Tag: health and wellness

  • You Got Got?

    You Got Got?

    Thoughts: I love listening to the word of God every moment I can. I heard today “The Son of God became the Son of man so He could empower the sons of man to become the sons of God.” But even in that, He let it be our choice.

    Looking back at my Christian journey, I see why I am where I am today. I feel so bereft spiritually. The gospel I was listening to was but another gospel. The emphasis was on how to get prosperous in this life. The scriptures used were of course the standard “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper …..” and the favorite Jer 29:11. Now the KJV says “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Now this same verse in the NIV bible, the King of prosperity bible the verse all of a sudden says “For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the LORD (watch for the change) ” plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” this is private interpretation— but Peter said “that no prophecy of scripture is for private interpretation.” The reason given for using the NIV is that it has a better handle for today’s language. And then when you compare it to the KJV you are told the people who interpreted the KJV made errors in interpretation. My thinking is where was the Holy Ghost who is the originator when these errors were made and given to people as the gospel truth? And how are the present NIV interpretations most accurate and did not make errors in their interpretations of the scriptures?

    Anyway, before I started my ranting, my thoughts and feelings were that the word is true in saying you cannot serve two masters (God or mammon). What I learned was how to use God to get to mammon. The takeaway is that mammon is superior to God and chasing it would end all my problems. Yes, I know I had itchy ears and went to what I wanted to hear (an admonition I did not head out of the bible).

    Jesus’ coming was an education as to how we are separated from God; how we were/are born into a sin filled world, a world that does not gravitate to goodness. If this separation was not corrected with the death and resurrection of Christ, we humans had only one place to go—hell. Our eyes are now open to choice in life, Christ bridged the gap, we can choose God or stay where we are with the knowledge that hell is the result of not making a choice. Choosing life with Christ brings about prosperity in all areas of life and in the upcoming life after death.

    Instead of going where the motivation is what you think you need to make it in this world, seek the Kingdom of God and all else you need and desire will be added unto you. When these things are added to you, you will not care about them because the love relationship you develop with the Holy Ghost will outweigh everything this world has to offer you; then you will experience real life, peace, and satisfaction with life.

    Don’t fall for the okey-doke–the teaching that consumes you with chasing riches to fulfill your “thirst” in this life. What does the teaching offer you in the life after this one? Look for Christ, and when you are found by Him, hold on for a rough ride till you meet Him face to face. The kingdoms of this world will shake you till the day you go six feet under to loosen your grip on this treasure you have found so you can slide to hell with them.

  • Believer’s Superpowers

    Believer’s Superpowers

    In Matthew 10, Christ gave his 12 disciples powers against sent them out. With this power they could cast out unclean spirits and heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. Christ directed them to specifically heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and to cast out devils. In all of this the disciples were to do all of this free of charge to the people, after all they received the power free of charge. The disciples went forth and accomplished what they were sent forth to do to their own amazement.

    After Christ resurrected from the dead, He appeared to the eleven as they were eating. At this point these men were in fear for their lives, besides being in confusion. Unbelief and hardness of heart was where they now lived. I can only imagine how they must have been thinking how they had left everything and put in those years following Christ and learning of Him to only come to this. They had seen their hopes and dreams actually die on the crucifix. When they were told that Christ was alive by those who had seen him, they frankly were not buying it. Now Christ comes to them as they are at the table; He “upbraided” them for their unbelief and their hearts posture; had they not learned anything from those three years He poured all of Himself into them? Christ then gives them the commission that was handed down to us today–go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. Those who believe and are baptized into Christ shall be saved. Signs will follow them that believe–they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents (yuck), and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands on the sick, and the sick shall recover.

    These things are what we believers (not just the clergy) have been empowered with. Notice there are no pre-requisites to a believer performing these miracles. All this was a package deal when one became a believer. Freely we have received this package, so freely give.

  • Raised for such a time as this.

    Raised for such a time as this.

    Continuing in the vein of “O foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you?” churches are in trouble that they either do not see or ignore. As you find yourself in such an environment, do not be dismayed nor confused. At times our mission field is our very own church. Be that person that the righteous leaders can hold onto so they may do the work they are burdened with. You are called to hold up the hands of the man of God, similar to the account about Moses in the battle against Amalek. Remember that as long as Moses had his hand up the battle was for them, but when he got tired and his hand went down, Amalek would be winning. Aaron and Hur sat Moses on a rock while they each held a hand up. Victory was theirs because there was someone there to hold the man of God’s hands up. You are your pastor’s Aaron/Hur. Be prayed up and fasted to do this work because the enemy will come against you personally as he sees you steadfast in accomplishing your mission to keep the man of God strong and moving forward.

    There are plenty of preachers that have not bowed their knee to the devil. They preach the unadulterated word of God, thank God. These men surround themselves with those who have proven to be on fire for God and minister to God, enabling them to hold up the preachers’ “hands” so they can run this race they have been given. Not all is lost, but the fight just got real. Be real and lean not on your own understanding, rather put all your trust in the Lord. He will direct your steps, so you don’t miss a bit.

