SALVATION SIMPLY!

I am not saved by believing!  ~ I am already saved by Jesus’ Atonement on the cross; when I realize that (get that message) and believe it – I am saved!

I am saved by receiving!  (John 1:12)

If the emphasis is on “believing”, I will put my faith in faith not in Jesus!  We can believe anything; but what it’s based on is the importance.

Salvation is a done thing!  Jesus died for the SIN of the world  (2 Cor. 5:21)

I am saved when I realize that (learn that Jesus came and died for my sin) and believe it.

SIN has been paid for and all sinners have been issued a pardon and are free from paying for their sin!  Many haven’t got the message yet – so they are still in prison (the bondage of sin).  When they receive the message and believe it, then they can go free. (So many get the message and don’t believe it!)

Repentance is the act of leaving the prison never to return.  Even though you can sin again, you never go back to prison for it because it’s a debt that's already paid!! – but you do have to confess to receive forgiveness for that sin since you were saved (I John 1:9); however, some sins have consequences that can’t be undone even though they can be forgiven…ex. murder or fornication or adultery that produces a baby.  (Of course, I realize that today abortion has been made an option, but that’s an option that produces some other consequences that one must bear!) 

Salvation is a free gift; but it must be received, unwrapped and follow the directions.  You'll find them in The Bible, God's Holy Word.  The greatest part of this gift is that it brings with it real Love!  Do you believe it? Then reach out in prayer and receive it...

WHEN IS CHRISTMAS OVER?

Today I heard on the radio the discussion about taking down the Christmas tree and Christmas lights.  How long do you leave yours up?  It dawned on me that is what happens to Jesus and His birth as well.  When the tree and the lights come down, so does He!  It seems to be back to normal.  Christmas is over.  It's another day.  We just celebrated the birth of the Christ Child and today we are putting it behind and  planning New Year!

I have a beautiful and precious great grandbaby, Piper,  that was born 9 months ago.  On the day she was born, we celebrated.  Family was all together, gifts were given and everyone was focused on this little baby born to us!  You know what?  The next day we were still celebrating; she was still receiving gifts; everyone was still excited about seeing her and holding her and loving her.  Almost every day since her birth acts of love are being extended; she has been receiving gifts and pictures are being made and shared on Facebook; and she is visited often.  Even her Pops that lives 3 hours away did not leave the hospital and go back home and not celebrate her birth any more.  No, he has daily talked about her and shared pictures of her and stays in touch.

I don't think we are as excited about the birth of Jesus, the Son of God.  The baby born to redeem the world from sin that separates us from our Creator God.  The greatest birth ever in the history of the world seems to get boxed up with the ornaments and Christmas decorations and left until next year!  I hope this makes you feel as sad as it does me.  Actually, I am a little short of being angry.

Because I am excited about this Baby that changed the world, I plan to continue to celebrate Him with as much excitement and enthusiasm as I do this precious special little girl He has given to our family.  I plan to keep giving Him the gifts He loves - spending time with Him daily; reading His Book; loving others; feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; care for the orphans and widows; visit the imprisoned and sick; be a witness wherever I go telling what I know about Him; gather often with other Believers to worship and praise Him!

I am praying that The Lord will impress others to continue the celebration of JESUS CHRIST EMMANUEL!  Some say GOD is Dead.  PLEASE don't say He's your Saviour and live like He is dead!  HE IS ALIVE and He ought to be obvious in the lives of those who claim His Name and Salvation...Let's celebrate and cause the world to want to join us! You might start getting excited by singing along with these children:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf90f0Lz0_o

"I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD"

In my Daily Delight today I saw some marvelous things I hadn’t noticed before and I am encouraged and excited.

Before going to the cross Jesus tried to prepare His disciples, but they didn’t believe Him.  He told them they would scatter and leave Him alone, but He wouldn’t be alone because The Father is with Him.  He said:  “These things I have told you so that you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus said He was not alone, The Father is with Him!  He also told His disciples that He would send them the Holy Spirit; and later He said The Father would send them the Holy Spirit.  This would be the same Holy Spirit of God The Father that Jesus had, that we too now have…if we are Born Again Believers.  That makes me want to shout!  Jesus said:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you…” (Hebrews 13:5)

He also said that in the world we would have tribulation.  I see that as battles; battles in every area of our lives.  We battle for our bodies to produce health.  We battle for our minds to have good thoughts; to focus rightly; to be wise .  We battle for our heart and emotions to be stable, virtuous and moral.  We battle for our spiritual life to produce holiness; to demonstrate the Spirit and power of God within us.

