Be the agent of change – stepping out of our comfort zone

Acts 2: 2-9

And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?

 

A couple things about this passage – I believe that this is literally every person heard the Gospel message in their own language but I believe it can be taken another way

 

  • we need to share the love of Christ in a way that everyone can understand it (hear it in their own language)
  • we need to not be afraid to cross-cultural, economic, racial barriers and the Lord will show us how to reach them “Are not all these who speak Galileans?”

 

The result of people hearing the good news in a way they could understand it, by men and women moving in the power of the Holy Spirit, who was not afraid to be uncomfortable speaking to people of different cultures, races, economic strata

 

5000 people came to the knowledge of Christ

 

Do we need this today? Jesus said “yes” it should be who we are!

 

Allow me to explain what I mean….this is why I know we need to move in the gifts in our schools, neighborhood, places we work, shop, and live

 

Matthew 5: 13-16

You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on.14 You are like light for the whole world. A city built on top of a hill cannot be hidden, 15 and no one would light a lamp and put it under a clay pot. A lamp is placed on a lampstand, where it can give light to everyone in the house. 16 Make your light shine, so that others will see the good that you do and will praise your Father in heaven.

 

Jesus is saying that we are salt, light, and a city on a hill!

 

We are “a city on a hill”

 

What does it mean to be a “city on a hill” the best word to describe it is conspicuous. You can be seen at all angles all of the time.

 

The minute you proclaim that you are a Christian people begin watching you, they begin analyzing your life…they want to know

 

– is this real?

– is this religious?

– are you playing a game?

 

Jesus is saying all of us collectively become “a city on the hill”

 

Jesus also said we are the light

 

– There is no substitute for light, nothing can take its place. As Christians no one can take our place or do our jobs, there is no substitute for us

 

– Light is the only answer to darkness. When light comes there is no problem with darkness.

 

He called us salt

 

We are to give flavor to an otherwise bland world – take an egg for eggsample J totally bland but sprinkle on a little salt and it has flavor

 

We are to make the world flavorful but for whom? God! We need to think of ourselves as little salt granules spread throughout the earth spreading love, grace, prayers, and worship in a way that make the earth acceptable to God in a way that the earth would not be without us (as it will experience after the rapture)

Salt also prevents rotting or another word for that is corruption! In the time Jesus walked the earth there was no refrigeration. To preserve meat, it was salted to prevent it from rotting or holding back the forces of corruption. It is our responsibility to hold back the forces of corruption—moral corruption, social corruption, political corruption—until God’s purposes of mercy and grace have been worked out for this world of ours.

 

Not everyone is looking for hope, love, life, joy or freedom. Believe it or not, some are content in their misery, selfishness, and corruption. Still, many more have no concept that they can have joy, life, and freedom until they see that someone else has it.

 

As a “Spirit-filled” believer just simply being who we are, allowing the light, salt, the Spirit of the living God live through us (our identity is in Him) we are like the 120 from the upper room that day we begin to share the love of Christ in a way everyone can understand it.

 

We are no longer intimidated by social position, cultural, racial, or educational differences, but the power of the Gospel will naturally supernaturally flow through you. We have the tools in our toolbox!

 

As a Spirit-filled believer, you have at least three key tools that make being salt, light, and a city on the hill possible… I am assuming that you are doing things on a daily basis like reading your Bible and praying.

 

Remember

 

The gifts of the Spirit “What’s next part 2-4” 1 Corinthians 12 and 14

 

Moving in them in very practical ways at first (if you missed any of the teachings you can always go on the app or www.christiancenter.us to hear the whole story)

 

Prophetic – begin encouraging people

Healing – you will begin to have a heart for the sick and broken

Discerning of spirits – you begin to see people in the bondage, brokenness, hurting and are able to show them Jesus in a way that sets them free

 

Love – others and yourself “What’s next part 1” and “Love yourself”

 

– God values everyone, so should we

– be generous with your time, talent, and treasure

– Eliminate all forms of prejudice

– Always treat others as people Jesus died for

– Act like Jesus in word and deed

– You are the object of God’s great love Jeremiah 31:3, John 3:16

 

 

The rest of the fruit of the Spirit –

 

I have taught numerous times on the fruit of the Spirit but just as a reminder

 

Galatians 5:22,23

 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, kindness, faithfulness, 23 self-control; against such things, there is no law.

 

Luke 6:43,44

 

A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 44 A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes.

 

John 15:5

 

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.

 

We will naturally supernaturally also flow in the fruit of the Spirit, we have to if we are tied into the vine, that is Jesus.

 

As a Spirit-filled believer it is against our very nature to not have the fruit of the Spirit flowing in us…remember last week 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

 

We become like the 120 who shared that day that 5000 came to Christ by living every day as salt, light and a city on the hill through flowing in the gifts, knowing we are loved and loving others. The fruit of the Spirit is a natural outgrowth of who we are

 

This causes us very naturally to be agents of change…we naturally change the world…we must change the world…if we love then we will change the world

 

Please take this challenge today…step out of your comfort zone and be the agents of change God has called you to be

what’s next Part 4

What’s next? Part 4

 

We have talked about many of the gifts so far, are any of you starting to practice them yet?

 

Can someone share his or her experience?

 

Today I’m going to talk about prophecy, speaking in tongues, prayer language, and interpretation of tongues but I need to start with two other gifts that many of you may have and may use daily but don’t realize they can be amplified as you surrender them to the Holy Spirit.

 

 

1 Corinthians 12:27,28

 

Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. 28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

 

Helps and Administration, these are two very practical and vital gifts of the Spirit that the church literally cannot survive without them

 

Helps

 

The spiritual gift of helping, service, or ministering, covers a wide range of activities in its application.

 

The word Antilepsis is translated “helping” and is found in 1 Corinthians 12:28.  It’s meaning: to help or aid in love within the community.

 

The Holy Spirit endows some believers with this gift to fill the many gaps of ministry and meet the needs of the church as it fulfills the Great Commission.

 

Everything about this gift is practical as Bill Wilson our friend from New York says wondering about your call? The need IS the call!

 

While it starts as a practical gift, empowered by the Holy Spirit it is never a drudgery mostly a joy, and leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment because it is not about any pat on the back from a person but about knowing the Holy Spirit is empowering you for something that He desires to have accomplished. This gift fills in the gaps that are so needful for the Kingdom and the Gospel to be advanced and the church to touch the most amount of lives

 

We see people with this gift in passages like Acts 6:1-7, 1 Corinthians 16:15-16, and many others.

 

Administration – 1 Cor. 12:28; Acts 6:2-3

 

This is a unique term that refers to a shipmaster or captain. The literal meaning is “to steer,” or “to rule or govern.”

 

With this gift the Holy Spirit enables certain Christians to organize, direct, and implement plans to lead others in the various ministries of the Church.

 

This gift is closely related to the gift of Leadership, but is more goal or task oriented and is also more concerned with details and organization

 

Again this gift is very practical some shine in this gift all of the time and if they really shine it is because the Holy Spirit is empowering them in their natural ability to go to a supernatural level able to anticipate needs and solves problems well before they arrive.

 

This gift can tie in with the practical side of the prophetic understanding what the needs are and how to organize the solution before a problem happens

 

Which brings us to prophecy

 

Prophecy

 

The spiritual gift of prophecy is an extraordinary and unique gift.  Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14:1 to “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

 

This gift is a blessing to the church and should not be quenched or despised (1 Thessalonians 5:20).  Those who have the gift of prophecy differ from the Old Testament Prophets who spoke the authoritative Word of God directly.  Their words were recorded as Scripture as they proclaimed, “Thus says The Lord,” whereas the messages from those with the spiritual gift of prophecy must be tested which means they can be wrong (1 Corinthians 14:29-33; 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1-3).

