Divine Intervention
by Joni Ames 
 

Divine Intervention

I don't know about you, but for me, the few months that we are into this year have seemed extremely rough. Usually we can look to the new year, saying, "Whew! Glad last year is over, and I am glad a new year is beginning!" However, this year has been one of the hardest starts to a new year that I can recall in recent time. There have been times when I have just shouted, "Hey! What's the deal?"

At the same time, there have been some times of divine visitation and breakthrough as well. Truly it has seemed that there has been "Extreme Warfare." We need to continue to press on and cry out for "Divine Intervention" so that it will continue to lead to "Extreme Victory!"

During this time, I have had several "experiences" that have led me deeper into the Word and into my relationship with the Lord. Some of these have brought personal deliverance of sorts, or have given me specific directions on various levels, and all have come at very strategic times when I needed them the most.

Redeeming The Time

I was on a ministry trip, and staying overnight in a motel. When I woke up, I checked the time on each of my two cell phones (I had one for North Carolina and one for Florida because I was in the midst of moving from one state to the other). The time on each read 7:17 a.m. Now, why I checked them both, I don't know!

Anyhow, I went on about my business--got a cup of coffee, turned on Good Morning America, walked my two, sat back down, and again checked the time. Each of the cell phones read 5:56 a.m. I said out loud, "That's impossible," and looked again. It remained the same. So I asked the Lord, "What's happening, Lord?"

"I'm redeeming the time, as I told you I would," He said. He then reminded me that, at the end of last year, one second was added to the atomic clocks around the world. (Those are the clocks that are synchronized to keep us all on time.) I felt it was prophetic, and asked the Lord about it. He said, "I'm giving my people a second chance and restoring lost time."

I told Him, "One second isn't very long, Lord." To which He replied, "Don't tell that to an Olympian! One tenth of a second can mean the difference between getting or not getting a gold medal! Besides that, I'm the one that, with Me, a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years, as a day. In one second, I can restore an entire lifetime of lost years--and I plan to restore many in this year to come!"

Dispossessing The Enemy

The Lord then used the [original cell phone time on the clocks of] 7:17 to direct me to Deuteronomy 7:17. It says, "If you should say in your heart, 'These nations are greater than I; how can I dispossess them?'"

He said, "When you hear of things like the Bird Flu, nations becoming a threat, destructive storms, etc., do not say that they are too strong! If you do that, how can I dispossess them?!" In the same way, if you say that your stray child is 'too far gone,' how can I reach them? If you say that your finances are 'impossible,' how can I take care of them? If you say that any situation is too strong, how can I help you? Life and death are in the power of your tongue! Be cautious of how you speak, for My Word says, 'As your faith is, so be it unto you!'"

He then led me to Psalms 106:29-31: (29) ".....A plague broke out among them. Then Phinehas stood up and intervened, And the plague was stopped. And that was accounted to him for righteousness To all generations forevermore."

He said, "It is time to stand up and intervene! Pray on behalf of My People that these plagues [will] be stopped! Do not stand in agreement with the newscasters that they will wipe out 1/3 of the people! Do not say they are too hard for Me! Intervene, and speak death to the plagues, instead of [to] the people!"

What is plaguing you and yours? "The Kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force!" (Matthew 11:12) Wage war with the prophecies made concerning you and yours! (I Timothy 1:18 & 19) Stand up and intervene on behalf of yourselves and your families, so that [all of] the things that have been "plaguing" you may be halted!

Faith

Mustard seeds have always meant a lot to me because of the story in the Bible about them, but also because whenever someone gave me a mustard seed necklace when I was a child, the seed would actually grow and form a little branch and leaf inside that little ball on the necklace! Also, my given middle name on my birth certificate is Faith.

One day when I was going through a lot of "stuff," I said to the Lord, "It is a good thing Faith is my middle name, because I wouldn't have any Faith if not for that!" He then reminded me that He has given to each of us a MEASURE of faith: "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (Romans 12:3)

Then He led me into the "Weights and Measures" chart that was inside my Bible to find out just how much "A MEASURE" is. My chart said "six gallons." Then the Lord spoke to me and said, "Remember what one tiny mustard seed can do?":

Matthew 17:20 says, "So Jesus said to them, '....Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.'"

Then He said: "Now remember I gave you A MEASURE--SIX GALLONS of faith--so think of it as SIX One Gallon Milk Jugs Full Of Mustard Seeds! How many mountains can you move with that?! Do you see how much faith I gave you?! PLUS, if you use it all up, I'm the 'Author And Finisher Of Your Faith', so I can Make and Give To You Some MORE!"

Remember: "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1)  It is what God uses of OURS to create HIS MIRACLES--Us believing in Him enough to pray, or TALK TO HIM! Then He reminded me....Faith and Works go hand in hand... (James 2:17-26)

And so it is, if we truly have faith--if we truly believe in Him--we will believe Him--and our actions will show it. We will move towards what we are supposedly believing Him for, and speak in faith instead of doubt! In fact, we will actually "prepare for our miracle," and act like we DO actually BELIEVE Him! All it takes is a "little" faith--the size of a mustard seed--and He's already given to EACH of us, SIX Whole Gallons of that!

So, let's put feet on our faith and RUN THE RACE set before us, moving MANY mountains!

1 Corinthians 9:24: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may OBTAIN it."

Hebrews 12:1: "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight (worry, fear, distraction), and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."

Matthew 14:31: And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Matthew 9:22: Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.

Matthew 9:29: Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you!"

PRAYER

Dear Lord,

We ask You for Your intervention. We repent from our sins, including repenting from acquiescing the authority You have given to us to have faith and be overcomers. Forgive us for saying that anything is stronger than You, for nothing is! Help us to keep our conversations pure and wise. We ask that You lead us in the paths of righteousness for Your name's sake, and help us to remember that winter has passed, spring is here, and it is time to blossom and bloom where You have planted us! May we become YOUR beautiful garden!

In Jesus' name, Amen!

Joni Ames
A.C.T.S. Ministries
www.joniames.org
JoniAmes@aol.com 

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Joni Ames' Upcoming Itinerary:

May 26 - 27, 2006
C.I. of the Rockies Ministry School
Contact: www.jimmiereedmin.org 

July 29 - 30, 2006
Esther's Court Women's Ministry
Bethel Worship Center
446 Old Alabama Road, Cartersville, GA. 30120
Contact: Caren Apple (770) 356-4902 or www.bethelworshipcenter.org 

July 31, 2006
Bethel Worship Center
446 Old Alabama Road, Cartersville, GA. 30120
Contact: Caren Apple (770) 356-4902 or www.bethelworshipcenter.org