Prayer

If you do not yet know Christ as Lord, you may not know what it means to pray.  To pray is to communicate with God our Father in Heaven. Many will tell you there are lots of different ways of praying.  When Jesus was asked how to pray, He said, "Our Father who are in Heaven, Holy by thy name, thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and for give us our trespasses as we forgive those that tresspass against us.  Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory for ever Amen.  Lets look at that prayer again.  God is holy,( so He wants us to be holy).  Thy Kingdom come,( that is calling the Kingdom down to us).  Thy will be done.  (His will not ours).  Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  (There is no sin, sickness, lack in Heaven, that is how God wants it to be on earth).  Lead us not into temptation,( the Lord will not lead us astray).  But deliver us from evil. ( Evil is here and all will be tempted, but it is not of God).  Give us this day our daily bread.  (We should not go hungry).  Forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those that tresspass against us.  (Forgive if you wish to be forgiven).

 

Also God says to go into our Prayer Closet.  It means we get the best results when we are in a still, quiet place, talking to God.  He says not to make long drawn out prayers in the church to impress others.  He says those things we do in private, will be rewarded in public. 

Gods Word says that when we stand praying, believe that we have received, and we shall receive.  Many pray but do not believe.  It is obvious because they pray the same request over and over.  It is only common sense that if we believed our prayer would be answered, there would be no need to repeat it.  We are to walk by faith, not by sight.  We are to meditate in the Word both night and day, NOTHING WAIVERING. 

 

There is a scripture that says, " Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.  And the peace of God which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Gods Word says to pray without ceasing.  That would mean, before you do anything, pray about it.  If you are at total peace about what you are praying for, then you have the answer.  Anything that brings fear, doubt, anger, pain etc. are not of God.  We are to pray one for another.  I believe the best way to pray for another, or to pray about a situation is to release the Word of God over the situation in faith.  After all it is God's Word, and He said His Word would NEVER return void. As the scriptures say Heaven and earth will pass away but the written Word is eternal.  Seek thee first the Kingdom of Heaven and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you.  Jesus said when 2 or more of us agree touching anything, it will done by our Father in Heaven.  If there is not another person present, then my prayer must aline with the Holy Spirit which means 2 of us, (the spirit, and I).  In order for the Spirit to agree, it must be spoken from our mouths by applying the scripture to the situation.  Example:  In times of trouble pray like this, Father I declare in the name of Jesus, that no weapon formed against me shall prosper.  In Jesus name Greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world.  Then Thank Him in Jesus name and give Jesus the glory.  You have released the Word over the situation, and it is the Word that NEVER returns void, when spoken in faith.  Too often people dwell in the situation, not in the answer.  In many cases that could be because they do NOT know the Word.  That is why the Bible says, each must study to show themselves approved.  God has already given us Victory over sin, sickness, fear, doubt etc. Through His Son Jesus Christ that gave His life for us.  The enemy will still put those things on us, but we have the Authority to be Over comers, and we also have the instructions.  (Written Word).  When satan tempted Jesus, every time Jesus replied with, It is written.  That is all He said.  That actually shows that satan knew it was written, because He backed off.  Many believers do notknow that.  My next entry will show you what applying the scriptures and standing in faith has done in the lives of me and my family.  Until then, be blessed.  Jesus loves you and so do I.

