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Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
There Is A War Going On
11
Nov
To continue with the power of the Holy Spirit I want to remind everyone that there is a spiritual battle going on all around us.
Can’t see it? Not being able to actually visually see it probably keeps us from going into the fetal position in a corner. However, the results around you make it perfectly clear that a battle rages on.
God being kicked out of school! Important?
Let’s see if you’re Satan and all the demons who follow him, what do you fear?
The Power of God and Jesus, which has victory on the cross. Who else do you now fear?
The Holy Spirit which came along and infiltrated the believers in the baptism of Jesus.
Acts 2:38 – 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When Jesus departed He sent the Comforter which is the Holy Spirit.
John 16:7 – 7Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. KJV
Jesus is in us through the Holy Spirit. All of our power comes from Him and God through the Holy Spirit.
John 17:26 – 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”
John 15:4 –4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
So if you’re Satan what are you trying to do? Stomp out the believer before they can even learn of the power that defeated him.
You see all around the world Satan is trying to use this tactic. In America it is to get God separated from the government. Why? It’s the ONLY thing that made America great. Separation of Church and State. Get God out of the schools, get God out of anything you can so people don’t learn about the Lord. In Muslim countries they outlaw the Word of God to the point that even if they are caught with it they are put to death or thrown into prison. Satan knows how powerful it is.
One thing that needs to be made perfectly clear, you don’t have power on your own. Jesus is the one with the power. That is why we must submit and let Him work through us, which is through the Holy Spirit.
The only wants you’ll have when you submit are the wants of Jesus, our Lord and King. That’s when evil literally quakes. That’s when the battle is being won through you in this war were all participating in.
Have a great Veterens Day, Christian soldiers.
What Are You Taking With You?
10
Nov
I know, I know, broken record.
Repetition sometimes is our best friend when it comes to remembering something. Certainly works for me.
Alright…..so let’s make the list. Flashlight…check. Bug spray….check..oh wait do I need that? Checkbook, hmmm, I wonder if they only want travelers checks? Trophys…. casket’s getting a little cramped here.
Let me help you out on this one. It’s been physically proven that all the material things stay here on earth. Many times for greedy people to fight over.
Just on that premises alone, without looking at what the bible says about it, can we call those things temporary? Let’s do that.
So were now away from this earth and nothing we had here materially is with us. Ah, but I still have those fun memories that I had in the life I lived for myself. So when you’re sitting on the eternal fishing boat or golf course you can reflect on all the great stuff you did or made.
There’s a problem, that stuff you’ve done for yourself in the past, doesn’t even fulfill you now today. That’s why were always seeking for more or to do more.
Yeah now let’s bring God’s Word into it. Let’s talk about the scriptures that 90 percent of the churches in this country wouldn’t dare touch on.
Luke 12:13-21 – 13 Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14 Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed me a judge or an arbiter between you?” 15 Then he said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
16 And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. 17 He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ 18 “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. 19 And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ 20 “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ 21 “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”
Nowhere in the New Testament does it encourage us to get rich, or store up things on this earth, or love the world.
On the contrary it says exactly the opposite.
Matthew 6:19-21 – 19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Matthew 19:21 – 21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
1 Timothy 6:9 – 9 Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
No it won’t be the last time I write on it, but that’s enough for today. A person that wants wealth wants it for himself. Jesus wants you to die to yourself, so He can work through you to reach others. You really can’t serve two masters.
The Unseen Power Is Real
09
Nov
Acts 19:11-16 – 11 God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12 so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.
What was the power behind the handkerchiefs and aprons? It was pure faith in the name of the Lord Jesus. They knew Paul was totally full of the Holy Spirit. Who was Paul spreading the Good News about? Jesus. The power comes from Jesus and our obedience and faith into His Kingdom.
13 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.” 14 Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15 One day the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” 16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
You see some of the Jews thought they would get cute and test some things. They saw Paul driving out demons in the name of Jesus and were amazed. They tried it themselves and sure enough it worked. It was like a new toy. What happened though? They found out it’s not a game at all!
“Jesus I know, Paul I know about, but who are you?”
No authority. Demons can pay attention and see what’s going on even if you are spiritually blind and cannot. Kind of reminds me of the person that goes around threatening people around them because he tells them he’s connected to the mob, but when some check into it and find out he’s not, bad things will be happening when he finally gets challenged.
The real power behind the name of Jesus comes from the Holy Spirit filled believer. Jesus comes into us and demons shutter. Why? It’s not us. It’s the Victorious King of Kings.
We are in a war right now. Seventy Five percent of humans today have no idea of how powerful there Lord is. Prayer is not a give me tool. When done in faith and in God’s will it is ultra powerful. Turning your life over to God and allowing the Holy Spirit to run through you makes evil tremble. More than you’ll ever know.
Turn away from yourself and turn into a warrior for God. Become the salt and the light of the world.
