Let God decides

Dare to Decide
Be it according to thy word.
– Exodus 8:10

I used to worry about making decisions for God. I used to be afraid to step out on faith and declare I was going to do something new that He'd shown me to do. I'd think, "What if I fail?" I was so scared of failing, I'd muddle around in indecision for weeks. Then one day I found out it wasn't my power that was going to carry it out anyway. But it took my decision to move God in on the scene. Once I decided what I was going to do and set it down firm, God backed me!

What I learned is a truth from the Word of God that, if you'll pay attention to it, will revolutionize your life. It's truth that carries an awesome responsibility with it, but it's a wonderful thing to realize.

Here it is: The right, the privilege, and the power to DECIDE has been left by God in the hands of men.

You have the right, for example, to decide where you're going to spend eternity. You have a right to make that decision, and God will back your decision.

God can do everything for you but decide. He's provided the power. He's provided His Name. He's provided the blood of Jesus. He's provided the kingdom of God. He's even made us partakers of it (Col. 1:12).

But He's not going to stuff that inheritance down our throats. Somewhere down the line we each have to make the decision to receive it.

Now the beautiful part is this: When you make that decision, God will back you to the hilt with His power. Once you make a decision to be born again, there's no devil in hell big enough to stop you. All you have to do is decide.

Decide now. Declare your decision. Let it be done unto you according to your words.

Is God leading you in some new direction? Is He leading you to step out in faith for healing or prosperity or to take a whole new step of ministry? Don't let fear hold you back.

Kenneth Copeland
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Scripture Reading: Romans 4:13-21
© 1991 Eagle Mountain International Church, Inc. aka: Kenneth Copeland Publications All rights reserved.
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Psalm 103:20

Psalm 103:20 20Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word.

Notice that the verse says that angels are “heeding the voice of His word”. Now, who gives voice to God’s Word? We do! Each time we speak God’s Word, we give voice to His Word. And when angels hear His Word given voice, they respond! The Bible says that at the end of Daniel’s three weeks of fasting and praying for an answer from God, the angel Gabriel appeared to Daniel and said to him, “I have come because of your words.” (Daniel 10:12) So when angels hear you saying, “Thank You, Father, no evil shall befall me nor shall any plague come near my dwelling,” (Psalm 91:10) they will come to your aid because you are giving voice to God’s Word. Even if you cannot quote the verse perfectly, they can still come to your rescue. This was what happened to a lady in the United States. While walking home after an evening church service, she was attacked from behind by a man and dragged toward a dark corner in an alley. In that frantic state, she remembered only one word from that evening’s sermon. So she shouted, “Feathers! Feathers!” Her attacker released her and fled! Feathers? What did she mean? She was actually referring to Psalm 91:4 — “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge”. In that state of panic, she remembered only one word — “feathers”, and it was enough to cause her attacker to flee. You see, it is not your ability to quote an entire verse perfectly that releases God’s power, but faith in His Word and His love for you. And one word from Him is enough to send your enemies scurrying away. However, if you know God’s Word by heart but refuse to proclaim it, the power of His Word cannot be released.The Bible does not say that angels heed His Word. No, it says that “His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word”. So beloved, give voice to God’s Word and see His angels respond. His angels are activated for your benefit when you speak His Word!

Let Your New Man Out

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. – Romans 12:1

When you made Jesus Christ Lord of your life, you became what the Bible calls a "new creature." Inside, you're not the same person you were before. You have the nature of God born into you. But it's not enough for you just to have that new nature on the inside. You have to let it take over the outside as well. Don't expect that to happen automatically. You have to make a decision to bring your body into obedience to the new man within you. You must determine to do what Romans6:12 says and "let not sin...reign in your mortal body." I know that sounds tough, but remember, you're not in this alone. You have a Helper inside you to enable you to carry out that decision. His name is the Holy Spirit. He's there to strengthen you. He gives you the power to put sin out of your life and under your feet. Make that decisive dedication of your body today--and let that new man that's on the inside of you begin to come out!

Repent

https://youtu.be/ci9KI4rSXw4

K.P. Yohannan - Gospel for Asia

K.P. Yohannan - Gospel for Asia

We Will Be Like HIM

Imagine with me that someone bought a whole bunch of bright red, crisp apples and tied them onto an apple tree. Everyone who casually walked by the tree would think, Wow, that tree looks great. See all of those apples? and never notice that the apples were just tied onto the branches. If you let some time go by though, anyone would be able to notice that the now-rotting apples were not really a part of the tree.

