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NowFaith.TV Advanced Ministry Training Lesson #26
2 videos / audios now at www.NowFaith.TV

Are YOU a Temple for Jesus to Live In?

Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit,
which are God's.  1 Cor 6:19-20  NKJV

Do you really see yourself as as a home, a temple, a comfortable place  - for Jesus to abide and to be Himself?  Are you one who welcomes Him daily and you are one spirit with Him?  Are you enjoying being one with Him as He prayed in John 17?  Does He know that you will drop what you are doing any time He wants to spend some quality time with you? 

In order to be an effective minister of the gospel, you must fully "believe and receive" the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As long as you see yourself as somehow separated from Him, as unworthy, incomplete, inadequate, inferior or not loved, you have not yet fully received His Truth about who you are in Christ.
 

 

__

Like a beautiful home, Jesus chose YOU to be His abiding place.  His chief desire in creating you, was to have a relationship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, abiding in you and you abiding in Him.  Obedience is a natural result of truly abiding in agreement with Jesus Christ, the lover of your soul.  Obedience shouldn't be a way to earn God's love and approval.  Walking in obedience to Jesus is a result of our new nature being in harmony with His.            &nb sp;                         &nb sp;                        

In marriage, it is wrong to prefer another person over our spouse.  We can understand that our spouse will have serious anger if we want an intimate relationship with someone else.  Whenever someone replaces Jesus in our heart, He says it is adultery to Him.  He wants to dine with us, to commune with us in intimate relationship, day in and day out.  It takes union with our Bride groom or spouse, in order for us to become reproducers. 
 

What is the most satisfying relationship you have?  Who do you run to in order to get your needs met?  Who gives you your security?  Significance?  What do you need to die to in order to really be a Bride to Christ?  What inflates your carnal pride and is most difficult to lay on the altar?  Is your identity based on the fact that you are His precious dwelling place or temple?

Let me ask you something:  If you could have anything you want ... what would complete you?  If it was OK with God, what would you ask for right now?  What is it that you need that you don't have?  What are you waiting to get, to be or to attain -- in order to be all you can be?  What has become an idol of dependence in your life?  Are you living in fornication or adultery with another source?  or are you truly abiding with the Bride Groom as His Bride?

 

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them.  I will be their God, and they shall be My people."   
2 Cor 6:16   NKJV
 

Can we believe that we can fulfilled in our spirit, even if our mind, will and emotions do not seem to be together yet?  Can we be fulfilled if we don't believe Jesus wants to fulfill us?  even if we don't feel like we are fulfilled?  if our bodies don't seem strong enough to fulfill our destiny?   Jesus has already provided a way for us to cast every mountain into the sea.
 

Yes, we are like plain beige melamine cups. We are just RECEIVERS and RELEASERS, receiving Jesus Christ, walking in Christ, and helpless to do anything of eternal value but to release Him to live His life through us. He alone is our source of everything.

 

 

Do you have the revelation that born again believers have everything they need?  We really have all the fruit of the Spirit inside us in Christ already.  We are rooted and grounded in Him regardless of our circumstances and every perceived need.  He allowed challenge so He can show us that He is greater than anything that may challenge us.  He has all the power in the universe and He has all that power in us!  Needs are just stages for a miracle from Father.

As we abide in Him, we acknowledge that He is our all in all.   He has already answered every prayer, provided for every need, solved every problem, equipped us for every task, discerned every situation and prepared every connection we will need to bear fruit that remains.  By His death, He has done His part -- provided forgiveness for every sin, freedom from every bondage, truth to replace every lie and has taken every curse that could come against us.  As we do our part and die to our ability to bear fruit by keeping the law -- as we accept Christ as savior, confess our sin, are born again, are filled with His Spirit and pray appropriating each promise -- we experience all that Father God has promised.

As long as we try to get out needs met by others, He will let us pursue them until we find out that ultimately, no other person or thing can meet our needs.  He gave us the law as a tutor to point us back to the love and grace of Father God.  We don't need [demonic] spirit guides to assist us in life because God's Holy Spirit is all we need. He is wisdom, knowledge, counsel, power, strength, etc. in us.

We must learn to trust Father God 100% to complete us.  As we continually confess the Word of God, our spirits will eventually receive God's Truth: believers really are holy, righteous and blameless in Christ, as Ephesians 1 and Romans 5 say.  Through grace by faith (Eph. 2:8-9) we receive God's truth that we are totally forgiven, loved and lovable, chosen and the ideal place for Jesus to live.  We have access to him 24/7 because He is inside us every moment.

Let's choose again now, to receive God's Truth about ourselves.  He intends for us to allow Him to live His life through us without stressing over deceptions and lies that say we are incomplete, inadequate, insufficient and insignificant.  Father God says we have more than enough of everything we need to live His life in Godliness.  The reason is that we have it all in Jesus.

Like Jesus said, without abiding with the Father, we can do nothing.  Apart from Him, we can do nothing -- but in Him, we truly have everything we need to do allll He asks us to do.  When we abide in Him each day, we are filled automatically with all the wisdom, knowledge, power, insight, love, gifts, fruit etc. we will need for the day! and night! 

Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you,
the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for
whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. For the Father
loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does; and
He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel." 
John 5:19-20  NKJV

Our problem was in believing the lie that we were missing something.  Jesus has not withheld anything we need for life and godliness.  If we have received Jesus Christ as our only Lord and Savior, we are complete in Christ.  We simply choose to abide in Him and to agree with Him and He abides in us.   We hear His will and we speak in agreement with Him, speaking His supernatural provision into the visible realm.  As we believe He has given us the very desires our heart should have, we ask and speak, believing He told us to ask and has provided the answer already.  Every need is already met in Him.  Blessings, Carlotta Waldmann

Jesus Christ is not a time creature and has already provided.  Amen?

