Devotions - Prayer

*Only complete surrender will lead to true satisfaction!
*God is into breaking down walls! He wants ALL OF YOU!!!

****Fishing—- Fishing for Souls?
And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19)
Jesus asked His disciples to follow Him and fish for eternal souls at perhaps the loveliest spot on earth, a lake in a land called Galore.  The spot is a blue-green lake called the Sea of Galilee.

**Come…meant that the disciples had to leave what they were doing. If you want to make a difference for God you have to let go of your own agenda and priorities.

**Follow me…meant that they had to allow Jesus to set the agenda, allow Jesus to lead them. To be his follower they needed to accept Jesus as their leader.

**I will make you…meant that Jesus was the coach, he would teach them the way to share the Good News. Apparently there is a right way and a wrong way to do it.

**Fishers of men…Jesus was using an image that would connect with these professional fishermen, but the point is their objective would be to attract and capture the hearts and minds of many people for the Good News.

Jesus told them to follow Him, but he didn’t leave it at that.

Jesus spoke these words as He walked around that beautiful lake and demonstrated what fishing for eternal souls of mankind was all about.
Against the background of these cities lining the Sea Jesus performed 60% of all His earthly ministry.
*He raised the dead,
*He gave sight to the blind,
*He gave health to the sick,
* He replaced the decay of the lepers,
*Jesus  unshackled the demonized.
**All this as Jesus fished for the eternal souls of mankind.

We are to learn from Jesus, and ask Him to show us how to do discipleship, evangelize, etc. — Not just rely on our own techniques, thoughts, creative ideas, etc.

**To a handful of these men came JESUS who asked them to use their skills in becoming fishermen of the eternal souls of mankind.
*Jesus still is extending the same call to us as His followers.
**** It is a call to believe!!!
*Do you believe? It is a call to repent. *Do you need to repent? It is a call to follow him. Have you made this commitment?

*Be alert to situations and issues that will serve as a platform from which to deal with old mind sets that will not serve you well in your current journey to higher spiritual ground. (Renew the Mind: Romans 12:1-3)
* Make a review of the things that the Lord will punctuate in your current environment, but do so Without allowing Rejection or Condemnation to cloud your vision.
*The enemy will do whatever he can to keep you from looking at things objectively and with clarity.
**But if you will see this time as being necessary for instruction leading to greater understanding instead of a personal attack against who you are, it will serve as a springboard to the next phase of your journey.
Otherwise, it could just become a trap.

Mark 8:25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.

*Begin to apply by faith God’s word to every circumstance.
*Learn to apply by faith the words that God gives you so that they will become a light unto your path.
* Let your faith now arise and come higher.
*Begin to exercise that spiritual muscle that the Lord has given to you.
* Learn to walk by faith and believe with a faith that is greater than you have ever  exercised before.
*Your faith will come by hearing and by hearing the word of the Lord and your faith will work through the love of Jesus Christ.
*Allow faith to become the substance of the things that you hope for.
Let this become the evidence of that which you cannot perceive or  see.  *Allow it to become a witness to you that the Lord indeed is with you and I and Jesus will bring US through to victory as we walk with th Lord in this season of Glory.

* Refuse to evaluate the details of your circumstances according to how you feel.
This is not a time of mourning, but a time of rejoicing at being established solidly on spiritual ground so that you will be able to progress rapidly from here.
Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”

If we are to be effective in anything we do for the Lord, the Lord must be in the midst of it.
*** Unless the Lord’s power is seen among us, we will be just another person who has religion.
**** Unless we manifest His life to others, they will see only good behavior that is easily counterfeited by moral people.
*Moving out in presumption will end in failure and frustration.
* Ask the Lord today to assure you of His presence and power in your activities.
Then you will be assured that you will be distinguished among all the other people on the face of the earth.

True discipleship cannot be the intermingling or sprinkling of Christ or Christ-like attributes into and throughout our lives.
CHRIST must have control to lead and guide for His Kingdom’s sake.

In order to properly follow Jesus we need to reach out to those in need. Jesus Himself says that those who hear the Word and do it are the ones that are blessed. James says, “Be doers of the Word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.”

So what do we need to do to make sure that our lives are in the “following” mode?
I think we need to get out and exercise our faith a little more.
*We need to take advantage of the opportunities that the Lord lays before us to speak and act as ambassadors of the Good News.
*We need to make sure we take the time to let our light shine to the world around us.
*Show a little compassion.
* Bless someone’s day.
* Meet someone’s need just because.

There is certainly a lot more that can be said about this very important phrase from Jesus, but let this be enough for now.
Today, let’s reach beyond our doctrinal assent and try to mirror some of His caring acts.  “Let’s Take Some ACTION!”

I pray that I would be bold and be able to follow Jesus with all of my being, and not be luke-warm about my commitment to Jesus each and Every Day!  Lord keep me to stay on Your path and help me Always to give You ALL the Glory.  Amen

All our relationships, actions and attitudes depend upon the “life” that resides in our heart.
“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.”Luke 6:45

The Verse below reminded me a lot of how God sent his beloved son Jesus down to earth, to provide the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and transgressions. We no longer have to offer animals or ourselves as sacrifices to God in order to redeem ourselves of our sins. It’s already been done through the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross. A worthy sacrifice indeed.

“So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’” Genesis 22:14 (NIV)

*Have you ever been in a situation so desperate that it looked hopeless?
*Have you ever sat at the kitchen table wondering how you were going to pay the electric bill?
*Have you ever stood at a door that’s been slammed in your face by an angry teenager and despaired at having a relationship with him again?
*Have you ever had your heart broken so deeply that you wondered if you would feel whole again?

Sadly, we live in a broken world where desperate situations happen every day. I know someone reading this devotion is wondering how they will make it through the day because their situation looks hopeless.
If that is you, I encourage you to keep reading. I believe God has a message of Hope for us ALL today.

That message is found in the Bible, in the story of a man who was dealing with his own desperate situation. His name was Abraham and he faced the greatest testing of his life. After longing for a son for many years, God finally gave Abraham a boy, whom he named Isaac.

Abraham never imagined God would test his faith by asking him to sacrifice his son. But it happened.

It had to have been the darkest day of Abraham’s life as he trudged up the mountain, with firewood strapped to his son’s back.
Every step took Abraham closer to what he believed to be the sad ending of a hopeless situation—the death of his son.
*Yet in spite of his sorrow, Abraham trusted God. His heart wasn’t soaring with joy. He wasn’t dancing up the mountain. But he put one foot in front of the other. Walking through the darkness of the situation; obeying His God’s commands.

Unbeknowning  to Abraham, something else was walking up that mountain. Quietly. Out of sight. On the other side of the mountain. Something else was putting one foot in front of the other. Only Abraham couldn’t see it.

For every step Abraham took, a ram on the other side of the mountain took a step.

All Abraham saw that day was his solitary journey of pain. As he got closer to the top of the mountain, his dread must have increased. I wonder if he asked himself any questions. I would have.
* I would have wondered why hadn’t God intervened?
* Why hadn’t God stopped this testing? *Couldn’t God see that Abraham was a man of faith?
*Why test him in this way?

**But there was no answer. There was no voice from heaven. And so Abraham kept obeying his God’s command. He put Isaac on an altar and prepared to sacrifice his one and only son.

And just at that very moment, at the very last second, when it looked like the end had come, God spoke, stopping the sacrifice.
Abraham looked up and there caught in the thicket was a ram. Abraham took his son off the altar, replaced him with the ram, and offered the sacrifice to God.

Abraham named that place “Yahweh-Yireh” or “The Lord Will Provide.” And the story was written down for generations of God-followers to read.
* It was written so that you and I today would read it as we face our own hopeless situations.
*It was captured in print so that you and I would know that God is already planning for our provision.

We don’t see it. We don’t hear it. But we can trust that our God is at work. On your behalf, and on mine.

