It’s Time to Take Authority

If you are a victim of things not working out, of people making trouble for you merely because they do not like being convicted by the Holy Spirit that is within you, then you need to know that you can have victory in these situations.

If you are a saved Christian, you no longer have to admit to defeat against Satans.  Knowing who we are in Christ will help us to be over comers in a seemingly impossible situation.  Jesus is Lord.  When people see Christ in you, they have to submit to the authority of Christ within you, accordin to Philippians 2:10, "That at the name of jesus every knee should bow, of things i heaven, nd things in earth, and things under the eath.  nd that every tongue should confess that jesus Christ is Lord, to th glory of God the Father."

We, as Christians have to be very vigilant about our praying.  They enemy is here to wreak havoc in our lies and he will, if w let him.  We must use the weapon of God’s word in these situations.  If we pray to God for wisdom in this situation, we will identify here the enemy is working and what he is trying to do.  He prays on our weaknesses, and so we need Jesus who can be strong where we are weak.  We cannot afford to stand by and let the enemy walk all over us.

The enemy feels threatened wherever we have an opportunity to save souls by influencing them in any way.  He does not want to lose a soul to Jesus.  He will stir things up between us and others who have authority over us and have us thrown out of places.  He will cause problems with our finances.  He will do anything he can to bring us back to our former destructive lives.  We must be aware of the devil’s scheme and take a stand against them.

The Lord has said, “For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto the, Fear not:  I will help thee.”  Isaiah 41:13.

“He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.”  Psalm 72:4.  This is a defense against financial hardship.

“The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy, but I am come that they may have life and that they might have I more abundantly.”  John 10:10

We must allow Jesus to take over for us in these situations.  Jesus said, “…I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me.  I speak these things.”  The Lord will speak through us.  He also cautioned that we will be given the words to speak at the appropriate time.  “But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak:  for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.”  Matthew 10:19.

We can take authority over those spirits b binding and loosening them according t Matthew 18:18, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven:  and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Whatever happens we should stand firm when we do take a stand and we should submit to God, and the devil will flee from us.

In conclusion, Jesus will work through us in those difficult times, if we allow him to take over and if we know who the enemy is and how he is working in our circumstances.  It may take a litle practice before we know how to ecognize what the issue is, but in the end, we will have victory with Christ on our side.

  

Teenagers and their Decisons in Life

So many young girls are getting pregnant and opting for lives as single mothers.  This decision they are making for themselves is fraught with despair over broken relationships, entering into relationships too soon, uncertainty over housing as often they are victims of domestic abuse and have to leave the household for their own safety, and worry over feeding and clothing their children as well as themselves.

The inexperience and lack of wisdom forces them to make unwise decisions resulting in the lack of opportunities for their children to have a good education.  Often they are around the mother’s unwise choice of friends who are a bad influence on the children. The children become victims of abuse because of the mother’s frustrations with her life or because of the mother’s substance abuse.

These problems occur as a result of having grown up in the very same circumstances which they are facing in their own lives.  Because they never witnessed their mothers resolve their issues, they repeat the mother’s past and the mistakes that went along with it.  They lack wisdom in turning their situations around.  They choose the wrong men and enter too quickly into relationships with them.

There is a solution to this problem, and the problem involves salvation and entering into a relationship with Jesus the Christ.  This has to be done at an early age and the church leaders have to make it clear what the Bible says about relationships, marriage, childrearing, and the duties of mothers and fathers.  The church leaders also have to make it clear to teens what the consequences are of being wise in our own eyes are and not relying on the Lord.  They need to be taught how to trust and wait on the Lord instead.

Teens who fail to turn to Christ because they are in the wrong circle of friends or cannot hear the Lord, are the ones who are described in Romans 3:11-20 who are unrighteous and remain under the law.  They do not have the gift of God’s grace.  They sin and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23), but because they have not come to Christ, they never experience God’s grace, and they continue to live a life of destruction.  They do not confess their sins, nor do they forgive others who sin against them, and consequently, they experience such feelings as guilt, sadness, mourning, despair, desperation, discontent, frustration, sorrow, remorse, depression, shame, and repressed anger.

They are also the ones described in 2 Timothy 1-8, …”lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, , proud, blasphemers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, , traitors, heady, high minded, lovers of pleasure, s more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness and denying the power thereof….”