We battle and struggle for peace.  Jesus said to cheer up because He had overcome the world!  Remember He said:  “I will never leave you nor forsake you so that you can say, The Lord is my Helper and I will not fear what man may do to me.”  He has overcome the world.  We don’t need to fight our battles alone…The Overcomer is with us…believe it!

Lord, thank You for I don’t have to stand alone in life’s battles.  You are with me and I am part of Your Powerful Body – the Church - The Army of God!  Help us to keep Your orders and be battle ready daily –physical, uniform & weapon (body, soul & spirit).  Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!

IT IS TIME!

It is time for the church of God to receive the power of The Holy Spirit of God and in the authority of Jesus Christ to go forth and proclaim The Word of God.  It is time to prepare our minds for action!  It is time to gather together in one body to pray to JESUS CHRIST, THE HEAD OF HIS BODY to be instructed on how to work together WITH HIM to know and do HIS will and plans…experientially, POWERFULLY!

We need healthy bodies to be available and able to GO whenever and wherever HE has us scheduled!  TODAY…EVERY DAY is recorded in HIS BOOK OF LIFE.  We don’t know those plans….ONLY HE knows!  We must gather together as one IN HIS SPIRIT to seek His plans for THIS day.

The body…and THE BODY need to be fueled for power!  We NEED healthy organic food for the body and we NEED a healthy empowering, renewing of our minds with The Word of God for HIS BODY.  Jesus said:  “My food is to do the will of My Father.”

The blood is the life source of the human body.  The Blood of Jesus Christ is the life source of the born again child of God.  The heart pumps the blood to flow throughout the body.  The Heart of God is The Word of God that pumps the Spirit of God to flow His Life into all Believers.

GOD HAS MADE HEALTHY ORGANIC FOODS AVAILABLE TO HIS BODY HERE IN NASHVILLE so that we can fuel our bodies for function IN HIS BODY.  We NEED EACH OTHER to accomplish ALL that JESUS CHRIST has said we are to do until He comes back for His Bride.  We are His Bride…all who believe in Him and have received His Spirit!  WE MUST COME TOGETHER AND FUNCTION AS A BODY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MIND OF CHRIST!!!

IT IS TIME…NOW!  TODAY IS THE DAY OF SALVATION!  TODAY IS THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE!  WE CAN’T GO WITH GOD AND STAY WHERE WE ARE!

Lord, draw us together, unite us in Your Holy Spirit with Your Word and show us what we need to see and believe to be the prepared laborers; ready and eager to join with You where You are already working…HERE where we are!  Lord, I hear you knocking and I am opening the door, please come in and let us dine together.  I pray that this will both intimate and corporate with Your whole Body here in Nashville – because that is where we are!  Amen.

JESUS SAID:

Come unto Me.

Come and see…

Come, follow Me.

Come and Dine - with Jesus…”if anyone will open the door, I WILL come in and dine with you.”

Come, arise.  

Come, let us be going.

YOU ARE NOT YOUR OWN!

“Do you not know…you are not your own…therefore, honor God with your body.”

(I Corinthians 6:19-20)

This was my Word from The Lord this morning during our time together.  The whole Scripture I posted earlier and I posted on the first day, Monday.  Today the above parts of the verse hit home to me.  I actually shared this same verse on Wednesday night at church with emphasis on the part that “you are not your own.”  We don’t have the right to decide on what we want to eat; or what we want to do; or where we want to go; or who we want to interact with!  IF we are born again of The Spirit and He is dwelling within us, we ARE changed – the old me is passed away and a new me now lives in my flesh.  Galations 2:20 says:  “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave Himself for me.”

Some of us know this intellectually and believe it in theory.  The reason I say that is because we don’t know it experientially and believe it because it is a reality in our life, and there is evidence of a changed person who resembles Jesus in character.

