We Must Keep Moving Forward In Our Faith

Don't forget that every day must be a day of advancement in your spiritual maturity. If you have not made any advancement since yesterday; you are a backslider. There is only one way for you, and it is forward in your advancement towards the Lord. There are no days backward; it is advancement with God. It is cooperation with Him in the Spirit.

We must recognize these things, if we live on the same plane day after day, we become stale; our foundation loses it's zest. We must catch the vision of the Master day by day. We must control every passion that interferes with our relationship and growth in Him.

Often the most trying times are the most beneficial to our Christian growth. Remember Moses and the trials he faced. If you read the Scriptures, you will never find anything about the easy times. All the glories came out of hard times!

If you are to be really reconstructed by the Lord, it will be in a hard time. It won't be in a singing meeting, but at a time when you think all things are hopeless. That is the time that God makes the person. And out of the experience, we will have a story to tell about what God has done for you. When the trial is severe; when you think that no one could be tried as much as you; when the trial is so hard that you cannot sleep, and you do not know what to do; "Count it all joy" (James 1:2). You are in a good place when you do not know what to do; then you are to look to God for the answer.

It is when you are tried by fire that God purges you, takes that dross away, and brings forth pure gold. Give thanks for the hard times, the trials by fire, and the absence of easy times. This is when the real growth comes forth.

Life---Does It Begin At 40???

Ok, folks, let's get to the heart of matter.

• Does a pregnant woman have a life in her at the exact time that she becomes pregnant?
• Does it happen later on like in a month or six months?
• Or is it a life when it comes out of the womb?
• When does it become a life?
• And how do you know, is it relative to your moral code that gives you the answer?
• What does God say about when a life becomes a life?

I think we have to address this issue truthfully and stop beating around the bush. And who are we to decide the matter anyway.? My complaint is this, why am I paying for something I believe to be wrong. Why am forced to pay for it.?

I think the democrats need to look past their own intellect and consult what the Creator says on the matter. After all, He made us and everything around us. He would have a clue, in fact, He most definitely has the answer.

Let's quit deceiving ourselves and just give the issue an honest look. I mean we have only killed 50,000,000 million babies. And we have the nerve to talk about Hitler. Hogwash.

It's Time For Brett

The Vikings could just as easy be going to the Superbowl. The hands of fate went against them. Or their own mistakes, whichever you prefer. Saints won. They go.

I liked the game, watched it from start to finish. What I didn't like was that the Saints played the edge, they hit Favre late so many times with cheap shots it became sickening. Without question, they were trying to take him out. Sure, they probably were within the rules but they are still the dirtiest team I have seen in a long time. I don't like their ethics. If it is so close to almost legal; it gets by. They walked the tight rope of sportsmanship the whole game. Don't think Indy missed that. Peyton Manning will shred them.

That said, I hope Brett calls it a day. He's got a bowl under his belt. He really got beat up in this game and he has to be hurting today. Please Brett don't screw yourself over a game, sometimes a silly game. Part of being a good quarterback is knowing when to quit. Hang it up for your family, watch the replays of your wife's face when you got hit. Time to stop being selfish. Thanks for the memories.

The Sad Condition of the American Churches

You know many pastors especially denominational pastors are more concerned with not rocking the boat and cruising in until retirement. They teach a nicely prepared, friendly message; one that doesn't provoke any deep thought, self examination, or action. It's what they are comfortable with, not what the Holy Spirit wants them to say.

Churches are often measured by the size of their congregation, the larger the better. The quality of their devotion to the Word is often overlooked cause most people don't want to change anything about their life and don't want their parade rained on. So many pastors don't want to irritate anyone.

I recently attended a church who had a decent size congregation. However, the pastor was not lead by God, but by himself. Instead of calling the sick to come forward for healing, they served coffee. The pastor's voice always stayed in a nicely practiced monotone. There was no fire, no conviction, just a pleasant message and home you went. Oh, by the way, say "Hi" to the people around you as you are leaving.

This church was so dead in spirit no one would ever feel the need to examine themselves, make a moral inventory, change the way they treat people, or study the Word. The Holy Spirit plain and simple was excluded. Christ is the head of the church, not the pastor. And when He left to be with the Father, He sent the Comforter who is to lead the church through the pastor. The gifts of the Spirit should be evident, not absent.

If you are in a church like that you need to consider leaving as it is backsliding and you are as well right along with it. Who do you want to please; people or Jesus. You won't please Jesus by being in a church who is deaf to the leading of the Spirit. Remember, "by their ignorance, they perish."

Many times it's the smaller, non denominational churches that are hot for God; who count on Him totally and Spirit led. God loves everyone the same, saint or sinner, but He especially delights in those who totally depend on Him. Do you? Does your church?

Recently a survey of evangelicals, 85% said they experienced nothing of God last year. Are you one of those?

Four percent of today's youth it is reported have God centered lives. Whose fault is that? It is the fault of their parents; and it is the fault of the churches.

It seems that the biggest single issue in church is money. It might not get the time that the actual sermon gets, but over a years time, it is the biggest single topic. What a shame.