Resist The Devil And He Will Flee From You
08
Nov
James 4:7 – 7Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Do you have sin in your life that you want to get rid of and it’s just hard?
The fact that most of us fail to realize or take seriously is that there is a major spiritual war going on that we can’t physically see.
Satan is still the Prince of this world. Jesus has gained victory over sin and death, but Satan still has plenty of power on this planet. Any victory you can have over Satan comes from Jesus and His victory.
That is why we must SUBMIT ourselves to God. We have no power without Him. With Him however, we have all the power we need to defeat evil, sin, and Satan in our lives.
Now onto the title portion of our post. Imagine if you have a bunch of macho football watching guys all hanging out. In your house you have the greatest setup to watch football. A high definition big screen with sound that puts you right into the action. Also let’s pretend that these football watching fanatics have no ability to watch it unless they travel to somebody’s house to see it and they can go and watch it wherever they want.
Are they going to be at your house?
You bet they are, as many as the place will fit and as long as they can have a decent seat.
How long will they stay? As long as you have the games playing. The better the games the more they enjoy them.
This analogy I wanted to play out for you works the same way in a sinful problem. You see there are demons by the millions are over this earth and they work for Satan. Each one of them is an evil disembodied spirit that has its own sins. They are feeding off of you!
If you are feeding them in your sin (whatever it may be), they are going to be there in full force.
Luke 11:24-26 – 24“When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.’ 25When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”
So we see here that a spirit wants to find rest and until he finds a sinful habitat, he doesn’t have rest. So in this case it went out and found seven sprits more wicked than it was. Where did they go? Back into the same man. What was the result? The man is now worse off than before he cleaned up his life and gave the wicked spirit the boot in the first place.
You’re already a fallen sinful human being that is fighting the flesh already. This certainly doesn’t help the battle. So what are we supposed to do?
We have to make the decision to die to ourselves and that sinful nature. We have to let Jesus work in us and through us to get this victory.
Here’s another thing about that evil spirit or spirits. If you aren’t feeding it, not only does it get bored with you, but as we read it gets restless. It leaves because it needs to feed. Don’t let it feed off of your sin any longer. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.
I remember thinking to myself, how can I say that I would die if someone put a gun to my head and asked me if I was a Christian, if I can’t even die to the stupid sins that I allow to affect my life.
That’s when 2+2 came together for me, along with reading the life changing book from Chuck and Nancy Missler (The Kingdom, Power & Glory, the overcomers handbook). I needed to:
- Die to myself
- Allow the spirit of God and Christ to work through me
- Resist the Devil so he would flee from me
I’m telling you it has set me free on many things I couldn’t beat on my own. If you want the mindset to beat a sin you have to take it on with all three of these.
Quote – Charles Stanley
06
Nov
Of all the things Christ wants for us, loving Him and focusing our attention on Him are the most important.
Charles Stanley
I heard Chuck Missler remind me in one of the tapes I was listening to the other day that we are created to worship and have relationship with the Lord. It’s why we were created.
Why was David considered a man after God’s Heart? By his life? No, David had a lot of issues in his life and they are recorded in the Bible. It was his desire and love for the Lord. David truly was passionate about God and had a real relationship with Him.
Does that mean it’s a license to fail everywhere else in our walk? No. It just means that it is the most important.
Think about the best relationship you have on earth and now try and surpass that in your relationship with the Lord. It takes time, respect, love, trust, honor, and faith.
We Are A New Creation
05
Nov
When we accept Christ, what is supposed to change?
We are!
The Lord accepts us just as we are, but that’s not where we’re supposed to stay. In fact it’s almost impossible to do. You’re going to start moving. So where are you going to start moving to?
Most of us when we accept the Lord have that high, because we have discovered the Love of Jesus. To accept the Lord, for at least a time we say, “I’m a sinner and I need you to save me.”
It’s a form of submitting. What we don’t realize is submitting is how we need to continue in our walk and relationship with Him.
So we get saved and then it’s back to ME again. Boy, am I glad I’m saved, well it’s time to go out and do the same things I’ve always done. It’s time to go blend back in with the crowd. What’s changed?
Should there be a change?
2 Corinthians 5:17 – 17Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. KJV
Old things are passed away. That’s a change. Why do we need to change?
Psalms 94:11 – 11The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity. KJV
Fallen man thinks about himself instead of the things of God.
So we need to die to that sinful part of ourselves.
Romans 6:1-7 – 1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin— 7 because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.
Romans 6:11 – 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
We need to die to our selfish wants, selfish desires, self, self, self, self.
The new creature is to be Christ with skin on. When we die to ourselves, He can come in and work through us. If that’s not happening then we need to study the New Testament and adhered to what it says. We are crucified with Christ. We need to become a new creation. Pray for the want to and the strength to do so.
