Divine Direction Mindset From Our God

The Rebuilding Then

 

 

Temporary dwellings were erected on Israel's journey to the final resting place of the Ark in Jerusalem, where Solomon was chosen as the one to build the Father's house for the glory of His great name. Solomon is a picture in type of Jesus, the Son of God. This house was built from written specifications received from the Father by David, Solomon's father, "'All this,' said David, 'the LORD made me understand in writing, by His hand upon me, all the works of these plans'" (1 Chronicles 28:19).

 

Over the course of time, because of sin, disobedience, and idolatry, the people of God lost the glory – the house was destroyed and the nation was taken into captivity by their enemies for seventy years for a period of discipline. In God's chosen, appointed time, after a long season of refinement, He released His people from exile to return to His land to rebuild His house for His glory as a blessing to all the earth!

 

 

As children of God, we will all find ourselves either in seasons of captivity where the Father is refining and disciplining us in the fire of His love, or in seasons where we are released and given new opportunities to re-build the house of God according to His blueprint. The return of the exiles to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple was overshadowed by God's favor – the miraculous nature of God's providence, accompanied by signs and wonders! 

 

"Yet Now Be Strong! Return & Rebuild!"

 

 

When Jesus was crucified, resurrected, and ascended to the throne, He laid the groundwork for His disciples to begin to build the Father a house patterned after His mind, heart, and life. In the early Church, the Believers, who were the living stones, came together in unity to build such a house – one where the Father is worshiped in Spirit and in truth – truth that had been buried under years of error and traditions of men! 

 

God's plan from before the beginning of time was to dwell in and amongst a people chosen for Himself. Beginning with Abraham, the Father initiated the work to prepare for Himself a house, a place of dwelling structured and built with the very substance of the life of His Son Jesus. Yahweh's house is intended to be a house of transcendent glory, a habitation of the Godhead for all eternity; a place where God's sons and daughters will live in His presence, beholding the beauty of the LORD forever!

 

 

This sanctuary is a heavenly place, a dominion, and a royal Kingdom God moved to establish on earth in preparation for His Son's coming rule and reign on earth – a heavenly Kingdom centered on earth in Jerusalem: "Thy Kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven!"

The Importance of Private, Personal Intercession

 

 

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Matthew 6:6

 

This speaks of the importance and the power of private, personal prayer.

To go into our "closet" and shut the door in order to pray is a very private, personal experience. Here, in the privacy of our "set apart place" of prayer, we can express our heart to the Lord. To express our deep inner desires and feelings in prayer is as medicine to our soul. But there is a greater and more important blessing. Our Heavenly Father hears our secret prayer, and He will openly reward us.

 

Because no one is involved in our "shut in" time, we can come aside and pray at any time. We "choose" when to pray.

 

However, intercession is quite different; we "respond" to an intercessory burden which "impregnates" us, and we intercede until it is "birthed

This speaks of the importance and power of private, personal intercession.

 

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26

 

We must respond when this impartation of an "intercessory burden" takes place. Thus, the price of our being an intercessor is very high, as it intrudes upon our time and personal desires.This intercession may come with deep groanings, as in a birthing process. As much as possible, this should be done in private. If in a gathering of the saints, quietly slip out into a private place to "give birth" to the intercessory process.

 

I can say, "I will pray now," or, "I will wait and pray later." However, I cannot say, "I will intercede," either now or later. I can only say, "I will respond to an intercessory burden, if I am moved upon by the Holy Spirit to intercede."

 

Intercession is at the heart of the end-time intervention of our Lord. It is the "enabling" that will release and make a way for the Lord to enter the affairs of man. Just as John the Baptist was raised up as a "forerunner" of the birth and ministry of Jesus, so also, in our day, a corporate John (intercessors) is being raised up.

True Intercession

And there appeared a great wonder in Heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars: and she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. Revelation 12:1-2

 

These intercessors will become a "gateway" through whom the Lord will be able to greatly affect and alter the affairs of individuals and nations, in order to prepare them for their place and function in the Millennial Kingdom of God.

