Many people are conflicted about their spirituality. Spiritual Truths From a Layman's Point of View offers insight about Christian Living, prayer, the Holy Spirit and other spiritual truths from a Pentecostal perspective.
Acts 3 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.2Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.3When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.4Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”5So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Can You Do This? Are you a believer? If you are a believer, why can't you do this? If you have the Holy Ghost and Power that fell on the Day of Pentecost... I ask you again. Why can't you do this? According to Mark 16: 17-18 all believers WILL be able to lay hands on the sick who will recover. If you cannot do this, you need to ask yourself very seriously why not.
Proverbs 3:6 6In all thy ways
acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Today I was cleaning my cupboard and organizing the cans together when I happened to read the back of this can of jalapeno peppers. Written very small in the lower left corner in italics was Prov. 3:6. Of course I had to look it up and lo and behold it was one of my favorite verses of all time that I had not taken time to memorize the source! Life has been a little stressful lately and suddenly the Lord reached out to me with a quiet reminder that He is the real source of my strength, provision, hope, delivery, life, and everything I can possibly need. God loves you and will go to extraordinary measures to remind you to trust him. Learn a lesson from the jalapeno can..."In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:6
Take time today to acknowledge the Lord in your life.
Do you ever get upset when you pray and pray about something and it seems to be thrown back in your face? Don't kill the messenger. Sometimes we get messages from the Lord that we do not like. They take us out of our comfort zone and make us generally unhappy. Make sure the Lord sent you the message and try your best to accept it. God will never have you do something that is impossible or impossibly hard. Then take a GOOD look at the messenger and make sure he or she is on the right track. If God wants you to change there is only one thing to do. CHANGE! THEN PUSH!
If you're in the battle for the lord and right Just keep on the firing
line If you win the battle surely you must fight
Keep on
the firing line
God
can only use the soldier he can trust
To keep on the firing line
If
you wear the crown bear the cross you must
So keep on the firing
line
There are many dangers that we all
must face If you die a' fighting there is no disgrace Cowards in the service will not find a place... So keep on the firing line
Copyright Carter Family
This is a very old song that was sung during the early part of the twentieth century. Many of the old songs were teaching songs that gave courage and insight to those walking in the path of the Lord. We need to bring these old songs back because they help us establish ourselves in our Christian walk.
Intercessors need to know that we are in a war for the souls of those we pray for. Our adversary will use every trick at his disposal to destroy the intercessor. Most of those tricks are in the mind. Do not let your adversary get into your head and mess you up!
II Corinthians 10: 3-5 3For though we walk in
the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal,
but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Mark
16:16
He that believeth and isbaptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.
Mark 16: 17-18 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.
Revelations 21: 7-8 7He that overcometh
shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
8But the fearful,
and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers,
and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in
the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death.
We are living in troublesome times. Nothing in our world is the same as it has been for generations. Not only has technology changed our lives, but everything we thought we knew about our country has changed right before our eyes. Today Philipe Calderon the president of Mexico stood before our Congress and insulted the state of Arizona as well as the entire United States by stating that HIS people were being treated unfairly by the people and law enforcement of Arizona. The democratic side of the house gave this man a standing ovation and applauded his words. He said that our laws were unfair to illegal immigrants in Arizona. Our president stood beside him on the steps of the White House and agreed with this foreign leader's assessment of the situation. Our president and our leaders have lost their way. They do not even believe we should follow our own laws and even allow foreign leaders to come in and insult us on the White House lawn. What is next?
My purpose for writing this is to make a serious point. We can no longer trust our leaders to guide us. Jesus said that if the blind leads the blind they will all fall in the ditch. This is where we are right now. Hillary Clinton said last week that our economy is in the ditch. What more do we need to know?
Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Glenn Beck said in a speech to Liberty University, "Turn to God and Live!" He was right. So again I ask you...Are you a believer? Do miracles and wonders follow you?
I am NOT telling you to run out and drink poison. NOR am I telling you to chase snakes! But, I ask you if people are healed when you pray? Do you pray for others? Or are you interested in your own life and no more? You may need to check your prayer thermometer to see how hot you are. This is not a time to be casual about your prayers. This is a moment to pray more and make your calling and election sure. The Lord might just break the clouds of glory while some of you are arguing about whether or not this or that is a Salvation issue. You were not called to see how much you could get away with...whatever that might be! Jesus said, "If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me!" That does not sound like it was going to be a pleasure trip.
