Encounters With God

Praise God for once again another Holy Spirit encounter. You may remember two weeks ago as I was getting ready to go to bed, I decided to watch “just one more” video on my TV. God spoke to my heart in a powerful way through that video. On Wednesday night this week it happened again where I “just happened” to come across a video to watch. This video was a live presentation, not previously recorded, so it’s even more significant that the Holy Spirit led me to it right at that moment.

It's amazing sometimes how the Holy Spirit will move to confirm things for us. I had been praying about what to teach at a woman's conference that will be happening on April 6^th. This live video confirmed things in such a way that I was having my own Hallelujah party in my living room. You will be hearing more about another portion of this video in the next week or so.

Now, last night I was already in bed when the Holy Spirit got my attention. He led me to remember a dream that Evangelist Steve Hill had in 2012. In 2013 he wrote about the dream in a powerful book titled “Spiritual Avalanche.”  Last night when the Holy Spirit reminded me about the dream, I googled his name to see if I could find it. I didn't find the actual written version of it, but I did find an immensely powerful dramatized 8-minute video where he talks about the dream. Below I have posted the link to the video.

As I watched the video, I was so overcome by the Holy Spirit, especially the last couple minutes of it. After it ended, tearfully, I sat there in awe of how timely of a word it is for the days we are living in right now. I find it interesting that the Lord led me to this because in two weeks on March 9 it will be the ten-year anniversary date of when Steve Hill passed away. “The number 10 is often associated with completeness and divine order.” (biblewithus.com)

At that point I was a little bit too wound up to think about going back to sleep. I decided to start re-reading a book that I plan to read as part of my preparation for speaking at the upcoming woman's conference. Within minutes I'm sitting there with tears coming out my eyes, saying “ohh, ahh” repeatedly, and praying that the Lord keep teaching me to be even more discerning and sensitive to His voice, as well as what teachings/ministries I allow myself to be exposed to.

Lastly, friends we must be living in a that we realize this is not a time to play games with God or His people. Let's get serious more than ever to stand for truth, to reach people what's the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his Kingdom! Are you ready to jump in? The shift is coming.

In closing here are three scriptures to meditate on. Again, the link to the 8-minute video is below.

“Now, therefore,” says the Lord, “Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.” (Joel 2:12 NKJV)

“This is what the Lord says: “Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel its path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, ‘No, that’s not the road we want!’ (Jeremiah 6:16 NLT)

²¹“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matt. 7:21-23 NKJV)

https://youtu.be/ED5SoVZNS48?si=kdpKccvedgN8mVyr

Guard Your Heart

 I shared this article two years ago. However, in lieu of recent conversations that I've had with people about the trials they’re facing. And, seeing so many people in churches lowering their convictions and standards. I felt led to share it again.

Look at Proverbs 4:23 - “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life.”  And, in the New Living Translation – “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” As I pondered this scripture my thoughts turned toward to the promises Jesus made. The promise is that He will come again for those who have believed His word and accepted Him as Savior and Lord of their lives - "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3 NKJV)

However, while we know that He will return, the time of His return is uncertain. We must be ready! "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Matt 24:42 NKJV) No one knows the exact time of the return of Jesus Christ, but we can recognize the times we’re living in. With all that is happening prophetically all around the world it’s obvious that time is short. I often challenge myself with this question; “What do I want to be found doing with my life when the Lord returns?” This helps me to keep my life and priorities in perspective.

Looking back to the verse I started out with, Proverbs 4:23. How do we guard our hearts? Let’s consider some thoughts about keeping a guard in our lives.

Guard our Attitudes - “²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV) We need to make sure we’re building these godly characteristics into our daily lives. This will help us to walk in the Spirit rather than in our flesh, meaning our own thinking. See also Galatians 5:16.

Guard Against a Deceitful Heart - “⁹The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? ¹⁰ I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings”. (Jeremiah 17:9-10 NKJV) 

Daily ask the Lord to show you what needs to be purged from your heart. Remember, as believers we are in the world but not of it.

We also need to guard against being deceived by teaching outside of the boundaries of scripture. Remember how theologian Charles Spurgeon defines discernment – “Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong but knowing the difference between right and almost right.” That's how deception works, there's always an element of truth in it to hook you in.

