2 Houses

March 17,2021

Wednesday

Exodus 34:1-2 And the Lord said to Moses, “Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. 2 So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to ME there on the top of the mountain. 

Come up in the morning and meet with God. Present yourself to Him.

Exodus 33:11 So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. 

You will get in the presence of God much quicker if you go to Him before you do anything else. Here’s why: when you wake up, you engage in the natural. Your brain will start thinking, reading, looking, listening. Then when you go to pray, your mind is already engaged in other things. You are trying to pray, and your brain is elsewhere thinking of what you need to do that day and you are engaged in the natural things of this world, not giving your full attention to God. Therefore, it takes longer to get focus and in His presence. It takes time to quiet your soul, mind, and body. If you will establish getting up early enough to spend time with God, before you do anything else, it will put you in a position to have more quality time with God. 

Proverbs 7

Verse 4 – treat wisdom as you would your own. Treat her as if she is your sister.

There are 2 women. 2 houses. 2 kingdoms. 2 systems. Every morning you wake up, both are present whether you see them or not. They are in the unseen realm and they affect everything that goes on in the natural based on which one you engage in.  Every morning the strange woman (kingdom of darkness) is luring you, flattering you. Whatever it is she needs to do to get you in her house, she will do it. Whatever your price is, she will pay it. That world system is watching you all the time, it knows everything about you. It knows what you yield to, what you’re interested in, what you give your time to, what you think and talk about, where you go and what you do. It uses this information to appeal to you in that arena to draw you in. If this system can draw you in, it can neutralize you as far as the purpose of God for your whole life. Do not settle for what the world can give you. God is calling you higher! God’s purpose for your life is higher than anything the world can give you. You can be so much more with the presence of God on your life. It is your choice. Whichever house you choose to go to each morning will affect your entire day, and in turn, your life. You have to start living like this day by day. 

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. 

This is totally contrary to what the world system teaches us. Jesus was teaching to live your life day by day. Plan your day or the world system will plan it for you. If you don’t order you tomorrow today, the devil is right there, and he will order it for you. Spend your first hour with God every morning and in one week’s time you will notice a difference.

Psalm 23:1-3 The Lord is my Shepherd;

I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul;

If you have want or lack in your life, it is because the Lord is not your Shepherd. He is the best Shepherd there is! It is just like you care for your pets, cats, dogs, etc. They are a direct reflection of your care. If they are in rough shape, it is not their fault, it is yours! Every day when you wake up and those two systems are looking at you, the Holy Spirit has already prepared a table for you. On that table is exactly what you need that day for everything you’ll face. You don’t know what you’re going to face, but your Shepherd does. And He wants to prepare you every morning. Your Shepherd knows everything the enemy is going to try to do in your life every single day, and HE prepares a table. If you’ll go eat at that table, whatever the enemy throws at you, you’ve got everything that you need to deal with him, overcome him, and win that day. The table is spread every morning whether you eat of not. There’s just enough for that day. When you go to bed that night, He doesn’t sleep. He is in there getting the table prepared for the next morning. God is on the mountain waiting for you to come meet with Him!

God is endeavoring to take us to a place we’ve never been before. We have so much more available to us! The Holy Spirit is sent from heaven to help us succeed in every arena of life.

Judges 16

The story of Sampson and Delilah is a great example of exactly what we’ve been talking about.  We have to get rid of the picture in our heads of Sampson that Hollywood has painted. Often, we imagine a large muscular man, but he was a man no different that you and me. His strength was supernatural. If he were a giant muscle head, the Philistines would not be wandering where his strength came from. When they looked at him, they couldn’t understand him. Read through the story and pay close attention to verse 16. And it came to pass, when she pestered him daily with her words and pressed him, so that his soul was vexed to death. This is a picture of the worlds system. It is endeavoring to entice you and distract you! Do what is necessary to overcome this every single day!

Agape

March 14, 2021

Sunday AM

Mark 12:28-34 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”

29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

But after that no one dared question Him.

Its narrowed down to two commandments. Love God, and love others as yourself. That’s pretty simple! Sometimes we think we have a whole list to do, but Jesus has narrowed it down to two. People don’t pursue love because they don’t understand what it will do for them and what it will do in their lives. God has to do things in you before He can do things through you.  We often wait on good things to happen to us before we are joyful or peaceful. But the world cannot give us lasting joy nor peace. 

Natural love

·      Phileo

·      Storge

·      Eros

Divine love

·      Agape

Phileo – friendly love

Storge – parental love

Eros – marital love

All three of these types of love originate on earth. They can be very strong but, they are selfish, they have limits, and they will let you down. Agape does not originate in man. It comes from God only. You must go to Him to get it and it must be developed. You cannot find this love on earth unless you find a born-again believer who has developed it. Agape is selfless. It denies itself on behalf of others. Its sole focus is the well-being of the other person. When you got born again, the seed of agape was born in your heart. You can learn about love and be taught about love. You can read about it in a book, but until you intentionally develop it, you won’t experience it. It won’t work by just confessing it a few times. Confession is not trying to get God to do something, or convince Him, it is beneficial for you. It talks YOU into believing it. 

Luke 7:11-14  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother.

