Our Power for Ministry

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” [Act 1:8 KJV]

When Jesus gave this commission to His disciples it was sealed with a promise with the anticipation of the coming Holy Ghost. God has given us this precious gift to abide with us forever, “Peter said…repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). The disciples were instructed to “…wait in Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high” (Lk. 24:29). Before the disciples started their ministry (or commission) they were instructed to wait for the power to come upon them, and if you remember, even Jesus had received the Holy Spirit before He went into His ministry and we too, need the Holy Ghost before we do what God has called us to do.  For He, the Holy Ghost is our companion, our teacher, our guide our help and our closes friend. He helps us to remember God’s Word, He bears witness with our spirit, that we are children of God (Rom.8:16), He is available to all believers, there is no condemnation with Him, and when we don’t know how or what to pray He prays for us – the list is limitless.

This commission is also our directive to follow and receive the gift of God “…how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?” (Lk. 11:13).  Now many of Christ followers today, may not be able to become a traveling evangelist, or stand amongst thousands preaching the gospel, or have a large T.V. ministry, but with the advancement of technology we can now reach nations world-wide and as close as our own family.  We need the Holy Ghost help since we have accepted this commission, we need His help in witnessing, preaching the gospel, healing the sick, casting out devils, and an array of other skills that He possesses. We don’t have to do this alone or in our own strength or power, and we don’t walk alone any longer. The Holy Ghost is with us even when we forget that He is there, and even when we forget to call for His help.  

I pray that the information below will be helpful in how to receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. God says “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (Mt. 7:7). Remember the Holy Spirit is a gift from God, receive this precious gift with great love, search the Bible concerning the Holy Spirit, for He is a wonderful person to know.

How does one receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit?

*Conversion must come first – “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a hear of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.  (Eze. 36:26-27)”.   “Jesus answered and said unto him, verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God…Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (Jn. 3:3,5)”.

*You must become converted and as little children – “…Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of heaven (Mt. 18:3)”.  “Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein (Mk.10:15)”.

*Obey the great commandment – “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself (Mt. 22: 37-39)”.  “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself (Lk. 10:27)”.

*Obey God – “And we are his witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him (Acts 5:32)”.  Obedience is better than sacrifice according to (1 Sam. 15:22).  

*Have Faith to receive – “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place…there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house…And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1-4)”.

*Let your faith stand in the power of God, and not in the wisdom of men – “And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Than your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4-5)”.

*Determine to know only Christ crucified – “For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (1 Cor.2:2)”.  “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12)”. “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 3:11)”.

*Relax and surrender every bit of yourself to God, especially your mind and your pride in intellect and worldly wisdom, for they mean nothing to God and are foolishness to Him – “For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent (1 Cor. 1:17-19)”.  “But he giveth more grace.  Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you, cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded (James 4:6-8)”.

*The laying on of hands sometimes helps but is not always necessary – “Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost (Acts 8:17)”. “While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word (Acts 10:44)”. “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied (Acts 19:6)”. “wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands (2 Tim 1:6)”.

*Finally, ask the Father, and He will give you the baptism in the Holy Spirit – “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto you children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirits to them that ask him? (Lk. 11:13)”.

We have been given this wonderful gift of God and He comes to live in every believer forever.  He gives us the power to stand courageous when rebuking sin “but truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgressions, and to Israel his sin” (Micah 3:8). He’s mightier than any physical force “…this is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Host” (Zech. 4:6). The Spirit enables us to speak with authority “And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33).

Whatever doubts that come to your mind about receiving the Holy Spirit, cast them out immediately. The adversary – the devil, will cause you to think that nothing has happen. You receive your salvation by faith and therefore you receive the Holy Spirit by faith in what God has promised us in the Word. When the devil comes to make you doubt, do as Jesus did by saying; “it is written” (Mt. 4:3-11) use the sword of the Spirit that is the Word of God.  Humble yourselves into His hands so that He can help you in every area of your life, it is in our surrendering to Him that we are strengthened to live and walk in this darken world. Keep God’s Word before your eyes daily and in your ears, worship and praise Him for every victory, live each day expectantly, love one another and cast all your care upon Him for He cares for you.

Father, thank you for your perfect gift of Jesus Christ, who gave His all for us. Thank you for the promise of the Holy Spirit who will be our comforter and constant companion forever. I ask you to come Holy Spirit, have your way in my life, lead me, guide me, teach me, strengthen me and help me to be an effective witness for Jesus Christ. Teach me to worship God for it is written “but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth; for the Father seek such to worship him. God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth” (John. 4:23-24).  Show me how to have a full and effective ministry that will reach millions for Christ and that I may boldly proclaim the gospel of God in the power of the Holy Ghost with signs following. Thank you, Father, for loving me and all your children. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray amen.

