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".

Are you ready to face the Judgement?

Over this past year I have been drawn to read Psalm 1 over and over.  As I have studied and thought over what the Lord is saying through this passage I have begun to realize the importance of grounding one's self in God's word.  The Bible states that the man who stays on God's word is one who is like a tree that has his roots down deep into the ground.  By having those roots deep down when the storms of life come it is very difficult for that tree to be knocked over.  The Bible also states that the man who stands on God's word and does not move off of it will be one who will be very careful in whom he keeps company with.

Later in that same passage the Bible states that the ungodly are not like this.  They don't keep watch over whom they surround themselves with and they are compared to the chaff that the wind blows away after the harvest of grain.  Psalm 1 talks about judgement.  The same judgement is coming to all people.  For the glory of God judges everyone on a equal plane.  The difference is whether you have your feet on the Rock or not.  Church examine yourself.  Are you keeping good company as stated in Psalm 1.  Are you grounding yourself in God's word that when the winds of judgement come you will be able to stand and hear God say, "Well, done good and faithful servant."  Or will you be blown away by the wind of judgement and be put into the place of outer darkness?  The choice is yours. 

What does the Year 2010 hold?

As I have been praying and thinking over what the year ahead holds I can't help but think back to a word that God gave me at the end of 2008.  God spoke that 2009 would be the greatest year for the church of Hanfield.  The question I have is has it been so?  I believe in many ways the church at Hanfield has come to a crossroads that will propel us forward into something bigger and better than what we could all expect. What does this mean?  As we go forward into the new year I sense that God is about to bring revival to the young people in the church.  I sense a fire is about to descend in their midst and God is about to promote them into a position that will challenge the way church is done.  I believe our worship will change because of how the young people want to worship.  The people of God have been to reserved and afraid to break out of their comfort zones.  Fear has held us back from launching out in faith.  If the adults do not hold back what God is wanting to do through our young people we will see somethings in the next year as God completes a cycle in our development. 

People of God the time is now for us to march forward and to advance the kingdom of heaven on the earth.  Revival is coming, but it may not come as you expect it to.  For the same glory that we rejoice in is the same fire that burns those who are separated from God in eternity.  It is time for us to seek the Lord and to obey His voice.  The hour of judgment is now upon us.  Have your heart right as the Lord examines your house.  Great things await us if we stay faithful to His direction and leading in the year to come.