There is Power in the Blood of Jesus

When one thinks about the blood of Jesus most of us think of how it sets us free from sin which, praise God, it does.  But have you really thought about how the blood of Jesus also provides access to a covenant that we as believers have with God.  That blood not only washes away sin but is the doorway for believers to enter through to have fellowship with the Lord.  Not only does it provide for are entry into heaven it also provides for our healing.  The blood also is a source of protection.  When we stay in an area where the blood of Jesus is applied we are protected from the enemy because he can't cross that line.  Remember the Jews of the Old Testament who applied the blood of a lamb to the doorposts of their homes and when the death angel came to kill the first born of the family he had to pass over because of the blood.  How much more the blood of Jesus will protect us! So next time you are faced with trouble and need somewhere to turn, turn toward the blood of Jesus.  Apply that blood by faith to your situation and watch as God preforms miracles for you!

Where is America in Bible Prophecy?

As a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ that lives in the USA I and many others have wondered why the United States is not publicly mentioned in Bible prophecy.  This nation which has sent out more missionaries, given more money for the preaching of the gospel than any other country in history appears to no longer exist when the end of this dispensation draws to a close.  Why is it?  I tend to believe that there are many possible reasons that America is not mentioned in Bible prophecy.  Those reasons include the following:  The rapture of the church, the decline and moral collapse of the USA and or we have become a part of a united multinational combine.  Let us examine each of these scenarios and see how they could play out. 

The first and most likely scenario in my opinion is the fact that the rapture of the Church occurs.  What this event would do is take leading people out of all sectors of society as the Lord calls them to Himself.  In this moment the USA could not recover from this because so many parts of society would be so heavily impacted that the US could not bear the brunt of their lost which would take the US to a second rate power within a day. 

If anyone watches and or reads the daily news we are being constantly bombarded with the fact of how evil seems to be gaining the upper hand in this nation and that we are headed down a morally slippery slope.  Unless the people of faith repent and turn our eyes back unto the Lord this nation is bound to be destroyed not from without, but from within.  As the family goes so goes a nation and when you hear and see the latest statistics on the health of the nuclear family in America, it is not good.  What we are seeing is people calling evil good and good evil.  When laws have to be passed to define that marriage is between a man and a woman than one can only see that this nation is in severe trouble.  The moral decline we are on could be one of the reasons why America is not longer great, because America is not longer good.

The final reason given is the fact that our nation could sell itself out to a multinational group like the European Union. This may only occur after the rapture or when we have morally declined to such a place where we may need the protection of others to survive.  I believe that everyone of these scenarios are possible and only time will tell whether or not they are truth.

What one should concern themselves with at this time is not whether or not the US exists in Bible prophecy but whether or not they are bound to spend eternity with the Lord.  If you are not sure than pray to the Lord something like this, " Lord forgive me for my sins.  I accept you as my Lord and Savior, please come and live within me.  Guide and direct my steps Lord as I follow after you.  In Jesus name.  Amen."  If your heart is sincere God will respond and you will spend eternity with Him.  Don't wait.  Do it today.

Are we in the End Times?

I feel inspired of God to study scripture on the end times recently.  I don't know about you but there has been many a time where I have felt God leading me into a specific topic to study for a particular purpose.  In the past it has been over things like cults and then within a couple of weeks I had an encounter with a Mormon missionaries.  So the Lord knows what is coming towards us because He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.  So when you hear God speaking to you about a particular topic that He wants you to focus on then pay attention, you don't know where it may be leading you to.  Now back to the topic at hand.

Are we in the end of days?  This is a question that has plagued mankind from the time of Christ forward, but I truly believe that we are on the verge of seeing the rapture of the Church.  Why?  Because the earth itself is groaning for the return of the sons of God (Romans 8:19).  Who are the sons of God? Anyone who is a follower of Christ is a son and or daughter of God.  The earth is wanting to go back to the Garden of Eden.  That is why it is groaning for our return.  But is will not occur until we who are raptured with Christ come back in the 2nd Coming of Christ ,when Jesus will lead us on a white horse and bring us with Him (Revelation 19). 

