, if you are offended the only way to escape that trap is to spit out the bait. Forgive. There are many, many Scriptures dealing with the forgiveness, which is a commandment, not an option. But here’s one I’ll leave you with: “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord” (Lev. 19:18).

Walk this way and you will walk free of offense—and avoid it all together to begin with: “Love suffers long and is kind; love envies not; love flaunts not itself and is not puffed up, does not behave itself improperly, seeks not its own, is not easily provoked, thinks no evil; rejoices not in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things” (1 Cor. 13:4-7). Amen.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, co-founder of awakeningtv.com, on the leadership team of the New Breed Revival Network and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening; Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still, Small Voice of God; The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter. Jennifer’s Periscope handle is @propheticbooks.

I used to think Christianity was boring, dull and hands-down a waste of time.

I was never a fan of going to church or getting dropped off at yet another youth group event when I was younger. It all seemed to be pointless and irrelevant to my current stage of life. I felt this way for the first 19 years of my life, that is, until I actually experienced Jesus for who He really was and not who I assumed Him to be.

I dropped my pride and finally let God in. Only then was my life transformed. This didn’t happen overnight, but with persistence and humility, my relationship with God truly started to grow. 

For a lot of people, the idea of Christianity doesn’t bring much excitement to the table. The thought of reading a Bible, attending a church service or even praying makes certain individuals cringe. And let’s not forget to mention those who claim to be believers, yet still think the wondrous life of a Christ follower is still not what it’s cracked up to be. For the two groups I have previously mentioned, I beg to differ. 

A True Encounter

When one truly encounters the consuming love of Jesus, one’s life is anything but mundane and stale. It can’t be, as the love and power of Jesus is too marvelous to walk away from once tasted. Worship will become exhilarating, reading the Bible will become fascinating, and prayer will become a conversation with God that you can’t seem to stay away from. The Bible says that we are sanctified (set apart) by the blood of Christ, and we must realize that one cannot truly digest this truth and not find the eternal joy that comes along with it. 

The Bible paints a very clear picture of what happens when someone belongs to Christ. The old fades away, and a new life will begin. Only through Jesus can we truly come alive into the existence and community we were created for. Life in Christ encompasses the totality of Christ Himself, which characteristically is anything but monotonous and mind-numbing. 

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:4-9).

A life in Christ brings purpose, restoration, grace and eternal identity. The adventure that awaits a follower of Jesus is one this world simply cannot match, let alone keep anywhere near to. Every day is a new experience, a new facet of God’s glory, and another opportunity to deepen one’s personal relationship with the Creator. There is always room for growth, which means there is always room for adventure. So if you think Christianity is boring, then you haven’t met Jesus.

Understand that the Christian life isn’t always going to be roses and sunshine. Everybody encounters doubt, anxiety and even fear—we wouldn’t be human unless we did. What we need to remember is that even during these times of darkness and uncertainty, we have a light at the end of the tunnel to run toward. Jesus’ Spirit, our comfort and peace, is an ocean of eternal euphoria.

The fear of rules and regulations are false. Don’t let the talk of religion keep you from experiencing an unfathomable relationship with Christ.{eoa}

Jarrid Wilson is a husband to Juli, dad To Finch, pastor, author, blogger and founder of Cause Roast. He’s helping people live a better story. For the original article, visit jarridwilson.com. For the original article, visit jarridwilson.com.

Christmas has a singular voice and a focused purpose. There is no other call that truly matters and there is no other reason to celebrate.

The call of Christmas is to come.

Come to the manger.

Come see the wonder on the wrinkled cheeks of Elizabeth and feel the baby John jump in the presence of Jesus.

Come listen to the choral symphony of the angels and watch the sky explode in glorious and rare colors.

Come worship on your face with the Magi … learned men of science and astronomy.

Come in amazement with the dirty shepherds and humbly kneel at the manger.

Come.

The culture of Christmas also has a voice and a particular purpose. The call of the culture is to overspend, to overeat and to overcommit.

The culture of the season removes the focus from the genuine heart and the clarion call of Christmas and then turns it toward materialism, cultural icons and magic.

The culture of the season distorts the astounding miracle and turns it into mere magic.

I dare not water down the power of Christmas with the foolish audacity of dancing snowmen and with the empty calories of sugar-laced confections. I dare not.