Chosen2Prayer

A Father’s discipline

“It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.” Hebrews 12:7-8 (NASB)

It seems funny to me when you hear people say, “I’m grown” as if it’s not noticeable already. But does that mean that everyone else are children?  God sees us as His children, and as such we must endure His chastening from time to time.  Correction is something that grown folks don’t take to kindly too, but we hand out correction to our children, in order to direct them on the right path.  God does the same with His children, we have all had days, even months when at every turn there seems to be a battle waiting to confront us, and there are reasons why we just can’t seem to get ahead of all the troubles. One important thing to remember before I go on, is we can’t live as we please or do what as we please or treat others as we please knowing we are His Children. The seeds that we sow will one day come to full harvest and we will reap what we have sown. God’s Word has given us an answer for our rebellious ways and the reason for our chastisement:

“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of His corrections. For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.” (Prov. 3:11,12)

God’s purpose for discipline is when He sees that we are depending upon the worlds way of handling things more than upon Him.  Or that we have become lax in our spiritual walk and our old ways are beginning to pick up strength, like a car going downhill. Teaching is necessary to help us go the way God desires for us and discipline is necessary to render that teaching to be effectual. Correction is mandatory to bring our minds into submission, without which it cannot acquire knowledge. Never reject the procedure or process of God, only humble yourself under His mighty hand.  It is no use trying to rebel, for every act of rebellion against God, is a wound to your own soul.  God will either end you or mend you; the choice is yours.

He loves us and He wants the best for His children. “…we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits, and live? (Heb. 12:9). It is never pleasant to be corrected or discipline by God. But this discipline is a sign of His deep love for each of us. When God corrects us, you must see it as poof of His love.  How we respond to His correction has a lot to say; again we can accept it with resignation, we can accept it with self-pity, we can be angry and resentful toward God or we can accept it gratefully, as this is the appropriate response – the choice is yours.  

“As many as I love, I rebuke: and chasten be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:11)

God is not only a disciplining parent but also a demanding coach who pushes us to our limits and He requires our lives to be discipline. We may not feel strong enough to push on to victory, but as long as we keep following Christ we can draw upon His strength to make it through. Most of our thinking is not all that great and we tend to make choices out of fear, anger, jealousy, spite and so many more emotions that leads us down the path of bad choices, which then leads to more intense correction from the hand of God. Matthew Henry said it best and in a clear and precise way that one cannot miss the true meaning of the scriptures above.

“There is a proneness in believers to grow weary, and to faint under trials and afflictions; this is from the imperfection of grace and the remains of corruption. Christians should not faint under their trials. Though their enemies and persecutors may be instruments to inflict sufferings, yet they are Divine chastisements; their heavenly Father has his hand in all, and his wise end to answer by all. They must not make light of afflictions, and be without feeling under them, for they are the hand and rod of God, and are his rebukes for sin. They must not despond and sink under trials, nor fret and repine (complain), but bear up with faith and patience. God may let others alone in their sins, but he will correct sin in his own children. In this he acts as becomes a father. Our earthly parents sometimes may chasten us, to gratify their passion, rather than to reform our manners. But the Father of our souls never willingly grieves nor afflicts his children. It is always for our profit. Our whole life here is a state of childhood, and imperfect as to spiritual things; therefore, we must submit to the discipline of such a state. When we come to a perfect state, we shall be fully reconciled to all God's chastisement of us now. God's correction is not condemnation; the chastening may be borne with patience, and greatly promote holiness. Let us then learn to consider the afflictions brought on us by the malice of men, as corrections sent by our wise and gracious Father, for our spiritual good.” (Matthew Henry Concise Bible Commentary)

If truth be told, we bring on God’s chastisement because we persistently ignore His guidance, and insistently take our own path. Even though that still small voice deep within us says not to do that, we turn a deaf ear and proceed down destruction avenue. We should never listen to the voice that goes against the will of God or that puts an uneasy feeling within us. Our faith is not in figuring a way out or listening to the counsel or advice of others, but we must humble ourselves under His hand of judgment. We must look to Him for direction and guidance as children. However, He chooses to bring correction, it is imperative that we keep our faith in the promises of God, we must keep our focus on Him, we must remember how much He loves us, we must repent of our wrong and we must endure chastisement till our hearts are turned and our minds renewed by His Word and by His loving hand. Claim the promises of God, resist the devil who walks about like a roaring lion, and never give him any place in your life.

