Spirit Empowered Lifestyle

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16 KJV

Oswald Chambers said of this verse, “Be one who worships GOD and who lives in holy relationship with Him. Get into the real work of intersession, and remember it is a work that taxes every power.”

Over 100 years ago Oswald Chambers was teaching the necessity of the Spirit empowered lifestyle. 2000 years ago Jesus and then the Apostles were teaching the importance of the Spirit empowered lifestyle.

So why is it so hard for much of the Church to understand and teach the Spirit empowered lifestyle? What became popular in the 20^th century and is still popular in much of the Church today is the prosperity till rescued lifestyle. Many Christians are taught and believe that GOD wants to give them the good life though prosperity until they are raptured out just before the great tribulation begins on the earth.

The rapture teaching did not exist until the 19^th century and the prosperity teaching did not exist until the 20^th century. Now it is taught from pulpits great and small around the world. For 1900 years a lifestyle of seeking GOD first and His righteousness was taught. The Church was taught to pray through the trials, testings and persecutions of life (yes they were expected) for GOD’s will to be done. Just like Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, they prayed if it was possible that they would be delivered, but GOD’s will be done. And many suffered and many died in the pursuit of living the Spirit empowered lifestyle.

So why do so many Christians today believe that GOD’s Love is only expressed in their comfort and prosperity and therefore He will rescue them at the last minute from the great tribulation. During the great tribulation according to the scriptures there will be a great harvest in the earth of new believers. How? Some teach that it will be those who were not really believers but went to Church who will then understand the Bible and become the great evangelists of the great tribulation.

Ha! I don’t think so! As an experienced human being of 66 years, a Christian of 43 years, one who had his own falling away of 17 years, I know that most of those who expect to be raptured and are not when the kingdom of the anti-christ is established under the guise of the one world government or the universal order will be hurt, confused, angry and even vengeful at the Church that led them down the primrose path to tribulation. Some will understand that they were deceived because of their itching ears and by not personally seeking GOD but letting others tell them what was pleasant; but many will turn their back on the Church and GOD and will only harden their hearts to the truth.

GOD is Love! And He does want to bless, protect, provide, prosper, heal and deliver us from every bad thing and choice we ever made; and from every evil work of the world and the devil.

GOD is Righteous! And His Word, judgment, justice, mercy and grace cannot fail!

GOD is a consuming fire! And He will consume everything that is not of Him and His eternal Kingdom. And He will refine everything that is of Him and His eternal Kingdom.

GOD is Truth! And everything that He said will happen, will happen! Nothing that He said will happen, will not happen!

The Great Commission; that Jesus gave the Church before He ascended to be enthroned at the right hand of GOD’s throne and then They sent Their Holy Spirit to indwell every born again believer; will not be completed until the great tribulation and the great harvest are complete. How will this happen?

Christ is coming back for His Bride the Church! He is not coming back for a beat down, beggarly, in hiding bride! He is not coming back for and impure bride full of false teaching and sin! He is coming back for a Bride that is pure by the Blood of The Lamb, the word of Her testimony and not loving Her life unto death!

How does the Church become that Bride? By each person, family and fellowship who say they are Christian and believe they are born again seeking His Kingdom and His Righteousness everyday! By reading and studying the Bible everyday! By praying without ceasing! By fasting to seek GOD’s presence! By fellowshipping with Believers! By evangelizing the lost! By living as Jesus did; only doing what He saw the Father doing; only saying what He heard the Father saying; by yielding His will to the Father’s will!

Yes, it is not always easy, sometimes it is very hard, sometimes it costs more than we expected, but that is usually because we are still hoping and trying for what is easy rather than what is His will!

Everything that Jesus taught was about eternal Heavenly rewards not earthly rewards! He did not call us to or promise us the easy life. He called us to the life of obedience which will include sacrifice. But if we are consumed by His Love then His consuming fire will not consume us!

For more information on living a Spirit empowered lifestyle go to dninternational.org

Prepared To Minister

The LORD has spoken to me over the last couple of months about one of the reasons that the Church does not have as dynamic and miraculous meetings as we hope, many times we are just graced by Holy Spirit because of the couple or the few who come prepared to minister. Those few who have prayed and fasted and sought the gifts of Holy Spirit; those who study the Bible, are listening to Holy Spirit and seeking to do the will of the Father are the ones who are used to release Holy Spirit to minister love, healing and deliverance to those who are in need.

