Posted on by Christian Armetta · 2 Comments

Are You Coming?

Psalm 100:4

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.

Are You going

I work with some of the most amazing people in the world. God has blessed me with a team that exhibits a vast array of personalities and spiritual gifts. We are beyond blessed to be in a “helping” profession. We get to see God’s work first hand even in physical healing. It never gets old, and I’m always looking for the Spirit. In fact, I listen intently when my team speaks because I want to hear more than the literal terms; I want to listen for God’s message through their conversations no matter how unrelated.

Just this morning, I was blessed to have a spiritual conversation with a new team member. She brings such light, spiritual awareness, and truth. She is gifted and people cannot help but listen when she speaks. Her genuine heart is tangible and visible. She is more than an answer to prayer; she is a gift. This spirit-filled lady made a profound statement today that I couldn’t get out of my head all day. We were discussing the importance and power in worship. We both expressed disappointment when those around us simply appear unmoved and unaffected by His presence. She then stated, “I’m going to the throne room no matter what so are you going with me?”

YES – she gets it! Not only does she “get it” but she helped me understand it too! You see there is power in worship.

Exodus 23:25 – Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.

Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.

Acts 16:25 – About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

John 4:24 – God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

Joshua 6:2-5 – 2 But the Lord said to Joshua, “I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. 3 You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. 4 Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. 5 When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.”

I must admit, my friend is right! She’s going to the throne room to worship, and I want to go too! She doesn’t become frustrated when those around her fail to be moved. In fact, this drives her to worship more for she knows the Father is WORTH IT! The Father’s room is deep and wide. His grace and mercy bind us together in one body. The Father yearns for all His children to – come! Don’t delay dear friends. Meditate on the Word; pray without ceasing; and worship like He deserves!

Friends, I’m going to the throne room to worship…are you coming?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 4 Comments

Glow

Philippians 2:4

4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

glow

God placed a very special friend in my life over a year ago through providential occurrences. At our very first encounter, God spoke, “You will minister to him.” The problem…I was out of town and didn’t even know this man’s name. I said, “God you must be kidding, right?” His response was steady and sure, “You will minister to him.” The conviction was so strong and the voice so loud that I almost started to believe that the people around me heard God’s voice too! There was nothing left to do than to obey. That simple act of faith and obedience has taken us down a grateful road for well over a year.

Through a series of special “God winks,” we have become good friends and have shared life together. Even more, you would never “put us together” by society’s standards. You see, we are complete opposites honestly. This is what makes this a beautiful God-designed encounter. In full transparency, I do not care about what society tries to define upon my life. I seek to live and act like Jesus. I would venture to say that Jesus also met and shared life with people that society would consider “opposites” even today. For starters, Jesus was ridiculed for being friends with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 7:34). All I have to say is, “Praise God” that glory came down and broke bread with sinners – like you and me!

I found out today that this friend might be moving far away. “Lord, are we done?” I asked. “I thought I was to continue ministering to him. How can I do that so far away?” I continued. The Spirit stated, “I’m the One who brought you together so trust Me to deliver for physical distance is only a barrier for those who don’t believe.” I must admit, this was hard to hear! “You’re right, Lord, I humble myself and place my human restrictions and finite cognition into your control and hands.”

I call upon you too dear believers. Please pray with me. I pray that we are in agreement and in unity with our prayers for each other. I pray for God’s blessings over my friend. I pray that he will fully surrender to the King. I also pray that God will continue to equip me to minister, lead, and/or instruct however He sees fit. Ultimately, we are called to “take an interest in others.” So, our journey is not done just because of a possible move far away; it is just beginning a new chapter.

Question: Are you taking an interest in others around you?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 2 Comments

Distracted

Proverbs 4:25-27

25 Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. 26 Carefully consider the path for your feet, and all your ways will be established. 27 Don’t turn to the right or to the left; keep your feet away from evil.

focused on christ

“He seems determined!” Satan grumbles to the demons and tormentors. “This cannot happen,” he continues. “Where does his strength come from?” He has had enough and strategizes devious plans to kill, steal, and destroy the unsuspecting Christ-follower.

