Well, I'm not much into politics.... I do agree that it is important to know what is going on in the world and our country... I oftentimes hear some very harsh things said about The President of the U.S. The truth about our President is that God loves him. Yep, you heard me! Jesus died for him the same as he died for you and me. You don't deserve salvation anymore than President Obama does. Now I don't agree with much of what he represents or the direction I believe he is trying to take our country.... But you know what the bible says? The bible says that we are to pray for him. (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
There are people watching us that may not know Jesus, so let's represent Jesus so they can see the light! The love of god flowing thru us is able to change the hearts of those that will listen. So let that love flow!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Is that really in the Bible???
I grew up hearing a certain phrase and I always assumed that it was in the Bible... until recently... The phrase is, "You judge a tree by it's fruit." Like if someone had done something wrong.... I have not been able to find that in the Bible, and I have looked! The only thing close to that I have found is in Matthew 7:16 and also Matthew 12:33; each scripture reads, "...You shall know them by their fruit..."
So... you may ask, why do I make this point? Because to me this was very significant. There was a time when I had a problem with looking at other people and the things that they do and assuming that I knew them inside-out... Or I would wonder why people did certain things and think that it should be done differently. You know we are all where we are, and while we all are striving to be like Jesus, none of us are there.
Only God knows the heart of man, and God has already judged man. When Jesus died on the cross, man was judged; receiving Jesus brings forgiveness, rejecting him brings condemnation...
Here is what I believe. The heart of man has already been judged. What does a tree produce???? Fruit. Would you be shocked if I told you that I don't believe that the bible is referring to a man when it says "tree" in Matthew 12. Let me explain. What does a seed produce? Since we're talking about trees, we'll say a tree. Lol. I don't believe that you're a seed, or a tree, or a fruit! I believe that you are the soil. (I mean, why not... God created man from the earth...) Psalm 1 says that the man that walks with God and meditates on his Word day and Night shall be LIKE a tree planted beside a river... In Mark 4:14 the Bible refers to God's Word as seed. (Read previous verses to fully understand.) So your heart is the soil, and when God's Word is planted there it brings good fruit. Whatever is planted in your heat will produce fruit in your life. So if you want good things plant God's Word. If you don't want bad things in your life, quit planting bad things in your heart!
I have more to say about the seeds and trees and fruit and what you plant in your heart... But I want to leave you with a final thought concerning the heart of man and then I need to go! :) I want to look at two men from the Old Testament and use them as an example to show you why it is important not to judge others and think that you know so much. In 2 Chronicles 15:16-17 the Bible tells of a man named Asa. We see that Asa Tore down his mothers idols and removed her from office. Then we see that he did not remove the high places. (which you would think that he should have done, high places are were people went to worship other gods.) But after the Bible points out what I would consider a fault, or maybe something to JUDGE Asa by, we see that the heart of Asa was perfect all his days! Wow, what a testimony to have, that your heart was perfect! So... The way I believe that Asa's heart was perfect before God is I don't think that God told Asa to remove the high places. So, if God told someone that they specifically were supposed to do something or not to do something, would you know about it? Would it be any of your business? And how could you judge that person based on information that you don't have???
Now we will look at a man named Amaziah. In 2 Chronicles 24:6 We see that Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. Now how do you do that?!? Do what's right, but not with a perfect heart? Have you ever heard this before, I'll do it, but I don't want to. That would be the assumption I would make... And if that was someones attitude, it might be really hard to tell. Someone is doing everything their supposed to but deep down inside they would rather be doing something else.
So the conclusion I draw from these two instances is, don't assume you know what God has told someone else! Maybe someone is doing something that is dumb to you and makes no sense. But if God told them to do it then who are you to judge God and his reasons. Keep in mind that God speaks to us through his Word (The Bible)... 1 Corinthians 1:27 says that God has chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise...
May your hearts be at piece from now on because you can just focus on what your supposed to be doing and not everyone else! I know mine has been! God Bless!!!
So... you may ask, why do I make this point? Because to me this was very significant. There was a time when I had a problem with looking at other people and the things that they do and assuming that I knew them inside-out... Or I would wonder why people did certain things and think that it should be done differently. You know we are all where we are, and while we all are striving to be like Jesus, none of us are there.
Only God knows the heart of man, and God has already judged man. When Jesus died on the cross, man was judged; receiving Jesus brings forgiveness, rejecting him brings condemnation...
Here is what I believe. The heart of man has already been judged. What does a tree produce???? Fruit. Would you be shocked if I told you that I don't believe that the bible is referring to a man when it says "tree" in Matthew 12. Let me explain. What does a seed produce? Since we're talking about trees, we'll say a tree. Lol. I don't believe that you're a seed, or a tree, or a fruit! I believe that you are the soil. (I mean, why not... God created man from the earth...) Psalm 1 says that the man that walks with God and meditates on his Word day and Night shall be LIKE a tree planted beside a river... In Mark 4:14 the Bible refers to God's Word as seed. (Read previous verses to fully understand.) So your heart is the soil, and when God's Word is planted there it brings good fruit. Whatever is planted in your heat will produce fruit in your life. So if you want good things plant God's Word. If you don't want bad things in your life, quit planting bad things in your heart!
I have more to say about the seeds and trees and fruit and what you plant in your heart... But I want to leave you with a final thought concerning the heart of man and then I need to go! :) I want to look at two men from the Old Testament and use them as an example to show you why it is important not to judge others and think that you know so much. In 2 Chronicles 15:16-17 the Bible tells of a man named Asa. We see that Asa Tore down his mothers idols and removed her from office. Then we see that he did not remove the high places. (which you would think that he should have done, high places are were people went to worship other gods.) But after the Bible points out what I would consider a fault, or maybe something to JUDGE Asa by, we see that the heart of Asa was perfect all his days! Wow, what a testimony to have, that your heart was perfect! So... The way I believe that Asa's heart was perfect before God is I don't think that God told Asa to remove the high places. So, if God told someone that they specifically were supposed to do something or not to do something, would you know about it? Would it be any of your business? And how could you judge that person based on information that you don't have???
Now we will look at a man named Amaziah. In 2 Chronicles 24:6 We see that Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. Now how do you do that?!? Do what's right, but not with a perfect heart? Have you ever heard this before, I'll do it, but I don't want to. That would be the assumption I would make... And if that was someones attitude, it might be really hard to tell. Someone is doing everything their supposed to but deep down inside they would rather be doing something else.
So the conclusion I draw from these two instances is, don't assume you know what God has told someone else! Maybe someone is doing something that is dumb to you and makes no sense. But if God told them to do it then who are you to judge God and his reasons. Keep in mind that God speaks to us through his Word (The Bible)... 1 Corinthians 1:27 says that God has chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise...
May your hearts be at piece from now on because you can just focus on what your supposed to be doing and not everyone else! I know mine has been! God Bless!!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Jesus is the only way!
Hello, what I plan to share today may seem elementary to some, but none the less I felt like it needed to be shared.
There is only one way to get to heaven, and that is through Jesus.
There are many religions out there today that claim to be the truth, but there is actually only one truth, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world, and the only way to see Father God is by accepting Jesus as the Son of God and the savior of the the world.
There are many out there today that find this offensive. While I'm not apologetic, I am sorry to know this. The reason? Because without accepting Jesus, man will find themselves burning in a hell that was not created for them. I believe that hell was created for the devil and his angels that rebelled against God. Hell is not a fun place, if you're looking forward to getting there and having a good ole time.... Think again....
So back to the message... 1 John 5:11 says that God has given to us eternal life and that life is in his Son! Jesus also said in John 14:6 that I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by him.
If your confused and you believe that your good works are going to get you to heaven or that believing in some other form will land you a seat in heaven then you are going to find yourself disappointed unless you change what you believe and place your faith in Jesus Christ who came to this earth carry your sins for you!
God Bless!
There is only one way to get to heaven, and that is through Jesus.
There are many religions out there today that claim to be the truth, but there is actually only one truth, and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus died for the sins of the entire world, and the only way to see Father God is by accepting Jesus as the Son of God and the savior of the the world.
There are many out there today that find this offensive. While I'm not apologetic, I am sorry to know this. The reason? Because without accepting Jesus, man will find themselves burning in a hell that was not created for them. I believe that hell was created for the devil and his angels that rebelled against God. Hell is not a fun place, if you're looking forward to getting there and having a good ole time.... Think again....
