A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

 SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:                              

                               A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY

Scripture:  John 3:1-7

Now there was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.  At dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus.  “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us.  Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you; no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.  Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to the spiritual life.  So, do not be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’

John also put it this way:  Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, children born not of natural descent, nor human decision or passion, but born of God.  John 1:12-13

Jesus and John both made it exceedingly clear that there were two births:  a human birth and a spiritual birth!

But, how do we differentiate the between the two experiences so that we can not only live as children of God but lead others to understand the powerful difference the born again experience makes not only in this life but in eternity to come?

The Apostle Paul brings powerful clarity in the following Scripture that there are two rival kingdoms operating in the earth:

“Giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light, for he has rescued us from the KINGDOM OF DARKNESS and TRANSFERRED us into the KINGDOM OF HIS DEAR SON.” Colossians 1:12-13

How would we be able to comprehend all that took place in that transfer and what belongs to us as children of God when we said yes to Jesus unless we either hear about it through preaching or teaching or study of the Word of God?

Understanding this does, however, help us to understand how people who are not born again have a difficult time understanding those who have become what God’s word calls children of Light.

Our “journey of discovery” out of darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son is similar to that of children who begin their journey in life starting with the help of their earthly parents and relatives, then progressing to kindergarten, elementary school all the way to high school, university and onwards.

As with a child, we as believers grow in grace, and miss-takes are all a part of our growth!

What is exciting is Luke 2:52 which says, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.”

I am sure Jesus must have spent many hours being trained to become a skilled carpenter and the Bible also says that He would go into the Temple and listen and ask questions of the religious leaders!  Just as us, he was trained in everyday life as well as spiritual.

I think it is often easy to forget that although Jesus was God, he emptied himself and became a man who experienced life as we do.

In Matthew 20:19, Jesus, speaking of Himself said: “And they will deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” 

I was so moved one day when I heard someone speaking about this

Scripture because it shows that Jesus knew exactly what he was going to go through to pay for the sin of man and sicknesses, but He did it anyway! 

I remember one time the church we were part of asked for volunteers to help on a building project for the new church building that was being built.  This was in the Cayman Islands at a church work day and, not only did the men work hard but the ladies were throwing rubble into wheelbarrows from the building that had been torn down and as I was helping, I stepped on a board with a nail protruding upward and it went all the way through my shoe and through my foot.  OMG!  I pulled it out and rushed to the hospital.  It took a long time for my foot to get back to normal just from that small injury.

I know we all can remember similar instances that were excruciating but to think of what Jesus experienced and knew ahead of time he would experience should heighten our sensitivity to be intentional to become knowledgeable of all he, in his lovingkindness, paid for us to receive by faith!

In our “journey of discovery” it is also important to focus on Jesus’ two-fold statement that:

 “He came to give us life and give it to us in a more abundant way.” John 10:10

This is significant because people can receive Christ into their lives and have their heavenly destiny secured and still live with painful and frustrating issues during their life’ journey the same as the world does because of lack of knowledge of what has been paid for and what God desires for them to have!

Salvation gives us the status of being new creations in Christ Jesus!

Salvation that Jesus bought for us encompasses deliverance, faring well, prosperity, preservation, and safety; not to mention heaven!

Just as Colossians 1:12-13 states:  We were rescued out of the control of darkness into the Kingdom of his dear Son.

So, you see, before we became born again, Satan’s dominion, according to the scripture, had control over us!  We were rescued!

Philippians 3:20 says: “But our citizenship is in heaven.”

That is why in the Lord’s prayer Jesus taught his followers to pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven!”

In heaven there is no sickness, disease, confusion, strife, deception but quite the contrary!

Jesus came to give us life; so, what does that really mean so we can release our faith with confidence to receive the fullness of it:

Life in Hebrew means:  A possessor of vitality, life real and genuine, active, and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed with every spiritual blessing that is in Christ Jesus!

Jesus said:  You go in my Name!  Our part as King’s kids is, as we read the scriptures, to agree with it and stay in faith until it shows up.

What the world system teaches is:  I will believe it when I see it, but God’s Kingdom says: Believe it and then receive it!  That takes the limitations off.

I remember when I went to live in the UK how different the lifestyle was in every area of life: weather, dialect, food, attitudes, etc.  It was incumbent on me to learn the protocol of the country I was living in because I was no longer in the U.S. and by doing so, life became much more productive and enjoyable!  The same is true for us as citizens of heaven—the more we understand how things operate, the more abundant life we will experience!

So, the second part of Jesus mission in John 10:10 was:  I came to give you life more abundantly.  Well, we saw the in-depth meaning of “Life”, so it is interesting that Jesus also added - life more abundantly!