For God tells us: “I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him…”       2 Samuel 7:14-15 (NASB) 

Father, sometimes I don’t understand the “why” of situations that happen in my life and I know that I may have caused much of my own suffering by going and doing what I thought was right, without acknowledging you. I ask your forgiveness for my wrong thinking, I ask your forgiveness for not taking heed to the voice of your Holy Spirit. I ask forgiveness for being foolish to think my way was better than yours. I know that when I am judge I will be chasten of you Lord, that I may not be condemn with this world. For you told me clearly, be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.  For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son who he receiveth. Thank you Father, for I am your child, for if I endure chastening, I know that you deal with me as your child.

Chosen2Prayer…

The Hope of Glory

We are living in an age of anxiety, many are paralyzed by fear of anything and everything, except God. Have you ever seen someone who looks as though they have it all together? Everything about them says they know how to live life and we may even envy them for how together they are. But if we had the eyes of God to see into their hearts, you would see that they are a nervous ball of fears, uncertainty, anxious thoughts, strained emotions.  What is shown on the outside is a false front, design to disguise what is truly going on in the inside. You see, even as Christians we struggle with self-issues that we don’t want to deal with since we have moved on. Nevertheless, underlying issues remain and the more we keep the outside clean and shiny, the darker and dense the inside becomes.

Oh, how wonderful God is when His light has begun to shine on the dark and dense places on the inside. All who are Christians remember the moment when you decided to choose Christ as your Lord and Savior, the moment He became your deliver, and your redeemer.  Life w

as better, there was a feeling of joy and finally peace, but as the days moved on you found yourself moving back toward your old way of thinking and the fears have come back. The only way to fight the enemy is to get into the Word of God, it is time to fight the good fight of faith through the Word. it’s time to seek out what God says belongs to us as being His children. We need to remember that our old man has been crucified with Christ and that we have been freed from sin (Rom. 6:6,7). 

Our hope for growth, meaning and fulfillment as a Christian is based on understanding who we are – specifically, our identity in Christ as a child of God. The Bible is our source book to seek, understand and Learn who we are and all that has been bestowed upon us since we are now in Christ.  Study the following scriptures, meditate upon them, let them soak deep within your soul and Spirit. Read them daily so they will flow from your tongue as you wield the sword of the Spirit – the Word; so, when the devil comes to tell you otherwise, your sword stands ready.

Knowing who we are in Christ is like an eternal light coming on in the inside of you. Our old has gone, and we are new creatures in Christ, as we embrace our adoption, let us understand all that this privilege has given us and let us walk accordingly. I want to reiterate what I said above, don’t let the devil get to your mind and you start to doubt the Word of God. Don’t give him a chance to talk you out of what Christ has done for you. He will try to bring your old ways and thought patters back, he will try to make you dwell on past failures and fears. So, embrace the truth as God begins speaking to you personally, because the devil doesn’t want you to know who you really are.  He knows that when you start to embrace who you are in Christ, his attempts to deceive you makes him a defeated foe and he has no power over you any longer – but that will not stop him from trying to get into your head to make you doubt.  There is power in God’s Word and there is power in your mouth, receive these and other scriptures as truth, for God cannot deny His Word. This list of “who you are” is one that is inexhaustible, so as you study these scriptures and think on them add to your own personalize list as God shows you who you are.

Scriptures

I am a child of God - John 1:12                       I am Christ’s Friend – John 15:15

I have been justified – Rom. 5:1                     I am united and one spirit with Christ – 1Cor. 6:17

I have been bought with a price                     I am a member of Christ’s body – 1Cor.12:27

1 Cor. 6:20                                                      

I am a Saint -Eph. 1:1                                      I have been adopted – Eph. 1:5

I have direct access – Eph. 2:18                      I have been redeemed and forgiven – Col.1:14

I am complete in Christ – Col.2:10                  I am free from condemnation – Rom. 8:1,2

I am assured that all things work together for good – 8:28

I am free from any condemning charges against me – Rom. 8:31-34

I cannot be separated from the love of God – Rom. 8:35-39

I have been established, anointed and sealed by God – 2 Cor. 1:21-22

I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected – Phil. 1:6

I am a citizen of heaven – Phil 3:20                I am hidden with Christ in God – Col. 3:3

I have not been given a spirit of fear -2 Tim. 1:7

I can find grace and mercy in time of need – Heb. 4:16

I am born of God and the evil one cannot touch me – 1 John 5:18

I am the salt of the earth – Matt. 5:13           I am the light of the world – Matt. 5:14

I am part of the true vine – Jn. 15:1,5            I am chose to bear fruit – Jn. 15:16

I am a slave of righteousness – Rom. 6:18     I am enslaved to God – Rom. 6:22

I am a joint heir with Christ – Rom. 8:17        I am a temple of God – 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19