Every believer should come prayed up and ready to minister at every meeting we attend. Every believer is filled with The Holy Spirit the moment we are born again. Many believers get “baptized in The Holy Spirit” and speak in tongues. But, every believer is filled by Holy Spirit and all of His gifts are available to every believer to be used as He leads.* Because, every believer is the Temple of GOD, in the earth, where His Spirit lives. “Do you not know that you are the Temple of GOD and that the Spirit of GOD dwells in you? If anyone defiles the Temple of GOD, GOD will destroy him. For the Temple of GOD is holy, which Temple you are.” “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.’” 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:16 (Ezekiel 37:26-27) NKJV

Jesus gave His Church a commission, we call it the Great Commission,^# but many Christians do not practice it in their life, many leave it to others, some ease their conscience by giving money to the Church to support the work of the ministry but most Christians do not do what GOD called them to do. GOD called and gifted every person ever born to do the work of His Kingdom in the earth as it is in Heaven. Those of us who are born again have no excuse for not seeking GOD’s will and purpose for our life. He has given us His Divinely Inspired Word and His Holy Spirit there is no reason that we cannot learn and obey!+

*“There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same LORD. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same GOD who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of Spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 NKJV

#“So Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As The Father has sent Me, I also send you.’ And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, ‘Receive The Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’” “Therefore when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘LORD, will You at this time restore the Kingdom to Israel?’ And he said to them, ‘It is not for you to know the times or seasons which The Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when The Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” “Then He said to them, ‘These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.’ And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. Then He said to them, ‘Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.’” “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of The Father and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, 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.’” “And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 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.’” Amen! John 20:21-23; Luke 24:44-49; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18 NKJV

+“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the LORD is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the LORD, giving thanks always for all things to GOD the Father in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of GOD.” Ephesians 5:15-21 NKJV

“Study to shew thyself approved unto GOD, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly divining the Word of Truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of GOD may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV

This is Repentance

Repentance

Jesus said to the paralyzed man at the pool of Bethesda, “Go and sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” He said to the woman caught in adultery, “Go and sin no more.”

Paul said to the Ephesians, “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry and do not sin’; do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of GOD, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD in Christ forgave you.” To the Galatians, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the Kingdom of GOD. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” To the Corinthians, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in GOD for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of GOD, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” To the Philippians, “Therefore my beloved as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is GOD who works in you both to will and to od for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of GOD without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”

John 5:14, 8:11; Ephesians 4:25-32; Galatians 5:16-26; 2 Corinthians 10:3-6; Philippians 2:12-16 NKJV

Being Consumed By The Love Of GOD!

Being Consumed By The Love Of GOD!

Repentance is allowing Holy Spirit to work the work of GOD in you that transforms you into the image of Christ; by the power of His resurrection, through the fellowship of His suffering being conformed unto His death! As our mindset changes as we are conformed to the image of Christ this is the consuming process of GOD’s Love. It changes everything about us so that we are no longer who we were but we have become who GOD called us to be when He formed us in our mother’s womb. We are called to be conformed to Christ so that we can do the will of GOD!

Psalm 139:13-18; Philippians 2:5-11, 3:7-11, 4:4-9; 2 Timothy 1:3-14; Hebrews 12:25-29, 13:20-22.

Love

“He who does not love does not know GOD, for GOD is Love. In this the Love of GOD was manifested towards us, that GOD has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved GOD, but that He Loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:8-10 NKJV

Jesus did not lay down His life as a sacrifice but as Love, not as an act of love but as Love; he who has ears to hear let him hear!

What Jesus did by leaving His Glory in Heaven and being born in a manger, living as a human, resisting all temptation and overcoming sin in His human life, doing the will of The Heavenly Father and going to the cross having been beaten, scourged and ridiculed, He became sin for us and suffered our judgment, went to the grave and defeated death and hell taking the keys of their domains, He rose from the grave, ascended to the right hand of GOD and is enthroned above all things spiritual and natural in the earth, below the earth, in the seas, and in the heavens, He sent His Spirit to live in all who believe in Him and obey His will; that is not an act of love that is Love.

