The Spirit of Faith! USE IT!

The Spirit of Faith!

Read with me: 1 Thessalonians 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

This is the heart of any true minister. You need faith for your marriage, faith for protection, faith to receive wisdom and revelation from God. Faith to eat your meals, faith to raise your family, faith to provide for your family. Faith to be a good steward over your money.

The Bible says: 2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

Acts 16:5 And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

I want God’s church to grow, so I must continue to preach the Word to you, because faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Some of you need faith just to get to church every Sunday. Well,

Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. Or if you want a teaching on it: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/12/04/why-go-to-church/
https://chrisaomministries.com/2016/04/15/eagles-still-go-to-church/

You now see that regular church attendance is actually in the Word of God, so now, you simply have to agree with the Word, for faith came when you heard it, now do what you believe!

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Once you recognize that your very world is framed by the Word of God, you will have no problem getting to church to hear the good word of God.

Why?

Well, I’m commanded by God to 1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind

;

Now, if you understand that your life is going to be adversely or positively affected according to your hearing of the Word of God, you will reprioritize some things. ‘Seek ye first’is still in the book, not in a legalistic sense but so that God can add all things unto you.

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

2 Corinthians 4:13 (BBE) But having the same spirit of faith, as it is said in the Writings, The words of my mouth came from the faith in my heart; in the same way, our words are the outcome of our faith;

Romans 4:17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

Throughout the week, I spend countless hours praying out mysteries in other tongues, for you.

1 Corinthians 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Why, because faith comes by hearing.

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

692 argov argos ar-gos’

from 1 (as a negative particle) and 2041; TDNT-1:452,76; adj

AV-idle 6, slow 1, barren 1; 8

1) free from labour, at leisure

2) lazy, shunning the labour which one ought to perform

For Synonyms see entry 5814

My question to you today is what do you believe about your life? Like that old comedy:”Doom misery and despair, if I didn’t have bad luck I’d have no luck at all?”

Like Eeyor in Winnie the Poor, are you down at the mouth, just barely getting by?

Well, you’re carnal then. The children of Israel died in the desert by grumbling and complaining. What are you doing day to day? Calling those things that are not as though they were? Standing boldly on the promises of God, more than a conquerer in Him? Or like the ten spies, do you have grasshopper mentality, all your problems are giants in the land? Where are the Joshua’s and Calebs of this generation who will stand up and boldly declare the victory Jesus bought and paid for in His own blood?

I like the statement I read of the Moravian Christians that went as missionaries to the Virgin Islands to bring the gospel to the slaves there, knowing that it may cost them their lives, that they might need to become slaves themselves, in order to reach the slaves there.

They prayed, “Dear Lord, that we might grant you a reward worthy of Your sufferings..”

They had such a deep revelation of the depths to which Jesus went for us, when He died upon the cross for all mankind, in light of eternity, no sacrifice was too great, in comparison of what He did, to redeem people back to Himself.

Faith, established upon the promises of God despises obstacles. He is the resurrection and the life. He is Almighty God, Creator of Heaven and earth, He lives, and He reigns.

Lets see this spirit of faith in action in the Word of God

David

Did David say to Goliath, “You big mighty man of war. You fearsome giant, and undefeated warrior?”

Not!

He was so in tune with His walk with the Lord, and the promises of God, He saw the problem from God’s perspective. ‘Who is this uncircumcised Philistine to raise up against the army of Almighty God?’

He saw himself from God’s perspective, with a covenant with God.

He saw Goliath from God’s perspective, without protection, and without a covenant.

Can’t you see, this man is without protection, and He dares to raise His hand against God? This should be fun, what’s in it for the man who chops off his head?

Did he run from the giant? No! He ran to him! Faith is not waiting for Jesus to come and deliver them but enforcing Jesus victory in every arena of life.

What about Jonathon?

1 Samuel 14:1 ¶ Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.

14 And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.

15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

16 ¶ And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and, behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

One man, with God, walking by faith got victory over an entire enemy nation. Why, because when he did in the natural, God did in the supernatural,

and:

15 And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people: the garrison, and the spoilers, they also trembled, and the earth quaked: so it was a very great trembling.

God backed up Jonathon, and the earth quaked.

Where are the giant killers today?

The David’s that will look enemies in the eye and tell these mountains to move?

The Jonathon’s that will take the battle to the enemy, not run from it or pretend it doesn’t need to be fought!

He went to the enemy, and he won.

How about the three Hebrew children? Let’s pick up their story in the midst of their challenge.

Danial 3:10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship the golden image:

11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Notice the attack is against the glory of God, we must keep our attackers focused on Him, not us.

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

Spirit of Faith – They knew God, and knew He would deliver them!

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

17 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

If you throw us in the furnace O king, God will deliver us and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king.

That kind of stand of faith will really tick a controlling person off. They think they are in charge.

19 ¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Enemies were destroyed in their own flames.

No weapon formed against you shall prosper.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

In your trial of faith, in the firey furnace of your affliction, the object of your faith will appear!

Jesus, your Lord and your king, shows up, for He will never leave you or forsake you. When He does, you get delivered for God acts!

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

26 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

The kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our God and of His Christ. Kings come to the light of God’s glory.

Isaiah 60:3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. (God shows up, you get delivered, and yes, you get really grateful and glad!)

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

27 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

God gets the glory, you get the promotion, and the real purpose of your trial is revealed – the harvest! God has eternity on His mind, and we are the only hope this generation has. Sometimes we go through things at the hands of satan and wicked people, that God allows for a season to perfect us, glorify Him, and most importantly, allow others to come into the kingdom of God.

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.

Notice the gospel was preached by the government as a result of the stand of faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They did not bow, they did not burn, and the entire nation came back to God through their stand of faith, and they were promoted!

Ps 75:5 Lift not up your horn on high: speak not with a stiff neck.

6 ¶ For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

So who are you anyway? A grumbler, destined to spend forty years in the desert in despair, or more than a conquerer in Christ Jesus?

You can choose what you are going to do right now, COMPLAIN AND REMAIN (In your present trial), or PRAISE AND BE RAISED (seeing the power of God make your mess a miracle!) Praise Him in the midst of your madness, and He will deliver you!

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Jesus made it plain,

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 John 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So your bills look like they have you whipped? Are they a mountain of bills yet? God said something about mountains in Mark 11:24. Are you down so low you have to look up to see bottom? Not! Never! You are the head and not the tail, a child of the king, made to sit with Him in heavenly places. There is no circumstance that can lord over you, unless you let it. Whatever your circumstance is, get over it with the Word of God.

Jesus is your Lord, and He has the final say.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

If it is in the world, your faith in God is well able to whip it. Are you a grasshopper? Or are you well able to take the land?

Stand in the presence of our king, and let’s reaffirm our faith in Him again.

I don’t care what your bankbook says:

God says:

Luke 6:38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

2 Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

2 Corinthians 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

You are a giver aren’t you?

Let’s believe the Word together!

The Bible says now 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

Now how are we to be strong, when we feel so weak?

In the Lord, using our faith-filled words!

Mark 11:22-25New King James Version (NKJV)

²² So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. ²⁴ Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

I am a whosoever, and so are you! (https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/mountain-moving-faith/)

We are mountain-moving, history making disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Joel 3:10 Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

You say it, and God will back you up, and you will be strong.

Is 53:4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Thank you Father, we were healed. We believe it and receive it, now, by faith.

