How can I know the Holy spirit more? Because He is my precious and I want to know Him more. I face some challenges and I feel like He is away from me…. Still wondering plssssss I need help just tell me the ways to meet Him for I wanna be in His presence everyday. Ev-a Eva August 3, Reply. I had a desire to help people, not knowing the Five-fold Ministry. This Church had a Bible College. I went to an orientation with a mind to enroll, but during the orientation, I thought I was not intelligent enough to attend. It was never a fearfu,l or "spooky" experience.
I would weep because I felt something was happening, not knowing what to pray for. During Bible Class I stood up and explained to classmates the heavy burden I was experiencing, and while praying to God, I asked God to take it from me… It was too heavy for me. A seasoned Christian woman of God, stood up and said, "don't ask God to take this from you, God is calling you as an "Intercessor," to stand in the gap for others.
From that time to now ; 30 years now I daily interceed for other, nations, relatives; etc. I never took classes that intercession, God has been my teacher. Since that time I have heard some say, Intercessory is a gift. Holy Spirit teaches us how to pray. I never went to class , I had an experience with God and I learned God's call, as I continued to obey. I pray I am explaining this post whereby you understand my experience with God. Intercession standing in the gap for others, nations, families, regions territories, third world countries, government, etc…….
I learned something from you remarkable experience, Eva. I had never heard of an Intercessor. We all have a daily call, but for some it is not noticed, since it is to be a good mother or husband or neighbor. Ev'a Eva September 7, Reply. Hello Jerry Martin, Thanks for your reply. I was just browsing, and came upon your page, the comments and questions. Thank you for the reference, but in God: An Autobiography, I am told that we can relate to God directly as well as through Jesus.
That way God can also relate to those of other traditions or of no religious affiliation. Still, your experience was a divine blessing! Kalle Antero July 29, Reply. I never had a connection with god when i was young. My parents did not believe nor they had any experienced with God. I alienated from happiness and love when i was around teenage. I felt a lot of rejection from every direction possible. I had troubles with law and with mental health, in a sense i had problems with life itself; and I thought life had problems with me. When i got older I got involved with more unhappiness in form of violence, drugs and a criminal way of life.
You know the feeling, when you are surrounded by fog. I had that feeling except it was in my head, all the time. I even thought about suicide. When i was at my lowest point I prayed. That was the first contact with God. I felt surreal happiness and feeling of comfort.
From that point on I started to change my life. Few years later I am at this point, writing this. I cried because of happiness. God is that happiness. My heart goes out to you, Kalle, for your suffering and joins in joy to hear that God has connected with you. You did the right thing: But that is human nature, I guess.
An Autobiography, because I think God has a message for you personally somewhere in those pages. Bernadette May 29, Reply. My husband and I are going through a difficult time at the moment. We went through the physical and emotional difficulties of a miscarriage, I was nearly admitted as I was bleeding so heavily. Three days later, the baby was still there on a scan confusing ourselves and the midwife.
We are awaiting a scan in two weeks to see if the baby is still there. Today, I set up an alter of spiritual items I had gathered and prayed a lot. I asked for a sign that my everything would be okay for us. You may not believe me, but my small bible fell off the table and into my lap. It was inexplicable how it happened. I believe that this was a sign. Jerry L Martin July 14, Reply. One always have to balance the skepticism that keeps us from being superstitious on the one hand and an openness to divine signals on the other.
Your experience was dramatic. It might mean that the baby is fine, or it might be that, whatever you are about to go through, God will be with you and by your side and on your side in the experience. Jerry L Martin July 19, Reply. And what a dramatic experience — a small bible falling right into your lap after you asked for a sign!
I dearly hope that everything did work out well. But it is hard to interpret signs. It might mean that the baby would be fine, or it might just be a divine reminder that God will be by your side and on your side through the struggle or that, in some larger sense, everything will be well.
You are living in a divinely-oriented, open-hearted way. God is your partner in that! There was a time in my life were I was not happy. But one morning I experienced the most beautiful moment of my life. The day was 15th may and on my Bible app that is on my Phone it said: When I woke up I had read that and I was still laying in my bed. On the app there is a reading plan that helps u through life with tasks and scriptures to read.
So the first task was ASK- God to connect with you here. In prayer, start by slowing down, inviting God to be present. I was a little lazy to get up, so I kept laying in bed put my Phone away and hesitated to speak out loud. Instead I started thinking about life, and my struggles, and God. Yesterday, I was on my way to church and I decided to go back home not telling anyone why..
It rained the whole day when I got home.. Like God was sad for me skipping church or something.. So I thought about me being lonely as well. I started to cry silently. I cried silently with no sound.. He was sleeping in the living room on the couch. I wanted to stop crying but all of a sudden I started crying with Sound! Like something took over.. I was surprised, a little scared, relieved..
The most beautiful thing happened when I cried uncontrollably.. My bed is faced towards the Windows in my room and my windows were closed. But I knew it was God. I have never felt or experienced something like this.. When I stopped crying I felt joy and I was slowly laughing through my tears and I could hear the weather changing back to normal again.. And now I totally understand why. After that happened I said: I love you God.
I knew he was with me all the time, but to actually have the privilege to experience his Goodness is so wonderful! He knows u better then u know yourself. I feel a lot better and this was like crying my troubles away. Martin May 20, Reply. Thank you for sharing this wonderful story. It is chock full of spiritual lessons you discerned. You responded with a full and generous heart: But what we most want, what we most need, is to not be alone. You now know you are not alone, that God is with you, that God is present to your life, and it is a loving presence.
You are right to share your story with others, and to post it here. We can learn, for example, from your final thought: Now that God has got your attention, there may be something he wants you to do. It may be some dramatic assignment — to feed the hungry in Africa — or it might be something as simple as being nicer to your parents or your friends or as studying harder or playing more fairly. Acts of kindness, fairness, duty, and self-care are the main stuff of a life in synch with God. Cat Park December 19, Reply. But I am excited and I am at peace. I want to share what happened to me.
My name is Cat Park. I was open that there was a God out there. I come from a rough life. Recently I found myself thinking about how I needed a constant, and I was thinking I really truly needed to seek God out. Last night I had a dream. It was so weird. But today I was going through a particularly rough day and I was crying in my room. And I decided to try something from my dream last night. And right next to my fan there was His answer. But God is there. But he finally gave me what I needed and that was a clear answer. It may be hard to believe but I hope God sends you a clear message or feeling someday to you too.
Joanne Nitkowski December 29, Reply. Cat, thank you for writing about your experiene with God. I just wanted you to know that people are listening! May I share my experience? I am finding that when my heart is honest, and I am seeking, I find Him in all that is good, and right, and true. For He is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. And He is life, and no lie is of the truth.
And this is my knowledge of God that is beginning to become real in my life, because it is changing me on the inside and helping me to become the kind of person who loves what is good. And God is good! Martin January 8, Reply. Thank you, Joanne, for supporting Cat and sharing your own experience of God. When, though a lifelong nonbeliever, I had my own encounter with God, I found three striking traits — God was undeniably real, benign, and authoritative. I have found God to be that way ever since the events recorded in God: Yes, God is the great Constant, the ever-present, loving Witness of your life, the Companion who knows your suffering and your loneliness and shares your burdens and cares.
