Walk by Faith

Enough is Enough

2011-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

I will never settle for the average. I will never surrender to the flow. I will never give in to the way of the world. I do not care what people say. I do not care if the entire world, including so called believers, think I'm weird.

You know what? I'm gonna say it loud and clear. I'm not like you. I do not like what you like. I do not do what you do. I do not enjoy the things you do. I am tired of smiling to the world for courtesy. I had enough. I'm fed up. My cheek muscles hurt too much. I am tired of the world and worldly Christianity. I'm tired of you devil. I'm tired of your tricks. You're wasting my time. You're wasting my energy.

Listen up, because I'm not repeating this again! I will NEVER surrender. I will NEVER retreat! I will get back on my feet and chase you around till I die. I'm going out with my hands full, with my fists bruised, with your face deformed.

Listen up world! Do not bother me no more with mediocrity. Do not bother me anymore with petty human amusements. I DON'T CARE!!!

I am NOT interrested in money. I am NOT interrested in power. I am NOT interrested in women. I am NOT interrested in sports. I am NOT interrested in TV, the movies, food, picnics, restaurants, social gatherings, human accomplishments and the like.

I WANT YOU LORD! I WANT TO SEE YOU! I WANT TO BE IN YOU... I miss You.

Peacemakers

2011-07-29T03:46:00.000-07:00

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” (Mt 5:9)

Our God is the number one peacemaker. It was He who took the responsibility to send his one and only Son to die on the cross for our sins and reconcile us to the Father. Furthermore, He gave us this ministry of reconciliation through the Great Commission as an inheritance (2 Cor 5:18, Mk 16:15) so that we may walk in it and reap its fruits for the glory of the Father (Eph 2:10).

When we talk about reconciliation and what it implies, we often miss out on a lot of important details. I am mainly referring to our behavior and relationships. Despite being born again and receiving the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of love, we often still act under the bondage of fear, egocentrically and defensively. The Apostle Paul writes: “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.” (Rom 8:15)

I am sure there are many factors involved and we each have a unique history to deal with, but I also believe that our God made all things new by the working of His Spirit inside us and by His resurrection power He gave us a new and eternal life (2 Cor 5:17).

I would like to share with you some of my experience with the goodness of God and the Father’s heart.

I have been serving in the Youth Ministry for almost two years. During this time, I have been going through some rough times in my personal walk with God. I’ve had my ups and downs while dealing with issues of lack of trust, pride and rebellion. From a worldly or legalistic perspective, God shouldn’t have allowed me to serve at all, especially with teenagers, because their age is a very critical one. Wrong counseling or guidance at their age would cause a lot of damage. But by His amazing grace and sovereignty, God picked me for this ministry. I didn’t know then what I know now. Let me tell you what I learned during these two years.

I learned that God is bigger than us and that He doesn’t look at situations, the way we do. I learned that obedience is the hardest thing to accomplish without the love of God and I learned that God is yearning to see His children walk in obedience in the Spirit and bearing much fruit in their lives.

All youth leaders know the feeling when they go to serve unprepared and suddenly God shows up and turns things around just when you thought that you were headed for a complete disaster. And other times you go on preparing everything beforehand and you end up with no anointing and no breakthrough because you left God out. At the end of the day, you learn that God is in control and we need to rely on him, seek him, obey him and not mess with what He has in store for His children. He loves His people in a way that we can barely comprehend. His ways are higher than ours.

When working with people and especially teenagers, one thing you have to deal with constantly is fights. One of the reasons why God needs pastors is that His sheep don’t get along all the time. I’ve seen people try to lead His sheep with the biblical, social and psychological knowledge they have. I’ve seen others doing it with the zeal and determination they have, and a lot of others who don’t even care.

I believe one of the most essential things one has to know deeply through his/her relationship with God and walk with Christ is that he/ she is a child of God. Being a child of God means a lot of things. It means that we are not orphans, we are secure, we have authority, and we are conquerors and winners. It also means that our Father expects us to spend time with Him, hear from Him and obey Him. Being a son/daughter is about respect and love… out of which is born peace.

Out of the peace we now have with God, a desire to bring all mankind into peace with God and with each other is born. In youth ministry, I learned more about the Father’s heart than during the previous five years of my walk with God. The society we live in and modern culture in general is so egocentric that no one really cares about others. Sadly, it is the same in most churches. I have a character that tends to be self-satisfied. I’m not a social person. Through my pastor, God always challenges me to “go out there” and experience relationships. It’s my calling to bring people into reconciliation. I know this now. Something I never knew two years ago.

Youth ministry is about relationships and it is about being a father. Every time I pray that God shows me what His will is, He guides me to someone hurt, broken, frustrated or upset.

In very strange ways God reveals His heart to those with broken hearts. I have asked myself why God chose me. I dismissed all the possible answers I came up with, because they had to do with my abilities and I know God is not a respecter of persons but gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34). I believe that the real reason why God chose me is that I know that He is good.

He never rejected me when I rebelled. He never exposed my shame when I was seeing myself as the best and all the rest as lost. He never left me alone in difficult times even when I had misused His grace.

I KNOW He is good and I KNOW His mercy never ends. I love Him for that. God uses me to be an instrument of His goodness and love. I am grateful for that.

My pastor was the first person who taught me and showed me how reconciliation really works. It was when me and my wife were still engaged and not married yet and had a really bad fight. We had reached a point where we couldn’t even bare looking at each other. We couldn’t stand each other anymore. He asked each of us to make a list of all the things we’ve done to hurt the other and say “I’m sorry” for each point on our individual lists without mentioning anything that we thought the next person mistreated the other in. I never knew that saying “I’m sorry” had such a great power when used without ‘but’-s following it. Our relationship changed drastically. We started loving and caring for each other in a much more intimate way. I started seeing her as the Father does and I started receiving the Father’s love for me through her.

I learned from Jesus the way of the Cross, how to humble myself and deny my rights so that the power of His love may manifest in me (Phil 2:1-11). It is by His grace that we are saved and have the enabling power to obey the Commandment to love our God and love our neighbor just as He loved us; when we were sinners Christ died for us (Rom 5:8).

This is the Good News of the Gospel made practical. This is something I want others to experience. This is love in action, not just emotional love but powerful life-changing love.

While teenagers hurt each others’ feelings, get upset, hold grudges and feel all empty inside, I want to tell them about the love of Christ inside them. I want to tell them about the power of the Holy Spirit living inside them. I want to give them the Good News in a tangible manner. The Gospel is real. Few of us dare to live it.

Jesus was the ideal peacemaker. From the time he began His earthly ministry, all the way to the Cross, He never used earthly wisdom, but did only what He saw the Father doing. He brought peace to men. He gave sight to the blind, forgave sins, raised the dead, casted out demons and gave back to Caesar what is his while leading men to God. He transcended cultural, religious and social boundaries. He denied His rights all the way to death to purchase a peace with God for all humanity with his own blood.

Obedience comes with a price, but with a reward as well! Being a son has its roots in the love for the Father and it reaches the masses with the heart of God. This is the foundation of the Great Commission.

I pray that every son and daughter of God stick to their identity and calling as peacemakers. I declare the love of God on each one reading this article. May you be touched by the life-transforming power of the Spirit of God and walk as children of God, doing what you see the Father doing: Reconciliation!

Peace.

Thirsty for Revival

2011-06-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday is Pentecost and I’m thirsty for revival. I’m thirsty to see lives change, men and women discovering the power of God within. It’s time for commitment and complete surrender.

We lay our lives down as our Master did. We trade in our human weakness for a double portion of the fresh anointing. We need holy fire. We need You, Lord! Come and change us. Wash away our hurt, our despair, our discontent, our rebellion, our pride, hurts and tears. We are in need of your joy and strength. We are here to trade in our ashes for beauty.

We repent of our selfish ways, our corrupt ways. We have our eyes fixed on You now. Father of grace and mercy, pour down your Spirit like never before. We want to see your glory!

Shake our world with your holy presence. Shake the dust off. Shake the wickedness off. Let your light shine in those who cry out your name.

“Give to the LORD the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come before Him.

Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

The world also is firmly established,

It shall not be moved.

Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;

And let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”

Let the sea roar, and all its fullness;

Let the field rejoice, and all that is in it.

Then the trees of the woods shall rejoice before the LORD,

For He is coming to judge the earth.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.”

– King David (1 Ch 16:29-34)

His Kingdom, His Way

2011-04-08T03:05:00.000-07:00

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mk 16:15).

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations..." (Mt 28:19).

These words of Jesus have been resounding for more than 2,000 years in the hearts of believers worldwide from generation to generation. Every single believer has received this call from God and has the burden in his/her heart to reach the lost with the good news of salvation through the cross of Jesus Christ.

When God gives such a great call, He also gives us a vision and a plan to accomplish it.

God has been inspiring ministers and churches with his Word throughout centuries.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Is 55:11)

It is an amazing thing to see such diversity in methods and strategies being used by God throughout the world. He makes the impossible happen through his Word because nothing is impossible for Him (Lk 1:37).

The Bible tells us a remarkable story: How one man spread the Gospel throughout Asia, and it only took him two years to do it (Acts 19:10). After preaching to the masses and after being tossed from dungeon to dungeon, the Apostle Paul used this method of making disciples and teaching the Word without cease for two years until all of Asia heard the Good News.

It was as if God was watering the "fields" of the hearts of these disciples as the Apostle Paul was sowing seeds in them for two years.

The apostle Paul reminds the Thessalonians of the way God's Word came to them and how they received it and how the Word spread throughout the area through them because the Word of God was received not as mere words of men but as God's Word which allowed the Holy Spirit to work in a powerful way among them (1 Thess 1:5-10, 2:13).

In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus speaks about this phenomenon, by saying: "he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Mt 13:23)

I strongly believe that relying solely on the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit that accompanies it, is the best biblical way to evangelize the lost and make disciples of new believers.

Converting people or introducing them to Jesus is not what the Great Commission is all about. According to the Parable of the Sower, many receive the seed of the Word of God but only few persevere and bear fruit for the Kingdom.

Making disciples involves one-on-one relationship. Many are concerned with winning converts, while preparing hearts and minds in ministry is the only way to ensure "good ground" for the seed of the Word of God.