The hardest thing to do in this life is to surrender my will; my right to myself.  As I have read, studied and taught God’s Word for the past 30 years, I have committed my total life to God as much as I know how.  I have done this at least three times, each time believing it was done.  I have sincerely desired, begged and pleaded with The Lord to make it complete; to make me truly a new creation.  I believed His Word said it was His desire, and if it was His desire and my desire how come it didn’t seem to be a Reality to me?  My conclusion as of today is this:  FAITH has many dimensions of forsaking all!  Try to follow me for a moment as I have tried to sort this out…My faith as a 14 year old when I first learned that death was not final; the end to life, that there is a Heaven and a Hell and we will live after death in one of those places.  I learned that my relationship with God was the determining course and it was paved by Jesus and His shed blood that paid for the sin of the world that separated us from God.  With as much faith as I had at that moment, I gave my life to God believing all that I had learned. 

That faith as a 14 year old developed over the next 20 years as God introduced people into my life who taught me the disciplines of being a Child of God.  I believed my faith was strong enough that I could overcome any encounter with the evil world.  I was wrong!  I wasn’t prepared and my faith was not enough because evil spirits didn’t come with an obvious attack; they came slowly, subtly, infiltrating under the guise of good and loving, taking on the form of Godliness.  I believed it was God bringing into my life more than I ever imagined could be possible.  Then GOD,  to whom I belonged caused my disguised world to come crashing down and revealed the truth!  I couldn’t believe I had fallen for the lies and deception.  I hated myself for failing God and I hated the demonic world for having penetrated my faith.  I fell on my face to the floor and wept uncontrollably seeking God to forgive me and cleanse me and make me my best me for Him that it is possible for me! 

My faith took on a new and different dimension.  The Jesus I had learned about from reading The Bible and going to church and Bible Study groups; that I believed died for the sin of the world and gave eternal life to those who believed; I saw very differently.  I now knew that He didn’t just die for the sin of the world, but that He died for MY sins!  Now I believed in Him because He had become my Lord and we had a personal loving relationship.  Real Love that I never thought existed but in fantasies.  My new relationship with God opened up a whole new world of getting to know Him.  He began to teach me deeper meaning to the basic introduction to being a Christian.  He now started teaching me what it was like to be His Disciple and “present my body as a living sacrifice…not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of my mind that I may prove what is the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.”  (Romans 12:1-2) To reinforce my training, He gave me a group of young people to teach what I was learning about how to be a Disciple of Christ and to have a total life commitment.

My faith was now different than at salvation and after falling from grace.  A whole new realization of God and my relationship to Him developed as I discovered my spiritual gift of teaching and He privileged me to teach youth, adults, and leaders in many places.  For 20 years I taught His Word a chapter a week in my Sunday School class and challenged myself and those in my class to make His Word a living part of our lives. 

Two years also The Lord impressed upon me that we needed to focus our attention on the Reality of His death, resurrection and ascension; and His instructions about what His disciples were to do after He left and until He returned.  We started with studying the book of Matthew where He gave what we call The Great Commission and telling us “He had all power and He would be with His disciples always, and to go and teach all nations the things He has commanded.” (paraphrased Matthew 28:18-20); and then beginning in Acts, He told His disciples to “go into Jerusalem and wait until the Promise of The Father would be given.  He said they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came upon them and would be witnesses unto Him from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:4-8)  The rest of Acts tells what happened when The Holy Spirit came upon those disciples and how The Church was formed of all Believers in Jesus Christ.  Then we studied the Letter to the Ephesians that thoroughly tells us as Believers how to live and the marvelous blessings we have.  We finished our study in 1 & 2 Peter where he tells us “we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people that should show forth the praises of Him who hath called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.”  I Peter 2:9)

As a result of this study, I personally wanted to experience the indwelling Holy Spirit and the power to fulfill all that Jesus gave us to do until He comes back for us.  I knew the facts, and I believed them, but I wasn’t living them the powerful way that the early disciples did.  My church is not functioning like the early church.  I challenged myself and my class that we seek The Lord about experiencing what the early church did that day in Jerusalem on Pentecost when they received the power of God in the form of The Holy Spirit.  Their lives were changed totally and completely in that moment and they never went back to who they were before. 

I’ve been seeking the Reality of this Power, and today the Holy Spirit reminded me that “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own, you were bought with a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.”  Do you not know?  You are not your own!  Honor God with your body! 

