Power By The Spirit

Power By The Spirit

God’s Power 4

Power By The Spirit

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 NIV

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

The Bible clearly tells us, that the Spirit that God gave us, gave us power, love, self – discipline, self control and sound mind.

This means that any spirit that makes us powerless, weak, fearful, lawless and thoughtless is not the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit gives power not sickness, infirmity or bondage. We should realize that anything that is bad is not from God even though God permit’s it. Every good and perfect present comes from God.

God does not give evil that is why Jesus told us to pray to God for Him to deliver us from all or every evil not just some evil. Jesus also told us that God will not give us snake when we ask for fish and that the Father will give good things to those who ask.

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Luke 11:11

However, do we ask? When we ask, are we persistent? Do we persevere in prayer or do we give up and say the evil we want relief from is from God?

God does not enjoy evil so it is surprising that some Christians have bought the idea of “carry your cross” or God using evil for His own purpose. That error originated from some orthodox Churches but it is the same as attributing evil to God.

Evil comes from our human nature and it’s limitations and weakness not from the all powerful and mighty God. God will never gain anything from you experiencing evil.

It is good never to give up your faith and to keep praying for what you desire including freedom from loneliness. Some Christians are even preaching that God gives people gift of singleness – error. God wants you to desire and pray for company and support but if you stubbornly say it is God’s will for you to be single or remain single how then will you fiercely pray against what the devil is doing in your life? God does not like loneliness and He is not lonely!

The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18

This word is superior to any contrary arguments you might gave – even children know this Scripture!

Complacency is laziness. Keep praying and never give up – hold your faith. It does not matter at what age, God gives you a partner and helper but never give up or say you have the gift of singleness.

However, enjoy your single state while it lasts, never be worried or depressed and keep thanking God in every circumstance. Be positive and happy always – single or married. Be content but pray for more. Contentment does not mean complacency.

When Paul found himself in prison with Silas, He was not worried or depressed. Paul Himself who said that He knows the secret of how to be content in every situation was content but He prayed for deliverance with joy, praise and thanksgiving!

God permit’s what man wants even the bad things that man craves with the judgement that follows but that is not God’s perfect will for man. His perfect will is power, love and fruitfulness. That is why the Holy Spirit was given to us.

The Holy Spirit was not given to us for us to ignore Him but for us to recognize His place and tap into the power, deliverance, righteousness, holiness and healing that He gives.

The Spirit is the Lord and the Lord is all powerful and gives power.

Thank God for His glorious grace that gives us power, love and sound mind. Glory to God!

Related Images:

Answered Prayers

Visions, Revelations and Messages

In this vision, the Lord spoke to me and said, “I will use your worship, praise and thanksgivings offering to answer your prayer.”

This vision was given to me just a few days ago. The Lord had been ministering to me about increasing my worship and the time spent with Him in seeking His face. So I obeyed and I spent the whole night in praise, worship and thanksgiving to the Lord. I especially thanked, praised and worshipped Him for His great salvation and the blood of Jesus that saved me and redeemed me. I did this throughout the night but I slept a bit in between my worship and prayer. I also presented my petition to Him but most of the time was spend in worship, praise and thanksgiving as He had commanded me to do.

Towards the early hours of the morning, the Lord spoke to me and told me some things that He would do for me. He also warned me not to abuse any of the blessings that He was about to manifest in my life. I promised Him that I would not and also told Him what to do to me if I abused His grace or blessing. Then later, He showed me a vision of something like smoke or incense rising from my throat as I was thanking, praising and worshipping Him. That was when He told me that He would use my praise, worship and thanksgiving offerings to answer my prayers.

Praise, Worship and Thanksgiving

In my walk with God, He has been very consistent about letting me know that praise, worship and thanksgiving are offerings or sacrifices that I must give to Him. Sometimes He refers to them as His food. He would say to me, “give me my food.” Anytime He says that, I will just go into praise, worship and thanksgiving in obedience to His voice and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Can you now see why it is good to be constantly led by the Holy Spirit? The Bible tells us that those who are led by the Holy Spirit are the sons of God. It is simply very difficult to experience the reality of sonship and growing to the full stature of Christ without the constant leading and direction of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was on earth as the word of God, He did not have any vacuum in His knowledge of the Scriptures because He was filled with wisdom. Yet, Jesus did not walk by the Scripture alone. He also walked in and by the Holy Spirit who authored the Scriptures. Jesus knew the word and the giver, author and father of the word.

Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil and returned in the power of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus heard that His friend Lazarus had died, He remained where He was for three days before going to raise Lazarus from the dead. He did that by the leading of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also knew the timing of His ministry by the power and leading of the Holy Spirit.

Without the Holy Spirit, Jesus would not have manifested the great victory that He did and He understood that so well. What baffles me most is why a lot of believers ignore the Holy Spirt and are trying to do what Jesus did not do. They are trying to have victory by the written word of God alone. It is not possible. If Jesus did not attain His great victory by the written word alone, then it is foolish for us to think that we can. Are we greater than Jesus? A spiritual student can never be grater that his teacher.

Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Acts 18:24

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. Acts 17:11

Jesus was filled with the written word and had a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. Apollos of Alexandria had a thorough knowledge of Scriptures. The Berean Christians were filled with the knowledge of Scriptures. So, it is possible to have a thorough knowledge of Scriptures. We need to know the Scriptures and the power of God. The Holy Spirit manifests the power of God. It is a big mistake or error not to know the Holy Spirit and rely on the word alone. You need the word and you need the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. Matthew 22:29

Beware of anyone who claims to know the Holy Spirit, yet has limited, little or no knowledge of Scriptures or entertains false doctrines. The person claiming to know the Holy Spirit must have a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures because the Holy Spirit is the giver, author and father of the word of God. Jesus had to first all thoroughly teach the Apostkes and fill them with the Scritures. That was the first cleansing. The word sanctifies and the Holy Spirit sanctifies. The blood of Jesus also sanctifies.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. John 15:3

The word of God and truth cleansed the Apostles. Jesus cleansed them with the word then later filled them with the Holy Spirit and power. It is purity before power and sanctification before manifestation. As we walk by the leading of the Holy Spirit daily, He will wash us thoroughly with His truth and ways and enable us to fulfil our callings and destinies.

We need to know both the word of God and the Spirit of God. We cannot sacrifice one for the other. Any of the two extremes will lead to frustration and failure. Beware of any church that ignores the Holy Spirit. There was a Church I was attending when I lived in London and that Church is a Bible Church. A Church which is well known for righteousness and holiness.

That Church was all about Bible but they would conveniently ignore anything that had to do with the Holy Spirit, His gifts and His manifestations. It was not my ideal Church but it was convenient for me because they would pick me up and drop me at home. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, “beware of Churches that ignore the Holy Spirit.” Immediately the Holy Spirit said that to me, I stopped attending that Church. At that point in time, I had grown so much in my walk with God and the leading of the Holy Spirit that I knew that failure to obey the voice of the Holy Spirit leads to bad consequences. I obeyed Him.

If you want answered prayers and constant victory in Christ, live by the Spirit and the word and avoid imbalance and a tendency towards single vision and focus. Learn to have multiple visions and focus about the things of God. Learn to open your heart to God for His teaching and leading and learn to obey Him when He gives you an instruction. I am still learning and I will keep learning until the day I get to Heaven. I depend on His grace to help me, keep me and sustain me.

May we learn to walk with and in the Holy Spirit. May we always be led by the Holy Spirit, May we have thorough knowledge of the Scriptures and may we examine the Scriptures like the Barean Christians to know if what our local Church is teaching us is true and in line with the Scriptures. May great grace be upon us in Jesus name and may grace, mercy and peace be ours in full measure.

Related Images:

You Are Precious

You Are Precious

He will redeem their life from oppression and violence;

And precious shall be their blood in His sight. (Psalm 72:14 NKJV)

Your blood is precious in God’s sight. Sometimes it is hard for people to understand just how precious they are to God. They do not understand because of all the pain, evil, anguish and disappointments that they have endured. All those experienced negative circumstances take up a foothold in their minds and they just give up on the fatherhood of God.

With their mouths they confess God and His love but in their hearts, they are perplexed, confused and bewildered about God’s love. Faith and trust in God, subsequently become a real struggle. They become difficult.