The apostle Paul talks about holding on to the tradition that was passed on by word or epistle, in his second letter to the Thessalonians (2 Thess 2:15). Although teachings and instructions can be passed on by many means, I believe that a personal one-on-one relationship between a leader and a disciple plays a great role in a person's spiritual formation.

Paul elaborates on this by explaining what he means by "tradition" or "doctrine" in his second epistle to Timothy.

"But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra - what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me." (2 Tim 3:10-11)

In this ever evolving world we live in, everything is headed towards the most marketable, the easiest and the fastest. When it comes to the everlasting Kingdom of God, principles are different, standards are higher and the power comes from the Word of the King. Let us utilize our culture to advance His Kingdom by His means, because "He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6).

You are His (Jeremiah 12)

2011-02-24T01:26:00.001-08:00

God loves you. He loves you to death. His crushed heart has finally found joy because you have now been rooted in His family through the blood of Jesus. You are His only interest now and He wants you to prosper.

God loves you. He intends to do great things through you in order to show the world how much He loves and cares. You are His pencil and instrument of love.You are a history maker, trend setter and a legacy founder. You are His and He is yours forever.

God loves you and He is waiting for you everyday to have a special encounter with Him. He loves you more than you can imagine and His plans for you are not of this world but His. You are called to race with horses, walk on water, shine in the darkness with the surpassing glory of the new covenant of grace. Surely He is with you and mighty to work miracles through you.

How great is this love that goes beyond words and expressions.

When persecution and temptations come to drown you and leave you with bitterness and despair, hold on to His loving kindness and shut all the doors to the world. Even when they speak well of you, do not give an ear to them. You are His and His alone.

Take us deeper Lord, deeper in your love and grace. Forgive our rebellious acts and wash our hearts with your waters of life. Make our foreheads harder than the hardest stone against the father of lies. Give us the bold hearts of lions and soaring wings of eagles. Take us deeper Lord... deep into the mission fields... where no one has gone before, where your love is still unknown, where you yearn to reach the lost souls with your fatherly love. We love you God. We are yours forever.

It's Coming!

2010-11-24T07:12:00.000-08:00

God loves you. He truly does. He has a plan and great promises for your life. You may be going through the wilderness and you do not know where you are headed. You may be going through a recovery and may feel lost or all alone.

I want you to remember the finished work of the Cross. I want you to present yourself to the enemy and just watch what God is about to do. Just watch how God is going to fulfill his promises and bless you abundantly.

Just when it all seems impossible… Just when you started doubting the promises of God… and just when you thought that it’s too late and that you messed up and ruined it… lift up your head and wait on the hand of the Lord to come upon you according to His promises.

“After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.” So Elijah went to present himself to Ahab” (1 Kings 18:1-2).

I have a promise! It’s a BIG promise. I believe you do too. You may be living in famine like it was in the days of Elijah. You may be wondering when and how the promise may be fulfilled… The Lord said: “PRESENT YOURSELF TO AHAB”!!!

Are you ready to present your new and resurrected self to your enemy king? Are you ready to present yourself to your illness, your finances, and your emotions? I know I am!!!

I am ready to trust in He who sent me. I am ready to trust in His Word! I am ready for my promise! I trust in the finished work of my God. I know the battle is His and it is already won!

God showed His favor and made it clear by sending fire from Heaven on Elijah’s sacrifice which represents our devotion to our God (1 Kings 18:38). If you are one who has his/her life offered as a living sacrifice to God (Rom 12), then get prepared for RAIN!

“Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” (1 Kings 18:41-42)

Who feels like telling the devil to go grab a bite because Jesus is coming SOON!

I have my face between my knees. I’ve been at the bottom and God knows I’ve been expecting… I am waiting for my portion, my piece of the pie and guess what? It’s almost here!

“Go and look toward the sea,” he told his servant. And he went up and looked. (1 Kings 18:43a).

It’s time for confession. How many peeked?

““There is nothing there,” he said. Seven times Elijah said, “Go back.”” (1 Kings 18:43b).

I’m not giving up! I’m 100% SURE. My blessing is on its way! It’s coming! I believe!

“The seventh time the servant reported, “A cloud as small as a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’”” (1 Kings 18:44).

That’s my GOD! That’s His goodness! That’s my blessing! Here it comes!

“Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” (1 Kings 18:45-46).

HALLELUJAH! MY GOD IS FAITHFULL! HE’S SUCH AN AWESOME GOD!

My God showers His goodness on all who diligently seek Him!

“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. (Heb 11:6)

Zechariah 10:1

“Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;

it is the LORD who sends the thunderstorms.

He gives showers of rain to all people,

and plants of the field to everyone.”

God is well pleased with you because you believed in the finished work of the Cross. All His promises are yours. God bless you!

"Then Jesus Cried Out" (John 12:44)

2010-11-23T05:51:00.000-08:00

Jesus wants to give His testimony through you. He doesn't simply wish to do so, He is "desperately" yearning to cry out from inside of you the words of the Father.

When people heard the testimony of the resurrection of Lazarus, they greeted Jesus as a king and the pharisees were pretty upset (John 12:17-18).

When people hear the testimony of the new creation resurrection in YOU, they will greet Jesus as King. There will still be pharisees though...

Now Greeks came looking for Jesus. This was an act of pure faith. I mean, they were not Jews, the promise was not theirs, the Law and the prophecies were not theirs, but they ignored all kinds of cultural and racial barriers and were begging Philip to take them to Jesus. (John 12:20-22)

Philip was confused and didn't know what to do... He went to Andrew and they went to see Jesus. We get confused often when people we do not consider of the appropriate stature approach us for the testimony of Jesus in our lives.

Jesus' words were very clear: "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." (John 12:23-26).

If we were there we would most probably respond to Jesus' words by saying something like: "huh?!? so what do we tell these Greeks???"

The disciples didn't realize that they just informed Jesus of the first order or assignment that came in for the Church. To preach the gospel to the gentile world is our inheritance. And this plea from the Greeks was a sign for Jesus. He realized that it was time for him to die, rise, ascend,, send the Holy Spirit and get the Church movin'.

"Now My soul is troubled" (John 12:27a). Who can relate to this? How many among us get all troubled when it comes to witnessing, when it comes to denying our fears and our selves and taking that step of faith which demands a death to self.

"And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour." (John 12:27b). You should remind yourself that the only reason why you are still here on earth after being saved is so you could witness to the Light of Jesus.

"Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”" (John 12:28-29). When you take that decision and step of faith, you will find yourself in the supernatural with a confirmation from the Father: "If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor." (John 12:26)

"But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him" (John 12:37). And it's sometimes the same with us. Despite signs and wonders, people still do not believe the testimony of Jesus in our lives. This is the point where we can either fall in despair or totally die to self and let the Father speak through us.

We can be believers who tell people of what Jesus had done and is doing in our lives, in our own words or present the Gospel as we have known it. But there's another level of testifying and that is when the Father speaks through you directly through the Holy Spirit. I'm talking about prophetic words exploding from the inner most parts of your soul.

"Then Jesus cried out" (John 12:44a). Jesus was just speaking up to this point, but now he started crying out. This is the spring of living waters jetting out with the power of the Spirit. And this is the nature of the testimony they bring:

"He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness...For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”" (John 12:44-46,49-50).

This is the nature of the words that will resound out of your mouth and into the souls of the lost people around you as the Father speaks to their hearts. it won't be your words, or your composition but 100% supernatural words, prophetic words that are sharper than a double edged sword and penetrate the inner most parts of the human soul.

As long as you are in the world and you have Jesus, His words, His testimony in your life, make good use of it!

"A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” (John 12:35-36)

This is the only reason why you are still living on earth. So brothers and sisters lets all renew our strength of faith and breakthrough these barriers of fear, indifference and despair. The world needs the testimony of Jesus' resurrection power that is in your life!

Lets walk by faith. Let the Father cry out His words through your anointed mouth today!

Psalm 45:1-7

My heart is overflowing with a good theme;

I recite my composition concerning the King;

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

You are fairer than the sons of men;

Grace is poured upon Your lips;

Therefore God has blessed You forever.

Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,

With Your glory and Your majesty.

And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;

And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.

Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;

The peoples fall under You.

Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;

A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

You love righteousness and hate wickedness;

Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You

With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

How does He do it?

2010-11-12T00:32:00.000-08:00

So how does He do it? How does God rule over the universe? How does the Lord of hosts control all the armies of angels and archangels and saints and prophets and apostles and teachers, pastors adn evangelists, elders and deacons, ushers and helpers? How does He do it? For sure He is God and He can do anything, but how does He choose to operate? And what does He rely on?

The answer is simple.

Our Lord is Holy! He is like no other, He is in a place reserved only for Him. No one can be even categorized in a place near Him. He is Holy because of His fatherly Love and that is the answer.

God uses His fatherly love to rule over the universe.

He redeems with His fatherly love.

He heals with His fatherly love.

He equips with His fatherly love.

He releases with His fatherly love.

He trusts in the love he poured upon you.

That's why He lets you go... and that is why He receives you back.

That's why He stays quiet when everything inside you yearns for payback.

That's why His love is unconditional. He loves you with no strings attached.

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. ” (Is 55:10-11)

God trusts in His Word, in His Love, In His Son: Jesus Christ crucified on the Cross. He has made it extra-clear. His love is more than enough. His love is the way to eternity.

"when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him... the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry." (Lk 15:20-24)

God's abundant love is the only way he uses to rule over the universe. We, His children rejoice in this love and give thanks to Him who loves us and gave His only Son to die for us.

“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever…
Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever;
And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever;

Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever.” (Ps 136:1,23-26)

The Father's love created and maintains the universe, keeps the sun, moon and stars in their orbits. (Ps 136:5-9).

It is His love that keeps your life. It is His fatherly love that surrounds you everyday.

How do we respond?

Jesus healed ten lepers but only one responded by coming back to give thanks.

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" (Lk 17:15-18)

We Christians often forget to come back and give thanks to our Father. We are too busy with showing ourselves to "the priests" and going back to our ordinary lives. Do like the Samaritan and deny the world and give God the praise, because our Father is worthy. Not because He is mighty, not because He is wise and not because He has the authority... but because He is good and His love endures forever and ever and ever...

