Saturday 25 February 2017

The Gospel of Salvation

Matthew 14: 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

John 4: 35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, and then comes the harvest’? Listen! I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest. 36 He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit that leads to eternal life, that both he who sows and he who reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this is the saying true, ‘One sows, and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap a crop for which you did not labor. And you have benefited from their labor.”

One of the last commandments of Jesus was for his disciples (his church) to preach the gospel to every person on the planet. There have been obedient servants for about 2, 000 years sharing Christ, some at the risk of death. The good news that Jesus is our Saviour is important not only so that we can get to heaven but so that we can tell others about Jesus so that they too many become Christians.

The Good News

Jesus almost never gave prayer requests but once of his prayer requests was that we pray for labourers (Luke 10: 2) who would go preach the good news. The good news is that our sins have been forgiven. Our good news is that the curse of death is taken off us. The good news is we don't have to be in bondage to sin or any addictions. The good news is Jesus saves, heals and delivers. His holy life, death for our sins and resurrection brought us redemption. Jesus is coming back as  He promised he would. Others do not know Him. Please pray that God would use you to share the gospel with others.

Salvation

Acts 4: 12 There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Deliverance

Mark 3: 15 and to have authority to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons:

Healing

Mark 16: 17 These signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

It is important for us as Christians to remind ourselves of the fundamentals of our faith so that we can effectively share Christ with people.  There is nothing that God cannot do. God wants to use us (the Body of Christ) on the earth to share the good news. We will only do this if we ourselves believe it. May God reveal Himself to you as Saviour, Healer, Deliverer so that you may share the gospel with others. May God give you divine opportunities to talk with people and point them to Jesus: Saviour, Healer, Deliverer - The LORD Jesus Christ - soon coming King. You don't have to be extraordinary to speak of what God can do for others. You could share of what God has done for you personally.You could give a tract or a book or a cd. You could invite someone to a Bible study. May God use you.

Saturday 11 February 2017

It is the Holy Spirit that Quickens

John 6: 63 It is the Spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit and are life.

Within the first several  weeks of being a Christian,  I remember hearing preaching that pierced my inner most being and I knew God was directly speaking to me through the preacher. I didn't realize what was going on. A pastor prays and prepares a message and trust God to use it to feed the congregation. As a pastor draws from the Holy Spirit, and obeys His promptings, the sheep are nourished. It isn't simply hearing an encouraging thought for the day.

Sheep Hear the Voice of God

Jesus said " My sheep hear my voice". I believe He means literally as well as encouragement that is general. God wants to talk to us directly. As we press in to know God and speak to Him about the things of our lives, He shares His heart with us. Most often with me it has been through the RHEMA word of God or living Word.  The Rhema Word of God is God the Holy Spirit breathing on the scriptures in such as way that we know the word of God directly applies to our lives in the moment because it is the very answer to pray we have been seeking God for.

The RHEMA Word

The RHEMA  Word (Greek) is God breathed revelation of scripture. I cannot describe how special it is. It is a direct answer to prayer through God speaking scripture - or quickening a scripture to us in such a way that  we know without a doubt it is certain - God has given us the answer to prayer. It can come from the pastor; it can come from a Christian friend or someone at the church. Sometimes, it comes by God quickening the Word as we read the scriptures. It's as though we can feel God speaking directly to us. If you have not experienced this, pray and ask God to speak to you as you read your Bible or as you go to church.

1.Pray believing God will speak to you.especially (should you need a prayer answered)
2. Expect God to speak to you.
3. As the Word comes, receive it in your spirit - by saying thank you God for your Word.
4. Believe the Word and confess it and pray it over your life until you see it manifest in your life.
5. Thank God for angels released to bring the Word to come to pass.

Only the Holy Spirit can quicken. The flesh profits nothing. The Holy Spirit inspired people to write the Scriptures so that God could make His will known to us. The Holy Spirit can give us revelation and knowledge and wisdom from the Word of God as we read it. The Holy Spirit can quicken the Word of God to us so strongly that it brings faith into our spirits as God answers prayer.
May God give you discerning of spirits strongly so that you know the Holy Spirit quickening the Word of God to you. Amen.