Love And Obedience
04
Nov
John 14:23-24 – 23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
These two verses have many great things in them. Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit in this portion of the chapter. I want to concentrate on His words.
It basically says if we love Him, since we all qualify as anyone, we will obey His teaching. What does the opposite of that mean?
Does it mean….if we don’t obey Him…do we love Him?
I worry (and I don’t know this for a fact) that many people are in love with the idea of avoiding hell and inhabiting heaven. Do they love the Real Living Jesus, because Jesus isn’t a personage or God that is whoever you want to make Him out to be? He has standards. They are the same as God the Father’s standards, since they are one.
John 10:30 – 30I and the Father are one.”
So what are these standards? Where are these teachings we need to obey if we really love Him?
They’re in God’s Word which is the Bible.
So if we don’t know the Bible or read the Bible, how can we obey Jesus? If we don’t obey Jesus do we love Him?
Matthew 21:28-32 – 28“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ 29” ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30“Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31“Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
Once again many scriptures have multiple messages of gold in them. That’s how God’s Word works and it’s one of the many things that makes it so incredible. I want to concentrate on the obedience in the scripture, because had the elders and chief priests really have known and obeyed God’s Word, Jesus wouldn’t be telling them that the prostitutes and tax collectors were entering ahead of them.
Think about it. Our savior is telling the holy men of that day that the prostitutes and tax collectors that repent and accept Him are entering before they were. That was a serious blow to their egos.
How’s man today on obeying God’s teaching? How’s the church doing regarding God’s teaching?
How are we doing in regards to Loving Jesus? Is there anything more important?
Today is a new day to deny yourself and obey God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. It’s one sure fire way that we can show Jesus we love Him. He’s says so Himself in His teaching. Read it.
Two Things God Can’t Do – Part 2
03
Nov
Yesterday we spoke on the first thing God can’t do. He can’t be evil and He doesn’t lie or change His mind once He promises it. I suppose you could say that’s more than one thing but He can’t go against Himself brings those things together.
Today we are going to talk about the second thing God can’t do.
He can’t make you love Him.
Wow. Think about that.
Why were we created? To worship, praise and have relationship with our loving Father. To rule and reign under His power. He didn’t want robots. Would you want to marry a robot that had no decision to love you back?
No.
The thing that’s great about real love is when that person unconditionally loves you back. We have a lot of pain because people choose to not love. Every divorce that started out with two people loving each other, ended because at least one chose not to love back somewhere along the line. Love is a choice.
God has given us that choice. Many have chosen not to love Him. Many have chosen to love themselves. Many have chosen to not even take the time to seek Him.
No one will be able fast talk themselves past God when the time comes to stand in front of the Righteous Loving Judge of All. That choice of love and talking needs happen before you take your last breath on this earth.
God has given people the whole day to make choices. God has given many people years to make choices. God has given us a whole book called the Bible should we choose to read it. In the Bible it warns us that there are good choices and bad choices. The worst choice humans can make is to not accept His Sacrifice for the redemption of our sins. That choice and it is ours to choose, will land you either with God in paradise or without God and in hell. The next group of choices will either having you living for God so He reward you or living for yourself which will lead to no reward.
Looks like God is Pro Choice accept when it comes to killing His unborn children that He created.
Your choices affect your destiny. Don’t take a chance for another minute. Choose Jesus as Lord. Choose to Love God. Choose to seek Him. Choose to read His Word. If you want to make Him Lord I have made a page to run you through on how to do so. It is in the right upper column of this blog.
Two Things God Can’t Do – Part 1
02
Nov
There are at least two things God can’t do.
One He can’t go against Himself. God is good, not evil, and He can’t go against His own rules.
Mark 10:18 – 18“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone.
This is beyond good news. What would happen if you couldn’t count of God being true and just? You would trust nothing. You would have no hope.
Also a little clarification, Jesus isn’t saying refuting He’s good when asked the question in the verses before this one. It was a rhetorical question. Why are you saying I’m good? Jesus is good and Jesus is God along with the Father.
We have victory when we choose to be children of God and accept the redemption of Christ.
If Jesus is your Lord and you have asked for forgiveness, this isn’t a maybe you have victory. You have victory! God won’t change His mind tomorrow.
James 1:17 – 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Numbers 23:19 – 19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
1 Samuel 15:29 – 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”
Titus 1:1-2 – 1Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— 2a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,
Psalm 102:27 – 27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Hebrews 13:8 – 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
That’s quite a list of scripture. When God says it He means it.
As long as we are on this subject I got one more for the replacement theology people who think God is done with Israel after making a promise to them.
Malachi 3:6 – 6 “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.
God made a promise to Israel and because God doesn’t change His mind they will be ruled by their Messiah Jesus in the millennium which is soon to come following the Tribulation. Quit trying to replace Israel verses with the Church.
Tomorrow we will talk on the second thing God can’t do.