Now normally, I end these exhortations with a prayer, but not today. The Word of the Lord given to me by the Holy Spirit is PRAISE!

Ps 67:5 Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee.

6 Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

Praise is the weapon of the day, the key to unlock our victory, today.

Hurting, discouraged, feeling beat? Been there, done that…

Sing!

I don’t care if you are choking on every word join me:

‘We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord’

‘We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord’

‘And we offer up to You, the sacrifices of thanksgiving’

‘And we offer up to You, the sacrifices of joy!’

Praise paralyses devils, it is the shout of victory that overcomes the world, for God inhabits the praises of His people!

I remember hearing a testimony of a women doctor, dying of cancer and a heroin addiction named Dr. Lillian Yeoman. She had been asking God to heal her, and bringing His promises of healing before Him in prayer, yet was still dying. One night, lying on her pain-wracked bed, she had a vision, that changed her life. She saw a balance, with one side that was labeled PRAYER, and the other side PRAISE. The side that was labeled PRAYER was weighted down completely, while there was nothing on the praise side to counter-balance the load. She claimed she heard the voice of God speak to her, to PRAISE, and that when the weight of her praise, equaled the weight of her prayer, she would be miraculously healed. So, she began to sing praises to God, like a croak at first, but as she gave herself to it, she began to get stronger, and her voice clearer. She stayed with it, until she literally sang herself off of that deathbed, totally healed of cancer, and totally delivered of her heroin addiction.

He is worthy!

https://chrisaomministries.com/2016/08/06/the-purpose-of-this-blog/

For prayer, comments, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

Mountain Moving Faith! USE IT!

Speak to Your Mountain!

This is a message, I first preached, over 10 years ago. I have edited it some, to make it easier to read, but it’s truths have never changed! They are eternal! I have changed, and my understanding of these things has deepened, as I have grown in character and the fruit of the spirit, yet I am still a faith preacher, and God is still only pleased, by faith!

I have learned over the years, that faith works by love, and that love is an action. To make any of what I am about to teach you actually work, you need to believe, act, and first speak and live:

The love of God, shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, is Jesus, loving people through us. This is what we must do, to be actually living the love of God:

1 Cor 13:4 Love is patient; love is kind. Love isn’t envious, doesn’t boast, brag, or strut about. There’s no arrogance in love; 5 it’s never rude, crude, or indecent—it’s not self-absorbed. Love isn’t easily upset. Love doesn’t tally wrongs 6 or celebrate injustice; but truth—yes, truth—is love’s delight! 7 Love puts up with anything and everything that comes along; it trusts, hopes, and endures no matter what. 8 Love will never become obsolete.

In one version, verse 8 reads: Love never fails.

If you determine to walk in love, no matter what, you won’t ever fail either.

If you have true faith in God, you will be full of love, for God is love, and whenever we authentically meet with Him, He meets with us, and fills us with His love, so that His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

“The fruit of faith is love, and the fruit of love, is service’ Mother Theresa

If you think about it, Jesus commanded us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, preach the gospel, visit the sick and the prisoner, and overcome evil with good. These actions of our faith, are only possible from a living vital relationship with an Almighty loving God!

In order for the rest of what I must teach on faith, the muscle of God in the earth, you must be:

1. Established and walking in the love of God.

2. Committed to doing the Will of God

3. Calling those things that be not as though they are.

4. Speaking to your mountain!

Let’s look at our decision to commit to doing the Will of God.

Now most of us who have been on here know that I am committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

In previous lessons and blogs, we have looked at the concept of Lordship. That is, if Jesus is our Lord, we need to do what He says. It is clearly established from the Word of God, that we need to seek Him first. How you meet with Jesus, first thing in the morning, may differ for each person, but seek, is an action word, and whether you are a prayer, praiser, or studier, we all need to seek Him first, every day. Like the Nike ad, as far as putting God first goes in your life ‘Just Do it!”. Establish your morning watch.

We have looked at whether or not Jesus was Lord of our time. We introduced you to Mr. Tel E. Vision, and told you that most North Americans spend 2-1/2 hours each day glued to the tube. Finding now, that as I look at my time, Social Media can also become a distraction…It is a great ministry tool, but like anything, the question is ‘What am I doing with my time spent on the internet’. The Scripture is clear, that we are ‘to redeem our time’

Take that time, and put it into praise and worship, prayer, reading your Bible or listening to it on cassette, or simply changing the station and watching some good solid Bible teachers, or other fine television ministries instead of the sit-coms and soaps, and watch your life change!

In previous lessons, we looked at our vocations. Our jobs. Making Jesus Lord of our employment and doing our work unto Him, so that we could receive the promotions, raises, and better jobs that He has for us, remembering:

Psalms 75:6 For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.

7 But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.

God wants to promote us, to place us in positions of greater effectiveness for the kingdom of God. Yet He judges your heart attitude, not just your outward performance. Seems He first judges our faithfulness and character, then promotes:

Proverbs 28:20

A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

Yet, I am a faith preacher, and we are going to get back over to looking at faith here in a couple of minutes.

Yet, I need to make sure ‘seek ye first’ is working in your life, or you are not in position to have all these other things added unto you.

Isaiah 1:19 (KJV)

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

2. Commit thy way unto Him:

Psalms 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Proverbs 16:3 Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

Now, many of us are determined to live for Jesus, and to walk with Him every day. Before I preach faith to you, I need to talk about commitment.

Commit: Oxford Dictionary says

1. To do, to perform

2. To entrust for safe keeping.

3. To pledge, to bind with an obligation

Today I need to preach for a commitment. Many of us take Jesus as our Saviour, but how many of us are committed to making Him Lord of our lives? You see the first definition of commitment is to do, to perform. We need to do what He says, both in the written Word, and in the hearing of the Holy Spirit.

Henry Ford said it this way, “You can’t make a reputation on what you are going to do.”

I still like that quote by Will Rogers, “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.”
Helen Keller, you remember, the lady who lived her life blind and deaf, said this: “I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do.

I get really frustrated with people who refuse to move on in their lives. Why? I remember visiting CHEO (The Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario) and seeing the receptionist there, who was a quadriplegic, answering the telephone with his headset, and operating his computer with a mouth stick. He was cheerful and happy, and doing a great job. Yet, I see people that can walk, see, talk and learn, yet who refuse to invest their lives in anything, and it ticks me off. Look at Nick Vujicic, if you want to see what a man with no arms and no legs can do! He is a husband, father, adventurer, and incredibly gifted public speaker.

Self Pity is from hell! Why? Because it mocks God’s power. It says that the God we serve is not big enough to help us move beyond our own little world. It is blasphemy in light of what Jesus died to provide for us.

“Winners are just ex-losers who got mad”, Van Crouch

The second, is easy, we have entrusted Jesus Christ, the Son of God, to save us, and to take us eternally to heaven to live with Him. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. More than a children’s bedtime prayer, it’s our eternal security. Yet, before I preach here a bit, I need to talk about our pledge, our obligation. You see if we decide to commit to the Lord, we make a solemn pledge to live for Him. We bind ourselves to the plan of God, determined to die if necessary rather than fail in it.

I pray for you every day:

Colossians 1:9-12  (KJV)

9 For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10 That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11 Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

12 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

I desire that you might KNOW the will of God, and understand it.

I pray that you DO the will of God.

I pray you INCREASE in the knowledge of God.

