The Shelter or the Tempest

-Introduction Why this book is going to transform your life forever? Either Christian or not, everyone is facing the reality of life and death, in these conditions it is always difficult to maintain stability in our life thus we drive ourselves over the rocky cliff of life which will result to death and sometimes hell.

Are you scared of death? 

Are you scared of Hell? 

Are you going to Heaven? 

Does Heaven exist? 

One of the greatest tragedies in life is to live and never discover your destiny, but worse than this is to discover your destiny and forfeit it.  
I pray that while you are reading this book God enable you to understand the “WHY” of your existence and the purpose of it even if you are in the greatest puzzle of your life. 
But I am sure of something He will never leave you nor abandon you, if you put your trust in Him.  
I was encouraged to write this book as a story base, but I decided against it for several reasons. 
I feel that it is better to write it as a conversation between readers and writer and mostly as an encouragement to all. 
Only the scriptures deserve to be considered infallible. As you read I pray that the Holy Spirit will lead you to the truth, and help your faith to grow.    

Didier Zephir  

Part 1

 Firmly Rooted Faith What is Faith?  (Heb 11:1 KJV)  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  
 All those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of their life by faith understand that the universe was formed by the word of God so that what is seen was not made of what was visible.  
Where sight is, there faith ceases. 
One day the children of Israel were standing in a similar place like you, they were in the quest of their destiny. But on the brink of a breakthrough they had a breakdown.  
Why? 
They got a breakdown because they had a Faith failure. 
Do you want what God has promised you? 
Do you refuse to settle for less than what God said you can have? 
Do you have your mind made up whatever it costs you’re going to get what God has promised? 
If this person is you then let me tell you God find in you an instrument of great value and He is going to use you for the purpose of your existence. 
Now if you’re satisfied where you’re at, with what you’ve got, seeing what you’re seeing and doing what you’re doing and experiencing what you’re experiencing, then this book is probably not for you. 
 But if you happen to be one of those rare breeds called dreamers, and if something inside of you is kicking and if your spirit is divinely dissatisfied, and if you know God has destined you for more then you are the one why this book exist. 
To be able to see the unseen realize in the reality it will only depends on the condition of your faith. 
Nothing will succeed without faith. There is no victory without a fight in your spirit. 
Every battle you are going to fight should be first and foremost be won in your mind and that will require faith! 
If a soldier go on a war without preparation be sure of one thing he is well prepare for defeat and in the worst case death. What I mean through this is that there is a cost for success and a cost for victory. 
How much will it cost you for the victory? 
Let me tell you my dear, you cannot buy victory from God, BUT you can trust Him for the victory.  
Remember that faith . . . the weight of a grain of mustard seed . . . will do more than a ton of will, or a mind full of determination.  
Genuine faith can no more manifest itself without result, than the sun shine without light and heat.  
Knowing this, and believing it to be true, what is it that we have been mistakenly calling faith, because real faith never fails to bring about the result? In my own heart, I am satisfied that many of God’s children have failed to behold the difference between faith and belief.  
To believe in healing is one thing; but to have faith for it is altogether something else. 
That is why so many needy people, who believe, come to the Lord on the basis of His promises in the Word and try and try and try to affirm that they are healed.  
Faith is also an obedient to God’s command to believe. 
 (1Jn 3:23 KJV) And this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.  
There are many testimonies about the demonstration of the power of faith I could have written in this book, but I want you to bring forth your own testimonies, for God called us son and daughters, prince and princess thus we all have the same heavenly Father and we all share the same heritage.  
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19 (NKJV)  
Do you believe in this verse? If you doubt it let me tell that God is not a man to lie and He do not change like shifting shadows depending on variation of light.    
You know sometimes it is easy to pray for someone else blessing or healing, but when it comes to yourself it seems so hard and seem that God is far away. You know what I am talking about? All these happen because either you feeling the grief or the pain. It is true that it is painful but let tell you another truth faith have nothing to do with emotions.   
Emotions are creation of God, but the devil uses these same emotions to make us to focus on the physical pain rather than the spirituals healing and blessing. Without faith you will never be able to see the blessing and grab it because you will have all you attention on the physical.   
The young shepherd David before being the great king David as we all know the story, he had to fight with the giant Goliath.   