I am united to the Lord and am one spirt with Him – 1 Cor. 6:17

I am a member of Christ Body 1 Cor. 12:27; Eph. 5:30          I am a new creation – 2 Cor. 5:17

I am a son/daughter of God – Gal. 3:26,28       I am God’s workmanship – Eph. 2:10

I am chosen of God, holy and dearly loved – Col. 3:12; 1 Thess. 1:4

I am a son of light and not of darkness – 1 Thess. 5:5

I am one of God’s living stones, being built up in Christ – 1 Peter 2:5

I am a holy partaker of a heavenly calling – Heb. 3:1

I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation – 1 Peter 2:9,10

I am an enemy of the devil – 1 Peter 2:11     

I am an alien and stranger to this world in which I temporarily live – 1 Peter 2:11

I am born of God, and the evil one-the devil-cannot touch me – 1 John 5:18

God bless

Chosen2Prayer

Storms of Adversity

When we come face to face with adversity, let your faith arise and know that God has a greater plan He’s working. We cannot look at our circumstances through our own eyes, we cannot judge by our own standards, but what we must do is – in everything give it to God. God will not leave you, His providential hand is always at work in your life. In every trial or trouble, no matter how hard it may seem or how unbelievable things have turned out, we must give it all to God.  The only way we face adversity is by faith in Jesus Christ. Our understanding of things is never on the level as God’s, thinking we can see beyond the mountains and over the hills and through the valleys as God can, we are only deluding ourselves. Our perspective is very limited and often involves only what we want to see.

We must walk by faith knowing that God sees and is aware of everything, and that our involvement of things that are happening cannot change the true outcome. We must declare our dependency upon a sovereign and Omnipotent God who loves us despite our wayward ways. Step out in faith, believe and trust that God can deal with your situations. Peter was told by Christ that he would deny Him three times before the roster crowed on that night, the night that he was betrayed. But before all of this, it was during the Lords supper, Jesus revealed something that Peter could not have ever imagine: “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren” (Lk. 22:31-32).

Even in the most difficult of times we may make the mistake of acting the way Peter did. We question God’s faithfulness to us, we question His love, we even question our faith towards Him. But just as Peter, Satan is right there waiting to sift you as wheat, he is wanting you to keep this attitude of faithlessness going. Satan wants to kill, steal and destroy your faith and for you to turn away from pursuing God; he wants to be your god and if you open that door just a tiny bit, he will take you like a storm.  As hard as it may be, turn a deaf ear to the lies of the enemy and fill your mind with God’s Word, His love and His promises. I’m sure Peter would never had believe that he would deny the Son of God, after all he walked with Him, he heard the teachings and he had seen the miracles first hand, and now the thing that Christ spoke of has come to past.

Adversity has no standards to consider first, it has no qualifications to look at, it is not bias or racial, it is all inclusive. But God be praised, Jesus is praying for you, He is your intercessor, He has the ear of God and He is lifting you before the Father. He is praying that your faith does not fail and that you be strengthen in the difficulty you are facing. He is placing angels in your path to lead you, He is speaking a Word in you through the Holy Spirit – God has not forsaken you. Jesus prayed that Peter’s faith fail not, the Lord has shown compassion, forgiveness and now restoration of Peter’s Apostolic office that he though he lost. We see his restoration here, when an angel appeared to Mary “but go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you” (Mk. 16:7).  

Peter was strength by this message, it brought him the peace of mind and heart that he was still in God’s good grace. Just as Jesus is praying now for you that your faith fail not, so stand strong on your conviction, stand strong on the promises of God, and don’t allow the enemy to have any place in you. As hard as it may be for you to believe, God has a plan for your life, even when it feels as though you can’t breathe or that you can’t go on, He’s right there with you. God is a God of Love, seek His forgiveness, get to the Word of God and believe it. Ask God to lead you to scriptures that will keep you strengthen and walking in faith, pray with fervency and perseverance – never give up. Trust that even in your most difficult moment, in your troubles and in your trials, God is in absolute control – and you can be sure that He will deliver you and then you will give Him all the Glory.

Chosen2Prayer

SEEDS...

I love the story of the "Seed and the Sower" and as much as I have read this story I always come away with something different. This time, as God showed me how we meet people and when we talk with people, we can see them in one of these scenarios. Some may receive a word from you with joy, some may debate you on every scripture you speak and others will blatantly refuse to believe what you say as truth.  I can say I have met many who I could relate to the four stages of  heart condition.  But, truth be told, I have found myself to have visited each of these stages at one time in my life. I give all glory to God for HE IS a God of His Word, for He never left me to my own foolish thinking, He has kept His hand upon me guiding me and directing back on His path. I may have wondered here and there, but He never let me go too far out of His sight. I pray that this insight from the God above will be enlightening to you as well as a blessing...