These feelings build up to the point where they feel they need counseling, medication, and are living in denial of the consequences of their behavior and bad decisions.  If they have the opportunity for salvation, because some Christian is praying for them, they  eventually experience the joy of knowing Jesus and the joy of salvation.  However, many continue on in their sin and seldom have the opportunity to know Jesus.  They may not accept Christ into their hearts until much later in life or on their death beds, which is unfortunate.

However, our God is so merciful and may decide to take them out of their misery and call them home, after they have had a chance to accept Christ into their hearts.  Then for the first time in their lives, they experience a peace that they never knew that they could have.  It is truly a wonderful experience to watch, but one often wonders how their life could have been if they had come to Christ much earlier in life.

The saved Christian, on the other hand, experiences peace with God (Romans 5:1), and peace with themselves, experiences a joy which they never had, (John 15:11),  experiences the love of the Father God which is unlike any kind of love they think they may have experienced in their lives,  (Ephesians 3:19), expereineces a total change in his/her character, (Galatians 5:24), and looks much younger as a result of living a life of sanctification., (Matthew 5:16).   Because they look to the Lord, their countenances radiate, (Psalm 34:5), they get along better with people, and they wait on the Lord, (Pslam 27:14), resulting in better decisions for their lives.  They also recive blessings for following the commands of the Lord, (Deuteronomy, 28:1).

Our God gives us free will, (John 4:34), so that we can accept him when he attempts to get our attention, or we can continue on with our lives the way they are.  Depending on how broken we are, we either turn to the Lord, or we follow our own way with no knowledge of the Lord, continuing in the way of destruction, (Philippians 3:19).   Which would you rather have?

Saved by Grace - Experiencing God's Love

A recent convert to Christianity commented that he did not deserve to be forgiven.  It was an interesting comment and many recent converts wonder about this. 

New converts to Christianity have to remember that they did nothing to receive the grace.  God wanted to save them out of his love for them.  Ephesians 2:8,9 says, “For grace ye are saved, through faith; and not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Salvation is a gift from God.

God’s love is so encompassing and so embracing that as new converts, we may have difficulty accepting this love because of the weight of our sin.    The best thing to do is just to accept it and let God love us.  I John 4:7-21 describes God’s love for mankind.  In particular, I John 4:10 says, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his son to be the propitiation of our sins.”

I remember when I was newly converted to Christianity and I asked God to show me that he loved me.  I waited patiently for him to answer me.  A few weeks later I was invited to a prayer group which was being held in someone’s basement.  To my amazement, I felt an intense love of God when I walked into the room and met the other members.  What a feeling that was!

God sacrificed his own son, Jesus Christ, and let him be crucified and die on the cross so that we could be saved from our sins.  On that cross, Jesus bore the weight of all of our sins.  This is confirmed in 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV),   “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  In the process, we become healed emotionally and physically.

Salvations is such a wonderful gift and we are blessed to have been given the opportunity to be saved and to follow Jesus.  We should not condemn ourselves because God does not condemn us.    Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 

Condemnation is not of God, but is of the devil who seeks to recapture our souls back to him.  But if we are firm in the word of God, we will recognize those times that we are being tempted.  For God desires that souls be saved and go to heaven and the devil desires that souls continue to lead a life of destruction and go to hell.  God promises eternal life when we are saved, (John 3:16) and those who are not, suffer everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9).

Salvation is for All

When the sinner is saved by Christ, he takes on a new life.  No longer does he/she go about committing the sins which led to a life of destruction, but rather, the sinner follows his/her new life with Christ.  He/she turns to Christ to make the right decisions in life and this leads to eternal life.

Because Christ now dwells in the heart of the sinner, the things of God become important to him/her as God orders his/her steps.  As we develop a deeper relationship with Christ, we begin to exhibit the fruits of the Spirit because our actions, decisions, and ways of communicating with others have changed.  Galatians 2:20 says, I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I , but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of God., who loved me and gave himself for me.”  Our old self has become crucified with Christ.

One of the best examples of this in the Bible is the life of Paul.  Before Christ appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, (Acts 9:4), he persecuted Christians for the Roman Sanhedrin.  He was a descendent of the tribe of Benjamin and he and his father were Pharisees, (Acts 23:6).  The Pharisees were the religious leaders who did not believe that Jesus was the Messiah. They criticized Jesus for not following Jewish law and were instrumental in his crucifixion.