How he did fight him? 
He defeated Goliath with five cobble stones. You know what?   
In the physical it is five ridiculous stones but in the spiritual each of these stones represented F.A.I.T.H  David did allow himself set his mind of the giant but he rather focus on what God gave him. Goliath was real and much stronger that David, he even described David as a child. And this same child square Goliath in the eye and told him   
“You came against me with sword and spear but I come against you in the name of the almighty.”  
What I want to highlight is, the devil will shout and make a lot of noise but you need to have the ‘’gut’’ and trust God and see the unseen. You will always see things whatever level of holiness you may think you are but if you dwell on the bad thing your eyes are projecting to your mind you are in trouble.  
By dwelling on thoughts that are not from God, it means you agreeing with the power of darkness. In other words does not complying on having faith in God mean having faith in the devil?  
The answer is a big YES.  
 More than once I have gone home from some prayer meeting with the shouts of victory ringing in my ears... but I have gone home to weep and cry, out of a disappointed heart, unto my Lord. The crowds were shouting because of some who were healed ;   but I was weeping because of those people who dragged their tired, sick bodies back to their homes—just as needy as they were before they came into the services.  
Was there no balm in their soul? Was there no compassion or sympathy in the heart of the Man with the nail prints in His hands?   Why were some healed in such a miraculous way, and others dismissed with an appeal to keep on believing and return later, to go through the formula again?   
The degree of hope we have is directly related to the inheritance    We have...            

1. If our inheritance is a good one, our hope is strong, or "Living"          

 2. If our inheritance is a poor one, then our hope is weak, or  "Dead"  

If you believe the inheritance you have in Christ you are on the right path the contrary too is true.  
David knew where he stands and he was not moved by what was seen but of what was unseen.  
Let us not forget that you, David and I are all human being and all sinners but yet he chooses to hear the sweet voice of wisdom of God instead of his surrounding, the crowds and the giant.  
In the mist of the tempest, devil will talk sweetly to you, your neighbour will talk to you and may be you wife, husband or parent will shout at you, but God will speak too.  
 You can work out your faith by God’s word and prayer. It is important to often have group prayer meeting as it help each individual to strengthen themselves in the spirit.    
(Psa 78:41 KJV)  Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.  
(Psa 78:42 KJV)  They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.  
Of course I am sure that no one would like to be like the children of Israel and limit God!  
Trust God my dear, the Lord of heaven is good and is goodness endures forever. He is worthy to be entrusted and his word is true.      
 
Before starting on the next chapter I just want to go over the main points of the faith’s chapter.  
 (Heb 11:1 KJV)  Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  
 Remember that faith . . . the weight of a grain of mustard seed . . .will do more than a ton of will, or a mind full of determination. You can work out your faith by God’s word and prayer.  It is important to often have group prayer meeting as it help each individual to strengthen themselves in the spirit.  

Last word for the chapter of faith,  

You have to believe even when it seems there is nothing happening, because God timing is always right and he will give the fruit only when it is seasoned.  

Part 2 Emotional Wounds 

It is noted that most of the diseased that the human being suffer in their body is mostly due to the emotional sickness and emotional wounds. 
Emotions as I wrote in the previous chapter were created by God, but devil use this same emotional state to project images that are not true to our mind thus creating stressful behaviour in it, through which weakness and diseases become to life in our body.  
The point I want to make is spiritual sickness equal to physical sickness. 
Life is sometimes tough and it is difficult for everyone to find their way in the path of life. 
Sometime when you think back how your childhood has been or how your life is going on now, of course everyone would have like to have a better life or more opportunities in their business.

