Holy Spirit Battery

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Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God's message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.

1 Peter 4:10-11

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, God has given you a gift! Someone might say “I am not gifted like other people!” That is certainly true. You are specially gifted by God to do His will in the world around you.

The gift that God has given you enables you to serve other people.

But the gift that you have is like a Christmas gift that needs batteries to work! Christmas morning without enough batteries to power everything can be really disappointing. That special toy which is supposed to accomplish all kinds of tasks just sits on the floor, motionless! But when you put the battery in the gift it fulfills all the promise you expected.

God, Himself through the power of the Holy Spirit is how your “Gift” works! “The strength that God supplies” is the key to serving others. The “power cell” of God’s Spirit fills your gift with all the energy you need to accomplish the Will of God in your life.

Remember, the Battery of the Holy Spirit never runs down or needs recharging!

“Lord Jesus, thank You for the Gift that You have given me, and for the Power to make it work! Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name now and forever, Amen!”

Eyes of Faith

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Then after Moses grew up, his faith made him refuse to be called the king's grandson.  He chose to be mistreated with God's people instead of having the good time that sin could bring for a little while.  Moses knew that the treasures of earth were not as wonderful as what he would receive from suffering for the Messiah, and he looked forward to his reward.  Because of his faith, Moses left Egypt.  Moses had seen the invisible God and wasn't afraid of the king's anger.  His faith also made him celebrate Passover. He sprinkled the blood of animals on the doorposts, so that the first-born sons of the people of Israel would not be killed by the destroying angel.  Because of their faith, the people walked through the Red Sea on dry land. But when the Egyptians tried to do it, they were drowned. 

Hebrews 11:24-29


Faith is God's corrective lens for human vision. With faith from God and faith in God we can see everything clearly and beyond our human capabilities. 

When you wear glasses you can see things in better focus, but your vision is still partially blocked by the frames that hold the lenses on your head. When you wear contact lenses the vision is completely unobstructed.  But when a physician takes out the old clouded and misshapen lenses in your eyes and replaces them with clear and properly curved ones, the improvement is stunning!

What you see through the eyes of Faith is the same!  You see everything as it is, without any hinderance.

When you pray, "Open my eyes Lord, I want to see Jesus," it will not matter which way your head is turned.  You will see Jesus in everything all around you!  

Faith in what He has done, is doing and will do is foundational.   For a follower of Jesus, faith that He is with you always, and that He speaks to the Father on your behalf, is the bedrock of Perfect Peace in this world of sin! 

"Lord Jesus, You are the Great Physician who gives Your followers Eyes of Faith to see everything as You see it all.  May Your Holy Name be Praised now and forever, Amen!"

   

How to Save the Earth

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The Lord is going to twist the earth out of shape and turn it into a desert. Everyone will be scattered, including ordinary people and priests, slaves and slave owners, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, the rich and the poor.  The earth will be stripped bare and left that way. This is what the Lord has promised.  The earth wilts away; its mighty leaders melt to nothing.  The earth is polluted because its people disobeyed the laws of God, breaking their agreement that was to last forever.  The earth is under a curse; its people are dying out because of their sins. 

Isaiah 24:1-6

I have never heard anyone identify the fulfillment of this prophecy in history.  Since the Bible predicts it, it will happen.  When it will happen is not clearly stated in Scripture.  But the reason for the earth being twisted out of shape and turned into a desert is clear! The people disobey the laws of God and break their agreement with Him!

There are however plenty of people today predicting the soon destruction of the earth through Global Warming and Climate Change!  They blame the use of fossil fuels, pollutants emitted by factories and a host of other things that they believe will destroy the earth!

The Bible clearly says that the earth will turn into a desert, but not because people are burning too much coal and oil.  

Climate change or global warming are not the problem.  Disobeying the laws of God is the problem that is destroying the world!  The beauty of the earth is sustained daily by the Power of God!  When He decides to withhold, even a small portion of that Power, we will see the earth on a serious path to destruction!

There is only one way to "Save the Earth" from being twisted out of shape and turned into a desert.  That way is for men and women to begin obeying the laws of God instead of ignoring them!  A massive world-wide revival of the Power of God in the lives of men is the best thing we can do to "Save the Earth!"

When that happens, we will be saved whether the earth is saved or not.  

"Lord Jesus, when a fire breaks out, what good is it to save the house if the people all perish?  Thank You Lord for paying the price to save all those who turn their hearts to You.  May it be said that this generation turned to You and was saved!  Praise Your Holy Name, now and forever, Amen."

Prayers Always Answered

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Our God, you deserve praise in Zion, where we keep our promises to you. Everyone will come to you because you answer prayer.

Psalms 65:1-2

I once met a man who had lived most of his life as a follower of Islam. He was a faithful Muslim and prayed five times a day. Then, the man encountered Jesus and became a Christ follower. As a believer in Jesus he prayed often and with joy.

I asked this fellow how his prayer as a Christian was different from his praying as a Muslim. His answer was startling.

He said, “When I was a Muslim, my prayers were never answered. But now that I am a Christian, my prayers are always answered!”

Christianity is flooded with examples of God responding to prayer with mighty demonstrations of His power!