So back to the message... 1 John 5:11 says that God has given to us eternal life and that life is in his Son! Jesus also said in John 14:6 that I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by him.
If your confused and you believe that your good works are going to get you to heaven or that believing in some other form will land you a seat in heaven then you are going to find yourself disappointed unless you change what you believe and place your faith in Jesus Christ who came to this earth carry your sins for you!
God Bless!
Saturday, November 28, 2009
More insight about the blessing
Wow, I just heard a really encouraging Word from Creflo Dollar. It was from Thanksgiving Day and was about living a healthy life... Creflo mentioned something at the beginning of the broadcast that really ministered to me. To the best of my memory, he said that it is a greater testimony to live a healthy life, rather than receive some great miracle from God. I agree with that. Wisdom will instruct you how to live a healthy life, rather than live a life eating things that are bad for you and then believing God for a miracle to keep you alive. Now don't get me wrong, I totally agree with believing in God for things. But to me walking out the blessing requires saying no to the desires of the flesh and living a Godly life that is a witness to others! Don't live a life like your on a roller coaster, enjoying all the good of this world, and then when sickness comes knocking, you take the plunge...
This applies the same with finances, don't just live however you want and then when the well runs dry, you decide that you are gonna start serving God and expect for some miraculous thing to happen. I'm not saying that God can't intervene, miracles do still happen. But many people give up serving God before they ever see a miracle come to pass.
God is good, and he wants us to live abundant lives here on this earth, but the choice is up to us! We have desires and emotions and we have to learn to control these desires and hear God's voice and make decisions that honor him.
The blessing is not living a defeated life, and then a miracle happening here and there that allows you to survive. The blessing is based on decisions that you make, you make these decisions based on the wisdom that comes from knowing God. You know someone by communicating with them and spending time with them. You develop a relationship with God by spending time in his Word and spending time in prayer.
Don't begin a relationship with God so you can get stuff. Develop a relationship with God because he loved you so much that he sent his only son to die for you, and in return you want to learn to love him.
One more thing, once you begin this journey, or if your already in it, don't fall into the trap of self righteousness. Your very best apart from the finished work of Jesus falls very short of God's standard. Your faith must be placed in the finished work of Jesus. The works that you do must be mixed with belief in God. You are made righteous by the work that Jesus did. He did it for you. So in return, I encourage you to begin that relationship with him today. As you walk with him he will guide your steps with his Word.
AMEN!!!
This applies the same with finances, don't just live however you want and then when the well runs dry, you decide that you are gonna start serving God and expect for some miraculous thing to happen. I'm not saying that God can't intervene, miracles do still happen. But many people give up serving God before they ever see a miracle come to pass.
God is good, and he wants us to live abundant lives here on this earth, but the choice is up to us! We have desires and emotions and we have to learn to control these desires and hear God's voice and make decisions that honor him.
The blessing is not living a defeated life, and then a miracle happening here and there that allows you to survive. The blessing is based on decisions that you make, you make these decisions based on the wisdom that comes from knowing God. You know someone by communicating with them and spending time with them. You develop a relationship with God by spending time in his Word and spending time in prayer.
Don't begin a relationship with God so you can get stuff. Develop a relationship with God because he loved you so much that he sent his only son to die for you, and in return you want to learn to love him.
One more thing, once you begin this journey, or if your already in it, don't fall into the trap of self righteousness. Your very best apart from the finished work of Jesus falls very short of God's standard. Your faith must be placed in the finished work of Jesus. The works that you do must be mixed with belief in God. You are made righteous by the work that Jesus did. He did it for you. So in return, I encourage you to begin that relationship with him today. As you walk with him he will guide your steps with his Word.
AMEN!!!
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wisdom ties to the blessing
Proverbs 10:22 says that the blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow with it! So, are you blessed? Galatians 3:9 says that they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham! So, are you of faith? If you are of faith then you are blessed! God told Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3 that he was going to bless him beyond measure, and he did!
I believe there is a key to how this blessing flows, the key lies in wisdom. We have to operate in the wisdom of God. Proverbs 4:7 says that Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding... 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus has been made unto us wisdom... So the key to walking in the blessing lies in receiving the wisdom that Jesus has revealed unto us through his Word. Jesus Christ actually is the Word. John 1:1-14 says that all things were made by the Word and that the Word was God. In verse 14 we read that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! The Word is Jesus, and now the Word is given to us through the Bible.
The Bible is full of wisdom. The blessing operates in our lives through 5 areas. Spiritual, physical, mental, social, financial. These are the areas that we operate in every day. So if we are blessed then we should be seeing increase in these 5 areas... If you do not think that increase is coming in these areas, then ask God for wisdom. It says in James 1:5-6 that if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God.... Since Jesus has come to live in our hearts, then that means that wisdom is on the inside of us, what we must do is learn to draw it out, and the keys to doing this are found in God's Word , The Bible! I pray that you receive this message and that it becomes a stepping stone for you to begin or continue to draw on the wisdom of God!
I believe there is a key to how this blessing flows, the key lies in wisdom. We have to operate in the wisdom of God. Proverbs 4:7 says that Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding... 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that Jesus has been made unto us wisdom... So the key to walking in the blessing lies in receiving the wisdom that Jesus has revealed unto us through his Word. Jesus Christ actually is the Word. John 1:1-14 says that all things were made by the Word and that the Word was God. In verse 14 we read that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us! The Word is Jesus, and now the Word is given to us through the Bible.
The Bible is full of wisdom. The blessing operates in our lives through 5 areas. Spiritual, physical, mental, social, financial. These are the areas that we operate in every day. So if we are blessed then we should be seeing increase in these 5 areas... If you do not think that increase is coming in these areas, then ask God for wisdom. It says in James 1:5-6 that if any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God.... Since Jesus has come to live in our hearts, then that means that wisdom is on the inside of us, what we must do is learn to draw it out, and the keys to doing this are found in God's Word , The Bible! I pray that you receive this message and that it becomes a stepping stone for you to begin or continue to draw on the wisdom of God!
REJOICE!!!!!
Hello! I want to encourage you to rejoice! Here is the dictionary meaning of rejoice:
–verb (used without object)
1. to be glad; take delight (often fol. by in): to rejoice in another's happiness.
Okay, this is one of the many meanings for rejoice, but they all have one thing in common; rejoice is not a noun, it's not a place or a thing; rejoice is not a state of being; rejoice is a verb! That means in order to rejoice, there has to be action! Praise God; that is me rejoicing! Open your mouth and rejoice! Jump in the air, dance around the house, sing a song unto the Lord! Rejoice!
What if I don't feel like rejoicing? What if I am sick, or I don't have any money... Good! That's all the more reason to rejoice! God is made strong in your weakness! (1 Corinthians 1:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9)
Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS! And again I say REJOICE!!! It doesn't matter what you feel like! If you want to feel better, this is the medicine. The bible says a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22 So have a merry heart and it will be a remedy for any situation you're in! I don't care what is going on, you can rejoice in the Lord and your situation will get better!
My wife sent me this text this morning... I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving! Psalms 69:30
You have so much to be thankful for, if you don't think that you do then I encourage you to go and read the story of Joseph. Genesis 37 - 48. It is a remarkable story about a man who held fast to a promise from God and through 20 years of trials was never moved. Even in success he trusted God to see the dream come to pass instead of taking matters into his own hands. In return, he not only saw the dream come to pass, but he was used by God to see his wicked brothers have a heart of repentance... It's just awesome... I've been stuck on it lately. God gave me a dream, and the story of Joseph gives me great hope!
I will rejoice in the Lord always and at all times! This Thanksgiving, be sure to join me with an attitude of Praise. It will be medicine to you an encouraging to all those that you are around!
Happy Thanksgiving!
–verb (used without object)
1. to be glad; take delight (often fol. by in): to rejoice in another's happiness.
Okay, this is one of the many meanings for rejoice, but they all have one thing in common; rejoice is not a noun, it's not a place or a thing; rejoice is not a state of being; rejoice is a verb! That means in order to rejoice, there has to be action! Praise God; that is me rejoicing! Open your mouth and rejoice! Jump in the air, dance around the house, sing a song unto the Lord! Rejoice!