 

And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up to God, and to His throne. Revelation 12:5

This "man-child" does not refer to the birth of Jesus two thousand years ago in a manger. Rather, the Book of Revelation is a revelation of "things which must shortly come to pass"(Revelation 1:1). It is a revelation of the future, not an affirmation of the past.

 

This "man-child" is a fully matured and qualified body (overcomers), of whom Jesus has become the active head. This "catching up" can be thought of as being a "rapture," not away from the earth in escape, but our being "lifted" to rule nations in power and authority with consequence.

 

The "woman" who gives birth to this "man-child" is a committed Body of intercessors within the present-day Church. She is clothed with the sun (Son) and has the moon under her feet. That is, she is receiving direct (sun) revelation from the Lord, being impregnated directly by Him for intercession, rather than moving in reflected, indirect (moon) revelation, that is received from others.

 

Being birthed through intercession and caught up into a higher realm, these are "ruling with the rod of iron." This speaks of end-time authority, which is imparted to a Body of overcomers whom the Lord has prepared to rightly use this authority. These ruling "overcomers" will bring tribulation to the ungodly, and impart righteousness, peace, and joy to the godly. This will lead into the establishing of the Millennial Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

And they sung a new song, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." Revelation 5:9-10

 

This Body of overcomers is being birthed from within the Church of our day, and is presently being lifted in intercessory anointing, to bring forth the end-time birthing of the purpose of our Lord.

May each of us, who are feeling these birth pains, understand and rightly respond. And if not, may we present ourselves to the Lord as being willing to become an intercessor.

Try It Again

 

Many of us have been pressing in with faith and believing God for great things in our lives. At the same time many have experienced delay, disappointment, and discouragement because circumstances have pushed back on our dreams and hard work.

It may seem as though nothing is happening, but I believe the word of the Lord for those of us in this situation is: "Take heart! Every seed sown in faith MUST produce a harvest of goodness and increase in your life." 

 

Jeremiah 29:11-12 is poignant:"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."

 

This is not wishful thinking or simply a positive mental attitude. This is the guarantee of Heaven, certified by Holy Scripture, and by the Father Himself who has never failed to deliver. The Spirit of God is shouting this message to those of us who have labored in faith for a positive change and have come up empty: "Tweak it, and try it again!"

 

"Cast your net on the other side."

There is a supernatural element descending upon our efforts that will completely change this apparently fruitless activity into immediate abundance and overflow. Jesus is stepping into your boat with today's instructions

 

The Beginning...

Luke 5:4-11 When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because You say so, I will let down the nets.

 

" When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break. So they signaled their partners in the other boat to come and help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink.

 

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will fish for people." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

 

The End...

John 21:3-7 "I'm going out to fish," Simon Peter told them, and they said, "We'll go with you." So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, "Friends, haven't you any fish?" "No," they answered. He said, "Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.

 

When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish. Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water.

 

Here are several points that leap out at me as I read these amazing miracle stories.

1. Put the work in, it is NOT wasted effort!

2. Listen to Jesus.

3. Be willing to change.

4. Tweak it and try it again (obey).

5. Enjoy the miracle!

6. Adjust to the blessing.

7. Let the presence of Jesus purify your heart.

8. Leave everything and follow Him.

9. Welcome to your new life!

 

The vision is still right. Following Jesus, working hard, and expecting miracles WILL PAY OFF.

Tweak it, and try it again!

Let's GO! It's harvest time for your dreams.

 

Sowing to the Spirit

 

As we wait upon the Lord, we will experience a genuine encounter with the Lord. Then wherever we go, the result of this "manifest presence" that we have experienced, will cut through every bondage and fear in those who are witnessing the result of our life being the expression of His life.

 

During these prolonged times spent in His presence, we are "sowing" to the Spirit – enlarging our capacity to flow with the Holy Spirit. It is always costly to the natural man, but this provides us with the opportunity to overcome.

 

Many "early morning risings" may seemingly bear no fruit at all, but the continued lifting up of our desire for Him, along with our worship and the obedience of seeking after Him, rather than things, will in time bring forth within us an accumulative effect that will surprisingly produce a profound spiritual result. We will have "become" a prophetic vessel that is available to Him.

