Tag Archives: Jesus

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

Posted on by
Reply

Empowered by the Holy Spirit

“Do not be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

(Ephesians 5:18)

Do you ever feel like the Christian life doesn’t work for you? Do you feel it’s just too hard? If you answered “Yes,” read on.

D. L. Moody was talking with a friend one day about this very problem. Placing an empty drinking glass on the table before his friend, he said, “Tell me, how can we get the air out of this glass?”

His friend immediately replied, “You could remove it with a pump.” Moody reminded him that the resulting vacuum would shatter the glass. The friend thought hard before admitting he was stumped. Moody then brought a pitcher and filled the glass with water.

“The air is now removed,” he said. “In the same way, it doesn’t work to try forcing the sin out of our lives; more sin just rushes in to replace it. But being filled with the Holy Spirit does the trick.”

The key to living the Christian life is not the result of trying to act like a Christian. That only leads to frustration. The secret is developing your relationship with God empowered by the Holy Spirit. As God’s Spirit fills us, and as we come to better understand who God really is, our lives are changed—from the inside out. Right behavior is merely the end product.

Related articles

I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth

Posted on by
Reply

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2”

The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I’m going to rain down food from heaven for you.  Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they need for that day.  On the sixth day they’ll gather food, and when they prepare it, there will be twice as much as usual.”

God meets daily needs daily!

You look at tomorrow’s demands, next week’s bills, next month’s calendar.  Your future looks as barren as the Sinai Desert.  “How can I face my future?” you ask.

God tells you to look up!

Trust Him.  Make it your day changer.  Give your attention to what God is doing right now.  Don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  Mark 7:37 says, “God has done it all and done it well.”

Related articles

Don’t be drawn away by the lust of the flesh.

Posted on by
Reply

Lust

Lust (Photo credit: Leonard John Matthews)

Don’t be drawn away by the lust of the flesh.

Proverbs 6:24-29 “To keep you from the evil woman, From the flattering tongue of a seductress.

25 Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, Nor let her allure you with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a harlot A man is reduced to a crust of bread; And an adulteress will prey upon his precious life.

27 Can a man take fire to his bosom, And his clothes not be burned?

28 Can one walk on hot coals, And his feet not be seared?

29 So is he who goes in to his neighbor’s wife;”

It has become the plague of the 21st century and the strategy by the devil to destroy the family. Marriage and the family is ridiculed and scorned on by the world and Children of God need to make a stand against the wave of sexual perversion that has us sweeping the world. The kingdom of God needs men with backbone and moral integrity that will take their place as priests in the home and not be drawn away by the lust of the flesh.

Related articles
  • If you allow yourself to be captivated by lust, don’t be surprised when you’re it’s captive. #Jesusfrees. (god-still-speaks.com)

God is more than able to give you what you need and more. He is able to make you rich!

Posted on by
Reply

English: Christ Handing the Keys to St. Peter ...

Image via Wikipedia

God is more than able to give you what you need and more. He is able to make you rich!

Follow the Directions

by Pastor Andre Butler

Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and

cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when

thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that

take, and give unto them for me and thee

Mathew 17:27

Look at this example of how God is able to provide with abundance, even

for paying tax. Jesus told Peter to take a hook, throw it in the

water, take the first fish that took the hook, open his mouth, and find

four days wages.

Notice two things. First, God gave this fish specific directions. The

fish had to go down to the bottom of the sea, eat the gold coin, swim

over to the shore, and wait. When the hook came, he had to jump on it.

Secondly, Peter had to be obedient to God’s specific instructions.

When you start worrying about how and what’s going to happen, you take

your focus off God and start looking for the person you think God’s

going to use. Forget the how—just know Who! God is more than able to

give you what you need and more. He is able to make you rich!

Related articles

The Wages of Sin. Death!

Posted on by
Reply

1980s (mid) - Eve - tree - pigtails - 0033

1980s (mid) - Eve - tree - pigtails - 0033 (Photo credit: Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL))

The Wages of Sin

by Bishop Keith A. Butler

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto

the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and

unto dust shalt thou return.

Genesis 3:19

This verse records the actual death sentence that doomed Adam and

Eve-and you and me-to physical death one day. Death, sickness, disease

and lack were never included as parts of God‘s perfect plan for man.

