A good friend sent me this message and I would like to share it with you...
A Great Read from Rick Warren
You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Church in California.
In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:
People ask me, What is the purpose of life?
And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven.
One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.
I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity..
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.
Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.
The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.
We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.
This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.
I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.
Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.
No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.
And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for.
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:
If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.
We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.
You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.
Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.
It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease.
So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.
First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.
Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.
Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.
Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.
We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?
Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.
That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.
Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.
Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.
Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.
Painful moments, TRUST GOD.
Every moment, THANK GOD..
GOD Bless You
Note :
2 Corinthians 9: 6-8 " Remember this : Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. "
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Power of Love
Proverbs 23:22 " Listen to your father, who gave you life, and do not despise your mother when she is old."
A little bit of fairy tale for your reading pleasure..................................
We can all learn something from this.
A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live
with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found
that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of
her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped
arguing and fighting.But what made the situation even worse was that,
according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her
mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in
the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and
dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it!
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She
told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that
she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr.Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you
solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr.
Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a
package of herbs.
He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your
mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious.
Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up
poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a
little of these herbs in her serving.
Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you when she dies, you must
be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her,
obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her
plot of murdering her mother-in-law.Weeks went by, and months went by,
and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her
mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about
avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her
mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.After six months had
passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling
her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset.
She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because
she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.The
mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best
daughter-in-law one could ever find.Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now
treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was
very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again.She
said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my
mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like
my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry
about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to
improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude
toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave
to her."
HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat
you?
There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be
loved in return."
God might be trying to work in another person's life through you.
SPREAD THE POWER OF LOVE
A little bit of fairy tale for your reading pleasure..................................
We can all learn something from this.
A long time ago in China , a girl named Li-Li got married & went to live
with her husband and mother-in-law. In a very short time, Li-Li found
that she couldn't get along with her mother-in-law at all.
Their personalities were very different, and Li-Li was angered by many of
her mother-in-law's habits. In addition, she criticized Li-Li constantly.
Days passed, and weeks passed. Li-Li and her mother-in-law never stopped
arguing and fighting.But what made the situation even worse was that,
according to ancient Chinese tradition, Li-Li had to bow to her
mother-in-law and obey her every wish. All the anger and unhappiness in
the house was causing Li-Li's poor husband great distress.
Finally, Li-Li could not stand her mother-in-law's bad temper and
dictatorship any longer, and she decided to do something about it!
Li-Li went to see her father's good friend, Mr. Huang, who sold herbs. She
told him the situation and asked if he would give her some poison so that
she could solve the problem once and for all.
Mr.Huang thought for a while, and finally said, "Li-Li, I will help you
solve your problem, but you must listen to me and obey what I tell you."
Li-Li said, "Yes, Mr. Huang, I will do whatever you tell me to do." Mr.
Huang went into the back room, and returned in a few minutes with a
package of herbs.
He told Li-Li, "You can't use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your
mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious.
Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up
poison in her body. Every other day prepare some delicious meal and put a
little of these herbs in her serving.
Now, in order to make sure that nobody suspect you when she dies, you must
be very careful to act very friendly towards her. "Don't argue with her,
obey her every wish, and treat her like a queen."
Li-Li was so happy. She thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her
plot of murdering her mother-in-law.Weeks went by, and months went by,
and every other day, Li-Li served the specially treated food to her
mother-in-law. She remembered what Mr. Huang had said about
avoiding suspicion, so she controlled her temper, obeyed her
mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother.After six months had
passed, the whole household had changed. Li-Li had practiced controlling
her temper so much that she found that she almost never got mad or upset.
She hadn't had an argument with her mother-in-law in six months because
she now seemed much kinder and easier to get along with.The
mother-in-law's attitude toward Li-Li changed, and she began to love Li-Li like her own daughter. She kept telling friends and relatives that Li-Li was the best
daughter-in-law one could ever find.Li-Li and her mother-in-law were now
treating each other like a real mother and daughter. Li-Li's husband was
very happy to see what was happening.
One day, Li-Li came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again.She
said, "Dear Mr. Huang, please help me to keep the poison from killing my
mother-in-law! She's changed into such a nice woman, and I love her like
my own mother. I do not want her to die because of the poison I gave her."
Mr. Huang smiled and nodded his head. "Li-Li, there's nothing to worry
about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to
improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude
toward her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave
to her."