Hello!  You don’t have the right to do your own thing!  Jesus bought you!  The Holy Spirit and Power of God lives in you!  So, why isn’t He obvious?  Stretch your faith and your will and let Him have residence in your WHOLE body and life.  He won’t make you.  You must give Him your life as an offering, putting to death your rights.  He then WILL change you never to be the same again.  You WILL be a witness unto Him wherever you go; as you go about wherever you are, you WILL tell others what you have learned about Him.  You WILL deny self, take up your cross and follow Him under the power of His Spirit that lives in you!!!  You WILL ask Him what He wants in His body to eat and drink; you WILL ask Him what He wants His body to wear to give Him honor; you WILL ask Him where He wants to go each day, and what He wants to do through you; you WILL honor Him in all situations and give Him your very best for His glory!! Amen…

So, with as much faith as I have right now, in this place, with as much of God as I know, I give Him the life He purchased with His blood to make me Holy as He is Holy!

Lord of my life, search me and see if there is anything in me that is unclean and unholy; and cleanse me and make your temple as magnificent as you desire.  I ask that your mind be my mind; that your heart be my heart; that every manifestation of who you are be a Reality in my life; that we would be One, and You only seen.  I don’t know what I ask, but whatever it takes for my will to break that’s what I’m willing to do.  I want to be about doing what You said your followers should be doing in the power of Your Holy Spirit so that I can be found blameless at your coming. Amen.

BUILDING UP FAITH

“Building up yourselves on your most holy faith…”

Jude 20

     Our pastor has challenged us, the church body, to fast and pray one day a week.  He gave many reasons for fasting and praying and any of them will be profitable.  The main reason should always be to seek God’s will.

PRAYER & FASTING

Double Concentration on JESUS!

   

      This morning during my quiet time with The Lord, the above scripture was my devotional and as I meditated on it and prayed, I knew this was what He wanted me to use for this new Fast.  I already fast one day a week, but I will do it with a special emphasis for the needs of our church as well as building on my holy faith and personal relationship with my Holy God.  So, I thought I would write down my impressions of what I got from my study and praying this morning.

     Many years ago I was given an acrostic for FAITH and it has always fit so well in understanding and practicing it.  I was brought back to seeing this as the building process expressed in Jude 20.  I would recommend reading all of Jude for the background because Jude, the brother of James, and both are half brothers of Jesus, presents a pretty good scenario of where the church is today.  We have allowed many ungodly teachers and leaders to infiltrate with subtle approval of immoral, covetous, proud and divisive ideas.  He encourages the church to remember the foundation of their holy faith and to build on the truth given at salvation.  Holy Faith – Faith in a Holy God!

Forsaking

All
I
Trust
Him

    

     Let’s see if these stones of truth won’t help us to build up our faith in God.  Faith is what we believe.  What we believe is evidenced by what is most important in my life.  Our faith is awakened when God reveals Himself to us by His Love and His Word telling the good news that we have been freed from the penalty of sin because He has paid our debt for us.  From there our faith has to be disciplined and perfected.  It is a lifetime of learning to forsake and trust in the One who created us; redeemed us and purposed us uniquely to live like His Son.  His Spirit comes to live within us empowering us to share the Good News we know to those who haven’t heard it yet!

Forsaking – (Philippians 3, 2 Corinthians 10:4-6)  Get rid of that which is not of God; and burn your bridges behind you so that there is nothing but total commitment to God!  You cannot serve two masters.  You cannot go in two directions at the same time.

All – Everything and everyone that would take your focus and devotion off God!  Every thought, affection, appetite, and possession that does not give God glory and please Him!  This is probably the second hardest thing we ever have to do in building our faith.

I – All of Me! My complete will; body, soul(heart) and spirit(mind)!  This is probably the hardest thing we ever have to do – give up the right of myself to God to do as He chooses and has planned.

Trust – The confidence that I can release my life into the care and destiny of my existence to another!  Letting go of all the above and believing that it will be worth it all  and that GOD is going to be holding me in His Heart and Hands with a better plan and life!

HIM – GOD the Father, Son and Holy Spirit;  making Him Lord and sole possessor of my life; believing that He is EVERYTHING He says He is and that He can make me just like Him!

Abraham is a great example of a lifetime of building up our most holy faith.  Here’s an outline of his life of faith.  ABRAHAM:  Genesis 12~25

1.  The awaking of Faith (he was 75 at calling) (5 years)  
      Chapters 12-13

2.  The disciplining of Faith  (25 years)

     Chapters 14~21

3.  The perfecting of Faith (70 years)

     Chapters 21:22 ~ 25  (from Isaac to death)

     He was 175 years old at death!