So Right, Yet Completely Wrong

Our Christianity can be like that apple tree. By knowing the appropriate behaviors, we can make our lives look so spiritual. However, you and I can be right in our understanding and all our doctrines, yet be completely wrong on the inside.

Look at the Pharisees. They had everything right. They knew God's holiness and all the laws. They were missionaries. They fasted, gave, prayed and taught the Scriptures.

Their problem? Everything began and ended with them. God had no part in it.

What God wants us to be goes beyond doing all the right things. Our "apples" should be produced from the tree, or our fruit will not last.

So often we want a plan, an agenda, a book to tell us how to become godly. But godliness is not a list of how-tos.

The answer is Jesus. If we listen closely, we'll hear the Lord calling out to our hearts, "Be Mine. Let My life be yours."

A Living, Growing Relationship

Please don't look for a quick fix. This call from the Lord involves daily walking with Him, being sensitive to hear His voice, seeking to do His will and loving Him through our choices. It is not obedience to the letter of the law, but rather understanding the heart of our Master. This is not a fill-in-the-blank test, but a living, growing relationship with the Creator of this world.

We must see Jesus—everywhere, in all of our life, in everything. The book of Hebrews tells us, "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus" (Hebrews 12:2, NIV).

Have you ever studied a car that was passing you, and all of a sudden, without realizing it, you actually started to steer toward the passing car? The more you dwell on negative things, the more negative you become. The more you dwell on positive thoughts, the more positive you become. The more time you spend with someone, the more you actually take on their mannerisms and vocabulary without even trying.

We are called to be partakers of His nature (see 2 Peter 1:4). How do we do that? We see Jesus. Scripture says that when we see Him, we will be like Him (see 1 John 3:2). Just like the passing car, the thoughts we entertain, and the people we spend time with—if we look at Jesus and keep Him before us, we will go to Him. We will become like Him. The measure in which we're able to see Him continually in all our circumstances is the same measure we will experience Him and His life through us.

Look for Him in Every Situation

In my own life, there was a particular time when I was going through great difficulty. In the midst of that season, the Lord asked me the question: "Are you willing to give up your reputation?"

I said to myself, Oh my goodness! He is the One who didn't care what people thought about Him. He didn't defend Himself when people said all kinds of evil about Him. He's asking me if I'm willing to identify with Him and have His nature in me.

"Lord, I didn't see this before," I said to Him. "I'm happy to do it." I was able to find such peace and release from my personal anguish.

Look for Him in your own situations that you are facing right now. Listen to the things He speaks to your heart. Look at His life on earth and consider what it was like for Him. Look for Him in His Word. If we see Him in every part of our lives, we will become like Him.

We will have His attitude toward the Father that says, "I do nothing of Myself" (John 8:28) and "I say whatever the Father tells me to say" (John 12:50, NLT). We will walk in the humility that yields our rights for others and is respectful toward those He created. We'll have His mind to suffer and not be fearful of it. We will manifest His passion to seek and save the lost.

This is the kind of life Christ wants for us. It is a journey. Each day, as we see Him, we will become more like Him.

Will you seek Him today? He promises that you will find Him.

Dr. K.P. Yohannan
Founder & President of Gospel for Asia

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Closer to GOD

Move Closer Every Day

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. – John 15:5

Abiding in Jesus isn't something that comes automatically to any believer. It's a lifestyle that involves discipline and effort. We have to choose to give ourselves to our union with Him, to give Him first place where our attention is concerned. If we want to grow spiritually, if we want to walk in power and in fellowship with the Lord, we'll have to spend the time it takes to know Him. That's not something we can do for a while and then forget about either. We must continue in it every day. For the moment we stop moving closer to Jesus, we always start drifting away. You see, here in this natural world you're surrounded by ungodliness. You live in a body that is totally natural. Unless you purposely counter that with daily prayer and time in the Word, your body and your mind will simply give in to the pressures around you and go the way of the world. Right now, make a decision to give yourself to the things of God. Focus your attention on the Lord. Surround yourself with His Word. Listen to preaching and teaching tapes while you're getting dressed, driving to work, preparing dinner, working on your car, exercising, cleaning house and when you go to bed. Listen to the Word of God anytime, anywhere! Abide in Him today.