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you." (Jer 31:3)

“… You shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” (Is 55:12-13)

May you be blessed today with all the blessings in the Father's perfect love.

Paul & the Jew in You

2010-10-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

"The Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgement seat, saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.” "(Acts 18:13)

How many know that there's a Paul and a condemning Jew in each and every one of us?

How incredible is the good news... that to them who believe it, God makes them RIGHTEOUS by a single act of faith! This is crazy to the religious minded who rely on their observance and it is crazy to the worldly who rely on their performance. But it is the POWER of God which saves the ungodly through the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! (1 Cor 1:18)

So who is the "Jew" in you?

Have you ever had one of those experiences when God would reveal something incredible and tangible. Something that you see as if it's already yours? Have you ever lived one of those exciting moments when something unbelievably great would seem so close to you that you can literally stretch out your arm and grab it? Something like joy, healing, wealth, peace, etc...

And all of a sudden you "come back to your senses"! Guess what? The "Jew" in you just hit you on your head with a sledgehammer. the Jew in you is the LAW. The Jew in you cannot bear the thought that you can worship God, receive any favour from God apart from the law. Why? because that would mean that all your righteous acts were useless and therefore you have no glory in your success and you receive no credit for anything that you do. That is too humiliating for the Jew in you.

While rebuking the Galatians for turning back to the law, Paul says: "And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision (the law), why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased." (Gal 5:11).

The Cross is the biggest offense! And sometimes the biggest inner struggles we suffer from are the ones against the cross of Jesus Christ. Don't get me wrong, I know we might be devoted Christians who love the Lord and all of that ... but when it comes to inner beliefs, decisions, and acts in life, we have a hard time resting in the finished work of the Cross. Instead, we tend to rely on our own works and earn our own righteousness and keep on failing but never admitting.

The Cross shouts one thing: "IT IS FINISHED!”

The Law shouts: "IT IS NOT YET FINISHED"

The Cross shouts "THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO ADD TO THIS"

The Law shouts "GIVE ME MORE AND MORE PERFORMANCE AND WORKS"

"Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness." (Rom 10:3)

"But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed"(Rom 3:21)

"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness" (Rom 4:5)

"Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work. What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded. Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, Eyes that they should not see And ears that they should not hear, to this very day." (Rom 11:6-8)

Paul warns us of such men: "Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh. For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh" (Phil 3:2-3).

Who is "Paul" in you?

Paul is the preacher and believer in the grace of God. It is He who keeps on believing. Check this out: Paul NEVER gave up, he kept on believing, he kept on preaching the gospel and when the Jews rejected him, he went to the gentiles. Why? Because he was compelled. That's what the revelation of the message of the amazing grace of God does to you.

"Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue. Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.” And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them." (Acts 18: 5-11).

If you stick to the good news long enough you will witness its fruits and convert the Jew in you! That is victory.

"So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath. Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God." (Acts 13:42-43)

Why were they begging? Because they saw hope and light in the gospel preached to them, something that the legalistic Jew can never value. Something about Paul's gospel just captivated them. And that is what Paul and Barnabas encouraged them to keep on doing: "to continue in the grace of God".

These men spread the gospel in the entire city and by the next Sabbath they had the whole town out to hear the gospel: “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God." (Acts 13:44)

That's what grace does; it gets people out of their comfort zones and into the eternal destiny which is in God's Word: Jesus Christ. It is that incredibly unbelievable GOOD NEWS!

"But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy; and contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the things spoken by Paul. Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles." (Acts 13:45-46).

Inside every one of us lives a Paul, the born again, child of God, who believes that his righteousness is in the Cross of Jesus and preaches boldly the gospel of grace. There's also the Jew in us who likes to boast in the fleshly things and wants to bring everything back under the law, he delights in judgement and condemnation and is self righteous.

What does Jesus have to say?

This is what the Lord tells to each and every one of us today: "“Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”" (Acts 18:9-10).

I pray that God's incredible grace compels the "Paul" in you to keep on preaching and living according to the crazy and offensive message of the Cross, despite the legalistic "Jews" in you and around you. In due time every knee will bow and every mouth will confess that Jesus Christ is LORD!

You are a Blessing! (Titus 3)

2010-09-24T11:39:00.000-07:00

You were created to be a blessing to the people in your life.

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:10)

We are called to be witnesses of Christ by our attitudes and conduct in our surrounding.

“Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.” (Ti 3:1-2)

This is not something we are to do by our own efforts. This is a fruit of righteousness that we bear when we rest in the finished work of the Cross.

We know very well the fruit that we bear by ourselves. Because we remember well the way we used to live before believing in God who revealed and expressed His good will towards us on the Cross.

“For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” (Ti 3:3-6)

It is by grace and through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit that we have become enabled and drawn to do good works and become a blessing to the people around us.

“…that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Ti 3:7)

So becoming “justified by grace” is not something we throw on the shelves and go on with our lives with petty human efforts and burn out because of fatigue and frustration, trying to obey the high standard of the Word of God.

If we do so, we have deprived ourselves of the blessing that is found in the cross and the righteousness that we inherited from it. We put ourselves back under the curse of the law from which Christ set us free.

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God” (Rom 6:20-22).

“through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” (Rom 8:2)

^“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” (Gal 5:1)

It is only this freedom in which we are totally surrendered and rooted in Christ, that we have the potential and the drive to bear fruit for the Kingdom.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4)

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.” (Ti 3:8)

If being a blessing to the people around you is not your everyday walk in Christ, then you just might have fallen back under the law. The law yields nothing that is profitable, but gives only more power to sin, which in its turn leads to death. While the righteousness that comes by faith in Jesus Christ who became sin for us, so that we might be the righteousness of God in Him (2 Cor 5:21), is the way to everlasting life.

“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.” (1 Cor 15:56)

“…the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:22-23).

To dispute and argue on religious matters and matters concerning the law is useless. God did not make us His righteousness in Christ so that we can argue and convince people. He made us His righteousness so that we can bear fruits of righteousness by our good works.

“But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.” (Ti 3:9).

The fruit we are to bear in the world is the love of God which we bring to earth and into our relationships by obeying the love that Jesus shows towards us.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” (John 15:12-13)

We are no longer under the law but under grace (Rom 6:14). We are no longer servants but friends of Jesus!

“You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:14-15)

You are not a friend of Jesus and you are not a blessing in the world because you chose to be, but because He chose you and made you the blessing that you are today!

“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. These things I command you, that you love one another. (John 15:16-17).

Jesus’ love in you is the only thing that can enable you to bear fruit for the Kingdom. You cannot love a stranger or an enemy without it.

“love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (Lk 6:35)

No one can love in such a way if he/she has not experienced the true sacrificial love of Jesus in his/her life. Furthermore, no one can keep on loving this way, if the he/she is not resting and well rooted in that same love.

Also, no one can walk in the supernatural and bear fruits of divine healing, prophecy and miracles without being rooted in that same love (1 Cor 14:1).

It is essential for the Christian to be aware of who he/she is in this world. People around us are in need. The world offers nothing for free. We can offer EVERYTHING for free, because it has been given to us freely (Mt 10:8).

“let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.” (Ti 3:14)

This is the only thing that fulfills a Christian’s thirst to please the Father in Heaven: to rest in Christ and bear much fruit by the grace, given to him freely.

“This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:8)

Look at how the Apostle Paul testifies to how the grace of God has driven Him to love others for the glory of the Father:

“It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil 1:7-11)

“Grace be with you all. Amen.” (Ti 3:15)

The Apostle is a Father

2010-09-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday 21^st of September, 2010 at 1:30 pm, while in prayer with brothers and sisters in ministry, I saw the Atlantic Ocean and it wasn’t very steady. I saw the American continent on the other side. I saw ships crossing the ocean and approaching the shore. The Lord said: “The way is clear” and He revealed to me that leaders from our church will start going on mission trips soon. The Lord was driving the ship and He said: “I am the one who leads”.

I saw the ships arriving to the shore and releasing their anchors. People were jumping off the ships in a very excited and impatient manner and they were running into the land.

I saw a vast sandy field where starving orphans were sitting on the ground, each one alone. They were dark skinned and in the 8-10 age group.

The Lord gave us the opportunity to test ourselves and see how many orphans we were willing to adopt. I saw God the Father smiling. He had adopted all of us and we were His joy.

I saw that scene again, where people were rushing out of the ships with great excitement. The Lord said: “Many have great desire, but few are willing to be fathers”.

I saw people standing in line and approaching to receive orphans in their arms and there were people handing over orphans to them. I could sense that each child had tremendous worth and value, it was as if a treasure was being handed over.

The Lord said: “The apostle is a father, before being anything else”.

I could feel the pain in the Father’s heart.

God's Love

2010-09-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

God's love goes beyond words and expressions, sentiments and affection, dreams and presents, even beyond chastening and lessons, and anything that I can imagine.

Your Cross says it all in such a beautiful way, Lord. I love you for the God that you are, for your goodness and grace.

I was thinking about the Cross and the message of God for all of humanity. It is such a great message of love. In order to understand it well and understand what was the thing that drove the Father to be willing, the Son to be obeying, and the Spirit to be accompanying throughout those 33 years and especially on that blessed day when Jesus hung on a cross like a cursed thing, we need to go back to when it all started... back to the garden of Eden.

Eden means pleasure or enjoyment. The garden of Eden was the garden of delight. God created you to live in pleasure. Just as fish cannot live out of water, man cannot live outside the pleasure of God, outside the love and abundant grace of God, outside the joy and the gift of God.

People mistakenly picture Adam and Eve as a very serious couple, doing things the right and proper way, very courteous and civilized, before the fall.

But wasn't that before civilization even existed? And weren't they naked? And weren't they just having fun all day long, having no jobs or duties or payments to make? Weren't they duty free? Care free? Healthy, Wealthy, living it "to the max" with everything in existence under their authority?

I believe they were. I believe they were so drunk and high off of God's love and pleasure that the serpent found a way to trick them, making use of their simpleness and robbed them of their simplicity in loving God in the free gift and pleasure of God.

This is what the Apostle Paul says: "I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." (2 Cor 11:3)

I believe God's will for man is something that we can only imagine and never fully grasp until the day we meet Him face to face and throw ourselves in His arms (1 Cor 13:12).