"Unquestioned faith brings unquestioned obedience.”

GOD'S CHOSEN FAST

“Is this not the fast which I chose…”

Isaiah 58:6a

     Many years ago the Lord introduced me to fasting by bringing a book to me entitled God’s Chosen Fast.  It had been given to my mother-in-law by someone who thought it was about another means for dieting.  She wasn’t interested in it and gave it to me because she thought I might be interested.  I put it on the shelf with other “diet” books and it remained there for some 7 years.  It traveled from Miami, Florida to Tennessee and then to Nashville, Georgia.  I put it back on the shelf, as previously, among my dieting books.  One day in 1984 a strange thing happened as I was working in the kitchen and passing the bookshelf area.  This book falls off the shelf!  I thought it really weird that it could fall from between other books snuggly fit together; but I picked it up and put it back in place.  Later I passed the bookshelf on my way outside and the book was once again fallen on the floor.  Thinking that I imagined I put it up and that it could NOT have fallen out again, I returned it once more.  The next day as I came in the house from outside, I stopped in my tracks…the book was lying on the floor!  Now, it had my attention and as I picked it I looked at the title I decided that I needed to read this book. 

     To my amazement this was not about dieting at all but about seeking God to know Him and His will.  It was based on Isaiah 58.  I read and became engrossed in the truths I read.  My heart was moved to enter this experience of God’s Presence and to follow the example of Daniel’s  21-Day Fast.

     For 21 days I ate no food and drank only water; I spent exclusive time studying Scripture and praying; I recorded everything in a journal and prayer notebook.  Conclusion:  I experienced a supernatural journey into a dimension of spirituality I never dreamed possible.  This kind of thing only happened in someone’s imagination in a movie or book!  I might add that it is something you can only express with limited words; it is something that must be experienced.

     Perhaps one day I will share more.  I share this to give credibility to my knowledge of fasting.  After that first Fast unto The Lord, I began an annual two-week fast starting on Sunday two weeks before Easter, and ending on Easter Sunday.  A number of those Easter Sundays, I broke fast with partaking of The Lord’s Supper.  It took on a totally difference significance for me.

     There is some preparation that must take place before beginning a Fast of any kind.  There must be a thorough understanding of what it involves.  It is a venture into the spiritual domain that includes more than The Holy Spirit of God and His angels.  It also makes one open for intrusion by other spirits that have the purpose of deceiving, disguising, distracting and destroying everything about God.  You must be made aware of this to know how to recognize and discern the difference.  It is more fearful to go into the unknown with God than it is to fear His opponents!  Reading Ephesians chapter 6 is a good place to begin preparation.

     Preparation must begin with examining our relationship with God.  IF we are not born again of The Spirit into The Kingdom of God becoming a Child of God, we will not be able to discern the spirits and know the truth.  ONLY GOD IS TRUTH and can reveal it to us!  To all who believe and receive Jesus He gives the right to become children of God.   See John chapters 1 & 3. 

     FASTING is not just abstaining from food, it is withdrawing and removing all obstacles, hindrances and distractions; removing all food temptations; and making a time and place for quiet and seclusion.  This needs to be done mentally and physically, if possible.  Resist the temptation to cater to the natural and the “what ifs.”  (Psalm 46:10; James 4:7)

    Final preparation is to draw near to God ~ mentally, emotionally, physically, socially and spiritually.  Set your focus; “Prepare your minds…”  (James 4:8; I Peter 1:13; Romans 12:1-2) 

     IF you have to work or keep certain appointments, keep your heart and mind focused on The Presence of The Lord with you…being in the world, but not of the world.  (John 15:19; John 17:16)

     DRINK WATER, LOTS OF WATER!  If you feel hunger, drink some water.  If you get a headache, drink some water.  If your back aches, drink some water.  You will be amazed at how it does sustain you in more ways than you thought!

Keep a Fasting and Prayer Journal writing down the things you say to God…and the things He says to you.  Remember He will always speak by His Holy Spirit, through the Bible, in prayer, circumstances, and the church.   The Bible is called The Word of God because it is The Word of God!

Pray and ask The Lord if He wants you to encounter Him in this way of fasting and then ask Him how He wants you to do it.