I choose to trust God today. A ram is on the way.
* Moses, it was the burning bush.
*For Peter, it was walking on water.
*For Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it was walking through the burning furnace untouched.
*For Paul, it was being blinded and spoken to by Jesus on the Damascus road.
*For Daniel, it was deliverance from the lions’ den.
*For Joshua, it was parting the Jordan River and crossing into the Promised Land.

There have been many defining moments in the lives of human beings that changed their lives forever. These defining moments often set the course for the balance of their lives.

We could go on and on. Each of these servants had years of preparation leading up to their defining moment. These moments forced the servants to be involved in something beyond their human experiences.
It took them outside their own paradigms of life. God had to move them outside their own boxes. And when He did, their lives were never the same.

You may be in one of three stages of life:
1. You may not have had your “defining moment” yet – God may be preparing you with many important life experiences.
2.  You may have had your defining moment and you are living out your call. 3.  You may be toward the end of your journey and you have already experienced what I speak of.
We are all called to a relationship with God; and we are all called vocationally, which is often ushered in by a defining moment.
And there can be more than one defining moment, each pointing you down a path that God foreordained from the foundation of the world.

The secret of a great life is often a man’s ability to discern the defining moments given to him, understanding them, and learning to walk in the path that leads him to his ultimate destination.

Once you have had a defining moment, you are never the same.
Pray that you have eyes to see and ears to hear when your Master brings a defining moment into your life

All true disciples of Jesus Christ will be students of Scripture and will walk according to its teaching.
This is vital to authentic Christian living, because the Bible is indeed the very textbook of life (2 Timothy 3:16).
Yet so many believers will not read the Bible.
**They don’t realize that success or failure in the Christian life depends on how much of the Bible they get into their hearts and minds on a regular basis.

God brings every person who is committed to Him out of their normal routine into a new revelation of Himself that impacts others.

Romans 8:24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
* It should be every person’s ultimate goal to belong to God…to know how to belong to Him. All of the promises He made are ready and available to you. Even in the midst of suffering, which is to be (for we must share in the suffering of Christ in order to receive the reward of God) we are to remain, by faith, assured that we are His children and He is our Father! Knowing even more, that nothing can separate us from God’s love for us when we walk in His belonging and truly give ourselves to Him. Only then are we in position to receive from Him.

Dear Lord, You know how desperate some of us are  today. You know that some of us are wavering in our faith. Although we want to trust You, we are having trouble doing so. We ask for Your intervention in our situation, and for an increase of our faith while we wait for You to speak.  Lord, we pray that we may live victorious, knowing that life is more than just bearing through.. but living fearlessly and victoriously through the amazing power that Christ gives me! Grace + Peace!!! In Jesus’ Name, Amen

Our heart is the place where all thoughts, emotions and desires originate.
*  “Watch over your heart with all diligence; for from it flow the springs of life.” Provers 4:23

JESUS, the Person, is the Word of God made flesh as the ultimate revelation of the triune God (John 1:1-5,18; Hebrews 1:1-3).
****The glory of God is a person and that person is Jesus!!!!

Scripture tells us God’s Spirit came forth from the Holy of Holies to fill Solomon’s Temple, and daily we must allow His Spirit to issue forth from the Holy of Holies (our hearts) to fill the inner court (our souls and bodies) with His Glory.

**  “…the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.” 1 Kings 8:11

As a follower of Jesus this is my fervent cry, that God would so show up in our midst that we could not even focus on our churchly duties, ie ministry. They would take a backseat to truly experiencing God(to Know Him, JN 17:3). In doing so, it would turn our churchly duties, into acts of obedience to a personal God.

Any believer who wishes to please God with his prayer life will have to settle
this question:
“Does God have all I need?
Or do I need to go elsewhere for my
answer?”

This appears to be a simple question—one that should not even need to be
asked.
And most Christians would immediately answer, “Yes, of course I believe God has all I need.”
But the fact is, many are not fully convinced!

We say we believe it. We sing hymns and preach about it. But when a crisis hits and God does not seem to answer, *we do not really believe He has what we need!

Paul states: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches
in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
The Lord has a storehouse of abundance with which to meet our every need!

Why did the troubled woman in Jesus’ parable keep bothering the unjust judge, asking him for justice?

** It was because she knew that he alone had the power and authority to solve her problem.
* She could go to no one else (see Luke 18:1-8).

Oh, if only we had such an inner knowledge that GOD ALONE has all we need, we would never turn in vain to any other source.
The Lord is a just and holy judge and He has ALL the Wisdom, Power and Authority to solve any problem we face.

God spent forty years trying to convince Israel they would never lack
anything—that He would be their constant source and supply:
“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing” (Deuteronomy 2:7).

God was saying, “There is no scarceness, no shortage with Me. I have all you will ever need!”

“For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land . . . in which you
will lack nothing . . . when you have eaten and are full . . .” (Deuteronomy
8:7-10, 12).

Today, the Lord has brought us into our Promised Land—Christ! Jesus is to us
an abiding place where there is never any lack. He represents the fullness of
the godhead bodily.

If we choose to walk after the Spirit, our bodies will be filled with “God’s Life”. (the new man), but if we choose to walk after the flesh, our bodies will reflect “self-life” (the old man).
*”For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another…”Galatians 5:17

*Be Biblically informed and Balanced!
**Can we Trust God to Give us ALL that we need to live a Life for His Glory?

God is continually trying to teach us how to set aside “self-life” so that His Life can reign supreme in our hearts.
* “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
2 Corinthians 4:11
*We are (or should be) constantly dying to self. Until we die to self on the cross we are sitting on the throne of our lives. And Christ is on the cross.

When there is divine order in our temple, for we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we can anticipate and expect the glory of the Lord to descend on us and flow through us.
It is imperative that all believers allow the Holy Spirit and the word of God to order our lives.
Where we do not line up with the word or where we are disobedient to the Holy Spirit we must repent.

It is time for all of us to allow God to control Every aspect of our lives.
* Let us crucify our flesh and die to self.
* Let God rule and reign in every area and aspect of our lives. Remember He is looking for a bride without spot or wrinkle.

Lord Jesus. My prayer is Psalms 139:23-24.  Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
Let’s put ourselves on the cross and put Christ on the throne!!!! Jesus You are so in Control and You Loves US (His Masterpiece) dearly!!!! Thank You for saving a sinner as Me! Amen

If we continually choose to obey God, we can in His Strength overcome whatever the “flesh” is urging us to do.

“However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit…and if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.” Romans 8:9-10

THE THUNDER OF HIS POWER

“Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26:14).
*I love the way Job describes the power of God. It is amazing that he is so distressed and still able to glorify God and his power.
*God is amazing – and so often I find that we try our hardest to contain him to earthly concepts.
God is those concepts, he made them, how can we make Him fit into anything?

****Man needs power to:
*To help those without it,
*To strengthen those without strength,
*To counsel him that hath no wisdom,
*To declare things as they really are,
*To renew dead spirits,
*To cover the naked destruction of hell.

****God has all power:
*To stretch out the universe. Over empty places, Hanging the earth upon nothing.
*God binds up humidity in thick clouds,
Placing boundaries on the waters.
*God divides the sea with his power
And He smites the proud.
*By His spirit He garnishes the heavens.
*God  even created the crooked serpent,
*The power of God is the only reason we are alive.
**But these are on glimpses of His power— Only a little portion of Him that is heard.

God has promised power to all men.
*After that the Holy Ghost Has come upon them  And there will be “Thunder in that Power—”
*Thunder against injustice, Immorality and crime,
*Thunder against hypocrisy And the tyranny of small things,
*Thunder against materialism And hate.

****But deeper still,  LOVE Is the “Thunder of Power”. Jesus says “LOVE one another”.

Relationships/ Love take Time!
*Today people are into quick fixes. But you can’t”microwave” a relationship.

Jesus says in John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.
*Eternal life is described by relationship not rules.
*So often Christians focus on a legalistic approach and say the key to “getting to heaven” or “eternal life” is getting your sins forgiven.
**** What Christ says in this verse is different to that and shows us that eternal life begins right now and eternal life is Knowing God— a Personal Relationship!!!!.