I have no elf on my shelf and there are no prancing reindeer in my front yard. However, let me quickly assure you that I am not a Scrooge nor am I the Grinch in feminine form.

I just believe that believers should celebrate the true meaning of Christmas with the gusto and intensity that it deserves. I also believe that those who know the Christ child should honor and respond to the call of Christmas.

Come.

There is no worldly distraction that deserves a second glance or even a moment of consideration. Heaven has touched earth with glory and with love.

Joy has come. The presence of God Himself has arrived in the warzone of planet earth and with the arrival of His dear presence the heart of hope beats once again.

And so, as believers, we sing the rich songs of Christmas that bring the eternal glory of the season to our home that has become His manger.

Imagine that. My home is His manger. I am in awe and wonder that He would choose me. I am incredulous that the simplicity of my life could greet the splendor of heaven’s King.

Wonder of all wonders … He has chosen me as the vehicle through which this cold and dark world would experience the love of the Savior. Just as Mary gave birth to Jesus at her singular moment in history, you and I have been chosen to reveal His power to our generation and to deliver His message.

As believers, we choose to give generously and abundantly to those who have been given to us by the Father. And as we give, we pray for hearts that will respond to the true call that December embraces.

As believers, we celebrate with joyous feasting the birth of a Baby Boy who invaded our world with heaven’s love.

As believers, we brightly decorate our homes with lights that remind us of the star that shone brightly to lead weary travelers to the place where He lay.

As believers, we come.

“Oh come let us adore Him … Christ the Lord!” {eoa}

Carol McLeod is an author and popular speaker at women’s conferences and retreats, where she teaches the Word of God with great joy and enthusiasm. Carol encourages and empowers women with passionate and practical biblical messages mixed with her own special brand of hope and humor. She has written five books, including No More Ordinary, Holy Estrogen!, The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart and Defiant Joy! Her most recent book, Refined: Finding Joy in the Midst of the Fire, was released on Aug. 1. Her teaching DVD The Rooms of a Woman’s Heart won the Telly Award, a prestigious industry award for excellence in religious programming.

Weight loss effectively cures Type 2 diabetes, according to new research by scientists at Newcastle University.

The findings, published online in the journal Diabetes Care and presented at the World Diabetes Congress in Vancouver this week, show the disease is caused by fat accumulating in the pancreas and that simply losing less than one gram from the organ can reverse the illness and restore insulin production, The Daily Telegraph reports.

“For people with Type 2 diabetes, losing weight allows them to drain excess fat out of the pancreas and allows function to return to normal,” said Roy Taylor, a Newcastle University researcher.

For the study, researchers tracked 18 obese people with Type 2 diabetes who underwent gastric band surgery and went on a restricted diet for eight weeks. Over the course of the study, the participants lost an average of 13 percent of their body weight and 0.6 grams of fat from their pancreas, allowing the organ to secrete normal levels of insulin.

At the end of the study, the investigators determined they were cured of their condition. 

The team is now planning a larger two-year study involving 200 people with Glasgow University to confirm the findings. 

For the original article, visit newsmaxhealth.com.

Divorce is a generational curse that has haunted my family lineage. It takes more than two hands to count the couples on both sides—at least the ones of which I’m aware—who have been through the divorce ringer.

And yes, I can be counted among them.

But that is why I thank God every day for my wife, Patty. God has allowed us to break the generational curse of divorce on our family and bury it.

Patty is an incredible gift from God, and I’m tremendously grateful for her patience, her love and even her courage to put up with a wretch like me all of these years. It is my second marriage, and it has lasted for 18 years as of Saturday, Dec. 5. Where has the time gone?

I realize what many of you out there may be thinking. 1) By being divorced, you are breaking God’s laws and committing adultery. Our readers have had a field day with this subject in past posts on charismamag.com, and I would hazard a guess that this one will draw a great deal of discussion as well. 2) How did you break the generational curse when you have been divorced yourself?

