Author: Anneta Pinto-Young

I am a trained Social Worker who currently provides professional leadership on a programme to support Social Work students and Newly Qualified Social Workers entering the Social Work Profession. Born and raised in Jamaica in a Christian family where my father is an ordained Pastor and Deacon who has served for over 50 years in the ministry. My father is also a trained musician and our family can be described as a musical family. I grew up in a small farming community in St. Peter’s, St. Andrew and my parents also have a small farm. I credit my gift of writing to my father who I watched and listened to over the years as he wrote sermons, poems and other recitals in his capacity in ministry. English has always been an easy subject for me and over the years I have developed an increased interest in writing. I am a Trainer, I sing and have a passion for worship, the spoken word and the free flow of the prophetic anointing. I am married to my best friend Andrew Christopher Young who is an advanced Musician and whose music you can find on YouTube and Facebook. I am a trained Coach and Mentor and I love experimenting with food so I love cooking. I enjoy trying cultural dishes from across the world and I view food as an entry into cultures and languages.

Commander of God’s Army

“And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my Lord say to his servant” (Joshua 5:14)?

In Joshua 5, Israel prepared to go to battle against Jericho. God instructed Joshua to circumcise the new generation, before they entered into the promised land. “And the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.” And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day” (Joshua 5:9). When Joshua was by Jericho, he saw a man with a sword drawn and he questioned the man. “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” The angel told Joshua that he was the commander of the army of the Lord. While Joshua commanded the physical army, the angel commanded the invisible army of angels.

The instructions given to Joshua was to march around Jericho in silence, for seven days. On the seventh day, the Priests blew the ram’s horn, the trumpet and then shouted unto God. Once the people did as God instructed, the walls of Jericho fell flat so that they went in and took the city. The city and all that was in it was devoted to the Lord for destruction. It was not the shout from the people which caused the walls to fall, but the commander of the Lord’s army of angels, manifested the power of God, to give his people victory.

We also saw the army of the Lord surrounding Elisha, when the King of Syria sent a great army with chariots to arrest him. We are not told that the angels went into action, but that Elisha prayed and the soldiers were struck with blindness. He led them into Samaria and then prayed for the Lord to open their eyes. Elisha did not allow the King to strike them down, but fed them and then let them go. This served as a warning as the Syrians never came back to bother Isreal again (2 Kings 6). Later in 2 Kings 18 and 19, the King of Assyria came up against Isreal when Hezekiah was king. He sought the Lord and was reassured by the prophet Isaiah about the Lord’s help.

“And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies” (2 Kings 19:35). That must have been a sight for Isreal to see so many dead bodies. Imagine that these 185,000 men were killed by one angel of the Lord. The Lord is a mighty man of war and a mighty God of battle. He comes to the defence of his children and we do not have to fight when we put our trust in God. It’s tempting to try to fight our battles in our own strength and to try to defend ourselves against attacks. We can save our strength, while we worship God in prayer and watch him fight for us.

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8)!

A.P.-Y.

Year of Abundance-Joseph Years

“Now Joseph was governor over the land. He was the one who sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph’s brothers came and bowed themselves before him with their faces to the ground” (Genesis 42:6).

When Joseph was only a teenager, he dreamt of doing great things. In Genesis 37, Joseph had dreams of his brothers and his parents bowing down to him. His brothers hated him for his dream and also because he was the favourite of his father. They conspired to kill Joseph but was convinced by Rueben to throw him in a cistern instead. In the end, they decided to sell him to Medianites for twenty shekels of silver and they took him to Egypt. The story told to his Father, was that he had been killed by a wild animal. Joseph found favour in Egypt with his master Potiphar, until his master’s wife started to pursue him. When he maintained his integrity, she lied against him and he was thrown in prison.

