Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Gospel’

The Power of Life

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , on July 8, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Scripture reading: Hebrews 2:11-18

God’s loving kindness reaches out to us even in our lowest estate.  It says in Hebrews 2:14-15, Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 AND DELIVER THEM WHO THROUGH FEAR OF DEATH WERE ALL THEIR LIFETIME SUBJECT TO BONDAGE.

Jesus Christ is in the process of conquering death in us and through us, His body.  If a man walks into the room and puts a gun to your head demanding that you open the safe or he will blow out your brains, because of fear you would do what he says with the hope that you would preserve your life.  It was the fear of death that caused you to obey his command.  If you did not fear death, he would have no power over you.  His power lies in your being afraid.  If, on the other hand, when he says, “Give me your money or I will kill you,” you answer, “I am not afraid of you killing me,” then when he kills you, he still does not get your money.  He would soon learn that he is not going to get anything from people who are not afraid to die.  The thing that appeases him and makes the spirit strong in him is when you get up, get the money and give it to him.  He goes to the next house and expects the same human behavior.  He will never stop doing this.  If, however, he knew that none of these people were going to give him what he demands, because they are not afraid of him or of death, then the power would be taken out of his hands. 

The power of death lies in fear.  If we are not afraid of death, then we are not afraid of anything.  The power of fear is the power of the devil and that is what makes him function.  Christ abolished death, yet death is a great big thing for us.  We are afraid of death.  WHAT GOD IS DOING FOR US NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, IS GETTING US INTO A PLACE WHERE WE WILL LOSE THE FEAR OF DEATH, AND INSTEAD WELCOME IT, AND DESTROY IT THROUGH THE POWER OF LIFE.  When Jesus Christ was on earth, He had life and immortality dwelling in Him as a human being. 

II Timothy 1:9-10, “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, WHO HATH ABOLISHED DEATH, AND HATH BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY TO LIGHT THROUGH THE GOSPEL.”

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, June 1996, pg. 1-2)

Thought for today: There is a place in God where we can be free from the fear of death.  Ask God to bring you to that place and He will.

Read Full Post »

True Revival

Posted in Christian Walk, tagged , , , , , , , on June 23, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Scripture reading: Joel 2:19-27

Let us look at Joel 2:23, “Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.”

Previously we have seen rain in the Church. (We are talking about revival: God’s Spirit lifting us up.) He said that is nothing in comparison to what He is about to give you. He is going to send both the former rain and the latter rain in the first month. In other words, you are going to have a flood! It is not just rain we are talking about now, we are talking about a flood that is going to sweep you off your feet and carry you where you did not want to go. This is the rain we are talking about: God’s rain upon the land that totally wipes out the ability of man to protect himself or to stand. It is going to sweep you off of your feet! This is the rain that we are looking for. This is the revival we are looking for at this time.

No more church revival! No more going to church, and people falling down, speaking in tongues, getting up and going on doing their own thing!

In Azusa Street, in about 1906, the power of God was so great that a haze like a smoke came into the building. It was like a fluorescent kind of a haze that shined. It was a shiny haze that people could not look up; they had to hold their heads down. One brother, who was preaching there, put a paper bag over his head. Can you imagine seeing a man preaching to you with a paper bag over his head? It was no joke! The power was so great that the people actually bowed under the stress of this power of God. But within a few months, every man who came to that revival and who got blessed and lifted in the Spirit, went out and formed his own organization. Out of that, we got about 500 different Churches of God and Pentecostal churches.

Separation! Each man took it and made a little kingdom for himself. Nobody saw Jesus! At least, it seems they saw Him at the time, but they lost the vision and went out with a new vision of a church, that, “I am the boss!” “I am the bishop.” And so they lost out. They lost the basic tenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The basic tenants of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are that Jesus is the Head! AMEN! If Jesus is my head and Jesus is your head, how can I be against you?

