Are You Ready???

Are You Ready???

This morning as I am studying from the book of Revelations, and I read about all that will take place at the end of the world...I have an urgency to ask one question.  

Are You Ready??  Ready to stand before the Holy God of Heaven?  

God loves each one of us.  He wants us to know Him and have a personal relationship with Him.  God could make the things written in the book of Revelations happen whenever He wants...But He is waiting. Why? Because, He is patient,  He wants to give everyone a chance to turn from their wicked ways, and have a personal relationship with Him.    

  

The Bible tells is in Romans 3:23, that  "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".  And in Ephesians 2:8&9, it says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

In other words, this is saying that no one is good enough. We cannot go through life trying to do it on our own, we all need a savior!
 

In Romans 6:23, we see that, "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

All of us have sinned (made mistakes) just as Romans 3:23 says; and just as Romans 6:23 says, the wages or penalty for sin is death. But the good news is that God made a way for us!

Look at Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." and John 3:16, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

Someone had to pay our debt, so God sent His own Son to set us free. Jesus has paid it all; as a gift for us, for you and for me! All we have to do is receive that gift! It 's there, we just have to accept it. God will not force us to take it...we have to willingly accept the gift of salvation...and here is how to do it:

Romans 10:9-13
"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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture says, 'whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

So to sum it up:
We need to confess Jesus Christ as our Lord and believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead.

If you realize today, that you don't have a personal, everyday, walking hand in hand with God, relationship. And you want to begin that kind of close relationship with God today...I encourage you to pray this simple prayer.  Basically we are doing just what the above scriptures say, we are believing and confessing our belief.


God, I am a sinner, and I know that I cannot save myself. I believe that You sent Your Son to pay the price for me. And I thank you for making a way for me, when there was no other way. 

I believe what You say in Your Word; that Jesus Christ came to earth and lived a perfect life, so that He could die in my place and pay my debts, and I also believe that it didn't end there...three days later He rose from the dead conquering death, and setting me free. 

Today, I want to start my personal relationship with You!  Lord, I ask you to forgive me of my sins, and make me a new person. Lead me as I start out on a new path and help me as I strive to live everyday in a way that shows Your love to the world around me. 

I love you Lord!  

In Jesus Name I pray, Amen!

If you just prayed that prayer, I want you to know that you are now a part of the Family of God...and that there is a huge celebration going on in Heaven, over YOU!  God loves you so much, never ever, forget that!! I encourage you to find a local group of believers, let them know that you are a new Christian, and get plugged in...study God's Word daily on your own, and with your local church...ask God to teach you!  God is so good!! I am so excited to know that you are now walking with Him!! 

Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace

Today as I was listening to worship music, the old song Amazing Grace came on...as I sang along suddenly verse three stuck out, as if suddenly someone directed a spot light at it.  These words are so incredibly powerful!! 

"Through many dangers, toils and snares 

I have already come; 

'Tis grace that brought me safe thus far 

And grace will lead me home."

As I sang these words, suddenly I could see how God through His "amazing grace" had brought me through everything up till now.  Some of the "dangers, toils and snares" I know about...I can recall them like they just happened yesterday, some of them were yesterday!  But there are even more "dangers, toils and snares" I don't have a clue about.  Those things that Satan tried to use to bring about harm, only to have God shield me and protect me, without me even knowing about it.  Or those time when Satan set traps to make me fall, and God saw them and redirected my steps.  Times when maybe I didn't understand why I had to go the long way about an issue, but God knew the long way was the best way.  And just as God has been faithful to lead, guide and protect me for the last 30 years, I know without a doubt that He will be faithful to lead, guide and protect me until I finally walk those streets of gold and see my Jesus face to face!! 

God is so good!!

He's Pleading For You!

Romans 8:34
34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 

 

 Here are the definitions I found for t

he word intersession:

1. an act or instance of interceding. 

2. an interposing or pleading on behalf of another person. 

3. a prayer to God on behalf of another.

Jesus Christ 

the only begotten Son of God, who died and then rose again on the third day, and ascended into heaven, He is seated at the right hand of God...this same Jesus intercedes for us!   What an amazing thought!  No matter what is going on in this world we live in, no matter the situations we face...there is hope because we have the very Son of God pleading on our behalf!   WOW!   

God is so good!! 

Watchmen

Watchmen

Ezekiel 33:1-7

This passage of scripture jumped off the page to me when I read it this morning.  God says some pretty strong words to Ezekiel, words that, I believe, apply to us as Christians today...

