The Parable of the Sower
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Chapter 1:
The Parable of the Sower, the
three gospel accounts:
att 13:1-23 ¶ The same day went Jesus out
of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered
together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat;
and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not
much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung
up, and choked them:
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8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth
fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not,
from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have
closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with
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their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your
ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the
same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.
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23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he
that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
ark 4: 2 And he taught them
many things by parables, and said
unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went
out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the
way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it
up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not
much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it
had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and
because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up,
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit
that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some
thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
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9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done in
parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any
time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable?
and how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word
is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown
in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but
for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
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ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are
offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns;
such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke
the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground;
such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth
fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
hundred.
uke 8:4 ¶ And when much people were
gathered together, and were come to him out
of every city, he spake by a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as
he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it
was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was
sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang
up with it, and choked it.
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8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and
bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this
parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear,
receive the word with joy; and these have no root,
which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which,
when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection.
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15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an
honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,
and bring forth fruit with patience.
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Chapter 2:
Meditational Notes:
att 13:1-23 ¶ The same
day went Jesus out of the house,
and sat by the sea side.
The same day: Having pastored
for five years, and run a company,
these words leaped off the page at me, how radically
different circumstances can be in the same day. While
pastoring, I have done a funeral in the morning, and a
wedding in the evening, with perhaps a leadership
meeting in between. From depressing, to serious, to
festive, all in one day! The Myriad complexities of life,
and life more abundantly, that can occur, in one day!
Went out of the house: whose house? Could Jesus the
carpenter have built his own house for his mother,
brothers and family? I tend to think so..
Sat by the sea side! What a great place to meet with
Jesus! I can see the people sitting on the beach,
probably on a wonderful sunny day, with a cool breeze,
by the ocean, with waves lapping gently upon the
shore. My father was a naval officer, and though we
travelled much during my childhood, we generally
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lived near an ocean somewhere. The ocean has always
been my friend during transitional times in my life, and
I have spent many hours simply walking beaches, piers,
and decks of boats, ferries, and ships, simply watching
the wind and the waves move with the rhythms of life.
v2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto
him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole
multitude stood on the shore.
Great multitudes gathered unto Him? Why? Perhaps
they had seen the miracles he wrought, or heard His
previous teachings, unlike any other religious teacher
that had ever lived. Deep truths, spoken in wisdom,
authority, great love and concern, with spiritual power
displayed. Jesus did not need radio, television, or
posters, banners, or a loudspeaker to draw a crowd. The
Holy Spirit breathed upon the people and, they came to
Jesus. We too, need to come to ministries and churches
that demonstrate the power, presence, love, and truth of
Jesus. When these things are present, Holy Spirit will
do the kind of advertising we cannot do, moving in the
hearts of people to knit them to us as leaders:
Ps 47:3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the
nations under our feet.
Works in every area of life too. Pray for good friends,
relationships, workplace, and He will do it! All these
things are gifts from Him, and I have discovered this
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simple truth has passed the test of time in my life: Matt
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
Meeting with Jesus, first thing, every morning has been
my secret to success in life. Only He has the wisdom to
bring balance to my ife, with all the conflicting
demands upon my time and talents throughout the day.
When I put Him first, He puts me first…
v3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
He spoke! Not merely a man, but the sinless spotless
Son of God! God the Son! The second person of the
Trinity! When He spoke, only doing the will of the
Father in the earth, His Word carried the same power
and authority that spoke the universe into being.
Creation heard the voice of the Creator, and it obeyed!
He operated on the earth, as a mere man, emptied of
His divinity, fully human, fully God. Like us, He
sought to do only the will of our Father in heaven, and
He did it under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When
He did, Holy Spirit Himself spoke through Him, eternal
words, inscribed on this wonderful tapestry we call
time.
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BEHOLD! Look and see! He expected Holy Spirit to
work with Him, revealing eternal truth, and writing it
on the hearts of the people that heard Him.
Went forth to sow: This person did not just happen to
be out there with a bag of seed, they went there on
purpose, in the right season, into a field that was
already prepared. They did not just sit there, they were
going somewhere! Reminds me of the parable of the
Good Samaritan recorded in Luke 10:33, that man was
already on the road, going somewhere on purpose. So
was the sower.
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
When: It was the time and season to sow. I believe that
Jesus, in the 3-1/2 years of His earthly ministry, used
natural things to display spiritual truth. The regular
seasons of life became teaching illustrations, to reveal
not high and lofty ideals, but truth that makes free. This
was an agricultural society, and notice here that Jesus
target audience was not political leaders, religious
leaders, nor the academics of the day. No, Jesus spoke
to common people, those close to the land and the sea,
farmers and fishermen close to creation, hungry hearts
quick to grasp deep truths that had been eternally
written on the other book that reveals God, creation.
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Ro 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Now, many have called this parable, the parable of the
soils, because the heart of it deals with the different
types of soils or grounds the seed was planted in.
Fell: Seems like the sower simply scattered this seed,
and did not purposely plant it. In this case, the seed fell
upon the side of the field, perhaps upon the pathway
surrounding the field, landing on hard packed dirt,
impregnable to the seed germinating and putting roots
into the ground. It was uncovered, and plainly visible,
and an easy meal for the birds, who quickly came and
ate it up.
v5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not
much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
had no deepness of earth:
Here we see the second type of soil, stoney or rocky
ground. The thought comes that you cannot plant seed
on pavement. Even if you water it, the water will
quickly dry up, and the roots have no where to go.
Seems there was a little bit of dirt here, but not enough
to root the plant deep enough to allow it to grow and
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produce a crop. Reminds me of some people that the
world calls shallow: ever met one? People who are like
talking heads, spewing empty words, devoid of truth
and power. They have many words, but no depth and
substance. Seems there are churches with ministers like
this:
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away.
Though you cannot submit to their ministry, you can
pray for them, and this we will talk about later in this
study.
However, this soil is not pavement, simply hard packed
earth, dirt! It can be broken up, watered, and fertilized,
aerated, and watered some more, to make good soil if
we have the time and resource to prepare it. In Israel,
that have taken swamps and deserts, and made them
fruitful, and blooming as a rose, as the prophecy Isa
35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be
glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom
as the rose.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of
the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
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Every person is redeemable, every heart can bear fruit,
if loved and nurtured enough. Just takes continual
watering and work. Welcome to pastoring…
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away.
Scorched: Here we see the result of no depth of soil.
The sun came out, and the seedling got scorched, and
bore no fruit. How I have seen that in life and ministry,
as we minister to broken people. There is an expression
on the street, when someone does not fulfill a promise,
or keep their word: ‘I got burned man!’ Burned people
are people that believed someone or something that did
not come to pass. Scorched!
Ne 4:2 And he spake before his brethren and the army
of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will
they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they
make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of
the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
These are the words of the enemies of God, trying to
mock Nehemiah as he began to build the walls of
Jerusalem. In that day, he was rebuilding the holy city,
the actual stone wall surrounding the city, to make it
strong and defensible again.
We are called to build a different type of wall, in
another holy city, the people of God:
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1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 11 ¶ For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it
is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
People with stony hearts are not unredeemable, nor to
be discarded, but they do take more work to minister to
and to disciple, because of the betrayals and
heartbreaks in their lives, they are more difficult to
work with. Burned stones… Yet, love never fails, and
if ministry was so easy, everyone would be doing it.
More on how this works, later.
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7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung
up, and choked them:
Again we see seed that fell, rather than was planted.
The thorns in Scripture are enemies of God.
Nu 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of
the land from before you; then it shall come to pass,
that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks
in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex
you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Jos 23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your
God will no more drive out any of these nations from
before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you,
and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes,
until ye perish from off this good land which the
LORD your God hath given you.
I see this thorny ground as bad relationships, for it is
written that 1Co 15:33 Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners.
There are thorny people in life, that will destroy the life
of God we have received through the Word of God. We
need to separate ourselves from these people, and join
ourselves to people of honor and faith for it is written:
2Th 3:2 And that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not
faith.
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I have learned that there are difficult people that do not
have the same goals in life as I do. Whether in
business, or because of choices they make in their
personal lives, (immorality, drunkenness, lying), I
cannot chance spending too much time with them, lest
they choke the Word of God in my life. Division,
simply means: two visions. Jas 1:8 A double minded
man is unstable in all his ways. These people are not
the people to develop close, intimate relationships, but
are very redeemable, so we love, and minister to them,
constantly telling them about Jesus, His goodness, and
encouraging them to walk with God.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to
you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded.
Like precious faith:
2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith
with us through the righteousness of God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ:
The people we need to hang with, are those who have
obtained like precious faith. These are to be our friends
and confidants, no other.
Thorny ground chokes the Word! Thorny ground
people can choke the Word and life of God in you, you
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must guard your heart, and close relationships
carefully, for out of these are the forces of life!
v8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth
fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold.
Good ground produces a harvest in the kingdom of
God! A heart that is pure and true, will receive the
Word, and bear much fruit. How much fruit? Well, this
is the first gospel given to us, and this is the first time
we are given this account. Here, in Matthew, we read
that we should receive 100, 60, or 30 fold. As we
compare accounts, we see that in this first account, the
100 fold return is mentioned first. I believe that when
we begin to sow seed, on purpose in the kingdom of
God, that this should be our first and best faith,
believing for a minimum of 100 fold return on
whatever we sow.
An interesting thought I have jotted here in my notes is
this: In the parable, the sower scatters the seed, and it I
simply falls on the different types of soils. The question
is, can we get better results from the kingdom of God,
if we don’t merely scatter seed, but deliberately plant
it? Can we run the birds off, and be careful where we
plant?
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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There is a natural hearing, and a spiritual hearing?
Faith only comes by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God.
Q. Father, is there a way that we can develop hearing
ears? A. Use faith and confession. Deliberately confess
the Word of God in areas that you know you need to
develop in the natural realm, and Holy Spirit will have
something to work with in writing the very Word you
are speaking, on the fleshly tables of your heart. He
now has something to reveal…
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables?
Notice here that when we are in correct relationship
with Jesus, we can ask Him anything. The disciples did
not know everything, neither do you and I. In this
wonderful relational journey in life with Jesus, it is
okay to be simple, childlike, open and eager to learn.
When we don’t understand something from the Word
of God, we don’t understand, yet it is good to seek
understanding through prayer and study. Like an
instructor at college once said, ‘The only stupid
question is the one you never ask!”
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures, When we don’t
know, we don’t know! So we seek Him for
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understanding, and like these disciples on the road to
Emmaeus, He opens the Word to our understanding.
Pr 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but
the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given.
They asked, and they were answered! He answers us
too! Gotta be asking though, often!
I believe this verse, and because I do, I boldly say:
‘Unto me is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God!’
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not,
from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
So much for socialism and communism, you know,
share everything equally with everyone. Not in God’s
kingdom! When we have revelation, more will be given
to us, and that in abundance! If we blow it off, and do
not esteem highly the preciousness of God’s Word
revealed to us, that which we thought we had, will be
taken from us.
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13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have
closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with
their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your
ears, for they hear.
In the natural, we believe it when we see it. In the
kingdom of God, we believe it, and then we see it. I
believe this verse! Believe with me: ‘I believe that my
eyes are blessed, and I see, that my ears are blessed and
that I hear!’
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
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Hear ye: Here is understanding, this is what the parable
means:
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed by the way side.
The Word of the Kingdom: Notice this right off, this is
not the word of any mere man, it is the word or way of
the kingdom of God! This is how the kingdom of God
operates in the earth!
When someone hears the Word of God, and doesn’t
understand it, immediately the devil comes, not with a
pitchfork and horns like in the movies, but as a mind
blinding spirit. He steals the Word of God out of the
heart of a person.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the
same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Tribulation and persecution arise, for the Word’s sake!
If the devil cannot take the Word from a person, he will
try and shake it from them, through tribulation and hard
times.
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Heb 10: 32 But call to remembrance the former days,
in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great
fight of afflictions;
We are to be rooted and grounded in the love of God,
for His wonderful love goes deeper than our deepest
questions and insecurities, making us humble, gentle,
peaceful, and thankful.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in
the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein
with thanksgiving.
v22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.
The cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches
choke the Word, and it withers and dies. Distractions,
obstacles, or love of the world, choke the Word, and it
becomes unfruitful. I like this word choke, because
how well I have experienced how my daily schedule
can choke the life of God trying to bloom in my heart.
Choking removes air, so that something cannot breath.
We must have the breath of God, in order to give it to
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others: That comes from hearing Him, receiving fresh
breath from Holy Spirit, often!
Ac 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Pr 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that
watereth shall be watered also himself.
We pour out our lives into others, preaching, loving,
helping, working, leading, feeding but then we find
ourselves, poured out, cored out, exhausted, having
again given our all…Enter Holy Spirit, with times of
refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and Jesus is
so gracious, we have watered others, and He sends
ministry into out life, to keep us watered..He is so
faithful!
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he
that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
Hearing and Understanding, will cause us to bear fruit.
The question is, is there a relationship between how
well we hear the Word, and how much understanding
of what we have heard, that can cause us to produce
greater multiplication of fruit?
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Pr 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than
gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than
silver!
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Chapter 3:
ark 4: 2 And he taught them
many things by parables, and said
unto them in his doctrine,
Many Things: This is only one of
Jesus parables. He used His
stories and parables to explain the kingdom of God.
What is a parable anyway? Strongs Concordance gives
us this lengthy definition:
3850 παραβολη parabole par-ab-ol-ay’
from 3846; TDNT-5:744,773; n f
AV-parable 46, figure 2, comparison 1, proverb 1; 50
1) a placing of one thing by the side of another,
juxtaposition, as of ships in battle
2) metaph.
2a) a comparing, comparison of one thing with another,
likeness, similitude
2b) an example by which a doctrine or precept is
illustrated
2c) a narrative, fictitious but agreeable to the laws and
usages of human life, by which either the duties of men
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or the things of God, particularly the nature and history
of God’s kingdom are figuratively portrayed
2d) a parable: an earthly story with a heavenly
meaning
3) a pithy and instructive saying, involving some
likeness or comparison and having preceptive or
admonitory force
3a) an aphorism, a maxim
4) a proverb
5) an act by which one exposes himself or his
possessions to danger, a venture, a risk Not sure how
Holy Spirit is going to speak to you on this, but what
bears witness for me, is the simple definition: 2d) a
parable: an earthly story with a heavenly meaning
Jesus used simple, often real life stories, to explain
heavenly truths. He said that we must understand this
one, to understand all others.
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Hearken: Listen up! Pay attention!
Behold: Look and see!
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Thought about this address a little bit, and wondered
what happened that day that Jesus taught this parable.
Was He simply bringing the meeting to order, and
perhaps pointing at a farmer who was scattering seed,
in Spring time planting? Or, was He telling the people
to listen, and trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal, and
literally bring insight, sight within, as to the true
meaning of what He was about to impart?
In our case, the latter must be the interpretation, as we
long for spiritual revelation as we study this very
Word. ‘Lord, we are listening for your voice, and
asking Holy Spirit, that you give us eyes to see.’
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the
way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it
up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not
much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it
had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and
because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up,
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit
that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some
thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
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8 (AMP) And other seed [of the same kind] fell into good
(well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing
up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as
much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred
times as much as had been sown.
Well Adapted soil: The obvious question is: How do
we prepare our own hearts to remain good ground for
the Word of God? I am convinced that we must
incorporated a daily intake of the Word of God in our
lives, cultivate a life of prayer, and continually remove
rocks of offense, roots of bitterness, seeds of deception,
by continually spending hours praying in the Holy
Spirit, allowing the water of the Word and rivers of
living water wash us and keep us clean, so that we can
continually bear good fruit.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done in
parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any
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time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable?
and how then will ye know all parables?
Do you not understand this parable? How then will you
understand the rest of the parables?
Disciple, student, leader, this parable is important, in
that when it is revealed, it unlocks understanding of all
the other parables of the kingdom of God!
14 The sower soweth the word.
Now we get into the kingdom of God! The sower sows
the Word! What Word? The inspired Word from
heaven, the one that when spoken under the direction
and anointing of the Holy Spirit, produces faith,
revelation, deliverance, power, healing, finances,
direction: the living Word.
The Word of God, has creative power, and will produce
anything this earth needs: Healing, Direction, Love,
salvation, Finances, prosperity whatever we need in
this life!
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue:
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4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world through lust.
We see here that in Jesus, we have been given all
things that we might ever need or desire, for this life
and godliness. How? Through these precious promises,
that allow us to actually partake of the very nature of
God, the Spirit of God Himself, who, through these
promises, will actually create for us, that which we
need, here, anywhere in the earth, these promises,
believed and acted upon, actually contain the power of
God!
The sower sows the Word, the promises, the power of
God manifest.
Mrk 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have
faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them.
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Whosoever (that believes. Believes what? The Word
that was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit) shall have
Whatsoever (Whatever they believed!)
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word
is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown
in their hearts.
Wayside Hearts, are people who are always on the
outside looking in. They never fully commit to the
Lordship of Jesus, and so are pathway people, hardened
ground, seeing into the garden of God, but never really
able to eat the fruit of it, because they fail to understand
that their hearts are the problem, always watching
others receive the blessings of God, and many like
beggars, receive the overflow from those who press in
for themselves, but simply spectators in the game of
life, never participants.
In a weekly grocery giveaway I participated in, where
we went door to door, offering a free bag of groceries,
and Jesus, praying for the people’s needs, I have heard
about every kind of story why people no longer attend
church, or how they used to believe, or some other
excuse. They don’t mind receiving the food order, and
even prayer, yet refuse to serve God for themselves;
wayside people. Gotta love them anyway….
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16 And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with gladness;
Hearts of Stone: The rough and tumble of life, has
caused huge trust issues in these people, sometimes for
no fault of their own. Betrayals, trauma, abuse, neglect,
abandonment, rejection, divorce, have left them full of
bitterness, hearts full of pain. They hear the good news
of the promises, but as they begin to press in to what
seems too good to be true, they give up before it bears
fruit, and yet another stone gets placed into their heart,
making it even more difficult to believe. Hope deferred
makes the heart sick, and these folks have honestly
hoped to be loved, respected, celebrated, instructed,
cared for, but it didn’t happen, and quietly, in their
hearts, they gave up. What began in passion and joy,
enthusiasm, and shouts of praise, became another
unfulfilled dream…Many never realizing that it is their
own hardness of heart, and lack of faith that is
preventing them from receiving of the goodness and
promises of God. God understands their pain, their
problems, and if they will courageously press in to
Him, they will discover that: Eze 36:26 A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
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God is love, and His love goes deeper than our deepest
fears, Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I
will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the
stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an
heart of flesh:
Just because you have tried and failed, does not mean
that you are a failure, rather, it is an invitation to come
deeper into the love of Jesus, where it is easy to
believe. Faith is simply belief, and faith only works by
love. You gotta receive it before you can give it
away…Receive Him, and He will reveal to you, His
love, and melt away your pain and fears, now…
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but
for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are
offended.
Affliction or persecution ariseth: There has been a
teaching in the Body of Christ that proclaims only the
blessings of God, and the problem with half a truth, is
that you can never be sure which half you really got.
Let’s look at a couple of these:
Be led by the favor of God: It is true, that God gives us
favor with man, and that we can, by faith, lift up the
shield of favor: Ps 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the
righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a
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shield. Yet, God speaks, and we are to be led by His
Spirit, and trust Him for favour. This verse declares
that after we have authentically heard God, there will
be an attempt by satan to steal the Word, through
afflictions and persecutions. We have authority over
him, and we need to bind his work, and recognize that
God did not send these to our life, just like God did not
send the storm to Jesus on the boat.
Be led by the peace of God: This is true, in that Joh
14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
We are to have peace in our hearts and minds, as we
walk with God, but not always in our circumstances.
Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Mt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on
earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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We are to bring the kingdom of God, and the rule of the
prince of Peace into our lives. Some have erroneously
taught that God’s leading of peace is to follow peaceful
circumstances, and that if there is no peace, we are not
to go in a certain direction. The peace God gives, is in
our hearts, and in His kingdom to enforce. We are to be
led by the peace of God in our hearts, but if there were
to be always peace in our circumstances, Paul really
missed it, in all the tumults, shipwrecks, beatings etc
that he incurred.
When we authentically hear God, it can bring division,
and hardship, but we are to:
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ.
Each of us are responsible for our own garden, and the
garden is the garden of our heart:
Pr 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it
are the issues of life.
Jesus did not promise us a life without problems, in fact
He said: Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith.
It is the very promise you have believed that has
produced the persecution and afflictions! Suck it up,
and walk through it, because it is not God that is
bringing the trouble to your life, rather satan or one of
his demons.
God is good, but satan knows full well the power of
God present in His promises. He must stop you from
believing, because it is the only way he can prevent you
from receiving what God has for you.
You are not crazy! You really did hear God, and God is
working for you as you believe.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in
which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great
fight of afflictions;
If the devil can’t take it from you, he is trying to shake
it from you, bringing the heat with only one motive in
mind, to make you give up. It’s not personal, he hates
God, and he is after the Word in your life! Do not give
up, God is moving and working to bring to you, exactly
what you asked Him for, and that which He promised.
This is what Paul fought as God spoke to him, 2Co
12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure
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through the abundance of the revelations, there was
given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
See it? God spoke to Paul, and gave him revelation,
and satan had to stop the Word from working in the
earth. He sent a demon spirit, a messenger to stop Paul,
from preaching the gospel around the world. You need
to understand this principal: satan is not after you
personally, although he hates all of humanity because
we are created in the image of God, yet direct
opposition to the Word of God comes only when you
have directly heard, believed and acted upon the Word
of God.
v18 And these are they which are sown among thorns;
such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke
the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
The cares of this world, worry: these are enemies to be
destroyed. Deliberately, you must cast these cares at
the feet of Jesus or you will go crazy, and you will not
receive the manifestation of the kingdom promise you
have believed.
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
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Amplified Bible (AMP)
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and
distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and
false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the
craving and passionate desire for other things creep in
and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes
fruitless.
False glamour: I ask myself when I create a ministry
event, is there any false glamour, flash and glitz to
what I am doing that might compromise the anointing,
the Word, the Spirit of God? Not to be confused with
big, bold, and glorious, for Jesus is a Great King! Yet,
we are talking about heart motives here, why am I
doing what I am doing? To impress people, or to
impress God, and to see Him glorified? Just sayin…
Amplified Bible (AMP)
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and
distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and
false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the
craving and passionate desire for other things creep in
and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes
fruitless.
Suffocated? We all need the breath of God breathed
into us, repeatedly, to experience the life of God. Ge
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
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The cares of this world:
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ;
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
Thoughts that would cause us to worry, are not of God.
We must carefully monitor what we are thinking about,
and things that are bothering us, need to be taken to the
Lord in prayer, and left with Him.
The deceitfulness of riches: Mt 6:24 No man can serve
two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Lu 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust
the true riches?
Money makes a wonderful servant, but a lousy Lord!
You must rule over it, and tell it where to go, or it will
choke the Word of God from your life, eternal riches,
and money with a mission granted unto you. You must
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make money bow to the Lordship of Jesus, or it will
quickly own you. Tithe, give offerings, help the poor,
and sow financial offerings into the kingdom of God,
expecting increase and reward.
Lusts of other things: How I have struggled in this! I
have started in on a personal promise from God, and
then got distracted, as the very thing I believed for
began to manifest. Since we have been talking about
money for a minute, the Scripture states that prosperity
will ruin a fool. One out of six of Jesus parables were
about money, and God uses finances to teach us eternal
principals.
Here is a perfect example of this: Let’s say we are in a
wonderful meeting, where the Holy Spirit is moving,
and we hear wonderful truths from a man or woman of
God, and Holy Spirit places a desire in our hearts to
read some of their books, or listen to some of their
teaching series. Yet, these cost money to produce, and
the ministry is selling them to cover these costs, and the
costs of running the ministry.
Pr 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom,
and instruction, and understanding.
So, we ask God for some of these, and sure enough, the
following week, the hundred dollars extra we needed to
purchase the teaching series Holy Spirit laid upon our
hearts, comes to us, supernaturally. Yet, the thought
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comes to mind: ‘I haven’t been out to eat in a while,
and the children need a new toy, and suddenly, before
you know it, the money you believed God for, to
purchase revelation of the Word of God, is consumed
upon the lusts of other things, and the Word that should
have produced 30,60 or 100fold return, did not fully
manifest, because we took the first bit of our harvest,
and used it for our own desires, instead of the desires of
the Holy Spirit. Had we obeyed and pressed in, God
would have provided more than enough for dinner out,
and gifts for our children, yet, we flunked the money
test!
This can become very serious:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved
this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;
This man Demas, missed eternal rank, privilege and
reward, because he allowed the lusts of other things,
entering in, to choke the Word.
Holy Spirit is Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground;
such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth
fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
hundred.
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Run the race, make it through the tests, and look what
happens: 30fold, 60fold, 100fold harvests occur!
So what word was sown into your heart? The word of
salvation? Eternal life through Jesus Christ? So, you
testify what God has done, and begin to tell others how
to meet Jesus. At first, seems like nothing is happening,
and that the Word is not working, but you press in, to
understand the new birth, what it is to become a new
creation in Christ Jesus, how your body itself has now
changed to become a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are
adopted into God’s family, you are a child of the King,
you are accepted, forgiven, loved, blessed, granted a
name written in the Lamb’s book of life. Eternal life
has been imparted to you, not in the sweet by and by,
but in the here and now, to your very spirit, you have
become born-again, into the kingdom of God, an
ambassador for the great King of all the universe! Satan
opposes you, your family thinks you are nuts, your
friends abandon you, telling you that you are a
religious fanatic, a nut, an extremist, you may even get
fired from your job (I did) because you refuse to stop
talking about Jesus! Yet, as time goes on, religious
people try to calm you down, and get you to
compromise your fire and zeal for Jesus, cares of this
world enter in: what about your career, your marriage,
your family, your education? Don’t take this religious
thing too seriously, you will ruin your life, they say.
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Then some good things start to happen, you meet some
other on-fire folks, and when you are not witnessing,
reading the Bible or worshipping, you begin to go out
to eat, hang out at friends cottages at the lake, and relax
watching movies from Redbox or Blockbuster, and
quietly, satan weaves his web, trying to get you to stay
caught up with the lusts of other things, determined to
steal your quiet time with your Father, your intimacy
with Jesus, your time in the Word, you zeal in prayer,
worship, and the things of the kingdom. Yet, you see it,
and realize the eternal destiny of the very people who
are rejecting you presently, depends upon your
obedience to and faith in God, and you fight the fight
of faith for their souls! You press in, and start skipping
meals, and Christian parties, and certain ‘fellowship’
events, that are quite frankly, distractions, and worldly.
Then, it begins to happen: You are at an event, with 20
or thirty unsaved people, and the boldness of God
comes upon you, and you preach the gospel, with
tenderness and tears, and suddenly, all of them accept
Jesus, and God bears witness, and there are signs,
wonders, and miracles. Next night, you are invited to a
family dinner with one of these, and there are another
twenty folks there, and the same thing happens, you
share your testimony, and all twenty of these accept
Jesus, and suddenly, it begins a snowball effect, and
before you know it, you have led a hundred people to
Christ, and are making headlines in heaven. Angels are
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rejoicing, heaven is on its feet giving you a standing
ovation along with the great cloud of witnesses!
Heaven is on its feet, because you are expanding the
kingdom of God! Even people in hell, that have been
praying that their loved ones do not end up there, are
longing for you to keep on, without compromise,
plundering hell and populating heaven. There comes a
joy unspeakable and full of glory upon your life, and
power with God and man, as God Himself entrusts to
you, mighty signs, wonders, and miracles to get the job
done, and you discover this word of salvation, sown
into your heart, is indeed the power of God in the earth!
You have just received One Hundred Fold Return!
This example is simply an example of only one word
that that the sower sows, the word of salvation!
What if you were sick, and learned the word of
healing? Could you begin to empty out hospitals by the
power of God flowing through you, after you received
your healing, and began to share your testimony?
What about money? Could these principals work in the
financial realm?
What about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? You get
filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of
speaking in supernatural tongues. You dig into the
Word to become grounded in your faith in this
teaching, and begin to share your testimony, and the
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Word, and despite the obstacles, suddenly you begin to
see folks filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence
of speaking in other tongues?
You need to see this! The sower sows the Word! What
word? The Word the Holy Spirit directs us to sow!
What happens? The word is designed to produce 30,60,
100 fold whatever is preached! You may not know the
hearts of the people who hear what God directs you to
sow, but if you obey God, and sow faithfully, where,
when, and how He directs, and you pass all these heart
tests, you will see increase in what you are
commissioned to preach. Jesus said, that if Joh 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
How many rivers shall flow out of our hearts? Depends
upon how many we put in there! There are rivers of
worship, prophetic realms of glory, teaching, missions,
rivers of wisdom, churches to be pioneered, crusades to
be organized and preached, healings and miracles to be
wrought, peoples to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Bible
schools to be raised up, orphanages to be built and
supported, hungry folks to be fed, prisoners to be
visited, sermons to be prepared and preached, people to
be pastored, healed, restored, trained, equipped,
married, buried, and blessed! The kingdom of God is
alive, and moving, and this parable unlocks how to
move with it!
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Chapter 4:
uke 8:4 ¶ And when much people were
gathered together, and were come to him out
of every city, he spake by a parable:
‘People came to him out of every city’: not
just local folks and friends, but people drawn
by the Holy Spirit,with a hunger in their heart that only
a living Word can fulfill.
Mt 4:4 for It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God.
He is the bread of life! Jesus said in Joh 6:48 I am that
bread of life.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from
heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world.
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed,
some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it.
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6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was
sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture.