These are the sad by-products of sin, of Adam’s fatal choice to seek

knowledge and identity outside of and separate from God’s plan.

God never intended for a single human being’s body to be put into the

ground. He created us to live eternally-every our physical bodies. As I

understand it, the cells of the human body appear to be designed to

live forever. Scientists have long been puzzled as to why they

gradually run out of energy and die. The answer is in God’s Word in the

Book of Genesis.

It even appears that the animals in Eden never died-or they didn’t

until God had to kill two animals and use their skins to cover the

nakedness of Adam and Eve after they sinned. Those innocent animals

died to provide a covering for Adam and Eve’s shame and nakedness. This

incident marks the first appearance of the blood sacrifice of innocents

as atonement for the guilty, and it drives home the horror of the wages

of sin.

Prayer for Today

Father,

You are the all-powerful, all-wonderful, almighty Savior of the world.

Thank you for redeeming me from the power of sin and death and for

giving me life eternal through your Son. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Think on These Things

* Daniel 12:2

* Ecclesiastes 3:20

Related articles

Worry Changes nothing

Posted on by
Reply

stressed and worried

Image via Wikipedia

Worry Changes nothing

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  Matthew 6:26-27

Let’s make a list—“The Advantages of Anxiety”

Let’s start our list with worry helps our health.  Lose sleep and live longer.  A nervous stomach is a happy stomach, isn’t it?

We can even plan days of worry.

Monday—stress over the economy

Tuesday—list the reasons we could be unemployed by year end.

Let’s face it!  Worry has no advantages.  It ruins health, robs joy, and changes nothing!  Our days stand no chance against the terrorists of the “Land of Anxiety.”  But Christ offers a worry-bazooka.

Remember how he taught us to pray?  “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Worry doesn’t empty tomorrow of its sorrows; it empties today of its strength.  Live one day at a time.  Make it a day changer!  God’s Word says: “He will take care of everything you need!”

Choose to make every day a great day!

Related articles

Walking with God

Posted on by
Reply

King James Version of the Bible

Image via Wikipedia

Walking with God

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to You.

Psalm 143:8, NKJV

Every morning that I’m home, weather permitting, I walk with two friends for two and a half miles. We have to abide by two basic rules when we walk, or we can’t walk together. The first rule is that we must walk at the same pace. The second rule is that we must walk in the same direction. The same two rules apply when walking with God.

To walk at this pace means that we are living our lives in step-by-step obedience to His Word. To walk in the same direction means that we surrender the direction of our lives to Him. The only way we can know His pace and direction is to prayerfully read His Word.

What adjustments do you need to make so you can walk with God? Adjustments in your daily and weekly schedule? Adjustments in your attitude and ambition? Adjustments in your personal habits of prayer and Bible reading? Make sure you are not too busy for daily prayer and Bible reading or you will get out of step and lose your sense of direction.

Related articles

God Is The Only One That Can Promote You

Posted on by
19

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

God Is The Only One That Can Promote You

DRAWN BY God’s POWER

Mark 1:37, “And when they had found him, they said unto him, All [men] seek for thee.”

MK. 1:35-39; LK. 4:42-44

This is an amazing statement. Jesus‘ ministry was only a few months old and the masses of people were already seeking him out.

This is even more astonishing when you realize that Jesus had not used any of the conventional methods of publicity. In fact, Jesus had already rejected publicity during His first ministry in Jerusalem (Jn. 2:24-25). There was no natural explanation for Jesus’ success.

God is the one who promoted Jesus. And He used supernatural means to do it. It was not the slick techniques of Madison Avenue that brought the crowds–it was the awesome manifestation of God’s power.

Just the day before, Jesus had cast the demon out of a man at the synagogue in Capernaum (Mk. 1:21-28). This caused the whole city to gather at Peter‘s house and Jesus healed every one of them (Lk. 4:40).

Jesus’ display of the miraculous power of God was the spark that the Holy Spirit used to light a fire in the hearts of these people. Jesus had this power because of His intimate relationship with His father. It is no accident that He was praying while all men were seeking Him.

