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;
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.
Faith is at the core of the belief system for every follower of Jesus Christ. So what is faith? Hebrews 11: 1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 2For by it the elders obtained a good report. The New International Version makes this even more plain: 1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2This is what the ancients were commended for.
Hebrews 11:6 But withoutfaith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Hebrews chapter 11 is a wonderful recounting of the patriarchs and early believers who followed God without reservation. These ancients demonstrated the value of living and walking by faith. Their lives were blessed and they received miracles of astounding greatness.
Hebrews 12: 1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Our world is at a crossroad that may lead to the end of the age. But...we are not there yet! At this moment in time it is important to stand firm on your faith. Keep up your prayer life! Review your attitudes daily. Ask yourself what God is looking for in you? What can I do that will be pleasing to God?
To you older believers who have stood firm for your whole life...thank you. However, you must remember that the race is not run...the battle is not over...and the end has not come. While you may wonder what God can do with you at your time of life, you must make yourself available to the Lord. God is looking for prayer warriors. Prayer is the greatest thing you can do for yourself, your family, your church family, and your community! God will take your prayers and turn your church into a powerhouse and a soul winning station! It is up to you to take up the challenge and stand on the faith that you have carried with you through the long years of your life.
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
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.
By way of introduction let me tell you a little bit about myself. I started life as a Regency Romance writer. Historical romance was my thing and I loved it! Along the way I got married, had three kids, and my writing fell by the way side. My life has been backwards all the way. After a lifetime of raising kids, writing poems, journaling, and getting kids through college; I went to work in Healthcare.
I found myself in a nurturing environment like nothing I had ever experienced before. Everyone was studying something! Continuous education was the norm and not the exception. I went to college myself the year I turned 50. Wow! What an experience! Five and a half years later I graduated with a BS in Health Administration. So right in line with my track record I immediately went to work in Research/Regulatory Compliance.
Research is really my thing...I have been doing Family History research for many years. The one thing that has never changed is my faith in God, and the assurance that He is interested in me as an individual. My life has followed many trails. I really do have one Regency Romance to my credit and recently published a book offering insight into Christian Living. Until next time...