All that is important about a cup is that it is filled and
that it is willing to pour Jesus out over and over.

Choices for Change
Donna Potter
 
As we are all aware, the Lord is pouring out His Spirit in a new and powerful way across this land and the lands of the earth. His mighty angels are entering our atmosphere in a way that we have not experienced before. Great change is upon us. Things are never going to be the same as they were before. It is time for all of us to make some decisions.

Are we going to say "yes" to Him and jump in or are we going to bow down to fear, doubt, unbelief and say none of this is of God and stay in the same place we are and maybe have been for years, thinking that nothing will ever change for me? Are we bound up in anger and unforgiveness that keeps us blinded? Have we forgiven ourselves of past mistakes?

This is what Jesus died for. He took every sin upon Himself on the cross. He took the punishment for us. Therefore when we repent, when we confess our sins, repent and receive His forgiveness and forgive ourselves we are free to see to choose Him, to choose righteousness.

We all have to ask ourselves~~are we walking in the power of forgiveness or are we wallowing in bitterness, which, by the way, defiles many. There is power in both forgiveness and bitterness. Forgiveness has power to release and set free; bitterness has power to bind and kill. We all have been given a choice. Life or death. Both have power. What we choose, we conceive and give birth to.

Forgiveness will remove the sting of sin and the venom is neutralized. When we forgive, we stop the poison in us. God will give us the strength to forgive those who have hurt us, betrayed us, rejected us, but only you can make the choice to forgive. God gives us a choice......life or death. We choose.

The enemy will use our unforgiveness, anger and bitterness to steal our joy and our health. Do you constantly seem to be in a fog of depression, of sadness, of oppression? Do you need to forgive someone? Not just with your lips, but with your heart, totally releasing them and the situation to God?

Only the love of God can loosen the roots of bitterness in our hearts. And without the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives, we won't be able to forgive anyone. We can't do it in our own strength. We can't give to someone what we have not received. It is only after we have received the forgiveness of God that we can forgive.

When we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrightousness (1John 1:9) Do you believe that? Do you believe He forgives you? Then receive it and forgive yourself! Be thankful that He forgives and forgets! Who are we to hold unforgiveness towards another when we have been forgiven of so much?

Forgiveness starts in a heart that is willing to leave the past behind. Sometimes it is not easy and our feelings of resentment, hurt and anger may not disappear over night, but the blood of Jesus will be like salve on your wound and in time, the Holy Spirit will heal you from the inside out. As you do this, you will be able to experience the move of God in your life.

So, let's forgive! Let's make a choice today for life! We want revival in our lives, in our homes, in our families, in our churches. We need to be awakened to the love and mercy of God and go out and show that love and mercy to others who are hurting and bound up with the junk of the world and past mistakes. There is a harvest that is waiting for you!

If any of you reading this do not know Jesus and have not experienced His forgiving power and you want to, then pray this prayer with me.........Dear God, I come to you confessing the sin in my life. I know that without you, I will not have eternal life with you. So I am asking that you forgive me of all sin in my life; all sin that I have embraced, please forgive me. Thank you for giving your Son that I might have eternal life. Jesus come into my life, live in me, be my Savior, be my Lord. Cleanse me from all sin by your precious blood. Thank you for forgiving me, thank you for cleansing me and thank you for right now living in me. Change me from the inside out. Baptise me with the Holy Spirit. Baptise me with fire in the name of Jesus, I pray! Amen!

Thank you God, for those reading this and who prayed this prayer with me. I ask that you powerfully indwell them, filling them to overflowing with your love. I pray for a spirit of wisdom and revelation to rest on them that they will know you. I pray for power in their lives that they may know the depths of your love in Jesus name.

For those of you who have been so hurt, wounded and betrayed that you didn't think you could ever forgive, I want to pray for you. Also I want to remind you of a scripture that Jesus Himself warned us about unforgiveness. It is Matthew 6:14-5 "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." There is no hurt worth holding onto when we read this. It is just not worth it. We need to be forgiven and the only way is to forgive. Thank you Jesus for telling us this truth!

Just repeat after me......Lord, I make a choice to forgive everyone who has hurt me, betrayed me, rejected me. I forgive them. And I ask that you forgive me for the anger, hatred, bitterness, unforgiveness and resentment that I have toward them. I repent of all of that and I ask that you forgive me as I truly forgive them in Jesus name.

Father, I bring before you the ones who are reading this and who choose to forgive. Lord, I am asking that you, even right now, by the power of the Holy Spirit wrap your arms around them, filling them with the love of God. Just apply the healing balm to their wounds, Lord, healing, mending and restoring everything the enemy meant for evil in their lives, turning it for their good and for your glory in the name of Jesus. I bind and break the power of all death that has entered them through unforgiveness in the name of Jesus and I command them to be free in Jesus name. I declare and decree your word over them, Lord, that they are healed by the wounds on your back, healed physically, spiritually and emotionally in Jesus name.........amen

A Critical Time For The Church
Pastor Mark Stephens


 There is a serious call being sent to the Church in this hour. Most would agree it is a critical time for the Church. Many are at the point of decision, destiny and crossroads. They're hearing a call regarding their part in the final purpose and plan of God. They are sensing an urgency to become everything God has said they should be. If anything is evident right now, it is that God is asking His people to change--NO, He is REQUIRING that we change.

Amos 3:7-8 "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hat roared, who will not fear? the Lord God hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"

As we listen to what the Spirit is saying, we hear a call to war and a call to be a demonstration of the Kingdom of God on earth. We are being called by the Spirit to hear the sound of the trumpet of God's prophetic voice.

The sound of the trumpet is a type of God's prophetic voice proclaiming the Word of the Lord. Paul the apostle said, "For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to battle?" We must have both a clear prophetic word and ears to hear it.