I love all the adjectives Jesus and Paul used in describing what God has for us!

ABUNDANT as it was originally translated means: More, greater, excessive, preeminence, advantage, beyond what is anticipated, going past the expected limit-continuously!

Was Jesus endeavoring to give us word pictures that would increase our expectations?  I think so!  If we look at it with our natural eyes, it sure seems beyond expectation; however, if we look at it with our spirit eyes, Jesus said, “Nothing is ever too difficult or impossible with God.” Luke 1:37

Final Thoughts:

The Apostle Paul had an intense desire for us, as born again believers, to experience the fullness of what Jesus gave his life for and expressed it in this powerful prayer that I believe is important to pray on a daily basis as it provides a continual unveiling of God’s purpose and power to those who will receive it:

Ephesians 1:15-22

“Therefore, I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:

That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your hearts being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heavenly places far above all principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come and He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all!”

Today let your testimony be:  I declare YES and AMEN (2 Cor. 1:20) for all the promises have been fulfilled in Christ and I thank my loving Father that his word is truth and I can confidently declare it and put my trust in it!

 Diana

 www.dianasykes.com

GOD'S WORD IS ALIVE!

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

 

                                                      GOD’S WORD IS ALIVE!

 

Scripture:  Hebrews 4:12

 “For the Word of God is alive and active; sharper than any double-edged sword; it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

I once heard Dr. Aiko Hormann, a Physicist, A.I. Researcher, whose work was recognized by NATO, who is an anointed teacher used greatly by the Lord in physical and emotional healings, say the Lord had shown her that the “double-edged sword,” referred to in the above scripture, is like a laser beam.  Lasers can cut through matter to change its substance and then the same beam is also a source of healing substance!

God describes his Word as alive, active, quick, effectual, mighty in operation, and it is a seed with life in it that carries power, energy, and substance to manifest God’s intentions when it is spoken.

It is very much like this:  My car has a system on it that allows me to set it up the way I like it:  Lights on and off, steering setting, mirror and seat settings, etc.  A while back, I pressed on a button that brought up a message that said: “Do you want the system to go back to the Manufacturer’s Settings?”

When we are born again, our spirit is reset to our Creator’s Manufacturer Setting!  He has set everything within us to work to the highest standard and best purpose he created us for!

How do we know this?  Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece (handiwork).  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

However, our soul which includes our mind, will and emotions, is filled with life experiences from when we were first born into the world through our earthly parents and often it needs resetting so that we can think God’s thoughts about ourselves and subsequently grow in the good plans He has for us as mentioned in Ephesians 2:10!

As we study the Word of God, the “laser beam” of his Word will cut through wrong ideas and repetitive thoughts and actions that have kept us from experiencing who God created us to be!

For instance, I have read that when baby elephants are being trained for the Circus, they have their leg tethered to a pole with a rope that allows limited movement.   After a while, they become so use to the limitation the rope imposes when they try to move forward that they cease to try anymore.  The interesting thing is, even when the elephant has grown to 1,000’s of pounds and could easily break free, the conditioning from its youth still keeps it from trying!

This must be why the Apostle Paul said in Romans 12: 1-2 “I beg and urge you, therefore, brothers, by (because of) the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may prove what is the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”

So often even after becoming Christians, we remain conditioned in our thought life to think like the “world system” we have become accustomed to and the learned behavioral patterns we have had for years.

Because of this, Paul literally begs us to find the new and better way which is to learn God’s plans for us and recondition or “reset” our mind to God’s Manufacturer Settings.  As we say “YES” to the heavenly reset button by offering our lives to Him as our spiritual service, He gets the glory because of all of the great plans He gets to unveil for us, both individually and corporately!

Paul makes it clear that as born-again believers a transformation of our thought life and habits is needed.  Transformed, as mentioned in Romans 12:2 is the Greek word, metamorphoo, and it is a picture of what happens when a caterpillar sheds the cocoon and turns into a beautiful butterfly!  It reflects a beautiful change which is what happens to us when our thinking aligns with God’s thoughts of us!

This scripture indicates there are areas in all our lives where we have been tethered to our life experiences that God wants us to be liberated from.  The Word of God is given to us to pierce and free us so that our soul and spirit can work in unison for our good!  Just like the System in my car covered a variety of areas, so it is with us.  One small tweak, for instance, on a seat setting can make a gigantic difference in the comfort level and in safety while driving! 

Isaiah 49:2. “He made my mouth like a sharp sword.”

God created the universe by speaking it into existence. He wants us to learn how we can release life giving forces into our lives by what we say every day! 

