Stormy Winds: Fire and Hail, Snow and Clouds, Stormy Winds, Fulfilling His Word (Psalms 148:8)

By Cassandra Hall and Bishop Victoria Beecham

Stormy Winds was birthed by the Holy Spirit out of a challenging and difficult time, not only in my life but also in the nations of the world. Many, including myself, are yet to recover from these challenges. However, God, through His word as written in this book, has reassured us that despite it all, despite the long nights and dark seasons, and despite the personal changes and challenges, we, His people, need not fear—His word and promises will be fulfilled in our lives.

Beyond stormy winds lies purpose.

Nothing is more important than to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of painful adversity. Every sentence of this book is pregnant with wisdom, and I enjoyed the mind-expanding experience of this exciting book. I admonish you to plunge into this ocean of knowledge and watch your storms turn into blessings by God. (Bishop Victoria Beecham)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris UK
• Release date: Feb 15, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664118669

Cassandra Hall

Cassandra Hall is a registered nurse-midwife by profession. Her current ministry is focused on intercessory prayer and teaching the Word of God. She has a great passion for assisting women to discover and develop their God-given potential.

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Copyright © 2023 by Cassandra Hall.

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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by

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Rev. date: 03/14/2023

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgement

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1 Have You Considered My Servant?

Chapter 2 From Potiphar’s House to the Palace

Chapter 3 We Have an Issue

Chapter 4 Against All Odds

Chapter 5 When All You Get Is Crumbs

Chapter 6 Crossing to the Other Side

Chapter 7 Stay in the Boat or Die

Chapter 8 Heading for Tarshish

Chapter 9 Stand Still and See

Chapter 10 Stormy Winds, Fulfilling His Words

DEDICATION

It is with much love and heartfelt appreciation that I dedicate this book to my family at Upper Room Intercessory and Teaching Ministry and At the Feet of Jesus Ministry. Thank you all for your support, steadfastness, and commitment. Thank you all for affording me the honour and privilege to serve you and minister to you over the years.

For those going through the storms and turbulences of life and for those in their midnight hour, hold fast, knowing help is on the way. As you read this book, may you find the strength, courage, and grace to hold on until the storm passes by, knowing that you are safe and secure in God’s hands. No matter what you are facing this very moment, rest assured that the promises of God concerning your life and destiny will be fulfilled to the glory of God!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

If it had not been the Lord who was and is on my side, where would I have been? I give all glory, honour, and praise to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit! I have come to realise that everything absent of God amounts to nothing; however, God plus nothing equals everything. Lord, I owe You my all, I give You my all. Thank You for Your grace and mercy, Your loving kindness, and Your unconditional love. I thank You, Lord, for being the wind beneath my sail and for guiding me through the storms of life, ensuring that I get to my destination safely and unharmed. My greatest achievement in life is to be called Your servant, child, and daughter.

To Bishop Victoria Araba Beecham of Christian Action Faith Ministries, Action Chapel Milton Keynes Branch, I am grateful to God and grateful to you for your support and love. It is an honour to have you partake of this work of God. I honour you as unto the Lord.

Deaconess Dolly Mum London-Taylor, God gave me you and gave you me, and I am forever grateful to Him and grateful to you for your motherly tender loving care, advice, wisdom, and continued support and encouragement. Aside from the Lord, you’re a pillar of strength to me.

My sister and dearest friend Juliet Campbell, only the Lord knows how much you have been there for me, selflessly supporting me through challenging times and in good times. I thank God for sharing His gift—you—with me.

FOREWORD

I count it a great honour to write these words as a foreword to this inspirational book by my sister, Rev. Cassandra Hall.

Beyond stormy winds lies purpose.

Nothing is more important than to learn how to maintain a life of purpose in the midst of painful adversity. As you turn these pages, you will frequently hear the voice of God. For some, this book will bring insight and discovery. For others, however, it will evoke a divine call to a lifetime in the ranks of those whom God desires to take beyond adversities. Warfare surrounds the birth of miracles. Every sentence of this book is pregnant with wisdom, and I enjoyed the mind-expanding experience of this exciting book. I admonish you to plunge into this ocean of knowledge and watch your storms turn into blessings by God.

Bishop Victoria Beecham

Action Chapel International (UK)

Milton Keynes

INTRODUCTION

Stormy Winds was birthed by the Holy Spirit out of a challenging and difficult time, not only in my life but also in the nations of the world. Many, including myself, are yet to recover from these challenges. However, God, through His word as written in this book, has reassured us that despite it all, despite the long nights and dark seasons, and despite the personal changes and challenges, we, His people, need not fear—His word and promises will be fulfilled in our lives. We need not worry because the Lord is too faithful to fail us, and He will never fail us as long as we rest in Him and His word. Stormy Winds is scripture-based and has been put together using the Bible as the main point of reference.

This book highlights to the reader what stormy winds are, how stormy winds present themselves, reasons stormy winds are experienced, and scripture-based revelations and insight as to how one will or can survive, maintaining their focus, faith, and trust in God and His word, as they encounter and go through life’s windstorms and trials.

CHAPTER ONE

Have You Considered My Servant?