I pray God grant you STRENGTH, to endure joyfully all the challenges this world throws at you.

I pray you remain humble and GRATEFUL, as He shows you your inheritance, and who you are by royal decree and privilege. (We a king’s kids!)

Many of us have been tossed to and fro by every wind of the Media, and teaching that comes across our path.

Why?

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

We need to recall the plan of God. We need to plead the Blood of Jesus over our homes and families. We need to tell others the great things God has done for us, for our testimony is a weapon of war enforcing Satan’s defeat. Yet, look at the final part of this verse, ‘loving not our lives unto death.’

I heard a minister say it this way. If you have received a promise of God, and you are determined to believe it, stand upon it, unto death if necessary, you won’t be standing very long. There needs to be in the heart of every Christian the willingness to die rather than compromise the Word of God. If you want to read a few stories along this line, pick up a copy of ‘Foxes book of Martyrs, many have paid the ultimate price for our faith.

Freedom is not free, and I am prepared to live for Jesus, beyond death if necessary: you cannot threaten a true Christian with heaven!

Yet, I’m not going to die, for it is written: ‘With long life, will He satisfy thee!’ I will live and not die, and declare the glory of God! Seems, as a warrior, I am more use to Him, here, in the earth, than up in heaven!

This type of commitment to truth, will cause true Bible faith to produce anything you need in this life.

A missionary society wrote to David Livingstone and asked, “Have you found a good road to where you are? If so, we want to know how to send other men to join you.” Livingstone wrote back, “If you have men who will come only if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

Good News Broadcaster, April, 1985, p. 12

The Bohemian reformer John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus’s last words were, “What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood.”

Source Unknown

Some of us need to make a fresh commitment to Him today. Sure He is still the Lord, but He has not been YOUR Lord for quite some time. You haven’t sought Him and obeyed Him like you need to. We are going to do that publically now, so that you qualify for the rest of this teaching:

Let’s Pray:

‘Jesus, I know you are the Lord, yet today, I ask You to become my Lord. Show me Your way, and plan for my life, and give me courage and grace, to live for You, without compromise, all the days of my life, Amen’

We are talking about faith here today. It is going to take commitment. Let’s look at a couple of classic faith Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Philemon 1:6 That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 6:12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

Hebrews 10:38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.

Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:33 Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions.

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

1 Peter 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

Revelation 17:14

These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful

2 Corinthians 5:7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

2 Corinthians 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;

Faith has a voice. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!

2 Corinthians 8:7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

Notice here, that as we abound in faith, we also abound in utterance, because again we see, that faith has a voice!

Romans 4:17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

3. Let’s look at ‘Calling those things that be not as though they were’

Certain things belong to us from the Word of God.

Some of these include: healing, direction, comfort, provision, wisdom, supernatural favor from heaven with people, protection, encouragement, and deliverance.

How I wish these things were automatic if you simply followed Jesus! Some of them are, but most require violent faith to actually appropriate and receive.

If you want to receive healing, you need to know that Jesus took stripes in His body that your body be healed.

If you want divine direction for your life, you need to believe that the Holy Spirit actually wants to show you your future:

John 16:13

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

You need to know how to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, how to recognize the inward witness He provides, how to recognize the peace of God leading you in your heart. I wrote a seven part teaching entitled ‘Knowing Your Future’ in my book, ‘The Parable of the Sower’.

 

Here is an excerpt:  https://chrisaomministries.com/2013/11/21/your-future-revealed/

Or here, on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Parable-Sower-Christopher-Walsh-ebook/dp/B00E9I9H1M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384288775&sr=1-1&keywords=The+parable+of+the+Sower+Christopher

If you are lonely or discouraged, and you need the comfort and strength of the living Holy Spirit, then call to your remembrance: Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Matthew 6: 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

A little faith will get you a little provision, yet if you are going to prosper in God financially, you are going to have to tithe, give offerings, exercise stewardship, and then use your faith to work and aggressively to reap.

Don’t know how to do something? Ask God.

He will give you supernatural wisdom.

James 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Don’t know how to deal with a person, who is not a Christian?

Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

God couldn’t ask you to walk in wisdom towards sinners, if He did not provide that wisdom you need for you.

How about favor? There is supernatural favor to be received from heaven, simply by asking for it. Esther fasted and prayed, and asked God for favor from the king. God gave it to her. Nehemiah prayed as asked God for favor with the king. God gave it.

Like Jesus, God expects you to Luke 2:52 increase in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Psalms 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield.

Psalms 5:12 (Douay) (5-13) For thou wilt bless the just. O Lord, thou hast crowned us, as with a shield of thy good will.

Because you have been made righteous in God’s sight, you have the right to ask Him for supernatural favor with people. Glory! See if that doesn’t help your business and family life!

Protection: Read the 91st Psalm. You are a child of faith Gal 3:7-9 declares, that the blessings of Abraham are yours. As God was for Abraham, so He is to you. He is your shield and exceedingly great reward. Gen 12:1

Deliverance: Ps 91: 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honor him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

When the day of trouble comes to your life, if you serve God. He will deliver you!

Now, these are things we need to be in faith about, every day. Deliberately pleading and possessing the promises of God, before His throne. We need to press into God for them. These are things that if they are not happening, need to happen, and they will if you believe and obey God. Each day, I call for these things into my life, whether I feel like it or not. I believe God’s Word on purpose. So should you. This is how we call those things that be not, as though they are.

These things have been freely given to us, but they must be received, by faith.

Ephesians 6:16

Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

Notice here, that the shield of faith does us no good, unless we actually take it!

4. Now, let’s talk about mountains.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Let’s look at a couple of versions of this:

Mark 11:22-25 The Voice (VOICE)

Jesus: 22 Trust in God. 23 If you do, honestly, you can say to this mountain, “Mountain, uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea.” If you don’t doubt, but trust that what you say will take place, then it will happen. 24 So listen to what I’m saying: Whatever you pray for or ask from God, believe that you’ll receive it and you will.

Mark 11:22-25 Amplified Bible (AMP)

22 And Jesus, replying, said to them, Have faith in God [constantly].

23 Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, Be lifted up and thrown into the sea! and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him.

24 For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it].

25 And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him and [a]let it drop (leave it, let it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings and let them drop.

Remember, faith has a voice. You need to discover what are the roadblocks in your life, and then call them what they are, mountains. You need to command them to move. Your mountain needs to hear your voice. Your voice is your address in the realm of the Spirit, it is the place God delivers your personal blessing to.

Do you have problems in your life that never have seemed to go away? They do not mean that you are not a royal heir, a child of the king, and that you are out of the will of God. Satan is still alive, and not in hell yet (tick, tick, but his time is running out!) and whether you like it or not, he is opposing the plan of God in your life. He sets up roadblocks that only the power of God can move, but hear this. If you do not speak to them, they will not move.

Some may say, “I heard that before, and I tried that, and it didn’t work”

Well let me tell you something about mountains. I have my CIL blasting ticket, that I took as part of my commercial diving training.

Ever seen a road crew build a road?

Pastor Kenneth Hagin(Jr) gives the following testimony that bears repeating:

“Ever watched a road crew remove a mountain so they can put in a road? It’s a big job. It doesn’t happen overnight. Sometimes it takes days and weeks to bring that mountain down to size.

I remember as a child, traveling with dad back and forth to California holding meetings.

I remember seeing those road construction crews out there blasting their way through the sides of mountains.