Our scripture says the Word of God has power within it to penetrate and pierce through our soul and spirit.  So, we could say, God’s Word is powerful to show us truth from error.  Solomon once said, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

God wants us to bloom in our lives and reflect his glory.  Daily reflection and scanning of our lives is a powerful way to catch any little foxes of wrong thinking so we can experience all He has in store for us spiritually, physically, and emotionally!

Hebrews 4:12 says the Word of God has energy in it to bring health and wholeness to our joints and marrow, i.e., our physical being!

Isaiah 53:4-5, for instance, explains in depth the things Jesus paid for us to experience: “Surely he bore our sorrows and carried our griefs; he was chastised so that we would have peace and by his stripes (beatings/lashings) we are healed…”

When we release the divine energy that is in those living God-breathed Words into our situation by meditating and decreeing them, the active, energizing Word goes to work in us and for us.

Isaiah 55:11…”so is my Word that goes out of my mouth; it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

Note:  It will accomplish!  The Word is sent out to work and perform God’s intentions!

Now, the fact may be that the issue, physical or emotional, still exists but Jesus said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free!”  John 8:32

It is the truth about what Jesus has already done for us that is ACTED upon that will bring the results into our lives that we are desiring!

Also, according to our lead scripture, the Word judges the “attitude” of our hearts which gives us the opportunity to reset our thoughts on what God’s living Word says. By conscientiously doing so, we will be able to discard wrong or erroneous attitudes which will help us in our lives and also put us in a position to help others by sharing God’s life-changing truths with them!

Final thoughts:

It has been estimated that daily we use between 7,000 to 20,000 words!  Just as Jesus directed his words to create the end result, we can use our words like building blocks in much the same way!

Psalms 107:20 is such an exciting “right now” Word for us: “He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.” The verb “send” is synonymous with the words:  dispatch, convey, transmit, transport, deliver and actually represents an ongoing event!

As a believer in Christ, you are an authorized agent of Heaven, an Ambassador, to send forth living, sharp, active, mighty Words of God, based on scriptures, that have the power in them to change lives for the glory of God!

Jeremiah 29:11 says: “I know the thoughts and plans I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts for good and not evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

That is the best Manufacturer Setting ever!

Diana

WHAT IF? Why this mini booklet is a powerful witnessing tool

 “WHAT IF?”

 WHY THIS MINI BOOKLET IS A USER-FRIENDLY, BUT POWERFUL, WITNESSING TOOL FOR ALL CHRISTIANS!

In Luke 2:49, Jesus parents had been searching high and low for Him and when they found Him, He said to them:

 DID YOU NOT KNOW THAT I MUST BE ABOUT MY FATHER’S BUSINESS?

 Haven’t you, since becoming a believer in Christ, had a sense that, just like Jesus, you know there is a call to tell others about your heavenly Father’s business?

Often though, it feels challenging to talk to people about our relationship with the Lord for various reasons:  possibly shyness, fear of rejection or just not feeling knowledgeable as to how to easily go about it!

We felt the Holy Spirit gave us this WHAT IF? Booklet that could be given non-confrontationally to anyone whether family, friends, business associates, delivery people, store associates, and let the Booklet speak for itself!

What it will do in a matter of seconds is let the reader know:

-They are loved by God!

-They are somebody special, not an accident!

-They will realize it does not matter where they are in life now or how they got there; things are about to change in a tremendous way for their good!

They will “sense” an immediate connection through reading and saying John 3:16 “For God so loved Me..that He gave His only Son that if I would believe, I would become a Child of God…” causing them to feel they are indeed very important to God!                          

-Because of this, in a moment’s time they will want to pray the Salvation Prayer in the booklet from their heart and their eternal destination will be changed forever, which will please our Heavenly Father!

Jesus told his disciples he wanted to make them Fishers of Men!  He has given us the same commission.

Just by the simple act of handing this booklet out, you will have been just like Jesus, about the Father’s Business and, only Heaven will tell the lives, individually, family-wise or otherwise that were changed because of You!

We believe “WHAT IF?” creates curiosity just because of the title and that even if someone you give it to just happens to put it down somewhere, someone else will pick it up and their lives have the potential to change forever just because they wanted to know what, WHAT IF? was all about!

As Christians, we know someone told us about Jesus and who knows where we would be now if they had not stepped out in faith to do so!

Also, we encourage all that make a decision for Jesus as their Lord and Savior to find a local Church, Bible Study Group or someone who is a Christian to help them grow in their faith so they can become everything God gave His Son for them to be!

Now, with all of this in mind, we pray many of you will write and request some of these Salvation Booklets, so that you will be a missionary and evangelist for Jesus—literally “about the Father’s Business.” We will send as many you would like “Free of Charge!”