The Christian’s Secret

Understanding the Spirit-filled life.

By Steven L. Pogue

Does living the Christian life seem impossible? Let me tell you a secret–it is impossible–on our own. Trying to live the Christian life by your own efforts is like a ship on dry land…just doesn’t work very well. For the ship to get anywhere, it needs to be resting on the water. And to enjoy the Christian life, one needs to learn on how rest in God. Paul knows this: “For I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me strength and power” (Philippians 4:13).

The Christian’s secret to a consistent life is for Christ to live His life through us: “I have been crucified with Christ: and I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

It was during Christ’s final evening with His disciples that He told them He would be leaving them, but they would not be left alone: “But the fact of the matter is that it is best for you that I go away, for if I don’t, the Comforter won’t come. If I do, he will – for I will send him to you” (John 16:7).

You have been given someone to enable you to live the Christian life bravely – the Holy Spirit. He isn’t just a guide at the information booth along the heavenly trail: He is the Spirit of Christ – come to live in you.

Who is the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is God, as are the Son and the Father. Much of the confusion surrounding the Holy Spirit occurs when people fail to view Him as a person. He has a personality. He is a divine person with a will and emotions.

The Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes that the Son and the Father have. He is omnipotent (all powerful), omniscient (all knowing), immutable (unchanging) and eternal. He is the third person of the trinity.

What is the purpose of the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit is a major part of your Christian life. Let’s look at some of His roles and see why He is so important.

The Holy Spirit convicted you of your sin and your need for Christ (John 16:8-11). The Bible explains that without the Holy Spirit’s help, people think Christianity is foolish (1 Corinthians 1:18). Those around you may think it’s crazy you’ve made such a commitment to Christ! You don’t see it that way at all because the Holy Spirit has revealed the wonder of a life in Christ to you.

The Holy Spirit gave you new life. Flesh gives birth only to flesh, Jesus said. It takes the Holy Spirit to give a spiritual birth (John 3:6). And it is through that Spirit that God’s love was poured into your heart (Romans 5:5). The Holy Spirit also provides an inner witness (an assurance) that you are a Christian (Romans 8:16).

The Holy Spirit is a teacher and enabler. He leads you to the truth of God’s Word. He illuminates the Bible so you are able to understand and apply its truth (John 16:13,14). He gives power and spiritual effectiveness in your witnessing (Acts 1:8). He intercedes for you before the Father when you feel like you don’t know what or how to pray (Romans 8:26,27).

The Holy Spirit was sent by Christ to enable you to live the Christian life! As Paul wrote, “…the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you” (Romans 8:11). The Christian life is possible only with the power of the Holy Spirit.

You may be thinking, I need the Holy Spirit in my life! If you are a Christian, He is already there: “You are controlled by your new nature if you have the Spirit of God living in you (Romans 8:9). The Holy Spirit resides in you, but you may not be yielding your life to His direction. He may be a resident – without being president.

Paul distinguished between two types of Christians: the spiritual Christian and the carnal Christian.

1. The Spiritual Christian “The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment…” (1 Corinthians 2:15).

The spiritual person has accepted Christ and lives a Christ-centered life. He is not sinless and he faces problems and temptations every day, just like everyone else. But as a way of life, he trusts Christ with each detail and problem that comes along. His greatest desire is to please Christ, and he doesn’t rely on the approval of others.

2. The Carnal Christian “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly – mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men? (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).

Carnal means “fleshly.” The carnal Christian is a Christian (he has committed his life to Jesus Christ at some point), but his life is oriented around himself and his needs. He may show some evidence of being a Christian, but the work of the Holy Spirit is suppressed either through conscious disobedience or ignorance of the Spirit’s ministry.

What distinguishes the carnal Christian from the spiritual Christian? It isn’t that the carnal Christian lacks part of Christ or the Holy Spirit – he possesses the same spiritual resources as the spiritual Christian. But the spiritual man relies on Christ’s power to live his Christian life while the carnal man relies on his own power. Trying to live the Christian life on your own efforts is as futile as trying to get around town by pushing your car.

