Doing God's Will

Mathew 7:21
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
There are many people that call themselves Christians and many even believe that they are, but unless we heed God's word and do his will, we will be among those cast aside into outer darkness.  I believe it is our duty to help those in need.  I am not talking about public assistance, but I am speaking of each individual standing up and helping his fellowman.  In the early church many brought all that they had to the apostles and a big part of it was used to care for the widows and orphans.  Even if we pay tithes today, it doesn't go to the needy.  It goes to build bigger churches and much of it goes straight into some man's bank account and the poor are still left hungry, naked and thirsty.  Those misusing God's money will stand before him one day and be judged. You might ask, what can I do?  Each of us should step up and do what we can to help those in need. We see many sitting by the road begging for help and often pass them by.  Do you know that God said we are not to judge?  Who are we to say if they really need it or not.  The bible says in 

Hebrews 13:2
Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

That stranger that you thought was just a nobody may be one of God's own angels.   We as Christians should do what we can to help them and what they do with the money is between them and God.  This is just one thing we can be careful in doing.  People lose their homes almost daily, we need to help these people to get back on their feet.  We even have people in our own families that we see in need every day and yes, it is our duty to help them. There is also many good groups of Christians that help to feed the hungry in the world. We should try to help them.  There are so many ways that we can help to feed the hungry, cloth the naked and give water to the thirsty, we just need to look beyond our own needs.  If we don't, we will be among the goats that are cast aside into outer darkness.  We can not be a Christian and ignore those in need. If we do, we are ignoring Christ himself.  Every time we pass by that person begging, we are telling Jesus Christ that we don't care about his needs.  This is the cold hard truth whether we believe it or not.  He said when you do it to the least of these, you have done it to me.  I don't want to hear those words, Depart from me, ye workers of iniquity, I want to hear the master say to me, Well done thou good and faithful servant.  

Mathew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

What kind of fruit is growing in your garden?

As a born again Christian we have liberty through Jesus Christ.  Paul taught us that we are not to use that liberty for the desires of the flesh, but rather to fulfill the word of Jesus Christ, to love one another.  We are to walk in the spirit of Christ.  As Christians the world will look upon us and know us by the fruits we bare, but the world is not the only one watching us, God himself sees all.  When we plant a garden, it must be taken care of.  You have to weed it, water it, and pluck away any bad fruits to allow the good fruits to grow big and strong. God watches his children to see how well they tend their garden.  If left untended, the weeds will overtake it and kill off all the good fruits.  

As Christians we are not under the law of man, but we are to live according to God's word.

Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

If we truly live according to his word, then the laws of man are of no affect to us.  If we walk in the spirit of Christ, our garden will produce fruit to be desired by the world!  The world will want what we have!!

Galatians 5:22-23 

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

In the flesh, many times we fail and come up short.  Our flesh is at constant war against our spirit.  Paul taught us that when he would do good, evil was always present.  

Galatians 5:17

For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

When we allow our flesh to overcome our spirit, sin is produced. 

Galatians 5:19-21 

19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

As children of God, we are in the world, but we are not of the world.  We will always have a battle to fight and a garden to weed.  It's up to each one of us to tend our own garden and see that the fruits growing there are those to be desired and in doing so we will draw others to Christ, which is a work he gave us to do!

Galatians 5:25

25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Faith Healing

Matthew 4:23
23: And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

It is not God's will that his children be sick and afflicted. Anywhere that Jesus went he took the time to stop and heal the sick. He is a never changing God and he will take the time to heal you today. You must ask in faith and believe. When the time came and he knew he would no longer be here to walk with us, he passed this gift of healing on to the disciples. 

Luke 9:1-6
1: Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
2: And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
3: And he said unto them, Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.
4: And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart.
5: And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.
6: And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where.

Many in the church have gotten cold on the Lord and slack in their faith.  They no longer fast and pray.  They no longer trust in God that he will do what we ask.  The word of God teaches us that he never changes. This tells me that the spiritual gifts that he gave to the disciples and those early believers are still active and available to me and you.  Paul taught the people that the gifts were for them.  