So, let me address both of the above thoughts:

First, indeed I am well aware of Matthew 5:31-32, when Jesus said, “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to commit adultery. And whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

Indeed, Jesus never wavered on that point. There is no other scriptural reference to an acceptable divorce, save one. In 1 Corinthians 7:15-16, Paul writes, “But if the unbeliever departs, let that one depart. A brother or a sister is not bound in such cases. God has called us to peace. … For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

Despite my efforts for more than a year to keep our marriage together, my ex-wife told me in no uncertain terms—in a letter no less—that she wanted a divorce. At the time of our divorce, I suspected my ex-wife had duped me for five years about her faith in Christ. I have since learned from her family that my suspicions weren’t unfounded.

Therefore, I “let the unbeliever depart.” I was not bound in my case. That has since been confirmed in my heart not only by God, but also by evangelist Jimmy Evans, who, along with his wife, have headed the marriage ministry of Marriage Today for nearly 35 years.

Most likely, my only alternative to preserve the marriage would have been to deny Christ. That would have been much worse than a divorce.

This brings me question No. 2, “How did you break the generational curse when you have been divorced yourself?” Several years ago, Patty and I participated in a deliverance ministry at our church called The Cleansing Stream. It is an eight-week series of classes that prepares and disciples participants to receive healing and deliverance.

During the final weekend retreat, both Patty and I, through the power of the Holy Spirit, broke the generational curse of divorce in our families. It is an ugly word and situation that our children, Rachel and Joshua, won’t ever have to endure. We trust in God’s wondrous promises.

For help in breaking generational curses, read this great article from marriage ministry pastor Larry Huch.

I am far from perfect. Because of my behavior, there are many times Patty could have demanded my departure from our home. But thank God that Patty has put up with me and that God has transformed me so much in our 18 years together. Our marriage has been prophesied over—that it continually will be bent and stretched—sometimes to the limit—but that it will never break. I revel in that prophecy.

I know many people who suffer through the same generational curse. But it doesn’t have to be that way, and we do not have to put up with Satan’s lies and deceptions about our marriages. On our charismamag.com site, there are many great articles by strong ministry leaders in both the Spirit-Led Woman and New Man sections that can help bolster your marriage and fight for it, even in the hard times. Please peruse both sections and read the great wisdom put forth from these ministry leaders.

So Saturday isn’t simply another anniversary for an “old married couple” such as Patty and me. It is a celebration of longevity and the celebration of a continually broken generational curse that will never again haunt my family. I may not be an expert on marriage, but 18 years is a long time and I might have learned a thing or two.

Thank you, Patty, for your love and patience, and for being such a wonderful wife. You need to hear that more often; and you will. Through God’s grace, our life together will keep getting better and better each year. Happy Anniversary, babe.

And praise You, Jesus, for broken generational curses.

“As the bird by flitting, as the swallow by flying, so the curse without cause will not alight (will have no effect)” (Prov. 26:2).

And as I always like to say, “there is that.” {eoa}

It’s painful to say this, but after working in men’s evangelism and discipleship for four decades, it’s clear to me that most men don’t care what happens to other men.

Perhaps they care in theory. But, not in practice.

I am guided to this conclusion by something Andrew Carnegie once said: “The older I get the less I listen to what people say, I just watch what they do.”

I offer this as an indictment of Christian men. I apologize if you are one of the few faithful men who care enough about other men to help them become disciples.

For the rest of you, you should be ashamed of yourselves. In your neighborhood, on the job, at the gym—men’s lives are falling apart and they’re dragging their families down with them.

And this, while you become more and more spiritually obese at your little “feel good about me” Bible studies and church services.

Sometimes you need a hug, but sometimes you need a kick in the pants. This is your kick in the pants.

Most of you are more upset over your favorite team losing a game they were never supposed to win than over a dozen men who abandon their families.

When are you going to do something about it? When are you going to stop waiting for someone else to help these men and their families?

Wake up. If you don’t do it, who do you think will? It takes a man to teach a man how to be a man.

“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

“Disciples making disciples” is the only plan. In fact, disciples not making disciples is an oxymoron.

If you have tasted Christ, been saved by His gospel, fed by His Word, built up in your faith, and blessed by His grace, then isn’t it about time to obey His command to go make disciples?

You’re it. No one else is coming. There is no alternative rescue mission on the drawing board. No elite, black ops commandos about to swoop in to save the day. Just you.

I’ve heard all the high-sounding excuses. I just can’t bear to listen to any more of your good intentions. I’m only going to listen to what I see you actually doing.

And by the way, I think the Lord Jesus is using the same approach with you.