 The wayside

Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord... (Hosea 10:12) For we need to prepare our hearts and this is done through much praying and diligently seeking God on a daily basis. “Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)” 2 Cor. 9:10.   God is the supplier of the seed as well as the bread that we eat for all comes from His hands. Our hearts seem to have been seared as with a hot iron, we are stubborn, high minded and arrogant“…he that hardens his heart shall fall into mischief” Prov. 28:14.  Our pride says we can do better, we have given ear to the enemy in following all his ways, unknowingly, we have let him have control of our lives, for when the Word of God is sown he comes immediately and takes away what we have heard. Our pride says this is rubbish, but now something is breaking within us, something is changing our way of thinking, let us strive to break up that fallow ground of our heart, let us begin with fervent prayer; we must fight off the lies of the enemy who will try to destroy the Word which we have heard, and we must not give him an opportunity to whisper in our ears to deceive us any longer. Don’t give him any place in your mind and your heart, “…resist the devil and he will flee” James 4:7.

The stony, rocky ground

When we hear the Word, it is received with great joy, it is sown within us but our foundation is shallow and weak and we don’t have the ability to receive the deeper meaning of the Word.  And because this is the condition of our heart for it has no deepness in which to take root, the Word says; “From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him” Jn. 6:66. Those who walked with Jesus, those who saw His miracles and heard His teachings, suddenly turn away, they allowed doubt, fear of persecution from others, and unbelief to come in and they chose to turn away from Christ.  Our soil is partially prepared not all the stone have been removed for the seeds cannot fully develop. Many times, we hear people say that the Word is too difficult to understand, or it's just confusing. Because there are still many obstacles (stones) that still stand in your way, Jesus says: "...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33). He knows that we all face the temptation to doubt, and we may even turn away for a while, but we will all come back to the only source who is able to help us when we call upon Him. Our faith is critical in fully believing in what we hear, tribulations and all sorts of evil that arises may come, but knowing that God is on our side we are assured to be an overcomer just as Jesus. Whatever the hindrances are to the Word being planted deeply with you must be dealt with immediately. For that stony ground is covered with more and more rocks that prevent the seeds to fully grab hold of the richness of earth.  Therefore, when you hear the Word, resist the lies of the enemy when he comes to take that away which was planted. You must keep striving never give in to fear or doubt, but believe that God desires to give you another heart: “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh” Eze. 11:19. Continue to break up your fallow ground, don’t give up.

The Thorny Ground

“…break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” Jer.4:3. As we come to God, as we truly receive Jesus as Lord of our lives, a cleansing starts within and this is where we agree with God that this bad habit, arrogant attitude or this selfish way of thinking must go.  Our ground is receiving good seed, and it’s beginning to take root in us, but the cares of this life, the things we find ourselves so concern with daily are beginning to chock the seeds. There are so many concerns that many of us face daily and it may seem hopeless at times but we must grab hold of the Word and believe it with all that we have. We must let go of the negativity, we must break away from the naysayers and we must close our ears to the lies of the enemy. There is no justification for holding onto things that displeases God. You must learn to let go, to relinquish control and know that all is in God’s hands. Don’t allow the cares of this world to smother your seed, don’t think that your way is better for this is just lies from the enemy to make you stop pursuing God. And don’t allow the “deceitfulness of riches” of this world, rob you of your glorious riches in heaven. The Word is in you and the Word is doing what it’s supposed to do – and that is, helping you to produce fruit.

The Good Ground

Now this is the place where we should strive to be, we hear the Word, we receive it and now we are beginning to bear fruit. This is the level that we all should desire our hearts to be, the soil is plowed up and made ready for good seed. Our soil is supple, we are receiving the Word and cherishing every moment to read it; and its roots are deeply planted.  The Word of God is within us, it feels as though we have finally come home. It took some time for us to reach this point, but in the struggle, we found the strength to keep breaking up our fallow ground. There were struggles about letting go, there was doubt as to if this Word is true, and there was spiritual warfare that we had to engage in to battle the lies and to turn our focus onto God. Now, God’s Word is firmly planted, we have complete access to His throne of mercy at any time of the day and we know how to respond to those who ask us of our hope. Our faith grows stronger every day, our knowledge of God enlightens our understanding and His love fills us with not only assurance but with a sense of awe. We are producing fruit that pleases God, we are sharing, helping, encouraging, and praying with others on their journey to the Good Ground.  