HAVE YOU REALIZED that how you treat others is exactly how they will treat
you?
There is a wise Chinese saying: "The person who loves others will also be
loved in return."
God might be trying to work in another person's life through you.
SPREAD THE POWER OF LOVE
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wow great song "El Shaddai"
Listen to this song on YouTube..." El Shaddai " by Amy Grant ... Be blessed.
El Shaddai
el shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonia,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
We will praise and lift you high,
El shaddai.
Through your love and through the ram,
You saved the son of abraham;
Through the power of your hand,
Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees,
You were the god who really sees,
And by your might,
You set your children free.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonia,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
We will praise and lift you high,
El shaddai.
Through the years you've made it clear,
That the time of christ was near,
Though the people couldn't see
What messiah ought to be.
Though your word contained the plan,
They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done
Through the frailty of your son.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonai,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
I will praise yo 'till i die,
El shaddai.
El Shaddai
el shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonia,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
We will praise and lift you high,
El shaddai.
Through your love and through the ram,
You saved the son of abraham;
Through the power of your hand,
Turned the sea into dry land.
To the outcast on her knees,
You were the god who really sees,
And by your might,
You set your children free.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonia,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
We will praise and lift you high,
El shaddai.
Through the years you've made it clear,
That the time of christ was near,
Though the people couldn't see
What messiah ought to be.
Though your word contained the plan,
They just could not understand
Your most awesome work was done
Through the frailty of your son.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
El-elyon na adonai,
Age to age you're still the same,
By the power of the name.
El shaddai, el shaddai,
Erkamka na adonai,
I will praise yo 'till i die,
El shaddai.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
How to Use Your Authority in Jesus Christ
If the only way we can pray is in the name of Jesus, then we need to know, "How did Jesus pray?" I know many of you will almost immediately think of the Lord's Prayer. However, I do not consider that to be the model prayer for a Christian.
What instructions did Jesus give us-the Believers-for the time after He had ascended? You will find that in John 16:23, where Jesus, speaking to His disciples, says, "And in that day..." Right there we have to stop and ask, what "day" does He mean? It is obvious that if He said, "in that day" then He did not mean "in this day" (the day in which He was living). Put another way, He was contrasting the future (from the time He was speaking) to the present in which He spoke. Another way of putting this would be to say, "In the future..."
This is a little-discussed point, but note that in the three and a half years we have any record of, the disciples never one time prayed to the Father for anything. Whenever they needed something, they asked Jesus for it. I mean, why would you drive a hundred miles to the company warehouse to buy some shaving cream when the local store owned by that company has it a half mile down the block? Jesus was right there with them. Anything they needed, He supplied it. When the waves crashed in on their boat, they awoke Him and said, "Save us, Lord!" When someone was sick, they said. "Lord, this person is ill. Please heal him." Whatever it was, they asked it of Him directly, not of God the Father.
So it is significant that when we read John 16:23, we find Jesus after explaining to them He was going to the Father soon, saying, "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." Remember, just a little earlier in John 14:14 we read: "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it [for you]." Yet here He says, "Don't ask Me anything, but instead ask the Father in My name."
He elaborates on this in verse 24: "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask [or a better transition is, "Ask now," or "Ask, after this point, in My name"], and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Do you see the difference? While Jesus was with them physically, they asked Him. But soon after Jesus said those words, He would not be with them anymore, and they would have to ask the Father in His name. Why couldn't they ask the Father in His name while Jesus still walked with them? Jesus had not delegated that name to them yet. He hadn't died and risen from the dead.
Notice also that Jesus said, "You will receive, that [or, "in order that"] your joy may be full." God wants us to have full joy. Not just tolerable joy or partial joy, but full joy. Full joy is when your pantry is well stocked and you aren't hungry every night. Full joy is when your car works and can take you to your job without breaking down. Full joy is when your body is whole and you aren't battling sickness and disease every day. That does not mean that you should not be joyful when circumstances are not perfect, but that is not God's best for you.
In these verses we have the "how to pray" from Jesus: "And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name..." tells us everything we need to know about how to pray. That is the key that starts the car of faith, if you will.
