Word For Daily Victory

Posts tagged ‘Lord’

What Does The Future Hold? – Seek The Mind of God

English: Scroll of the Psalms

English: Scroll of the Psalms (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The year is running to an end and a lot of people are looking ahead for what the future holds. Many people will take time to reflect on their lives and make New Year resolution; of cause, many of such resolutions are broken soon after they were made. The word of God says that you must overcome the strongman before you can take his place. “It is not by might, not by power but by my Spirit, says the Lord.”

The believers’ approach to issues of the future is to seek the mind of the Lord. James 4:13-16 says, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.” (NKJV)

The reasons why you should trust the Lord with your future: Jer. 29:11 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (NKJV) God is interested in you and his thought for you is a good thought. God want things to go well with you. It is important to know that we know very little about how things will generally turn-out. For instant, in United Kingdom, there were forecast about drought in the year 2012, however, the year has become the wettest since record started.

The following are some important steps you can take about the future.

  • Psalm 37: 3-4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (NKJV)
  • Prov. 3:7-8, says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh,and strength to your bones.” (NKJV)
  • Psalm 1:1-4, says, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
  • Get your information right. Don’t go through the future with on with confusing information. If you didn’t get it right, go back to God.
  • Don’t allow other people’s opinion of you ruin your life. Find out the plan God has for your life and follow it. You seek for it through prayers, studying the word of God, meditation on the word and obedience.
  • Be willing to repent and ask for forgiveness when you miss it. Sin is a reproach to people. Prov. 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” (NKJV)
  • Don’t seek unwholesome popularity that is against righteousness. “Don’t just be a man of the people” Men may appoint you to a post but it is God that positions people for greatness.
  • Don’t just follow the bandwagon. Exodus 23:2 says, “Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:” (KJV)
  • Be thankful. 1 Thess. 5:18 says. “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (NKJV)
  • Be prayerful: 1 Thess. 5:17 says, “Pray without ceasing” (KJV)

Phil. 4:6 says, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (KJV)

Col. 4:2 says, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” (KJV)

Psalm 37: 5, says “Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass” (KJV)

  • Trust God to help you. Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” (KJV).
  • Do your work honestly, with integrity and be focused. 1 Thess.4:11-12 says, “….. make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: you should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you,so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.” (NIV)
  • Stay away from other gods. Jer.25:6 says “And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt” (KJV)
  • Service the Lord with gladness.

It is my prayer that all will go well with you in the coming year; as the scripture says, in Isaiah 3:10 ““Say to the righteous that it shall be well with them,
For they shall eat the fruit of their doings.” (NKJV)

Farewell and God bless you.

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Hearing from God – Prophesy

First page of the Gospel of Mark, by Sargis Pi...

First page of the Gospel of Mark, by Sargis Pitsak, a Medieval Armenian scribe and miniaturist (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Hearing from God is very important in the life of every believer. Hearing from God is not a one-sided thing, it is not only a human desire; God wants to speak to his children. That means that it is something that is readily available to everyone who desires to hear God. All you need to do is position yourself rightly and you will enjoy this fellowship with God.

God speaks to us through prophesy. In prophesy God sends a message to you through someone else. This is a very common way that God used in the lives of the Israelites. It is commonly identifiable in the Bible.

“The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid? When the Sovereign Lord speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message The Sovereign Lord never does anything without revealing his plan to his servants, the prophets. When a lion roars, who can keep from being afraid? When the Sovereign Lord speaks, who can keep from proclaiming his message? Amos 3: 7-8 (GNT)

God appointed prophets whom he used to convey his purpose to his people. “The Lord spoke to Jeremiah in the thirteenth year that Josiah son of Amon was king of Judah, and he spoke to him again when Josiah’s son Jehoiakim was king. After that, the Lord spoke to him many times, until the eleventh year of the reign of Zedekiah son of Josiah. In the fifth month of that year the people of Jerusalem were taken into exile.” Jer. 1: 2-3 (GNT)

The proof of prophesy is that it must not mislead the people of God; it must not contradict the revealed “absolute truths” of the word of God, (for example, the fact that there is one God is an absolute truth, the sinfulness of man and the need for his salvation through Jesus Christ is an absolute truth.) All prophesies are proved by their fulfilment. All prophesies lead people to God.