“But I really do care. I just don’t know what to do.”

Please don’t tell me that you care. I’m calling your bluff. Show me. Better, show Jesus. Like the good Samaritan, loving your neighbor is something you do, not something you say.

And please don’t tell me you don’t know what to do. If you’re smart enough to draw a paycheck, you know what needs to be done. It’s just not that hard.

Discipleship is simply one man caring enough about another man to help him build a relationship with God, a worldview that’s biblical, and a lifestyle worthy of Christ.

So, what can you do? How can you be that faithful disciple-making man?

Let’s get practical. You can start by asking a man if he’d like to have a cup of coffee. Ask him about his family. Ask him about his work. Say, “Tell me about your relationship with God.”

Do that. Then follow the conversation wherever it leads.

Just take a man as far as he wants to go toward Jesus at that particular moment.

God is not holding you accountable to produce a particular outcome. But He is expecting you to be faithful.

Do you care—really—what happens to other men and their families?

I hope I am wrong, but I doubt it.

If you do care, prove it.

You will have your answer a week from today—more than enough time to identify a man who needs help.

And so will Jesus.

Patrick Morley is chairman and CEO of Man in the Mirror. His book, Man in the Mirror, was selected as one of the 100 most influential Christian books of the 20th century. For the original article, visit maninthemirror.org.

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen a few of the photos I took over Thanksgiving in stunning Telluride, Colorado. From the warm fireplace of our cozy cabin and the quaint old mining town, to horseback riding in the midst of the San Miguel mountains and snowmobiling at over 10,000 feet, my husband and I were blessed to bask in a winter wonderland and take in the beauty of God’s creation.

It was a wonderful escape into an environment totally different than San Antonio. The only thing that wasn’t out of the ordinary was my workouts.

For all the gladness and good cheer the holiday season holds, it can also bring a lot of heartache to our health and fitness if we’re not careful. Between Christmas shopping, baking, eating, traveling, and ugly Christmas sweater-wearing, eating well and working out quickly slip down our list of priorities.

A few weeks ago on my blog, I gave a few tips on how to avoid holiday weight gain. Today, I thought it appropriate to address the exercise side of what I’ll call the “Healthy Holidays Equation.”

While in Telluride, I could have come up with several excuses for why I should forgo exercise. For one, we were up pretty high up—9,500 feet to be exact—and I would probably become short of breath if I exerted myself too much. In addition, the cabin we stayed in didn’t have a single piece of gym equipment, and the nearest fitness facility was three gondola rides and a snowy, ice-filled hike away. And finally, the only available workout space was on the top floor; far be it for me to wake up the whole house early in the morning with any jumping, stationary jogging, what have you.

I am happy to report that I did not succumb to the inevitable whirring of the well oiled, excuse-making machine. Instead, I resolved to go a little easier on myself so as not to become dizzy or breathless. Also, I decided that for the week, I would perform bodyweight exercises only, giving my body a much-needed break from my beloved weights—and hey, no snow boots or icy trek required! And as for my concern for my fellow vacationers’ REM sleep, I just eliminated any particularly noisy movements from my planned routines.

I read a Q&A column in Fitness Rx recently in which readers wrote in questions to celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson. His number one piece of advice for maintaining one’s physique during the holidays was to “NEVER miss a workout.” He said that working out “is the only thing [we] can truly control” and so we should stick to our training schedule “with fervor.” I wholeheartedly agree. We may not be able to control where we eat and what we eat, and heaven knows we’ll likely overindulge a time or two, but we can absolutely control whether we exercise or not, no matter where we are.

The following is one of the lower body routines I did while in Colorado. Not including a five-minute warmup, it took only 20 minutes to complete. If you’re in the market for more quick, equipment-free routines, check out my Instagram feed @dianaandersontyler where you can find photos of all four of my recent excuse-proof workouts!

Before we begin, I should tell you what “Tabata” means since you’ll be seeing that word over and over in the following routine!

Tabata training was discovered by Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata and a team of researchers from the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Dr. Tabata and his team conducted research on two groups of athletes. The first group trained at a moderate intensity level, and the second group trained at a high-intensity level. The moderate intensity group worked out five days a week for a total of six weeks; each workout lasted one hour. The high-intensity group exercised four days a week for six weeks; each workout lasted four minutes and 20 seconds (with 10 seconds of rest in between each set).