It is great that you looked to God for an answer, and wonderful that God responded in so vivid a way. Be well, and bless you! Carter Colson February 17, Reply. I grew up as a popular kid who had sex at an early age and started sinning young. Thankfully, my brother had shown me God and that He is real through his examples in life. My brother is only 4 years older than me and we are nothing alike physically. He has always been a computer geek and got bullied growing up.
From him, I gained sympathy and compassion for all people. About a year ago I had broken up with my girlfriend who I had been dating for about a year before that. Throughout the relationship, I was leading her on and making her love me, when all I was thinking about was sexual sin. I turned my back on God by creating a mindset for myself that this relationship was going to be temporary.
I knew what I had done was not right and that the lust I had for this girl was tearing me apart. The pain of turning my back on God was too much for me so I broke up with her. I was devastated and at the lowest point of my life I had ever been. The night I broke up with her, my brother and my mom both went on their first dates with the love of their lives.
Today, they are still dating these people and my mom got moved out of her crummy house into her boyfriends beautiful house who is a Godly man. My brother, on the other hand, continued to date his girlfriend until 5 months into the relationship where she was sentenced to jail for past mistakes.
Within those 5 months, I witnessed my brother and my mother fall in love the correct way. This made me pray and pray that I may too experience love the way they did. My brothers girlfriend has been in jail for 8 months now and he still calls her everyday. God has displayed love for me through the holy spirit of my brother and my mom. My senior year began in august, 2 months after my brothers girlfriend has been in jail, and that was when I began speaking to God and being in his presence day by day.
Every day, I began getting closer to the one I love. Finally, God gave me the perfect girl who I feel no jealousy, anger, shame, worry, or doubt with her. So far, I have been preaching about God and Jesus to the rest of my school for I feel I need to express His love to everyone: I am here to tell you that God is more real than he has ever been, He is here! Now that I am spiritually prepared to be with the girl I love because of the love displayed from my brother and my mom, God is allowing me to fall in love and never experience jealousy, worry, doubt, hatred, shame, or lust again.
Martin May 13, Reply. Regardless of wrongs, you showed great spiritual openness in correctly observing, and taking to heart, the meaning of the examples set by your brother and your mother. Divine love and human love are intertwined. Our love for one another orients our souls toward God. That is true even of sexual love, when it is really love, not just lust. These are truths you have been learning from your own experience.
You will have a long future, and many surprised, ahead of you. Meeting the right girl is the greatest gift God could give you! But do not expect to glide to a perfect life. Do not be surprised, or thrown off, by ups and down. God will be by your side in bad days as well as the good. Your task is meet whatever challenges come your way and stay on course.
Those will be lessons God sends you way. Lukman Clark November 1, Reply. In the late summer of I was given a vision of the simultaneity of lives, past, present, future. It took me a few years to find the vocabulary to begin to describe this. The following poem gives an idea of it. To the howsoever blinder eye My peripatetic Patti Doe Travels in a greater company Of hidden intervals, revolving Vertices, braces, trusses Of time lines intersecting.
The curve of time arcs unseen, Horizons misinforming, Overreaching the anxious mind. What seems a dark ending edge Is only gentle bending. Not big bangs, not great crushes, To use measures different, The ways of time demarcate. Biting of the luminous apple, Fruit of the knowledge of time, We experience the shortest time Between times out of time lies.
An Autobiography, but I am told repeatedly that time is not what we think of it as being, and it came to me that it was like a simultaneity of times. In some sense hard to grasp, all times — past, present, and future — are always present, always real. Thank you for sharing these insights, expressed so poetically, with me and with my readers.
Jacqui Brooks August 8, Reply. My moment with God came to me after the death of my then only child Gregory. We had lived alone together and I was a single mother. I moved to walk toward my kitchen and as I did, I felt a source of love only way I can describe it being poured into my entire body from the top of my head.
I had no faith before this experience and in my grief and misery,I was in hell. God and his mercy gave me this experience to remember for the rest of my life. I continued to have some profound experiences around this time and I was given a vision of my son after he had passed. These experiences have long passed but I still think of them every day.
Jerry L Martin August 29, Reply. Thank you for sharing this moving experience. And you took it to heart. And, thanks to your sharing it, the glimmer of your experience now warms and enlightens all of us. May God continue to shine on you. My first experience with the Holy Spirit was when I was baptised at night in a lake at the age of around 10 years old.
I recall being enveloped by a bright light and the feeling of sheer joy it brought me to tears. Though it felt like a goodbye rather than a hello. It was intense and it is a memory which will stay with me for the rest of this life experience. I remember when I was in my early 20s I was at the train station drunk with friends and I stupidly stood on the rail line and was electrocuted. It was a scary experience. I remember feeling the electricity surge through my entire body and seeing the train coming towards me. I then had to endure the death of my nan, then I had to watch my father die in front of my two children and then my special friend Rosey died in my arms.
This all happened within the space of six months. My faith was tested but then during my darkest time of utter despair was when I found you and I confess you are the best thing I have experienced. Eye found true love and I will never let you go lol. Jerry L Martin May 23, Reply. I hope it is the latter, which would mean that, in spite of all your suffering, you have been able to open your heart to faith and a great blessing has come into your life. If the former, you have been disrespectful and moved farther away than ever.
Either way, I hope and pray for the best for you. Alyssa April 19, Reply. An amazing, real, experience just happened to me but I must share!! To start off I am 14 years old. When I was younger, my parents had never taught me about God. My dad believed, but he never taught me about it. Lots of pain and suffering happened to me in my life. My parents were divorced, I was emotionally and physically abused by my mother and brother.
I was manipulated and a very confused girl. I have a very low self esteem. I lost many many friends because how depressed I have been becoming. I was even recently a victim of a sexual crime. I committed a lot of wrong too. This included doing drugs, hanging with the wrong people, and getting into trouble at school. Everyone around me was depressed. But still, things were terrible. My dad is broke with barely any money. Well today was a bad day for me. I felt overwhelming depressed and sad. I was getting suicidal. I looked at my phone to find my dad texted me that I needed to pray right now.
I broke into tears and prayed to God. I asked him to protect me and my dad. I asked him to bring me love and joy and to forgive me and let me spread happiness. But I had doubt and I cried and cried. As I went to bed that night, I laid in my bed. My mind was racing so I had an urge to write in my journal. I began writing about how depressing my day was, but then a sudden burst of positivity went through out my body.
God was speaking to me through my writing in the journal. I was writing about positivity and steps into a new chapter of my life. I will get protection and good will come to me. I am shocked and have never felt such a powerful love from God. I wanted to cry in tears of joy. I grabbed a bible my dad had given to me. I spoke to God and told him to open onto a page where he can talk to me and tell me what I need to hear. Chills ran through my body and I carefully held my fingers through the pages. Then I felt a crease. I opened to the page Psalm 3, which is protection.
It acceptance of job also, which good things started to happen once God accepted hints. The psalm talked about protection. Very powerful to what had just happened to me. Remember I am 14, raised not to believe in God, and I was spoken to. I truly know God is real and he is bringing positivity. I am connected to the Holy Spirit. Love and protection is coming. I have to share this amazing experience. I have gained full faith, and feel as a new person.