I Can't Be Broken

"His purpose in the creation of mankind was to develop an association on His own plane. Otherwise God would have been eternally living with babies and imbeciles. Genesis 1:26"

Here's another one I like because through Him we can't be conquered or broken.

"Other souls may shatter on the rocks: other souls may wither in disappointment, but the lives that have been planted in that spirit of divine fidelity to Him are unconquerable."

We are going to have ups and we are going to have downs. We are going win some and lose some but no man or woman can conquer us or break us if we have our faith firmly planted in Him. I just love that, and I love knowing that I can't be broken as long as I stick with Him. Jeremiah 17:8

Healing----The Short Course

Healing in any department of the nature of man, whether spirit, soul or body, is but a means to an end. The object of healing is health, abiding health of the body, soul, and spirit. Healing of the whole being. The healing of the spirit unites the spirit of man to God forever. The healing of the soul corrects psychic disorder and brings the soul processes into harmony with the mind of God. And the healing of the body completes the union of man with God when the Holy Spirit possesses all.

I want to tell you, when you begin to analyze the subject of sickness, you will discover that usually the difficulty is that there is some kind of sin behind it. Not necessarily that there is an act of sin or some personal sin, but more likely the laziness of our soul, or the inactivity of our spirit, or neglect of God's Word, or neglect of faith and love of prayer. These are the things that usually underlie and generate difficulties in men's lives and open the door to some kind of sickness.

The love of worldly goods will cause sickness and bring only a temporary pleasure. Soon the shine will be gone, yet the disease may remain. Put God first.

Isn't Pride Great-----------No

Everything that Jesus did was the will and the Word of the Father. So everything the Christian does, if he is obedient, should be the will and word of Jesus Christ.

Observation demonstrates that the really great people in God who bless mankind are those who try to live in absolute accordance with the teachings of Jesus. Yet we all fall short------------yet they try.

Every time I write a post about obedience or doing the will of Jesus, I realize how short I am and how far I have to go. I try to live in obedience, but then I get my feelings hurt, or I get mad, or I do some other carnal thing. By writing, it really makes me think of my own inadequacies. I am a work in progress and always will be.

The good news is Jesus paid the price for our transgressions-----past, present, and future. Our sicknesses too. Isn't that something, we are already forgiven for sins we haven't even committed yet? He paid the for our sins at the cross. All we need to do is confess and repent of them; then they are forgotten and forgiven.

You Can Do This If Just Believe!!!!!

This is about John G. Lake and told by him.

"A few months ago I was absent from the city of Spokane, and when I returned Mrs. Lake was not at home. It was just about time to leave for my afternoon service. Just then someone came in and said, "Your secretary, Mrs. Graham, is in the throes of death and your wife is with her." So I hurried down to the place. When I got there the wife of one of my ministers met me at the door and said, "You are to late, she has gone." As I stepped in I met the minister coming out of the room. He said, "She has not breathed for a long time." But as I looked on that woman, and thought how God three years before had raised that woman out of death, after her womb, ovaries, and tubes had been removed in operations, and God had given them back to her, after which she had married and conceived; how my heart flamed. I took that woman up off the pillow, and called on God for the lightnings of heaven to blast the power of death and deliver her, and I commanded her to come back and stay, and she came back after not breathing for 23 minutes."

This may sound extraordinary or you might just not believe it all. Many won't. However, it is just what Jesus said when he was getting ready to ascend to heaven. "You will do the same things I do."

I Trust the One and Only.

It is not try to trust; it is not trying to get healed. It is trusting Him for it and believing Him when He says He will do it.

Healing is not a difficult matter. It does not take a bit more faith to be healed from your sickness than it does to be saved from your sins. So why be damned and why be sick??? There is no need to be either cause our ticket has already been paid for. Just believe it.

Jesus Christ paid for our sins and our sicknesses. He bore every one of them so that we would not have to. To not believe it is saying that He went through all that (he was not recognizable as Himself when He arose) for nought. God loves us so much whether or not we are saved that He gave His Son for us.

Victory or Defeat---We Have A Choice!!!!

In those early centuries of Christianity, Christianity did not go into the world apologizing. It went to slay the powers of darkness and undo the works of the devil, and it lived in holy triumph. Are we living in holy triumph now, or are we living in fear and doubt? We certainly are not living in triumph, nor are our children, or our marriages. Most of us really don't know what to do.

When you and I are lost in the Son of God and the fires of Jesus burn in our hearts, as they did in His, our words will be the words of Spirit and of life. There will be no death in them, no fear in them. There will be victory in them.

There are only two ways to live; one is of the world; which is complete folly-----just look around you. The other is through Jesus Christ, who defeated sin, sickness, and death. That is victory. What team are you on----the winning or the losing?

I had been on the losing team in life and it was a slow, agonizing death. Now, I am on His team and have victory. I didn't say that I don't run into problems, but I have victory through Him. Blessings

The Master of Disaster----Oprah

"For many deceivers have gone out in the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Look to yourselves that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he will greets him shares in his evil deeds." 2 John 7:11

Do not be swayed by false teaching that contradicts the Bible or claims to have some special insight. Understand that when you leave the Bible for any other doctrine, YOU HAVE LEFT GOD, as well. Hold tightly to the truth about Jesus Christ.

