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.
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!
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