As you seek to touch others with the new life that you’ve found in Christ, let God confirm His Word with the miraculous manifestations of His power through you

Related articles

Be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Posted on by
Reply

Church-of-the-Holy-Spirit-Jihlava2011

Image via Wikipedia

Filled with the Holy Spirit

Ephesians 5:18, NIV

God has clearly commanded you and me to “be filled with the Spirit.” But an unconfessed sin or resistance to His authority will block the “flow” of His life within us. If we do not deal with it, our spiritual lives become stagnant and we lose our attractiveness and usefulness to God. And we have nothing refreshing about us that would draw other people to Christ.

What is hindering you from being filled with the Holy Spirit? To be filled with the Holy Spirit is to be under His moment-by-moment control. He has not been given to you so that you can keep Him confined to a particular area in your life. Let Him loose! He is Lord! The amount of power you experience to live a victorious, triumphant Christian life is directly proportional to the freedom you give the Spirit to be Lord of your life!

Blessings

Related articles

Pray for God’s Guidance

Posted on by
Reply

Česky: Kříže - symbol utrpení Ježíše Krista a ...

Image via Wikipedia

Pray for Guidance

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort.

2 Corinthians 1:3

In order for cultures to become violent, barbaric, and uncaring, they have to be trained in violence, barbarism and selfishness.

In Amos 1:11 God points out that when we “pursue with the sword” we “stifle all compassion.” He was not pleased and “his anger raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked.” He was speaking of the city of Tyre, but He could have been speaking of any of today’s youth. In our movies, video games, television and music, the culture of fury is glorified. Violence is presented as the one and only solution to problems. Pursuing our neighbors with “swords” is glorified over compassion, forgiveness and understanding. Is it any wonder that our youth load guns instead of playing with one another?

Our nation was founded on positive values-life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is important to return to these God-given pursuits, and we need to ask for His help.

As a society, we need to demonstrate love, not violence. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in choosing forms of entertainment that are pleasing to God.

Further Reading

•Ephesians 4:32

•Philippians 2:1-3

•Colossians 3:12-13

God Bless

Related articles

In the kingdom of God, we won’t be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things

Posted on by
Reply

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

In the kingdom of God, we won’t be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things

MINISTRY IN ACTION

Mk. 1:31, “And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.”

MT. 8:14-17; MK. 1:29-34; LK. 4:38-41

How did Peter‘s mother-in-law minister unto Jesus and His disciples? Did she sit them down and preach to them? Certainly not. Yet sometimes people think the only way we can minister to another is to admonish them with the scriptures.

Peter’s mother-in-law apparently ministered to them by serving them. The word translated “minister” is the same word that was translated “deacon” twice in the New Testament, and “serve, served or serveth” eight times.

We can minister for the Lord by doing some of the menial tasks that many consider to be unimportant. Jesus said that even a cup of cold water given in His name would not go unrewarded (Matthew 10:42).

Many people are waiting for the important jobs to come along where they can make a big impact or receive a lot of recognition, while they pass by many lesser opportunities every day. But in the kingdom of God, we won’t be given any great opportunities until we are proven faithful in the small things (Luke 16:10).

Today, ask the Lord to show you ways you can minister to others by serving them.

Related articles

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Posted on by
Reply

Two Eagles

Two Eagles (Photo credit: Travis S.)

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, . . . and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:2-4, NKJV

On The Wings Of Faith

I understand that a turkey and an eagle react differently to the threat of a storm. A turkey reacts by running under the barn, hoping the storm won’t come near. On the other hand, an eagle leaves the security of its nest and spreads its wings to ride the air currents of the approaching storm, knowing they will carry it higher in the sky than it could soar on its own.

Based on your reaction to the storms of life, which are you?

A turkey or an eagle?

It’s natural for me to be a turkey in my emotions, but I have chosen to be an eagle in my spirit. And as I have spread my wings of faith to embrace the “Wind,” placing my trust in Jesus and Jesus alone, I have experienced quiet, “everyday” miracles:

His joy has balanced my pain.

His power has lifted my burden.

His peace has calmed my worries.

So . . . would you spread your wings of faith and soar?!