This is the story of Jesus at the city of Nain when He raises the widow’s son from the dead.  This is not the kind of compassion that you can work up. This kind of compassion is not pity nor is it natural.  Compassion is a fruit of agape. To operate in that kind of compassion, the love has to be developed.  

This is a picture of what can happen when God gets to have His way. Love compelled Him to raise that boy. He had something working in His life that the others didn’t. Love raised that boy from the dead. Divine compassion never takes no for an answer. This is the potential for the love of God working through a human being. The love of God that’s in you is limitless. With love all things are possible. This is what happens when God has a vessel His compassion can flow through. He did it all to stop that widow’s pain. This is what love looks like. 

Psalm 145:8-9 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to ALL, His tender mercies are over all His works. 

Gracious means disposed to show favors. He would rather you doubt His ability than His willingness. 

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The Goat

March 10, 2021

Wednesday

Grab your Bible! This whole message is a teaching from Matthew 18. 

In verse one the question is asked, who does heaven look at as the greatest? It is answered in verse 35. The greatest in the kingdom is an individual that can forgive everyone their trespasses from their heart. In other words, this person can carry the greatest authority in the kingdom. This is because that individual would never use that authority to hurt another person. Authority can be used for good or for bad. Heaven does not take kindly to the mistreatment of people. 

“I depend on my love walk more for health & healing than I do my confession of faith. “  -Kenneth E. Hagin

It is so important that we stay attentive to our love walk for our health and personal wellbeing. Have you ever confessed and not see it work? Prayed prayers of faith over people and not see it work? It is because you do not know what is in the heart.  Heaven is more interested in the condition of our heart than the comfort of our flesh. As human beings we are usually more interested in the comfort of our flesh rather than the condition of our hearts.  Your heart is the command  center of your life. “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it flows the forces of life.”  Your life comes out of your heart. The mouth is nothing but a spigot. People think they need to get ahold of their tongues, but the real issue is of the heart.  If you want to change what comes out of your mouth, change what’s in your heart. 

In verse 23-25, it talks of a very large amount of money. It can be found that this amount could not be earned in 5 lifetimes.  We see that the master was going to sell this man and his whole family and everything he had. The power of what’s in a human heart can affect everyone around you and everything you touch. Your heart will either cause good in all those areas, or bad. 

Verse 26-27  -  He humbled himself. The master was moved with compassion and loosed him with full forgiveness. The way this man reacted and positioned himself, saved his whole family. Unforgiveness clogs the arteries of compassion. Which would you rather be? Angry or compassionate? When you humble yourself you open a door for love and compassion to enter in. 

Verse 18 – This has nothing to do with binding and loosing devils. This is all about forgiveness. Its about binding and losing yourself which is done through unforgiveness and forgiveness. 

Verse 28-34   -  We have all gone searching for revenge. We want those who do wrong to us to suffer.  If you’re a person who stubbornly refuses to forgive someone it puts you in a demonic prison and you’ll pay for it in ways that you never would’ve had to.  People live in torment and fear because of this very thing. It does not matter how much you rebuke the devil, you will have to deal with unforgiveness in your life before the enemy will obey you. 

We are responsible for our own hearts. Keep it with all diligence. We only have to get one thing right: LOVE.  It is everything! The measuring stick of your maturity is the condition of your heart. What degree of agape are you walking in? Love is a heart issue. For love to flow out of your heart, it has to be pooled in your heart. And it only comes from God.  Love is a choice you have to make constantly. Then it is an attitude. Love always has a good attitude! Love is never optional.

The greatest of the kingdom is someone who can forgive any transgressions from any person. You cannot do this apart from the love of God.  When you went to God you needed forgiveness and you got it. Do the same for others. 

He who is forgiven much, loves much

March 7, 2021

Sunday AM

Luke 7:36-47 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

This woman was well known in the city as an immoral person. It would be easy to be like the pharisee and see all the thoughts of the woman. The woman wasn’t invited but had heard that Jesus was there eating. But evidently what this woman had heard about Jesus had had such an effect on her that she wanted to change her life. A person who becomes born again, all old things have passed away and they become new. Think of an individual like Hitler for example. He is worldwide known as a very evil man. When you think of him you don’t think of anything good, only bad. But, if Hitler repented, Jesus would forgive him and wash him and turn him into a new creature. We take for granted so great a salvation. An individual goes to heaven or hell based on who he is, not what he has done. Jesus paid for it ALL. A person who is forgiven much, loves much. A person who is forgiven little, loves little. Which one are you? We all have been forgiven of much. We’ve been shown great mercy. When you walk knowing that, It causes an expression. Worship is an expression of what’s taking place in your heart. Something was working in that woman and compelling her to do what she did.  She was wanting deliverance.  Until something similar is taking place in your heart, you will not reach true worship. 