Ah, the precious water of the Word, the living water,
Holy Spirit. The river of God, that melts our hearts
with love, and intimacy with Him. The supply of the
Spirit made available, only when we pray:
Php 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my
salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the
Spirit of Jesus Christ,
See it here, how the prayers of the saints, produce a
supply of the Holy Spirit, to ministries, that makes the
Word of God come alive, and shatter the strongholds,
and hardness of peoples hearts..How we need living
water!
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang
up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and
bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this
parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
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parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear,
receive the word with joy; and these have no root,
which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which,
when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an
honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,
and bring forth fruit with patience.
Notice here, that there is no 30,60, 100 Fold mentioned
here, just fruit, from an honest and good heart.
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Chapter 5:
n Conclusion:
Our Hearts are compared to the gardens of
God. Plants need Air, water, good deep and
rich soil, sunshine, and protection from birds
and animals to survive and thrive. We have
looked at how these natural realities are
reflected in the kingdom of God, and are all needed in
our lives in order that we bear eternal fruit for the
Kingdom of God.
Pastor Paul Daugherty, one of our pastoral staff here at
Victory Christian Center, just preached a great message
on trusting the Lord for the miraculous, daily. He used
the parable of the sower as his text, and I liked the
points he made in conclusion:
He gave ‘Seven attributes of a Fertile Heart’
1. When you pray, pray in faith, Believe!
2. Come to church, Expectant, expecting God to do
great things!
3. Keep Notes: When God speaks, write it down, so
that you don’t forget it.
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4. Lean In to the person and presence of God, be
attentive, hungry!
5. Live with your Hands Open. Closed fists can’t
receive, and show an attitude of self will, not
acceptance of the will of God. Open hands both
give and receive well.
6. Believe in the Greatness of God inside of You,
Christ in You, the hope of Glory, Greater is He
in you, that he that is in the world!
7. Expect a Miracle!
These are the Seven Points He made, I’ve made a few
more:
1. Hear the Word – Keep quiet and secret time with
God, sacred, and daily.
2. As you hear, study it out, ground it in the
Scriptures.
3. Guard your heart and relationships carefully.
4. Speak the Word! At least privately in prayer, and
publically as He leads.
5. Let God promote you, in His time. Don’t use
flash, glitz, or worldly methods.
6. Expect Signs, Wonders, and Miracles as you live
and speak the word
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7. Expect 100 fold return on the Word you hear,
and sow.
Remember that when God authentically speaks to you,
this parable shows us clearly three things that will
surely happen to us, directly because of the Word we
just heard:
1. Satan (the bird) will come and try and steal the
Word from us.
2. If satan cannot take the Word from us, he tries to
shake it from us with persecutions and
afflictions.
3. Finally, if we prevail and endure, distractions
will come to our lives, often good things, but not
of God, designed for one thing. To choke the life
of God from us, to kill the Word in our hearts.
Now I am going to sow seven Words, I believe the
Holy Spirit has directed me to plant into your lives:
1. The Gospel
2. A Shark Story
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
4. Healing
5. One of the Ways to Worship is to serve the
people God loves
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6. Knowing Your Future (Hearing the Voice of
God)
7. Seven things confession of God’s Word will
bring to your life.
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Chapter 6:
he Gospel!
So, as we continue our meditational
jouney, I am going to deliberately speak
seven different words from the Word of
God, into your life. The first, and most important word,
is what we call the gospel, the good news, the word of
eternal life.
God loves you, and there are five things God wants you
know about Him, and I feel impressed by Him to tell
you what they are. They are all about Jesus, God the
Son.
1. Jesus was born. Babies are born every day, but
Jesus is different, because although Mary is His
earthly mother, God is His heavenly Father. That
makes Him different than any other person that
has ever walked the earth. Think of it this way,
the egg inside of Mary was human, the sperm
divine. Theologians call this Immaculate
Conception, but to most of us it is the Christmas
story. God became a man in the form of Jesus
Christ, Emanuel, God with us. God came to earth
and joined humanity, like each of us, as a meek
helpless baby. Jesus is not merely the son of
God, but God the Son, the second person of the
Trinity.
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2. Jesus grew up, yet he became a man without sin.
Although the Bible says little about his first
thirty years, the baby we celebrate at Christmas
did not remain a child, at thirty years of age, He
withdrew from humanity and fasted forty days to
come back in the power of the Holy Spirit to
show the world what a person, walking with the
Creator can be. He healed the sick, raised the
dead, fed the multitudes, walked on water,
stopped storms, and cast evil spirits out of
people.He did all of this, without sin. Not one
time, did He ever break the laws of God or man,
that qualified Him as the sinless, spotless, holy,
Lamb of God, accepted by God, as the only fit
sacrifice, for the sins of humanity.
He is still the same, and doing the same things
today. Yet the day came on earth, when He was
betrayed, and sentenced by a kangaroo court to
death. Religious people had Him murdered.
3. He died on the cross. Not a pretty death.
Deserted by his closest friends. Beaten beyond
human recognition. His face pulverized.
Weakened so much by blood loss that this
formerly strong man could not carry His own
cross. The sky turned black as night, the earth
split open and dead people came out of the
graves to testify. He spoke three words that still
echo throughout eternity, “It is finished” The veil
in the temple, was torn from top to bottom,
signifying that the separation between God and
humanity was now open. God could again visit
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with the people He created. Jesus bore the sin of
the whole world upon Himself on the cross, an
infinite sacrifice, for an infinite debt. Atonement!
4. He rose from the dead. You know, the Easter
story. HIStory. Not the tooth fairy, Lord of the
Rings, or the Easter bunny. Though they laid the
body of Jesus in a tomb for three days, His spirit
was not there. He went through paradise, He
went to hell, yet on the third day, His spirit
rejoined His body, and He rose. The stone was
rolled away, and he ascended into heaven. For
the next fifty days He appeared to over five
hundred eye witnesses, and then while these five
hundred watched, two angels appeared, and He
ascended bodily back into heaven. Many
educated moral instructors have lived: Buddha,
Mohammed, Gandhi, Plato, and others, yet each
of these died, and their body remains in their
tomb today. Jesus rose from the dead.
5. He reigns. He is Lord of heaven and earth. God
is spirit, seeking those who will worship Him in
spirit and truth. There is only one true God,
maker of heaven and earth, yet He has revealed
Himself throughout His Word in three separate
and distinct persons. God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Son of
God, birthed of His Spirit. When He ascended
back into heaven, God sat Him at His right hand
where He reigns the universe.
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In short, He came, He lived, He died, He rose and He
reigns.
Now the problem of Creation must be addressed. You
and I. Each and every one of us have been created in
the image of God. We are also spirits, we have a soul,
and we live in a body. Except a man be born-again, he
cannot even see the kingdom of God. God loves you
personally and wants you to know Him on His terms.
Religion has always been man’s set of rules and
regulations attempting to reach God, Jesus is God’s
attempt to reach man. He died for you, not because He
had to, but because He loves you. Yet, He did not
create robots, each of us has a free will. The question
He would have me ask you is this: Do you want Him to
be your king? Do you want to go to heaven when you
die, to be with Him? If you do, the Bible makes this
promise to each of us,
‘If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart
man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:9,10’
Here’s what each of us need to do to come to God on
His terms.
1. We must acknowledge Jesus as our personal
Lord. That is, in light of this great love He has
demonstrated towards us, we must make a
decision as to whether of not we will choose to
allow Him to rule over us.
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2. We must believe in our heart that God raised
Him from the dead.
3. We must confess, out loud to Him that we want
Him.
Here’s a simple prayer.
God, I want to know you. I want you to be in charge
of my life. I accept you Lord Jesus as my Lord.
Forgive me Lord for all the things I have done
against you. I believe, Father that you raised Jesus
from the dead, and I ask you to come into my life, and
make me the best person I can possibly be. Amen.
Now, that prayer will get you right with God, today.
But what about tomorrow? Each day we need to grow
spiritually, in our relationship with Him. That will
involve talking to Him about your day, and involving
Him in your day-to-day decisions. How do you do that?
Well, begin to read your Bible, every day, first thing,
beginning with the New Testament. Seek Him first
thing every day, and He will add everything else you
need to your life. When you see something in the Bible
that is new to you, do what it says.
That’s where we come in. Eventually, you are going to
need a good church. A place of love, friendship, and
fellowship, where we can worship God and work
together to make this world a better place. Any Bible
believing church would love to meet you, and to hear
about your new decision to serve God. There are many
fine churches all over the world. Shop for one that
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believes the Bible to be the Word of God, and where
you have peace.
If you would like more information about the church I
attend, please contact Victory Christian Center at
victory.com.
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Chapter 7:
Shark Story!
When I was young and full of
fire, living for adventure, I
completed the Underwater
Skills program at Seneca
College in King City, Ontaro,
Canada, qualitying me as a commercial diver and
underwater welder. When I was 16, my dad had been
posted to Norfolk, VA, to take the next level of his
officer training as a naval officer, and they had a great
youth program, that allowed me to take my NAUI
scuba certification. I loved diving, and the ocean, and
so Seneca’s training was a great fit for my
adventourous personality. After graduation, I went up
to Honey Harbour, Ontario, and worked a couple
seasons on a cable laying barge, laying telephone cable
that connected telephone lines to what is known as the
’10,000 islands’ on the East side of Georgian Bay.
Round about October, or November, when things were
starting to freeze up, I would buy myself a ticket, and
head south to Key West, Florida to go treasure hunting
with Mel Fisher. Got to work one winter for Mel’s son,
captain Kane, aboard the ‘Dauntless’.
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Now this treasure hunting is quite an experience. Mel
had 8 or nine boats working for him in his fleet, and
people signed a contract for a percentage of treasure
found. Mel had previously discovered the Marguerita,
with 22 million dollars of silver and gold uncovered,
and investors made money, as did crew members that
year, for contracts were signed by the year, anticipating
the find of the sister ship, ‘the Atocha’, that historians
record as having sunk in the same storm hundreds of
millions of gold and silver bullion aboard.
There were generally two types of boats in the fleet,
search boats and dive boats. Search boats tow various
metal detecting equipment, and dive boats are equipped
with digging equipment, as the area the ships were
known to have been lost, is known as ‘The
Quicksands’, with the bottom covered with constantly
moving and shiifting underwater sand dunes, that are
often 30-40’ high. The dive boats are equipped with air
lifts, and a neat thing called ‘mailboxes’. These
mailboxes, are huge elbow shaped tubes, that fold
down over the propellers of the ship. We had little
Boston whaler skiffs with outboard motors, that we
would use to fly anchors out on three or four sides of
the dive boat, so that these mailboxes could be folded
down over the propellers of the dive boat, and pinned
in place. The boat would them rev up it’s engines, and
blast the prop wash down into the bottom, quickly
digging a hole in the bottom 30’ or more deep, all the
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way down to bedrock. Then, the engines are idled back,
to direct a stream of clear, surface water down into the
hole. We then, as divers, would grab metal detectors,
and would scoot down to the bottom, to see if any
silver, gold, or lead musket balls had been uncovered
by the blast.
We were allowed to keep our first silver or gold coin
found, I still have my 1622 silver piece of eight to this
day.
There was a wonderful side benefit to all of this
digging in the sand. When we dug the first hole in the
morning, the props would immediately uncover any
clams, worms, crabs or other creatures that had been
under the sand. Huge schools of fish would begin to
congregate around the digging area, so that by the end
of an 8-10 hour day of digging, there were literally
thousands of fish swimming around the hole with us as
we continued to work our metal detectors. We would
begin to view the menu for the evenings feast
throughout the day…
Now, we were not allowed to spear fish during the day,
as any blood in the water would attract sharks, but at
the end of the day, just as the sun was setting, we
would descend with spear guns, and shoot a dozen or
so fish, for Hor De Orby’s (hors d’oeuvres). Probably
8-10 of these fish were grouper or snappers, or some
type of delicacy, that we would quickly fillet and hand
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to the cook, to bread and fry up, as we began the
evening chores of washing out dive equipment,
greasing ‘O’ rings, filling tanks, cleaning the deck, etc,
as we began the three hour ride into harbour, where we
would anchor out for the night. These were gratefully
served as snacks enroute, before our evening feast.
Usually, we anchored at Marquesis key, as its channel
enters into the only coral atoll in US waters.
We would take all the fish guts, scales, etc, with any
trash fish we had speared, and put this in a 45 gallon
garbage container, with about 5 gallons of sea water.
Someone, over the years, had welded a shark hook to a
3’ length of chain that we would attach to a clevis on
the end of one of our spare anchor lines.
Then after the traditional nightly feast, we play cards
on deck, and then hook up a 2-5lb trash fish to this
shark hook, and let the line drift back behind the boat
50-100 yards. Every couple of minutes, we would
scoop up some of the blood and guts from the 45 gallon
trash can, and we would chum for sharks.
For a couple of weeks, all we caught was one skinney
little 5’ hammerhead, so I had a hard time believing the
stories of the monster sharks the crew had caught in
previous years. Sounded like fish stories to me….
Well, one night, there was a ‘glow in the dark’
plankton bloom that was awesome to see. The water
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was really clear and calm, and you could look down
into the dark, and anywhere something moved, these
plankton would light up, leaving a glowing trail when a
fish swam. Every crest of every wavelet would light up,
and it was really peaceful and picturesque. Looked like
those greenish glow sticks that people wave around on
July 4th fireworks. Really beautiful.
Round about 10-11Pm captain Kane told me to pull in
that shark hook, and go to bed. I was really tired, and
nodding off, but I really wanted to catch one of those
big sharks everyone talked about. I pleaded with him to
leave the shark hook out, and he said I could on one
condition: ‘If you hook a big tiger shark, and it fouls
that line in the props, you are first diver in with a knife,
to cut the props free.”
“Sure!” I said!
So, I dumped the whole trash can full of chum over the
side, and rinsed out the container. Then I thought:
‘How will I know if I get a bite in the middle of the
night?’ So, I pulled in about 40 feet of rope, and figure
eighted it around a 70 lb spare Danforth anchor that we
had stowed around a set of bollards behind the cabin
where we slept. I figured that if a shark hooked itself, it
would rattle that anchor on the metal deck, and I would
wake up and pull him in.
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Finally, I went to bed, and fell into a deep, exhausted
sleep.
In the middle of the night, I was awakened the sound of
a loud ‘clang’, and the boat was shaking, and everyone
was up, and men were yelling: ‘We got a shark, we got
a shark!’ There was the sound of gun shots, as I
sleepily ran to the back deck of the Dauntless. They
had a spotlight, trying to spot the fin of this huge shark
exploding through the surf behind the boat. When the
monster had taken the bait, it had flown that 70lb
anchor 40’ through the air, and the anchor was pinned
against the back guard rail so hard that two men, could
not pull it off. As the fish exploded from side to side
behind the boat, it seemed like the entire ocean lit up
from the line, like a ‘glow in the dark’ football field. A
couple of us tried to pull it in, but the rope just tore
open our hands, and the entire boat was shaking from
the fight!
Each time the fin of this thing would surface, captain
Kane would squeeze off a couple of rounds from the
.303 rifle we kept on clips for sharks and pirates.
“Bam, Bam! I think I hit him! Bam! Bam!’
Finally, someone had an idea to fire up the big 6-71
Jimmy motors, and engage one of the winches we used
for pulling anchors. Quickly, a snatch block was run off
the side, and the rope run through it. We then engaged
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the winch, and begain hauling this beast in. As it got
closer, Kane managed to get a couple rounds into its
head, and the fight was over. Yet, we couldn’t lift it!
So, we placed the rope around a brace, and began
winching it in, to discover we had caught a 9 foot, 550
lb lemon shark. Teeth going somewhere to happen.
Problem was, that even though the fish was dead, its
jaws would still clamp shut involutarily, and I had to
duct tape a fillet knife to the end of a broom handle to
cut the hook out. I wanted to gut it, and put it in our
walk in cooler, but Kane wouldn’t let me, so as the
knife did its work, the body of the beast dropped off,
and descended into the deep, clear waters. We followed
it with the spotlight into the deep, and I remember the
words my father had ingrained in me as a young boy:
“Son, if you are going to kill something, you better eat
it!’ I thought about what a waste of good meat that was,
and how that shark would never have bothered us
diving, or probably even come close to us, as lemon
sharks are fish eaters, not generally known to attack
people.
Well, the moral of the story:
Sharks are rather amazing creatures I’ve found. A
shark’s primary sense is a keen sense of smell. It can
detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water (25
gallons or 100 liters) and can smell blood 0.25 mile
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(0.4 km) away.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/ana
tomy/Senses.shtml
By throwing ladlefuls of blood into the water behind
the boat, sharks would hone in on the scent trail, and
would readily take the bait placed for them.
So it is in our life. God is love, and we who know
Jesus, are His children, designed to walk in love, life,
light, strength, power and authority in the earth. With
Him, we are invincible, and satan knows this.
So, he has to do something to get through our
impregnable armor.
God forgives us, but commands us to forgive others:
Colossians 3:13
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one
has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against
another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord
has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].
Luke 6
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not
condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive,
and you will be forgiven.
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Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything
against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let
it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may
also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings
and let them drop.
Mark 11:26
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.
God commands us to forgive people who do us wrong,
but in the business of life, people can tick us off, and
we can get offended. This is a bait of satan, designed to
get us out of the will of God for our lives. John Bevere
has a tremendous book by this title
http://archive.org/details/JohnBevereTheBaitOfSatan
that you can download.
2 Corinthians 2:11
To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for
we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.
This is one of the wiles of satan, a trap designed to
destroy us.
Unforgiveness to the devil, is like blood is to a shark.
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1 Peter 5:8
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be
vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of
yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in
fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and
devour.
Satan is a predator, trying to devour our lives. He
cannot touch us when we are fully walking with God,
in love towards our fellow man, so, he sends people to
do us wrong, with the intent purpose to get us in
unforgiveness. Why?
Remember the story Jesus told in Matt 18 about the
servant who owed a huge debt he could not pay, and
how he was brought before the king? He asked for
mercy, and the king graciously forgave him, and
released him from his debt. This man then went out,
saw another guy that owed him a small amount, and
had the man thrown in prison. Servants told the king,
who then had him arrested and brought back to court.
His verdict?
(Mat 18:33 NIV) Shouldn’t you have had mercy on
your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
(Mat 18:34 NIV) In anger his master turned him over
to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all
he owed.
I want you to see this. Unforgiveness will produce
torment in your life.!
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When you or I choose not to forgive, we go into
bondage. You get turned over to the tormenters.
(Mat 18:35 NIV) “This is how my heavenly Father
will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother
from your heart.”
Unforgiveness brings torment into our lives, and allows
the devil to come and do what he does, kill our dreams,
steal our joy, blessing, or perhaps our lives, and destroy
things that may have taken us years to build.
Grudges only hurt us, not the person we hate or
stonewall, for they allow demonic spirits to torture us,
and steal our peace. Forgive: It’s your life at stake…
Homework:
1. Come clean with God. Ask Him to show you all the
things you’ve done that offend him, and ask Him to
forgive you.
2. Come clean with others. Ask God to show you all
the people who have hurt you, and forgive them. I
had to make a 21 page list, forgive them, and then
burn the list.
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3. Come clean with yourself. Ask God to show you all
the areas of your life where you are beating yourself
up, and forgive yourself.
4. Ask God to show you other people that are caught
in this trap, and pray for them. There will be healing in
it for you. (Job 42:10 NIV) After Job had prayed for
his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and
gave him twice as much as he had before.
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Chapter 8:
orship in Spirit and
Truth
(The Baptism in the Holy
Spirit)
For those of you who already speak in other tongues,
this is just a useful note set you can copy or email to
your friends as an answer to a Biblical question. For
some of you though, this is spirit and life, and although
you have heard about people speaking in tongues, and
perhaps been around it, it has not yet been your
experience. Well, it can be, and this little teaching
explains emphatically that this is a Biblical doctrine,
not just the emotional experience of a few fringe
elements. Let’s look at it.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Q. Why do we need to be filled with the Spirit?
A. After you make Jesus the Lord of your life, it is the
will of God that you experience the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” It
is the Holy Spirit’s ministry not only to impart the
nature of God to the spirit of man at salvation, but to
come and live in the new creature. His job is to reveal
the exact knowledge of God from the heart of the
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Father. A believer cannot understand, by his own spirit
alone, the profound wisdom of God. This is why Jesus
said in John 14:26 that the Father would send us the
Comforter to teach us “all things.”
When you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive the
ability of God. Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
The word power in that verse is translated dunamis,
which means ability and might. It is through the
energizing force of the Holy Spirit living in us that we
are transformed into effective witnesses. So, to be born
again and not filled with the Spirit is like being a train
without a track.
The ability you receive to pray with your spirit when
you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is powerful. It
edifies and builds up your spirit man and puts you in
contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians
14:4, 2:10). For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man
understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth
himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the
church.
We see in Romans 8:26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
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intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is
the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
It also allows you to pray God’s perfect will for your
life, apart from your natural understanding and aids you
in interceding for others (Romans 8:26-27).
And according to Jude 1:20-21,
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Praying in the Spirit strengthens and intensifies your
personal relationship with God, and helps us in our
love walk.
Q. How can I receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
A. The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is for
everyone in the Body of Christ because God gave His
Spirit to the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:32-33, 39). As a partaker of your covenant with God,
however, you must individually receive what He has
given you.
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When you ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the
Word of God promises that you shall receive Him:
Luke 11:9-13 says:
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is
a father, will he give him a stone?…Or if he shall ask an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?
In the Bible, when believers received the Holy Spirit,
they began to speak in a heavenly language. Acts 2:4
says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.” This is still true today. When you
accept the Spirit’s indwelling, your spirit will
immediately have a desire to express itself in praise to
God. The Holy Spirit will give utterance through you
as you give Him permission.
When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the
Spirit. You are letting the Holy Spirit pray through
your spirit. The Amplified Bible says in 1 Corinthians
14:14, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me]
prays….” Just as your native language is the voice of
your mind, your prayer language is the voice of your
spirit.
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A Brief Bible study on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
First of all I need to make the statement, that the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a Bible doctrine, not a
denominational event. Some say that this is only for
certain members of the Body of Christ, but Scripture
declares that this is for everyone who believes.
The promise:
Is 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue
will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye
may cause the weary to rest; and this is the
refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Praying in other tongues will cause the weary to rest,
and brings refreshing from the presence of the Lord. In
today’s fast paced world, who doesn’t need rest and
refreshing?
I heard Gloria Copeland testify that the Lord told her,
thirty years ago, that if she would pray in tongues one
hour/day that everything would be alright. Well, she
has been faithful to do this, and everything in their life,
health, finances and family are still alright.
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Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It is the promise of God, uttered through the lips of
Jesus before He left the earth.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call.
All who are afar off, means you, right there where you
are reading this, for the Lord our God has called you.
Now, if we are going to study a certain doctrine or area
of theology, we need to look at what it looked like in
the Bible. I have recorded here the experiences of other
Christians who have received the infilling of the Holy
Spirit, to see what happened, and how we can learn
from their experience.
Instances where believers were filled with the Holy
Spirit
Acts 2:1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where
they were sitting.
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3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as
of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout
men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude
came together, and were confounded, because that
every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one
to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born?
Read v 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
who spoke? The Holy Spirit? No, they spoke as the
Holy Spirit gave them utterance. God will fill you with
His Holy Spirit whenever you ask. He will not
overpower you and force you to speak. You must, by
faith, open your mouth and speak a heavenly language
that you have never spoken before.
Act 8:14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at
Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
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17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the
apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money,
We see here a number of interesting things.
1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event
that occurs after salvation. People had
already been saved under Phillips
ministry, but then God moved, sent the
apostles to them, and then the believers
received the Holy Ghost.
2. One of the ways to receive the Holy Spirit
is through the laying on of hands.
3. Simon saw something after the Holy Spirit
was given. Many preachers have added
their interpretation of what they think
Simon saw, but let’s stick with the
Scripture. There was obviously some type
of physical manifestation when believers
received the Holy Spirit. I think they
spoke in other tongues.
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy
Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and
magnify God. Then answered Peter,
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We see here a number of interesting things:
1. God couldn’t wait for Peter to finish preaching
before He baptized these folks in the Holy Spirit.
Seems one can get saved and filled with the Holy
Spirit all in one shot.
2. These believers did not need hands laid upon
them to receive the Holy Spirit, they simply
believed the Word they heard.
3. One of the initial evidences of receiving the Holy
Spirit is to speak in tongues.
Acts 19:1 ¶ And it came to pass, that, while Apollos
was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper
coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have
not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they
should believe on him which should come after him,
that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with
tongues, and prophesied.
We see again, a number of interesting things:
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1. Again, the Holy Spirit baptism is a different
event than salvation. These people Paul preached
to were already saved.
2. Again these people received through the laying
on of hands.
3. They spoke with tongues as initial evidence of
the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Overview:
These are the only four accounts recorded in the
Scripture of believers being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Two received through laying on of hands, two received
directly. You can receive this gift directly from God,
right now as a direct response to this Word that you
have heard.
Three of the four cases, and possibly the fourth, spoke
in tongues as initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. You will speak in other tongues after you are
filled.
I remember a couple of years ago, a friend of mine
asked me to prove to him from the Scripture that the
infilling of the Holy Spirit is Biblical. I shared with
him, the verses I just gave you. He was still not
convinced, and argued vehemently that these
Pentecostal and Charismatic gifts had passed away with
the 1st Century church. I asked him to show me that in
the Scripture, and he showed me several vague
references, but nothing concrete. Seems the
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denomination he came out of didn’t believe in the
infilling of the Holy Spirit, and they were well
grounded in their unbelief.
Well, I brought this man to a Pentacostal Church, and
as God would have it, the pastor asked everyone to
pray in tongues for five minutes before the service.
This man was shocked at the heavenly roar, and
obvious power in what happened, but still unconvinced.
He invited me over for coffee and then argued
vehemently that speaking in other tongues was of the
devil, and that I was involved in some cult.
So, I said to him this: “Do you believe Jesus is God the
Son, and that God raised Him from the dead?” Yes, of
course he replied. “Have you accepted Jesus as your
Saviour and Lord?” Of course! He replied heatedly.
“Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” I
pressed. Yes, he replied angrily. Ok then what do make
of these two verses:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.
Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat,
because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of
faith is sin.
“The fact that we are here debating the Word of God
shows me that you are diligently seeking God, looking
for His best for your life. Right?”
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What are you getting at? He asked.
Read: Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them
that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues;
Jesus said these signs would follow those people that
believe. I believe, therefore I speak in other tongues,
you don’t believe so you don’t. Don’t let this bother
you any more. God is not going to force His good gifts
upon you, for tongues are only a sign for those that
have faith, for one who believes. You refuse to believe,
so you will not speak in tongues.
He was so angry that he asked me to leave! Well, I
thought that was the end of it, and I went down the road
rejoicing. Yet, I met him again several weeks later.
Seems he went back to that Pentecostal church to argue
more, but during worship, he got filled with the Holy
Spirit, and began speaking in other tongues, and has
continued to do so, every day since. To God be the
glory!
If you desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit or if you
are unsure whether you have received it, say the prayer
below:
“Father, I am a new creature in Christ. Fill me with
Your Holy Spirit to enable me to be a powerful
witness of Jesus. I believe that I now receive the
Holy Spirit just as the disciples did on the day of
Pentecost. Amen”
Now open your mouth and speak!
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For prayer, comments, message me on Facebook,
ChrisKarenWalsh
Email: [email protected]
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Chapter 9:
even Reasons Why You
Should be Healed
Today!
1. Creation and Heaven reveal the nature of God.
When we read the Genesis account, on what day did
God create sickness? He didn’t, it is the result of the
fall of man. As John Alexander Dowie put it,
sickness is the foul offspring of mother sin, and
father Satan. It is not your friend, but an enemy to
be destroyed.
In Heaven there is no sickness, for that is where God
dwells. In Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Now, we are children of the king, and Jesus is Lord
Right? We claim to serve Him, so what did he teach us
to pray. Matt 6:9 ¶ After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven?
If we are to pray for the will of God here in the earth,
as it is in heaven, obviously, we are to pray for healing,
for there is no sickness, death, sorrow or pain there.
S
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What is the first reason that you should be healed
today? The next verse in the Lords prayer or Our
Father.
11 Give us this day our daily bread. Well, healing is the
children’s bread, and today is the day to receive it.
In Matthew 15:26 Jesus spoke to a woman who came
to him for healing for her daughter. He said “But he
answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s
bread, and to cast it to dogs.” What was he talking
about here? Healing. You are a child of God if you
have accepted Jesus sacrifice for you on the cross.
Healing is your bread.
2. Now, let’s look at the second reason you should
be healed today.
God healed people in the Old Testament. Exodus 23:25
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall
bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness
away from the midst of thee.
Notice that if a person were to serve God under the Old
Covenant, God promised to take sickness away from
them. Notice here that this is not just healing but also
an agreement between God and His people of divine
health, of literally taking sickness away from the midst
of His people. Hebrews 8:6 speaking of Jesus states
“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises.”
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If God promised to take sickness away from the midst
of His people in the Old Covenant. How much more
will He do for you today because of the agreement He
made with Jesus.
He healed wonderfully in the Old Testament, Exodus
15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the
voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is
right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth
thee. Jehovah Rapha.
The children of Israel knew it to be true, for God had
delivered them from every physical ailment
miraculously when he gave them the covenant of
Passover. We don’t have time to really go into detail on
Exodus 12, and Christ’s fulfillment of this verse, yet for
you Bible scholars jot down these verses: Ex 12, Ps
105:37, 1Cor 11:32 onward. Know this though, you all
remember the story. Moses and the Ten
Commandments, God had done ten judgments on
Egypt, and then prepared His people to leave. On the
last night came the final judgment upon the Egyptians,
a death angel was to come, and strike dead every
firstborn child in every house that did not have the
blood of the lamb applied to its doorposts. A lamb
without spot or blemish. Jesus. Yet, the body of that
lamb was to be eaten wholly, with 11 And thus shall
ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in
haste: it is the LORD’S Passover.