Blessings

Related articles
  • A Fresh Start (momsfirstscreenn.wordpress.com)
  • Daily Tidbits 2/6 – The Eagle (littleguyintheeye.wordpress.com)
  • The eagle bone whistle…are you one? Must read. (pastormikesays.wordpress.com)
  • Early Morning Cup of Love- Karen Rowe, Guest Barista (deweymoede.wordpress.com)
  • The Holy Spirit (gospelline.net)
  • Holy Spirit… (godrocksmysoul.wordpress.com)
  • Proverbs 30 with Proverbial Wisdom (josephprestonkirk.wordpress.com)

God Values Life

Posted on by
Reply

Ezekiel at 22 minutes of age

Ezekiel at 22 minutes of age (Photo credit: David T Jones)

God Values Life

He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.

Psalms 72:13-14

We have a tendency to think of ourselves as being more civil than those who have come before.

However, God measures a society by what it does to uphold the integrity, dignity and sanctity of life. God cries out against oppression. God does not believe anyone is disposable or expendable. He issues commands in the Bible to ensure that His people knew how precious life is: Leviticus 24:17 says, “If anyone takes the life of a human being, he must be put to death.”

The prophet Ezekiel speaks out against the people of Israel who have forgotten this truth. In Ezekiel 45:9 he says, “You have gone far enough, O princes of Israel! Give up your violence and oppression and do what is just and right!”

Because every life is precious to God, it must be precious to His people.

Our job as Christians is to take a stand against such atrocities and pray that God will turn this nation back to the values upon which it was founded.

Further Reading

•Isaiah 5:7

•Ezekiel 35:6

•Habakkuk 2:12

God Bless

Related articles

Let the Spirit of God live through you as He did through Jesus and you will either make people mad or glad, but there will not be indifference

Posted on by
Reply

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

Unclean Spirits

Mark 1:23, “And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out;….”

MK. 1:21-28; LK. 4:33-37

Many people don’t associate demon possessed people with places of worship. Yet most of the demons that Jesus cast out were encountered in the church. Why would demon possessed people be in church?

In some cases, the people were there because they were seeking help. The church, like a hospital, offers people the cure and therefore, attracts those who are sick.

In other cases, the devil sows these types of people in the church to spread spiritual disease. A church that is teaching the true Word of God should either try to evangelize these individuals or make them so convicted that they move on. Sad to say, demon possessed people can thrive in most religious settings today.

We always need to show love for the sinner as Jesus did, but we should cut the devil no slack. If a person wants to keep an evil spirit on the inside of them, they should not feel at home in church.

Let the Spirit of God live through you as He did through Jesus and you will either make people mad or glad, but there will not be indifference.

Related articles

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Posted on by
Reply

English: Learning to swim on her back

Image via Wikipedia

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Ever have one of those days when you realize you’re off track?

In one of my not so bright moments, I entered a 1.2 mile ocean swim.  Some were hoping to win a medal.  I was hoping to finish before dinner!

I’d practiced in the swimming pool.  But in a wind-chopped ocean?  No problem, just swim from buoy to buoy. In my case, that became, boy oh boy!

Half a dozen swimmers swam by me.  So I joined up.  How much easier it became.  My hand slapped the rescue canoe along with the others.

“Where you folks headed?” asked the guy in the canoe.

I looked around—we were at least a quarter mile off track!  So many swimmers couldn’t be wrong, could we?

Jesus, enjoying a clear view of the shoreline says—“Need help getting back on course?”

Wise are the ones who nod and swim in the direction He points!

Related articles
  • Paying Attention to the Details (5gsandacupofjoe.net)
  • Quote of the Day – The Good Shepherd (jacktscully.wordpress.com)

The Solution to Sin

Posted on by
Reply

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

The Solution to Sin

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.

Ephesians 2:13, NIV

God is righteous and just. But God is also loving and merciful. He cannot be less than Himself. Satan, in his temptation of Adam and Eve and in his plan to defeat the purpose of God, failed to take into account the very character of God. He failed to realize one very important thing – how much God loved the man and woman He had created and the depths to which His grace would go in order to bring them back to Himself. It never entered Satan’s wicked, self-centered imagination that God would commit the fullness of His eternal, divine nature to bring man back into a right relationship with Himself. It never occurred to Satan, whoever seeks his own preeminence, that the Creator of the universe would lay down His own life in atonement for man’s sin. But that’s exactly what happened. The solution to the problem of sinfulness is the cross of Jesus Christ. Amen!