 

These messages can take the form of exhortation, correction, disclosure of secret sins, prediction of future events, comfort, inspiration, or other revelations given to equip and edify the body of Christ

 

1 Corinthians 14:3-4, 24-25

 

But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church

 

But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. 25 And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you

 

Practically speaking here is a way you can begin to flow in this gift. Being that it is, by Paul’s definition, an edification, exhortation, and comfort, you can begin encouraging people, helping them to see the best in themselves, asking the Lord to show you ways to encourage others and help to build them up

 

You see God sees the best in people, (1 Corinthians 13) He encourages them to be better, do better and as we do that, we begin to understand the Father’s heart for people, we begin to see them through His eyes and the Holy Spirit begins to work through us to enhance what we are seeing through God’s eyes

 

As we learn to see through the Lord’s eyes, we learn to hear His voice more clearly and are able to speak to people more of what is on His heart developing the prophetic gift within us

 

Share prophetic word about what will happen if we begin doing these things

 

Tongues, interpretation of tongues, praying in the Spirit

 

I don’t know of any way to practically start speaking in tongues or interpreting tongues

 

I know some will try to help others to receive their prayer language by saying repeat after me, or things like that. Sometimes that helps sometimes it hinders. Learning to speak/pray in tongues for most of us is a battle of mind versus spirit. It just doesn’t make sense to our minds to allow our spirits to communicate directly to God.

 

Which brings us to a Praying in the Spirit

 

1 Corinthians 14:14 “For if I pray in tongues, my spirit is praying, but I don’t understand what I am saying”

 

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18

 

There is a key difference here between praying in the Spirit and functioning in tongues for the benefit of the body…it would be like having a personal word of knowledge or word of wisdom for someone and having a public word…if you are praying in tongues it should be quiet and focused as if praying in English but if you are going to make a proclamation in tongues it needs to be loud enough for all to hear but also must be interpreted

 

Likewise, the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” Romans 8:26

 

Likewise, Jude (the half-brother of Jesus) encourages us to pray in the Spirit (Jesus’ brothers James and Jude were in the upper room when the Holy Spirit descended Acts 1:14)

 

“But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” Jude 20

 

I have found praying in the Spirit to be critical to building me up so I can handle the daily-ness of life, which generally changes the environment and reveals areas that need work and areas that are being overcome

 

Please take the leap of faith…begin choosing to flow in a gift. If you have not yet been filled with the Holy Spirit I hope this has taken some of the fear or concern out of it for you and that you would be willing to come

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s next? Part 3

What’s next Part 3

 

I want to continue this morning sharing about the gifts of the Spirit

 

Rick Warren author of the “Purpose Drive life,” and pastor of Saddleback church says this about the gifts of the Spirit

“God gave me a gift, not for me but for you, and God gave you a gift, not for you but for me. If you don’t use your gift, you’re depriving me; if I don’t use my gift, I’m robbing you.”

1 Peter 4:10,11

God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.

What are some of these gifts that Peter is talking about? Some are listed in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 before we go there again…

As I mentioned through the Rick Warren quote and through Jesus words in Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

The gifts are for us to touch the lives of others…salvation is for us but the world needs us to flow in the gifts of the Spirit so that they might know Jesus is real

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills

 

Part of the reason the gifts generally start more gently is they are given to any Christian regardless of level of maturity…always be aware just because someone has a particular gift doesn’t mean they are mature, that was part of the problem in the early church but hopefully it encourages you to not be afraid to be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit because you are “not mature enough”

 

Two weeks ago I talked about words of wisdom, healing and discerning of spirits and how they may practically be seen in your life in the beginning stages…let’s see how far we get today

 

Lets start with the “word of knowledge”

 

Word of knowledge

1 Cor. 12:8 – “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit”

  • Information that was not be obtained naturally
  • An utterance of facts given by divine inspiration through, mind, vision, dream, or some other insight that would otherwise remain unknown
  • teaching based on divine insight and revelation.

 

This gift may start in you in one of two ways very naturally.

 

– You could be working on a project, car, craft, your taxes even and not have clue what to do, you stop and pray and the Lord gives you the understanding of how to solve the problem. God will use this type of thing as you are working at your job, in your hobby it is not a guess it is a divine insight given to you in a very naturally supernatural way to show everyone that God really cares

 

Another way this gift may start in your life is you may be struggling with something and not knowing what to do, not having any insight into a solution and the Lord gives you a dream that gives insight into the problem.

 

Reinhard Bonnke dream story

Standing on the street corner in the Hill

 

The Lord has the solution to every problem. He sees everything from every perspective…he wants to give us the insight we need and to help others through knowledge they know we would not know naturally.

 

God can give you this gift and make it effective in raising your children, doing better at your job, having greater success in your business and of course using it in the church to share with people things that you would not know other than the Lord communicating it to you

 

Gift of faith – 1 Corinthians 12:9, Acts 4:19,20

 

9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

 

This is not to be confused with saving faith

 

The Holy Spirit distributes this gift to some in the church to encourage and build up the church in her confidence in God.  Those with the gift of faith trust that God is sovereign and He is good.  They take Him at His Word and put the full weight of their lives in His hands

 

Tegucigalpa – both the mortars and the flight

Kyrgyzstan – no connection

Sudan –

Flight into Pittsburgh

Meeting the president of Kyrgyzstan

 

A simple way this may develop in you is that you are no longer afraid. You hear the news, you see all that is happening around you

 

If we are afraid we will never do the things the Lord has called us to there is no reward without risk and faith is spelled R-I-S-K

 

We can not proclaim to trust the Lord and live in fear

 

You can have this gift easily but deciding to live this way and watch the Lord multiply your peace and joy…what an impact you will have on those around you

 

We need this gift more than ever in a world filled with nothing but division and fear…imagine what this will do for others

 

Working of miracles (1 Cor. 12:10; Acts 6:8)

 

The spiritual gift of miracles is described in Scripture much like the gift of healing.  It is found in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and the Greek phrase

 

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

 

energemata dynameon – literally translates “workings of powers.”  The double plural most likely means that these gifts were diverse and were not permanently available at the will of the gifted believer, but instead were bestowed at various times and circumstances.  Thus, the gifts are subject to the divine will of God and His purposes and are not decided by the one who performs the miraculous works.

 

We know that Jesus performed many miracles in His earthly ministry, even more than those recorded in Scripture (John 20:30-31, Acts 2:22).

 

I am not sure there is a simple and easy way to move in this gift other than when you need one just believe and expect it

 

Too often we believe God to be the God of the Old and New Testament but not the same God today.

 

I am here today in so many ways because of a miracle…don’t tell me God can’t do the impossible…every day I believe for one miracle after another

 

Siberian gas

Dead baby raised

 

This gift and faith often go hand in hand…however one way we can see this happen on a regular basis from my point of view is leading someone to Christ…every person who surrenders their lives to Jesus is a miracle every Mom that walks through this door for our outreach, every child that comes for VBS all of them being drawn by the Holy Spirit is a miracle

 

To me the greatest working of a miracle I am looking for is for you to begin to believe and walk in the fullness of the Spirit in a way that touches everyone around you…that you begin to see the power of God in your life.

 

Can I ask you today…can you see the need for these gifts in our everyday lives

 

Can you imagine with me a world where Christians are solving problems by the power of the Holy Spirit, where they are walking in the full confidence of God’s protection and purpose, and where the impossible is made possible on a regular basis

 

Can you imagine the hope, peace and life we could bring to the world if we lived this way…if God awakened a Christian to know that a shooter was going to a school, or simply that a child will need extra lunch money to help another child. You were never afraid because you had a supernatural trust in God

 

Our brothers and sisters in persecuted countries around the world live this way…I have seen it first hand…will you?

 

 

 

 

Love Yourself

Love yourself

 

Weird huh! Just thinking about that makes some feel weird, out of place, but it is a command of God…I’ll get to that in a minute

 

Do you ever look down on yourself?

Do you ever feel that you aren’t good enough?

Do you find yourself responding to people out of insecurity?

Do you find yourself critical of your family heritage?

Do you wish you had been born into a different family, race, class?