You need to know what to do with the car once it's running, and you need to know what to pray for after you begin your prayer, but this is the formula for an answered prayer. You are to "ask the Father in My name." Do not ask Jesus. Unless you are engaging in praise and worship ("Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice," or "Praise You, Jesus, that You are King of kings and Lord or lords"), you do not pray to Jesus. He said so. Instead, you are to direct your requests to the Father in Jesus' name. It's like a letter. "Heavenly Father" is the introduction, the "Dear So-and-So," and "In the name of Jesus" is your signature line. You sign your prayer in His name, not your own. Your name doesn't carry any weight in the spirit world. Just try healing the sick in the name of Tom, or in the name of Cheryl, or in the name of Buddha, and see who gets healed! Those names do not have the authority to heal anyone. What you put in between the "introduction" and the "signature" is all you.
What instructions did Jesus give us-the Believers-for the time after He had ascended? You will find that in John 16:23, where Jesus, speaking to His disciples, says, "And in that day..." Right there we have to stop and ask, what "day" does He mean? It is obvious that if He said, "in that day" then He did not mean "in this day" (the day in which He was living). Put another way, He was contrasting the future (from the time He was speaking) to the present in which He spoke. Another way of putting this would be to say, "In the future..."
This is a little-discussed point, but note that in the three and a half years we have any record of, the disciples never one time prayed to the Father for anything. Whenever they needed something, they asked Jesus for it. I mean, why would you drive a hundred miles to the company warehouse to buy some shaving cream when the local store owned by that company has it a half mile down the block? Jesus was right there with them. Anything they needed, He supplied it. When the waves crashed in on their boat, they awoke Him and said, "Save us, Lord!" When someone was sick, they said. "Lord, this person is ill. Please heal him." Whatever it was, they asked it of Him directly, not of God the Father.
So it is significant that when we read John 16:23, we find Jesus after explaining to them He was going to the Father soon, saying, "And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you." Remember, just a little earlier in John 14:14 we read: "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it [for you]." Yet here He says, "Don't ask Me anything, but instead ask the Father in My name."
He elaborates on this in verse 24: "Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask [or a better transition is, "Ask now," or "Ask, after this point, in My name"], and you will receive, that your joy may be full." Do you see the difference? While Jesus was with them physically, they asked Him. But soon after Jesus said those words, He would not be with them anymore, and they would have to ask the Father in His name. Why couldn't they ask the Father in His name while Jesus still walked with them? Jesus had not delegated that name to them yet. He hadn't died and risen from the dead.
Notice also that Jesus said, "You will receive, that [or, "in order that"] your joy may be full." God wants us to have full joy. Not just tolerable joy or partial joy, but full joy. Full joy is when your pantry is well stocked and you aren't hungry every night. Full joy is when your car works and can take you to your job without breaking down. Full joy is when your body is whole and you aren't battling sickness and disease every day. That does not mean that you should not be joyful when circumstances are not perfect, but that is not God's best for you.
In these verses we have the "how to pray" from Jesus: "And in that day you will ask me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name..." tells us everything we need to know about how to pray. That is the key that starts the car of faith, if you will.
You need to know what to do with the car once it's running, and you need to know what to pray for after you begin your prayer, but this is the formula for an answered prayer. You are to "ask the Father in My name." Do not ask Jesus. Unless you are engaging in praise and worship ("Thank You, Jesus, for Your sacrifice," or "Praise You, Jesus, that You are King of kings and Lord or lords"), you do not pray to Jesus. He said so. Instead, you are to direct your requests to the Father in Jesus' name. It's like a letter. "Heavenly Father" is the introduction, the "Dear So-and-So," and "In the name of Jesus" is your signature line. You sign your prayer in His name, not your own. Your name doesn't carry any weight in the spirit world. Just try healing the sick in the name of Tom, or in the name of Cheryl, or in the name of Buddha, and see who gets healed! Those names do not have the authority to heal anyone. What you put in between the "introduction" and the "signature" is all you.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Jesus Took Your Sickness Away
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 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. Isaiah 53:4-5 (KJV)
Understanding what Jesus did for you on the cross will help you to connect your faith to God's healing power.
God loves you. He thought about you before you were a twinkle in your daddy's eye. He already made provisions for your body long before anybody ever thought you'd ever be around. That's called a God who loves you, a God who cares, a God who's on your side, a God who wants to make sure you are blessed in everything in your life. He wants you blessed in the city and blessed in the field. And most importantly, He wants you healed in your body.
