A A crisis is essentially an emotional and/or physical response to some precipitating event or series of events that disrupt our normal day-to-day

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2 A A crisis is essentially an emotional and/or physical response to some precipitating event or series of events that disrupt our normal day-to-day functioning. A crisis may be personal or community-wide.

3 When you experience a crisis, you ll likely experience some very real physical reactions. While we may have limited control over the actual events that precipitate a crisis, (Earthquakes) we do have very real control over how we choose to manage them with God s Holy Direction.

4 The Battle Belongs to the Lord. As Christians, we are never asked to fend for ourselves. We are actually taught to rely on God and trust Him in the midst of the battle. We are actually taught to believe Him to be our Rescuer, and our Savior

5 Perception refers to how we look at, [or] how we interpret a crisis. If you perceive that The Battle Belongs to the Lord; and take Him at His Word - Victory is just around the corner!

6 A National Crises. Quite doubtful that your family will be invaded this week by the Moabites! But, there may be other enemies, just as dreaded to you, just as powerful, who will try to disrupt your life and destroy your life.

7 Now it came about after this, that the sons of Moab and the sons of Ammon, together with some of the Meunites, came to make war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Then some came and reported to Jehoshaphat, saying, A great multitude is coming against you from beyond the sea, out of Aram and behold, they re in Hazazon-tamar (which is Engèdi). [Getting CLOSE].

8 [And] Jehoshaphat was afraid and turned his attention to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah. 4 So Judah gathered together to seek help from the LORD; they even came from all the cities of Judah to seek the LORD.

9 Whatever the issue, whatever the dilemma, The Living God has the solution to our problem. Our CHRIST is greater than any crisis! He can handle our crises! There is NOTHING THAT OUR GOD CAN NOT HANDLE!

10 Phil 4:6-7 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

11 #1 - Before you do anything else, Turn to s the LORD in Prayer. It is this very vital first step that will redirect your attention and your perception away from a poor defenseless me attitude to a MY GREAT INVINCIBLE GOD WILL HANDLE THIS ATTITUDE!

12 Then Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD before the new court, and he said, O LORD, the God of our fathers, are You not God in the Heavens? And are You not ruler over all the Kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You. s

13 You are from God, little children, (GOD IS YOUR FATHER) and have overcome [them, The spirits of the world]; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. Does that sound like you re defenseless? or defeated?

14 For whoever [whatever] is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. Does that sound like a hopeless cause? Hardly!

15 Faith in God is the key to Present and Future Victories. Faith in God, accessed by prayer, initiates the SPIRITUAL VICTORY you need to overcome today s enemy.

16 # 2- Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? ANSWER; You betcha!

17 We re talking about the SAME God who saved you from eternal condemnation (your greatest problem). I mean If He could eliminate ALL of your eternal needs through the proprietary death of Jesus at Calvary, He can very easily take care of your temporal, day by day needs. Amen? Amen.

18 # 3- They (we) have lived in it, and have built You a sanctuary there for Your name, saying, Should evil come upon us, the sword, or judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we will stand before this house and before You (for Your name is in this house) and cry to You in our distress, and You will hear and deliver us.

19 The example tells us that instead of holding on to our problems and worrying about them, what you should do, is choose to TRUST GOD and TRUST HIM to DELIVER the VICTORY you need in your life today.

20 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you *at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. 8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour

21 But resist him, Firm in Your Faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by you Brethren who are in the world. After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.- To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

22 # 4 -Confess your weak inability and Claim HIS GREAT ABILITY. 2 Chron. 20:12 O our God, will You not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, *but our eyes are on You.

23 Consider it all joy, my Brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach,

24 and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord.

25 The LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us."

26 And Moses interceded for the people. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will live." When our eyes are fixed upon the Lord, the problem becomes very insignificant.

27 In this remarkable battle, God literally told the people NOT TO FIGHT, (v. 15) that He would fight the enemy for them and He did. On that day GOD destroyed the enemy, and the clear message He sent was this- The Battle belongs to God and not to us.

28 When we humbly acknowledge our human insufficiency (I do not have the adequate resources to handle this problem or crisis) and realize the allsufficiency of God God s Victory is just around the corner

29 Now: Even though the Battle is the LORD s we are not to be passive as God solves the problem. There are some things that we are able to do and that God expects us to do. David did bring his sling and the 5 stones...

30 Listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat! Thus says the LORD to you: Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the Battle is not yours, but God s.

31 Are we going to Believe His word? Are we going to Claim His promise by faith? Now is the time to decide. By faith you can obey His Gospel and be saved today. By faith you can repent of your sins and be restored.

32 Are you in crises? Listen to the LORD the Battle is not over Now is the time to TRUST GOD for His victory.