Tag: visible

Today's blog is an excerpt from my book, "The Mysterious Kingdom Of Heaven".

1 Corinthians 14:1(NKJV) - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.

The Apostle Paul said something interesting in the scripture cited above that many of us have overlooked in The Church. He first said to pursue love then desire spiritual gifts but he placed special attention on the gift of prophecy. As a result, if anyone in The Body of Christ shows disdain or derides prophecy that person is standing in direct contradiction to The Word of God. Prophecy is the gift from God that should be desired above all other spiritual gifts because according to 1 Corinthians 14:3(NKJV); “...he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.”

Revelation 19:10(NLT) - Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said, "No, don't worship me. I am a servant of God, just like you and your brothers and sisters who testify about their faith in Jesus. Worship only God. For the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus."

If there ever was confusion concerning the purpose of prophecy, Revelation 19:10 should settle it forever. The purpose of prophecy is to share the good news of Jesus Christ. People who operate in the prophetic gift or under the prophetic anointing must never forget that. It doesn’t matter the details, the bottom line is that every Word delivered from God eventually points back to Jesus.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NLT) - Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.

In Ephesians 4:11-13 we see the five main ministry gifts designed for leadership in The Church. The list consists of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. They serve a simple purpose; to equip God’s people to do his work and build up The Church, the body of Christ. Pay close attention to the assignment of the people who operate in these five gifts.

They are called to equip the Body of Christ and that’s it. This is important because there is a section of church leaders in Western society who assume that their assignment is to the world first and The Church after. It’s definitely important as a leader to go into the world and preach the gospel but it’s much more important to mature the members of The Church so that we can all do so.

As a result, they consider it noble to structure their ministries around “the un-churched” instead of first building up Christ in the people of their assemblies. The leader’s job is to empower the people in The Body of Christ so that they can effectively do the work of the ministry. They must be matured first by the ministry of those who possess the five main ministry gifts so that as a team, they can successfully pursue the “un-churched.” We also see that no reference is made in this passage to the relative importance of each assignment. They are treated equally and purposefully so. Nonetheless, more is said about these ministry gifts in the following scripture reference.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30 (NLT) - Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church: first are apostles, second are prophets, third are teachers, then those who do miracles, those who have the gift of healing, those who can help others, those who have the gift of leadership, those who speak in unknown languages. Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not!

The Importance of the Pastor and Evangelist

Two of the most widely accepted roles within The Church are the pastor and evangelist. Few Christians deny their relevance in the Body of Christ and most would vigorously defend their viability. The word, pastor is mentioned in the Bible nine times and is used in the same capacity as the word, shepherd. Outside of Ephesians 4, all other references to pastor are in the Book of Jeremiah. Therefore, since the formation of The Church it was only mentioned once.

Jeremiah 3:15 - And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

So the job of the pastor is to feed the people of The Church with knowledge and understanding like a shepherd who takes care of a flock. Now the other ministry assignment that’s widely accepted is evangelist. This word is only mentioned three times in the Bible and all of these times are in the New Testament. This position is reserved for the preacher of the gospel. Therefore it only came into existence after Jesus Christ died to defeat sin on the cross and rose from the dead to defeat death.

2 Timothy 4:5 - But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.

Romans 10:14 - How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Since the word evangelist means preacher of the gospel any mention of the word preacher in the New Testament may be associated with evangelist. However, a distinction should exist because they come from two different Greek words. Nonetheless, to sweeten the statistics, the three times that the word preacher is mentioned in the New Testament will be combined with evangelist for a grand total of 6 times.

I would like you to pay close attention to the direction of this discussion because I am building a very strong argument. The pastoral assignment is mentioned nine times in the Bible with eight of those in one book of the Bible. The evangelistic assignment is mentioned six times and all in the New Testament. Nonetheless, please note that the entire Body of Christ should preach the gospel outside of The Church. However, the ministry assignment of the evangelist, as defined in Ephesians 4 is to preach the gospel to The Church or to others so that they can join The Church.

As mentioned earlier, their mission is to perfect the saints so that they can work the ministry and edify the Body of Christ. At this point let us have a short recap. It is clear that the pastor and the evangelist are listed among the main ministry gifts. However, they are not singled out on the wider list of spiritual gifts. They are called to minister to the Body of Christ and should always have that primary responsibility at the front of their minds.

The Importance of the Teacher

The word teacher comes from the Greek word, “didaskalos” and is described as an expert, master, doctor or instructor. It is mentioned thirteen times in the New Testament and twenty times in the entire Bible. There are very few masters among us. I thank God for the honor and privilege to sit under the ministry of one whenever I can.

James 3:1 - My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

Hebrews 5:12 - For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

These individuals have a special gift of wisdom and understanding of the Word of God. I respect them greatly and I am sure most of The Church agrees that they are rare gems whom we cherish. I like reading the books written by some of these teachers because of the understanding that I receive from them. Nonetheless, this is not an office you force yourself into. You have to be called by God, anointed and disciplined in your study of the Word of God to fill these big shoes.