Lots of love x. Jerry L Martin April 20, Reply. You have taught us all several important lessons, Alyssa. God can speak to any person, regardless of age or past belief. God can speak to us when we are at the very pit of life, as well as when we are on top. And that can also be a way God answers. I have received divine guidance by a line in a novel suddenly seizing my attention. Your story is a blessing to all of us. Maxine Doles April 8, Reply. This has been a fascinating experience, reading all the comments from these wonderful people that have had various walks with our Lord and life itself.
It never ceases to amaze me that we serve a God that is always every day, day in and day out, allowing us to see His glory and His desire for us to accept Him, the creator that made us and who knows us better than anybody on this earth. He knows the beginning to the end and everything in between; trying to guide us, talking to us, providing us with various situations to accept Him, never giving up, in order to deepen our faith and better help us understand His never ending love, His grace and mercy.
We, of course, have many trials and tribulations through this life; we are in a world of sin with satan nipping at our heels each day. Who is going to win? It is our decision and only our decision. It is so very important to God, the most important decision we will ever make. It is the decision of life eternal with God and our loved ones OR eternal darkness.
Yes, I have seen God do His wondrous works and He still working with me, forgiving me each day. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of I knew God at the time, I was a believer. I experienced His presence on two occasions during this challenging time. While I was lying in bed in the hospital and had already gone through three surgeries… I was in a private room, it was early in the morning around 2 a.
I truly believe when God speaks to you, you somehow know it is from Him. I had another experience while I was rehabbing at home… again I felt his His presence in the room, giving me a feeling of peace and comfort. I never questioned it, it was very clear to me. I am now 73 years old and so many situations have come and gone and my faith has been strengthened with each one. I have lost a child, I have had many deaths in my family, my husband has recently had open heart surgery, I have been rich and I have been poor.
I am a normal person; living, loving and praying until my life is over on this earth. I have full and complete assurance that when I die that my next life will be made perfect, without sickness, without tears or death…why? Jerry L Martin April 18, Reply. Thank you for your moving testimonial. It is uncanny that, when God speaks to us or is palpably present, we somehow know that it is God. As a philosopher, trained to doubt everything, I find this an extraordinary fact. I would not have believed it, if it had not happened to me personally.
Maxine, as a cancer survivor and as a parent who has lost a child, you have come through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. God has been by your side even, perhaps especially, in the suffering. And you have had the wisdom not to turn away from the divine presence. Be well, my friend. Brandon Lee January 10, Reply.
The time between my prior lover and current was short, maybe a month. I personally did not consider her a rebound, the connection with her started from a core value: From the onset the relationship seemed justified and correct, we fell in love and time progressed. I cut off all connections — with the persuasion of my new lover and a few mistakes of my own — with my ex and she was not to hear from me for years.
Onto the present; my ex messaged me a couple weeks before I was planning on proposing to my current lover interesting timing…. This message contained a plea to me calling out for forgiveness of her actions toward me during our relationship and asking me to let her know that I do not hold poison towards her so she could move on spiritually. I knew in my heart that I had forgiven her and let it go, but as far as she could see I had written her off long ago and never wanted anything to do with her. At first, I wanted to reply, but I spoke with my current lover first and she did not want me to and I convened my ex stated I did not have to respond, but in reality humans usually always want responses.
Time passed and I began to forget about the message from the excitement of being engaged, but then through social media I saw memories pop up with her and suddenly a weight started to hit my heart… I felt the urge to respond. For almost two weeks my conscious was reminding me of memories of her, and I began to feel pain within my soul and anguish in the heart.
I needed to respond…. So I did, through a social media, expecting a response the next day or so but it never happened. I was a bit distraught thinking maybe she did not want to respond, but then, this is where I believe God kicked in. So my mother calls me before work and tells me this then my mind goes crazy thinking that maybe there is a way to get connected and wala it came to me — my mother could message her through social media and ask for her email.
So I reiterated what I sent through social media and sent it to her email knowing that now she will see it. Her response did not come until two days later, but it lifted the burden that my heart had been holding onto and made my heart warm. I feel like God was calling us to put the last chapter between us behind so she and I can both move forward in our spiritual lives.
Jerry L Martin January 21, Reply. Brandon, you have to balance what you feel God wants with your own best judgment and sense of responsibility toward the people involved. Why balance what God wants? Because maybe it is not what God wants. It is hard to be sure. In anything that engages a mix of strong feelings, it is hard for us to separate divine prompts that are real from other pulls and pushes.
I hope your resolution of the situation is right for all concerned, God included. Sandra July 3, Reply. I feel He finds me a very difficult person. On the flip side of the coin, He knows who I am He knew it right from the beginning. My experience with God is this, the help and persistence and stamina that He sent to me when dealing with Bank of America over almost losing our home due to their error was phenomenal. I kept getting messages about David slaying Goliath. So this Italian woman got stronger and stronger, I was led to a great attorney, last name of Abdullah, meaning in Arabic servant of God.
Funny huh,not a christian, he helped me with the language of law, and how to present things he helped me on an as needed basis and the fees were not expensive. God helped me get right into the office of Brian Moynihan CEO of BofA I emailed his office with a letter basically telling him of what his bank has done, I was not nice, and reminded him of how BofA actually started, I sent the same letter over and over and bombed up his email, 3 days later I got a call from his office.
From then on the situation here with my home was getting taken care of. I won this battle, Goliath was taken down with an apology, a better rate, and a new modification contract that my lawyer Mr. Abdullah said was great, because before I signed anything he needed to see it. That is how God worked with me, I still think he needs to go out for a smoke break once in awhile in his dealings with me, LOL, I do get really angry at Him still at times, but I know I do bring up some very valid points.
Again, he knows I am difficult. Jerry L Martin July 13, Reply. We are all difficult, Sandra, lol. But that need not stop us from working with God as best we can, just as you did here. And, at the end of it all, it was Goliath, not you, who was flat on the ground. Reubensis November 30, Reply. A chronic sinner though I am, is it possible for me to experience God? To surrender my whole being to Him, I want to be a blazing fire for God. Sir, how can I achieve this, please assist me less I wallow away in sin but one thing that gives me strongest of heart is that my soul was not created by Satan and can never get to him.
Jerry L Martin December 23, Reply. To your first question, the answer is definitely Yes. To feel the Divine Presence may be simpler than you think. You do not need a superhuman leap into pure holiness. The key is to focus on what God wants for you in particular. How do you do that? The first step is to stop worrying about being a sinner. Look forward, not backward. Just relax and put your self-concerns am I too big a sinner? Just try to still your mind and heart. Take one small step. When you pray, still your feelings, pray quietly, and ask yourself, if God had something to tell me today, what would it be?
Trust that, once you get the clutter out of the way, God will be able to lead your thoughts in a fruitful direction. You will be standing in the divine light, whether you know it or not. Eventually, you will be able to sense His Presence, perhaps only faintly and uncertainly, but He is there. I have experienced an encounter with Jesus just as I have experienced encounters with demons and satan himself.
This morning I had a dream and it was satan laughing at me. I woke up from this dream to realize God has a plan for me. He has given me a gift. In my dreams are when spirits and the devil try to attack, but here I am able to speak about it. God woke me up this morning and I know he wants me to spread his word. I want to give my all to the Lord and it is truly the greatest feeling. I hope someone reads this and asks about this gift, there is so much more to tell. Jerry L Martin August 16, Reply. There will be more about evil later in the book.
