I thank God for the power of the Holy Spirit that believers can have in their lives and wow, what a power we have to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.
Having said that, I like what I read in a recent publication from Tim Enloe called "Divine Order." In the book the idea is introduced that we need the power of the Holy Spirit more today than ever. I don't think anyone would disagree. But the power we need is more than power or ability to speak in tongues....we need the power of the Holy Spirit so we can speak in English.
Is that not profound? We in Pentecostal circles have focused so much on tongues that we missed the important point and that is we can have access to the full power of the Spirit and we need the full power of the Spirit to be effective witnesses for Jesus.
Yes I believe speaking in unlearned languages is still the inital evidence that people have received the Holy Spirit baptism, but that is just the beginning. There is so much more that the Spirit wants to do through a believer and Paul identified gifts of utterances, gifts of power and gifts of revelation that a Holy Spirit baptized believer can uses as the situation demands to the glory of God.
Bottom line .......We need the Holy Spirit baptism so we can know what to say to people in a language they can understand! And the prayer languages of men and of angels is just an added blessing that can help me pray the perfect will of God when I don't know how to pray, or when my English language just isn't enough.
Thank you Jesus for the power we need!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Who Am I That God Is Mindful of Me?
The Psalmist David wrote those words during a time of his reflection of just how majestic God is. In fact he opened Psalm 8 with those words, O LORD, our Lord, how majestic in your name in all the earth..." NIV and then in verse 3 he said, who is man that you are mindful of him...?
In the vast universe we live in, with it's thousands of galaxies, each as crowded as our very own, who are we that God is mindful of us?
That answer can be answered with one simple phrase.....you are part of God's creation.....you are part of His design.
And because you are part of His design, there is a purpose and because you are part of His creation, He will provide for your every need.
In life we need fulfillment in our physical needs, our emotional needs and spiritual needs. I want you to know that God "can" and "wants" to fulfill everyone of those needs. Listen to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:25-33, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the bird of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away into barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So don't worry saying, "what shall we eat?" or "what shall we drink?" or "what shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. NIV
You may ask, but why would God do that for me? Because You are His creation! Believe in Him and you will activate his blessings and give him the freedom to engage on your behalf.
In the vast universe we live in, with it's thousands of galaxies, each as crowded as our very own, who are we that God is mindful of us?
That answer can be answered with one simple phrase.....you are part of God's creation.....you are part of His design.
And because you are part of His design, there is a purpose and because you are part of His creation, He will provide for your every need.
In life we need fulfillment in our physical needs, our emotional needs and spiritual needs. I want you to know that God "can" and "wants" to fulfill everyone of those needs. Listen to the words of Jesus recorded in Matthew 6:25-33, Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes? Look at the bird of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away into barns and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So don't worry saying, "what shall we eat?" or "what shall we drink?" or "what shall we wear?" For the pagans run after all these things and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. NIV
You may ask, but why would God do that for me? Because You are His creation! Believe in Him and you will activate his blessings and give him the freedom to engage on your behalf.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
People Need An Audience
As our church prepared for our Missions Sunday, the Spirit of the LORD stirred my heart to bring a message of challenge to our congregation about what the people of our culture really need.
If goes without saying that people need the LORD. But over 40% of our society have never had an adequate presentation of Jesus. So the message to our church was wrapped up in four simple truths;
People need an audience with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said He would send another comforter and that when "He" comes (speaking of the Holy Spirit), "He" would lead and guide us and teach us. But more importantly, "He" would convict the world of sin. The only way people can come to the knowledge of their need of a Savior is through the witness of the Holy Ghost. Therefore;
People Need to Feel The Holy Spirit's Presence In Our Churches. The biggest assault on the modern church is we have become so good at "doing church" that many feel as though we no longer need the Holy Spirit moving in the church. In essence we have programmed the Holy Spirit right out of the church service, with the exception of reaching one or two sinners at the end of "our" services. The tragedy of it all is, if the Holy Spirit is not free to move and stir hearts and set people free, then people will walk into our churches bound by the strongholds of sin and they will walk right back out the doors of the church completely unchanged and then the church will have lost it's relevance.
People Need To Feel The Holy Spirit In Our Lives. We are supposed to be the physical representation of the Holy Ghost in a dark and sinful world. As Spirit-filled believers, people ought to sense there is something different about us. When Moses had spent time in God's presence, his countenance was changed. If people cannot tell any difference in us from the next person, how will they see Jesus in us. We are supposed to be the salt and light of the earth. Salt and light affect their surroundings and as a Spirit-filled believer, we should as well.