The results: Group 1 had increased their aerobic system (cardiovascular), but showed little or no results for their anaerobic system (muscle). Group 2 showed much more increase in their aerobic system than Group 1, and increased their anaerobic system by 28 percent. In conclusion, high-intensity interval training has more impact on both the aerobic and anaerobic systems.

A Tabata workout lasts only four minutes, but provides one heckuva bang for your buck! The structure of the program is as follows:

• Workout hard for 20 seconds
• Rest for 10 seconds
• Complete eight rounds

If you have a smartphone, there are several apps you can download that will provide a Tabata timer so you don’t have to keep track of when to start and stop yourself.

If you’re brand new to high-intensity training, I recommend performing only half (4 rounds) of the following Tabata workouts. And please please please don’t skip the warmup!

WORKOUT

Warmup

• 10 lunges each leg with arms overhead, fingers interlaced. Hold each lunge for 3 to 5 seconds.
• 10 slow body weight squats. Hold at the bottom for 5 seconds, driving the knees out with the elbows to open up the hips.
• 10 reverse lunges with arms overhead, fingers interlaced. Hold each lunge for 3 to 5 seconds.
• 10 body weight squats at a normal pace. Be sure to squat to at least parallel. If you can, lower until your hip crease is below your knees.
• 30 jumping jacks
• 30 stationary butt kicks
• 30 stationary high knees
• 8 Rounds Tabata Air Squats (Rest as needed before beginning next section).
• 8 Rounds Tabata Reverse Lunges (Rest as needed before beginning next section).
• 8 Rounds Tabata Split Squats, right leg (Rest as needed before beginning next section).
• 8 Rounds Tabata Split Squats, left leg (Rest needed before beginning next section).
• 8 Rounds Tabata Forward Lunges (Be sure to stretch for 5 to 10 minutes afterwards!)

WORKOUT

Instructions (in order of appearance)

Air Squats

a) Stand with your feet spread apart at a distance slightly wider than the shoulders. Position your feet so that your toes angle out. This angle varies from person to person, but should be about 30 degrees. Keep your weight on the heels to prevent yourself from rolling up onto the balls of your feet.

b) Keep your chest up, shoulders back, head up. This helps promote a nice, safe, intact lumbar curve.

c) Place arms straight out in front of your chest. The arms should be in a comfortable position as they act as counter balance to the motion of the exercise.

d) Bend your knees as you lower yourself down. Pretend there is a chair behind you that you’re reaching back to sit on. Your knees should track over your feet and never jut out over them. In other words, your knees should be pointing in the same direction as your toes.  If you find your knees starting to cave in, focus on pushing them out.  A good way to achieve this is by imagining you are tearing the floor apart with your feet.

e) The push back up should be generated from your hamstrings and glutes.  Your chest and head should remain pointing straight forward.  As you rise, your arms will probably lower back to your sides naturally. Make sure your knees keep tracking with your toes and do not begin to buckle inwards.  Also be sure and keep your lumbar curve intact (curved).  Generally speaking, if you have your chest and head up, your lumbar curve will be in the correct position.

Reverse Lunges

a) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, torso upright with arms hanging straight at your sides.

b) Take a slow, controlled lunge backward with one foot.

c) Lower your hips so that your front leg becomes parallel to the floor. At this point your right knee should be positioned directly over your ankle and your front foot should be pointing straight ahead. Your left knee should be bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor. Your left heel should be lifted.

d) Push through both feet to straighten your legs. Bring your left foot back to meet your right in the starting position. Repeat on the other side, and continue alternating for the given number of repetitions.

Split Squats

a) Stand with your hands on your hips. Position feet far apart; right foot forward and left foot behind.

b) Squat down by flexing the knee and hip of your right (front) leg. Allow the heel of left (rear) foot to rise up while knee of left leg bends slightly until it almost makes contact with the floor.

c) Return to original standing position by extending the hip and knee of your right leg. Follow these instructions for the left leg as well.

Forward Lunges

a) Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, torso upright with arms hanging straight at your sides.

b) Take a slow, controlled lunge forward with one foot. As you lunge, lower your body and allow the lunging knee to bend until your thigh is parallel to the ground.

c) Push explosively off the lunging foot to return to the starting position.

