Saturday, March 25, 2017

Faith, Foolish or Just Desperate!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:6).

Feeling a little deflated!  How do you not second guess everything you're hearing  when things don't come to pass as you thought you heard?  How do just not throw in the towel and quit when so many signs point the way, but the promise hasn't come to fulfillment?  Is it faith? Foolish?  Just Desperate?  Maybe God is strengthening  faith and trust in Him as we continue to wait?   Today's devotional couldn't of come on a better day.  God knows what we need, when we need it! 
We all need faith for desperate days. The Bible is full of such days. Its record is made up of them, its songs are inspired by them, its prophecy is concerned with them, and its revelation has come through them. The desperate days are the stepping-stones in the path of light. They seem to have been God's opportunity and man's school of wisdom.
There is a story of an Old Testament love feast in Psalm 107, and in every story of deliverance the point of desperation gave God His chance. The "wit's end" of desperation was the beginning of God's power.
Recall the promise of seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sands of the sea, to a couple as good as dead. Read again the story of the Red Sea and its deliverance, and of Jordan with its ark standing mid-stream. Study once more the prayers of Asa, Jehoshaphat, and Hezekiah, when they were sore pressed and knew not what to do. Go over the history of Nehemiah, Daniel, Hosea, and Habakkuk. Stand with awe in the darkness of Gethsemane, and linger by the grave in Joseph's garden through those terrible days. Call the witnesses of the early Church, and ask the apostles the story of their desperate days.
Desperation is better than despair. Faith did not make our desperate days. Its work is to sustain and solve them. The only alternative to a desperate faith is despair, and faith holds on and prevails.
There is no more heroic example of desperate faith than that of the three Hebrew children. The situation was desperate, but they answered bravely, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning, fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." I like that, "but if not !"
I have only space to mention Gethsemane. Ponder deeply its "Nevertheless." "If it is possible…nevertheless!" Deep darkness had settled upon the soul of our Lord. Trust meant anguish unto blood and darkness to the descent of hell--Nevertheless! Nevertheless!
Now get your hymn book and sing your favorite hymn of desperate faith.
--Rev. S. Chadwick
When obstacles and trials seem
Like prison walls to be,
I do the little I can do
And leave the rest to Thee.
And when there seems no chance, no change,
From grief can set me free,
Hope finds its strength in helplessness,
And calmly waits for Thee.

God says in John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  Often we get stuck on the first part of a verse - steal, kill, destroy and lose sight of the "But God" part - that I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.  

The other day, I saw a post on Facebook that said renounce "hope deferred". It is too easy to go there.  I know many of God's children are in a desperate place and contending, decreeing and falling into despair and hope deferred.  We need to retrain our brains, renew our minds in the Word -  which is life giving.  Focus on the "But God" part.  No more hope deferred!  Get out of agreement with that and start focusing on "A longing fulfilled is a tree of life".  Yes!!! Yes!!!! Yes!!!! 

The Lord spoke to my heart and said 
"stay EXPECTANT and FULL of HOPE. I the Lord will not disappoint. This is your personal HARVEST season. I the Lord reward those who diligently seek Me. Your faith has pleased Me. No more toiling. Those days are over. Watch & be amazed! I'm doing a NEW thing."

But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

SOMETIMES WE ARE JUST ONE DECREE AWAY FROM OUR BREAKTHROUGH - BILL JOHNSON 

PRAYER REQUESTS:
Ken - his hours have been cut again.  We are still trying to sell furniture and things to raise funds to pay our bills....and yet trusting God to provide!  He is faithful!
Michele - Praise God - I am sleeping a little better - getting 4-5 hours a night.  Contending for full healing!
Ministry - we are believing God for an insane amount of money - that only He can bring forth to fund the vision He has given us!  

If you have been blessed by this ministry or feel led to support what God is doing through us - financially, below are a few options.  Your generosity and your prayer support is greatly appreciated and needed as we continue to walk in faith and God's calling. 