Even in prison, Joseph found favour with the guard and he put him in charge. Eventually, two of Pharaoh’s servants were imprisoned and had dreams about their execution and release. Joseph interpreted their dreams and it happened just as the Lord revealed to him. After two years, Pharaoh himself had two dreams concerning seven cows and seven ears of grain. In each vision, there were seven plumb cows and grains that were later swallowed up by seven lean cows and grains. The Magicians could not interpret the dreams and the Cupbearer remembered Joseph and convinced Pharaoh to ask for his help. Pharaoh agreed and Joseph both interpreted the dreams and advised Pharaoh concerning what needed to be done.

“There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, and all the plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land” (Genesis 41:29-30). Joseph advised Pharaoh to appoint Overseers over the land, to collect one fifth of all the produce during the years of plenty. In that way, they would store up enough food during the years of plenty for the seven years of famine. Pharaoh was so impressed by Joseph’s wisdom, that he set him over all the land of Egypt. “During the seven plentiful years the earth produced abundantly” (Genesis 41:47). Joseph stored up grain in great abundance, like the sand of the sea that could not be measured.

During the years or famine, Joseph sold grain to all the Egyptians and people from all over the world also came to buy grain. Joseph’s own family came to buy grain and given his position in Egypt, they all bowed to him as a fulfilment of his dreams. We are entering the Joseph years of abundance and increase. The elect of God will experience promotion, elevation and exponential growth in their spheres of influence. We have to guard against waste and ensure that we are shrewd in our investments. We need great discipline in this season and we have to establish boundaries in order to keep what we generate. Those who refuse to be disciplined will struggle and can revel in excesses. Maintain godly relationships and ensure that your inner circle includes people with wisdom.

“If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength; but wisdom [to sharpen the axe] helps him succeed [with less effort]” (Ecclesiastes 10:10).

A.P.-Y.

God Preserves

“So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire, and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers crowded around them. They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them” (Daniel 3:26-27).

Nebuchadnezzar built a statue of gold and placed it in the centre of Babylon. He made a decree that when music was played, that everyone in the kingdom needed to bow down and worship the image. The challenge was that there were some Jewish men in captivity, who would not bow to any other God, but the Lord. When the king learnt of their defiance, he was furious and summoned Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. The king threatened to throw them into a furnace of fire, if they refused to bow to his image. They did not bow and the king had them thrown in. In his rage, the King had the furnace heated up seven times hotter than normal. The men who threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into the fire were actually consumed because of the heat. As for the Jewish men, not only were they not burnt, but the king saw them walking around in the furnace.

In addition, the king saw a fourth man whose countenance was like God. To everyone’s amazement, the three men came out of the fire unharmed. Not one hair on their head or body was even slightly burnt and the men did not smell like smoke. The king was so amazed that he praised their God and decreed the Lord is the true and living God. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were promoted as a reward for their faithfulness and boldness in serving God. You will not look like what you have gone through and God will not allow you to look like where you have come from. God’s grace is sufficient and he is able to keep us from falling and to keep us faultless before his glory with exceeding joy (Jude 1:24).

God is able to keep you through fire and tribulations and people will not be able to tell that you have been through a storm. They that trust in the Lord shall be like mount Zion that cannot be removed but abides forever (Psalm 125:1). Persecution can cause us to feel ashamed and the enemy wants us to experience disgrace. The intention is to try to assassinate our characters and steal our reputation and credibility. It cannot work when we put our trust and confidence in Jesus.

Though you go through the fire it will not consume you and through the flood, it will not overcome you (Isaiah 43:2). God will keep your mind in perfect peace and preserve your body from the effects of stress and sickness. “Fear not, for you will not be ashamed; be not confounded, for you will not be disgraced; for you will forget the shame of your youth, and the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more” (Isaiah 54:4).

A.P.-Y.

God of the Impossible

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us” ‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭3:20‬).

Do you have a need that seems impossible to meet. Give it to God because that is his speciality. The Isrealites were trapped between the Red Sea with Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit. They had no other way out but to lift their faith and wait for God to respond. God made a way through that red Sea for his children to travel to safety and then closed the sea on Pharaoh’s army (Exodus 14).

