SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

                       BLESSINGS FOLLOW RIGHT BELIEVING!

 

Scripture:  Mark 9:23-24

This is the story of a man who was feeling pain and frustration for the terrible situation his son was in.  He obviously had heard about all the wonderful things Jesus was doing for the people around him, but the situation was so big in his eyes he was not convinced Jesus had the power or would even have compassion to help him out! However, to these questions Jesus replied:

 “If You can believe?  All things are possible for the one who believes and trusts [in Me]!” Jesus quickly let the man know it was not about his power or willingness to do something for him, but the man’s faith. Immediately after hearing Jesus’ words, the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe, help my unbelief or help my weak faith!”

Just like the situations many of us go through and things we see going on around us, this man’s faith was shaken by what he saw, and he became conscious of his own inability to believe beyond what he saw.  He then asked Jesus to remove his doubt!

Jesus obviously honored that man’s prayer because when his believing got straightened out, immediately his son was set free. Jesus was happy to work with this man’s limited faith so that He could give him the miracle he needed!

Hebrews 11:6 says: “And without faith it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him!”

That is a powerful promise for us today that the Lord absolutely rewards faith and Jesus took time to help straighten the man’s thinking out so he could receive what Jesus wanted for him all the time!

Jesus loved performing miracles and answering prayers and today is still looking for those that believe He will do what the Scriptures say He will do!

 Ephesians 1:19-21 “I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who BELIEVE him.  This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.  Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come!”

 Mark 6:4-5 will help us to see how right believing attracts God’s blessings and wrong believing forfeits God’s blessings.

“Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home. He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.” Look at that!  We are talking about the Son of God, the living Word, walking among them, but people in his everyday sphere of influence forfeited miracles and blessings because of familiarity or judging things in natural ways.  They were saying, “Oh, this is just the carpenter’s son and we know all of his family; He is just like us!”

Often, we, as believers, can have similar experiences with family, friends, business associates, etc., because they do not understand that as born-again Christians, God, through the finished work of Jesus, now lives inside of us and has delegated to us the power and authority to use His Name so that his will is manifest on earth as it is in Heaven!

The Apostle Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 2:14: “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.”

 The exciting news for us today is as faith-filled believers in God’s promises, we have assurance God watches over His Word to perform it.  One important aspect of faith is that while we are waiting for the answers to show up, we must purpose in our heart, ahead of time, not to let situations or circumstances steal our joy or our faith!

 Always keep in mind, as well, “Delay is not Denial!”

 God desires us to continue to proclaim his Father’s Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven for the people HE CREATED!  Jesus came from Heaven to earth so you can imagine his excitement about getting people to understand His Father’s heart so they could experience “Heaven on Earth!”

 He has now commissioned us to do the same:

 Mark 16:15:  And then He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone….”

With all the bad news and confusion going on around the world that we mostly learn about through media, focusing on the Gospel continues to be the way we release faith for God’s will, not man’s will to be done!

Luke 18:8 Jesus asked, “…. but when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on the earth?

In Matthew 24:12. Jesus stated that right before his return, “because lawlessness, {wickedness and iniquity) would multiply and abound, the love of many will grow cold.”

Have you noticed how easy it is to get caught up in negative conversations which inflame emotions and before you realize it, you are agreeing with others about how bad things or people are when Jesus said: “IF YOU can believe all things are possible!” 

 The Apostle Paul said: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel for IT IS THE POWER OF GOD to salvation to everyone who BELIEVES…” God is in His Word!  When we speak His Word in faith, His power goes to work to change situations!  Paul was saying not to be ashamed to speak about the Gospel because he knew it had power to bring people to salvation and change circumstances in their lives!

Jesus was not ashamed when some did not believe!  He just kept on doing what His Father had sent Him to do and those that believed received the blessings! 

When stuff happens, however, we can get bogged down with issues and our faith to believe all God promised those who would believe can get blocked. When this happens, we must quickly cast it off being fully persuaded of God’s goodness and love for us and his desire to reward our efforts in seeking Him. Realizing we are God’s investment will help us focus on the benefits he has placed within us. Our part is to daily take time to make the great exchange: 

His Peace for our worries:

John 14:27 “Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” 

His Health for our infirmities:

1 Peter 2:24 “He Himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness, “by his wounds you have been healed.”

His Joy for our sadness:

John 15:11 “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.  Yes, your joy will overflow.”

His Power for our weakness:

Isaiah 40:29 “He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.”

His Faith for our fears:

Luke 12:32 “Fear not little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”

Visually making these exchanges on a regular basis can bring our lives into God’s Will on earth as it is in Heaven!

Have you ever heard the expression, “You can take it to the bank?”

It means what was said is absolutely guaranteed!

Hebrews 6:17-18: “So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise, the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.”

From this Scripture, we, as heirs of the promise, can absolutely be convinced that if we do not draw back and allow wrong thinking or wrong beliefs to fill our lives but keep the faith for the victories He paid for us to have through right believing, we can take God’s promises to the Bank of Heaven and expect the promised results!