May God bless you and guide you with wisdom and love! Charles February 6, Reply. I was having a good day hanging with my friends and everything going pretty swell. When I went home I was confronted with a problem that I had been dealing with in my personal life. I always prayed to god about it, but in a simple matter of just words, not going into depth about how I felt on the matter. This day the problem really got to me and I had to speak to someone about it. I went over to my couch and started praying silently to myself. As I continued praying the problem just started to break me down, I started praying harder and harder and harder till I was out of words.
That although he never speaks directly to me that I need a sense of direction, that I needed help at probably one of the lowest points I had faced in my life. I let the feeling stay for a bit, and then it got so overwhelming I had to open my eyes and look around, I strongly felt my chances seeing something out of the norm would be good.
I opened them and nothing was there. Although the sun outside beaming through my window, was so bright and had a very bright white color to it. Usually my prayers are the same short with emotion but never really any true passion.
7 Ways to Distinguish God’s Voice from the Circumstances of Life
I was born Jehovah witness, which gave me the opportunity later in life to leave the religion because of how strict it was. I am familiar with God. But this incident was different, what I felt was different. Sometimes you have to force your mind to believe you felt something, but no this was physical and mental. Never had I felt it before in a prayer. Almost as if someone told me they were listening. I struggle whether to call myself crazy or embrace and invest in what I felt. Very confusing episode in my life, as far as what to take on it. If that was truly Him or if it was something, I truly hope it comes back because there are so many things I need answers for in my life.
Jerry L Martin February 10, Reply. What you have described, Charles, is what it is like to feel the presence of God. We are not alone. God is with us and on our side. No, this was probably the sanest moment of your life. Embrace and invest in what you felt? Yes, it is a blessing, one you should cherish and remember and keep close to your heart. My sense is that God will almost certainly help you, but help may come in a form you do not expect. You may not even recognize it as help.
7 Ways to Distinguish God’s Voice from the Circumstances of Life – Ron Edmondson
It might come from someone around you or within reach — a friend, a minister, a counselor, or just a stranger. It could require that you reach out for their help. Pay close attention if you sense that God is pointing you in a direction. Be well, my friend, and God bless! Matthew Foster February 1, Reply. Jerry, reflection on your experience of hearing God speak to you reminds me of others with similar accounts, and both lead me to consider a variety of questions.
Various people in history have said God spoke to them, and now a friend of mine, whose sanity and rationality I do not doubt, is one of them. What am I to make of what he reports—and of what others reported long ago as well? I notice that as long as I am in the majority who has not had such an experience, I can comfortably view your and their accounts as curious, puzzling specimens of abnormal human experience.
But even a brief look at what more than a few people have written at this website indicates that there are more like you than I imagined—yikes! What should we make of such experiences? What do you make of your own experience, Jerry, and how do you compare it to other such cases in history? You have written eloquently of how you accepted the authenticity of what you experienced. But I know you acknowledge that such an acceptance is not the end of reflection on what has happened to you.
Is God really speaking to you and to all of these people in history? What about the ancient prophets of the Hebrew scriptures, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, Amos and Hosea—did they really hear what they wrote down? Or did they invent it and deceive us? Or were they trying to give expression to what they thought God would say if God were to speak in a human language? But then why go to such lengths to describe a seemingly independent source of these thoughts? Whatever we conclude about them, should it also guide how we view other famous cases?
What did Muhammad really hear or experience? Or are none of them what they appear to be, and they should all be demythologized, deconstructed somehow? While these two appear to be mutually exclusive, is it possible in any sense for both to be true? Are there any additional possibilities? Of course, any of us can choose to ponder these questions, and to many of us they may seem ultimately irresolvable.
Thus, Jerry, you have an opportunity most of us do not have, to engage in an internal dialogue—between the mind which has had these experiences of God speaking, and the mind that can investigate, as logically and as objectively as one can, what these experiences mean. Nor do I myself think one must take such a position, although I acknowledge that on this I can only speak as an outsider.
On the contrary, it seems to me, to be a human being is to be thrown into a life where we cannot avoid such questions, a life in which these questions assail and also intrigue us—and, yes, may also tempt with distracting digressions as well as enlighten with new understanding. To take one example of this kind of comparing and testing: Muhammad said God told him there would be no subsequent messengers after him. Who is right, and why?
But perhaps neither claim should be judged by whether it corresponds to an objective reality, which in any case seems impossible to resolve empirically. Alternatively and this, for now, is perhaps my response to my own inquiry here , we could interpret such claims through an hypothesis about how all humans are quite capable of finding within ourselves many voices. All these voices give us information about the world, the whole of reality, and, simultaneously, information by means of which we try to navigate our way in that reality.
We may wish that the investigation of such experiences could end by telling us whose claims are correct and whose are false. I suspect we all cling or one of the voices within us clings! And obviously, sometimes we must, with fear and trembling, make such judgments about the more mundane, internal conflicts we all experience.
And no experience excuses any of us, as either subjects or observers, from the tasks of life and the challenges of being faithful to God as best we can understand God. While that conclusion may be disappointing, there is at least one respect in which it leaves me glad: It preserves Jerry, certainly in my mind and I hope in his, from the burden of somehow having to prove he is neither weirdly gifted nor bizarrely deficient, and lets him continue to be himself—and just my friend.
Most religious people sometimes sense the divine presence. It may be a moment of inner prompting or warning, similar to the voice of conscience. It may be a moment of worship or meditation, of tragedy or joy, of profound loss or miraculous rescue. It may occur in the I-Thou of love and family and friendship, or in appreciation of the mighty frame of the universe, as we sense the divine auspices. Or, for some of us, it comes in a voice or vision. The voice and vision are not strange, separate categories. They are merely at one end of a spectrum of ways the divine reality manifests itself.
If you were an atheist, all this would make no sense, of course, but this is a conversation between friends. Can such experiences be mistaken? Human beings are fallible. Mistakes can range from mental derangement to mistaking the thrill of seeing the Grand Canyon for a burst of the divine. How do you test the spirits, the voice, the divine prompting or warning? There are two places to check, the inward and the outward. Was the person on drugs or prone to fantasy?
Does the person have a fanatical desire to believe that God is speaking to him or her, or an ego gratification at stake? When I felt a swell of pride at hearing from God, the line immediately went dead. Meditation and devotional moments can be helpful. If it is telling me that it is okay to cheat on my wife, it is probably not God speaking. Or to jump off the cliff. Even Jesus rejected such devilish dares. Did the ancient prophets actually hear God speak? It is much more likely if you believe in God at all than that they took the liberty to attribute to God merely what they themselves thought.
Look at the circumstances. More often than not, they were quite surprised to hear God speaking to them and resisted the assignment God gave them. What of all the other prophets and seers?
- Ghost Hunt.
- Eveil à lesprit philosophique : Une approche actualisée des questions existentielles (Pour comprendre) (French Edition)?
- The Little Dyslexic Angel!
- .
- Halo.
- ?
