Fresh Wind Ministries

Judges 6:15 So he said to Him, “O my Lord, how can I save Israel? Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.”

Was something ever asked of you and  felt unqualified for the job? Perhaps you thought they asked the wrong person, but it wasn’t so, it was you they asked.  

I was approached  recently to teach a large group of people and I felt  unqualified, even though the subject was one that I loved.  I made excuses on why I should not take the assignment.  It would be a very long committment, I was not capable, I fumble often when I need to teach in Spanish, and the excuses kept coming.  But  the Lord confirmed to me that I should go ahead and do this, and to be honest, I did so out of honor and duty, not because I felt capable.

What happened  surprised me.  I gave the first teaching to the students, word got out and now there are more signing up.  I continued to  pray for the class and students, and the Lord began to give me teaching tactics, games and ideas for the group.

I know it’s not because I am capable, for I felt the least of the clan and knew there were others more qualified than I,  but because I stepped out in faith  and honor to the Lord, He has met me and encouraged me. 

There have been times that certain things were asked of me, and have denied them because I felt incapable.  What did I miss,  what blessing did I miss out  by not stepping out in faith? 

I almost missed a blessing here for not teaching this class.  The Lord desires to have us grow spiritually, and the only way to do that is to step out of our comfort zone and into His blessing.

What blessings have you turned down recently?  Don’t make the same mistake I have many times.  When you are challenged, take that step of faith and He will meet you and guide you.

Job 1:20  Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.

In the book of Job, the first chapter, we read how satan presents himself to God after roaming the earth.   God  mentions Job to satan and  tells him how there is no other like him,  upright and how he shuns evil.  Satan knows that there is a hedge protecting him, and challenges God to remove it, and how afterwards Job will curse God.    God responds “ all that he has is in your power. ”

Of course Satan quickly obeys this command, and in a moment all Job’s wealth was removed. 

One by one Job’s servants came to tell him the bad news.  

First the Sabeans raided the oxen, took them away and killed the servants.  Next we have fire that came down from heaven, burned up the sheep and servants.  Then  the Chaldeans came, raided the camels and took them and killed the servants as well.

If that was not enough, the final blow came to Job. A great wind came where his sons and daughters were eating,   the house collapsed  and they all died.

Jobs’ reaction to all of this?  He arose, fell to the ground and worshipped the Lord.

Think about it in today’s terms.  You just lost a loved one, a child perhaps, your business is not going well and are at risk of loosing everything.  Maybe there is  sickness in your life or the life of a loved one, a lost job, financial strain and perhaps a strain on your marriage.  Are you capable of bowing to the ground to worship the Lord?

We have been through some economic difficulties  in our 27 years of marriage, and to be honest I did not always worship the Lord.  In fact, I found ways to blame something or someone for why this was happening to us.  

So what can we learn from Job,  how was it possible for him to even worship the Lord?  The answer is found in the scripture. Job feared God, which means he had respect and honor for God. 

Whatever circumstances  we find ourselves in, the best thing we can do is to worship the Lord, even when we don’t feel like it.  Worship is an act of obedience, not feeling.  Worship is an act of honor and reverence. 

1 Thessalonians  says 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  

In giving all praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, we give no room to the enemy and our circumstances will turn around for good.  The Lord will make a crooked path straight.

Sometimes we just need to worship ourselves out of a  terrible situation.  Give  glory to God and see how the tables are turned on the enemy.  Once we begin to worship Him, our focus and energy is on the maker of heaven and earth and off your present situation,  and He will lift the burden from your shoulders and give you peace where the is no peace.

Worship Him today, for He is worthy of your praise.

Blessings in His name

Psalm 34:1  I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

There have been times in my life that I don’t feel  like worshiping the Lord. Things go wrong, problems arise and  singing songs of praise seems to be the last thing on my mind.

I am good at making excuses on why I don’t feel like worshiping. But in studying this subject,  I have discovered that it’s not about feeling, but in obedience to our Lord

We have all read the verse in Heb 13:15 where we are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His name. 

But most of us are not really about sacrifice.  When  the money is not coming in, when things go wrong and  the bills are past due , worship is not on our mind.

Why do we worship?   Because the scripture commands us to.  

Psalm 45:11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him

Isa 43:21 This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise

Great men of God worshiped  in the midst of their affliction. 

• Job loosing everything, continued to worship the Lord
• Abraham worshiped the Lord even though he believed that it would cost him his son
• David worshiped the Lord after the death of his son with Bathsheeba.
• Jesus prayed and worshiped the Lord while hanging on a tree.
• Paul worshipped the Lord while bound in chains in a prison cell

There is no excuse to not worship the Lord. He is our Abba Father, He gave us His  only Son so that you and I  can have life eternal and live abundantly.