The world's greatest false teacher is Oprah Winfrey who has an audience of millions that she is teaching new age deception; like there are many ways to God; the truth is just one; through Jesus Christ----our Lord and Savior. Here is a video from you tube exposing her deception on national TV, Oprah's Deception .

Make no mistake about it, Oprah is powerful and she is going to convert some people with her way of thinking. By her statements, she has personally denied the Bible as being the Truth of God and the Word of God. She takes exception to what it says, she is calling God a liar.

Haiti-----Whose Going to Help It----We Are!!!!

Haiti--I can't get it out of my mind. It brings me back to Katrina, and those old haunting memories. The memories of a terrible catastrophe; the memories of a government who totally and cold heartedly let her people suffer deplorable circumstances. FEMA has become a national embarrassment to the people of these United States.

Who is going to help Haiti? I say that churches in a united effort, along with the Red Cross, and other creditable human relief organizations will do the job. Let's leave the government and its corruption out of it.

This is our chance to take our minds off ourselves and focus on people who desperately need our help. I say that if we do not make Haiti a nationwide undertaking then we are no better then our government who quit without apology on the people devastated by Katrina.

We need to not only restore Haiti to its pre-earthquake condition but take it above and beyond anything one could imagine. We need to make Haiti a national project of selfless giving. We need to teach them to become prosperous and self-sufficient.

We need to educate them and provide agricultural training and resources to produce food. We need to provide good technical education so that they can manage their new resources. We need to provide top notch medical treatment immediately and long-term assistance in developing a strong medical community.

We need a strong missionary presence to teach them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ; we need to build churches, orphanages, and middle schools.

The biggest thing we can do for them is teach them to help themselves and provide the means for them to achieve that goal.

What about the corruption of the Haitian government? We can send 10,000 National Guard members there and provide security and safety for the people. At that point, elections should be held to put honest leaders in office. With our presence clearly established; I believe Haitians will feel secure enough to vote for honesty and prosperity.

What about the cost? We as people, the most prosperous nation on earth certainly can find the money to help little Haiti! Can't we? Let's not leave it in the hands of those folks who have dedicated their lives to helping others. But, let's all get involved. For our unemployed tradesman, why not send them there and and let them be part of the rebuilding process.

If we need something from our government, we will tell them what we need. And, we will hold them accountable for their assistance, not their leadership, in this great endeavor.

Here's our chance to feel good about ourselves once again.

The Slippery Slope---Will America Get Traction?????

Oil is the new gold in the world economy, and more than any factor other than the nation of Israel, oil holds the key to the prophetic events of the future. Oil explains why the Bible focuses its end time attention on the Middle East. The demand for oil in America has outstripped its capacity to produce. The same holds true for much of the rest of the world. Since the discovery of huge supplies of oil in the Middle Eastern countries, world attention has focused there.

Few would question that oil has become the new basis for our world economy. It is the resource most highly valued by the industrialized and emerging nations of the world. The greatest source is now in the Middle East, so that is where the world is focused. Below is a brief table of the top four countries oil reserves in billions of barrels.

One Saudi Arabia 265.3

Two Iran 137.5

Three Iraq 115.0

Four Kuwait 101.0

United States is ranked 11th with a mere 29 million barrels in oil reserves. The top five countries with the greatest known oil reserves are Arab nations with a total of almost 716,000,000,000 barrels in reserves. The Middle East area has about 60% of the world's known oil reserves. The processing facilities developed in those countries by major Western oil companies have long been nationalized.

Furthermore, Arab control of oil goes beyond the realities of supply and demand. Historically, all of the worlds oil has been traded in US dollars, which has assured stability for the dollar and the US economy. The dollar has always been backed by the gold standard until Pres. Nixon took it off in 1971. But then in 1973, oil prices rose sharply, threatening to throw the dollar into a free-for-all around the world. In order to stabilize the dollar, the US government entered into a relationship with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil supplier. According to the agreement, the United States would back to Saudi Arabian government as an ally if the Saudis would demand that all purchases of its oil be in US dollars. This would ensure the dollar in the world economy. The net effect of this agreement was that the US dollar was, in effect, backed by oil instead of gold. Then on February 17, 2008, Iran opened its trading exchange in which oil is brokered in Euros instead of dollars, further threatening the stability of the US dollar.

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that the world's number one consumer of oil is America, guzzling almost 21,000,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or 25% of all the oil produced in the world. If present trends continue, US consumption will rise to 27 million barrels a day by 2020, and demand will expand to 34% by 2030. Added to this is the fact that the United States consumes 43% of the world's motor gasoline, and no new gasoline refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. Stop for a moment and ponder the meaning of all this: the United States is number 11 in oil reserves and number one in oil consumption, with the demand growing by leaps and bounds. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that a crisis is looming in our future.

More on this tomorrow.

Luke Warm Doesn't Get It-----Really

If God is ever disappointed when you wait in his presence, it will be because you are not fervent. If you are not serious and intense, you disappoint God. If God is with you and you know it, be in earnest. Pray and believe: "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrew 3:6). If you do not, you disappoint God.