Here we have to exercise spiritual discernment, and it is not easy. Because of my own experience, I have a bias in favor of giving some credence to their reports, but always keeping in mind that we are all fallible. In my own case, it is clear that God speaks to me in my own language and using my own concepts which are sometimes challenged. God answers questions as I have framed them. Someone else would have asked different questions. Later in the book, I am told to read the ancient scriptures of the various religions and ask about them.
I am told that the divine reality has many sides, both personal and transpersonal, both immanent and transcendent. One reason the various revelations differ is that the divine reality manifested different sides of itself to different peoples, and I am told why. I am told what parts they got right and what parts less so. What status should a reader give to what God has told me?
First, I am fallible as were the seers and prophets. Second, I was told explicitly that God was not giving me any authority. Well, it certainly could be the voice of God, as I believe it is, so I think you and other readers should take it seriously. You should read it with an open heart and mind, guided more by your own spiritual attunement than by more distant doubts and worries, and take in those parts that speak to you, as if you alone were their intended audience.
I have not answered all your questions, Matthew, and I would welcome further discussion. Maple Green Beans January 17, Reply. I really enjoy you sharing your message, THE message, because I do believe their is one unifying message. There is, a for lack of better terms, a harmonic expression that is in all living things; it permeates all that we are and every living thing around us, and we are part of that too. When we have something to tell someone,we communicate through words.
To be hear, which is a vibration. To truly feel the greatest story ever told. In the Bible it says in the beginning was the Word. So powerful that it caused men to write IT down…for what? What could possibly be so important that men were moved to put what they were experiencing down onto paper.
The energy is always there because it comes through us, not to us. A lot of people are waiting for that perfect AH! Its like waiting for the phone to ring rather than picking it up. Waiting like a lover. What are you "enthusiastic" about? We all have certain activities in life that make us feel enthusiastic? Some love to read. Some love to write. Some love to sing. Some love to organize. Some love to clean. Some love to teach, etc. The Bible says in Romans Life was not meant to be a slow, zombie-walk through a mundane existence until you finally kick the bucket.
Life was meant to be a joyful adventure of serving the Lord enthusiastically! So do what you do with all of your heart, as unto the Lord, with enthusiasm His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning great is your faithfulness. But we can control our own thoughts and actions.
When people disappoint, remember that God will never let you down. God will never leave you and will never stop loving you. Remember, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, in Jesus' mighty name, amen!
This is the Scripture from Matthew chapter 18 that I shared in my sermon last Sunday If he refuses to listen to the church, then treat him like a person who does not believe in God…". We are Christians, disciples of Christ! So the next time you have a problem with someone, or someone has a problem with you, follow Jesus by doing what he says in Matthew chapter We are blessed not just by hearing the Word but by doing the Word.
It works if you work it. So I offer this prayer on the Fourth of July, the celebration of the birthday of America Raise up a generation that is not ashamed of the gospel, and that hates to be lukewarm. Raise up leaders, Lord, who will not compromise when under pressure, or abandon You for the approval of men. Call us to holiness, that we would once again be the light of the world and draw all men to You.
Rekindle our fire, and stir our hearts. We confess our sins, and we seek Your face. We ask for Your forgiveness and cleansing. For America is Yours! May Your kingdom come and Your will be done. You may have lived a hard childhood where your parents said "there wasn't enough", and that they would "always struggle" and that "life is hard". So perhaps you came to believe that your life is a struggle, or that your life is hard. You may have learned to constantly worry about "not having enough. Let's break, bind and curse any thought of "not enough" and "struggle" right now, through the authority that God has given to you!
Let's begin now to develop, cultivate an "abundance mentality. Have a "I AM enough" mentality! I speak grace over you and a child-like heart to be open to receive the blessings from your Heavenly Father. The need to always believe that you won't receive anything is gone now. The need to say "Nothing works for me" or "I will always struggle" is gone from you now. Focusing on your blessings helps to create the abundance mentality! Most of my biggest blessings in my life are things that I did not pray for or ask for.
Being your pastor for 11 years here in Springfield, 2. Don't you have blessings that you didn't necessarily pray for? Think about those blessings. List them right now I receive an abundance mentality! I declare that my life is full! My heart is full of love! My body is full of health! You have given me more than enough to live, to enjoy life, and I can't thank you enough, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Please don't let your faith be shaken when trouble comes your way. No one can live totally free of trouble as long as we are living in this world.
Just remember God is a covenant maker and covenant keeper. Don't dwell on the troubles you face. Instead let your mind and thoughts dwell on His deliverance. Look what God has brought you through and realize you that God will do it again! He will bring you out of any mess and put you back on your feet again. The Lord delivers me from all of my afflictions, I will keep my peace. I will smile and trust in the Lord and say, "God, you've got this! You've got me, in Jesus' mighty name! Jesus said in Matthew Today choose to relax in God's safe arms. You are a child of the King of Kings. Don't allow the worries of this life choke or strangle your peace of mind.
God's got you, and He's not going to let you go. He will see you through every dark tunnel, and bring you into the light every time!. She said, "When the train goes through a tunnel and everything gets dark, do you jump out? You sit still and trust the engineer to get you through. I will maintain my composure.
I will keep my peace. I will smile and lift my face to the sun. I will trust in the Lord and say, "God, you've got this! You have the power within you to heal, to forgive, to create, and to free yourself from the burden of your past and the worries of today.
All that you need is within you. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, your words. Use your voice to create change, only speak words that are kind and always radiate the energy of compassion and truth. Life throws lots of tasks, obligations, headaches, conflicts, deadlines and unexpected problems at us! So take a moment today, right now, to close your eyes not while driving and breathe. Our Heavenly Father says to you: God's favor is on you! What you can't do on your own, Heaven is helping you, making a way for you get things done, making a way for you to resolve problems, opening doors that you couldn't open yourself.
Inhale, and exhale, and repeat after me, "Be still and know God's got my back I will get through this They need you to say something that will cheer them up. We show ourselves to be real Christians when we are cheerful to people, and not evasive. If there are no words to comfort or cheer up someone, then just hug them. It improves that person's health AND your health. We're suppose to be salt of the earth and light of the world. If you believe that, and you're a real Christian, then ask God to lead you to people who need to be cheered up, by you. Today I will choose to be cheerful to people, cashiers, bank tellers, anyone who seems to need it.
In Jesus' might name, amen. Life can be very complicated and messy at times. We experience so many trials. If the enemy can get you distracted, confused, upset, or discouraged, he will do it. Keep your focus on Jesus; He is guiding and directing your every step. Take time to rest and be quiet before Him and allow Him to minister to your spirit. He dwells within you; the very breath you breathe.
When the enemy gets you depressed, making you feel like a failure, refocus your attention on God's goodness, refocus your attention on the blessings in your life, refocus your attention on God's Almighty power. He created the Heavens and the Earth, He formed you in your mother's womb, and there is nothing too hard for Him. I am focused on your Almighty power today, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.
His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Worry is not only a waste of time, but it's been said that worrying is praying for what you don't want. The Bible says what you sow, you reap, s o if you're worrying, you are unintentionally praying for what you do not want.
So turn your worries into a prayer, give it over to God, and trust God's heart with the things that trouble you today. Easier said than done? Yes, but very worth it! I will worship you, King of Kings! God, you are bigger than my biggest problem, and therefore you are worthy of all worship and praise! I will trust you through all of the storms of my life, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Life comes with a series of character tests. God will place you in uncomfortable and difficult situations simply to test your character.
