Dear Partner,
While there is no indication as to when it was written or who wrote it, there is a song we have all sung since childhood… That song drove home a powerful truth following a prophetic word God gave Brother Jerry Savelle at the end of 2016. And the word he shared with us on our television program, The Place for Miracles, was very clear for the coming year: “The faithful shall flourish in 2017, and it will be like days of heaven on earth.”
I first heard that prophetic word back in November. I was speaking at Brother Savelle’s conference, and during the conference he gave that word to the hundreds and hundreds of ministers who were there… And that word from the Lord has resonated in my heart. On January 2, I gave a special word about it on Facebook. Because I felt so strongly about this very special word from the Lord, I’ve continued to pray over the fullness of its meaning. And then when Brother Jerry was a guest on our program, The Place for Miracles, he gave that word again, “The faithful shall flourish in 2017, and it will be like days of heaven on earth.” And the Lord encouraged me to share a portion of the message I gave back on January 2.
This is what came out of the prophetic word that Jerry gave all of us during his pastor’s conference. In Psalm 92:12, the Bible says, “The righteous shall flourish.” Now, there’s that word. The righteous––Jerry said the faithful––the righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.
After that scripture, I did some research. I looked up palm trees and found that palm trees are very special. They are the most mentioned tree in the Bible. Not only do you get coconuts from palm trees, but you also get dates and acai berries and betel nuts. All these come from the palm tree. It is said that the palm tree has more uses today than any other tree on the face of the earth.
You’ll find palm trees all the way back in Bible days. The Mesopotamian society used palm trees. In Roman days, they put a wreath of palms around winners of games and wars. You’ll remember from your New Testament that people lined the road and the streets with palm branches so Jesus would pass over them when He entered the city.
Palm trees are very, very special. And the Bible says, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.” God, in His Word, compares Christians like you and me to the palm tree.
There are six attributes of the palm tree that compare with you and me as Christians:
The first one is this: The palm tree grows under the most adverse circumstances and grows best when it is weighted down. When the storms come and hit the palm trees weighed down with coconuts and their fruit, their true nature, designed by their Creator, kicks in. To you and me, in the howling wind storms, the palm tree looks as though it will break and yet it doesn’t, because it bends. In addition to standing strong against the storms, the palm tree must also stand strong against the adversities of growing in the desert.
Thank about it… The palm tree paints a picture of Christians.
Far too many people wonder, “Why is the devil after me?” Think about it. When you were serving the devil, he didn’t have to pay that much attention to you. But now that you’re serving God, he’s against you because he is against anyone who has anything to do with God. When the devil is coming against you, he is actually coming against God.
Matthew 3:13–17 records how Jesus was anointed with water and baptized by his cousin, John––John the Baptist––in the Jordan River… You remember the story. The dove came down, and the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Immediately after that, the Bible says that Jesus was driven into the desert by the Spirit where the devil came after Him three times. And Jesus said, “If you love me, there are going to be those who oppose you and come against you.”
In the midst of the opposition, Christians (you and I) are to thrive! Because of God at work in and through us, we are to thrive in the middle of adverse circumstances… When we are weighted down, we stand stronger, because the God in us stands stronger… My dad used to say to me, “Son, I feel like I do my best work when I’m weighted down.” Now, I didn’t understand that in those days. He said, “In my lifetime, the media was so hard on me… It seemed like 90% of what they said about me was negative and only 10% was positive.” But he said, “I thrived in that. I thrived because what the devil meant for harm, the God to whom I dedicated my life used for my good, and I thrived…” And that’s a picture of how we’re supposed to live.
Second: The palm tree knows its source. God programmed the DNA of the palm tree to put its roots deep down into the ground to reach water, its source for life. Those deep-seated root systems also give the tree holding power required to keep it steady when the storm winds blow. I trust you are allowing this to take root in your spirit. These truths will help you flourish in the days ahead.
Think about it… From the very beginning days of your walk with the Lord, you have heard over and over again, GOD is your source. You must NEVER let go of this absolute in your life. Do not be deceived! The government is not our source… Your husband, your wife, your children, your family, your job, your business, your bank… None of these are your source… Can they contribute to your comfort? Of course they can, and they should. However, you must never forget, these are only instruments. God is your source!
Third: The palm tree makes the sweetest fruit. If you’ve ever eaten a date, you’ll know what I’m talking about. And you and I, as Christians, are supposed to have a sweetness about us. There’s a sweetness so that when we enter a room, people realize someone with a special presence has entered the room.
Partner, we are to be different from the world. There’s a sweetness that’s to be about our new nature in Christ. There should be a calmness… We’re not to be angry… We’re not to be upset. We are to walk in confidence, not arrogance. We’re supposed to give a good word. The sweetness of the Gospel of Jesus is to be evident in every association.