Mary and Martha wept for their brother Lazarus who had died. Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died (John 11:21). This was Martha’s expression to Jesus when he arrived. What Martha did not know was that Jesus had been there all the time. God’s ways are higher than our ways and time is not a concept to him. He is never too late and never too early. He defies time and exists in the realms of infinity. Not even death signaled a boundary for him. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead to signify his strength, wisdom, power and might.

“What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him” (Matthew 8:27)? Even Jesus disciples did not have him figured out and marveled at his miracles. These men spent every day with Jesus and still were confounded by his resurrection from the dead.

It is not over until God says it’s over and God has the final say. He is our Physician and defies what medicine and science concludes. There is no end to his understanding and his power. I know what that report says and I know that it seems impossible for things to have any other outcome than what man predicts, but the Bible is full of examples of how God transcends the impossible. Expect God to work beyond what looks impossible.

A.P.-Y.

God Has Heard, He Has Answered

“Then the spirit of the Lord came upon the Levite who prophesied to the people according to God’s response to their cry. ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

When the Ammonites and the Moabites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles 20, Jehoshaphat set his face to seek the Lord. Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. And all the people of Judah gathered together with Jehoshaphat to seek God in fasting and prayer. Jehoshaphat prayed in the midst of the people and cried out to God for help (2 Chronicles 20:3-4).

And as they were gathered, the word of the Lord was spoken through the Levite. God’s answer was, ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’ The Prophet gave further instructions concerning what the Lord had commanded the people to do in preparation for the battle.

The people rejoiced and gave glory to God because he had heard their prayers and had sent an answer to their request (2 Chronicles 20:18-19). Such was their confidence in God that although they had not seen the physical manifestations of victory, that a word from his Prophet was enough to calm their fears. They worshipped and praised God in advance because they knew that God would do what he had said.

God has heard your request and he has heard the cry of your heart. When you set yourself to seek God in prayer and fasting he is ready to give an answer. His answer is that the battle belongs to him and he has given us the victory. We lift our hands in praise and worship to our God because we have confidence in what he has said. You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you (2 Chronicles 20:17). Now we lift our hands in worship and offer to God our praise.

A.P.-Y.

Heavenly Assistance

“The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them” (Psalm 34:7).

There are angles assigned to assist us in our assignment on Earth. Many times in scripture we see them acting as messengers, agents of protection and the executors of justice and vengeance. The angels appeared to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus Christ. “And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10).

We see one angel in (2 Kings 19) defeating an entire Assyrian army, which came up against Judah and attacked the city. “And that night the angel of the Lord went out and struck down 185,000 in the camp of the Assyrians. And when people arose early in the morning, behold, these were all dead bodies” (2 Kings 19:35).

There are also angels assigned to protect regions and territories and who contend with demonic forces in the heavens. During Daniel’s fast, an angel was sent to deliver a message to him. This angel was held up by a demonic Prince until Michael came to his defence. “The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia” (Daniel 10:13).

We saw an army of angels in chariots of fire surrounding Elisha, when the King sent his own army to capture him (2 Kings 6:16-17). God wants us to be conscious of the daily presence of angels around us, who can also take on human form. No matter what is happening around you, be mindful of the fact that you are never alone. Heaven’s army stands ready to protect and defend you and there are angels assigned to daily assist you. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares” (Hebrews 13:2).

A.P.-Y.

Nothing Can Separate Us

“nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).

Nothing can stand between us and God. No person, no system, no law, no protocol or etiquette, dictates our ability to approach God in times of need. We can be happy that we have free access to God. We do not need to make an appointment with his personal assistant, or check his diary and see when his schedule is free. We have often tried in vain to have audience with people in positions of power. It can be frustrating when we have something important to say and have to go through layers of checks before we can have access to someone.

Jesus died on the cross so that we can approach the throne of God, with boldness and confidence, knowing that, we shall receive grace and mercy to help us in the times of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Our time in prayer brings us in direct communication and access to God. When we pray God also responds. It’s funny that people think it strange when we talk about hearing from God. Who sits and talks to someone everyday without getting any responses from them? Speaking to God is not like speaking into an empty vacuum. God has a lot to say in response to our prayers and requests to him. When we pray we also need to make time to listen, so that the Holy Spirit can train our ears to hear.