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God moved, judgment came, and great fear came upon
the people. 35 And the children of Israel did according
to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the
Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment:
36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight
of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such
things as they required. And they spoiled the
Egyptians.
Psalms 105:37 He brought them forth also with silver
and gold: and there was not one feeble person among
their tribes.
Can I preach in this place a little bit? Think about this.
Historians tell us that somewhere around 2 and a half
million Israelites marched out of Egypt that night. A
people sold into slavery, a whipped, beaten, broken
people. Tell me how they could physically march out
of Egypt after over four hundred years of slavery with
all their children, flocks and herds. Think about it.
Uncle Seth, you know the one with the limp he got
from an Egyptian soldier, aunt Sarah blind in one eye
from the beating she took. They killed the lamb,
applied the blood, and then they ate the body of the
lamb, with their belts on, shoes on, luggage packed,
and what happened? All across the nation of Israel,
God Himself visited His people, and suddenly Uncle
Seth ain’t limping no more. Aunt Sarah can see! Every
ache, pain, sickness, sniffle, cough and misery left,
instantly healed by the power of God as they partook of
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the lamb, so that they marched out strong in the Lord
and the power of His might!
and there was not one feeble person among their
tribes.
So if God healed His people in the Old Testament, and
we are under a better covenant based upon better
promises, you should be healed today. In our
communion ordinance we have it wrong. 1 Corinthians
11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body.
What are we to discern in communion? The cup is
representative of Jesus shed blood for the forgiveness
of our sins. It prevents death and eternal separation
from God. But what about the bread? It is
representative of Jesus body. He took stripes in His
body that our body be healed. The Israelite ate the body
of the lamb, and they were healed.
1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep. What cause? The
fact that Christians had not discerned the Lord’s body,
by faith in the ordinance of communion. This verse
says that because of this many of us are sick and some
die prematurely, yet it ought not to be so. Seeing Christ
in the Passover ceremony will produce healing.
3. The third reason you should be healed today is
because it is part of your redemption. Remember I
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taught you that you are the redeemed of the Lord,
bought by His blood. That redemption means to be
bought back to ones original state. Well, in light of the
blood of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is
written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Jesus is not only your substitute for sin, but also for
your sickness. Is 53:4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
(sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (pain) yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
Now this was a prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah
that was literally fulfilled in the earthly ministry of
Jesus.
Matt 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto
him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were
sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Yet, it didn’t end there. He died a cruel death on a
Roman cross, beaten beyond human recognition so that
you wouldn’t have to. He literally bore your sickness
and disease on that cruel tree. Broken that you might be
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healed. Doctors tell us they have discovered there are
39 main categories of diseases in the earth today. Jesus
took thirty-nine lashes, a lash for every disease known
to man. He did it for you, His love, His life, His death,
and His resurrection deserves a response.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
He took your pain; therefore you have no more right to
it. You are not your own. His love and sacrifice
demand that you be healed today.
4. The fourth reason you should be healed today is
that sickness is from the devil, and you are a child of
God. It is not your friend, something to be held up as a
badge of courage, something allowed cultivating the
sympathy of those around you. A twisted cry for love
and pity from the heart of man, a perversion of what
God longs to give. Perfect love that destroys your every
fear. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The nature of Satan is to steal your strength, your
health, and your life if you allow it. Yet, today there is
an infusion of life from heaven for you for it is written:
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;
for God was with him.
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Healing is good. Healing is of God. Sickness is of the
devil. God wants to break the yoke of oppression upon
your life. 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
I too am a son of God, and for this purpose am I hear to
preach to you today. For I know my Lord, and He is
not a liar like some of you. He always backs up his
word with His power. There are more than two of us
gathered here together in His name. He’s here, and He’s
the same yesterday today and forever. He is Almighty,
and He is here to Heal. He longs to manifest Himself,
He’s simply been waiting for someone with enough
guts to preach His word the way it is being preached
today. With boldness.
Today is the day of salvation, Today is the day of your
healing.
5. The fifth reason you should be healed today is
because Jesus healed everyone who came to him
during His earthly ministry, and He is the same
yesterday today and forever. Now there were some
cases where He went to people, and they wouldn’t
receive Him, and they were not healed. Yet, tonight,
you have come to receive healing as an act of your will.
He cannot fail.
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Mark 5: 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue
of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians,
and had spent all that she had, and was nothing
bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press
behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall
be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was
dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of
that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that
virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the
press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the
multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who
touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done
this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing
what was done in her, came and fell down before him,
and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made
thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Now if her faith made her whole, your faith will make
you whole for God is no respecter of persons.
Some may say, Jesus did it for her but how do I know
that He will do it for me?
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Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria:
and they brought unto him all sick people that were
taken with divers diseases and torments, and those
which were possessed with devils, and those which
were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he
healed them.
Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew
himself from thence: and great multitudes followed
him, and he healed them all;
How many did He heal? He healed them all!
Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that
had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto
him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and
healed them.
Luke 6:17 And he came down with them, and stood in
the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great
multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem,
and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came
to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch
him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them
all.
How many did He heal? He healed them all!
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Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean.
Matthew 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched
him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his
leprosy was cleansed.
He still will. Today.
6. The sixth reason you should be healed today, is
because God has committed healing to His church.
Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his
twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
sickness and all manner of disease.6 But go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,
cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
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19 ¶ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the
Lord working with them, and confirming the word
with signs following. Amen.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
I am an elder in the church. I am going to pray for you.
I believe God’s Word. You will be healed, and don’t
think there is some sin that will stop God’s healing
power here tonight. If you have committed sins, they
will be forgiven you.
7. The Final reason you should be healed today is that
God’s Word is medicine.
Now this medicine is wonderful medicine. You cannot
overdose, and it has wonderful side effects like
wisdom, peace, prosperity and so on.
Pr 4:20 ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear
unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in
the midst of thine heart.
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22 For they are life unto those that find them, and
health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are
the issues of life.
Health = marpe: a medicine, a cure, a deliverance, a
healing, a remedy, with the sense of soundness and
wholeness.
Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the
piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is
health.
Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into
mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the
Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Now some of you have been healed already, simply by
sitting there. Why? Well, God kind of snuck up on you.
While you have read His Word today. Something deep
inside of you quietly decided to believe the word of
God, and God acted according to your faith, and if you
check you’ll discover that every symptom of pain,
sickness and affliction has left your body as the Lord
worked with me, gently walking around the world,
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visiting you right where you are, performing His word,
and healing the sick.
Let’s Pray:
“Father God, I choose to believe Your Word, and I
receive my healing, right here, right now, in Your
name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen.”
Now: If you prefer to listen to the Word of God with
respect to healing, I have recorded the healing promises
and prayers, set to instrumental music, on two CD’s
and uploaded it on-line. Feel free to download it, and
make your own CD, or MP3 to listen to at you leisure,
or for hospital visitation.
It is my free gift to you, set to Dino’s music. Freely we
have been given, freely we give….
https://soundcloud.com/chrisfromaomministries/01-
healing1
https://soundcloud.com/chrisfromaomministries/2-01-
healing2-2
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Chapter 10:
For thine is the Kingdom, the power and
the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.
ne of the ways we
worship God is serving
the people that He
loves.
See here: the Final Judgment of God, no appeals,
no lawyers in each of our lives, the final court
case.
Matt 25:31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but
the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world:
O
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35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto
me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed
thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?
or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked,
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and
ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord,
when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did
not minister unto thee?
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45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of
the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
One of the ways we worship
God is serving the people that
He loves.
Notice in this portion of Scripture, that Jesus says that
one of the ways we will be accountable to God,
eternally, is in our treatment of the poor and less
fortunate in our midst. Saying we care, will not get us
past this verse. No, to obey it requires action, and these
actions constitute worship acceptable to God.
Here’s another James 1: 27 Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.
Want to walk pure before God? Here’s something you
can do that He will accept. Visit some single mom, and
help out there, then stay clean before God. Love her
children, help her with her responsibilities, then make
sure you remain free from all of the games and sin that
would try to drag you into the mess there. You are to be
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an agent of change there, for good, and God’s glory, not
part of the problem.
1Jo 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him?
Homework:
Ask God if there is someone sick you can visit. If you
are in prison, send them a letter or if possible give them
a call. Share your food with someone; give them some
of your clothes. If they are in prison, go visit them. If
you too, are in prison, do what you can to cheer up one
of the guys who are doing worse than you are.
I was a stranger, and you took me in. Well, for the
homeless, maybe the best you can do is helping them
find a bed at the mission, or at a shelter. Some, you
may be able to take home with you, to help them get
back upon their feet. In the worst case, at least give
them a smile or something to brighten up their day, buy
them a coffee or share a meal with them. Let them
know that they are not alone, and that there is an
almighty God upon the throne that loves them, and who
is willing to help if they would only ask Him. For
several years, I fulfilled this verse supporting poor
children through World Vision. Before that, I used to
make bags of peanut butter and jam sandwiches and
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take them downtown to hand out to guys living on the
street. May God deal with you how best to obey.
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I
will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead?
This worship is very personal to God.
Like the Nike ad says: ‘Just Do it!’
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, show me who to help, where, with Your
love. Lead me Holy Spirit to the right people or
person, to show Your love to, in some practical way,
in You name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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Chapter 11:
nowing Your
Future!
John 16:
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall
shew it unto you.
Jesus, while He was on the earth, operated as a man,
under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the days of
his earth walk, He could only be in one place at one
time. Now, as Lord of Heaven and Earth, sitting on the
throne at the right hand of the Father, He said it was
better that He went away that the Holy Spirit might
come into the earth, because He, Holy Spirit, is
Emmanuel, God with us, and can be every where at
once! That is why Jesus can say that He will never
leave nor forsake us. Furthurmore, Holy Spirit knows
our unique calling and destiny, and He promises to
show us things to come!
K
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Let’s Pray:
“Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus,
asking that you send Holy Spirit to show me Your
future for my life, and Your specific plan, the
reason You created me. Amen!”
Note: Don’t be surprised when you receive cool
dreams, visions, or supernatural signs in answer to this
prayer.
Disclaimer: Author not responsible for unusual
supernatural occurances that will occur in the lives of
those who just prayed this prayer! LOL!
Seven That Ways God Speaks
to You:
1. His Word:
God speaks through His Word!
Ps 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and
praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy
truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy
name.
Jesus responded to the devil in Matt 4, by saying: “It is
written!”. God is Holy and cannot lie, if Jesus quoted
the Word of God, so must we, for God places greater
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emphasis on His written and spoken Word, than even
upon His name!
Nu 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither
the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not
make it good?
God cannot lie. If He has promised something in His
Word, He must honor it, for He cannot lie.
Ps 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as
silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures,
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye
have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The Scriptures will always lead us to Jesus, never away
from Him.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, reveal Jesus through Your Word to me.
Open it to my understanding, Amen”
2. Dreams:
God speaks through dreams.
Acts 2: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days,
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saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall
prophesy:
Jacob
Ge 31:10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle
conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a
dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the
cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
Ge 31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a
dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Joseph
Ge 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it
his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Ge 37:6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this
dream which I have dreamed:
Solomon
1Ki 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in
a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give
thee.
Jer 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a
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dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my
word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith
the LORD.
Danial
Da 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his
bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
I love a tradition I heard amongst the First Nations
tribes. When an elder has a dream, they call a council
of elders together, and he or she recites the dream, and
they pray and discuss the interpretation of it. They have
been doing this for many generations. God, the Creator,
The Great Spirit, has been leading and guiding these
people for centuries this way. In the tradition of the
Cree people, I heard the story, of how, for many
generations, elders dreamed of black robed priests that
would bring them ‘the black book of God’ that would
be the answer for their people. In the fulness of time,
God sent Jesuit missionaries, carrying Bibles to the
Cree, and now, they have the New Testament translated
into their own tongue.
In the book: ‘Brucho’, we read of the God who would
appear in the bannana leaves. A dream and oral
tradition passed down. When the Motilini saw the
Bible, it was the sign of the God in the bannana leaves,
the pages looking to them, like a sheaf of bannana
leaves.
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Let’s Pray:
“Father God, speak to me through my dreams.
Grant me dreams to show me what You need me to
know, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen”
God speaks through dreams…but they must be
correctly interpreted.
3. Visions:
God speaks through Visions!
2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.
I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Acts 2:17 and your young men shall see visions,
Ac 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night;
There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him,
saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision,
immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to
preach the gospel unto them.
Ge 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD
came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram:
I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Nu 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be
a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself
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known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in
a dream.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according
to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
2Ch 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and
his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of
Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of
the kings of Judah and Israel.
Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not
unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you:
they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own
heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
Eze 8:4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel
was there, according to the vision that I saw in the
plain.
Eze 11:24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and
brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into
Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I
had seen went up from me.
Da 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the
sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth,
and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O
my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me,
and I have retained no strength.
Na 1:1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision
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of Nahum the Elkoshite.
Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write
the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but
at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Many of you know my story, my testimony. How I
graduated college and went to work as a mechanical
designer. I had served on the Carleton University swim
team for my time at college, and in my final year,
served on student government. Then, upon graduation,
I was hired at Robotic Systems International in Sidney,
BC, then when things did not work out there, went
acoss to Vancouver, on the UBC campus, to work in
the cyclotron for Nordion International, as a
mechanical designer, helping design targeting stations
in the cyclotron, to produce 1123, a radioactive isotope,
used in treatment of Thyroid cancer, that was shipped
all over the world.
At school, I had studied under Dr. Marvin Glass,
philosphy of atheism, and had pretty much discarded
my Roman Catholic, or Christian upbringing. If God
was real, and good, and all powerful, why did He allow
so much evil in the world? No, God could not be real, I
reasoned, He was simply a crutch for the weak, an
opiate for the masses.
Yet, I had rented a room in a Baptist bed and breakfast
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in Sidney, and the very loving older couple that ran it,
invited me to church several times, to hear an
evangelist. I dutifully went, and even went up to the
alter call several times, but felt nothing….Religion I
thought…
Then, a missionary named Louise, stayed a week. She
was a missionary to the Aleutian island Indians, and
she spoke little when she visited with me, yet emanated
a peace, joy, and unruffled calm in the face of my
academic arguments, that stopped me in my tracks. She
gave me two books: ‘Mere Christianity’ by CS Lewis,
and ‘Prison to Praise’ by Merlin Carruthers. I read
them, and they made sense. I said the prayers at the
back, but still, felt nothing. The older couple gave me a
Bible, that I began to read.
Yet, suddenly, I was unemployed, and needed a job.
One of our suppliers, Mantek, a machine shop in Port
Coquitlam, hired me to install a CAM system on one
of their 4 axis mills. Four months of intensity, but got it
done. During this time, I had found a basement
apartment with a Eastern European couple, and began
to work out in the pool in North Vancouver. Had ended
a 4-1/2 year relationship through college to my fiance,
in a messy break-up (is there any other kind?). On the
rebound, I met a blonde bombshell of a lifeguard, who
was taking her pschology degree at Simon Fraser
University. Within 3 weeks we had moved in together,
and then broke the lease on our basement apartment, to
rent a loft in Kitsalano. Her dad was a stock broker, so
we started to hit the trendy places around town, the
wine tasting shows, dinner up on Grouse mountain,
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coffee on the boardwalk, trendy. I was still attempting
to read my Bible, and she would watch Dr. Robert
Shuller, and we would talk Jesus, but our relationship
was not working. The cyclotron where I worked,
busted a water line, and to avoid a potential water leak
of radioactive water into the city sewage system, our
team of seven men worked a 40 day turn-around,
ordering meals in, only coming home to sleep a couple
hours. Because of the sensitivity of the repair, we were
instructed to not tell anyone why we had to work such
long hours, to avoid some sort of Media scandal. So, I
did not explain my long absences to my fiance’. Her
way of dealing with this period, was to hit the clubs,
get drunk, and go home with several other men. Even
in my madness, my parents had set the example of
monogamy, and I was always a one woman man.
My way of dealing with pressure at college, was to
blow it out in the pool, and then triathlon.
So, in my sleep deprived state, I tried to blow it out
running, and tore out the patella tendon in my knee
again. I had done this competing for triathlon, and had
been in a tensor bandage and on crutches for nine
months, wondering if I would ever walk pain free,
much less compete triathlon, but God, through a
Christain acupuncturist healed my knee, and I got a
couple more seasons of competition in.
Well, my fiance and I had no where else to go, but our
relationship had degenerated from screaming fits, to
simply hugging each other and weeping, as we could
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not speak without fighting.
After the turnaround, instead of being rewarded as
conquering heros and promoted, our team was put in a
basement lab, my boss was used as the scapegoat for
this mess, and we were expected to come to work
quietly, and make no waves.
I resigned, the pain too great for words, my idols
shattered.
Believed that if you worked hard, got the degree, and
got a job, that you would make a good living, get
married, and have a happy family.
Believed that if you trained hard in sports, you could
excel…
Yet, did not figure Jesus into the equation, nor the
Word of God. My engagement was doomed, for we
violated about every rule in the Bible regarding
relationships. My career was doomed, for except the
Lord build the house, we labor in vain. My sports
career was doomed, for our bodies are designed as
temples of the Holy Spirit, not to be abused…
Well, the worst part, is that this season of my life was
four months long. When I would come home, to
discover my fiance out partying with her friends, I
would try and read the Bible, and often hurl it against
the wall in frustration. It just didn’t work…
Then, one dark night, when I drove across Lions gate
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bridge, I asked my fiance why they had chainlink fence
all the way across. She said that was because so many
people had committed suicide by jumping off there. A
seed…
Night after night, I would walk Kitslano bike path in
the dark, quietly praying, and often ended walking all
the way to Burrard street bridge. I liked standing there
over the wind and the waves, the ocean often bringing
peace to my troubled soul…
Yet, my engineering mind would not stop. I looked at
how this bridge was built, and saw the massive
concrete footings that ran deep down to the ocean floor.
A thought crossed my mind:’I wonder why they don’t
have chain link fence on this bridge? Someone could
jump, and if they hit the footing, surely they could kill
themselves here? The seed had taken root….
So, over the next four lonely months, almost nightly, I
would find myself limping out into the darkness, alone,
always ending up on Burrard street bridge, the seed had
become a plan….
Well, as my knee healed, I insisted on following the
running circuit, running 10km runs on Saturday
mornings when I was able. In April of 1989, there was
one in Victoria, B.C. and though I worked late, I
decided to catch the ferry across, and run it the
following morning. My fiance had a night class
anyway, and I would see her for brunch Saturday, I
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thought.
Yet, as usual, I worked longer than I planned, and
traffic was slow, so, as God would have it, I missed the
last ferry across. So, I called my fiance on her cell, to
discover that she was not home as we discussed, but
had gone over to one of her ex boyfriends apartments.
In the pained silence, I asked her if she was coming
home that night, and she said, she would think about it.
I remember, that we had that poster on our wall: ‘If you
love something, set it free, if it comes back, it is yours,
if it doesn’t, it never was..’ I quoted that to her, and
told her to make her own decision, for I honestly
believed that I loved her….
Yet, I got back to the apartment, went to the 24 movie
rental place, rented a VCR, and a couple of movies,
expecting her home any minute. Yet, midnight turned
into one o’clock, then two, then three.
One of the movies I saw had Mel Gibson in it. I think
he had been to Vancouver to film during that time, and
his movie, Lethal Weapon, really spoke to me. In one
of the scenes he stuck a pistol in his mouth, planning to
kill himself, and the phone rang, and he said: ‘Okay,
not today…’, in another scene, where he was having
flashbacks from the war, he was crucified on the mast
of a ship in the desert someplace, and somehow, I saw
Jesus on the cross in that scene.
Yet, as the clock ticked on, it became obvious that she
was not coming home, and I switched into numb,
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analytic mode. One by one, I evaluated my reasons for
living, and they all came up short. Robotics, my belief
that I could automate the mundane jobs of slavery,
drudgery, that freeing up more time for people to
exercise, spend time with their families, and pursue
higher education: destroyed when an automobile plant
automated in Canada, and laid off 1500 employees,
some of whom who had been there for over 20
years…My experience watching my intelectual physics
professor boss get betrayed and spit out by the
corporate machine. Sports, having trained for seven
years for an Olympic dream, to discover that the sport
of triathlon was not accepted in Seoul, Korea, so it
would be another 4 years for a potential chance to
go…My dream of marriage, family, career shattered,
and I knew I was in trouble. I thought of my friends
and family, that I had isolated myself from in my
tunnel minded pursuit of my goals, and there I was
alone, with no God….
I was in trouble, and I knew it. I remembered that when
my dad had been posted to Victoria, BC as a naval
officer, as a young teen, my mom had volunteered on
‘Crisis Line’, a suicide intervention line, and she had
always told us to call it if we were in any trouble. Had
thought about calling her, but they had come to
Vancouver some months earlier to meet my fiance, and
there had been a cat fight between both her and my
mom, they did not approve of us living together, nor
my marriage. Bitter waters run deep, and we were not
speaking…
So I called “Crisis line.” Looked it up in the telephone
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book. There were three of them in Vancouver. One was
busy, one was out of service, and on the third, I reached
a stressed out woman, who told me to call back later, as
there were more serious cases on the line….The seed
suddenly bore fruit…
With a sigh. I hung up the phone, and picked up a pen,
explaining to my fiance and parents that I loved them,
forgave them, but that I could not take the pain
anymore, and I carefully placed it on the night table by
the bed….
I guess, in a twisted cry for help, I even returned the
videos, and VCR, but even in the business of street
night life, no one seemed to notice nor care….
Truly there is no lonelier place, than to be surrounded
by people, totally isolated, totally misunderstood, and
totally alone in your pain…
I walked to my usual place on the bridge, and stood,
above the wind and the waves, enjoying the breeze
upon my face, carefully planning my trajectory unto the
concrete footing that I was sure would end my life,
when I thought to breath one last simple prayer: ‘God,
if you are real, I am coming to meet You….”
Suddenly, my darkness was shattered by a blinding
light, and Jesus, God the Son stood before me, in midair,
high above the wind and waves. His hair glowed,
and His eyes looked right through me. He cared, He
was not angry, He understood, and He spoke: “Chris,
you have been an athelete all of your life, if you jump
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right now, could you handle the rest of your life in a
wheelchair?”
I quickly replied: “Lord, I don’t even believe in You!”
He said, ‘Call Chappy!” and disappeared, but there was
peace in that place.
I have thought back many times about this event, for a
man with an experience, is never at the mercy of a man
with an argument. I believe I had either an open vision,
or Jesus literally appeared to me, it doesn’t matter. He
knows my name, He knew what I was doing in my life,
and He is Lord, for He told me exactly what would
have happened had I jumped. I would not have died,
but spent the rest of my life in a wheelchair.
So, I walked back to my apartment, thoughts still
screaming in my head, but the experience
revolutionized my life.
When I got back upstairs, the phone was ringing. It was
my mom. She was crying and said: “Son, come
home!”. I was so tired of her emotional outbursts, I
said: “Why would I do that, I have to go to work on
Monday?”
She replied: “Son, this is more important than work, I
just had a nightmare that you killed yourself tonight,
and I have been praying for you…”
Perhaps, when I come to speak in an area near you, the
Lord will let me tell you the rest of the story, but for
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the sake of this lesson, let’s just say:
Jesus is Lord, and He is well able to speak through
visions and dreams…
In summation, a vision may be as simple as a mini-pic
that flashes across your mind, or a movie explaining
supernatural events, but visions are part of what God
has surely promised for us that believe.
I remember some years ago, in a series of all night
prayer meetings, we would all meet for dinner at 6PM,
and would eat together, then would begin to worship
God until midnight. We had learned that we were the
‘Bride of Christ’, so we called these meetings ‘date
nights with Jesus’. Any good date would include dinner
and a movie. We cooked the dinner, and fell in love
with Jesus, in worship. He would supply the movie,
with many, if not all of us experiencing some sort of
supernatural visions during those times…He still gives
visions.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, please grant me heavenly visions, for You
promised that Your young people shall see visions. I
ask in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen”
If you need prayer, right now, there are several 24
hour prayer lines here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here
are some telephone numbers:
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Abundant Life Prayer Group 918 495 7777
Victory Christian Center Prayer Line 918 496 0700
After Hours: 866 295 8442
4. Still Small Voice:
God Speaks directly through His still small voice!
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me:
Ge 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Ex 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to
the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which
is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth
thee.
De 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt
hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to observe and to do all his commandments which
I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will
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set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying
the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 28:18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the
LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this
day.
Ps 106:25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened
not unto the voice of the LORD.
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said
I, Here am I; send me.
Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the
remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD
their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the
LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear
before the LORD.
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear
his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and
leadeth them out.
Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if
ye will hear his voice,
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Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in
David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day
if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Why did I post so many Scriptures on hearing the voice
of God? Simple, faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God, and I am deliberately building
your faith to hear the voice of Jesus, the voice of the
Holy Spirit in the earth. There is an entire generation
depending upon it, upon you to do your part, in
bringing from heaven, the bread of life, the only thing
that can honestly meet the needs of a hurting humanity.
There is always a people on the other side of your
obedience that need Jesus, somehow, some way.
Had I gone on with my story of how I truly met Jesus, I
would have told about the part, where my well meaning
mother tried to have me committed to a mental
institute, because I told her that God was speaking to
me, and He has continued to speak to me, every day.
He has, from that day til this. Though I have not always
heard or obeyed perfectly, I have honestly tried, and
now, 24 years later, He is still speaking to me. Today, it
is to write this book, for you, just because He loves
you, and so do I…
Let’s Pray:
“Father, speak to me, cause me to hear Your voice,
today. Help me to articulate, that which you speak
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to me, that I might tell others about You, that You
might speak to them, and manifest Your great love,
miracles, and power, to meet their needs, in Your
mighty name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
5. The Inward Witness:
God, the Holy Spirit speaks through an inward
witness!
Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:
Ro 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to
us: for after that he had said before,
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our
heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the
way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to
them that obey him.
Ever heard someone say:’I don’t have a witness on
that?”. These verses show that they are speaking
Biblically accurately. Someone tells them to do
something, and deep down in their heart, there is a
witness, that what they have been asked to do, is not
the will of God for them. It may have no natural reason
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for being wrong, but in their heart, there is a warning
witness, that it is not something they should do. Works
the other way too. You bump into a stranger, yet your
heart bears witness that they are trustworthy, or that
they are walking with God, and so, supernaturally
naturally, you gravitate towards them, and strike up a
conversation. God does good things through the
relationship, all because you had a witness on it!
Let’s Pray:
‘Holy Spirit, You are God in the earth. You always
bear witness to truth, to the things of heaven
operating in my life. Help me to be more sensitive to
Your gentle promptings, where my heart bears
witness to what You desire for my life. I ask this
Father, in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen’
6. Peace
God leads through His peace:
Mt 10:13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace
come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace
return to you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in
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me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful
Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord:
The kingdom of God is one third peace. Jesus is the
Prince of peace, so wherever we go, we are called to
bring peace. Yet, today we are talking about hearing
the voice of God, through His peace. There may be no
peace in your circumstances, but there can always be a
peace in your heart that passes all understanding.
Since the Kingdom of God is an invisable Kingdom in
the earth, what does a kingdom of peace look like?
Well, I like to think of the Kingdom of God, as the
‘supreme rule and reign of Jesus’. When our lives align
with the will of Jesus, we find peace within. When
circumstances, or even a nation align themselves with
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the rule and reign of Jesus, there again, will be peace.
Where His kingdom reigns, there is peace.
I like what one minister said once about Col 3:15 And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which
also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful
That the word ‘rule’ in this verse literally means, ‘to act
as an umpire’. So when a child asks, dad, can I go over
to Johnny’s and play, and my heart, my umpire, my
peace says, “nope”. I go with that. Kinda simple really,
be led by peace, follow peace, follow Jesus.
Let’s pray:
‘Father God, teach me how to be led by peace, in all
my affairs, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
7. Prophecy
God leads through prophecy!
2Ki 8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son
he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and
thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst
sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it
shall also come upon the land seven years.
Notice here, that if this Shunnamite woman, had not
listen to the prophet of God here, great hardship would
have come upon her family in the famine that was
about to hit the earth.
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Num 11:27 And there ran a young man, and told
Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the
camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses,
one of his young men, answered and said, My lord
Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my
sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were
prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon
them!
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and
forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in
part.
Ac 11:28 And there stood up one of them named
Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be
great dearth throughout all the world: which came to
pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
There are many books written on prophecy, but know
this: prophets and prophecy are very much alive in the
New Testament! Basically, prophecy falls into two
catagories: foretelling, and forthtelling. Foretelling is
where the Holy Spirit shows us things to come, future
events. Forthtelling is where a person of God sees or
hears into the heavenlies, and knows by the Spirit of
God, exactly what God is doing in an individuals life,
or in a certain setting, and they tell forth, or utter what
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the Father is saying or doing at that very moment.
Any person can prophesy at some level. Simply telling
the story of something Jesus has done in your life, is
prophesy. Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Yet, there are levels of prophesy, that range in depth,
insight and authority from simple testimony, to
prophecies that will literally cause signs in the heavens
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they
shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and
signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour
of smoke:
In short, here is my general counsel on prophesy:
1. Prophesy! Give your testimony, ask Holy
Spirit for prophetic insight and utterance.
2. Judge prophetic words you receive from
either the Holy Spirit, of from another
person of God, by the Scripture.