 

These times of "waiting upon the Lord," in His presence, do not produce quick results, but rather, lasting ones. Jesus commanded us to abide in Him, adding that it will cause us to bear "fruit that remains." But, the abiding life – a life that "waits" in God's presence, will produce fruit that will stand in eternity.

"I love them that love Me; and those who seek Me early shall find Me... that I may cause those who love Me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures." Proverbs 8:17, 21

Indeed, the Lord is knocking on the door of our hearts and our lives. He is seeking to enter in. He is seeking a people that will respond to His knock and that will open the door and invite Him in, that they might "wait upon Him."

 

When I wait on the Lord, I come apart from all activity, and sit quietly in an attitude of worship. I do not use music as that is a distraction to my spiritual hearing. Rather, I sit quietly in an attitude of worship and expectancy, as if looking at a door expecting at any moment that the door will open, and a person will enter (Jesus).

My spiritual strength is renewed as I draw on the life of Jesus that flows out from the throne – NOT abstract power as some teach. We are to seek a person, not power. 
I may wait for several minutes or hours, and most often I have felt little or nothing when done – but after my time of waiting, everything that I do is accomplished much better, and I have a glow in my spirit. There is a very noticeable result of the time I spend waiting.

Just A Thought For Preachers

Not all preaching can be classified as successful. Some preaching fails miserably short. Bible preaching should be powerful, penetrating the very heart and spirit of the listener. Here are a few proven laws for the preacher that have helped me through the years.
Keeping your own well: The preacher’s spiritual state will ultimately come through the preaching. You cannot hide an empty spirit by speaking many words. Preaching is the act of impartation, not just communication.
Keep your own heart and spirit full of the virtues of God, healthy and growing, vivacious, and full of life and good things.
The hidden sermon: Similar to the previous law, this means that whatever is in the sermon will first be in the preacher: clarity, logic, sincerity, sweetness, or a wrong and wounded spirit. It is not greatness of spirit that causes us to be critical or harsh, but littleness of spirit.

 

Love makes truth palatable. You must love truth, but you also must love the people and they must feel this love attitude permeated throughout the preaching.
Enjoying the seasons: A preacher will experience different spiritual seasons that will affect his preaching. Learn how to use the seasons for your benefit in developing preaching.
The seasons of dryness, victory, unsettledness, stretching, discouragement, emptiness, and fullness can all be used by the Holy Spirit to bring life and depth to the preacher and the preached word.
Abiding anointing: Realize the authority behind preaching resides not in the preacher but in the biblical text, not in emotion, but in the Holy Spirit that inspired the text.
When you do not feel the anointing, preach on by faith in the word of God. The anointing will be there and affect the people because it abides in the word of God.
Cultivating a well-fed mind: The preacher must continually read and think deeply about a variety of important subjects. Studying for sermons does not necessarily cultivate a well-informed mind. One must read books that expose the preacher to material that stretches the mind and enlarges the vocabulary.
Consistently reading the Bible in different translations will feed the spirit and mind. Read theological books that challenge your ability to think and reason. 

Blessings in Your Yielding

 

 

Be that yielded vessel that I can use at all  times. Yes, be ready at all times to be led to those who may be lost. For yes,  this is the hour of My power to heal the sick, to raise the dead, to cast out  demons for as freely you receive freely you shall give.

Listening To Him requires Silence

The only way you can be sure that it is His voice you are hearing is to hear it so often that a
stranger's voice is instantly recognizable. It is far wiser to spend time learning the One True Voice than it is trying to learn to detect a multitude of false voices.  Do you know the voice of the Lord?

"Hearken unto Me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the
words of My mouth." Proverbs 7:24

 

Yom Kippur

 

October 3-4, 2014 During Yom Kippur of old, one High Priest, serving one G-d, in G-d's one Temple, on His one holiest day, would beseech Him on behalf of His one people. Today, one person, making one good resolution, doing one good deed—can change the entire world. This Yom Kippur, you hold the keys to the world's future. Your good deed, your primal cry from the depths of your soul, can penetrate the Gates of Heaven and tip the scales for all of humankind. Our Sages teach us that a crucial part of our service to G-d is to give generously of our earnings to charity. We work hard to earn our income. We pour all of our energy—our soul—into it. When we then give it away to charity—when we recognize that we are but G-d's appointed caretakers of the resources He entrusted to us and act on His behalf to distribute it—we demonstrate one of the highest levels of faith a human being can achieve: We give a piece of our very soul. In preparation for Yom Kippur, when we pray that the power of our one soul be propelled by the power of the one day to reach the very essence of our one G-d, let us demonstrate our faith. Let us bare our very soul by giving freely and generously to charity.