The raptured believers will be taken out before the tribulation period and will return at the end of the seven years of judgment with Christ.  What has to take place before the Church is taken out of this world system?  Nothing.  I am one who also believes that the rapture of the Church will occur during the Feast of Trumpets or Rosh Hashanah.  Why do I believe this?  Because everything that Christ did on the earth in a major way occurred during a Feast of Israel.  An example of this occurred during the resurrection.  This event occurred during the Jewish feast of Passover.  The Bible declares that the "trumpet shall sound and the dead in Christ shall arise and than we who are alive will be caught up." 1 Thess. 4:16, Rev. 4:1.  We are entering into the time of the feast of trumpets this coming week.  Will this be the day He returns?  I don't know for sure but I do believe that if you don't have the assurance in your heart that Christ is your savior that today would be a good day to make one's self sure.  Ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and to come into your heart.  For if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Christ died for you, you shall be saved ( Romans 10:9).

No man knows the hour of His return but we can see the signs of His return drawing ever near.  Don't wait.  Put Christ first today.  It is a decision you won't regret.

Lord teach us how to Pray

I was recently approached with a question from a fellow co-worker about how does one pray to the Lord.  When I began to give this some thought the Lord led me to think about the Lord's Prayer located in Matthew 6: 9-13.  This is a model prayer that most Christians believe is a prayer we should recite and I don't disagree with doing that, after all it is scripture.  But I also believe that is gives us some structure on how we should pray in general to the Father God. 

Verse 9 says the following," Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name."  What Jesus is showing us here that when we first enter into a time of prayer that it is very important that we enter into that time through the gate of worship.  So sing a song of praise to God, or remind Him of who He is.  Verse 10 states, " Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."  What Jesus is speaking about is the need to focus on what God is trying to get done on the earth.  What you will pray for here is for one's nation leaders, the work of missionaries around the world and or the nations of the earth that need to know the Lord.  Even praying for the souls of your loved ones would be considered in this part of the prayer time.  The main idea behind this is that the focus is off of yourself and unto others who are in need. 

Verse 11 says," Give us this day our daily bread."  Here is a place where we pray for our own needs whether they be health, a job, or any other need you may have.  God wants you to tell Him what you need because as your Heavenly Father He is concerned for you as His child.

Verse 12 states, " And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors."  When one is praying we need to repent for holding any grudges or anger toward those who may have offend us.  Jesus forgave us for all we have done and now He is requiring that we do the same when we pray.

Finally verse 13 states the following, " And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen."  In this verse Jesus is showing us that we need to have God gives us direction so it is important to seek God's wisdom and direction for the day so that we are led by the Holy Spirit in every little detail for the day.  Finally Jesus is teaching us the importance of ending our prayer time the same way we began it with worship unto God. 

I believe that as one follows this model you will find that your prayer time will be effective and will help one find the intimacy that one needs from God as a result.  Don't hesitate, get started on this today!

Faith brings the Victory

When it comes to winning in life when it comes to serving Christ there is only one way to live and that is by the walk of faith.  The Bible teaches in the book of Hebrews that, "without faith, it is impossible to please Him."  Most people in the earth today struggle with the walk of faith because it goes contrary to what our earthly nature tells us to do.  I am convinced that most people are unable to stay in the walk of faith because they are not staying in right relationship with the Lord.  Now how does one do that?  By spending time in God's word and in prayer.  If you are not doing this on a daily basis it is nearly impossible for you to "walk in the Spirit".  For when you spend time with the Lord you are able to know what He expects and how He wants you to live. 

So if you feel like you can't get ahead in life than I would suggest that you may want to review where your relationship with the Lord is.  Are you spending time with Him?  It is spending time with Him in His word that will build your faith and get you to the place where things will change for you.  Obeying His directives  and resisting temptation will also keep you on the right track because you will be living in "faith".   Walking the walk of faith in God in Christ is one of the most exciting ventures one can truly take.  God will not show you the complete picture on an item He is leading you to do, but as you walk in faith and obedience He will continue to show the way piece by piece.  Are you ready to experience victory today?  Than walk in faith towards God!

Whatever happened to "Sin?"

Over the years that I have attended church and from my observing the Christian life in society I have seen a move that was created by a portion of people in the Church that went about making sure that people wouldn't feel guilty about where they stood in relationship to God.  Words like sin and repentance were not included in messages being delivered from the pulpit.  Instead people were told that they had a "problem". 