Being Led by the Spirit

The Bible talks about being “led” by the Spirit. That implies we obey what He says: He leads, we follow. Simple enough. But usually we don’t like anyone telling us what to do – even if it’s God! Yet the filling of the Holy Spirit means allowing the Spirit of God and the Word of God tell us what to do.

We have the choice each day: Will we let the Holy Spirit lead us, or will we be controlled by something else? Will fear about the future, or our desire to get what we want, become more important than obeying Christ? When the Holy Spirit fills you, He controls your thoughts and your actions. You can’t be filled with hatred, fear or worry while you are filled with the Spirit. There isn’t room.

“Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to. Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit, and controlled by Him.” (Ephesians 5:17). Unlike alcohol, the changes the Holy Spirit produces aren’t artificial. They don’t wear off with time. The Bible calls these lasting changes the fruit that is produced from a Christ-centered life: “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control; and here there is no conflict with Jewish laws” (Galatians 5:22.23).

How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

The control of the Holy Spirit is our choice. It’s voluntary, but it’s not by osmosis. People don’t become drunk by handling unopened cases of beer or working in a liquor store. It’s after drinking the liquor that things suddenly get fuzzy. As a Christian you can be surrounded by Bibles and Christians without being filled with the Holy Spirit. Or you can be alone, but Spirit-filled.

You can express your desire to follow the Holy Spirit’s control through prayer. Here is a prayer that has often been helpful to me:

“Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have been directing my own life and that, as a result, I have sinned against You. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I now thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit.”¹

If you prayed that prayer, desiring the Spirit’s control, then the Holy Spirit fills you now—even if you don’t feel like it. Remember when you committed your life to Christ? You may have had a very emotional experience, or you may have been like me—I felt nothing unusual after accepting Christ. Christ came in not because of a feeling, but because God’s Word is true. It’s the same with the filling of the Spirit.

Some people equate the filling of the Holy Spirit with a mystical religious experience. It’s not mystical. It is a decision of faith: a response to what God says in His Word. Being filled with the Holy Spirit isn’t dependent upon the feelings you receive, but upon the Bible you believe.

Three Questions

The ministry of the Holy Spirit is so vital to our Christian life! There may be several questions that remain unanswered in your mind.

1. Why aren’t more Christians filled with the Spirit?

That was really Mike’s question that day we lunched together. What is the reason more Christians aren’t filled with the Holy Spirit?

In a word, sin. We choose to disobey god. This can take the form of pride: wanting things our way. We don’t give God control of our finances; we’ve worked hard for our money and it’s ours now. We don’t give God control of our relationships; why forgive that person when it’s really their fault? We don’t give God control of our personal morality; that’s nobody’s business but our own—not even God’s. That’s pride talking. Scripture says, “He [God] mocks proud mockers but gives grace to the humble” (Proverbs 3:34).

Sin can take another form: fear. Proverbs states, “Fear of man will prove to be a snare…” (Proverbs 29:25). Is there something that God wants you to do, but you haven’t done it because you’re afraid of what people will think? I know it’s easy for me to think: I can’t do that. I would look foolish if I did that. God can’t possibly want me to do that. But often He does!

The last half of that verse in Proverbs teaches: “but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.” It’s easy to put the approval of people above the approval of God, but isn’t pleasing God what we really want? Our lives will be different than other people. But it’s worth it.

2. Can I be filled with the Spirit and still struggle with sin?

I guess that depends on what you mean by “struggling with sin”! If you are consistently giving in to sin, then the Holy Spirit can’t be controlling or filling your life. But if you are asking, “Will I still commit sin after learning about the filling of the Holy Spirit?”—the answer is an emphatic yes.

You may find yourself committing sin and confessing it several times throughout the day. That’s not spiritual weakness; it is evidence that you’re living and breathing spiritually! Becoming aware of sin and dealing with it has been described as “spiritual breathing.”

Spiritual breathing involves “exhaling”—admitting your sin to the Lord as it occurs. You recognize that you have sinned and usurped the Lord’s place as head of your life. By “exhaling,” you are removing the impure, and you are claiming the forgiveness that is yours through Christ’s death on the cross.

Spiritual breathing also includes “inhaling”—asking God to again fill you with His Holy Spirit, to again be the head of your life. Remember that He doesn’t leave you when you sin. But you have ignored His leading, and now you are once again following His direction. You are learning to trust Him, which takes time. Don’t become discouraged when you fall into sin: Learn to get back up.