Do you always have to hide who you are, you are afraid to be who you are?

Are you afraid to spend time alone?

Are you always conforming to the wants of others and becoming who and what they want you to be?

Do you fail to acknowledge and appreciate your own achievements?

Are you very self-critical?

Do you fail to take care of yourself, physically?

 

Some of these things can be positive if kept in a balance…we want to serve and love people and sometimes it takes loving like this to do that… but all of them can be signs that you don’t love yourself.

 

Here I go again bringing that up! Two weeks ago I shared this about when Jesus was confronted by a lawyer regarding which law was best

 

Matthew 22:36-39

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

Two weeks ago I focused on our need to love others and that is absolutely needful but… allow me to stress another point

 

We must love ourselves if we are going to truly love others….don’t get weird on me…stay with me

 

I mentioned this last week Peter and John were on their way into the temple when a lame beggar asked them for money

 

Acts 3:6

But Peter said, “I don’t have any silver or gold for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!”

 

Notice what Peter said, “what I have is what I can give to you!”

 

As a Christian what is inside you to give? If God is love yet you reject yourself, the way He created you, your family heritage, your gifts, your calling if you don’t feel like you have anything to offer what is that saying to God?

 

Loving ourselves came seem counter to Jesus command to lay down our lives for others and for him….but what value is it to give up something that you don’t value in the first place

 

I know you have heard this but “God doesn’t make junk”

 

The basis of our walk in Christ is love. The honest and real way we will change the world is by our love. The power of the gifts flowing through us is based on our love.

 

When we don’t love ourselves…

 

We are being critical of God and His love for us

 

We get mad at God. We don’t believe he is going to come through for us. We feel somehow we are less valuable or less important than others

 

John 3:16

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

 

Romans 5:8

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

 

We are acting as if we aren’t part of the family of God

 

We feel as if God will take care of so and so, God will meet their need but he won’t meet mine.

We are afraid to trust in the promises of God because somehow they don’t apply to us. He sees and knows everyone else but isn’t interested in us or what we are going through

 

We demand that God does things our way…he loves us too much to do that children would eat candy until they are sick, would get hurt if we didn’t protect them

 

1 John 3:1

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

 

1 John 4:7,8

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 

We have rejected the value God places on us

 

We feel we have to work to please God or to strive to make him happy with us

 

We are constantly angry or worn out trying to be “good enough”

 

We strive to get his attention so he will “look at you”

 

He already loves you more than you can comprehend and all he longs for is that you will know how much you are love and love him in return

 

Jeremiah 31:3

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness, I have drawn you.

 

Psalm 139:14

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

 

This is what we need to grasp today

 

God so loved you, saw you as so valuable that he sacrificed his son’s life for your life (pop illustration) you are just that important John 3:16

 

He sees you as so valuable that he has chosen you to be the object of His great love Jeremiah 31:3

 

He so values, loves and trusts you that He has created a very specific plan for you, designed to use your skills, intellect, personality and all to be a blessing for you Jeremiah 29:11

 

We can’t fully function in the power of God apart from knowing that we are truly loved, valuable, and have His Spirit of love preeminent in our lives….the ability and authority we have to bring freedom, joy, peace, salvation, strength to others is directly related to the way we see ourselves in the light of God’s love

 

1 John 4:12,13

No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this, we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

 

Psalm 139 if needed

 

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”

Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book, they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.

 

What you have inside of you is all you can give out, the level of your belief limits the level of your impact in the lives of others.

 

Some today need a heart healing to come to the place of loving themselves, others, others need the Holy Spirit to release them to forgive themselves and/or others. Some today know that God simply wants to do a work in them to help them love themselves and others more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s next? Part 2

What’s next…Part 2

 

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

 

This verse is the key to what’s next

As I mentioned last week, we don’t have the spirit of this world which is fear and timidity….instead we have been given a Spirit of power, love and self discipline.

 

Why have we been given this Spirit…Acts 1:8 tells us so we can impact the lives of others the whole world

 

Power

 

I touched on some of the power gifts two weeks ago and I know to most they are a little overwhelming but they can start in very practical ways and the Lord can show you how to take them deeper as you begin small….Jesus said He who is faithful with little will be entrusted with much…I will share with you how to do this next week.

 

In Romans 12:6-8 there are a list of gifts that Paul tells us are from the Father. These are gifts of authority and personality. In Ephesians 4:11-16 these are gifts that Jesus gives to bring oversight to the church.

 

The Corinthian church was primarily non-Jews and they were hungry for the Holy Spirit. It was a church that was alive, the church was engaged in the community, the worship was dynamic, it was a church that was a mix racially, economically, status in the community, and every way imaginable. They flowed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit to not only build each other up but to impact the community.

 

How did they do that?

 

The Holy Spirit is with us always. He is there to…

 

Guide,

Speak truth

Convict

Empower

Cause us to remember

Cause us to understand

Just to name a few

 

These are powerful gifts but if they are spooky they will not impact people but instead turn them off and to jump right into using a power gift is something that doesn’t happen often but God does allow us to learn how to trust the Holy Spirit with bigger things as we are faithful with little.

 

Today I want to give you some insight into how the Lord may begin using some of these gifts in you…as you learn to distinguish you from the Holy Spirit…he will trust you more with greater authority and power.

 

At the end of these notes and on our website I go into greater detail about the gifts but for today’s purpose, this is to give you a start into launching recognizing the Holy Spirit giving gifts to you to help you to change the world.

 

Most of these gifts will start working in your life with close friends, family, and our church…safe places for you to learn to discern what the Holy Spirit is doing and saying

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

 

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills

 

Part of the reason the gifts generally start more gently is they are given to any Christian regardless of the level of maturity…always be aware just because someone has a particular gift doesn’t mean they are mature, that was part of the problem in the early church but hopefully, it encourages you to not be afraid to be open to the gifts of the Holy Spirit because you are “not mature enough”

Always remember if someone is saying they have a gift but their love is lacking they are either extremely immature in their gift or don’t really have the gift at all…God is love and love is the basis the power of God

 

You can flow in the gifts immediately with full power but more often people don’t think they received the gift because it doesn’t look like what they think it should look like. Today I want to share with you about some (not all that would take too long) of the gifts can look like as you are first using them

 

Word of wisdom –

1 Corinthians 12:8 “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit”

 

1) Wisdom insight into something unknown

2) The right application of truth.

3) Divine direction.

4) Seeing the world through God’s perspective.

5) Supernatural perspective to ascertain the divine means of accomplishing God’s will.

 

This gift helps you to answer life’s questions and give others insight but one very practical thing that will start is a person’s life if they have this gift is a respect and awe of the Lord with wisdom comes a respect for what God is saying and honoring of all He is doing…you know when you are in his presence and you look forward to Him being with you

 

But you may also begin to understand God’s word easier, be able to share it more plainly and at the same time you may begin to give answers to people when they have life questions and will have the answers to your questions more easily….this is only the beginning

 

Gifts of healing (1 Cor. 12:9, 28; Acts 28:1-10)

 

1 Corinthians 12:9 The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.

 

The spiritual gift of healing found in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is actually plural in the Greek.

Charismata iamaton – is literally translated “gifts of healings.”

 

This gift is interesting in that there is no guarantee that a person will always be able to heal anyone he or she desires.  It is subject to the sovereign will of God, as all spiritual gifts are.

 

One of the ways this gift begins to show up in a person’s life is they will begin to have a great heart of compassion for the sick and hurting, you may even want to start seeking people out who are sick and hurting going to hospitals look forward to being able to pray for people who are broken

 

You will also begin to share compassionate words and time with people. As you begin to pray for the sick, they will actually begin to be healed…you are not the healer God is but he will honor and reward your compassion and love It was out of Jesus great compassion that he raised the dead, fed the masses, and healed the sick Matthew 14:14

 

“When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick”

 

The last gift I want to talk about today is discerning of spirits

 

Discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10; Luke 8:29, Hebrews 5:14)

 

1 Corinthians 12:9 He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit.

 

The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.”