Despite the fact that Paul was so brutal in his treatment of Christians, beating them and stoning them to death, Jesus appeared to Paul, whose name was Saul at the time, and asked Saul why he was persecuting him, (Acts 9:4).  Jesus blinded Saul for three days, after which time he was converted to Christianity and began a lifetime of saving souls for Christ, Acts 9:1-31.

This is a perfect illustration of the grace of God.  Even though we are sinners, we can give up our life of sin and become saved from a life of destruction, no matter how harsh we were.  Salvation is available for everyone no matter what we did in the past.  This is contrary to what humans believe should happen.  The average human feels people should be punished for their despicable behavior, but God will forgive us, lead us to repent of our evil ways, and then bring us to a life of service to him.

If you are not yet saved or know someone who you feel is beyond being saved, think again.  God will use anyone for his glory.  God said in Exodus 33:19, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.”

If you saw the last blog post, you may have seen the video of the two brothers who were brutally beaten to death.  The men who beat and tortured these brothers have a chance for salvation, if they ask Christ into their hearts.  This is the type of persecution in which Paul was engaged before he came to Christ.  If he was converted, then you and your friends and family can be saved as well.  

An Appeal to Unbelievers

This Declaration is strictly for those who do not believe in, or perhaps question the existence of God.

I want to tell you about a personal, intimate relationship which you’ve never before experienced and which is second to no other relationship you could ever have experienced. It is an on-going relationship of trust that never, ever falters. It is a relationship that continually grows in love and intimacy, and you never have to worry about it even slightly disappointing you or ever breaking-off. Once involved in this love affair you will never even think about any other competition because it is impossible for there to be any competition. And the relationship has no boundaries.

It makes no difference if you are a man, woman or child. Ethnicity, race or age is meaningless. If you are a living, breathing human being you are eligible and can easily become involved in this relationship. In fact, you are lovingly encouraged to do so.

Over two thousand years ago God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten son to die for us all so that we would have the opportunity for eternal life with Him. When God’s Son, Jesus, died on the cross at Calvary, He took with Him in death all of our sins – past, present and future.

Yes, know that at the cross on Calvary – “It was (is) finished!" He took it all (all of our sins) for all of us! Now God, through His Son Jesus, will accept you no matter who you are, no matter whatever or wherever you are and no matter whatever you’ve done – period!

Merely give yourself over to Him; give your anxieties, your troubles and your hurts over to Him. Have faith in Him and believe in Him – Jesus Christ – our eternal Lord and Savior.

Abiding in His commands genuinely and gently begins when you fall in-love with Jesus, upon being saved by His grace. Because of your total faith in Him you'll do what He asks of you. And you'll increasingly love Him more & more, our Abba Father.

You'll always want to please Him and certainly won't wish to disappoint Him ...although sometimes you will. Upon coming to Jesus and becoming one of His saints, you will make mistakes – you will sin. But rest easy! Tell Jesus you're sorry and try your best to not do it again. And know that Jesus truly knows your heart. He'll always forgive you because He loves you …and always will love you. He loves you far more than you can even begin to understand!

Know, too, that only Jesus, with the help of The Holy Spirit, can and will gently and lovingly nurture you to help effectively transform you into holiness while in your eternal walk with Him. And what a glorious journey the walk with Him truly is!
If this relationship interests you, just say the following words out loud and genuinely mean them…
Dear Jesus,

Please forgive me for I have sinned. I am turning from the way that I had been thinking and acting. And I now am turning to You.

I truly believe that You died on the cross for me; that by the Hand of God You resurrected from Your tomb and are alive in heaven today at the right-hand of Your Father, Jehovah God.

I believe in You, Jesus, and that You are the Son of God.

I ask You to come into my heart and take charge of my life, from now on. I’m Yours!

I now confess with my mouth and truly believe in my heart that You are my Lord and Savior …forever.

In Your Holy Name, Jesus.

Amen.

…If you have read the above declaration (Sinner’s Prayer) aloud and genuinely meant it, then WELCOME into The Kingdom of God!

Your walk with Him will now be continuously progressive and develop into an on-going personal and intimate relationship, second to none – with the Lord of all lords, King of all kings, and Savior for all, Jesus Christ!

You are now a Born-Again Christian!

And because of it The Lord’s angels in Heaven are shouting praise: Hallelujah to The King – hallelujah to The Lord!!! One more saint has entered The Kingdom!!!