There is Victory in the Cross:
* When we yield to the Lordship of Christ,
* When we make Christ, the throne of our hearts, we are on the cross,
*BUT if WE ARE ON  the throne of our hearts, then we in effect is leaving Jesus, on the cross.
That’s the hard message of the cross.

* If you are going through suffering don’t focus on the pain— up lift the cross and Christ, his love, his grace in your life. Let Jesus Loving and Healing Power work in and through you!
*Maybe instead of apologizing FOR God (in explaining pain or suffering) perhaps we need to apologize TO God…for our stubbornness, divisiveness, or ignoring tendencies.(I do).

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

How amazing is Job’s description, not only of God’s greatness, but of our standing in relation to that greatness. He describes us as being on the outskirts! We only experience a small measure of the totality of God ~ His glory, His grandeur, His power, His majesty. Yet even that it too awesome for us to comprehend. We only hear a whisper, and it is more than our capacity to contain. How great is our God!!
2 Corinthians 13:4 For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.    5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?

* Even when we feel we have no strength left in struggles of life, God’s strength/power trumps all. His stronghold on everything is all that matters.

* I will continue to realize that the strength that I acquire on my own is not of my own but Christ’s strength/power within me.

1 Corinthians 2: 5 that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

* True life is by the power of God, by the life of God inside of us. We are crucified, identified with the cross of Christ in weakness, but that is Precisely the Entrance into living by the power of God. We are so not alone, so not forsaken. The very life of God is in us.
Let US live by that!!

Lord God, you have renewed a fire within me to fight the mighty fight in the battle’s of life.   That awesome fire comes from you Holy Spirit and I am so thankful for that. Continue to groom me to accept that the strength/power that I might acquire may even seem unreal, but is from you Lord God.
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Amen

A Broken Spirit
Psalm 51:16-17 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

What is David the psalmist telling us there?
Surely he’s telling us that first and foremost God is not interested in externals!!!!!
* Sacrifice and offerings are not necessarily things that God does not want, but they are things that He does not want FIRST and foremost.
**And if that’s all there is in our lives – the external practices of religion – then God takes no pleasure in them.
*God looks below the surface;
*God looks to the heart;
*God looks to the motives;
*God looks to the attitude.
***And it says that the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
“A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Those are strange words to our ears today.

What does it mean that God desires a broken spirit?
*Does He want to crush us?
*Does He want to beat us down?
*Does He want to humiliate us?
* No, I’m sure that’s not it.

What is a broken spirit? I think it’s a spirit that has come totally to the end of ITSELF.
* All independence, all self-will and all self-righteousness have been purged out.
*We’ve come to the place where we have no hope but in God.
* We’ve come to the end of our own resources.
* We have no claims upon God, we simply turn to Him for His mercy and His faithfulness, not trusting our own merits, but clinging only to God.

Brokenness is beautiful!
In Jesus there is strength.
In Jesus there is hope.
In Jesus there is love.
He is love and Love never fails.

*Allow Him to embrace you, to comfort you.
*Allow His Word to speak to you, in ways that it never has before.
*Allow Him to be the only Being who can listen to you and understand you.

I believe the Lord is saying receive your victory today. Do not wait for it to come when necessary, but receive your victory this moment.
Reach out by faith and allow Jesus to bring the victory that is before you that can be yours this day without the waiting.
And when this victory comes to your heart there will come the sound of rejoicing within.
Your faith will cause your spirit man to rejoice, even before that which you need comes.
So, I encourage you to receive by faith the victory that you require this moment.
The just walk by faith, believe and receive by faith, says the Most High.

So often defeat is what is required before victory can be won. Jesus said that unless the seed dies and goes into the ground it cannot bring forth fruit (see Jn. 12:24).
The death of a vision is often required before the fulfillment can really take place. Have you failed at something in your life? Have you not seen the vision fulfilled you thought you were given? The vision may yet happen.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross. However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. *Christ’s death gave liberty.
* Forgiveness came to all men.
* New life came forth-new strength for the disciples.
** Resurrection and new life came as a result of a “defeat.” “There are triumphant defeats that rival victories”

We are living in times when it is of utmost importance for us to discern between truth and error; between the Lord’s will and seduction from the enemy.
Time is short, and we must stay the course and not be taken off track.
Be alert and let the Lord’s Spirit lead you!  Otherwise, you will be led by your own desires and imaginations.
* Romans 13:12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.
Psalms 34:18 The Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
*Brokeness is the process whereby God brings us to the ends of ourselves and unto submission to HIM!!!
**** God’s Priority in Your Life****
A. God’s priority is not with the vessel but with the treasure. HE wants us to be like HIS son JESUS . Rom 8:29
*God is far more concerned with us being like Jesus than with our comfort. Sometimes HE will sacrifice our happiness and use issues of LIFE to bring us to HIM

B. God’s priority is not to provide temporary pleasure but eternal glory 2 Corinthians 4:16-17.
*God wants to break the “jar” of our lives ,so that the “treasure” of Jesus on the inside of HIS children can be seen.

C. God’s priority is not what is seen, but that which is unseen 2 Corinthians 4:18 Rom 8:28.
*Whenever God leaves you vulnerable or doesn’t answer your prayers, HE has a bigger plan for your life.

****Proper responses to Brokeness**
A. Analysis- what is GOD showing us.
B. Acceptance- yield to HIS working.
C. Adjust- adjust to HIS process.
*The best thing to do is to yield to the process of brokeness.

Father, Help us to recognize and respond correctly to your process of brokeness, O God, for we know that your ultimate priority LORD is to make us more like YOUR son, JESUS. So help us FATHER to not give up but to yield to the process and remain faithful to your work, knowing that ultimately it is for our good and YOUR GLORY , in the name of YOUR SON JESUS I pray, Amen .

Part 2 Holy Spirit Study– Biblically informed and Balanced!
**Can we Trust God to Give us ALL that we need to live a Life for His Glory?

If we continue to make “emotional choices”, God’s Spirit in us will be quenched. But if we begin to make “faith choices”, the fruit of God’s Spirit will come forth into our lives.
*”…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
Galatians 5:22-23

Here is. The 2nd intro for our upcoming Bible Study: “The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit.” Starting Sept. 15th for  10 weeks-by Pastor Bruce Olson.
*Our commitment is to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, to Holy Scripture, the living and abiding Word of God, and to all who would seek to discover Truths of the Bible.

The BIG QUESTION
**Has the Holy Spirit revealed that the Word is sufficient and enough?

The answer is— YES because the Holy Spirit has shown US in the Word that HE the Holy Spirit- HAS inspired.

Bottom line: We cannot have a vibrant and growing relationship with our Lord without being part of a community of believers.
The Community of Jesus Christ is coached/Lead by Him-Rather then being lead or coached by any single  individual or group within His Body.

This created a big question in my mind. How does Jesus lead and Coach???
Only Answer I can come up with, that makes any sense to me, is to:
** Follow the Holy Spirit inspired Word of God.

If we choose to walk after the Spirit, our bodies will be filled with “God’s Life” (the new man), but if we choose to walk after the flesh, our bodies will reflect “self-life” (the old man).
* “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another…”Galatians 5:17

*****What is the Biblical TEST for the Holy Spirit’s Presence, Leading, Confirming, Affirming,  Working Power, Gifting, Signs, Wonders and Visions??
***Answer: Christ and Christ Alone!!
Jesus said the Holy Spirit will Glorify Me.
John 16:14  He(Holy Spirit) will glorify me(Jesus), for he(Holy Spirit) will take what is mine and declare it to you.
***When hearing the voice of God, there are things we need to identify to know it is Him.
*Anything that God will ever say, will always be in agreement with His word.
*If it’s not in agreement with God’s word, it’s counterfeit.
*The more we are able to understand the Truth of God’s word, the more we’ll be able to identify when something isn’t right.
*When a situation happens, the first thing we should do is identify what is in the CENTER of the situation.
If we identify what the CENTER of the situation is(is it Jesus), we will be able to see if it is counterfeit, or if it’s from God.
*The gospel is about a person and that person is Jesus!!!!( John1:1-2)

*Where God’s word is, there is life.
*When something counterfeit, there might be something that doesn’t seem right, you need to be able to see what’s wrong. You may feel something is wrong and not no what it is, you need to listen to what that little voice is telling you.