What if I don't feel like rejoicing? What if I am sick, or I don't have any money... Good! That's all the more reason to rejoice! God is made strong in your weakness! (1 Corinthians 1:25; 2 Corinthians 12:9)
Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS! And again I say REJOICE!!! It doesn't matter what you feel like! If you want to feel better, this is the medicine. The bible says a merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Proverbs 17:22 So have a merry heart and it will be a remedy for any situation you're in! I don't care what is going on, you can rejoice in the Lord and your situation will get better!
My wife sent me this text this morning... I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving! Psalms 69:30
You have so much to be thankful for, if you don't think that you do then I encourage you to go and read the story of Joseph. Genesis 37 - 48. It is a remarkable story about a man who held fast to a promise from God and through 20 years of trials was never moved. Even in success he trusted God to see the dream come to pass instead of taking matters into his own hands. In return, he not only saw the dream come to pass, but he was used by God to see his wicked brothers have a heart of repentance... It's just awesome... I've been stuck on it lately. God gave me a dream, and the story of Joseph gives me great hope!
I will rejoice in the Lord always and at all times! This Thanksgiving, be sure to join me with an attitude of Praise. It will be medicine to you an encouraging to all those that you are around!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
You've already got it!
I have just finished reading some things that were posted on another blog. After reading, I felt lead to interject some references from God's word, as well as my favorite evangelist.
Andrew Wommack tells a story from his early pastoring days... Andrew reports that he only had an income of $1200.00 annually! He was pastoring a church and had just recently returned from Vietnam. The Bible that he owned was mildewed from the environment and was missing chapters and even entire books of the Bible. So his faith project was to believe God for a new Bible.... To make a long story short, when Andrew was walking out of the store with the new bible under his arm, there was no doubt in his mind that he had his new bible!
You may say, of course there was no doubt in his mind, he already had it. That's is the point, you already have it! You need to get the idea out of your head that if you only had more faith you would be able to see miracles performed in your life. The truth is, you already have all the faith you need to receive any and everything in this life you need, and I'm going to show you this truth through God's word.
You are a 3 part being (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and your born again spirit looks just like Jesus! You have inside you the faith that it took to raise Lazarus from the dead! Look at Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ..." not faith in Jesus Christ, but by his faith. scroll down to verse 20. About midway through the verse Paul says, The Life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. There's that phrase again. So it's not faith that you're trying to get or faith that you are trying to grow, but you already have "the measure" (Romans 12:3) of faith and it is complete and full!
Someone once asked Reinhardt Bonke (?) "why is it he sees more miracles in Africa and other 3rd world countries than we see here in America, was it because they have more faith?" He responded by saying that was an invalid question and that Americans are the only ones who have this concept of little faith big faith.
So why don't we see the things come to pass in our lives that we believe for? Well, there could be several reasons, but one is that we haven't learned to release the massive abundance of faith that we have inside us!
Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, lonsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance... So if you are filled with God's Holy Spirit then you already have the fullness of all these things and therefore you need to learn through God's Word how to release them in your life and enjoy them. I believe that Faith is released by the words that you speak, and you learn what to speak by studying the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) As I've said, I don't believe that we receive more faith, but that the faith inside of us comes when we hear God's word... So if you want to see more manifestation in your life, learn to release God's faith that he placed in your life when you heard the Word preached and received Jesus as Lord!
One last thing that I think will help. Many times, an old testament reference is used as a crutch by new testament believers... It's from 1 Corinthians 2:9, " But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." That's where most people stop, but the next scripture says that God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. You see the old testament believers didn't have the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom and insight! But Glory to God we do! That is why it was better for Jesus to go away, that the Holy Spirit would come! The answers are out there, we just have to learn to tap into the rich wisdom of God, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that we are in Christ Jesus, and God has made him to be unto us wisdom... Jesus is the Word! (John 1:14)
I hope this has encouraged you, some of these truths are new to me and I am excited to come to realize that I'm not trying to get more faith, but that everything that I need has already been provided for me! That's just awesome!
Andrew Wommack tells a story from his early pastoring days... Andrew reports that he only had an income of $1200.00 annually! He was pastoring a church and had just recently returned from Vietnam. The Bible that he owned was mildewed from the environment and was missing chapters and even entire books of the Bible. So his faith project was to believe God for a new Bible.... To make a long story short, when Andrew was walking out of the store with the new bible under his arm, there was no doubt in his mind that he had his new bible!
You may say, of course there was no doubt in his mind, he already had it. That's is the point, you already have it! You need to get the idea out of your head that if you only had more faith you would be able to see miracles performed in your life. The truth is, you already have all the faith you need to receive any and everything in this life you need, and I'm going to show you this truth through God's word.
You are a 3 part being (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and your born again spirit looks just like Jesus! You have inside you the faith that it took to raise Lazarus from the dead! Look at Galatians 2:16, "Knowing that a man is not justified by the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ..." not faith in Jesus Christ, but by his faith. scroll down to verse 20. About midway through the verse Paul says, The Life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. There's that phrase again. So it's not faith that you're trying to get or faith that you are trying to grow, but you already have "the measure" (Romans 12:3) of faith and it is complete and full!
Someone once asked Reinhardt Bonke (?) "why is it he sees more miracles in Africa and other 3rd world countries than we see here in America, was it because they have more faith?" He responded by saying that was an invalid question and that Americans are the only ones who have this concept of little faith big faith.
So why don't we see the things come to pass in our lives that we believe for? Well, there could be several reasons, but one is that we haven't learned to release the massive abundance of faith that we have inside us!
Galatians 5:22 says that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, lonsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance... So if you are filled with God's Holy Spirit then you already have the fullness of all these things and therefore you need to learn through God's Word how to release them in your life and enjoy them. I believe that Faith is released by the words that you speak, and you learn what to speak by studying the word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17) As I've said, I don't believe that we receive more faith, but that the faith inside of us comes when we hear God's word... So if you want to see more manifestation in your life, learn to release God's faith that he placed in your life when you heard the Word preached and received Jesus as Lord!
One last thing that I think will help. Many times, an old testament reference is used as a crutch by new testament believers... It's from 1 Corinthians 2:9, " But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." That's where most people stop, but the next scripture says that God has revealed them to us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. You see the old testament believers didn't have the Holy Spirit to give them wisdom and insight! But Glory to God we do! That is why it was better for Jesus to go away, that the Holy Spirit would come! The answers are out there, we just have to learn to tap into the rich wisdom of God, and 1 Corinthians 1:30 says that we are in Christ Jesus, and God has made him to be unto us wisdom... Jesus is the Word! (John 1:14)
I hope this has encouraged you, some of these truths are new to me and I am excited to come to realize that I'm not trying to get more faith, but that everything that I need has already been provided for me! That's just awesome!
Friday, November 6, 2009
Cheer up!!!
Good morning, I have something very exciting that I want to share with you this morning! I just know that it is going to make a positive impact on your life... Are you ready??? Here goes! If you are in a bad mood or upset, it's nobodies fault but your own... ... ... ...
Now, there are two ways you can look at this, one way is to think that I'm crazy and have lost it, and if your already thinking that, then I hope you will hear me out, because there is another way of looking at this that can really change your life forever!
In Acts 26:2 Paul tells King Agrippa of the Roman empire that he "thinks himself happy". Now you have to understand where Paul is coming from to understand how meaningful that statement is! Paul had been locked up in a cold dark prison for quite sometime. He had also been beaten, laughed at, and mocked. If most of us would have gone through all of this we would probably crawl up in a ball with our thumb in our mouths. But Paul found a way to be happy in his situation, and that was by controlling what he thought!
You can do this very same thing, you can hold fast to the promises of God and focus on what God has said about you in the Bible instead of focusing on your current trial. Paul had received a promise from God in the previous chapters, God told Paul that he would stand before the King of Rome. Paul had a promise to hold onto! So do you!
And if you think that your situation is sooo bad, just think of this.... What's the worst that could happen? You die and get to spend forever and ever in the presence of God almighty! That's something to get excited about! I'm beginning to understand the conflict that Paul had between wanting to go and be with Jesus, or to stay here on the earth and help the saints of God!
I love you, God loves you, and Jesus is Lord!
Now, there are two ways you can look at this, one way is to think that I'm crazy and have lost it, and if your already thinking that, then I hope you will hear me out, because there is another way of looking at this that can really change your life forever!