1 Corinthians 12:28
28: And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then GIFTS OF HEALINGS, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

We will not see these gifts active among us until we make ourselves HOLY before God.  God said that he would not dwell in an unclean temple.  He said that if we are LUKE WARM that he would spew us out.  The very taste of something lukewarm is disgusting.  God would rather you be a full blown sinner than to be a lukewarm Christian.  

Revelations 3:15-16
15: I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
16: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

Do you need healing today?  Do you have lost loved ones that you want to see saved?  Do you want a closer walk with God?  Do you want to see unity and joy in the church?  If you say yes to these questions, then you have a work to do in order to see it done.  We need PRAYER WARRIORS like our grandmothers used to be.  We need PREACHERS that aren't afraid to stand up and preach the TRUE WORD OF GOD.  If we are ever going to start seeing our loved ones healed of diseases, seeing blind to see and crippled to walk then we must start doing our part.  We need to be like David and pray no matter what.  Our prayer lives need to be active and steadfast.  We need to be reading God's word daily and not just a verse or two here and there.  If we want an answer from God, we need to spend time fasting and seeking his face.  You see GOD NEVER CHANGES so he has never stopped healing the sick.  We have just stopped trusting in him and believing that he will do it.  We have strayed from the RIGHT PATH.  

I encourage you today to find that path again, begin praying and seeking his face, begin reading his word and begin enjoying the gifts that he wants to bestow upon you.
 

The oil of the spirit

The children of Israel longed to be like all the other nations.  They were not happy with God's prophets nor were they happy having God as their leader.  They longed for a king, someone they could physically look upon as their leader.  When they cried out to God for a king, their cries were heard.  God spoke to his prophet Samuel and told him he would send a man that would be anointed king over Israel. 

 1 Samuel 9:15-17
¹⁵ Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
¹⁶ To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.
¹⁷ And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.

Samuel anointed Saul with oil and made him king.  When Saul disobeyed God and fell away, God sent his prophet to anoint David to replace him.  David too was anointed with oil. 

1 Samuel 16:1 

 ¹And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

As the story goes, Jessie had many strong sons, but God does not look upon the outward appearance.  He chose this king based upon the his spirit and David had the spirit of God.  He loved the Lord with all his heart.  This time God chose a man after his own heart and he was anointed with oil.

1 Samuel 16:12-13

¹² And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
¹³ Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

This tradition of anointing with oil was not new.  It began all the way back to when Aaron was anointed to be priest over Israel. 

Exodus 30:30
³⁰ And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest's office.

The oil represented the spirit of God, the Holy Ghost.  Each time someone was anointed with oil, they were filled with God's spirit and their ministry began with God leading them.  This tradition of pouring oil upon the man of God stopped long ago, but each ministry must begin with the spirit of God or the ministry is not of God.  When Jesus was baptized by John, the spirit descended like a dove and his ministry began.  The twelve disciples walked with Jesus, but their true ministry didn't begin until the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Ghost came and filled them with the spirit!  The Holy Ghost is the OIL!!  Are you doing a work for God today?  Have you allowed his spirit to guide you?  Without the spirit of God to guide the man of God, then there is only a speaker.  The bible teaches us that without the spirit, we are none of his.  We have many inspirational speakers leading the people today, but they are not of God!  Paul taught us that we must have the spirit, the HOLY GHOST!! 

Romans 8:8-10
⁸ So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
¹⁰ And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The bible teaches that God is the same, yesterday, today and forever.  The spirit of God never changes and he still wants to lead his people toward the truth.  I want to encourage you today to do a work for God, but in doing so you must allow his spirit to guide you.  Every ministry or work must first begin with the filling of God's spirit, the oil must be applied!!  If the oil of the spirit is not applied, then the works is not of God!!  Man cannot lead you toward the truth of God, only the Holy Ghost can do that.  Finally, let me warn you, just as Jesus did, to beware of false prophets.  There are many among us today.  They come as wolves dressed in sheep clothing.  They tell you all the wonderful things you want to hear but they will lead you down a path of destruction.  If they are not led by the spirit then they are FALSE PROPHETS. 