Jacob was that way. God said, "you are not real enough; you are not hot enough; you are to ordinary; you are no good to Me unless you are filled with zeal---white hot!" Jacob knew if God went without blessing him, he could not meet Esau.

If you are left alone with God and you cannot get to a place of victory, it is a terrible time. You must never let go, what ever you are seeking, fresh revelation, light for your path, some particular need, never let go. Victory is ours if we are earnest enough.

You must always master that with which you are wrestling. If darkness covers you, if a fresh revelation is what you need, or if your mind needs to be relieved, always get the victory. You get the victory by being determined to get to victory, by being white hot, dead serious!!!

Can you hold God? Yes, you can. Sincerity can hold Him, dependence can hold Him, weakness can hold Him.

I will tell you what cannot hold Him: self righteousness cannot hold Him:  assumption cannot hold Him: high-mindedness cannot hold Him.

You may sometimes think that He has left you. He does not leave you. You will be blessed if you yield to His will and permit God's Spirit to work in you and bring you to a place of helplessness. Helplessness is weakness; we become strong through Him when we are weak.

God hates warm but He loves white hot!!!

Why The Church Is Failing In America!

During the time of the beginning of the church, the disciples were pressured by many responsibilities. The practical things of life could not be attended to, and many were complaining concerning the neglect of their widows. Therefore, the disciples decided to choose seven men to do the work for caring for the needs of their widows, men who were " full of the Holy Spirit."

What a divine thought. No matter what kind of work was to be done, however menial or great it may have been, the person chosen had to be "full of the Holy Spirit." The plan of the church was that everything, even everyday routines, must be sanctified to God, for the church had to be a Holy Spirit church.

And to this day, God has never ordained anything less. The church must be a Holy Spirit church!

The heritage of the church is to be so equipped with power that God can lay his hand upon any member at any time to do his perfect will. There is no stopping point in the Holy Spirit church. That was true then, now, and forever. However, the church has gone astray.

I say this with considerable sorrow that the modern day church has closed its doors to the leadings of the precious Holy Spirit. The church has become sense led and not Spirit led! This is why our churches are so ineffective in meeting the needs of the body. Today's Word is based more on intellect then divine revelation.

When we get saved; we get God through his son Jesus Christ. When we get baptized in the Holy Spirit; God gets us. The Holy Spirit who indwells in every believer; we now yield to His leadership. This is sadly missing in today's church. Many pastors think they are God, and they don't even know the nature of God.

Pastors give great thought to their weekly sermons. They plan, they research, they write, they revise, and they rehearse. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit as to the needs of the body of Christ-the church-they believe they know best the needs of the flock. They are being deceived by the great deceiver.

Many times, churches are user-friendly; avoiding what needs to be said and done. Their fear is if they rock the boat, membership will go elsewhere. Instead of ministering prayer and healing, they serve coffee.

In a poll of evangelical Christians, 85% said that they did not experience God last year. I saw nowhere in the Bible where it states that we should have thousands of denominations who each practice their own separate beliefs. We should have one church who follows the New Testament, God's greater covenant.

The qualification for leadership in the church should be whether or not a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. That is all that is needed for a person to be an effective minister, doer, and teacher of the Word. It doesn't matter what school the pastor attended, or how many degrees he holds. It only matters that the Holy Spirit indwells in him and he is led by that Holy Spirit.

If the above were the rule instead of the exception, our churches would be filled and our bars would be empty. Divorce would be almost nonexistent; families would be a family again.

The Holy Spirit is God; He is part of the Trinity. It is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit who indwelled in John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, and all New Testament believers. Just imagine, if you are a believer he dwells in you. Through Him, you have authority and ultimate power.

The Crude Awakening

Oil is the new gold in the world economy, and more than any factor other than the nation of Israel, oil holds the key to the prophetic events of the future. Oil explains why the Bible focuses its end time attention on the Middle East. The demand for oil in America has outstripped its capacity to produce. The same holds true for much of the rest of the world. Since the discovery of huge supplies of oil in the Middle Eastern countries, world attention has focused there.

Few would question that oil has become the new basis for our world economy. It is the resource most highly valued by the industrialized and emerging nations of the world. The greatest source is now in the Middle East, so that is where the world is focused. Below is a brief table of the top four countries oil reserves in billions of barrels.

One Saudi Arabia 265.3

Two Iran 137.5

Three Iraq 115.0

Four Kuwait 101.0

United States is ranked 11th with a mere 29 million barrels in oil reserves. The top five countries with the greatest known oil reserves are Arab nations with a total of almost 716,000,000,000 barrels in reserves. The Middle East area has about 60% of the world's known oil reserves. The processing facilities developed in those countries by major Western oil companies have long been nationalized.

Furthermore, Arab control of oil goes beyond the realities of supply and demand. Historically, all of the worlds oil has been traded in US dollars, which has assured stability for the dollar and the US economy. The dollar has always been backed by the gold standard until Pres. Nixon took it off in 1971. But then in 1973, oil prices rose sharply, threatening to throw the dollar into a free-for-all around the world. In order to stabilize the dollar, the US government entered into a relationship with Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil supplier. According to the agreement, the United States would back to Saudi Arabian government as an ally if the Saudis would demand that all purchases of its oil be in US dollars. This would ensure the dollar in the world economy. The net effect of this agreement was that the US dollar was, in effect, backed by oil instead of gold. Then on February 17, 2008, Iran opened its trading exchange in which oil is brokered in Euros instead of dollars, further threatening the stability of the US dollar.