What a great  mystery. I need to Read over and over again ALL Colossians In order to see  God’s Mystery– which is Christ.
Col. 2:2  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Glory of God is not an abstract idea or motivation that we aspire to live for.

*God’s glory is the radiance of the fullness of who HE is, and that radiance is a Person.
***A person, Jesus Christ, is the one in whom all the fullness of deity was pleased to dwell (Colossians 2:9).

*Our time is short, and Satan is a master divider.
*There are entire local bodies of Christ that disassemble due to doctrinal differences, old seated traditions, misinterpretation, and proud philosophies.
*We must remember that according to Colossians 2: 10 we are made complete through our union with Christ. We are not made complete through our own ideas.
*This is a desperate plea to all brothers and sisters in Christ! Love one another! We are all given grace, daily. There’s no time for arguing.

JESUS, the Person, is the Word of God made flesh as the ultimate revelation of the triune God (John 1:1-5,18; Hebrews 1:1-3).
****The glory of God is a person and that person is Jesus!!!!

We want to feel the supremacy of Jesus in our Everyday, NOT JUST alone in our prayer room or Bible Studies.
We love the gospel and the glory of God and we want the small and apparently menial moments of our lives to connect these massive realities. And at their heart is a person named Jesus.

So seek to stay conscious of JESUS. Talk about JESUS. And in doing so, bring His significance into your seemingly insignificant.   The preeminence of Jesus is about our everyday lives.

* Jesus teaches us that as we abide in him as he abides in us, we learn that his life and ministry is aimed “so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).
1. Joy is found in Christ. When we are apart from Christ we have no true Joy.
2. Joy is found in God’s Word. If we lost Joy we must get back in the Word of God to seek that Joy, for the Joy of the Word is our strength.

Paul said, “For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance” (1 Thessalonians 1:5). His favor brings the power of the Holy Spirit to all you say and do. Your words will not fall to the ground, because they will have Holy Spirit power.

Paul said those Holy Spirit-empowered words produce great results: “And you
became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit” (1:6).

Why were Paul’s words so powerful, so effective? Because, he says, “[We]
became examples to all . . . who believe” (v. 7). It was not Paul’s
preaching nor his praying that won people to the Lord. It was his exemplary
life! God had found in Paul a clean heart—one that He could favor with the
power of the Holy Spirit!

Revelation 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen.

Lord help me today to be led by Your Spirit, not what I want. Help me to stay true to my calling. I don’t ever want it to depart from me. Lord, may our  Bible study Sept. 15th be full with people wanting to know Truth and the Power and Work of the Holy Spirit.  In Jesus Name Amen!

For more info on study see web below.
And come join us this Sunday(sept. 11th) at Twin Lakes Park, Nowthen for worship (10 to 12) and family fun and food (12-5).  All are welcome. Questions email rbagne@yahoo.com.

*Be Biblically informed and Balanced!
**Can we Trust God to Give us ALL that we need to live a Life for His Glory?

Here is a Little intro for our upcoming Bible Study: “The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit.” Starting Sept. 15th for  10 weeks-by Pastor Bruce Olson.
*Our commitment is to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word, to Holy Scripture, the living and abiding Word of God, and to all who would seek to discover Truths of the Bible.

God is continually trying to teach us how to set aside “self-life” so that His Life can reign supreme in our hearts.
* “For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
2 Corinthians 4:11
*We are (or should be) constantly dying to self. Until we die to self on the cross we are sitting on the throne of our lives. And Christ is on the cross. Let’s put ourselves on the cross and put Christ on the throne!!!!

The BIG QUESTION
**Has the Holy Spirit revealed that the Word is sufficient and enough?

The answer is YES because the Holy Spirit has shown US in the Word that HE the Holy Spirit- HAS inspired.

2 Tim. 3: 16 ALL scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

*Many People confess,  that they do not like to read. They found it a difficult discipline. I have learned through tough times, “If you do not commit yourself to knowing what is in God’s Word and following it, you will fail to know and experience God.
God’s Word is life to our souls. It provides knowledge that leads to life.” **The prophet Hosea tells us, “My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as My priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children” (Hos. 4:6).

Read 2 Peter 1:3-9 ask the Holy Spirit.
*Can we Trust God to Give us ALL that we need to live a Life for His Glory.

****The Holy Spirit makes the things of God Real to People.

Read John 16:5-15 which is the foundation passage for understanding the Holy Spirit and His Ministry.
“””Five works of the Spirit.”””
*The Spirit Convicts (John 16:7-8)
*The Spirit sanctifies (Romans 15:16/ Galatians 5:22-25)
*The Spirit teaches and brings to our remembrance (John 14:26) Here Jesus is talking to the apostles giving them total recall, so the apostles could write it as Holy Scripture.
**In interpreting scripture one must remember that ALL of Scripture is for us–But Not ALL the Scripture is About US!  This is determined by the context of Any passage. A way to get at this-is Ask the Question:: Is the Bible Recording this or is the Bible Teaching this??
*For example:  The Bible records Noah Building an ark at God’s Command, it Does not teach that we should build an Ark.

*The Spirit reveals the truth (John 16:12-13).
The more honest and accountable you are, the better able you will be to see and accept the truth.  The keys to discovery are flexibility and transparency.
*John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

*The Spirit gives gifts (1 Corinthians 12:7).  One way we reflect our Creator is by being creative right where we are with the talents and gifts he has given us. As Paul says, “Each one should remain in the condition in which he was called. So, brothers, in whatever condition each was called, there let him remain with God” (1 Corinthians 7:20,24).

*Do we abort God’s GIFT of forgiveness by failing to extend forgiveness to others as He forgave us? When we do forgive, do we also seek to forget the offense?
Christian forgiveness is always, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

Galatians 1:8-10 ” Trust God’s Gospel”
Any Religious Teaching Other Than That Spoken Of By God In His Word Will Afford Dire Consequences Now And On Judgment Day.
*If God truly gave Paul this message, then there could be no room for change.
*The Lord is always the same, and His message never changes.
***Likewise, there is no room for a gospel today that fits the culture we live in.
It’s the same Gospel Paul preached–the power of God unto salvation today (Ro 1:16).

The Gospel is, first and foremost, about a Person.
*A person, Jesus Christ, is the one who suffered in our place under Pontius Pilate. He died and was buried, and on the third day, the person, Jesus Christ, was raised.
The events in 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 that Paul summarizes as that which is of first importance are further summarized by this one word:  JESUS! Yes-Jesus!!!

* We can speak of the “person of Christ” and the “work of Christ,” but rightly understood, they cannot be separated.

The gospel is about a person and that person is Jesus!!!!( John1:1-2)

*Methods can change, but the message must remain the same.
*If we hear a different gospel, how should we respond?
***Paul makes it clear that any message outside the true Gospel should be utterly condemned.

**God did not design our spiritual walk with him to be private, it is to be lived out in front of fellow believers so that we can learn and grow through the shared experiences of others.(We as believers are on the Same Team-we are ALL the Body-we All are the Church-WE NEED ALL to make a complete Team).

Many believers sometimes take God’s Word lightly. They believe they can violate His Word without consequence. This is not true; the Lord stands by to uphold His Word. It can be life, or it can bring death. When God provides instructions, we need to follow them.

Knowing this about God brings a healthy fear of the Lord. “David was afraid of God that day and asked, ‘How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?’ ” (1 Chron. 13:12)
* We must all have a fearful respect of God’s Word.
* For truly, it is life or death. Do we take God’s Word seriously? Is it life or death for Us? Do we feed upon His Word daily so that we might know Him and know His precepts? Feed upon this knowledge and be blessed of God.