3. God should speak to you directly. If a
person of God should speak a ‘word from
God’ into your life, it should confirm
something that God has already spoken to
you, and should edify, exhort, and comfort
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you to obey God. 1Co 14:3 But he that
prophesieth speaketh unto men to
edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
4. If a prophetic word does not bear witness
to you, nor does it confirm something God
has already spoken to you, simply ‘put it
on the shelf’. If it is of God, He will bring
it to your remembrance at the right time. If
it is not of God, don’t worry about it, it
will not come to pass.
5. Refuse to be manipulated, controlled, or
led by another persons prophesy! Jesus is
your Lord, no man or woman of God. True
Shepherds lead God’s sheep, not drive
them!
6. Test the Spirits. 1Co 14:10 There are, it
may be, so many kinds of voices in the
world, and none of them is without
signification. There are many voices in the
earth, and many spirits: human, divine,
angelic, and demonic. Just because you
hear a voice in prayer, does not mean what
you are hearing is God speaking.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, grant me prophetic utterance. Holy
Spirit, I ask You for Your gift of prophesy to
operate in my life, today, in Your name I pray
Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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Test the Spirits!
1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of
God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is
in the world.
The problem with this type of ministry (prophetic) has
always been disception. It’s the only weapon satan has
left, for he has been stripped of all power and authority,
when Jesus rose from the dead.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Satan may be a liar and the father of all lies, and
deception may be his only weapon, but he uses this
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weapon very well in the earth, even today. Just as there
is true prophetic ministry and spiritual oversight, there
are demonic spirits that emulate the gifts of God, with
the sole intent, of causing ministries and the people of
God to go astray.
De 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or
an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or
a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto
the LORD: and because of these abominations the
LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
From the time in the garden, satan knew that if he
could just get the people of God to disobey God, he
would have them in his power, for how well he knows
the holiness of God.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
He knows he has no power against God, and that we do
have power with God, and authority from Him. He
hasn’t changed, he still whispers, ‘has God really
said?’, to attempt to get us off of the Word of God, to
deviate from the authority of the Scriptures. In a large
sense, he has been sucessful.
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Mohammed went up in a cave to seek God.
Supposedly, an angel claiming to Gabriel appeared to
him, and put him in a spiritual stupor, after clasping
him, and imparting to him, ‘the oracle of God’ which
Mohammed then had written, and which is now known
as the Quran. Islam now claims to have a billion
followers in the earth, far from Jesus, living a life of
fear, violence, hatred and strife, all because one man of
God, listened to another voice, heard another spirit, that
pretended to be of God. Remember, demons lie, then
deceive. Jesus said ‘by their fruits you will know
them.’ And the fruit of Islam, has been a blood bath for
centuries.
So it is with Mormonism. A strong leader named
Joseph Smith, attempting to honestly lead his people
into the promised land, had a vision where Jesus and
Mary supposedly appeared to him, and gave him ‘a
more complete revelation of the Bible’, and the book of
Mormon was written. Though Mormonism is not as
bloody as Islam, Walter Martin in his book, ‘The
kingdoms of the cults’ cites 84 key differences between
Mormon doctrine and the Bible, and so you end up
with a moral people, devoid of spiritual power,
anointing, and living truth brought alive from the
presence and power of Holy Spirit. 2Ti 3:5 Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
Since these two deceptions were the crux of the recent
US Presidential election, I mentioned them as
examples, but I greatly encourage you to get a copy of
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Walter martin’s book, Kingdom of the Cults, to protect
yourself from error.
Jer 14:
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets
prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have
I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they
prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a
thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the
prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them
not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this
land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be
consumed.
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be
cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the
famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury
them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their
daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
In this verse, we have prophets that should have been
speaking by the Holy Spirit, the revelations of God, yet
they were hearing and seeing by another spirit, a spirit
of divination, and they became decieved in their hearts.
This sends chills down my spine, in the fear of the
Lord, for I seek holiness, the fear of the Lord, and truth
above every other thing. None of us are immune to
error, and as we studied church history in the lives of
some of the most powerful servants of God, we see
some that went off. William Branham denying the
trinity, and perhaps moving in a mix of true prophetic,
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and divination or familiar spirits, John Alexander
Dowie, claiming to be ‘a reincarnation of John the
Baptist’ in his latter years, and on it goes. What about
many today who ‘prophesy’ money out of people’s
pockets, in the name of the Lord? Surely there are true
prophets that move in the financial realm, but how
many times have we heard an offering taken up, that
just doesn’t sit right in our heart?
Act 16:16 ¶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer,
a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
met us, which brought her masters much gain by
soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying,
These men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being
grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee
in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he
came out the same hour.
Gotta listen to our hearts, and test the spirits. If
something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t right.
1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of
God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
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come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is
in the world.
Just finished a great little book, given to us by Billye
Brim, called The Authority of the Believer, by John A.
Macmillan. It is a great book on spiritual authority and
warfare, but the last couple of chapters talk about many
cases of demonic interaction with people. One chapter
talks about the rise of modern day spiritism stems from
actual communication with spirits claiming to be the
souls of loved ones who had died some years
previously. As these spirits communicated through
tapping, and other methods, the group of adherants to
this mess, went from two teenaged girls, to over 10
million. Just because an experience is supernatural,
does not mean it is of God.
Please stay grounded in truth, as you move in the
revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have to believe that
as I stay rooted and grounded in the Word of God, that
God Himself will send both laborers and teaching
materials about demonic errors to keep us clean
spiritually.
Like any Bible doctrine, there is a ditch on either side.
With this teaching the two ditches are demonic
deception resulting in supernatural revelation coming
from demons instead of God, and then on the other
side, strict legalism, resulting in no tolerance, or
allowance of prophetic ministry and guidance to the
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church of the living God. There is a straight and narrow
way through these perils!
The cure for misuse of a gift is not no use, rather,
correct use.
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual
gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and
forbid not to speak with tongues.
Let’s pray:
‘Father, I take my place in your kingdom,
determined to feed, lead, and take oversight over
the people you have called me to. Open my eyes to
the true state of the ministries you have me leading,
and give me wisdom on how best to pray, preach,
feed, and lead your people, to best grow them up in
you, and your perfect plan for us, and deliver me
and protect me any and all false prophetic, dreams,
visions, or manifestation. Keep me in truth, at all
cost, and prevent me from going astray. In any case
that I have heard or seen things in the spirit, that
are not from you, but are demonic deception, please
show me, cleanse me, and keep me pure and holy in
your sight, and submitted to your Word, in your
name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
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Chapter 12
even Things Confession
of the Word will Do:
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so
that things which are seen were not made of things
which do appear.
Jesus gave us the building blocks (legos), of God’s
Word, to build a firm foundation for our lives. Today, I
am going to explain the process of framing your world
on purpose by deliberately confessing the Word of God
and deciding to believe it on purpose.
When we believe the Word, and we must speak it.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according
as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken;
we also believe, and therefore speak;
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
S
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24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them.
Strongs Concordance gives us the following definition
of the English word ‘saith’
3004 λεγω lego leg’-o
a root word; TDNT-4:69,505; v
AV-say 1184, speak 61, call 48, tell 33, misc 17; 1343
1) to say, to speak
1d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
1f) to speak out, speak of, mention
The definition of ‘say’ as in ‘say to the mountain’ is
found in Strongs number
2036 επω epo ep’-o
a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the
others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); ; v
AV-say 859, speak 57, tell 41, command 8, bid 5,
misc 6, vr say 1; 977
1) to speak, say
In this verse, we see that there are two different Greek
words used here for the English word ‘say’. The first, is
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a word ‘legos’, and has a similar meaning to the little
plastic blocks our children use to construct things with,
building blocks. In this verse I see that Jesus used
words like building blocks to build a new way of doing
things, in the earth. That way, is following Him, by
faith, and using our words as building blocks in our
lives, by aligning our words with the Word of God, and
speaking it on purpose.
The second Greek word used is ‘epo’, which simply
means, a’a spoken command’.
In order to fully understand this we need to understand
that God has restored to us, His authority, through
Jesus, and that He wants us to exercise it, by declaring
His decrees.
I’ve included here, a little devotional piece I wrote
some time ago, about what our redemption, and
restoration of authority and purpose should look like to
this pain-wracked, and sin destroyed planet, we call
earth:
The Restoration of Eden:
God Created Man, and placed him in the garden of
Eden.
Gen 1:26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
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and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God created he him; male and female created he
them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.
Be fruitful,
and multiply,
and replenish the earth,
and subdue it:
and have dominion
Ge 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward
in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had
formed.
Ge 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put
him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
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Here we see the original plan of God, to have him be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the creation.
Well, we all know how Adam and Eve sinned, and they
fell, and died spiritually, losing the anointing, authority,
and blessing of God that made God’s original plan
possible. Without the spiritual life of God, the garden
of Eden died.
Satan became god of this world, and creation has
labored under the pain of betrayal, sin, and the horror
of this evil spirit since the fall of man.
Yet, Jesus has come. Lived sinlessly, and redeemed us
back to God, to our original place before God, before
the fall.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam
was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening spirit.
So, we begin our particular walk of faith, into this
world that has been ravenged by sin, and centuries of
brutality. Children of the most high God, full of the
Holy Spirit, His love, His authority, Jesus, the life
giving spirit, blazing victoriuosly in our hearts, and His
original commission:
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Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the creation still is
our mandate.
Restore the garden of Eden wherever you go, by His
love, His spirit, His anointing, His authority, and His
blessing. He is a life giving spirit.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden
of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Eze 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was
desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the
waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced,
and are inhabited.
Wherever we go, God executes judgement upon our
enemies, and restores, His presence, His blessing,
causing the land to bloom, rejoice, and to be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth,
Joe 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them
a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness;
yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Obey God today. Decree the blessings of God.
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Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over all the creation.
My job in this particular teaching is not to try to
explain to you, the authority we have spiritually as
Christians, over demonic forces, rather, it is my
intention to see practical results occur in your life, as
you begin to deliberatly confess the Word of God.
When you do, God will bear witness to the words of
your mouth, with signs, wonders, and miracles, as His
power and blessing, literally transforms your world,
making it come to life, by the same spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
The Holy Spirit is a life giving Spirit, bringing life
from the dead, light from the darkness, peace in the
chaos, beauty from the ashes of our lives. Wherever we
go, He goes, and life, light, and liberty erupts, as He
literally recreates that which has been damaged by sin.
He does this by His Word, spoken out of your lips!
Here are seven things your confession of God’s Word
will do.
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1. It sows seed into the
kingdom:
The Kingdom of God is the ‘Supreme Rule and
Reign of God’. In Heaven, God rules
unhindered. Here in the earth, He rules by His
Word, spoken in authority, here, by His church.
Eph 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
We have already been blessed by all spiritual blessings,
in heavenly places, in Christ. Now, we need them
transferred out of heavenly places, into the earth, into
our personal lives.
“Seed the heavens, reap the earth!” Proclaimed
pastor Rod Parsley emphatically!
How do we do this? With faith filled Words!
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
By the promises of God, believed, confessed, and
acted upon, we literally partake of the divine nature
of God, here, in the earth!
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The primary action of faith is Words! Your voice, is
your address in the realm of the Spirit. When God
hears His Word, believed and confessed out of your
mouth that which that promise provides, will come
into your life.
Jesus gave us legos to build our lives upon. Building
blocks. God’s Words. Now, take His legos, and epo,
command that which His Words promise, to come
into your life, as you build your life upon His Word.
2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are
yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Remember, God is holy, and any promise He has
given, is “Yes!” from His perspective. The Word
‘Amen’ literally means, ‘So Be It!’, so that when we
find a promise in the Word of God, that applies to
our particular personal need or desire, and we bring
that promise before the throne of God, in humble
petition, then believe we receive it, in the earth, then
God obligates Himself to perform it, because He
cannot lie!
Confession of God’s Word, sows seed into the
Kingdom of God, because God’s will is His Word,
He is Holy, and where His Word is proclaimed, His
supreme rule and reign, come to bear, even if the
exercising of that rule should require signs,
wonders, and miracles to bring to pass.
Sow seed, today!
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2. Causes faith to come
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them
speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
I have learned a thing over the years, it is this:
When faith cometh, you knoweth! Suddenly
boldness comes upon your life, and authority,
anointing and blessing explodes within you.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Yet, I have also learned this: that there is the
confession of faith, and a confession unto faith!
Let’s say that there is a promise or area in the Word
of God that appears too good to be true, and that is
not happening in your life. You can take promises
from the Word of God in that area, and deliberately
confess them before the throne of grace, and Holy
Spirit will hear your voice, and write these upon the
tablets of your heart, so that faith cometh.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the
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Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put
my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
write them;
We can take the promises of God, and lovingly
recite them before Jesus:
Ps 45:1 ¶ «To the chief Musician upon
Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A
Song of loves.» My heart is inditing a good matter: I
speak of the things which I have made touching the
king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
When we do, our tongue, our words, become a pen,
writing HIStory, His eternal will, on the parchment
of time. Holy Spirit then has something to work
with. Our words, echoing God’s Word, cause two
things to happen:
1. He changes us. Holy Spirit writing His Words
upon the fleshly tablets of our hearts.
2. He changes History, as He manifests His Word
in the earth, in our generation, creating an eternal
testimony from our lives, as He performs His
Word on our behalf. He is so merciful, kind, and
loving…
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We speak, and faith cometh, and when faith comes,
mountains move, and problems go…
3. Renews your mind.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
God told a minister named Charles Capps, concerning
confessing the Word of God aloud, where you can hear
yourself saying it:
“It is a scientific application of the wisdom of God to
the psychological makeup of man.”
The way to fight thoughts is not with thoughts, rather
with words. You are to tell your negative thoughts to to
stop, and they will.
If you have been around the Word of God, you have
heard the truth of this verse, the word ‘transformed’, is
the Greek :
3339 (Strongs) μεταμορφοω metamorphoo met-amor-
fo’-o
from 3326 and 3445; TDNT-4:755,607; v
AV-transfigure 2, transform 1, change 1; 4
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1) to change into another form, to transform, to
transfigure
1a) Christ appearance was changed and was
resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of
transfiguration
In English we use this word, as the word
‘metamorphosis’, like the transformation that makes a
tadpole into a frog, a caterpiller into a butterfly.
While these are beautiful examples from creation, the
other book that describes God’s love: Ro 1:20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse:
The image portrayed by the word metamorphasis is not
strong enough to describe what is happening fully in
you and I. God is transforming, morphing us, into His
image and likeness, making us like Jesus, resplendent
with divine brightness!
When God meets with us, in answer to His Word
confessed, and worship exhibited:
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
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Yes, confession of the Word of God, brings the God
who owns that Word on the scene, and when He shows
up, we change…always for the better.
Worship will also bring Him on the scene, for it is
written: Ps 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel. When we sing, shout,
thank and praise Him, He lives in our praises! His
actual presence shows up!
4. Keeps the Answer before you!
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue:
4.Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
This world, and our life in it, is full of problems, but
God’s Word is the answer to every one of them.
Rather than spend our lives in worry or fear, we can
confess the Word of God, and see His answers,
rather than dwell upon our problems.
Even worry, can be dealt with by the Word of God:
Matt 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What
shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
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1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he
careth for you.
They way we take a negative thought is simple: we
talk about it.We should not be talking to people
about our problems, rather, give them to God, then
talk to our problems about our God.
Faith will often confess the exact opposite, of what
our circumstances are saying to us.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might
be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but
to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is
the father of us all,
17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of
many nations,) before him whom he believed, even
God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those
things which be not as though they were.
Everything we will ever need is in the Word. We
receive it by actively believing and praying God’s
promises. After we have prayed, we thankfully,
continually confess what the Word says about our
situation, not what our circumstances say!
Confessing God’s Word, always keeps the answer
before you!
5. Changes your heart
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Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the
word of faith, which we preach;
The Word spoken out of your mouth, will change
your heart. Got a problem, take God’s Word on
purpose, and confess the opposite of your problem
God will back you up, and your problem will
disappear.
6. Sets the law of faith in motion
Gravity vs thrust and lift in an airplane.
The law of gravity says that things fall down. The
law of lift and thrust under an airplanes wings will
cause that plane to defeat the law of gravity.
There is a law at work in this world, called the law
of sin and death, whereby everything is getting
worse and worse. This is the condition of a person,
community, or country that has left God. God never
moved, but the people did.
Think of it this way: Does darkness exist? Answer:
No, because darkness is simply the absence of light.
The smallest light will dispel the greatest darkness.
Does cold exist? Answer: No, cold is simply the
absence of heat.
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Does evil exist? Answer: No, it only exists where
the love, life, and presence of God is absent.
Under the law of sin and death, everything is dying,
and headed for destruction. Like gravity, everything
is going down….Yet, there is a higher law in the
universe; that is the law of thrust and lift, that birds
use, and that we use to fly airplanes. It causes us to
overcome the law of gravity, and to fly, high, and
faster than we could travel on the ground.
So it is in God’s kingdom. Leave God out of a
situation, and satan and his minions will see that it
dies, becomes dark, depressing, and desolate. This is
the work of devils.
Yet, Jesus rose from the dead, and He rose You
from your death. He, Almighty God, now lives
inside of you, and when You believe His Word, His
power (thrust) arrives on your scene, to raise you up
(lift) over any situation that this world or the devil
might try and throw at you.
He is the great one, and it is written:
1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world.
How does His greatness show forth?
By your faith!
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1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.
2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always
causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh
manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every
place.
Letter of law vs spirit of law
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of
the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:
for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
The law of sin and death will bring you down every
time without Jesus. With Jesus:
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death.
He will cause you to rise above the natural
circumstances of life, and always succeed.
Gal 3: 2 This only would I learn of you, Received
ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith?
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3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are
ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be
yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit,
and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by
the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
You must believe. You must confess what you believe.
God will act upon His Word, according to your faith
expressed through your words.
Confession of God’s Word, sets the law of faith in
motion!
7. Puts angels to work.
Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that
excel in strength, that do his commandments,
hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation?
You speak God’s Word. Angels hear you. They act
on your behalf for they always obey God.
Job 22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it
shall be established unto thee: and the light shall
shine upon thy ways.
Declare the Decree!
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onfessions:
1.Protection:
Let’s look at the 91st Psalm, and pray
it as we go:
(Psa 91:1 NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the
Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Our prayer: Father, I am committing my life into
your hands today, trusting you for protection. Seeking
your shelter from the storms of life, hiding within
your shadow.
(Psa 91:2 NIV) I will say of the LORD, “He is my
refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
There is incredible power released from heaven, when
God’s Word is spoke out of the mouth of one of His
children. Reading these verses is not enough. Words
are the primary action of faith. You must say these
verses, out loud.
God you are my refuge and my fortress, my God in
whom I trust.
(Psa 91:3 NIV) Surely he will save you from the
fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
Surely God you save me from all of Satan’s traps, and
the plots of men. You protect me from every sickness
and disease.
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(Psa 91:4 NIV) He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You cover me with your feathers, under your wings do
I find refuge, your faithfulness is my shield and
rampart. I receive your comfort today, and every day
for the rest of my life.
(Psa 91:5 NIV) You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
I thank-you Father that I don’t have to be afraid
anymore at night, that I will not have nightmares.
That arrows and attacks will not touch me by day.
(Psa 91:6 NIV) nor the pestilence that stalks in the
darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
I see sickness for what it is, an enemy. No sickness
will touch me and no plague.
(Psa 91:7 NIV) A thousand may fall at your side, ten
thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near
you.
Even though stuff happens and others go down, it will
not come near me.
(Psa 91:8 NIV) You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Though I see others receive punishment, I will not
receive it. I have been forgiven, and you protect me.
(Psa 91:9 NIV) If you make the Most High your
dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge–
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I’ve declared before heaven, hell and people that I
belong to God, and that He is my home and refuge.
(Psa 91:10 NIV) then no harm will befall you, no
disaster will come near your tent.
No harm shall come near me, and no disaster
(tornado, hurricane, fire, or war, shall come near
where I live)
(Psa 91:11 NIV) For he will command his angels
concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
For God has commanded His guardian angels
concerning me, to protect me everywhere I go.
(Psa 91:12 NIV) they will lift you up in their hands, so
that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
His angels protect me!
(Psa 91:13 NIV) You will tread upon the lion and the
cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
I have authority over Satan and all of his works, they
are under my feet! I trample him and all of his works.
(Psa 91:14 NIV) “Because he loves me,” says the
LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he
acknowledges my name.
God, I do love you, and I believe that you are rescuing
me, protecting me, for I acknowledge your name, and
the name above every name, Jesus.
(Psa 91:15 NIV) He will call upon me, and I will
answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver
him and honor him.
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Again, I call upon you, trusting you to answer me. I
thank-you Jesus that you never leave me nor forsake
with no matter what. You are with me, and you deliver
me and honor me.
(Psa 91:16 NIV) With long life will I satisfy him and
show him my salvation.”
I am not going to die young, but am going to live a
long time, for it is written, that with long life you will
satisfy me, and show me your salvation.
3. Blessing
Ge 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed.
Ps 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his
trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn
aside to lies.
Ps 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us
with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
“Father, I come before You, expecting You to
release Your blessing into my life, today, for I
believe this very word, that today, this day, you
daily load me with Your benefits. Thank you
Father, for hearing and answering me today, for
again I ask, in Your mighty and matchless name
Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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4. Favor
Ps 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with
favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
“Father, I believe this word, on purpose, that You
my father, are surrounding me today, with favor as
with a shield”
Pr 3:1 ¶ My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart
keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall
they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them
about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine
heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in
the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding.
“Father I trust in Jesus, my Lord with all my
understanding, and let the world know of Him, in
all of my ways. I believe that I find favor and good
understanding in Your sight sir, and with all the
people I meet today, Amen’
5. Prosperity
Deut 8:18 God has given me the power to get wealth
so his covenant is established. I receive it, right now,
in Jesus name! I will use my abundance to support
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the preaching of the gospel, and will go wherever
you ask me Holy Spirit, in Jesus name!
2 Cor 9:8 God has made all grace abound toward
me so that I having all sufficiency in all things do
abound to every good work.
6. Healing
Isaiah 53: 4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our
griefs,(sicknesses) and carried our
sorrows(pains): yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Thank you Lord Jesus that you already took my
sickness and pain on the cross. You were wounded
for my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, the
chastisement I needed to obtain peace was already
laid upon you, and by the stripes you took in your
body, my body is healed. Father, I believe your
Word, and thank you for performing it for me.
Sickness, pain go, in Jesus name!
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in
his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed.
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Thank you Father that Jesus took stripes in His
body that my body be healed.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall
have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them.
Father, I speak to the mountains of sickness,
disease, and pain and command them to move. I
speak to poverty, debt and lack, and command these
mountains move. I thank you for health, provision,
and deliverance. In Jesus name, Amen.
7. Direction
John 16:
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall
shew it unto you.
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Jesus, while He was on the earth, operated as a man,
under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the days of
his earth walk, He could only be in one place at one
time. Now, as Lord of Heaven and Earth, sitting on the
throne at the right hand of the Father, He said it was
better that He went away that the Holy Spirit might
come into the earth, because He, Holy Spirit, is
Emmanuel, God with us, and can be every where at
once! That is why Jesus can say that He will never
leave nor forsake us. Furthurmore, Holy Spirit knows
our unique calling and destiny, and He promises to
show us things to come!
Let’s Pray:
Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus,
asking that you send Holy Spirit to show me Your
future for my life, and Your specific plan, the
reason You created me. Amen!”
Note: Don’t be surprised when you receive cool
dreams, visions, or supernatural signs in answer to this
prayer.
8. Wisdom
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and
it shall be given him.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption:
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Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.
“Father God, I ask you for wisdom today,
recognizing that everything I need, is found in You
Lord Jesus. Please reveal to me all the treasures or
wisdom and knowledge you have stored up for me,
from before the foundation of the world. I ask,
knowing that I am heard and answered, for I ask in
you precious name Lord Jesus, Amen.”time…
7
Chapter 1:
The Parable of the Sower, the
three gospel accounts:
att 13:1-23 ¶ The same day went Jesus out
of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2 And great multitudes were gathered
together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat;
and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not
much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
had no deepness of earth:
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung
up, and choked them:
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8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth
fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold.
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables?
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given.
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not,
from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have
closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with
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their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your
ears, for they hear.
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the
same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.
10
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he
that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
ark 4: 2 And he taught them
many things by parables, and said
unto them in his doctrine,
3 Hearken; Behold, there went
out a sower to sow:
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the
way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it
up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not
much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it
had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and
because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up,
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit
that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some
thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
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9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done in
parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any
time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable?
and how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the word.
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word
is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown
in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with gladness;
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but
for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
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ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are
offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns;
such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke
the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground;
such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth
fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
hundred.
uke 8:4 ¶ And when much people were
gathered together, and were come to him out
of every city, he spake by a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as
he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it
was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was
sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang
up with it, and choked it.
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8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and
bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this
parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear,
receive the word with joy; and these have no root,
which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which,
when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection.
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15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an
honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,
and bring forth fruit with patience.
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Chapter 2:
Meditational Notes:
att 13:1-23 ¶ The same
day went Jesus out of the house,
and sat by the sea side.
The same day: Having pastored
for five years, and run a company,
these words leaped off the page at me, how radically
different circumstances can be in the same day. While
pastoring, I have done a funeral in the morning, and a
wedding in the evening, with perhaps a leadership
meeting in between. From depressing, to serious, to
festive, all in one day! The Myriad complexities of life,
and life more abundantly, that can occur, in one day!
Went out of the house: whose house? Could Jesus the
carpenter have built his own house for his mother,
brothers and family? I tend to think so..
Sat by the sea side! What a great place to meet with
Jesus! I can see the people sitting on the beach,
probably on a wonderful sunny day, with a cool breeze,
by the ocean, with waves lapping gently upon the
shore. My father was a naval officer, and though we
travelled much during my childhood, we generally
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lived near an ocean somewhere. The ocean has always
been my friend during transitional times in my life, and
I have spent many hours simply walking beaches, piers,
and decks of boats, ferries, and ships, simply watching
the wind and the waves move with the rhythms of life.
v2 And great multitudes were gathered together unto
him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole
multitude stood on the shore.
Great multitudes gathered unto Him? Why? Perhaps
they had seen the miracles he wrought, or heard His
previous teachings, unlike any other religious teacher
that had ever lived. Deep truths, spoken in wisdom,
authority, great love and concern, with spiritual power
displayed. Jesus did not need radio, television, or
posters, banners, or a loudspeaker to draw a crowd. The
Holy Spirit breathed upon the people and, they came to
Jesus. We too, need to come to ministries and churches
that demonstrate the power, presence, love, and truth of
Jesus. When these things are present, Holy Spirit will
do the kind of advertising we cannot do, moving in the
hearts of people to knit them to us as leaders:
Ps 47:3 He shall subdue the people under us, and the
nations under our feet.
Works in every area of life too. Pray for good friends,
relationships, workplace, and He will do it! All these
things are gifts from Him, and I have discovered this
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simple truth has passed the test of time in my life: Matt
6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his
righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto
you.
Meeting with Jesus, first thing, every morning has been
my secret to success in life. Only He has the wisdom to
bring balance to my ife, with all the conflicting
demands upon my time and talents throughout the day.
When I put Him first, He puts me first…
v3 And he spake many things unto them in parables,
saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
He spoke! Not merely a man, but the sinless spotless
Son of God! God the Son! The second person of the
Trinity! When He spoke, only doing the will of the
Father in the earth, His Word carried the same power
and authority that spoke the universe into being.
Creation heard the voice of the Creator, and it obeyed!
He operated on the earth, as a mere man, emptied of
His divinity, fully human, fully God. Like us, He
sought to do only the will of our Father in heaven, and
He did it under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. When
He did, Holy Spirit Himself spoke through Him, eternal
words, inscribed on this wonderful tapestry we call
time.
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BEHOLD! Look and see! He expected Holy Spirit to
work with Him, revealing eternal truth, and writing it
on the hearts of the people that heard Him.
Went forth to sow: This person did not just happen to
be out there with a bag of seed, they went there on
purpose, in the right season, into a field that was
already prepared. They did not just sit there, they were
going somewhere! Reminds me of the parable of the
Good Samaritan recorded in Luke 10:33, that man was
already on the road, going somewhere on purpose. So
was the sower.
4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way
side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
When: It was the time and season to sow. I believe that
Jesus, in the 3-1/2 years of His earthly ministry, used
natural things to display spiritual truth. The regular
seasons of life became teaching illustrations, to reveal
not high and lofty ideals, but truth that makes free. This
was an agricultural society, and notice here that Jesus
target audience was not political leaders, religious
leaders, nor the academics of the day. No, Jesus spoke
to common people, those close to the land and the sea,
farmers and fishermen close to creation, hungry hearts
quick to grasp deep truths that had been eternally
written on the other book that reveals God, creation.
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Ro 1:20 For the invisible things of him from the
creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood
by the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
Now, many have called this parable, the parable of the
soils, because the heart of it deals with the different
types of soils or grounds the seed was planted in.
Fell: Seems like the sower simply scattered this seed,
and did not purposely plant it. In this case, the seed fell
upon the side of the field, perhaps upon the pathway
surrounding the field, landing on hard packed dirt,
impregnable to the seed germinating and putting roots
into the ground. It was uncovered, and plainly visible,
and an easy meal for the birds, who quickly came and
ate it up.
v5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not
much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they
had no deepness of earth:
Here we see the second type of soil, stoney or rocky
ground. The thought comes that you cannot plant seed
on pavement. Even if you water it, the water will
quickly dry up, and the roots have no where to go.
Seems there was a little bit of dirt here, but not enough
to root the plant deep enough to allow it to grow and
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produce a crop. Reminds me of some people that the
world calls shallow: ever met one? People who are like
talking heads, spewing empty words, devoid of truth
and power. They have many words, but no depth and
substance. Seems there are churches with ministers like
this:
2Ti 3:5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the
power thereof: from such turn away.