He is our deliverer, the Mighty One, our Strength,  the God of the Covenant, Mighty Rock, Mighty Counselor, Lord of Host!

After bringing in a sacrifice of praise, something wonderful  happens.  We are edified, we feel full of His power and Spirit, and suddenly the cloud is removed from our eyes,  we see clearly, the chains are removed and we praise Him even more.

The enemy wants to hinder us from offering praise to Him.  Let’s not  focus on our problems, but  set our sight on our mighty and awesome God, and offer that praise that is due Him.

May you be abundantly blessed this day.

Acts 8:23  For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.

In Acts chapter 8, we read that persecution arose against the church and many of the disciples were scattered along the regions of Judea and Samaria.

Phillip was one of those disciples that went to Samaria, preaching the word of the Lord.  Simon was a sorcerer in this city,  and upon  seeing the miracles wrought by the hand of Phillip,  Simon became a believer. 

Simon believed Phillip and his preaching concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The word said Simon was  baptized and continued with Phillip.

Later,  Peter and John arrived in the city, laid hands on the people and they received the Holy Ghost.  It was here that  Simon offered the Apostles money because he wanted to flow in the same power as they did.   

Peter, filled with the spirit was able to discern what was in Simons heart; that it was not right before God,  and he was filled with iniquity and bound by bitterness.

When there is  bitterness in our heart, it can lead to blockages in our spiritual and personal life.  Our judgment becomes clouded over, and we find ourselves in bondage.

Recently I found myself struggling to forgive, and I really did not want to.  It was then the Lord said, “How many times have I forgiven you?”   I knew that I could no longer delay and began the forgiveness process.

Forgiveness is a gift from the Lord.  It cannot be purchased.  When we have unforgiveness, many things can happen to us.

• Gifts become blocked
• Prayers become blocked
• Our health can suffer
• Our relationship with the Lord becomes clouded over
• Our heart is not right in the eyes of God

Simon wanted to purchase the gifts the Apostles flowed in with money.  As we know, the gifts of the spirit is only purchased with one type of currency, faith. 

If we have a broken heart, the word says in Psalm 27:17 Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD.

Are you struggling with a broken heart or unforgiveness?  By faith, give it over to the Lord and let Him strengthen you.  By faith let Him remove the pain, and in doing so the blockages will be removed and you will soar as on wings of eagles.

May you be abundantly blessed.

1 Samuel  17:51  Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

The Old Testament  is filled with  stories about how  brave men would go into battle and slain hundreds and thousands of their enemies with the sword. 

We also have the opposite, how others would use the sword for their own personal gain, going against the Lord and his commandments. 

Today is no different from Old Testament times.  While we may not have a physical sword, we have another type of sword that can cause us to increase our territory and help others, or cause damage to those around us.

The sword that we have today is the word of God.   This type of sword can be used to encourage, edify, praise and uplift those around you.  It can also cause death if not used correctly.

The sword that I am speaking of  is our tongue. 

Ephesians 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

Just like any weapon in our hands, we can  use it  for good or for evil.

Our sword or our words, should be used to edify , uplift and encourage.  If we see someone struggling, an encouraging word goes a long way.

The sword that we have today is the same used in the Old Testament. In can be used for good, or cause damage.

We can slain our enemy in praise and prayer, or we can damage those around us by speaking words that condemn and hurt.

Let’s be sure that we use our sword to kill our enemy, and not those closest to us.

Luke  22:55 Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them

In the verse quoted above, Jesus was taken prisoner and Peter was following at a distance.  It is here where Peter was confronted three times as being with Jesus, and each time he denied it. 

If you compare the other gospels, you will read that Peter swore and raised his voice.

Sitting by the wrong type of fire can cause many of us to do things that we should not do.

The fire that Peter sat by to keep him warm was just that, the wrong fire. Many of us find ourselves in that position. I know I have several times.

Fire has many meanings in scripture, such as a symbol of God presence in the burning bush, purifying, His everlasting fire, inspiration and spiritual power. It can also mean judgment of God, and it also was one of the plagues of Egypt. 

Peter sat by the wrong type of fire in the company of others. We later read that God’s grace and mercy was upon him as Jesus himself restored Peter three times, each time for denying him.

After the restoration, Peter was found in the fire once again. He was baptized in the upper room with tongues of fire!