If you can't be kind to those who are evil to you, or you're easily offended by every little thing then why would He place you in a position of greater authority? If He did, then you would misuse your authority. Ever seen those people who are on a power trip? They weren't ready for that position, so they don't know what to do with it. But God is so good He will place you through test after test to prepare you to be greatly used by Him. Jesus said in the Bible that if you're faithful with little then you'll be ruler over much, and that certainly has been true for me as a United Methodist pastor of twenty years.
Learn to love those who are difficult to love. Bless those who curse you and pray for those who hurt you. Insecure leaders are power-trip leaders, but confident leaders are powerful leaders. I may have failed some tests in the past, but I will not fail now; I will pass the tests of character that come my way, and move on to bigger blessings, in Jesus' mighty name, amen.
When we think of the word precious, we think of our children, our grandchildren, which is true. But God speaks to you and says "you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you! No matter how people have treated you today, or overlooked you, or forgot about you, no matter how life has treated you I will do my best to love others as You love m, in Jesus' mighty name, amen. David told the king Saul that he had faith that God would help him overcome Goliath because David already experienced God helping him deal with the wild animals that tried to devour his father's flock.
Have you seen God help you in your past? Can you look back upon your life and see God moments, times in your life when clearly God helped you overcome difficult circumstances? I will declare that the Lord who rescued me from my past problems and challenges will rescue me from the giants that I face from now on, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! When you don't feel like you've got enough strength, it's okay to admit that you feel weak. You and I will not meant to be strong all the time. As Christians, we were meant to rely upon the strength of the Lord. The Bible says Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
He will never leave you nor forsake you. You always have God's acceptance. Even when you do wrong things, he still loves you, but not the sin. The arms of Jesus are open wide for you right now. He is your coach, he is your biggest cheerleader, he is your biggest fan. Wherever you are, Jesus is there. Lean upon his strength today. When your day feels like one big climb and you feel too weak to take the next step, God is your strength. Because he is strong in your weakness, he will empower you to lift your chin and your gaze, and walk on in faith.
I know this firsthand, as my mother-in-law called me this morning to inform me that she is having an eye test this morning for possible glaucoma, and somebody else called me about visiting their adult child in prison. I immediately prayed and asked for God's help. We all need God to be our strength in one way or another. Even when you feel like the task before you is a steep incline, God will infuse you with power beyond yourself. He will become your strength and guide your step.
So, take the next step and walk by faith, because he's got you. God's Got Your Back! The power within me is always greater than the task before me, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Great news from eye doctor Don't let trouble steal your hope. God is with you! Cast down any wrong thoughts, worries or concerns, and use your energy for praise and happiness and making people smile and even laugh. I will live like I believe you exist and I will live like I believe in "victory in Jesus" and I will celebrate being alive and being saved by your amazing grace, in Jesus mighty name, amen!
Every spiritual blessing is already yours Smile about it, because it's true! I have your abundant life. I have your divine health, and I have your unmerited favor. I thank You for your victory to reign over every area of my life, and I receive every blessing you have for me today, in Jesus' mighty name, amen!
It is good both to hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Are you waiting on God to move in response to your prayers? The Lord is wonderfully good to those who wait for Him. Help me to wait on you, to wait on your timing when I want things to happen now. Help me to remember that you always know best, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! One of the great challenges of trusting God's plan for your life is to not murmur or complain along the way. Today, ask God to help put a guard over your mouth!
Stop me before I complain too much, and help me to turn my complaints into prayers, and help me to praise and give thanks much more often then I complain, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! My year old had an unexplained pain in her back and side since last Saturday. She took an anti-inflammatory pill, but that didn't help.
We prayed and laid hands on Monday afternoon, and within an hour of the pain was gone. God is still in the business, and faith is the key that unlocks the door to God's power. Let them sing songs of praise. Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. The Bible says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. You are God's workmanship. You are God's masterpiece. But you're also a work in progress. God is working on you and God's working on me, and that takes time.
So give yourself a break if you mess up, say the wrong thing, forget to pray or read the Bible There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, so when you do the wrong things, just repent, get back on the wagon so to speak, and say, "Lord, have your way in me". God's Word guarantees that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion on the day of the Lord! Today I yield myself to your will, letting you have your way in me, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! When Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt, he didn't know why God had allowed it. Years later, after working as a slave in Egypt, being falsely accused, put into prison, he finally became second in command of the entire nation, and he realized that he was put into that position so that he could sell food to other nations who were suffering from a famine.
Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis God always has good reasons for why he allows evil and suffering, though we don't always know what those reasons are. When you needlessly suffer, and wonder why, remember Joseph in Genesis When the enemy means for evil, God turns it around for good, if we are faithful! Help me to remember that, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Declare today that you won't stress over things that are out of your control. People will be people, jobs will be jobs, the stock market fluctuates, but one thing that is also for sure, God will be God Sorry I've been absent from this website for a few days.
King David went through times of profound sadness, disappointment and seeming depression. How did he get through it? David is saying here that when he felt downcast and depressed, he would be intentional about remembering God and the goodness of God in his life. Sometimes we have to cheer ourselves up. Sometimes we have to build ourselves up. If you're going through a bad time in your life, or just have the blues one day, do yourself a favor and be intentional about remembering the goodness of God in your life.
Let your mind drift back on all those 'God moments' in your life, those happy times when the Lord showed his goodness to you. You and I have moments in our lives in which we can see that the Lord was good to us and directed his love towards us. So remember those precious moments in your life when you feel down and depressed. If you meditate upon those awesome memories of God coming through for you, you will cheer yourself up and experience the joy of the Lord all over again. God told me to tell you that he sees your struggle and your pain is coming to an end.
You're about to overcome something you've been dealing with for a while. Your mind will be at peace and your heart will be steadfast and secure. The weight is being lifted off your shoulders. Rejoice and breathe; God is making a way for you! Everything will be just fine. Sometimes we think that we are too far gone or our lives are too messed up to be fixed so we just give up. We think that we are too broken for God to fix, but that is far from the truth.
No one on this planet is ever too far gone or broken to be saved by God's grace and mercy, and to be made new again!! God says His mercies are new every morning, so every morning that you are blessed with opening your eyes and given life, no matter how broken you are, God has a plan to fix you! But it all begins with you calling upon the Lord for help because you cannot do it by yourself. So trust in the Lord with all of your heart and He will be faithful in His word to fix the brokenness in your life!
I come to you in humility, trusting in you to fix and mend and heal the broken parts of my life. Thank you Lord for healing today, in Jesus name, amen! David said to God, "Do not leave my soul destitute. In times of crisis, or just loneliness, we can sometimes feel insecure In contrast, in Romans 8: Today, be secure in God's love for you!
Let yourself feel secure that God's feelings for you do not fluctuate. You could be insecure about a lot of things in life, but God's love for you isn't one of them. Don't allow the junk that life throws at you sway you or derail you from trusting in God. Great is His faithfulness, and his mercies are new every morning. Trust in God's care for you and rest secure in His hands. My heart is secure. My mind is awake. My life is built upon your promises, and there's not a man on earth or a demon in hell that can shake my absolute confidence in you, in Jesus mighty name, amen!