The youngest of our three children learned how to walk this past year. It took a while. She didn’t wake up on her first birthday, vault over the rails of her crib and jog to toddler aerobics class. Her first steps were tentative and wobbly. She fell into mud puddles, coffee tables and laundry baskets. But she never gave up. Eventually her steps turned into stronger, confident ones. She still falls down at times (and so do her parents!), but she gets back up.

We never become immune to sin; sinlessness is reserved for heaven. As we grow to know God better, we will grow in seeing life from His perspective, and in some areas sin less. We will also learn to battle temptation. But even then there will be occasions when we sin and need to breathe spiritually, whether we’re in the first year of our Christian life or in our seventieth.

3. What if my life hasn’t changed much yet?

Has it occurred to you that your level of spiritual growth may be exactly where God wants it? We’ve looked at two types of Christians, the carnal and the spiritual. But there is a third category of Christian: the new Christian. Remember what Paul told those Corinthians? “Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ.”

Several years earlier, Paul had led many of those Corinthian believers to Christ. At that time he didn’t expect them to be mature, spiritual believers. But instead of following a normal growth pattern of spiritual maturity for a Christian, the believers at Corinth became carnal. If you’ve only been a believer for a few months, you’re still a “baby” Christian—not carnal, just young.

Each September when we lived in the Midwest our family would head for Stover’s Orchards in Three Rivers, Michigan. We knew we would be greeted by nearly labeled rows of apple trees. We filled bushel baskets with Mackintoshes, Winesaps and Romes.

Near the back of the orchard were rows of trees that were not laden with apples. In fact, they had no fruit at all. But they weren’t dead; they were just young. Some had not yet reached five feet in height. While the older trees had matured and were bent over with apples, these young trees were just busy growing.

If you are obeying Christ today and trusting His power to change you, then you are exactly where God wants you to be. Don’t agonize over the “fruit” you feel you lack. I never saw one of those young trees ever comparing itself with the older ones. Growth is a process, and each part of the process is vital.

I find that as I obey Christ and don’t worry about comparing myself to other Christians, I enjoy being a Christian.

¹A prayer taken from Bill Bright, “Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?” (San Bernardino, CA: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1966), p. 12.

Liberty

God's Will Is Liberty

Liberty. If you could put the will of God into one word, that would be the word. God wants people to be free. Free from sin, sickness, poverty, oppression and every other curse.

That freedom is what Jesus came to provide. He said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor...to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18). That's what He trained His disciples to do. And if you're a born-again believer, that's what He wants you to do too!

Some people say, "Well, I don't know about that. That may not be God's will for today."

But listen, the Bible says God never changes. He hasn't changed His will for the earth. He doesn't do one thing awhile and then go do another thing awhile. Jesus' life was a perfect picture of God's will 2,000 years ago-- and it still is! That's why He left instructions for us to go and do the works that He did. That's why He sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to do them.

Jesus still wants to do the will of the Father here on earth--but He does it through us. He has to work with us until we're willing to lay down our traditions and let Him do His thing. That's what the early Church did. They started out with a bang because they did as Jesus taught them. Everywhere they went people became free.

Let's pray for the Church of today to deliver the liberty of God to the world. Let's quit questioning the will of God and start carrying it out instead. He said the works that He did we would do also and even greater works (John 14:12). It's time for us to take up where Jesus left off and set the captives free!

Gloria Copeland

YOU HAVE A DOUBLE-PORTION INHERITANCE

YOU HAVE A DOUBLE-PORTION INHERITANCE

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23 Sep     Isaiah 61:6–7, NIV And you will be called priests of the Lord...You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame My people will receive a double portion…they will inherit a double portion in their land... You are called “priests of the Lord” because Jesus has cleansed you with His blood and made you kings and priests to God. (Revelation 1:5–6) And as priests of the Lord, God says to you, “You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.” And you will “inherit a double portion in their land”. This promise came true for a church member who received his double portion while working for one of the top American companies in Singapore. Within a short time, he received two pay increments. And within just two years, he received an unexpected promotion to a senior position in the company. It was unexpected because the norm to qualify for such a promotion in the company was four years. He was also named the recipient of a privileged stock award worth a five-figure sum, the net value of which was likely to double, judging by the then prevailing bullish stock market. He acknowledged that it was certainly God’s favor because past awardees were a very small number of top management personnel who had made significant contributions to the company. And only an even smaller per cent of their worldwide employees had ever received this prestigious award. He was only the second recipient, besides his boss, in the Singapore office to receive it. This church member literally inherited a double portion because he put his trust in the Lord and in His Word. Beloved, believe God when He says that His people will receive a double portion. This double portion includes blessings of favor, fruitfulness, success and health. In fact, the people around you will look at you and your descendants, and acknowledge that you are a people that the Lord has blessed!