 

The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis.  The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment.

 

In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.

 

OK, you might be saying I don’t see any guys running around with pitched forks and horns….the problem is the devil doesn’t actually look that way…you have already seen him at work and just didn’t know it. This gift starts out helping you to be sensitive to what is going on around you. Your heart begins to break as you see how the enemy or the flesh have cause someone to end up in a mess or the clerk or customer who is chewing you out, you now see them through Jesus’ eyes and you can begin to understand what is really happening. You can see someone that the Lord really wants to show himself to, you just naturally know this. You can see if someone is demonized and the Lord will give you little glimpses of how to give them hope.

 

The Holy Spirit empowers us to impact the world, to show them, Jesus, to give them hope, freedom, and a real relationship with a God who sent His son to die for them because of his love.

 

The gifts of the Spirit should always accentuate that purpose. They grow stronger and more powerful with use and they honor the Lord more the more powerful they become. They always push people to the Father, or the Son so the people can come into relationship with them.

 

Our job, hopefully in light of this today is to help you acknowledge and grow in the gifts as the Lord is using them through you.

 

As you grow, you become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His leading and your heart breaks for the things that break God’s heart and with that, he molds you into a vessel he can use even more powerfully…just don’t deny the Holy Spirit’s work in you.

 

We would like to allow our ministry team to exercise their gifts today by praying for you

 

 

NOT FOR PROPRESENTER JUST FOR THE NOTES

 

Gifts of the Spirit

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

 

There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: 8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills

 

These are gifts given by the Holy Spirit, they are not necessarily given to mature Christians, the gifts themselves can be matured but God grants these freely

 

They are gifts given for the benefit of everyone.

 

Please remember the Apostle Paul was stressing that these gifts were active among the members of the church in Corinth. These were more than the Apostles these we all the believers in the church in that city.They were out of order in their flow and function so Paul wrote this portion of the letter to clarify the order and function of the gifts.

 

Also in between the teaching of the functionality of the gifts in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 is chapter 13 the love chapter. That was placed there because apart from love these gifts are useless to honor God they will honor the flesh but certainly not God.

 

The first two are logos “word” gifts

 

These are words of truth made know through the Holy Spirit, since the spirit is the Spirit of Truth John 14:17

 

 

1 Word of wisdom –

1 Cor. 12:8 “for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit”

 

1) Wisdom insight into something unknown

2) Right application of truth.

3) Divine direction.

4) Seeing the world through God’s perspective.

5) Supernatural perspective to ascertain the divine means for accomplishing God’s will.

 

The one who uses this gift and the one who is benefited by this gift begin to have a healthy understanding of awe or fear of the Lord (fear, awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – Proverbs 1:7)

 

Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. 1 Corinthians 2: 6,7

 

In 1st Corinthians 1:17 Paul says “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.” In other words he came with divine words or words of wisdom to preach the Gospel

 

Someone who speaks with this gift will help others understand the Lord’s will and purpose

 

Word of wisdom takes the next gift word of knowledge and knows how to apply the divine knowledge given

 

 

  • Gifts of healing (1 Cor. 12:9, 28; Acts 28:1-10)

 

The spiritual gift of healing found in 1 Corinthians 12:9 is actually plural in the Greek.

Charismata iamaton – is literally translated “gifts of healings.”

 

This spiritual gift is closely related to the gifts of faith and miracles.  All spiritual gifts are to be exercised in faith, but gifts of healings involve a special measure of it.  This gift is interesting in that there is no guarantee that a person will always be able to heal anyone he or she desires.  It is subject to the sovereign will of God, as all spiritual gifts are.

 

The Disciples were given authority to heal and cast out demons, but they were not always successful.  The Apostle Paul was not able to heal himself and was told that God’s grace was sufficient to carry him through his infirmity without removing it from him (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

 

This gift is given at various times and places to reveal the God of heaven to the sick and tormented.  If healing is not granted, then we can conclude that God has greater plans for letting the person go through the illness or infirmity.

 

Those who have this gift are:

– compassionate toward the sick and pray over them regularly.

– have great faith and trust that God can and will heal some and are not deterred when He chooses not to.

– motivated knowing that God’s revealed power will draw people to faith in Jesus.

– their ultimate concern is the spiritual well-being of those being healed and their relationship with Jesus.

– they yearn for the day that there will be no more pain and suffering, and sin will no longer wreak havoc on the people of God.

 

 

  • Discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10; Luke 8:29)

 

The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.”

 

The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis.  The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment.

 

In the New Testament it describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.

 

The Holy Spirit gives the gift of discernment to enable certain Christians to clearly recognize and distinguish between the influence of God, Satan, the world, and the flesh in a given situation. The church needs those with this gift to warn believers in times of danger or keep them from being led astray by false teaching.  See also I Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:3-6; 16:16-18; 1 John 4:1.

 

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world”

 

What’s next…. Part 1

What’s next…. Part 1

 

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

 

We have had 14 people come to the Lord to the best of our knowledge 67 people received prayer for the baptism of the Holy Spirit our church culture is changing God is on the move…what do we do next?

 

This verse is the key to what’s next

 

As I mentioned last week, we don’t have the spirit of this world which is fear and timidity….instead, we have been given a Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

Why have we been given this Spirit…Acts 1:8 tells us so we can impact the lives of others the whole world

 

Power

I touched on some of the power gifts last week and I know to most they are a little overwhelming but they can start in very practical ways and the Lord can show you how to take them deeper as you begin small….Jesus said He who is faithful with little will be entrusted with much…I will share with you how to do this next week.

 

Self –discipline we will get to next week as well…I think

 

Love – Valentine’s day is Wednesday so let’s talk

 

When Jesus was confronted by a Pharisee (a lawyer) about what is the best of all the laws he said this Matthew 22:36-39

 

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

 

We need to take a look at the context of loving your neighbor. How should we really treat one another? Here is the reference Jesus was using!

 

There are 4 kinds of love in the Greek.

 

Philio – which is deep friendship, a love for another’s happiness above our own. Matt. 6:5, 10:37, 23:6, 26:48; Mark 14:44; Luke 20:46, 22:47; John 5:20 (plus a dozen more times)

Storge – is a natural affection like one would naturally have toward a child, pet or someone close – Romans 1:31, 12:10; 2 Timothy 3:3

Eros – erotic love, based on body chemistry, a love to satisfy self and is conditional

Agape – most noble form of love, it is a love out of valuing someone, a love that keeps on giving even when the return is unresponsive it is used over 320 times in the new testament.

 

It is agape that Jesus uses when He is quoting Leviticus 19

 

Leviticus 19:9-18

When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. 10 It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.11 “Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another.12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord. 13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay. 14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord. 15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord. 17 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. 18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against a fellow Israelite, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.

 

Loving one another means:

 

9-10 “When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. 10 It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God.”