It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that the world's number one consumer of oil is America, guzzling almost 21,000,000 barrels of crude oil per day, or 25% of all the oil produced in the world. If present trends continue, US consumption will rise to 27 million barrels a day by 2020, and demand will expand to 34% by 2030. Added to this is the fact that the United States consumes 43% of the world's motor gasoline, and no new gasoline refinery has been built in the United States since 1976. Stop for a moment and ponder the meaning of all this: the United States is number 11 in oil reserves and number one in oil consumption, with the demand growing by leaps and bounds. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that a crisis is looming in our future.

More on this tomorrow.

White Hot----God Loves It!!!

If God is ever disappointed when you wait in his presence, it will be because you are not fervent. If you are not serious and intense, you disappoint God. If God is with you and you know it, be in earnest. Pray and believe: "hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end" (Hebrew 3:6). If you do not, you disappoint God.

Jacob was that way. God said, "you are not real enough; you are not hot enough; you are to ordinary; you are no good to Me unless you are filled with zeal---white hot!" Jacob knew if God went without blessing him, he could not meet Esau.

If you are left alone with God and you cannot get to a place of victory, it is a terrible time. You must never let go, what ever you are seeking, fresh revelation, light for your path, some particular need, never let go. Victory is ours if we are earnest enough.

You must always master that with which you are wrestling. If darkness covers you, if a fresh revelation is what you need, or if your mind needs to be relieved, always get the victory. You get the victory by being determined to get to victory, by being white hot, dead serious!!!

Can you hold God? Yes, you can. Sincerity can hold Him, dependence can hold Him, weakness can hold Him.

I will tell you what cannot hold Him: self righteousness cannot hold Him:  assumption cannot hold Him: high-mindedness cannot hold Him.

You may sometimes think that He has left you. He does not leave you. You will be blessed if you yield to His will and permit God's Spirit to work in you and bring you to a place of helplessness. Helplessness is weakness; we become strong through Him when we are weak.

God hates warm but He loves white hot!!!

The Church Is Sick

During the time of the beginning of the church, the disciples were pressured by many responsibilities. The practical things of life could not be attended to, and many were complaining concerning the neglect of their widows. Therefore, the disciples decided to choose seven men to do the work for caring for the needs of their widows, men who were " full of the Holy Spirit."

What a divine thought. No matter what kind of work was to be done, however menial or great it may have been, the person chosen had to be "full of the Holy Spirit." The plan of the church was that everything, even everyday routines, must be sanctified to God, for the church had to be a Holy Spirit church.

And to this day, God has never ordained anything less. The church must be a Holy Spirit church!

The heritage of the church is to be so equipped with power that God can lay his hand upon any member at any time to do his perfect will. There is no stopping point in the Holy Spirit church. That was true then, now, and forever. However, the church has gone astray.

I say this with considerable sorrow that the modern day church has closed its doors to the leadings of the precious Holy Spirit. The church has become sense led and not Spirit led! This is why our churches are so ineffective in meeting the needs of the body. Today's Word is based more on intellect then divine revelation.

When we get saved; we get God through his son Jesus Christ. When we get baptized in the Holy Spirit; God gets us. The Holy Spirit who indwells in every believer; we now yield to His leadership. This is sadly missing in today's church. Many pastors think they are God, and they don't even know the nature of God.

Pastors give great thought to their weekly sermons. They plan, they research, they write, they revise, and they rehearse. Instead of being led by the Holy Spirit as to the needs of the body of Christ-------the church--------they believe they know best the needs of the flock. They are being deceived by the great deceiver.

Many times, churches are user-friendly; avoiding what needs to be said and done. Their fear is if they rock the boat, membership will go elsewhere. Instead of ministering prayer and healing, they serve coffee.

In a poll of evangelical Christians, 85% said that they did not experience God last year. I saw nowhere in the Bible where it states that we should have thousands of denominations who each practice their own separate beliefs. We should have one church who follows the New Testament, God's greater covenant. Divided we fall!

The qualification for leadership in the church should be whether or not a person is filled with the Holy Spirit. That is all that is needed for a person to be an effective minister, doer, and teacher of the Word. It doesn't matter what school the pastor attended, or how many degrees he holds. It only matters that the Holy Spirit indwells in him and he is led by that Holy Spirit.

If the above were the rule instead of the exception, our churches would be filled and our bars would be empty. Divorce would be almost nonexistent; families would be a family again.

The Holy Spirit is God; He is part of the Trinity. It is God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He is the same Holy Spirit who indwelled in John the Baptist, Jesus, the disciples, and all New Testament believers. Just imagine, if you are a believer he dwells in you. Through Him, you have authority and ultimate power.