God tells Ezekiel that God has placed Ezekiel as the "watchman" over Israel.  It was Ezekiel's responsibility to hear from God and take the Lord's message to the Israelites.  In Ezekiel's case, the message was one of repentance and warning of things to come if they didn't repent.  If Ezekiel shared that message with the people, and the people didn't listen, then they made their decision and it is on them.  But here is the catch...If Ezekiel decided he didn't want to share the message, when the people continued in their sins (because they hadn't heard the message), Ezekiel was the one who took the blame.  

So how does this apply to us?? 

We are called to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, to share the good news, to proclaim the good things God has done. Acts 1:8 says,

"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.”

*Witness means to bear witness; testify; give or afford evidence.*  

We are to be witnesses, we are to share, testify and give evidence of the Gospel.

As believers, we know the truth, we know that Jesus is the only way to be saved...the only way to eternal life in Heaven. (John 3:16, Romans 3:23)   We know that without a personal relationship with Jesus, the only option is eternal torment in hell.  

So, since we have a very important message that is a matter of life and death; we also have a responsibility to share that message.  If we choose to keep quiet, if we keep the good news to ourselves, then we become responsible, just as Ezekiel was responsible!  

My goal is not to cause you to feel like you've failed if you haven't shared.  But I do believe that it is an important job that we all have, and I don't want to be the one responsible because I chose to keep quiet when God asked me to speak!  I am sure there have been times when I could have shared, but I chose not to. I think it is safe to say that we all have kept silent at some point!  So, when we fail to obey, we need to remember, that God is gracious and forgiving.  

We are "watchmen", let's not keep silent, let's share the truth of the gospel whenever we have opportunity! 

We know and serve such a gracious, compassionate, merciful, and awesome God...

Let's not keep Him to ourselves!!! 

Our Pastor shared some thoughts on sharing the gospel last Sunday and what he said made so much sense! I encourage you to listen to the full message Here!

Fire Drill!

Fire Drill!

This morning a few minutes after arriving home from taking my daughter to school...I heard the familiar sound of  the schools fire alarm...I watched out the back window of our home, as all the teachers and students filed out of the school to their predetermined locations in the field behind our house.  I could recognize the teachers from my daughter's kindergarten class, and knew that among all the kids dressed in bright colors, my daughter was there...learning what to do in the event of a true emergency.  

As I stood there and watched, until they all gradually went back inside...I thought about a couple things.  

1. I was thankful that today's alarm was just a drill, a practice, there was no fire, no true emergency...my kiddo is safe! 

2. I felt gratitude to all the teachers and staff who work so hard to prepare our young children for a true emergency if/when they have one. 

3. I thought about life.  Every thing we do, everywhere we go, the good times and the bad, and how we even as adults could learn much from these kids who are practicing how they will react when the emergency comes.  

We never know what today holds, or how tomorrow will go.  We can however work today, to be prepared and ready for whatever life may bring.  

How? How do we prepare and get ready for something that is unknown?  

By getting to know the One who holds all of our tomorrows. By learning to trust, and lean on God, even in the good times. We must make sure our source of strength, and our source of hope is God and God alone. 

We cannot place our trust and hope in this world, in money, in our job, in the roof above our heads, in the food we've packed into our pantry, or friends and family we love and depend on daily. All of these things are great, and wonderful...but we must realize that all of these things can fail...they can run out, wear out, disappear, or leave us wanting...Only God, the creator of Heaven and Earth...the one who formed the stars, and knows the number of hairs on our head...He and He alone can be our everything. 

 When we come to the place of trusting Him completely, of making Him the source for all we need...the things of this life, the good and the bad, the known and the unknown, past, present and future, will not shake us, will not wear us down, or knock us out. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, bringing forth fruit in it's season, our leaves will not wither, and whatever we do will prosper. (Psalm 1:3) We will mount up with wings like eagles, we will run and not grow weary, we will walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31) 

Today, right now, this is the time to get ready, to be prepared...to start working on a growing, and vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ.   Let's dig our roots down deep into God's Word, so that when the storms of life come, we will be planted  so deeply in Him, nothing can move or shake us! 

Legacy of Love!

Legacy of Love!

Do you ever think of what kind of legacy you will leave behind you when you finish your days on this old earth???

Well, the other night as I was thinking over my life, I thought of all the blessings God has given me,  I thought of all the people I have loved during my journey so far, I looked back over my successes, and also over my failures.  

As I took this walk down memory lane, I felt deep down in my spirit, the desire to work, aim, and  strive to live out God's love everyday of my life.  

I know there have been times in my life, when I didn't act in love.  Maybe you were someone who felt as if I judged you or over looked you...If so, I am terribly sorry!  I can honestly tell you that I never planned to hurt anyone with my actions, words or attitude.  But I know that sometimes we do things in-spite of ourselves...and I know that I am not perfect, in fact I am far far from perfect!  But I know that even though I am imperfect, God's love and mercy has always been my constant companion. 