Prophesy as a gift is different from the office of a prophet. Prophesy comes anytime God communicates in that manner. It can come from the prophet or someone God chooses to use. The prophet stands in the office to constantly point God’s people to the direction God wants them to follow. This does not mean the ability to see through people or the ability to always have something about the future to say to every person that comes around. Christian prophesies is not clairvoyance; these are different and far-apart as far as Christianity is concerned. In fact God forbids believers from associating with clairvoyance.

“Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft,  or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord; because of these same detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you.” Dt. 18:10-12 (NIV)

I know many people are drown towards seeking prophesies and prophets as an obsession; however, this means of God speaking to people is as normal as any other way God chooses to use to speak to you. Prophesy is one of the most abused Christian experiences and some people have used it to exploit others. It has been used to intimidate and scare people all over the ages against the will of God. False prophets are common everywhere and many of them are so crafty that it takes discernment and the help of the Holy Spirit to escape their antics.

God is interested in the lives of his people and is ever will to guide and help them.  The scripture says:

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” Psalm 100:3 (NIV)

All who desire to hear from God must learn to worship and praise God. They must learn to pray and study the Bible. They must learn to wait on the Lord and be eager to obey him.

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Hearing from God – The Audible Voice

English: Holy Spirit depicted as the dove (det...

English: Holy Spirit depicted as the dove (detail) above Child Jesus in two Trinities by Bartolomé Esteban Perez Murillo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Many people expect to hear God audibly and many people get confused when we talk about God speaking audibly because they wonder what it will be like. God can speak to us in any way he chooses. The most important thing he wants is that, we understand and obey him.

Acts 9:1-7 says “Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.” (NKJV) Paul heard God speaking audibly with him and telling him what to do.

In Acts 8:26-29, Philip had a great experience; an angel spoke to him and later same day, the Holy Spirit spoke to him. It reads, “Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”” (NKJV)

There are many Bible passages that revealed how God spoke audibly to people.

The audible voice is a not very common experience with many people. It is not commonly agreed why this is so and I am not going to attempt going into that argument. Many people have heard God talk to them as if someone was just by their side. God understands us and knows what is best for us. Some people might not find that experience comfortable and God is not going to embarrass them by relating with them that way.

I will not advice anyone to be dogmatic about the way they want God to speak to them. The way he uses is not as important as what he says and you understanding and obeying it. It is important that anyone who wants to hear from God devotes some time to prayers and study of the word of God. Hearing from God is not something to boast about, it is one of those essential things that a child of God should believe God for.

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Hearing from God – The Still Small Voice

 

So how does God speak to us? I have always been amused by people who mimic God’s voice; usually they make it sound like the voice of an old man, very deep and slow. Others make it look as if God is incoherent. Well, I don’t mind, however it sounds like, let it be real. Please don’t seek a special effect; ask God to speak to you in the language you understand.

God can speak to us in a still small voice, in other words, we hear God speak to our spirit man. This voice will be audible within you, but it is clear and understandable. There may not be anything unusual about it. It may be like the voice of the human spirit but in this case you know that, this is not a just mind activity and it is not an imagination. You just know that someone said something to you.

I have tried in a previous post to distinguish the voice of God from other voices that may confuse you. God’s voice doesn’t need to be terrific. Many people miss it here because they are looking for an awesome voice. I will give you a simple example. There was a day, long time ago, I bought a bottle of Coca-Cola, after pouring the drink, as I lifted the cup to drink, I heard a voice say to me “look at the drink”. It was very clear to me that I heard a voice. When I looked, I saw an object in the drink. Some of the remains were still in the bottle. Well, I don’t know what would have happen if I just emptied the whole content into my bowels but I believe I was saved some troubles.

The Scripture says in 1 Kings 19:11-15 “Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” And he said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.” Then the Lord said to him: “Go, return on your way to the Wilderness of Damascus; and when you arrive, anoint Hazael as king over Syria.” (NKJV

Elijah had his expectation of how God was going to appear to him but it did not just happen that way. When “God eventually showed up” he spoke to him in the still small voice.

Many people spend time getting acquitted with this way that God uses to speak to us. I did too. There were times, especially when I was young in the faith, in the fellowship people were given opportunities to say what God led in their heart, I was naïve and there were times when God told me something but I did not talk; God raised someone else who said exactly what God wanted me to say. Of cause I felt disappointed that “I disobeyed God” but God was not angry with me, I was just learning. I became more confident with time but “never too bold”. Some time ago, I was ministering in an evening meeting and God told me he was going to bless someone with a car (I was a pastor at this time). I looked around and was wondering who that could be (not my business really); I just said it; the following week, during the testimony time, a man who was in that meeting came forward to testify how God miraculously blessed him with a car. I always try to make sure I hear from God before saying so.