Consume me Father with Your Love so that I am compelled by Your Love to live and love as You Love!

We speak of GOD’s Love often in the past tense but it is eternal, it has no beginning because GOD has no beginning, it will never end because GOD will never end. John 3:16 says, “For GOD, so loved the world…” This is a statement of His love expressed by Christ being the Son of Man. It’s not His sudden love for humanity or an act of love based on us because He always has and always will Love humanity, He made us in His image after His likeness for a specific reason, so that we could Love Him in return. “For the Love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again. Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold all things have become new. Now all things are of GOD, who has reconciled us in Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is that GOD was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though GOD were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to GOD. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of GOD in Him.”  2 Corinthians 5:14-21 NKJV

Jesus Christ is the focus of GOD’s Love for humanity, Jesus did not learn love He is Love; He learned obedience as the Son of Man through suffering. “So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ As He also says in another place: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’; who, in the days of His flesh, when He offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His Godly fear, thought He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by GOD as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek,’” Hebrews 5:5-10 NKJV

Jesus’ sacrifice was a sacrifice of obedience born out of GOD’s Love! He was compelled by His own Love. That is what happened to Paul on the road to Damascus, that is what happened to Mother Teresa in 1946, that is what happened to Billy Graham when he was 16, that is what has happen to many unknown Christians since Christ rose from the grave, they are consumed by the Love of GOD – Jesus Christ! It’s not about loving as Christ loved, it’s about being love and Christ is Love! It’s not learned and practiced – it’s consumed and compelled!

Who do you think Holy Spirit is? GOD’s gift and blessing giver, teacher and guide? Yes He is! But what we the Church have forgotten is first of all He is GOD! He is not GOD’s servant to the Church He is GOD: doing His will in the earth as it is in Heaven! In our prayer and worship times we call Him to fill us – we are His temple in the earth from the moment we are born again, He lives in all born again Christians, we need to come filled and ready to pour out. Holy Spirit is not the third person of the GODhead, He is not the third anything – He is GOD! There is only One True GOD and He is The Father, The Son, The Holy Spirit!

GOD is everywhere all the time all things exist in Him and for His good pleasure. He hears everything and sees everything, He knows everything, nothing is hidden from Him, He maintains and sustains everything.

If you are not a Christian ask GOD and He will reveal Himself to you – but do not expect it in any certain way – do not put GOD in a box, do no predetermine how or when He will revel Himself to you. When He does reveal Himself to you be prepared because you will never be the same again. Some will resist and some will be consumed and compelled to love and serve Him from that moment on. Start reading the Bible and praying everyday listen for the voice of GOD.

If you are a Christian you should know how to look up scriptures to see what the Bible says. You should be reading the Bible everyday and spending time praying and waiting on GOD.

Recall

Recalled

In manufacturing recalling a product is a good bad thing, it is recognizing that there is a flaw with a product that has already gone to market and that it needs to be fixed. This can cause anxiety to consumers and a loss of customers.

In the Kingdom of GOD being recalled is a bad good thing, it is recognizing that the created has become corrupt and needs to be restored. This is inherent sin and the Cross, this is the first reworking of our life to the original design.

The difference is that our Heavenly Father recalls us to restore us to be who He formed us and gifted us to be in our mother’s womb so that we can live and serve for eternity; this is salvation and regeneration. While a manufacturing recall only repairs a problem but the product still has a limited lifetime of useful service then it needs to be scraped and replaced.

GOD did not create humanity and give each of us life for a limited time of service before original sin. Adam and Eve’s sin corrupted humanity causing our eternal lifetime of service to be damaged so that we became mortal beings with a limited lifetime of service. But GOD knew that would happen and had a plan even before He created anything in our existence, it’s called redemption and it only comes through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, this is GOD’s factory recall for all humanity.

Just as in manufacturing recalls not everyone understands or wants the repair and never get it done. Not everyone believes they need the salvation regeneration and some think they can do it themselves.