A Better Plan

Looking back on our spiritual journeys, we will see that we have held onto our own way too much of the time. When we come to the end of ourselves, God can begin to take control. The Scripture asks, “can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3) We cannot enter into the profound truths of God until we relinquish control,  for “ flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption.”  

The glory is never so wonderful as when we realize our helplessness, throw down our sword, and surrender our authority to God.

God has a plan beyond anything that we have ever known. He has a plan for every individual life, and if we have any other plan in view, we miss the  grandest plan of all. Nothing in the past is equal to the present, and nothing in the present can equal the things of tomorrow.  Tomorrow should be so filled with holy expectations that we will be living flames for Him.  God never intended his people to be ordinary or commonplace. His intentions were that they should be on fire for Him, conscious of His divine power, realizing the glory of the cross that foreshadows the crown. 

Many things happen in our lives but when the veil is lifted and we see the glory of God, His tender compassion covers us all the time. How wonderful it is to be where God is. 

There is a way that God establishes. In our human planning, we may experience blessings of a kind but we also undergo trials, hardships, and barrenness that God would have kept us from if we had followed His way.There is a freshness, a glow, a security in God where you can know that God is with you all the time. There is a place to reach where all that God has for us can flow through us to a needy world all the time.

There is a good; there is a better; but God has a best, a higher standard for us then we have yet attained. It is a better thing if it is God’s plan and not our plan.  It will never fail. 

Strife-----It Ruins Relationships and the Devil Dances

Since we are in a spiritual battle continuously, we can't afford to indulge in strife. If you think that a certain amount of strife is just normal; the way you're supposed to live---you're dead wrong. God is a God of peace, and we were created in his image. The fruit of His Spirit working in our life in his peace. Therefore, our life should be full of peace, not strife. I am not saying that we will ever live totally free from all strife from every source, but you should never just accept it, indulge it, or promote it. You should actively stand against and fight it, recognizing that every time you get into strife and door is open for anything that the devil wants to do in your life. Satan has access to you and control over you when you're in strife or in other disobedience to the Word. You have given it to him.

I used to get physically ill when my dear wife and I would partake in strife. Furthermore, the lasting effects were not easy to get over. The issue was long gone and yet the effects remained and seemed to build a blockage to our normal kind and loving demeanors. If you would ask either one of us; we would tell you that we had no intention of being in the condition of strife. We could be laughing, loving, and just generally having a good time. Out of the blue, strife would somehow entered the picture and ruin our mood----and the evening or day to boot. Recovery was not always easy; and sometimes took days.

So my dear brothers and sisters, realize that strife is not of God. It is a pure and simple work of the adversary---Satan. He wants nothing more than to ruin your relationship or marriage. Now, that you know that, you can counteract his cruelty by rebuking Him by the power of Jesus Christ who gives you authority to use His power. We are no match for Satan on our own, but the power of Jesus Christ and the authority He gives us to use it has already defeated the worlds biggest deceiver.

Where Are We Going????

In its beginnings, this nation was a nation of hopes, dreams, and obedience to God. In our early days, we remained that way. We knew that we were blessed because we obeyed God; certainly we had our rogues, who did things without any regard to observing God’s law but they were usually nonentities.

As we began to prosper, ever so slightly, we began to change. Around the mid-1950s this nation was going great guns. World War II and Korea were over; Vietnam had not begun yet. We were experiencing unparalleled prosperity and were on our way to becoming the world’s greatest superpower.

However tiny little glitches began to show up in the armor.

• Materialistic pursuits became more important spiritual pursuits
• We took prayer out of schools
• We took the Bible out of the schools
• We are teaching evolution instead of creation
• Abortion became legal; we have killed more than 50 million babies
• We are teaching birth control instead of abstinence in schools
• Many states have passed pro-gay marriage amendments
• Banks are no longer run on integrity
• Wall Street is now one of the world’s most successful thieves
• Parents have begun to stop teaching their children the right way
• Courts have been making laws in instead of interpreting them
• Presidents abuse their powers excessively
• Candidates for office no longer tell the truth or deliver their promises

We need to learn the spiritual dynamics happening here. God wants you to yield to Him so that His power and blessings can be released in you. Satan wants you to yield to him so that destruction and death can be released and you. In order to gain an inroad, the enemy is constantly trying to scare you with bitterness, unforegivness, and ungodliness of all kinds. Therefore, no matter what you do, you are either obeying God or Satan. You are either submitting to God and His influence or to Satan and his influence. Every time you act, you are releasing spiritual power; either God’s or the devil’s into your life. Since most people are ignorant of this truth,  they allow all kinds of things in their life. Yet, if they were to recognize the results that they are going to reap, they would never allow these things.

So let’s go back for a moment.

• We are either obeying God or Satan
• Satan wants you to obey him so he can release death and destruction in you
• Every action releases spiritual power; God’s or Satan’s
• Most people whether in business, government, education, or religion are ignorant of this fact

 if we are to believe the above, which I do without question, then we must conclude that our corporations, educational systems, medical facilities, courts, government bodies, and banks-just to name a few-are operating under the influence of Satan. Because if they were operating in obedience to God, then God would still be in the public domain, there would be no abortion, gay marriage would not be on the ballots, we would not be handing out condoms in our schools. Furthermore, the banks and Wall Street would be institutions of honor instead of disgrace. Corporations would operate in the best interest of their workers, consumers, and shareholders---instead of the best interest of the bottom line.