You can have this experience too like many other people. One important thing is to continually give yourself to prayers. Hearing from God, for me, does not call for arrogance or being unruly; I have seen people who abuse this privilege and got into trouble. Actually hearing from God is the beginning of the process; it is obedience that makes him glad.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in my word, you are my disciples indeed.” John 8:31 (NKJV)

 

Reference:

All Bible quotes are from http://www.biblegateway.com

 

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Hearing from God – Praise and Worship Dimension

English: Elisha raising the Shunammites Son

English: Elisha raising the Shunammites Son (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Praise and worship is very important for anyone who wants to hear God. God can talk to anyone at any time but for those who are in a relationship with him, who desire to hear him in their situations and circumstance, worship makes the presence of God available in a unique way.

Praise and worship moves God in a special way; the scripture tells us of how Elisha used it. It says, “And Elisha said, “As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you, nor see you. But now bring me a musician.” Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Make this valley full of ditches.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘You shall not see wind, nor shall you see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, so that you, your cattle, and your animals may drink.’And this is a simple matter in the sight of the Lord; He will also deliver the Moabites into your hand.” 2 Kings 3:14-18 (NKJV) Worship gave Elisha access to the presence of God, where God spoke to him concerning Israel’s predicament.

We can never force God to talk to us, it is his prerogative to speak or keep quiet.  However, he is interested in telling his children what he wants to do. He can tell us things about ourselves, our community or nation. The scripture says,

Amos 3:7 says “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets” (NIV). God can tell his friends anything and may instruct them on what to do. In atmosphere of praise and worship, God can manifest his presence, speak to people and manifest his power in various other ways. The experience of Paul and Silas in Acts 16:25-26 is an example.

The Lord told me many times of some things he wanted to do or would do; many of them had no immediate application to me, some of them were about my community and even about other nations. Please be aware that God respects people privacy. He will not tell you about people’s private lives except if it is absolutely essential. “Breaking into people’s private lives” spiritually has dire consequences.

“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Acts 16:25-26 (NKJV).

Our lives should be full of worship. You can do it with singing, meditation, praise and gratitude, a mind full of the thoughts of God. You can listen to praise and worship songs. You can dance before the Lord in your closet. Your confession should be full of praise to God.

Your prayer should not just be asking God for blessings. A good portion of your prayer time should be devoted to praise. You may come to a time when your life will be full of praises to God, by day and by night. There is a call to worship and praise God and I encourage you to join now.

“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God,
And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it;
And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand.” Psalm 95: 1-7 (NKJV)

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Hearing from God – Prayer Dimension (Spiritual Warfare)

Figures 047 The Lord Appears to Moses in a Bur...

Figures 047 The Lord Appears to Moses in a Burning Bush (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I am sure you are interested in hearing from God or a least you want to find out few things about it.  You are not the only “person” who is interested in your interest to hear from God. So please pay attention, this post is very important.

In Genesis 3:1 the scripture says “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’? ” (NIV)

The devil is interested in your quest to hear from God and in what God tells you. Also the scripture says in Luke 4:9-12 “The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered, “It is said: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” (NIV) The devil is interested in what God says to you because he wants to manipulate it and wrestle it from your hand.

Other people may not care about whatever God says to you especially if they want you to remain ordinary. If what you said God told you might cause them to lose any part of their power or control over you, they will oppose it. Let us see some examples: Exodus 5:1-2, says, “Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival to me in the wilderness.’” Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.” (NIV). It took a lot of spiritual warfare to make Pharaoh obey God and let Israel go out of Egypt.

2 Kings 7:1-2 says, “Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the Lord. This is what the Lord says: About this time tomorrow, a seahof the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahsof barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.” The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the Lord should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!” (NIV). The man in this scripture felt he was an authority and only the things that he forecasts should be taken seriously. He does not have any respect for God or his word. His comments provoked Elisha and he pronounced punishment upon him.

If you desire to hear from God, you must be prepared to pray. Some of the things prayers will do for you are:

  1. It will remove every clog on your way that can hinder you from hearing from God.
  2. Prayer will sharpen your perception and make you more excited at what God is saying.
  3. Prayers will help you with the strength to obey what God has told to do.
  4. Hearing God could become a spiritual warfare like we have read in the scripture earlier. The devil and his agents will oppose you; they are not interested in seeing the will of God done. I have seen this happen severally and the only way to prevail is through prayer.