These mini booklets are pocket and handbag size which makes them easy for you and those you give them to.

Remember, WHAT IF’S message will do the work!  Your part is to get it into someone’s hands!

Below is the first 8 pages: Booklet small, light and changing lives!

AVAILBLE FREE:  E-mail Dianasykesministry@gmail.com

Quantity and address.

LOVE IS WHAT WE NEED !

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE SERIES:

 

LOVE IS WHAT YOU NEED!

 

Scripture:  1 Corinthians 13:13

 “And now, these three remain:  FAITH, HOPE and LOVE.

But the greatest of these is LOVE!”

 For quite some time, I was very interested as to why the Holy Spirit put LOVE at the bottom of the list of the three things that are important for our lives to be happy and productive as New Testament believers!

 It is interesting, because we are told that without FAITH, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God.  Hebrews 11:6

So Faith is obviously gigantic on God’s hit list!

Also, HOPE gives us confidence, Hebrews 11:1, that what we are praying for will actually happen and is on its way!

 So Hope is super BIG with God and for us as well!

After much study and contemplation, I realized why the greatest force in life is God’s LOVE! This is because it is the FOUNDATION that FAITH and HOPE are built upon and is the very essence of God himself!

Just as all building structures, whether they are houses or commercial buildings, etc., require the foundation or substructure to be carefully laid so that everything involved in the superstructure will rest on it properly, God’s LOVE in us and flowing out of us has to be the FOUNDATION our lives are built upon!

How do we know when we are acting in God’s LOVE and not some worldly surface idea of what love is?

The Holy Spirit has given us a Check List, a guideline, of what Love is and what it is not in 1Corinthians 13:4-7!

Why is it so important that we are aware of the intricacies of what God deems qualifying factors for our love walk as Christians?

I remember passing by an Auto Service Garage one day and there was a large sign out front that said:

RED LIGHT FLASHING?

Better get it checked out before something BIG happens!

In my personal experiences through the years, if I had noted a “red light flashing” in my spirit, I would have acted and reacted differently to various situations and saved myself from BIG happenings that would have turned out very different, I believe, if I had focused on God’s Love Check List and applied it!

So, here goes the Holy Spirit’s list of Love qualifiers:

Love is Patient!

(Having patience with imperfect people)

Love is kind!

(Active in doing good)

Love does not envy!                          

(Because it actually wants other people to get ahead)

 

Love does not parade itself!

(Not claiming attention for oneself)

 

Love is not puffed up!

(Does not treat others arrogantly)

 

Love does not behave rudely!

(But displays good manners and courtesy)

 

Love does not seek its own!

(Insisting on its own rights, demanding precedence; rather, it is unselfish)

 

Love is not easily provoked!

(It is not irritable or touchy, rough or hostile, but is graceful under pressure.)

 

Love thinks no evil!

(It does not keep an account of wrongs done to it, instead, it erases resentments.)

 

 

Love does not rejoice in iniquity!

(Finding satisfaction in the shortcomings of others and spreading an evil report)

 

Love rejoices in the Truth!

(Aggressively advertising the good)

 

Love Bears All Things!

(Defending and holding people up)

 

Love Believes the best of others!

(Credits them with good intentions, and is not suspicious)

 

Love always Hopes!

(Never gives up but affirms the future)

 

Love always Perseveres!

(Remains loyal even under pressure)

 

Love never fails!

(God’s way of doing things never fails!)

 

(Commentary from Spirit-Life Bible, NKJ)

In light of the above, there is a very interesting story of how two of Jesus’ close disciples reacted to an uncomfortable situation that has similarities to the environment we find ourselves in today:

“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem and he sent messengers on ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to get things ready for him, but the people there did not welcome him, because he was heading for Jerusalem.

When the disciples James and John saw this, they asked, “Lord, do you want us TO CALL FIRE DOWN from heaven to destroy them?”  But Jesus turned and corrected them and said, “You do not know of which Spirit you are!”

Wow!  Here are two of Jesus’ close disciples reacting instead of acting!

Notice, Jesus did not tell them it was not possible for them to call down “fire” to destroy them!  Was He correcting them for forgetting who they represented, which was to be a representative of His Father’s LOVE, or was He cautioning them about releasing “Words” and “Actions”  that had the potential to destroy what He was here to build?

Jesus brother, James said something that may bring clarity:

“…In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things.  Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body.  It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on FIRE by hell.” James 3:5-6

It is often easy to be hard on people with different opinions than ours and to quickly make harsh judgements instead of praying prayers of faith for them.