 Proverbs 10:12 says, "Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins."  

I have seen first hand how God's love covers all sin.  I am so thankful for God's love, grace and mercy!!  And I believe that as Christians (meaning to be like Christ) We should do just that...be like Christ!  We should be God's hands extended, we should love others out of the overflow of God's love that He so generously pours into our hearts and lives.  

What would happen if all of us were to love others as Christ loves us? 

What a difference it would make in the world around us!!   

Though I am sure I will fail and fall many times in my endeavors to follow Christ and love as He loves...I am going to do my best from this day forward...I want to leave a "Legacy of Love".  How about you?

Praise The Lord!

Praise The Lord!

Life has some unexpected twists and turns.  But in every situation, in all that happens, good or bad, I choose to give thanks and praise to the Lord!  

Last Friday morning, our beloved pastor, Rev. Bob Swope, suffered from a heart attack and went to be with Jesus.  We are all still in shock, it doesn't seem real. I keep thinking it is just a joke, some horrible prank, but then I go on Facebook, and see all the posts about what a great man he was and how much he will be missed, and I know it is real. 

The tears start to fall again.

 Today the family announced the time and date of the memorial service, and the loss flooded over me once more.  It is hard to let go of someone who had such a huge impact on your life.  It is easy to see the hurt and pain, and sometimes it feels like it could overwhelm you, but today in my Bible reading, I was reminded that God is good.  We may not understand why things happen, but we can trust Him to work it all into His marvelous plan.  

So today, I choose to focus on how good God is, and praise Him for who he is, not for what I can get from Him, not even for what he has already done (both of these give me many reasons to praise), but today I want to praise Him just for who He is! 

God is love.

God is great.

God is good.

God is just.

God is all powerful.

God is all knowing.

God is merciful.

God is compassionate.

God is ever-present.

God is gracious.

God is Lord of all, creator of heaven and earth.

God is worthy of all our praise.

Psalm 145:3

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.

Exodus 15:2

The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Exodus 15:11

“Who is like You, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, Fearful in praises, doing wonders?

2 Samuel 22:4

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.

Psalm 7:17

I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 28:7

The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.

Heavenly Wisdom and A Controlled Tongue!

Heavenly Wisdom and A Controlled Tongue!

This week I have truly enjoyed reading from the book of James!  Today, I'd like to focus on James chapter 3.  What great words of wisdom and instruction...I love how James doesn't beat about the bush...He just says it like it is and gives great insight as he instructs us in how we should control our tongue as well as make sure we are lead by heavenly wisdom, not demonic wisdom.  

I think many times we say things without thinking about the effect our words have.  I am reminded that we have the power of life or death in our tongue.  The words we say can help someone to become who God wants them to be, or they can cause a person to get discouraged, and give up.  

We don't always, in fact I dare say, we rarely know what another person has been through and all that is going on in their life.  We may not understand why they are doing things the way they are or why they think the way they think.  I truly believe that the only way we can control our tongue is to use the heavenly wisdom James talks about in this chapter.  I don't believe he was addressing these two things as separate issues, but instead I think he was stating a problem, and then giving the solution.

How do we learn to control our tongues, and make sure we are speaking words of life and not death? The only way we possibly could do this, is through the help and leading of the Holy Spirit.  It is only when we are tuned into the Spirit, listening and leaning on Him to lead us, that we will have the heavenly wisdom and the self-control to control our tongues.  

Lets look at this section from 2 Corinthians...

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

"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."

This verse starts out stating that "we walk in the flesh but we do not war according to the flesh"...in other words...we may be dealing with a real down to earth issue with someone or something, but we cannot go about fixing it in our own way.  We cannot depend on our own wisdom or start speaking about the situation without first letting the Holy Spirit lead us. With His leading we will say what God wants us to say, words based on heavenly wisdom not on our own fleshly desires.  We must rely on God, for our weapons are "Mighty in God", not mighty in man, mighty in finances, or mighty in anything else we may try to rely on or fix the issue with...they are only mighty in God!  When we do things God's way, and let Him lead us, even in the little things we say...can have a powerful effect on the final outcome.  Paul goes on to say that the weapons that are mighty in God will "pull down strongholds, cast down arguments, as well as everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God". What is the purpose of all of this? The purpose is to "bring every thought into obedience to Christ"...If every thought is brought to the place of obedience to Christ, then every word will also be spoken in accordance with God's will and God's plan.  Once we have used our Mighty in God weapons to pull down and cast down the things that don't align with God's Word, we will the be ready to help discipline or punish all disobedience, but only after our obedience is fulfilled.  We cannot try to tell other's what they are doing wrong if we ourselves are making the same mistakes. If we want our words to be full of life, to encourage others and to have a positive effect, then we must work to allow the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us, in all things.  It also requires that we be willing to let go of pride and admit where we have failed, and ask God to help us to do better next time. We must ask for heavenly wisdom. James says it this way: "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." James 3:17

I don't know about you, but I know that deep down, somewhere is the center of my being, is the desire to always speak out of Heavenly Wisdom, and to allow God to use my words to uplift, encourage, and build up  other people.  I know that I will fall and fail, but I also know that God's grace is enough, and with His help, I can make a difference in the lives of those around me.