It is spiritual blindness if anyone does not want to hear from God and actually, the devil likes it. It exposes people to greater danger and opens the gate for oppression, stagnation and slavery. It promotes a dry life and all manners of evil. I am sure you don’t want any of those.

Commit yourself to praying effectively as a Christian. You can really enjoy your Christian life if you make up your mind to pray constantly.

 

Reference:

Bible quote: http://www.biblegateway.com

 

 

 

 

 

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Hearing from God – Beware of these Voices

Hearing from God is a very vital part of the Christian life. Every child of God has access to the presence of God. God wants to speak to you. You may not necessarily hear God with your physical ears but his voice is clear to anyone who has learnt to listen to him. We shall look into ways the God speaks to us but today let us look at some of the voices that make it difficult for some of us to hear God.

One of the voices we hear every day is the voice of the human spirit. The voice of human spirit is a voice in us that we hear saying something to us about issues that cover virtually every aspect of our lives. Sometimes it picks up your physical voice – you catch yourself talking to yourself at this time. Most times it does not speak aloud. You are in constant conversation with yourself. It is more interested in things that are convenient for the flesh. It can fan your fears and trumpet your pride. It has the tendency to struggle with God. The following scriptural verses states,

“Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants. To be controlled by human nature results in death; to be controlled by the Spirit results in life and peace.And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature; for they do not obey God’s law, and in fact they cannot obey it.Those who obey their human nature cannot please God.” Rom. 8:5-8 (GNT)

There is also the voice of the devil. The Bible points us to various instances where the devil’s activities were let out of the dark. One of such instances is recorded in Gen. 3: 1-5 “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;  but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (NASB)

The devil is out to discredit God always. You can always dictate this in everything the devil says, no matter how good the advice is. He has been around for a long time and comes with “wicked wisdom” mostly unsolicited for. He wrestles every word of God to pervert it.

There is the voice of the “wise”. Some of these people are partly agents of the enemy (most of them do not know it) and some are people who are full of the human spirit and a dominating spirit who feel they know more than other people but are self-opinionated. Some of them have become “opinion leaders”  It cuts across the boundary of all human life. I remember a Christian meeting I attended and in the midst of a discussion. Someone said something like “all this talk about studying Bible and talk of the Holy Spirit, is not it; come let us teach you” So what does he have to teach anybody about the Christian life more than the word of God and more than the Holy Spirit is able to. Who among us knows anything to tell anyone that will help them if God did not open our heart and theirs to learn, understand and apply the truth in their lives. The answer is – Nobody. Job’s friends were in this kind of error; Job called them miserable comforters. God eventually rebuked them. “It came about after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.” Job 42:7 (NASB)

We see another instance in the Bible of a voice like that in 2 Kings 7:1-2.  “Then Elisha said, “Listen to the word of the Lord; thus says the Lord, ‘ Tomorrow about this time ameasure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.’” The royal officer on whose hand the king was leaning answered the man of God and said, “Behold, if the Lord should make windows in heaven, could this thing be?” Then he said, “Behold, you will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat of it.” (NASB)

These are just pointers to tell us that if we must hear God and walk according to his counsel we must be discerning and able to make a difference between what is right and what is not.

Stay blessed.

Reference:

All Bible quotes are from http://www.biblegateway.com

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Holy Spirit is A Friend Indeed

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ

English: John the Baptist baptizing Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will helpyou and always be with you.” John 14:15-16, (CEV)

One of the real issues in modern Christianity is heroism and spiritual egoism. A lot of myths and mysticism has been built into things far from what God really wanted them to be. One of such things is our relationship with the Holy Spirit. It’s been by many people taught that we “have to be special to relate with him” and that “when we have him we are so much more special than other Christians” These are not absolute truths. We are special because we are God’s children, saved by grace, through the blood of Jesus Christ. All who have received Jesus Christ into their lives can receive the Holy Spirit. Your life as a believer filled with the Holy Spirit will be more fulfilling, victorious and productive. All children of God are special to him.

This Holy Spirit came as our helper and comforter – that is, he is here to help us and not to make things difficult. The Holy Spirit has been described as being very “fragile” and will vanish at the slightest provocation. If that is absolutely true then he won’t bother coming. The best of men is very volatile and unworthy of a “fragile Holy Spirit”.