In Acts 26:2 Paul tells King Agrippa of the Roman empire that he "thinks himself happy". Now you have to understand where Paul is coming from to understand how meaningful that statement is! Paul had been locked up in a cold dark prison for quite sometime. He had also been beaten, laughed at, and mocked. If most of us would have gone through all of this we would probably crawl up in a ball with our thumb in our mouths. But Paul found a way to be happy in his situation, and that was by controlling what he thought!
You can do this very same thing, you can hold fast to the promises of God and focus on what God has said about you in the Bible instead of focusing on your current trial. Paul had received a promise from God in the previous chapters, God told Paul that he would stand before the King of Rome. Paul had a promise to hold onto! So do you!
And if you think that your situation is sooo bad, just think of this.... What's the worst that could happen? You die and get to spend forever and ever in the presence of God almighty! That's something to get excited about! I'm beginning to understand the conflict that Paul had between wanting to go and be with Jesus, or to stay here on the earth and help the saints of God!
I love you, God loves you, and Jesus is Lord!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
How God sees you
Good morning,
I would like to share something that is exciting as well as life changing. I am going to begin to share with you about who you are and the way that God sees you...
The first thing that is important to recognize is that you are not the person that you see in the mirror everyday... I know this may come across as strange, but please let me explain. The image that you see in the mirror is only a suit that you live in. In order to live on earth, you must have a suit that you wear, your body is your earth suit! In addition to the suit that you look at in the mirror and have to bath, and brush its teeth, and feed, etc., You have another part of you, this part is called the soul, or the mind. will, and emotions. In this part of you decisions are made. The soul is also referred to as the heart of man. Depending on what you put in your heart will determine the dominant actions that you see carried out through your body. The last part of you is your spirit. Depending on whether or not you believe in Jesus and that God raised him from the dead will determine what your spirit looks like. The Bible makes it clear that man/woman is a 3 part being in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. There is much to say about all 3 parts of man, but today I want to give a few more references concerning this reality, and then I want to share about how God sees you as a spiritual being in Christ Jesus.
Genesis 1:26 says,"let us make man in our image...". What is this image referring to? The Godhead is made up of 3 parts, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit! So we are a 3 part being created in the likeness of God.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says that you are the temple of God... and that God will dwell in you! The temple that God had man make in the old testament was made up of 3 parts, and outer court, and inner court, and the holy of Holies. God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. We are the temple of God! We have an outer court, our body; and inner court, our soul; and a holy of Holies were God dwells, our spirit! Under the new testament, you are the temple of God, God dwells in you! This is the way that God sees you!
In Ephesians 2:6, it says that we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places! That is right now, not future tense. You may say, how can that be... I'm sitting here in front of a computer... I don't mean that your body has been seated with Christ, I mean that you Spirit has been seated with Christ! Right now you are in the presence of God almighty, and if you can picture yourself there as God pictures you there you will be flooded with his presence and it will become impossible for you to fail in this world or accept any of it's shortcomings, because you know that all is well at the right hand of God the Father!
One last scripture, In 1 Corinthians 5:3 Paul says that he is absent from the Corinthians in body, but present with them in Spirit.... This does not meant that his spirit is with them in Corinth, this means that because they are in Christ Jesus, and he is in Christ Jesus, they are all seated together with Christ Jesus in heavenly places! Ephesians 2:6
I'm telling you, that if you will stop and close your eyes and see yourself the way that God sees you, it will bring victory to you today.
There is much more to say about this topic and I will continue to teach on it, but for now my break is over and I need to get back to work... God bless!
I would like to share something that is exciting as well as life changing. I am going to begin to share with you about who you are and the way that God sees you...
The first thing that is important to recognize is that you are not the person that you see in the mirror everyday... I know this may come across as strange, but please let me explain. The image that you see in the mirror is only a suit that you live in. In order to live on earth, you must have a suit that you wear, your body is your earth suit! In addition to the suit that you look at in the mirror and have to bath, and brush its teeth, and feed, etc., You have another part of you, this part is called the soul, or the mind. will, and emotions. In this part of you decisions are made. The soul is also referred to as the heart of man. Depending on what you put in your heart will determine the dominant actions that you see carried out through your body. The last part of you is your spirit. Depending on whether or not you believe in Jesus and that God raised him from the dead will determine what your spirit looks like. The Bible makes it clear that man/woman is a 3 part being in 1 Thessalonians 5:23. There is much to say about all 3 parts of man, but today I want to give a few more references concerning this reality, and then I want to share about how God sees you as a spiritual being in Christ Jesus.
Genesis 1:26 says,"let us make man in our image...". What is this image referring to? The Godhead is made up of 3 parts, The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit! So we are a 3 part being created in the likeness of God.
2 Corinthians 6:16 says that you are the temple of God... and that God will dwell in you! The temple that God had man make in the old testament was made up of 3 parts, and outer court, and inner court, and the holy of Holies. God dwelt in the Holy of Holies. We are the temple of God! We have an outer court, our body; and inner court, our soul; and a holy of Holies were God dwells, our spirit! Under the new testament, you are the temple of God, God dwells in you! This is the way that God sees you!
In Ephesians 2:6, it says that we have been seated with Christ in heavenly places! That is right now, not future tense. You may say, how can that be... I'm sitting here in front of a computer... I don't mean that your body has been seated with Christ, I mean that you Spirit has been seated with Christ! Right now you are in the presence of God almighty, and if you can picture yourself there as God pictures you there you will be flooded with his presence and it will become impossible for you to fail in this world or accept any of it's shortcomings, because you know that all is well at the right hand of God the Father!
One last scripture, In 1 Corinthians 5:3 Paul says that he is absent from the Corinthians in body, but present with them in Spirit.... This does not meant that his spirit is with them in Corinth, this means that because they are in Christ Jesus, and he is in Christ Jesus, they are all seated together with Christ Jesus in heavenly places! Ephesians 2:6
I'm telling you, that if you will stop and close your eyes and see yourself the way that God sees you, it will bring victory to you today.
There is much more to say about this topic and I will continue to teach on it, but for now my break is over and I need to get back to work... God bless!
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
This is from one of my favorite teachers; Andrew Wommack
Killing Sacred Cows
November 2009
Dear Friend,
The Word of God is awesome! It has all the power we will ever need for every situation in our lives (Heb. 4:12). All we have to do is mix it with faith and, praise God, a miracle (Heb. 4:2)!
I know many of you are thinking, It isn't that easy. I believe the Word and I'm doing everything I know to do, yet things still haven't worked out. I have experienced that too—personally and with many people I've ministered to.So, what's the problem? Actually, there are many problems, but I think most of them can be summed up by what Jesus said in Mark 7:13:
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition."
What a startling statement! Wrong teaching—specifically religious doctrines—makes God's Word of no effect. The most significant revelations I've received from the Lord all have to do with renewing my mind from old ways of thinking that I learned in church. As I was freed from the traditions, the simplicity of God's Word set me free.
At a recent Gospel Truth Seminar, the Lord led me to counter a number of traditions that void God's Word. It was heavy stuff that was hard on even many full-Gospel fanatics. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but there isn't a gentle way to kill a sacred cow.
It's like the man who saw a cow with a wooden leg. He was so shocked, he stopped his car and asked the farmer about the cow. The farmer said this was a very special cow. He told stories of how the cow saved his life and his kids' lives more than once. The man was impressed, but that still didn't explain why the cow had a wooden leg. Finally, the farmer yelled, "You can't eat a special cow like that all at once!"
Unlike that farmer's cow, sacred cows cannot be done away with gradually. You just need to kill them and deal with the fallout. So that's what I did. It was powerful. I dealt with a lot of things in the seminar, but only have space to mention a few in this letter.
I think one of the worst doctrines in the body of Christ today is the belief that God controls everything or, as the religious terminology states, "God is sovereign." It's usually presented in one of two ways: One, God originates everything, or two, Satan originates the evil things but has to get God's approval before he can do His "dirty work."
This doctrine seems to be dominant in the body of Christ today. It's so entrenched that many people will just discount what I have to say before hearing me out. To them, this has become a sacred cow. But this old cow needs to die. They need to kill that sacred cow, or it will kill the power of God's Word in their lives.
On the surface, it makes perfect sense that God controls everything. After all, He is God. He is all powerful. He can do whatever He wants to do. He is sovereign.
I agree that God is sovereign if the word sovereign is used as it's defined in the dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "sovereign" as "1. Independent. 2. Having supreme rank or power. 3. Paramount; supreme." "Sovereign" comes from a Latin word that means "super, above." I agree with all of those definitions. God is all of that and more. But religious tradition has redefined "sovereign" to mean God has and does exercise "absolute control." I totally disagree with that!
