Friends,
It has been a whirlwind of a couple of months here in the Banks’ household!
After traveling the southeast for about four months trying to decide where to drop anchor, we finally chose Little River, South Carolina. To keep things interesting, we decided to downsize to a condo as well. We are loving our time here and finding our rhythm in a new city.
With all of the transition, we have given us a lot of opportunity to dream. More information, teaching and exciting announcements are coming soon. Keep an eye out for emails and social media posts!
Ministry Appointments Now Available!
Our normal ministry appointment schedule was hijacked by travel, the holidays, and a minor surgery. However, we are back and making our way through the waiting list. We currently, have several spots available for February and March. If you would like to make a Ministry Appointment, please fill out this form and we will get back to you.
Guest Writer – Dawna Silva
We are honored to share with you this word from Dawna De Silva, is the founder and co-leader of Bethel Sozo. Dawna and her husband have been ministering out of Bethel Church in Redding, California for over 20 years. They have an active preaching and inner healing ministry and have authored several books. We have learned and been inspired by her and believe you will be too.
The Power of Peace
Dawna De Silva
Do you realize that you take you with you wherever you go?
I know, what a revelation! Do you also know that since you are a temple of the Holy Spirit, you can also take Him with you wherever you go (see 1 Cor. 16:19-20)?
This is important to remember because we are meant to leak the Holy Spirit out in all our circumstances throughout our day. Matthew 5:14-16 tells us:
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
This is the basis of what I call Shifting Atmospheres. As we represent Christ to the world, we are to be continually releasing His presence, His attributes, and even His care into our situations that are very often in contrast to His nature.
At the beginning of this year, I felt like the Lord told me 2021 would be a year about the power of peace. Some of you might be thinking, Great. I can use a year of peace and rest after this last tumultuous year. Others of you may be thinking, What correlation does peace have with power? And still others might be feeling, I agree. I’m going to hide myself in God’s peace bubble.
Peace, however, is not passive. Peace is powerful.
I found this out while doing a Sozo with a client. We were in the process of having God revealing the truth of her chaotic childhood when she asked Jesus, “If I give You this chaos, what will you give me in exchange?”
My client heard Jesus say, “Peace.”
I thought this was great, but she didn’t feel it was a good enough trade. When I asked her why, she responded with, “Peace just isn’t very powerful.”
I started to poke around at this belief system and asked her if she had someone in her childhood memories who was peaceful. She said, “Yes. My father. He would come into our chaotic family situations and stand there peacefully unaffected by the noise and rage going on around him, but he never stopped the craziness.”
Instantly, I saw the story of Jesus on the boat with His disciples (see Mark 4:35-41). I thought about how the disciples knew that Jesus was asleep (at peace) in during the storm. They must have had a similar thought to my client because in verse 38 the disciples woke Jesus and asked Him, “Do you not care that we are perishing?”
Jesus’ peace was allowing Him to sleep, but it wasn’t helping His disciples at all. When Jesus got up and spoke to the storm and said, “Peace, be still,” the wind ceased. This scared the disciples even more and they said to each another “Who is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him!”
In a single command, Jesus demonstrated the power of peace.
Another reason why I think we feel peace is not confronting or keeping your head down is because we misunderstand Matthew 5:9. During the famous sermon on the mount, Jesus declared, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”
Our view of what we believe a peacemaker should be – probably someone who doesn’t speak up or someone who just “keeps the peace” – is why we misunderstand this verse. However, in the Helps Word Studies, when we look up peacemaker we find this description:
Cognate: 1518eirēnopoiós (from 1517/eirēnopoiéō, “make peace”) – properly, a peacemaker, bravely declares God’s terms which makes someone whole (used only in Mt 5:9) Comes from 1515 (eirēnē)(from eirō, “to join, tie together into a whole“) – properly, wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together; peace (God’s gift of wholeness).
It is also used in a Jewish farewell, in the Hebrew sense of the health/welfare of an individual.
So we can see that Jesus isn’t saying, “Blessed are the ones who stay in their bubble of peace, who don’t speak up, who don’t change the unpeaceful atmosphere around them.” Jesus is declaring, “Blessed are those who bravely declare God’s truth in such a way that wholeness/inner peace of the individual or situation is achieved.”
This year I invite you to release God’s powerful peace into every circumstance of your life. Peace is not passive. It is powerful and earth-shaking. Remember, “… and the God of Peace will soon crush satan under your feet (Romans 16:20).”
Terms and Glossary:
Shifting Atmospheres, a spiritual warfare tactic taught by Dawna De Silva.
1. Book: https://shop.bethel.com/products/shifting-atmospheres-book
2. E Course: https://enliven-media.thinkific.com/courses/shifting-atmospheres
3. Iphone app: https://apps.apple.com/nz/app/shifting-atmospheres/id1516708098
4. Android app: https://androidappsapk.co/detail-shifting-atmospheres/
Sozo, a Greek word meaning, “Saved, Healed, and Delivered.”
1. Website: www.bethelsozo.com
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