Okay, so I have laid out what I see as the problem. Now, what’s the solution? I believe we need to communicate and hold accountable our government representatives both local, state, and national. We need to write these people and voice our dissatisfaction with the status quo.

We need to prohibit the Supreme Court from making law through interpretation and act in the manner for which they were created. People mistakingly believe that a Supreme Court  justice cannot be removed; that is incorrect. They can be removed for dereliction of duty. When this happens, we need to challenge them.

Believers of Jesus Christ need to unite as a unit and reclaim our country under the obedience to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This country  needs  to return to the roots  established by our founding fathers.

As evidenced by the events of the last decade, we are in at least two or more wars, critical economic conditions, decadent moral behaviors, and  critical social and cultural issues too numerous to mention. Our children are growing up afraid, without direction, and with values relative to that of Godless people. 

I see the only way out is to be led out by God through his Son, Jesus Christ. We have had  the  most highly educated people on the planet working in government, healthcare, education, banking and corporate business, and the military. Yet, in my 65 years, I have never seen such a mess  caused by these so-called brilliant people.

This was founded as a Christian nation; and needs to return to a Christian nation---not a nation with some Christians living in it!! Time to act is now. Get busy, get informed, get active.

The Real Battle

God's Word reveals that we are not wrestling against flesh and blood, but demonic powers. Our fight is not against people, but the spiritual forces influencing them. However, most of us simply don't recognize the role that the spiritual realm plays in what occurs in our daily life. We think it's just human--natural--but the devil is busy influencing people every day.

It is useless to debate whether or not an individual is possessed, oppressed, or just depressed. When the New Testament calls someone demon possessed, the Greek word there literally means demonized. They are under the influence--and therefore, control of the devil. The issue people make about whether someone is possessed,oppressed or just depressed is not in the Scriptures. The truth is that people all around the world today are being influenced, controlled, and used to whatever degree by the devil.

Many westerners believe that demons are everywhere but in our country. But anyone who is spiritually perceptive knows that there is an abundance of demonic activity anywhere you go in the world, including here. We tend to look at things as being normal and natural for this day and age. We miss the fact that the origin of many things that happen in our day, things that tick us off and come against us is spiritual.

If you were to adopt the biblical mindset, it would make a huge difference in the way you respond. You would recognize that it's not that person who sits next to you at work, it's not your neighbor, your spouse, or your circumstances that are really what's coming against you. They can be influenced, inspired, and used of Satan, but they themselves aren't really the source. When you understand that this isn't a physical battle, it changes the way you respond.

You need to recognize that Satan as well as God can speak through and use the people in your life. Like Jesus, you need to discern whose voice is coming through. We are in a spiritual battle; make no mistake about it. Unfortunately, most of the time people don't recognize it. They are just looking at things from a natural human perspective. They remove God, the devil, and all whole supernatural realm right out of the equation. The average person doesn't realize the spiritual dynamics taking place. God doesn't send bad things our way. It's not just fate. There is a real enemy out there that we must learn to deal with.

Like it or not there is a spiritual battle raging right now for your heart and mind. As you think in your heart is the way that you'll be. Your thoughts become what you say and do, with your actions being the greatest expression of your authority. Therefore, you'll be influenced, dominated, and ruled by whomever you yield yourself to; God or Satan.

When you yield yourself to sin, you are serving Satan, who is the author of that sin. But when you yield yourself to obedience, you serve God, who is the author of that righteousness. In this spiritual battle, your actions are very important.

Most people recognize that actions are important in the physical realm. You know that there are consequences for what you do. There's much more to life than just a physical, natural, surface level. Spiritual dynamics are constantly taking place.

Whether or not the person you're speaking evil about ever knows it, you will be affected. Venting anger, frustration, resentment, or unforegiveness affects you whether it affects anyone else or not. If you get angry or bitter, you've just yielded your self to Satan. Whether you recognize it or not, the devil is the one who influences us to respond in the wrong way. Giving place to anger and bitterness doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God. You aren't going to accomplish God's purposes by getting in the flesh, giving in to anger, and losing your temper. That's not the way God's kingdom works.

When you give place to anger and vent, Satan jumps on it. The enemy will take full advantage of an open door like that to come and steal, kill, and destroy. "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work." James 3:16  Notice how this didn't say, "some" evil works. It didn't say this could allow the devil to come against certain types of people. When you get into envy and strife, you are opening the door and saying, "come on in Satan and do your worst in my life."

We all fight the battle. It seems in my life that I have the greatest degree of envy and strife with the one I love the most----my wife. As I said earlier, this behavior is not of God. Who would be most happy to wreck my marriage? Well I can tell you for sure, it would not be God! It would be the evil one!