They literally blew up a mountain, piece by piece.

All the traffic was stopped on that stretch of the road, and we had to turn off our radios and two-way equipment because the road crew was getting ready to blast. They’d drilled into the mountainside, and now they were getting ready to set off the charges.

Once they pushed the button on that detonator, you could see rocks flying everywhere. It looked like a volcano going off. Some of the small fragments even came sailing down on top of the cars, that were parked quite a distance from the mountain.

Then the workman would go back to the mountain site, clean up the rocks and debris, start drilling again, and pack the mountain with dynamite again. Then they would set off another blast, and it would cause the mountain to crumble some more.

After a few days, they had blasted out of their way what had seemed to be an impenetrable mountain. What was once a mountain of hindrance was reduced to flat land, and the road crew would go back in and start laying roadbed.”

That’s the way it is in the spiritual realm when you start quoting God’s Word against the mountains in your life.

When you quote God’s Word in faith, and authority, you are setting off the detonator of a powerful blast of God’s power that is demolishing your mountain, piece by piece. That’s why you can’t give up after quoting a few Scriptures one time.

As you faithfully quote the Word, give the Word time to work on your problem. Many times these mountains in your life are not going to leave, overnight. Some of them took years to develop, and are bigger than you think. Ever seen a ship, a tanker go by?

It’s moving, but it is so big that it takes a long time to pass from view. Yet, if you keep your confidence in God’s Word, and diligently quote it over your problems, they will leave.

I heard a minister say: ‘When you speak to your mountain, it begins to move. However, you may be unaware of just how big the mountain is, and how long it took to develop in your life. It’s moving, powerfully out of your way by the hand of God, but it may take some time to disappear from view”

Today, we are going to blast a few mountains in our lives, according to the Word of God, but first of all let’s pray:

‘Heavenly Father, I thank you that your Word declares that I have the authority to speak to the mountains in my life. Therefore I exercise my rights and privileges according to Mark 11:23.

Father, your Son, my Lord Jesus said that if I would speak to the mountains in my life, that are hindering me, and not doubt in my heart, that they would be removed. So, as I stand before your throne today, I ask you Holy Spirit to grant me wisdom as to the mountains in my life, and in the life of my church, now.’

Now, I am not going to pretend that I am the Holy Spirit. As He shows you what the obstacles are in your life, give them a name, and command them, in violent faith, to MOVE, in the name and authority of the Lord Jesus Christ!

They gotta go!

(name) move! Repeat

A Page Torn From my Bible

A page torn out of my Bible…

For many years I carried a Rhema Study Bible, given to me when I learned I had been accepted at Bible school. One of my favorite passages is:

Mark 16: 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
19 ¶ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

This was given to me by a nurse from Ottawa, Ontario named Deana Jones. She gave it to me after I had completed a 40 day fast, before being accepted into Rhema Bible Training center, and that particular Bible literally fell apart after 15 years of study and preaching. I have preached these verses so many times, all over the world, with signs following, that what was originally highlighted and marked up, is became completely worn out of my Bible!

This is the great commission, and is the battle cry of the church!

Let me give you a couple of testimonies from these verses:

Once, while arguing with a brethren that was deeply rooted in his unbelief in his thought that the gifts of the Holy Spirit were passed away, and that speaking in tongues were of the devil I confronted him with this verse:

These signs are only for those that believe!

Whatever is not of faith is sin!

You can believe, and speak in tongues, or refuse to believe, and not speak in tongues, but speaking in tongues is only for believers, not doubters!

He became angry and asked me to leave his house. Yet, he could not sleep for several nights, and felt compelled to attend a Pentecostal church moving in revival. At one point the pastor stopped the service and had the 400-500 in attendance to all simultaneously pray in tongues. This man was overwhelmed, and overcome by the power of God, and suddenly found himself speaking in other tongues.

Another time, while working with children, two boys were fighting. I separated them, and one little boy fell on the ground growling and frothing at the mouth. I discerned an evil spirit present, and commanded it to leave. The boy shrieked, vomited, and became very, very quiet. Then he whispered: ‘Is it gone?’ I told him that it was gone, and would not come back, and he began to weep, deep broken sobs, telling me how this evil spirit had come to him in the night, and would torment him and demand he do vile things or it would kill him.

Several days later, his grandpa came to see me to ask me what had happened to his grandson, so I told him. He said that the boy was totally different, and could not thank me enough for praying for him.

Another historic moment in my life was in 2003 at the Hershey convention center, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the night that brother Kenneth E. Hagin was supposed to preach. There was a massive power failure, knocking power out to millions of homes, and the crusade was cancelled. While the crowd stood on the steps waiting to see if we could get in, and told there would be no meeting that night, someone said, ‘Hey, there’s pastor Chris, and he is a Rhema grad, have him preach to us!’ So amidst cheers, I ascended the steps, and began to preach, using these verses: I preached salvation, healing, prosperity, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit for over an hour, and people got saved, healed, filled with the Holy Spirit, and they even took up an offering for me! How were we to know that this would be brother Hagins last big crusade, and that he would return to Tulsa, Oklahoma, and die to go home to be with the Lord.

The Bible I use now, was given to us as a wedding gift from he and miss Oretha:

Yet, I’m still trying to make him proud, preaching this Word of Faith, with signs following, every where the Lord should open doors for me.

Let’s pray:
“Father, open doors and hearts for me to preach your Word, through every available media outlet: Internet, television, radio, the printed page, however, and wherever you might direct. May I be faithful to go and preach, continually, as you are always faithful to work with me, performing your word faithfully, with signs following, in your name I pray Lord Jesus! Amen”

The Anointing

Flow in the Holy Spirit

Acts 5: 32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.

You have the anointing of God flowing through you when God’s heart touches another person’s heart through your heart. The anointing of God is the Holy Spirit. He flows as a river of love, from the throne of grace, through the hearts of believers, bringing life to all that receive His touch.

I mainly created this blog, because of this well laid out teaching I read on the topic of the anointing:http://www.seekgod.org/message/anointing.html

Let’s Pray:
‘Father send Holy Spirit afresh and anew today. Precious Holy Spirit, anoint me, and help me to flow in you today, in your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’

God’s Word Is Medicine!

God’s Word is medicine

Now this medicine is wonderful medicine. You cannot overdose, and it has wonderful side effects like wisdom, peace, prosperity and so on.

Proverbs 4:

21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

22 For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life

.

Health = marpe: a medicine, a cure, a deliverance, a healing, a remedy, with the sense of soundness and wholeness.

Though I am no Hebrew scholar, my study in Strong’s only shows five verses that this verse is used in. The one above, and the following four verses.

1. Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.

This is a beautiful verse, when you insert the definition of the word ‘marpe’ into it. Our words, spoken gently, become healing, a remedy, a deliverance, soundness and wholeness to people, and the wisdom of God spoken, will literally produce healing in every area of life.

2. Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.In the new testament, or covenant we read: The old Testament, is the new testament concealed, the new testament the old testament revealed.

2 Corinthians 5:20

Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God

Ambassadors represent the country that sends them. As citizens of heaven, ambassadors of Christ, we are good news where we are sent, for the kingdom of heaven has no sickness. When God sends us to someone sick or suffering, we heal the sick!

When we reconcile someone to God, the author of all health and life, they get healed!

3. Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.