God is in You

Rekindle the Fire

Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. – James 4:8

Remember when you first got into the Word and were so excited about the things of God? Remember when you could hardly wait to read the next chapter in the Bible or listen to the latest teaching tape? There was only one word to describe you-- HOT! Your reborn spirit was on fire for God. When Ken and I first heard the message of faith, we were like that. We were so on fire that nothing else in the world interested us. We had learned that we could trust God's Word just like we could trust the word of a close friend, and we were hungry to find out everything He had promised us in His Word. Back then, it seemed all I did was read God's Word. I read faith books. I listened to tapes. I was dedicated. My total interest was the Word of God. But slowly that changed. At first I didn't even realize it was happening. Then the Holy Spirit went to work on me and showed me that I had grown lukewarm. I had let the fire die down. I still read the Word, but I had lost my enthusiasm. Maybe you've had this same experience. If so, I want to tell you how to get the fire back. It worked for me and it will work for you. God's Word says to draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. In order to do that you will have to first drop the things that are stealing your time from reading the Word. Delight yourself in His Word. Become diligent again. If you will give your attention to the things of God, soon your desire for God will increase. Your desire will follow your attention. The more you attend to something, the more your desire is drawn to give attention to that thing. I can show you that this is a natural principle. If you play golf, you'll go for months at a time without even thinking about it. Then one day you'll make time in your schedule to go to the course and play a round or two. The next day you may want to play again. Your desire gets stronger and stronger the more you play. This same thing will happen in the spirit realm. Your soul's desire will follow whatever you spend your time doing. Start building yourself up by praying in the Spirit. Believe and act on everything God says to you. Before long that flicker that's been wavering in your spirit will grow again into an all-consuming FIRE!

Holy Spirit - gift from God

One of the first things the Holy Spirit does is he takes the love of God and makes it personal. It no longer is “He loves the world, but does he love me?“. You will begin to realize how precious you are as a person to God. You will know first hand the amount of care, compassion and planning that God has put into your life and how he continues to monitor each and every tiny detail about you. The Holy Spirit makes you feel special, the more you get to know Him, the more you need Him.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
— John 14:26
The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to reveal Jesus to you, he gives you power and boldness to spread the Gospel. You are no longer ashamed to share God with others. There are a lot of other ways in which He makes your life better. Given below is a list, which can be verified with scripture, but is not complete. There are other unique ways that he helps you which are left out for you to discover.

He b­rings God’s presence to you, your relationship with God gets really deep and soon becomes the best part about your life.
He ­teaches you God’s Word (The Bible), you begin to understand things like never before, you also begin to hunger for more.
Your ­prayer life is transformed, you pray much better and when using the gift of tongues you prayers are guaranteed to be effective. The quality of your prayers will amaze anyone listening, even yourself at times.
You receive peace, you are not disturbed easily, the things of this world no longer affect you as they used to. You become a much more stable person, emotions like anger or depression don’t affect you like they used to.
He can reveal the future to you, if you are mature and know how to handle what he tells you, He will show you things before they happen.
The Holy Spirit restores and renews you, he picks you up when you sin. He refreshes you when you are tired and weary.
Gives you wisdom and understanding which is not humanly possible. He allows you to see through people and into their real motives and also look past situations and see the big picture.
He increases your faith. You will begin to expect and see a lot more miracles in your life. You can notice levels of faith that was never possible before he came into your life.
He improves the quality of your life, the starting point does not matter, he increases your intelligence, your physical strength and energy levels. This is an overflow of the life from your spirit flowing through your soul into your physical body.
He b­rings you to your inheritance, he helps you mature as a Christian and over time you begin to realise just how much God has done for you. As you experience it, your love for Him increases and your praises, thanksgiving and worship become a lot deeper.
He brings about excellence in your life, when the Holy Spirit is in control of your life there is no room for mediocrity, he takes great pleasure in bringing excellence in your life in whatever you do. Over time your life will become so fantastic, that just by looking at you many people will be drawn to God. He makes you a Champion in life !!
Some of these benefits become immediately apparent, a few of them begin to manifest over a few short months, but the best of them need time to develop, sometimes years. The key here is don’t ever give up, treasure and cherish your walk with God and honour and respect the work of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also helps you when you decide on tough situations in your life. He can help answer questions like