Well it is true that people do have a "problem".  The problem is that for a person to enter into the Kingdom of God he or she must repent of their sin.  Sin includes some of the following that churches don't like talking about including, lying, stealing, fornication, adultery and homosexuality.  The Bible states that if a person is making a habit of these sins and others like them that they can't enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.  There must be a change, which is what repentance is, that proves that the person no longer wants to serve these taskmasters and instead has bowed their knees to the Lord of the Universe, Jesus Christ. 

Church it is time for us to get back on the message of repentance and to preach the value of the Cross of Christ.  Society as we know it is sick and needs a Savior.  We have the answers that they seek.  Let us be bold and proclaim Him and the message of hope and reconcillation that Christ offers this world.  The world is hungering for the truth.  Let us go out there amongest the masses and proclaim Him for who He really is and watch as the world turns from darkness to light because we have chosen to no longer hide our light under a bushel, but proudly display it for all to see.  Will you join me on this journey?

Prayer : Where has the Power Fell?

I have been a follower of Jesus Christ for the past 20 + years and in my time serving Him I have been one who has craved spending time in prayer for the saints of God and those in need of His healing touch and or deliverance.  I remember a time when people in the Church would gather together and pray and call down the power of the Lord onto a situation.  I have seen God move so mightily in those meetings but as the years have passed on it appears that fewer and fewer churches and those who are leading it do not have a desire to have a corporate prayer time. 

This reminds me of the story of the young prophet who was helping to build a bigger place for his fellow young prophets under the ministry of Elijah.  As the young prophet chopped at a tree the ax head on the ax that he borrowed came off and fell into the water behind him.  The young prophet was distraught but when Elijah heard about he asked the young prophet to show him where it fell off at.  Than God provided a miracle that allowed the ax head to float to the surface and the young prophet than grabbed the ax head and placed it back on the ax and began to work once again on the tree he was chopping down. 

The moral of the story is this.  The power of God that the Church needs in this hour has slipped off our ax handle.  We need to recover the ax head otherwise we are making no progress in the Kingdom of God without it.  We need the prophetic voice that God is using in this hour to show us where to find it and once it has been uncovered it is time for us to pick up where we last  left it and begin to use the tool of prayer to bring us to the place where the power we need to harvest souls for God's Kingdom  is made available.  God is wanting to do great things in the Church in this hour.  Are we willing to seek Him out and find where are ax head is? 

Faith is the Victory

When a believer is walking through life with the Lord there is only one way to live and that way is through the way of faith.  But how does one do this?  What steps should they take to obtain the victory they are seeking?  First remember that faith is something that one places in God.  The Bible declares that without faith it is impossible to please Him for we must believe that He is and that He is a reward for those who seek Him. But how does one get to know Him?  Through spending time with Him in prayer and reading the Word of the living God.  There are many within the body of  Christ who criticize the teachings of Kenneth Hagin and Kenneth Copeland because they teach the Word of Faith to the church at large.  But if the Lord is calling us to live by faith in Him, where are they going wrong?  Has anyone ever noticed that when a minister preaches faith in God and those  who don't agree with him persecute what he is teaching that you see a demonstration of power in those who preach faith in God versus those who don't.  Could it be that they are not walking in love with their brother and thus they have no power to work with because of the fact that love and faith together produces the power we all seek?

After all Abraham walked in faith and God produced a nation through him.  Noah through faith in God helped the Lord bring the righteous seed through the flood.   It was Mary's faith in the angel message that helped bring the Messiah of all mankind into the earth to save us all from our sins.   Show me where preaching faith is wrong.  I believe that God is still at work in the earth today and will continue to move in the midst of His people as we continue to walk in faith towards Him and His word.  Faith in God will produce victory to all who dare to follow.  Are you willing to see what God can do through you with small faith?  I challenge you to use it and watch what will happen in your life in the days and weeks to come.  It is time for the Church of Jesus Christ to trust in the Lord and step out and let our faith in Him do the walking.  For the hour is now for miracles.  Let us see what He can do through our FAITH in HIM!

Whom do you Belong To?

As the end of time as we know it draws closer and closer to an end the difference between light and darkness also narrows. I believe that twenty years ago one could have lived as close to the world as wanted to and the odds were that you could slip into heaven because the seriousness that now exists in this hour was not as great then. As we move through the days and months to come I truly believe that those who are in darkness will fade away and those who truly want to serve Christ will grow brighter, thus eliminating the gap between the two sides.