One thing the devil loves to do is steal. He wants to steal what God has granted you.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10)

God was so uncomfortable, so sad and hurt and so much in pain when Adam chose to live outside of the pleasure that He had prepared for him that He sacrificed His only Son in order to deal with sin once and for all, and restore man back to the original state. His heart bursts with joy for You when you accept His sacrifice of love and enter into His presence to eat from His tree of everlasting Life: the Cross.

God desires to get you so insanely in love with Him that you refuse to live outside of His love. God wants you to have a taste of HIS goodness. The Eden-type-of-goodness. He knows you will never look for pleasure elsewhere once you taste HIM.

"Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—for your love is more delightful than wine. Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes; your name is like perfume poured out. No wonder the maidens love you! Take me away with you—let us hurry! Let the king bring me into his chambers. We rejoice and delight in you; we will praise your love more than wine. How right they are to adore you!" (Song of Solomon 1:2-4).

Joseph knew the Father's love. He didn't need to prove himself worthy. He had that colourful royal garment on. He went on playing and bouncing around in the fields while his brothers laboured all day long and never pleased their father as much as Joseph did.

Abel knew the Father's love. He brought a sacrifice that was pleasing to Him.

Abraham knew the Father's love. He brought his one and only son to sacrifice for Him. I believe He did it with joy. He did it with singing and dancing. He believed God would resurrect him (Heb 11:17).

Jesus knew the Father's love. He bore the cross with joy (Heb 12:2).

Adam may have been deceived but we have a greater love laid before us and poured upon us. It is the love of Jesus. That love can not be ignored and cannot be put aside or compared to any other kind of love. That love shouts the Father's will for our lives. that love is confident and goes all the way to drive you out of your mind. That love draws you into His pleasure of overflowing joy and abundance.

The Father loves you. He is well please with you. He wants YOU! He wants you so madly in love and so madly saturated with His pleasure that He went all the way for you. All the way from Heaven to earth, then from earth to Hades and then from Hades back to earth and back to Heaven again! To grant you the gift of everlasting life.

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." (Zeph 3:17)

Praised be His wonderful name! He is our new song! Our Father in Heaven... so blessed is Your name and the name of Your Son Jesus with Whom we are all heirs in the Kingdom (Rom 8:17).

"Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Is 53:12)

The devil may attempt to play with your thoughts but if your heart is well rooted in the Father's love, his tricks will only cause you to fall more in love with the Father... and He will raise you high, high above all things, just as Joseph went from slave to prince, and Abraham from idol maker to a father of a nation, Jesus from servant to risen King!

My 6 months old daughter smiles at me every single time I look at her. She doesn't do that to everyone. She doesn't know I provide for her. She doesn't know I protect her. She isn't old enough yet. Something inside her makes her love her father.

The Father is well pleased with you... you long to love the Father... you need Jesus. You need God's love.

Join me in Eden. It is better than wine.

Have a Bite!

2010-08-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

The training begins... You are perfect!

You are made righteous by the blood of the Lamb that was slain. You were made perfect in an instant when you weren't even near perfection. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross granted me a new and perfect identity, and through His resurrection granted me a victorious and royal life. That and only That is the truth!

True spiritual warfare begins with this bow and arrow aimed at your weak and guilty conscience. It all begins with the first strike of faith.

Do you dare to believe in spite of your flaws? In spite of your sins? In spite of what your judgemental mind says, in spite of what people say...

Say it, "I am made righteous by the blood of the Lamb". Let your entire being be shaken. Let the whole world know! Let your legalistic mind be put to shame!

Now, the next step... Have fun with your new self. This freedom is what makes the devil tremble. He knows very well that if he steals your freedom and puts you under fear & condemnation, he can get away with anything he wants. But little did he know that the Word of God is sharper than any double edge sword and penetrates the deepest parts of your inner being and separates law from grace and cuts off all works of the flesh and throws them in the fire.

And now fly with it. Bless your enemies, bless the ones who envy you, bless the ones who plot against you, bless the greedy and bless the needy.

"I bless you in the name of Jesus, the name that is above every name the authority that is above every letter and law. I tame all evil tongues in the name of Jesus. I bind every jealous spirit, every deceiving spirit in the name of Jesus."

The world is His and His alone... all glory, power and strength, forever and ever.

A perfect stranger.

"God shall shoot at them with an arrow; Suddenly they shall be wounded. So He will make them stumble over their own tongue; All who see them shall flee away. All men shall fear, And shall declare the work of God; For they shall wisely consider His doing. The righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory."(Ps 64.7-10)

~ Guard your Heart ~

2010-06-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Guard your heart because there you have accepted Christ.

A Guard is someone who doesn't allow an intruder to enter. A guard keeps watch. A guard is always alert. A guard never leaves his location.

It is in your heart that a new life has begun. It is there that God feeds your soul.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Pr 4:23).

Guard your heart. Without it, you are dead.

Guard your heart because if you lose it, Life has left you and death rules over you instead.

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them." (Deut 4:9).

Many are careful not to hurt anyone but never careful to not get hurt themselves. Guard your heart because if you are hurt you cannot echo God's Word out into this world and beyond. You are created for Life. Guard it well with all your might. You might have to fight. You may even lose your life. Only to gain it back again. It's called to resurrect and get resurrected.

Some think whatever their heart says and whatever it longs for must be from God and must be right. Your heart will deceive you. Guard it well! Hold it down! keep it refrained! It can lead you to Hell!

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve." (Jer 17:9-10).

If only I knew then, what I know now. If only I used my zeal with the wisdom and knowledge I have now...

It's never too late for my God is great and with the little I have now, I will feed many like Jesus did, like the 5000 He fed with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread.

The Word of God is Heaven-sent. In your heart it finds its nest. Guard your heart! Give it your best!

Image Breaker, Sin Slayer

2010-06-04T02:00:00.000-07:00

"Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol—a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman's hands—and sets it up in secret." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"" (Deut 27:15).

So many idols in our world today... We fail to see and realize the need to break those images and set this generation free from idolatry.
Josiah freed his generation from idolatry.
"Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers." (2 Chr 34:33).
I believe there's a certain zeal for God that the Holy Spirit puts in one's heart that makes a person despise idolatry. God's jealousy goes wild like a burning furnace. This fiery zeal of God is what made Jesus come to earth to put an end to idolatry.

What Are Idols?

An idol is an object of worship and adoration made in the likeness of anything that exists.

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Deut 5:7-9)

Many people think that idolatry is not as widespread today as it was in the past. They judge by their cultural understanding of the word "idol", referring to a statue.

Although there still are many people who worship and adore statues, even statues of Jesus, but there are much greater images that have taken hold of societies and the youth and captured their hearts with this detestable practice. It's the love of money, music, sex, patriotism, philosophies, cultures, arts and so on... All of these are God-given rights to all people but setting them in a place of worship and adoration above the Lord of Lords in the heart of men makes them idols and images.

Why People Worship Idols?

In Numbers 25, we see how the devil approached the people of Israel with a new kind of attack, a new scheme and a new strategy... It's called seduction!

A person who is immature spiritually, although a devout believer, may be deceived when the devil uses seduction. Seduction is not only related to women and sexual seduction. Many young people today are seduced with violence, certain music genres, art, rebellion, satanic worship, ornaments, piercings, religion, fame, food, drugs, sex and anything that is of exotic, weird, new, ancient and mystic, impressive or of a forbidden nature.

The truth is idolatry is in every man. Paul says all have sinned (Rom 3:23) and then says that the law is the power of sin (1 Cor 15:56). Since marrying gentile women was forbidden, the devil made use of that law to seduce the Israelites. Next, he used their deceived consciences to worship other idols until the sons of Israel, for whom the Lord had done so many miracles to deliver them from captivity in Egypt, rebelled against their God and dared to disgrace and disrespect His presence by not only indulging in sexual immorality with Moabite women and worshiping their gods but by bringing those women and habits in front of God's presence and sinning in the camp of Israel so boldly.

Phinehas acted on the zeal of God as he set himself apart from all the rest and prophetically killed sin and the sin nature by taking a spear and killing the sinner and the Moabite woman by a single stroke of a spear. This is what Jesus did on the cross. He not only took man's sin on Himself but also the sin nature of man, piercing it in his own body on the cross to destroy the power of sin.

"Phinehas...has turned my anger away from the Israelites; for he was as zealous as I am for my honor among them, so that in my zeal I did not put an end to them. Therefore tell him I am making my covenant of peace with him. He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites." (Num 25.11-13)

Why Should You Worship Jesus?

Jesus is your image breaker. Jesus is your bondage breaker. Jesus took upon himself the punishment / consequence of your idolatry and all of your sins, and destroyed your sin nature that is driven to worship the devil and all that comes from him. He gave you a new nature that is immune to seduction.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ez 36:26)

But we all know that Christians today are seduced and many times fall into sin. That is where your mind's function comes in to fool you into believing in the old system that is dead: the law!

Paul says everything is permissible for me (1 Cor 6:12). But should I sin if that is so? "No way!" says in Romans 6:15. Jesus didn't set me free so I can go back and worship other gods! It's a matter of experience. It's whether you have had a real and delivering revelation of the Gospel or not, whether you have experienced the full power of the Gospel of Grace (Rom 1:16). Whether you have seen what Jesus did for you!

"Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol..." (Deut 27.15)

"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed... After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors." (Is 53:5,10-11)

This is the power of the Gospel: Grace... undeserving, unmerited Grace.

If your heart still leans towards idols instead of the living God, come and accept this gift... it's for free. It's called freedom, the genuine type of freedom, freedom to love and freedom to live life to its fullest. It's yours to receive before the throne of Grace.

"For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Heb 4:15-16)

An African Creed

2010-06-01T01:00:00.000-07:00

We believe in the one High God, who out of love created the beautiful world and everything in it. He created man and wanted man to be happy in the world. God loves the world and every nation and tribe on the earth. We have known this High God in the darkness, and now we know him in the light. God promised in the book of his word, the bible, that he would save the world and all the nations and tribes.We believe that God made good his promise by sending his son, Jesus Christ, a man in the flesh, a Jew by tribe, born in a little village, who left his home and was always on safari doing good, curing people by the power of God, teaching about God and man, showing that the meaning of religion is love. He was rejected by his people, tortured and nailed hands and feet to a cross, and died. He lay buried in a grave, but the hyenas did not touch him, and on the third day, he rose from the grave. He ascended to the skies. He is the Lord.