Though you cannot submit to their ministry, you can
pray for them, and this we will talk about later in this
study.
However, this soil is not pavement, simply hard packed
earth, dirt! It can be broken up, watered, and fertilized,
aerated, and watered some more, to make good soil if
we have the time and resource to prepare it. In Israel,
that have taken swamps and deserts, and made them
fruitful, and blooming as a rose, as the prophecy Isa
35:1 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be
glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom
as the rose.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of
the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
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Every person is redeemable, every heart can bear fruit,
if loved and nurtured enough. Just takes continual
watering and work. Welcome to pastoring…
6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and
because they had no root, they withered away.
Scorched: Here we see the result of no depth of soil.
The sun came out, and the seedling got scorched, and
bore no fruit. How I have seen that in life and ministry,
as we minister to broken people. There is an expression
on the street, when someone does not fulfill a promise,
or keep their word: ‘I got burned man!’ Burned people
are people that believed someone or something that did
not come to pass. Scorched!
Ne 4:2 And he spake before his brethren and the army
of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will
they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they
make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of
the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
These are the words of the enemies of God, trying to
mock Nehemiah as he began to build the walls of
Jerusalem. In that day, he was rebuilding the holy city,
the actual stone wall surrounding the city, to make it
strong and defensible again.
We are called to build a different type of wall, in
another holy city, the people of God:
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1Pe 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a
spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual
sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 11 ¶ For
other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which
is Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation
gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the
day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire;
and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it
is.
14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built
thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer
loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and
that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
People with stony hearts are not unredeemable, nor to
be discarded, but they do take more work to minister to
and to disciple, because of the betrayals and
heartbreaks in their lives, they are more difficult to
work with. Burned stones… Yet, love never fails, and
if ministry was so easy, everyone would be doing it.
More on how this works, later.
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7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung
up, and choked them:
Again we see seed that fell, rather than was planted.
The thorns in Scripture are enemies of God.
Nu 33:55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of
the land from before you; then it shall come to pass,
that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks
in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex
you in the land wherein ye dwell.
Jos 23:13 Know for a certainty that the LORD your
God will no more drive out any of these nations from
before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you,
and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes,
until ye perish from off this good land which the
LORD your God hath given you.
I see this thorny ground as bad relationships, for it is
written that 1Co 15:33 Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners.
There are thorny people in life, that will destroy the life
of God we have received through the Word of God. We
need to separate ourselves from these people, and join
ourselves to people of honor and faith for it is written:
2Th 3:2 And that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not
faith.
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I have learned that there are difficult people that do not
have the same goals in life as I do. Whether in
business, or because of choices they make in their
personal lives, (immorality, drunkenness, lying), I
cannot chance spending too much time with them, lest
they choke the Word of God in my life. Division,
simply means: two visions. Jas 1:8 A double minded
man is unstable in all his ways. These people are not
the people to develop close, intimate relationships, but
are very redeemable, so we love, and minister to them,
constantly telling them about Jesus, His goodness, and
encouraging them to walk with God.
Jas 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to
you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your
hearts, ye double minded.
Like precious faith:
2Pe 1:1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus
Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith
with us through the righteousness of God and our
Saviour Jesus Christ:
The people we need to hang with, are those who have
obtained like precious faith. These are to be our friends
and confidants, no other.
Thorny ground chokes the Word! Thorny ground
people can choke the Word and life of God in you, you
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must guard your heart, and close relationships
carefully, for out of these are the forces of life!
v8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth
fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some
thirtyfold.
Good ground produces a harvest in the kingdom of
God! A heart that is pure and true, will receive the
Word, and bear much fruit. How much fruit? Well, this
is the first gospel given to us, and this is the first time
we are given this account. Here, in Matthew, we read
that we should receive 100, 60, or 30 fold. As we
compare accounts, we see that in this first account, the
100 fold return is mentioned first. I believe that when
we begin to sow seed, on purpose in the kingdom of
God, that this should be our first and best faith,
believing for a minimum of 100 fold return on
whatever we sow.
An interesting thought I have jotted here in my notes is
this: In the parable, the sower scatters the seed, and it I
simply falls on the different types of soils. The question
is, can we get better results from the kingdom of God,
if we don’t merely scatter seed, but deliberately plant
it? Can we run the birds off, and be careful where we
plant?
9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
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There is a natural hearing, and a spiritual hearing?
Faith only comes by hearing, and hearing by the word
of God.
Q. Father, is there a way that we can develop hearing
ears? A. Use faith and confession. Deliberately confess
the Word of God in areas that you know you need to
develop in the natural realm, and Holy Spirit will have
something to work with in writing the very Word you
are speaking, on the fleshly tables of your heart. He
now has something to reveal…
10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why
speakest thou unto them in parables?
Notice here that when we are in correct relationship
with Jesus, we can ask Him anything. The disciples did
not know everything, neither do you and I. In this
wonderful relational journey in life with Jesus, it is
okay to be simple, childlike, open and eager to learn.
When we don’t understand something from the Word
of God, we don’t understand, yet it is good to seek
understanding through prayer and study. Like an
instructor at college once said, ‘The only stupid
question is the one you never ask!”
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures, When we don’t
know, we don’t know! So we seek Him for
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understanding, and like these disciples on the road to
Emmaeus, He opens the Word to our understanding.
Pr 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but
the honour of kings is to search out a matter.
11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is
given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of heaven, but to them it is not given.
They asked, and they were answered! He answers us
too! Gotta be asking though, often!
I believe this verse, and because I do, I boldly say:
‘Unto me is given to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of God!’
12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he
shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not,
from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
So much for socialism and communism, you know,
share everything equally with everyone. Not in God’s
kingdom! When we have revelation, more will be given
to us, and that in abundance! If we blow it off, and do
not esteem highly the preciousness of God’s Word
revealed to us, that which we thought we had, will be
taken from us.
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13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they
seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do
they understand.
14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias,
which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not
understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not
perceive:
15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their
ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have
closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and should understand with
their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them.
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your
ears, for they hear.
In the natural, we believe it when we see it. In the
kingdom of God, we believe it, and then we see it. I
believe this verse! Believe with me: ‘I believe that my
eyes are blessed, and I see, that my ears are blessed and
that I hear!’
17 For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and
righteous men have desired to see those things which
ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those
things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
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Hear ye: Here is understanding, this is what the parable
means:
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom,
and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one,
and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart.
This is he which received seed by the way side.
The Word of the Kingdom: Notice this right off, this is
not the word of any mere man, it is the word or way of
the kingdom of God! This is how the kingdom of God
operates in the earth!
When someone hears the Word of God, and doesn’t
understand it, immediately the devil comes, not with a
pitchfork and horns like in the movies, but as a mind
blinding spirit. He steals the Word of God out of the
heart of a person.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the
same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy
receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a
while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth
because of the word, by and by he is offended.
Tribulation and persecution arise, for the Word’s sake!
If the devil cannot take the Word from a person, he will
try and shake it from them, through tribulation and hard
times.
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Heb 10: 32 But call to remembrance the former days,
in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great
fight of afflictions;
We are to be rooted and grounded in the love of God,
for His wonderful love goes deeper than our deepest
questions and insecurities, making us humble, gentle,
peaceful, and thankful.
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by
faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Col 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in
the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein
with thanksgiving.
v22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he
that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and
the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he
becometh unfruitful.
The cares of this world, and deceitfulness of riches
choke the Word, and it withers and dies. Distractions,
obstacles, or love of the world, choke the Word, and it
becomes unfruitful. I like this word choke, because
how well I have experienced how my daily schedule
can choke the life of God trying to bloom in my heart.
Choking removes air, so that something cannot breath.
We must have the breath of God, in order to give it to
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others: That comes from hearing Him, receiving fresh
breath from Holy Spirit, often!
Ac 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Pr 11:25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that
watereth shall be watered also himself.
We pour out our lives into others, preaching, loving,
helping, working, leading, feeding but then we find
ourselves, poured out, cored out, exhausted, having
again given our all…Enter Holy Spirit, with times of
refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and Jesus is
so gracious, we have watered others, and He sends
ministry into out life, to keep us watered..He is so
faithful!
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he
that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also
beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold,
some sixty, some thirty.
Hearing and Understanding, will cause us to bear fruit.
The question is, is there a relationship between how
well we hear the Word, and how much understanding
of what we have heard, that can cause us to produce
greater multiplication of fruit?
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Pr 16:16 How much better is it to get wisdom than
gold! and to get understanding rather to be chosen than
silver!
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Chapter 3:
ark 4: 2 And he taught them
many things by parables, and said
unto them in his doctrine,
Many Things: This is only one of
Jesus parables. He used His
stories and parables to explain the kingdom of God.
What is a parable anyway? Strongs Concordance gives
us this lengthy definition:
3850 παραβολη parabole par-ab-ol-ay’
from 3846; TDNT-5:744,773; n f
AV-parable 46, figure 2, comparison 1, proverb 1; 50
1) a placing of one thing by the side of another,
juxtaposition, as of ships in battle
2) metaph.
2a) a comparing, comparison of one thing with another,
likeness, similitude
2b) an example by which a doctrine or precept is
illustrated
2c) a narrative, fictitious but agreeable to the laws and
usages of human life, by which either the duties of men
M
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or the things of God, particularly the nature and history
of God’s kingdom are figuratively portrayed
2d) a parable: an earthly story with a heavenly
meaning
3) a pithy and instructive saying, involving some
likeness or comparison and having preceptive or
admonitory force
3a) an aphorism, a maxim
4) a proverb
5) an act by which one exposes himself or his
possessions to danger, a venture, a risk Not sure how
Holy Spirit is going to speak to you on this, but what
bears witness for me, is the simple definition: 2d) a
parable: an earthly story with a heavenly meaning
Jesus used simple, often real life stories, to explain
heavenly truths. He said that we must understand this
one, to understand all others.
3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:
Hearken: Listen up! Pay attention!
Behold: Look and see!
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Thought about this address a little bit, and wondered
what happened that day that Jesus taught this parable.
Was He simply bringing the meeting to order, and
perhaps pointing at a farmer who was scattering seed,
in Spring time planting? Or, was He telling the people
to listen, and trusting the Holy Spirit to reveal, and
literally bring insight, sight within, as to the true
meaning of what He was about to impart?
In our case, the latter must be the interpretation, as we
long for spiritual revelation as we study this very
Word. ‘Lord, we are listening for your voice, and
asking Holy Spirit, that you give us eyes to see.’
4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the
way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it
up.
5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not
much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it
had no depth of earth:
6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and
because it had no root, it withered away.
7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up,
and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.
8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit
that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some
thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.
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8 (AMP) And other seed [of the same kind] fell into good
(well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing
up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as
much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred
times as much as had been sown.
Well Adapted soil: The obvious question is: How do
we prepare our own hearts to remain good ground for
the Word of God? I am convinced that we must
incorporated a daily intake of the Word of God in our
lives, cultivate a life of prayer, and continually remove
rocks of offense, roots of bitterness, seeds of deception,
by continually spending hours praying in the Holy
Spirit, allowing the water of the Word and rivers of
living water wash us and keep us clean, so that we can
continually bear good fruit.
9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let
him hear.
10 And when he was alone, they that were about him
with the twelve asked of him the parable.
11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to
know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto
them that are without, all these things are done in
parables:
12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and
hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any
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time they should be converted, and their sins should be
forgiven them.
13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable?
and how then will ye know all parables?
Do you not understand this parable? How then will you
understand the rest of the parables?
Disciple, student, leader, this parable is important, in
that when it is revealed, it unlocks understanding of all
the other parables of the kingdom of God!
14 The sower soweth the word.
Now we get into the kingdom of God! The sower sows
the Word! What Word? The inspired Word from
heaven, the one that when spoken under the direction
and anointing of the Holy Spirit, produces faith,
revelation, deliverance, power, healing, finances,
direction: the living Word.
The Word of God, has creative power, and will produce
anything this earth needs: Healing, Direction, Love,
salvation, Finances, prosperity whatever we need in
this life!
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given
unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to
glory and virtue:
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4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers
of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that
is in the world through lust.
We see here that in Jesus, we have been given all
things that we might ever need or desire, for this life
and godliness. How? Through these precious promises,
that allow us to actually partake of the very nature of
God, the Spirit of God Himself, who, through these
promises, will actually create for us, that which we
need, here, anywhere in the earth, these promises,
believed and acted upon, actually contain the power of
God!
The sower sows the Word, the promises, the power of
God manifest.
Mrk 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have
faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them.
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Whosoever (that believes. Believes what? The Word
that was revealed to them by the Holy Spirit) shall have
Whatsoever (Whatever they believed!)
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word
is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown
in their hearts.
Wayside Hearts, are people who are always on the
outside looking in. They never fully commit to the
Lordship of Jesus, and so are pathway people, hardened
ground, seeing into the garden of God, but never really
able to eat the fruit of it, because they fail to understand
that their hearts are the problem, always watching
others receive the blessings of God, and many like
beggars, receive the overflow from those who press in
for themselves, but simply spectators in the game of
life, never participants.
In a weekly grocery giveaway I participated in, where
we went door to door, offering a free bag of groceries,
and Jesus, praying for the people’s needs, I have heard
about every kind of story why people no longer attend
church, or how they used to believe, or some other
excuse. They don’t mind receiving the food order, and
even prayer, yet refuse to serve God for themselves;
wayside people. Gotta love them anyway….
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16 And these are they likewise which are sown on
stony ground; who, when they have heard the word,
immediately receive it with gladness;
Hearts of Stone: The rough and tumble of life, has
caused huge trust issues in these people, sometimes for
no fault of their own. Betrayals, trauma, abuse, neglect,
abandonment, rejection, divorce, have left them full of
bitterness, hearts full of pain. They hear the good news
of the promises, but as they begin to press in to what
seems too good to be true, they give up before it bears
fruit, and yet another stone gets placed into their heart,
making it even more difficult to believe. Hope deferred
makes the heart sick, and these folks have honestly
hoped to be loved, respected, celebrated, instructed,
cared for, but it didn’t happen, and quietly, in their
hearts, they gave up. What began in passion and joy,
enthusiasm, and shouts of praise, became another
unfulfilled dream…Many never realizing that it is their
own hardness of heart, and lack of faith that is
preventing them from receiving of the goodness and
promises of God. God understands their pain, their
problems, and if they will courageously press in to
Him, they will discover that: Eze 36:26 A new heart
also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within
you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your
flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
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God is love, and His love goes deeper than our deepest
fears, Eze 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and I
will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the
stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an
heart of flesh:
Just because you have tried and failed, does not mean
that you are a failure, rather, it is an invitation to come
deeper into the love of Jesus, where it is easy to
believe. Faith is simply belief, and faith only works by
love. You gotta receive it before you can give it
away…Receive Him, and He will reveal to you, His
love, and melt away your pain and fears, now…
17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but
for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution
ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are
offended.
Affliction or persecution ariseth: There has been a
teaching in the Body of Christ that proclaims only the
blessings of God, and the problem with half a truth, is
that you can never be sure which half you really got.
Let’s look at a couple of these:
Be led by the favor of God: It is true, that God gives us
favor with man, and that we can, by faith, lift up the
shield of favor: Ps 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the
righteous; with favour wilt thou compass him as with a
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shield. Yet, God speaks, and we are to be led by His
Spirit, and trust Him for favour. This verse declares
that after we have authentically heard God, there will
be an attempt by satan to steal the Word, through
afflictions and persecutions. We have authority over
him, and we need to bind his work, and recognize that
God did not send these to our life, just like God did not
send the storm to Jesus on the boat.
Be led by the peace of God: This is true, in that Joh
14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
We are to have peace in our hearts and minds, as we
walk with God, but not always in our circumstances.
Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Mt 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on
earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
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We are to bring the kingdom of God, and the rule of the
prince of Peace into our lives. Some have erroneously
taught that God’s leading of peace is to follow peaceful
circumstances, and that if there is no peace, we are not
to go in a certain direction. The peace God gives, is in
our hearts, and in His kingdom to enforce. We are to be
led by the peace of God in our hearts, but if there were
to be always peace in our circumstances, Paul really
missed it, in all the tumults, shipwrecks, beatings etc
that he incurred.
When we authentically hear God, it can bring division,
and hardship, but we are to:
2Ti 2:3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good
soldier of Jesus Christ.
Each of us are responsible for our own garden, and the
garden is the garden of our heart:
Pr 4:23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it
are the issues of life.
Jesus did not promise us a life without problems, in fact
He said: Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye
shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have
overcome the world.
1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the
victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the
world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith.
It is the very promise you have believed that has
produced the persecution and afflictions! Suck it up,
and walk through it, because it is not God that is
bringing the trouble to your life, rather satan or one of
his demons.
God is good, but satan knows full well the power of
God present in His promises. He must stop you from
believing, because it is the only way he can prevent you
from receiving what God has for you.
You are not crazy! You really did hear God, and God is
working for you as you believe.
Heb 10:32 But call to remembrance the former days, in
which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great
fight of afflictions;
If the devil can’t take it from you, he is trying to shake
it from you, bringing the heat with only one motive in
mind, to make you give up. It’s not personal, he hates
God, and he is after the Word in your life! Do not give
up, God is moving and working to bring to you, exactly
what you asked Him for, and that which He promised.
This is what Paul fought as God spoke to him, 2Co
12:7 And lest I should be exalted above measure
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through the abundance of the revelations, there was
given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan
to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
See it? God spoke to Paul, and gave him revelation,
and satan had to stop the Word from working in the
earth. He sent a demon spirit, a messenger to stop Paul,
from preaching the gospel around the world. You need
to understand this principal: satan is not after you
personally, although he hates all of humanity because
we are created in the image of God, yet direct
opposition to the Word of God comes only when you
have directly heard, believed and acted upon the Word
of God.
v18 And these are they which are sown among thorns;
such as hear the word,
19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of
riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke
the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
The cares of this world, worry: these are enemies to be
destroyed. Deliberately, you must cast these cares at
the feet of Jesus or you will go crazy, and you will not
receive the manifestation of the kingdom promise you
have believed.
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
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Amplified Bible (AMP)
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and
distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and
false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the
craving and passionate desire for other things creep in
and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes
fruitless.
False glamour: I ask myself when I create a ministry
event, is there any false glamour, flash and glitz to
what I am doing that might compromise the anointing,
the Word, the Spirit of God? Not to be confused with
big, bold, and glorious, for Jesus is a Great King! Yet,
we are talking about heart motives here, why am I
doing what I am doing? To impress people, or to
impress God, and to see Him glorified? Just sayin…
Amplified Bible (AMP)
19 Then the cares and anxieties of the world and
distractions of the age, and the pleasure and delight and
false glamour and deceitfulness of riches, and the
craving and passionate desire for other things creep in
and choke and suffocate the Word, and it becomes
fruitless.
Suffocated? We all need the breath of God breathed
into us, repeatedly, to experience the life of God. Ge
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
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The cares of this world:
2Co 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high
thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the
obedience of Christ;
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth
for you.
Thoughts that would cause us to worry, are not of God.
We must carefully monitor what we are thinking about,
and things that are bothering us, need to be taken to the
Lord in prayer, and left with Him.
The deceitfulness of riches: Mt 6:24 No man can serve
two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love
the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise
the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Lu 16:11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the
unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust
the true riches?
Money makes a wonderful servant, but a lousy Lord!
You must rule over it, and tell it where to go, or it will
choke the Word of God from your life, eternal riches,
and money with a mission granted unto you. You must
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make money bow to the Lordship of Jesus, or it will
quickly own you. Tithe, give offerings, help the poor,
and sow financial offerings into the kingdom of God,
expecting increase and reward.
Lusts of other things: How I have struggled in this! I
have started in on a personal promise from God, and
then got distracted, as the very thing I believed for
began to manifest. Since we have been talking about
money for a minute, the Scripture states that prosperity
will ruin a fool. One out of six of Jesus parables were
about money, and God uses finances to teach us eternal
principals.
Here is a perfect example of this: Let’s say we are in a
wonderful meeting, where the Holy Spirit is moving,
and we hear wonderful truths from a man or woman of
God, and Holy Spirit places a desire in our hearts to
read some of their books, or listen to some of their
teaching series. Yet, these cost money to produce, and
the ministry is selling them to cover these costs, and the
costs of running the ministry.
Pr 23:23 Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom,
and instruction, and understanding.
So, we ask God for some of these, and sure enough, the
following week, the hundred dollars extra we needed to
purchase the teaching series Holy Spirit laid upon our
hearts, comes to us, supernaturally. Yet, the thought
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comes to mind: ‘I haven’t been out to eat in a while,
and the children need a new toy, and suddenly, before
you know it, the money you believed God for, to
purchase revelation of the Word of God, is consumed
upon the lusts of other things, and the Word that should
have produced 30,60 or 100fold return, did not fully
manifest, because we took the first bit of our harvest,
and used it for our own desires, instead of the desires of
the Holy Spirit. Had we obeyed and pressed in, God
would have provided more than enough for dinner out,
and gifts for our children, yet, we flunked the money
test!
This can become very serious:
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved
this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica;
This man Demas, missed eternal rank, privilege and
reward, because he allowed the lusts of other things,
entering in, to choke the Word.
Holy Spirit is Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly,
righteously, and godly, in this present world;
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground;
such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth
fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an
hundred.
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Run the race, make it through the tests, and look what
happens: 30fold, 60fold, 100fold harvests occur!
So what word was sown into your heart? The word of
salvation? Eternal life through Jesus Christ? So, you
testify what God has done, and begin to tell others how
to meet Jesus. At first, seems like nothing is happening,
and that the Word is not working, but you press in, to
understand the new birth, what it is to become a new
creation in Christ Jesus, how your body itself has now
changed to become a temple of the Holy Spirit. You are
adopted into God’s family, you are a child of the King,
you are accepted, forgiven, loved, blessed, granted a
name written in the Lamb’s book of life. Eternal life
has been imparted to you, not in the sweet by and by,
but in the here and now, to your very spirit, you have
become born-again, into the kingdom of God, an
ambassador for the great King of all the universe! Satan
opposes you, your family thinks you are nuts, your
friends abandon you, telling you that you are a
religious fanatic, a nut, an extremist, you may even get
fired from your job (I did) because you refuse to stop
talking about Jesus! Yet, as time goes on, religious
people try to calm you down, and get you to
compromise your fire and zeal for Jesus, cares of this
world enter in: what about your career, your marriage,
your family, your education? Don’t take this religious
thing too seriously, you will ruin your life, they say.
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Then some good things start to happen, you meet some
other on-fire folks, and when you are not witnessing,
reading the Bible or worshipping, you begin to go out
to eat, hang out at friends cottages at the lake, and relax
watching movies from Redbox or Blockbuster, and
quietly, satan weaves his web, trying to get you to stay
caught up with the lusts of other things, determined to
steal your quiet time with your Father, your intimacy
with Jesus, your time in the Word, you zeal in prayer,
worship, and the things of the kingdom. Yet, you see it,
and realize the eternal destiny of the very people who
are rejecting you presently, depends upon your
obedience to and faith in God, and you fight the fight
of faith for their souls! You press in, and start skipping
meals, and Christian parties, and certain ‘fellowship’
events, that are quite frankly, distractions, and worldly.
Then, it begins to happen: You are at an event, with 20
or thirty unsaved people, and the boldness of God
comes upon you, and you preach the gospel, with
tenderness and tears, and suddenly, all of them accept
Jesus, and God bears witness, and there are signs,
wonders, and miracles. Next night, you are invited to a
family dinner with one of these, and there are another
twenty folks there, and the same thing happens, you
share your testimony, and all twenty of these accept
Jesus, and suddenly, it begins a snowball effect, and
before you know it, you have led a hundred people to
Christ, and are making headlines in heaven. Angels are
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rejoicing, heaven is on its feet giving you a standing
ovation along with the great cloud of witnesses!
Heaven is on its feet, because you are expanding the
kingdom of God! Even people in hell, that have been
praying that their loved ones do not end up there, are
longing for you to keep on, without compromise,
plundering hell and populating heaven. There comes a
joy unspeakable and full of glory upon your life, and
power with God and man, as God Himself entrusts to
you, mighty signs, wonders, and miracles to get the job
done, and you discover this word of salvation, sown
into your heart, is indeed the power of God in the earth!
You have just received One Hundred Fold Return!
This example is simply an example of only one word
that that the sower sows, the word of salvation!
What if you were sick, and learned the word of
healing? Could you begin to empty out hospitals by the
power of God flowing through you, after you received
your healing, and began to share your testimony?
What about money? Could these principals work in the
financial realm?
What about the baptism of the Holy Spirit? You get
filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence of
speaking in supernatural tongues. You dig into the
Word to become grounded in your faith in this
teaching, and begin to share your testimony, and the
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Word, and despite the obstacles, suddenly you begin to
see folks filled with the Holy Spirit with the evidence
of speaking in other tongues?
You need to see this! The sower sows the Word! What
word? The Word the Holy Spirit directs us to sow!
What happens? The word is designed to produce 30,60,
100 fold whatever is preached! You may not know the
hearts of the people who hear what God directs you to
sow, but if you obey God, and sow faithfully, where,
when, and how He directs, and you pass all these heart
tests, you will see increase in what you are
commissioned to preach. Jesus said, that if Joh 7:38
He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out
of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
How many rivers shall flow out of our hearts? Depends
upon how many we put in there! There are rivers of
worship, prophetic realms of glory, teaching, missions,
rivers of wisdom, churches to be pioneered, crusades to
be organized and preached, healings and miracles to be
wrought, peoples to be filled with the Holy Spirit, Bible
schools to be raised up, orphanages to be built and
supported, hungry folks to be fed, prisoners to be
visited, sermons to be prepared and preached, people to
be pastored, healed, restored, trained, equipped,
married, buried, and blessed! The kingdom of God is
alive, and moving, and this parable unlocks how to
move with it!
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Chapter 4:
uke 8:4 ¶ And when much people were
gathered together, and were come to him out
of every city, he spake by a parable:
‘People came to him out of every city’: not
just local folks and friends, but people drawn
by the Holy Spirit,with a hunger in their heart that only
a living Word can fulfill.
Mt 4:4 for It is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the
mouth of God.
He is the bread of life! Jesus said in Joh 6:48 I am that
bread of life.
Joh 6:50 This is the bread which cometh down from
heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
Joh 6:51 I am the living bread which came down from
heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for
ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I
will give for the life of the world.
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed,
some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down,
and the fowls of the air devoured it.
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6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was
sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture.
Ah, the precious water of the Word, the living water,
Holy Spirit. The river of God, that melts our hearts
with love, and intimacy with Him. The supply of the
Spirit made available, only when we pray:
Php 1:19 For I know that this shall turn to my
salvation through your prayer, and the supply of the
Spirit of Jesus Christ,
See it here, how the prayers of the saints, produce a
supply of the Holy Spirit, to ministries, that makes the
Word of God come alive, and shatter the strongholds,
and hardness of peoples hearts..How we need living
water!
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang
up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and
bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these
things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this
parable be?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the
mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in
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parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing
they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of
God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then
cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their
hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear,
receive the word with joy; and these have no root,
which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall
away.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which,
when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an
honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it,
and bring forth fruit with patience.
Notice here, that there is no 30,60, 100 Fold mentioned
here, just fruit, from an honest and good heart.
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Chapter 5:
n Conclusion:
Our Hearts are compared to the gardens of
God. Plants need Air, water, good deep and
rich soil, sunshine, and protection from birds
and animals to survive and thrive. We have
looked at how these natural realities are
reflected in the kingdom of God, and are all needed in
our lives in order that we bear eternal fruit for the
Kingdom of God.
Pastor Paul Daugherty, one of our pastoral staff here at
Victory Christian Center, just preached a great message
on trusting the Lord for the miraculous, daily. He used
the parable of the sower as his text, and I liked the
points he made in conclusion:
He gave ‘Seven attributes of a Fertile Heart’
1. When you pray, pray in faith, Believe!
2. Come to church, Expectant, expecting God to do
great things!
3. Keep Notes: When God speaks, write it down, so
that you don’t forget it.
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4. Lean In to the person and presence of God, be
attentive, hungry!
5. Live with your Hands Open. Closed fists can’t
receive, and show an attitude of self will, not
acceptance of the will of God. Open hands both
give and receive well.
6. Believe in the Greatness of God inside of You,
Christ in You, the hope of Glory, Greater is He
in you, that he that is in the world!
7. Expect a Miracle!
These are the Seven Points He made, I’ve made a few
more:
1. Hear the Word – Keep quiet and secret time with
God, sacred, and daily.
2. As you hear, study it out, ground it in the
Scriptures.
3. Guard your heart and relationships carefully.
4. Speak the Word! At least privately in prayer, and
publically as He leads.
5. Let God promote you, in His time. Don’t use
flash, glitz, or worldly methods.
6. Expect Signs, Wonders, and Miracles as you live
and speak the word
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7. Expect 100 fold return on the Word you hear,
and sow.
Remember that when God authentically speaks to you,
this parable shows us clearly three things that will
surely happen to us, directly because of the Word we
just heard:
1. Satan (the bird) will come and try and steal the
Word from us.
2. If satan cannot take the Word from us, he tries to
shake it from us with persecutions and
afflictions.
3. Finally, if we prevail and endure, distractions
will come to our lives, often good things, but not
of God, designed for one thing. To choke the life
of God from us, to kill the Word in our hearts.
Now I am going to sow seven Words, I believe the
Holy Spirit has directed me to plant into your lives:
1. The Gospel
2. A Shark Story
3. Baptism in the Holy Spirit
4. Healing
5. One of the Ways to Worship is to serve the
people God loves
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6. Knowing Your Future (Hearing the Voice of
God)
7. Seven things confession of God’s Word will
bring to your life.