This Scripture today is a reminder that not only are you precious in God’s sight, your blood is also precious in His sight. Do not judge God the way the world judges Him, through external circumstances. Judge Him by His word – believe in Him. Do not criticize and condemn Him in your heart, rather believe in His love and cling to it tenaciously. Just settle it once and for all in your mind that God’s love is greater and bigger than every other love and He is in pain when you are in pain.

Even if at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no longer do so. 1 Corinthians 5:16

His empathy and compassion are limitless. He created you for good and not for evil and He did not create you to be consumed by evil. He hates it when you suffer, even though He permits evil. Be convinced that everything is working together for your own good but submit to Him completely and pray to God to show you the root cause of your pain.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29-11

Jesus came and healed the sick. He also delivered the demon possessed. He even died for us so that we can be delivered. That is enough proof. If you were born with an ailment or an evil spirit in your foundation that oppresses you and keeps you down, it is time to pray for healing or deliverance not time to confess that everything is working together for your own good.

God wants you healed and delivered and you need to seek His face and pray. Demonic oppression and sicknesses can never glorify God, so pray, so that God will show you both the root cause and the solution to your afflictions because your blood is precious in His sight. The solution lies in the way you seek His face and wait upon Him. There is no generic method for prayer – the Holy Spirit is with you to show you what to pray for and how to pray. He also prays for you with groans.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. Romans 8:26

If your blood is wasting, God is not pleased but He wants you to seek Him the right way. He is eager to heal and deliver you and He wants you to fulfill destiny.

The fact that God permit’s negative things into our lives does not mean that He is pleased with them. He wants us to move out of His permissive will into His perfect will. Prayer is all about leaving what God permit’s, into what gives God pleasure – leaving His permissive will into His perfect will. When we make a change by our prayers and actions with patience and actions, God will make a change. If we are complacent and allow the devil and his agents to run wild, believe me, they will not relent. We are in a battle and we are called to win not give up.

Don’t fold your hands and allow every evil into your life while quoting that everything works for good for those in Christ Jesus. If you are submissive to God and you pray and constantly strive to be in His perfect will, then no need to worry or fret because everything will work out for your own good. However, if you live a careless life, and refuse to pray and seek God’s face, it does not make sense quoting that everything will work out for your own good. It will not work out for your physical good but you will go to heaven if you are redeemed. A lot of people who stay idle and quote this Scripture actually believe that their idleness, prayerlessness and lack of submission will work out for their physical good. But how?

If you do not study for your exams, you will fail. If you eat bad food and sit at one place without exercise, you can fall ill. If we intentionally or unintentionally drink poison, we will die. If anyone jumps from the top of a tower, he will be destroyed. Notice that Jesus refused to jump from a high place, when Satan tempted him to jump, perverting Scripture and promising protection. There is no protection in sin, laziness and prayerlessness. There are natural and spiritual laws of life. You need to be proactive in preventing negative things from entering your life, especially those that you know you can prevent.

If you study the Bible from Genesis to revelation, you will discover that God permitted negative things to happen to the Israelites but He was not happy and rejoicing about those evil things. He takes no pleasure in evil or in your pains and He expressed that over and over again in the Bible. He longed to deliver the Israelites from their destructions.

He permitted Egypt to enslave them but He was not happy about it. The Israelites kept crying out to Him for help and He came down to save them by sending Moses. However note that they cried out to Him. To cry means to pray to God for help and deliverance and your cry needs to be very loud instead of weak. Your knocking at His door must be bold and very loud. The Lord is definitely concerned about any and every suffering that you are going through whether self inflicted or not.

The Lord said, “I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7-10

It is natural for children to make mistakes. To err is human but to forgive is divine – God is our Judge but He will not hold our sins against us forever. His blood made sure of that but you must understand that prevention is better than cure. Do not toy around with sin especially sins like idolatry, murder and sexual immorality. They have far reaching consequences to many generations. Live a clean life but if you are already in a fix, God will fix you without condemnation.

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Acts 15:28-29

It is not everything that God permit’s that give Him pleasure. Your blood is precious in His sight and all He wants to manifest to you is love and mercy. That is His perfect will, so cooperate and partner with Him in your deliverance. Stand, stand and stand with the armor of God. Having done all else stand with patience. Don’t be idle, don’t be complacent and don’t be spiritually or physically lazy. Cooperate with God.

May great grace be upon us in Jesus name.

Related Images:

1 … 16 17 18