Holy Spirit Power

This is a continuation of Power through Christ.  It was Christ that sent us the Holy Spirit as our Comforter.  Some may view a Comforter as someone that makes us feel better when we are down.  When we are out, when we are feeling depressed.  The Holy Spirit does all those things plus much more.  The Holy Spirit as I said before is the Spirit of Christ living in us.  So you may ask, exactly how does this make us different from the rest of the world?  It is the Holy Spirit that convicts us if we are doing something that is not pleasing unto the Lord.  The Spirit reveals things to us in our souls that makes us want to be pleasing so we turn away from those things that are wrong, and if we do mess up, we ask forgiveness.  God is faithful to forgive when asked.  He says we must forgive also in order to be forgiven.  Forgive those that trespass against us.  The Holy Spirit is also the "Power" given to us through Christ to use His name, as we have became adopted heirs with Him to the Kingdom of God.  When we invite Christ to come into our lives, and ask to be baptized in His Spirit we have the power to trod on the enemy.  We put satan under our feet.  We become much more aware of what we say and do.  The scripture says, from the abundance of the heart, the tongue speaks.  Some non-believers view accepting God as something that would take them away from those things that bring them pleasure, those things that are called fun.  In actuality the Holy Spirit will change you, but the change is for the better.  Those that do not believe, do not realize they are the walking dead.  Doomed for eternity to a place called Hell.  They view death as the grave, and that they will just cease to exist.  Jesus went to the cross for all of us, while we were still sinners.  He took on the sins of the world, when He himself was sinless.  He paid a price He did not owe, because we being born into sin, owed a debt we could not pay.  Some think well why would this wonderful God put sin on all of us?  He didn't.  He created man in His image, which was sinless.  Then He gave man instructions, that man did not follow.  Therefore sin entered the world.  God never fails.  Man does.  When we are reborn of Gods Spirit, (baptized in the Spirit) we are then perfected as we grow "In" Him.  His desires become our desires.  His Word becomes the standard we try to live by.  All will have eternal life, but Jesus gave us a choice as to where we spend it.  He says I set before you life and death, choose life.  Death is eternal torment in Hell.  The Holy Spirit brings both gifts and fruit.  These are things that are not of the natural world after man fell.  That is how we are to judge a person according to Gods Word.  You become a fruit inspector.  His Word says, You shall know them by their fruit.  That is called trying the Spirit that is in a person.  There are 9 fruit.  Love, Peace, Long suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance, Joy.  Those that do not know the Lord may possess some of these qualities, but eternal life does not come from works, or fruit, it is only made possible by faith through God's grace.  Many say so and so is a very good person.  They may appear good, they may even be good, but they will only be saved by faith through Gods grace.   Those that fear giving up their worldly ways, afraid they will never have fun, will never experience the JOY of the Lord.  Fun, happiness, these are things that come and go.  The JOY of the Lord is ever lasting.  That is where Holy Spirit Power reigns in this life, not just when we pass from this body into the presence of the Lord.  It is where life and life more abundantly comes into play.  Salvation is the greatest of all gifts, but can you imagine the JOY in this life, if you healed the sick through Christ?  If you could walk through every situation with Peace, and not fear?  If you awoke each day with JOY in your heart?  If you never felt alone, no matter the circumstances?  If you knew you could bless everyone in your family, love your neighbor, and make this a better place for your children and grand children?  Aren't those things worth having in this life?  YOU can have them.  They were given for whosoever will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, ask Him into their heart sincerely.  Ask forgiveness of sin.  Declare Jesus as Lord of your life. Then you should be baptized in water, (this is obedience and is symbolic of washing away your sins by the blood of Jesus). Then ask God to baptize you in His Holy Spirit because you desire to be Christ like.   After that expect the Holy Spirit to direct your steps.  You will fail often at first, perhaps many times, but when you know you have failed, simply ask God to forgive you, and your forgiven.  The Bible says we are to forgive 7 X 70 in one day if asked.  I think that means always, for we are not counting.  You will grow more each day, as you study Gods Word, and the JOY and PEACE of the Lord that goes beyond understanding will begin to grow in you.  My next entry will be, "Prayer Life".  Until then Jesus loves you, and so do I.  Be blessed!