At one time, God was in absolute control of everything, but then He made man and gave him unrestricted power and authority over the earth. Man knowingly gave that power and authority to Satan. And Satan has been messing things up ever since (with our help, I might add).
You might say, "God could stop Satan if He wanted to. Therefore, the devil only does what God allows Him to do." That's not true. That's a religious tradition that will render you passive and prey to the devil.
When God gave Adam unconditional authority over the earth, He gave him His word (Ps. 89:34). There were no strings attached. He didn't say, "If you blow it, I'll take back My power and authority." No! God had to allow what man allowed. The Lord had given man total control over the earth. It was his to govern as he saw fit. Adam then yielded to Satan the power and authority God intended for man.
God is a good God. If it was only up to Him, we would all be blessed (James 1:17). That can be seen in the life of Job. God blessed Job abundantly. He was the greatest man in wealth and integrity of all the people of his day. But Job didn't have a covenant with God. The Lord didn't really have the legal right to be so good to Job. Job was a sinner and therefore under Satan's control. So Satan pressed his case, and the Lord had to turn Job over to Satan because he legally came under Satan's jurisdiction.
This is why the Lord started making covenants with people like Abraham and, eventually, the whole nation of Israel. If they would comply, then the Lord could legally bless them. This worked, to a degree. The problem was, no one could live up to God's standard for very long. So, instead of the blessing He desired to give, the curse eventually came upon them because "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23).
People have seen many scriptural examples of God's judgment upon man in the Old Testament and have interpreted that as God's way of correcting us. Under the New Covenant, that is no longer the case, and a number of scriptures will kill that sacred cow.
Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings and curses that would come upon the Israelites depending on their obedience or disobedience to God's commands. Notice the things listed in verses 15-68: sickness, poverty, grief, and every other trouble imaginable. They are curses, not blessings, as many religious people are trying to make them out to be today.
People will say, "This cancer was really a blessing in disguise because it made me turn to the Lord for help." No! It's not a blessing; it's a curse. God didn't put that cancer on them or allow it. The fact that they turned to the Lord is good, but they shouldn't blame God for causing that problem.
God never uses evil to correct or draw us to Him. Romans 2:4 says it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Second Timothy 3:16 says that God's Word—not problems—is given to correct and reprove us. Afflictions are what Satan uses to steal away God's Word (Mark 4:16-17).
"But don't all things work together for good?" No! That's not what God's Word says. That's another sacred cow. Look at Paul's actual statement in Romans 8:28:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Taken in context, that verse says something totally different from what religion has taught us. The two preceding verses say,
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
First, the Greek word for "helpeth" is a compound word that means "to take hold of opposite together, i.e. co-operate" (Strong's Concordance). The Holy Spirit does not intercede for us automatically; we must participate, and as we do, He energizes and quickens and empowers our prayers. When He takes hold with us, things begin to work together for good.
Second, in verse 28, there are qualifications that most people ignore. The first is to love God. Did you know that not everybody loves God? Not even all who are born again truly love God. For those who do not, things don't work together for good.
The next part says you must be called according to His purpose. What is His purpose? First John 3:8 says that the purpose of Jesus' coming was to destroy the works of the devil. So, if you are functioning according to the purpose of Jesus, you should be out to destroy the works of the devil.
Therefore, this passage of Scripture applies to people who are not passive, but they are interceding and letting the Holy Spirit supernaturally energize and take intercession to a level where it's not just human. That eliminates the majority of people right there. Add loving God to that and resisting and destroying the works of the devil, and you can see how that scripture has been misunderstood and misused.
God is not the one who makes our lives a mess. We have a choice.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says,
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."
To say we don't have a choice is another way of saying we aren't willing to take personal responsibility for our situations. When we believe we're not responsible, it invalidates the Word of God.
The Word tells us to make a choice between life and death, so we do have a choice. God even helped us out by telling us which one to choose: He said to choose life.
The slickest deception Satan has ever put across, primarily through the church, is to get people to embrace his work as the work of God. In my estimation, this is the worst doctrine in the body of Christ. If you really believe God controls everything, why do anything? Why pray? Why study the Word? Why resist? Just eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die, and whatever God wills will happen.
However, James 4:7 says,
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Notice that there are things from God that we submit to and things from the devil that we resist. God does not control everything.
Religion has played into the victim mentality because it's the easiest way to explain away failure. The church has not been effective in helping people overcome things like sickness and financial problems, so they fall into the sacred cow belief that God is allowing this for a reason.
God isn't allowing the bad things in your life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of every believer, and He is waiting on you to resist the devil and appropriate what He has already provided through Jesus.
November 2009
Dear Friend,
The Word of God is awesome! It has all the power we will ever need for every situation in our lives (Heb. 4:12). All we have to do is mix it with faith and, praise God, a miracle (Heb. 4:2)!
I know many of you are thinking, It isn't that easy. I believe the Word and I'm doing everything I know to do, yet things still haven't worked out. I have experienced that too—personally and with many people I've ministered to.So, what's the problem? Actually, there are many problems, but I think most of them can be summed up by what Jesus said in Mark 7:13:
"Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition."
What a startling statement! Wrong teaching—specifically religious doctrines—makes God's Word of no effect. The most significant revelations I've received from the Lord all have to do with renewing my mind from old ways of thinking that I learned in church. As I was freed from the traditions, the simplicity of God's Word set me free.
At a recent Gospel Truth Seminar, the Lord led me to counter a number of traditions that void God's Word. It was heavy stuff that was hard on even many full-Gospel fanatics. I tried to be as gentle as possible, but there isn't a gentle way to kill a sacred cow.
It's like the man who saw a cow with a wooden leg. He was so shocked, he stopped his car and asked the farmer about the cow. The farmer said this was a very special cow. He told stories of how the cow saved his life and his kids' lives more than once. The man was impressed, but that still didn't explain why the cow had a wooden leg. Finally, the farmer yelled, "You can't eat a special cow like that all at once!"
Unlike that farmer's cow, sacred cows cannot be done away with gradually. You just need to kill them and deal with the fallout. So that's what I did. It was powerful. I dealt with a lot of things in the seminar, but only have space to mention a few in this letter.
I think one of the worst doctrines in the body of Christ today is the belief that God controls everything or, as the religious terminology states, "God is sovereign." It's usually presented in one of two ways: One, God originates everything, or two, Satan originates the evil things but has to get God's approval before he can do His "dirty work."
This doctrine seems to be dominant in the body of Christ today. It's so entrenched that many people will just discount what I have to say before hearing me out. To them, this has become a sacred cow. But this old cow needs to die. They need to kill that sacred cow, or it will kill the power of God's Word in their lives.
On the surface, it makes perfect sense that God controls everything. After all, He is God. He is all powerful. He can do whatever He wants to do. He is sovereign.
I agree that God is sovereign if the word sovereign is used as it's defined in the dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary defines "sovereign" as "1. Independent. 2. Having supreme rank or power. 3. Paramount; supreme." "Sovereign" comes from a Latin word that means "super, above." I agree with all of those definitions. God is all of that and more. But religious tradition has redefined "sovereign" to mean God has and does exercise "absolute control." I totally disagree with that!
At one time, God was in absolute control of everything, but then He made man and gave him unrestricted power and authority over the earth. Man knowingly gave that power and authority to Satan. And Satan has been messing things up ever since (with our help, I might add).
You might say, "God could stop Satan if He wanted to. Therefore, the devil only does what God allows Him to do." That's not true. That's a religious tradition that will render you passive and prey to the devil.
When God gave Adam unconditional authority over the earth, He gave him His word (Ps. 89:34). There were no strings attached. He didn't say, "If you blow it, I'll take back My power and authority." No! God had to allow what man allowed. The Lord had given man total control over the earth. It was his to govern as he saw fit. Adam then yielded to Satan the power and authority God intended for man.
God is a good God. If it was only up to Him, we would all be blessed (James 1:17). That can be seen in the life of Job. God blessed Job abundantly. He was the greatest man in wealth and integrity of all the people of his day. But Job didn't have a covenant with God. The Lord didn't really have the legal right to be so good to Job. Job was a sinner and therefore under Satan's control. So Satan pressed his case, and the Lord had to turn Job over to Satan because he legally came under Satan's jurisdiction.