Have you ever encountered a situation that makes you feel as though you’re caught in a raging windstorm with no hope of escape? If you’re caught in the turbulence of life, be encouraged that God is working on your behalf to bring to an end, the challenges you’re now facing.

One might ask—what are stormy winds? In the natural, the word ‘stormy’ describes weather conditions that are thunderous, windy with frequent dark clouds, lightning and heavy, pelting rain. Stormy winds can sometimes be described as ill winds, a blizzard or just about any tumultuous weather condition. Whatever the case might be, a stormy wind is an unpleasant situation that is potentially harmful and at times life-threatening.

Many times, as children of God, we’ll encounter life’s stormy winds and tempestuous conditions, that will pose a threat both physically and spiritually. On occasion, we face violent turbulence, greatly disturbed by trials, challenges and temptations, that can be likened to stormy winds.

The Psalmist however, encourages us in Psalm 148:8 that no matter how dark the days, no matter how frigid or piercing the cold, and no matter how difficult the hardship, God’s Word will still be fulfilled in our lives. Jesus puts it this way, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My word will by no means pass away (Matthew 24:35 NKJV). In other words, nothing can abort nor nullify the Word of God.

God reminds us that His word is everlasting when He said,

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 NKJV). Irrespective of life’s stormy winds and weather conditions, God’s Word concerning your life, will prosper; it will accomplish that which it was sent to do, as long as we apply scriptural principles and obey His Word and His promises.

When a storm is brewing against us, we can be sure of one thing—that the devil is doing his best to raise the stakes. The devil doesn’t do things half way, but carefully considers every eventuality, to increase our odds of injury that will offer him new inroads into our lives. And while using our storms to his advantage, there will also come a time where we end up on the devil’s calendar—his next target.

It’s like the devil is sitting at a round table with his investigators and special agents asking, Who’s next? And his special agents respond by telling him that it’s you or me. Then once our portfolio is opened and read at the enemy’s table, they devise a strategy for a war intentionally aimed at destroying us. A plan is then set in motion, and they launch an attack. Can you picture this in your mind’s eye? Bear in mind this scenario is not biblical; it’s just for narrative purposes.

One such man I believe this scenario describes is a servant of God called Job. The Bible introduced Job as a man blameless and upright, one who feared God and shunned evil. He was a very wealthy man who owned thousands of sheep, camels, hundreds of oxen and female donkeys, as well as a very large household, which made him the greatest of all the people of the East.

One fateful day, Job’s name was next on the demonic calendar. According to the Scriptures, Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, From where do you come? So Satan answered the Lord and said, From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it. Then the Lord said to Satan; Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? (Job 1:6-7 NKJV).

Satan answered God, Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face! And the Lord said to Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person. So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord (Job 1:9-12).

After considering Job and reading about his faithfulness to God, Satan sought God’s permission to destroy him, on the premise that Job’s loyalty occurred because God had placed a hedge of protection around him and all that he had. Satan challenged God, saying that the day the Lord removed His hedge from around Job, he would curse the Lord.

The devil’s accusation was brought not against God, but against Job. God was willing to risk everything to prove Satan wrong. God told the devil Fine. He’s all yours. Only do not touch his life. Satan was, by then, engaged in a war with God, with Job being used as the battle axe, God would defeat the devil. And even though Job was an instrument of war in the hands of God, he suffered greatly. Just as he did in the case of Job, the enemy still goes around, like a roaring lion seeking who he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). At some point in his roaming, he’ll set his sights on you and me, for the sole purpose of destroying us, and stripping us of all we possess, both physically and spiritually. Day and night, the devil relentlessly seeks to confuse us, to lead us astray—the beloved of the Lord.

Peter spoke the following, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; (1 Peter 4:12 NKJV). In other words, your storm is nothing strange, and most importantly, it doesn’t take God by surprise. God is fully aware of the attacks on your life, finances, ministry, marriage, children and your destiny. For all you know, He has granted the devil permission to strip you of all you have, ultimately, to capture the devil in his own trap.

Jesus Christ was stripped of all he had by the devil. God the Father allowed this, because He was confident in the faithfulness of his Son. In proving His faithfulness to God the Father, Jesus endured all the sufferings, ridicule, pain and shame, for the salvation and deliverance of the human race—you and me. At the end of it all, it was said, For had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8b NKJV).

If the devil had known of His dominion and authority, and how Jesus’s death would’ve benefitted mankind, he wouldn’t have sought His crucifixion. To apply this in the moment, perhaps you’re feeling that you’ve been stripped of all you have, and everything around you is being destroyed. The next question should be: how faithfully have we endured all that for the greater glory set before you? Can you and I remain faithful even when the devil is allowed to destroy what we have, and bring us to nothing?

Indeed, Job was a wealthy man, blessed on every level. He was a father and a husband, as well as a faithful breadwinner, provider and protector of his family. Undoubtedly, he was a good master to his servants, and a faithful friend to his companions. He was a counsellor to many and a comforter to the broken hearted—one who supported widows and had a seat in a place of honour and influence (Job 29). Job evidently displayed the character and nature of God in all he did.

Then came Satan who took away all that he had and made him a laughing-stock and the object of gossip. It