BE STRONG

God is With Those Who Are With Him

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

Blessed is the man  Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;  But his delight is in the law of the LORD,  And in His law he meditates day and night.  He shall be like a tree  Planted by the rivers of water,  That brings forth its fruit in its season,  Whose leaf also shall not wither;  And whatever he does shall prosper.  The ungodly are not so,  But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Psalm 1:1-4

Sincerity and presumption are never a guarantee of anything including salvation. Just because people are sincere and presume something does not mean they will not be defeated and destroyed!  We have a good example of this in the lives of the children of Israel who were told by God to go in and take the Promised Land. But they murmured and complained and decided that God was evil and not good and wanted to destroy them in the Promised Land. The bible records:

So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.  And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! “Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?”  So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”

Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.   But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;  and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.  “If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ “Only do not rebel against the LORD, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Do not fear them.”  And all the congregation said to stone them with stones.

Now the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.   Then the LORD said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?  “I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” Numbers 14:1-12

As the children of Israel wound find out the hard way,  it does pay to try to stone God’s true ones. Although Moses would intervene on their behalf and ask God to forgive them, they would pay for their rebellion. Again the bible records for our example and instructions:

Then the LORD said: “I have pardoned, according to your word;  “but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD- “because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, “they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it.

“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. “Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.” Numbers 14:20-27

The Lord who is the Lord sentenced them to live out their remain days in the wilderness so that their carcasses may fall there. He took an oat that none, except for Caleb and Joshua, would by no means enter the land that He swore He would make them dwell in. Their sons would be shepherds in the wilderness forty years, and bear the brunt of their infidelity until their carcasses were consumed in the wilderness. They would be rejected for forty years or one year for each day they spied the Promised Land.  God then commanded them to turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea the next day.

It sure does not pay to make the Lord angry and put him to the test? For God doesn’t take rejection likely but then neither does any person. The other fact of the matter is that God doesn’t speak just to hear Himself. He speaks so that men will listen and obey.

Well the children of Israel thought since they were God’s people and He was a good God, God would overlook their sin. So the next day they rose early in the morning and went up to the top of the mountain, saying to Moses:

“Here we are, and we will go up to the place which the LORD has promised, for we have sinned!”  And Moses said, “Now why do you transgress the command of the LORD? For this will not succeed.  “Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you.  “For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and you shall fall by the sword; because you have turned away from the LORD, the LORD will not be with you.”

But they presumed to go up to the mountaintop; nevertheless, neither the ark of the covenant of the LORD nor Moses departed from the camp.  Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who dwelt in that mountain came down and attacked them, and drove them back as far as Hormah. Numbers 14:40-45

Moses told the children of Israel that they were once again transgress the command of the Lord to go to the place, which the Lord had promised. He told them they would not succeed but be defeated by their enemies for the Lord was not among them. Since they had turned away from the Lord. But they presumed to go up the mountaintop and their enemies came down and attacked them and defeated them.

Presuming things and leaning to one’s own wisdom and understanding is a sure recipe for failure and defeat. For God’s word is true even this day:

“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,  As in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,  And to heed than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,  And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the LORD,  He also has rejected you from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23

How many battles are lost in life by God’s people because they had presumed things and did not wait upon the Lord to hear and obey His voice and instructions on a particular matter? It is not wise to quick and so rushed to run about and be so busy doing nothing of any importance. Better to wait in faith and trust in God and follow the directions given by the Commander-in-chief of the armies of heaven.

God in a split second by the moving of His Spirit can do what men in their perspiration’s and efforts cannot do in a thousand years. He can make the crooked things straight and the wrongs right for a start.  He can set one up and put another down. He can raise one up and bring another low.  His word is unchanging:

And Hannah prayed and said:  “My heart rejoices in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD. I smile at my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. “No one is holy like the LORD, For there is none besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God.

“Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the LORD is the God of knowledge;  And by Him actions are weighed. “The bows of the mighty men are broken, And those who stumbled are girded with strength.  Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, And the hungry have ceased to hunger. Even the barren has borne seven,  And she who has many children has become feeble.

“The LORD kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The LORD makes poor and makes rich;  He brings low and lifts up.  He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,  To set them among princes  And make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’S, And He has set the world upon them.  He will guard the feet of His saints, But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.  “For by strength no man shall prevail.

The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;  From heaven He will thunder against them.  The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.  “He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed.” 1 Samuel 2:6-10

God devises many plans and execute every one of them. He never lets His true ones out of His capable hands. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. The promise of the Rainbow is all His. Though the mountains be moved and cast into the sea, yet no harm will come to His true ones. For they have placed their heart in His hands and trusted Him with their very soul! God loves to care for His creation and they are the ultimate part of His creation! He will never leave, fail or forsake them, as they are the central joy of His heart!

http://billyburke.org/PrayerMinistryRoom/JourneyofYourPrayerRequest/tabid/142/Default.aspx

EXTRACT FROM Be Filled

http://walthope.tripod.com/befilled.htm

https://walthope.wordpress.com

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts

BE STRONG

 THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSITION

Be strong and very courageous. —Joshua 1:7

After former professional athlete Chris Sanders suffered a career-ending injury, he told a group of military veterans that although he had never experienced combat, “I understand the pressures of transitions.”

Whether it’s the loss of a job, the loss of a marriage, a serious illness, or a financial setback, every major change brings challenges. The former athlete told the soldiers that the key to success when you are transitioning into a new way of living is to reach out and get help.

The book of Joshua is recommended reading whenever we find ourselves in transition. After 40 years of wandering and setbacks, God’s people were poised to enter the Promised Land. Moses, their great leader, had died, and Joshua, his assistant, was in charge.

God told Joshua to “be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go” (Josh. 1:7). God’s words of direction were to be the bedrock of Joshua’s leadership in every situation.

The Lord’s charge and promise to Joshua apply to us as well: “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (v. 9).

He is with us in every transition.

Father, I’m bringing You my trials and frustrations. You know each and every detail. Please comfort me as only You can, and provide exactly what I need for today. Help me give my unfulfilled expectations to You, trusting You’re working out a plan for me.

God remains faithful in every change.

THE HUDDLE

I appeal to you, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another… – 1 Corinthians 1:10 NIV

To lead your family effectively, you need to learn how to huddle regularly. The ‘huddle’ is where a team: (1) sets its goals; (2) discusses the division of responsibilities; (3) tackles the issues that determine whether it wins or loses. Parent, even though you call the plays from overhead, your family must be taught how to accomplish them on the field. That means working through things, talking through the disagreements, motivating and appreciating each member. Try to listen with an open heart. Don’t just hear what your children say, try to understand how they feel. Yes, you’re the boss, and yes, you can try to enforce your will if you want to. But sooner or later you’ll have trouble, for resentment grows when people feel left out.