Bible–Basic instruction Before Leaving Earth.

*Take the Word and put it into action, our actions speak louder than words!
**God wants a relationship with you, not merely going through the motions.
*John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, …

The Holy Spirit revealed that the Word is sufficient and enough because the Holy Spirit has shown US in the Word that HE the Holy Spirit- HAS inspired.

*Allow Gods word be your prerogative. The final authority over your life.

I pray for the Holy Spirit to guide my prayers and may our  Bible study Sept. 15th be full with people with a hunger wanting to know Truth and the Power and Work of the Holy Spirit.  Help us Lord to be All that You have intended us to be with YOU on the Throne and me at the Cross.  In Jesus Name Amen!

For more info on study see web below.
And come join us this Sunday(sept. 11th) at Twin Lakes Park, Nowthen for worship (10 to 12) and family fun and food (12-5).  All are welcome. Questions email rbagne@yahoo.com.

Bible–Basic instruction Before Leaving Earth.

*Take the Word and put it into action, our actions speak louder than words!

1 Thess. 2: 13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is,THE WORD OF GOD, which is at work in you believers.

*Praise be to God for taking the initiative of saving us. For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

1 Corinthians 2:13 And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.
*To be saved by God’s merciful grace, is indeed to discover a whole new way of life!   A whole new meaning and purpose. This is to receive the Holy Spirit!!!
*To be loved by God, is to dig at Him, that you may uncover the mysteries that lie in the depths of who He is.
* When we surrender to God we find His “mysterious plan.” God shows up and moves in dramatic, life-transforming ways.
*Col. 2:2  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.(Please meditate through Chapter)

*God wants a relationship with you, not merely going through the motions.

* When we became believers, we were filled with the source of wisdom — the Holy Spirit.
When confronted with difficult decisions about choices, consequences, or empathy, a mature Christian knows that turning to “the Spirit who is from God,” rather than “the spirit of the world” yields the kind of response that would be impossible under his own power.

*When we turn to the Holy Spirit before we turn to the world or man, we can speak with the Wisdom of God, rather than mere “human wisdom.”

*There are no  guides more valuable than the Holy Spirit and prayer.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
* Righteousness means being fully accepted, having a sense of being approved by God, of being honored and cherished by Him. The nearest word I know to describe this is the word “WORTH”.
God gives you a standing of worth. You don’t have to earn it; you start with it. God tells you already in the new covenant, “I have loved you, I have forgiven you, I have cleansed you. I intend to use YOU; your life is significant. There is nothing more you can add to that.”. Amen!

If you have a choice to make, the Bible can help you make it. If you’ve got questions, the Bible has answers.

*Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is Living and Active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

* How do you separate between a person’s thoughts and their intent?
**God’s word is able to penetrate to the heart of a person and cause a change, and unlike a physical sword it leaves no external scar.

* That is why you find those hearing Peter’s message responding, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart” (Acts 2:37).
* When the Bible is used as a weapon to point out the flaws in another person, the person using it often finds himself convicted by the same word.
“You, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that a man should not steal, do you steal? You who say, “Do not commit adultery,” do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?” (Romans 2:21-22).

2 Peter 1:20 knowing this first of all, that NO prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s OWN interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
*WE need to appreciate the virtues of the Word of God.
*It is a Timeless book
*It is a Truthful book
*It is a Treasured book
John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
John 16:13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, …

Revelation 22:18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
*The Bible is not your notebook which you can take away or add anything you want!
NO, the Bible is sacred scriptures from our Father in heaven!
In this verse it tells US clearly what will happen if WE add or subtract from Gods Holy Word.

There is Victory in the Cross:
* When we yield to the Lordship of Christ,
* When we make Christ, the throne of our hearts, we are on the cross,
*BUT if WE ARE ON  the throne of our hearts, then we in effect is leaving Jesus, on the cross.
That’s the hard message of the cross.

* If you are going through suffering don’t focus on the pain— up lift the cross and Christ, his love, his grace in your life.
*Maybe instead of apologizing FOR God (in explaining pain or suffering) perhaps we need to apologize TO God…for our stubbornness, divisiveness, or ignoring tendencies.(I do).

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Psalms 119:89 Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.
*We have somthing to rely on no matter what happens!!

Revelation 14: 12 Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
*What is a Saint- those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

Matthew 11:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
*Jesus is the Light, therefore he is full of Biblical truth and holiness.(1JN 1:5-7)
We as Christians can’t expect to be holy without having Biblical Truth!!!!!
What is the truth? Jesus said, praying to the Father “…your word, which is truth”. ***The Bible IS THE. ABSOLUTE TRUTH.
We need this Holy Spirit Inspired, Absolute Truthful book!

*Bury the WORD deep in your hearts and allow the truth of God to be with you in all your thoughts and actions!

*Where God’s WORD is, there is life.
*God’s Word is the settled, lasting, truth with a firm foundation!!

I ask why am I here?
Christ and Christ Alone!!
Jesus said the Holy Spirit will Glorify Me. John 16:14  He(Holy Spirit) will glorify me(Jesus), for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

** But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. (James 1:22).   “TAKE ACTION”

I thank you Lord for your Word through the Holy Spirit that comforts me and reveals you Lord JESUS to me.   I bless your Holy, Holy name today dear Lord and thank and praise you and worship you in spirit and in truth. Glory and honor to you Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

See web page for Bible Study and come join us this Sunday(sept. 11th) at Twin Lakes Park, Nowthen for worship (10 to 12) and family fun and food (12-5).  All are welcome. Questions email rbagne@yahoo.com.

The Word of God cannot work in our lives unless we have receptive hearts!!

Whats the condition of your heart?
Is it the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, or the fruitful heart.

Whatever the condition of your heart is, will affect how you will receive the Word of God.

Scripture tells us that, as new believers, we have “put on” Christ(Gal. 3:27). Although this begins in our hearts when we’re born again(JN 3:3), we must continually choose to “put on” Christ moment by moment throughout our lives. This is the process of sanctification.
* “…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”Ephesians 4:24

Throwing Seeds?
“But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirty fold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” (Mark 4:8)

Good soil not only produces fruits, but also seed that falls on others and multiplies. True conversion will produce disciples.

The human heart is like receptive soil to the seed of the Word of God. Jesus used this analogy in the parable of the sower (see Mark 4:3-20).

The soil that the seed fell on represents:
1.  Four categories of hearers’ hearts,
2.  Four different reactions to the Word of God:
** the hard heart, the shallow heart, the crowded heart, and the fruitful heart.

First, there is the Hard Heart, the seed that falls along the roadside.
* This Represents people who hear the Word of God, but never really believe.

Then there is the Shallow Heart. That is the seed that falls on stony ground.
This signifies the people who hear the Word of God and receive it with joy, but because there is no root to sustain them, they wither.

Next, there is the Crowded Heart. That is the seed that falls on ground where weeds choke out its growth.
* Slowly and surely, these people, busy with the cares and riches of the world, just lose interest in the things of God.

Finally, there is the Fruitful Heart that receives the Word. The seed falls on good ground and the plants produce a rich harvest.

*We are the ones who determine what kind of soil our hearts will be.
*We decide whether we will have a hard heart, a shallow heart, a crowded heart, or a receptive heart.

This is exactly what James meant when he said, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

The Word of God(seed) cannot work in our lives unless we have receptive hearts(soil condition)!!

*If you have a stony heart or a heart that is hard with little soil or a thorny or thistly heart, be encourage to till the fields and plow it to receive Gods rain and let his WORD produce what it was meant to.