The Importance of the Apostle

The word apostle comes from the Greek word, “apostolos” and is described as a delegate, an ambassador of the Gospel, an official commissioner of Christ, one with miraculous powers, a messenger and one who is sent by God. This office is very special and is mentioned eighty three times in the New Testament alone. It is a part of the five main ministry gifts assigned to leadership and must still be present in The Church if perfection is to be achieved according to Ephesians 4:11-13.

I know some apostles personally and I must acknowledge that these are some of the highest ranking ministers in the Body of Christ. I say that with confidence because Paul, in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 put them first, before he mentioned the other two offices, prophets and teachers in the list of spiritual gifts. You don’t choose to be an apostle. You are chosen by God. The definition of the position includes one who is sent by God. Therefore, you don’t volunteer for that position. You can volunteer to watch cars in the parking lot! You can volunteer to be an usher! You can even volunteer to lead song service! However, God has to make you an apostle.

The Importance of the Prophet

The word prophesy in the New Testament comes from the Greek word, “propheteuo” and has the following meanings; to foretell events, speak under divine inspiration and exercise the prophetic office. The word prophet is mentioned one hundred and sixty three times in the New Testament and a total of four hundred and ninety times in the Bible. This is one of the most maligned words among conservative Christians but somehow seems to be given more emphasis in the Bible than pastor, evangelist and teacher combined.

Every main ministry gift listed in Ephesians 4:11-13 is important to The Church, so if one is missing The Church cannot be perfect. As a result, those who deny the relevance of prophecy rob themselves of an important aspect of God’s plan. In fact, just by the sheer magnitude of the emphasis placed on prophecy in the Bible, what conclusion should you draw? Do you see how many times the word prophet is used in the New Testament in stark contrast to any of the other ministry gifts and assignments?

I’ll make a simple analogy. The Church is the Body of Christ so all together we represent God on the earth. The leadership of The Church points it in the right direction. For the purpose of this discussion, let us refer to the leadership as the fingers on the Hand of God. Now let’s assume that the five main ministry gifts that constitute church leadership; apostle, prophet, teacher, pastor and evangelist are the five fingers of the Hand of God. What do you think happens when one of these assignments is removed?

You end up with a four fingered hand! Do you think a hand with four fingers can be as effective as one with five? I don’t think so. As a result, large sections of The Church have chosen to operate with four fingers and in fact, some operate with just three because they deny the role of The Apostle.

One day while sitting on the bed in my dorm room during my freshman year of college God spoke to me. He showed me how to finish my five year Dual Degree Engineering program in four years. It was never done before and I don't think it's ever been done again. I executed the plan and four years later I was done. The summer after my freshman year I sat on my bed without a job and The Lord spoke to me again. He sent me to a random train station I had never been to before and never visited again. While there I met a complete stranger who worked for an engineering firm where a worker had quit that day. By the end of the week I had a job. Now it's your turn!

God is speaking right now. Can you hear Him?

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. - John 10:27 KJV

Do you know and follow The Voice of God? In light of what Jesus said in John 10:27 that's really a loaded question. Why? It is essentially the same as asking; "Are you The Lord's sheep?" Jesus unequivocally stated that His sheep hear His voice and follow Him so if you don't, you're not His sheep. Therefore, only people who hear God's Voice and follow it qualify to declare along with the psalmist David; "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.." (Psalm 23).

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. - Romans 8:14 KJV

Are you led by The Spirit of God? If your answer is yes then it's great to meet you brother. That's one easy way to recognize a son of God. Unfortunately, many "church people" are not taught the simple truth that hearing God's Voice and following the direction of The Holy Spirit are essential to successful Christianity. There's nothing spooky about it and it's not reserved for "prophets" or "super-spiritual" people. This is also not a "charismatic" thing. The Bible is clear that it's for everyone.

Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand Or whenever you turn to the left. - Isaiah 30:21 NKJV

If you heard a voice telling you exactly what to do as you go through your day would you trust it? What about if you knew deep in your heart that the Voice belonged to God? That would transform your life, wouldn't it? Gone would be the confusion and horrible decisions of your past. Do you know that every person of note in The Bible heard from God? Yes, everyone! Name a Bible hero and I'll show you where he/ she heard from God. Thankfully, God didn't leave us here on the earth to figure our way through life, but according to John 16:13 He sent us The Holy Spirit to guide us.

My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.” - Psalm 27:8 NLT

Shhhhh! Did you hear that? Yup, I heard it too. God wants to talk to you. If I were you I would respond ASAP. He must have something good to say. Since this entire book is about discovering and executing God's Will for your life I think it's important at this point to master the discovery and execution of God's Will for your day. It's wise to start small and build from there.

Today's blog is an excerpt from my book, "The Mysterious Kingdom of Heaven".

Revelation 1:4(AMP) - John to the seven assemblies (churches) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace (the peace of Christ's kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne. And from Jesus Christ the faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead [first to be brought back to life] and the Prince (Ruler) of the kings of the earth. To Him Who ever loves us and has once [for all] loosed and freed us from our sins by His own blood, And formed us into a kingdom (a royal race), priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the power and the majesty and the dominion throughout the ages and forever and ever. Amen (so be it).

