Heavenly Downpour

 Heavenly Downpour

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“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.” Jeremiah 2:16–18

One hundred and twenty people waited for the promise that Jesus had left them with of power from on high. Although they did not know exactly what to expect, they only knew that they were desperately thirsty for a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father. They had heard of the Holy Spirit and how He would move in and out of peoples’ lives. Then, suddenly, He came to them like a mighty, rushing wind. He rained down on them, not just temporarily, but He came to stay.

They were all filled with power from on high as the Holy Spirit came to live in them and then to overflow them. He changed their lives so drastically that it is said that they began to turn the world upside down. Daring to go beyond the traditions of men, these 120 people wanted God’s righteousness and holiness that is found only in the pouring spiritual rain from Heaven.

Excited and exuberant, they were all filled with God’s Holy Spirit and His fire. They were so possessed by the Holy Spirit that Peter had to tell onlookers that they were not drunk. Miracles, signs and wonders became the norm for them.

Is the Holy Spirit raining down today? Absolutely. God, in His great love for His people, freely gives us the Holy Spirit Who brings blessings that are worth shouting about! His rain in our lives brings His strength, courage, health, wealth, greatness, and help in all situations. We cannot maintain the fruit of the Spirit in our lives without Him. These, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meekness are all found in the rain of the Holy Spirit. The rain will come when we are so thirsty that we can’t go on without it.

Prayer:

“Dear Lord, please rain down on us and baptize us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can minister to the lost and dying world with power, love and a sound mind. We are thirsty, Lord.”

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

Three Roads

 Three Roads

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“And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.” 2 Timothy 2:24-26

We know that people will turn against us because of our belief in and relationship with Jesus. He told us to expect it. We believe His Word, and, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we live our lives for Him, loving what He loves, hating what He hates.

The hardest of relationships are those within our own family. There are three roads:

Some turn away and run. I believe it is because of some rejection that they feel in their own lives. The rejected reject. We pray that their eyes will be opened and see that we love them and miss them terribly.

Some are pleasant, remain in our lives but will not talk with us of anything other than surface events. No deep relationship can ever develop here. We want so badly to be close to them. They limit life so much.

And then there are those who do not agree with us at all, but they are mature enough and wise enough to say, “Ok, I love you anyway, even though we don’t agree.”

Prayer:

“Lord, open the eyes of our family members to your glory. Please grant them repentance and acknowledgement of the truth so that they can recover themselves from the snare of the devil.”

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

Final Thoughts:

I was one of the first group. If I just blocked them out of my life maybe they would go away.  They didn’t. Not understanding the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I (wrongly) thought that my Christian parents were “condemning” me and “judging” me. They were always in the way of what I wanted to do, always not approving of my (sinful) lifestyle.

I thought that I was so much more modern, free, intelligent and open-minded than they were, because I could not see the glorious light of the Gospel of Jesus. I could not see His Kingdom; I was literally blind to it, blinded by the god of this world.

Planned Beforehand

 Planned Beforehand

‘For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.’ Ephesians 1:4-5 (NIV).

He chose us, we did not choose Him. God’s plan was set at the beginning of creation for us to be His holy children. Salvation then, is God’s work and not our own doing. We are not saved because we deserve it that is for certain. Nor did God save us because we influenced Him.

God had planned to save us well before we even knew He existed, or even before we existed! If God had not planned to save humankind, it just never would have happened. Therefore, there is no reason to take credit for our salvation or to allow room for pride.

It is hard to understand how a perfect God could accept and even desire relationship with such imperfect people. But it is all because of Christ. Because of Jesus, we are holy and blameless in God’s sight. God chose us, and when we belong to Him through Jesus Christ, God looks at us as if we had never sinned. That is incredible!

Prayer:

‘Lord, thank you that you have planned since the beginning of time to have relationship with all people. Lord I want to be part of your family and live a life that is full of your generosity, mercy and lavish love. May nothing come between us.’

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

Final Thoughts:

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, God has adopted us as His own children and brought us into a family who are His heirs. Since we are His true children, we qualify to share all His treasures. And since we are joined to Christ, we also inherit all that He is and all that He has. (Romans 8:17). In Roman law, adopted children had the same rights and privileges as biological children, even if they had once been slaves. Paul uses the term ‘adopted’ to show how binding our relationship to God is.

Are we experiencing this strong, binding relationship with the Father? What holds us back from entering fully into our privileges and rights as His heirs? Nothing else is worth putting before this beautiful and privileged position that was planned beforehand by our gracious God.

Be Greatly Blessed!

Heavenly Downpour

 Heavenly Downpour

=================

“But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.” Jeremiah 2:16–18

One hundred and twenty people waited for the promise that Jesus had left them with of power from on high. Although they did not know exactly what to expect, they only knew that they were desperately thirsty for a deeper relationship with their Heavenly Father. They had heard of the Holy Spirit and how He would move in and out of peoples’ lives. Then, suddenly, He came to them like a mighty, rushing wind. He rained down on them, not just temporarily, but He came to stay.

They were all filled with power from on high as the Holy Spirit came to live in them and then to overflow them. He changed their lives so drastically that it is said that they began to turn the world upside down. Daring to go beyond the traditions of men, these 120 people wanted God’s righteousness and holiness that is found only in the pouring spiritual rain from Heaven.

Excited and exuberant, they were all filled with God’s Holy Spirit and His fire. They were so possessed by the Holy Spirit that Peter had to tell onlookers that they were not drunk. Miracles, signs and wonders became the norm for them.