Every member of your team has got to be part of the decision–making process. Involve them! Ask God to help you look beyond what you want to what’s best for all of you. And don’t fall under the spell of instant gratification. What looks good to you today could be taking you off the path to a better tomorrow. And don’t let ‘outsiders’ into your huddle. Tell them to stay in their own. Too often their opinions are based on hearsay, self–interest or jealousy. Respect the privacy of your team. Build loyalty. Huddle regularly in prayer. When you do that, everybody wins!

A LOVING FATHER

As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. —Psalm 103:13

The parents were obviously weary from dragging their two energetic preschoolers through airports and airplanes, and now their final flight was delayed. As I watched the two boys running around the crowded gate area, I wondered how Mom and Dad were going to keep the little guys settled down for our half-hour flight into Grand Rapids. When we finally boarded, I noticed that the father and one of the sons were in the seats behind me. Then I heard the weary father say to his son, “Why don’t you let me read one of your storybooks to you.” And during the entire flight, this loving father softly and patiently read to his son, keeping him calm and focused.

In one of his psalms David declares, “As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him” (Ps. 103:13). The word pities refers to showing love and compassion. This tender word gives us a picture of how deeply our heavenly Father loves His children, and it reminds us what a great gift it is to be able to look to God and cry, “Abba, Father” (Rom. 8:15).
God longs for you to listen again to the story of His love for you when you are restless on your own journey through life. Your heavenly Father is always near, ready to encourage you with His Word.

I rejoice in Your presence and Your love for me, Lord. Today I choose joy in knowing Your love is constant and unchanging, forever fixed.

God’s great love for His child is one of His greatest gifts

GOD MADE FLESH …

Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. – John 8:57-59

Jesus didn’t seek to clarify the Jews’ misunderstanding of His previous statements. Instead, He made a new statement that those who would not accept that Jesus was God in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16) could not possibly understand. “Before Abraham was, I am.” He not only said that He existed before Abraham, but He was again associating Himself with the great “I AM” statement of Exodus 3:14. This statement could leave no doubt that Jesus was claiming deity in the highest sense of the word.

Jesus proclaimed “I am.” This is how Jehovah identified Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. When spoken under the anointing power of God, Jesus’ pronouncement that “I am he” knocked all of those who came to arrest Him backwards to the ground (Jn. 18:5-6). Jesus was the great “I AM THAT I AM” of Exodus 3:14 manifest in the flesh!

When the Jewish authorities heard Jesus call God “my (own) Father,” they immediately understood that Jesus claimed for Himself deity in the highest possible sense of that term. That claim was either blasphemy to be punished by death, or Jesus was who He claimed to be.

The purpose of the fourth gospel is clearly stated, “that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (Jn. 20:31). The object of John’s gospel was to show that Jesus is “the true God” (1 Jn. 5:20) who was “made flesh” (Jn. 1:14).

LOOK TO THE WORD, NOT NATURAL FACTS

Numbers 21:9 – So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

“Pastor, I know that God is my healer. But why is this sickness and pain still in my body?” If you have been looking at your sickness and pain all this while, stop looking at yourself and start looking at Jesus. Did He or did He not take upon Himself your sickness and pain?

God’s Word declares, “Surely our sicknesses he hath borne, and our pains—he hath carried them…” (Isaiah 53:4, YLT) Since Jesus has already taken your sickness and pain at the cross, then He cannot “untake” them. Even if you find it hard to believe that Jesus has paid for your healing, especially when the pain is unbearable, the truth is that it is still paid for. It is a finished work!

God is not saying that your sickness does not exist, nor is He asking you to pretend that it is not there. He is asking you to look away from the sickness, painful as it may be, and look to the truth that it has already been judged at the cross in the body of His Son.

Once, while still in the wilderness, the children of Israel were bitten by deadly desert serpents. The serpents were real. The bites were painful and deadly. So God told Moses to point the people to the bronze serpent put on a pole—a picture of the cross. (John 3:14) Bronze signifies judgment. In other words, the serpent—their problem—was already judged at the cross.

Those who kept their eyes on the bronze serpent lived. Those who focused on their wounds died. So stop looking at your sickness. Instead, look to the cross and see your sickness already judged in the body of Jesus. Surely He has borne your sicknesses and carried your pains! That is the truth of God’s Word. And His Word supersedes natural facts.

My friend, you let natural facts rule or establish God’s truths over your problem by what you choose to focus on. So decide today not to focus on the facts concerning your problem. Instead, establish the truth of God’s Word and Christ’s finished work over your problem—and live!

SICKNESS IS NOT FROM GOD

And his disciples asked him saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? – John 9:1-4

The disciples asked a question that still puzzles many people today. Why is a child born with a physical defect? Is it a judgment of God upon the parents for some sin, or is it possibly God’s judgment upon the child for sins that God knows he will commit?

Jesus Himself had previously linked sickness with sin. In this instance, however, Jesus said this blindness was not caused by this man’s or his parents’ sins.

This has led many people to interpret the rest of this verse as saying that God made this man blind just so that He could heal him and be glorified thereby. From this thinking, many doctrinal teachings have risen about how sickness and other problems in our lives are actually blessings from God, intended to bring glory to God and correction to us. This reasoning, however, does not line up with the other truths of God’s Word.

It was not God who made this beggar blind. This man was not born blind because of any one person’s sins but because sin in general had corrupted the perfect balance that God had created in nature. Therefore, some maladies happen, not as a direct result of an individual’s sins but as an indirect result of sin in general.

Deuteronomy 28 settles forever the question of whether sickness, poverty, and oppression are really blessings in disguise. God says that sickness and poverty are curses – not blessings from God. Christ redeemed us from these curses of the law so that now the blessings may come upon us through Him (Galatians 3:13). God’s curses have been placed on Jesus and removed from those who accept Jesus’ sacrifice. You are blessed!

JOY IN HIS PRESENCE …

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. – Psalm 16:11, NIV

Are you experiencing the fullness of His joy? God promises that joy is found in His presence, and if you’ve accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then His presence is inside of you! Joy manifests when you focus your mind and heart on the Father and begin to praise Him for what He’s done in your life. The Bible says that He inhabits the praises of His people. When you begin to praise and thank Him, you are in His presence. It doesn’t matter where you are physically or what’s going on around you, you can access the joy that’s inside of you at anytime, day or night.