In the meantime, the believer yearns to know Christ more. He isn’t perfect – not by far – but he strives. His heart bleeds for the Father’s kingdom. He is on a journey, one initiated by salvation and punctuated by deliverance, clarity, mission, and purpose. Every thought and every action is measured by Christ’s motivation, intent, and will. His life’s verse would most certainly be Hebrews 12:1-2, “Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance the race that lies before us, 2 keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne.”

Focused, driven, and purposeful are words I would use to describe this believer. His eyes pierce for a glimpse of the Father’s goodness in this world. He seeks the Father’s understanding and listens intently for the Spirit’s call. “What is He whispering today?” he would most certainly declare. He rebukes fear in Jesus name because 2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” Yes, he embodies the power of the Holy Spirit. The same God that raised Christ from the dead lives in him. He cries out for unity and spirit-filled conversion. His visions are persistent. God is speaking and he begs for more.

But…just then…he feels a cold chill trickle down his neck. The breath of death appears to have been unleashed from the depths of the abyss in full battle gear. He senses fear and knows death has brought his unprofitable friends: fear, doubt, insecurity, and distraction. This child of God timidly turns to face the challenge. With unsuspecting force, he is knocked down. The weight of destruction is now fully upon him. He weeps.

“This was too easy,” the reporter shares with the evil one. “It appears that the strong one is in fact – weak!” Satan stops pacing and unfolds his arms. He turns and sits basking in the news. “Picking them off one by one is the only way my kingdom will survive,” he acknowledges to himself. The evil one dismisses the court and rumblings are heard throughout the depths.

In complete surrender, the believer calls upon the Spirit of the living God for he knows he is nothing without Christ. His mouth opens and the sword of Spirit, which is the Word of God utterly destroys any chance for these evil powers to overtake this child. An army of angels arrives through the prayers of frontline believers. With a mighty wind, piercing light, and fiery petitions, the evil is rebuked and flees.

“Wait, what? Why are you all back so soon?” the evil one babbles. The demons cowardly state, “We thought he was giving up. He was still but his words were sharp. They were too bright! The forces of the heavenly realm overtook us.” The evil one leaps forward with humiliating tongue, “But wasn’t he alone? You couldn’t take out one single believer?” The demons now shaking from comprehension, “But he wasn’t alone! His prayers, the prayers of others, and the Spirit of the Living God were surrounding him.” Satan slumps to his knees, “You all are useless.” With cold eyes, he looks up and exclaims, “I will always seek to destroy them, and I’ll be looking for his open gates.”

The believer begins to feel Christ’s presence surrounding him – covered in His wing. He hears, “Rest my child. You are not alone nor will you ever be.” The Spirit continues, “8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” [1 Peter 5:8]. “Put on the full armor of God daily, and never stop focusing on Christ, the One who initiates and perfects our faith.” With renewed strength and purpose, the believer seeks to share his testimony for God’s glory. – Amen

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 6 Comments

The Call!

Philippines 4:9

“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

courthouse and rainbow

Beautiful!! While riding along our downtown road, my wife spots this absolutely breathtaking image. In true “technology fashion”, she pulls out her cellphone to quickly capture this moment before it is lost forever.

To some, you simply see a courthouse and rainbow – yes, the factual aspects of the image. To others, you see God’s promise beautifully arcing over a prominent building in a quaint town. To me, however, I not only see but hear, “This is your confirmation to the vision I have already shown you!” Yes, just weeks ago, the Holy Spirit pierced my heart to plan a community gathering around the courthouse for prayer, worship, and fellowship.

