The Living Word

You are a spirit. You have a soul and you live in a body. This is truth. A born again Christian knows this is true. Only when we come to Jesus and repent of our sins and receive the gift of His blood shed for us can we even see the kingdom of God.

John 3:⁵Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

We were created in the image of God - that is we have a spirit that will live forever. We will either live with Jesus for eternity or we will be cast into the lake of fire. This is a horrible fate. It is so horrible that we don`t even like to talk about it at church. We don`t want to scare people into becoming Christians. After all - this isn`t the time of the Crusades.... I`m giving you excuses why we don`t warn people about hell. We don`t want to come on too strong.

Also we don`t pray in tongues on Sunday mornings in church because we don`t want to offend the unbeliever. We want to do things decently and in order. Too often our order produces nothing.

Jesus talked about hell - a place of torment that is a horrible fate.

Luke 16: ²²And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;

 ²³And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

Jesus turned over money tables in the temple becaue they were in the outer court where the Gentiles could go.

Jesus called the Pharasees and Saducees horrible names. Truly he was not being politically correct.

Matthew 23: ³³Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

Jesus broke many man made laws to bring the good news of God`s kingdom to people the religious people wanted nothing to do with. Jesus dined with tax collectors and sinners. The religious leaders would have perhaps welcomes a less radical, more socially acceptable Jesus. Jesus came to minister to the spirit of man. He came with a message to offer eternal life to those who would believe in Him. Jesus saw the hearts of people and treated them how he saw them spiritually. This is somewhat scary. Note the episode he discusses below.

^{Luke 18:10}Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

 ¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

 ¹²I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

 ¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

 ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Jesus saw the spirit. His seeing of th human heart brought revelation to the situation. Outrward appearance and outward rituals do not reflect spiritual life. Jesus ministered to the spirit. Jesus refreshed and revived the spirit. John 4:¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Most people are spiritually dried up and dead and don`t know what they need until we give them the good news about Jesus and His love for them. It is a taste of living water that can bring life to them. What the spirit man needs is the HOLY SPIRIT in fullness.  Do not be ashamed of the Holy Spirit or in the manifestation of His presence.

Let all things be done - decently and in order. But do not forget about the part that says let all things be done. The Holy Spirit refreshes and brings life, No jokes a person can utter can compare with the refreshing the Spirit can give if we make room for Him. Pastor, give some time for the Good Shepeherd to minister to your congregation. Provide an atmosphere of praise and worship. Purposely wait on God - that means silence and waiting on God. Allow the Holy Spirit to touch hearts. Give God a chance to break into the box of your Sunday morning plan. He will touch the human spirit like nothing you could ever do.

PRAYER

LORD forgive us for delegating 5 minutes in our 2 hour service to seeking you, Forgive us for joking around on the platform while people in our congregation are going to hell. Forgive us for looking at the outward and ministering to the soul. Forgive us for forgetting that the spirit man can only be refreshed by the Holy Spirit. Forgive us Holy Spirit for not asking you to have your way in our midst. God forgive us for making a business of the church and applying a business plan to our services. God have mercy on us. Come breathe fresh upon the pastors and the shepherds. Come Holy Spirit fill me with your love and lead me. LORD have your way in our services. Lord have your way in my heart, Amen.

 

 

J

Why is it that some people do not like to see people touched by the Holy Spirit, filled with the love of God, flowing in singing in the Spirit and prasing God? I mean those are radical people. Are they balanced? Whose balance are we using?

They might be laughing or crying or running or dancing. They have given themselves completely to the Holy Spirit and are filled with the Holy Spirit and may even appear drunk in the Spirit.What is drunk in the Spirit and is this something to be desired or something we should be cautious about?

To be drunk with wine is a sin, but to be drunk with the Holy Spirit is to be desired. It is to be so filled with the Spirit of God that His presence fills us to overflowing. It is like the force of a nuclear generator pounding at full force - the life of God Himself flowing through our spirit and our soul and our flesh and blood body.