Could Jesus have been making the point that He wanted his disciples to be cognizant that they were on Heaven’s team, members of the “God’s squad,” and should not be acting for the “enemies’ team” by calling down fire and destruction just because people weren’t seeing it their way?

It is much the same way today, there are so many opposing forces, opinions and passions surrounding family, friends, political parties, cultures and ethnic groups, that it is easy to get caught up in our emotions and react the same way James and John did.

How then can we, as children of God, be used to bring about changes in the world for His glory?

The Apostle Paul told Timothy to enlist people to pray the following way:

“I urge you, FIRST OF ALL, to pray for ALL people.  Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.  This is good and pleases God our Savior who wants EVERYONE to be SAVED and to UNDERSTAND THE TRUTH.”

Some FOOD for Thought concerning the above prayer list:

First of All, Pray for ALL people!  What?  I think most of us many times would want to get on James and John’s team!

Intercede, which means to intervene on behalf of another? “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field. God’s building. 1 Cor. 3:9

This means, as the Body of Christ, God releases His desire for people and nations through the intercessory prayers of His people!

Give thanks for ALL people?  Don’t we, in all honesty, often find it difficult to even like some people, much less praying for and thanking God for them; but here, he is saying God wants us to give THANKS for them!

Pray for leaders and ALL in authority around the world?  Pray what?:

“That they will be saved, and come to understand the truth!”

He is saying this is how we can be part of changing men’s hearts—pray for leaders of nations that they will accept Jesus and come to understand how God’s kingdom works!  Faith works by Love! Galatians 5:6

God says this is the good way to pray and really pleases Him because His heart’s desire is that EVERYONE would come to know Jesus and to understand that He is a good God that wants good things for All people!

As we take on the mandate to pray specific prayers as the Holy Spirit leads, in the midst of so much controversy in the world today, even among our family, friends and sphere of influence, we will be “doing good and pleasing God our Savior” by spreading His Love, which is truth, throughout the world.

Our “Faith, Hope and Love” based prayers are important to God:

Once again, James, Jesus’ brother shows us how when we acknowledge how we have “missed the mark” ourselves, it makes it easier to pray more compassionate and earnest prayers for others so they can be healed and restored to a right relationship with God which is what He desires for All!

“Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart].” James 5:16 Amplified

When we are conscious of God’s cleansing and healing Love for us, it gives us confidence to pray powerful faith-filled prayers for others!

….”The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power]. James 5:16

Jesus said, at the end of the age, right before His return, the love of many would grow cold!  Isn’t that what we are seeing all around us? 

But, we also find the solution for the turnaround in God’s Word!

Again, Galatians 5:6 “Faith is activated and expressed and works through love.”

Amplified

When I think of what God says is important for our Faith to be activated so that our prayers are answered, my mind takes me back to the UK when I stopped to put gas into the beautiful, high performance car that that I was driving.  I stopped at a Petrol Station and didn’t realize that the attendant had put Diesel fuel into the gas tank rather than gasoline.  Much to my surprise, almost immediately, as I was driving away, the car started jerking and hesitating and, as I looked into the rear-view mirror, I saw big puffs of black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe!  

What had happened?  The wrong fuel was put in!  What had been a smooth running, special automobile, soon ceased to operate efficiently; not to mention, it looked pretty awful sitting by the roadside instead of fulfilling its purpose! The interesting thing is, the car engine had to be completely flushed out before it would run efficiently again.  The right fuel could not just be put on top of the wrong fuel…..it needed a total cleansing; then it was running smooth again!

This week, I had a situation arrive that was a bit uncomfortable and I had the opportunity to put the right fuel into my “spiritual tank” and to apply the “Love Check List” to what I was feeling!  Something came up and my mind immediately went to a negative, judgmental thought; but God!….the Red Light started flashing and I chose “Love that thinks the best of others,” and  immediately, I felt a sense of God’s presence smiling into the situation!

In much the same way, being aware of the Love Check List above, will help us keep the right fuel in our “spiritual tanks” so that we will not inadvertently be filling up with the wrong fuel, sat by the roadside, but we will be co-workers with God, full of His LOVE, fulfilling His special purposes for our lives and those we pray for!

Final Thought:

King Solomon said:  “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom; and with all your getting, get understanding.”  Proverbs 4:7

As we put into practice each day the wisdom about “God’s Love” that we have learned more about today, I believe we will experience more peace, more faith, more hope, more answered prayers because—LOVE IS TRULY WHAT WE NEED!

 

 

THE POWER OF A BLESSING

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

 

 THE POWER OF A BLESSING!                

 

“And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying:  Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain.  So, God granted him what he requested.”  2 Chron. 4:9-10

Jabez asked God for quite a few blessings in this prayer and, you know what, it says God gave him EXACTLY what he requested!