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Chapter 6:
he Gospel!
So, as we continue our meditational
jouney, I am going to deliberately speak
seven different words from the Word of
God, into your life. The first, and most important word,
is what we call the gospel, the good news, the word of
eternal life.
God loves you, and there are five things God wants you
know about Him, and I feel impressed by Him to tell
you what they are. They are all about Jesus, God the
Son.
1. Jesus was born. Babies are born every day, but
Jesus is different, because although Mary is His
earthly mother, God is His heavenly Father. That
makes Him different than any other person that
has ever walked the earth. Think of it this way,
the egg inside of Mary was human, the sperm
divine. Theologians call this Immaculate
Conception, but to most of us it is the Christmas
story. God became a man in the form of Jesus
Christ, Emanuel, God with us. God came to earth
and joined humanity, like each of us, as a meek
helpless baby. Jesus is not merely the son of
God, but God the Son, the second person of the
Trinity.
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2. Jesus grew up, yet he became a man without sin.
Although the Bible says little about his first
thirty years, the baby we celebrate at Christmas
did not remain a child, at thirty years of age, He
withdrew from humanity and fasted forty days to
come back in the power of the Holy Spirit to
show the world what a person, walking with the
Creator can be. He healed the sick, raised the
dead, fed the multitudes, walked on water,
stopped storms, and cast evil spirits out of
people.He did all of this, without sin. Not one
time, did He ever break the laws of God or man,
that qualified Him as the sinless, spotless, holy,
Lamb of God, accepted by God, as the only fit
sacrifice, for the sins of humanity.
He is still the same, and doing the same things
today. Yet the day came on earth, when He was
betrayed, and sentenced by a kangaroo court to
death. Religious people had Him murdered.
3. He died on the cross. Not a pretty death.
Deserted by his closest friends. Beaten beyond
human recognition. His face pulverized.
Weakened so much by blood loss that this
formerly strong man could not carry His own
cross. The sky turned black as night, the earth
split open and dead people came out of the
graves to testify. He spoke three words that still
echo throughout eternity, “It is finished” The veil
in the temple, was torn from top to bottom,
signifying that the separation between God and
humanity was now open. God could again visit
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with the people He created. Jesus bore the sin of
the whole world upon Himself on the cross, an
infinite sacrifice, for an infinite debt. Atonement!
4. He rose from the dead. You know, the Easter
story. HIStory. Not the tooth fairy, Lord of the
Rings, or the Easter bunny. Though they laid the
body of Jesus in a tomb for three days, His spirit
was not there. He went through paradise, He
went to hell, yet on the third day, His spirit
rejoined His body, and He rose. The stone was
rolled away, and he ascended into heaven. For
the next fifty days He appeared to over five
hundred eye witnesses, and then while these five
hundred watched, two angels appeared, and He
ascended bodily back into heaven. Many
educated moral instructors have lived: Buddha,
Mohammed, Gandhi, Plato, and others, yet each
of these died, and their body remains in their
tomb today. Jesus rose from the dead.
5. He reigns. He is Lord of heaven and earth. God
is spirit, seeking those who will worship Him in
spirit and truth. There is only one true God,
maker of heaven and earth, yet He has revealed
Himself throughout His Word in three separate
and distinct persons. God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus is the Son of
God, birthed of His Spirit. When He ascended
back into heaven, God sat Him at His right hand
where He reigns the universe.
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In short, He came, He lived, He died, He rose and He
reigns.
Now the problem of Creation must be addressed. You
and I. Each and every one of us have been created in
the image of God. We are also spirits, we have a soul,
and we live in a body. Except a man be born-again, he
cannot even see the kingdom of God. God loves you
personally and wants you to know Him on His terms.
Religion has always been man’s set of rules and
regulations attempting to reach God, Jesus is God’s
attempt to reach man. He died for you, not because He
had to, but because He loves you. Yet, He did not
create robots, each of us has a free will. The question
He would have me ask you is this: Do you want Him to
be your king? Do you want to go to heaven when you
die, to be with Him? If you do, the Bible makes this
promise to each of us,
‘If you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus,
and shall believe in your heart that God raised Him
from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart
man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:9,10’
Here’s what each of us need to do to come to God on
His terms.
1. We must acknowledge Jesus as our personal
Lord. That is, in light of this great love He has
demonstrated towards us, we must make a
decision as to whether of not we will choose to
allow Him to rule over us.
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2. We must believe in our heart that God raised
Him from the dead.
3. We must confess, out loud to Him that we want
Him.
Here’s a simple prayer.
God, I want to know you. I want you to be in charge
of my life. I accept you Lord Jesus as my Lord.
Forgive me Lord for all the things I have done
against you. I believe, Father that you raised Jesus
from the dead, and I ask you to come into my life, and
make me the best person I can possibly be. Amen.
Now, that prayer will get you right with God, today.
But what about tomorrow? Each day we need to grow
spiritually, in our relationship with Him. That will
involve talking to Him about your day, and involving
Him in your day-to-day decisions. How do you do that?
Well, begin to read your Bible, every day, first thing,
beginning with the New Testament. Seek Him first
thing every day, and He will add everything else you
need to your life. When you see something in the Bible
that is new to you, do what it says.
That’s where we come in. Eventually, you are going to
need a good church. A place of love, friendship, and
fellowship, where we can worship God and work
together to make this world a better place. Any Bible
believing church would love to meet you, and to hear
about your new decision to serve God. There are many
fine churches all over the world. Shop for one that
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believes the Bible to be the Word of God, and where
you have peace.
If you would like more information about the church I
attend, please contact Victory Christian Center at
victory.com.
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Chapter 7:
Shark Story!
When I was young and full of
fire, living for adventure, I
completed the Underwater
Skills program at Seneca
College in King City, Ontaro,
Canada, qualitying me as a commercial diver and
underwater welder. When I was 16, my dad had been
posted to Norfolk, VA, to take the next level of his
officer training as a naval officer, and they had a great
youth program, that allowed me to take my NAUI
scuba certification. I loved diving, and the ocean, and
so Seneca’s training was a great fit for my
adventourous personality. After graduation, I went up
to Honey Harbour, Ontario, and worked a couple
seasons on a cable laying barge, laying telephone cable
that connected telephone lines to what is known as the
’10,000 islands’ on the East side of Georgian Bay.
Round about October, or November, when things were
starting to freeze up, I would buy myself a ticket, and
head south to Key West, Florida to go treasure hunting
with Mel Fisher. Got to work one winter for Mel’s son,
captain Kane, aboard the ‘Dauntless’.
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Now this treasure hunting is quite an experience. Mel
had 8 or nine boats working for him in his fleet, and
people signed a contract for a percentage of treasure
found. Mel had previously discovered the Marguerita,
with 22 million dollars of silver and gold uncovered,
and investors made money, as did crew members that
year, for contracts were signed by the year, anticipating
the find of the sister ship, ‘the Atocha’, that historians
record as having sunk in the same storm hundreds of
millions of gold and silver bullion aboard.
There were generally two types of boats in the fleet,
search boats and dive boats. Search boats tow various
metal detecting equipment, and dive boats are equipped
with digging equipment, as the area the ships were
known to have been lost, is known as ‘The
Quicksands’, with the bottom covered with constantly
moving and shiifting underwater sand dunes, that are
often 30-40’ high. The dive boats are equipped with air
lifts, and a neat thing called ‘mailboxes’. These
mailboxes, are huge elbow shaped tubes, that fold
down over the propellers of the ship. We had little
Boston whaler skiffs with outboard motors, that we
would use to fly anchors out on three or four sides of
the dive boat, so that these mailboxes could be folded
down over the propellers of the dive boat, and pinned
in place. The boat would them rev up it’s engines, and
blast the prop wash down into the bottom, quickly
digging a hole in the bottom 30’ or more deep, all the
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way down to bedrock. Then, the engines are idled back,
to direct a stream of clear, surface water down into the
hole. We then, as divers, would grab metal detectors,
and would scoot down to the bottom, to see if any
silver, gold, or lead musket balls had been uncovered
by the blast.
We were allowed to keep our first silver or gold coin
found, I still have my 1622 silver piece of eight to this
day.
There was a wonderful side benefit to all of this
digging in the sand. When we dug the first hole in the
morning, the props would immediately uncover any
clams, worms, crabs or other creatures that had been
under the sand. Huge schools of fish would begin to
congregate around the digging area, so that by the end
of an 8-10 hour day of digging, there were literally
thousands of fish swimming around the hole with us as
we continued to work our metal detectors. We would
begin to view the menu for the evenings feast
throughout the day…
Now, we were not allowed to spear fish during the day,
as any blood in the water would attract sharks, but at
the end of the day, just as the sun was setting, we
would descend with spear guns, and shoot a dozen or
so fish, for Hor De Orby’s (hors d’oeuvres). Probably
8-10 of these fish were grouper or snappers, or some
type of delicacy, that we would quickly fillet and hand
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to the cook, to bread and fry up, as we began the
evening chores of washing out dive equipment,
greasing ‘O’ rings, filling tanks, cleaning the deck, etc,
as we began the three hour ride into harbour, where we
would anchor out for the night. These were gratefully
served as snacks enroute, before our evening feast.
Usually, we anchored at Marquesis key, as its channel
enters into the only coral atoll in US waters.
We would take all the fish guts, scales, etc, with any
trash fish we had speared, and put this in a 45 gallon
garbage container, with about 5 gallons of sea water.
Someone, over the years, had welded a shark hook to a
3’ length of chain that we would attach to a clevis on
the end of one of our spare anchor lines.
Then after the traditional nightly feast, we play cards
on deck, and then hook up a 2-5lb trash fish to this
shark hook, and let the line drift back behind the boat
50-100 yards. Every couple of minutes, we would
scoop up some of the blood and guts from the 45 gallon
trash can, and we would chum for sharks.
For a couple of weeks, all we caught was one skinney
little 5’ hammerhead, so I had a hard time believing the
stories of the monster sharks the crew had caught in
previous years. Sounded like fish stories to me….
Well, one night, there was a ‘glow in the dark’
plankton bloom that was awesome to see. The water
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was really clear and calm, and you could look down
into the dark, and anywhere something moved, these
plankton would light up, leaving a glowing trail when a
fish swam. Every crest of every wavelet would light up,
and it was really peaceful and picturesque. Looked like
those greenish glow sticks that people wave around on
July 4th fireworks. Really beautiful.
Round about 10-11Pm captain Kane told me to pull in
that shark hook, and go to bed. I was really tired, and
nodding off, but I really wanted to catch one of those
big sharks everyone talked about. I pleaded with him to
leave the shark hook out, and he said I could on one
condition: ‘If you hook a big tiger shark, and it fouls
that line in the props, you are first diver in with a knife,
to cut the props free.”
“Sure!” I said!
So, I dumped the whole trash can full of chum over the
side, and rinsed out the container. Then I thought:
‘How will I know if I get a bite in the middle of the
night?’ So, I pulled in about 40 feet of rope, and figure
eighted it around a 70 lb spare Danforth anchor that we
had stowed around a set of bollards behind the cabin
where we slept. I figured that if a shark hooked itself, it
would rattle that anchor on the metal deck, and I would
wake up and pull him in.
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Finally, I went to bed, and fell into a deep, exhausted
sleep.
In the middle of the night, I was awakened the sound of
a loud ‘clang’, and the boat was shaking, and everyone
was up, and men were yelling: ‘We got a shark, we got
a shark!’ There was the sound of gun shots, as I
sleepily ran to the back deck of the Dauntless. They
had a spotlight, trying to spot the fin of this huge shark
exploding through the surf behind the boat. When the
monster had taken the bait, it had flown that 70lb
anchor 40’ through the air, and the anchor was pinned
against the back guard rail so hard that two men, could
not pull it off. As the fish exploded from side to side
behind the boat, it seemed like the entire ocean lit up
from the line, like a ‘glow in the dark’ football field. A
couple of us tried to pull it in, but the rope just tore
open our hands, and the entire boat was shaking from
the fight!
Each time the fin of this thing would surface, captain
Kane would squeeze off a couple of rounds from the
.303 rifle we kept on clips for sharks and pirates.
“Bam, Bam! I think I hit him! Bam! Bam!’
Finally, someone had an idea to fire up the big 6-71
Jimmy motors, and engage one of the winches we used
for pulling anchors. Quickly, a snatch block was run off
the side, and the rope run through it. We then engaged
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the winch, and begain hauling this beast in. As it got
closer, Kane managed to get a couple rounds into its
head, and the fight was over. Yet, we couldn’t lift it!
So, we placed the rope around a brace, and began
winching it in, to discover we had caught a 9 foot, 550
lb lemon shark. Teeth going somewhere to happen.
Problem was, that even though the fish was dead, its
jaws would still clamp shut involutarily, and I had to
duct tape a fillet knife to the end of a broom handle to
cut the hook out. I wanted to gut it, and put it in our
walk in cooler, but Kane wouldn’t let me, so as the
knife did its work, the body of the beast dropped off,
and descended into the deep, clear waters. We followed
it with the spotlight into the deep, and I remember the
words my father had ingrained in me as a young boy:
“Son, if you are going to kill something, you better eat
it!’ I thought about what a waste of good meat that was,
and how that shark would never have bothered us
diving, or probably even come close to us, as lemon
sharks are fish eaters, not generally known to attack
people.
Well, the moral of the story:
Sharks are rather amazing creatures I’ve found. A
shark’s primary sense is a keen sense of smell. It can
detect one drop of blood in a million drops of water (25
gallons or 100 liters) and can smell blood 0.25 mile
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(0.4 km) away.
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/sharks/ana
tomy/Senses.shtml
By throwing ladlefuls of blood into the water behind
the boat, sharks would hone in on the scent trail, and
would readily take the bait placed for them.
So it is in our life. God is love, and we who know
Jesus, are His children, designed to walk in love, life,
light, strength, power and authority in the earth. With
Him, we are invincible, and satan knows this.
So, he has to do something to get through our
impregnable armor.
God forgives us, but commands us to forgive others:
Colossians 3:13
Be gentle and forbearing with one another and, if one
has a difference (a grievance or complaint) against
another, readily pardoning each other; even as the Lord
has [freely] forgiven you, so must you also [forgive].
Luke 6
37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not
condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive,
and you will be forgiven.
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Mark 11:25
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything
against anyone, forgive him and let it drop (leave it, let
it go), in order that your Father Who is in heaven may
also forgive you your [own] failings and shortcomings
and let them drop.
Mark 11:26
But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in
heaven forgive your failings and shortcomings.
God commands us to forgive people who do us wrong,
but in the business of life, people can tick us off, and
we can get offended. This is a bait of satan, designed to
get us out of the will of God for our lives. John Bevere
has a tremendous book by this title
http://archive.org/details/JohnBevereTheBaitOfSatan
that you can download.
2 Corinthians 2:11
To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for
we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.
This is one of the wiles of satan, a trap designed to
destroy us.
Unforgiveness to the devil, is like blood is to a shark.
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1 Peter 5:8
Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be
vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of
yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in
fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and
devour.
Satan is a predator, trying to devour our lives. He
cannot touch us when we are fully walking with God,
in love towards our fellow man, so, he sends people to
do us wrong, with the intent purpose to get us in
unforgiveness. Why?
Remember the story Jesus told in Matt 18 about the
servant who owed a huge debt he could not pay, and
how he was brought before the king? He asked for
mercy, and the king graciously forgave him, and
released him from his debt. This man then went out,
saw another guy that owed him a small amount, and
had the man thrown in prison. Servants told the king,
who then had him arrested and brought back to court.
His verdict?
(Mat 18:33 NIV) Shouldn’t you have had mercy on
your fellow servant just as I had on you?’
(Mat 18:34 NIV) In anger his master turned him over
to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all
he owed.
I want you to see this. Unforgiveness will produce
torment in your life.!
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When you or I choose not to forgive, we go into
bondage. You get turned over to the tormenters.
(Mat 18:35 NIV) “This is how my heavenly Father
will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother
from your heart.”
Unforgiveness brings torment into our lives, and allows
the devil to come and do what he does, kill our dreams,
steal our joy, blessing, or perhaps our lives, and destroy
things that may have taken us years to build.
Grudges only hurt us, not the person we hate or
stonewall, for they allow demonic spirits to torture us,
and steal our peace. Forgive: It’s your life at stake…
Homework:
1. Come clean with God. Ask Him to show you all the
things you’ve done that offend him, and ask Him to
forgive you.
2. Come clean with others. Ask God to show you all
the people who have hurt you, and forgive them. I
had to make a 21 page list, forgive them, and then
burn the list.
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3. Come clean with yourself. Ask God to show you all
the areas of your life where you are beating yourself
up, and forgive yourself.
4. Ask God to show you other people that are caught
in this trap, and pray for them. There will be healing in
it for you. (Job 42:10 NIV) After Job had prayed for
his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and
gave him twice as much as he had before.
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Chapter 8:
orship in Spirit and
Truth
(The Baptism in the Holy
Spirit)
For those of you who already speak in other tongues,
this is just a useful note set you can copy or email to
your friends as an answer to a Biblical question. For
some of you though, this is spirit and life, and although
you have heard about people speaking in tongues, and
perhaps been around it, it has not yet been your
experience. Well, it can be, and this little teaching
explains emphatically that this is a Biblical doctrine,
not just the emotional experience of a few fringe
elements. Let’s look at it.
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Q. Why do we need to be filled with the Spirit?
A. After you make Jesus the Lord of your life, it is the
will of God that you experience the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And be not drunk with
wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” It
is the Holy Spirit’s ministry not only to impart the
nature of God to the spirit of man at salvation, but to
come and live in the new creature. His job is to reveal
the exact knowledge of God from the heart of the
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Father. A believer cannot understand, by his own spirit
alone, the profound wisdom of God. This is why Jesus
said in John 14:26 that the Father would send us the
Comforter to teach us “all things.”
When you receive the Holy Spirit, you receive the
ability of God. Acts 1:8 says, “But ye shall receive
power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you.”
The word power in that verse is translated dunamis,
which means ability and might. It is through the
energizing force of the Holy Spirit living in us that we
are transformed into effective witnesses. So, to be born
again and not filled with the Spirit is like being a train
without a track.
The ability you receive to pray with your spirit when
you are baptized in the Holy Spirit is powerful. It
edifies and builds up your spirit man and puts you in
contact with the deep things of God (1 Corinthians
14:4, 2:10). For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue
speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man
understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh
mysteries.
4 He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth
himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the
church.
We see in Romans 8:26 ¶ Likewise the Spirit also
helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh
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intercession for us with groanings which cannot be
uttered.
27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is
the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh
intercession for the saints according to the will of
God.
It also allows you to pray God’s perfect will for your
life, apart from your natural understanding and aids you
in interceding for others (Romans 8:26-27).
And according to Jude 1:20-21,
20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your
most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Praying in the Spirit strengthens and intensifies your
personal relationship with God, and helps us in our
love walk.
Q. How can I receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit?
A. The promise of receiving the Holy Spirit is for
everyone in the Body of Christ because God gave His
Spirit to the Church on the Day of Pentecost (Acts
2:32-33, 39). As a partaker of your covenant with God,
however, you must individually receive what He has
given you.
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When you ask for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the
Word of God promises that you shall receive Him:
Luke 11:9-13 says:
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you;
seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened
unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he
that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is
a father, will he give him a stone?…Or if he shall ask an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil,
know how to give good gifts unto your children: how
much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy
Spirit to them that ask him?
In the Bible, when believers received the Holy Spirit,
they began to speak in a heavenly language. Acts 2:4
says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost,
and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit
gave them utterance.” This is still true today. When you
accept the Spirit’s indwelling, your spirit will
immediately have a desire to express itself in praise to
God. The Holy Spirit will give utterance through you
as you give Him permission.
When you pray in tongues, you are praying in the
Spirit. You are letting the Holy Spirit pray through
your spirit. The Amplified Bible says in 1 Corinthians
14:14, “My spirit [by the Holy Spirit within me]
prays….” Just as your native language is the voice of
your mind, your prayer language is the voice of your
spirit.
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A Brief Bible study on the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
First of all I need to make the statement, that the
Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a Bible doctrine, not a
denominational event. Some say that this is only for
certain members of the Body of Christ, but Scripture
declares that this is for everyone who believes.
The promise:
Is 28:11 For with stammering lips and another tongue
will he speak to this people.
12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye
may cause the weary to rest; and this is the
refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Acts 3:19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Praying in other tongues will cause the weary to rest,
and brings refreshing from the presence of the Lord. In
today’s fast paced world, who doesn’t need rest and
refreshing?
I heard Gloria Copeland testify that the Lord told her,
thirty years ago, that if she would pray in tongues one
hour/day that everything would be alright. Well, she
has been faithful to do this, and everything in their life,
health, finances and family are still alright.
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Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy
Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto
me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in
Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
It is the promise of God, uttered through the lips of
Jesus before He left the earth.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be
baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your
children, and to all that are afar off, even as
many as the Lord our God shall call.
All who are afar off, means you, right there where you
are reading this, for the Lord our God has called you.
Now, if we are going to study a certain doctrine or area
of theology, we need to look at what it looked like in
the Bible. I have recorded here the experiences of other
Christians who have received the infilling of the Holy
Spirit, to see what happened, and how we can learn
from their experience.
Instances where believers were filled with the Holy
Spirit
Acts 2:1 ¶ And when the day of Pentecost was fully
come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of
a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where
they were sitting.
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3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as
of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and
began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave
them utterance.
5 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout
men, out of every nation under heaven.
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude
came together, and were confounded, because that
every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one
to another, Behold, are not all these which speak
Galilaeans?
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue,
wherein we were born?
Read v 4. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and
who spoke? The Holy Spirit? No, they spoke as the
Holy Spirit gave them utterance. God will fill you with
His Holy Spirit whenever you ask. He will not
overpower you and force you to speak. You must, by
faith, open your mouth and speak a heavenly language
that you have never spoken before.
Act 8:14 ¶ Now when the apostles which were at
Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them,
that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
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17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they
received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the
apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered
them money,
We see here a number of interesting things.
1. The baptism in the Holy Spirit is an event
that occurs after salvation. People had
already been saved under Phillips
ministry, but then God moved, sent the
apostles to them, and then the believers
received the Holy Ghost.
2. One of the ways to receive the Holy Spirit
is through the laying on of hands.
3. Simon saw something after the Holy Spirit
was given. Many preachers have added
their interpretation of what they think
Simon saw, but let’s stick with the
Scripture. There was obviously some type
of physical manifestation when believers
received the Holy Spirit. I think they
spoke in other tongues.
Acts 10:44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy
Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.
45 And they of the circumcision which believed were
astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that
on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy
Ghost.
46 For they heard them speak with tongues, and
magnify God. Then answered Peter,
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We see here a number of interesting things:
1. God couldn’t wait for Peter to finish preaching
before He baptized these folks in the Holy Spirit.
Seems one can get saved and filled with the Holy
Spirit all in one shot.
2. These believers did not need hands laid upon
them to receive the Holy Spirit, they simply
believed the Word they heard.
3. One of the initial evidences of receiving the Holy
Spirit is to speak in tongues.
Acts 19:1 ¶ And it came to pass, that, while Apollos
was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper
coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples,
2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost
since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have
not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye
baptized? And they said, Unto John’s baptism.
4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the
baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they
should believe on him which should come after him,
that is, on Christ Jesus.
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the
Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with
tongues, and prophesied.
We see again, a number of interesting things:
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1. Again, the Holy Spirit baptism is a different
event than salvation. These people Paul preached
to were already saved.
2. Again these people received through the laying
on of hands.
3. They spoke with tongues as initial evidence of
the infilling of the Holy Spirit.
Overview:
These are the only four accounts recorded in the
Scripture of believers being baptized in the Holy Spirit.
Two received through laying on of hands, two received
directly. You can receive this gift directly from God,
right now as a direct response to this Word that you
have heard.
Three of the four cases, and possibly the fourth, spoke
in tongues as initial evidence of the baptism in the Holy
Spirit. You will speak in other tongues after you are
filled.
I remember a couple of years ago, a friend of mine
asked me to prove to him from the Scripture that the
infilling of the Holy Spirit is Biblical. I shared with
him, the verses I just gave you. He was still not
convinced, and argued vehemently that these
Pentecostal and Charismatic gifts had passed away with
the 1st Century church. I asked him to show me that in
the Scripture, and he showed me several vague
references, but nothing concrete. Seems the
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denomination he came out of didn’t believe in the
infilling of the Holy Spirit, and they were well
grounded in their unbelief.
Well, I brought this man to a Pentacostal Church, and
as God would have it, the pastor asked everyone to
pray in tongues for five minutes before the service.
This man was shocked at the heavenly roar, and
obvious power in what happened, but still unconvinced.
He invited me over for coffee and then argued
vehemently that speaking in other tongues was of the
devil, and that I was involved in some cult.
So, I said to him this: “Do you believe Jesus is God the
Son, and that God raised Him from the dead?” Yes, of
course he replied. “Have you accepted Jesus as your
Saviour and Lord?” Of course! He replied heatedly.
“Do you believe the Bible is the Word of God?” I
pressed. Yes, he replied angrily. Ok then what do make
of these two verses:
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to
please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that
he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently
seek him.
Ro 14:23 And he that doubteth is damned if he eat,
because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of
faith is sin.
“The fact that we are here debating the Word of God
shows me that you are diligently seeking God, looking
for His best for your life. Right?”
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What are you getting at? He asked.
Read: Mark 16:17 And these signs shall follow them
that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they
shall speak with new tongues;
Jesus said these signs would follow those people that
believe. I believe, therefore I speak in other tongues,
you don’t believe so you don’t. Don’t let this bother
you any more. God is not going to force His good gifts
upon you, for tongues are only a sign for those that
have faith, for one who believes. You refuse to believe,
so you will not speak in tongues.
He was so angry that he asked me to leave! Well, I
thought that was the end of it, and I went down the road
rejoicing. Yet, I met him again several weeks later.
Seems he went back to that Pentecostal church to argue
more, but during worship, he got filled with the Holy
Spirit, and began speaking in other tongues, and has
continued to do so, every day since. To God be the
glory!
If you desire the infilling of the Holy Spirit or if you
are unsure whether you have received it, say the prayer
below:
“Father, I am a new creature in Christ. Fill me with
Your Holy Spirit to enable me to be a powerful
witness of Jesus. I believe that I now receive the
Holy Spirit just as the disciples did on the day of
Pentecost. Amen”
Now open your mouth and speak!
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For prayer, comments, message me on Facebook,
ChrisKarenWalsh
Email: [email protected]
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Chapter 9:
even Reasons Why You
Should be Healed
Today!
1. Creation and Heaven reveal the nature of God.
When we read the Genesis account, on what day did
God create sickness? He didn’t, it is the result of the
fall of man. As John Alexander Dowie put it,
sickness is the foul offspring of mother sin, and
father Satan. It is not your friend, but an enemy to
be destroyed.
In Heaven there is no sickness, for that is where God
dwells. In Revelation 21:4 And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be
any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Now, we are children of the king, and Jesus is Lord
Right? We claim to serve Him, so what did he teach us
to pray. Matt 6:9 ¶ After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it
is in heaven?
If we are to pray for the will of God here in the earth,
as it is in heaven, obviously, we are to pray for healing,
for there is no sickness, death, sorrow or pain there.
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What is the first reason that you should be healed
today? The next verse in the Lords prayer or Our
Father.
11 Give us this day our daily bread. Well, healing is the
children’s bread, and today is the day to receive it.
In Matthew 15:26 Jesus spoke to a woman who came
to him for healing for her daughter. He said “But he
answered and said, It is not meet to take the children’s
bread, and to cast it to dogs.” What was he talking
about here? Healing. You are a child of God if you
have accepted Jesus sacrifice for you on the cross.
Healing is your bread.
2. Now, let’s look at the second reason you should
be healed today.
God healed people in the Old Testament. Exodus 23:25
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall
bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness
away from the midst of thee.
Notice that if a person were to serve God under the Old
Covenant, God promised to take sickness away from
them. Notice here that this is not just healing but also
an agreement between God and His people of divine
health, of literally taking sickness away from the midst
of His people. Hebrews 8:6 speaking of Jesus states
“But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry,
by how much also he is the mediator of a better
covenant, which was established upon better promises.”
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If God promised to take sickness away from the midst
of His people in the Old Covenant. How much more
will He do for you today because of the agreement He
made with Jesus.
He healed wonderfully in the Old Testament, Exodus
15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the
voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is
right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth
thee. Jehovah Rapha.
The children of Israel knew it to be true, for God had
delivered them from every physical ailment
miraculously when he gave them the covenant of
Passover. We don’t have time to really go into detail on
Exodus 12, and Christ’s fulfillment of this verse, yet for
you Bible scholars jot down these verses: Ex 12, Ps
105:37, 1Cor 11:32 onward. Know this though, you all
remember the story. Moses and the Ten
Commandments, God had done ten judgments on
Egypt, and then prepared His people to leave. On the
last night came the final judgment upon the Egyptians,
a death angel was to come, and strike dead every
firstborn child in every house that did not have the
blood of the lamb applied to its doorposts. A lamb
without spot or blemish. Jesus. Yet, the body of that
lamb was to be eaten wholly, with 11 And thus shall
ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your
feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in
haste: it is the LORD’S Passover.
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God moved, judgment came, and great fear came upon
the people. 35 And the children of Israel did according
to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the
Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and
raiment:
36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight
of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such
things as they required. And they spoiled the
Egyptians.
Psalms 105:37 He brought them forth also with silver
and gold: and there was not one feeble person among
their tribes.
Can I preach in this place a little bit? Think about this.