 Ephesians 5:  ¹⁸And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

 ¹⁹Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;

 ²⁰Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Praise and worship are obvious signs of Holy Spirit intoxication. We will praise and worship God and be overwhelmed by His immortal love and light and life as He fills us. Our human bodies may manifest some strange behaviour such as stammering, speaking in other tongues, shaking or trembling. We may even pass out - appear to faint - but it is to be slain in the spirit. That is the God encounter being of such a force and our receptor being 100% open and the touch of god filling us until our human body cannot handle the encounter in any normal way - we swoon in the love of our LORD. We are filled to overflowing with His love and His presence.

God commands us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We should daily come before God for a fresh infilling. Each encounter we have with God moves us and transforms us so that we resemble Jesus more each day.  If we have not had a God encounter of this kind and are interested in more of God we should prepare our hearts. If we have a crust on us - a hard spot on us of either sin or scabs from wounds or any type of separation from God, we must come first to repent.

We might need God to reveal the condition of our heart to us through fasting and prayer. If we seek the Lord, we will find Him. If we draw near to God, He will draw near unto us. As we repent and plead the blood of Jesus, we will experience the cleansing power of God. That will remove any harness from us. We might need to fast and pray.

We can break up the fallow ground - the hardness - by repentance, prayer and praise.

 Jeremiah 4

 ¹If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove.

 ²And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory.

 ³For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

 Once we begin to receive His forgiveness, we will begin to praise God and experience a sense of freedom. Whether we feel it or not - Jesus blood washes us from all sin or unrighteousness. If we begin to sing about the blood of Jesus and what He has done for us, we will begin to feel His cleansing. His presence brings health and wholeness to our spirit man and our souls and often physical healing is a result of His Holy Spirit filling us and reviving us.

As a result of the fresh infilling, we will be singing, praising, manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit and  be available to God. There may be weeping or laughter but it will be born in our spirit which is full of life because of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER

LORD I pray... Come pour your Spirit upon me. Reveal to me the condition of my heart. Have mercy on me. Don't leave me to myself. I want your presence and your life. Reveal the blood of Jesus to me afresh. Quicken the joy of my salvation to me. I open the floodgates of my soul. Pour in the oil and the wine. Come fill me fresh with your Holy Spirit. I need you O God. I break up my fallow ground by prayer and repentance. Forgive me and fill me fresh with your Spirit. I give myself to you LORD Jesus Christ. Fill me and use me. Amen

 Are you rather dry and all too comfortable in your local boxed sermon and timed to the minute praise service? Do you know what it is liketo think that church is boring? Is the service all too predictable?

If you have never tasted anything but cookie cutter Christianity- that means there is 20-30 minutes of praise, an offering, some announcements, sometimes a special singer or choir number and a 30 - 40 min sermon - you probably think that is the way it is suppose to be. Maybe you have never known anything different. Probably, in your heart there is a longing for something more. If you are a real Christian, you know heaven won`t be like this - or at least you hope it won`t.

 Acts 2:⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

 You may be a pentecostal and read these words and wonder what happened to the CHURCH.It seems we havechanged quite a bit if we compare the Church in book of Acts to the modern day phenomenom we call the church.

First of all let me say that Jesus has not changed. He is the same Jesus who rose up into heaven that will return again one day.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

 The Holy spirit was given to us by the Father so that we might be empowered to preach the gospel to every nation, people, tribe and tongue on the planet.

Jesus commanded us to go!

 ^{Mark 16: 15}And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

 ¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

 ¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

 ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

There was an anointing upon the disciples to do the work of the ministry. Miracles followed the preaching of the word.

Mark 16:²⁰And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The Holy Spirit will move through us if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in praise and worship. Let`s open the service to God inviting Him in to have His way. Do we want God`s way? His way is never boring, always exciting, always full of joy and peace and love abounding. People will be saved and healed and delivered. People will be baptized and consecrate themseves to God.