God loves to answer prayers and faith declarations!

Jabez had a pretty rough start and lived for many years with the “identity” that had landed on him from family and friends until one day he got sick and tired of being sick and tired and boldly prayed asked for God’s blessings!

If Jabez had not “asked for God’s blessings, he probably would have stayed in the vicious cycle of defeat; but when he finally did ask, can’t you just imagine the joy it brought to God’s heart to bless a man that He thought so highly of instead of seeing him living without the blessing He had desired for him all of the time!

It says in this Scripture, that “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers….” Those were God’s thoughts of him!

So many people today have a false image of God and how much He wants to bless them!

“It is the blessing of the LORD that makes rich, and He adds no sorrow with it.”  Proverbs 10:22

Where did the BLESSING first begin?

“So, God created human beings in his image.  In the image of God, he created them.  God BLESSED them and said:  Be fruitful and multiply…Gen 1:27-28

Fruitfulness and multiplication, increase and blessings are God’s ideas!

The Apostle Paul said: “BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has BLESSED US (past tense) with every spiritual BLESSING in the heavenly places in Christ…”

Some of the BLESSINGS Jesus paid for us to receive by faith are in Deuteronomy 28

The Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth and   ALL these BLESSINGS will come upon you and overtake you…!

BLESSED shall you be in the city and BLESSED shall you be in the Country

BLESSED shall be the fruit of your body….

BLESSED shall you be when you come in and BLESSED shall you

Be you go out.

The Lord will cause your enemies who rise against you to be                                                                                  defeated before your face, they shall come out against you one way   and flee seven ways.

The Lord will command THE BLESSING on you in your storehouses and in ALL to which you set your hand and He will BLESS you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you!

How can we know these powerful blessings apply to us today as New Testament believers?

Galatians 3:14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to 

Abraham might come upon the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, SO THAT, by faith, we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”

God wants us to put our faith in him and his Word and claim all these promises not just for us but so that we can be his outstretched arms to others!

God told Abraham, “I will BLESS you and you will be a BLESSING.” Gen 12:2-3

2 Cor. 1:20 says, “ALL of God’s promises (BLESSINGS) are YES and AMEN!”

After Jesus resurrection, He said something very interesting to Thomas which also pertains to us today.  

It went like this: The disciples had told Thomas they had seen the Lord and his comments were:  “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” A short time later the disciples and Thomas were together and Jesus came and stood among them and said: “Peace be with you!”

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here.  See my hands.  Reach out your hand and put it into my side.  STOP DOUBTING and BELIEVE.”

Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”

Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed, BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HAVE NOT SEEN AND YET HAVE BELIEVED!”

The important thing to note is:  BLESSINGS are activated by our faith!

We are in the category of people that Jesus was talking about.  His promise to us is that if we believe the promises and words in the

Scriptures that have been spoken without “seeing” Him, we will be BLESSED because we believe!

In Luke 1:45 Elizabeth said to Mary, “You are BLESSED because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Psalms 103: 1-5 “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me. Bless his holy Name! 

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits (BLESSINGS)

Who forgives all thine iniquities

Who heals all thy diseases

Who redeems thy life from destruction

Who crowns thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies

Who satisfies thy mouth with good things, SO THAT thy youth is renewed like the eagles

Who executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed…

David told his soul to BLESS the Lord by remembering ALL of His benefits….

Again, it sounds like God gets great joy when we know his benefits and claim the promises!

“BLESSED be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, even the God of our salvation.”  Ps 68:19 

Final Thought:

There is so much power in understanding that God has BLESSING his people on his mind every day in every way!

Understanding His heart’s intention is like having tools in our spiritual tool kit!

We’ve learned He wants us to be fruitful and multiply!

He wants us to be blessed going in and coming out!

He has got so many blessings for us they will find us and overtake us!

He has blessing our children on his mind!

He said He would heal all diseases…so He has wholeness on his mind!

He has forgiveness on his mind and that is why he sent Jesus!

He has protection from destruction on his mind!

He has our youth being renewed on his mind!

These are powerful BLESSINGS that belong to us when we use our faith and say: YES and AMEN for the glory of God!

Diana M Sykes

A GIFT FROM GOD

 

Something of Significance:

      

SUBJECT:  ONE OF THE DYNAMIC GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT-

                   PRAYING IN TONGUES-GOD’S HEAVENLY LANGUAGE

 In Acts 1, after Jesus’ resurrection to heaven and return to earth, he appeared to his followers for 40 days and talked to them about the things of the kingdom of God.  One particular day, he was in their company and eating with them and he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised of which he said you have heard me speak,

For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.