  • Who jumped ship?  We comin’ for ya!

    Who jumped ship? We comin’ for ya!

    Thoughts: There are times when life does not make sense. I mean I did not see life in the way it presents itself. You know those moments you think to turn right to get to point A, but life turns you left. Confusion, trauma, anger, disappointment all come emotionally at once. What to do? These are moments that I plug in worship and praise music. Yes escape! I come out of my emotional state and just float with the music. Soon scripture comes forth that just calms me down. Put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, huh! Some musical ministers can land you in the very throne room of heaven. I can’t but help thinking that those that are worship leaders at church are to minister and bring one to the very throne room of God, instead most of the time they are performers who have no idea how to get to the throne room for themselves let alone take me there. Musing again……

    LESSON: Paul addressed the church with “O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” He continued to berate them by saying “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?” Today we could say the same to those who are moving from church (faith in Christ) to ancestor worship or witchcraft. These people are drawn to where they experience the supernatural that they are not finding in the church. They learn to cast spells, (calling those things that be not as though they were), and see what they speak forth come to pass. People are hungry for the supernatural, what they were looking for in the church. Those who are endowed with powers by the dark side/satan are usually not chasing fame nor finances. Their interest is in the power afforded them by the demonic and will do whatever it takes for them to get those powers. When encountering these foolish ones, Paul says “if a man (person) be overtaken in a fault (leaving the faith), ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” We have to be like the Lord, go retrieve that one leaving the safe ones in house; but get our brother or sister from sure death.

  • Tired of the Fight?

    Tired of the Fight?

    Thoughts: Do you pray? Why do you pray? Is your prayer answered? How do you know your prayer is answered? Do you have evident power when you rise from prayer than when you went down? How are you shaking the world around you because you prayed? Lots of questions on prayer! Jesus said His Father’s house is a house of prayer. We do more preaching than praying in God’s house of prayer. Ramblings again I know……

    God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has abundant mercies for us. How do we know this for sure? The word tells us that God Himself has brought about a lively hope we can hold onto, by resurrecting Jesus Christ from the dead. The result is that God has brought us into an incorruptible inheritance; one that cannot be defiled, cannot be erased, nor fade away. Where do we find this inheritance? It is reserved in heaven for you and is to be revealed in the “last time” (end of the world). Your job is to be kept by the power of God thru faith, the faith that brought you into salvation.

    You may find yourself in a terrible season as you read this, battles that seem impossible to win. Shake yourself and tell yourself this is a trial of your faith. Faith is a day-to-day battle, not something done once and you have made it; fight the good fight of faith. It is a good fight because you daily win!! Hold on to your faith and work it so you will be found praiseworthy and honorable at Jesus Christ’s appearing.

  • Flesh Issues?

    Flesh Issues?

    Lesson: You ever fall and just give in to that thing you know the Word says not to be in or even associate with people that are into that thing? Then guilt and shame overwhelm you when you come back to your senses? We all want to prevent the fall, but if you don’t, then what?

    The answer? ” This I say, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” I’m guilty of thinking this verse is talking about sextual sins one can fall into only. But really it covers much more. The word clarifies what the deeds (lusts) of the flesh are; ” Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witch craft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envying, murders, drunkenness, raveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. We who are the sons of God once walked in such manner intentionally and joyously. But having been saved we now shun such behavior. When we do fall we know to pick ourselves up and remember that there is now no condemnation for them that are in Christ Jesus, enabling us to keep walking this narrow path we are on.

    To fortify our resolve to stay saved and stay away from all of the above that we are weak in, we have to learn to walk in the Spirit. But what exactly is walking in the Spirit? I used to think abstract was the way to go, you know basically meditating. But when meditating I would sit thinking, then get up and do what I thought. Am I the only one? Ok. But walking in the Spirit means going into the word each time you have a doubt, or wonder; or thinking what should I do in this case. You have to take the time to get your counsel from the word. It covers all things that we come face to face with and directs on how to handle the matter. In this way you will ” live a life guided and empowered by the Holy Spirit (Ghost). Reading what the word has to say about your situation is you actively seeking and following the Spirit’s lead. You no longer rely on your impulses or ideas to traverse this world. So confidently walk in the Spirit.

    Thought: today’s bible says God is a Spirit (confining Him). When I first learned that scripture it said God is Spirit, able to be everywhere at the same time. satan is a spirit, confined to being in a place like we as individuals—but not in every place at the same time like God. And I have heard some say God is not in Hell, but the word says He is everywhere. He is not consumed in what hell does. Ramblings? Think about it. The bible is being tweaked, words missing, words added. That is why it is important to have the Holy Ghost teaching you as you read the word. Ask old people to recite verses that they memorized as young people and see if this is not so.

  • Selah

    Selah

    “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God:”

    The whole of Psalm 42 is me today. I’m not even going to say I relate to the writer, I am in this instance the writer. Day to day the battle rages with me sitting in my dug out trench, but some days it is hand to hand combat with my invisible enemy. I can whisper within me “in the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul. Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence. My feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up.”