Let's Pray!

Heavenly Father, I am so grateful and thankful that you didn't give us a whole bunch of rules and regulation and then leave us on our own to falter and fail.  No, you gave us the law to help us see our need for a Savior, and then you provided that Savior, by sending Your only Son to die in our place.  We are so unworthy of your love, mercy, forgiveness.  But you love us so much, that it doesn't matter.  Your love makes up for our lack.  And You have given us the ability to lean on Your Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance, to help us as we walk this earth.  We can walk daily in the wisdom and grace that can only come from You! What a marvelous gift!! Lord, I pray today that you will daily remind us how much we need to lean on You.  Help us to tap into that Heavenly Wisdom, and speak words of love and life.  Use our lives to show Your love to a lost and hurting world. 

In Jesus Name we pray, AMEN

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 6

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 6: Spirit, Soul, and Body

1. Complete this sentence: "I want to walk with the Holy Spirit, but I can't because I..."

There are many different ways I can think of to end this sentence...but thankfully I know that I can walk with the Holy Spirit, He is with me each and everyday. :o) 

2. How does your church view the Holy Spirit? As an active or passive influence in our lives? Either way, what is the scriptural proof for that belief?

My Church views the Holy Spirit as an essential and powerful part of everyday life.  Our services are often filled with people praying in the Spirit, we regularly hear words of knowledge, and messages in tongues with their interpretations. Our Pastor encourages the congregation to be in the Word, studying and growing in their spiritual walk, and that is only possible by listening to the Spirit as He teaches you what the Word of God is saying, what it means, and how it applies to your life.

  

There are many scriptures that talk about the Holy Spirit being an active part of the lives of the believers in the new testament.  Here are just some of them...

For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Luke 12:11-13

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:3-5

And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:30-32

And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

Acts 5:31-33

who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 8:14-16

So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,

Acts 15:7-9

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

Acts 15:27-29 

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:12-14

3. Of what form or substance is God?

According to what I have read in God's Word, God has many of the same physical attributes as us.  In the Word He is described with hands, a face, eyes, a mouth, a back, feet, etc.  Also, We are created in God's image, so I imagine that He look similar to what we as humans look like, with the exception of the fact that He is perfect, holy, glorious and more beautiful than words can describe. 

4. Explain what the author means when he says the Holy Spirit has a mind of His own.

When Benny Hinn says that the Holy Spirit has a mind of His own, He is talking about the fact that the Holy Spirit searches out the mind of God and then reveals/teaches what He finds to us.  The Holy Spirit though He is one with the Father and the Son, has His own mind and will.  Just as I am one person made up of a  body, soul and spirit...My body may be telling me I need food, while my spirit, which is supposed to be lead by the Holy Spirit, may be telling me to fast, and it is up to my soul to decide which one I am going to listen to. The difference is that God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, all work together, completely united, they are one, where the Spirit is... the Father and Son are, where the Son is... the Father and Spirit are, and where the Father is... the Spirit and Son are.  Together the three personalities or parts make up the one and only God!

5. What is the temple of God as described by Paul in the New Testament?

We are the temple of the Holy Spirit! Heaven is God's throne and Earth is His footstool, but God through the Holy Spirit resides inside of each and every believer.

6. Should the Holy Spirit be worshiped? Why, or why not?

This is one of those questions that really makes you think.  Even though I was raised in church, taught that the Holy Spirit is equal to God the Father and the Son, and that He is a part of the Godhead, I do not remember ever being taught to pray to or worship the Holy Spirit.  It was always taught that the Holy Spirit living in us would help us as we prayed or worshiped, that He was there with us, but not the one we were worshiping.  So as I study this out, and think about all I've been taught, all I believe regarding the Holy Spirit, I have to say that, yes, we should pray to and worship Him.  As I sit here contemplating this I realize that we always have prayed to Him and worshiped Him.  We pray asking Him to come fill us and to lead and guide us, we sing songs about Him, but for some reason, we don't discuss it as much as we do worshiping God the Father and God the Son. I guess we just need to start talking about it and realize that it is just as important as praying to the Father or to Jesus.