In Numbers chapter ten, four things were proclaimed by the trumpet:

1. The assembling of the camps. This represents the Body of Christ being drawn together around the presence of the Lord, regardless of group, race, or denomination. The unity of the Spirit we are to pursue is a coming into agreement and submission to the Lordship of Jesus, not a compromise agreement with each other. Jesus' prayer for His Body to "be one" will be answered as we make Him Lord and follow the cloud of His Spirit.

2. The journeying of the camps. Each group in the Church is being called to go on with God into new realms in the Spirit. God is calling His people to go where no one has gone before. This requires faith, obedience and a ruthless COMMITMENT to leave our comfortable, systematic theologies of serving God.

3. The preparation for war. God is gathering His army together to go out to "utterly destroy the inhabitants of the land." It's time to stop fighting one another and to assemble together as one man. We must stop persecuting others in His Body and declare war on the real enemy--the devil! This is an hour of warfare and confrontation with the kingdom of darkness, but we must hear the clear and certain sound of the trumpet.

4. The celebration of the feasts. The Church has experiences a spiritual fulfillment of the Feast of Passover and the Feast of Pentecost. The trumpet is sounding for the third and final feast, the Feast of Tabernacles, to be fulfilled, Each feast that Israel celebrated in the natural, the Church is to experience in the spirit. It is evident that the Church is about to enter the most intensive spiritual experience it has ever seen. We are about to see the manifestation of the prayers and prophecies that have been spoken throughout the ages.

With the fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles will come great unity and joy among His people. There will be a great ingathering of souls and the glory of God will be seen upon His people. We shall enter the times of restoration of all things in preparation for His final appearing.

All of this may sound exciting (and it is), but it is overwhelming in the power of our own might. We must learn to do all things by His Spirit, under His command and with the anointing.

Isaiah 10:27 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off they shoulder, and his yoke from off they neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing."

This anointing, the power of the Holy Spirit, has always been symbolized with oil, especially the "holy anointing oil" of the Old Testament. Each ingredient in this oil has a special significance to our lives. This is a very expensive oil and represents the process of God's anointing being poured out in our lives. Gethsemene means "oil press," revealing that the way we can be anointed for our divine call is to yield totally to God's will and deny our own.

When our will is "pressed" into doing His will, it will produce this expensive oil known as "the anointing."

We, as God servants, are called to walk as He walked and to carry on the work of the Kingdom as Jesus patterned for us to do. He (Jesus) was anointed to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, preach deliverance to the captives, bring sight to the blind and set at liberty those that were bruised. (Luke 4:18, 19.) If Jesus needed the anointing to minister to others, don't you suppose that we must have it also?

It was the anointing that made Jesus effective and successful, not His education, appearance, talents or connections with important people.

God has given the anointing to each believer, that each may be taught, led and empowered for His work. You may be a teacher, a pastor, and evangelist, or a prophet. You may be a mother, student, or a construction worker. You may be a doctor or a song writer. It makes no difference. God's plan for His people doesn't change because of the methods or the vessels. His desire is to use every gift, every calling and every available tool for one purpose: to minister His love to a lost and dying humanity.

1 John 2:27 "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is not lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."

No matter what He has called you and me to do on this earth, it will mean nothing unless we abide in Him. We must lay down the armor of the flesh and put on the complete and powerful armor of God.

Now is the time for this army of people to arise in the image and likeness of the Son of God. (which man was originally created in) This will be a generation that will do all that God puts in their hearts to do. It will be a people that will pay any price do whatever it takes to walk in this anointing

Human Hearts Touching God's Heart
Pastor Mark Stephens


The glory of God revealed to our hearts is the most powerful catalyst to worship. No one can stand in the manifest presence of God without experiencing the reverence and awe of a heart bowed in worship. Conversely, it is also true as we choose to worship God in spirit and in truth without sensing His manifest presence, God chooses to reveal His glory to us in that place of worship.

 

In the life of Moses, when he encountered the burning bush in the desert and heard the voice of God calling to him, he worshiped there on that holy ground. Yet again when He sought God specifically asking to see His glory, God allowed Moses to see His goodness and mercy. Whether it is by God’s initiative or by ours, through our choosing to worship Him, it is clear that God desires to reveal His glory to hungry hearts. It is our worship that brings a revelation of His glory, and it is a revelation of His glory that brings us to worship.

 

God went to great lengths to reveal His plan for worship to the children of Israel, which resulted in the tabernacle and the ark of the covenant. While the plan of salvation and the provision for atonement of sin was represented in type in the ark of the covenant, it was in the tabernacle of David that the revelation of worship in spirit and truth was more completely typified. Many scholars feel that David transcended the Old Testament covenants and experienced the freedom and joy that the New Covenant of the blood of Christ would provide.

 

The writer to the Hebrews admonishes New Covenant Christians, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name” (Hebrews 13:15).

 

The Tabernacle of David had no Outer Court with its attendant furniture, no Holy Place with its attendant furniture, in contrast to the Tabernacle of Moses at Gibeon.

 

David had transferred the Ark of the Covenant from the Tabernacle of Moses to the Tabernacle of David. The priests in David’s Tabernacle could simply and boldly enter into the Most Holy Place. They had access before the Ark of the Lord. There was no standing veil between them and the Ark, as there had been for centuries in Moses Tabernacle. They had boldness (typically) to enter in “within the veil” because that veil belonged to the Tabernacle of Moses, NOT to the Tabernacle of David.

 

Once the dedicatory sacrifices had been offered, no more animal sacrifices were offered in David’s Tabernacle, only spiritual sacrifices. What joy and praise must have been in the hearts and on the lips of those priests and Levites who had been transferred from the form of Moses’ tabernacle to the glory of David’s tabernacle.