Without hooking up to the Holy Spirit you are limited to your own intellect.  You can be very smart and have lots of ideas, and you might make a pretty good life, but it will not be the life that He has for you. What He has for you is FAR better than anything you could ever come up with. He leaves it in a mystery on purpose because He knows you will mess it up. The plan has to be prayed out and walked out step by step. You have to grow and mature just like you do in your natural life. You can’t give a child certain responsibility like you can an adult. You have to grow into that. You have to reach understanding and comprehension. When you get involved with the Holy Spirit, He never misses it. He has no questions, all He has is answers.  He has no problems, only solutions. He knows everything that is to be known about every human and situation in existence.  He knows past and present and future and every plan for your life including the enemies plans for your life. He has all of this, and He is available to you and I. The problem is, we haven’t made ourselves available to Him. We live our lives however we want to live our lives.  Live your life for His plan so that you can stand before God and say that you did what you were supposed to do. Just as Jesus was able to do. Apart from the Holy Ghost you cannot do it. 

James 1:8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways.  

When you come to church, you subject yourself, spirit, soul, and body to the things of God. When you do this, it creates a desire to chase after the things of God and to know Him more. The problem is, when you leave church you leave the things of God and subject yourself to the things of this world. This is an example of “double-minded.” Because of what is available to us today, it is affecting us in ways we do not realize. You have to bring a discipline into your life and recognize when and what you are subjecting yourself to. It’s a real issue in this day because the world system is set up to distract and divide.  Our soul has the ability to transform us into what we subject it to the most. This can be used positively or negatively. 

All that will matter at the end of your life is what you were able to do for God. At the end of the day, people are going to do what they want to do. You are right where you are in life because that’s where you want to be. If you keep praying, things cannot stay how they are. You’ve been given a supernatural tool that if used, you can get some supernatural results. Many of us can relate to the woman from the story with many mess ups and regrets in our past. The beauty of our salvation is that our redemption provided a way out of everything and every excuse. You can be a person who don’t care. You can be a person that is mad at everybody. You can be a person that has no hope. You can be a person who is sick and depressed at all times. You can be a person that blames everyone around you.  The Holy Ghost sees our weaknesses and says, it does not matter.  If you will let me pray for you, all will resolve. If you’ll keep praying, you won’t stay that way. That’s the power that’s in it. People don’t worship because they don’t want to and because they do not realize how much they have been forgiven. God is gracious and full of compassion. Could you use any of that? Of course you could. How do you access it? PRAY. WORSHIP. How much time this week did you spend on your knees, before your God, worshiping Him for what He has already done for you? He’s already done enough for you to worship Him for every day for the rest of your life.

Tongues and Interpretation

“For many in this room right here this morning, there is a day and a time for things to come to an end in each and every one of your lives. And that day has come. I am presenting to you, I myself am compelling you, come unto me. Let me bear those things, let me do those things that you can never do. Let me be the God that I want to be to you.  Let me be the Father that I want to be to you. Let me help you as only I can help you. Never forget this, let me love you the way that I want to love you.”

That is the Holy Ghost compelling you and I. That is the Holy Ghost saying that things can change!  He is telling us that things can be different if only we will respond to Him. 

You cannot have a love for the Father and a love for the world. You cannot serve two masters. Choose today what you will follow after. Stop looking for something you are never going to get from the world! You won’t understand what is available to you, until you experience it for yourself. Get in the presence of God and take up your cross daily! What does this mean? It is different for everyone.  Because people are different, the cross is different. There are people who are highly motivated to get with God. So getting in the presence daily no matter the cost, is not a cross for them.  But the people who struggle to find that motivation, that is their cross.  Find whatever is your obstacle to getting in God’s presence daily and defeat it by taking it to Him. That is your cross. If you’re a person who always has an excuse, take up your cross. It will be very hard for you to do anything for God if you aren’t taking those steps to take up your cross.  Just as it takes time to develop a bad habit, it takes time to develop a good habit. When you develop this habit, you look on the things of the world and you have no desire to be a part of any of it.  People are  depressed and bored and don’t feel good because they need to plug into the socket and let the life, love, peace, and joy flow into them. 

Increasing your capacity to love

March 3, 2021

Wednesday

Mark 12:28-31 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all? 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Which is the first commandment of all? This translates as, “what is the most important thing that God has told us to do?” It is narrowed down to two things! Love God, and love others. The reason we don’t know and understand God like we should, is because we don’t understand Agape. We know and understand natural human love and have diluted Agape with natural human love because that is all we have known. Agape is not from this world. You are never going to know God without understanding Agape. Agape is a self-denying love that prefers the other person over itself. Its sole interest is the well-being of the other person more than itself.  Agape would never do anything to hurt another person. It does not even notice when someone does something wrong. When you got born again, the love of God came into you in seed form. You can be taught the scriptures about love, but until you experience it for yourself, you cannot grow in it. 

Compassion is not pity. True compassion is a divine attribute of Agape. When Agape grows in your life, so will compassion. 

Luke 7:11-16 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. 16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.”

Jesus didn’t see the funeral, he didn’t see the casket, he didn’t see anything but her. When He saw her, he had compassion for her. He didn’t feel sorry for her. You cannot confuse the two. He was secure in who He is and with no fear He spoke to the boy to come alive. Love is greater than death! Love is God! Love came to that funeral! God was showing who He is! The life of Jesus is your inheritance! God is a father before He is anything. He created us because He wanted a family! He anointed Jesus (a natural man) with the Holy Ghost and power. You are a natural man, you have a natural body. You are not walking around with darkness and death in you, you’re walking with light and life!  We are to love and shine that light! But we have to come to understand it for ourselves. Not because it was explained to us or we learned it in a book, you have to experience it for yourself! It’s why we were created! Let that love take over you and compel you to do things you could never do apart from it. It is supernatural and happens from the inside out. You got more than heaven insurance when you were born again. You have heaven in you now! Eternal life isn’t just for when you get to heaven, its for now! 