7. What does it mean to vex the Spirit? How would we do that? How might we avoid doing it?

I looked up the definition to the verb VEX -- "Distress, bother"  Synonyms include "Aggravate, agitate, disturb, embarrass, exasperate, get under one's skin, pester, harass, upset, and torment."  These words give us a pretty clear picture of what vexing the holy Spirit does to Him.  When we vex Him, we cause Him grief, and pain.  He is gentle and quiet, He will not force us to follow His leading, so when we hear what He is telling us, and we choose to do the opposite, we vex Him.  We can avoid hurting Him in this way by working to always listen to His voice, to being open to His leading and being thoughtful of what is pleasing to Him and what is not, He is your friend, so treat Him with respect, work to always honor and protect Him...The things we do and say are not the only things that can vex Him,  the things we allow to go on around us, the things we put up with that just should not be...those things can effect your relationship with the Holy Spirit too.  

Good Morning Holy Spirit - Chapter 4

Good Morning Holy Spirit

Chapter 4: Person to Person

1. Are you ready to meet the Holy Spirit personally? How can you do this?

If you do not know that Holy Spirit personally, please take this time to ask Him to come and show you who He is.  You don't have to do anything more but be honest and open and willing to learn all He has to teach you.

2. Just what does "being filled with the Holy Spirit" really mean?

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, is something that happens when we accept Christ as our Savior- Jesus then sends His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) to dwell in us.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; 

and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, 

who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:19-21

And then there is the infilling of the Holy Spirit which is evidenced as speaking in a heavenly prayer language.  

"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, 

as the Spirit gave them utterance" 

Acts 2:3-5

But don't stop there...make it a priority to get to know the Holy Spirit personally...He wants to be your friend, companion, teacher, and much more.

3. List the ways in which you could think of the Holy Spirit as a personal friend.

When I think of the Holy Spirit I am filled with a deep love and desire to be with Him always.  He is here for me when I don't have the words to express the way I feel, and He understands.  He always says the right thing, at the right time.  He helps me when I just don't know what decision I should make, and He loves me even though I fail Him often.  He is everything a friend should be and more, He is closer than a brother, loves me more and my mother or father, and never steers me the wrong way. He is the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

4. Where is the Holy Spirit: in heaven or on earth? What is the scriptural basis for you answer?

The Holy Spirit is here on earth!

Jesus Promises Another Helper - John 14:15-18

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.

5. Explain the Rapture. What is its significance to you?

The rapture is when Jesus Christ returns for His church (those who believe on Him for Salvation).  The significance of the rapture is that someday all believers will be caught up together with Christ...this earth is not our home, and someday soon we will all get to go to heaven, our real home!

6. Why is the Holy Spirit called the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God the Father and God the Son. He is Holy, because He is God and God is Holy.  What better name could he have than Holy Spirit - it describes Him perfectly!

7. The Holy Spirit is the one who __________,  who ________ with me.

The Holy Spirit is the one who communes, who fellowships with me.

8. Is it proper to think of the Holy Spirit as the greatest teacher? Why?

Yes, The Holy Spirit is the one who inspired and wrote the entire Bible...who better to teach us about the Word of God than the very author? 

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God.11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

9. What does the author say is the greatest sin against the Holy Spirit?

Grieving the Holy Spirit - When we deny His power and presence we grieve Him, we step out of God's will. When we do this God's favor and blessings are no longer allowed to come into our lives - God does not take this sin lightly.  It is important to know the Holy Spirit and to follow His leading - to honor Him and give Him all the praise and glory...When we do, we will also bring Honor and glory to God the Father and to Jesus the Son.

Unshakable Faith - Day 47: Noah And The Nephilim

Unshakable Faith

Day 47: Noah And The Nephilim

1. Have you learned to be comfortable in the presence of angels because there is a great deal of interchange between them and humankind, especially believers?

This is not something I think about on a daily basis, but scripture is clear that God has given His angels charge over us, this means they are assigned to protect and work on our behalf.  Also, scripture says that some people entertain angels with out knowing it.  The knowledge that they are there is in the back of my mind, but I have not really thought about it.  So I guess I am completely comfortable with it...it just seems normal to me.

2. The Scriptures are clear that some will not only do the works that Jesus did, but greater works. Do you think this is possible?

Yes, if Jesus said it, and He did! Then it is true.  We may have trouble comprehending it, or fully grasping it, but it doesn't change the truthfulness of it.

3. Christians who are born again by the Spirit of God are in fact a "super race." Are you a member of this "super race"?

Yes! When we accept Jesus as our personal savior His Spirit, the Holy Spirit comes and resides inside of us.  We are now enabled to do what was impossible before, not because of who we are but because of Christ working in and through us.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 46:Walking With God

Unshakable Faith

Day 46:Walking With God

1. Have you accepted your invitation to draw near to Him?

Yes, I so long to be close to my Heavenly Father...I hunger for more of His Word and His presence in my life...I spend hours studying, and getting to know Him...I also talk with Him and spend time just listening to Him as He speaks to me...I love the Lord more than anything...He is my everything!