Megablessings  - 
Ken & Michele Cole
http://www.wantinsight.com
michele@wantinsight.com, ken@wantinsight.com

Tax deductible & non tax deductible donations can be made: 
1.  Checks made payable to Sonlit Fields, PO Box 371, El Dorado Springs, MO 64744 or if you prefer anonymous giving - you can give through our Donor Fund 

2.  Non tax deductible donations can be made directly to us by:  THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO GET MONEY TO US FOR DAILY USE. 
 Paypal - www.paypal.com  (michele@wantinsight.com) 

3. Donor Fund - Contact National Christian Foundation - Ken & Michele Cole - Want InSight Fund -   Tax deductible 
    7171 W. 95th Street, Suite 501
Overland Park, KS 66212
    Phone: 913.310.0279
    Fax: 913.227.0254     www.nationalchristian.com 

Vision
God has given us a vision to build a retreat property along with ministry equipping center.  
The retreat portion of our ministry is to provide a safe place for pastors, lay leaders & other ministry folks to come and be refreshed & encouraged through prophetic ministry (if wanted).  We will offer private cabins with kitchens & full bathrooms, and plenty of places to roam on the property to get quiet with the Lord. 
We will offer other specialty retreats - marriage, healing, prophetic teaching & activating people into the world & health and wellness retreats and more.  

The Lord has graced us with the desire to come alongside the Church - to bring healing, deliverance & freedom to new/newer believers.  We are not wanting to replace their church, but better help them be ready to serve in their church. 
In our community building - we will eventually have a 24/7 prayer room, healing & prophetic rooms and a place for community worship services for those on the property.  

Our passion is to minister to a lost & hurting world.   To equip the saints to do the same and to be a blessing to our community and surrounding areas.  Our hopes are that we can pour out God's love in a mighty way to bring more and more souls into the Kingdom, get them discipled, called into their purpose & destiny and released to do God's business!!!!  We also have a passion to give generously to help those in need and to help others launch into their God given destinies.  







Saturday, March 11, 2017

Springboard & Launch

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.  Hebrews 11:1-2  

We all know FAITH is what pleases God!  

Without faith, it's impossible to please God!  Hebrews 11:6 

We have this plaque that we used to have out on the fireplace mantle and it said "Faith is not believing that God can, it is KNOWING that He will".  This quote may seem a little over confident or even prideful in some ways.  But if you put your confidence in God doing the impossible verses your own self confidence, that may change the perspective on how you hear that.  

In January, as I previously blogged, God spoke to us that this year and even the month of January was going to bring "surprises".  And that this year would be an Ephesians 3:20 kind of year for us and for many others!  We feel God spoke to us a huge, out of left field "surprise" in January.  I can't tell you yet, well, because it's a surprise!!  Ha!

Since January, God has been speaking lots of pretty amazing things to us and prophetic words have been coming out of every direction - to us directly and indirectly confirming over and over!  It's completely mind boggling.  (Maybe God thinks we need to hear these things repeatedly so we will be obedient or maybe because it's a huge big deal).  Either way, it's kind of fun, day after day hearing confirmation after confirmation.


 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

One of the things we heard in January, was to "spring clean" because in the Spring, there would be a shift.  That meant going through all our belongings that we've been storing in someone's basement here and determining what to keep, sell or giveaway.  I can happily report we are at the 99% mark of all that.  We are donating a big chunk to a local ministry here, giving some to people in need and we sold the rest over a 3 day garage sale.  Whoohoo!  That was work and we are excited to be on this end of it!  Well, I believe because of our obedience, God began to speak some more incredible things to us.  If you know me, you know I am always asking God for a date, the when of when things will happen.  And if I heard correctly, He gave me a date.  I'm going to go out on a very narrow limb and risk big time to share it with YOU!!  Let me kind of explain how it all came about.

The Lord said a shift in Spring. 

The Lord gave me 2 words to describe SPRING to me - 

   - Springboard which means - a point of departure, helps you start an activity or process. 

    -Launch which means - bring into being, catapult, send off.  

We were watching a movie - The Redemption of Henry Myers.  At the very end, one of the characters said, God is good!  Tears welled in my eyes and joy flooded my spirit.  Before I could even form the question I had for God in my mouth on WHEN, I heard 3/20!  

3/12 is the date we "spring forward" with daylight savings time.  
3/20 is the FIRST DAY OF SPRING this year.  Do you remember the Scripture passage He gave us in January, Ephesians 3:20???  Coincidence?  

In Church Sunday, a song I've heard a thousand times (or close to) brought me to tears.  Tears of joy!  Holy Spirit tears!  The words moved in my spirt, my heart, a sense that our hearts desires were coming forth.  That we would be celebrating very soon!  Here are the lyrics that jumped out... (only a portion of lyrics showing).  