Facing temptation

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When you face temptation, remember it is not a sin to be tempted.
Temptation to sin is not sin.

If temptation were a sin, then Jesus would be a sinner, because
Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we have not a high priest which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points
tempted like as we are, yet without sin."

Jesus was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Jesus
felt what you feel. He was just as much a man as though He were not
God at all, and He was as much God as though He were not man at all.
He was the God-Man, and praise God, Jesus never sinned though He knew
those temptations.

ACTION POINT:

Are you facing a temptation today that you feel no one has ever faced?
Turn to Jesus and He will meet you there.

Trust and Reality

An angel once greeted Gideon as a “mighty hero” and declared that God was with him (Judges 6:12). Gideon felt anything but mighty (he was hiding at the time), and his entire nation was under the oppression of the Midianites. Indeed, it looked as if God had deserted Israel (Judges 6:11-13).

Sometimes God speaks to His people in ways that seem to make no sense—at least at first. He tells us that “overwhelming victory is ours though Christ” (Romans 8:37). Do you feel like a victor? Perhaps your current situation is far different than what God described in Matthew’s gospel: “My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light” (Matthew 11:30). In times like these, it’s vital for us to trust in who God is, and to cling to the hope that His Word is true.

At times, our feelings and circumstances might cause us to tremble and fear. That’s understandable. A first-time rock climber will likely feel insecure while perched on a wall of stone, but his instructor knows the newbie climber is safe. Why? Because he knows the reality of the situation and—much like God working in our challenges—that provision and protection are in place.

You can trust Him, for “the LORD is with you” (Judges 6:12).

Everything Happens for a Reason

The sower soweth the word.

Mark 4:14

Everything happens for a reason, and the reason can be found in the parable of the sower in Mark 4. God called Paul to minister the Word to the Gentiles. His job was to sow, or plant, the Word. God has selected him for this purpose, and that is what he does. He travels all over the known world, taking the gospel with him. God is the ultimate sower, but God uses men to do it through the foolishness of preaching. Paul is a carrier of the Word; he is a spreader of the message.

Scripture shows you that just because you might have any kind of attack -including a financial problem, a health problem, a family problem, or any other kind of issue -this does not necessarily mean that the favor of God is no longer on you. It doesn't necessarily mean that you are not operating in faith.

If Your Faith Is being Tested

Has something bad happened to you and you said, "Oh me. What did
I do? I must have done something terrible. Otherwise, this
wouldn't have happened!"

And before you knew it, you fell headlong into a pity party of morbid
introspection-taking yourself apart piece by piece to see where
you went wrong. If you're like most people, you have.

But have you ever thought that maybe you've done absolutely
nothing wrong, but God is simply testing your faith? This is an
important truth for you to understand, because if you don't, you
may get discouraged. The seeds of doubt and discouragement sprout in
the soil of ignorance.

ACTION POINT:

Read Exodus 16 about the testing of the Lord in the lives of the
Israelites while they were wandering in the desert. What applications
can you give to your life?

Hear My Word

Colossians 4:2-18

Paul’s closing remarks indicate how his letters were presented. The church gathered to hear the letter read out loud and, when they had heard it, the letter was copied by hand before it was sent on to another city. So the average Christians heard God’s Word with their ears before seeing it with their eyes.

We thank God for the opportunity to read His Word whenever we want. But we must not neglect the unique power that’s present when the church gathers to hear it read aloud. When we hear God’s Word, we realize that:

• His Word is alive. God’s Word isn’t just letters on a page. It’s “alive and powerful”—making things happen (Hebrews 4:12). God speaks, “Let there be”, and the universe flashes into existence (Genesis 1:3). God says, “Lazarus, come out!” and a dead man stirs to life (John 11:43). God declares, “Look, I am making everything new!” and His words swish around the swill of corruption and spit it out of creation (Revelation 21:5).