I believe that the hour has come when those who will serve Christ must make that decision now for the door is closing rapidly. If you tend to like the darkness and favor it as a way of life you are serving the one who opposes the Lord of the Universe and he is your adversary. Satan wants you to believe that you have all the time in the world to make the decision for Christ, but I must caution you that you can't wait. No man is promised tomorrow. The hour is now and His saving grace is available to you. Christ talked about a time when there will be an hour when no man can work because the darkness is to great. Don't wait any longer. Get into the Door, which is Christ.

Don't sit and believe that just because you are attending church on Sunday that you are safe. Seek His face and His word. Develop a relationship with the One who died for you. Religion will not save you, but a relationship with Jesus Christ will. This a time to be fanatical for Christ. Don't let your fire of desire for Him die out.

Their is a song that I believe will encourage you on your walk of faith and I am enclosing a link for you watch. Make your choice today on whom you are serving. I suggest that you choose wisely.

Here is that link I promised http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-JUa0Ux0mU

The Spirit of Witchcraft

The Bible states that the spirit of witchcraft is a spirit of rebellion yet many in the Church of Jesus Christ are not aware of what it is. Witchcraft is a spirit of control and the Church of Jesus Christ is full of it. Why do I make such a statement? There have been places throughout the Body where pastors are being driven out of church congregations because a few people who think that they are the spiritual authority have pulled the plug out from those who should be in charge. The Bible states that the pastor and the other five fold ministry gifts are the ones who should be leading the move of God. God is the ulitmate head of any and all leadership in the Church and should be recognized as such. Where man has allowed this spirit to enter in is following the plans of the world and setting up boards that monitor the pastor and restrict his or her ability to move with the Spirit of the living God. If God gives the pastor a vision for where the Church should be going, but yet the board doesn't approve than the move of God can be stopped or slowed. This is the spirit of rebellion or witchcraft at work.

It is time to throw off these chains and allow the vision of what God wants to get done in the earth to be allowed without hinderance. Church let's seek God out and pursue His plans and not our own. May we truly indentify the spirit of witchcraft and throw it off so that liberty and freedom are able to come. For when the Holy Spirit has free rein, only good things can occur!

The Power of the Love of God

Has anyone ever noticed the power of love? The Bible declares that God is love. So as believers when we walk in God's love we have the power to overcome. How does it work? When one is walking in the power of God's love you are walking in faith, because faith works by love. The enemy of our soul can't touch us when we walk at this level because we are in the armour of God according to Eph. 6. Walking in love is spirtual warfare. As you stand in God's love you will be tempted to say and do things that are not God's ways. When we step out from God's love and fall into our fleshly way of living than we are snared by the enemy and have to repent for actions we know are not right. If you read through the gospels you will see that Jesus walked in love at every moment. This did not mean that everything He did and said was easy and tickled everyone's ears. Walking in love is tough to do and yet it will provide you with satisfaction each and everytime you are able to stay in it.

Church how's your love walk? If you are more focused on yourself than others it is time to check it and get it right. For God's kingdom to manifest Jesus prayed in John 17 that we would have a love for one another as the Father God has for the Son. Let us go after this type of love and show the world that He is the only way!

Where is the Power in Your Life?

I was pondering the story in the Bible where the disciples of Jesus were having a hard time driving out a devil. Finally Jesus arrived and drove the devil out of the person. The disciples asked the Master why they were unable to do so. Jesus said they could not do it because this kind only comes out with with prayer and fasting. Church have you hit a spot in your life where you feel that you can't seem to be able to get through to your "breakthrough?" Maybe you need to look to take a look at fasting and prayer.

I truly believe that the Church of Jesus Christ can experience a dimension of God's power if we will commit to doing this. The Lord has led me into this years ago and I have seen more answers and more power in my prayers because of this discipline. Why is it that the Church doesn't speak about this discipline? I tend to believe it is because fasting makes us uncomfortable. It is something that we don't want to do because it cost our "flesh" something. We have become to lax in our faith. Jesus said the the violent in faith will be the ones who overcome. Our you willing to take a step and break off the spirit of organized "religion" and entered into a place of personal fellowship with the One who created us? I challenge you to seek God's face and to dig deep and fast before the Lord as you pray at least one day a week. I believe you will find a deeper intimacy with God that will help you hear His voice more clearly. Don't put this off. Do it today.