Related articles

But whom say ye that I am?

Posted on by
Reply

Jesus H. ChristBut whom say ye that I am?”

Matthew 16:15 says: “He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?”

In the world there are people who have differing images of who Jesus is. Some see Him as a healer because He has healed them.

Others see Him as a God who blesses because He has blessed them over and over.

Some see Him as one who has forsaken them because of the experiences they have had and the many situations they have encountered in life. They believe Jesus did not come through for them. They believe He does things for others, but He does not do anything for them. This is very sad.

There are many other images of Jesus around the world in our churches, in our communities, and in our homes. The most important image of Jesus is found in the Bible. The Bible is a reflection of who He is, a reflection that is unchangeable. What the Word says Jesus is, He is, and what it says He will do, He will do. What the Bible says Jesus wants to do, He wants to do. So today, erase every image that is contrary to the Word, and look at the scripture to see clearly who He is.

Look at Our Lord And Savior Jesus Christ  anew!

Related articles

Give Every Day a Chance. Forgiveness!

Posted on by
Reply

"Forgiveness" by Carlos Latuff.

Image via Wikipedia

Give Every Day a Chance. Forgiveness!

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

A friend shared with me the fate of a hoarding grandmother.  She refused to part with anything.

She couldn’t rest because junk covered her bed.  She lost treasures because they were obscured by mountains of trash. Jewelry, photographs, favorite books—all were hidden.

No rest.  No treasures.

Squirrel away your hurts and expect the same.  Or clean your house and give the day a fresh chance!

“But” you say, “the hurt is so deep.”

I know, they took so much.

But why let them keep taking from you?  Haven’t they stolen enough?

“But, I’ve been so angry for so long.”

Forgiveness won’t come overnight.  But you can take the baby steps in the direction of grace.  Forgive in phases.

Quit cussing the perpetrator’s name.  Start praying for him; understand her.

Give the grace you’ve been given!  Make it a day changer!

Related articles

Paradise Lost! But Thank You Jesus

Posted on by
Reply

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

Paradise Lost! But Thank You Jesus

“The man . . . must not . . . take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:22-23, NIV

Adam and Eve were driven from their garden home, driven from security and safety and serenity and success and satisfaction, separated from God! The loneliness and desperate agony of loss must have been overwhelming. As they looked back, they could see at the entrance to what had been their home a powerful angel standing guard with a sword swirling like a mad dervish, preventing any thought of return. The finality of their separation from all they had been created for must have been devastating.

Since there was only one entrance into the Garden and it was guarded carefully and constantly, it was not just hard to get back into God’s presence-it was impossible! God Himself prevented it. Neither Adam nor Eve, nor you nor I, nor anyone ever born into the human race could ever get back into God’s Presence. The Garden of Eden, God’s heavenly home, can never be regained through human effort. Paradise was lost! But Thank God For His Son Jesus Christ ! We are now put right with our Heavenly Father. We can now boldly come before His presence!

We often fail to see the potentials in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearances and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released

Posted on by
Reply

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...

Image via Wikipedia

We often fail to see the potentials in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearances and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released

FAMILIARITY BREEDS CONTEMPT

Luke 4:24, “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.”

LUKE 4:16-30

A modern day equivalent of this verse is “familiarity breeds contempt.” Those who know the most about us also know more of our faults than anyone else. As a general rule, our weaknesses will blind most people to our strengths.

However, in the case of Jesus, there were no faults or failures to bias these people. In this instance, the problem stemmed from the people’s lack of perception. They knew Jesus better than most in the flesh, but they had failed to see who He was in the Spirit.

Jesus was God in all His power and majesty, yet He was clothed in flesh –a human in every respect (1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:3). These people looked on Jesus’ outward appearance and failed to see God within (1 Sam. 16:7).

Likewise, we fail to see the potential in others and even in ourselves because of our preoccupation with the outward appearance and actions. But within every born again person is a new creation which is waiting to be released (2 Cor. 5:17). All it takes is someone who believes.

Today look beyond the exterior in yourself and others and help bring into reality what we can be in Christ.

Related articles