There are sometimes further recalls for other related or unrelated failures. So it is with Christians sometimes the service technicians have errors themselves and do not do the proper restoration and sometimes GOD’s human servants input incorrect information or miss what GOD was doing and the person in need is not completely restored.

So being recalled by GOD to be restored to His original design and call is a good thing that has eternal benefits for us and His Kingdom.

If you have never experienced GOD The Father’s loving restoration of salvation through Jesus Christ’s Cross and Resurrection then you need to understand that you were born a sinner and by default you are destined for eternal damnation. But GOD does not want you to suffer this fate. He from the beginning had a plan of restoration so that your eternal life will be one of joy and service in His Eternal Kingdom.

What is this plan: First you must realize that you are a sinner, or one who needs to be restored, and that you cannot restore yourself. When you realize this all you have to do is ask GOD to forgive you and restore you through Jesus Christ’s death and the shedding of His Blood to remove your sin. Then you need to surrender your life and will to the Father just and Jesus did when He went to the Cross. Then The Spirit of GOD, called Holy Spirit, will come you’re your life and make your body His temple through the power of Christ’s resurrection. Then begins the process of GOD’s restoration of you by His Spirit teaching you what the Bible reveals about GOD, His Kingdom and His will for you.

As you read and study His Word the Bible and join a fellowship of other Christians also called the Church and commune with GOD through prayer which is talking with GOD like He’s your Loving Father or your BFF (He is both and more). Holy Spirit will teach you everything you need to know through the Bible, mature Christians, and the experiences of life.

If you are a Christian in need of a recall because of a habitual sin in your life or any area of your life that is out of control, then humble yourself and confess to Your Loving Father and let Holy Spirit begin the process of restoring your eternal life and service to GOD.

The Reason: “And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before GOD. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value that many sparrows.” Luke 12:4-7 NKJV

“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. For GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD. And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.” John 3:16-19 NKJV

Mystery Harvest

Mystery Harvest from the “Book of Mysteries” by Jonathan Cahn

“We went to the city to purchase some goods. On the way we came to an enclave, an agricultural settlement in the desert filled with harvesters. ‘It’s their harvest,’ said the teacher. ‘And when they finish, they’ll celebrate. People have been celebrating harvests from the beginning of history.’ He paused. ‘But then there are the mystery harvests. And the celebrations of the mystery harvests.’

‘The mystery harvests?’

‘Imagine a people celebrating a harvest that never took place, a harvest they never reaped or sowed, the celebration of a nonexistent harvest. And imagine a people persisting in celebrating these nonexistent harvests year after year for centuries.’

‘I can’t imagine it,’ I said.

‘But it actually happened. It’s one of the strangest phenomena of history.’

‘Who would do that?’

‘The Jewish people,’ he said. ‘GOD commanded them to celebrate the harvests of the Promised Land. But in AD 70 the land of Israel was destroyed and the Jewish people were scattered to the ends of the earth. There were no more harvests, no more grain or fruits to be gathered. But even though they had no more harvests, they kept celebrating them anyway. They celebrated nonexistent barley harvests, gave thanks for nonexistent fruit harvests, and rejoiced over nonexistent vines overflowing with nonexistent grapes. And then something just as strange happened. After two thousand years of celebrating the nonexistent harvests, the nonexistent harvests reappeared on the earth.’ He pause a moment before continuing.

’It is crucial’, he said, ‘that you learn this secret of the Kingdom. The children of this world rejoice after seeing their blessings. But the children of the Kingdom do the opposite. They celebrate before the blessings. Don’t wait to see your blessings in order to rejoice. Rejoice, and you will see your blessings. Don’t wait for the gift to come in order to give thanks. Give thanks, and the gift will come. Don’t wait until your circumstances are right in order to celebrate. Celebrate anyway, and they will be right. Don’t wait for the victory to be won in order to become victorious. Become victorious, and the victory will be won. Learn the secret of Israel’s mystery harvests. Celebrate the blessings you don’t see. Celebrate the harvest you don’t have… and you will have a harvest to celebrate.’

The mission: Live today in the way of the Kingdom. Before you see the blessing, rejoice and give thanks for it. Celebrate your mystery harvest.”

Deuteronomy 16:16; Jeremiah 31:3-6; Mark 11:24