 

Bible commentators generally agree that David set up musical instruments in both places of worship-the high place of Gibeon, which was the site of Moses’ tabernacle, and in Zion-the place of David’s tabernacle that held the ark of the covenant (reference 1st Chronicles 16:39-43). Up to this point no such ministry had been in Moses’ tabernacle.

 

That which David did typically and prophetically were fulfilled historically and actually by Jesus Christ. When Jesus died on the Cross, and God rent the veil of the temple in twain, the Holiest of All was opened. Access was made available for all who would enter in through Christ Jesus. There was a tranference of the Holiest of All, or Most Holy Place, from the Old Law Covenant Church-Israel after the flesh-to the New Covenant Church in grace-Israel after the Spirit.

 

Hebrews clearly shows us that we have access into the Holiest of All, “Within the veil.” No longer does the veil (literally meaning that which divides) stand between us and God. No longer do we need a material earthly tabernacle with its Outer Court and Holy Place. The Most Holy Place, the Holiest of All in a greater and more perfect Tabernacle is not open to us. It is this glory that is typified and prophetically set forth in the Tabernacle of David.

 

It’s not wonder the Book of Acts declares, “And a great company of priests were obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7). As the Gospel spread, these priests must have realized the futility of carrying on with animal sacrifices. The Lord Jesus Christ was the lasting sacrifice. He was the True Temple. He was the Priest after the Order of Melchisedek. It is through His sacrifice, His body and blood, that all may have access to God. Here was worship perfected in the eyes of the Father.

 

When David and all Israel brought the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem from its place of captivity, they did it with great joy and rejoicing. Scriptures teach us that King David laid aside his royal robes and, clothed in a linen ephod, danced with all his might before the ark of the Lord. There is no adequate expression for experiencing the glory of God. It simply requires all our might and strength to release the joy and rejoicing that consume our beings when the glory of God touches our hearts.

 

Worship is the appropriate response to the glory of God. Joy and rejoicing are pervading emotions of worship-the highest human expression of adoration to God. It is a result of knowing that God has defeated our enemies, who were too strong for us. After God told Jehoshaphat to “sand still and see the salvation of the Lord,” the people witnessed the hand of God setting ambushes and slaying the armies that had come against them (2nd Chronicles 20:17, 22-23). Then the people picked up the riches left by the defeated armies and “returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem …to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the Lord had made them rejoice over their enemies (verse 27). They went into the house of the Lord with musical instruments and celebrated the victory God had given them.

 

While joy and rejoicing may be the outward response to the presence of God, the glory of God revealed to us will work a deep reverence in our hearts toward God. Again, Hebrews communicated this truth by declaring: “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: for our God is a consuming fire” (Hebrews 12:28-29).

 

Gratitude to God should be the motivating force by which we offer our acceptable service, with reverence. In the New Testament, the Greek word “aidos” is translated as “reverence. “ It means “awe and godly fear.” The heart of a worshiper is one that is truly grateful for the goodness of God to redeem, forgive, heal and restore our broken lives to intimate relationship with Him. Gratitude for “so great a salvation” evokes reverence-awe and godly fear-from sinful creatures who are being redeemed from their sin.

 

True reverence for God involves living a reverent life-not just acting reverent in church. Serving God with reverence means showing Him honor and respect in every area of our lives. We understand that God has come to earth in Christ and that Christ dwells in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. A genuine revelation of this reality changes our attitude toward all of life. We learn to revere the presence of God that lives in us, whether we are sitting in a restaurant, doing the dishes, driving the car or engaged in casual conversation.

 

If Christ is truly King in our lives, reverence for Him will be seen in our submission to His lordship in the decision that govern our daily lives. How do we show reverence? Is it by the way we sing? Pray? By our silence? Is it confined to some particular tradition or form of worship? If we are cultivating a grateful heart, we will exhibit a reverent attitude in every aspect of our lives. We will continually become more sensitive to irreverent speech and unkind attitudes that do not bring glory to God.

 

We need to understand that reverence and respect are expression of love. To respect and revere God is to love Him. To love Him is to obey Him. The glory of God will be revealed through our lives as we reverence Him always. Worship will be motivated by true reverence for God. Cultivating reverence for God will bring us into new realms of worship. As we walk in awe and godly fear, we will come to the revelation of the psalmist: “Be still, and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10). There is a place of deep awe and reverence for the majesty of who God is, where all we can do is wait in silence before Him.

 

In the Tabernacle of Moses, when the priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year, he witnessed the manifest presence-the glory of God. He did not respond in dancing or rejoicing. In that place there was such awe and reverence that it evoked a deep silence. Having said that, joy and rejoicing are natural responses to the presence of God. We hasten to add that often the glory of His presence will evoke such awe and reverence that we can only respond in deep silence. We will touch realms of worship where we wait silently in God’s presence and allow Him to touch our lives in a deep and reverential way.

 

The deepest longing of the human heart is spiritual. Because mankind was made for fellowship with God, our soul cries out for that divine relationship, even if we are not aware of what it should be.

 

Every human spirit longs for fellowship with deity. We desire intimate knowledge of God Himself. We fell an overwhelming need to be known by Him. We will never find our emotional home until we learn to walk with God. We cannot expect to be truly happy until we discover the happiness of fellowship with God. Our inner cry for divine fellowship will not be satisfied until we have learned to relate to God so intimately that we have exchanged our thoughts, feelings and decisions for God’s mind, emotions and will.

 

The Psalmist had to come to grips with this innate desire for God when he expressed himself: ‘One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4).

 

David had developed such a relationship with God that he had only one desire, one petion for God to answer, and that was to worship God and enjoy fellowship with Him all the days of his life. If you continue to read this psalm you will find that David discovered that God would hide him in the day of trouble, give him victory over his enemies and be a father and mother to him (verses 5,6, 10). His heart was filled with joy because of this relationship with God, and he vowed to sing his praises to the Lord: “…Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy: I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.” (verse 6).