We believe that all our sins are forgiven through him. All who have faith in him must be sorry for their sins, be baptized in the Holy Spirit of God, live the rules of love and share the bread together in love, to announce the good news to others until Jesus comes again. We are waiting for him. He is alive. He lives. This we believe. Amen.

Source:http://advancingthekingdom.org/?page_id=27

True Prophecy

2010-05-31T01:32:00.000-07:00

"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer. You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever." (Psalm 45:1-2)

Many mistake prophecy for a mere inspiration or revelation from God. Although many inspirations, dreams and revelations can have a prophetic nature, a true prophecy is like a well that sprouts out of one's mouth, as boiling waters that spring the good news of our King in a majestic and supernatural way.

Lips that are anointed with the gift of prophecy tell of the eternal covenant of God: the Gospel (the only noble theme), inspired and stirred by the Holy Spirit. This is not the work of man's mind, talent or intellect, but a divine intervention of the Holy Spirit in the anointed prophet.

Just as a lion that dwells in the jungle roars to make his presence heard, the Holy Spirit uses the mouth of the prophet to make the righteousness of the Kingdom heard on the earth.

The mouth of the prophet jets out the Word of God, like an arrow is released to hit its target. Prophecy is not mere words but action and command, rebuke and encouragement.

"It was he (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." (Eph 4:11-13)

Prophecy serves for the equipping of the saints for ministry. And the aim is to reach maturity in Christ, to reach the whole measure of fullness that is in Christ. Prophecy is not partial. Prophecy is not vague. It is as clear as the sun for those who have ears to hear and for those who have eyes to see.

"the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (Rev 19:10).

Jesus has ascended and is seated on the right side of the Father but the Holy Spirit still speaks His words today through men who have denied themselves for the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Prophecy speaks of Christ and of what He is about to do. It is a testimony given to the nations. It is a testimony given to the Church. It is a testimony given through the Church.

The major function of the body of Christ is to be a prophet to the world, to prophecy Christ's victory over Satan on all circumstances of life!

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.” (Rev 19:11-16)

Prophecy comes to accomplish one thing and one thing only! It comes to declare war against Satan and to declare the victory of Jesus: the Word of God.

“Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty. In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds. Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.” (Psalm 45:3-5)

The function of the Church is to be the pen in the Master's hand, the bow in Christ's hand, devoted to undergo tension and release the arrow of His word straight into the heart of the enemy. True prophecy is victory and power.

The righteous roar like lions and prophets prophecy with the power of the Word of God (Pr 28:1).

The Supernatural Life

2010-05-28T23:27:00.000-07:00

I want the supernatural life. I want it badly! I don't know how any Christian can settle for an ordinary life. While the ordinary routine life comes to hold you down and stick you to the dirt you were created from, the Spirit of Life blows a tornado of supernatural power that keeps you above the natural circumstances of life. It's called walking on waters... It's called surfing on life. It's called walking over the devil. It's called chasing the devil and running after the prize. I want it all! I want it so badly...

Jesus is Lord and Jesus is alive. He's the same, yesterday, today and forever. He lives! He delivers! He saves! He's in me and He is in you!

Where do you see yourself? In the rocking boat with the disciples dependent on the storms of life, of politics, economy, love life, etc... or walking on waters? Walking with God, walking with authority, walking with splendor, walking the walk and not just talking the talk...

I want it all... I want more of Jesus! Wake up every morning dancing with Him, laughing with Him, crying with Him.

Devil here I come! Here to rock your boat! here to throw you out! Here to strip you naked! So all can know that you faked it. You're weak and defeated!

My God is great! Life is splendid!...only with Him... my God and my King.

Amazed

2010-05-14T00:14:00.000-07:00

Been away for a while now

In my hidden room cry high:

I had to find the right isle

I should have run the whole mile.

Could have I? Could have I not?

Mind puzzling broken pot.

I need You! I need You, I...

Am tired, wish was there, I...

...Understand I have to face

All charges against my case

But Love came into my maze

Took away pain, gave me grace

Amazed. Can't believe my eyes

Realize that now I'm free

Free to run and free to fly

Forever You're by my side

How it happened? Was it I?

Couldn't have been! It was Him!

Soaring high, Roaring stronger

He delivers and conquers!

Shepherd of His herd. Ruler

Number 1. King of mankind

I never knew. How could I?

surrender all to You now...

My heavenly and dear friend

You're my father and true strength

I need you more than before

I need you deep in my core...

Amazed. Can't believe my eyes

Realize that now I'm free

Free to run and free to fly

Forever You're by my side

Hide no more from the darkness

I know this inheritance

Is God-given righteousness

I rise through my father's fist

I cry: His is the Kingdom

I run crazy with freedom

I spare no more the heathen

Inside me plotting treason

I am a warrior of God

He breathes fire in my heart

He has defeated the flesh

Now I'm routed in His rest

Amazed. Can't believe my eyes

Realize that now I'm free

Free to run and free to fly

Forever You're by my side

Walk in Grace

2010-05-13T05:49:00.000-07:00

This is what Jesus said during the Ascension: "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49)

The Ascension in my opinion is what every human being was to enjoy after maturing on earth, if it wasn’t for Adam’s sin and the fall of man. Jesus demonstrated the Father's will after his resurrection by His Ascension and the Father demonstrated His power and the authority He gave His Son by placing Him on the throne and giving Him authority over everything.

God has prepared a place for you! But in order to get there you will have to wait for the promise just like Jesus said and keep on walking in that pathway of grace and relationship with God. you will have to believe!

You are called to walk in the fullness of that promise until the resurrection, judgment and the coming of a new heaven and new earth.

Elijah ascended to heaven because he walked with God, Enoch as well!

You are called to be a citizen of Heaven. You were not made to dwell on earth for ever… God wants you with Him.

Turn to Him and embrace your calling. Christ ascended to heaven and sat at the right side of the Father.

“Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2 Pet 3:17)

Your position with God is secured by the grace of God through Jesus Christ: “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:8-10)

We are to walk in that grace until we reach the full knowledge of Him through our relationship and the service we offer him.

“To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.” (Rev 3:21).

Have a blessed Ascension Thursday!

Encounter with God

2010-05-12T07:26:00.000-07:00

Then Job replied to the LORD:

"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.' My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:1-6)

What does an encounter with God change?

Abraham turned from despair to faith after seeing the stars in heaven and the greatness of God’s grace.
Moses begged God to see His face and his face was shining so bright with the glory of God that he had to cover it with a veil.
Naaman gave up all human effort and asked for a piece of land so he can worship Him there.
Jacob turned from being someone on the run to someone walking with God.
Saul turned from a Church Persecutor to a Church Planter.

What does an encounter with God change? ...Everything.

Have you met your God? Have you ever had one of those life changing encounters with Him?

If yes, When was it? How long has it been? Do you still seek His face?

If no, What is keeping you? Is it worth it?

I choose to do like King David and say:

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." (Ps 27:13-14).

Wrap yourself in Zeal

2010-05-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

So many times you find yourself sunk in a spirit of complaint... a mood of unhappiness and sloppiness... You start blaming circumstances, people in your life, sometimes the government and even God! You feel like a couch potato and just don't feel like moving an inch... Guess what? You've taken off your cloak! You hadn't noticed that, have you? You've taken off your zeal. You've taken off your anointing and you feel so dull... You've been fooled, you've been enslaved. A slave to your flesh, a slave to your emotions, a slave to your fears, a slave to your comfort, enslaved and poisoned by your enemies...

When God was getting ready to save His people from captivity in Egypt, He gave clear instructions on how they were to eat the Passover Lamb, which represented the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. He told Israel: "This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD's Passover." (Ex 12:11).

Jesus' cross is the biggest live evidence of God's zeal and determination. God wants to save you! God wants you delivered. God wants to put His zeal in you so you can snatch your blessing back from the devil. It is time to put on the full armor of God and anoint your ministry and your life with oil! It's time to take back what you've lost.

God's Word tells you to put on your cloak! Jesus put on his cloak and armed himself with zeal to die for you on the cross!

"He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak." (Is 59:17)

Face your enemy! Face your fears! Wrap yourself with the cloak of zeal! Break all bondage! Break all fear! Wear your anointing and cross over to the other side... there's no time to waste.... a supernatural life awaits you. A victorious path is ahead of you.

“He picked up the cloak that had fallen from Elijah and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. Then he took the cloak that had fallen from him and struck the water with it. "Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.” (2 Ki 2:13-14)

Pentecost

2010-05-05T05:23:00.000-07:00

All great revivalists had their start with a deep desire for prayer and intimacy with God. I remember the days when I used to deny myself and go on long fasts to the level of going pale... I wanted more Jesus. Do you want more?

Jesus went up to the mountain to spend time in prayer before selecting the disciples. Elijah climbed mount Horeb to have an encounter of earthquake, fire and wind and finally a soft whisper sound... John the Baptist spent 30 years in the desert, wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He prepared the way for the Savior...

The disciples waited earnestly in the upper room for the fire of the Holy Spirit. They spent days in prayer... How badly do you want revival?

I want more... I'm never satisfied... I want to see God's mighty hand breaking down barriers in my life. I want more of Jesus... MORE LORD!

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Phil 3:7-8).

I consider all a loss for the sake of knowing Him more, having Him more... more than before...

I believe that the key to a successful Christian life is this attitude. Never be satisfied with the spiritual maturity you have now, consider it nothing compared to the surpassing glory that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire" (1 Thess 5:19)

"Instead, be filled with the Spirit." (Eph 5:18)

Happy Pentecost!

Jesus wants MORE!

2010-04-30T06:04:00.000-07:00

"Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man. After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. Then he spit and touched the man's tongue. He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "Ephphatha!" (which means, "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. People were overwhelmed with amazement. "He has done everything well," they said. "He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."" (Mk 7:31-37)

People approach with little expectation.

Jesus has great desire.

People expect an everyday laying of hands.

Jesus is on fire for intimacy and contact.

People were not really expecting a miracle.

Jesus was serious about healing.

People weren't too personal about it.