Love your neighbor as yourself. No grudges, no offences, no revenge! The same love that you love God with, is the same love you should love others with. When the love of God comes into you, the things that you once thought were important become less and less. The things that God sees as important become the important things to you. There’s nothing more important to God than people. Selfishness and pride are on a ridiculous level in our day. If you increase your love, those things will leave you! Focus on love! Every morning bring God a gift. What is the gift? You.  Make sure you bring all of you. God doesn’t want just part.  Bring your mind, will, and emotions. How do you increase the love? Pray in the Holy Ghost. Your mind does not understand it but the Holy Spirit is teaching you on the inside. You will start reading the scriptures and it will come alive to you! Supernatural understanding! The love will affect you from the inside out and drive out fear, anxiety, and worry. You’ll experience a peace that you never knew existed! Let Him increase the capacity! The more the capacity increases, the more of His love He can pour on you! 

Be the One

February 28, 2021

Sunday AM

Luke 11:1-4 Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”

2 So He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.”

Exodus 20:18-21 Now all the people witnessed the thundering’s, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”20 And Moses said to the people, “Do not fear; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

Your success in life will be determined by 3 things. 

1.    Your prayer life

a.    Without a consistent, fervent prayer life, you will never know God nor will you have the ability to live the life He has prepared for you. As you pray His life flows to you and gives you a supernatural ability to walk out the scriptures. 

b.    Anyone can learn to pray and have their own personal prayer life. If you don’t have a prayer life, it is because you don’t want one. 

2.    How selfishly you will live your life

a.    It is your choice how you will live your life. The question is, “how will you live your life?” NOT “what will you do with your life?”

b.    If you choose to live your life for yourself and what you want in life, you will never have what God wants for you. But if you choose to live for Him, and what He wants in your life, that opens an avenue for Him to come in. 

3.    Will you stand at a distance, or draw near?

a.    Exodus 20:21So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was.

b.    God came to meet them face to face. It was quite an experience. So much so, that many were literally afraid. They started to distance themselves and stood afar off. But, Moses drew near! 

Luke 17:11-19 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Samaria was a place of rejection. It’s where the outcasts or “unclean” dwelled. Leprosy was incurable and very contagious. These people were “quarantined” in a way. Part of the law of that time, was that when you go to the priest, He would verify you as “clean” and that gave you the right to go back into society and the temple. According to the law, you couldn’t go to the priest until you were healed. But, in this passage, Jesus told them to do something that was totally against logic. All He was asking them to do was obey Him. (Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.)He tells them to go show themselves to the priest, all ten of them. They were not healed in an instant, but as they journeyed towards the priest. They were asked to do something. People are waiting for God to do something, before they do something. It does not work that way! If you operate like this, you will stay the very same and continue to be stuck in your own ways. You must decide you are going to obey. This is called faith! Faith is simple. It is acting on what God said to do. They were cleansed as they were on their way! One of them noticed what was happening on this journey and turned back. With a LOUD VOICE he glorified God. Fell down on his face and gave God the gratitude. Jesus was curious where the other 9 that were healed. “Your faith has made you well.”  See what your faith can do for you? We have faith! We’re not trying to get faith; we already have it. Faith was redeemed in us when we were born again. We just need to learn to use the faith we have! We just need to obey! God has numerous ways of healing. In this instance, He simply spoke His word. If you’re going to have God’s best, you have to stop living your life so selfishly. The 9 were selfish and did not give the glory to God. Be the ONE not one of the nine! Don’t be ashamed or afraid! Thank Him for it even if you don’t see it or feel it! When Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, He said,” It’s done. It is completed. All I need to do has been done.” We ought to be the happiest people on earth! Most want God to do something for you before you give the thanks. Have you given Him thanks for the last thing He did for you? If people would live a thankful life, they would have less problems. Don’t be one of the nine who did not give thanks! Be the one! 

Offenses

February 24, 2021

Wednesday

Luke 17:1-2 Then He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come! 2 It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones. 

In this passage, the “little ones” mentioned is not a reference to children. It is talking about those newly coming into the faith. It should be harder to offend a seasoned Christian, than people who are new to the faith. But, because we know that, we have to handle it a little differently. The Lord takes this very seriously. In verse 3, He is warning us. 

Luke 17:3-4  Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,’ you shall forgive him.”

“Take heed to yourselves” is another way of saying, “Pay attention to yourself,” or “Always be on guard.” See how important this is? Rebuke in this context does not mean you attack them verbally. It means to approach your brother or sister in Christ and say, “you and I both know this is not right.” If they will acknowledge that and apologize, you must forgive them. Forgiveness is something we cannot put limits on. It does not matter the number. Unforgiveness is something you do not want in your life and you should avoid it at all costs. 