In God's presence is the fullness of joy. So if your life, or a part of your life, is lacking joy, then maybe you need to spend more time with the Lord or put your faith more into action. Do you begin your day with prayer? Do you give thanks throughout the day? Do you rejoice in the Lord, smile at people, practice happiness, shine your light?
We're not blessed by merely hearing the word, we are blessed by doing what the word of God tells us, that's how we experience the pleasures of God in this life. Christianity is not a spectator sport. Love is a verb. Society has turned us into consumers, but Jesus calls us to be contributors. So today, put your faith into action! Give encouragement to a struggling friend. Pray for a cranky coworker. Talk to the cashier. Smile at the stranger. Turn your radio to Get out there and love people and get your "joy" on! People come and go, friends that seemed loyal and heartfelt quietly let you drift out of their lives.
We try to get ahead with our finances and it seems like suddenly some unexpected expense pops up! This is what the Lord says to you right now I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. You just relax and take a deep breath.
Inhale peace and exhale worry. Say, "God's got this! The Creator of the Universe is my best friend, and if God be for me, who can be against me? You will get what your are after. Think of a person in the Olympics. They train for four years and deny their flesh for four years because the goal of a gold medal is so imbedded in them that their will is strong enough to keep the flesh under control. If they do that for a corruptible crown, how much more should we persevere who are doing it for an incorruptible one 1 Corinthians 9: I will keep giving what I have to give.
I will keep sowing my seed, knowing that in due season, and the right timing, I will reap awesome blessings in my life, in Jesus mighty name, amen! We are promised in Psalm It doesn't say you will never BE brokenhearted, because sometimes you will be But when you are brokenhearted, the Lord is close to you and He will save you. Let Him love you back to life. Let His peace rise up within you. You and me together got this day. There's nothing that I face today that I can't overcome with your help.
You love me back to life by your amazing grace, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Another way of saying that is Whether we read it as, "Let not your heart be troubled" or "Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated," either way, Jesus is saying that it's up to YOU whether or not you're going to have peace. I will stay calm and peaceful, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Jesus said, "Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.
The devil does not have the authority in your life. People do not have the authority in your life. The stock market does not have authority over your life. The Bible says to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. If we're strong in the Lord, then we can do all things through Christ , who gives us strength! If you only knew everything you were capable of. You can handle so much more than you know. Embrace the trials in your life.
They break us down but they are meant to build you up. Trials build strength, humility, character, stories. The temptation to focus on our worries, unfavorable circumstances, and on our adversaries always exists. But focusing on everything that's going wrong in your life won't change a thing. Instead, let's redirect our minds, because everything that happens in life first begins with a thought.
So, today let's practice thinking about everything that's good in our lives and trust that God will take care of what's not. Let Him fight your battles, and don't give up your peace for anything. Remember, a peaceful person is a powerful person. The Apostle Paul said, "Christ has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand. As a Believer, you are living in a place of high privilege. Meaning, God thinks highly of you. Also, because of your faith in Christ, you are guaranteed a place in Heaven.
Also, every day you are connected to the power of God through prayer and worship and thinking about God. So lift up your head, smile, and choose a positive mental attitude today Because of the resurrection, Christ has brought me personally into this place of highest privilege! Thank you Lord, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! This is the day that we commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. But nothing could stop the Amazing Love of Jesus Christ, not even the scourging with the whip, not even the crown of thorns piercing this brow, not even nails hammered into his flesh That is the Heart of Jesus.
That is a heart of the Christian faith. That's God's heart towards you, right now, today. So today, rejoice that God took away all of your sins when Jesus died on the cross, confess your sins, and believe that you are forgiven, and forgive yourself. Nothing is too hard for you. Whatever worries you and makes you feel stressed Whatever your hopes and dreams are Don't limit God by small, limited thinking. He will meet you at your level of faith. So raise your faith by thinking about how awesome God is, by talking positive, and by stepping out in faith with boldness and confidence.
Nothing is too hard for God! I'm tired of talking about how big my problems are, I'm going to start talking about how big my God is, and I'm going to step out in bold faith, in Jesus mighty name, amen! This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. Today, let the words of Jesus dwell in your heart deeply.
If you walk in close relationship and connection with Jesus, then you can ask for any of your needs to be met, and the Lord will change things and move things around behind the scenes for you, to get your needs met and to help you through anything you faced today. Therefore I know that if I ask for anything, you will meet my needs in ordinary ways or amazing ways, in Jesus' mighty name, amen!
Whatever you are facing on this Monday, God told me to tell you to "be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the One who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not be afraid. The Bible says that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. So I share a testimony about waiting upon the Lord The doctors told me my husband was brain dead after having a brain stem stroke. But I continued to pray for him, and speak life to him, in Jesus name. After six weeks of the doctors telling me that he would never recover, he began to move his finger The power of life and death is in the tongue!
His triglyceride level was almost The doctors gave us no hope that he would ever live. They said he would be a vegetable the rest of his life. But God says in his word, that if we will pray and believe, all things are possible! It wasn't easy, and no one else thought he would ever live, but Gods word is true.
I had nothing to lose believing Gods word, and everything to gain. After three months in the hospital he came home in a wheelchair, able to use a four prong walker. After a month of being home, he didn't need the walker or the wheelchair, within another month he didn't even use a cane. Two years later he and I went to Nigeria to share our testimony in a Bible school there. With God all things are possible! Let us come before him with Thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
Today is thankful Thursday! Say this with me I am thankful for this day, thank you Lord! I am thankful that I can see, thank you Lord! I am thankful that I can hear, thank you Lord! I thankful that I can taste, thank you Lord! I am thankful for my family, thank you Lord! I am thankful for everything in my life, especially salvation through Jesus Christ, thank you Lord! What would you add to this list? Say it to God now, and be thankful to God today, in Jesus mighty name, amen! Yes it can be a good morning! I know it's Monday, I know it's raining, but you can have either a magnificent Monday, or you can have a miserable Monday, it's your choice!
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing. That verse says the Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save! That verse says that your heavenly father rejoices over you! That means that God sings over you!
God smiles over you! God is happy when he thinks of you! Because you are God's child So rejoice in the Lord on this rainy Monday, knowing that the Lord rejoices over you today and everyday! I am the happiest, most blessed, most fortunate, most joyful person because I have a great big God who rejoices over me today and everyday and there's not a jerk on Earth or a demon in hell that's going to stop me from having a magnificent Monday, in Jesus mighty name, amen!!!
So many are scared to step out in faith because of what others will say, or think or simply because they are scared of messing up and even going backwards because of their mistakes. The Holy Spirit is wanting us to be bold in this time. When we make a mistake he will help refine us.
When rejection comes, when fear comes to try and shut us down, He will reveal things to us even in our mistakes. He will help us learn. Making mistakes and being bold will refine you, grow you into faith, grow others in their faith. There are several instances in which the people of God were never content with God. For instance, after the Exodus from Egypt, the Israelites felt like Moses and God were taking too much time.
So they made a golden calf and begin worshiping it. Later on in the history of Israel, the Israelites wanted a human king. The prophet said, "But we have a king God is never enough for humankind. We always want more, we always want something visible, something tangible, something physical. And yet, God never gives up on us. Despite all the times that we forget about God, want more than God, and make a mess of our lives, God is still faithful to us!