Know this: God wants you to experience His supernatural joy and peace at all times. That’s why He chose to live inside of you and give you an endless supply. Don’t waste another minute feeling overburdened and discouraged. Get in His presence where there is fullness of joy because the joy of the Lord is your strength!

HANDLING YOUR FAILURES (1)

‘…the hearts of the people melted, and became like water.’ Joshua 7:5 NKJV

Even the most seasoned believers experience failure and the big question at such times isn’t, ‘How could I have let that happen?’ but, ‘What’s the right way to deal with it?’ Indulging in self–condemning thoughts comes naturally to us, but it does no good. It just produces discouragement, and adds failure upon failure. As a result of Achan’s sin, Israel was defeated at Ai and fled before their enemies. Like us, in response to their defeat, ‘…the hearts of the people melted, and became like water.’ Their faith forsook them, and they ‘lost their courage.’ (Joshua 7:5 GNT) Even their leader Joshua ‘…fell facedown to the ground…’ (Joshua 7:6 NIV), despairing that things could only get worse! Have you been there? Do you recognise the pattern? Defeat, discouragement, despair, and more defeat. What was God’s response? ‘Get up! Why do you lie thus…? Israel has sinned… Get up, sanctify the people…’ (Joshua 7:10–13 NKJV) He’s a God of repentance—not wallowing in remorse; a God of getting up—not lying down in failure! Holiness is a path, not a place. When you’re off the path, God’s plan is simple—get back on it immediately. Confess your sin (1 John 1:9). By faith ac-cept God’s mercy and forgiveness. And refuse Satan’s condemnation (Romans 8:1). ‘…Forgetting those things which are behind…press toward the goal…’ (Philippians 3:13–14 NKJV) Like a child learning to walk, when you fall don’t lie down and give up. Minimise your down–time—get back up and walk again. Remember this: the moment that brings the awareness of sin should also bring the confession of sin and the assurance of forgiveness!

Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
https://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts

BE STRONG

 HOW TENDER IS GODS HEART TOWARD YOU

Ephesians 2:7 – that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Have you ever blown things out of proportion and gotten angry with God when you were going through a trying time? This happened to Jesus disciples when a storm hit them hard. In their fear of drowning, they cried out to Jesus, who was getting some much-needed sleep in the boat, Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing? (Mark 4:38)

For accusing Him of not caring, you would think that they received a rebuke from Jesus. But it was the wind which received His rebuke, and a great calm followed. (Mark 4:39) Because of His tenderness toward His own, Jesus did not waste time taking offence. Instead, He wasted no time taking care of the problem that had caused His disciples so much anxiety and fear.

This also happened to two sisters, Martha and Mary, who did not hesitate to let Jesus know how they felt when He finally showed up days after their brother Lazarus had died. Both sisters made the same remark to Him: Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. (John 11:21, 32)

Both sisters had seen Jesus miracles of mercy and love. Now, in their grief, they focused on how He could have prevented their brothers death, but did not. They did not know His heart how tender it was toward them and how His help would never fail them, but would even extend to raising their dead brother. (John 11:4144)

Beloved, your heavenly Father sees you trying to stay afloat when you are in the midst of a storm. He sees you trying to provide for yourself and your family, and thinking, If I don’t take care of these things, no one else will! And He wants you to know how tender His heart is toward you, how He is not offended by all the bad things you have ever said of or to Him. He wants you to know how much He wants to and will help and bless you. So let go and experience afresh the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward you!

Victory is not dependent on the pressures without, but rather on the Holy Spirit within.

YOU WILL NEVER CHANGE YOUR LIFE UNTIL YOU CHANGE YOUR CHOICES.

If you want something in your life to change, then you’ll have to change your choices and actions. That is because doing the same thing will never get you different results.

In other words, what you do — the choices you make, the way you treat people, the attitudes you have — all impact your life. If, by your actions, you’re sowing bad seeds, then you’ll reap a harvest of those things. 2 Corinthians 9:6 says, Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

Therefore, if you want to reap abundant harvests in your life, start sowing abundant seeds. That may require changing your choices; but until you change your choices, you’ll never change your life.

<strong>MOSAIC

We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. —Ephesians 2:10
For 3 weeks every fall season, our city becomes an art gallery. Nearly 2,000 artists from around the world display their creations in galleries, museums, hotels, parks, city streets, parking lots, restaurants, churches, and even in the river.

Among my favorite entries are mosaics made from small pieces of colored glass. The winning entry in 2011 was a 9 x 13-foot stained-glass mosaic of the crucifixion by artist Mia Tavonatti. While viewing the artwork, I heard the artist discuss how many times she had cut herself while shaping the pieces of glass for her mosaic.

As I gazed at the beautiful rendition of what was a horrific event, I saw more than a representation of the crucifixion—I saw a picture of the church, the body of Christ. In each piece of glass I saw an individual believer, beautifully shaped by Christ to fit together into the whole (Eph. 2:16,21). In the artist’s story, I recognized the shedding of Jesus’ blood so that this unity could take place. And in the finished artwork, I saw the act of love required to complete the project despite pain and sacrifice.

We who believe in Christ are a work of art created by God to show the greatness of a Savior who makes something beautiful out of the broken pieces of our lives.

The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation,
By water and the Word.

Christ gave everything to make something beautiful of His church.

HOW TO EXPERIENCE ETERNAL LIFE TODAY

John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

In order to fully understand what eternal life is, it is helpful to understand what it is not. Eternal life is not living forever. Everyone lives forever in either heaven or hell. Also, eternal life is not living forever in the blessings of heaven as opposed to being tormented in hell.

John 3:36 and 5:24 show that eternal life is a present tense possession of the believer.

Here, Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God the Father and Jesus Christ.

As we have already discussed, the word “know” is speaking of intimacy instead of mere intellectual knowledge. Therefore, eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son.

According to John 3:16, this intimacy with God is what salvation is all about. Forgiveness of our sins is not the point of salvation: intimacy with the Father is. Of course, Jesus did die to purchase forgiveness for our sins because unforgiven sins block us from intimacy with God. Sin was an obstacle that stood between us and God. It had to be dealt with and it was. Anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of their sins and stops there, is missing out on eternal life.

Salvation is intended to be the way to come back into harmony with God.

Instead, it is often presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and the judgment of hell later.

Most non-believers are so occupied with their “hell on earth” that they don’t really think or care about their eternal future. They are fed up with religion and are looking for something that will fill the emptiness inside.

Only intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that.

 GRACE FOR YOUR DARKEST MOMENTS

And when the dew fell on the camp in the night, the manna fell on it. -Numbers 11:9

Look at today’s verse and notice that the manna fell on the camp of the Israelites during the night.

