Tag: visible

John 6:5-7(NLT) - Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, "Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?" He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do. Philip replied, "Even if we worked for months, we wouldn't have enough money to feed them!"

Not enough money? No problem! When Jesus walked the earth, money was never a problem. He had power over money. The same power is available to you.

Galatians 5:22-23(NLT) - But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

John 13:34-35(NKJV) - A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Out of all the definitions of love I have ever heard the one Jesus gave in John 15:13 is my favorite. He said that the greatest love exists when you lay down your life for someone else. This is the most important fruit of The Spirit and is therefore mentioned first. Spirituality is defined by your desire to enhance someone else's life at the expense of your own. Every day of your life, God will present opportunities for you to demonstrate love and today is no different. Like any fruit, it will only grow in the right environment so you must take a posture of love in every situation to the best of your ability so that The Holy Spirit can develop His Love within you.

The process begins by your time spent with God, who is the embodiment of Love. If you're too busy to spend time with God you won't develop in His Love. Then, you have to feed yourself with the seeds of Love that come through meditation in The Word of God. You then have to water that seed by applying the Word to specific situations. Faith without works is dead so if you don't do The Word you can't benefit from it. Last, but not least, you have to protect yourself from all selfishness. Avoid environments dominated by selfishness and surround yourself with The Love you are eager to develop in your own life. Fruit never shows up instantly but if a tree remains in the right conditions it starts to grow.

Meditate on 1 Corinthians 13 and Proverbs 4:20-23

Judges 14:5-6(NKJV) - …. Now to his surprise, a young lion came roaring against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion apart as one would have torn apart a young goat, though he had nothing in his hand…..

Judges 16:19-20(NKJV) - Then she lulled him to sleep on her knees, and called for a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” So he awoke from his sleep, and said, “I will go out as before, at other times, and shake myself free!” But he did not know that the LORD had departed from him.

I believe that nowhere in The Bible is a finer example of a man whose life was defined by The Spirit of Might. That’s easy to recognize because whenever The Spirit of The Lord came upon Samson, it was for mastery, valor and strength. He tore a lion apart with his bare hands, killed thirty men all by himself and broke the bondage of ropes.

However, just in case you don’t think this applies to your life, do you know that Samson was a normal man just like any of us without The Holy Spirit? He wasn’t especially big or naturally strong. In fact, he did not even look intimidating. The only difference between him and any other man was the same Holy Spirit who lives in every Christian.

Supernatural Speed and Endurance

1 Kings 18:45-46 (NKJV) - Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain. So Ahab rode away and went to Jezreel. Then the hand of the LORD came upon Elijah; and he girded up his loins and ran ahead of Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

The Spirit of The Lord was upon Elijah most commonly for insight, intelligence and counsel. Nonetheless, when The Hand of The Lord came upon him in this case, it was for something different. He outran the king’s chariots by the power of The Spirit of Might. I believe that this same power is available to every member of The Body of Christ. If it’s ever necessary, God can give us supernatural strength. It may be for self-defense, lifting something heavy, running to safety or anything else that’s above the ordinary.

In Psalm 103:4, redemption from destruction was listed as a benefit of our relationship with God. I believe that the Spirit of Might may sometimes be needed to bring that scripture to pass. The same way I call on The Spirit of Wisdom, Understanding and Counsel whenever I need help, I can call on The Spirit of Might. There is nothing more inherently spiritual about any one aspect of the Seven Spirits of God than any other. Hence, supernatural ability should not be discounted because one day you may need it.

Giant Killer

1 Samuel 17:34-37(KJV) - And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

When the average man sees a lion and a bear he runs in the next direction. However, David was no average man. He was a giant killer. In 1 Samuel 16:13, Samuel anointed him and The Spirit of The Lord came upon him from that moment. When David saw a lion or a bear attacking his flock he ran boldly toward it. With his bare hands he dismantled animals that usually strike fear in the hearts of men. Why? He was confident in The Spirit of Might that was upon him.

The Lord wants to empower people to operate in such supernatural power that only He gets the glory. In David’s case, after killing a lion and a bear he was ready for Goliath. So what or who is the giant standing before you? If you would just believe, The Spirit of Might living inside of you can also make you a giant killer today.

Meditate on 1 Samuel 17

Final Session - Saturday, December 14th, 2013

You are personally invited to join us in Atlanta (Vinings), GA for our exciting, new monthly bible study; "The Body". Our mission is to bring people into The Body of Christ, help them to discover where they fit and show them how to execute their purpose with a burning passion for Jesus! Join us every 2nd Saturday as we address Biblical steps toward discovering and executing The Will of God for your life.

If you're out of town, you're invited to join The Body Online where you will receive access to the same interactive information from anywhere in the world. By the time we're finished you will be well on your way to fulfilling your destiny. Contact us for more details and to RSVP. Invite a friend. Visit us at www.thecrackeddoor.com for more info.

Acts 2:43(AMP) - And a sense of awe (reverential fear) came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles (the special messengers).

The best example of The Spirit of Reverential Fear of The Lord took place soon after The Holy Spirit was poured out beyond measure and the early church was formed. He manifested Himself as such and all who received Him had a sense of awe or reverential fear. In this way, The Bible describes one of the clearest depictions of this specific representation of The Holy Spirit and distinguishes it from every other.