They were asking Jesus a lot of questions about coming events and timing of his return, but it seems like he was trying to get them back on the subject at hand, which was the promise of the Father, to send the Holy Spirit because he began his public ministry with (Dunamis) power after the Holy Spirit came upon him!

 Dunamis is the Greek word for power and is rooted in our word for dynamite!

Jesus said to them: “But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the very   ends of the earth!”

 Chapter 2 says they were all together praying when the day of Pentecost came when suddenly there came a sound from heaven in the house where they were sitting and there appeared to them tongues, resembling fire, which were distributed and settled on each one of them….

 (Fire in the Greek language figuratively represents transforming what it touches.)

And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues and in other languages as the Spirit gave them utterance!

 Because it was Pentecost, Jews were gathered from every nation and they heard the disciples, many in their own language, TELLING OF THE MIGHTY WORKS OF GOD!

 Jesus described the Holy Spirit in John 15:26-27:

 But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor,

Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth, He will testify regarding me, but you will also testify and be my witnesses….”

Jesus was sharing all the different ways this power source, THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY, would help them!

Jesus said, I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send him to you.”  John 16:17

When we give our lives to the Lord and receive him as Savior, we are baptized into his Body and become one spirit with Him.

Jesus told his disciples to go and wait for the Gift, the Promise, which was the Holy Spirit they would receive who would indwell them and empower them dynamically to be his witnesses after he went back to heaven.

 Speaking with tongues is the unique spiritual Gift identified with the church after the day of Pentecost and is beneficial in all areas of life for us today.

 Jesus told his disciples:

 And these signs shall follow them that believe.

 “In my name they shall cast out devils; and

 They shall speak with new tongues….” Mark 16:17-18

  The Apostle Paul asked some of the followers on one of his mission trips:

 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”  They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”  So, Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?”  John’s baptism,” they replied.  Paul said:  John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.  He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.  When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”  Acts 19:2-6

Paul said, OK.  Let us get you baptized in water and in the Holy Spirit!

The believers in the Upper Room at Pentecost received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit while praying—

and

As above, some followers of Christ received by the laying on of hands!

Some of the benefits of speaking in tongues are:

Communication with God in heaven’s language:

1 Cor 14:2 “For one who speaks in an unknown tongue speaks not to men but to God, for no one understands or catches his meaning, because in the Holy Spirit he utters secret truths and hidden things (not obvious to the understanding).”

V4. “He who speaks in tongues edifies and improves himself….”

Jude 1:20 “But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith, and pray in the Holy Spirit.”

I heard someone say, praying in tongues is like charging your spiritual battery.

The longer you do it, the stronger you get!

Romans 8:26. “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groaning (sighs) too deep for words.”

1 Cor. 14:15. “What am I to do?  I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also.”

The Holy Spirit knows what to pray concerning God’s will and plans for our lives that we do not always understand or know about in our natural lives!

Romans 8:27 “And he who searches hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because the Spirit intercedes for the Saints according to the will of God.”

“But as it is written:  Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered the heart of man the things which God has prepared for them that love him, But God has revealed them to us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searches all things, yes the deep things of God.  1 Cor. 2: 9-10

Receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues is a means to receive all that Jesus died for us to receive, the deep things of God that He wants us to experience that we have not even thought about!

God’s gift was his Son given for the redemption of the world and Jesus gave the Holy Spirit as a gift to his church.

Our Holy Spirit language gives us wisdom for ourselves and how to minister to others!

1 Cor 14:18-19 the Apostle Paul said, “I thank my God that I speak in tongues more than all of you, but in the church (setting) I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.”

He was saying how vital praying in tongues was to him personally and his ministry; however, in church he would speak with his mind so that all could understand what his message to them was.

He obviously knew the believers around him prayed in tongues, but he apparently felt the need to stress the importance of doing so by saying:  I pray in tongues more than you all!

Jesus said, “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will lead and guide you into all truth.”  John 16:13

We do not always know the best course or action to take, but the Holy Spirit has been given to us to help keep us on course!

Following is a powerful prayer Kenneth Copeland Ministries suggests we pray so we can become established in our heavenly language:

Heavenly Father,

I am a believer.  I am your child and You are my Father.  Jesus is my Lord.  I believe with all my heart that your Word is true.

Your Word says if I will ask, I will receive the Holy Spirit.  So, in the Name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, I am asking You to fill me to overflowing with Your Precious Holy Spirit.  Jesus, baptize me in the Holy Spirit.

Because of Your Word, I believe I now receive, and I thank You for it.  I believe the Holy Spirit is within me and, by faith, I accept it.

Now, Holy Spirit, rise up within me as I praise God.  I fully expect to speak with other tongues as You give me the utterance.