Are you a BELIEVER? Pray because you truly overwhelmingly love the Lord. The rewards are truly AMAZING!
Many people in the world believe that all Christians serve God out of fear of Hell. While that may be true for some people, it is not true for everyone. The above quote is true in that people who have suffered deeply many times turn to God for solace they find nowhere else. This type of spirituality has nothing to do with the fear of hell.
No one wants to go to hell but it is possible to have a relationship with God that is not based on the fear of punishment. When you rise above the fear of punishment in your walk with God you have taken a step toward knowing God in spirit and truth! That is the first step on your journey to understanding. When you rise from the ashes of life's failure to start over in the presence of the Almighty, you will find comfort, joy, and love, as well as enlightenment!
I got up this morning and I began reading my email. I get alerts from some conservative blogs and was reading about the affects of terrorism on the military written by Colonel Oliver North. His evalution of the situation was pretty grim. He was talking about our president and the upcoming trials for the World Trade Center terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and four other terrorists in New York City. As I was reading I thought how much fear people in this country have over the things that are happening in the world right now. Suddenly a voice from my childhood rang out in my head and I heard Sister Chloe Lott singing an old song. Why worry when you can pray? Trust Jesus...let him be your stay. Don't be a doubting Thomas! Rest fully on His promise! Why worry...worry...worry...worry...when you can pray!
There are two important points to this story.
What are you worried about? Pray...Pray...Pray!
Our children need teaching songs. They learn from their music values they never forget!
Luke 21: 25-28
25And there shall be
signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth
distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26Men's
hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which
are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Don't Worry...Pray!
Behold! Let it be known through all the land. Cry aloud with the voice of triumph! A fast has been proclaimed. A fast shall be performed by all the people. Prayer and fasting to seek favor with our God. Humble yourselves before the Lord. Seek the face of the Lord while He may be found! A festival has been appointed for the third week of the ninth month when all shall come to The House of Prayer to seek the Lord your God.
More to Come
The Church of Humble
September 13-19, 2009
Isaiah 56:7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.
We are fighting a battle with unseen foes. These foes seek out our weak spots and use them against us. For those of you in our prayer group at TCH, you have signed on to the battle that is raging around us. We have purposed in our hearts that we will reach God for the healing of our people! God will provide our needs! We will have revival within our selves, and within the hearts and minds of those we meet! Our calling and mission is clear! We will not be satisfied with anything less than victory!
God has called us to a higher purpose. No longer will we be satisfied with a mediocre experience that says...God can heal... We will say...God healed Sis Edwards back! God healed Sis Mireles of heart disease and arthritis! God healed Sis. Dee. The pain in her bones is gone. God healed Bro. Rickey Donohue's brother of cancer! We will say God healed Sis. Rone of cancer! We will say God is healing Bro. Jerry Johnson of diabetes! There will be no retreat! We will say God has provided for our needs and God is saving souls! We will say God healed Bro Stanley of cancer! We will say God saved our families!
We at The Church of Humble are a people of prayer and we are just getting started. There is much work to be done but we know that God is in control and directing us toward a new understanding and victory! We will see souls born into the kingdom of God!
Years ago I heard an old song that changed my life.
Victory victory shall be mine... Victory, victory shall be mine...!!!! If I hold my peace... Let the Lord fight my battle, Victory victory shall be mine!!!!!
Ephesians 6: 10-18
10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. 11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
2 Corinthians 10:3-7
3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; 6 And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled. 7 Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? if any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.
20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
I hope every one of you will take the time to read the entire scripture reading today. The disciples were trying to cast out the devil from the man's son, and they could not. The man went to Jesus who cast out the devils. Then the disciples asked him why they could not cast out the devils.
Jesus looked at them and said, Because of your unbelief. Jesus was blunt and to the point. He said it like it was. Unbelief hinders miracles. Most of us think we believe, but when it comes right down to it we do not really believe. We always give ourselves an out by saying, well I know God can do it, but whether he will or not is another thing. It might not be his will.
To put it plainly in the language of the sixties...that is a cop out! It is time for the believers to get a grip on their belief system and decide to make that leap of faith.
John 14 12Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.13And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
If you examine these scripture references you will discover that there are no qualifiers. Jesus said that if you believe, he will do anything you ask. So now, the ball is in your court. You must believe! So this is the answer to that never ending question, Why did God not heal me? Why did God not do what I asked? Why? Why? Why?