My friend, night speaks of the darkest moments in one’s life. This means that in your darkest moments, God is still supplying you His “manna” or grace. He has not abandoned you and left you to your own devices. No, He is still there with you, caring for you, watching over you and working things out for your good.

So beloved, rest in God’s love for you and let Him sort things out for you. Stop trying to solve the problem in your own strength and wisdom—let God be God to you. He is with you, for your success and will provide for your needs. His grace for you falls afresh every day. His mercies that are new every morning will also see you through the darkest nights!

Today, just see His grace upon you and all around you. Be conscious of it, thank Him for it, and see His grace do wonders for you!

THE POWER OF PRAYER

‘Pray without ceasing.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NKJV

When the Bible says, ‘Pray without ceasing,’ that means pray every day, not just periodically or when you’re in trouble. ‘The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.’ (James 5:16 NKJV) The word ‘fervent’ means passionate, persistent and determined. It’s not the number of our prayers, how many they are; nor the rhetoric of our prayers, how eloquent they may be; nor the geometry of our prayers, how long they may be; nor the music of our prayers, how sweet our voice may be; nor the logic of our prayers, how argumentative they may be; nor the method of our prayers, how orderly they may be; nor even the theology of our prayers, how good the doctrine is, that God responds to. Fervency of spirit is what ‘avails much’. The most powerful thing you can do is pray! And when you join with a prayer partner, your potential is awesome. ‘If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that [you] ask, it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven.’ (Matthew 18:19 NKJV) It works like this: the less you pray, the less you want to pray; the more you pray, the more you want to pray. Nothing will motivate you to pray like answered prayer. But you can’t start with the answer; you’ve got to start with the prayer! Here’s a fact of life: we only keep doing what rewards us. So the key to building a great prayer life is to pray until you get answers. Think how deeply rooted doubt has actually become in our hearts when we’re surprised to find our prayers answered! So pray in faith and expect God to answer!

NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE  INSTRUCTIONS
http://youtu.be/qth2CNaXPbU

Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com
https://walthope.wordpress.com
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100302133262254344211/posts

 

 

BE STRONG

Be Strong In The Power of His Might

that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:16-21

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Ephesians 6:10-13

There are those Christian preachers who blame all the problems in the lives of Christians on their carnality and on the words they speak!  While Apostle Paul prayed for the  individual Christians in Ephesus that God would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man and told them to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places!

To wrestle not only implies force but physical contact otherwise there is no wrestling match. Hence to beat our opponent the devil we must be have strength and power that comes from the LORD, otherwise we will be defeated and even deceived as the devil plays games with our minds, wills and emotions including to cause us to walk by sight instead of by faith trusting and believing God and His word no matter what!

Speaking of deception which is a very common wile of the devil which he used on Eve, Dr. Larry Ollison in his article Self-Deception Can Be Deadly states:

Sometimes we are deceived and it is not Satan who deceives us.

First Corinthians 3:18 says, “Let no one deceive himself.”   And in 1 John 1:8 it says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”  We can see clearly from these two verses that it is possible to deceive ourselves.

But how do we deceive ourselves anyway?  Once again let’s go to the Word.  James 1:22-25 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.”

So, according to the Bible, a man who hears the Word and does not do it deceives himself.  Because he hears the Word of God, he has convinced himself that everything is okay.  The reality however is that everything is not okay.  He just thinks it is.  Therefore he has deceived himself.

In Matthew 7:24, Jesus tells the story of two men who built houses.  One man, a wise man, built his house on the rock and when the storms came, his house withstood the storms.

The other man, a foolish man, built his house on the sand.  When the storms came, his house was destroyed.  Jesus said the man who built his house on the rock was like someone who hears His sayings and does them.  He compared the foolish man who built his house on the sand to a man who heard His sayings and did not do them.

Both men built houses and probably both houses looked good.  Both men heard the sayings of Jesus and that’s good.  But when the storms came, only the house built on the rock, only the man who acted on what he heard, survived.  Acting on the Word of God is what we call FAITH.

We must not deceive ourselves.  Hearing the Word of God without acting on the Word can be deadly.  God didn’t give us His Word just so we would be highly educated.  Education is good.  It’s a good thing to read and study God’s Word, but without action it profits us nothing.  That’s what the scribes and Pharisees did at the time of Jesus and Jesus rebuked them for their hypocrisy.

So, we have a choice to make.  Do we hear the Word and sit back and say, “That sounds pretty good” and do nothing?  Or, do we hear the Word and then act on what we hear?

A doer of the Word is someone who prays for the sick.  A doer of the Word is someone who forgives.  A doer of the Word is someone who loves those who don’t love in return.  A doer of the Word is someone who casts out demons.  A doer of the Word is someone who has not deceived himself.

Both Jesus and Apostle Paul taught us that we are not to let no one deceive us especially false prophets who come to us in sheep’s clothing. The bible tells us:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  “You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  “Therefore by their fruits you will know them.   “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.  “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’  “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ Matthew 7:15-23

Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them.   For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says:  “Awake, you who sleep,  Arise from the dead,  And Christ will give you light.” Ephesians 5:6-14

If deception of Christians by empty words of deceivers were not possible then Apostle Paul would not warn Christians about it or that because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience and also tells us do not be partakers with them.

And scriptures doesn’t tell us that exposing the unfruitful works of darkness which are done by the sons of disobedience is wrong but rather children of light are to become aware of them, expose them and to have no fellowship with the perpetrators of  evil, lies, deception and wickedness many of whom are goats not sheep! And God’s word is true:

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  ‘for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;  ‘I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’  “Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’  “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Matthew 25:41-46

Jesus taught that the goats who did not give him food when He was hungry, give him drink when He was thirsty, take Him in when He was a stranger, clothe Him when He was naked, visit Him when He was sick and in prison would go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Yes, all those who did not minister to the least of one of these are unrighteous. And since Jesus wrote the rules and enforces them, they are in deep trouble.