Again we see marpe being used for healing of the bones. Why the bones? Science shows us that in the marrow of our bones is where our blood is produced. Scripture tells us that life is in the blood. Healthy bones equal new fresh blood, Life to all of our bodies!

4.Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall

.

Jesus rose from the dead! He is alive! He is the Son of righteousness risen with healing, a remedy, medicine, a deliverance, and soundness in His wings.

Let’s Pray:

Father, I ask You to heal me today! I believe I receive my healing, for I ask in Your name Lord Jesus. As You are working in me, I choose to take the medicine of Your Word, the comfort and anesthetic of Holy Spirit today, trusting You, who cannot lie, to fully bring it to pass. Amen

If you would like more teaching on healing, or to listen to the teaching I did after my 40 day fast: https://chrisaomministries.wordpress.com/2014/10/30/be-healed-jesus-wants-you-strong/

Love Truth – Best Protection for these Last Days!

Love Truth!

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Clearly we are living in the last days, or latter days as this verse describes.

So, if there are seducing spirits, and teachings demonically designed by devils intent on wooing us away from purity, holiness, and obedience to Jesus, and eternal life, how do we protect ourselves from them?

2 Thessalonians 2: ⁷ For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. ⁸ And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: ⁹ even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. ¹¹ And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: ¹² that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

The key that jumps out at me in these verses is ‘they received not the love of the truth’.

Seems clear to me today, that one of the ways we are protected from delusion and deception, is to receive from God, a love for the truth.

Yes, I could say much, much more on this topic, but I have noticed, that if my blogs are more than a couple hundred words, no one seems to read them.

Let’s pray:

‘Father, grant us the gift of a love for the truth. Jesus, You are the way, the truth and the life, and we desire to love You, personally, intimately, that we might know You. In this world of information overload, where indeed knowledge has increased in these last days, we choose to look to You, trusting you to deliver us from deception, delusion, seduction, and the mystery of iniquity that would deceive us, and draw us away, except for Your great power, love and grace towards us. Thank you for Your mercy, and the hearing of Your voice today Lord Jesus, through You Holy Spirit of truth! Amen!

IN HIM we live and move and Have our being!

In Whom We Live and Move and Have Our Being!

Let’s get into the Word of God:

Ps 18:2  The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Mt 3:17  And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mt 12:18  Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles.

Mt 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Mr 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Because of Jesus, God has adopted you into His family. You are His child. Because of the blood of Jesus, you have complete and total access to the throne of God. May you hear in your heart, the same words Father God spoke of Jesus over 2000 years ago.

“This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased”. This is my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.”

As you put God’s word in your mouth, and proclaim His promises, Mt. 12:18 and 17:5 is true of you, ‘Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased, he (or she) shows forth my judgements to the Gentiles, hear him”

Isa 45:11  Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.

 Do it respectfully, humbly, with a good attitude. Remember, He is our Father, and He loves us! Yet, He loves to be trusted and believed! Any fire, passion and zeal you exhibit, needs to be against the world, the flesh and the devil, for God cannot lie, and He loves us!

God is waiting to hear His word echoed out of the earth from and to heaven, that he may display His acts of power to this generation. When His word is spoken in authority here in the earth, He backs it up in power.

Even angels listen for the Word of God given voice in the earth, for they are ministering spirits sent forth from God to minister for us, the promises of God.

Ps 103:20  Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

Heb 1: 13  But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?

14    Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Let’s see this again in another familiar passage of Scripture,

Acts 2:17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

18  And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

19  And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

20  The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:

21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

See it here, the divine connection. God pours out His Spirit upon us, and we prophesy (that is, speak His Word), He backs up His word with His power (which includes angels), as He shows forth wonders in heaven above, and signs here in the earth beneath, all for one main purpose, that many shall call on the name of the Lord, and be saved.

In light of eternity, you are one of the redeemed, saved from death, hell and the grave. Yet you are also a child of destiny, called into God’s great redemptive plan to work with Him in the redemption of others. This will involve using His authority, granted to you through Christ, over the world, the flesh and the devil. Therefore it is essential child of God that you see yourself as you truly are in Him, that you can understand and exercise your rights and privileges as His royal heir.

Let’s continue to look at your identity, in Him, by studying what the Word of God says of the following: In Him, In whom, and In Christ.

2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Notice, here, that those people who are not born-again, are not in Him. They are literally found spiritually, in darkness. Satan is referred to as the god of this world, and he works through deception and lies. There is no power encounter required between God and the devil, rather it is a truth encounter that makes freedom available. This verse shows again how Satan, the father of lies works. Through thoughts, in the minds of people, he convinces them of the irrationality the simplicity of Jesus brings to any individual that simply believes.

“What comes to mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

– A.W. Tozer

Ro 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1Co 2:16  For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.

Let’s agree with the Word of God, revealed to us here.

Declare, ‘Thank-you Father, that the glorious light of the gospel of Christ, has shone upon me. I believe that I am not conformed to this world and it’s way of thinking, but am being transformed by the renewing of my mind. By faith, I declare, that I have the mind of Christ.:

Eph 1:7  In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

Col 1:14  In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Let’s declare, “Thank-you Father for my redemption through the precious blood of Jesus, for forgiving my sins, and for the riches of your grace towards me.”

Eph 1:11  In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:

Let’s declare, “Thank-you Father for my inheritance, that you have already decided to give to me in Jesus. I believe I receive it, now.”

Eph 1:13  In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,

Let’s declare, “Father, because I trust in you, having heard the truth, I have been sealed by the Holy Spirit you promised.”

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

1Pe 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Let’s declare, “Father, I desire the sincere milk of your word, and I thank-you for growing me up in you.”

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

1Pe 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Let’s declare, “I thank you Father, for building me up in you, a temple of the Holy Spirit here in the earth. Thank-you for make me a living stone, your spiritual house, a priest made acceptable to you by Jesus Christ. I praise you, and worship you for what you have done, offering up a spiritual sacrifice to you. Hallelujah!”

Eph 3:12  In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him.

Pr 28:1  The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Declare, “Though I am meek, I am not weak, and I am faithful to you. Thank-you for boldness to live for you today.”

Col 2:3  In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Pr 2:3  Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

4  If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

5  Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

Isa 45:3  And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

Let’s pray, for in these verses are great provisions and change for your life.

“Father, I see that in Jesus, are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I seek knowledge and understanding, that I might understand your fear O Lord, and find the knowledge of God. Please grant me treasures out of darkness, and your hidden riches from secret places, that it might be known that you Lord, which call me by name, are the God of Israel.”

Joh 20:29  Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

1Pe 1:8  Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Let’s pray, “Father, I have not seen you, yet I believe, and am blessed beyond what I can ask or think. I love you, for you are so good to me, granting me joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

Suggested Reading:

Victory over Darkness – Dr. Neil Anderson

Personal Promise Bible – Dr Jerry Savelle.

In Him

Ge 18:18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

Declare: I believe that the blessing of Abraham is mine, and that all the nations of the earth, are being blessed, through me!

Ps 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Say: “I’m Blessed!”

Ps 18:30  As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

‘Lord, I believe you are my buckler, because I trust in You!

Ps 34:8  O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Ps 37:5  Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

Ps 62:8  Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Pr 30:5  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Declare: “You are my shield!”

Mt 14:2  And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him.

In this passage, people were wondering who Jesus was, for they had seen the presence of God at work in the ministry of John the Baptist, convicting of sin and calling people to repentance. Yet, for the sake of this study, I will use this text to assure you that our Lord Jesus is still a miracle man, God the Son, and mighty works still shew forth themselves in him.