 

Be generous with each other even strangers…we all have more than enough so never hoard but always be free to give of the way God has blessed real love is generous not expecting anything in return….Giving is a characteristic of God (John 3:16)

 

11 “Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another.” Be careful to give people the credit, respect, love they deserve. If we steal, deceive or cheat one another it is because we do not place God’s value on the person we are stealing from. We are told to give honor to whom honor is do, to show our love for the Lord by loving each other and that requires respect, we often steal blessing from someone when we don’t give them the credit or thanks they are due and we steal that from them

 

12 “Do not bring shame on the name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord. Act like a Christian in word and deed. When we don’t love the Lord enough to respect and honor him we may carry the label Christian but if we are not acting Christ-like we are living a false testimony that defiles His name. By the way, the only way to act like a Christian is to read and know God’s word many people claim to act like Christ but have no understanding of really what that means they paint him with their brush

 

13 “Do not defraud or rob your neighbor. “Do not make your hired workers wait until the next day to receive their pay.” For my purpose, today defrauding is similar to verse 11 but the cheating of wages. There is the obvious, pay someone what they are due, pay your bills on time, and also always give a good hours work for an hours pay. Also if someone helps you thank them quickly and generously. Don’t ever hold back gratitude recognize the value of everyone but at the same time if you are mistreated this way forgive…please most of all don’t cheat God tithe which means 10% comes to storehouse the place where you are receiving and the place that s delivering on God’s promises…giving to people and other organizations is offering and alms but God blesses when we don’t defraud him it shows we love Him by our trust in him to be our source

 

14 “Do not insult the deaf or cause the blind to stumble. You must fear your God; I am the Lord.” Love means valuing everyone…never take advantage of anyone or look down on them for their limitation or lack that you perceive instead always encourage everyone to do their best that God values them, Jesus died for them we can’t sit in judgment over someone because of their limitations, lack, or sin we must love them, pray for them and help them to become more like Jesus. This applies to the elderly as well RESPECT

 

15 “Do not twist justice in legal matters by favoring the poor or being partial to the rich and powerful. Always judge people fairly.” We prejudge people when we size them up before we get to know them based on dress, weight, height, culture, skin color, or any other external thing. Eliminate prejudice and sectarianism from your life. God loves everyone not everyone is a child of God until they come to Jesus but when we twist our point of view and don’t look at people through Jesus eyes we have prejudged them and have taken the place of God. We can judge sin but if we do it is for the purpose of helping someone to be free

 

16 “Do not spread slanderous gossip among your people. “Do not stand idly by when your neighbor’s life is threatened. I am the Lord.” Always uphold someone’s reputation and their life. It is easy to kill a person’s character/reputation and it may seem worse but the Lord sees that as bad as actual murder….yes we will have difficulty with people but we are always to work it out if we can “be at peace with all men as much as it pertains to you” (Romans 12:18)

 

17,18 “Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives. Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin. 18 “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge real love doesn’t have the ability to hold a grudge or hatred for anyone. This should be a light bulb going off in your heart and mind that you don’t love like Jesus wants if you are walking in unforgiveness. If you are constantly critical of someone you really don’t love…if someone is a problem pray for them, help them if you can, be Jesus to them but hatred is unacceptable for a Christ-follower…I need some of you to watch your conversations and Facebook post. Love looks to raise people up and set them free…it hopes all things! The confrontation part is that if we see someone blatantly sinning and don’t love them enough to say something to them then what kind of love do we have

 

Love balances the gifts, the power, and the self-discipline

 

Jesus said we would be recognized as Christ-like, His friends, followers, disciples, by our love, not education, wealth, influence, or power but love

 

John 13:34,35

So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

 

For most of us, some of these things will present quite a challenge and they would if we were doing them on our own but the Holy Spirit in you gives you the power to overcome…to love when love is not returned…this is part of the real power of the Holy Spirit in you..this is part of what is absolutely necessary in the church and outside of the church.

 

Allow me to challenge you today to start by making the decision to love this way in your own family and church family first…practice it there and then take it to the world.

 

Allow the Holy Spirit to work through you, to give you the power to always love this way

 

I understand some of these things may have caused brokenness in you but the Holy Spirit wants to show you how you can love by His power today….let’s let go of the hurt, rejection, unforgiveness and allow the Holy Spirit to work through you

The Power

The power

 

We have talked about tearing down the walls, building a strong foundation, the need to move in power, making sure the anointing remains…today I need us to look at the power the Lord wants us to have that is missing in many

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit for all of us…why

– As one person flowing in the Holy Spirit we are limited by time, energy, and distance…we can only be so many places talk to so many people..but if every Christian can be filled the power the whole world can be reached

– Jesus said greater works will we do (John 14:12 as he talked about the Holy Spirit) is this just the Holy Spirit being with us as we are saved or is there something more?

 

Jesus said Acts 1:5

John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Acts 2: 1-4

On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place. 2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were sitting. 3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire appeared and settled on each of them. 4 And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.

As far as I can tell from reading Acts and the Epistles every Christian in the first-century church was baptized in the Holy Spirit

Acts 8: 12-17

But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized. 13 Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there. 15 As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:1-7

And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples 2 he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” 3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. 7 Now the men were about twelve in all.

 

These Christ-followers had a relationship with Jesus, they had been immersed in water as a sign of their commitment to following Christ.

 

They had received Christ as their Lord and Savior, The Father was their Father and the Holy Spirit was in them in that you can not have one member of the Trinity and not have all three, immersed, but the apostles knew there was something else that they needed.

 

They were not talking about a passive work but a purposeful work of God! A baptism not of water, but of the Holy Spirit.

 

Matthew 3:11 reflects this from John the Baptist words in

“I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not worthy even to be his slave and carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

 

Let me ask you when you came to Christ did you feel like you were baptized in fire?

 

Most of us would say not. This is not a literal fire but a passion for the heart of God but the passion can be wasted if not empowered by God

 

2 Timothy 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

 

Jesus said in Acts 1:8

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

What is this power he spoke of? The power Paul talked about? The power the early Christians had?

 

It was what is called the infilling or baptism of the Holy Spirit

 

John 14:16, 17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

 

– Jesus said one would be coming that would be exactly like Him “another”

– He will be with you always

– he will lead you into all truth (also John 16:12,13)

– He lives with you when you come to Christ but fills you when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit

 

Earlier John14:12 Jesus said those who believe will do greater works and then he went on to talk about how…when the Holy Spirit comes on you the power comes

 

John 14:26 we are told

“But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

When you are filled with the Holy Spirit because he gave us the Bible as I shared last week he will cause us to remember all things

He will always remind us of our part and responsibility in the Kingdom

John 16: 8-15

And when he comes, he will convict the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. 9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in me. 10 Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. 11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged. 12 “There is so much more I want to tell you, but you can’t bear it now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. 14 He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine; this is why I said, ‘The Spirit will tell you whatever he receives from me.’

 

– Being filled with the Holy Spirit helps us to know our sin, not live there but to be drawn to freedom

– Being filled with the Spirit enables us to hear the truth, understand the truth, and walk in the truth

– Being filled with the Spirit means your life will glorify God as the Spirit through you will only glorify God

– Being filled with the Spirit opens our understanding to receive all he has for us!

 

BUT THERE IS MORE

 

The fruit of the Spirit and the gifts are alive in those who are filled with the Spirit or at least can be.

 

Galatians 5:22,23

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, kindness, faithfulness, 23 and self-control. There is no law against these things!

 

The gifts of the Spirit are mainly outlined in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 they are bookends to the love chapter I believe because apart from love these gifts are useless (1 Corinthians 13 tells us that by the Holy Spirit)

 

Word of wisdom – supernatural perspective on all things, right application of the truth…

 

Word of knowledge – insight and revelation of previously unknown things

 

Faith – not to be confused with saving faith – this gives peace in any storm a supernatural trust and confidence in God

 

Gifts of healing – healing physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually

 

Working of miracles – feeding people with little to nothing, casting out demons, raising the dead or making them dead

Prophecy – Divine revelation that always points people to Jesus a message or teaching to exhort, correct, equip, disclose sin, predict the future events

 

Discerning of spirits – both the insight into demonic, fleshly and Godly realm, you can tell very clearly if something is God or not…it is a testing of the spirits (1 John 4:1)

 

Tongues and praying in tongues some see these as separate regardless it is the ability to communicate to God and or for God in a known or unknown language that the speaker does not know. WE encourage everyone to have a prayer language as it edifies the person who prays

 

Interpretation of tongues – if tongues is to be used in public it should never be used without someone who can interpret

 

Helping – a supernatural desire to help in all or any way to accomplish the Kingdom purposes

 

Administration – to steer or guide a supernatural gift to order and design what needs to happen in a group with a plan or to accomplish a task

 

Hospitality – a gift to care for, serve, and minister to people through tenderness, compassion and food generally

 

Celibacy – a gift to desire only to give yourself to God for his purposes alone

 

 

This just skims the surface of all of this but all of this is available if you have committed to Christ and want to take the next step to receive the Baptism of or in the Holy Spirit

 

This is all part of the Spirit of power, love, and self-control that we can flow in as Christ-followers

 

Some of you may be saying…I am a spirit-filled believer this teaching is nice for others…the greatest church in the world at the time of Paul was in Ephesus they were flowing in the power of God but they had their struggles so Paul says this

 

Ephesians 5:18

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,”

 

If you are ready today to be filled (baptized with the Holy Spirit) for the first time or to be renewed in Him come.