Matthew 18:1-7 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. 6 “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. 7 Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

When offenses come (and they undoubtedly will) what does pride do? It does not humble itself and forgive. Pride won’t admit wrongdoing. What would humility do? Admission of guilt and ask for forgiveness. You will have to have God to help in those moments. We know that we are not supposed to live in strife. We must set an example to the “little ones.” Do not cast a stumbling block or cause them to be offended! It don’t matter how painful it is, get unforgiveness out of your life! 

Luke 17:5  And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

They realized the seriousness of this matter and asked God for help. They were saying something along the lines of, “Add to me so that I can be this kind of person.”  We have been taught that faith comes by hearing the Word of God. But, that is not what this is teaching. Faith has been redeemed in us when we were born again.  We were dealt the same measure of faith.  Romans 12:3 says it like this: “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.”  Faith is simply awakened by hearing the Word of God. The measure of faith that was dealt to you was the amount you need to fulfil His purpose for your life and overcome anything that comes against you that tries to defeat you as you go about that purpose. All of our purposes are different. You’ve got the faith in you! So, asking for MORE faith is ineffective. 

Luke 17: 6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this sycamine tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. 

What is it that increases faith? Jesus points to a sycamine tree. This is a huge tree! It is something they can look at with their eyes and comprehend in their thinking. Then He points to something the size of a mustard seed. He is saying that it is not the size of your faith that is the problem! Because just the least bit of faith can take care of the biggest problem. It is not your faith that needs to be increased! If you’ll deal with these things in you that causes you to offend others, your faith will work like it should. You speak, and the mountain moves. The problem is not your faith, it is the other things in your life.  How do you straighten those areas of your life? It is difficult to do when you don’t even realize you have them. 

When you got born again, a lot more happened to you than you think. Your whole nature changed on the inside and the nature of God was born inside of you. When Adam and Eve ate of the apple, they went from life, to death. They took on a nature and capacity like the devil or darkness. That means they now have a capacity to become like a Hitler. They didn’t do it in that moment, but they had the capacity to do it. Well, we got born again, we went from death to life.  We got a new capacity to be taught and understand the things of God. You now have the capacity to love like God loves and forgive like God forgives. God can’t pour His love out on you any more than what you posses right now. If He could, He would. The reason He can’t is because your capacity is so small. You have to increase that capacity by getting into His presence. The longer you are in His presence, the more your capacity is increased and the more He is able to pour in. He will increase the more you go into His presence. It will grow and develop! When that happens, it will overtake that part of you that can offend. The two cannot coexist. You must take the time with Him! 

Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

You got life and light, and you’ve got darkness and fear. The two cannot coexist. If the Lord is your light and strength, you won’t be a person of fear. They can’t live in the same vessel. Thank Him for being God in your life, and it will increase His capacity to be that to you. Fear will have no chance! His love coming into your life pushes that out. A person who is unforgiving or could hurt people, are not making God the light of their life.  It’s impossible to have it both ways.  You think you need to meditate His word and increase your faith, but God is saying to get in His presence and let Him increase the love in your life so that He can take care of that for you. It works from the inside out. You won’t have to stand and grit your teeth when someone is acting out! You must decide you don’t want to be that way! Get in the presence of God! It can’t be done by will power! That will eventually break down. 

Jude 1:20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

When you go sit down and pray in the Spirit, you are building yourself up on your most holy faith. It’s the part of you where faith comes from, your spirit. “Keep yourself in the love of God”? How? Spending time in the presence of God and with the Holy Spirit. Let Him pray for you! He can’t pour if you don’t increase the capacity! It’s up to you! God wants you to get there, but you have to work with Him! You can’t keep constantly praying in tongues and getting in His presence by worshipping Him, without being delivered to the Love of God. You let that light shine in your life, and the darkness must go! 

The Gifts of the Spirit

February 21, 2021

Sunday AM

1 Corinthians 12:7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit with all.

Man left to himself will self-destruct. He is limited by his intellect. This is why God gave us a teacher – The Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of truth. God wants us to be informed. We usually limit these gifts to a church service. And they are more prevalent there, but you can’t limit these things to just in a church service. They are for believers and given to all of us. 

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 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.

These things work only as the Holy Spirit wills. It is not something you can do just because you want to. Once you start learning about God and knowing Him for yourself, you see that He is always willing. But He has to have a vessel. God would rather you doubt His ability than His willingness. He is ALWAYS willing. 

There are 9 gifts. They are manifestations of the spirit of God. Each of them have a particular purpose and each of them are different. They are all supernatural. 

1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

We are all the body of Christ, collectively. Like the human body, there are many members. Fingers, toes, arms, legs, internal organs, etc. None of us are the whole body. We are only a part. There are parts of the body that are more out front and some internal, but they are all equally important. God sets everyone in the body where it will please Him. Meaning, you don’t choose where you go to church. Did you choose the members of your body and where they would go? No. Most of the time, people choose wrong. They choose to their liking. But God knows what you NEED. He knows what you need because He knows what He has called you to do, and you do not. He knows if He can get you in the right environment, He can help you go faster and find your place in the body. 

Jesus is Jesus. The church is Christ. When Jesus was on the earth, He was the embodiment of the anointing of God. Everything He did here was as a man from Nazareth anointed by the Spirit. But He left and went to Heaven, and when He did, He gave gifts to men. Christ stayed here. Jesus is in Heaven. We are here on Earth. Jesus is the Head; we are the body. In other words, if the body of Christ could come together and find their place, there would be enough of Jesus in that building to meet any need that any person has. No one man has it all. 