Chosen2Prayer

Promises and Power of God

Jn. 3:27 “…a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven.”

Rom. 8:25 “…then do we with patience wait for it.”

“According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:” (2Peter 1:3). All that we will ever need is in Him, for He is our source for strength, ability, might, and power and He has given to us these thigs where we draw strength, endurance, faith to work the work He has given for us to do. His Word is His promise that we can trust completely in: “for all the promises of God in him are yea (yes) and in him amen (truly, so be it), unto the glory of God by us” 2 Cor:1:2.  What a wonderful blessing to know that in God His promises are sure, His Word is sure, and that not one promise of God is “no” to those who will believe. If He said it will he not do it?

As we look in Matthew 17:20 we see Jesus speaking; “… if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove...” this is a powerful statement, the story here was that the disciples were unable to cast out a demon from a young man and the father went to Jesus to see if He could help his son. Of course, Jesus was successful but He told the disciples "But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting" Mat. 17:21 (NASB). unbelief or doubt is a killer to faith, it hinders our prayers from being answered, it stops the Word from producing fruit when we speak it because our faith is mixed with doubt.

If you have faith it will be done – whatever you say – but if you do not have faith it will not be done. We need this mustard seed of faith that which is pure and unmixed with doubt, to know that we can move every mountain, every obstacle, every road block that tries to hinder what God has given us to do. As you begin to search the Bible for the promises of God your faith will awaken, there will be a knowing that is birth within that is indescribable because faith has been stirred.  Never should doubt or fear come in us when God has called us to do something, in fact just kick those out of your vocabulary right now and know that “…nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Mt. 17:20).

Our Mustard seed faith is very powerful, if you have ever seen an actual mustard seed you will know that, that tiny seed is like an atom bomb waiting to be connected with your belief and what God’s Word says we have. And when it is released, it becomes the power of God, and the faith of God that will move the mountains and all that stands in our way.  There is great power even in a little faith when we trust in God’s power to act. The next time you feel weak or powerless, examine your faith, make sure you are trusting God’s power and not your own ability to produce fruit. 

A good example of this is in 1 Samuel 15, here you will find Saul who was anointed King over Israel, who was victorious over many of the enemies of Israel because of God’s hand upon him. But something went wrong in his thinking, he didn’t follow God’s command completely, he disobeys God in the taking of the king and the best of the animals (1 Sam.15:8-9).  Then, he intruded into the priest office by offering a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13:8-15), If men could only learn to obey God and be patient until He sends help in times of need, it would be a great lesson learned. Then he sought guidance from one with a familiar spirit, the same people he had vanquished and destroyed he was now seeking their help (1 Sam. 28:7-25).  

 Saul chose to do these things because he feared the people more than God, he was prideful and then in desperation he totally disobeyed the laws of God, the one who had given him victory over many of his enemies. But he never realized that disobedience to what God called him to had such a dire consequence.  You see, when God has given you a word, a task or a calling, and you fail in obeying or you half-heartily follow it or you are fearful of what people would say, the one at fault is you. Saul did not see himself as one at fault, he thought it was the people he feared, it was his impatience, and it was Samuel who had died and left him. He was the king the people followed him, as his faith weakened and an evil spirit rested upon him the people’s faith was lacking and as he disobeyed the people followed.

Saul is an example that shows us how life can become when we walk in our own ways and thoughts. Remember, we have the power of God in us, that is, those who have truly received the atoning work of Jesus as Lord of their lives. We have been given a precious gift when Jesus said; “I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you for ever” (John 14:16). This comforter, is the precious Holy Spirit, He is living in us, He is that power behind the mustard seed faith, He is that power that raised Jesus and Lazarus from their grave, and He is that power that worked when God said “Let there be…” When God calls us, we should let nothing stop us from going forth to do the will of God. And as we walk in obedience to God’s will good fruit will come forth.

Accessing the promises of God requires that we “have faith in God” and doubt not. For when we meet this condition we can thus know and believe that “…what things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). We must ask according to God’s will our desires, what is your desire you ask? God’s will is God’s Word and God’s Word is your desire.  Ask in faith, believing and never doubting, for the deeper we get into Gods Word, and the more time we spend in His presence a relationship develops, an intimacy that you have never known is being formed.  And suddenly, all that you thought was vital to your existence no longer has priority, and every trial or situation has lost its urgency because now you know what it means when God say’s “but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

The desires of your heart are no longer worldly, for God does see the condition you’re in, He knows what you are facing, He has promised never to leave you or forsake you. So, let your faith stand strong knowing that he is an on - time God, let God handle the issues of your life and let Him work everything out according to His plans for you – in the meantime, continue to praise him, to pray unto Him, to seek Him, to study His Word and to love His presence, for He is faithful.