  
“Hello, My name is Dale Marie, I have enjoyed your web site. And I very much felt lead to share this story with you. I am somewhat a new Christian, although I was saved in 1988, I have come to know the Lord Jesus in a personal relationship in the past 4 years. 
Most of my life has been a struggle with depression, I have tried to commit suicide so many times I lost count, I was addicted to prescription drugs and most of my days were filled with how I could kill myself. And each time I would try I would fail. I took as many as 150 aspirin to 50 pain killers at a time, but I would awake the next morning and be angry that I had failed, only to try again. To make a long story short, I was at the end of my rope so to speak, I had come in contact with a prescription drug that I knew this would be the one, I was tired of feeling all the hurt in my life, I didn't want to feel anymore. 
I made one last attempt of calling out to God as I stood in the shower one morning. And pleading for him to help me, I felt something touch the top of my head and move over my entire body, and I felt a release of the depression, it was like the sun had come out. And I knew I was healed, I was on Prozac at the time and the Lord told me to throw it out, I would not ever need that again. It has been 4 years and I am free of depression that plagued my life for nearly 20 years. I began sitting and praying in a quiet place, I wanted so much to see Jesus, to touch his hand and his hair, to be as close to him as I possibly could. As I sat one night in a quiet place, my mind just on wanted to be near him. And as I sat there I could see him and my hand reaching to touch him, only to be told that I must first praise and worship him before coming to the throne. Being a new Christian I thought I had done something wrong. I didn't know about entering the throne room, I didn't know about giving our Lord Praise and worship. But I soon 
learned that this was the way that the Lord wanted us to approach him. 
I still remember how strong my will was to see him, and yes seeing him sitting there. From that moment on the Lord showed me many things that it would take me more pages to write about them than just this one. My life was saved and I can't ever think of being without the Lord in my life, I would surely die without him. 
God Bless you,  Dale B.”  

This is an amazing testimony. And without believing in God as can imagine Dale B would have been history today. 
This is a fact my dear, emotional wounds result to physical sickness and the worst case death. 
Let’s us not be trap.  
Emotions are the most sensitive part of all human being. Sometime we even try to hide what our real feelings are to others, because it reveals our real personality.     
Most people recognize that emotional distress can contribute to disease. The emotion or their immediate secondary effects--such as digestive stress and disturbed sleep--may weaken the body and make one susceptible to infection. The emotions may also trigger flare-ups of chronic diseases; many patients with autoimmune disease mention that this occurs after an emotionally stressful time.  
(Col 3:9 ESV)  Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have, put off the old self with its practices  
(Col 3:10 ESV)   ...and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.  
That is what God has called for, no matter how you have been treated, no matter of what people may think of you, just remember one thing, even if it seem no one care about you, or it seem that no one want you, let me tell you that Jesus Christ cares.    Whether you are black, white, yellow, or pink, Jesus care about you and he love you.  
Do not let emotional wounds be a stumbling block for your success and surely not for your salvation.    
Many time kids are traumatised by what they see their parents do or of what they hear them say. And they grow up with this fear in their heart thus creating a barrier in their relationship with others and the most 
saddened part of it, it created an obstacle to their relationship to God and the way they see Him. But our heavenly father is telling us that even if a mother can forget his child God will never forget us.  
(Joh 3:16 KJV)  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  
God our heavenly Father is telling us that if we refuse to less than accepting the inheritance he gave us we will have an everlasting life.  
Why to refuse?  

The price of what Jesus paid on the cross overcomes our emotional wounds. When Jesus was nailed out there, our sorrows and pain and any kind of wound that may exist were all nailed together with Him. 

Part 3 Holiness and Evangelization.   In his great document The Mission of the Redeemer, the Holy Father says that there is an intimate connection between our call to holiness and our call to evangelize. When we bring our light into the mission field, we have to make sure it’s shining with the holiness of Jesus. What does that mean? It means that if you skip the mission to evangelize, you’re no saint, and it means that if you’re no saint, you won’t do a great job at the mission. You have to do both.   
Can we let the Holy Spirit bring our lights together? He’s good at that. His light can shine within us, and as we come together, this combined light is capable of illuminating the whole world. If we do that, we will see the light of Christ spreading around the world. Let’s make this our goal, so that we can see the great prophecy of Isaiah 9:2 come to pass: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. And on those who live in the shadow of death, light has shined.”    
The name of that light is Jesus Christ. You are a people of the light. Now carry the light.

In HIM,

Didier Zephir