I often tell the story: Once, after being seated on a plane, a woman behind me leaned over the seat and said, “Brother Roberts, there’s something different about you. I just feel like we’re going to land.” Well, there was a sweetness, you see, that was coming out of me and she felt that. And she felt secure that our flight would land, and it did. As representatives of the Most High God, as Ambassadors of Christ, there’s a sweetness that’s to come out of you and me.
Fourth: The roots of the palm tree interlock. They grow until they touch the roots of another palm tree, and pretty soon, a new little palm tree is produced. This is a very clear picture of soul winning. Proverbs 11:30 tells us, “He who wins souls is wise.” We are to be soul winners. And Jesus said, as recorded in Acts 1:8, “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you’ll be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth.” Now, let’s get specific. This means your home, your family, your friends, the places that you frequent, the difficult places… You and I are to be witnesses and to win the lost to Christ. This is why we’re in this Greater Works campaign. We are to win people to Christ.
Fifth: The palm tree cannot be grafted. While other trees can be grafted, the palm tree cannot. If you try to graft a palm tree, it dies. When we, as blood-bought children of God, are grafted into the world, something inside us spiritually dies. You and I were given a DNA imprint by God Himself to seek after righteousness, standing firm in our relationship with the family of God, with deep roots that hold in the time of storms. We must not allow anything of the world to be grafted into us… We must not allow anything from the world to contaminate the bloodstream of the truth of God’s Word. You and I must stay true and faithful to His Word so we can have the flourishing that the prophetic word of the Lord has promised.
Sixth: The palm tree is unlike any other tree. It continues to grow until it dies. There are palm trees that have reached 150 to 200 feet high. They just keep growing, and that’s the way it should be for us, as Believers. You and I are to continue to grow. Paul said in Philippians 3:13-14, “I don’t consider myself to have arrived, but this one thing I do. I put the past in the past and I press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” My dad said, “Son, always be a student.” I have three college degrees, but I’m still a student. I’m still learning; I’m still studying the Bible. I’m still researching. And I’m still hearing more from God. Be a learner; be a receiver from God. Be a student all of your life.
The Word of the Lord says in Psalm 92:12, “The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree.” And God compares us as Christians with the mighty palm tree. And I thank God for that. And I thank God that 2017 is a year for the faithful to flourish… and that 2017 is to be “like heaven on earth.” And I’m praying that over your life in the authority of Jesus’ name. And I say, “Stick with it… No matter how hard it appears to be, continue to grow in your understanding of the God who created you… The God who takes delight in the desires of your heart… The God of more than enough… The God who specifically told you He would never leave you nor forsake you…
“This is the time to see yourself as God sees you… forever growing in Him… firmly tapped into the source of life, His river of healing, financial blessing, good relationships, divine protection and the fullness of His Word. I speak this over your life in the authority of Jesus’ mighty name.” Praise God! We are victorious… God is setting us up to flourish in the days, weeks and months of 2017.
Read these words we used to sing in Sunday School out loud as you allow them to take root in your spirit… Jesus is my savior, I shall not be moved. In His love and favor, I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. I shall not be, I shall not be, I shall not be moved. Just like a tree that’s planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. In my Christ, abiding, I shall not be moved. In His love I’m hiding, I shall not be moved. Just like the tree that’s planted by the waters, I shall not be moved. On His word I’m feeding, I shall not be moved. He’s the one who’s leading, I shall not be moved. Just like the tree that’s planted by the waters, I shall not be moved.
Praise God… Praise God… Praise God, like the palm tree, I am victorious in Christ because God created me to be just like a tree planted by the waters, and I shall not be moved by the winds of the world nor allow the world to be grafted into the life of God flowing in and through me.
As ministry partners, I believe there is nothing like being in association with men and women of like precious faith. And because of the importance of the mission God has placed before us for 2017, I’m coming boldly in the love of God, asking you to ACT on your faith in the word from the Lord that “The faithful shall flourish in 2017,” and INCREASE your Standing Strong Seed Gift Offering to the Lord by an amount that is significant to you. Remember, when your gift is significant to you, it is significant to the Lord. This is why King David would not present a sacrifice offering unto the Lord which cost him nothing (2 Samuel 24:24). And according to His Word in Luke 6:38, I am standing with you in faith, expecting that the seeds you sow are being multiplied back to you in the way you need it most!
I look forward to hearing from you and standing with you for the Power of Agreement to be released in and through your life in exciting new ways. If you need a healing in your body, please use the Prayer and Praise Sheet to let me know about it… If there is a financial need in your life, let me know about it. As your partner in Ministry, I want to come into agreement with you that the Greater Works of our Heavenly Father are released to work in and through your life.
Your Partner, in His Love,
PS. I challenge you to make every effort to join me live on Facebook in our personal time of prayer, each Wednesday morning at 6:00 AM CST. I believe you will be strengthened by the time we spend in prayer as we praise God for His protection over our government, our cities, our churches, our homes and our personal lives. Connecting with us is very easy. This is the link which will connect you directly to our 15 minutes of prayer together: www.facebook.com/theplaceformiracles.