TURN THE OTHER CHEEK?

The Holy Bible tells us to ‘turn the other cheek’ in the face of hostility and (evil) physical aggression, right? …Not necessarily!

For generations, that I can remember anyway, religion has coined that phrase leading Christians to believe that they must …’turn the other cheek,’ even when evil intentions from others were administered.

Taking portions of Scripture out-of-context may transform its correct and true intended meaning, possibly even rendering it to inaccuracy or incorrectness. Scripture in the Holy Bible is infallible; we are not!

The Holy Spirit inspired the Holy Bible’s content for the simple man – not the intellectual – if he (or she) would simply read it, carefully. That might mean taking the time to read more than just a verse that seems to fulfill the need at the time. It could necessitate reading multiple verses and/or chapter(s) to grasp the full, correct and true intended meaning of His Word, which is TRUTH!

A portion of the following devotion from Dr. Billy Graham enlightens one to be mindful of the above. For me, it was akin to a strobe-light discharging!

Please read the entire devotion, below, as there is probably very little that comes from Dr. Graham that a Christian or, anyone else for that matter, can’t learn from…

08-29-11
Dr. Billy Graham
Presented by ArcaMax
Is Turning the Other Cheek a Realistic Option?
Q: Didn't Jesus say someplace that we ought to turn the other cheek when people do something bad to us? Isn't that unrealistic? What would happen if our country just turned the other cheek when someone attacked us? They'd just run all over us, in my opinion. - D.G.

A: The words of Jesus to which you refer are found in what we call the Sermon on the Mount: "But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" (Matthew 5:39).

It's important to remember that Jesus was speaking these words to His disciples, telling them how they were to live in a world that might be hostile to them. He wasn't telling nations how they ought to deal with each other, or giving us a general rule for human society. In fact, the Bible says governments should uphold what is right, and when evil men seek to gain the upper hand they must be restrained and punished (see Romans 13:4).

What did Jesus mean when He urged His followers to turn the other cheek? Simply this: He was telling them to take the path of love instead of hate. Anger and hatred lead to revenge and conflict - but Christ calls us to love others, even our enemies. Just a few verses later, He said, "I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44).

Is this possible? Yes - when we commit our lives to Christ and allow His Spirit to control us. This is the kind of love Jesus had for us, when He died for us on the cross. Have you opened your heart to Him? If not, make your commitment to Him today, and then ask Him to begin filling your heart with His love.

Words of Christ !




Matthew 5:39 {KJV}
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

Romans 13:4 {KJV} 4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Matthew 5:44 {KJV}

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Even Unto the End

Jesus has promised to be with us “even unto the end of the world,” Matthew 28:20. This is a very comforting thought and sometimes we have to experience being rescued before we can appreciate what the Lord is doing in our lives.

If we have a personal relationship with Jesus, we have nothing to fear as he will tell us when and where to move. When there is danger, he will take us to a safe place. That is why we must never lose out touch with the Lord. He is an ever present help in time of trouble. He will make a way for us, even if it looks like there is no way.

The recent Hurricane Irene proved that those who were not in a relationship with the Lord were not prepared and suffered the most damage. The Lord is there to help us and we should look to him when disasters such as a hurricane, occur. The Lord said in John 15: 7, “If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall as what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” It is clear from these words that we have to have a relationship with Jesus in order to get our prayers answered.

Some suffered devastation because they did not have the opportunity to prepare ahead of time. Some had been hearing from the Lord on the preparations several weeks before the Hurricane Irene hit the United States, but failed to respond. The Lord often announces things to come and it is up to us as to how we respond. If we do not act, we will suffer calamities because of the lack of preparation and because we refuse to answer. If we respond, we are often blessed in the process.

In Psalm 81:11-14, God tells of the Israelites who did not listen to God. “But my people would not hearken to my voice: and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked unto their own counsels. Oh that my people would hearken unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.”

What had happened to the Israelites was that their hearts had become hardened and they could no longer hear the Lord’s voice. Because of their disobedience to his voice in the past, the Lord hardened their hearts. As long as we continue to disobey the Lord, we will suffer calamities. The Lord goes on further to say in Proverbs 1:27-29 “When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when destruction and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer, they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.”

In conclusion, we must be poised to hear the Lord and answer him when he speaks to us. He will speak in many ways and we must know how he speaks in order for us to respond.