Yes, Jesus taught that all His words were not to be ignored or there would be serious consequences.  He also told us to beware of men who would come as wolves in sheep’s clothing and would teach the doctrine of men as commandments of God (Matthew 16:9). He also taught:

·         ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.’ ”

·         ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

·         ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

Yes, these are the keys to proper ministry and Christian living for God’s word is unchanging:

Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,  being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.  And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”  But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God.’ ”

Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.  And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. “Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.”  And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here.  “For it is written:  ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,  To keep you,’  “and,  ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. Luke 4:1-13

Now godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.  But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.  But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness.  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:6-12

The enemy and men are great liars and deceivers and love to appeal to the lusts of men including mouthing words that sound nice and appear to true but have no basis in fact. In order to ensnare those who are gullible, even the righteous, the eloquent words that men speak about something must appear to be true and must have an element of truth in them. It’s a well known fact that if something appears too good to be true, then it’s not true. Even though many pastors and preachers have promised a hundred fold returns for money sowed into their ministries, very few, if any, of the sheep can testify that they have had a consistent hundred return fold from their giving into a particular ministry. Yet God’s word is unchanging:

“I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, ‘I have dreamed, I have dreamed!’  “How long will this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Indeed they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,  “who try to make My people forget My name by their dreams which everyone tells his neighbor, as their fathers forgot My name for Baal.  “The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream;  And he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully.  What is the chaff to the wheat?” says the LORD.  “Is not My word like a fire?” says the LORD,  “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?

“Therefore behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who steal My words every one from his neighbor.  “Behold, I am against the prophets,” says the LORD, “who use their tongues and say, ‘He says.’  “Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” says the LORD, “and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all,” says the LORD.  “So when these people or the prophet or the priest ask you, saying, ‘What is the oracle of the LORD?’ you shall then say to them, ‘What oracle?’ I will even forsake you,” says the LORD.  “And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who say, ‘The oracle of the LORD!’ I will even punish that man and his house. Jeremiah 23:25-34

Even though quite a few pastors and preachers prophecy false dreams and vision and cause God’s people to  err by their lies and by their recklessness, God did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit the people at all. And God will in due season punish those are false and those who listen to their lies.

We are to check everything that we hear about God and His word with His written word, the bible, and with the Holy Spirit. If it is really His word then there must be a confirmation with two witnesses and with miracles, signs and wonders – otherwise it not from God but from man or the devil.

EXTRACT FROM Be Filled With All The Fullness Of God  
http://walthope.tripod.com/hear.htm

BE STRONG

“Be Strong, Do Not Fear!

Strengthen the weak hands, And make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who are fearful-hearted,  “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance,  With the recompense of God;  He will come and save you.”  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,  And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.  Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.  The parched ground shall become a pool, And the thirsty land springs of water; In the habitation of jackals, where each lay, There shall be grass with reeds and rushes. Isaiah 35:3-7

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:8-11

God who created and sustains the heaven and the earth is more than enough to be the Savior, Healer, Deliverer, Strength, Rock, Refuge and Stronghold in the day of trouble for His trusting ones! As a result they have nothing or no one to fear because the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary and His understanding is unsearchable. He also gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.  Even the youths shall faint and be weary,  and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD  shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. God‘s word is unchanging:

As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. For who is God, except the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God?  It is God who arms me with strength, And makes my way perfect.  Psalm 18:30-32

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God;  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints  Ephesians 6:11-18

Concerning the devil there are two extremes that many of God’s people take. One is to see the devil in every bush! And the other is not to see him at all. But he is a real adversary who walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  Apostle Paul used the terms “the wiles of the devil” and “we do not wrestle.” The American Heritage Dictionary defines wile and wrestle as:

wile (wºl) n. 1. A stratagem or trick intended to deceive or ensnare. 2. A disarming or seductive manner, device, or procedure. 3. Trickery; cunning. –wile tr.v. wiled, wil·ing, wiles. 1. To influence or lead by means of wiles; entice. 2. To pass (time) agreeably.

wres·tle (rµs“…l) v. wres·tled, wres·tling, wres·tles. –intr. 1. To contend by grappling and attempting to throw or immobilize one’s opponent, especially under contest rules. 2. To contend or struggle.

Wile also means “A clever, often devious means for achieving an end:  trick, maneuver, bluff, contrivance, device, beguilement, feint, gimmick, ploy, ruse, sleight.” In sport to wrestle implies direct bodily contact with the opponent. It means to struggle hand to hand against an opponent: grapple, fight, scuffle, tussle. One of the wiles of the devil with results in real contact is to bring sickness upon a person and financial losses just like he did to Job. The bible records for our profit and instruction:

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?”  So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing?  “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.  “But now, stretch out Your hand and touch all that he has, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”  And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.

Now there was a day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house;  and a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them,  “when the Sabeans raided them and took them away-indeed they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”  While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”  While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands, raided the camels and took them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”  While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house,  “and suddenly a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; and I alone have escaped to tell you!”

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.  And he said:  “Naked I came from my mother’s womb,  And naked shall I return there.  The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” Job 1:8-21

The devil, who is a believer and believes God’s word and what He does, told the Lord “Have You not made a hedge around him, around his household, and around all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.” He acknowledged that the Lord was the source of Job’s blessing, protection and even health. So when he did his evil things and Job didn’t curse God, he told the Lord “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face! The bible records:

Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.”

So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”  And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”  So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head.  And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself while he sat in the midst of the ashes.   Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!” But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” In all this Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:3-10

It’s to be noted that no matter what Job went through he held on to his faith in God that God would deliver him and heal him! And he was not put to shame. It’s also to be noted that God’s power is greater than the devil and He has to power not only to heal and deliver but to restore. The Word of God records for our profit and instruction:

And the LORD restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.  Then all his brothers, all his sisters, and all those who had been his acquaintances before, came to him and ate food with him in his house; and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold.  Now the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, one thousand yoke of oxen, and one thousand female donkeys.  He also had seven sons and three daughters. Job 42:10-13

The other important term that Paul uses concerning our bout with the devil is “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth” for the devil loves to play mind games as well as use different tricks,  bluffs, beguilements, ploys or ruses such as bringing real fear and affliction to a person. Many Christians are seduced in their minds by the devil’s wiles! But God’s word is unchanging:

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:15-19

Yes, God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind and we are to swing the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, against the devil telling him what God’s word says about a matter and not what things appear to be like. When he brings sickness upon us we tell him “by Jesus stripes we are healed and God is our healer.” When he brings troubles and problems upon us we tell him “the Lord is our deliverer and a very present help in time of trouble.” When he brings fear and doubt upon us we tell him “God has not given us the Spirit of fear and He makes our way perfect.” As a Christian, there are fights of faith we must fight in this life by declaring that what we have not seen is ours (Romans 4:17.) Despite the pressure, we must make a confession of faith and maintain our confession, that we are a success, we are the healed of God, and we are rich in Jesus Name and live our life to the fullest in victory. Hence are some suggested confessions:

Lord, in the name of Jesus, I thank You for my deliverance from blindness, sickness, diseases, debt, oppression, shame, sin, lusts, lack, poverty, defeat, despair, failure and unbelief and  that you have given me faith, hope, prosperity and love which is wrapped up in Jesus Christ. Your Word says that I am to owe no man anything but to love him. Your word says you have become unto me all things. As I continue to build my faith in this area, I fully expect to receive much unexpected income(s), answers, miracles and debt cancellation and great and wonderful healings and miracles and deliverance and blessings including financial breakthroughs. I confess for the glory of God in Jesus name I am wealthy and prosperous and victorious and more than a conqueror in every area of my life. I confess that all my needs are met and my storehouses overflow with abundance and that I am a great and true and holy man of God.