Power Through Christ

When Jesus walked upon this earth, He had the power of God in Heaven, as Jesus was there in the beginning, but at that time He was the Word.  In the beginning was the Word, the Word was God and the Word was with God.  The Word became flesh and walked among us.  When Jesus went to the cross for the sins of the world.  He told His followers, I will not leave you without comfort.  I will send the "Holy Spirit" who will be your Comforter.  As I said in my previous entry, the Holy Spirit will teach you all things.  Jesus having the Power of God within Him, taught as the Father wanted Him to.  Because He was one with the Father.  He said if you have seen me, you have seen the Father.  Every place Jesus went after He was baptized, He went around healing the sick, restoring vision to the blind, making the lame walk, etc.  Let me back up here and say Jesus was baptized in the waters of the Jordan river.  He was baptized by John the Baptist.  John told the people He was baptizing before Jesus came along.  I baptize thee in water, He that comes after me, (meaning Jesus) will baptize thee in the in fire, (meaning the Holy Spirit).  You may ask, why would He have called the Holy Spirit fire?  Because fire refines those things that it consumes.  It polishes metals such as gold and silver.  The Holy Spirit is what sits us a part from the rest of the world.  When John baptized Jesus, the Spirit desended  upon Him as a dove, and the Father spoke from Heaven saying this is my son in whom I am well pleased.  All 3 parts of the God Head were present that day in the same place.  Jesus in the water, the Holy Spirit as a dove, and the Father spoke from Heaven.  It was after His baptism that He sat about doing miracles.  His first miracle was at a wedding, where He turned the water into wine.  He continued on doing the Fathers will after that by healing the sick, raising the dead, and so on.  He went about doing good for the glory of the Father.  Jesus had followers that were His disciples.  He taught them in the ways of the Father.  He told them if they were believers, they too would do all the things He did, and even greater things would they do.  Jesus baptized them in water and told them to go to the upper room, and wait until the Holy Spirit came upon them.  After Jesus ascended into Heaven, many were filled with the Holy Spirit.  When this happened they spoke in new tongues (languages they had not spoken for).  They were filled and knew they had became the anointed ones, and the great commission was for them to set about teaching the gospel of Christ, to go into ALL the world.  Declaring the gospel of Christ.  That is called Holy Spirit Power.  It is the power given to every believer, that they can trod on the enemy and have authority through Christ.  As the Word of God says, not by power (meaning self power), not by might, only by my Spirit sayeth the Lord.  There is power in the name of Jesus.  There is authority in the name of Jesus.  As Spirit filled believers in Christ baptised in the Holy Spirit we have the same power over all things that Jesus had.  It is no longer I that lives but Jesus that lives in me.  This comes by taking on the Spirit of Christ, and putting the flesh to death, (meaning doing Gods will instead of our fleshly will).  The Bible is the inspired Word of God given to man by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke to over 40 men as they wrote the Bible. (God is the Author).  Most of these men, never knew each other, yet each one lends truth one to the other.  There are things in the Bible (Word of God) that no man of that time could have known other wise.  Things revealed that would and have came to pass.  The very center verse of the Bible says, It is better to put ALL your trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.  Still there are many people today that call themselves believers that have NOT laid hold of the power.  In other words, they have been baptised in water, and they have confessed Christ as their Savior.  They are promised eternal life in Christ, they have an endwelling of the Holy Spirit, yet they have not been baptised In the Holy Spirit.  They are not yet totally fullfilled.  They believe, but they do not act on the belief.  They say they have faith, yet they have no works.  The Word of God says, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.  Faith is the substance of things hoped for evidenced by things not seen.  It goes on to say, faith without works is dead.  Lets stop and consider this scenario.  Say a man is told by the doctor His child does not have long to live.  The fleshly man will fall on His face in grief, taking the doctor at His Word.  Yet the Spiritual man will know accepting that doctors diagnoses would be putting confidence in man instead of God.  The Spiritual man will remember Gods Words that say, I can do ALL things through Him that gives me strength.  The Spiritual man will hear Gods voice saying, you as a believer shall lay hands on the sick and they shall be healed.  The Spiritual man knows in His heart, that children are blessings, and God does not send blessings, just to take them back again.  It is the enemy that comes to lie, steal, and kill.  God has given us all the instructions in the Bible to lay hold of the power to be Overcomers through Christ Jesus.  The Bible even promises 70 years to each of us, yet not all lay hold of that, not all receive their time on earth.  Anything more than 70 is a blessing.  God also says that many will stand before Him saying they healed the sick, cast out demons etc. in the name of Jesus, and God will say I never knew you.  That shows just how much power there is in that name alone.  Even some not living according to Gods divine purpose and plan will be able to do miracles in His name alone.  Yet many Christians will tell you, they do not have that kind of power.  Perhaps they should go back and re-read that part of the Bible that says many do not have  because they do not ask.  (Again ask and you shall recieve. ) Meaning the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.  My next entry will be, "Holy Spirit Power," Until then be blessed in Jesus name.  Amen & Amen