He also adds:

Begin to praise God for filling you with the Holy Spirit.  Speak those words and syllables you receive—not in your own language, but the language given you by the Holy Spirit.  You must use your own voice.  God will not force you to speak.  Do not be concerned with how it sounds…. It is a heavenly language!

 

Diana Sykes

www.dianasykes.com

 SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE SERIES:

 

THE FORCE OF FAITH VERSUS THE FORCE OF FEAR           

 

Faith forecasts what we do want and Fear forecasts what we do not want!

 

Hebrews 11:1-2 “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.  By it, men of old gained approval!”

 

Luke 12:32: “Fear not little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

 

Can’t you just hear God’s heart and desire to be involved with peoples’ lives?  Jesus urged his followers not to fear because it was the Father’s pleasure to do good things for them and Hebrews says people with faith got God’s attention and approval!

 

I heard someone say this week that when we have faith in God and his promises, it gives him so much gratification! 

 

That is great news because Hebrews 11:6 also says: “He is a rewarder of those that earnestly and sincerely seek Him.”

 

Sounds like spending time with our Father and having Faith in His Word is a WIN/WIN proposition! 

 

But, where did Fear originate? 

 

The first-time fear is mentioned in the Bible is when Eve believed the lie Satan told her about God.  The lie basically was:  God does not really have your best interests at heart!  In Genesis 3: 9-10 “But the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?  He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.”

The lie is still perpetrated today because many people throughout the world do not believe God is a good God and that He not only wants them to experience an abundant life but his Son paid for it to be able to happen.

 

In my book. “Detox:  Spiritual Cleansing for a Fulfilling Life,” one of the chapter titles is: “The biggest lie ever told: “What you do not

know won’t hurt you!”

 

God desires us to know about all the good things He has prepared for us and we get to experience them more fully when we acknowledge who He says we are in Christ!  We are co-laborers together with God!

That is BIG!

 

Without this knowledge, however, we and others will experience life circumstantially rather than purposefully and miss out on the true reason for our being on the earth to bring pleasure to God! …

 

So, what you do not know will definitely hurt you but what you do know and act on will definitely benefit you and others in your sphere of influence.

 

1 John 3:1 “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God and that is what we are.”

 

Paul said: “I pray that the communication of your faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” Philemon 1:6

 

Quite frequently I say, “Father, I acknowledge every good thing that is in me in Christ Jesus and I believe by faith I will participate in these good things today!”

 

He said, if we want our faith to be effective, it must be communicated…. we must talk about it!  He wants us to talk about what Jesus did for us and learn what he wants to do through us!  The Scripture says that these good things must be acknowledged!  It is interesting too that Paul said we should acknowledge EVERY good thing.  Seems like he wanted all the bases in our lives to be covered!

 

Faith is simply talking and acting like God’s word is true.

 

It is enormously powerful to think about what Mary, the Mother of Jesus said: 

 

“Be it done unto me according to your Word.” Luke 1:38

 

She had to accept and acknowledge the good news the angel brought to her.  She had a choice and so do we!

 

On the other hand, we must keep in mind also that fear is talking and acting like Satan’s word is true!

 

So many people are not knowledgeable of the truth that there is a God who loves them and that they can depend on.

 

Jesus said in Matthew 24:12:

 

“Because of the increase of wickedness and lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.”

 

Many are filled with fearful and cold hearts right now.

 

The wonderful news is, however, we have the antidote to share with others concerning these happenings.

 

The Bible says in 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment.”

 

Some of the characteristics of fear are torture, distress, harassment, to buffet as waves, vexation, and fretting!

 

In other words, no peace!

 

We could just as easily say:  There is no fear in faith!  Faith that originates from the knowledge of the love of God.

 

The quality of life God intends for us to enjoy is spoiled and robbed by fear because it has torment, lack of peace, confusion, control, etc.

 

God wants fear eradicated from our lives and replaced with faith! 

 

“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

 Romans 10:17

 

One key to great faith is when we hear and read the word of God, we take time to internalize His words and make them personal and applicable to our lives and those we pray for.

 

2 Timothy 1:7 says: “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

 

This clearly shows us that fear is not just an emotion or fleeting thought process but is a spirit that brings with it torment!

 

It is important to note what God has given us:

 

The Spirit of Power

The Spirit of Love

The Spirit of a Sound Mind - the Mind of Christ!

 

Final Thought:

 

It is not only special to know that our faith in receiving what God has gifted us with pleases and gratifies Him, but in the following Scripture, it is powerful to note that He, himself, IS WORKING IN US and we know that has to be good!

 

“For it is God which works in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”  Philippians 2:13