Who has God chosen to be your life partner/spouse in this life. You can choose your own but it will never match up to what God has in store for you.
When to stick on to your current job and when to move on to the next job or task God has in store for you. God’s timing and wisdom is perfect.
How to solve problems relating to people or situations or tasks/projects that you may face from time to time in your business or career or study.
How to handle issues in your marriage and in your other relationships. What is impossible for you is possible with God.
How to respond to crisis in life like if you lost your job or if your business is doing badly. Sometimes the problem itself may not vanish, but you begin to grow and the problem begins to look small and you get the strength to deal with it.
When to share Jesus (The Gospel) with someone and when not to. This is very important, it is possible that you may scare people off or push them farther away if you don’t know how and when to bring Jesus up. The Holy Spirit lovingly guides you.
Keep thanking him for what he is already doing, don’t get greedy, and don’t grieve him. You are sure to be amazed at what he can do with your life.

Real Life Inspiration

There were a couple of young business men who designed a great product. They successfully prototyped it and reached the second stage where they were looking to start mass producing this product. That’s when they met a man online who claimed to be an intermediary or an authorized agent of this huge manufacturing firm in China. The young entrepreneurs were excited, their idea was finally coming to life.

They initially wired some money to the intermediary and they got the first cut of the samples and they were happy with the results. They had a few more rounds of revisions till they were happy with the quality and finish of the final product. They were ready to take the plunge and bulk produce their invention. That’s when they received a check in their spirit, they had this strong urge to actually visit China. Everything seemed normal on the outside but deep down they had a feeling that something was amiss.

The Holy Spirit prompted them to make the trip, so the two partners flew to the address given to them in China. Once they reached they asked around about the person and the firm, to their shock and horror they realized that the whole thing was a scam. Everything was fake including the company, its address and the other details the intermediary shared with them. The person himself disappeared once he realized they were in China.

They were saved from certain ruin, they were planning to deposit a huge sum of money to the account of the agent. It would have had disastrous consequences for them both personally on their families and for the young company they were building. Luckily they built this firm with their sweat, blood and prayers. They had the guidance of the Holy Spirit with them throughout and that made all the difference.

Life Application
Pray and ask for guidance before taking important decisions in life
The Holy Spirit can give you knowledge and wisdom when you are solving difficult problems
Learn to depend on Him,  He can give you peace and comfort in even in tough situations and warn you of upcoming dangers
He can help you pray perfectly, when you don’t know what to pray for or have the strength to pray
He can help you understand the Will of God for your life
Watch closely when he prompts you during times when you sin, he can help you overcome your weaknesses over time
You have God’s help in almost everything, you will be surprised by how much He is willing to help you

A Little Every Day

A Little Every Day

Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. – Luke 13:18-19

If you're going to grow in the kingdom of God, you're going to do it just like a seed that's been planted in the ground. How does a seed grow? All at once? No, it grows constantly-- 24 hours a day--a little all the time until it accomplishes what it was created to do. Many of us don't operate that way spiritually. We study and pray very hard for a few days and then quit. Then, when some disaster comes, we make a mad attempt to pray and stand on the Word, all the while realizing that, for some reason, we're just not as strong as we ought to be. There's no such thing as an overnight success in the kingdom of God! Real strength, real growth comes as you consistently and constantly keep the Word before your eyes, in your ears, and in the midst of your heart. Not just when you want to or when you feel like it, but constantly, like the seed, a little all the time. A man came up to me once and said, "Man, your ministry just took off overnight, didn't it?" "If it did," I answered, "it was certainly the longest night I ever spent in my life!" From his perspective my success did seem to spring up quickly. That's because he didn't see me during all those hours and weeks and months and years I spent in the Word of God. He didn't see the daily process that lay behind that success. He just saw the results. Make up your mind to begin that daily process of constant growth today. Determine to start putting the Word in your heart consistently. Every day a line here, a line there--a tape here, a tape there. Begin to act as though that Word is true every hour of the day regardless of what comes or how you feel. Keep adding to your faith, meditating on it, confessing it, seven days a week. Eventually, your faith will be bigger than you ever dreamed it could be.