Jesus wants to get VERY personal and involved.

People were begging.

Jesus was ready to release orders against the illness.

People think it's for their sake that Jesus will lay hands.

Jesus took the deaf and mute away from the crowd to have a personal encounter with him.

The crowd's focus was on Jesus as a prophet/man.

Jesus looked up to Heaven to give God the glory.

Not only when healing but in all situations, the Lord's attitude is the same. When it comes to redeeming us, He has made up His mind to get very intimate and personal with us. He is not disgusted, not bound by habits or tradition, not after fame and praise, not seeking His own glory...

Draw near to Him! He wants to have a personal encounter with you!

How near? And how personal? you ask?

As personal as carrying our sins and diseases on his body so we can be free!

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Pet 2:24)

Build Your House!

2010-04-26T08:01:00.000-07:00

Build your house! Now's the time! God is speaking. Do you hear Him?

The Holy Spirit says: "Hey Noah! Do you hear me? Yes you! Build your house! Build your ministry! I'm speaking to you! I'm distributing gifts. I'm distributing fresh manna from Heaven. Do you see it? Are you using it? Are you building your ark?"

Jesus built His ark. He did it on the cross. He did it with joy. He did it to save the world. He didn't use worldly wisdom.

“God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1 Cor 1:27).

It's a crazy thing to build a ship on dry land to fill it with "worthless" animals. I believe everyone made fun of Noah and they thought he lost it. I believe Noah built his ark with joy, with laughing and dancing!

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."" (1 Cor 1:18-19)

Hey! What do you care? What people say... and how they treat you now... Judgement is coming! The flood is near! Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead. God has a people to save. God is looking for crazy people: crazy enough to do His will, crazy enough to ignore what people say, crazy enough to build their houses! Lift up your banners! Lift up the cross! The time is now! Build your house!

“If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Cor 5:13-15).

So you wanna follow Jesus...

2010-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

“Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."” (Mt 8:19-20).

I was telling the guys in my cell group yesterday how much I love to kick back and relax... it's in my flesh. I used to spend hours and days in front of the TV set watching videos and playing video games. Later on I built a studio in the basement because I was doing music production for our band... I used to spend days there.

Knowing how I am now, they were all amazed to hear that. My flesh still desires that, still desires to kick back and relax and go on my own ventures and do my own projects and seek what's nice and comfy and pleasing to my senses, my flesh and my heart.

My faith refuses that tendency with a strict and harsh voice. It's because of the commitment I made to Jesus.

When talking about John the baptist, Jesus said: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet." (Mt 11:7-9).

Many make the decision to follow Jesus and then do not respect the vows they made. It is not hard to follow Jesus. It's a matter of decision. Jesus says silk clothes and soft mattresses are found in your own palaces and bedrooms. And goes on to ask... What got you out of your comfort zones to come into the desert? Was it softer mattresses and clothes? NO WAY! It was the WORD of God! that His prophet was speaking. It was Jesus!

So you wanna follow Jesus huh? Know this! Unless you get strict with your flesh and deny it, you won't go far...

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'” (Lk 17:28-30)

In the book of Joshua, the 2.5 tribes that were to lead the conquest made a commitment to their leader saying: "Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. Just as we fully obeyed Moses, so we will obey you. Only may the LORD your God be with you as he was with Moses. Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous!" (Joshua 1:16-18).

They committed themselves to discipline. they did it to themselves... They were the ones who were going to be put to death in case they disobeyed. They knew their flesh would not allow them to go all the way, so they had to threaten it! And they did it so beautifully!

So you wanna follow Jesus...

Don't say "it's hard"

If you want to go far...

You just have to kill the mattress.

Seek What?

2010-04-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

Those who are in ministry know how tiring it is and how weary one gets especially if one loses focus.

The story of Elijah climbing mount Horeb has always impressed me (1 Kings 19).

Elijah had just performed the greatest miracle and demonstrated through his faith that His God is the one and only true living God and that Baal is a phony. God had answered his prayer and had sent fire from heaven to consume his sacrifice while the cries of the false prophets of Baal remained unanswered. And God's promise of sending rain (revival) to the land was accomplished. In other words, Elijah had everything going lovely in his life.

And all of a sudden we see the evil witch/queen Jezebel cursing Elijah and Elijah flees in fear and despair.

Why is that?

Why would such a man become afraid of a curse... after demonstrating that the one true God is on his side?

I was listening to a teaching by John Bevere on DVD yesterday. It has always impressed me how God's Power & Heart are 2 different things and although we need His power in ministry to carry out this great task, without His heart, we will go weary...

Elijah went in so much despair that he wanted to die! God guided him to climb mount Horeb to have an encounter with Him.

The wind and the earthquake and the fire that he encountered are all great and awesome, but Elijah had to go all the way to the top to reach that gentle whisper sound... the voice of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that keeps on telling us about who we are and what we are called to do (Rom 8:16).

Elijah got back on track and fulfilled his calling.

As human beings, we get all excited with fleshy things like power and loud sounds and concerts and miracles and stuff and it's ok. There's nothing wrong with that. But as spiritual people, we need to realize that if we rely on the flesh to operate and decide who and what we are then our lives will become dependant on how things are going in our lives and around us.

Fire fell from Heaven and it rained after dryness: Elijah was happy.

Queen Jezebel curses Elijah: Elijah's in despair.

If we forget that all success comes from God and without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5), we will become proud and think that all of God's work is dependent on us. Elijah told God: "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (1 Kings 19:14).

and God told Him: " Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king ... anoint Jehu ... king over Israel, and anoint Elisha ...to succeed you as prophet... Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." (1 Kings 19:15-18).

When we forget that it is by God's grace that we are the great sons of God that we are, we make fools of ourselves and fall from grace... we fall in confusion and despair. It is by grace that we were saved and elected and not because of our merit (Rom 11:5). God comes to remind us that He still is who He is and is still working in great power and it is WE that have fallen from our calling. it is WE that have allowed our ears to turn to the flesh.

Jesus used to repeatedly say: "He who has an ear let him hear..."

Don't turn your senses to the world and to queens with loud voices and don't turn your eyes to the deeds of your hands but seek God's presence beyond power and miracles, seek God's heart and listen to His voice.

"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom 8:16).

Sanan

2010-04-15T01:22:00.000-07:00

Our Cell Group Blog!

2009-10-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Cell M05

It was He who found me

2009-06-20T15:30:00.000-07:00

My aunt visited us from the States. She came to Lebanon to attend my wedding ceremony. As I was sharing my faith and conversion story with her two weeks after the wedding, she told me the following, "I haven't told this to anyone, not even your mom, but you know what Mrs. X* told me about your pastor? She told me that he's a deceiver and he has been fooling many young people into believing in a false doctrine. But do you know what I told her? I told her Sebouh is not a fool; don’t you remember what he told us on the table four years ago when we were all gathered together at that restaurant? He said, ‘I was looking for Him but it was He who found me...’" My aunt went on and told me "I never have forgotten those words and I never will… they have been resounding in my ears all these years.”

I thank the Lord for His blessings in my life and I thank Him for finding me when I was raging, desperately struggling to reach Him. Many Christians, during their testimonies, forget to realize that it is the Lord that has been doing everything from the beginning of their lives and it is the Father who draws us to His Son (John 6:44). It is not because of any work on our part that we are saved, because it is only through faith that we can see God and accept His salvation as the apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Eph 2:8-10)

Yes, many people claim to have found the truth and many claim to have found the way and sometimes they have! There are many teachers and many so-called prophets and men of God who have been claiming, teaching and interpreting all sorts of things. Many participate in debates, discussions and dialogues. They raise their voices on each other and preach to the masses. They demonstrate their theories, philosophies and doctrines. Some try to convince others but in fact are only seeking to convince their own lost and troubled souls. Others seek their own glory and fame by trying to use their authority over other fellow human beings.... but when the Master steps in, they all fall on their knees and freeze with fear and trembling. Complete silence fills the room…

I love Christianity because it cannot be squeezed in a religion. I love Christianity because it is not about rules and things that man can have control over. I love Christianity because it is dependent on the one and only risen Son of God, the King of Kings who purchased us with His own precious blood because He loved us. I love the Lord and everything He does even when it causes me panic and stress. I know it is for the good because I have tasted His goodness and I can testify that The Lord Jesus is the only one that can be called “good” without having any doubt in my mind. We often struggle to prove to others that Christianity is The Way. We forget the very essence of the subject matter. We forget to trust in Him and His goodness and give Him glory and praise for all the things we testify about.

This last month I got married, went away on my honeymoon, came back, witnessed the elections with all the commotion it brought and came to realize that the Lord Jesus has everything in His hands. He truly is the master of the ceremony, the conductor of the opera, the great general and leader, the true prophet and teacher. He keeps on talking to my heart about the times and the places and the seasons people go through and how He sits on His throne as the great gardener sowing, watering, cleaning and keeping watch.

People miss the fact that He is in control of their lives as the righteous ruler and not as a dictator. People still go against the grain and refuse to pause for a second and look up. My father keeps quiet and leaves the dinner table to light his pipe when my story reaches its conclusion displaying how all that God is seeking is relationship. The psalmist said it perfectly 3000 years ago, “Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Ps 95:6-8)

No Fear in Christ

2009-03-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

Why don’t Christians seek God beyond themselves?

Why are people too shy to confront the living God?

Why do we have to feel intimidated, scared, unworthy, or in denial of this problem in our lives?

If we haven’t accepted Christ as our savior, I believe the only reason may be our sin, which brings a separation between us and our Holy God. But if we have repented of our sins, accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior and have become sons of God, I believe we need to go back to the Bible to find the solution to this problem.

No Fear in Love

We often claim that God is love (1 John 4:16). We preach to others saying that God loved us so much that He sacrificed His only Son for us (John 3:16). The Bible says, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” (1 John 4:18). So how is it that we, who have believed in Jesus and experienced the forgiveness and love of God, still live under this fear? Is God’s love not perfect? Or can it be possible that we have not yet experienced God’s love as it is?

Paul says, “You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship.” (Rom 8:15)

I believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ contains the answer. Paul the apostle talks about this issue extensively and emphasizes the fact that the gospel in its simplicity has the power to save us and deliver us from this bondage (Rom 1:16).

Law or Grace?