God’s Word performs what it describes. Martin Luther emphasized how important it is to read God’s promise of forgiveness (1 John 1:9), but we’ll truly get it when we hear that promise announced to us: “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). This power of God’s spoken Word is the reason the sermon is the centerpiece of our worship services.

• His Word is life. The Word of God that we hear interprets what we see. Our eyes tell us that we are habitual sinners; God’s Word declares we are holy (1 Corinthians 1:2). Our eyes tell us our dead brother or sister is never coming back; God’s Word says their gravesite is resurrection ground (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

We trust our ears, not our eyes. Let’s continue to gather with other believers and hear more!

Much Purpose

We truly are in "God's Time of Great Purpose"

as you'll read about below:

 

 

"I have places throughout the Earth where I am opening up portals of Heavenly supply for the preparation of the Great Harvest that is coming soon. There are lands of promise and places of strategic purpose that I will lead both individuals and ministries to dwell in. I am preparing places that will be storehouses for My people at this time."

THERE ARE NO SHORTCUTS TO PRAYER

yer is more than telling the Lord what we think He should do, and all the wonderful things that would happen if only He would "do as we ask". Real prayer begins when we enter into such communion with Jesus, that the Holy Spirit can pray the will of the Father through us.

This is taking hold of the willingness of the Lord, not overcoming His reluctance. He may reluctantly give us something that we continually press Him for – to our own hurt. Note the children of Israel who pressed Him for meat, rather than being satisfied with the Manna that He had provided. He gave them quail, but Scripture tells us that it brought leanness to their souls.

There are no shortcuts, or push-button methods of entering into His presence. "Prayer" means spending quality time with the Lord.

When the Lord's people come to an understanding of the value of having a set apart place of prayer for communion with Him, and often enter into this place, they will be on their way to a life of fruitfulness in His purposes.

Go In and Possess Your Land of Promise

Many times Moses exhorts the people to, "Go in and possess" the land. He reminds them again and again that this is the land that the Lord is giving them. "Do not be afraid of them for the Lord your God is with you!"

The unifying theme throughout the Bible is the redemptive activity of God. Deuteronomy reminds the people that the Spirit of God had been with them from the time of their deliverance from Egypt. The key was total belief and trust in God.

God told the Jewish people that the land He was giving them was a land of milk and honey, filled with fruit. It was obviously a place of provision. The giants in the land were not to be feared. God would help them overcome all of their enemies until they fully possessed the land He had spoken to them of.

A NEW SEASON OF DESTINY!

During Rosh Hashanah, God sets you up to enter into a new season of destiny and a new season of open Heaven's for the year ahead when you come before Him with God's people during this time. Fresh revelation for fresh new breakthroughs in your life occur during this time.

God wants you to gain your fulfill inheritance and fulfill your full destiny.

Take the land this year! Take a step of faith and celebrate Him during Rosh Hashanah with His glory, fresh revelation, healings and signs and wonders following!

Already we are seeing major national awakening occur around the world during the Herzog's last trip to Finland, as the events aired live nationwide. 

              We expect the same awakening to occur in your life during this time!

              Go through the open door God has for you and discover what is on the other side! Let God position you supernaturally for the days ahead during this season as you receive a new mantle for a new day. Gain great revelation, activation, healing, glory, and breakthrough as you celebrate Rosh Hashanah and receive the promised Biblical blessings for entering into the New Year of the King!

Failure is not Final

 

 

"O love the Lord, all ye His saints: for the Lord preserveth
the faithful." Psalm 31:23


DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were two of the greatest baseball players of all
time. Ty Cobb was known for his record number of stolen bases, and
Babe Ruth was known for his record number of home runs. What you may
not know is that Ty Cobb was also thrown out more than any other man
in baseball trying to steal bases. And Babe Ruth struck out more than
any other man in baseball! These fellows didn't let their
failures stop them, and neither should you!

Fix your goal.
Face your faults.
Forget your failures.
Failure in the Christian life is not final.