If you’re interested in more do-anywhere workouts that require very little—or zero—equipment, check out my book Perfect Fit!

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness, Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness, and her latest book, Immeasurable: Diving into the Depths of God’s Love. Her popular website can be found at dianaandersontyler.com and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925.

For the original article, visit dianaandersontyler.com.

I’ve seen some disturbing prophetic words on the Internet recently regarding specific dreams and visions over high-profile leaders in the body of Christ.

One of those words described a vision of two publicly named spiritual generals down on their knees repenting to one another, suggesting that another great awakening hinged on this act. A second prophecy suggested a different leader—again, publicly named—was fighting for his life because he did something illegal in the spirit that let the devil attack him.

Needless to say, I was disappointed to read these articles online and more disappointed that others picked up on them and parroted what they read, even adding their own interpretations and speculations. I reached out to some of the authors but the practice continues—and it grieves me.

It violates prophetic protocol to publish dreams, visions and other prophetic expressions about named ministry leaders—and especially when the utterance makes a public cry for repentance or offers a rebuke—without approaching the people you’re writing about to get their blessing.

Yes, There Are Exceptions

Matthew 18 dictates we approach a brother who has sinned privately, but even words that don’t deal with sin need to be hashed out with the person before you “go live” on the Internet. Such prophecies can have unintended consequences, even if they are true.

There could be times when the Lord would lead a prophet to bypass this process—and it could be impossible to reach the person on which the prophecy centers—but I believe that prophet should then take the word to a prophetic counsel of elders that would pray over it and offer wise counsel on when and how best to release it, if it needs to be released at all. In other words, there needs to be accountability.

Sure, there are times when the Lord uses a prophet to issue a strong rebuke, but we cannot ignore the Matthew 18 principle. True prophetic utterances do not conflict with Scripture. As one of my prophetic mentors drilled into my head, “God does not speak with a forked tongue!” Again, such words need to be submitted to elder prophets before public release.

JOIN JENNIFER ON FACEBOOK FOR SPIRITUAL COMMENTARY AND ENCOURAGEMENT. CLICK HERE.

Yes, I have read clear and valid prophetic words about politicians, celebrities and other public figures that bear witness with me and were appropriate in timing and spirit; but a seasoned prophet weighs prophetic utterances that could have a major impact on a person, people or nation before hitting “publish” on WordPress. And there’s a distinction between a celebrity or politician and a man or woman of God who is trying their best to do what God has called them to do.

Rightly Dividing the Word

After grieving over some of these issues, I wrote a post on my Facebook page addressing some of it. That post reads:

“Dear Prophets, Before you release a prophetic word consider the consequences and the ripple effect. Just because the Lord shows you something doesn’t mean you need to shout it from the rooftops. If you’re wrong, you could hurt a lot of people. Even if you are right, you could hurt a lot of people. Let’s filter our prophetic revelation through the lens of wisdom. Ask yourself, who will this help? Does it ultimately exalt Jesus? If the prophecy brings more attention to you than to God, something is wrong with the prophetic picture. Selah.”

You can see the comments on this post here. Most people shouted a hearty “amen.” But it’s clear we need more training in this area because others pointed me to Ezekiel 33 about blood being on my hands if I don’t release the word and others pointed me to Matthew 10:27, “What I tell you in darkness, speak in the light. And what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.”

Certainly, these Scriptures are truth but they do not apply to the context of this issue. Ezekiel 33 concerns a watchman who is called to warn a people group, not issue prophetic dreams about leaders who are supposedly in strife. And Matthew 10 does not carry any prophetic connotation. Jesus was telling His disciples to preach the gospel without fear of what the religious leaders would do to them.

Consider the Consequences

Let’s consider the consequences of our prophetic utterances. Death and life are in the power of the tongue (see Prov. 18:21) and sincere prophets can curse God-fearing ministries, bring a lot of heartache to suffering families, and breed strife and division in the body unintentionally.

Cindy Jacobs once told me that the prophet needs more than the word of the Lord—they need the word of wisdom about when, if and how to release the word of the Lord. Many times, the Lord shows us things to drive us into the prayer closest or the war room. We also need to pray over the prophetic word so that it hits soil that can receive it.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Even Christ’s own seed of the word, pure from His own hand, brings forth no fruit when it falls on unprepared hearts.”