1 Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

These are the eight operations of the spirit. The nine gifts, empower and qualify these offices.  Until you are empowered, you are not qualified to stand in that office. It’s very important that these ministry gifts are in the church because they have a function to help equip and prepare you for your place in the body. Every person in the body of Christ fits in one of these eight operations. Want to know what you’re called to do? It’s narrowed down to eight options right here in this verse. There is a process of maturity that must happen before you step into your office. This is why He has given us the gift of diversity of tongues. It processes you to be ready to step into your office. 

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The answer to all of these questions is no. What some people get confused about is the “do all speak with tongues?” part. He is speaking about tongues for interpretation in this context. Not all will give tongues for interpretations, but we are all called to speak in our own heavenly prayer language. The tongues for interpretation is a tongue that presents itself in the public assembly for the sole purpose of being interpreted so that the people will know the mind of God. You can’t operate in intercessional tongues, sign tongues, nor tongues for interpretation any time you want to.  Tongues for personal edification, you can use any time you want to, any place you want to, any volume you want to, as long as you want to. God made it like that so that if you would use this supernatural gift, He could do some things in your life and move you to get in your place in the body. Move you into the place where He can begin to equip you and empower you to stand in your place in the body.  People who sit in any church for years and years and never know where they fit, is because they do not use this gift. You can’t operate this gift and NOT find your place in the body. It is impossible! See the vital importance of your prayer language? God gave it to you as a supernatural means of administering help to you. God designed this gift so that you can do it while you do other things! You can drive a car and pray in tongues. You can use a vacuum cleaner and pray in tongues. You can do most things & pray in tongues at the same time. You do have time to do it! He made it in a way that you can whenever you want. 

1 Corinthians 14:2  For he that speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not unto men, but unto God: for no man understands him; howbeit in the spirit he speaks mysteries.

God already knows what He has planned for you. But you don’t. Not in the beginning. If He told you, you’d mess it up! Because of immaturity. He left it in a mystery. It is hidden FOR you, not FROM you. If you speak it out, you’ll pray out your life.  If you don’t pray, it won’t ever come to pass. There are things God has prepared for you, already fixed in place for you, that if you’ll pray it will come to pass. If you won’t, it CAN’T. The saying, “What’s meant to happen will happen” is common, but it is a lie! God has purposed many great things to happen to people and they did not because it was not prayed out.  The reason you have to pray it out, is because God has to use your tongue, your authority here on earth! People often say, “God is in control.” This is another lie! God is only in control when His people allow Him to work through them! God put man in charge in the earth and gave Him authority. He doesn’t come down here and just do what He wants to! If He was going to be that way, He would have done it with Adam! When Adam got that fruit, He would have knocked it out of his hand and told him how he was about to destroy the human race. But God gave us that authority to choose and when He gives a gift, He does not take it back. When God decided what He had planned for your life, He will never change His mind no matter how bad you mess it up. We are all unique, meaning, no one can be who you are called to be. No one can say it like you can say it. No one can sing it like you can sing it. We are all unique! God made us that way, just as our fingerprints, not one is the same. God has a plan and if you’ll pray it out, you’ll walk it out. Don’t focus on time lost, focus on time remaining. Know that God is a big God and He can make up time. The sooner you start, the better. It starts with a decision. When you pray in the Holy Ghost, GOD is praying for you! He can fix you! He can work everything out! He can heal you on the inside! He can straighten out your thoughts! Why won’t you let Him pray for you? God gave you keys and tools to help you get where He wants you to go. One of them is praying in tongues. It is so vital! It will take you into the truth of God’s plan for your life. If you’ll pray in tongues, you can’t stay ignorant and deceived. It is impossible. You will stop believing lies about yourself! You’ll start to understand who you are and who God is to you!  God wants to make you a success in everything you do that’s in line with His plan! God wants you to know His plan more than you want to know His plan. He’s not trying to keep it from you! You can’t pray in tongues and stay mean, miserable, and bitter. It’s impossible! The Holy Spirit always teaches in line with the Bible. 

1 Corinthians 12:31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

The best gifts are the gifts that empower and qualify YOUR office. It starts with diversities of tongues. It all starts there. 

1 Corinthians 13:13  And now abides faith, hope, and love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Go after this like you go after the things in the world and the things that you want, here’s a shortcut. 

Pursue God’s love like you have the things in the world! Nothing is more important than love. Pursue it because it is elusive. Stay with it until it’s yours! Every person who has ever been born again, the seed of agape has been put in them. We have the capacity to love like God does! It is a self-denying love that puts the needs of another before itself.  Human love is the opposite!  Have you ever heard the saying, “you have to love yourself before you can love anyone else?” This is ANOTHER lie!  The bible does not teach to love yourself. You will find it nowhere in your bible. What it does teach, is to love God and other people. Not yourself. Why not? Because you don’t have to love yourself if you know that HE loves you. It’s that simple! Pursue love! 