People Need to Feel The Holy Spirit Where They Are. If we keep the message of hope and peace to ourselves and keep the work of the Holy Spirit sequestered away within the four walls of our churches, the world will fail to have the witness of the Spirit. Statistics have shown that people are not flocking to the churches therefore we must take the Holy Spirit with us to where they are.
The bottom line is, people need an audience with the Holy Ghost before they will ever feel conviction for their sins and before they will even know they are in need of a Savior.
What are we doing about that?
If goes without saying that people need the LORD. But over 40% of our society have never had an adequate presentation of Jesus. So the message to our church was wrapped up in four simple truths;
People need an audience with the Holy Ghost. Jesus said He would send another comforter and that when "He" comes (speaking of the Holy Spirit), "He" would lead and guide us and teach us. But more importantly, "He" would convict the world of sin. The only way people can come to the knowledge of their need of a Savior is through the witness of the Holy Ghost. Therefore;
People Need to Feel The Holy Spirit's Presence In Our Churches. The biggest assault on the modern church is we have become so good at "doing church" that many feel as though we no longer need the Holy Spirit moving in the church. In essence we have programmed the Holy Spirit right out of the church service, with the exception of reaching one or two sinners at the end of "our" services. The tragedy of it all is, if the Holy Spirit is not free to move and stir hearts and set people free, then people will walk into our churches bound by the strongholds of sin and they will walk right back out the doors of the church completely unchanged and then the church will have lost it's relevance.
People Need To Feel The Holy Spirit In Our Lives. We are supposed to be the physical representation of the Holy Ghost in a dark and sinful world. As Spirit-filled believers, people ought to sense there is something different about us. When Moses had spent time in God's presence, his countenance was changed. If people cannot tell any difference in us from the next person, how will they see Jesus in us. We are supposed to be the salt and light of the earth. Salt and light affect their surroundings and as a Spirit-filled believer, we should as well.
People Need to Feel The Holy Spirit Where They Are. If we keep the message of hope and peace to ourselves and keep the work of the Holy Spirit sequestered away within the four walls of our churches, the world will fail to have the witness of the Spirit. Statistics have shown that people are not flocking to the churches therefore we must take the Holy Spirit with us to where they are.
The bottom line is, people need an audience with the Holy Ghost before they will ever feel conviction for their sins and before they will even know they are in need of a Savior.
What are we doing about that?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Relying On The Power of Prayer
The Holy Spirit has certainly stirred my heart regarding the Days of Harvest for this year. We started the year with a week of prayer and thi spast Wednesday night I shared a message that the Spirit stirred my heart about and I felt it was worthy to repeat in this blog.
We've all heard messages and sermons about prayer and the importance of prayer, the only thing we are lacking is praying.
I say that because prayer is more than just words. Prayer is one on one communion in the presence of our Creator. Having said that some points the Spirit quickened me about are;
1) We cannot pray effectively unless we have a desire to pray! Simply put, if we do not have a desire to be in our Creator's presence, then we will not pray. Oh we may bring a wish list from time to time but I'm talking about "being in His presence.' You see our desire for prayer will be birthed out of our desire to be in His presence, not just to bring a wish list.
2) We cannot pray effectively without the help of the Spirit! We need the mind of the Spirit because sometimes we do not know how to pray and the Spirit can pray through is in our prayer language. If you want to pray effectively then pray "in the Spirit." Use your prayer language. Some call it "tongues" but it is simply a prayer language and when you pray in that way the Apostle Paul says our spirit is speaking mysteries to God.
3) We cannot pray effectively unless we allow ourselves to be broken! I'm not necessarily talking about tears, although I have experienced God so real that way, but what I am talking about is having our pride broken. Pride will keep us from having a desire to move into our Creator's presence because in His presence our pride will be exposed. We have to allow that human pride to be broken and recognize we need our God engaged in our lives.
4)We cannot have the power without the Spirit and we cannot have the Spirit without prayer! If you want power in your prayer, then you need to seek the Baptism of the Holy Ghost that Jesus spoke about in Act 1:8. The early disciples received this infilling on the Day of Pentecost and they were refilled a few days later and the Gentiles were filled, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues some 8 years later in Cornelius's house and some believers in Ephesus received the same experience another 8 years after that. This experience is still available to you and I and it will give you power in your prayer. But you have to get into His presence in prayer and He will not withhold anything good from His children.