 

David gives us a secret for enjoying divine fellowship: “When thou didst say, seek my face, my heart said to thee, thy face, O Lord, I shall see” (verse 8). He ends the psalm with this admonishment: “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.” (verse 14).

 

It is the seeking heart that will enjoy fellowship with God. We have to choose whether we will focus on lesser desires or whether we will discover the deepest longing of our hearts and be motivated to its fulfillment in God.

 

Do we really want to have fellowship with God? Are we pursuing the longing of our soul for  relationship with Him? For His glory? If so, other desires will take a lesser place, and our lifestyle will reflect that goal. To enjoy relationship with God will necessarily limit other pursuits, no matter how noble. We have to decide if we want to pursue the deepest desire of our heart-to know God. Of course, we still have to make a living, have family time, and continue with a career. But as we pursue relationship with God, these other pursuits will not be the focus of our energy or consume all our time. We will prioritize our lives so that we can seek God with our whole hearts. AS we do, we will learn to cry with David, “Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me in a smooth path” (Psalm 27:11).

 

Too often Christians are double minded in seeking God. We want Him, but we want other things too. Other desires compete with our desire for God in such a way that they sometimes eclipse our seeking God. Wanting Him more than anything else involves our surrender of all other desires to His lordship. As we give ourselves to this lifelong process of surrender, we will be delighted with our discovery of His desires for us. Walking in the blessing of the Lord, communing with Him and knowing we are fulfilling His purpose for our lives is so satisfying that it makes all our natural desires pale by comparison.

 

The Shulamite girl in the Song of Solomon at one time suffered a halfhearted desire for her beloved: “By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not.” (Song of Solomon 3:1, 2).

 

She was accustomed to having her lover with her in the comfort of her surroundings. She had limited her seeking of him to a place where she had found him once-upon her bed. This bed is a picture of her indolence, of her wanting her beloved on her own terms or at least on the same comfortable terms she had once known. Night after night she was willing to be without his presence unless he came to her as he had done before. Finally, when he did not come, she decided she had to go seek him where he was. When she made the effort to go out into the city, she found him again and would not let him go (verse4). She had to get out of her comfort zone-her own pattern, ideas and customary ways of seeking him. Finding him required effort on her part and an intensity that would not let her give up until she had accomplished her goal.

 

We can learn and important lesson from her experience. If we want to experience the glory of God in our lives continually, we will always need to be seekers of His presence. Have we experienced the presence of God in certain places or through particular devotional and worship patterns? Are we expecting always to find our Beloved there? If we are sensing a lace of His presence, it may be that He wants us to seek Him in new ways or with greater intensity. Seeking Him reveals our true desire for His glory. Perhaps He hides Himself simply so that He can take delight in our desire for Him.

 

May we be like Simeon the priest and Anna of old who lived in the temple and waited with hope for the revelation of the glory of God, the Prince of Peace, and the Savior who had been promised. The incarnate Lord would not disappoint those who truly desired to see Him and sought for Him all their lives. They would behold His glory, while others who saw Him as in infant failed to recognize Him as the King of kings.

THE KING'S INSURANCE POLICY
Author Unknown


 
The King's Insurance Company guarantees :

LIFE
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever
believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

HEALTH
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases, (Psalms
103:3)

CLOTHING
If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and
tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of
little
faith? (Luke 12:28)

DAILY NEEDS
And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory
by
Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

COMFORT
"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
(John 14:1)

COMPANIONSHIP
teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I
am
with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen. (Matthew 28:20)

PEACE
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives
do I
give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(John
14:27)

AN ETERNAL HOME
In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have
told
you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2)

Reason for insuring in the King's Insurance Company:

1. It is the oldest insurance company in the world.
2. It is the only insurance company underwriting against loss in the
judgment day fire.
3. It is the only insurance company that provide eternal coverage.
4. It's policies never change
5. It's management never changes
6. It's asset are too vast to count
7. It is the only insurance company that pays the premium

PREMIUMS
* But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were
still
sinners, Christ died for us. ( Romans 5:8)
* For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, (Ephesians 2:8)
* For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and
in
your spirit, which are God's. (1 Corinthians 6:20)

APPLICATION PROCEDURE
* That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your
heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
* For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

All Premiums For This Policy Are Paid By Jesus

Great-Grandpa’s Clock
Tom Connolly, Jr.


The twins ran home as fast as their little legs would carry them.  “Mom, Mom!” the girls cried as they burst through the back door and directly into the kitchen.  “Girls, what is it?  What has happened?” their Mom asked.  Shannon was the first to answer, “Mrs. Magillicutty is making us learn to tell time on those old fashioned clock faces.”  “Why can’t we just use digital clocks, like the ones on your cell phone?” Nicole added.  “Is that what this is about?” replied their Mom with a grin.  “Well now, you know your own Dad still carries one of those old fashioned watches, as you call it.  Why don’t you wait for him to come home and let him help you?” The twins looked at each other and decided they would wait for their Dad, especially if that meant not looking at the clock faces until then.

          “Hello, all my girls,” their Dad called as he walked through the front door.  The girls ran to their Dad and, without waiting for their hug, began telling him about that awful, old Mrs. Magillicutty.  “Dad, can you believe we have to learn how to use one of those old fashioned clocks things?!?” Shannon demanded.  “What’s the point?” Nicole chimed in.  “The whole entire world is using digital time!  This is stupid!”  In a flash, the girls knew that Nicole had pushed too far.  “Nicole Patricia!” like the sergeant he once was, Dad’s voice boomed as if he was back in the Army.  “I know Dad, I’m sorry.  ‘Things cannot be stupid, but I might be if I keep saying it’” Nicole said like a robot.  “You always tell us that,” she said, now in a much softer voice.  “Now,” Dad said, “slow down, give me a kiss to say hello, and tell me again what your very nice, second grade teacher is trying to teach you?  Did I hear something about God’s gift of a clock?”  “God’s gift?” the girls asked surprised.  “I tell you what.  You two go sit down at the kitchen table,” Dad told them.  “I’ll be there in a moment.”