Diana

www.dianasykes.com

SOUL FOOD

 

SOMETHING OF SIGNIFICANCE:

                                       SOUL FOOD

SCRIPTURE:  3 John 1:2

“Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and enjoy good health, even as your soul prospers.” NIV

It is exciting to think about the fact that God loves soul—Soul Prosperity!

This powerful scripture was penned by the Apostle John whose testimony was:  I am the disciple that Jesus loves!

Could it be that when John wrote this to Gaius and the Church, he felt the Spirit of the Lord breathing His highest wishes for His children as He emphasized “ABOVE ALL THINGS?”

I do not think you could get much more descriptive than ABOVE ALL!  The amazing thing is, John did not just stop with enjoy good health, but in the same breath, he added: “and that they may prosper” or as the original Greek says: to be continually prospered in every way!

…. But he added: “EVEN AS your soul prospers!” “Even as” speaks of degrees!

The beautiful thing about this Scripture is that God puts no limits on how healthy or how prosperous or successful we can be.  He just lets us know that these are his highest wishes and prayers for His children!

So, how do we get our Soul to prosper?

Jesus’ mother said:  My soul MAGNIFIES the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!

We know a magnifying glass enhances the subject or item it is focusing on. 

She said to the Angel that God had sent to speak to her: “Be it done unto me according to your Word!” Luke 1:38

In light of the circumstances, that was seriously magnifying the Lord!

 

David told his Soul what it should be doing in Psalm 103:

 

Bless the Lord oh MY Soul, and ALL that is within me, bless his holy name! 

 

Why did he talk to his Soul and all that was within him like that?

 

Could it have been because he wanted to keep reminding himself of God’s goodness and His benefits to him? He told his Soul that “it” should not forget a single one of the benefits or we would say “blessings” the Lord wanted him to experience!

-who forgives all your sins!

-who heals all your diseases

-who redeems your life from the pit

-crowns you with love and compassion

-satisfies your desires with good things

-so that your youth is renewed

David went from being a shepherd on the hillside to King of Israel by reminding himself of God’s goodness even though he also went through a lot of frustrating times in his life from being ignored by his family, to being betrayed by a beloved friend, and being misunderstood by his superior which caused years of havoc, etc.; so, he obviously knew the benefits of keeping God’s love and goodness in the forefront of his Soul!

Remember John said:  Health and Prosperity are connected to Soul prosperity which is based on the knowledge of how good God is and what his desires are for us! To realize the fullness of God’s blessings as David did, it is important to “own” the promises!

 How do we do this?

 If you own a property, you are aware of the acreage, the square footage of the house, the room sizes, the amenities in the house, etc.

In fact, if asked, you probably would be able to roll those figures and details off by heart!  Why? You own the property, and you know what belongs to you! 

It is the same with “owning” the promises for healing and God’s desire for success and prosperity in all areas of life!

For instance: Isaiah the prophet saw ahead to our day and spoke of all the areas Jesus would bring healing to his people:

 Isaiah 53

 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 

-Surely, he has born our griefs and carried our sorrows

-He was pierced for our transgressions

-He was crushed for our iniquities

-The punishment for our peace was on him

-By his stripes we are healed

 Notice the question, however: Who has believed our message? 

 Jesus bought us the whole health package and we receive it, which means “we take” ownership of it by faith.  That is soul prosperity for health!

As mentioned before, “even as” implies degrees.  Jesus spoke of degrees in receiving benefits from heaven.

Mark 4:28 “The earth produces by itself—first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn.”

The parable of the growing seed represents how faith grows and yields in different degrees until the full manifestation. It is the same with us, as the Soul continues to prosper with wisdom and knowledge of how much God loves us and wishes good things for us, we grow in faith to believe and receive until we or a love one experiences the “full corn” or wholeness in spirit, soul, and body!

 There is even more great news! 

 As believers in Christ, we have the powerful promise of being inheritors of the promises made to Abraham so that we, as well, have success in our life’s journey!

 Look at the promises:

 If you belong to Christ, then YOU ARE Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.  Galatians 3:29 Wow-let’s look at what God promised Abraham and what continues for us today!

God told him what he could expect:  Gen. 12:2-3

I will make you a great nation.

I will bless you and make your name great.

You will be a blessing.

I will bless those that bless you.

I will curse him who curses you. (This lets us know we do not have to fight our own battles!)

Gen. 12: 2-3

As Abram continued to obey and grow in faith, he became extraordinarily rich in livestock, silver, and gold!

Gen. 13:2

Abraham was blessed to be a blessing!

So, we can see that God loves SOUL—soul prosperity because as we honor God by feeding our faith and continue to “own” his promises, we bring joy to his heart!

Let us look at it again:

3 John 1:2-4:

“Dear Friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that ALL may go well with you, EVEN AS your soul is getting along well.” It gave me GREAT JOY when some believers came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.  I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth!

 Final Thought:

 Can you hear the echo of God’s heart through the Apostle John when he said? “I have no greater JOY than to hear that my children are walking in truth!”

Let us make it our goal to have prosperous Souls by feeding on God’s Soul Food, His Word, so that His ABOVE ALL wishes, and prayers can come to pass in our lives and those we pray for. Also, let us make it our goal to OWN the promises in Jesus’ Name! AMEN

 

 

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