We've all heard messages and sermons about prayer and the importance of prayer, the only thing we are lacking is praying.
I say that because prayer is more than just words. Prayer is one on one communion in the presence of our Creator. Having said that some points the Spirit quickened me about are;
1) We cannot pray effectively unless we have a desire to pray! Simply put, if we do not have a desire to be in our Creator's presence, then we will not pray. Oh we may bring a wish list from time to time but I'm talking about "being in His presence.' You see our desire for prayer will be birthed out of our desire to be in His presence, not just to bring a wish list.
2) We cannot pray effectively without the help of the Spirit! We need the mind of the Spirit because sometimes we do not know how to pray and the Spirit can pray through is in our prayer language. If you want to pray effectively then pray "in the Spirit." Use your prayer language. Some call it "tongues" but it is simply a prayer language and when you pray in that way the Apostle Paul says our spirit is speaking mysteries to God.
3) We cannot pray effectively unless we allow ourselves to be broken! I'm not necessarily talking about tears, although I have experienced God so real that way, but what I am talking about is having our pride broken. Pride will keep us from having a desire to move into our Creator's presence because in His presence our pride will be exposed. We have to allow that human pride to be broken and recognize we need our God engaged in our lives.
4)We cannot have the power without the Spirit and we cannot have the Spirit without prayer! If you want power in your prayer, then you need to seek the Baptism of the Holy Ghost that Jesus spoke about in Act 1:8. The early disciples received this infilling on the Day of Pentecost and they were refilled a few days later and the Gentiles were filled, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues some 8 years later in Cornelius's house and some believers in Ephesus received the same experience another 8 years after that. This experience is still available to you and I and it will give you power in your prayer. But you have to get into His presence in prayer and He will not withhold anything good from His children.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
This Christmas
Even though Deana and I did not spend as much on Christmas this year, it was still one of the best times of Christmas. JR and Jennifer spent this year in Texas and Tiff and Corbo came over on Christmas and we had a great meal and opened gifts. I believe this next year, we will do the same thing, we will get back to keeping it simple. One thing for sure, JR and Jennifer will be with us next year. That will be fun.
I trust you and yours had a great Christmas as well and I pray your New Year be a great one as well. As for us, I believe we are going to have a great new year in our home in spite of the economic downturn and I believe this is going to be a great year for our church. We have a full staff this year with passionate pastors who really want to fulfill the plan of God for our lives. It will be awesome! Happy New Year!
I trust you and yours had a great Christmas as well and I pray your New Year be a great one as well. As for us, I believe we are going to have a great new year in our home in spite of the economic downturn and I believe this is going to be a great year for our church. We have a full staff this year with passionate pastors who really want to fulfill the plan of God for our lives. It will be awesome! Happy New Year!
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Where Is The God of Elijah?
This past Wednesday I shared a message with our congregation entitled, "Where is the Lord God of Elijah?" Of course that was the question that Elisha asked after Elijah was taken up into heaven by the whirlwind. Elisha took Elijah's cloak and struck the waters of the Jordon after asking that question. The waters parted and Elisha crossed over on dry ground.
That question is still applicable to you and I today. Where is the God of Elijah? If He is still the miracle working God, why are we not seeing more miracles? If He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-sufficient God, why are so many people not walking in victory in their daily lives?
The answers to those questions was the point of the message. The fact of the matter is, God is right where we put Him.
On September 13, 2001, just two days after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, Anne Graham Lotz was interviewed on the Early show by Jane Clayton. The following is a portion of that transcript;
Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?
Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
So, how about it? Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where have we put Him? Are we even spending time talking to Him? How long has it been since we talked to Him? He's waiting......right there where we left Him!
That question is still applicable to you and I today. Where is the God of Elijah? If He is still the miracle working God, why are we not seeing more miracles? If He is the all-powerful, all-knowing, all-sufficient God, why are so many people not walking in victory in their daily lives?
The answers to those questions was the point of the message. The fact of the matter is, God is right where we put Him.
On September 13, 2001, just two days after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, Anne Graham Lotz was interviewed on the Early show by Jane Clayton. The following is a portion of that transcript;
Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?
Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when he sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace. And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing his hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.
So, how about it? Where is the Lord God of Elijah? Where have we put Him? Are we even spending time talking to Him? How long has it been since we talked to Him? He's waiting......right there where we left Him!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
What Is The World Coming To?