Never Once by Matt Redmon  

Standing on this mountaintop
Looking just how far we've come
Knowing that for every step
You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground
Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Never once did we ever walk alone
Carried by Your constant grace
Held within Your perfect peace
Never once, no, we never walk alone

Every step we are breathing in Your grace
Evermore we'll be breathing out Your praise
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
You are faithful, God, You are faithful
Your are, You are faithful, God, You are faithful

Earlier this week, we went and saw The Shack (it was excellent and God really brought me some great healing in understanding His character and love for me).  But what I want to share is that there was a movie preview beforehand.  I wasn't really paying attention to the actual preview (enjoying my popcorn) but the last 2 sentences they said in the preview was screaming at me: This is your DESTINY and NOW is the TIME!!  Prophetic Confirmation!!!!!

Again, in my quiet time, I heard the Lord say out of the blue, look up the Hebraic month for March and read what it means:  It's Adar!  Adar means - pregnant with meaning, joyfulness reigns, joy increased, festivity & this one really grabbed my attention.....no evil can affect YOUR BLESSING! 

And then a Scripture jumped off the page in my devotional reading that same morning:  


So now, O Lord, may the promise you made about your servant and his family become a permanent reality! Do as you promised, so it may become a reality and you may gain lasting fame, as people say, ‘The Lord who commands armies is the God of Israel.’ 
David’s dynasty will be established before you. 1 Chronicles 17:23-24.

I don't know about you, but Ken & I are so excited, we're about to burst!  I felt that God wanted me to share this much with you - but not ready for the rest.  He has his reasons, I suppose!  

We walk by faith, not by sight! 2 Corinthians 5:7 

You have been faithful friends, prayer warriors, support and more to us!  We could not of made it this far without you.  Would you please please agree with us in prayer that what we feel we are hearing, is God's will be done and that it will come to pass - maybe even between 3/12 & 3/20 THIS YEAR!   

God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 

Prayer needs:  Please pray for us - grace... we feel Canyon's days are numbered.  He's such a trooper.  15 1/2 years old.

Ken - his hours at Dollar General are cut way back again.
Me - sleep, healing.

If you have been blessed by this ministry or feel led to support what God is doing through us - financially, below are a few options.  Your generosity and your prayer support is greatly appreciated and needed as we continue to walk in faith and God's calling. 

Megablessings  - 
Ken & Michele Cole
http://www.wantinsight.com
michele@wantinsight.com, ken@wantinsight.com

Tax deductible & non tax deductible donations can be made: 
1.  Checks made payable to Sonlit Fields, PO Box 371, El Dorado Springs, MO 64744 or if you prefer anonymous giving - you can give through our Donor Fund 

2.  Non tax deductible donations can be made directly to us by:  THIS IS THE FASTEST WAY TO GET MONEY TO US FOR DAILY USE. 
 Paypal - www.paypal.com  (michele@wantinsight.com) 

3. Donor Fund - Contact National Christian Foundation - Ken & Michele Cole - Want InSight Fund -   Tax deductible 
    7171 W. 95th Street, Suite 501
Overland Park, KS 66212
    Phone: 913.310.0279
    Fax: 913.227.0254     www.nationalchristian.com 

Vision
God has given us a vision to build a retreat property along with ministry equipping center.  
The retreat portion of our ministry is to provide a safe place for pastors, lay leaders & other ministry folks to come and be refreshed & encouraged through prophetic ministry (if wanted).  We will offer private cabins with kitchens & full bathrooms, and plenty of places to roam on the property to get quiet with the Lord. 
We will offer other specialty retreats - marriage, healing, prophetic teaching & activating people into the world & health and wellness retreats and more.  

The Lord has graced us with the desire to come alongside the Church - to bring healing, deliverance & freedom to new/newer believers.  We are not wanting to replace their church, but better help them be ready to serve in their church. 
In our community building - we will eventually have a 24/7 prayer room, healing & prophetic rooms and a place for community worship services for those on the property.  

Our passion is to minister to a lost & hurting world.   To equip the saints to do the same and to be a blessing to our community and surrounding areas.  Our hopes are that we can pour out God's love in a mighty way to bring more and more souls into the Kingdom, get them discipled, called into their purpose & destiny and released to do God's business!!!!  We also have a passion to give generously to help those in need and to help others launch into their God given destinies.  





Copyright © 2016, Michele A. Cole  All rights reserved.  Only with expressed written permission will these posts be allowed to be duplicated, copied or transmitted.