 Just a few minutes later, Dad came into the kitchen carrying an old wooden box, about the size of a shoebox.  “Oh, I haven’t seen that in years.  I’m glad you were able to find it so quickly,” Mom said looking at the box.  The girls looked at the old box as Dad put it on the table.  It was very pretty, but the girls wondered what could be inside.  “When I was your age, and I had to learn how to tell time just like you, so my grandpa made this for me,” and as Dad said that, he pulled an old clock out of the box.  It had a round face about the size of a saucer for your teacup.  The face sat on top of a tall, wooden base that was smaller at the top and wider at the bottom.  It was about as long as the size of their Dad’s big hand and kind of looked like a dress for one of their dolls the way it swept out at the sides.  The girls looked at each other and, with that special bond that twins have, knew that this was indeed a special clock.  As they looked closer at it, they realized that the clock face did not have numbers on it, the way their clock in Mrs. Magillicuty’s class did.  Instead, it had the pictures of what looked like old men for each number.  “Are they wearing dresses?” Nicole blurted out.  “No,” Shannon said jumping up, “They are wearing ‘yogas’”.  “In time, my dears”, Dad answered.

“Girls,” he started, “Whenever I see a clock, whether it is the watch I wear on my wrist, the pocket watch I wear on Sundays, or any old-fashioned clock on the wall, I am reminded of the gift of time God has given me.  The time to spend with your beautiful Mom, my two darling gifts right here, and my patients at the hospital and all my friends there, or time with everyone at our church.  All my time here on earth is God’s gift to me and I appreciate every minute.”  “Can’t you feel that way when you see a digital clock?” asked Shannon.  “I’m just saying, isn’t it the same thing?”  “Well, that it is”, he replied.  “But it was this clock of grandpa’s that taught me exactly how much of a gift time is.”  “How?” Nicole demanded to know.  She felt she had been patient enough.  “I guess it’s time to have a closer look at the face of this clock, and tell you about these men ‘in their robes,” Dad said.


Dad placed the clock upright on the table.  He pulled open the glass that protected the clock’s face, and what Mrs. Magillicutty called, “the clock’s hands” and began his story.  “As your teacher told you, there are twelve numbers on the face of the clock.  One number, or in this case a man, for each hour of the day, and one for each hour of the night, am and pm.  That is why the number twelve at the top is so important.  During the day, we call the number twelve, noon, and at night, we call it midnight.  Now girls, do you remember the names of Snow White’s seven dwarfs?”  “Sure,” they both said.  Together they named all seven dwarfs, “Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey.”  “Now my dears,” Dad said.  “Can you name for me the twelve apostles that our Lord, Jesus chose?”  Now the girls looked at each other, but this time they were trying to see which one of them could remember all twelve.  “Well,” Shannon said, “we know that He chose Simon, and changed his name to Peter.”  “Good,” said Dad.  “In fact, your great-granddad put Simon Peter is at the number twelve.  Now as for the rest of the apostles, we have,” and as he named them, Dad pointed to one of the men on the clock face, “James and John, the sons of Zebedee at one and two o’clock, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael, Judas Iscariot, Matthew, Thomas, James the Younger, Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot.”  “Hey, Judas was the one who turned Jesus into the Romans.” Shannon said.  “That’s right, he was replaced by Mathias after that,” Dad told them.  “And John was, something about how Jesus loved Him,” added Nicole. “Like Uncle John.”  “Right again,” Dad laughed, “John is the ‘disciple whom Jesus loved’, just like you girls love your Uncle John.”  “And didn’t Matthew write something in the bible?” asked Shannon.  “Both John and Matthew each wrote what we call a Gospel,” corrected Dad.  “So you can see, each hour we can be reminded of one of the apostles.”

With the glass open, Dad pointed to the very center of the clock face.  “What is this point here?” Dad asked.  “It’s just what holds the hands together,” Nicole said.  “Yea, we used one of those metal things when we made our clocks with a paper plate and cut outs,” Shannon added.  “Well,” said Dad, “it’s actually God.  Do you girls remember learning about the Trinity in Sunday school?”  “Sure,” they said.  “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.”  “Well done, ladies”, Dad replied.  “Now we can look at the clock hands.  Each one shows us one Person of the Trinity.”  “I thought a clock had only two hands,” Shannon wondered aloud.  “Let’s start with the hour hand and we’ll get to the others.  The shorter hand, the hour hand, is God the Father.  It moves slowly around the clock, taking all twelve hours to go around once.  This reminds us that God our Father is slow to anger.  When you look at the clock and see where the little hand is pointing, the hour of the day is the number it is pointing to, or the number it has just past.  Can you see?”  Dad began to move the big hand around the clock and the girls watched the little hand move slowly from the three to the four.  “So when you moved the big hand all the way around, it was 3 o’clock until the big hand got to 12 again, then it was 4 o’clock?” asked Shannon.  “Exactly Shannon, well done!” said Dad.  “So would that be Phillip o’clock?” teased Nicole.  This time, Dad said nothing, but looked at Nicole over his round spectacles.  Nicole knew this meant, “That’ll do, young lady.”