In the times in which we live, it is easy for us to ask ourselves the question, “What is this world coming to? In fact I have caught myself making that same comment. I believe the world is coming to a point in history that will be some of the most frightful times the world has ever known, but I also believe it will be a season where great faith will be on display. Habakkuk said there would be a time in which the knowledge of the glory of the LORD would fill the whole earth.
As I was contemplating that thought, I began to weigh it all out. Jesus has already come to earth as the suffering servant. He suffered and died on that old Roman cross for the redemption of mankind. He was place in a tomb and came back to life by the Spirit of God after three days. He was seen by the brethren, He was taken up into heaven and the Holy Spirit came to earth to fulfill and complete the work of Jesus on this earth. And in all that the scripture of Habakkuk has not been completely realized or fulfilled yet. So the question remains; At what point will the prophecy be realized?
Before you say; Well that was an Old Testament prophecy to the Israelite people listen to Paul told the Romans. Romans 14:11 states that one of these days, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is LORD. All means all! All must bow down and worship Him; all must acknowledge His splendor, His majesty, His power, His might, His goodness, His wisdom. As the water in the seas fill every nook and cranny, all the earth will acknowledge God as God.
There will be a time on this earth where Habakkuk's prophecy will be fulfilled and it will be when Jesus Christ sets up His literal reign upon this earth. I am longing for that day. I am looking for the day in which suffering gives way to gladness. I'm looking for the day in which war is replaced with absolute peace in this earth. But it will only come after Satan is bound and defeated. Having said all that I believe we need to understand the times in which we are living and we need to know that there will never be world peace until Habakkuk's prophecy is fulfilled. We have a ways to go before that happens. We are living in the perilous times that the Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy about.
What about it? What is the world coming to? Jesus said it in Matthew chapter 24.
The World Is Coming To The Time of Birth Pangs!
Listen to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:3-14;And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many."And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
So, what is this world coming too?
1)Birth Pangs Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars
2) Birth Pangs Of Natural Disasters and Famine
3) Birth Pangs Of Persecutions
4) Birth Pangs Of Unrighteous Living
2 Tim 3:1-5 states, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. NIV
So in answer to the question of what the world is coming? It is those perilous times, but through all that there is a silver lining and that is Habakkuk's prophecy, after all that has happened and Jesus has set up His reign on this earth and Satan has been defeated, then, The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
As I was contemplating that thought, I began to weigh it all out. Jesus has already come to earth as the suffering servant. He suffered and died on that old Roman cross for the redemption of mankind. He was place in a tomb and came back to life by the Spirit of God after three days. He was seen by the brethren, He was taken up into heaven and the Holy Spirit came to earth to fulfill and complete the work of Jesus on this earth. And in all that the scripture of Habakkuk has not been completely realized or fulfilled yet. So the question remains; At what point will the prophecy be realized?
Before you say; Well that was an Old Testament prophecy to the Israelite people listen to Paul told the Romans. Romans 14:11 states that one of these days, every knee would bow and every tongue would confess that Jesus is LORD. All means all! All must bow down and worship Him; all must acknowledge His splendor, His majesty, His power, His might, His goodness, His wisdom. As the water in the seas fill every nook and cranny, all the earth will acknowledge God as God.
There will be a time on this earth where Habakkuk's prophecy will be fulfilled and it will be when Jesus Christ sets up His literal reign upon this earth. I am longing for that day. I am looking for the day in which suffering gives way to gladness. I'm looking for the day in which war is replaced with absolute peace in this earth. But it will only come after Satan is bound and defeated. Having said all that I believe we need to understand the times in which we are living and we need to know that there will never be world peace until Habakkuk's prophecy is fulfilled. We have a ways to go before that happens. We are living in the perilous times that the Apostle Paul spoke to Timothy about.
What about it? What is the world coming to? Jesus said it in Matthew chapter 24.
The World Is Coming To The Time of Birth Pangs!
Listen to what Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 24:3-14;And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many."And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
So, what is this world coming too?
1)Birth Pangs Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars
2) Birth Pangs Of Natural Disasters and Famine
3) Birth Pangs Of Persecutions
4) Birth Pangs Of Unrighteous Living
2 Tim 3:1-5 states, "People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God having a form of godliness but denying its power. NIV
So in answer to the question of what the world is coming? It is those perilous times, but through all that there is a silver lining and that is Habakkuk's prophecy, after all that has happened and Jesus has set up His reign on this earth and Satan has been defeated, then, The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14 NIV
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