That's good news for us Be happy and rejoice today that we have a God who is faithful to us, slow to get angry, but full of compassion for us silly human beings. What is your "golden calf"? Who is your "King Saul"? Meaning, what is the thing or person that you are trusting in more than God today?
Today, renew your full trust in the Almighty God who has always been there for you, and remember that the golden calf and King Saul didn't work out too well for ancient Israel. Yes, sometimes you will stumble, sin, and make mistakes. Believe it today and rest in that truth! The story came out in the news at the end of February that during the school shooting in that Florida school, an armed school resource deputy waited outside the school building and did not go in the school to try to stop the killer from shooting 17 people.
THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES
How's that make you feel? It makes me feel angry, how about you? A person whose job it was to guard the innocents did nothing when the time came to take action. Seems kind of cowardly, doesn't it? If that makes you and I feel angry, it makes God feel even more angry. The Bible says in Revelation This is the second death". Notice that the "cowardly" is in that list of people who will face the second death. That sounds pretty serious, but that's how serious God takes our behavior. The Apostle John is saying that God will judge all the cowardly.
So let's make sure that we are NOT cowardly. I want to be courageous. Thank you for the power of the Holy Spirit that gives me the courage to do what I have to do everyday, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners! Jesus spoke the words of Isaiah You have "Holy Spirit vitamins" running through your veins! I will go out today to help people, love people, encourage people, smile at people, because I am filled up and fueled up with Holy Ghost power, today and every day, in Jesus' mighty name, amen!
On Tuesday the news broke that the Mayor of Nashville resigned after admitting to an affair with her head of security. She also plead guilty to felony theft of property. I don't mention that to make light of somebody else's sin; I mention it because it's easy to look down on some public official whose secret sins have become public knowledge. However the Bible says that a time will come when we all will appear before a Heavenly Court and we will all answer for our sins. God won't just hold cheaters and adulterers accountable;. He won't just hold convicted felons accountable.
So if there is something an attitude or an action that you know you need to get rid of in your life, now is the time to repent, make a change. I am forgiven and set free to live a new way, in Jesus' mighty name, amen! Meaning, the blood of Jesus gives us forgiveness of sins and guarantee of eternal life, but then we activate God's power in our lives by choosing to speak the Word over our circumstances.
So every time you speak positive, every time you speak with optimism, and even speak Bible verses of God's promises Dodie Osteen did it, and got healed of a terminal illness. Today, speak words of life and faith and victory. Today's devotion is from the "Jesus Calling" book. I thought this was good In this world there will always be something enticing you to worry. That is the nature of a fallen, fractured planet: Things are not as they should be. So the temptation to be anxious is constantly with you, trying to worm its way into your mind.
The best defense is continual communication with me, richly seasoned with thanksgiving. Awareness of My Presence fills your mind with Light and Peace, leaving no room for fear. This awareness lift you up above your circumstances, enabling you to see problems from My perspective. Live close to me! Together we can keep the wolves of worry at bay. Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest! Today I will trust you. Today I place my life into your hands. Today I place my problems into your hands, and I thank you in advance for taking good care of my problems and my life, in Jesus' mighty name, amen!
It is easy to SAY, "Love you. Honestly, the word "Love" might be a bit over-used. We don't always need "love, thoughts and prayers" alone. We yearn for authenticity. Write a check, carry someone's trash, shake someone's hand, cook supper for a sick friend, open a door, hand out food next Saturday on our church parking lot, pull out a chair, massage a back, give, serve or help! Don't just say it or pray it Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.
A man came to me one day saying that he was very angry and felt hate towards his granddaughter's boyfriend, because the boyfriend was bad and toxic for her I told him that Jesus said to pray for your enemies. I told him to pray for this toxic boyfriend. It might not change that boyfriend but it would rid this man of the anger and hate in his heart. Long story short, this same man came to me a month later and told me that the anger and hate in his heart was gone, and he had peace.
Is there someone you are angry with? Do you hate someone? See, we all have 86, seconds in each day of our lives. If someone has been negative towards you for 10 seconds, don't let that ruin the other wonderful 86, seconds you have remaining in this day! You'll never get this day back once it's lived and you only have one opportunity to make the most of today's , seconds you have to live.
So don't sweat the small stuff We usually do not think before we speak. We just react with opinion, and we do not see the damage done by our words. You have a choice today Tear down or build up? What is your choice today? Help me to think before I speak. Help me to scatter seeds of sunshine and kindness with my words today, following in the footsteps of the Master, Jesus, who uses his words to heal. God allows us to feel unequipped, unlikely, undeserving, overwhelmed, under pressure, impossibly ill-matched Feeling powerless this morning?
Rejoice - He is omnipotent! Hallelujah - He is omniscient! Fear not - He is omnipresent! Believer who thinks her past mistakes will disqualify her for service: God has placed you right where you need to be to know this for real: I know it can be hard and frustrating to wait for the Lord to move in our lives. But God will come through for you. Some things just take time and patience. Maybe God is waiting on you to make a move. Step out in faith and see what happens. Point to a body part and command it to be healed in Jesus' name, and then try to do something you couldn't do before.
If there is no change, then wait upon the Lord and simply give thanks that you are being healed. I know it's hard, but our Heavenly Father assures us in His Word that all things are possible for those who believe! Until then, I will do what I can to make my miracle, my blessing, happen. In Jesus' name, amen. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. In encountering people in the hospital, I knew them. I mean they were strangers to me in this realm, but while out of the body, I knew everything about them: And I had this overwhelming sense of love for them.
Didn't matter if it was the heroin addict or the saintly grandma, I wanted to embrace them and I felt this connection and oneness with them. That was really the big shift as I realized, 'Gosh we really are connected. We really are on that perfect path. Letting go of that judgment and that comparison and embracing people and honoring where they are. Sometimes you have to just praise God, move forward, and trust that things will get better even if you're not seeing things improve right now.
If you were living in an agricultural society, and you had no pension, no guaranteed salary, no health insurance, and if you depended upon your crops and your livestock to provide you a living That's why it's remarkable that the prophet Habakkuk said that despite no grapes in the vines, despite no crops in the fields, despite no livestock in the barns Read this carefully, you are in charge of your own attitude! You are capable of deciding your mood!
You can choose to praise the Lord even when things are not going right in your life, and if you make the choice to rejoice, you will raise your mood and you will create your own happiness and you'll be giving yourself the gift of a positive mental attitude So, no matter how your day or week is going so far, choose to rejoice in the Lord, choose to be joyful in God your savior!
It works if you work it! Jesus said, love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself! Did you catch that last line? It should go without saying that loving yourself and being good to yourself is very important, because you can't love your neighbor unless you love yourself Check your self talk Instead talk to yourself like you're talking to your best friend or someone you think a lot of.
Be kind and gentle with yourself I love God and I love my neighbor as I love myself! How amazing is God? I stand in awe of God because of what he has done through his creation. My faith has been increased through my research. Only a rookie who knows nothing about science would say science takes away from faith. If you really study science, it will bring you closer to God.
Today, be in awe of God's goodness in your life. Happy Valentine's Day February The Apostle Paul said that love keeps no record of wrongs, do you? Would those who know you best describe you as someone who keeps a mental list of the things that others have done wrong?