Approaching Prayer

February 17, 2021

Wednesday

Matthew 6:7 And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

Vain in this context means empty. They think if they keep praying over and over God will eventually hear and give in. That’s a wrong way of thinking. They do not know God. God is not like that. It doesn’t work when you are praying you are giving lip service, but your mind is somewhere else. Your heart is not in what your mind is not on. Vain repetition is when you a praying with your mouth, but your mind is somewhere else. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. In other words, every part of us. 

Matthew 6:8 “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.

When you work the Word, the Word will work for you. There are laws in the natural and there are laws in the spirit. If you work natural laws, they work for you. You have to SAY what you pray. Unspoken prayer requests don’t work. You have a part and God has a part. God always does His part. There is a proper approach to God! God designed prayer to get things from Him to you. We are going to have to change our attitude and how we think about prayer. God thinks about prayer as an opportunity to get to know you and you to know Him. But we look at prayer as a way to go to God to get something. Most only pray when they HAVE to. When a need pushes them to do it. It is an opportunity to come in living contact with Almighty God. When you learn how this protocol works and start using it, you will come in contact with the living God, and when you do that, there are things that flow from Him to you. If you can get in His presence, receiving from Him is easy! It becomes natural and not forced. They only way you will get to know Him is if you decide you are interested in Him. You have to be interested in knowing Him, not just getting things from Him. He sees your heart and He knows what is genuine and what isn’t. How you get things from God, is by knowing Him. You cannot trust anyone that you don’t know. God won’t push Himself on you. He wants to be pursued. You don’t come before God without acknowledging He is God. Your worship of Him should always come before asking Him for anything. Until you know Him, you’ll never know the person He made you to be. He made you to be just like Jesus. You are to be conformed to the image of Him. 

Your success in life will be measured by two things:

1-     Your prayer life

2-     How selfishly you choose to live.

Anyone can learn how to pray. If you want to, you can live your whole life for yourself. And if you do that you’ll lose your life. Or, you can live your life for God. We all get to make that choice and when we stand before Him, that will be accounted for. Everything God does, He does for us.

James 5: 13-18 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

If you are having trouble or experiencing a trial or difficulty, pray. That’s what God says! If you’ll pray, it will go away! You want someone else to pray, but God says, if you are afflicted, LET HIM PRAY! Prayer is a good thing. It’s the answer to your suffering.  Stop looking at the problem and look at the answer! If you’ll pray God will come on the scene and help you! Don’t look for someone else to do it for you. 

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned.

Do not blame your troubles on one another or you will be under judgement. A lot of people when experiencing a difficulty, look for someone to blame. Quit blaming and pray. God can’t help you if you’re blaming to others for your affliction. The quicker you can get with God and start praying, the quicker it will turn around. 

In verse 13 it also says, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.”   Notice it don’t say, “let him complain!” The problem is, you are afflicted because you won’t pray and therefor you aren’t cheerful and singing. It’s a cycle! If you want to be merry, you have to get rid of the affliction and to do that you must pray. 

Verse 14 mentions the “sick.” In this context it means someone who is beyond their own help. They are bedridden. Unable to do it themselves. HE must call the elders and let them pray OVER him. The oil is a type of the Holy Ghost. It is also something physical and tangible to help that person in their faith because they are struggling big time. 

Verse 15: And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

All prayers are made in faith, but there is a prayer OF faith. You don’t pray the prayer of faith for somebody, you pray over them. There is a difference. You’re not really an elder of the church unless you know how to pray the prayer of faith over someone. 

Verse 16: Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. 

In other words, in the congregation because we are family, you and I can pray, and someone else can be healed! Sometimes people cannot get healed because of things they hold in their heart. To get those things out, sometimes it has to be confessed. They have to deal with the issues in the heart before healing can take place. People are stuck in life because they won’t turn loose of things in their heart. It is serious! The reason you won’t turn loose is because you’re selfish and full of pride. When you start seeing that about yourself, you’ll realize how ugly it is. God has forgiven you for just as much ugly things as anyone has ever done to you. He did it with no questions. Every day you should say,” Thank you because I have been forgiven of so much.” The thing about God, is He won’t bring it back up, He won’t remind you, He won’t hold it against you! When you start getting to know Him and that starts affecting you, you’ll start to see other people like that. When you see those people who wronged you, you won’t see the things they have done.  You’ll start seeing them through different eyes. 

James 5:9 Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! 

Don’t hold unforgiveness and grudges in your heart! 

Prayer is an avenue to get to know God. The more you come to know Him the more you will get to know who you are to be and what belongs to you. Faith don’t work apart from knowing Him. He would rather you doubt His ability than His willingness. He has already said YES! All the promises of God are yes and amen. So why are you having such a hard time? You don’t know Him. God is willing! We have to believe that He is! When you get to know Him, you find out that He YEARNS to do things for you! You cant know Him apart from spending time with Him.  You will be wise to become interested in understanding and developing the love of God in your life. When you truly understand Gods love for you, faith is easy. It is second nature. You don’t have to talk God into giving you anything. He is a giver. He is gracious.