Isaiah says, "Surely, he bore your griefs..." The word "grief" means sickness, disease and pain. "Sorrow" means pains. In other words, surely he hath borne our sicknesses, diseases and pain. The word "borne" means to suffer punishment for something. So we can conclude that somebody deserved punishment, somebody deserved to suffer, somebody deserved to have cancer and AIDS and sickle cell and lung disease and heart disease, and other diseases. Who was it? It was me and it was you.
We were born in sin, our forefather's sin, Adam's sin, and Eve's sin. We deserved to have all that, but Jesus bore that punishment in our place on that cross. He took in his body every sickness, every disease, every pain, every AIDS, every cancer cell, every lung disease, every heart disease, every kind of sickness and disease for you and He bore it away for you. Why? S o you don't have to have it.
With every stripe Jesus took on His back, He was looking at you. With every stripe He bore, Jesus was thinking about you, knowing that if He took it, you would not have to. Now that is love.
You don't have to be sick. You don't have to die prematurely. You don't have to lay down to the devil and say, there's nothing I can do. There's one who's already done it for you. His name is Jesus. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Scripture References: Hebrews 13:8; Jeremiah 1:5; 1 Peter 2:24
Understanding what Jesus did for you on the cross will help you to connect your faith to God's healing power.
God loves you. He thought about you before you were a twinkle in your daddy's eye. He already made provisions for your body long before anybody ever thought you'd ever be around. That's called a God who loves you, a God who cares, a God who's on your side, a God who wants to make sure you are blessed in everything in your life. He wants you blessed in the city and blessed in the field. And most importantly, He wants you healed in your body.
Isaiah says, "Surely, he bore your griefs..." The word "grief" means sickness, disease and pain. "Sorrow" means pains. In other words, surely he hath borne our sicknesses, diseases and pain. The word "borne" means to suffer punishment for something. So we can conclude that somebody deserved punishment, somebody deserved to suffer, somebody deserved to have cancer and AIDS and sickle cell and lung disease and heart disease, and other diseases. Who was it? It was me and it was you.
We were born in sin, our forefather's sin, Adam's sin, and Eve's sin. We deserved to have all that, but Jesus bore that punishment in our place on that cross. He took in his body every sickness, every disease, every pain, every AIDS, every cancer cell, every lung disease, every heart disease, every kind of sickness and disease for you and He bore it away for you. Why? S o you don't have to have it.
With every stripe Jesus took on His back, He was looking at you. With every stripe He bore, Jesus was thinking about you, knowing that if He took it, you would not have to. Now that is love.
You don't have to be sick. You don't have to die prematurely. You don't have to lay down to the devil and say, there's nothing I can do. There's one who's already done it for you. His name is Jesus. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Scripture References: Hebrews 13:8; Jeremiah 1:5; 1 Peter 2:24
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
When We Pray, God Works!
Two things about prayer are truly amazing: (1) God listens when we pray. "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (See Mk 11:24). You may not have much clout anywhere else, but when you pray God listens. (2) We seldom pray. We've the greatest privilege imaginable - access to the control center of the Universe -- yet we rarely use it. And our lack of prayer surprises God.
Through the prophet Ezekiel He lamented: "I sought for a man among them who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one" (Eze 22:30 NKJV). Upon learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, Abraham didn't rush to warn the cities. No, he chose to "[remain] standing before the Lord" (Ge 18:22 NIV). When God said the golden calf warranted a nationwide death penalty for Israel, Moses interceded and saved them. One translation of Exodus 32:11 says, "Moses soothed the face of his God." An obscure priest by the name of Phinehas begged God not to send the plague, and it was checked. (See Ps 106:30 NIV).
You say "Why place such a premium on prayer?" Simple. Because when we work, we work. But when we pray, God works! Scripture attaches breathtaking power to prayer. "When two of you get together on anything...and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action" (Mt 18:19 TM). Does any other activity promise such results? Did God call us to preach without ceasing? Or have committee meetings without ceasing? No, but He did call us to "pray without ceasing."
"PRIEZ SANS CESSE"
Through the prophet Ezekiel He lamented: "I sought for a man among them who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one" (Eze 22:30 NKJV). Upon learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, Abraham didn't rush to warn the cities. No, he chose to "[remain] standing before the Lord" (Ge 18:22 NIV). When God said the golden calf warranted a nationwide death penalty for Israel, Moses interceded and saved them. One translation of Exodus 32:11 says, "Moses soothed the face of his God." An obscure priest by the name of Phinehas begged God not to send the plague, and it was checked. (See Ps 106:30 NIV).