So often defeat is what is required before victory can be won. Jesus said that unless the seed dies and goes into the ground it cannot bring forth fruit (see Jn. 12:24). The death of a vision is often required before the fulfillment can really take place. Have you failed at something in your life? Have you not seen the vision fulfilled you thought you were given? The vision may yet happen.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross. However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth. Christ’s death gave liberty. Forgiveness came to all men. New life came forth-new strength for the disciples. Resurrection and new life came as a result of a “defeat.” “There are triumphant defeats that rival victories”

The power of the seed.
*Every seed requires cultivation, and to be nurtured in order to produce its fruit.
*The seed carries the ability to reproduce themselves.
*The seed means nothing until it is planted.
*The seed carries the DNA of its source.
*Everything that the seed requires to become all it can, is within the seed.
*Every seed carries a message or assignment.
*Every seed carries for the next generation.
*Seed must be sown, seeds grow in stages, plants must go through maturity, it is our responsibility to harvest.

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

I thank you Lord for your Holy Spirit that comforts me and reveals you Lord Jesus to me.  I bless your  Holy, Holy name today dear Lord and thank and praise you and worship you in Spirit and in Truth. Lord continue to till my field and plow it to receive Your rain and let Your WORD (Seed)  produce what it was meant to for me this day. Glory and honor to you Lord. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

See web page for Bible Study and come join us this Sunday at Twin Lakes Park for worship (10 to 12) and family fun and food (12-5).  All are welcome. Questions email rbagne@yahoo.com.

The dictionary definition of “depressed” is: “to press down” or “cause to sink.”
And, in fact, a depressed person feels that.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be plucked, pushed, crushed, pressed, skinned, and fermented?

OUCH! The pain! What’s the point of it
all?

A lot of people feel that way about the pain they experience in relationships as well as their marriage.
“Why am I doing this?
Where is this relationship going?”

But just as a grape goes through a difficult process before it becomes a fine wine, sometimes our relationships and/or our marriage has to go through a painful process before it matures.

So often defeat is what is required before victory can be won. Jesus said that unless the seed dies and goes into the ground it cannot bring forth fruit (see Jn. 12:24).
The death of a vision is often required before the fulfillment can really take place.
*Have you failed at something in your life?
*Have you not seen the vision fulfilled you thought you were given?
* The vision may yet happen.

The disciples thought they suffered their greatest defeat when Jesus died on the cross.
* However, this defeat became the greatest victory on earth.
* Christ’s death gave liberty. *Forgiveness came to all men.
* New life came forth-new strength for the disciples.
*Resurrection and new life came as a result of a “defeat.”
*There are triumphant defeats that rival victories!

The people who have the best Relationships are NOT people who grew up well-adjusted, have healthy
adult lives, and normal parents. People like that usually have OKAY Relationships/ marriages.

The BEST Relationships/ marriages are with people who were crushed, who went through a painful process, and
who built their relationship from the ruins of broken hearts.

There’s an ancient song by King David, “Those who sow in tears will reap harvest in glad song.”
*And so it is that pain is often the preview to pleasure.

Best Example I believe is– Any woman who has experienced child birth can testify to this truth.

As I interact with more and more people I notice that very often the turning point in a Relationship as well as any problem — is when people usually hit rock bottom and have tried every option Themselves!!!
It’s not until they’ve been through the worst-give up self and have no option But to Trust God that things start to get better.

But the turnaround  is NOT automatic. Just because you hit bottom, does NOT
mean you’ll bounce back.

**If you don’t make it happen, you’ll just crash. You have a  Choice to make!
God’s way or MY way?

*In order to turn around, you have to take RESPONSIBILITY.

What does it REALLY mean to be responsible?
* A person who is responsible has the ABILITY to RESPOND.
* In other words, if you take response-ability for your relationship, problems and or your marriage, then your problem is not determined solely by what happens; it’s also determined by how you RESPOND to what happens.

*A responsible person is not a victim to their circumstances. They are the master of their fate.

How you respond to your circumstances today,   WILL determine your circumstances tomorrow.
**YOUR actions will create your new Circumstances. You can turn sour grapes into a fine wine.

Start your Actions in prayer:
Prayer is the lifeblood of an intimate relationship with the Father.
* But believers often have questions about its power and effectiveness. *Don’t hesitate to Take your queries to the Lord, Dig into Scripture for answers, and Seek the counsel of a trusted spiritual mentor. Prayer is too important to neglect.

Do you need to repent? It is a call to follow him. Have you made this commitment to follow Jesus?

Be alert to situations and issues that will serve as a platform from which to deal with old mindsets that will not serve you well in your current journey to higher spiritual ground.
*Make a review of the things that the Lord is showing you in your current environment, but do so without allowing rejection or condemnation to cloud your vision.
*The enemy will do whatever he can to keep you from looking at things objectively and with clarity.
*But if you will see this time as being necessary for instruction leading to greater understanding instead of a personal attack against who you are, it will serve as a springboard to the next phase of your journey.
**Otherwise, it could just become a trap.
Mark 8:25  25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.

The good news of the Gospel is that those who trust in Him have the same opportunity to be restored, and see everything clearly.
We are to take up our cross and follow  Jesus!!
If we want life, liberty and happiness in the fullest sense, don’t pursue them directly.
We ought to pursue and trust Christ by taking up our own cross, and that is where life in the fullest will be found.

God, I’m SO amazed by your wisdom!! Jesus, I’m SO amazed by your humility and your absolute submission to the Father’s will!! Wow, thank you for revealing these truths to me. Please help me to live the way you have lived while you were still here, in humble submission to God’s will all the days of my life.
Amen!!!!
**See web page for Bible Study and come join us this Sunday(sept. 11th) at Twin Lakes Park, Nowthen for worship (10 to 12) and family fun and food (12-5).  All are welcome. Questions email

Our self-life will never “mellow” with age. We can’t tame it…we have to crucify it.
*  “But may it never be that I should boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” Galatians 6:14
*Are we a doer of the Word or a hearer only?
*It is one thing to receive truth. It is quite another to receive it humbly. That can only happen if we understand our need of God’s truth in my life.
*James 1:21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
*”Meekness is an attitude toward God“ in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.”
*A humble heart doesn’t fight against God or contend with Him.
*God’s powerful Word, implanted in our hearts, is a trustworthy source of spiritual wisdom and strength.
*It’s available to all who will humbly receive it.
*God who formed worlds by the power of His Word Speaks through the Scriptures His truth to be heard;
*And if we read with the will to obey,
He by His Spirit will show us His way.

Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. 2 Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.

The thirst Isaiah describes here is not a reactive RESULT of the absence of something, but a pro-active DISPOSITION before the Lord that says, “God, I need more of you!”

Moses was thirsty and wanted all of God. He knew God’s ways, but wanted God Himself!

God will use a circumstance or need in the natural to create an area of thirst in our spirit.
* A thirsty man will not just sit waiting for water to come, but will assume a disposition to seek that which will quench his thirst. He PURSUES it.

Moses pursued the very face of God and His  glory…the fullness of all God is.

We can pursue God the same way in removing our self – our flesh – from our very own pursuits.
* Try this…take one day and look for the God in others around you.
*God is there, even in non-believers, there is the image of God created in them.

**Share a story with them, minister to their hurting soul…show them the Christ in you that YOU pursued and are still pursuing!
It will surprise you just where you begin to see the Lord habitating!!!

Romans 8: 28 And we know that for those who LOVE God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

*This is the LOVE of Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.”
* It is Christ’s love for the church, his bride.
* Christ has a love for all, and he has a special, saving, preserving love for his bride. You know you are part of that bride if you trust Christ. Anyone — no exceptions — anyone who trusts Christ can say, I am part of his bride, his church, his called and chosen ones, the ones who verse 35 in Romans 8- says are kept and protected forever no matter what.

The world may influence us and still have influence because we live in this world but we are no longer enslaved or dominated by this world system, presided over by Satan, the love of the world the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, is to be crucified, so we need to ask our self a ?—- Are we living a crucified life???

There is victory in the cross:
* when we yield to the lordship of Christ,
* when we make Christ, the throne of our hearts, we are on the cross,
*BUT if WE ARE ON  the throne of our hearts, then we in effect is leaving Jesus, on the cross.
That’s the hard message of the cross.