This is why the Lord started making covenants with people like Abraham and, eventually, the whole nation of Israel. If they would comply, then the Lord could legally bless them. This worked, to a degree. The problem was, no one could live up to God's standard for very long. So, instead of the blessing He desired to give, the curse eventually came upon them because "all have sinned" (Rom. 3:23).
People have seen many scriptural examples of God's judgment upon man in the Old Testament and have interpreted that as God's way of correcting us. Under the New Covenant, that is no longer the case, and a number of scriptures will kill that sacred cow.
Deuteronomy 28 lists the blessings and curses that would come upon the Israelites depending on their obedience or disobedience to God's commands. Notice the things listed in verses 15-68: sickness, poverty, grief, and every other trouble imaginable. They are curses, not blessings, as many religious people are trying to make them out to be today.
People will say, "This cancer was really a blessing in disguise because it made me turn to the Lord for help." No! It's not a blessing; it's a curse. God didn't put that cancer on them or allow it. The fact that they turned to the Lord is good, but they shouldn't blame God for causing that problem.
God never uses evil to correct or draw us to Him. Romans 2:4 says it's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance. Second Timothy 3:16 says that God's Word—not problems—is given to correct and reprove us. Afflictions are what Satan uses to steal away God's Word (Mark 4:16-17).
"But don't all things work together for good?" No! That's not what God's Word says. That's another sacred cow. Look at Paul's actual statement in Romans 8:28:
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Taken in context, that verse says something totally different from what religion has taught us. The two preceding verses say,
"Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
First, the Greek word for "helpeth" is a compound word that means "to take hold of opposite together, i.e. co-operate" (Strong's Concordance). The Holy Spirit does not intercede for us automatically; we must participate, and as we do, He energizes and quickens and empowers our prayers. When He takes hold with us, things begin to work together for good.
Second, in verse 28, there are qualifications that most people ignore. The first is to love God. Did you know that not everybody loves God? Not even all who are born again truly love God. For those who do not, things don't work together for good.
The next part says you must be called according to His purpose. What is His purpose? First John 3:8 says that the purpose of Jesus' coming was to destroy the works of the devil. So, if you are functioning according to the purpose of Jesus, you should be out to destroy the works of the devil.
Therefore, this passage of Scripture applies to people who are not passive, but they are interceding and letting the Holy Spirit supernaturally energize and take intercession to a level where it's not just human. That eliminates the majority of people right there. Add loving God to that and resisting and destroying the works of the devil, and you can see how that scripture has been misunderstood and misused.
God is not the one who makes our lives a mess. We have a choice.
Deuteronomy 30:19 says,
"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."
To say we don't have a choice is another way of saying we aren't willing to take personal responsibility for our situations. When we believe we're not responsible, it invalidates the Word of God.
The Word tells us to make a choice between life and death, so we do have a choice. God even helped us out by telling us which one to choose: He said to choose life.
The slickest deception Satan has ever put across, primarily through the church, is to get people to embrace his work as the work of God. In my estimation, this is the worst doctrine in the body of Christ. If you really believe God controls everything, why do anything? Why pray? Why study the Word? Why resist? Just eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow you die, and whatever God wills will happen.
However, James 4:7 says,
"Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Notice that there are things from God that we submit to and things from the devil that we resist. God does not control everything.
Religion has played into the victim mentality because it's the easiest way to explain away failure. The church has not been effective in helping people overcome things like sickness and financial problems, so they fall into the sacred cow belief that God is allowing this for a reason.
God isn't allowing the bad things in your life. The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives on the inside of every believer, and He is waiting on you to resist the devil and appropriate what He has already provided through Jesus.
Response to a question...
If you have committed sin, then be encouraged, there is hope! 1 John 1:9 says that if we confess our sin, then he is faithful to forgive us and to clense us from all unrighteousness. That good news, so just because God knows what you have done, I encourage you to go ahead and acknowledge to him verbally that you know what you did was wrong.If you find yourself tempted to committ the sin again, immediately change what you are thinking about. This may seem difficult at first, but with practice you can overcome this challenge in your life. The best and quickest way to change what you are thinking about is to speak aloud, preferably speak something that God has already said about you. Here is an example,"I am the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and I have been seated with Christ in Heaven!" This is the new creature that you have become if you have made Jesus lord of your life. This is how God sees you, so you might as well agree with him.I encourage you to take a look at 2 corinthians 5 and Ephesians 2. That is where I quoted from above. It is also very important that you speak aloud!For it is by grace through faith that you are saved ( made righteous) and not of works, lest any man should boast of his own doing> Ephesians 2:8I thank you for your question and hope I have been of help. one more thing that I do is keep a scripture in my back pocket, this helps me to keep God's word close by, if tempted, then I can always reach back there and speak God's word to keep my mind occupied... I will continue to post blog's that will be helpful concerning these subjects.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Dealing with temptation 2
Hello, well the Lord has been revealing more to me about temptation this morning and I believe I need to share that with you...
James 1:2-4... This says to count it all joy when you fall in to diverse (various) temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. As I meditated on that scripture this morning here is what the Lord began to show me.
It is ok to be tempted, in fact the Lord says to count it all joy. The Bible also says in Hebrews 4:15 that our high priest (Jesus Christ) was tempted at all points just as we are. (I touched on this a little in a previous blog titled "dealing with temptation.") Jesus was tempted and yet without sin, so it's ok to be tempted! The Bible even says that when you are tempted that God will make a way of escape and that you can avoid yielding to the temptation. Praise the Lord!
Once again as I said in the previous blog, we are tempted to try and get us to believe something other than what the Word of God says. v. 3 in James chapter 1 says this, the trying of your faith works patience. Well, what is faith? Faith is believing, and in this sense it is believing what God has said. So we could say it like this,"Count it all joy when you are tempted, because the trying of what you believe God has said works patience." Temptation comes to steal from you what God has already promised you!
Two weeks ago, my 7 year old son, Jaxon, was attacked with sickness. Now the Bible says in 2 peter 2:24 that by the stripes of Jesus we WERE healed! I believe this! So praise God I began to release what I believe by speaking God's Word over Jaxon (2 Corinthians 4:13). Well this was the same time God was dealing with me concerning temptation. So I recognized the temptation as an attempt to steal from my family what God's Word said was already ours. After I prayed over Jaxon and then went to work, I began to start feeling sick, so I immediately spoke to the temptation, in this case sickness, and told it that it could not stay in body! And you know what, I immediately felt better!
God Loves you. What Father that loves their child would want anything bad to happen to them? But yet many people might say that it is God that causes them to be sick or God that causes bad things to happen to people, and this is just not true! The bible goes on to say in James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, so he doesn't tempt any man:
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death." That means that bad things happen to us because of our very own actions! It's not Gods fault, but yet he loves us so much that he makes a way of escape for us when we mess up, whether we realize that we messed up or not! 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
God is so good! In fact, he's so good that his mercy endures forever!
Have a blessed day! I pray that the Lord continue to reveal himself to you as you go through your day!
James 1:2-4... This says to count it all joy when you fall in to diverse (various) temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. As I meditated on that scripture this morning here is what the Lord began to show me.
It is ok to be tempted, in fact the Lord says to count it all joy. The Bible also says in Hebrews 4:15 that our high priest (Jesus Christ) was tempted at all points just as we are. (I touched on this a little in a previous blog titled "dealing with temptation.") Jesus was tempted and yet without sin, so it's ok to be tempted! The Bible even says that when you are tempted that God will make a way of escape and that you can avoid yielding to the temptation. Praise the Lord!
Once again as I said in the previous blog, we are tempted to try and get us to believe something other than what the Word of God says. v. 3 in James chapter 1 says this, the trying of your faith works patience. Well, what is faith? Faith is believing, and in this sense it is believing what God has said. So we could say it like this,"Count it all joy when you are tempted, because the trying of what you believe God has said works patience." Temptation comes to steal from you what God has already promised you!
Two weeks ago, my 7 year old son, Jaxon, was attacked with sickness. Now the Bible says in 2 peter 2:24 that by the stripes of Jesus we WERE healed! I believe this! So praise God I began to release what I believe by speaking God's Word over Jaxon (2 Corinthians 4:13). Well this was the same time God was dealing with me concerning temptation. So I recognized the temptation as an attempt to steal from my family what God's Word said was already ours. After I prayed over Jaxon and then went to work, I began to start feeling sick, so I immediately spoke to the temptation, in this case sickness, and told it that it could not stay in body! And you know what, I immediately felt better!