Acts 2:22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

Everywhere Jesus went in His earthly ministry, miracles were wrought. You too are a son or daughter of God. Everywhere you go, miracles should be wrought.

How? By faith, and by the operation of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, working in the earth, gives gifts to his church, nine in all. They are listed here.

1 Cor 12:7  But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

8  For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;

9  To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

10  To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

11  But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

The Scripture admonishes us to earnestly desire these gifts, while walking in the love of God. 1 Corinthians 12:31  But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

It must then, be a regular practice of every Christian to seek God for His spiritual gifts, to aid a hurting humanity. The working of miracles is one of these gifts. God wants to use you to heal the sick, divide the loaves and fishes, turn water into wine, whatever it takes to meet human need, and to both glorify Him and turn many to Him. We have not, because we ask not, it is time to regularily ask God for miracles to abound in our daily lives. John 14:12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Let’s pray, “Father, I see that miracles are your calling card in the earth, and I want to be like Jesus, in the working of miracles. I ask you Holy Spirit to do miracles in my life, manifesting the greater works Jesus promised for my generation. Amen”

Homework:

1. Go lay hands on some sick people, pray for someones finances, believe for a marriage to be restored, whatever He leads you to do, and see the awesome power of God displayed in your life.

2. Testify over the remainder of how God is continuing to manifest miraculously through your life.

For prayer, comments, testimonies, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

Give in faith!

1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown [the seed of] spiritual good among you, [is it too] much if we reap from your material benefits?

1 Corinthians 9:14 [On the same principle] the Lord directed that those who publish the good news (the Gospel) should live (get their maintenance) by the Gospel.

Paul goes on to say, that he did not use his position as a minister of the gospel to take up offerings, rather he worked, making tents, to support himself. You might notice here, that Paul was not married, nor did he have children. Family responsibilities take time, and just as you bust a move on your job to provide for your family, I work every bit as hard, doing this, faithful to the Lord in prayer and the ministry of His Word, to you.

I will never charge for this: it my responsibility to God, my calling. Freely I have been given, now, I freely give…

As you give, hear Holy Spirit what to give, and honestly expect God to reward you for your giving.

Matt 10: 41 He who receives and welcomes and accepts a prophet because he is a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward, and he who receives and welcomes and accepts a righteous man because he is a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward. 42 And whoever gives to one of these little ones [in rank or influence] even a cup of cold water because he is My disciple, surely I declare to you, he shall not lose his reward.

I am a five-fold ministry gift and office – this is my life – I pray, I hear, I write, and wonderful things happen. You have your job description, I have mine – this is mine….

I have ‘see through’ faith for you, in this: Gal 3: 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.

I believe I have a responsibility before God to be like Jesus, in every offering I receive. I receive it with thanksgiving, just like Jesus did the little boys lunch.

Then, because I walk and live by faith according to the blessing of Abraham, I believe that God will take your seed sown, and multiply it, according to what the blessing of Abraham promises:

Genesis 22:17 In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies

It has been a joy to me, to see the hand of the living God act in the lives of those of you who have supported us this year!

Many have seen tremendous blessing come into your households, and for this we give thanks, and give Jesus all the glory!

A Call to Fast and pray…

Fasting, a Christian discipline –

Each year, as I seek the Lord, there comes a time, when I deliberate fast and pray – a time to let go of agendas, offences, even daily disciplines, that are not bearing any fruit in my life. Time to reflect, receive fresh vision and direction, to replenish, and then launch out again in His plan and destiny of my life. Hear the words of Jesus:

MATTHEW 6:16-18

1. Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
2. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
3. That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.,

As a Rhema Graduate, I have heard Kenneth E Hagin teach on many subjects, but his book, ‘A Common Sense Guide to Fasting’ has been a great help to me over the years.. I encourage you to read it: http://www.rhema.org/store/a-commonsense-guide-to-fasting-book.html

As I prepare to do my particular yearly fast of ‘no pleasant food’, I am encouraged by this quote from brother Hagins book:

“Remember how Daniel fasted 21 days? He ate no “pleasant bread.” We need to realize there is more than one way to fast. Daniel didn’t eat anything he wanted, but he did eat a little something. That is harder to do some­times.

You see, it’s a matter of keeping the flesh under; keep­ing the body under and not letting it dominate you. You dominate it instead.

If you wanted to go a step further, you could fast things other than food. You might say, “Now, Lord, I’m going to leave off watching television and spend that time pray­ing.” (Daniel said he gave up eating pleasant bread. So why wouldn’t it be all right to leave off other things that might be pleasant to us?)

A well-known evangelist when he was pastoring decided to give God 10 percent of his time in prayer. He began to pray at night after his family was in bed. He prayed two hours and 40 minutes each night. To do that he had to sacrifice his television time. God has given him an internationally known ministry.”

Over the years, I have been drawn repeatedly back to these verses of Scripture as I fast:

^{Isaiah 58:6} Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

⁸ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

⁹ Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;

¹⁰ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

¹¹ And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

¹² And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

¹³ If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:

¹⁴ Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

So, for the record, I am going to go through these verses for you, and explain the ways I have used them in my own particular journey of faith:

^{Isaiah 58:6} Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

As I fast and pray, I recognize that we have spiritual enemies that if not directly preventing our success, always try to at least contain us in some measure to their control. I am believing for God Almighty to break their bands of wickedness, to remove their heavy burdens, to let me go free from all demonic oppression, and oppression by ungodly people. A yoke is something you harness an animal by. Forces that are driving and prodding me into pathways other than the glorious liberty of the Spirit of God, must go, be broken, by the power of Jesus!

⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

These verses are a ‘heart check’ for me. I should already, always, continually be feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for those less fortunate. Yet, here I check myself as to how well I am actually doing this as a man of God. Do I have clothes I can give away? Can I provide shelter for someone who can never repay me? Am I actually living and walking in the love of God?

‘and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?’

In the Amplified Bible it says:

‘and that you hide not yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?’

Here is where the rubber meets the road. How well am I exemplifying the love of Jesus to my own family members? ,

Fasting is hard on our pride and selfish natures – seems it is easier to love stangers, than family members who are not living the way WE think they should. God loves them, and if we are to represent Him, we must too, no matter what they have done, or are doing…. Maybe a simple telephone call, card, or birthday gift will break the ice on relational walls of bitterness, grudges held generationally – rationalized because: ‘that’s just the way we are’” Nope, there is a cross for our sin, and our lack of love towards family, is one that must die….We are called to love…

Back in college, I took a couple courses in computer programming. We would write modules in Pascal (I know, for all you ‘C++’ programmers it is a dinosaur), where we would tell the computer  IF (this condition is met), THEN (this must happen). In the previous verses, God was telling us to DO certain things in both prayer, in attitude, and action.

IF we do these things, then we qualify for THEN He will do these things:

⁸ Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

⁹ Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am.

The true purpose of fasting is to seek God, who is life, love, purity, power, strength, purpose, direction, power, holiness, healing and prosperity. God is love!

Light speaks of revelation to me: Psalm 119:130

The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

Here we see revelation being imparted, healing from the throne of God, justification before our enemies, the glory of God deposited in our lives, and intimacy, the thing we desperately need, the innermost needs of our heart met by the Lord Himself – we call, and He answers! Sometimes the greatest miracle in life, is to be granted supernatural understanding of a situation!