Some people wonder and even debate whether nor not God still does miracles today. The answer to that is simple. Every answered prayer is a miraculous intervention into the affairs of men. Praying Christians welcome and request God’s power in their lives!

Is your “religion” one where you hear about and even learn all about God, but never see His power?

Perhaps you are already a Christian, but are not experiencing a powerful and faith building prayer life.

The best way to improve your prayers is this: Pray according to the Will of God as you see it in the Bible. Then you will see God powerfully work His Will in every situation for which you pray! As you pray you can even quote the Words of Scripture!

“Lord Jesus, You are a God that answers prayer. You are alive and I can depend on You for everything in my life! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen.”

The Curse and Cain

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You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. Here you will find all of God's dearest children, whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God's new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel.

Hebrews 12:22-24

The first death of a human being did not happen because he grew old and died of “natural causes.” The first death came because of rebellion against God. It was the first case of “religious persecution.” Cain killed his brother Abel because God approved of Abel’s sacrifice and not of Cain’s.

Adam and Eve’s sin brought the consequence of death to all men. Their son Abel was the first man to suffer that fate! When Abel arrived in Heaven there was no one else from earth there with him.

When Jesus died on the Cross, He was the last Man to suffer because of the Curse of Death! When Jesus died, His death was the completion of the punishment for Adam and Eve’s sin and for the sin of all mankind! When Jesus proclaimed “It is finished” as He died on the Cross, He must have been talking about the punishment of death that came to all men because of Adam and Eve!

If Jesus had not died on the Cross, every man and woman who has ever lived, including you and me, would be lost in the fires of Hell forever! But because He took the punishment for all sin, those who follow Him will escape Hell and live with Jesus forever in the presence of God!

“Lord Jesus, You not only redeemed me from eternal damnation, but You, Lord will love me forever! Jesus, You paid the price for my sin and suffered my death on the Cross. I place my trust in You and desire to obey Your every Word. Praise Your Holy and Righteous Name now and forever, Amen!”

Portrait of Jesus

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"Don't get tired of helping others. You will be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up. We should help people whenever we can, especially if they are followers of the Lord."

Galatians 6:9-10

There is great power in being a person who helps people in need.  When a man or women who is desperate for help encounters that help in the form of another person, there is an immediate and unbreakable bond, formed by the glue of love in action!

When someone, literally rescues you from the threat of death you will certainly listen to everything your rescuer might say to you. 

That is what Jesus does.  Before He rescues you from the fires of Hell because of your faith in Him, you may come to believe in Him and all the "facts" about who He is and what He did.  But after He snatches you from the grip of the Evil One and rescues you from Hell every Word of Jesus becomes a joyfully obeyed command!

Every time you help someone in need, you are adding another brush stroke to a portrait of Jesus! It is by your good works that the world sees what Jesus is really like.

"Lord Jesus, help me today to be a rescuer who shows all the world what you are like!  Praise You Holy Name, now and forever, Amen!"

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Able to Live Differently

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The women went into the tomb, and on the right side they saw a young man in a white robe sitting there. They were alarmed.  The man said, "Don't be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who was nailed to a cross. God has raised him to life, and he isn't here. You can see the place where they put his body.  Now go and tell his disciples, and especially Peter, that he will go ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you."  When the women ran from the tomb, they were confused and shaking all over. They were too afraid to tell anyone what had happened.  Very early on the first day of the week, after Jesus had risen to life, he appeared to Mary Magdalene. Earlier he had forced seven demons out of her.  She left and told his friends, who were crying and mourning.  Even though they heard that Jesus was alive and that Mary had seen him, they would not believe it.  Later, Jesus appeared in another form to two disciples, as they were on their way out of the city.  But when these disciples told what had happened, the others would not believe.  Afterwards, Jesus appeared to his eleven disciples as they were eating. He scolded them because they were too stubborn to believe the ones who had seen him after he had been raised to life.  Then he told them: Go and preach the good news to everyone in the world.

Mark 16: 5 - 15

The initial reports that Jesus was alive were not believed, even though they came from “eye witnesses.” So, don’t think it strange when you tell someone about Jesus, who He is and what He did and they don’t believe you! It is not just the “report of the resurrection” that proves the Deity of Christ to a “lost and dying world.”

What they want to know is this: Does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ make a difference in the lives of those who follow Him? Are disciples of Jesus able to live life differently than they would have if Jesus had not gone to the Cross?

If Christianity is just a correct understanding of who God is and His attributes, how is that better than not understanding? It is like a man who learned a new language and knew all the words, pronunciations and even the grammatically correct usage of it, but never communicated with anyone else in that tongue. What good is it if you know all the Words of Scripture and every theological doctrine, but are not empowered by the Holy Spirit to live for Jesus?

If you believe in the Resurrection of Jesus, let the world know by what you do, more than by what you say! Better to be a not highly educated follower of Jesus who listens to and obeys the leading of the Holy Spirit, than a man who “knows it all” and yet refuses to obey the Lord!

“Lord Jesus, may I be today a follower who not only believes everything in the Bible about You, but also one that obeys your every Word! May Your Holy and Righteous Name be praised now and forever, Amen!”