Is the Holy Spirit raining down today? Absolutely. God, in His great love for His people, freely gives us the Holy Spirit Who brings blessings that are worth shouting about! His rain in our lives brings His strength, courage, health, wealth, greatness, and help in all situations. We cannot maintain the fruit of the Spirit in our lives without Him. These, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, and meekness are all found in the rain of the Holy Spirit. The rain will come when we are so thirsty that we can’t go on without it.

Prayer:

“Dear Lord, please rain down on us and baptize us with Your Holy Spirit so that we can minister to the lost and dying world with power, love and a sound mind. We are thirsty, Lord.”

In Jesus’ Mighty Name,

AMEN!

Final Thoughts:

For the benefit and profit of others, He gives us gifts. These gifts are found in the rain: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues. Yes, it is raining today. Can you hear it?

Be Greatly Blessed

The Name of Jesus: Name Above All Name

 Bible speaks in Epistle of Philippine 2: 9-11

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Verse 9 tells us that at the resurrection and ascension of Christ, God gave Jesus the highest Name. Jesus’ name is as exalted as His position in Heaven.

Verse 10 shows that all will come under the authority of the name of Jesus, specifically mentioning all three worlds. Things can be translated beings or everything, so every being, every thing in all three realms must bow at the name of Jesus:

1. In Heaven

2. In Earth

3. Under the Earth (Hell, or the demonic realm)

Verse 11 informs us that all will bow and confess that Jesus is Lord. The title Lord represents Jesus’ authority, holiness, power, and attributes. Jesus is very much God. Even now, He is the God man. Lord is Greek word kyrios, meaning one having all power, dominion, authority, and the right to master or rule. To confess that Jesus is Lord is to say that Jesus is equal with God, which Philippians 2:6 says He is. Jesus is the revelation of God to man, according to John 1:1-3, 14. Jesus, the Word, became flesh. He brought God out in the open so we could see and know who God is and what He is like (I John 4:8).

We can confess that Jesus is Lord now, making Him our personal Savior and Lord, or we will do it at the judgment when it is too late to be saved.

Jesus’ name is the Name above all names. As we declare His Name, we declare the lordship of Jesus over our lives. Demons, sickness, poverty, defeat, and so on, must all submit to His lordship. That means that what is wrong must be made right as believers epak the name of Jesus in faith. That is how we enforce the victory and lordship of Jesus in our lives.

Each and every time we speak the name of Jesus, we are declaring His lordship in all three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Hell. And as we do, all three realms will submit to that Name- now and forever.

I Shall Never Forsake You

 “I’ll Never Forsake You”

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…for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6

Sometimes, when we’re facing difficult circumstances in our lives, it can feel as if God is really distant. Maybe you’ve tried praying till your face is blue, and yet you’re not even sure whether God really hears you.

Well beloved, I have good news for you. God has promised to be your everpresent help. Your refuge and strength in times of trouble. He’s promised that nothing in Heaven or Earth will ever be able to separate you from His love.

The Truth is, God is always with us, even at times when we’re not conscious of it. In fact, do you know that you are the temple of God? This means that God’s very spirit is dwelling in you – at this very moment. He’s closer to you than your own breath!

He’s eveready to bless you, protect you, guide you, and prosper you.

So take a moment. Close your eyes. Breathe. Think of the Presence of God in you, through you, and around you. Feel His love enveloping you. His strength guarding you. His blessings pouring over you.

Imagine what it’d be like to live in His wonderful Presence 24 hours a day, 365 days a year!

For it is true! His presence is always with you. While the Israelites had a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire to guide them, you have something even better! Through Jesus’ work, you are now the very tabernacle of God.

So go about the rest of your day in the knowledge that your almighty God is leading you, helping you, protecting you, and loving you, every step of the way.

Be Greatly Blessed!

References:

Hebrews 13:5-6

…for he has said, “I will in no way leave you, neither will I in any way forsake you.” So that with good courage we say, “The Lord is my helper. I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Deuteronomy 31:6-8

Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for Yahweh your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”

Moses called to Joshua, and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall go with this people into the land which Yahweh has sworn to their fathers to give them; and you shall cause them to inherit it. Yahweh himself is who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be discouraged.”

Run Away from sexual Desire Inducements

 *Run away from sexual desire inducements!"*

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Samson and David were drawn by Satan through sexual desire.  This David defeated Goliath.  But he could not conquer his own desire!  Many of the Godly men who were strong enough, have fallen severely in this area. 

Those who are careless or lack control over moral discipline in this area are more likely to fall prey to Satan's weapon.  For example, look at today's fashionable clothes of women.  The areas that God wanted to hide with cloth, are now reveals up for the public, in the name of “Designs”, exposing the hidden body parts!

God made it clear through Genesis 3:21, that the body of Adam and Eve should be clothed and well covered.

Satan has carefully planned through cinemas, advertising posters on both sides of the road,  through News papers and magazines, which in the name of 'beauty models', are exposing the naked bodies; Satan has ensnared countless men into the trap of enslaving them to their lusts!

In these critical days, like Job it is necessary to keep our eyes “under the control of the covenant” and to control our desires!  (Job 31:1).  We must refuse to see or read anything that ‘ignites these despicable desires’.  David had no such control, and that was why he sinned! (2 Samuel 11: 2).

It was only after David learned this bitter lesson,  he prayed, "Lord, turn away my eyes from  worthless things" (Psalm 119: 37).  It is good for us to pray the same prayer!!

🙏 *Prayer:*
Our heavenly Father!  In this world that filled with the fornication spirit, give us the pure heart to live 'strictly' like Job!  In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.