Feed Your Spirit

Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

There’s an old saying that I’ve added to; “You are what you eat, and you will eat what you’re hungry for.” Many Christians are unhappy and even miserable in their walk because they’re not producing the “peaceable fruit of righteousness” or feeling fulfilled and happy. Whatever you crave in life, you will feed on and you will produce the fruit of whatever it is. If it’s carnal things, it will produce corruption or spiritual decay. But there is the fruit of righteousness which every believer can walk in and should walk in that produces satisfying results.

“A wise man is hungry for truth, while the mocker feeds on trash.” Proverbs 15:14

In other words; whatever we open our spirits to, it will minister to us (Romans 6:12-16), and we will produce what we’re intimate with (John 15:7)

How do I produce the fruit of righteousness? The answer is, I must be hungry and thirsty for it first. So, how do I become hungry and thirsty for righteousness so that I can feed on it and then produce it? The answer is the word of God and prayer. The word of God is the bread of life and prayer is the water of life that quenches my thirst. No one can “impart” a hunger and thirst for God in me. I must change my appetites and desires to God’s. When I hunger and thirst for His righteousness, through the Word and prayer, I am completely satisfied and I will produce the favorable fruit that He accepts.

“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17

Each One Can Reach One

This last Sunday a young man was gloriously saved and filled with the Holy Ghost during the morning service. He was rescued from a life worse than death. God led this young man to the service and after years of wandering, he found rest. What’s so important about this? It’s one precious soul being found.

Jesus gave an illustration about the value of one soul when He told of a story about a sheppard who left all of His other sheep to go look for one lost sheep. My desire has been to be that passionate and concerned about one person among millions. I’ve seen many people come to the Lord. Sometimes in one meeting several people have been saved and even though there are many, each person is so valuable to the Lord.

After this story Jesus declares that all heaven rejoices over one sinner coming to the Lord and repenting. There is great joy in the harvest. If all heaven stops for a moment and shouts for one person, how much joy is there if souls are added to the church daily? If the formula for misery is selfishness, then the formula for joy is souls. We are called to seek and save those who are lost. People are wandering all over the place looking, searching, and desperately coming up short. But how awesome when we fulfill the command by the Great Sheppard of our souls and find one person. Go. Never stop looking. Find those who are lost.

the sum of life

 Jesus boldly declared His purpose - ”For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

Look at His purpose this way,  Jesus was on a treasure hunt. His treasure was the souls of men. He demonstrated His love and power through His teachings and miracles so that “whosoever” would believe on Him and be saved. So much searching and sacrifce went into one soul being made whole. What if we went on a treasure hunt for sick people in our cities? What if we took a short designated time and focused on nieghbors or family members being healed and delivered?

The treasure hunt or purpose that we’ve been called to walk in daily can be summed up in 5 points. (I’ve declared this many times in my life) 

1. I have a purpose
2. My purpose is winning souls
3. I will not be satisfied until I have fulfilled my purpose
4. I fulfill my purpose better with others or in a group
5. I have no promise of tomorrow

Last night in youth group we had a blow out service. (a great meeting) It’s what God is doing among the youth right now. we went home at 12:30am but certainly didn’t shut down the move of the spirit. It was so awesome to see kids responding to the power of God and God responding to them.

Dive in to the things of God completely. Don’t just watch…do.  

Now Will Change Forever

Ps. 39:4-6 (NLT) Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered and that my life is fleeing away (slipping). My life is no longer than the width of my hand. My entire existence is but a breath. We are merely many shadows and all our busy ends in nothing. We heap up wealth for someone else to spend.You cannot stop time. It moves forward not backward. We can only deal with right now. But what I do know is that now will change forever.

Man’s greatest dream has been to invent a time machine. To have the ability to go back in time and experience history. To see what it was like. To change the past which could alter the future. But there’s no such device. If you’re like me you’ve dreamt about going back in time. What would happen if you were given the chance to go back in time for a moment? I know some of the things I would do;

I would save people’s lives. I would get in touch with old friends and witness to them. I would cultivate my relationship with my parents and avoid some problems. I would warn people of making wrong decisions. I would try to help those who would later get divorced. I would go to youth group make friends with the unpopular kids. I would preach. I would love to travel with my dad more. I would…

James 4:13-17 (NIV) Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.

I look back and I see how self centered I was as a teen. How everything was right there for me the whole time. But, I can’t go back. I have today. Only in eternity will we see the impact our past has had. Good or bad, the books will tell it all. The only thing you will be able to take to heaven is souls. How much or how little you effected others.

We cannot see beyond this moment. However, We know one prediction that’s sure. Everyone will die and slip into eternity. Knowing this, I have a hope which gives me purpose; Now will change forever.

School excuse notes

These are excuse notes from parents (with their original spelling) collected by schools from all over the country, very funny:

1) My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.

cool site – world clock

http://www.peterrussell.com/Odds/WorldClock.php

my space

I love my space

I thank God for my space

I’m glad I’ve got my space

I can’t live without my space

When I go to my space I find encouragement and strength

My space is private

My space is the secret place

Cyberspace cannot replace the secret place

 

Do you have a space?