If we read the following verses in sequence, we can easily see what the good news concerning this issue of fear is all about.

“For the law was given through Moses” (John 1:17)

“Through the law we become conscious of sin” (Rom 3:20)

“The power of sin is the law” (1 Cor 15:56)

“The result of one sin* was condemnation for all men” (Rom 5:18)

“Death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Cor 5:21)

“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Rom 10:4)

“By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear.” (Heb 8:13)

“Whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law” (Rom 3:19)

“Sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.” (Rom 6:14)

“I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Gal 2:21)

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1)

“Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)

Let us see in more depth what the above verses tell us.

I believe that the only reason why we Christians still have fear and feel condemned is because we are still conscious of sin. The reason behind this is that we have not yet accepted the new covenant of God in its entirety, or as Paul would put it, we have set aside the grace of God (Gal 2:21).

The Issue of Sin

What do I mean? I mean that we have not yet realized that we are no longer under the law because God has made a new covenant with us through Christ and has cancelled the old one. The Law was given through Moses to make us conscious of sin, but grace came through Jesus Christ to free us from sin. We need to realize that God has granted us His everlasting love and has poured out all of the punishment, which should have fallen on us, on Jesus. Since all punishment is settled, that means that there is no more punishment left for us, therefore, no reason for fear. God does not condemn us anymore (Rom 8:1), but we still do! We have been made righteous in Christ Jesus (Rom 5:19), yet we still live our lives afraid of approaching Almighty God in boldness to receive this grace and use it for the advancement of His kingdom (Heb 4:16).

This means that sin is no longer an issue with God. Do I mean that we can sin as much as we want and it won’t make any difference? Well, yes and no. Yes, because that is not God’s standard anymore and it won’t add or reduce an inch from our worth in Christ, and “No!” because sinning consciously now would be just a stupid thing to do. Why? Because now that all the punishment of sin has been settled and a life of righteousness is granted, why would we go back into slavery of sin when we can live our lives free, as sons and daughters of God on earth through His Holy Spirit?

Freedom in Christ

What we have missed to realize is that we are free in Christ and we need to stand firm in this freedom (Gal 5:1)!

Paul says, “’Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial.” (1 Cor 6:12) What we Christians have been stressing is the second part of this verse, namely “not everything is beneficial”. We keep preaching about how destructive sin is, about the curse that it brings to our lives, about how it has been inflicted on our lives due to our past and so on… But we fail to see that without realizing the foundation of the first part of the verse, we can never be empowered not be slaves of those sins. Paul continues, “’Everything is permissible for me’—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Cor 6:12) What Paul is saying here is that the truth that although “Everything is permissible for me”, I have the freedom not be mastered by anything. Some Christians stress the first part of the verse and consider everything permissible for them and fall into sin, while others are too cautious not to sin considering almost everything “non-beneficial” and restrict their lives in Christ by focusing on the harmful things and are never able to enjoy the freedom Christ has set them free for (John 8:36).

It is only freedom in Christ that allows us to be empowered by God, to approach Him and accept His grace. It is only this freedom that can make us want to welcome the Holy Spirit in our lives. How can we ever stand in this freedom and accept Him fully if we are still living our lives under condemnation and fear? It is impossible.

I believe the only threat to our Christian lives is not sin, but the danger that comes from not abiding in Christ (John 15:5), by not standing firm in this freedom (Gal 5:1). Paul rebukes the Galatians by calling them foolish because they had been deceived and forgotten that it was their faith in God’s grace that saved them and had fallen back under the “law of sin and death” (Gal 3:1). They should have remained in that grace.

The Power of the Gospel

We read in Acts 13 how the people wanted Paul and Barnabas to preach this gospel of forgiveness of sins again to them on the next Sabbath (Acts 13:42). Paul and Barnabas “urged them to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43). “On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.” (Acts 13:44)

What would make an entire city come out of their homes to hear God’s word? What is this power that can bring an entire city out of their comfort zones, out of their hiding places and gather them in one place?

This is the message that they were preaching to them:

"Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the Law of Moses.” (Acts 13:38-39)

Paul says the following in the letter to the Romans, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’” (Rom 1:16-17)

Only this gospel (this Good News) of God’s amazing grace has the power to free us and empower us to live holy lives, to live our lives for Him. We should keep our freedom, with which this gospel set us free, so that the power of the gospel may be manifested throughout our lives, so that, like the apostle Paul, we could be certain and proclaim with absolute boldness that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13), no fear, no condemnation and no guilt, only children of God who dare to proclaim God’s power boldly!

“The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”
(Proverbs 28:1)

Amazing Grace

2009-03-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

Your Holy sacrifice is so precious for me Lord God. I want to write to you just to thank you for your incredible love. I want to thank you for showing me how gracious and marvelous your gospel is. I want to thank you for your unconditional love. I want to thank you for considering all my righteous deeds as filthy rags and accepting me just as I am. I want to thank you for lifting up my sin on that piece of wood and condemning it forever. You have delivered me from all accusations and all penalty. You have granted me eternal joy through your unfailing love. My Holy God, your sacrifice is so precious for me. I praise you and adore you. You are so good Lord. You've made me whole! I'm so glad I found your love in my heart. I'm so glad that you are such a merciful God. Thank you Father, I will rejoice in your salvation all the days of my life and tell the whole world of your goodness.

Your First Love

2009-02-15T11:46:00.000-08:00

"I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." (Rev 2:2-4)

Do you remember those days when you used to feel all alone and with all that was in your heart you used to cry out for worship and relationship with the Lord? Remember when you used to be a little shy about sharing your faith with people at work or at home but in your room you used to lay it all under His feet? Remember when God was your newly found friend and father and you used to spend hours in prayer, seeking His presence? Remember when your heart used to undergo tension and new words come out of your mouth with tears of thanksgiving? Remember when Jesus was like the perfect rose someone had offered you? Remember when you used to be extra careful not to lose that intimacy with the Lord even when you had to act weird in front of people? Remember the first time you played a worship tune in your room and extended your arms and vowed to serve Him all your life? Remember when waking up in the morning felt like waking up in a hotel room in a foreign country and feeling His presence was as exciting as discovering life form on another planet? Remember when telling Him "I love you" was not an easy step to take? Remember the first time He told you He loves you and you got on your knees face down? Do you remember?

The manners of the Christians

2009-02-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

from the Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus [a.d. 130]

"For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. They have a common table, but not a common bed. They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. They are poor, yet make many rich; they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred."

Sacrifice

2009-01-12T12:53:00.000-08:00

Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

The Lord Jesus pours his heart out in this verse. He reveals His divine nature in the midst of accusations, evil men and persecutors. The Lord stands firm in His willingness to give Himself for us.

On his way to the cross, the Lord Jesus makes Himself known to men as the bread that is to be broken and blood poured for the salvation of many. (Matthew 26, Mark 14)

Jesus' love is beyond measure and understanding (Eph 3:19). His love is unlike any other, since it is not human love. His love pierces through all barriers because it is accompanied by ultimate humility and sacrifice. He came to give us strength and victory over all difficulties, even death. (Phil 2:8)

It is in front of this great love that we bow our knees and worship Him with all we have. We say "Yes!" to his call and approach His throne boldly to receive grace (Heb 4:16), to receive healing and victory over death.

All creation will give glory to your name... because of who You are and what You've done...

"...Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:5-11)

Identity

2008-12-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

It is incredible to realize that the Lord our God has such great interest and specific plans for our lives. The more I realize how involved he is in what we do and what we want, the more I realize that it is such a pitty to see all these masses living their lives without even being aware of the calling they have; each and every one.

So many times we tend to classify and categorize how God does his work. Sometimes we're right but most of the time we do not realize the bondage we build for ourselves by limiting God.

I'm so happy that the God I worship is GOD and does not depend on anyone. I love it that the Lord has a special place for me and has blessed me so abundantly and in such an exceptional way. I often limit my abilities and become sad later without realizing what I have done. I have been telling the Lord for so long that I want to do something BIG for him. No matter what I think of, nothing was 'BIG' enough. Lately I'm realizing that who I am in Christ is already BIG! My problem was that I was too busy trying to do something 'BIG' while all I had to do was to find my place in the body of Christ.

For the past 3 years, I have been jumping from one ministry to the other in our church, trying to do whatever I can for the Lord. I had never realized I have such a great potential in the Lord doing what I am called to do.

At times, I used to avoid receiving any prophetic word about my calling fearing that I would be disappointed. I was afraid to know my calling because I used to think that it would limit what I want to do for Him. I never realized that it would be the beginning of the neverending work he has prepared for me.

By now, all of you reading this are wondering what this calling is, right? I won't tell you, because that's not the issue. I just want to encourage you to seek your place in the body, and once you find it, go as deep as you can because that is where you will find a new and intimate place with Jesus. That is where you will find a new Brother and Friend.

I love you Lord. Thank you for your patience and thank you for this opportunity to live for you.

Wild Faith

2008-10-25T14:45:00.000-07:00

What is faith? How does it work? What happens when you use it?

I may not have the best answers to those questions but I know one thing; Faith without works is dead faith and faith with works is the most radical thing ever!

Because of our past lives, we are under so much bondage. This doesn't allow us to express move and just be ourselves in complete freedom. Our bodies that are infected with sin, do not help us either.

But when God moves and stirs up those calm waters in our lives, our entire self turns into a new revolutionary character. After the Holy Spirit breaks all bondage in our lives, we do things we never dared to do or think about doing.

Wild faith is the type of faith that Jesus talked about when he said that faith as a mustard seed can move a mountain. You don't need much. In fact, you most probably already have what you need inside you. You just never have used it before because you never knew it existed.

I believe I can win the world for Jesus. I believe God will use me. So I will live my life accordingly. Called to be a king. Called to inherit all the riches of Heaven. Called to bring all nations on their knees in front of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Nike had a great slogan that expressed perfect faith: "Just do it". That's all it takes. So if that's all it takes then I'll just do it.