* If you are going through suffering don’t focus on the pain up lift the cross and Christ, his love, his grace in our lives.
*To live a life that exualt the cross, then praise him with our worship and then through our witness.
* Jesus, said if I be lifted up then I will draw all into me, be blessed.
1 thess. 2:13 And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.
*Praise be to God for taking the initiative of saving us. For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. *The Word is God’s revelation to us! How we receive the Bible affects how we live the Christian life.
*We must be in prayer, claiming the promise, praying for God to cause His Word to work in us, and through us, to others!
*if I want to know what God wants for my life, I must dedicate some time apart from my life to study his word and plan for my life, an then apply it.
Thank You Jesus-Your Love for each one of us is so so unbelievable. Help us love others and our self’s  as You do. Amen.

When we seek to please “self”, we open ourselves up to uncontrolled emotions, soulish thoughts and selfish desires.
*”…for they do the lustful desires expressed by their mouth, and their heart goes after their gain.”Ezekiel 33:31
*Jonah was fleeing from the presence of the Lord, and as a result fled from the Lord’s will.
Jonah 1:3 But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.
“Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water?” James 3:11
*We cannot show forth God’s Life and self-life at the same time.

*******Don’t Waste Your Life?

You see, even under grace it does matter what you do with your life. Don’t waste your life is the message of God to us.
We need to be gripped by the reality that choices we make have consequences both now and for eternity.

Martin Luther lived by a motto he often repeated:
“I have but two days in my calendar – Today, and the Day I stand before Christ.”

Christ’s coming simply reveals what people have been all the time. For us as believers, Paul tells us that when we stand before Christ “each man’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it” (1 Corinthians 3:13).

Remember, the One who has planned the End from the Beginning has told us what will happen in the days ahead, and this is His Plan for History.

Daniel 4:3 How great are His signs, and how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.
*The book of Daniel is a great example of a man who was proactive is his faith. As you read the book of Daniel you will find the following proactive nature of Daniel.
1) Daniel spent time with God regularly. This gave him a better understanding of who God is and what pleases God.

2) Daniel made decisions that pleased God. He was not concerned with earthly treasure but rather with the blessings of God.

3) Daniel’s testimony of God through the way he lived and the decisions he made, always pointed people toward God.

The problem with most Christians today is that WE are reactive in our decision making and our understanding of God. ***Our knowledge of God’s word is limited because we choose to spend small amounts of time reading and studying His word.( Hosea 4:6 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me.)

Daniel chose to spend time with God. Moses always set up a tent while he was in the desert where he would meet with God.

We need to spend time with God more. So we can get to know Him, His likes and His dislikes, the way He thinks and what is important to Him. We need to set up our own ‘tent.’ away from the distractions of this world, where we spend time focusing on God and His word.

For years I walked in my own strength of “I can do it,” but God brought me to His strength and the knowledge that “He can do it in me.”

He has brought me out of my own power, which is so limited and flawed, to being dependent on the infilling power of His Spirit.
Confidence in myself has very limited power, whereas confidence in Him brings limitless possibilities.

I know that I’ll still have days of struggle with confidence, but my rebuilt and renewed sense of confidence is now firmly in Christ. It’s a beautiful place to be.
“By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them….” Exodus 13:21
*How are you at waiting on God?
*How do you determine if God is giving you the green light to move forward?

Many  believers make the mistake of adding up all the pluses and then concluding that God has given them the green light.
Several factors go into making a decision from the Lord.

Through experience I believe it is important to do a couple of things before you make a decision on a matter.
* First, you should gather facts.
Fact gathering allows you to determine all the realities of a given situation. However, this does not ultimately drive your decision, but it can put a stop to it.
For instance, if you were planning to build a shopping center and you knew the only way to lease the space was to rent to a porn shop, your decision would be made. God would NOT lead you to enter into unrighteous ventures.

*Second, is the Holy Spirit guiding you in your decision?
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, He makes his steps firm” (Ps. 37:23).
God puts hedges around us, but many times we bull our way through the hedges under the guise of tenacity and perseverance.
*This too is unrighteousness. One wise workplace believer stated that the greatest success one can have in business is to know when it is time to pull the plug rather than keep forcing a situation. Not all businesses last forever.

*Third, has your decision been confirmed?
God has placed others around us to be used as instruments in our lives to confirm decisions and keep us from the deceit of our own heart.

“Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses” (2 Cor. 13:1b).
This is God’s way of keeping us within the hedge of His protection.

“Write your plans in pencil and give God the eraser!!! (Read Hab. 2:2-)

Refuse to be offended or take what other people say as a personal attack against you.  The enemy would have you respond in ways that will open the door to a greater assault.
* Forgive quickly and move on.
* Don’t dwell on the things that have gone wrong, but rather take the time to be thankful. It is of vital importance that you keep your focus on things that really matter.

Philippians 4:8  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things.

Dear Lord,I ask that you continue to renew my mind. Help me to think positive, think and view others the way you view them. I understand that the mind is a very powerful tool, so I ask that I will use it to please you and bring life to others. Help me to die to myself so that I would be a pure vessel. A vessel that only fresh and living water flows from me into others. By me dieing to myself, I would be able to help lead my brothers and sisters to their Living Father. I have depended on myself so many times and fallen short. My confidence has been shaken many times. Rebuild me daily Lord by helping me to put my FULL confidence in You and what You have said and continue to say through your perfect absolute truth in your Word.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Self-life wants to hide the truth, but God’s Life wants to expose it!
* “For nothing is hidden that shall not become evident, nor anything secret that shall not be known and come to light.” Luke 8:17

HEARING AND KNOWING HIS VOICE
John 1: 23 Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
God is continually trying to teach us how to set aside “self-life” so that His Life can reign supreme in our hearts.

God desires to speak to you as if you were sitting down to dinner with him.

God wants to converse with you, heart to heart, on any and all matters! The Bible says: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me”
(Revelation 3:20).

This verse often has been used when speaking to the unsaved. We speak of Jesus standing at the door of the sinner’s heart, seeking entrance.
But, no—Christ is speaking to the believer!
*The context shows that Christ is talking to those who are clothed in white
raiment (righteousness), who have bought gold tried in the fire, whose eyes are anointed (having revelation), who are loved, reproved and chastened (seeRevelation 3:15-19).
**These are repentant, holy people who want to know the voice of God!

As I read and reread verse 20 in this passage, three words kept leaping out at me: “Open the door! Open the door!”
As I see it, this door represents a commitment—one that many Christians have not yet fully made.
Most believers pray, “Lord, all I need is a little advice, a few words of direction—a reminder that you love me.
Just let me know whether I’m doing right or wrong. Go before me and open the doors!”

But Jesus answers us:
*“If all you want from me is direction, I can send a prophet to you.
*If you only want to know where to go and what to do, I can send
someone and you can filter it all through him.
*** But you are missing ME!”
1 Corinthians 6:19 Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, 20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
*Jesus wants your closeness, your deepest emotions, your locked-up room that you do not want to open.
*Jesus wants to sit down with you and share all that is in his heart—to talk with
you face to face.
Revelation 3 is a wonderful picture of this. It speaks of love and intimacy, of sharing secrets, of tender voices.

When Jesus comes in, he brings food and bread—in other words, himself. When you feed on him, you will be satisfied completely!
**************
Psalms 27:7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me! 8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

I have been guilty of seeking more his miracles and things Jesus can do for me—-than seeking his face. To be more in love with Him than being in love with the things that He has given me. I believe He wants to strip me from that.

2 Chronicles 7:14 if my people who are called by my name Humble themselves, and Pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
*This is a promise from the Lord that if His people, who are called by His name. Humble themselves in prayer, by acknowledging their sins. He promises to forgive them when they ask for forgiveness and heal them.

Peter warns last-day believers that Satan will come to them with a loud voice, trying to bring fear. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the
devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter
5:8).