Ephesians 5:18
And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

Maybe- you say - let us pray for this revival. Although I agree it is good to pray for revival - I tell you now that revival is happening right now in Kansas City Missouri! I`m sure some of my brothers and sisters have testimonies of God`s powerful presence in their services and we should share them with each other.

The International House of Prayer

Let me just tell you of one such place where revival is happening right now - The International House of Prayer in Kansas City. There has been a tremendous outpouring of the Holy Spirit from November 2009 until today. There are daily services where people are born again, filled with the Holy Spirit anddelivered, healed emotionally - healed physically and consecrated unto God for a life of sharing the gospel.

Many of you will know of the pastor- Mike Bickle who over 10 years ago got radical about church by having his church in 24 hour 7 days a week prayer and praise. This is radical even for we charasmatics or pentecostals.

Now they have consecrated 50%of their time to prayer and praise and the other 50% to soul winning, teaching and preaching the gospel. I want to invite you to church - you can go in person of course but right now from your home - you can go.

Do you want a taste of the Holy Spirit that will quicken you and touch you with the life of God? I want to invite you to click on the website and go to the praise or (prayer or both) sessions that take place 24/7. I promise you that if you taste and see - you will realize that the Lord is good and that revival is taking place - right now for those who open their hearts and allow the Holy Spirit to have His way.

Go to the website. Right now they have live streaming of the nightly revival meetings. If you have a heart for young people, view the onething 2009 conference videos - it will cause your heart to rejoice and put a hope in your for this generation of teens and 20`s and 30`s etc. You can find revival yourself. I encourage you to go to this website.

http://www.ihop.org/

 PRAYER

God forgive me for being content with anything less than your Spirit and your Spirit lead services. Holy Spirit revive my heart and cause me to fall in love with Jesus than I ever have before. I give you all the glory Jesus!

Have you ever been in a spot unlike any other and you just couldn't think of a way out? It seems like it is too hard for you to get out of this one. This could be it - you will die right here...

One thing I like about the old sit com Get Smart is that no matter how much of a mess the main hero gets into - something always happens that turns the situation around  - he find some gadget and does a little slight of hand and suddenly we are all laughing. Even though he is a bumbler and least likely to be a hero - he always wins. 

This is how it is for us with God. I encourage you to trust God. No matter what your situation may be - God is the answer. God can do anything. There is nothing impossible for God.

Zechariah 4: ⁶Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.

Trusting God is easy when everything is going good, but that really isn't trust. We have to trust when we maybe don't know what the result will be, in the face of doctor reports and debts and strikes. The answer for us is to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

 1,The Holy Spirit has everything we have need of. He is God Himself living inside of us. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit we manifest the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

 ²³Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 2. When we are filled with the Spirit - we can draw fom the resources of the Holy Spirit - the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12: ⁴Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

 ⁵And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.

 ⁶And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.

 ⁷But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

 ⁸For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

 ⁹To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

 ¹⁰To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

 ¹¹But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

 3. Maybe most importantly, when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we do not fulfil the lusts of the flesh. In everyday English - we don`t give into our feelings or or selfishness. We live in the Spirit and not in the flesh. That means the devil, the world and the flesh have no place in us. We can live by the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:¹⁶This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.

 ¹⁷For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

4. Don`t ignore the situation - turn to God for the answer. Search the scriptures for scriptures. Pray and ask God to show you the answer to the situation. God will breathe on His word and it will become life to you.

5. Pray the scriptures that God gives you. Confess them and thank God for the answer.

6. Praise God and thank Him for the victory in your situation. You have to see the evidence of your prayers by the Spirit of God before you will see them in the natural.

7. Stay filled with the Holy Spirit and keep praising God. Praise draws us into a secret place with God that no one can enter. God inhabits the praises of his people so we will feel the presence of God in a powerful way. Praise is a weapon that fights for us.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit - come fill me fresh. Holy Spirit come show me the answer to this situation in the WORD of God. Quicken the scriptures to me. I want to have your will, your way, your word. I know there is nothing impossible for you. I praise you for the answer. It is by your Holy Spirit - Amen.