God Loves you. What Father that loves their child would want anything bad to happen to them? But yet many people might say that it is God that causes them to be sick or God that causes bad things to happen to people, and this is just not true! The bible goes on to say in James 1:13, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, so he doesn't tempt any man:
14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
15Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death." That means that bad things happen to us because of our very own actions! It's not Gods fault, but yet he loves us so much that he makes a way of escape for us when we mess up, whether we realize that we messed up or not! 1 Corinthians 10:13 says,"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
God is so good! In fact, he's so good that his mercy endures forever!
Have a blessed day! I pray that the Lord continue to reveal himself to you as you go through your day!
Monday, October 26, 2009
You are Righteous!
Okay, after writing the post on Faith, I believe I need to go back and touch on something that I mentioned.
Here is what I want to key in on, the word righteous. If you are in Christ Jesus, You Are Righteous! I believe that righteous means that you are in right standing with God.
You see when you confess Jesus as your savior and believe that God raised him from the dead, you become a new creature! Old things are gone! 2 Corinthians 5:17.
2 Corinthians 5:19 (God's Word Translation) says God used Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn't hold peoples faults against them! Isn't that awesome. v. 21 says that God had Christ, who was sinless, take on our sins for us! God is so good!
So many times when we mess up, do we make the mistake of focusing on what we did, instead of who we are. In fact, if we were focusing on who we are in Christ Jesus, I don't believe we would mess up in the first place... I like what the message bible says from Ephesians chapter 2: "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah."
Did you get that? We were buried with Jesus in his death, and then when he received life, we did also! And now we, me and you, are seated with Christ in heavenly places! I guarantee that if you grasp the reality of what the bible tells us here, that we are already seated with Christ, you won't even flinch when sin comes knocking at your door!
So be of good courage, and the Lord will strengthen your heart! (Psalm 31:24) If you have Jesus living in your heart then you have already been made the righteousness of God and you are seated with Christ in heaven!
Here is what I want to key in on, the word righteous. If you are in Christ Jesus, You Are Righteous! I believe that righteous means that you are in right standing with God.
You see when you confess Jesus as your savior and believe that God raised him from the dead, you become a new creature! Old things are gone! 2 Corinthians 5:17.
2 Corinthians 5:19 (God's Word Translation) says God used Christ to restore his relationship with humanity. He didn't hold peoples faults against them! Isn't that awesome. v. 21 says that God had Christ, who was sinless, take on our sins for us! God is so good!
So many times when we mess up, do we make the mistake of focusing on what we did, instead of who we are. In fact, if we were focusing on who we are in Christ Jesus, I don't believe we would mess up in the first place... I like what the message bible says from Ephesians chapter 2: "It wasn't so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn't know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It's a wonder God didn't lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah."
Did you get that? We were buried with Jesus in his death, and then when he received life, we did also! And now we, me and you, are seated with Christ in heavenly places! I guarantee that if you grasp the reality of what the bible tells us here, that we are already seated with Christ, you won't even flinch when sin comes knocking at your door!
So be of good courage, and the Lord will strengthen your heart! (Psalm 31:24) If you have Jesus living in your heart then you have already been made the righteousness of God and you are seated with Christ in heaven!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
"Hello My Name Is God"
Click on the above link to watch a video about this awesome book I've been reading!
Faith
I wanted to take a moment to write about Faith and what I believe it is. Hebrews 11:1 says that Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Faith to me just means what you believe in. If you have faith in God's word, that simply means you believe it is true. It doesn't take faith to believe that I have a tv in my living room, because I can turn my head and see it, yet I believe there is a tv in my living room... So what's the difference? Faith is believing in something that you can't see. I have faith in God, I believe he is real, although I have never seen him. I believe that he has wonderful promises for me. The bible says that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. I didn't see this happen, but I have faith that it is true. The bible also says that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. With the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-11. So it takes faith, or believing in something that you can't see in order to recieve salvation. Jesus became sin, died, and rose again so that we could become his righteousness! 2 corinthians 5:21. I believe this. God said this about me, and you if you believe. You have already been judged for the sins that you have committed, as well as the ones that you will commit! Your not a sinner anymore if you believe Jesus died and rose again for you! If any man be in Christ he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new! 2 corinthians 5:17. I've heard this scripture quoted before,"all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" (romans 3:23) so we're all sinners right? Not right! We are new creatures, remember? If you continue reading in Romans, it goes on ot say,"Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." We are justified by placing faith in what Jesus has done for us! And since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ! Romans 5:1
Glory to God! He is so good! He sent his son to die for us so that we could live with him! He must really think that we are something special! I heard this today, the price paid determines the value... So what do you think you're worth? Do you see yourself as valuable as God does? If you don't, then begin to spend time with God, learning about what he says in the bible, it is his written word to you. As you spend time reading and listening to the Word of God, faith will begin to develop in your heart. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing the word of God. I believe that faith is being developed in you as you read this blog! I beleive that when you get up from your computer God continues to talk to you throughout your day and you continue to discover his goodness and mercy and just how valuable you are!
God is good, I'm glad to know that you are discovering how much he loves you and that he is for you!
Glory to God! He is so good! He sent his son to die for us so that we could live with him! He must really think that we are something special! I heard this today, the price paid determines the value... So what do you think you're worth? Do you see yourself as valuable as God does? If you don't, then begin to spend time with God, learning about what he says in the bible, it is his written word to you. As you spend time reading and listening to the Word of God, faith will begin to develop in your heart. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes by hearing the word of God. I believe that faith is being developed in you as you read this blog! I beleive that when you get up from your computer God continues to talk to you throughout your day and you continue to discover his goodness and mercy and just how valuable you are!
God is good, I'm glad to know that you are discovering how much he loves you and that he is for you!
Friday, October 23, 2009
What's your calling
As I've considered the plan and the purpose that God has for me, and wondered what it is that God has called me to be, I've drawn a simple conclusion that I think some people maybe overlook. I don't think it's intentional, but I think it is very important to consider.
I have a son, therefore I believe I am called to be a father. Pretty simple right. But how many times do I neglect that calling? How often do things just seem more important? How often would I rather do what I want than do what is necessary for my son?
On the other hand, I'm married, so I believe I'm called to be a husband... The same questions from above apply.
So, I believe there is a balance to this. I also believe that we should be perfecting the areas that we are called in. In times past I have been so caught up in finding God's plan and will for my life that I neglect what he's already showed me I'm to be doing.
I have a son, therefore I believe I am called to be a father. Pretty simple right. But how many times do I neglect that calling? How often do things just seem more important? How often would I rather do what I want than do what is necessary for my son?
On the other hand, I'm married, so I believe I'm called to be a husband... The same questions from above apply.
So, I believe there is a balance to this. I also believe that we should be perfecting the areas that we are called in. In times past I have been so caught up in finding God's plan and will for my life that I neglect what he's already showed me I'm to be doing.
If you find yourself to be struggling in one of the areas that you have been called in, reach out to the Lord, ask him for help, that is okay to do. I think as adults we sometimes feel that it's a sign of weakness to ask for help. But 1 Corinthians 1:25 says, For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. The bible also says that in our weakness, God is made strong! So turn to the wise and merciful one today and receive the abundance of grace that he has already supplied for you.
I hope you find this word encouraging.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
What matters???
What matters? Really, what matters? I want you to stop and consider your current situation. More specifically, your joy. Do you have the joy and excitement that you once did for Christ, or has the fire dwindled to a tiny flame?
I've seen this joy come and go at different times in my life, what I'm learning is the way that you maintain that constant joy is to consider the things that God has done for you, and remember what God has directed you to do. Jesus told the disciples in Mark 8:16-18 that the reason they were troubled is because they had hardened their hearts by not seeing what God was doing before their very eyes, and by not hearing what God was saying to them, and by not remembering the good things God had done for them!
When you think on the things that God has done for you and how he has brought you through impossible situations, how can you not be joyful. If you are focused on the cares of this world then it is easy to become depressed. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says that the sorrow of the world works death. Depression works death, it makes you sick. Focusing on the promises of God causes you to tune out the cares of this world, I don't care what they are! But it is up to you, you have to train your mind to focus on what God has said instead of what is going on in the world.