Historians tell us that somewhere around 2 and a half
million Israelites marched out of Egypt that night. A
people sold into slavery, a whipped, beaten, broken
people. Tell me how they could physically march out
of Egypt after over four hundred years of slavery with
all their children, flocks and herds. Think about it.
Uncle Seth, you know the one with the limp he got
from an Egyptian soldier, aunt Sarah blind in one eye
from the beating she took. They killed the lamb,
applied the blood, and then they ate the body of the
lamb, with their belts on, shoes on, luggage packed,
and what happened? All across the nation of Israel,
God Himself visited His people, and suddenly Uncle
Seth ain’t limping no more. Aunt Sarah can see! Every
ache, pain, sickness, sniffle, cough and misery left,
instantly healed by the power of God as they partook of
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the lamb, so that they marched out strong in the Lord
and the power of His might!
and there was not one feeble person among their
tribes.
So if God healed His people in the Old Testament, and
we are under a better covenant based upon better
promises, you should be healed today. In our
communion ordinance we have it wrong. 1 Corinthians
11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body.
What are we to discern in communion? The cup is
representative of Jesus shed blood for the forgiveness
of our sins. It prevents death and eternal separation
from God. But what about the bread? It is
representative of Jesus body. He took stripes in His
body that our body be healed. The Israelite ate the body
of the lamb, and they were healed.
1 Corinthians 11:30 For this cause many are weak and
sickly among you, and many sleep. What cause? The
fact that Christians had not discerned the Lord’s body,
by faith in the ordinance of communion. This verse
says that because of this many of us are sick and some
die prematurely, yet it ought not to be so. Seeing Christ
in the Passover ceremony will produce healing.
3. The third reason you should be healed today is
because it is part of your redemption. Remember I
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taught you that you are the redeemed of the Lord,
bought by His blood. That redemption means to be
bought back to ones original state. Well, in light of the
blood of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is
written, The first man Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
Jesus is not only your substitute for sin, but also for
your sickness. Is 53:4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs,
(sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (pain) yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our
transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.
Now this was a prophecy given by the prophet Isaiah
that was literally fulfilled in the earthly ministry of
Jesus.
Matt 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto
him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were
sick:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our
infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Yet, it didn’t end there. He died a cruel death on a
Roman cross, beaten beyond human recognition so that
you wouldn’t have to. He literally bore your sickness
and disease on that cruel tree. Broken that you might be
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healed. Doctors tell us they have discovered there are
39 main categories of diseases in the earth today. Jesus
took thirty-nine lashes, a lash for every disease known
to man. He did it for you, His love, His life, His death,
and His resurrection deserves a response.
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own
body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
He took your pain; therefore you have no more right to
it. You are not your own. His love and sacrifice
demand that you be healed today.
4. The fourth reason you should be healed today is
that sickness is from the devil, and you are a child of
God. It is not your friend, something to be held up as a
badge of courage, something allowed cultivating the
sympathy of those around you. A twisted cry for love
and pity from the heart of man, a perversion of what
God longs to give. Perfect love that destroys your every
fear. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The nature of Satan is to steal your strength, your
health, and your life if you allow it. Yet, today there is
an infusion of life from heaven for you for it is written:
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with
the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing
good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil;
for God was with him.
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Healing is good. Healing is of God. Sickness is of the
devil. God wants to break the yoke of oppression upon
your life. 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the
devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this
purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might
destroy the works of the devil.
I too am a son of God, and for this purpose am I hear to
preach to you today. For I know my Lord, and He is
not a liar like some of you. He always backs up his
word with His power. There are more than two of us
gathered here together in His name. He’s here, and He’s
the same yesterday today and forever. He is Almighty,
and He is here to Heal. He longs to manifest Himself,
He’s simply been waiting for someone with enough
guts to preach His word the way it is being preached
today. With boldness.
Today is the day of salvation, Today is the day of your
healing.
5. The fifth reason you should be healed today is
because Jesus healed everyone who came to him
during His earthly ministry, and He is the same
yesterday today and forever. Now there were some
cases where He went to people, and they wouldn’t
receive Him, and they were not healed. Yet, tonight,
you have come to receive healing as an act of your will.
He cannot fail.
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Mark 5: 25 And a certain woman, which had an issue
of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians,
and had spent all that she had, and was nothing
bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press
behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall
be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was
dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of
that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that
virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the
press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the
multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who
touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done
this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing
what was done in her, came and fell down before him,
and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made
thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
Now if her faith made her whole, your faith will make
you whole for God is no respecter of persons.
Some may say, Jesus did it for her but how do I know
that He will do it for me?
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Matthew 4:24 And his fame went throughout all Syria:
and they brought unto him all sick people that were
taken with divers diseases and torments, and those
which were possessed with devils, and those which
were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he
healed them.
Matthew 12:15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew
himself from thence: and great multitudes followed
him, and he healed them all;
How many did He heal? He healed them all!
Luke 4:40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that
had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto
him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and
healed them.
Luke 6:17 And he came down with them, and stood in
the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great
multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem,
and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came
to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;
Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch
him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them
all.
How many did He heal? He healed them all!
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Matthew 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and
worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst
make me clean.
Matthew 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched
him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his
leprosy was cleansed.
He still will. Today.
6. The sixth reason you should be healed today, is
because God has committed healing to His church.
Matthew 10:1 And when he had called unto him his
twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean
spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of
sickness and all manner of disease.6 But go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of
heaven is at hand.
8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead,
cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Mark 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but
he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In
my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak
with new tongues;
18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any
deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay
hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
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19 ¶ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he
was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand
of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the
Lord working with them, and confirming the word
with signs following. Amen.
James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the
elders of the church; and let them pray over him,
anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith shall save the
sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have
committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
I am an elder in the church. I am going to pray for you.
I believe God’s Word. You will be healed, and don’t
think there is some sin that will stop God’s healing
power here tonight. If you have committed sins, they
will be forgiven you.
7. The Final reason you should be healed today is that
God’s Word is medicine.
Now this medicine is wonderful medicine. You cannot
overdose, and it has wonderful side effects like
wisdom, peace, prosperity and so on.
Pr 4:20 ¶ My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear
unto my sayings.
21 Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in
the midst of thine heart.
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22 For they are life unto those that find them, and
health to all their flesh.
23 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are
the issues of life.
Health = marpe: a medicine, a cure, a deliverance, a
healing, a remedy, with the sense of soundness and
wholeness.
Proverbs 12:18 There is that speaketh like the
piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is
health.
Proverbs 13:17 A wicked messenger falleth into
mischief: but a faithful ambassador is health.
Proverbs 16:24 Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,
sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
Malachi 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the
Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings;
and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Now some of you have been healed already, simply by
sitting there. Why? Well, God kind of snuck up on you.
While you have read His Word today. Something deep
inside of you quietly decided to believe the word of
God, and God acted according to your faith, and if you
check you’ll discover that every symptom of pain,
sickness and affliction has left your body as the Lord
worked with me, gently walking around the world,
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visiting you right where you are, performing His word,
and healing the sick.
Let’s Pray:
“Father God, I choose to believe Your Word, and I
receive my healing, right here, right now, in Your
name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen.”
Now: If you prefer to listen to the Word of God with
respect to healing, I have recorded the healing promises
and prayers, set to instrumental music, on two CD’s
and uploaded it on-line. Feel free to download it, and
make your own CD, or MP3 to listen to at you leisure,
or for hospital visitation.
It is my free gift to you, set to Dino’s music. Freely we
have been given, freely we give….
https://soundcloud.com/chrisfromaomministries/01-
healing1
https://soundcloud.com/chrisfromaomministries/2-01-
healing2-2
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Chapter 10:
For thine is the Kingdom, the power and
the glory, Forever and ever, Amen.
ne of the ways we
worship God is serving
the people that He
loves.
See here: the Final Judgment of God, no appeals,
no lawyers in each of our lives, the final court
case.
Matt 25:31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in
his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then
shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as
a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but
the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right
hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the
kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world:
O
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35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I
was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a
stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye
visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto
me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying,
Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed
thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in?
or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and
came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have
done it unto one of the least of these my
brethren, ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left
hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his
angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked,
and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and
ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord,
when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did
not minister unto thee?
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45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of
the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
One of the ways we worship
God is serving the people that
He loves.
Notice in this portion of Scripture, that Jesus says that
one of the ways we will be accountable to God,
eternally, is in our treatment of the poor and less
fortunate in our midst. Saying we care, will not get us
past this verse. No, to obey it requires action, and these
actions constitute worship acceptable to God.
Here’s another James 1: 27 Pure religion and undefiled
before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless
and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself
unspotted from the world.
Want to walk pure before God? Here’s something you
can do that He will accept. Visit some single mom, and
help out there, then stay clean before God. Love her
children, help her with her responsibilities, then make
sure you remain free from all of the games and sin that
would try to drag you into the mess there. You are to be
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an agent of change there, for good, and God’s glory, not
part of the problem.
1Jo 3:17 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth
his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in
him?
Homework:
Ask God if there is someone sick you can visit. If you
are in prison, send them a letter or if possible give them
a call. Share your food with someone; give them some
of your clothes. If they are in prison, go visit them. If
you too, are in prison, do what you can to cheer up one
of the guys who are doing worse than you are.
I was a stranger, and you took me in. Well, for the
homeless, maybe the best you can do is helping them
find a bed at the mission, or at a shelter. Some, you
may be able to take home with you, to help them get
back upon their feet. In the worst case, at least give
them a smile or something to brighten up their day, buy
them a coffee or share a meal with them. Let them
know that they are not alone, and that there is an
almighty God upon the throne that loves them, and who
is willing to help if they would only ask Him. For
several years, I fulfilled this verse supporting poor
children through World Vision. Before that, I used to
make bags of peanut butter and jam sandwiches and
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take them downtown to hand out to guys living on the
street. May God deal with you how best to obey.
James 2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I
have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I
will shew thee my faith by my works.
James 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith
without works is dead?
This worship is very personal to God.
Like the Nike ad says: ‘Just Do it!’
Let’s Pray:
‘Father, show me who to help, where, with Your
love. Lead me Holy Spirit to the right people or
person, to show Your love to, in some practical way,
in You name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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Chapter 11:
nowing Your
Future!
John 16:
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of
truth, is come, he will guide you
into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but
whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he
will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall
shew it unto you.
Jesus, while He was on the earth, operated as a man,
under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the days of
his earth walk, He could only be in one place at one
time. Now, as Lord of Heaven and Earth, sitting on the
throne at the right hand of the Father, He said it was
better that He went away that the Holy Spirit might
come into the earth, because He, Holy Spirit, is
Emmanuel, God with us, and can be every where at
once! That is why Jesus can say that He will never
leave nor forsake us. Furthurmore, Holy Spirit knows
our unique calling and destiny, and He promises to
show us things to come!
K
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Let’s Pray:
“Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus,
asking that you send Holy Spirit to show me Your
future for my life, and Your specific plan, the
reason You created me. Amen!”
Note: Don’t be surprised when you receive cool
dreams, visions, or supernatural signs in answer to this
prayer.
Disclaimer: Author not responsible for unusual
supernatural occurances that will occur in the lives of
those who just prayed this prayer! LOL!
Seven That Ways God Speaks
to You:
1. His Word:
God speaks through His Word!
Ps 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and
praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy
truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy
name.
Jesus responded to the devil in Matt 4, by saying: “It is
written!”. God is Holy and cannot lie, if Jesus quoted
the Word of God, so must we, for God places greater
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emphasis on His written and spoken Word, than even
upon His name!
Nu 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither
the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and
shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not
make it good?
God cannot lie. If He has promised something in His
Word, He must honor it, for He cannot lie.
Ps 12:6 The words of the LORD are pure words: as
silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Lu 24:45 Then opened he their understanding, that
they might understand the scriptures,
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye
have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
The Scriptures will always lead us to Jesus, never away
from Him.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, reveal Jesus through Your Word to me.
Open it to my understanding, Amen”
2. Dreams:
God speaks through dreams.
Acts 2: 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days,
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saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh:
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and
your young men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will
pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall
prophesy:
Jacob
Ge 31:10 And it came to pass at the time that the cattle
conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes, and saw in a
dream, and, behold, the rams which leaped upon the
cattle were ringstraked, speckled, and grisled.
Ge 31:11 And the angel of God spake unto me in a
dream, saying, Jacob: And I said, Here am I.
Joseph
Ge 37:5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it
his brethren: and they hated him yet the more.
Ge 37:6 And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this
dream which I have dreamed:
Solomon
1Ki 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in
a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give
thee.
Jer 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a
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dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my
word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith
the LORD.
Danial
Da 7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon
Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his
bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the
matters.
I love a tradition I heard amongst the First Nations
tribes. When an elder has a dream, they call a council
of elders together, and he or she recites the dream, and
they pray and discuss the interpretation of it. They have
been doing this for many generations. God, the Creator,
The Great Spirit, has been leading and guiding these
people for centuries this way. In the tradition of the
Cree people, I heard the story, of how, for many
generations, elders dreamed of black robed priests that
would bring them ‘the black book of God’ that would
be the answer for their people. In the fulness of time,
God sent Jesuit missionaries, carrying Bibles to the
Cree, and now, they have the New Testament translated
into their own tongue.
In the book: ‘Brucho’, we read of the God who would
appear in the bannana leaves. A dream and oral
tradition passed down. When the Motilini saw the
Bible, it was the sign of the God in the bannana leaves,
the pages looking to them, like a sheaf of bannana
leaves.
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Let’s Pray:
“Father God, speak to me through my dreams.
Grant me dreams to show me what You need me to
know, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen”
God speaks through dreams…but they must be
correctly interpreted.
3. Visions:
God speaks through Visions!
2Co 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory.
I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord.
Acts 2:17 and your young men shall see visions,
Ac 16:9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night;
There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him,
saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
Ac 16:10 And after he had seen the vision,
immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia,
assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to
preach the gospel unto them.
Ge 15:1 After these things the word of the LORD
came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram:
I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
Nu 12:6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be
a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself
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known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in
a dream.
2Sa 7:17 According to all these words, and according
to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.
2Ch 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and
his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of
Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of
the kings of Judah and Israel.
Jer 23:16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not
unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you:
they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own
heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.
Eze 8:4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel
was there, according to the vision that I saw in the
plain.
Eze 11:24 Afterwards the spirit took me up, and
brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into
Chaldea, to them of the captivity. So the vision that I
had seen went up from me.
Da 10:16 And, behold, one like the similitude of the
sons of men touched my lips: then I opened my mouth,
and spake, and said unto him that stood before me, O
my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me,
and I have retained no strength.
Na 1:1 The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision
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of Nahum the Elkoshite.
Hab 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write
the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may
run that readeth it.
Hab 2:3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but
at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
Many of you know my story, my testimony. How I
graduated college and went to work as a mechanical
designer. I had served on the Carleton University swim
team for my time at college, and in my final year,
served on student government. Then, upon graduation,
I was hired at Robotic Systems International in Sidney,
BC, then when things did not work out there, went
acoss to Vancouver, on the UBC campus, to work in
the cyclotron for Nordion International, as a
mechanical designer, helping design targeting stations
in the cyclotron, to produce 1123, a radioactive isotope,
used in treatment of Thyroid cancer, that was shipped
all over the world.
At school, I had studied under Dr. Marvin Glass,
philosphy of atheism, and had pretty much discarded
my Roman Catholic, or Christian upbringing. If God
was real, and good, and all powerful, why did He allow
so much evil in the world? No, God could not be real, I
reasoned, He was simply a crutch for the weak, an
opiate for the masses.
Yet, I had rented a room in a Baptist bed and breakfast
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in Sidney, and the very loving older couple that ran it,
invited me to church several times, to hear an
evangelist. I dutifully went, and even went up to the
alter call several times, but felt nothing….Religion I
thought…
Then, a missionary named Louise, stayed a week. She
was a missionary to the Aleutian island Indians, and
she spoke little when she visited with me, yet emanated
a peace, joy, and unruffled calm in the face of my
academic arguments, that stopped me in my tracks. She
gave me two books: ‘Mere Christianity’ by CS Lewis,
and ‘Prison to Praise’ by Merlin Carruthers. I read
them, and they made sense. I said the prayers at the
back, but still, felt nothing. The older couple gave me a
Bible, that I began to read.
Yet, suddenly, I was unemployed, and needed a job.
One of our suppliers, Mantek, a machine shop in Port
Coquitlam, hired me to install a CAM system on one
of their 4 axis mills. Four months of intensity, but got it
done. During this time, I had found a basement
apartment with a Eastern European couple, and began
to work out in the pool in North Vancouver. Had ended
a 4-1/2 year relationship through college to my fiance,
in a messy break-up (is there any other kind?). On the
rebound, I met a blonde bombshell of a lifeguard, who
was taking her pschology degree at Simon Fraser
University. Within 3 weeks we had moved in together,
and then broke the lease on our basement apartment, to
rent a loft in Kitsalano. Her dad was a stock broker, so
we started to hit the trendy places around town, the
wine tasting shows, dinner up on Grouse mountain,
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coffee on the boardwalk, trendy. I was still attempting
to read my Bible, and she would watch Dr. Robert
Shuller, and we would talk Jesus, but our relationship
was not working. The cyclotron where I worked,
busted a water line, and to avoid a potential water leak
of radioactive water into the city sewage system, our
team of seven men worked a 40 day turn-around,
ordering meals in, only coming home to sleep a couple
hours. Because of the sensitivity of the repair, we were
instructed to not tell anyone why we had to work such
long hours, to avoid some sort of Media scandal. So, I
did not explain my long absences to my fiance’. Her
way of dealing with this period, was to hit the clubs,
get drunk, and go home with several other men. Even
in my madness, my parents had set the example of
monogamy, and I was always a one woman man.
My way of dealing with pressure at college, was to
blow it out in the pool, and then triathlon.
So, in my sleep deprived state, I tried to blow it out
running, and tore out the patella tendon in my knee
again. I had done this competing for triathlon, and had
been in a tensor bandage and on crutches for nine
months, wondering if I would ever walk pain free,
much less compete triathlon, but God, through a
Christain acupuncturist healed my knee, and I got a
couple more seasons of competition in.
Well, my fiance and I had no where else to go, but our
relationship had degenerated from screaming fits, to
simply hugging each other and weeping, as we could
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not speak without fighting.
After the turnaround, instead of being rewarded as
conquering heros and promoted, our team was put in a
basement lab, my boss was used as the scapegoat for
this mess, and we were expected to come to work
quietly, and make no waves.
I resigned, the pain too great for words, my idols
shattered.
Believed that if you worked hard, got the degree, and
got a job, that you would make a good living, get
married, and have a happy family.
Believed that if you trained hard in sports, you could
excel…
Yet, did not figure Jesus into the equation, nor the
Word of God. My engagement was doomed, for we
violated about every rule in the Bible regarding
relationships. My career was doomed, for except the
Lord build the house, we labor in vain. My sports
career was doomed, for our bodies are designed as
temples of the Holy Spirit, not to be abused…
Well, the worst part, is that this season of my life was
four months long. When I would come home, to
discover my fiance out partying with her friends, I
would try and read the Bible, and often hurl it against
the wall in frustration. It just didn’t work…
Then, one dark night, when I drove across Lions gate
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bridge, I asked my fiance why they had chainlink fence
all the way across. She said that was because so many
people had committed suicide by jumping off there. A
seed…
Night after night, I would walk Kitslano bike path in
the dark, quietly praying, and often ended walking all
the way to Burrard street bridge. I liked standing there
over the wind and the waves, the ocean often bringing
peace to my troubled soul…
Yet, my engineering mind would not stop. I looked at
how this bridge was built, and saw the massive
concrete footings that ran deep down to the ocean floor.
A thought crossed my mind:’I wonder why they don’t
have chain link fence on this bridge? Someone could
jump, and if they hit the footing, surely they could kill
themselves here? The seed had taken root….
So, over the next four lonely months, almost nightly, I
would find myself limping out into the darkness, alone,
always ending up on Burrard street bridge, the seed had
become a plan….
Well, as my knee healed, I insisted on following the
running circuit, running 10km runs on Saturday
mornings when I was able. In April of 1989, there was
one in Victoria, B.C. and though I worked late, I
decided to catch the ferry across, and run it the
following morning. My fiance had a night class
anyway, and I would see her for brunch Saturday, I
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thought.
Yet, as usual, I worked longer than I planned, and
traffic was slow, so, as God would have it, I missed the
last ferry across. So, I called my fiance on her cell, to
discover that she was not home as we discussed, but
had gone over to one of her ex boyfriends apartments.
In the pained silence, I asked her if she was coming
home that night, and she said, she would think about it.
I remember, that we had that poster on our wall: ‘If you
love something, set it free, if it comes back, it is yours,
if it doesn’t, it never was..’ I quoted that to her, and
told her to make her own decision, for I honestly
believed that I loved her….
Yet, I got back to the apartment, went to the 24 movie
rental place, rented a VCR, and a couple of movies,
expecting her home any minute. Yet, midnight turned
into one o’clock, then two, then three.
One of the movies I saw had Mel Gibson in it. I think
he had been to Vancouver to film during that time, and
his movie, Lethal Weapon, really spoke to me. In one
of the scenes he stuck a pistol in his mouth, planning to
kill himself, and the phone rang, and he said: ‘Okay,
not today…’, in another scene, where he was having
flashbacks from the war, he was crucified on the mast
of a ship in the desert someplace, and somehow, I saw
Jesus on the cross in that scene.
Yet, as the clock ticked on, it became obvious that she
was not coming home, and I switched into numb,
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analytic mode. One by one, I evaluated my reasons for
living, and they all came up short. Robotics, my belief
that I could automate the mundane jobs of slavery,
drudgery, that freeing up more time for people to
exercise, spend time with their families, and pursue
higher education: destroyed when an automobile plant
automated in Canada, and laid off 1500 employees,
some of whom who had been there for over 20
years…My experience watching my intelectual physics
professor boss get betrayed and spit out by the
corporate machine. Sports, having trained for seven
years for an Olympic dream, to discover that the sport
of triathlon was not accepted in Seoul, Korea, so it
would be another 4 years for a potential chance to
go…My dream of marriage, family, career shattered,
and I knew I was in trouble. I thought of my friends
and family, that I had isolated myself from in my
tunnel minded pursuit of my goals, and there I was
alone, with no God….
I was in trouble, and I knew it. I remembered that when
my dad had been posted to Victoria, BC as a naval
officer, as a young teen, my mom had volunteered on
‘Crisis Line’, a suicide intervention line, and she had
always told us to call it if we were in any trouble. Had
thought about calling her, but they had come to
Vancouver some months earlier to meet my fiance, and
there had been a cat fight between both her and my
mom, they did not approve of us living together, nor
my marriage. Bitter waters run deep, and we were not
speaking…
So I called “Crisis line.” Looked it up in the telephone
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book. There were three of them in Vancouver. One was
busy, one was out of service, and on the third, I reached
a stressed out woman, who told me to call back later, as
there were more serious cases on the line….The seed
suddenly bore fruit…
With a sigh. I hung up the phone, and picked up a pen,
explaining to my fiance and parents that I loved them,
forgave them, but that I could not take the pain
anymore, and I carefully placed it on the night table by
the bed….
I guess, in a twisted cry for help, I even returned the
videos, and VCR, but even in the business of street
night life, no one seemed to notice nor care….
Truly there is no lonelier place, than to be surrounded
by people, totally isolated, totally misunderstood, and
totally alone in your pain…
I walked to my usual place on the bridge, and stood,
above the wind and the waves, enjoying the breeze
upon my face, carefully planning my trajectory unto the
concrete footing that I was sure would end my life,
when I thought to breath one last simple prayer: ‘God,
if you are real, I am coming to meet You….”
Suddenly, my darkness was shattered by a blinding
light, and Jesus, God the Son stood before me, in midair,
high above the wind and waves. His hair glowed,
and His eyes looked right through me. He cared, He
was not angry, He understood, and He spoke: “Chris,
you have been an athelete all of your life, if you jump
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right now, could you handle the rest of your life in a
wheelchair?”
I quickly replied: “Lord, I don’t even believe in You!”
He said, ‘Call Chappy!” and disappeared, but there was
peace in that place.
I have thought back many times about this event, for a
man with an experience, is never at the mercy of a man
with an argument. I believe I had either an open vision,
or Jesus literally appeared to me, it doesn’t matter. He
knows my name, He knew what I was doing in my life,
and He is Lord, for He told me exactly what would
have happened had I jumped. I would not have died,
but spent the rest of my life in a wheelchair.
So, I walked back to my apartment, thoughts still
screaming in my head, but the experience
revolutionized my life.
When I got back upstairs, the phone was ringing. It was
my mom. She was crying and said: “Son, come
home!”. I was so tired of her emotional outbursts, I
said: “Why would I do that, I have to go to work on
Monday?”
She replied: “Son, this is more important than work, I
just had a nightmare that you killed yourself tonight,
and I have been praying for you…”
Perhaps, when I come to speak in an area near you, the
Lord will let me tell you the rest of the story, but for
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the sake of this lesson, let’s just say:
Jesus is Lord, and He is well able to speak through
visions and dreams…
In summation, a vision may be as simple as a mini-pic
that flashes across your mind, or a movie explaining
supernatural events, but visions are part of what God
has surely promised for us that believe.
I remember some years ago, in a series of all night
prayer meetings, we would all meet for dinner at 6PM,
and would eat together, then would begin to worship
God until midnight. We had learned that we were the
‘Bride of Christ’, so we called these meetings ‘date
nights with Jesus’. Any good date would include dinner
and a movie. We cooked the dinner, and fell in love
with Jesus, in worship. He would supply the movie,
with many, if not all of us experiencing some sort of
supernatural visions during those times…He still gives
visions.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, please grant me heavenly visions, for You
promised that Your young people shall see visions. I
ask in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen”
If you need prayer, right now, there are several 24
hour prayer lines here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Here
are some telephone numbers:
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Abundant Life Prayer Group 918 495 7777
Victory Christian Center Prayer Line 918 496 0700
After Hours: 866 295 8442
4. Still Small Voice:
God Speaks directly through His still small voice!
John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them,
and they follow me:
Ge 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God
walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam
and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the
LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
Ex 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to
the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which
is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his
commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put
none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought
upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth
thee.
De 28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt
hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy
God, to observe and to do all his commandments which
I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will
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set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
1Sa 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying
the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
1Sa 28:18 Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the
LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this
day.
Ps 106:25 But murmured in their tents, and hearkened
not unto the voice of the LORD.
Isa 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,
Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said
I, Here am I; send me.
Hag 1:12 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and
Joshua the son of Josedech, the high priest, with all the
remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD
their God, and the words of Haggai the prophet, as the
LORD their God had sent him, and the people did fear
before the LORD.
Joh 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear
his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and
leadeth them out.
Heb 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if
ye will hear his voice,
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Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his
voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in
David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day
if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Why did I post so many Scriptures on hearing the voice
of God? Simple, faith comes by hearing, and hearing
by the Word of God, and I am deliberately building
your faith to hear the voice of Jesus, the voice of the
Holy Spirit in the earth. There is an entire generation
depending upon it, upon you to do your part, in
bringing from heaven, the bread of life, the only thing
that can honestly meet the needs of a hurting humanity.
There is always a people on the other side of your
obedience that need Jesus, somehow, some way.
Had I gone on with my story of how I truly met Jesus, I
would have told about the part, where my well meaning
mother tried to have me committed to a mental
institute, because I told her that God was speaking to
me, and He has continued to speak to me, every day.
He has, from that day til this. Though I have not always
heard or obeyed perfectly, I have honestly tried, and
now, 24 years later, He is still speaking to me. Today, it
is to write this book, for you, just because He loves
you, and so do I…
Let’s Pray:
“Father, speak to me, cause me to hear Your voice,
today. Help me to articulate, that which you speak
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to me, that I might tell others about You, that You
might speak to them, and manifest Your great love,
miracles, and power, to meet their needs, in Your
mighty name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
5. The Inward Witness:
God, the Holy Spirit speaks through an inward
witness!
Ro 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our
spirit, that we are the children of God:
Ro 9:1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my
conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost,
Heb 10:15 Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to
us: for after that he had said before,
Luke 24:32 And they said one to another, Did not our
heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the
way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
Act 5:32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and
so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to
them that obey him.
Ever heard someone say:’I don’t have a witness on
that?”. These verses show that they are speaking
Biblically accurately. Someone tells them to do
something, and deep down in their heart, there is a
witness, that what they have been asked to do, is not
the will of God for them. It may have no natural reason
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for being wrong, but in their heart, there is a warning
witness, that it is not something they should do. Works
the other way too. You bump into a stranger, yet your
heart bears witness that they are trustworthy, or that
they are walking with God, and so, supernaturally
naturally, you gravitate towards them, and strike up a
conversation. God does good things through the
relationship, all because you had a witness on it!
Let’s Pray:
‘Holy Spirit, You are God in the earth. You always
bear witness to truth, to the things of heaven
operating in my life. Help me to be more sensitive to
Your gentle promptings, where my heart bears
witness to what You desire for my life. I ask this
Father, in Your name Lord Jesus, Amen’
6. Peace
God leads through His peace:
Mt 10:13 And if the house be worthy, let your peace
come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace
return to you.
Joh 14:27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not
your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Joh 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in
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me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have
tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the
world.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds
through Christ Jesus.
Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,
to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye
thankful
Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and
drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy
Ghost.
Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness,
without which no man shall see the Lord:
The kingdom of God is one third peace. Jesus is the
Prince of peace, so wherever we go, we are called to
bring peace. Yet, today we are talking about hearing
the voice of God, through His peace. There may be no
peace in your circumstances, but there can always be a
peace in your heart that passes all understanding.
Since the Kingdom of God is an invisable Kingdom in
the earth, what does a kingdom of peace look like?