About a week agao a horrible earthquake hit the island of Haiti.

Even at best Haiti is a poor country with many sick; Aids is  rampant and basic necessities of food and water and shelter are not in abundance.

Haiti is a prime target to be a mission field. Right now there is a national disaster in Haiti. God have mercy on Haiti.

Turn on any news cast in the world and you will see sights of a people battered, bloody and needy. What can we do?

1. PRAY - God will quicken to you what to pray and when to pray,

2. Give financially. If possible, give through your church or Christian relief agencies. The people need water and food and medical supplies.

PRAYER

God have mercy on the people of Haiti. Lord have mercy on those who have lost their families. God strengthen them.Lord have mercy on the sick and wounded and dying. God grant them relief. God grant them resting places and provision.

Father God, I ask you to send labourers who will bring water and food and clothing and medicine. God send labourers who will rebuild the pillars of civilization. God send peacekeepers who willgo and establish order and peace. God send help to Haiti from the North,  and the South , the East and the West. God target Haiti for relief and help. Send labourers - redirect people to go and help these people. God use your CHURCH throughout the earth to show compassion and to give mercy, Make us agents of light,

Amen.

 

 

The Jewish New Year started in September on Rosh HaShana. Traditionally this time was a time of self examination.

Traditionally it is believed that during this time God decides who will live and who will die during the coming year. As a result, during Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur (and in the days leading up to them) Jews embark upon the serious task of examining their lives and repenting for any wrongs they have committed during the previous year. This process of repentance is called teshuvah. (for more information see the article - http://judaism.about.com/od/holidays/a/roshhashanah.htm)

In our North American society, New Year`s Eve has come to mean a big party, being with friends and family, celebrating - usually with much alcohol. In our church circles it usually means celebrating with our Christian friends and family - usually without alcohol. In some churches there is a holy sobriety about it such as with pastor Jentezen Franklin and his church and television audience who proclaim a 40 day Daniel fast. They take the start of the year as a time to seek God and to pray for themselves, their family etc. This type of fervent prayer and seeking of God is not common but certainly noteworthy.

The truth is that the start of a new year will present us with new opportunities. We do not know what the new year will hold but God does. If we seek Him, He will speak to us. If we seek Him, He will reveal truth to us. He will strengthen us and give us His insight for the year ahead.

I would like to encourage you to seek the LORD. If you are at church, ask Him for the grace for the next year of your life. If you are home, pray and take communion and consecrate yourself fresh for the LORD. Present your body as a living sacrifice. Pray for God to fill you with His Spirit and to use you. May God use you for His glory. May you have more than enough so that you may give and may you be a good giver.

2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

PRAYER

Lord I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that you might apprehend them for self-examination. I pray that you would draw them by your Holy Spirit and fill them and give them revelation of the scriptures. Put them on the right path and bless them with divine connections. Let your grace abound towards them. May they have abundance and blessing and LORD be glorified in your Church. Amen.

 

 

Christmas - my perfect ideal - snow falling - it is Christmas Eve and we are on our way into church. The choir is singing. The organ is wide open and glorious. Probably the stained glass windows are lit up. It is a perfect Christmas Eve.

Sometimes with our crystal and porcelain crèches we forget that the birth of Christ was pretty natural and really a humble beginning. He was born in a stable. Mary and Joseph were not doing a gospel crusade or any extraordinary spiritual task and it was rather ordinary. They were simply registering for taxes. In the midst of doing the ordinary - God did something extraordinary.

Luke 2: ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

 ⁵To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.

 ⁶And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

 ⁷And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

It almost went unnoticed - the birth of Christ. But God decided to reveal the birth of Jesus to some shepherds. He didn`t go to nobility or even the religious rulers - instead He decided to reveal the truth to some shepherds.