 

You might be asking do I need this? My response to you would be are you seeing the power, confidence, and fruit in your life? If not, then you need this!

 

He is not about falling down, laughing, crying or such things although you may do any of that or nothing if you receive prayer it depends upon what you need instead it is about being renewed in power

 

You may be given a prayer language or not but today you will be filled with the Spirit if you have Jesus as your Lord and savior

 

 

 

 

 

 

The dove that remained

The dove that remained

 

John 1: 29 – 34

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.” 32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

 

We had talked about last week how the Old Testament prophets longed for the Kingdom of God and prophesied of its coming…Jesus launched it by beginning His ministry, and He launched it through the power of the Holy Spirit

 

Matthew 10: 7

Go and announce to them that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!

Matthew 12:28

But if I am casting out demons by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God has arrived among you.

Matthew 18:4

So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

 

The kingdom of God was established in many ways by Jesus through healing, deliverance, of course, love and faith as these scriptures show, and many other ways there are at least 82 other places in the Gospels where this is mentioned.

 

As we read earlier, John was told to look for the one on whom the dove rested and remained. The dove comes on everyone who comes to Christ, but it doesn’t always stay.

 

The Holy Spirit is often represented by a dove Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22, John 1:32. He is also depicted as fire, water, wind, oil. The dove is gentle, but it is wild and cannot be domesticated.

 

A couple was sent to be missionaries. When they had set up their home, a dove came to roost in the eves of their house. They took this as a sign of the Holy Spirit’s confirmation of them being in the right place following the Lord’s call on their lives. Most of the time the dove would be roosted in the eves however they noticed whenever they slammed a door or began to argue the dove would leave. They realized if they wanted the dove to stay they needed to adapt to the dove because the dove would not adapt to them…the Holy Spirit is exactly that sensitive in our lives we must learn to understand how sensitive He is and adapt to Him!

 

The Holy Spirit never leaves us, but it is the anointing of God that leaves us…we don’t lose our salvation it is just His anointing lifts

 

The Holy Spirit is extremely sensitive…like the dove he will not adjust to you, you must adjust to Him, the Holy Spirit gets His sensibilities hurt easily because He is the Spirit of truth and guiding. He is pure and holy.

 

Ephesians 4:30,31

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

Let me touch on one example, so you understand what I mean

 

Bitterness – resentment, anger, annoyance, impatience and irritation…

 

When we grieve the Holy Spirit, you lose the anointing. However, with the Holy Spirit ungrieved the Word of God come alive, your prayer time is exciting, you gain insight and understanding quickly and easily, joy, love, peace, patience, gentleness, meekness, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control flow easily through you and in you. You will feel God nearer and you will be easier to live with.

 

When the Holy Spirit lifts, because of being grieved you will get little to no insight into the Word of God, you will not be so easy to live with, you will be miserable inside

 

The reason why the word comes alive is the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible it is his word (2 Peter 1: 20,21)….the Holy Spirit is in you as a Christian

Romans 8:9

“But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)”

 

But it is not that he is always in you ungrieved. He remains but the anointing that breaks bondages, gives wisdom, insight, understanding allows the fullness of the character of God to be manifest in us through love joy, peace, etc. is suppressed…the scariest part is that you can grieve the Holy Spirit and the gifts will still function.

 

Romans 11:29

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

 

But the Holy Spirit can pull away the anointing if we grieve him, this is not a salvation issue but an anointing one

 

We can easily grieve Him and not know it because like Israel we do not really know Him.

 

Hebrews 3:10 people did not know His ways

Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.’

 

Hosea 4:6 people destroyed for lack of knowledge his word and his ways are what is needed to understand how not to grieve Him

 

Time in prayer…more time getting to know God’s ways and growing in a greater sensitivity to the Holy Spirit so we will know when we grieve him.

 

For now, one of our greatest problems is we grieve the Holy Spirit, and we don’t know that we have because we don’t know him as we should because we have not spent time with Him to know His ways.

 

His presence can be easily counterfeited if we don’t know Him.

 

Pigeons and doves in the same family

 

Pigeons – trained, domesticated, belligerent boisterous, pigeons are disloyal at any opportunity.

 

Doves- can’t be trained, wild, loving, gentle, loyal always.

 

Once again the difference between the moving of the Spirit and a counterfeit can be the grieving of the Spirit.

 

If the Gospel is not preached, chances are you are in a counterfeit service

 

Can you imagine what the church corporate would look like if all of us were to walk in the fullness of the real Spirit of God free from the counterfeit and free from grieving Him, loving Him and each other and walking in the freedom that comes with that first the dove comes and then the fire

 

We also need to look at how many times we pray for revival, asking God for a fresh outpouring but don’t take a good look at our personal lives, the grudges we bear, the resentment or unforgiveness we carry, the gossip.

 

The devil wants to flourish when we grieve the Spirit.

 

Let’s briefly look again at what grieves Him so we might live free from grieving him in all the love, joy, and so much more of the Spirit.

 

Ephesians 4:30,31

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.

 

Bitterness – seems right justified because we have been mistreated, maligned, hurt or betrayed especially when we feel like we are upholding what is true but there is one other ingredient in bitterness is self-righteousness…this is often the cause we feel we are so right we may feel no conviction of sin…bitterness is the result of unforgiveness.

 

Always pray the for conviction of sin because Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that our hearts are desperately wicked and it is easy for a sin like bitterness to sneak up on us, and we would grieve the Holy Spirit 1 John 1:9 he is faithful to forgive us when we come to confess and ask.

 

Wrath, rage, anger – show a lack of control in your life…if these things are alive in you then the fruit of the Spirit is not there, and the Holy Spirit is grieved

 

Clamor and slander – shouting, the wisdom that comes from below are fleshly James 3:13-15 a shouting match shows the devil has gotten in. Slander is making false and damaging statements about someone

 

Malice – ill will, it is wanting to see someone punished, caught, exposed or hurt, wanting to see them get their “come upin’s.” This does not have any root in love. Vengence belongs to God even if someone is intrinsically evil, allow God to do what He does best

 

Romans 12:19

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

 

 

or you may find yourself wishing ill will on someone and having it come back to you whatever a man sows that he shall also reap Galatians 6:7

 

The Kingdom of God was announced by Jesus and proclaimed through a release of the Holy Spirit.

 

However, if we aren’t daily in the word and prayer, it is easy not to know the ways of God and even easier to grieve the Holy Spirit.

 

It is easy to walk out of the anointing and not even know it…it would be just as easy to find ourselves in a pigeon situation rather than a dove because we are operating out of pain, rejection, fear, anger, wrath, malice and think that we are there but the love joy, peace, patience, meekness, kindness, and self-control lack in our lives prove otherwise.

 

BUT….we overcome this by the next verse in Ephesians 4:32

32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

 

As we choose to do this walking free of grieving the Holy Spirit becomes easier and easier…the Kingdom is reflected in our hearts and lives…people see the difference in you and their lives are forever changed

 

If we are not grieving the Holy Spirit, then the character of God shines in us and through us…we change, and we change the people around us. We are not resisted by God. Instead, we are empowered by Him

 

These points of grieving the spirit are not only about what we do to each other as brothers and sisters, I believe that to be few and far between in this church but think about the way you have talked about your boss, neighbor, children, parents, president, congress, mayor…yes, we can stand against evil and point it out, but we need to be very careful by knowing the Lord that we are not grieving the Spirit.