2. Have you sacrificed all of the things that distract you from becoming closer to Him?

I have given up many things that were distractions to me, but I sense the Holy Spirit nudging me telling me that there are other things in my life, that distract me from spending time with Him, and growing in my relationship with Him.  You see, God already knows everything about each one of us.  He made us, and He knows our every thought and even the number of hairs on our heads.  We are the ones who need to learn more about Him, and to draw near to Him...If there is something in our lives that keeps us from doing what we need to, to get to know Him and spend time with Him, we need to sacrifice it, let it go, give it up, the trade off is always worth it.

3. "There is nothing that says we cannot walk with God to the point that He just takes us up like He did Enoch. Could this in fact be what the rapture really is?"

I would love to walk that closely with God! WOW!!  And I agree that there is not anything in God's Word that says it is not possible, if one man could do it, any of us could...but I believe that the rapture of the church is when Jesus returns for His Bride (the whole church,  all Christians)...Not just a few christian's who grow close enough to God that God takes them.  

Unshakable Faith - Day 45:Calling On The Lord

Unshakable Faith

Day 45:Calling On The Lord

1.The Lord knew the end from the beginning, and from the beginning He planned and prepared for our ultimate redemption and restoration from sin. Isn't this amazing?

One of the most humbling and awe inspiring things is sitting down and thinking about all God has made, all He has done to provide, and sustain humankind...His love for us is so great, He is so good.  Here is a song that tells it all so perfectly.

2. Have you been deceived by satan, but realize that the Lord is the author of all good things and repentance is the way back into His mercy?

Absolutely, we all at one time or another fall for a lie of satan, and no matter what the lie, or how great the sin seems to be, Jesus has paid the price, and all we need to do is repent of our sin, and run to God.

3. What are the true riches of the Kingdom?

True riches of the Kingdom are the truth and knowledge of God's ways.  God's ways are so much greater and higher than our ways, we will spend all eternity exploring the riches of His love and mercy!

Unshakable Faith - Day 23: Marriage

Unshakable Faith

Day 23: Marriage

1. Have you experienced a spiritual sensuality that is released through the love and union of the spirit and soul that physical sensuality can never compare with?


It is a beautiful thing when a husband and wife have a connection of the spirit and soul...The physical connection is beautiful too, but it is meaningless when the other two are missing.  God created marriage,  and He created man and woman to need not just the physical, but more importantly the spiritual and soul connections with each other.  


2. Can you attest that it is the devil's strategy to turn your strengths into weaknesses and use them against you?


Satan is crafty, and sly, if he can take something God has given us for good, and make us use it in a bad way, he will do his best to try it.  We need to be careful to recognize Satan's schemes and to also recognize what our strengths are and how God intended us to use them.


3. Do you understand that the perversion of you nature is Satan's tactic to keep you from unity?


From the very beginning when Satan deceived Eve into eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, his goal has been to separate us from our heavenly Father.  Misery loves company, and Satan is miserable because of the choices he made, that caused God kick him out of heaven. So now his goal is to keep as many people as possible from getting to enjoy Heaven, when he knows it is not an option for himself.  The discord he sows is all a part of that goal, and when we come together in unity and serve God as God intended us to do, it makes Satan's skin crawl...it puts fear in him, because the power of the Body of Christ is directly correlated with the unity of the Body of Christ.  That is why unity is one of the things Satan tries to defeat first... without unity we are lot easier to defeat in other areas.

Unshakable Faith - Day 21: The Test

Unshakable Faith 

Day 21: The Test

1. Have you taken the freedom without taking the responsibility that comes with it?


No, I don't think I have.  If anything I have been closer to the living under the law, but not in grace.  God has shown me over the years that this is just as bad as taking the freedom without the responsibility.  


Taking the freedom without responsibility is choosing to live under grace to the point where we forget about the law and act like it was not meant for us.  Living under the Law without grace is the opposite extreme...where we try to be perfect, abiding by the Law, without any grace for the times when we make mistakes.  God gave us the Law, but He also made a way for us to receive grace.  One without the other is a huge mistake! We are to do our best to obey the Law, but to know that no one is perfect, we all will make mistakes, and God gives us grace to cover all of our failures. 


2. Has it been true for you that the most fulfilling experiences have come when you took the initiative, made a good choice, and saw the fruit?