This, then is the answer to the question. You must have real faith. You must believe NOT that God CAN do it, but that God IS GOING to do it. This is two very different things. You must understand! When you believe that God is GOING to do something you ask, without doubting, God WILL do it. You have to focus and decide that you are coming out of the shadows to be a real believer. We are no longer waiting for the miracles to fall on us. We are laying hold on our miracles! We are reaching into the INVISIBLE world and PULLING OUT our: healing, financial miracle, deliverance, salvation for lost souls, and so much more.
I ask you to consider this thought. If only one person with faith equal to the grain of mustard seed can say to that mountain to be removed and cast into the sea, AND IT IS DONE, And two people who agree about any matter under the sun, AND IT COMES TO PASS. How much power do you think will be generated when an entire congregation comes together in ONE MIND AND ONE ACCORD like they did on the day of Pentecost? I will tell you what will happen...people will get their healing. People will be delivered! Financial miracles will happen, and the entire city will be turned upside down just like Jerusalem on the DAY of PENTECOST! You have it in your hands to make it happen! God is waiting on you to make the first move! Are you ready to see REAL POWER?
TODAY I saw a woman who had been told by her doctors she was going to die with COPD many take laps around the church without losing her breath! God is a healer! TODAY I saw a woman with Colon Cancer who had her most recent chemo treatment 10 days ago DANCE BEFORE THE LORD FOR more than fifteen minutes under the power of God. This woman does not take pain medicine, she does not experience nausea or ANY of the usual side affects of this type of treatment. Do not tell me what God will not do! Sometimes God wants to show you how to WALK BY FAITH under pressure. God took MY damaged heart and brought it back to life. My cardiologist told me personally that GOD had given me a great gift. If you want to know why I believe God, it is because God is still in the miracle working business. You can choose to live a life filled with power. You have the choice.
FAITH is the key and PRAYER opens the door to your miracle. Learning to pray and travail is not easy. It is not pleasant. There are many distractions. But, if you persevere you will walk in the footsteps of the Apostles and the first believers who saw REAL CHANGE, AND REAL POWER with God.
Last week I began thinking about being a prayer warrior. So I ask myself...what is a prayer warrior? Who is a prayer warrior? What does a prayer warrior do?
A prayer warrior is ANYONE who believes that interceding with God on behalf of others will achieve measurable results! The youngest child can be a prayer warrior if there is faith. The business world is outcome oriented with fancy metrics to discover these outcomes. You do not need a metric to discover if God has answered your prayers. God is looking for people who are willing to get beyond themselves and (1) make a choice to pray (2) make a commitment to stay with it.
A PRAYER WARRIOR prays! A PRAYER WARRIOR commits to daily prayer for others. A PRAYER WARRIOR is not defeated when things look their worst. A PRAYER WARRIOR knows that God may answer in many ways and that yes and no are not the only possible answers to a situation. A PRAYER WARRIOR does not whine about their own problems to the Lord. A PRAYER WARRIOR tells God all about it and moves beyond self to intercede for others. A PRAYER WARRIOR takes up the shield of faith and KNOWS without doubt that God is listening!
Be a PRAYER WARRIOR! Nothing you choose to do will compare with the battles you will win in the heavenlies!
Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
I challenge you today! Take up the shield of faith and go forth to do battle on behalf of the church of God! Claim your lost children, your friends, and give spiritual covering to your church family in the Name of Jesus Christ!
Image Credits Retrieved from Creative Commons Google and Yahoo Images May 19, 2009
Are you a seeker of truth? Do you want to experience it now, or get your self realization from seeking truth? What truth are you seeking? Many people view truth as an abstract concept that even apart from the human experience has nothing to do with the divine. In worldly terms truth may be relative to the perceived reality of an individual.
As Christians our point of reference always goes back to Jesus Christ, " Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. " John 14:6 There is a great revelation for those who seek this truth. Prayer is the way to greater understanding. There is a relationship with God for those willing to seek after it. This is not a shallow relationship, and the means to achieving this relationship is not easy. Prayer and fasting brings the body into subjection, humbles the spirit, and opens the mind to great possibilities for the believer and seeker. When I was young many people would seek for the Holy Ghost. At the end of the sermon the seekers would come to the altars (in those days we had real altar benches where people actually prayed and travailed before the Lord in tears with moaning and groaning). You don't see many seekers these days... I don't believe we have to go back to brush arbor days for people to be saved, but the same fire, determination, and sorrow for sin must be the catalyst to inspire people to seek the Lord. I am not speaking of a dreadful fire and brimstone pounding of fear into people that brings them to the Lord in fear for their very life. We know hell is there for the lost, but Jesus offers so much more than a bare minimum experience to experience hell fire. If that is what you think salvation is about then you have barely scratched the surface in your seeking for God. It is still possible to have a fire in your soul to learn more about God. You can still have as much of God as you want to have. Many are satisfied to know that God is love and that he loves everybody. I am happy that God loves everybody, but I do not see why I have to limit myself to the shallow waters of knowledge when God is deep, powerful, and willing to share himself with every one who seeks Him. I am a seeker of truth. I want to get it now! My self realization comes from the experience and knowledge God gives me every day as I walk with him. Blessings!