One other condition I want to mention is that “if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you” (Jn. 15:7). Abiding in Christ, means living free from condemnation, knowing we are no longer bound to our sins, for Christ has freed us, he has washed us white as snow and we are now adopted into the family of God.  And therefore, we have the privilege of coming to the Father in prayer at any time with our desires, needs and wants. And with unwavering faith, God will do nothing in our favour without faith. It is right that we should have confidence in him; and if we have confidence, it is easy for him to help us, and he willingly does it. (Barnes' Notes on the New Testament) Because we understand that “…all things are possible to him that believeth” (Mk 9:23). Because “without faith it is impossible to please God for when we come to God, we must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). For God, cannot deny His word or Himself.

Chosen2Prayer

Dangerous and Destructive Paths

It has been said many times that our world in headed in a dangerous direction that will have severe consequences. Yet, the path to destruction is widening and is making room for more. Prayers are being sent up, intercessions are going on, and burdens are being felt by all of God’s children. Still there seems as though nothing is changing that we can see, but it’s not so important as to what we see but what we don’t see that is happening in the Spiritual realm. God hears the prayers, He sees what is happening, and He knows the hearts of men are evil continually.  The path that you choose is vital to your destination – either eternal life or eternal destruction.

 If the attitude of this world does not begin to be humbled, then we place ourselves in the path for Gods wrath. You see, God is Love and yet He is a God of judgment and justice, according to His Word; for“Justice and judgment are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face” Ps. 89:14. People have chosen to substitute the truth of God for the imaginations of their own lust. They have stifled (choked, suppressed) the truth of God in order to believe anything that supports their own self-centered life-styles. God will never tolerate sin because His nature is morally perfect. He cannot ignore or condone willful rebellion.

For the government of God is based upon justice, judgment, mercy, truth, and righteousness. He knows, sees, and does what is right without exception. He cannot permit any breaking of His law without proper punishment, nor can He permit one good act to be without just and proper reward. Sin is cursed and righteousness rewarded in the minutest of details.  His decisions are all oracles, (truth, forewarnings) and not one of them is ever reversed. Just remember “it’s a fearful, (terrifying, horrific) thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

“…Mercy and truth shall go before thy face” will be the cries that will announce the coming of the judge. His truth (Word) binds Him to all his deceleration's; and His mercy shall be shown to all those who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them which is Jesus Christ. His mercy is eternal; “the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting…and His righteousness unto children’s children” (Ps.103:17).  Righteousness, justice, love and truth are the foundation of God’s throne; they are fundamental aspects of the way God rules.  As God’s ambassadors, we should deal with people likewise. Make sure your actions flow out of these traits, because any unfair, unloving, dishonest action does not come from God.

Chosen4God

Dangerous and Destructive Paths

It has been said many times that our world in headed in a dangerous direction that will have severe consequences. Yet, the path to destruction is widening and is making room for more. Prayers are being sent up, intercessions are going on, and burdens are being felt by all of God’s children. Still there seems as though nothing is changing that we can see, but it’s not so important as to what we see but what we don’t see that is happening in the Spiritual realm. God hears the prayers, He sees what is happening, and He knows the hearts of men are evil continually.  The path that you choose is vital to your destination – either eternal life or eternal destruction.

 If the attitude of this world does not begin to be humbled, then we place ourselves in the path for Gods wrath. You see, God is Love and yet He is a God of judgment and justice, according to His Word; for“Justice and judgment are the habitation (foundation) of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face” Ps. 89:14. People have chosen to substitute the truth of God for the imaginations of their own lust. They have stifled (choked, suppressed) the truth of God in order to believe anything that supports their own self-centered life-styles. God will never tolerate sin because His nature is morally perfect. He cannot ignore or condone willful rebellion.

For the government of God is based upon justice, judgment, mercy, truth, and righteousness. He knows, sees, and does what is right without exception. He cannot permit any breaking of His law without proper punishment, nor can He permit one good act to be without just and proper reward. Sin is cursed and righteousness rewarded in the minutest of details.  His decisions are all oracles, (truth, forewarnings) and not one of them is ever reversed. Just remember “it’s a fearful, (terrifying, horrific) thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31).

“…Mercy and truth shall go before thy face” will be the cries that will announce the coming of the judge. His truth (Word) binds Him to all his deceleration's; and His mercy shall be shown to all those who have fled for refuge to the hope that is set before them which is Jesus Christ. His mercy is eternal; “the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting…and His righteousness unto children’s children” (Ps.103:17).  Righteousness, justice, love and truth are the foundation of God’s throne; they are fundamental aspects of the way God rules.  As God’s ambassadors, we should deal with people likewise. Make sure your actions flow out of these traits, because any unfair, unloving, dishonest action does not come from God.