Mark 11:22-16  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. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

Prayer

Feb 10 Wed

People can need emotional healing just as much as they need physical healing. It would shock all of us if our soul man could step out and we could get a look at him. We see ourselves and the people around us through that part of us. Your perception colors everything in your world. Your perception can be so real to you. Provers 14:12 says, “There’s a way that seems right to a man, butthe end thereof [are] the ways of death.”People relate that to getting on the wrong path and ending up in hell. But wisdom speaks much deeper than the most obvious things. There’s a way that seems right and feels right to a person, but when you get to the end of it, it produces death and not the plan of God.  You can live your whole life and you might have done some great things, but if it wasn’t the plan of God, it was all in vain. There will be a lot of people who end up there because they build their lives on the wrong things. Everything else will perish except for God and His kingdom. The spirit of the worlds system will work its plan in your life every day and get you to settle for that life. In the eyes of the world, you’re successful. But a lot of times, you miss God’s plan for your life. 

NUMBER ONE IMPORTANCE – develop a daily prayer life. Get to know your Father! You have to know Him to trust Him!  Without a prayer life you won’t know Him, and you will not have the ability to live the life that He has planned for you. You can’t do it in human strength. You have to have that flow from Him to you.  When you get to the end of your life, you will see that the very things you thought were so important, don’t mean anything. Be busy serving Him and learning your place in His kingdom. When you do that, and put that first, then, He takes personal responsibility for every need in your life.  God has ALWAYS seen you through. He won’t stop now. This doesn’t mean it will always be easy and comfortable. But He will see you through. Build your life on prayer. There are things that God has planned for you! 1 Corinthians 2:9 says, “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”You’ll never know the plan for your life without prayer. Before you were born again, the plan of God for your life was without. It was hidden in Him. It was hidden in Him before you were even born. It was hidden in Him before the foundations of the world. It is in the heart and mind of God. When you were born again, the plan that was without became within. You now have the ability to find out what that plan is. This journey of discovery MUST be prayed out. You won’t walk it out without prayer.  The reason we don’t pray is because we are selfish and prideful. Pride originated in Satan. It comes from him. 

Genesis 3:1-6 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it waspleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 

The enemy was trying to get Eve to question what God had said. He was sowing wonder, doubt, reason, unbelief. She knew the truth. She knew what God had said. Adam was standing there watching all of this happen. He remembers what God said, because God said it TO him.  He sees that Eve takes the fruit and she does not die. He sees that she eats of the fruit and does not die. She doesn’t die physically, but she dies spiritually.  When they died spiritually, the nature of God that was in them is what left them. And they took on the nature of that snake. The devil. Pride originated inside lucifer and when Adam and Eve died that day, that nature came in them. The pride. Satan was telling them, you don’t need God! You can be your own God! You can make your own choices! You can decide for yourself what is best for you. We know this isn’t true, but can you see the pride? Pride is now in the natural flesh part of every human being that was born after them. We are so blind to it. It is why we won’t pray. Because we think we don’t need to. We think we can live without it. 2 Chronicles 7:14 says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  HUMBLE YOURSELF is the key part of this verse! Pride stinks in the nostrils of God. Before honor is humility. Humility will fill your life with riches and treasures. Life is light! God is light! In Him is no darkness! When that light starts to flow into you, you start to see things you wouldn’t normally see! You think beyond yourself. That light will start to blossom your understanding.  We do not realize the level of deception we live under. Having a prayer life is the only remedy. Think of it like this: look at your phone or iPad. It is amazing what it can do. Pictures, information, videos, all at the touch of a screen. You can see the world in an instant. It has such potential. It is amazing what it can do. But it can only do those things if it’s plugged in the power source on a regular basis. It’s amazing what you have the potential for, but you cannot do it if you aren’t plugged in to the power source. The potential is there! Prayer helps you know God. It gives you the ability to walk out the life He wants to give you. It brings the life and light into you. When you start to pray and recognize that you don’t deserve anything that God has given you, it brings a humility to your life. The only reason you have it is because God chose you and because He loves you. If He loves you that much, shouldn’t you love Him back? If you’re that important to Him, shouldn’t He be that important to you?

Ephesians 3:14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

“For this cause” – In other words, in light of knowing what I know about God and His plan, for my life, it causes me to bow my knees. It came out of Him. He gave birth to it. The father is the one that has life in Himself. Everything that is alive came from Him. He’s a father! 

Ephesians 3:16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;.

This strength will only come through prayer. Every time you pray, He is granting you that. He is strengthening your inner man by His spirit. He is putting might in you! 

Ephesians 3: 17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

You won’t get there apart from prayer. If you are grounded in love, you can’t be offended. Man can’t give you that kind of love. And it comes through prayer. 

Ephesians 3:18-20  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;

19 And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

You can’t get it from a book. No human can give it to you. It only comes through Him. Every stupid thing we have done in our lives is because we were looking for love. You were created by God with a place in you that has to be loved. It doesn’t make you needy! You can come to a place where you know God as your Father! The love you are looking for can only be given by God our Father. 

1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with love.

It is easy to love others when you know how much God loves you! No one can disappoint you because you aren’t putting them in a place you shouldn’t! God is in His proper place. He’s the only one who will never let you down. He will never betray you. Everything about Him wants to see you win and do good. He wants to see you go to the top! You can’t have that operating in you if you do not know Him. When you’ve got divine love operating in you, you can forgive anybody for anything. You can’t get there apart from prayer. There is nothing more powerful than love. There is no person or situation that love cannot change. Take the time to let that love come into you.