Friends, the world can offer us many warm fires out there, but there is only one true fire that will comfort us, guide us and keep us on the right path.

The fire that we should seek should be the same fire that Peter received in the upper room. This type of fire fills you with the Holy Spirit, and other around you will be astonished as you flow in His anointing and power.

Seek that treasure, the fire of God!

May you be abundantly blessed this day.

By Claude Widmer

Psalm 10, 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more. (NIV)

As we have entered this New Year with prayer and in the Presence of the Lord, he has been speaking very clearly and the message that rang in our ears was unmistaken. As we look to Him this coming year in all that is happening on the globe, I believe that he will do a special work in the Body of Christ to meet the needs of the so many oppressed in today’s world.

Please let me share the word of the Lord that we have received for this year.

For indeed says the Lord, I have heard the cry of my people. It is almost like in the days of Moses, when the people were oppressed and heavy burdens were laid upon them. So it is today, not only in the world, but also in my Body.

My people have been oppressed and nobody is there to release them and bring them into true freedom. There are many so called  fathers in my Body, but a lot of them do not represent me. They are fathers when all is good and as long as the children obey and act as they want them to act. In fact, they are not even caring and providing for them, but they are enriching themselves from their children.  There are not many true shepherds that really care for my people and feed them and raise them up into full authority.

But I have heard the cry of the afflicted and seen their hearts desires says the Lord. There are many that had a longing for true Fathers and Mothers in my Body and I have been raising up true Fathers and Mothers. But they have been oppressed themselves says the Lord. But this time is over and I am raising them up all around the world. The new Generation of Fathers and Mothers have been laying there like seeds under the ground.

It has taken a long time for them to mature and they had to endure many Fathers and Mothers that did not treat them the way I wanted them to. But I have become their Father and their Mother. And as David grew up under Saul and yet grew into a true man after my own heart that was leading Israel well, so have they grown up under a lot of persecution and oppression, but they have not been corrupted by it, but been purified through the fire and shine like stars now.

What has been hidden will now be revealed says the Lord. So I want you to know that many that have been oppressed over the years, will now be released. The fatherless will no longer be fatherless and those that were terrified will have to fear no more! For I am going to change things quickly now and those people that have abused their authority, will no longer be able to abuse it. For I myself will fight for the cause of the weak and I myself will be releasing the oppressed.

It will indeed be like in the days of my Prophets, where I spoke that I would no longer delay my words, but make them come true quickly and swiftly. In your mind you will think: But how is this possible oh Lord?  But with me all things are possible and I am able to change any situation around and work in every circumstance.

So watch as the true Fathers are released and know that they will bring freedom to my people like Moses of old did. They will put out their rod and miracles will happen, like when Moses stretched out the rod at the sea and a way was made that did not exist before. So they will make a way where there was no way before and my people will not only walk into freedom, but will start taking the new land that belongs to them.

This will not only look nice, but will cause lots of trouble for the existing structure that is holding everything under control and imprisoned. But when you see the structures breaking apart and some things turn sour, do not be afraid, because it is indeed my work says the Lord. Structure has given you guidelines and security, but no longer shall you trust in manmade things, but I will be your security and I will be your guide says the Lord!

You have been led by the structure of the church and it has given you safety, but no longer shall anything else than I give you a hold. For I am your God and I will lead you by the hand. I will direct your path and I will teach you what true church is about. For where I am in your midst, true church has started (Matthew 18,20)!

This will also be the sign of the new fathers. They will no longer point you to themselves or to their organization, but they will raise you up and help you to know me! For as I have shown you the Father, so will they show you the Father!

So when trouble arises and all is not like before anymore, look up to me. No man will be able to terrify you any longer, for I am defending the fatherless and the oppressed and I myself will watch over them says the Lord.

Hose 4:6  My people are destroyed for lack of Knowledge

While in prayer last week the Lord directed me to this verse.  As I continued in prayer, the Lord continued with the following:

I desire to pour my wisdom and knowledge upon my people, but not many are asking and those that are asking I will give, and give in abundance says the Lord.

It is only by my wisdom and knowledge that you will be able to succeed and not by the efforts of man.  Seek my wisdom, seek my knowledge, for these are two ingredients that will cause you to prosper.

Fernando and I have begun the year seeking the Lord for His will on our lives. We are asking for the Lord to pour His Wisdom and Knowledge upon us, not only for our gain, but for us to be able to pour out on the Body of Christ. 

I challenge you to ask the Lord for His Wisdom and Knowledge upon your life this year, and wait and see the blessings that will follow!

May you be abundantly blessed this year.