ACTION POINT:

Maybe you or someone you know is feeling discouraged today. Remind
them or yourself of the promise in Philippians 4:13.

He is Our Redeemer

 

 

Hebrews 12:1

Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

 

Thoughts on today's verse

 

Like the great heroes of the Bible, both big and small, we can do God's work with confidence. But to boldly go where he wants us to go, we must first be willing to let go of the sin that entangles our lives, distorts our vision, and robs us of spiritual vitality and stamina.

His Blessing are Upon You

Isaiah 54:2-3 "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the  curtains of your dwellings; do not spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen  your stakes. For you shall expand to the right and to the left, and your  descendants will inherit the nations, and make the desolate cities inhabited.

 

Grace for you and Me

Grace is the most beautiful word in the Bible other than Jesus. Grace is why God loves us when there is nothing lovely about us. We are notloved because we are valuable. We are valuable because we are loved.

1John 4:10 says, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for oursins." That, friend, is God's amazing grace. We are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. I love Him for His grace. It is all Jesus. It's not the
church. It's not good deeds. Amazing grace is in the Lord Jesus Christ. He loves you. He died for you.

Grace

As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word.

John 17:18-20

Jesus is saying, “I am not just praying for these eleven disciples that are here. I am praying for all those who will come to me because of them.” All believers are included in this prayer, because all of us believed because the disciples were faithful to minister the Word, and others after them have been faithful as well.

Jesus is praying for you to be connected to the Word. He is praying for you to be guarded from losing what you have. He's praying that you be physically safe. He's praying that there be a multiplication of the Word available unto you. Oh, believer, take advantage of the opportunities you have!

Prayer for Today

Father, thank you for your grace! Thank you for your mercy! Thank you for interceding for me and for helping me to be faithful in doing your will: at home and abroad. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Spirit’s first gift

Acts 2:1-12

We often focus on the more controversial aspects of Acts 2:1-47. We question whether the Holy Spirit continues to work in the same way today, or if the miracles found in the passage have ceased; and we wonder if such gifts are necessary for salvation.

But there’s something important we often overlook: The disciples who gathered together were all of a homogeneous religious and ethnic background (Acts 2:7). On the day of Pentecost, however, they suddenly spoke in the myriad languages of the known world (Acts 2:4,8-11). Of all the gifts the Spirit could have bestowed, the very first was the ability to communicate with people crossculturally. These early Christians were given the chance to reach out to those who were different from them in nearly every way.

This shouldn’t come as a huge surprise, for Scripture reveals God’s perfect preparations for the miraculous event. We see Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, ministering to Syro-Phoenecians (Mark 7:24-30), Samaritans (John 4:1-26,39-42), and Romans (Luke 7:1-10)—;scandalizing the religious establishment of that time. Later, John wrote in Revelation 7:9-10 of a future time when people of every tribe, nation, people, and language will stand at the throne of Christ, united in worship. It’s God’s heart—;and His plan—;for the gospel to transcend all boundaries.

I often ask myself, Does my heart reflect Jesus’ heart? Am I reaching out to those who are different from me—;preaching in word and demonstrating in deed that God’s grace transcends all cultural and racial boundaries? I’m often disappointed by my answers. Still, the passage in Acts 2:1-12 inspires me—;reminding me that God has powerfully equipped all believers in Jesus to fulfill His crosscultural plan!

A Unity of Diversity

A Unity of Diversity

The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they were still carnal because they had divisions. Some claimed to follow Paul, some Peter, some Apollos, and some Christ. Though it may seem that to follow Christ is the right answer, Paul chastised them all because they were using this as a point to divide over. As we mature, we will see how Paul presented an important aspect of Christ, and how Peter, Apollos, and others do the same.

That's why Paul did not say that he had the mind of Christ, but he said, "We have the mind of Christ" (see I Corinthians 2:16). No one person can contain the mind of Christ, but it is as we come together that we have His mind. As we begin to see this, we understand how an evangelist, who has been beholding the glory of the Lord, who is The Evangelist, is revealing that aspect of Christ. Another who has been beholding the glory of the Lord as The Teacher, having been changed into a teacher by this, is revealing that aspect of Him. As we mature to see this, we see that the unity we are called to in the Body of Christ is not a unity of conformity but a unity of diversity.