Face on the book

2008-10-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

God Plans to Attack

2008-09-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

God’s Zeal and Determination

Every single word that comes from God will come true (Num 11:23). God's word doesn't depend on what we do. He is faithful and His plan will be accomplished on earth. If God's love is so great that He gave His one and only Son to die in our place (John 3:16), and if that same love is what drives Him to accomplish His plan with such great zeal and determination, then what or who can stop God almighty to accomplish His plan and promises. (Is 43:13)

The Church’s Calling

If God promises that He is with us, and asks us "who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31), then how confident should we be in Him? With what kind of determination and zeal should we be living our spiritual lives and carrying out our ministry on earth? In Proverbs 28:1, God’s word declares that we are to be as bold as lions.

If our Lord Jesus' blood has been shed and He has triumphed over Satan and his dominion has been put to an end (Col 2:15), and if all doors are now open for us (Acts 5:19, 16:26), then what other thing than conquering this earth for Jesus is left for us to do?

Jesus in the Great Commission calls the entire Church into evangelization and ministry (Mk 16:15). Jesus' words are clear and have a 'releasing' nature. It is as if Jesus gives the permission and makes it possible for believers to be 'unleashed' upon the face of the earth to set it on fire with God's word for the salvation of souls.

In the book of Judges, we read how Samson ties up three hundred foxes tail to tail in pairs and fastens a torch to every pair of tails, lights the torches and lets the foxes loose in the standing grain of the Philistines (Judges 15:4-5). This is an early example of what was to happen to Jesus' disciples after the day of Pentecost, when they received fire from above and were released with such great force into all the earth to carry out the great commission (Acts 2).

God’s Plan

God had expressed his will and plan from early times. We read the following in the prophecy of Zechariah:

I will bend Judah as I bend my bow
and fill it with Ephraim.
I will rouse your sons, O Zion,
against your sons, O Greece,
and make you like a warrior's sword. (Zech 9:13)

God has taken a position. He has a Plan. He is determined and organized in achieving His goal.

We observe 3 steps with which God plans on declaring His attack.

•God plans on bending Judah as a bow. Meaning, tightening and stretching. The Church when in preparations for attack is found to be in this state of tension.

•Then God plans on filling His bow with us as arrows; arrows that are sharpened and made straight with His word, able to travel fast and penetrate into the enemy’s camp and in the hearts of lost souls.

•This will be made obvious by a clear separation and opposition. God will put His Church against the world, as an army against an army. God will sharpen the Church as a warrior’s sword, in need of continuous maintenance and care before every battle.

The Lord has designed the Church to be a warrior's sword, an arrow in his bow and why not a bullet in his gun.

Then the LORD will appear over them;
his arrow will flash like lightning.
The Sovereign LORD will sound the trumpet;
he will march in the storms of the south, (Zech 9:14)

As a result, God's presence and glory is made known and visible to men. The Church flashes like lightening. God's supernatural power is manifested through the activated Church who waits upon a command from the Lord; like an army ready to attack waiting for the sound of the trumpet.

and the LORD Almighty will shield them.
They will destroy
and overcome with sling stones. (Zech 9:15a)

God's Church is protected/shielded and fully equipped with God’s Word as its weapon. Just like young David, it is with ‘stones’ of faith that believers defeat the enemy (1 Sam 17:49).

They will drink and roar as with wine;
they will be full like a bowl
used for sprinkling the corners of the altar. (Zech 9:15b)

The Spirit of the Lord flows into believers giving them strength and joy. They will have enough anointing to consecrate the things of this world for God's work and return to God what is rightfully His.

The LORD their God will save them on that day
as the flock of his people.
They will sparkle in his land
like jewels in a crown.

How attractive and beautiful they will be!
Grain will make the young men thrive,
and new wine the young women. (Zech 9:16-17)

God's people will shine like jewels with the glory of God just as light and salt shine to give color, taste and brightness to the world (Mt 5:13-14).

Ask the LORD for rain in the springtime;
it is the LORD who makes the storm clouds.
He gives showers of rain to men,
and plants of the field to everyone. (Zech 10:1)

God expects us to ask for rain when it seems impossible according to the laws of this world. God not only wants us to be prepared for rain in springtime but expects us to ask for it. When everything in the world tells us that it is impossible, we are to believe in God's word and surrender to His plan of Salvation and cry out to Him for rain to fall on the field for harvest.

Respond to God’s Calling

It is an honor and great joy to be part of this incredible plan, to be a sword in the hand of the Lord and to be an instrument of His love of fire set loose in the fields of this dark world.

It is our calling to burn and shine for our Lord who gave Himself for us, who loved us so much that He died to offer us victory over this world. No matter what the situation and circumstances may be, we are all invited to respond to this calling and present ourselves as arrows in the hands of God.

PS 34:1-10

2008-05-31T14:52:00.000-07:00

"I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
My soul will boast in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Fear the LORD, you his saints,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing."

Anointed

2007-06-11T01:25:00.000-07:00

I have realized how few are the Christians who actually know what the words "Christ" and "Christian" really mean.

The anointing of the Holy Spirit was something unknown to me. Although ever since the first day I got saved, I had felt a warmth in my heart and everything seemed bright in my eyes, I hadn't felt the anointing. Although I had seen pictures or icons of saints and apostles with the yellow thing on their heads, I had never once questioned what it was.

Once, a muslim friend I was witnessing to told me he could feel an aura around this priest I introduced him to. I still had no clue of what the anointing was. Paul stresses the importance of feeling Christ inside us and not just being called Christians (2 Cor 13:5). People used to get healed from Peter's shadow and others from Pauls dirty cloths. It seems that the anointing which is the power of God was a tangible power in those who served God.

I believe it will be a pity to serve Him without being 'charged' first. I believe we all need the anointing to live our lives just as Adam did before the fall (and never realized he was naked).

I am surprised to find most of Christians not only do not know what "Christian" means, but have never felt the anointing and have never used it.

It was God's promise to Adam and Eve that He will redeem them and through the One who was born of the Holy Spirit through the virgin, the plan of salvation would be completed. Now through our faith in Him we can receive the same Spirit that made it possible and become followers of the founder of our faith: the anointed one, Jesus Christ.

I first felt the anointing as electricity on my body; then it made my hands and arms move and eventually taught me how to be led by Him and took over my entire being, it made me fall on the ground, delivered me from bondages and still works on me to turn me into His likeness. Later on, it filled me with the power to confront the enemy and with the courage to witness to unbelievers. It sometimes turns my hand red and hard like a rock as I get inspired and get prepared for something God has in store for me. He works in such miraculous ways. I have learned to use it to bring people out of the condition they are in. I have learned to use it to pass it on to others by laying my hand on them. I believe it has the power of healing, and casting out demons.

"... God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him." (Acts 10:38) The Lord said we will do what he did and even more. (John 14:12-14)

God has provided the power and means for us to bring His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. It is up to us to seek what God has already made available for us 2000 years ago on the cross. It is up to us to take it and use it using our faith.

Our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3). As Christians, we should realize how essential it is for a Christian (an anointed one) to live as a Christian (an anointed life). I believe we are not ordinary people but sons of God with a divine identity, so we should live our lives accordingly with the power we have received from above.

My First Prophetic Word

2007-06-05T05:14:00.000-07:00

The Lord told me this in armenian during mass on Sunday 20 May, 2007 . ("you" is in plural)

the Lord said: " I AM from the beginning. I work in you with great strength. I AM always. You grow only thru me. No one can reconcile you to the Father except me. I love you and I build you up. I prepare places for you; there are many rooms there for you. Bring people to me, the lovely souls that are lost and scattered. I am going to give them Life and make them my sons. It is I who build and destroy. I AM and only I. There is no God other than me. I WAS from the beginning of time. I am mighty in you and move mountains thru you. Stay united to me and follow my Son who was sacrificed for you. Many among you would have desired to see my glory but they did not want to have my Son in them. You are my co-heirs and heirs of my great glory which I give to you abundantly. I will make you like the stars in the sky. You will reign and rule over the earth with me forever."

Church Growth - Pt. 2

2007-04-20T06:55:00.000-07:00

In 7 Days !

Do you want to be inspired ?

2007-04-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

What is inspiration? Can it be defined? Contained? Observed? Or even noticed?
In Armenian, the Bible is called "Asdvadzashountch" which means "Breathed by God" or "Inspired by God" (2Tim3:16).
When God created man he blew his breath in man and man became alive (Gen2:7).
When inspired, man is in a state that is above all other known states such as: drunk, high, horny, tired, happy, mad, motivated, crazy...
When inspired, man is in a special relationship with God and he is in the exact same state as Adam was when he was still in the Garden of Eden, living life as was intended from the beginning.

Is man free when he is inspired? Yes, I believe he is. Since God created man in His own image(Gen1:27), it is only right to conclude that man is free just as his Creator is free. Furthermore, man was free to eat from all the trees (that's freedom!) except for one which was also put there as a result of man's freedom (Gen2:16-17).
Man was free to disobey and even hate his Creator and choose to live separated from Him. And he did just that (Gen3:6).

Inspiration gives birth to works that are different from the fruit of man's work (Gen2:15). The work of our hands is based on human effort and sweat (Gen3:19). The fruit of the Spirit is good, right and true (Eph 5:9).

Inspiration only comes by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Joel2:28-29). Man lost the Holy Spirit after refusing to live in obedience and choosing to live a life separated from God, so God took His Holy Spirit out of man since He was not welcome and could not reside in a vessel that was infected by sin and destined to die (Rom6:23).

The good news is that God did not desert man despite what he had done. He immediately gave man the promise of redemption and victory over Satan (Gen3:15).

This was planned from the beginning when the Trinity decided to send the 2nd person, the Son to earth (1Pet1:20) to become flesh, live a life without sin , die on the cross and rise to send the Holy Spirit back to all those who believe in Him.

When Jesus was baptized, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove (Mt3:16). He was baptized, filled with the Holy Spirit and was ready to start his mission.

Are you ready to receive the Holy Spirit? Do you want to be inspired? (Acts8:15)

There's only one way: to believe in the Sacrifice God made for you so that you can have eternal life (John3:16). There is only one way (John14:6), only through faith in the One who was sent to grant you that inspiration (Rom5:1) which will redeem you and make you victorious over Satan just as God had originally promised.

Are you ready to start your mission? Are you ready to start your Life? It doesn't matter how old, healthy, rich or famous you are.

If you believe in the Son, you will have eternal life and God will indwell your mind, body and soul eternally.

It's up to you.

Do you want to be inspired?