In Jesus name I come against all oppression in my life and declare that I have supernatural protection against the onslaughts of the enemy. In the name of Jesus I command the angels of God to go now and bring to pass my financial and physical soundness and wholeness and blessings and provisions and prosperity. I confess I am a wise and faithful and good steward; therefore, I walk in manifested abundance and debt-freedom daily. Your Word says that You delight in the prosperity of Your servants. As I serve You with my finances, I declare that I have my harvest of debt-deliverance right now. Amen!

In the name of Jesus, I confess that right now I’m out of debt, my needs are met and I have plenty more to put in store. I walk in abundance and good health daily. Lord, Your Word says that it is Your will for me to prosper and excel in every area of my life. Because I am a faithful and wise steward over my finances, the wealth of the wicked is being transferred into my hands. I know what to do with it because I place You first in all things. You direct my path and give me wisdom to manage what You have placed in my hands. As a believer, I am blessed to be a blessing until all families of the earth have been blessed.  I am a distribution center. I am a money magnet. Money cometh to me now! I command unexpected and expected income to come my way. Lord, I receive Your blessing-Your power to get wealth-right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

In the name of Jesus, I declare that I have a blood-bought right to answered prayer. The Word of God is my guarantee. Father, by prayer, supplication and with thanksgiving, I can make my requests known to You. You hear the prayer of the righteous and answer them. Your eyes are on me and Your ears are open to hear my prayers. I am connected to Christ Jesus, and I am anointed. In everything I do I am more than a conqueror. Because I abide in You, and Your Word abides in me, I see the manifestation of answered prayer. When I speak Your Word, it does not return without accomplishing what it was sent to do Amen and amen.

Lord, I thank You that I walk in favor with man and with You. Wherever I go and whatever I do, Your favor goes before me. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much. Therefore, I believe I receive what I pray for right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

In the name of Jesus, I do not neglect my great salvation-soteria. I declare that I am established in “protection, preservation, prosperity, promotions, provisions, soundness, healing, deliverance and the ministry of angels.” I do not fear. No weapon formed against me shall prosper. Every tongue that rises up against me, I will condemn, for it is my heritage. I loose my angels to bring me great wealth, perfect health, great anointings, total victories, houses, lands, cars and boats and every good thing and especially my miracle ministry.

Thank You, Lord, for being my help in the time of trouble. When I call, You answer me. You are always with me. You deliver and honor me. No evil ever comes near my dwelling. With a long and prosperous life You will show me Your salvation.

I declare that the healing power of God is flowing through my body right now.  I declare that every organ, tissue, cell and system in my body functions in the perfection to which God created it to function. I command all infection and abnormality in my body to cease and die and pass out now never to return in Jesus Name. Divine health is restored into my body in Jesus Name. I rebuke every ear deafness blindness sickness disease and spirit of infirmity and command it to go away and not come back in jesus name I speak the Word of God in Jesus name that by Jesus stripes I am healed and it will not return to me void.

I am established in Your Word. I declare that I am preserved from trouble. I overcome trouble by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. I am established in righteousness through Jesus. As the redeemed of the Lord, I declare this to be so right now. In Jesus’ name, I command and loose Your angels to go forth now and bring these confession to pass in my life. I believe and I have received the manifestation of these promises and your great and wonderful miracle working power.

WALTER KAMBULOW
EXTRACT FROM Called To Inherit A Blessing
http://walthope.tripod.com/called.htm
https://walthope.wordpress.com/
http://walthope.tripod.com/
FACEBOOK: WALT KAM

BE STRONG

  DON’T SETTLE WHERE YOU ARE :

…No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9, NLT

God did not create you to live a little life with little dreams, little goals, little passion, little influence. God thinks big. He thinks abundance. He thinks expansive. He told the Israelites, “I am bringing you into a wide land, a spacious land flowing with milk and honey.” God has something bigger, something better, something more rewarding in front of you. Don’t get comfortable where you are. It’s easy to think, “Well, God’s blessed me. I’m happy. I’m healthy. I have no complaints.” That’s good to always be grateful. You should learn to be happy where you are, but don’t settle where you are. God never performs His greatest victories in the past. They’re always in the future.

Remember today, you haven’t touched the surface of what God has in store for you. He’s going to open doors you never dreamed would open. He’s going to bring talent out of you that you didn’t know you had! You’re going to see explosive blessings that thrust you to a new level. Keep praying, keep hoping, keep believing and don’t settle where you are. Embrace the blessing God has in store for your future!

BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING :

Luke 16:1 “And he said also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.”

The unjust steward was covetous. He had not been faithful to his master or to his master’s debtors. He had wasted his master’s goods on himself. When found out, his self-serving nature considered the options, and decided there had to be a change. He decided to use his lord’s money to make friends so that when he was fired he would have someone to help him.

His master was apparently wealthy enough that he didn’t take offense at the steward’s discounting of the debts owed to him, but rather he commended the steward. He didn’t commend his dishonest ways, but he was commending the fact that he had finally used his lord’s money to plan for the future instead of wasting it on himself. Although the steward was motivated by what he would ultimately gain, there was prudence in his actions. This was lacking before.

In this sense, the children of this world (lost men) are wiser than the children of light (born again men) because they plan for the temporal future.

Jesus is telling us to use money (the unrighteous mammon) to make to ourselves friends that would receive us into “everlasting” habitations. The use of the word “everlasting” denotes that Jesus is now talking about our eternal future. The people who have been saved and blessed by our investments in the kingdom of God will literally receive us into our everlasting home when we pass on to be with the Lord.

Our material possessions have been given to us by God so that we are actually stewards of His resources. The Lord gave us this wealth to establish His covenant on this earth – not so that we could consume it upon our own lusts. You have been blessed to be a blessing!

JUST AS I AM

Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live. —Isaiah 55:3

Good memories flooded my mind as I sat in a concert. The group’s leader had just introduced the song they were about to sing: “Just As I Am.” I remembered how years ago at the end of his sermons my pastor would ask people to come forward while we sang that song, indicating they would like to receive the forgiveness Christ offers for their sins.

But the leader of the musical group at the concert suggested another occasion when we might sing this song. He commented that he likes to think that when he dies and goes to meet the Lord one day, he will sing in thanks to Him:

Just as I am, without one plea
But that Thy blood was shed for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come!