Psalm 103: 8 – 10 says “The Lord is merciful! He is kind and patient, and his love never fails. The Lord won’t always be angry and point out our sins; he doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve.” (CEV)

The Holy Spirit knows who we are before creation. He came to help us live successful lives as children of God. He knows we can’t cope with life’s pressures and temptations. He knows our limitations and steps in to help us when in need. He knows we have tendencies to draw-back from battles that we ought to stand our ground. He knows we are hard at hearing when it comes to spiritual things.

In my life, I have found him as a friend. I have been a Christian for many years and I see myself a normal person. I have emotions like everyone and I have had both mountain top and lowest valley experiences. One thing that has kept me going is the love, comfort and tolerance of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes I have found it tedious to study my Bible and burdensome to pray. I have been sluggish on many occasions to hear and obey the voice of the Holy Spirit. I had at least two occasions when God used children to speak to me before my “eyes” were opened to see where he is leading me. What I am saying is that, if the Holy Spirit can bear with me, he can bear with you. One thing I do is to make efforts, no matter how difficult it might seem, to keep following and learning from him. I am sure he is happy when I do things right and he is patient with me when I miss the mark.

I have found him a friend indeed. He is my helper, my comforter and teacher. He loves me. You can enjoy the same relationship with him.

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How the Holy Spirit Comforts Us – Manifestation of Power!

Icon of the Pentecost

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This is a follow up to the previous article “How does the Holy Spirit comfort you?” It is important to read through it and combine the understanding with the last discussion. This is actually what many long for but can’t really actualise because of lack of understanding.

The Holy Spirit manifests the power of God to help us live happy lives on earth.  Acts 10:38 says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”

Jesus manifested the power of the Holy Spirit to bring comfort to people in various areas of their lives. He healed the sick, comforted the bereaved, raised the dead, feed the hungry, empathised with the rejected, touch the untouchable and restored the outcasts.

It is the will of God that all goes well with you. 3 John verse 2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in every way and [that your body] may keep well, even as [I know] your soul keeps well and prospers.” (AMP.)

It is the will of God that all go well with us and the Holy Spirit is happy to work this out. That was what Jesus meant when he said “I will not leave you comfortless.”

“A man suffering from a dreaded skin disease came to Jesus, knelt down, and begged him for help. If you want to, he said, you can make me clean. Jesus was filled with pity, and reached out and touched him. I do want to, he answered. Be clean!At once the disease left the man and he was clean” GNT

1 Cor. 4:20 says, “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”

The power can only be manifested through the Holy Spirit.

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”  Acts1:8. (KJV). This explains the many struggles people have serving God; they do a lot of things with the Holy Spirit. The fact that someone else is doing a thing doesn’t mean you should do it. If you keep following people blindly, you may end up in a cul-de-sac, which is a dead end.

The vogue now is to use “methods” to preach the gospel and that is why much argument arises. It is power that advances and establishes the word of God. Which of the miracles written in the Bible can any person agree to by human intellect, if they were told, before it happened? (Even Abraham and Sarah laughed off the idea of giving birth to Isaac. – Check it up)

See also Acts 2:18-21 “And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:

And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

That was Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost. Subsequently lots of miracles started happening through the ministry of the disciples. It is a big burden doing it other ways.

We get deliverance by the power of the Holy Ghost: (You may read the books of Acts and Mark to see a lot more about this.)

You can experience divine interventions through the power of the Holy Spirit. I read in one blog yesterday about how God delivered a lady from a rapist; who eventually attacked another person at the same spot the lady passed about 20 minutes ago. (The lady who escaped asked the Lord for help and God did). That was a clear example of spiritual manifestation of good and evil. You may wish to read the book “The Triumphant Life: 31 Secrets of Winning Every Spiritual Warfare, by Felix Odiogor-Odoh.”

How you can get this working in your life?

  1. Believe it.
  2. Ask for it in prayer
  3. Receive it by faith – the just lives by faith.
  4. Confess it.
  5. Live it
  6. Thank God for it.

God bless you.

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Help from God – You will get help at the right time!

I have a word from the Lord for you this month. Read it, claim it by faith and watch it come true for you.

“God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
Even though the earth be removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” Psalm 46:1-2 (NKJV)

God is going to help you. You can have timely help in your plans and in time of trouble.

You can read though Psalm 121 and claim the promises of God for us. It will work. It says;

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.”

God will act on time and you will not be frustrated.

All scriptures are from www.biblegateway.com

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