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Archive for February, 2010

Righteousness Exalts a Nation

Posted in Uncategorized on February 24, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people. Proverbs 14:34

The United States is in a recession.  Our government is in gridlock.  Other countries do not admire the US like they once did.  Many are looking for answers.  Do we change our elected officials?  Do we need another political party?  What are the answers?  How does the US become a great nation again?

The answer lies with us – those who believe and fear God.  For righteousness exalts a nation.  When we live according to the Holiness God has called us to our nation will be great.  God will give us the answers to our problems and wisdom in governing the land.  God will give us the nation if we ask.  So let’s stop complaining and decree our nation will be great.  Let our righteous acts declare that we will prosper and our nation will be exalted.

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Dishonor leads to Unbelief

Posted in Healing, Jesus, The Holy Spirit on February 23, 2010| 5 Comments »

 2When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands?

 3″Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him.  Mark 6: 2-3

When Jesus went to His hometown Nazareth He was unable to do many miracles because of their unbelief.  The people there had recognized him as Joseph and Mary’s son but not the Son of God.  They also did not recognize the Holy Spirit that was at work in Him, because Jesus said that He only did what He saw His Father in heaven doing.  So the people in Nazareth did not honor Jesus and their dishonor led to unbelief and for this reason Jesus was unable to do many miracles.

The same is true today.  The same Holy Spirit that was in Jesus has been given to us.  It is the Holy Spirit that enables a person to perform the miracles that Jesus did.  Jesus did what He saw the Father doing and we should do what we see Jesus doing.  But many dishonor the gifts of miracles like healing and the raising of the dead because they see the person but not the Holy Spirit at work.   Many take offense at the men and women of God who operate in the gift of healing and prophesy.

It is really sad that many in the church doubt the testimonies of healings that take place at revivals or at the hands of well known ministers who operate in these miraculous gifts.  When we doubt the testimony and we dishonor the people who God uses to perform the miracles we are actually dishonoring the Holy Spirit, and are in danger of actually attributing the works of the Holy Spirit to that of Satan.  The same thing happened in Jesus’ day.

As Christians we have to understand that our gifts and abilities are not dependent upon whom we are, but it is the Holy Spirit at work in us.  We don’t heal the sick or raise the dead but the Holy Spirit does and we must honor the men and women God uses to demonstrate His power and Spirit.  Our dishonor leads to unbelief and the lack of miracles taking place in the church.

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God is Good

Posted in Knowing God on February 17, 2010| Leave a Comment »

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. Mark 10:18

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

God is good.  No one is good except God.  The good that we do is because of God.  Everything from God is good.  Every good thing we get is from God.  No matter who you are every good thing is from God.  That is why we even see the wicked prosper.  God is worthy of the praise and honor.  We are to acknowledge God in everything.  We have been created to do good works through Jesus.

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God is Faithful

Posted in Knowing God on February 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“Know therefore that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His loving-kindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments;” Deuteronomy 7:9

If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself. 2 Timothy 2:13

God is faithful and will keep His promises.  We see this in the Old Testament when God made a covenant with Abraham.  God remained faithful to Israel, despite the unfaithfulness of Israel at times.  Whenever Israel sinned God remembered the covenant with Abraham and the generations that followed.

After Adam had sinned and man had fallen, God was faithful in sending His own son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins.  God’s faithfulness does not depend on us but God’s faithfulness is who He is.  God remains faithful even when we are faithless.  So whatever God says He will do, He will do.  He will not go back on His word.  We can depend on what God says and He will always be faithful to us.

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Joy of God

Posted in Knowing God, Uncategorized on February 15, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10

 You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7

Our strength comes from the joy of the Lord.  The Thessalonian church was going through trials and tribulations but the joy of the Holy Spirit strengthened them and they were able to receive the word and become imitators of Christ.

We to face many trials and tribulations but the joy of the Lord will strengthen us in our hour of need.  The joy from the Lord is supernatural, it is beyond human comprehension.  It’s the joy that can fill us even after we have mourned through the night.  God is the one that can turn our sorrow into joy.  God is full of joy and will fill us with that same joy.

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God is Kind

Posted in Knowing God on February 14, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? Romans 2:4

It really is upsetting when Christians portray God as an angry God ready to pass judgment on unbelievers.  God is not sitting on this throne with a lightning bolt in hand ready to strike the world.  Instead God shows kindness to bring people to repentance.

God desires that all should come to repentance.  It is also our responsibility to show kindness to all people, just as God does.  Don’t you know that kindness will silence your enemies?  That is why Jesus told us to love our enemies and bless those that curse us.  So let us not think lightly of the kindness of God but thank Him for His many blessings.

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Qualities of God

Posted in Knowing God, The Holy Spirit on February 13, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.  John 5:15

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5:22-23

Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him, He will abide in us and we will bear much fruit.  Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians.  The fruits of the Spirit are actually the qualities of God.  God is loving, joyful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, self-controlled and full of peace.  When we bear the fruit of the Spirit we reflect the image of God, and people will experience the nature of God.  We can know God more by understanding and bearing the fruit of the Spirit.

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The Trinity

Posted in Jesus, Knowing God, The Father, The Holy Spirit on February 12, 2010| Leave a Comment »

 10“Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.

 11“Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.  John 14:10-11

13“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will  guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

 14“He will glorify Me, for He will take of Mine and will disclose it to you.

 15“All things that the Father has are Mine; therefore I said that He takes of Mine and will disclose it to you.  John 16:13-15

God is triune – The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  You cannot claim to know Jehovah God and deny the deity of Jesus.  You cannot claim to know Jesus and deny the work of the Holy Spirit, because to know One is to know all three.  Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing.  The Holy Spirit does not speak on His own initiative but what He hears God speak He will disclose.

Our human mind cannot fully comprehend the idea of the Trinity.  But we know that they exist as one and yet exist as three.  God spoke to the prophets in the old testament and gave them the law.  Jesus came to show us God the Father in the flesh.  After Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit came to show us the truth and reveal the mind of God. 

To know God is to know the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

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Jehovah Nissi

Posted in Knowing God, Names of God on February 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner Exodus 17:15

God is Jehovah Nissi “The Lord is My banner”.  Isn’t it great to know that God is for us then no one can be against us?  So whatever situation we face in life God is our banner.  Think how different wars would be, if soldiers had God as their banner.  With God all things are possible.  Victory is guaranteed when God is on our side and we are on His side.  The enemy is a defeated foe.

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Jehovah Maccaddeshem

Posted in Knowing God, Names of God on February 10, 2010| Leave a Comment »

“Say to the Israelites, ‘You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. Exodus 31:13

Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

God is Jehovah Maccaddeshem “The Lord thy Sanctifier.”  We are not saved by works and we cannot work to maintain our salvation.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.  It is God who then sanctifies us to make us holy.  God desires us to be holy.  We are not to continue to live in sin but to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.  God takes us from faith to faith and glory to glory.  He conforms us into the image of Christ Jesus.

We are given the Holy Spirit who enables us to live the life God has called us to.  The Holy Spirit works within us and sanctifies us.

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