    I was greatly distressed: but I have encouraged myself in the LORD my God.

    Selah

  • Unity in the Body

    Unity in the Body

    I once tripped up on a story where the wife was waking the husband up so they could go to church. The husband responded “I don’t want to go”. The wife insisted he had to get up and go. He asked why, she said because you are the pastor. My take away? Those in ministries are not jumping at the chance to fulfill the call on their lives all the time. The times one does not feel like it are the times one finds out why they do what they do. As you can imagine it is how I am feeling today. The Spirit reminds me being called is not for fame or wealth, but the love of the Father being spread at no charge. Jesus spoke of leaving the 99 to gain that one…. Yes indeed ramblings…..

    Yesterday I left the post encouraging you to think about the gift of miracles being set in the very body of Christ where some individuals possessed the gifts of working those miracles set in the church. That in itself is a revelation. God repeated this combination with the next gift set in the body, the gifts of healings with the individuals given the ability to work healings. God did not only put healings in the church, he put individuals equipped to perform the healings.

    What we need is people to step up unapologetic, unfearful, focused and ready to do the will of the Lord by recognizing their gifts and engaging in their church. These gifts are to profit everyone in the body. We are so afraid of being out of order and out of favor with the pastor. Is the pastor the only one who hears from God like in the days of Moses? We should remember the Holy Ghost is the one in-charge of where, when, and how these gifts are used in the church. As long as you are yielded and following directions from the same Spirit that directs your pastor, there shall not be a conflict of interest. We have to remember that the Holy Ghost directs everything in the service. The Holy Ghost will let the pastor know what he is doing in you. The pastor then supports you and encourages you as you fulfill the assignment given by the Holy Ghost.

    Problem: the members of the body are not in one Spirit, not unified in the Spirit.

    Solution: engaging in prayer together under one roof to hear from the Lord, to become adapt at moving in the Spirit as one.

  • Giftings within the Body

    Giftings within the Body

    Thought of my today: 2 Corinthians 9:7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give: not grudgingly (nothing will flow back to you), or of necessity (if I give, I will get back so much more cuz I need bills paid this week), for God loveth a cheerful giver. This scripture hit home. I am usually motivated by what the preacher says when it is offering time; fearing that God will be displeased if I don’t—this alone puts me in the negative. God is looking for willingness and gladness from what I offer up (not so much specific amounts) — then it is sweet savor to His nostrils. The purpose of giving is one way to show adoration to God, worshipping God from the heart. Wow! That is why I never see a return, or if I do it is not as the preacher claims I will get. Ramblings I know…..

    Continuing with the Gifts given to the Body of Christ:

    These are given by the Holy Spirit for the edification of the body. 5) Working of miracles– “a surprising and welcome event that is not explicable by natural or scientific laws…” such as raising someone from the dead, commanding rain to occur, or calming a storm. These we see in work with Christ walking the earth, but none today. I know I hear pastors mainly saying at services they have seen the dead raise to life, but I have never seen filming of such events. Yet this is a gift given to people in the body of Christ!

    6)The gift of prophecy (message from God) given to one who does not walk in the “office” of a Prophet. Rember a Prophet is himself/herself a gift to the body. A prophecy itself is a message or directive from God to a person or a people. The dictionary states a prophecy is “a message that has been communicated to a person by a supernatural entity.

    Problem: we don’t acknowledge these gifts; we don’t see them in operation. Some who possess the gift may be afraid to be wrong in the use of the gift along with what will people think of me.

    Solution: ask the Holy Spirit what gift has been given to you and how to perfect it.

  • Gifts to the Body

    Gifts to the Body

    continuation:

    To recap: there are spiritual gift for the body that are given thru/by the Holy Spirit. There are differences of gifts, but only one Holy Spirit who gives them all. Now we had established that the gifts are given to individuals within a grouping. The first two gifts mentioned were 1) word of wisdom 2) word of knowledge.

    The next gift is 3) the gift of faith— faith is the substance (physical matter, a specific kind of material with particular properties) of things hoped for, the evidence (“the information or objects that can help to prove a statement or fact”) of things not (yet) seen. So clearly the person with the gift of faith sees and has proof within themselves that makes them confident of what they see/know. To them it is as real as the things we physically see, feel, hear or touch. Let us not confuse this gifting with the clairvoyant worldly individual who claims or exhibits an ability to perceive events in the future or beyond normal sensory contact. Gifts can be perverted; “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.” (a subject for another day). It is important to recognize who is doing the administration of the gift, be it the Holy Spirit (gift of faith) or has it been hijacked by the demonic (clairvoyant)?

    4) To another individual is given the gift of healing by the same Spirit. When we think of healing, we envision a cripple being able to walk again, blind eyes opened, and things of this nature. But healing is restoring someone to whole health, spirit, soul and body. The person with this gift is a benefit to the body because some people have to see that God’s people are endowed with such gifts to be able to believe. Some people only believe what they can see or touch. This then aids some to come into the faith.