 

I bring this all up today to advance the Kingdom, to get you to where to where you need to be…to help you discover why you are struggling and to end all of that and bring you back into the anointing and fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

 

If we want the Holy Spirit to stay with us to remain with us we have to change to suit Him he will not change to suit us.

 

Move!!!

Move!!!!

If we have taken seriously the last two weeks teachings and are applying them, then we should be growing deeper in God and unity as a Body of believers

If we are working intentionally to tear down the walls of gender, race, impossibility, sin, and our limits on the presence of God…

If we are choosing to lay a foundation of really being the church, allowing the Lord to give us vision and following it and truly guarding our hearts against attitudes, fears, rebellion, complaining, gossip, anger, in general, a lack of love, peace, and faith. If you missed those teachings they are online please listen to them they are critical for your success this year and our success as a family.

We live in a world and culture that is broken and divided…God is looking to us to be Jesus to the world…if we have allowed Him to heal us by tearing down the walls that divide us and if we lay the proper foundation then it is time that we get moving.

But the question is where? Where do we move to? What do we do…how do we make a difference, the problems are so big.

Allow me to talk to you for a moment as if this is one on one  (Pull up stool and sit down)

You have heard me repeatedly say something the Lord gave me several years ago

“We are not the victims of an anti-God society; we are the heroes the world is waiting for to bring them to freedom.”

In fact Daniel 11:32 strengthens this expectation

“the people who know their God will display strength and take action.”

tearing down the walls and building the strong foundation should get us from a victim mentality

It is a mentality that makes us feel like “they” should give us this or that or someone owes us …Jesus told us that when we lend we should not expect in return (Luke 6:35) owe no man nothing but love Romans 13:8

we live in this nation as a privilege, we have the ability to work as a privilege, Jesus also said if you want to be the greatest in the Kingdom you must be the servant of all….serving means expecting nothing in return

If you have a victim mentality every time something happens to you, you look for someone to blame, someone to yell at, rather than to look for God’s hand to move on your behalf

Understand?

So am I saying we should just be doormats that allow people to just walk over all of us and everything we own and all of our rights

First, we have no rights as servants of the most high except the right to love, and until we learn to love purely by tearing down the walls and laying the firm foundation we will be useless in the Kingdom despite all of our platitudes that strive to make us look differently

Our demanding our rights is because we are hurt, wounded, or insecure our focus is wrong…we have to let stuff go and pursue the Kingdom and the King.

Luke 9:62

Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Our focus must be on the King and His kingdom we can’t allow this world system in all of its failed attempts at successful living, the wounds from the past, limit us or our own insecurities limit us…learn from the past but keep looking forward  being part of the Kingdom…look to the King

Paul put it this way Philippians 3:13-15

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.

We have no rights because we don’t need them…we are children of the most high God…we have all the power, authority, and everything we need, always if we will just believe it.

Our world is lost and broken we need to model unity and love we need to model the Kingdom…we must MOVE forward

We are the victors; we are the answer, we know what is, real love, joy, and peace.

Let me talk to you about the Kingdom.

Jesus mentions the kingdom 61 times in the gospel it is mentioned 85 times overall in the Gospels.

Something mentioned that much needs to be recognized.

The kingdom of God is two-fold it is both now and to come.

Old Testament Kings and prophets longed for its coming and Jesus established it.

It is both tangible and beyond our present grasp.

Jesus, in teaching us how to pray began this way Matthew 6:9,10

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

We live and move and breathe His will being done on earth the way it is being done in heaven establishes the Kingdom here and promises of the fulfillment to come.

If we are in the Kingdom and our Father is the King, then we are all princes and princesses in the Kingdom not victims of a world system.

Paul tells us it is a process to recognize this, but it will happen as we recognize who we are 2 Corinthians 3:18

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.”

As we tear down the walls as we strengthen the foundation, we begin to move in the love God has given us, and we see the reflection of our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in us we are transformed into being Jesus to the world around us by the power of the Holy Spirit

You can not be a victim and be Jesus at the same time. You can not stand idly by while the world collapses, your friends and family fall away, drug addiction, hatred, prejudice, fear, divisions, and insecurities overwhelm everyone around us. You are Jesus to your world; you are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.  You are the answer to the problems, and you are a servant of all that God can lift up, defend, protect, and empower and fill to overflowing with His love…

We must take seriously the call to the kingdom, stop looking at our past, move from a victim mentality and move toward a servant/prince, princess of the Kingdom mentality.

Here is the work of the present Kingdom remember the Kingdom is both now and yet to come when Christ fulfills, and the earth and heavens are changed.

Let’s understand this by definition – A kingdom is not a place but a rule of a King. Throughout history, kingdoms expanded and contracted the kingdom was not the land but the rule of the King.

If the King is ruling your heart and life you are not a victim, people and circumstances don’t control how you feel, His Spirit does you are a victor, you are secure, and you are a prince or a princess who is a servant.

The Kingdom of God according to Paul is Romans 14:17

for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

But let’s look at this in context verses 18,19

18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

We serve Christ and also become acceptable to God and men meaning We impact God and mankind and are meant to impact both of them by actively choosing the Kingdom living as a person of peace, joy, and right living….your language, your attitude, a victim mentality, insecurities all must fade away you are a champion and you are to build up one another even if they let you down or hurt you or ignored you…you are not a victim.

You can’t be proactive if you are afraid if you are insecure about your faith if you don’t believe you are a servant prince or princess in the Kingdom

So the Kingdom is peace, joy, and right living but we are in a position of strength when we are Kingdom thinking and living.

The kingdom is bringing hope and freedom to others through:

Healing, deliverance, victory over sin, freedom from addiction, pain, rejection, a release of the gifts, fruit, and power of the Spirit

It means having victory through

Trials, tribulation, difficulty, rejection and against impossible odds

It means we live in expectation of a future hope.

Our changing daily into His image

Our hope of Christ return

Our expectation of living with Him in glory

Our end of suffering, pain, and corruption on leaving this world

I will go into this more in the future, today all I am asking is that:

  1. you accept that you are part of the Kingdom of God
  2. You realize that you have had a victim mentality and you are walking away from it
  3. You choose to be a servant prince/princess
  4. Begin to expect great things as you understand your role in the Kingdom

 

 

 

Building a strong foundation

Building a strong foundation

 

Before 1 world trade center (freedom tower) in Manhatten could be built a foundation of planning and preparation took 4 years then another 18 months went into the construction of the physical foundation before anything could be built.

 

Without understanding all of the needs of the building the building would collapse, without a physical foundation prepared to handle the building it would take very little vibration, wind, or weight to cause a collapse no matter how great the idea without a firm foundation something that is not seen but is the core to the strength of the building…nothing will stand for very long

 

Last week I talked about tearing down the walls of gender, race, impossibility, sin, and the presence of God. This week I want to share three keys to having a strong foundation

 

  • Be the church God wants you to be

 

The church is not a building…the church is you and it is the gathering of believers too!

 

It is easy for us to feel, hurt, alone, rejected or complacent about being with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Elijah got caught in that trap

 

Elijah felt afraid, exhausted, alone he had just defeated the prophets of Baal, but the enemy had convinced him he was a failure so he ran away and hid in his cave

 

Don’t be critical of Elijah many do this, they get hurt by someone in the church, they get too busy with things with the kids, they either begin to believe they don’t need others, to be in church that they are better off without it….In Elijah’s case, God catches up to him

 

1 Kings 19:1

 

But the Lord said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

 

14 He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

 

18 Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!”