Years before writing this song, Charlotte Elliott asked a minister how she might find the Lord. He told her, “Just come to Him as you are.” She did, and later during a discouraging time of illness, she wrote this hymn about the day she came to Christ and He forgave her sin.

In His Word, the Lord encourages us to seek Him: “Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isa. 55:6). He calls to our hearts: “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters . . . . Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live” (vv.1,3).

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we can come to Him right now and will one day go into eternity to be with Him forever. Just as I am . . . I come!

Let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. —Revelation 22:17

“For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Our knowledge and understanding of the things of God are limited, but when we see Jesus face-to-face we will have full knowledge of all things.

DON’T SERVE THE PROBLEM :

Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him. – Isaiah 55:7

You can’t win a victory as long as the problem is the biggest thing in your life!

The Lord woke me up to that fact a few years ago. At that time I was facing some difficulties in my ministry that seemed so big to me, I thought about them from morning till night. Even though I was standing against them, I was thinking more about those problems than about the scripture promises I was standing on.

Then I saw something in Matthew 6:24-25:
“Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life.”

I’d read that scripture hundreds of times, but that day I saw something I’d never noticed before. I saw that immediately after Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters,” He said, “Take no thought.” Suddenly it hit me: We serve our thoughts!

That’s why Isaiah 55 says for us to forsake our thoughts, and by the Word, take God’s thoughts. That’s why 2 Corinthians 10:5 says to cast out thoughts that challenge the Word and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

Do you want deliverance from your problems today?

Then quit serving them! Quit allowing them to consume your thought life. And don’t wait until circumstances change to do it. Instead, realize that circumstances won’t ever change until you switch from wrong to right thinking.

I know that’s not easy to do, especially in the midst of heavy darkness and trial. But you can do it if you’ll do these three things:

First, remember you aren’t alone. You have the Word (God’s thoughts). You have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you and you have the mind of Christ.

Second, get around people who are full of faith. Instead of rehearsing your problem, let them do the talking. Make yourself listen. Join in with their faith and resist darkness.

Third, praise God. Do whatever it takes to make yourself praise. When you begin to praise, God’s presence will turn back those worried thoughts and make them fall!

Your problems are not the biggest thing in your life. Jesus is. Serve Him with your thoughts and He will set you free!

THE LORD YOUR REFUGE WILL DELIVER YOU :

PSALM 91:3 – Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

Today, we hear of new strains of viruses which were unheard of only a generation ago. The world has yet to find cures for them and many people are afraid of being struck down by these viruses.

But as believers, we are not of the world, though we are in the world. (John 17:15–16) So our protection is not of the world, but of the Lord. And when we say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust,” (Psalm 91:2) then what follows is not “maybe”, but surely He will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence.

A couple in our church can testify that surely the Lord delivered and protected their two young children during a Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) outbreak, which claimed a few lives in Singapore not long ago.

When their four-year-old daughter started vomiting and running a fever, the mother brought her to their family doctor, who found ulcers in her mouth and small red dots on her hands and feet—symptoms of the HFMD. Naturally, the doctor prescribed medication for her.

Back home, however, the little girl continued to vomit throughout the day, throwing up everything including the medication. Her fever persisted. Not able to do anything for their daughter, the parents prayed, proclaiming Jesus as their healer, and partook of the Holy Communion many times with both their children.

That night, their daughter’s fever broke and the vomiting subsided. They continued making the Lord their refuge and fortress. Within two days, their daughter was completely delivered from the disease. And all this while, their six-year-old son was completely protected from the infectious disease.

Beloved, you don’t need to be afraid of deadly diseases which may have claimed the lives of others. You don’t have to be fearful that you or your child may become victims of these super bugs. When the Lord is your refuge and fortress, surely He shall deliver you and your family from the snare of the fowler, such as the avian flu, and from all perilous pestilences

PRAYER FOR THE DAY :

“My heart, O God, is steadfast; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn.” (Psalm 108: 1-2)

Dear Lord God, I praise You. I honor You. I give thanks to God for another beautiful day. Loving God, let Your unfailing love come upon me this morning and bless me every success throughout the day and days ahead. Sanctify me by the blood of Jesus; make me holy for God is holy. O God, You can change deserts into rivers; dry and thirty lands into springs of water. Nothing is impossible in God. I humbly pray that my life will be transformed into the riches of Your glory. Let miracles come to me that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent.

Gratefully, in Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen !!!

NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS http://youtu.be/qth2CNaXPbU

Free Christian Ebooks http://walthope.tripod.com

Gordon Williams http://gordwilliams.com/

https://walthope.wordpress.com/

http://walthope.tripod.com/

 

Fair Use Notice: There is some copyrighted material on this site, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to our efforts to advance understanding of serious issues. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit for educational purposes.

 

 

BE STRONG

BE STRONG

 

TRUE CHRISTIANS ARE GREATLY BELOVED BY GOD AND OPPOSED BY THE ENEMY

 Daniel 9: 22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, “O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

Daniel 10:10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, “O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you.” While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling. 12 Then he said to me, “Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. 13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; and behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left alone there with the kings of Persia.

18    Then again, the one having the likeness of a man touched me and strengthened me. 19    And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” 20    Then he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? And now I must return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, indeed the prince of Greece will come. 21    But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. (No one upholds me against these, except Michael your prince.

EPHESIANS 5:10    Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11    Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12    For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13    Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

WE ALL NEED THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM THAT COMES FROM GOD

Isaiah 11: 1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2  The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3  His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4  But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

EPHESIANS 1: 15 Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, 16 do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, 18    the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

OUR HELP IN TIME OF NEED :

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. – Hebrews 4:16

If you are facing a challenge right now, I want you to know that you have a standing invitation from your heavenly Father to come boldly to the throne of grace to “obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need”.

The phrase “help in time of need” means that you get healing when you are sick, provisions when you are in lack, restoration when your relationship with a loved one breaks down, and favor when news of job cuts or bad prospects are rife.

YOUR ANSWER IS IN HIS WORD :

Proverbs 4:20–22 – 20My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. 21Do not let them depart from your eyes; keep them in the midst of your heart;

God has given us a sure way to receive the answers to our problems and challenges. It is His Word. Every answer or solution we need is found in the Bible.

Yet, many Christians are not walking victoriously in certain areas of their lives. This is because the devil continuously wages a war of distraction against them. He has managed to take them away from the one thing that can bring them victory—the Word. He will do everything possible to prevent them from opening the Bible because he knows that the Word will deliver them.