Proverbs 18:24A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
We treasure our friendships and work to maintain good relationships. What about God? Is God your friend? Do you work on keeping your relationship on sound footing? Most of us are so euphoric when we first make the acquaintance of the Lord that we overlook the basic rules of the relationship. Walking around on an emotional high, we forget that God is the other half of the partnership.
Did you know that God has expectations about the relationship you have with him? You already know that God loves you. It is implicit in the sacrifice He made for you through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And yet, there is so much more available to the believer than the initial acceptance of the invitation to be a part of the body of Christ.
Prayer is the means by which you get to know the Lord. Simply stated, prayer is a conversation with God. While God is interested in your cares and problems, sometimes he would just like to hear you say that you love him. I challenge you...Take 15 minutes of your prayer time and ask for nothing! Simply tell the Lord how much you love and adore him...worship him, and nothing more. You will discover that it is one of the hardest things you will ever do. It is not hard because you don't want to do it. It is hard because you (and I) have gotten into the habit of falling on your knees and unloading all our problems into God's ear. While I know God wants to hear your problems...it must be nice for Him to hear about our hopes, dreams, goals, and our love for Him!
When you feel that your prayers never go higher than the ceiling, it is important to remember that feelings do not count in your relationship with God. How solid is your belief that God is real and loves you? If you truly believe that God listens...then it is possible to pray even when it feels like you are talking to yourself. Absolute trust requires that you talk to God no matter how you feel about the conversation. In time the feeling you are looking for will come. God never changes in that his love is everlasting. However, the range of emotions you experience will continue to change throughout your life. God is more than GOOGLE, and He has all the answers. Be patient, and your answer will come!
1Behold, the LORD's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.
16And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.
19So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.
Isaiah 59 offers a powerful depiction of sin and the ability of God to redeem the lost. It is worth taking the time to read the entire chapter. Our world is falling into sin and deception more with each passing day. Many times our lives are filled with chaos and uncertainty as we approach the future in anxiety and stress. However, God does not want us to live in fear and worry. He wants you and me to trust Him to take care of our future and to also seek justice and salvation for the hurting people around us who desperately need His salvation and comfort.
Prayer is a great weapon against sin. When we pray we touch the throne of God and enlist armies of warriors in our fight to live holy in a sinful world. These warriors go forward to bring peace, conviction, and salvation to those whose names we call in prayer during our dedicated time of intercession. We must learn to trust God and truly believe in the power that our prayers release. To become an intercessor is the greatest position to be occupied by a child of God. Intercession is hard. It is not an easy path and the struggles are many. Intercession is not glamorous; it takes place in your private prayer closet or with other dedicated believers in an old fashioned prayer meeting. But the rewards are many as souls are brought into the kingdom, people are healed and their lives changed forever. Take time today to think about becoming an intercessor.
I wrote the following paragraph in response to a thoughtful email I received last week. Sometimes we succeed in coming up with words that are worth repeating. I really believe in the value of prayer and that prayer works in the life of every believer.
Prayer is a great gift. Through prayer we are lifted up above our problems, distractions, and wounds. Life has a way of wounding the soul and spirit. Having the ability to touch God in prayer gives us hope, comfort, and a sense of our place in the universe. Psalm 46: 1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Take a moment today to indulge yourself with the gift of prayer. You will be blessed and in so doing bless others.
I have been thinking a lot about my Adversary today. It seems that just when you get a breathing space, he comes at you from another direction. Satan and his fallen angels are busy stirring up trouble for the human race. He has been in my path lately!
7Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
8Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 9Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
When my enemy targets my life I go to my Friend Jesus Christ. He wants me to cast all my cares on him. He is willing and ready to stand between me and my Adversary.
Father, protect me when my enemy comes against me to destroy my life and my soul. Bring peace to my life and comfort to my heart. You are the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and there is none like you. I love you and adore you, my King. Be with me in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