If you don't believe this then that's to bad... I'm going to stay excited about the things of God and remember what he has said about me!
The Apostle Paul received a word from Jesus when he was in prison. Jesus said in Acts 23:11, "Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, you will also be my witness in Rome." Paul was in prison for doing nothing wrong, and had people outside the prison that planned to kill him, and Jesus tells him to rejoice! Paul did rejoice, when he was brought before King Agrippa, Paul told him that he thinks himself happy. What do you think Paul was thinking about for him to be so happy? Paul testified of the wonderful things God had done for him(which he kept in his remembrance) and nearly talked King Agrippa into converting to follow Christ! Acts 26:28
If God says it, then you don't have to worry about what others are saying or what the situation looks like. Let God be true and every man be a liar! Romans 3:4
I'll end with this final passage of scripture, "I'm not saying this because I'm in any need. I've learned to be content in whatever situation I'm in. I know how to live in poverty or prosperity. No matter what the situation, I've learned the secret of how to live when I'm full or when I'm hungry, when I have too much or when I have too little. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13 God's Word Translation
So if God tells you to do something or that you can do something, then he will strengthen you! You can do all things through Christ who Strengthens you!
If your not sure what God has said about you, then I encourage you to dig into the Bible which is the Word of God and learn for yourself the awesome things that he has said that you are and the awesome life that he has said you can live.
I've seen this joy come and go at different times in my life, what I'm learning is the way that you maintain that constant joy is to consider the things that God has done for you, and remember what God has directed you to do. Jesus told the disciples in Mark 8:16-18 that the reason they were troubled is because they had hardened their hearts by not seeing what God was doing before their very eyes, and by not hearing what God was saying to them, and by not remembering the good things God had done for them!
When you think on the things that God has done for you and how he has brought you through impossible situations, how can you not be joyful. If you are focused on the cares of this world then it is easy to become depressed. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says that the sorrow of the world works death. Depression works death, it makes you sick. Focusing on the promises of God causes you to tune out the cares of this world, I don't care what they are! But it is up to you, you have to train your mind to focus on what God has said instead of what is going on in the world.
If you don't believe this then that's to bad... I'm going to stay excited about the things of God and remember what he has said about me!
The Apostle Paul received a word from Jesus when he was in prison. Jesus said in Acts 23:11, "Be of good cheer, Paul: for as you have testified of me in Jerusalem, you will also be my witness in Rome." Paul was in prison for doing nothing wrong, and had people outside the prison that planned to kill him, and Jesus tells him to rejoice! Paul did rejoice, when he was brought before King Agrippa, Paul told him that he thinks himself happy. What do you think Paul was thinking about for him to be so happy? Paul testified of the wonderful things God had done for him(which he kept in his remembrance) and nearly talked King Agrippa into converting to follow Christ! Acts 26:28
If God says it, then you don't have to worry about what others are saying or what the situation looks like. Let God be true and every man be a liar! Romans 3:4
I'll end with this final passage of scripture, "I'm not saying this because I'm in any need. I've learned to be content in whatever situation I'm in. I know how to live in poverty or prosperity. No matter what the situation, I've learned the secret of how to live when I'm full or when I'm hungry, when I have too much or when I have too little. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:11-13 God's Word Translation
So if God tells you to do something or that you can do something, then he will strengthen you! You can do all things through Christ who Strengthens you!
If your not sure what God has said about you, then I encourage you to dig into the Bible which is the Word of God and learn for yourself the awesome things that he has said that you are and the awesome life that he has said you can live.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Dealing With Temptation
The most important thing to realize and understand about temptation is that it all comes from the same root. The one and only purpose for temptation is to get you to trust in something, anything, other than God. The less you trust in God the bigger temptation will seem. Temptation will seem impossible if you have little trust in God, but as we understand more fully who God says we are and what we are capable of in him then temptation will not be such a big deal.
Here are 3 areas that we are tempted at... Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16) Jesus was tempted in these 3 areas for the sole reason to get him to take his eyes of what God had said about him. Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus had just been baptized in Chapter 3 and God spoke to him and said,"This is my son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus was now obligated to exercise faith in what God just told him. Satan then came to try and get Jesus to trust in something other than what God said. Now remember, 3 areas we will be tempted in, 1. lust of the flesh, 2. lust of the eyes, 3. pride of life.
1. Lust of the flesh: Satan tells Jesus, "If you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread." It wouldn't be a sin to turn stones into bread, but to perform a miracle in order to prove your the son of God would be. Notice where the emphasis is... Jesus had to trust what God had said about him, that he was the Son of God, he needed to believe by faith, and not perform a miracle to prove it.
2. Lust of the eyes: Satan then showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus if he would worship him that Satan would give Jesus the kingdoms. Jesus of course resisted the temptation.
3. Pride of life: Satan then takes Jesus to the top of the temple and told him if you are the son of God, jump from the temple for God has given his angles charge over him... the thing is, there were always people at the temple and these people would have seen Jesus descending from the top of the temple and he would have been exalted in that he proved he was the Son of God.
Satan's tricks are not new. Hebrews 4:15. Jesus was tempted in every area we have been, yet without sin. All temptation comes from the same root. So Jesus was tempted in every point, and if you say that things are different no and the pressures are now greater, you go without eating for 40 days!
Many times we are only tempted by habits that we form, Jesus was tempted by Satan himself and was yet without sin.
Another thing I've also found important when dealing with temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted. I believe we sometimes condemn ourselves because we are tempted but yet the Bible tells us to count it all joy when tempted! James 1. Jesus was tempted but yet was without sin. The trying of your faith works patience and helps you to grow into a strong and mature Christian.
It also says in James that God is not the one tempting us, for God is not a man that he should be tempted neither tempted he any man, but God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to endure, but if you humble yourself and ask for his help, he will provide a way of escape from the temptation.
In conclusion, Trust God! God is on your side and he is cheering for you! He believes that you can make it. He has made a large investment in you in hopes that you would yield a great return! He invested 1 (his son) in order to receive many!
Here are 3 areas that we are tempted at... Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. (1 John 2:16) Jesus was tempted in these 3 areas for the sole reason to get him to take his eyes of what God had said about him. Matthew 4:1-11. Jesus had just been baptized in Chapter 3 and God spoke to him and said,"This is my son in whom I am well pleased." Jesus was now obligated to exercise faith in what God just told him. Satan then came to try and get Jesus to trust in something other than what God said. Now remember, 3 areas we will be tempted in, 1. lust of the flesh, 2. lust of the eyes, 3. pride of life.
1. Lust of the flesh: Satan tells Jesus, "If you are the son of God, turn these stones into bread." It wouldn't be a sin to turn stones into bread, but to perform a miracle in order to prove your the son of God would be. Notice where the emphasis is... Jesus had to trust what God had said about him, that he was the Son of God, he needed to believe by faith, and not perform a miracle to prove it.
2. Lust of the eyes: Satan then showed Jesus the kingdoms of the world and told Jesus if he would worship him that Satan would give Jesus the kingdoms. Jesus of course resisted the temptation.
3. Pride of life: Satan then takes Jesus to the top of the temple and told him if you are the son of God, jump from the temple for God has given his angles charge over him... the thing is, there were always people at the temple and these people would have seen Jesus descending from the top of the temple and he would have been exalted in that he proved he was the Son of God.
Satan's tricks are not new. Hebrews 4:15. Jesus was tempted in every area we have been, yet without sin. All temptation comes from the same root. So Jesus was tempted in every point, and if you say that things are different no and the pressures are now greater, you go without eating for 40 days!
Many times we are only tempted by habits that we form, Jesus was tempted by Satan himself and was yet without sin.
Another thing I've also found important when dealing with temptation. It is not a sin to be tempted. I believe we sometimes condemn ourselves because we are tempted but yet the Bible tells us to count it all joy when tempted! James 1. Jesus was tempted but yet was without sin. The trying of your faith works patience and helps you to grow into a strong and mature Christian.
It also says in James that God is not the one tempting us, for God is not a man that he should be tempted neither tempted he any man, but God is faithful and will not allow us to be tempted above what we are able to endure, but if you humble yourself and ask for his help, he will provide a way of escape from the temptation.
In conclusion, Trust God! God is on your side and he is cheering for you! He believes that you can make it. He has made a large investment in you in hopes that you would yield a great return! He invested 1 (his son) in order to receive many!
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