Releasing shocking prophetic words without a council of prophetic elders who will sift, pray through and judge them almost always brings unintended harm to some who hear it. Wisdom—and Scripture—dictates we approach releasing strong calls for repentance and rebukes with the Golden Rule found in Luke 6:31, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”

When he first learned of the diagnosis in April that he had been stricken with stage 4 B-Cell lymphoma, my good friend Doug Stringer’s first reaction wasn’t, “Oh God, why me? Why now?” No one could blame him if it had been. It’s a frightening proposition.

But as anyone who knows Doug, the founder of Somebody Cares International ministry in Houston, he’s a fighter. He won’t stand for seeing souls lost for eternity, and he certainly wasn’t going to accept what is essentially a death sentence without a battle.

“The first thing I thought was that this simply didn’t belong to me. I know that God did not put this on me,” Doug said. “I did ask God if my time was up. But I didn’t think it was. I prayed, ‘God, You know my appointed time, but I don’t sense that it is now.’ He told me that my healing is my calling, and that gave me strength.

“Along with myself, others have been calling for a great awakening in the church, and I believe my healing and the resurgence of the church are in direct correlation. It’s about the larger message. It’s about a time of intercession for the church of America and the healing of the spiritual cancer of our nation.”

As of Nov.10, Doug is officially in remission of the cancer that was supposed to kill him. God 1, Satan 0.

Doug believes his obedience in continuing to carry out his calling—and the fact that he continued to focus on others instead of himself—are big reasons why he’s still around and is stronger than ever to help spearhead the spiritual transformation of America. He’s one of the major forces behind The Response: A Call to Prayer for a Nation at a Crossroads. Several Response events are being held around the nation.

I’ll talk more about Doug in a bit.

And then there is Pat Williams, founder and senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic. Pat graciously dropped by our podcast studios here at Charisma Media for an interview for our “Javelin” sports show, and one of the topics he discussed forthrightly was his lengthy battle with cancer. Five years ago at 70, he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and wasn’t expected to live more than two years.

It was a shock because no one in his immediate family had ever dealt with cancer.

Like Doug, Pat and his wife, Ruth, knew that feeling sorry for themselves wasn’t the answer, nor was it an option.

“I never heard Ruth say, ‘Woe is me or what are we going to do?’ Pat said. “She was always upbeat and encouraging, and that’s the advice I would give everyone else. No pity parties. Stay positive.”

Pat’s trek through cancer has been longer than Doug’s, but his faith is just as strong. And, as a motivational speaker, Pat knew people were watching him and how he handled the epic journey. He knew what he said and did would affect many people who have been inspired by the 100 books he has written.

“The real test comes when adversity strikes and setbacks nail you,” Pat said in his latest book, Extreme Winning. “I had to stay enthusiastic, and I had to believe what I had been preaching all these years about my faith. I had to prove that I bought into my own message.”

“You hear the word cancer and you hear a death sentence,” Pat says. “So, I focused on my mission—remission—and I’ve stayed focused on it through the cross of Jesus. I was reminded of Luke 4:23 that says, ‘Physician, heal yourself.'”

God 2, Satan 0. Praise God.

At 75, Pat continues to be a major force in helping to bring an NBA championship to Orlando and continues to travel throughout the country as a motivational speaker.

Neither Doug nor Pat, both of whom went through rigorous chemotherapy treatments—ever figured they would be witnessing and ministering to cancer patients. But both have taken it upon themselves to motivate and inspire those diagnosed to fight through the disease and to trust God unconditionally through the process.

“It was a ministry I was thrown into, that I didn’t ask for or expect,” Doug said. “God opened wide the doors for this type of ministry. It’s about God’s great grace and His great power. God used my personal obedience, and He will use yours if you simply listen to Him and obey him.”

Coincidentally, this week has afforded me the opportunity to pray for a couple of our readers who have been waging their own battles with cancer. I pray that they, as well as others, find hope and inspiration in both Doug’s and Pat’s remarkable stories. You can read about Doug’s journey at dougstringer.com, and Pat’s at patwilliams.com. 

If you or a loved one is dealing with cancer right now, please share this. Cancer diagnosis doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Ask Doug or Pat. And remember Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

And as I always like to say, “there is that.” {eoa}