Communion and Unity

When a believer takes communion or the Lord's table do you realize that it is a show of unity with your fellow believers? Not just those you are in fellowship with at your local assembly, but with believers throughout the globe. God wants us to celebrate Him and through the Lord's death and resurrection one is able to do just that. Remember Jesus was the one who started the Lord's Supper the night before He was betrayed by Judas. This is something that is not a church ritual started by men, but something began by the One who went to the cross for us. There is life in the communion cup and bread. There is health and deliverance in the Lord's table. The unity of believers is brought together through this celebration. The body of Christ needs one another. None of us can make this thing happen without one another. Just like ancient Israel which used the Passover as a spring board to freedom from Egyptian bondage Jesus is using the Lord's table to propel us beyond the snare of death, hell and the grave. So the next time you come to take the Lord's table remember that what you are partaking in is not something that is a church ritual, it is something established by the Lord himself on the night of His betrayal. Join yourself to Him. Worship Him in this act and watch as God moves mountains for you.

Why does God show us people's flaws?

Have you ever wondered why God shows us flaws in people?  I was pondering that very question this past week when I began to think about some of the things that God has shown me over the past few months about people of faith that I know.  The enemy of our souls would want us to take the information that we have gathered and begin to use it against those who are in a struggle.  I know that I have tempted and have failed in this venture time and again and when I do fall into the trap of the enemy and start to gossip about that person or persons I feel the Holy Spirit bringing convinction to bear upon me for that action.  I got my answer recently when I was reading a book by pastor Francis Frangipane entitled The Three Battlegrounds. 

In this book pastor Francis talks about the fact that God shows us those areas that believers struggle in so we can pray for them.  It made alot of sense to me and I am now going to lay hold of that and pray for those that God has shown a weakness in that needs to be covered by His grace.  If the Church of Jesus Christ could just get a hold of this principle we could see a revolution break forth as we would truly become one as Jesus prayed for in John 17.  So the next time you see a brother or sister in Christ struggling in an area of life that you know needs to be changed and transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit don't look to critize, look to pray them through expecting that God is able to do a great and mighty work in and through them because of your williness to surrender yourself on their behalf. 

If you are interested in more of Francis Frangipane's materials you can either buy them through my bookstore or you can follow this link to see what he has to offer. 

Faith will bring victory

The Bible declares that without faith it is impossible to please God.  Why do we have such problems believing God?  Why is our faith so weak?  The Bible states that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  If you have trouble with your faith it is because you haven't been putting much into your tank regarding God's word.  The word of God is our fuel.  How did men like Paul and Peter do what they did in scripture?  They were in the word of God.  Peter walked around with the word and became what he heard and saw.  Paul was a student of God's word and once the Spirit of Christ came upon him and he was born again he walked in a level of faith that few men have walked in.

So if you are wanting to see God do mightily things in your life it is time to get out of your comfort zone and start walking on water.  Feed on God's word and obey his voice.  As you do your faith will be strengthen and will produce the victory in every area that God intends. 

What about your Mouth?

As I was reading the Bible this morning I noticed just how much power we as God's children have within the power of our mouth.  The Bible states in the book of Proverbs 13 verses 2-3 the following;" A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth: but the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.  He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction."  What these scriptures are saying is that what we say does matter.  Have you ever noticed how people will say things like "that kills me", or "drop dead" etc., etc. The Bible also declares that every idle word will be judged.  Does these comments fit that bill?  God created man to have a positive affect upon the world and to tend it and keep it.  The devil wants control of your mouth because he wants to use our words to help bring death, destruction and mayhem to this planet.

The key to keeping one's words pure is what one puts in.  For the word of God declares that it is out of the heart of man that our words come from.  To make sure that one is saying what God is saying we have to put the word of God into our hearts.  The more of the word one puts in the greater the chances are you will see it come out of your life in moments of stress and or pleasure.  Remember people of God we are created in the image of our Creator.  He spoke the world into existence.  We don't have that kind of power, but we do have the ability to create our own "little world" that we live in by what we say.  If you don't like what have now maybe it is time to check your "mouth".