 Luke 2: ⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 ⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 ¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

 ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

 ¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 ¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 ¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

 ¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The miraculous opened before the shepherds. They were witnesses of the newborn Saviour. Their first response to the good news is that they obeyed the angels and went to find Jesus. They saw the babe - just as the angels said in a manger.

What we are to do most of the time is to go about our lives doing what we were created to do - diligently working, sincerely loving our family and friends - but when God opens a door to the extraordinary for us - we must welcome Him in and obey. We may not understand all that we should do or what it all means but we should do as Mary and keep these things and never forget them. We should welcome the Holy Spirit to give us light and revelation. We should rejoice at God giving us the awesome priveledge of His life in ours.

^{Luke 2:18}And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

 ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

PRAYER

God anoint me to go about my daily life always being thankful. Fill me to over flowing that all I do is done with diligence. Help me to live a life ready for you to use me. And Lord inspire me - come into my life with your glory and your grace. Interrupt the ordinary with the extraordinary. I want to be open to you LORD - I want to obey you and to treasure what you speak to me. Help me to remember that you can speak to me anytime, anywhere and you can cause the sacred to be birthed supernaturally. Amen.

 

Christmas has become so commercial that it seems not to be anything more than Santa and presents - mostly presents. Here in North America, many children rip through stacks of pretty papered presents and say "oooohhh" and "ahhhhh" and then devour the next present. It seems like maybe we have forgotten that we are a blessed Bahhh hummbug and be grinch-like. Notice all the comparisons - you know of because of the popularity of prime time programming for the last 30 - 40 years. You know the classics like Frosty the snowman and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. I enjoy these classics for what they are - joyful fantasy.

We Christians can not forget the meaning of the holiday. Yes - probably Jesus wasn't born in December - on the day we celebrate Christmas. The holiday happens to coincide with Roman festivals too conveniently for coincidence. Yes the media runs wild with advertising to spend to buy - to show you love by spending and buying... Yes there is little to do with Jesus connected with our traditions.

Let us make a difference. Let us remember to put Christ into Christmas. We should ask the Holy Spirit to inspire us and give us ideas. Let Him lead and guide us. The holiday is like an open door of opportunity to witness to those around us - who might not otherwise listen at all. We have to celebrate the Christ ourselves before we can share Him with others.

1. We should read the Advent scriptures to remind us of the sacrifice of God and the tremendous joy that Jesus brought as He came to earth fulfilling the prophecies and becoming our Messiah.

2. We should sing Christmas carols that have Jesus in them. We can do this at work place parties because we are celebrating Christmas - sing Silent night, joy to the word, come all ye faithful! We can introduce a moment where we cause those around us to think about the real meaning of Christmas.

3. We should teach our children to give. Getting a shoe box and filling it up with presents that will delight a boy or girl in some other country who might not get any other present - is a way we can  get them to consider others. Samaritan's Purse gives millions of gifts to poor children around the world.

4. We can give a gift that shows we truly love people - and add a Christian card that points at the meaning of Christmas. We can pray over the presents asking God to bless the people especially with softened hearts. We can pray that God will send labourers to plant seeds, to water and to win souls.

 5. We can play Christmas music and pray that the words will touch people's hearts.

 This list of to do's is not inclusive. You can add any ideas you come up with. Ask the LORD to help you put Christ into Christmas so we can shine the light of the gospel to our world.

Colossians 3:23
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

 PRAYER

LORD let me be salt and light. I want to  make a difference. Let me shine your light through all the holiday sparkle and dazzle - let Christ shine pure and strong. Live in me and through me. Inspire me to show your love and light to this world. Amen.

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• The Unconventional Jesus
• Be not drunk with wine
• Revival is happening right now!
• It is Not by my Might, nor by power, but by my spirit saith the LORD of hosts.
• God Have Mercy on the People of Haiti
• New Year's Eve
• Christmas: the extraordinary birthed in the ordinary
• Putting the Christ into Christmas

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