Knowing God verses Believing in God

How many really KNOW God? Can you be a Christian and NOT know God? Do you know Gods Will? How do we receive Christ as Savior? Are your prayers being answered, and if not why is that? Those are a few of the topics I want to touch on here. It is my belief that many call themselves Christian and they are believers but they do not know God. I know that from my own personal experience of calling myself a Christian for over 40 years but not knowing God. You may ask how anyone can be a Christian and not know God. The answer is simple. I confessed Him as my Lord and Savior, invited Him into my heart, asked forgiveness of sin, and the buck stopped there. Oh, I prayed and I prayed often but praying does not make one a Christian. Believing does not make one a Christian, even the devil believes and trembles but He is not a Christian. Here is where I could start quoting scripture and giving you chapter and verse. That would make it too simple. I followed that path for too many years. I can assure you the times I refer to what God said are scriptural. Yet the Bible says we find when we seek with ALL our heart. If you are interested enough to want to know more about the things I will reveal to you here, then You must be hungry enough for Gods Word to seek for your self. I cannot seek for anyone else. First I want to explain what a true Christian is. Christ which is taken from the word Christos, means the anointed one. Therefore Jesus Christ was the anointed one. If you are a Christian (Follower and Believer "IN" Christ) then You are also anointed through Christ. You seek to do His will. You use your God given gifts of the Spirit. Now How does one know Gods will? For many years I just assumed everything that happened was Gods will. If I lost a loved one, had to be Gods will. If I was broke, had to be Gods will. After all, He created all. He knows all. Then everything that happens to us in this life must be Gods will. Right? WRONG! Knowing Gods Word is knowing Gods will. He created us in His image, body, soul, and spirit, and He gave us the freedom of choice. He sent His only begotten Son that we may have eternal life and forgiveness of sin by repenting and choosing Him as our Lord and Savior. To repent is to turn away from. Not easy, especially at first. Yet the more you understand Gods Word and KNOW it as His will. It becomes easier, and turns you into a new creation. Old things pass away, all things become new. Gods Word says it is God's desire that no man perish but that each come to know His saving grace through Jesus Christ. Yet The Bible also speaks of those that will spend eternity in Hell.  That shows God does NOT always get His will. The Bible says man does not live by bread alone but by every word out of the mouth of God. It also says ask and you shall receive. That does not mean your going to get everything you ask for. I think it means ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit, ask from your heart, and be ready to let the Holy Spirit lead you. The Bible says, the Holy Spirit will teach you ALL things. The Holy Spirit reveals Gods Word in a whole new light. You may ask what is the Holy Spirit? Gods Word says there are 3 that bare witness in Heaven, Father, Son and Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) and these 3 are One. One God in 3 different forms. Father God (Spirit) Son (Jesus Christ) Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit sent by Jesus as Our Comforter).  The Holy Spirit is God living "IN" you.  Gods Word says, He lives in me and I in Him as He has given me of His Spirit.  The body of Christ (Christians) is made up of many.  That is what makes us Brothers and Sisters "IN" Christ.  Jesus is the Head of the body.  Our directions come from the Word of God.  Jesus was and is the Word made flesh, so we are to follow the example He gave to us in the written Word. God is knowable.  He says those that are His know His voice.  He is revealed to them by His Word.  My next entry will be about the Power we have when Jesus lives in Us.