Back to another ‘IF’

If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity.

My translation? Stop gossiping, wasting your precious conversations with words empty of substance and power, judging, pointing fingers at others – your life has never been about them anyway, it’s about you and Jesus! Change your words, change your life – SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD! Words of power!

¹⁰ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul;

In my life: ‘drawing out my soul to the hungry’ is to pour my love out in teaching, preaching, encouraging, instructing people with the bread of life, the Word of God. People are hungry for love, the greatest need of all, the only thing that will meet the true hunger of every heart, is Jesus! He will heal the afflicted soul! Yes, we work and supply physical food, but what about loving and injecting life into our particular world? Money will not do this, unless used in love to alleviate human suffering, and meet legitimate needs…If we do these things

THEN

then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:

¹¹ And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

¹² And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.

Much can be said here, but this speaks of the result of our work and effort. Jesus walks with us, and does signs, wonders and miracles, and others lives are changed. They catch the vision, and move in His love and power, and the result of their work is foundations of many generations being raised up, and we become repairers of the breach, restorers of the way, the one true path, the pathways of purpose, the straight and narrow path, the walk of faith with Jesus! Notice here that it is those whose lives we touch that build up the waste places, raising up the foundations of many generations…

and make fat thy bones:

These simple words have great depth and meaning. Medically, we know that in the marrow of our bones, is where our blood cells are actually produced. Leviticus 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: Seems that as we fast, God does a deep, deep work in our bodies, strengthening our bone marrow, to infuse us with  His life.

Isaiah 58:11 (CJB)

¹¹ Adonai will always guide you; he will satisfy your needs in the desert, he will renew the strength in your limbs;

Isaiah 58:11 (NIRV)

¹¹ I will always guide you.     I will satisfy your needs in a land baked by the sun.     I will make you stronger.

Isaiah 58:11 (NLT)

¹¹ The Lord will guide you continually,     giving you water when you are dry     and restoring your strength.

Isaiah 58:11 (NIV)

¹¹ The Lord will guide you always;     he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land     and will strengthen your frame.

One day when I was fasting, struggling to become stronger in my weight training program, these words jumped off the page at me: and will strengthen your frame.

I saw that by fasting, I could literally become physically stronger.

Check this out:

Yeshayah 58:11 (OJB)

¹¹ And Hashem shall guide thee tamid, and satisfy thy nefesh in drought, and strengthen thy atzmot; and thou shalt be like a gan raveh (well-watered garden), and like a motzah mayim (spring of water), whose mayim fail not.

I am no Hebrew Scholar, but I needed to know what ‘atzmot’ was.

Best definition I found is the one by Dr. Rachel Adelman, Jewish scholar.

She states: atzmot – Opening the Ibn Shoshan dictionary to the word ‘atzma’ut, one finds the following definition: “ability to stand on one’s own; independence from others; autonomy.” 

I remember some years ago reading a Body building article, as I was (and still am) trying to combine a decent cardio fitness routine, with strength training. In the article, the author spoke about how, in heavy lifting, you literally tore the deep interskelatal muscles that attached to your bones, and that it was these deep muscle tissues that allowed us to handle heavy weights…

‘I will strengthen your frame!’

¹³ “If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
¹⁴ then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I notice again my old computer training kicking in again: IF…THEN.

If we serve God, THEN He will give us joy, He will give us victory.

Psalm 92:13 (NIV) ¹³ planted in the house of the Lord,
    they will flourish in the courts of our God.

In short, FAST IN FAITH!

Faith only comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. God is love, and He is not looking for a hunger strike from you and I, but as always, that we draw near to Him, meet with Him, and let Him direct our lives for good.

Struggling to make something happen?

Consider fasting and praying – it works!

Jesus is Lord!

Is speaking in other tongues of God?

Is Speaking in tongues of God?

Many of you have already received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of speaking in other tongues. For you, this is just a useful note set you can copy or email to your friends as an answer to a Biblical question. For some of you though, this is spirit and life, and although you have heard about people speaking in tongues, and perhaps been around it, it has not yet been your experience. Well, it can be, and this little teaching explains emphatically that this is a Biblical doctrine, not just the emotional experience of a few fringe elements. Let’s look at it.

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

1. Why do we need to be filled with the Spirit?

1. After you make Jesus the Lord of your life, it is the will of God that you experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” It is the Holy Spirit’s ministry not only to impart the nature of God to the spirit of man at salvation, but to come and live in the new creature. His job is to reveal the exact knowledge of God from the heart of the Father. A believer cannot understand, by his own spirit alone, the profound wisdom of God. This is why Jesus said in John 14:26 that the Father would send us the Comforter to teach us “all things.”

When you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive the ability of God. Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.” The word power in that verse is translated dunamis, which means ability and might. It is through the energizing force of the Holy Spirit living in us that we are transformed into effective witnesses. So, to be born again and not filled with the Spirit is like being a train without a track.

The ability you receive to pray with your spirit when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is powerful. It edifies and builds up your spirit man and puts you in contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians 14:4, 2:10). For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries.

• He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

We see in Romans 8:26 ¶  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

• And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

It also allows you to pray God’s perfect will apart from your natural understanding and aids you in interceding for others (Romans 8:26-27).

And according to Jude 1:20-21,

20  But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

21  Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Praying in the Spirit strengthens and intensifies your personal relationship with God, and helps us in our love walk.

1. How can I receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

1. The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is for everyone in the Body of Christ because God gave His Spirit to the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:32-33, 39). As a partaker of your covenant with God, however, you must individually receive what He has given you.

 I like this picture, reminds me of Rhinhart Bonnke preaching: “A Flame for every name! Your own personal flame!”

When you ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God promises that you shall receive.

Luke 11:9-13 says: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?…Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

In the Bible, when believers received the Holy Spirit, they began to speak in a heavenly language. Acts 2:4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” This is still true today. When you accept the Spirit’s indwelling, your spirit will immediately have a desire to express itself in praise to God. The Holy Spirit will give utterance through you as you give Him permission.

When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the Spirit. You are letting the Holy Spirit pray through your spirit. The Amplified Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:14, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me] prays….” Just as your native language is the voice of your mind, your prayer language is the voice of your spirit.

A Brief Bible study on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit

The promise:

Is 28:11  For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

• To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

Acts 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Praying in other tongues will cause the weary to rest, and brings refreshing from the presence of the Lord. In today’s fast paced world, who doesn’t need rest and refreshing?

I heard Gloria Copeland testify that the Lord told her, thirty years ago, that if she would pray in tongues one hour/day that everything would be alright. Well, she has been faithful to do this, and everything in their life, health, finances and family are still alright.

Acts 1:8  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

It is the promise of God, uttered through the lips of Jesus before He left the earth.

Acts 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

• For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

All who are afar off, means you, right there where you are reading this, for the Lord our God has called you. Now, if we are going to study a certain doctrine or area of theology, we need to look at what it looked like in the Bible. I have recorded here the experiences of other Christians who have received the infilling of the Holy Spirit, to see what happened, and how we can learn from their experience.

Instances where believers were filled with the Holy Spirit:

Acts 2:1 ¶  And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2  And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4  And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

5 ¶  And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6  Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7  And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

8  And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

Read v 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and who spoke? The Holy Spirit?