“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” (Colossians 2:8 NKJV) and…   “Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.” (1 John 4:1 NLT)

Guard Your Tongue - “Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.”  (Proverbs 21:23 NKJV) and "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.” (Matthew 15:18 NKJV) Check out Matthew 15:18 in the New Living Translation (NLT) – “But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart.”

Guard Your Family - “Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”  (Psalm 127:1 NKJV) – As the verse clearly shows, without the Lord leading us in our homes we will not do the best we could do. There is so much in the world today that wants to tear apart families. The best protection against these evils is the presence of the Lord in our homes and lives.

Guard Your Testimony - “… so that no one can speak a word of blame against you. You are to live clean, innocent lives as children of God in a dark world full of crooked and perverse people. Let your lives shine brightly before them.” (Philippians 2:15 NLT)

The bible talks a lot about living a holy life separated from the ways of those who are not disciples of Jesus Christ. As Christians we are to be different than the world, not like them. No matter where you are you’re being a testimony for either God or for the devil. You make the choice.

Guard Your Love - “So he answered and said," 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27 NKJV) We must love God with every area of our lives. Remember, He loved us enough to send His son to die on a cross for our sin, so that when we come to Him in repentance so that we can be forgiven and spend eternity with Him in heaven. Let’s not be like the Church of Ephesus in Revelation 2:4 who bore the indictment of leaving their first love. Let’s keep God first in our lives. See Matthew 6:33.

In closing, as you see we have much to guard in our lives. Remember, guard rails are put up not to confine us, but to protect us. Until next time think of your life in the light of eternity. God Bless!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit That Remains

This past Wednesday I shared a little bit in a discussion about something the Lord has had me in for a couple of weeks. I have been frequently drawn to John 15:1-16, especially verse 16 which says: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (Emphasis added)

Most of us are quick to quote the first part of that verse but tend to forget the second part. Yes, we want to be chosen and bear fruit. But it doesn't stop there. It goes on to say, “that your fruit should remain.” How does that fruit remain?

It's a two-step process. The first part is making sure the fruit that we are producing is relative to eternity in the Kingdom of God. You see, there's a lot of good work(s) that can be done but our focus is to be winning souls for the Kingdom of God. Seeing lives transformed from hopelessness to hope. Then the fruit you planted in an individual is planted by that person in another person. The seed keeps growing and remains. New life breeds new life.

What are some of the other works? Most would say it's the supernatural gifts - healing, prophecy, etc. which are listed in 1 Corinthians 12. Supernatural Gifts have their place in the community of faith but it's not to be the primary focus, winning souls is. We don't decide when they happen, that is up to the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying the gifts are not necessary. Just not the focus.

When spiritual gifts become the focus there is the danger of people getting caught up in sensationalism, celebrity preachers, manufacturing gifts from the flesh. Anyway, this subject of gifts can be a whole discussion in itself. Let's get back to talking about fruit.

 As mentioned, the spiritual gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12. However, spiritual fruit is listed in Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.”

It would be safe to say that spiritual gifts are incomplete if the individual operating in those gifts is not living in the fruit of the spirit. Keeping a focus on the fruit of the spirit helps us stand guard against things such as the image we present, sensationalism, wanting to look powerful, thinking it will draw the crowds. At the risk of stepping on toes of those who want to be gift focused, when the gifts are in operation the goal should be to bring people to salvation, not to say look at all we have happening here. What will truly draw crowds is transformed lives.

There are many examples in the Bible of a person encountering Jesus leading to a transformed life that drew a crowd. One example is the woman at the well. She lived in shame most of her life. Listen to what she says after encountering Jesus. The full story is in John chapter 4, but here are a few key scriptures.

²⁹ “Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?” 30 Then they went out of the city and came to Him.” 

 

Then the result of her sharing the encounter with Jesus comes next. ³⁹ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed because of His own word. ⁴² Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” (Emphasis added)

Before this blog gets any longer, let me close with a quote that I read recently.

“Instead of measuring ourselves by the gifts we have – perhaps we should consider the depth of our love.” (Wanda Alger)