One

Ephesians 4:1-6

Have you ever wanted to take a quick peek at someone else’s mail? Maybe it was an envelope from a doctor’s office that held the results of a family member’s recent medical tests. Or perhaps it was a letter addressed to your parents from an estranged family member. As you held the envelope in your hands, the temptation to open it might have felt overwhelming.

In the country where I live, a person can go to prison for tampering with another’s mail. But, in a way, that’s what we do every time we open one of the epistles in the New Testament.

These letters found in God’s Word were written to individual believers and to young churches that had been planted across the Roman Empire during the earliest days of Christianity. The apostle Paul wrote 13 of the letters, each addressing a specific situation or concern.

Halfway into his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul pleaded with his readers to “make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3). Why did he want them to be one? Because they shared so many ones—one body, one Spirit, one glorious hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father (Ephesians 4:4-6).

Oneness. It’s meant to be the heartbeat of God’s people. And Paul wrote that humble, gentle, patient, and peaceful attitudes are what will help a heart of unity to beat strong (Ephesians 4:2-3).

When believers in Jesus experience conflicts and disagreements (and we will), pride, harshness, impatience, and intolerance won’t keep us together. Those things will only tear us apart. Instead, we need to remember the letter to the Ephesians which reminds us to “be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of [our] love” (Ephesians 4:2).

We Need Strong Relationships with Our Children

 

 

Ephesians 6:1-4

Do you have a strong relationship with your children? The way we first think about God has much to do with how we were parented—especially by our fathers. What image of the Lord are you portraying?

I am now building a relationship with my father and its difficult for him and yes , I do get frustrated.  Actually I have felt sorry for him that he missed that with me because of many things, but yet I want quit and I am learning to forgive and pray for him.

Many men struggle in their role as dads because their own fathers were either absent—physically or emotionally— or poor examples. But regardless of what a person experienced in the past, the best thing any parent can do is imitate God the Father. But how do we know who He really is?

We get our best glimpse of what the heavenly Father is like by looking at His Son. Speaking with the disciples, Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:6, 9). Not only is Christ our path to relationship with God; He is also the way we come to know the Father’s true character.

When we look at Jesus’ life, what do we see? He was merciful, patient, gentle, compassionate, kind, and full of goodness toward all people (Matt. 9:10-13). The Savior healed the sick, provided for needs, and offered forgiveness—regardless of the offense (Matt. 14:14-21; Luke 23:34). But in love, He didn’t hesitate to discipline or correct others when required.

More than a solid education or material possessions, your child’s greatest need is a role model of devotion to God through prayer, Bible reading, and holy living. If you make knowing and following the heavenly Father your first priority, you won’t have to worry about what kind of parent you will be. 

Making Decisions By Hearing From God

 

 

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways" (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God speaks to his children in many varied ways. God has said that his ways are not our ways. If left to our reasoning, we will fail to fully walk in the full counsel of God, which leads to poor decisions.

Thus, our goal is to avoid being deceived and to develop a listening ear that hears the voice of God with confidence. Our goal is to have such intimacy with God that we can walk in the full blessing of our decisions and to be assured they are not based on our own reasoning alone. This does not mean that we do not use the intellectual and logical skills that He has equipped us with.

A.W. Tozer said that the man or woman who is wholly and joyously surrendered to Christ can't make a wrong choice - any choice will be the right one. J. Oswald Sanders explains his method of receiving guidance from God for decisions; "I try to gather all the information and all the facts that are involved in a decision, and then weigh them up and pray over them in the Lord's presence, and trust the Holy Spirit to sway my mind in the direction of God's will. And God generally guides by presenting reasons to my mind for acting in a certain way."

The apostle Paul said, "For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2:13). God has equipped us with everything we need to make good decisions. Hearing His voice is the first step toward making right choices in life.

Do you have a decision to make? Submit that decision to the Lord, ask God for clarity. Ask Him to make the desires of your heart the same desires that He has for you in this matter. Await His perfect timing on the matter. Then you can be assured of making the right decisions.