 

Yes, God uses great men and women of God but it is always the whole church that he uses

 

Everyone who wrote our New Testament was grounded in a local church they had their roots deep and were connected in order to grow to feel connected….nothing lasting is built on a shaky foundation

 

Hebrews 10:24,25

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another,

 

The early church gathered every Sunday together and sometimes everyday…we need each other…we are quickly picked off by the enemy if we are not in fellowship with other believers

 

If children are not in church the possibility of their coming to Christ drops to less than 5%

 

Gathering together is

 

– Brings healing and strength from the previous week’s walk

– Gives us what we need for the next week’s walk

– Enables us to use our skills and talents to minister to others

– Enable us to receive from others

– We need community to grow (can can’t stir up ourselves)

– Worshiping together is powerful

– God says we should

 

 

2) Vision –

 

Proverbs 29:18

 Where there is no vision, the people perish

 

– if you don’t know what you want, what you are pursuing, if you have no vision…. you will settle for what you can get…a job you hate, a relationship that is bad, even a bad meal at a restaurant

 

– if you have a vision – it pulls you through trouble, heartache, problems, and pain…it keeps you moving forward

 

– it can be broad or narrow but whatever it is you must know it and believe it

 

– rules don’t create discipline, vision does

 

when you are pursuing a vision it drives you to do what you need to, to accomplish it

 

whether it is vast like being all Christ has called you to be, or raising Godly kids or smaller like learning a new skill, developing a new hobby it doesn’t matter… having a vision will cause you to discipline yourself to fulfill the vision.

 

Paul challenges us with this simple verse from Colossians 3:2

 

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

 

What has the Lord spoken to you about?

 

Your answer might be will the Lord will just lead me

 

He has already said without a vision you will perish? God desires for none to perish so He has given you a vision start following it

 

Would you fly on a plane if the Pilot came over the intercom and said we don’t know where we are flying today we are just going to let the Lord lead…I suppose that’s Ok if you don’t have a destination but if your destination is London and he doesn’t felt lead you aren’t going to get to your destination

 

What has the Lord placed in your heart and mind?

What have you been created to do, look at your skill set, your personality, what the Lord has been training you to do all along!

Our destination is freedom, anointing, Father’s heart as individuals and changing the world for Jesus’ sake as a church corporate

 

3) Guard your heart –

 

Matthew 12:35 “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.”

 

Jesus is telling us that we build a world around us, a future and a foundation based on the purity of our hearts

 

Where you are today is where your heart has gotten you….the choices you made to be where you are have been based on your heart, the successes the things you feel are strengths, and the fears and rejections you battle, the confidence or defiance you feel because of all that is in your heart

 

Cynicism, sarcasm, pessimism rule our culture, poison it, and have helped to create the extreme negative environment we live in today

 

It is easy for those things to invade our hearts and create disillusionment, wound us, and create a hopelessness

 

Proverbs 13:12

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

 

If your heart is sick you can not help others

If your heart is sick your focus is only on you either wallowing in your misery or on the positive side focusing on getting better

 

If your heart is sick you can’t fight battles

 

If your heart is sick you can’t effectively minister to others

 

Neither will God ask you to engage in battles to stand for other

 

However, if your heart is good

 

God opens doors and you prosper

 

You will come under attack, disappointment will try to come your way but we will be able to fend it off

 

You will shine in all you do

You will overcome, conquer

You will see things through God’s eyes

 

You will even remain healthier because the Lord promises

Proverbs 17:22

“A merry heart does good, like medicine, But a broken spirit dries the bones.”

 

How do we guard our hearts? Love, faith, peace

 

– Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, Israel hardened their hearts many times in rebellion against God, His word, or His purpose. They hardened their hearts because of a lack of love. It is like cholesterol, it hardens the arteries of our hearts this lack of love is rooted in pride, hurt or other things…ask the Lord to reveal where your heart is hardened and why!

 

Ask Him to flood you with His love and heal you before you have a spiritual heart attack. Love covers a multitude of sin and keeps your heart soft, and heals it even when it has been hurt

 

– Heart murmurs are abnormal flow patterns due to faulty heart valves. Values prevent the backflow of blood. Having a lack of faith in what the Lord can and will do causes spiritual heart murmurs of complaining, gossiping, grumbling these things cause our spiritual hearts to have their flow disrupted because we have forgotten what God has done and can do. We act as if he either isn’t real, doesn’t care, or isn’t there

 

Ask Him to remind you of all He has done for you. Let Him show you that He is in charge and has our world, our communities, our church, and our lives in the palm of His hand when we return to him with a heart of repentance for our lack of faith in Him!

 

– Congestive heart failure is due to the weakening of the heart and surrounding vessels due to things like high blood pressure and others the heart is unable to pump blood the way it should the kidneys begin to work less efficiently and water is retained. Blood is still moving through the heart but at a much slower rate. A lack of peace causes this in the physical and so it does in the spiritual, anger, surrendering to temptation, and pride are keys to this condition spiritually there is a general lack of peace. Each of these acts like a poison on the body, both physically and spiritually, and makes a believer more vulnerable to the temptation to hurt others with our actions and words.

Ephesians 4:31,32

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

 

Being aware of these things and choosing Love, faith and peace will cause your heart to be protected and lay a firm foundation for your growth.

 

Proverbs 4:23

Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.

 

Make the foundation strong

 

– making a commitment this year to be in church as well as be the church and become part of it and grow with us

– follow the vision the Lord has given you even if it is just a beginning you will watch the Lord keep opening doors as you walk by faith following His vision

-Guard your heart keep it in line with his heart don’t allow the enemy to deceive you into thinking certain attitudes and things are OK they will harden or stop your heart and limit your prosperity in the Kingdom

 

 

Reasons for “going” to church (Note for the screen just app and notes)

 

The biblical pattern for church is this:

  • Every Christian should gather together to hear the Scriptures and worship Jesus with other believers weekly (see Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 2:42; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 16:19; Col. 4:15; Rom. 16:5; Acts 20:20; James 2:2; Ps. 84:4; Ps. 37:17; Ps. 92:13).
  • It is also good to meet for smaller groups of the Christian community in each other’s homes regularly (see Acts 2:46).
  • It’s good to have leaders oversee the work and needs of each local church. Not all of us are called to church leadership, and so we should submit to and serve whoever God has called to lead at the place we find ourselves (see Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5; Heb. 13:7, 17; 1 Tim. 5:17; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; Phil. 1:1b; Eph. 4:11-12; 1 Cor. 12:28; 1 Peter 5:1-2; Acts 20:17).
  • If there are believers who are unable, for physical reasons, to attend a church weekly, they should find a church or believers who will gather together with them regularly for worship in their own home (see James 5:14; James 1:27).

Here are four powerful reasons you should attend church weekly, and why church attendance can change your life:

  1. God says so.

God tells us in his Word to “not give up meeting together” (Heb. 10:25). Paul even goes so far as to call the church the “bride of Christ.” If you love Jesus, you will love the things that he loves—and he loves the church like a husband loves his bride. The church is important to God, so it should be important to us.

God didn’t call us to gather and worship to burden us but to bless us. Church attendance can become one of the greatest blessings in you and your family’s life.

  1. Worshipping Jesus together is powerful.

Jesus lives inside of us by his Spirit when we believe in him. This is a profoundly incredible truth! But there is also something biblically powerful about gathering together with other believers to worship. Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them” (Matt. 18:20). So he not only lives in us by his Spirit, but he is in the “midst” of us when we gather to worship him.

  1. We need Christian community.

All of us long for community and connection with others. God has given us this gift in gathering together for church, and in smaller groups in each other’s homes. It fulfills something inside of us to do life with, encourage and be authentically involved in each other’s lives.

Christian TV, podcasts, books, and conferences are wonderful additions to our spiritual lives, but nothing can take the place of consistent Christian community through the local church.

  1. We grow more together than alone.

It can be messy when we step into each other’s lives. We are all human, and no one is perfect. So it requires effort and intentionality and grace from God to do life together, even as believers.

Gathering regularly with other believers becomes a refining process whereby we help each other, pray for each other and encourage each other to want to follow Christ more wholeheartedly. It is a beautiful thing.

Don’t let any excuses stand in the way of what you know God is calling you to do. God will strengthen you and empower you to do what he has called you to do. If you have encountered past wounds from leaders or from church members, I’m praying for you—that God would bring healing and grace to you as you seek to follow him and love his church.