The Holy Spirit came...

...and he has not left earth. God is the same, yesterday, today, & tomorrow. (so says scripture)The Holy Spirit is God! Our Bible tells us that he left the Spirit to help us until Christ returns. God has always spoken to his people, whether it was through the prophets of old or through the "true" prophetic words of today. He has come to men in dreams & with angels, and he continues to do so, more often than we think. God is a God of order, and Satan is a messenger of confusion. One of the spiritual gifts God gave is Discernment...we can tell a "false prophet" from a Godly person-one anointed of God. He said we ARE a kingdom of Priests! We ARE anointed by God to do his work, if we choose to accept the assignment. I have come to realize that a large number of born again, headed for heaven believers not only don't accept all God has for them, they really do not believe ALL of the Bible or their lives would be far more victorious, living in the peace that passes all "understanding". We have become so indoctrinated to use our minds, we override the Holy Spirit God places in each of us at salvation, so we can be "proper", "religious", and appear "appropriate". That's OK if that is how you relate to God, but I promise you there IS a far more spiritual way to live that will cause you to wonder why it took you so long to "get it". We all have those..."duh" moments where it dawns on us that God IS way bigger than the box we were taught to keep him in. PTL! Hallelujah!
I don't know about you...but my Jesus is not ordinary in any way...he used spit and mud to heal a man's eyes for goodness sake! He walked on water & he died for every one of us. How many people do you know who would die for you? Not too many I assure you. In return what can we give him? Dare we....dare we..."lift up holy hands" (it's in the Bible you know), dare we "shout unto him" (again, it is there), dare we even dance before the Lord in excitement about all he has given us & done for us? What would people think! Who cares...what would Jesus think..he just might smile and clap right along with us that we dare pour our enthusiasm out as a fragrant love offering unto the King of Kings! I'm guessing many people are unaware of what the gifts of the Holy Spirit are, or that they were given to help us through every day until Christ returns! If God had given them to just the disciples of his day he wouldn't have told them to teach everyone about them. Check out some of Paul's writings again-he made it very clear what God blessed us with & what to do with it & why.
Pentecost is a time to celebrate, not just that the Holy Spirit came...not only that he lives in every believer...but to tap into that vast wealth of spiritual power God has given his children to enable them to live in a fallen world. I have been praying for a pastor friend to preach a dynamic Pentecost message that will start a revival in a small mainline church...and I know God is going to bless her with a great message, & I pray that the people will have receptive ears to hear the word of the Lord to them. The Lord told us we must come as little children...that means full of innocence and expectation...not full of fear, doubt, & religious rules. Don't get out of bed one more day without expecting God has not only divine appointments set up for you already, but knowing he has miracles all lined up just waiting for you to step out of your comfort zone.
I am walking a deliberate walk of renewed faith right now, seeking all those gems I may have missed in the Word. My friend told me I had better fasten my seatbelt! :) So far I have seen financial miracles, healing miracles, spiritual miracles, and I am trusting God at his word, that there is so much more to come. I have received confirmations of his will for me that continue to blow my mind.
Have a blessed Pentecost and remember if you are a believer the angel of death has indeed passed over you, and there is no way to go but deeper & deeper into the things of God. It does not get any more exciting than that. If you want some literature to fire you up, take a fresh look at God's word, order the free magazine Kenneth Hagin sends out, and find a book on Smith Wigglesworth. I am currently studying the book of Hebrews to build my faith in a God that does the impossible today, if we only invite him to do so. Be renewed & refreshed in his HOLY SPIRIT. May the Lord bless you at whatever place you are in your walk with him, as you seek him & serve him.

Imprint on a child's life

Lately the Lord has been speaking to me about the imprint various things make on the life of a child. Thinking about the fact that the mind of a child is not fully developed at least until about age 18, what sort of impression do things like pornography, sexual immorality, warring parents, anti-God sentiments, racism, violence in the things they read & watch, drunkenness in the home, drug addiction of friends, and the list goes on....what sort of imprint is made on the mind of youth? It makes a lasting mark on that child's mind...it may be a mark that says such things are OK or even good for you-it may be a mark of fear that brings timidity and an inability to believe that God loves them without condition...it may craft a young mind that is in turmoil and confusion.
Conversely, what sort of mark is made by watching parents worship, pray, & believe God for victory in all circumstances? Does a child who witnesses the embracing of all races in love, people who deal fairly and with conviction of morality, and peace in the home and relationships grow up to be balanced and a servant of God with purpose in life? How can we be "confident of this very thing that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion"? We train our children in the home, but we must also take them where they can worship the Lord at a very young age, we most assuredly must monitor the affect the public school system has on their fragile & forming minds, we must be aware of the stance our government takes with regard to the things of life and God, and we must carefully watch the things they see, hear, and do with regard to TV, the Internet, and gaming. It is our responsibility to guide them in who they form relationships with and hang out with.
I recently heard someone say what I have believed for years, and have found to fall on deaf ears for the most part. Our children need to be with us in church, watching us relate to God in worship & prayer & responding to the Holy Spirit's conviction. There IS a place for kid's church, but it has become a spiritual babysitting service in many churches where the parent drops them off and worships with the "grown-ups" leaving the child to listen to Bible stories and never see Mom & Dad in communion with God. Some places release children after worship until a certain age, which I believe is the correct approach. Sermons they are not ready for aren't appropriate certainly. I would encourage parents to keep their children with them until that point. Jesus said we are to come to him as a child, and it is that innocent child's heart that responds to Christ easiest. It is an awesome thing to have your child come to Christ at your side, not off in some classroom somewhere. I would submit that it is the more appropriate place.
Bless you as you parent, grandparent, and teach young parents to follow the will of God in the lives of their children. It has been said that it takes the entire church to parent a child, so pray for the children in your church, that they grow in Christ, not in worldly ways.