This all sounds pretty hopeless! However, Satan was defeated at the cross; and he is still defeated. However, he knocks us around like he owns us because we don't know our authority. We have to learn our rights in Jesus Christ and learn to exercise our authority over the enemy. Once we do that; we will become free from sin and sickness. As a believer in Jesus Christ, we are his brothers and sisters---and co heirs. As a co heir, we inherit everything He inherits. We have victory over Satan through Jesus Christ; yet many believers, churches, and most all unbelievers don't know about our wonderful victory which was obtained for us through Jesus.

It is amazing to me that most churches don't teach about "The Believer's Authority!" There is a wonderful book by the same name written by Kenneth E. Hagin. It is truly a life-changing work. Upon reading it, your life will be changed in a positive manner forever. Satan is a defeated foe; and you will understand your authority in Christ and keep him that way.

Supernatural

The Word is like God--- eternal; it can not be destroyed. He watches over it to make it good. His WI haveord brought man into being. Now He is building himself into man through the Word.The Word is part of Himself, and it is this Self that is changing the conduct of believers and bringing them into harmony with Himself.

He shares Himself with us; he gives us His nature in the New Creation. He makes Himself one with us. We are united with Him in the New Birth. We are to take advantage of this union. His Nature gives us new ability, new wisdom and we must take advantage of it.

His strength is ours. His life is ours. His health is ours; his ability is ours.

Disease is Satan's work and when you buy into any of it, you glorify Satan. You ignore the fact that God laid that disease upon Jesus and then H aree put it away.

The Word says that you are healed. Get very, very used to acting on the Word. If you don't act on it, your level of belief will be mediocre and quite possibly so will year results.

There are two ways to look at things; naturally and supernaturally. I look at things supernaturally; I even like the word better---super, it's awesome referring to everything positive. Supernatural is God's power; the power that controls everything and made everything.With him

You Are Healed!

There are two views of healing. The most common view is that healing is not in the Redempetive of work of Christ, but belongs to us if we have faith enough to claim it.

This belief holds that faith is a gift of God. If God gives you faith for your healing, you will be healed. If He does not give you faith there is no need to struggle for your healing. Your only hope is the arm of flesh.

This view is superficial. It is a result sense knowledge. Our intellect!

Sense knowledge is the knowledge of natural man and is gained through the senses. It is a kind of knowledge taught in all our high schools, technical schools and universities. It is not God's revelation knowledge. It can not understand the Word of God.

The other kind of knowledge is Revelation Knowledge. It teaches that miracles are for today. That Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is taught by God.

Sense knowledge repudinetes it in a very large measure because it is above the knowledge of the senses. In other words, man does not understand it, so therefore he must disagree with it.

The second view of healing is that it is a part of the plan of Redemption, that disease came with the fall, and that sickness is a work of the adversary. Sickness is of the devil. Through Jesus Christ, we have complete authority over the devil and his demons.

Because disease came with the fall, God is the natural, logical Healer.

Man cannot deal with the sin problem. He cannot make himself Righteous. He cannot rid himself of sin-consciousness.

These can only come through the finished work of Christ. God planned that when we were re-created (Born-again) we would be righteous, and partake of His righteousness which is His very nature. This would give us the position of sons---who sit at the right hand of Jesus-positionally as God sees it.

The new creation is more than being baptized or confirmed. It is receiving the life and nature of the Father. Our spirits are re-created by receiving eternal life.

Isaiah 53 holds the key of redemption. Jesus was made sin with our sins. Not only was he made sin with our sins, but he was made sick with our sicknesses.

Natural man is called sin.

2 Corinthians 6:14-16, "Be not unequally yoked with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion hath light with darkness?"

The believer is called righteousness; the unbeliever is called iniquity. He has not only committed sin, but he is sin.

The believer is called light and the unbeliever is called darkness.

Just as the sinner is sin, the sick man is not only sick but he is sickness. Sin deals with the Spirit; sickness is a spiritual thing revealed in the body.

When God laid our sin on Jesus, he laid us on Jesus, He laid the whole man on Jesus. He laid his sins, his weaknesses, his infirmities and diseases, his union with the adversary, on Jesus. Jesus became sin with our sin, became sick with our sickness.

Jesus was made sick with our sicknesses. He was made sin with our sin. This was God's method of dealing with the same problem.

He settled the sin problem. There is no sin problem. Christ puts it a way, and satisfied the claims of justice for man.

There is no sickness problem. There is simply a problem of the believer coming to know his rights and inheritance in Christ. Sin and sickness come from the same source---Satan is the author of both. I am sure that it is God's order that the believer should be as free from sickness as he is from sin. He should be as free from the fear of disease as he is from the condemnation of sin.

He wants us to know that when he laid our sins and sicknesses on Jesus and Jesus bore them away, it was to the end that sin and disease should no longer have dominion over us. He wants us to know in the second place, that sickness and disease do not belong in the family of God.

If there should be any sickness among us, it is because of a low state of knowledge of our rights and privileges in our redemption. At the new birth, sins are all remitted. The sin nature is displaced by the nature of God. Disease leaves with the sins. When we recognize the fact that our sickness was laid on Christ, and that he bore our diseases in his body on the tree, and that by his stripes we are healed it will be the end of the dominion of disease in our lives. (The Believers Authority  by Kenneth E Hagin is an excellent book on our rights in Christ).