Absolutely! When we decide to step out in faith and try something that is out of our comfort zone, it is scary.  There is a huge potential for success, but also for failure.  But taking that step, and making the right choices, allowing God to lead you...and then seeing God's blessing on your endeavors, and seeing how that good choice effects you and all those around you, is such a rewarding experience.


3. Have you allowed God's Word to bind you or free you?


Both! There have been times in my life when I pictured God as a all powerful judge just waiting to catch me in a mistake, so that He could punish me, and so I did everything I could to try to be perfect...perfectionism is a rough road, and it is a sin to think you could ever be good enough on your own.  As I have grown in my walk with Christ, He has shown me that the opposite is true.  God loves us, Jesus didn't come to condemn us, but to save us and to free us.  God is not waiting to bring down His gavel in judgement on us...no, He is waiting hoping that we will turn to Him, He is gently calling us and beckoning us to come to Him, to lean on Him and allow Him to do what we could never do...save us, redeem us, set us free, forgive us for our mistakes, make us into a beautiful bride that will one day spend eternity in heaven with Him.  When we come to Him and allow Him to work in our lives and we trust Him for our salvation, it is then that God's Word sets us free instead of binding us.

Unshakable Faith: Day 17 - The Commission

Unshakable Faith

Day 17 - The Commission

1. Do you think people are filling the earth, subduing it and ruling over it, just as God originally planned?


Yes and No! Yes, the human race is filling the earth, subduing it and ruling over it.  But No, we are not doing it just as God originally planned.  When man fell, and sin came in to bring death and destruction, it changed everything.  We have much to learn about how to fill the earth, subdue it and rule over it in the right manner...as we draw closer to God and become more like Him, He will teach us and help us to fill, subdue and rule as He desires.


2. How does reading Isaiah 11:6-9 make you feel about the present and the future?


Isaiah 11:6-9
6 "The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling together;
and a little child will lead them.
7 The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea."

It almost seems impossible! It is hard to imagine a world where there is complete and total peace...even the animals are at peace with each other, and with mankind too!  Amazing!!! The cool thing about this scripture is that it clearly shows us just how far we have fallen and the effect our fall has had on all creation.  So when Jesus paid the price for our restoration, He also made a way for all creation to be restored to this beautiful, peaceful and completely enjoyable state.  

3. Is His Bride close to proving Herself worthy of great authority before the angels and principalities and powers in the heavenly places?


I believe with all of my heart that the Bride of Christ is still a work in progress.  The Bible talks about the Bride being beautiful without a spot or wrinkle.  The church as a whole today has many spots and wrinkles.  Divisions between the churches and denominations. People who claim to be Christians, but live defeated and sinful lives, and more...  I'm not saying we should be perfect, that is not even possible, that is the reason we need a Savior! But I do believe that as the body of Christ we should be striving to grow more like Him daily, and as we do, it will have a great effect on our daily lives and on the church as a whole. 

Unshakable Faith - Day 7: Heaven

Unshakable Faith

Day 7: Heaven

1. When did you first behold the glory of the heavenlies where Christ is seated, and realize that you have been placed with Him by the power of His cross?


I have not ever thought of it in this way before, but as I think about it, I know that I first beheld the glory of the heavenlies as a small child.  I grew up seeing God do miracles and working in peoples lives...then as a teen I was filled with the Holy Spirit and came to know God in a completely new way.  I have known most of my life, that because of the power of Jesus' cross, I have a heavenly home, and that this earth is not my real home.  I can't say that I have seen the heavenlies with my physical eyes, but I have seen them with the eyes of faith.  And I can tell you that Heaven is real, and I have a mansion waiting for me there!


2. Have you heard - or said - "Don't become so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good"?


I think I have heard that saying at some point in my life...but I never really gave it much thought.  I have to question the logic behind it...how could being heavenly minded ever hurt anything here on earth...there is nothing bad, or evil in heaven...Heaven is a wonderful place full of God's presence...if anything people should want more people to be heavenly minded as it would cause some major changes to happen here on earth...and I'm talking changed for good!


3. The true good that you can do on earth is dependent on the degree to which you have attained the heavenly treasures.  How full is your treasure chest?


The Bible says to store up treasures in heaven, where moth and rust and thieves can't kill steal and destroy...How do we do store up treasures in heaven? Well, certainly not by spending our time and money on things that are only temporary...things that will perish and will not last for eternity.  So then the opposite is how to gather and store up treasures in heaven...by sharing God's love with everyone, by spreading the good news of the gospel, by being a light in the darkness around us, by investing our time and money into things that will last for all eternity, by being heaven minded, not earthly minded.   I think my heavenly treasure chest has quite a bit in it, but I am also sure that I could continue to store up treasures in heaven for the rest of my life, and there would always be room for more...I guess I imagine that the treasure chest grows with the amount of treasure put into it. 