I am fully aware that there is a spiritual battle around you personally, your home, your neighborhood, your community, and your town. Satan’s best work is found in division! My dear friends, why is there nearly a church on every corner in our lovely town? Is it because we are spiritually sound here in DeRidder, Louisiana? Is it because every church is filled to capacity, and we must build more churches to meet the demand?

Then…Why is our town still divided?  Why are our churches half-full? [Think about it.]

I’m concerned that our biggest problem is that we have confused tradition with truth!

My prayer is that we break the mold. We refuse to be slow to respond! Enough is enough my dear community! I have no authority over any territorial spirits. However, as a community, acting as one body in Christ, we collectively have power when we stand united!

I cannot deny that the Spirit spoke this challenge over me. I cannot deny that I was given a vision around the courthouse, and I cannot deny that days later God providentially placed me at the right spot at just the right time to witness His promise firsthand. As my wife took this picture, I couldn’t help but also see the opening in the sky directly above the courthouse. If the rainbow wasn’t enough, I was awestruck when God’s presence broke through the darkness surrounding our community.

So, I prayed!

“Thank you Lord for confirmations! You are a good, good Father. I am just a weak vessel and unworthy of such a blessing. I accept your calling as a servant of the King. I will send forth messengers as you called out to me. We will gather in complete unity, claiming Jesus Christ as our town’s cornerstone. I have seen a dark veil over our town for such a long time; yet you remind me that just a spark of your perfect light shatters darkness. The dark veil runs from your presence! Your people will represent you because your Son lives in us. I ask for forgiveness for our community. We are sorry for failing to see the needs of others over ourselves. We are sorry for allowing division among your people. We claim the protective blood covering granted by your Son Jesus Christ. We pray in Jesus name, Amen.”

Question: Who will gather with me?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta

Posted on by Christian Armetta · 2 Comments

Petition!

Psalm 69:16-17

Answer me, Lord, for Your faithful love is good; in keeping with Your great compassion,
turn to me. 17 Don’t hide Your face from Your servant, for I am in distress. Answer me quickly!

pain

I’m there! Yes, I’ve been there before, but not like I am now. The migraine pain is overwhelming. It consumes my thoughts; yet, I know it can be a spirit of distraction too, and I rebuke that in Jesus name. I refuse to give anything more attention and focus than Jesus and His will over my life.

However, the Holy Spirit convicted me as He spoke, “Your words sounds great, but your faith is poor. I cried, “Me, Lord?” I continued, “Surely when you search my heart you don’t see lack of faith?” “Of course I do!” He exclaimed. “You have all the answers for healing yet you refuse to ask Me because you truly don’t believe.” The Spirit continued, “You are even good at encouraging others to seek their own blessings and to claim their own healing; however, you my child – don’t believe I’m capable of these miracles in you!”

—“But Lord, I, I, um, I know too much about the science, the nerves, the inflammation, the…” The Spirit interrupts, “Who stitched you together in your mother’s womb?”

—“Yes, Lord, but we are in broken bodies, and I have just accepted the fact that this is my thorn.” “My son, your ways are not My ways!”

—“I do believe that, Father, and I humble myself before the throne. But, I……I have lived with this pain for so long that it has to be a part of who I am.” “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, “Now be still!”

I most certainly have a deeper understanding of claiming a victory! I also have a deeper understanding of prayer and petition. I want to say, “Shame on me” for failing in such a spiritual way. Yet, the Potter used this to shape and mold me into a more mature believer.

My prayers resound like this Psalm above. Hear me Lord! I am Your child and You are My God! You are bigger than anything my finite mind can create. You can do far more than we can ever imagine. Therefore, as a child of the King, I claim your victory, healing, and power over my life. You say call and therefore I shout! “Don’t hide your face from your servant.” Your healing will be used to glorify your name and further your kingdom as I humbly submit to Your authority and your will alone. In Jesus name I pray in the unity of the Holy Spirit – Amen.

Question: Are you lacking faith for your own healing?

Thankful,

Christian Armetta