“when you pray, enter into your closet…” Matt 6:6

When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. It was a spiritual procedure-the cutting away of your sinful nature.  For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to a new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.  You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ. He forgave all our sins.  He canceled the record that contained the charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ’s cross.  In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ.  Col 2:11-15 (NLB)

(Finally) I went to see the movie “expelled”. I loved it. Not because it’s another chalk mark for christians but rather because it challenged me to know the truth and stand up to be counted for it. The evolution/creation stand comes down to this, how did life begin. which is in pure form; men believing in the truth of God. 

I’ve seen a couple of things in the last few years surrounding this. first of all it’s always a small percentace of people against established truth who are being heard and then they claim they represent the majority. Many who would point their finger at christians and scoff are guilty of doing the very same things, but find intelligent words to justify their actions. By human nature we judge others by their actions but judge ourselves by our intentions. another thing is, the farther people get away from established truth, the less free they become. Some people believe that if a man/woman is educated enough somehow they’re wise enough to claim there is no God. not so. some people are just educated beyond their intelligence. 

I was challenaged in so many ways, but mostly to stand up and speak out the eternal truth of God’s word. 

In Secret

Matt 6:6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

I’ve always thought it interesting that God is in secret. Why would the creator of the world, the one who fills all in all, be “in secret”? Since the fall of man in the garden God has always been hidden from obvious view because he desires that man willingly and wholeheartedly seek after Him. God promises that those that seek Him will find Him and He will make Himself known to them. That’s where we find Him and talk with Him, in secret.

A few good one-liners

Regular naps prevent old age… especially if you take them while driving.

Having one child makes you a parent; having two makes you a referee.

Marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right and the other is the husband!

They said we should all pay our tax with a smile. I tried – but they wanted cash.

A child’s greatest period of growth is the month after you’ve purchased new school uniforms.

Don’t feel bad. A lot of people have no talent.

Don’t marry the person you want to live with, marry the one you cannot live without.

You can’t buy love…but you pay heavily for it.

True friends stab you in the front.

Forgiveness is giving up my right to hate you for hurting me.

Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote.

Laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting before you get tired.

My wife and I always compromise. I admit I’m wrong and she agrees with me.

Those who can’t laugh at themselves leave the job to others.

Saving is the best thing. Especially when your parents have done it for you.

Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools talk because they have to say something.

Real friends are the ones who survive transitions between address books.

don’t doubt

Matt. 14:26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

 

We admire what the Lord has done and can do, but we need to know that he has called us to do the same. Fear is the biggest hindrance for healing and miracles. If we have the desire to do and faith to obey we can do great things in His name.

 

Matt. 21:21 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. 22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”
 

If you read the account of Peter walking on water and said to yourself, “yeah, but he fell in.” That’s doubt and unbelief. always looking at, “what if He doesn’t do it” will never do anything. Don’t doubt in your heart, have faith in God.

Saved and Healed

Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:14-15Notice the example Jesus gave, of Moses lifting up the serpent. In Num. 21:4-9 the children of Israel complained against God, so he sent fiery serpents among the people biting them resulting in many people dying. God told Moses to make a brass serpent put it on a pole and when the people looked at the brass serpent they would be healed. There was only one way for them to be healed and live.

“As Moses lifted up the serpent…” Jesus said this to signify what death He would die, dying on the cross. He also said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (john 12:32)

As a Christian I understand that once Jesus died and rose again salvation was made available for “whosoever will believe in Him and confess He is Lord”. I’m not waiting for another way to heaven or for Jesus to die again. Once He completed the work at Calvary, it was done once and for all. Sin came into the world through one man’s disobedience and the cross was the only cure for the bite of sin.
“The sting of death is sin…” (1 Cor. 15:56)

Understand that healing was also made available through Calvary for all those who will have faith. Peter echoed the prophesy of Isaiah when He said, “by His stripes we were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24, Is. 53:5) If I believe that anyone can be saved at anytime by putting their faith in Jesus, I also believe that anyone at anytime can be healed by putting their faith in Jesus.

Christians do not need to wait for God to do a new work of healing and miracles because He’s already made it available through the work Jesus did at Calvary. They don’t need to wait for someone else to obey God’s comission because signs and wonders follow them that believe, and they certainly can’t wait for the world to ask for it. How can they receive if they haven’t believed? Is salvation for today? Yes. Then so is divine healing.

The Lord showed me that when He begins to do a mighty work and there is a great move among his people that it shouldn’t turn into an “Inner-healing” movement, or an “inner-faith” convention, and especially not an “in house” revival. But rather it is to be what God intended from the beginning, a natrually occurring, world reaching, flow of miracles through His people.

I’ve slacked off a little bit from blogging, but after today I will be getting right back to it.

 

Quote of the day:

“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense, or you may have nonsense”  – Pastor Mark Holcomb

 

Birthmarks of a Believer

“These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”  1 John 5:13

most people are born with a “birthmark” which is by definition – an unusual mark or blemish on the skin, a skin marking present at birth. (or a cool design on your body that you show to people often when your a kid)

The new birth in Christ is to confess the Lord Jesus, repent & be baptized and be filled with the Holy Ghost and fire. Christians are born of the water and the spirit, born of God, of an incorruptible seed and with this New Birth is physical evidence or characteristics from the new birth experience.

If you have been born again according to the scriptures you will have physical attributes of this experience. More plainly, “birthmarks of a believer”