Unshakable Faith - Day 5: The Separation

Unshakable Faith

Day 5: The Separation

1. Keep your attention on the Lord, especially when the Holy Spirit is convicting you of sin or revealing people or situations to avoid.

When we are convicted of sin, or when we are warned to be careful of certain things that may be stumbling blocks for us, we must make sure that we accept the information the Holy Spirit is giving to us, and then move right back into communion and fellowship with God...we cannot let our focus shift to the darkness that surrounds us, we must focus and continue to focus on the light and love found only in Jesus.

2. When the Light reveals sin, you must either turn the light off and go back to your old life or remove the sin. There can be no compromise. Are you in a compromising situation?


I am so glad I can honestly say no, I am not in a compromising situation.  But there have been times in my life when I didn't always follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, and therefore ended up in a compromising situation.  Here is the deal...if you know that you should or should not do something, and you do the opposite, even if it seems like some small insignificant thing, you have entered into a compromising situation.  Disobedience is sin. There is no way around that fact...the only thing you can do, if you find yourself in a compromising situation is to repent and ask God to show you what you need to do now.  

3. It is painful to have your sin exposed, but you have relief and comfort at the cross. True?


The cross is the place that Jesus shed His blood and gave up His life for our sins.  Jesus paid the price at the cross, so that we could be forgiven.  Also, it was only after Christ died for us and rose again, after He returned to heaven to sit at the right hand of the Father, that the Holy Spirit was sent down to comfort, teach, guide, and convict us...So the cross is the intersection that connects us to forgiveness, and salvation; it brought Jesus into His rightful place at the right hand of God; and it brought the Holy Spirit who is our comforter down to us.  So yes, I'd say that's a true statement!

Unshakable Faith - Day 3 -The Spirit Moves

Unshakable Faith

Day 3 - The Spirit Moves

1. The nature of the Christian life is to be moving and going somewhere.  Are you moving forward, or are you too comfortable where you are?

When I think about my walk with Jesus and all the things He is doing in my life and all the amazing things around me...I just can't help the overwhelming flood of emotions that fill my entire being...sometimes it makes me want to cry, laugh, smile, jump up and down, or become more prayerful and reverent...but always I just want to praise Him.  I know that it is all to easy to stop moving forward, and sometimes that happens without us even realizing it...but I am so thankful that Jesus loves us enough, that He never stops nudging us to get back in the flow when we've strayed, and He is always faithful to lead and guide us, so that we are able to keep on, keeping on once we have got our spiritual feet moving in the right direction.


2. If your spiritual life is not getting better day by day and increasing in power and faith, then you may have missed a turn.  Take time to think back to where that might have been and correct your course.

I don't know what the road your walking on looks like, or what roads have lead you to where you currently are...but if you look around and realize that you have made a wrong turn, do not worry, do not fret...you may have turned away from Jesus, but be assured He has not turned from you.  Simply look to Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith, and He will help you, guide you and heal your wounds, to get you back on the right road, headed in the right direction, with the power and strength to make it to the end. 

3. Have petty differences with others separated you from those whose destiny is joined to your own?


We are the Bride of Christ, that is how we, the church are described, in scripture.  Each believer is a part with a very real purpose. Now imagine with me for a moment a bride whose left foot had an issue with it's big toe?  I picture a beautiful young woman walking down the isle, and BAM that foot purposefully slams that big toe into a chair leg, what a picture it would make and what a chaotic wedding, when every body part was fighting or not working with another...that poor bride, and that poor groom!  Well, when we let little disagreements come between us and another believer, that is what we are doing to the beautiful bride, that is the church.  Let us love one another, and work in unity, so that we can be the beautiful Bride of Christ without a spot or wrinkle!

Psalm 91- Chapter 21: I Behold His Salvation

Psalm 91: God's Umbrella of Protection

Chapter 21: I Behold His Salvation

"...and let him behold My salvation."

Psalm 91:16b

Salvation is the all encompassing promise...All of the promises we have covered in this study are ours through the gift of salvation.  God wants us to know that salvation is not just a way to secure our entrance into heaven.  Salvation is a promise of God's protection, healing, health, deliverance, rescue, safety,  and provision in this life now.  Yes, salvation means we will get to spend eternity in heaven in God's presence, but it is more than that, it begins in our lives today.  I am so thankful for God's gift of salvation, and all the promises that gift includes.  If you have not accepted this wonderful gift from God, I encourage you to take a step out in faith and open the greatest gift you will ever receive. Please go to the "Our Beliefs" page for more details and instructions about receiving this great gift.

Thank you for joining me for this great study, I sincerely hope you have been blessed, encouraged, and filled with hope and faith because of the promises God has given us.

Blessings!
Kayla