Dad started again, “Let’s move to the big hand now.  This hand is…” “I know, I know”, shouted Shannon.  “It’s Jesus!”  “OK, Shannon, and what does it teach us about God the Son,” asked Dad.  “That he gets mad faster?” asked Nicole.  Shannon looked at Nicole as if she had just picked her nose.  “Not exactly,” said Dad with a sigh.  “Our Lord Jesus is with us every minute of the day.  The bible teaches us that we could not hide from Him even if we tried.  The clock shows us that we can never really be alone, for He is always with us.”  “Wow,” Nicole said.  “That’s what you told me when I was afraid to go to sleep in my own room.  That Jesus would be with me.  Doesn’t He have to sleep?”  “No,” Dad said.  “The bible says God never needs sleep and can see all things at all times.”  “Cool!” the girls said together.  

“Now it is time to look at the third and last hand of the clock,” Dad announced.  “But our clock at school only has two hands,” said Nicole.  “Yea, Mrs. Magillicutty didn’t say anything about a third hand,” agreed Shannon.  Dad smiled as he pulled a very small key from a little drawer in the bottom of the clock.  Then, he opened the back of the clock, just as he opened the glass earlier.  Dad put the little key into the back of the clock and began to turn and turn the key.  When he was done, and the key was placed safely back into its drawer, the girls began to hear the clock.  “Tick, tock.  Tick, tock” the clock began to sound.  The girls noticed that a very thin hand, longer than the little hand but shorter than the minute hand.  It was moving fast around the clock face, just a little bit on every tick, and stopped at every tock.  As the girls watched, Dad decided it was time to start his lesson again.  “Girls,” he said softly, “this third hand reminds me of God the Holy Spirit.  In many clocks, you do not see this hand, but it is what helps the whole clock keep proper time.  Just like the Holy Spirit, we do not see Him, but he is within us keeping us proper.  Many people call this their conscience, but believers know they have the Holy Spirit within them.”  

“So girls, will that help you remember how to tell time?” asked dad.  “Maybe not, but I bet we both remember that God gave us the gift of time!” announced Nicole.  “Really dad,” Shannon added, “this is great.  It’s way better than Mrs. Magillicutty taught.  Maybe you should be a teacher.”  “No way!” Nicole yelled as she jumped up.  Everyone looked at Nicole, their faces all curled up like they wanted to ask her a question.  “I mean, your patients need you at the hospital.  But I guess you could write a book.”  “A book?” asked dad.  The twins looked at each other, than to their mom, who gave them a wink.  Shannon spoke first, “She’s right dad.  You can tell lots of kids about the clock.  The clock reminds us of the time God has given us.  The twelve numbers are the twelve apostles.”  “My turn,” Nicole jumped in.  “The little hand is for God the Father, and He’s slow to get mad.  The big hand is for Jesus, and He’s, uh…um, oh yea, with us every minute.  That’s why they call it the minute hand.  Then the really fast one is for the Holy Spirit, ‘cause he keeps us Christians proper.”

Dad looked at his darling daughters and smiled.  “Well, I know your great-grandpa is smiling in heaven hearing you two girls.  Write a book,” he thought aloud.  “Maybe God will give me the time.”


Proverbs 22:19



©2006 Serpent and Dove Notations

THE 10 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ARE...
Author Unknown


 
LOVE
The Special Feeling That Makes You Feel
All Warm And Wonderful.

RESPECT
Treating Others As Well
As You Would Like To Be Treated.

APPRECIATION
To Be Grateful For All The Good Things
Life Has To Offer.

HAPPINESS
The Full Enjoyment Of Each Moment.
A Smiling Face.

FORGIVENESS
The Ability To Let Things Be
Without Anger.

SHARING
The Joy Of Giving
Without Thought Of Receiving.

HONESTY
The Quality Of Always
Telling The Truth.

INTEGRITY
The Purity Of Doing What's Right,
No Matter What.

COMPASSION
The Essence Of Feeling Another's Pain,
While Easing Their Hurt.

PEACE
The Reward For Living
The 10 Most Important Things.

GET RID OF IT!
 
Message Shared by Samuel Crawford
 
The process of elimination!


 
The process of elimination is a process that rules out the more obvious things and helps you narrow your focus onto the possibilities or the exact answer desired.  This process is used in practically every facet of life; whether it is buying food, cars, houses, what school to attend and etc.  The one place many fail to apply this process is in their spiritual walk with God.  We put ourselves through more than we should because we do not use this process to help clear our minds of needless clutter.  We can be so much happier and freer to focus on the things God has given us to do; if we eliminate some things.
 
Many times we are confronted with the question, “Which path do I take?”  Another good question we ask is, “Is this God’s will for my life?” or even “What is God’s will for my life?”  These questions have answers and often times there are distractions keeping us from seeing the answers.  So, we apply the process!
 
The enemy always tries to work confusion into our lives by bringing distractions and false hopes.  If the devil can distract us long enough we will miss the opportunities God has placed before us.  And again if we chose the wrong thing we miss the opportunities God has presented us.  He works at keeping us confused; he also loves to have misunderstandings break up the blessings of God.  Remember he comes to kill, to steal and to destroy!  He doesn’t care how he has to do it, he just does it.
 
That is why it is so important to utilize this process.  God is the author of peace; He always works through peace and love.  He never brings confusion or fear upon you!  In fact the oneness of God helps us to see the results of applying the process more thoroughly!  God is One is every aspect; there is only ONE LORD, ONE FAITH, ONE BAPTISM, ONE CREATOR, ONE SAVIOR, ONE EARTH, ONE SUN, ONE MOON, ONE UNIVERSE, ONE GOD!  God always has ONE way and ONE sure answer.  The only answer to sin is JESUS CHRISTS BLOOD!  The ONE way to heaven is through JESUS CHRIST!  There is only ONE with God.  He presents you ONE way; His way!  But in doing so He also allows us to see what happens when we don’t choose His way!  It is His Way or the way of destruction; it is life or death, His blessings for obedience or the cursing for disobedience, and His will or our will. They all say the same thing and only ONE way is the way that leads you to Him and His promises.  
 