No, they spoke as the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. God will fill you with His Holy Spirit whenever you ask. He will not overpower you and force you to speak. You must, by faith, open your mouth and speak a heavenly language that you have never spoken before.

Act 8:14 ¶  Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:

15  Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:

16  (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)

17  Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18  And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

We see here a number of interesting things.

1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event that occurs after salvation. People had already been saved under Phillips ministry, but then God moved, sent the apostles to them, and then the believers received the Holy Ghost.
2. One of the ways to receive the Holy Spirit is through the laying on of hands.
3. Simon saw something after the Holy Spirit was given. Many preachers have added their interpretation of what they think Simon saw, but let’s stick with the Scripture. There was obviously some type of physical manifestation when believers received the Holy Spirit. I think they spoke in other tongues, but the Scripture does not say, so THIS IS STILL ONLY MY OPINION!

Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.

45  And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.

46  For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

We see here a number of interesting things:

1. God couldn’t wait for Peter to finish preaching before He baptized these folks in the Holy Spirit. Seems one can get saved and filled with the Holy Spirit all in one shot.
2. These believers did not need hands laid upon them to receive the Holy Spirit, they simply believed the Word they heard.
3. One of the initial evidences of receiving the Holy Spirit is to speak in tongues.

Acts 19:1 ¶  And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,

2  He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.

3  And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.

4  Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should 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 his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.

We see again, a number of interesting things:

1. Again, the Holy Spirit baptism is a different event than salvation. These people Paul preached to were already saved.
2. Again these people received through the laying on of hands.
3. They spoke with tongues as initial evidence of the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
4. They also prophesied: they did not have to wait years before prophetic gifts from the Holy Spirit were given to them.

Overview:

These are the only four accounts recorded in the Scripture of believers being baptized in the Holy Spirit.

Two received through laying on of hands, two received directly. You can receive this gift directly from God, right now as a direct response to this Word that you have heard.

Scripture interprets Scripture and Jesus said: Matthew 18:16

But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

Three of the four cases, and possibly the fourth, spoke in tongues as initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

You will speak in other tongues after you are filled.

I remember a couple of years ago, a friend of mine asked me to prove to him from the Scripture that the infilling of the Holy Spirit is Biblical. I shared with him, the verses I just gave you. He was still not convinced, and argued vehemently that these Pentecostal and Charismatic gifts had passed away with the 1^st Century church. I asked him to show me that in the Scripture, and he showed me several vague references, but nothing concrete. Seems the denomination he came out of didn’t believe in the infilling of the Holy Spirit, and they were well grounded in their unbelief.

Well, I brought this man to a Pentacostal Church, and as God would have it, the pastor asked everyone to pray in tongues for five minutes before the service. This man was shocked at the heavenly roar, and obvious power in what happened, but still unconvinced. He invited me over for coffee and then argued vehemently that speaking in other tongues was of the devil, and that I was involved in some cult.

So, I said to him this: “Do you believe Jesus is God the Son, and that God raised Him from the dead?” Yes, of course he replied. “Have you accepted Jesus as your Saviour and Lord?” Of course! He replied heatedly. “Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” I pressed. Yes, he replied angrily. Ok then what do make of these two verses:

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

“The fact that we are here debating the Word of God shows me that you are diligently seeking God, looking for His best for your life. Right?”

What are you getting at? He asked.

Read: Mark 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

Jesus said these signs would follow those people that believe. I believe, therefore I speak in other tongues, you don’t believe so you don’t. Don’t let this bother you any more. God is not going to force His good gifts upon you, for tongues are only a sign for those that have faith, for one who believes. You refuse to believe, so you will not speak in tongues.

He was so angry that he asked me to leave! Well, I thought that was the end of it, and I went down the road rejoicing. Yet, I met him again several weeks later. Seems he went back to that Pentecostal church to argue more, but during worship, he got filled with the Holy Spirit, and began speaking in other tongues, and has continued to do so, every day since. To God be the glory!

If you desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit or if you are unsure whether you have received it, say the prayer below:

“Father, I am a new creature in Christ. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit to enable me to be a powerful witness of Jesus. I believe that I now receive the Holy Spirit just as the disciples did on the day of Pentecost. Amen”

 

Now open your mouth and speak!

 

For prayer, comments, or to donate online:

Email: chris.aomministries@gmail.com

Donate on-line: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=95XHSDDXDS7MC

OR

Bluebird Account#: 315150058661505

The Word of God shall talk with thee!

Proverbs 6:22  When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

Heb 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The wonderful thing about the Word of God is that it is alive! The reason it is alive, is because the Holy Spirit is the one who breathed upon pen (inspired) them, to write exactly what He said. Since God is omniscient, and omnipresent, He is literally here, every time we open the book. Time, to Him is simply like a parade. He can see the beginning from the end from His throne in eternity, and can enter the parade whenever, or wherever He pleases. When He shows up, He is always, ‘I Am’, our ever present help in time of need. One writer stated that the Bible is the only book ever written, where the author is always present when we read it.

I have noticed this over the years, that as I faithfully share the Word of God that is alive and active to me each day, Holy Spirit makes it alive and active to others too, and suddenly, I realize again, that I am simply an instrument in the hand of our ever living God, and He takes my simple offering of preaching, teaching, blogging, or publishing the Word of God on every available voice to me, and this very Word is a living organism! It comes in seed form, but when I plant it into the earth in this generation, by faith, and water it with my prayer:

Acts 19:20

Thus the Word of the Lord [concerning the attainment through Christ of eternal salvation in the kingdom of God] grew and spread and intensified, prevailing mightily

Acts 19:20 (DARBY)

²⁰ Thus with might the word of the Lord increased and prevailed

Do you see it! The Word of God is alive! It has a life of it’s own! It grows, and with might shows forth the glory of God, wherever it lands!

Psalm 119:130

The entrance and unfolding of Your words give light; their unfolding gives understanding (discernment and comprehension) to the simple.

Wherever His Word enters, the light and life of God comes, in power!

I cannot count the times this very word has gone into nations I have not yet been to, and Holy Spirit has used my devotionals to heal, deliver, touch, and bless people it would be unlikely I could ever meet naturally.

Things can look fine according to outward appearances, but He looks much deeper within, into not only what we are doing, but rather why. When our why’s don’t agree with His why’s, He can gently instruct, correct, counsel, and refine us, so that we become more like Him in our thinking, and very motives!

2 Peter 1

Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: ² Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, ³ according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: ⁴ whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

Every day, I take time to meditate upon the Word of God. There are different ways I do this, but my favorite, by far, is to simply lay down with the audio Bible playing, simply asking Holy Spirit to speak to me, each time. Faithfully, for years, He has, and does!

Let the Word of God talk with thee today!

Each day, I encourage people to seek Jesus first thing each morning, and to read through their Bible in some sort of yearly Bible reading plan. Each night, we have been playing the audio Bible in our house for over 20 years, falling asleep with the prayer: “Jesus, tell me a bedtime story”. And He has continually opened His Word to our understanding, making His promises alive to us as He directs us day by day.
Let’s Pray:

‘Father, I am ever looking towards heaven and your will for my life. Speak to me, the specifics that You have for me, today. Not only what I need to be doing, but my reasons for doing it, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’

If you need prayer for anything specific, please send us a note on the prayer request form, and we will pray for you. Then, after God answers, I ask that you take a second and send us an update, so we can be encouraged, and the devil can again be defeated by Jesus blood, and your testimony!