Here is my point: If Satan is making his voice known in these last days,
showing his power to the masses of lost souls, how much more important is it
for God’s people to know their Father’s voice?
Do you think the Lord would sit by as Satan roars at the world and yet remain silent?
Never!
Isaiah said: “The Lord will cause His glorious voice to be heard” (Isaiah 30:30).

Since the time of Adam and Eve, God has been speaking to man. “They heard the sound of the Lord God” (Genesis 3:8). Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid” (Genesis 3:10).

From Genesis through to the end of the New Testament, God made his voice known to his people. In the books of the prophets we see this phrase, “And God said. . .” repeated time after time. God’s voice was known and understood.

Jesus confirmed this in the New Testament, using the example of the Good Shepherd. “The sheep hear his voice . . . the sheep follow him, for they know his voice” (John 10:3-4).

Adam hid from God’s voice, because of the guilt and shame of his sin. And
that is exactly where many of God’s people are today—hiding, afraid to hear
God speak!

If you want to hear God’s voice, you must be ready to have your soul purged
and cleansed.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Every believer is called to “go and make disciples of all the nations . . . ” (Matthew 28:19). That means we are all called to evangelism. We all have a part to play.

I must admit that it’s a mystery to me that God has chosen to use people as the primary communicators of His truth.
The primary way God reaches people who do not yet know Him is through verbal communication. How can people hear about Christ unless someone tells them? That someone is supposed to be you or me.

Christ and Christ Alone!!
Jesus said the Holy Spirit will Glorify Me.
John 16:14  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.
***When hearing the voice of God, there are things we need to identify to know it is him.
*Anything that God will ever say, will always be in agreement with his WORD.
*If it’s not in agreement with God’s word, it’s counterfeit.
*God Never directs to anything that he has not taught in his word.
*The more we are able to understand the Truth of God’s word, the more we’ll be able to identify when something isn’t right.
*Where God’s word is, there is life.

Lord, do a work in me. I ask for your forgiveness and I pray you help me seek your face more than seeking your hand. Thank You for  Absolute TRUTH – YOUR WORD. Help me, through the Holy Spirit see more and more of Your Love through your Holy Spirit inspired Word the Bible!  In Jesus Name, Amen

Look for people with needs, then point them to Christ to meet their needs.

Whenever God is slow to answer our prayers, WHAT we believe about God is revealed!

Mark 10:49-52
Nowhere in the Bible can you find where Jesus ignored someone that was desperate. On the cross the one beside Jesus reached out in desperation.

…. “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.”…another version says “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Mark 10:49

Do you recall the circumstances when God first called you into relationship with Him?
*Were you in NEED of something?
*Were you in a crisis situation?
***Every day God calls someone into relationship with Him through different circumstances.
*** More often than not, the circumstances relate to a NEED in their life that only God can meet.

Each day, we rub shoulders with someone who has not met this Jesus we know personally.
* God uses Needs to draw us to Himself.
What NEED has He placed in someone you know that only Christ can meet?

Perhaps you are the instrument He wants to use to introduce that person to Himself.
*It requires availability and a willingness to look for people with needs, then point them to Christ to meet their needs.
*Pray for divine appointments today.

You and I have an influence, either for good or for bad. No matter who you are, you occupy a place of influence.
” For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself.” (Romans 14:7).

**** My friend, I see this Life– as  ALL of us are preachers. You are preaching to those around you by the life that you live….!!!!

You may be influencing a wide circle of human society. You may have influence in your neighborhood and in your community.  You have influence in your family, small groups, your work.  ***Somebody is looking at you and watching to see whether or not you mean business with God.

Does your going to church mean anything more to you than going to a drive-in to pick up a hamburger? Does your life suggest that there is a heaven to gain and a hell to shun? You have influence.

“One sinner destroyeth much good.”

Think about it–You see, we have absolute access to the very presence of the living God—and also for him to come to us!
“Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way . . . let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith” (Hebrews 10:19-22).

Nothing thrills the heart of God more than when his children come to him in
boldness, without timidity! He wants us to come, saying, “I have a right to
be here. And even if my heart condemns me, God is greater than my heart! (see 1John 3:20).

Whenever God is slow to answer our prayers, WHAT we believe about God is revealed!!!!
* Do we change our plans and move in a different direction when pressure mounts?
*Or do we continue on the path God has directed for us?

If God has called you, then you can be sure He will make a way. He has already opened the way before you.
But you must walk in faith, joined with Him to take the land.
*”…Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9)

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.  (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Thank You Jesus for this comfort–now help us now comfort others in NEED-as we have received from You!  In Jesus Name. Amen

We think that…. “If I had _______, then I would be stronger”.  We ask God to change our circumstances instead of asking God for strength!

Christianity is the only religion where God dwells in us.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

ROOTED IN LOVE

“That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and
grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth, and height—to know the love of Christ which
passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God”
(Ephesians 3:17-19).

Rooted and grounded here means:
*** “to build under you a deep and stable foundation of Knowing and Understanding the Love of God to YOU.

In other words, the knowledge of God’s love to you is the foundational truth upon which ALL others truths must be built!

Without God we don’t know what love is. We cant say we love someone if we don’t love God. He is the creator of love.
For example, this is what the fear of God is built upon. A holy fear of God is
not a dread that he is ready to strike you down if you are caught in some
little fault.
Rather, it is the dread of his holiness against rebellion—and
of what he does to those who love darkness rather than light.

*The soil that you draw life from dictates the kind of fruit that grows.
* The depth of the roots dictates the quality of fruit produced.
What soil are you drawing life from? *From the world?
*From TV, movies, books, Internet?

Christians who live in guilt, fear and condemnation are not “rooted and
grounded” in the love of God.

*Our heavenly Father sent his Son to die for our sins and weaknesses. And without fully knowing and fully understanding that kind of love to you, you will never have a stable or permanent foundation!

“[That you] . . . may be able to comprehend . . . the love of Christ”
(Ephesians 3:18-19).
The apostle Paul means for you to seize this truth and make it the foundation of your Christian life. He is telling you to put your spiritual hands out and say, “I am going to lay hold of this!”

Perhaps you are assaulted by a temptation you can’t seem to shake off.

**** Or maybe you carry a sense of never measuring up, of Unworthiness—a fear that the devil is going to trip you up and you are going to fail God.

This is the day for you to wake up to God’s love for you! I pray that as you
read this message, something will strike deep in your heart, and you will be
able to say, “You’re right. That’s me and I don’t want to live this way!”

Colossians 2:2  that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

I pray that you will get hold of this truth—that it will open your eyes and help you enter a whole new realm of joy and peace in your daily walk with him.

*God’s glory is the radiance of the fullness of who HE is, and that radiance is a Person.
*A person, Jesus Christ, is the one in whom all the fullness of deity was pleased to dwell (Colossians 2:9).

Jesus, the Person, IS the Word of God made flesh as the ultimate revelation of the triune God (John 1:18; Hebrews 1:1-3).

***The glory of God is a person and that person is JESUS!!!!!!

Make no mistake; the Lord see’s every detail of your life.  You can run, but you can’t hide.  Be sensitive to the conviction of His Spirit to bring correction.  You can choose to either repent (turn from) all that is unholy and ungodly in your life, or you can carry on with rebellion and disobedience to His word.
The choice is yours and so is the harvest.  You will reap either the fruit of righteousness or of unrighteousness.  Take advantage of this opportunity to adjust the course of your life.
**Hebrews 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

Love ultimately is not a feeling – it is an action. It doesn’t spring from your heart (although it may be a part of it), but is an action. Love is practical, and is a series of choices you make.

Ultimately, there is only one message: “”Love one another.””

Thank You Jesus for Loving Me. Thank You Jesus for Your Words of Truth found in your All sufficient Word, the Bible. Thank You for loving me so much that You gave Your life(action) because of my sins. 1 John 4:10: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”. Thank you Lord that the glory of God is a person and that person is Jesus!!!!!  Amen