God through His word has already laid out the pros and cons of following Him.  He tells us to chose life, that we may live.  He lets us know the things that are good to desire and even the things that are not good to desire.  Three of the best books for weighing these pros and cons are; Deuteronomy, Proverbs and the book of John.  These three books spell out the pros and cons very effectively.  They provide a balance that expresses that the most positive choice is always the one God wants you to choose.  They also do a great job showing the consequences for not choosing the thing God wants you to.  
 
Maybe right now you are looking at some choices before you right now wondering which way is right for you.  It is not a coincidence that God has opened the door for you to be reading this right now; God intended on you reading this to help you make that decision!  God is telling you to apply the process of elimination, so that you can see what He wants you to see.
 
Start evaluating the pros and cons of the situation you are dealing with. If the thing is against God’s Word and His will for you; than it is a con.  If it is bad, destructive, or has a negative impact on you spiritually; it is a con.  When the things line up with God’s Word, they line up with God’s will for you; than it is a pro.  If it is good for you, is beneficial, or has a positive impact on you spiritually than it is a pro.  Before I go on I must point out that not all negatives and positives are evidence of pros and cons.  There are some things God tells us to do; that do not appear to be good for us, beneficial to us and is actually the thing God wants us to do.  Some choices He gives us require a sacrifice.  There are likewise some things that could benefit you at the moment, but later on end up hurting you, so always when examining the pros and cons acknowledge God so that He will guide you in knowing which is which!
 
After weighing the pros and the cons you should be able to clearly see the thing for you, the things you are to focus on, the things needing eliminated, the things that are not for you and so much more.  You will be able to see more than you were able to see before and that will help you to know what the next step is going to be.
 
 
In your life today, begin the process of elimination; see it help you in your questions and choices you have to make!  Trust in God as you commit to this process and He will guide you in your choices!  Remember to acknowledge Him in all your paths and He shall direct your steps.  For the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.  He will show you the thing and shortly bring it to pass.
 
 
Jeremiah 29:11 through Jeremiah 29:14 (KJV) 11For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 12Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. 13And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. 14And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

CHRISTIANITY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT
by Joni Ames
JoniAmes@aol.com
 
The book of Acts is awesome! Years ago, the Lord said ACTS stands for Activating Christians To Serve! He showed me how that book shows us that He wants His Church to be activated into service in such a way that we are ALL a working part of His Body! - Like a finely tuned clock! And that is the time we are in! A time when He is pouring His Spirit out upon all flesh (Acts 2:17-18) and activating us all into the good plans (Jer. 29:11) He has for us! - And He is no respecter of persons!
 
In Acts 3, the lame man was healed at the gate called Beautiful. When that happened, the people immediately rushed towards the disciples. This is what happened and what Peter said when he saw it:
 
"(11) Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. (12) So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?"(Acts 3:11-12)
 
Then Peter went on to explain that Jesus had done it and to give Him the Glory as he said: "And His (Jesus) name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all." (Acts 3:16)
 
They could have really hyped the situation at that point and drew a crowd for weeks! They could have just cried out - "Hurry! Come on over, all of you, and we will lay hands on you and heal you, too!" But the Apostles knew and wanted to make sure that the people knew, the Glory belongs to The Lord!
 
There were many things that "went on," even while Jesus walked the earth. There were even those who were doing things in His name, who weren't a part of His group or taught by Him! And who knows what their motivation was?! Yet when John told Jesus about it, here is what happened: (38) "John spoke to Him (Jesus), saying, "Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us." (39) But Jesus said, "Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me." (40) "For he who is not against us is on our side." (Mark 9:38-40)
 
Yet, to bring balance, Jesus also warned of a time coming when the world would be awaiting His return and false ministers would take advantage of the people because of the terror upon the earth, and He said, "(19) For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. (20) And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days. (21) Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, He is there!' do not believe it. (22) For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. (23) But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand." (Mark 13:19-23)
 
The problem is, many do not want to "pay the price" to get discernment or to get the anointing on their own. And I'm not talking about money. Because it can't be purchased. But if we do talk about money, they are plenty willing to pump it out to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to try to get what they think someone else has! But I'm talking about paying the price of relationship with the Lord. We are warned to "get our own oil" in the parable of the wise and foolish virgins in Matthew 25:1-13.
 
Some ministries wear themselves out, doing the whole "show." They forget that Jesus will be the only star! In doing so, they set themselves up for major burn out and/or a big fall. It's pretty simple, in Ephesians 4:11-16, we are told that the five fold ministry is to equip the saints to do the work of the ministry. Then, when every part does it's share, it causes growth of the Body. Everyone does the stuff, no one gets burnt out, and the Harvest comes in. - Wow, imagine that! - If we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, He will add all things to us! (Matt. 6:33)
 
The Lord never meant for Christianity to be a spectator sport. He called us all to "do our share," and be a living, breathing, working part of the Kingdom. And if we are all doing the Great Commission (Mark 16:15-18) that we are called to do, we won't have to seek after someone else to do it for us! - Therefore we also won't have to wonder if what someone has and is imparting to us is of the Lord or not.
 
(20) "Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He (Jesus) answered them and said, "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; (21) nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you." (22) Then He said to the disciples, "The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. (23) And they will say to you, 'Look here!' or 'Look there!' Do not go after them or follow them." (Luke 17:20-23)
 
One of my favorite verses in the Bible sums it up. It's all about getting our own oil and being willing to pay the price of relationship with the Lord and the effects of that:
 
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled...And they realized that they had been with Jesus." (Acts 4:13)
 
That's it folks. God is no respecter of persons. Spend time with Jesus, and the signs, wonders, and miracles will be yours too.
 
(15) Jesus said, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. (17) And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; (18) they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mark 16:15-18)
 
- Joni Ames
=======================================
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