This is good news for all Christians because it means that even when we struggle to show honor and respect for God by our actions, The Spirit of Reverential Fear can spur us on. In Acts 2:43, The Bible appears to present a direct connection between the fear of The Lord and the prevalence of signs and wonders in the early church. Could it be that major miracles have escaped the Western Church because people don’t fear The Lord the way they should? Think about it!

Wisdom begins with The Fear of The Lord

Proverbs 9:10(KJV) - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

The Spirit of Wisdom and The Spirit of Reverential Fear of The Lord work together. Wisdom begins with the fear of The Lord. The people who walk in God’s Wisdom deeply love, honor and respect Him. The people who know Him intimately have access to The Spirit of Understanding. So if you sincerely desire God’s wisdom it pays to live a life that demonstrates love, honor and respect for Him.

It’s really not that difficult to understand. God is a person. He desires a relationship built on quality time and adherence to His directions. Those who are willing to give Him what He wants get access to everything He has. One of the most important gifts He can offer us is His wisdom. If walking in the Fear of The Lord would get us this wisdom, wouldn’t you do it? I would!

The Spirit of Obedient Fear of The Lord

Isaiah 1:19-20(NKJV) - If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword"; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

God knows how to get people to obey Him. Isaiah 1:19-20 shows us why that's a good thing. Many of the precious promises we all desire are expressly connected to our obedience to God's directions. We can pray, fast, declare scriptures, bind and loose spirits but if we do not obey God we're wasting our time. As a young Christian, my father taught me that the answers to our prayers are sometimes wrapped in a set of instructions from God. If we follow them without question we'll see the full manifestation. If we don't, we'll continue to wonder what happened to our prayers.

Isaiah 11:1-2(AMP) - AND THERE shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him — the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord.

Since obedience is so important The Holy Spirit was sent to help. In the same way that He can give us wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel and might, He can help us to be obedient. That’s one benefit that I tap into on a regular basis and you should too.

Meditate on Isaiah 1:16-20

Luke 6:43-45(NLT) - "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs never grow on thornbushes, nor grapes on bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart.

Your true spirituality is judged by nothing else but The Fruit of The Spirit. Talking in tongues is evidence of the infilling of The Holy Spirit. Operating in spiritual gifts is evidence that you received something from The Holy Spirit. However, The Fruit of The Spirit is evidence that you have been changed from natural to spiritual. It's evidence of your true character and is the only way that people other than God know the condition of your heart.

Fruit grow when a tree is fed with the necessary nutrients, water and sunlight. They flourish when the tree is healthy and protected from pests and diseases. In the same way, your spiritual fruit will grow out of you. It's more than just a decision but a process of feeding yourself with the right spiritual nutrients from The Word of God. It also grows as you place yourself in an environment that fosters spiritual development. Last but not least, you have to protect your heart from all that is ungodly so that pests and diseases don't kill your fruit. The Word of God is the spiritual seed according to Luke 8:11. Your heart is the spiritual soil according to Luke 8:15. Commit today to a life of spiritual cultivation.

Meditate on Luke 8:4-15

Psalms 139:13-16(NLT) - You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Today is my birthday and I thank God for blessing me with one more year of life. In commemoration, I would like to share a little about myself. I completed a wide-ranging magazine interview in 2008 during which I answered a myriad of questions. I had also just completed my first book, I Curse Death and explained the rationale behind many of the revolutionary principles in the book. You will probably find some of those answers very interesting. Click each image below to expand. Let me know your thoughts.

Hebrews 11:1-3(NKJV) - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

Creation occurred by a “Spiritual Reaction.” God took the spiritual matter of His Word, combined it with His potent faith and brought the worlds into existence. Once it was mastered by others, that process was used over and over in The Bible providing consistent results. Hebrews 4:2 says that anywhere the spiritual matter of God's Word is not mixed with faith there are no tangible results. This could answer so many questions faced in The Church right now. People who know the scriptures well but lack the faith necessary to do what it says get no results. In much the same way, those who have faith but aren't established enough in the scriptures are also plagued with futility.

The Word of God is spiritual matter but faith is the power needed to change it into physical matter. You won't see what you desire until you believe what The Bible says about it enough to do what you need to do for it to happen. God made all that is seen from that which is invisible. In doing so, He created a system that will work for all of us if we do it exactly as He did. You cannot let what you see control your reality when God showed you how to change it. Look around your life today and see what's out of line. Find what The Bible says about that issue, do what it says you need to do and then expect something different to appear in your life.

Meditate on 2 Corinthians 4:18 and Hebrews 4:2

Final Session - Saturday, December 14th, 2013

You are personally invited to join us in Atlanta (Vinings), GA for our exciting, new monthly bible study; "The Body". Our mission is to bring people into The Body of Christ, help them to discover where they fit and show them how to execute their purpose with a burning passion for Jesus! Join us every 2nd Saturday as we address Biblical steps toward discovering and executing The Will of God for your life.

If you're out of town, you're invited to join The Body Online where you will receive access to the same interactive information from anywhere in the world. By the time we're finished you will be well on your way to fulfilling your destiny. Contact us for more details and to RSVP. Invite a friend. Visit The Body for more info.

2 Corinthians 10:4(KJV) - (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

We are in a war for our minds. Don't let the enemy win!