The distraction can be very subtle: A lot of things to get done, a lot of TV programs that interest you, or it may take the form of a big problem that makes you feel that you need to focus all your attention on it. The enemy knows that if he can get you to take your eyes off the Word of God, he can keep you from winning the battle.

When you are going through a tough time, it is not enough to know that God’s answer to the problem is “somewhere in the Bible”. Find the scripture in which God has promised the solution. Meditate on it until the truth of that scripture is revealed to you. When you do this, no demon or devil can prevent that word from God from bearing fruit in your life.

Even Jesus Himself used the Word to defeat the devil in the wilderness—“It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4) The way to defeat the enemy is with “It is written…”

My friend, there is no substitute for the written Word. God tells us that we will find life and health if we give our attention to His Word and keep it in the midst of our hearts. So get into the Word and let God’s promises abide in you.

IT’S MIRACLES THAT PEOPLE NEED AND NOT AN INCESSANT DEMAND FROM PREACHERS FOR MONEY

Acts 15:12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles.

Acts 19:11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,

1 Corinthians 12:10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
Galatians 3:5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? —

Hebrews 2:4 God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

GOD’S WORD IS VERY CLEAR ON THE MATTER OF LOVE AND GOD

Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

RECEIVE BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH :

Galatians 3:5 – Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?…

Imagine that you are at a healing service. An alcoholic walks into the church reeking of alcohol. He sits behind the pianist, a nice elderly lady who has been serving in the church for 50 years. Both of them are suffering from rheumatoid arthritis. The healing power of God is present. In an instant, the alcoholic, who has never been in church before, gets healed. The pianist does not.

Most people, on hearing stories like this, would get upset and confused. They might ask, “Shouldn’t God heal this nice, old lady who has been serving Him faithfully all these years, and not that debauched drunkard?” You see, many people still believe that God heals only the deserving.

But that is not how God works. God looks at faith, not works. His power is made manifest in those who trust His goodness instead of their good behavior. So if we go back to the above example, God wants to heal both the alcoholic and the nice elderly pianist. All they need to do is to receive by grace, or unmerited favor, through faith.

You see, we cannot earn the blessings of God. We receive them by believing God’s love and grace toward us. If we receive the greatest blessing—salvation—by simply believing that Jesus did it all for us and not by working for it, what makes us think that the other lesser blessings can be obtained by our works?

So if my daughter falls sick, I don’t go to the Father and say, “Father, heal my daughter because I am Pastor and I preach healing to the people.” No, I go to Him by the blood of Jesus and say, “Father, I thank You that 2,000 years ago, Jesus bore Jessica’s sickness in His body. On that basis alone and by Your grace, I pronounce her healed in Jesus’ name.”

When you simply believe that you receive your blessings based on Jesus’ finished work and by His grace alone, you will receive your blessings!

No Fruit Without the Baptism of the Holy Spirit

The qualities described in the list of the fruit of the Spirit are impossible to achieve separate from the infilling of the Spirit. We will fail time and again if we try to bring these fruit into our lives by self-will and determination. Only through God’s Spirit will they be manifested as the believer cooperates with the Spirit’s inner prompting. They will only be evidenced in the life when the desire springs from the new heart where God’s law is written. God offers marvelous fruit to each of us through the infilling of the Spirit.

Many Christians sincerely desire these wonderful fruits and expend great effort to obtain them, not knowing God offers them to us freely through the infilling of His Spirit. It is no surprise that Satan wants to keep this wonderful gift of God from us. For true sanctification is found only in Christ fully dwelling in us through the Holy Spirit. One may profess to be a believer in Jesus Christ. He may do many wonderful works for God even casting out devils in His name. However, if the fruit of the Spirit are not evident in the life, Christ is not there and he has not experienced the Spirit’s infilling. Paul put it well when he wrote: “If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3, New International Version).

 The manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit in our lives is the only real evidence of how genuine our Christianity is. How desperate we need the “eyesalve” Christ counsels us to receive (Revelation 3:18). Jeremiah warns us; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Only by the infilling of  the Spirit, which brings the necessary spiritual “eyesight” will we begin to truly see our real condition. With that eyesight comes the grace of the Spirit that enables us to put to death the works of the flesh and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:24). If you have not received the baptism or infilling of God’s Spirit, don’t let another moment go by until you seek Him. If you have received Him in fullness, continue to seek His renewing every day. This is the only means for Christ to be fully manifested in the life.

WALTER KAMBULOW BLOGS

VICTORY MINISTRIES http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-r

https://walthope.wordpress.com/  

http://walthope3.blogspot.ca

https://plus.google.com/100302133262254344211/posts

https://plus.google.com/u/0/100327997934214585965/posts

GOT JESUS? http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-rW

THERE IS NO PROBLEM THAT JESUS CANNOT SOLVE AND NO SICKNESS THAT JESUS CANNOT HEAL

Gods Will Is Healing http://www.scribd.com/doc/12404063/

God Hears And Answers Prayers http://www.scribd.com/doc/12779089/

NEED HEALING AND MIRACLES FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS

http://youtu.be/qth2CNaXPbU

RECOMMENDED READINGS

THE BEST OF THE KAMBULOWS http://www.scribd.com/doc/122879429

WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?  http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-3

THE BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-4v

YOUR BEST FRIEND  http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-5Q

Turn Your Cares Into Prayers & Pray in the Spirit http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-9N

GOD IS IN THE MIRACLE WORKING BUSINESS TODAY  http://wp.me/s2M7AJ-miracles

IT’S A DEAD END  http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-b4

Perseverance And Prosperity From The God of Restoration http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-5W

GORDON WILLIAMS DEMONSTRATED THE POWER OF GOD  http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-77

KAREN WILLIAMS THE MOMENT EVERYTHING CHANGED http://wp.me/P2M7AJ-64

The Power Of Christ http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-8l

YOU ALONE HOLD THE KEYS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7l

Faith Is? http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7q

Gifts and Fruit of The Spirit http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7u

Our motto is, “No legitimate signs means a person is not sent from God” http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-6S

Prayer Changes Things http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-c7

GOD HAS PROMISED http://wp.me/s2M7AJ-promised

The Character of Jesus http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7x

The Power Of Declaration http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7D

Jesus Warns of Offenses http://wp.me/s2M7AJ-offenses

PASTORS, PREACHERS, EVANGELISTS http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-8u

The Revealing Of The Sons Of God http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-bW

ADULTERERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS ARE STUPID http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-7d

WHAT I LEARNED OUR RESPONSIBILITY http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-6i

TO MINISTER http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-bF

You Are Complete In Christ http://wp.me/p2M7AJ-bQ