They lost it. When you lose that, the first thing that happens is that the devil comes in and starts speaking to you; he becomes your Jesus! (Oh God, I am sure you don’t hear me…)

The Bible says in II Thessalonians 2 that in the last days the antichrist will come in the church. He will show himself as “Christ,” and the church will accept him as Christ. That is our problem! You go to somebody and he says, “The Lord says this” and “The Lord says that.” Brethren, most of the time the voice that is speaking to you is not the Lord. I do not want to burst your balloon, but it needs to be busted! It is not God talking to you!

Some of the things that you people are telling me that God says–it is not God! God does not say those things! God tells somebody how to brush his teeth; how to clean their shoes; how to… Listen! Give me a little break! All these things that I hear some of you talk about: that God tells you this and God tells you that. Why didn’t God show you that your attitude was wrong? Why didn’t God show you the sin in your life! Let me tell you something, when a man meets God the first thing he sees is, “Oh wretched man that I am!“ (Romans 7:24). Amen!

You know, any time you see God, you repent! If I tell you now to repent, the first thing you are going to ask me is, “What must I repent of?” Repent of you! Just repent of being yourself! When you see Jesus, you feel nasty, filthy, and low down. My God! You want to dig a hole and get down through the ground. That’s the man who sees Jesus! Amen!

We are urged to ask ourselves the question, “If Jesus walked through the door at this moment, would I be ready?” The answer most people would say to themselves is, “No.” So when are you going to get ready? If you know that you would not be ready now, when would you be ready, and what would make you ready?

I will tell you what will make you ready. It is repentance! It is as simple as A B C. Repentance makes you ready so that the moment you think of Jesus, you say, “Oh God, forgive me of all my sins. Deliver me, Lord God! Do not let me abide in any form of sin.”

(Excerpt from The Omega Message, December 1998, pg. 6-11)

Thought for today: “Lord, please give me a heart to repent so that when I see you walk through the door, I will be ready for you.”

Read Full Post »

Are You Balanced?

Posted in Spiritual Food, tagged , , , on June 11, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Scripture reading: Deuteronomy 4:1-9

Leviticus 11:2-3, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatsoever parteth the hoof, and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud, among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

Let us see if we can understand what it means to “chew the cud” and “be clovenfooted” as it is described in these verses.

Chewing the cud: There is no phrase more apt than “chewing the cud” to explain the process of hearing the word and rehashing it in the mind until the word becomes “flesh” within us (John 1:14). Jesus was the word made flesh. We are flesh being made the word so that one day we shall be like Him – the living word manifested on earth. “It takes time to be holy” means there is much chewing on the WRITTEN WORD to produce within us the LIVING WORD so that which is written on the pages of the book may come forth in real life in us.

Cloven hoof: An animal that is clovenfooted has the hoof parted in two and encased in a hard bone-like substance. This animal walks in mud as well as on stones and there is hardly a case of sickness in the hoof.

The cloven hoof signifies a spiritual walk that is “shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace” (Ephesians 6:15). The two toes signify the walk that is balanced by the Spirit and the Word. A person who walks in the Spirit alone and does not believe in the authority and authenticity of the Word is bound to be tripped up by Satan somewhere along the way. The written word is the balance which God has placed here for us in our walk. When the church began to accept dogmas and logical assumptions to add to the word and/or to rationalize it, then it marked the decline of its spiritual life.

Many teachers of the word assume that since John said in John 21:25 that there were other words spoken by Jesus, it was a license to add other words to the Bible. They imply that there are other words and other Bibles just as important and authentic as this one. BECAUSE OF THIS, I went to the Lord for an answer as this piece of rationalizing seemed to be well founded. The Lord said to me, “That which is written in the Bible is sufficient for your salvation.” This was a most satisfactory answer to me for I have been discovering that we do not yet even understand that which is written, that it is just being revealed to us in a deeper measure, and there is much more to come.

It is also true as Paul said, “But I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12).

(Excerpt from The Pattern, pg. 88-89)

Thought for the day: Let us meditate on the Word of God balanced with the leading of the Holy Spirit so that we may see His nature changing us daily into the image of Jesus.

Read Full Post »

« Newer Posts