God created us for relationship and he does not want any distance between us. We do not need a religious leader to grant us access to God. Yes they are important for leadership and direction, but God desires a direct relationship with us. Prayer connects us to God and draws us closer to him. Let us maintain our connection through prayer and reading of the word and cherish the fact that nothing can separate us from God.

A.P.-Y.

God’s Handwriting

“And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” (Daniel 5:25).

Belshazzar took over as King when his father Nebuchadnezzar died. This was during the exile of Israel to Babylon and Daniel was also exiled. During his reign, Belshazzar made a feast for a thousand of his Lords. He drank wine with them along with his wives and concubines. He commanded that the vessels of gold and silver, that his father had taken out of the temple of the Lord, be brought to him. He used the vessels to drink with his Lords and wives. “They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (Daniel 5:4). Immediately the finger of a hand appeared and wrote on the wall of the king’s palace, opposite his lamp stand.

The King was so afraid that he turned pale and he sent for his Magicians and Astrologers, to ask them to interpret the hand writing. “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” (Daniel 5:7). Not surprisingly, the astrologers and magicians could not read the hand writing, nor could they interpret what was written. This made the king even more afraid, until his wife advised him to call Daniel. She advised him that the spirit of God lived in Daniel and explained how he interpreted dreams for Nebuchadnezzar.

“because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation” (Daniel 5:12). Daniel came before the king and showed no delight in his gifts, but agreed to interpret the handwriting. He reminded Belshazzar how God had humbled his father Nebuchadnezzar, when he exalted himself against Him. “And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this” (Daniel 5:22). Daniel pointed out to the king that his actions, in using the vessels that were made to bring honour to God, to revel and worship other gods, had displeased God.

The interpretation from Daniel was as follows: God had numbered the days of Belshazzar’s kingdom and brought it to an end. He had been weighed in the balance and found wanting. His kingdom had been divided and given to another kingdom. That same night, the king was executed and his kingdom was taken over. The weight of the King’s actions had caught up with him. Daniel was indeed promoted to third in the kingdom, but the king lost his life due to dishonouring God. The things of God are for honour and should not be used for dishonourable use. Leadership and power should be guarded carefully, as those in authority have a great responsibility, to treasure the things of God.

God does not take it lightly when people abuse their power and authority and will remove from power, anyone who exalts themselves against him. “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

A.P.-Y.

Why We Worship

“And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).

Isaiah had a vision of the Lord seated on his throne and the angels spoke in resounding praise and glory unto God. John in Revelation had a similar vision, being caught up to heaven and the angels did not cease day and night to cry: “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come” (Revelation 4:8).

David understood that God dwells where there is praise and worship. “But you are holy, you who inhabit the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3). There is a tangible manifestation of the presence of God, when we bow in praise and worship to Him. And where his spirit is there is freedom and liberty. Burdens are lifted, yokes are destroyed and people are healed and set free.

When we humble ourselves and bow in adoration and glory to God, then he will show up to transform lives. In 2 Chronicles 5, Solomon built a temple for the ark of the covenant, which carried the presence of God. Only the Levitical Priests who were worshippers and musicians were allowed to carry the ark with the presence of God. The ark rested on their shoulders, because the Priests consecrated themselves before God.

And it was the duty of the trumpeters and singers to make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the LORD, and when the song was raised, with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments, in praise to the LORD, “For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,” the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God (2 Chronicles 5:13-14).

Our praise confuses the enemy and wins battles. “And when they began to sing and praise, the LORD set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed” (2 Chronicles 20:22). God dwells in our praise and we fight our battles with hands lifted in adoration to God. When we humble ourselves and lift our praise to God, we elevate him high above our cares and worries. When we offer praise and worship God is sure to come in our midst and when he shows up, lives will change. His presence no longer dwells in an ark, but he lives in us and the weight of his glory comes when we worship.

A.P.-Y.