Well, I like to think of the Kingdom of God, as the
‘supreme rule and reign of Jesus’. When our lives align
with the will of Jesus, we find peace within. When
circumstances, or even a nation align themselves with
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the rule and reign of Jesus, there again, will be peace.
Where His kingdom reigns, there is peace.
I like what one minister said once about Col 3:15 And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which
also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful
That the word ‘rule’ in this verse literally means, ‘to act
as an umpire’. So when a child asks, dad, can I go over
to Johnny’s and play, and my heart, my umpire, my
peace says, “nope”. I go with that. Kinda simple really,
be led by peace, follow peace, follow Jesus.
Let’s pray:
‘Father God, teach me how to be led by peace, in all
my affairs, in Your name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
7. Prophecy
God leads through prophecy!
2Ki 8:1 Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son
he had restored to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and
thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst
sojourn: for the LORD hath called for a famine; and it
shall also come upon the land seven years.
Notice here, that if this Shunnamite woman, had not
listen to the prophet of God here, great hardship would
have come upon her family in the famine that was
about to hit the earth.
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Num 11:27 And there ran a young man, and told
Moses, and said, Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the
camp.
28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses,
one of his young men, answered and said, My lord
Moses, forbid them.
29 And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my
sake? would God that all the LORD’S people were
prophets, and that the LORD would put his spirit upon
them!
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and
forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 13:9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in
part.
Ac 11:28 And there stood up one of them named
Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be
great dearth throughout all the world: which came to
pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
There are many books written on prophecy, but know
this: prophets and prophecy are very much alive in the
New Testament! Basically, prophecy falls into two
catagories: foretelling, and forthtelling. Foretelling is
where the Holy Spirit shows us things to come, future
events. Forthtelling is where a person of God sees or
hears into the heavenlies, and knows by the Spirit of
God, exactly what God is doing in an individuals life,
or in a certain setting, and they tell forth, or utter what
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the Father is saying or doing at that very moment.
Any person can prophesy at some level. Simply telling
the story of something Jesus has done in your life, is
prophesy. Re 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the
testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of
Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Yet, there are levels of prophesy, that range in depth,
insight and authority from simple testimony, to
prophecies that will literally cause signs in the heavens
Act 2:18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens
I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they
shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and
signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour
of smoke:
In short, here is my general counsel on prophesy:
1. Prophesy! Give your testimony, ask Holy
Spirit for prophetic insight and utterance.
2. Judge prophetic words you receive from
either the Holy Spirit, of from another
person of God, by the Scripture.
3. God should speak to you directly. If a
person of God should speak a ‘word from
God’ into your life, it should confirm
something that God has already spoken to
you, and should edify, exhort, and comfort
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you to obey God. 1Co 14:3 But he that
prophesieth speaketh unto men to
edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
4. If a prophetic word does not bear witness
to you, nor does it confirm something God
has already spoken to you, simply ‘put it
on the shelf’. If it is of God, He will bring
it to your remembrance at the right time. If
it is not of God, don’t worry about it, it
will not come to pass.
5. Refuse to be manipulated, controlled, or
led by another persons prophesy! Jesus is
your Lord, no man or woman of God. True
Shepherds lead God’s sheep, not drive
them!
6. Test the Spirits. 1Co 14:10 There are, it
may be, so many kinds of voices in the
world, and none of them is without
signification. There are many voices in the
earth, and many spirits: human, divine,
angelic, and demonic. Just because you
hear a voice in prayer, does not mean what
you are hearing is God speaking.
Let’s Pray:
“Father, grant me prophetic utterance. Holy
Spirit, I ask You for Your gift of prophesy to
operate in my life, today, in Your name I pray
Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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Test the Spirits!
1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of
God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is
in the world.
The problem with this type of ministry (prophetic) has
always been disception. It’s the only weapon satan has
left, for he has been stripped of all power and authority,
when Jesus rose from the dead.
2Co 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is
transformed into an angel of light.
Ga 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven,
preach any other gospel unto you than that which we
have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
Satan may be a liar and the father of all lies, and
deception may be his only weapon, but he uses this
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weapon very well in the earth, even today. Just as there
is true prophetic ministry and spiritual oversight, there
are demonic spirits that emulate the gifts of God, with
the sole intent, of causing ministries and the people of
God to go astray.
De 18:10 There shall not be found among you any one
that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the
fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or
an enchanter, or a witch,
11 Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or
a wizard, or a necromancer.
12 For all that do these things are an abomination unto
the LORD: and because of these abominations the
LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
13 Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.
From the time in the garden, satan knew that if he
could just get the people of God to disobey God, he
would have them in his power, for how well he knows
the holiness of God.
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou
doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
He knows he has no power against God, and that we do
have power with God, and authority from Him. He
hasn’t changed, he still whispers, ‘has God really
said?’, to attempt to get us off of the Word of God, to
deviate from the authority of the Scriptures. In a large
sense, he has been sucessful.
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Mohammed went up in a cave to seek God.
Supposedly, an angel claiming to Gabriel appeared to
him, and put him in a spiritual stupor, after clasping
him, and imparting to him, ‘the oracle of God’ which
Mohammed then had written, and which is now known
as the Quran. Islam now claims to have a billion
followers in the earth, far from Jesus, living a life of
fear, violence, hatred and strife, all because one man of
God, listened to another voice, heard another spirit, that
pretended to be of God. Remember, demons lie, then
deceive. Jesus said ‘by their fruits you will know
them.’ And the fruit of Islam, has been a blood bath for
centuries.
So it is with Mormonism. A strong leader named
Joseph Smith, attempting to honestly lead his people
into the promised land, had a vision where Jesus and
Mary supposedly appeared to him, and gave him ‘a
more complete revelation of the Bible’, and the book of
Mormon was written. Though Mormonism is not as
bloody as Islam, Walter Martin in his book, ‘The
kingdoms of the cults’ cites 84 key differences between
Mormon doctrine and the Bible, and so you end up
with a moral people, devoid of spiritual power,
anointing, and living truth brought alive from the
presence and power of Holy Spirit. 2Ti 3:5 Having a
form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from
such turn away.
Since these two deceptions were the crux of the recent
US Presidential election, I mentioned them as
examples, but I greatly encourage you to get a copy of
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Walter martin’s book, Kingdom of the Cults, to protect
yourself from error.
Jer 14:
14 Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets
prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have
I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they
prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a
thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.
15 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the
prophets that prophesy in my name, and I sent them
not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this
land; By sword and famine shall those prophets be
consumed.
16 And the people to whom they prophesy shall be
cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the
famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury
them, them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their
daughters: for I will pour their wickedness upon them.
In this verse, we have prophets that should have been
speaking by the Holy Spirit, the revelations of God, yet
they were hearing and seeing by another spirit, a spirit
of divination, and they became decieved in their hearts.
This sends chills down my spine, in the fear of the
Lord, for I seek holiness, the fear of the Lord, and truth
above every other thing. None of us are immune to
error, and as we studied church history in the lives of
some of the most powerful servants of God, we see
some that went off. William Branham denying the
trinity, and perhaps moving in a mix of true prophetic,
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and divination or familiar spirits, John Alexander
Dowie, claiming to be ‘a reincarnation of John the
Baptist’ in his latter years, and on it goes. What about
many today who ‘prophesy’ money out of people’s
pockets, in the name of the Lord? Surely there are true
prophets that move in the financial realm, but how
many times have we heard an offering taken up, that
just doesn’t sit right in our heart?
Act 16:16 ¶ And it came to pass, as we went to prayer,
a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination
met us, which brought her masters much gain by
soothsaying:
17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying,
These men are the servants of the most high God,
which shew unto us the way of salvation.
18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being
grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee
in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he
came out the same hour.
Gotta listen to our hearts, and test the spirits. If
something doesn’t seem right, it probably isn’t right.
1 John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try
the spirits whether they are of God: because many false
prophets are gone out into the world.
2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of
God:
3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit
of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
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come; and even now already is it in the world.
4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome
them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is
in the world.
Just finished a great little book, given to us by Billye
Brim, called The Authority of the Believer, by John A.
Macmillan. It is a great book on spiritual authority and
warfare, but the last couple of chapters talk about many
cases of demonic interaction with people. One chapter
talks about the rise of modern day spiritism stems from
actual communication with spirits claiming to be the
souls of loved ones who had died some years
previously. As these spirits communicated through
tapping, and other methods, the group of adherants to
this mess, went from two teenaged girls, to over 10
million. Just because an experience is supernatural,
does not mean it is of God.
Please stay grounded in truth, as you move in the
revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit. I have to believe that
as I stay rooted and grounded in the Word of God, that
God Himself will send both laborers and teaching
materials about demonic errors to keep us clean
spiritually.
Like any Bible doctrine, there is a ditch on either side.
With this teaching the two ditches are demonic
deception resulting in supernatural revelation coming
from demons instead of God, and then on the other
side, strict legalism, resulting in no tolerance, or
allowance of prophetic ministry and guidance to the
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church of the living God. There is a straight and narrow
way through these perils!
The cure for misuse of a gift is not no use, rather,
correct use.
1Co 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual
gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and
forbid not to speak with tongues.
Let’s pray:
‘Father, I take my place in your kingdom,
determined to feed, lead, and take oversight over
the people you have called me to. Open my eyes to
the true state of the ministries you have me leading,
and give me wisdom on how best to pray, preach,
feed, and lead your people, to best grow them up in
you, and your perfect plan for us, and deliver me
and protect me any and all false prophetic, dreams,
visions, or manifestation. Keep me in truth, at all
cost, and prevent me from going astray. In any case
that I have heard or seen things in the spirit, that
are not from you, but are demonic deception, please
show me, cleanse me, and keep me pure and holy in
your sight, and submitted to your Word, in your
name I pray Lord Jesus, Amen’
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Chapter 12
even Things Confession
of the Word will Do:
Hebrews 11:3 Through faith we understand
that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so
that things which are seen were not made of things
which do appear.
Jesus gave us the building blocks (legos), of God’s
Word, to build a firm foundation for our lives. Today, I
am going to explain the process of framing your world
on purpose by deliberately confessing the Word of God
and deciding to believe it on purpose.
When we believe the Word, and we must speak it.
2Co 4:13 We having the same spirit of faith, according
as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken;
we also believe, and therefore speak;
Mark 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them,
Have faith in God.
23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say
unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast
into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall
believe that those things which he saith shall come to
pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
S
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24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye
desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and
ye shall have them.
Strongs Concordance gives us the following definition
of the English word ‘saith’
3004 λεγω lego leg’-o
a root word; TDNT-4:69,505; v
AV-say 1184, speak 61, call 48, tell 33, misc 17; 1343
1) to say, to speak
1d) to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say
1f) to speak out, speak of, mention
The definition of ‘say’ as in ‘say to the mountain’ is
found in Strongs number
2036 επω epo ep’-o
a primary verb (used only in the definite past tense, the
others being borrowed from 2046, 4483, and 5346); ; v
AV-say 859, speak 57, tell 41, command 8, bid 5,
misc 6, vr say 1; 977
1) to speak, say
In this verse, we see that there are two different Greek
words used here for the English word ‘say’. The first, is
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a word ‘legos’, and has a similar meaning to the little
plastic blocks our children use to construct things with,
building blocks. In this verse I see that Jesus used
words like building blocks to build a new way of doing
things, in the earth. That way, is following Him, by
faith, and using our words as building blocks in our
lives, by aligning our words with the Word of God, and
speaking it on purpose.
The second Greek word used is ‘epo’, which simply
means, a’a spoken command’.
In order to fully understand this we need to understand
that God has restored to us, His authority, through
Jesus, and that He wants us to exercise it, by declaring
His decrees.
I’ve included here, a little devotional piece I wrote
some time ago, about what our redemption, and
restoration of authority and purpose should look like to
this pain-wracked, and sin destroyed planet, we call
earth:
The Restoration of Eden:
God Created Man, and placed him in the garden of
Eden.
Gen 1:26 ¶ And God said, Let us make man in our
image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion
over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air,
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and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over
every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God created he him; male and female created he
them.
28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea,
and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing
that moveth upon the earth.
Be fruitful,
and multiply,
and replenish the earth,
and subdue it:
and have dominion
Ge 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward
in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had
formed.
Ge 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put
him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
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Here we see the original plan of God, to have him be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the creation.
Well, we all know how Adam and Eve sinned, and they
fell, and died spiritually, losing the anointing, authority,
and blessing of God that made God’s original plan
possible. Without the spiritual life of God, the garden
of Eden died.
Satan became god of this world, and creation has
labored under the pain of betrayal, sin, and the horror
of this evil spirit since the fall of man.
Yet, Jesus has come. Lived sinlessly, and redeemed us
back to God, to our original place before God, before
the fall.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ
shall all be made alive.
1Co 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam
was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a
quickening spirit.
So, we begin our particular walk of faith, into this
world that has been ravenged by sin, and centuries of
brutality. Children of the most high God, full of the
Holy Spirit, His love, His authority, Jesus, the life
giving spirit, blazing victoriuosly in our hearts, and His
original commission:
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Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over the creation still is
our mandate.
Restore the garden of Eden wherever you go, by His
love, His spirit, His anointing, His authority, and His
blessing. He is a life giving spirit.
Isa 51:3 For the LORD shall comfort Zion: he will
comfort all her waste places; and he will make her
wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden
of the LORD; joy and gladness shall be found therein,
thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
Eze 36:35 And they shall say, This land that was
desolate is become like the garden of Eden; and the
waste and desolate and ruined cities are become fenced,
and are inhabited.
Wherever we go, God executes judgement upon our
enemies, and restores, His presence, His blessing,
causing the land to bloom, rejoice, and to be fruitful,
and multiply, and replenish the earth,
Joe 2:3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them
a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden
before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness;
yea, and nothing shall escape them.
Obey God today. Decree the blessings of God.
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Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and
subdue it: and have dominion over all the creation.
My job in this particular teaching is not to try to
explain to you, the authority we have spiritually as
Christians, over demonic forces, rather, it is my
intention to see practical results occur in your life, as
you begin to deliberatly confess the Word of God.
When you do, God will bear witness to the words of
your mouth, with signs, wonders, and miracles, as His
power and blessing, literally transforms your world,
making it come to life, by the same spirit that raised
Jesus from the dead.
Joh 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh
profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they
are spirit, and they are life.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus
from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ
from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by
his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
The Holy Spirit is a life giving Spirit, bringing life
from the dead, light from the darkness, peace in the
chaos, beauty from the ashes of our lives. Wherever we
go, He goes, and life, light, and liberty erupts, as He
literally recreates that which has been damaged by sin.
He does this by His Word, spoken out of your lips!
Here are seven things your confession of God’s Word
will do.
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1. It sows seed into the
kingdom:
The Kingdom of God is the ‘Supreme Rule and
Reign of God’. In Heaven, God rules
unhindered. Here in the earth, He rules by His
Word, spoken in authority, here, by His church.
Eph 1:3 ¶ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual
blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
We have already been blessed by all spiritual blessings,
in heavenly places, in Christ. Now, we need them
transferred out of heavenly places, into the earth, into
our personal lives.
“Seed the heavens, reap the earth!” Proclaimed
pastor Rod Parsley emphatically!
How do we do this? With faith filled Words!
2Pe 1:4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great
and precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
By the promises of God, believed, confessed, and
acted upon, we literally partake of the divine nature
of God, here, in the earth!
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The primary action of faith is Words! Your voice, is
your address in the realm of the Spirit. When God
hears His Word, believed and confessed out of your
mouth that which that promise provides, will come
into your life.
Jesus gave us legos to build our lives upon. Building
blocks. God’s Words. Now, take His legos, and epo,
command that which His Words promise, to come
into your life, as you build your life upon His Word.
2Co 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are
yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
Remember, God is holy, and any promise He has
given, is “Yes!” from His perspective. The Word
‘Amen’ literally means, ‘So Be It!’, so that when we
find a promise in the Word of God, that applies to
our particular personal need or desire, and we bring
that promise before the throne of God, in humble
petition, then believe we receive it, in the earth, then
God obligates Himself to perform it, because He
cannot lie!
Confession of God’s Word, sows seed into the
Kingdom of God, because God’s will is His Word,
He is Holy, and where His Word is proclaimed, His
supreme rule and reign, come to bear, even if the
exercising of that rule should require signs,
wonders, and miracles to bring to pass.
Sow seed, today!
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2. Causes faith to come
Luke 18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them
speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man
cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?
Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
I have learned a thing over the years, it is this:
When faith cometh, you knoweth! Suddenly
boldness comes upon your life, and authority,
anointing and blessing explodes within you.
Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Yet, I have also learned this: that there is the
confession of faith, and a confession unto faith!
Let’s say that there is a promise or area in the Word
of God that appears too good to be true, and that is
not happening in your life. You can take promises
from the Word of God in that area, and deliberately
confess them before the throne of grace, and Holy
Spirit will hear your voice, and write these upon the
tablets of your heart, so that faith cometh.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the
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Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write
them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God,
and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 10:16 This is the covenant that I will make
with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put
my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I
write them;
We can take the promises of God, and lovingly
recite them before Jesus:
Ps 45:1 ¶ «To the chief Musician upon
Shoshannim, for the sons of Korah, Maschil, A
Song of loves.» My heart is inditing a good matter: I
speak of the things which I have made touching the
king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
When we do, our tongue, our words, become a pen,
writing HIStory, His eternal will, on the parchment
of time. Holy Spirit then has something to work
with. Our words, echoing God’s Word, cause two
things to happen:
1. He changes us. Holy Spirit writing His Words
upon the fleshly tablets of our hearts.
2. He changes History, as He manifests His Word
in the earth, in our generation, creating an eternal
testimony from our lives, as He performs His
Word on our behalf. He is so merciful, kind, and
loving…
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We speak, and faith cometh, and when faith comes,
mountains move, and problems go…
3. Renews your mind.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that
ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and
perfect, will of God.
God told a minister named Charles Capps, concerning
confessing the Word of God aloud, where you can hear
yourself saying it:
“It is a scientific application of the wisdom of God to
the psychological makeup of man.”
The way to fight thoughts is not with thoughts, rather
with words. You are to tell your negative thoughts to to
stop, and they will.
If you have been around the Word of God, you have
heard the truth of this verse, the word ‘transformed’, is
the Greek :
3339 (Strongs) μεταμορφοω metamorphoo met-amor-
fo’-o
from 3326 and 3445; TDNT-4:755,607; v
AV-transfigure 2, transform 1, change 1; 4
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1) to change into another form, to transform, to
transfigure
1a) Christ appearance was changed and was
resplendent with divine brightness on the mount of
transfiguration
In English we use this word, as the word
‘metamorphosis’, like the transformation that makes a
tadpole into a frog, a caterpiller into a butterfly.
While these are beautiful examples from creation, the
other book that describes God’s love: Ro 1:20 For the
invisible things of him from the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are
made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that
they are without excuse:
The image portrayed by the word metamorphasis is not
strong enough to describe what is happening fully in
you and I. God is transforming, morphing us, into His
image and likeness, making us like Jesus, resplendent
with divine brightness!
When God meets with us, in answer to His Word
confessed, and worship exhibited:
2Co 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a
glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same
image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the
Lord.
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Yes, confession of the Word of God, brings the God
who owns that Word on the scene, and when He shows
up, we change…always for the better.
Worship will also bring Him on the scene, for it is
written: Ps 22:3 But thou art holy, O thou that
inhabitest the praises of Israel. When we sing, shout,
thank and praise Him, He lives in our praises! His
actual presence shows up!
4. Keeps the Answer before you!
2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath
given unto us all things that pertain unto life and
godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath
called us to glory and virtue:
4.Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be
partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the
corruption that is in the world through lust.
This world, and our life in it, is full of problems, but
God’s Word is the answer to every one of them.
Rather than spend our lives in worry or fear, we can
confess the Word of God, and see His answers,
rather than dwell upon our problems.
Even worry, can be dealt with by the Word of God:
Matt 6:31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What
shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or,
Wherewithal shall we be clothed?
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1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he
careth for you.
They way we take a negative thought is simple: we
talk about it.We should not be talking to people
about our problems, rather, give them to God, then
talk to our problems about our God.
Faith will often confess the exact opposite, of what
our circumstances are saying to us.
Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might
be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but
to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is
the father of us all,
17 ¶ (As it is written, I have made thee a father of
many nations,) before him whom he believed, even
God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those
things which be not as though they were.
Everything we will ever need is in the Word. We
receive it by actively believing and praying God’s
promises. After we have prayed, we thankfully,
continually confess what the Word says about our
situation, not what our circumstances say!
Confessing God’s Word, always keeps the answer
before you!
5. Changes your heart
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Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the
word of faith, which we preach;
The Word spoken out of your mouth, will change
your heart. Got a problem, take God’s Word on
purpose, and confess the opposite of your problem
God will back you up, and your problem will
disappear.
6. Sets the law of faith in motion
Gravity vs thrust and lift in an airplane.
The law of gravity says that things fall down. The
law of lift and thrust under an airplanes wings will
cause that plane to defeat the law of gravity.
There is a law at work in this world, called the law
of sin and death, whereby everything is getting
worse and worse. This is the condition of a person,
community, or country that has left God. God never
moved, but the people did.
Think of it this way: Does darkness exist? Answer:
No, because darkness is simply the absence of light.
The smallest light will dispel the greatest darkness.
Does cold exist? Answer: No, cold is simply the
absence of heat.
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Does evil exist? Answer: No, it only exists where
the love, life, and presence of God is absent.
Under the law of sin and death, everything is dying,
and headed for destruction. Like gravity, everything
is going down….Yet, there is a higher law in the
universe; that is the law of thrust and lift, that birds
use, and that we use to fly airplanes. It causes us to
overcome the law of gravity, and to fly, high, and
faster than we could travel on the ground.
So it is in God’s kingdom. Leave God out of a
situation, and satan and his minions will see that it
dies, becomes dark, depressing, and desolate. This is
the work of devils.
Yet, Jesus rose from the dead, and He rose You
from your death. He, Almighty God, now lives
inside of you, and when You believe His Word, His
power (thrust) arrives on your scene, to raise you up
(lift) over any situation that this world or the devil
might try and throw at you.
He is the great one, and it is written:
1Jo 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have
overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world.
How does His greatness show forth?
By your faith!
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1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us
the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh
the world, even our faith.
2Co 2:14 Now thanks be unto God, which always
causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh
manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every
place.
Letter of law vs spirit of law
2Co 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of
the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit:
for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
The law of sin and death will bring you down every
time without Jesus. With Jesus:
Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in
Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death.
He will cause you to rise above the natural
circumstances of life, and always succeed.
Gal 3: 2 This only would I learn of you, Received
ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the
hearing of faith?
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3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are
ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be
yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit,
and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by
the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
You must believe. You must confess what you believe.
God will act upon His Word, according to your faith
expressed through your words.
Confession of God’s Word, sets the law of faith in
motion!
7. Puts angels to work.
Psalms 103:20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that
excel in strength, that do his commandments,
hearkening unto the voice of his word.
Heb 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent
forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of
salvation?
You speak God’s Word. Angels hear you. They act
on your behalf for they always obey God.
Job 22:28 Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it
shall be established unto thee: and the light shall
shine upon thy ways.
Declare the Decree!
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onfessions:
1.Protection:
Let’s look at the 91st Psalm, and pray
it as we go:
(Psa 91:1 NIV) He who dwells in the shelter of the
Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Our prayer: Father, I am committing my life into
your hands today, trusting you for protection. Seeking
your shelter from the storms of life, hiding within
your shadow.
(Psa 91:2 NIV) I will say of the LORD, “He is my
refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
There is incredible power released from heaven, when
God’s Word is spoke out of the mouth of one of His
children. Reading these verses is not enough. Words
are the primary action of faith. You must say these
verses, out loud.
God you are my refuge and my fortress, my God in
whom I trust.
(Psa 91:3 NIV) Surely he will save you from the
fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
Surely God you save me from all of Satan’s traps, and
the plots of men. You protect me from every sickness
and disease.
C
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(Psa 91:4 NIV) He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge; his
faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
You cover me with your feathers, under your wings do
I find refuge, your faithfulness is my shield and
rampart. I receive your comfort today, and every day
for the rest of my life.
(Psa 91:5 NIV) You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
I thank-you Father that I don’t have to be afraid
anymore at night, that I will not have nightmares.
That arrows and attacks will not touch me by day.
(Psa 91:6 NIV) nor the pestilence that stalks in the
darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.
I see sickness for what it is, an enemy. No sickness
will touch me and no plague.
(Psa 91:7 NIV) A thousand may fall at your side, ten
thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near
you.
Even though stuff happens and others go down, it will
not come near me.
(Psa 91:8 NIV) You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.
Though I see others receive punishment, I will not
receive it. I have been forgiven, and you protect me.
(Psa 91:9 NIV) If you make the Most High your
dwelling– even the LORD, who is my refuge–
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I’ve declared before heaven, hell and people that I
belong to God, and that He is my home and refuge.
(Psa 91:10 NIV) then no harm will befall you, no
disaster will come near your tent.
No harm shall come near me, and no disaster
(tornado, hurricane, fire, or war, shall come near
where I live)
(Psa 91:11 NIV) For he will command his angels
concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
For God has commanded His guardian angels
concerning me, to protect me everywhere I go.
(Psa 91:12 NIV) they will lift you up in their hands, so
that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
His angels protect me!
(Psa 91:13 NIV) You will tread upon the lion and the
cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
I have authority over Satan and all of his works, they
are under my feet! I trample him and all of his works.
(Psa 91:14 NIV) “Because he loves me,” says the
LORD, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he
acknowledges my name.
God, I do love you, and I believe that you are rescuing
me, protecting me, for I acknowledge your name, and
the name above every name, Jesus.
(Psa 91:15 NIV) He will call upon me, and I will
answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver
him and honor him.
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Again, I call upon you, trusting you to answer me. I
thank-you Jesus that you never leave me nor forsake
with no matter what. You are with me, and you deliver
me and honor me.
(Psa 91:16 NIV) With long life will I satisfy him and
show him my salvation.”
I am not going to die young, but am going to live a
long time, for it is written, that with long life you will
satisfy me, and show me your salvation.
3. Blessing
Ge 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all
families of the earth be blessed.
Ps 40:4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his
trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn
aside to lies.
Ps 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us
with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah.
“Father, I come before You, expecting You to
release Your blessing into my life, today, for I
believe this very word, that today, this day, you
daily load me with Your benefits. Thank you
Father, for hearing and answering me today, for
again I ask, in Your mighty and matchless name
Lord Jesus, Amen!”
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4. Favor
Ps 5:12 For thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with
favour wilt thou compass him as with a shield.
“Father, I believe this word, on purpose, that You
my father, are surrounding me today, with favor as
with a shield”
Pr 3:1 ¶ My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart
keep my commandments:
2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall
they add to thee.
3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them
about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine
heart:
4 So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in
the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not
unto thine own understanding.
“Father I trust in Jesus, my Lord with all my
understanding, and let the world know of Him, in
all of my ways. I believe that I find favor and good
understanding in Your sight sir, and with all the
people I meet today, Amen’
5. Prosperity
Deut 8:18 God has given me the power to get wealth
so his covenant is established. I receive it, right now,
in Jesus name! I will use my abundance to support
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the preaching of the gospel, and will go wherever
you ask me Holy Spirit, in Jesus name!
2 Cor 9:8 God has made all grace abound toward
me so that I having all sufficiency in all things do
abound to every good work.
6. Healing
Isaiah 53: 4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our
griefs,(sicknesses) and carried our
sorrows(pains): yet we did esteem him stricken,
smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he
was
bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our
peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Thank you Lord Jesus that you already took my
sickness and pain on the cross. You were wounded
for my transgressions, bruised for my iniquities, the
chastisement I needed to obtain peace was already
laid upon you, and by the stripes you took in your
body, my body is healed. Father, I believe your
Word, and thank you for performing it for me.
Sickness, pain go, in Jesus name!
1 Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in
his own body on the
tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by
whose stripes ye were healed.
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Thank you Father that Jesus took stripes in His
body that my body be healed.
Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That
whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou
removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall
not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those
things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall
have whatsoever he saith.
24 Therefore I say unto you, What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have
them.
Father, I speak to the mountains of sickness,
disease, and pain and command them to move. I
speak to poverty, debt and lack, and command these
mountains move. I thank you for health, provision,
and deliverance. In Jesus name, Amen.
7. Direction
John 16:
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he
will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of
himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he
speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Joh 16:15 All things that the Father hath are mine:
therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall
shew it unto you.
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Jesus, while He was on the earth, operated as a man,
under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. In the days of
his earth walk, He could only be in one place at one
time. Now, as Lord of Heaven and Earth, sitting on the
throne at the right hand of the Father, He said it was
better that He went away that the Holy Spirit might
come into the earth, because He, Holy Spirit, is
Emmanuel, God with us, and can be every where at
once! That is why Jesus can say that He will never
leave nor forsake us. Furthurmore, Holy Spirit knows
our unique calling and destiny, and He promises to
show us things to come!
Let’s Pray:
Father God, I come to you in the name of Jesus,
asking that you send Holy Spirit to show me Your
future for my life, and Your specific plan, the
reason You created me. Amen!”
Note: Don’t be surprised when you receive cool
dreams, visions, or supernatural signs in answer to this
prayer.
8. Wisdom
Jas 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and
it shall be given him.
1Co 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption:
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Col 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom
and knowledge.
“Father God, I ask you for wisdom today,
recognizing that everything I need, is found in You
Lord Jesus. Please reveal to me all the treasures or
wisdom and knowledge you have stored up for me,
from before the foundation of the world. I ask,
knowing that I am heard and answered, for I ask in
you precious name Lord Jesus, Amen.”