You say "Why place such a premium on prayer?" Simple. Because when we work, we work. But when we pray, God works! Scripture attaches breathtaking power to prayer. "When two of you get together on anything...and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action" (Mt 18:19 TM). Does any other activity promise such results? Did God call us to preach without ceasing? Or have committee meetings without ceasing? No, but He did call us to "pray without ceasing."
"PRIEZ SANS CESSE"
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Walk in Your Authority!
You don't have to put up with the devil's oppression any longer. God has empowered you with the anointing to remove burdens, destroy yokes and to be an overcomer. The devil is a burden that can easily be driven away by exercising your God-given authority.
God has given you His Word and His Spirit as a defense against the devil's schemes. You've been clothed in the armor of God so "...that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). You have everything needed to defeat the devil whenever he shows up at your door. He will keep showing up because you possess something that he desperately wants-your God-given authority to rule and reign in the earth.
When God created Adam, he gave him dominion and authority over the earth (Genesis 1:26, AMP). However, when Adam rebelled against God, he turned his authority to rule over to the devil. Satan then had control over everything except the throne of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Since Satan contaminated the ground with sin, God couldn't destroy Adam and make another man from the dust of the earth. Aren't you thankful that He had plan? He came to the earth as a man. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, he defeated Satan and took back our authority to rule (Hebrews 2:9, 14), and we have been restored to our rightful place of authority.
Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). Since we were raised with Him, we have all power and authority as well (Ephesians 2:4-7). Therefore, do not neglect your right to rule and reign in the earth. Every time the enemy tries to attack you, consider it an opportunity to exercise your power over him. You have the authority to declare what is lawful and unlawful in this earth, and to permit or to forbid things on the earth-even death (Matthew 16:18-19, AMP).
I challenge you to begin making demands in Jesus' name. John 14:13-14 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." The word ask means "demand." What you demand in Jesus' name (from the Word), He promises He will do. Understand that when you make a demand, you aren't demanding that God do things. Instead, you are demanding that the devil submit to the Word, to loose his hold and to stop his operations against you.
Faith is involved in exercising your spiritual authority. You must base your faith on what the Word says, not on circumstances. When circumstances do not change immediately, some people become discouraged and begin to speak doubt and unbelief. This only gives the devil dominion over their words, which ultimately defeat them. Don't hand over your authority to Satan through your words. Instead, break the power of the devil by walking in your authority!
God has given you His Word and His Spirit as a defense against the devil's schemes. You've been clothed in the armor of God so "...that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil" (Ephesians 6:11). You have everything needed to defeat the devil whenever he shows up at your door. He will keep showing up because you possess something that he desperately wants-your God-given authority to rule and reign in the earth.
When God created Adam, he gave him dominion and authority over the earth (Genesis 1:26, AMP). However, when Adam rebelled against God, he turned his authority to rule over to the devil. Satan then had control over everything except the throne of God (2 Corinthians 4:4). Since Satan contaminated the ground with sin, God couldn't destroy Adam and make another man from the dust of the earth. Aren't you thankful that He had plan? He came to the earth as a man. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, he defeated Satan and took back our authority to rule (Hebrews 2:9, 14), and we have been restored to our rightful place of authority.
Jesus has all power and authority in heaven and earth (Matthew 28:18). Since we were raised with Him, we have all power and authority as well (Ephesians 2:4-7). Therefore, do not neglect your right to rule and reign in the earth. Every time the enemy tries to attack you, consider it an opportunity to exercise your power over him. You have the authority to declare what is lawful and unlawful in this earth, and to permit or to forbid things on the earth-even death (Matthew 16:18-19, AMP).
I challenge you to begin making demands in Jesus' name. John 14:13-14 says, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." The word ask means "demand." What you demand in Jesus' name (from the Word), He promises He will do. Understand that when you make a demand, you aren't demanding that God do things. Instead, you are demanding that the devil submit to the Word, to loose his hold and to stop his operations against you.
Faith is involved in exercising your spiritual authority. You must base your faith on what the Word says, not on circumstances. When circumstances do not change immediately, some people become discouraged and begin to speak doubt and unbelief. This only gives the devil dominion over their words, which ultimately defeat them. Don't hand over your authority to Satan through your words. Instead, break the power of the devil by walking in your authority!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