Chosen4God

When God can’t be found…

“Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near:” (Isa. 55:6)

We are commanded to seek God with our whole hearts, with our minds and our soul but sometimes in our seeking Him, it’s as though He has disappeared completely from our view. One of the modern misconceptions is that men are not required to seek the Lord; that they are not required to repent, pray, call upon God, confess, or do anything else besides believe in order to be saved from sin. The truth is that all these terms are used many times in Scripture to tell people what they must do to find God. Looking at the next verse of Isa.55:7 confirms this:

1.      He must forsake his wicked ways.

2.   He must forsake his unrighteous thoughts.

2.      He must return to the Lord.

These things constitute genuine repentance, the kind that needs not to be repented of (2Cor. 7:9-10). As long as one continues in his wicked ways and unrighteous thoughts, he is still in rebellion and sin and is not returning to God with the whole heart. As much as we try, as much as we pray we can’t seem to connect with Him. Then enters doubt, anger, fear, and feelings of rejection, but have you ever considered that it could be your walk, the way you’re carrying yourself before Him or your attitude or unforgiveness.  Below are just six suggestions that might be the culprit to finding God;

1.       

         1.  When you turned your heart away from Him and refuse to truly hear

        * Psalm 95:7-11 (KJV) “For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep       of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart, as in the provocation, and as      in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw           my work. Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is a people that do err in       their heart, and they have not known my ways: Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should         not enter into my rest.”

      2.   When you mock God and disrespect His dealings then judgment comes

* Proverbs 1:23-33 (KJV) “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

      3.    When you become too proud and stubborn to humble                        yourselves under God’s chosen ones

                *See Numbers 16 Korah and Dathan’s rebellion

     4.   When you neglect to settle all matter with Him encouraging            His judgement to come upon you

                *See Acts 5:1-11 Ananias, and Sapphira theif selfishness 

   5.  When you die in your sins without repentance

* Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

    6.  When you blaspheme the Holy Spirit

* Matthew 12:31-32 (KJV) “Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.”

When one truly believes it means that you do what is necessary and required by the gospel when desiring to find God:

    1.   Seek – “But without faith it is impossible to please him, for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a warder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6).

     2.  Repent – “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19).

     3. Call upon God – “AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED” (Acts 2:21).

     4.  Confess – “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

     5.  Pray – “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chron. 7:14).

    6. Humble yourself – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up” (James 4:10).

    7. Hear – “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mt. 11:15).

    8. Obey – “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17).

This is just a few of the ways that we who “Believe” must conduct our efforts in seeking God. He’s not playing hide and seek, He is desiring you to find Him, He wants you to seek Him with your whole heart and mind.  God loves us so much and each and every day that we are awaken whether we are saved or not, He showers His grace upon each of us. He gives us strength in our bodies to do what we have to do every day, we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food in our homes, and anything above this is nothing but a blessed gift from our Father.

So do whatever it takes to seek God, keep seeking Him till you find Him, no matter if it takes the rest of your life. God wants a relationship with you, He wants to be Lord over all your life, are you willing to forsake all that the world has to offer and all that He shows you that doesn’t please Him?

Chosen4God

Let go of the pain of the past

There are things in life that hinder us from achieving goals, moving to new areas, taking chances in love or even having a fruitful and bless marriage, all because our past has grown destructive hindering roots within us. The past has also affected our present situations and has kept us hostages from reaching our future. Many of us can’t seem let go of the past in our own strength, we need God to help us, we must let Him shine His light on what we are holding onto and when it is revealed, we have to release that into His hands. Release the pain, the torment, the abuse, the lies, the deceit, release it all to Him, so that peace can flood your soul. We do not need to be walking in the pain of the past but in the love of God, in the freedom of what Christ gave to all. There may be some reluctance to dealing with the past, the memories seem to be still fresh and the pain still hurts, but as you learn to let go with each step God’s light within get brighter and brighter.

 You see, when God reveals things to us it is for our benefit to finally let it all go, facing the past will free us from emotional pain, psychological issues, and physical distress. Forgiveness is the key to getting past the past, we must forgive all who have hurt us, we need to forgive ourselves for our part and we must ask God to forgive us and those who were the perpetrators. To get free of the pain we must face the truth, as hard as it may be. The Word says: “agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him… (Mt. 5:25)”. It is vital that we resolve as much as we can in the strength and power of God, make things right at this present time, for when we stand before God it will be too late.

Chosen4God