Mathew 7:15-16
¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits.

May God bless you and may his spirit lead you in all that you do. 

God thinks about you!

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13 KJV
What a wonderful thought to know that God is thinking about me.  I am as nothing among all his creations yet he has thoughts of me and he has thoughts of you.  He wants peace in our lives and if we live according to his word, seek him with all our hearts, we will have peace.  In this world, we may never know peace among our fellowman, but in God we can find the peace we seek to get us through this world. 
The bible teaches us that we can have anything we ask, but it also teaches why we don't have those things we ask for.  True peace only comes from God.  Man is always at war with one another, brother against brother and nation against nation.  We say we seek peace but don't follow after God.  We live only for today and what pleasures the day can bring us.  If we are to ever know peace in this world, we must put God first and seek him.  James 4:2-3
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Our goal in life should be to have a closer walk with God, to have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  I believe that only when we do that will we have peace in our own lives.  James taught us that if we will seek God that he will come to us.  We must turn our backs on sin and seek a relationship with God or we will never have peace in our lives.   James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
God knows our end and he thinks about us, his thoughts are of peace and he wants us to have peace.  He will give us peace.  The choice is our own.  Choose this day whom you will serve.  I stand with Joshua, a mighty man of God when I say, As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 

Nothing to fear

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
1 John 4:18 KJV
As a child of God, fear should have no place in our lives. As a blood bought child of God, his spirit now dwells in us and where the spirit of God is, there is Liberty and not fear. I do not believe this scripture speaks of the fear of natural things like spiders or snakes, that is a common human fear, but I believe John is te...aching us not to fear the spiritual things that come up against us. The world has built Satan up into this big monster with the power to make us do things against our will. Something that we should fear above all things because his power is so strong. The world, like Satan is a liar. Satan was God's angel of light and most beautiful and he will come to you in all forms and look any way he chooses. He wants to keep you in fear of the unknown because he knows when you open your eyes and see the truth that you will no longer fear him. The Holy Ghost dwelling inside a child of God has power over Satan and he will flee if you stand up and rebuke him. James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
As a child of God, you have power over the devil. There is nothing to fear. I don't deny that Satan is a powerful being. He is an angel cast down out of heaven, but the fact is, he was cast aside. He did not have the power to overthrow heaven and he does not have the power to rule this world. The only power he has it the power given to him by mankind. When man stands up and realizes that our true power lies in God Almighty. That when we trust in him and live according to his word he is our weapon against Satan. He is our shield and our high tower. He is our weapon against all of our enemies. Psalms 27:1-2
1The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
There is only one thing that a child of God is to fear and that is God Almighty. We are to know and understand that God is the only one that is capable of destroying our very souls. Luke 12:5
But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.
Life is but a vapor that quickly vanishes away. Our flesh will go back to the dust from where it came, but our soul is eternal. It's our eternal souls that we need to put in God's hands and know that he is our refuge and our strength. That with his spirit dwelling in us, we have nothing to fear. Blessed be his Holy name!

Love purifies

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
1 John 3:11 KJV
I was talking with my husband about the importance of loving others and what love can do for us.  You know that Peter taught that love covers a multitude of sin.  You know we all sin ever day and fall short of God's glory, but if we continue in love for one another then God is just to forgive us of those sins.  I am sure there are things in our lives that we may not even realize is a sin but when we love one another those things will be covered up, never to be remembered.  If we are truly Christ's, then we are to keep his commandments.  Jesus gave us a new commandment, that we love one another.
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
LOVE is very powerful, it will purify the soul like fire purifies gold.   Gold when put through the fire comes out PURE.   When we love one another our soul becomes PURE.  Peter taught us the power of LOVE.  Love will purify the soul! 
1 Peter 1:22
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Love is the key to so many things in life and the greatest thing is that by loving others we are showing Christ that we love him.  Because the bible teaches us, how can we love God whom we have not seen if we can't love our brother whom we have seen. 
1 John 4:20-21
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.