BELIEVE THAT GOD IS YOUR REWARDER

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21 Sep     Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Most people quote only the first part of Hebrews 11:6—“without faith it is impossible to please Him”. Yet, it goes on to say, “for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. In other words, the faith that pleases God is the kind of faith that believes that God exists and that He is arewarder. The Bible also says that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. (Hebrews 11:1) So even in times of difficulty, when we don’t see good things happening in our circumstances, we are to believe that God will turn things around and reward us. God turned things around for Ruth, the Moabite widow, when she believed the Lord and made Him her God. (Ruth 1:16) The Bible tells us that she was given a “full reward” by the Lord when she came under His wings for refuge. (Ruth 2:12) Not only did He give her protection, He also gave her abundant provision, exceeding favor and a glorious redemption. (Ruth 2:9–17, 3:11, 4:10–13) When Rahab, the harlot of Jericho, heard reports of how the Lord had opened up the Red Sea for the children of Israel, she believed that “He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath”. (Joshua 2:9–11) Though Rahab had not personally witnessed the miracles, she believed God and hid the Jewish spies from their pursuers. (Joshua 2:4–6) Because of her faith, she not only did not perish with those who did not believe (Joshua 6:25, Hebrews 11:31), but she was also given a place in the “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11. God was so pleased with the faith of these two Gentile women that He not only blessed them in their lifetimes, but He also put them into the genealogy of His Son Jesus Christ, the great Redeemer and rewarder. Beloved, when you come to the Lord with your needs, believe that He is God, and that He is a rewarder. God has pleasure in this kind of faith. He wants to be the rewarder of your faith in Him!

Proverbs 3

The Rewards of Wisdom
1My son, do not forget my teaching,
            But let your heart keep my commandments;

      2For length of days and years of life
            And peace they will add to you.

      3Do not let kindness and truth leave you;
            Bind them around your neck,
            Write them on the tablet of your heart.

      4So you will find favor and good repute
            In the sight of God and man.

      5Trust in the LORD with all your heart
            And do not lean on your own understanding.

      6In all your ways acknowledge Him,
            And He will make your paths straight.

      7Do not be wise in your own eyes;
            Fear the LORD and turn away from evil.

      8It will be healing to your body
            And refreshment to your bones.

      9Honor the LORD from your wealth
            And from the first of all your produce;

      10So your barns will be filled with plenty
            And your vats will overflow with new wine.

      11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD
            Or loathe His reproof,

      12For whom the LORD loves He reproves,
            Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

      13How blessed is the man who finds wisdom
            And the man who gains understanding.

      14For her profit is better than the profit of silver
            And her gain better than fine gold.

      15She is more precious than jewels;
            And nothing you desire compares with her.

      16Long life is in her right hand;
            In her left hand are riches and honor.

      17Her ways are pleasant ways
            And all her paths are peace.

      18She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
            And happy are all who hold her fast.

      19The LORD by wisdom founded the earth,
            By understanding He established the heavens.

      20By His knowledge the deeps were broken up
            And the skies drip with dew.

      21My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
            Keep sound wisdom and discretion,

      22So they will be life to your soul
            And adornment to your neck.

      23Then you will walk in your way securely
            And your foot will not stumble.

      24When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
            When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.

      25Do not be afraid of sudden fear
            Nor of the onslaught of the wicked when it comes;

      26For the LORD will be your confidence
            And will keep your foot from being caught.

      27Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
            When it is in your power to do it.

      28Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back,
            And tomorrow I will give it,”
            When you have it with you.

      29Do not devise harm against your neighbor,
            While he lives securely beside you.

      30Do not contend with a man without cause,
            If he has done you no harm.

      31Do not envy a man of violence
            And do not choose any of his ways.

      32For the devious are an abomination to the LORD;
            But He is intimate with the upright.

      33The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked,
            But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous.

      34Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
            Yet He gives grace to the afflicted.

      35The wise will inherit honor,
            But fools display dishonor.