In Revelation 1:4, The Apostle John greeted the seven churches in Asia on behalf of The Father, The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. He described The Father as “The One who is and Who was and Who is to come” which I've heard many times before. He described Jesus Christ as “The faithful and trustworthy Witness, the Firstborn of the dead and the Prince of the kings of the earth” which I am also familiar with.

However, I never understood what he meant by his description of The Holy Spirit as The Seven Spirits or The Sevenfold Holy Spirit. He used it again three more times in The Book of Revelation but I had no idea what mysteries were hidden within those words and I never dared to ask. That was, until someone submitted a question about it on my website, forcing me to find the answer. The first thing I noticed was that The Sevenfold Holy Spirit was before the throne of The Father in Revelation 1:4. So that’s where I started this study.

Revelation 3:1(AMP) - AND TO the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars: I know your record and what you are doing; you are supposed to be alive, but [in reality] you are dead.

In Revelation 3:1, I then observed that not only was He before the throne of The Father but Jesus Christ possessed The Sevenfold Holy Spirit. As expected, the omnipresence of God made this possible but there was still more. This specific scripture is very important because within it is the key to identifying exactly what is contained within The Seven Spirits. Let's keep digging deeper into the scriptures.

Revelation 4:5(AMP) - Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit]

In Revelation 4:5, The Holy Spirit manifested as seven blazing torches which explains why He appeared as tongues of fire on The Day of Pentecost. By the way, that event signaled the beginning of The Outpouring of The Holy Spirit according to the exact words of The Apostle Peter in Acts 2:16-18. Hence, what many people are now fasting and praying for is already available and only needs to be received. For two thousand years, Christians who have yielded their flesh to The Holy Spirit have spoken in other tongues, prophesied, dreamed dreams and seen visions. The climax of The Outpouring is coming but it started building a long time ago.

Revelation 5:6(AMP) - And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth.

In Revelation 5:6, John took this discussion to another level when he said that the same Sevenfold Holy Spirit who was before the throne of The Father, lived in Jesus Christ and had fiery attributes was also sent into all the earth. That seems to be a common practice because in Genesis 1:2, before The Father spoke light into being, the Holy Spirit was already hovering and brooding over the earth.

It's safe to conclude that according to the words of Jesus in John 14:16&17, after His death and resurrection, The Holy Spirit was dispersed throughout the earth. What began in The Upper Room on The Day of Pentecost has spread everywhere. So while some in The Church keep waiting for Him to do something again, He has already done all that He needed to do and He's waiting for us to respond.

In Romans 10:6-10, The Apostle Paul made it clear that true faith does not ask Jesus to come down from heaven or come up from the deep to do anything on the earth again. The voice of true faith believes what The Bible says about all Jesus has already done and declares it with confidence. Even though I believe in The Trinity and I can prove with scripture that The Father, The Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ are three in one, let's ensure that we understand something about God's plan before we move on.

The Father sent to earth, Jesus, who defeated the curse of sin and death then ascended to heaven and remains there until He is told to return according to Acts 2:34&35. When Jesus returned to heaven, He sent The Holy Spirit to earth according to John 14:16&17 and He moved inside of every Christian. Now that The Holy Spirit is on the earth, we have to understand what really happened during that exchange or else we will continue to miss out on the current benefits of those past occurrences.

Romans 8:9-11(NLT) - But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.) And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

A revelation of Christ as The Sevenfold Holy Spirit living inside of you will completely revolutionize your life. Therefore, what you are about to read is extremely valuable information. Pay close attention to the connection between what I'm going to say and all that The Apostle John said in The Book of Revelation. The Seven Spirits were seen before The Father's throne, within Jesus Christ, as blazing torches and roaming the earth. He has taken up residence inside of every Christian. May God open our eyes to see who lives inside of us and how that affects our daily lives.

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.

The Sevenfold Holy Spirit or The Seven Spirits of God are the following;

1. The Spirit of Wisdom
2. The Spirit of Understanding
3. The Spirit of Counsel
4. The Spirit of Might
5. The Spirit of Knowledge
6. The Spirit of Reverential Fear of The Lord
7. The Spirit of Obedient Fear of The Lord

This knowledge can potentially transform the life of every Christian who receives it. Many in The Church can already recognize the fruit of The Holy Spirit as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance based on Galatians 5:22. In addition, many are aware that speaking with other tongues is evidence of being filled with The Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4 and Acts 19:6. Lastly, it's clearly evident that the Holy Spirit can pray for and through us according to Romans 8:26 and 1 Corinthians 14:14-15. However, the fruit, evidence and action of The Holy Spirit does not define who He is. That's why the revelation of The Sevenfold Holy Spirit must now be released to The Body of Christ.

Genesis 22:7-8(KJV) - And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

Last night was Session 2 of the youth conference and once again God showed up in a special way. This time we dealt with strongholds of the mind and how to get free. Here are some relevant articles you can read at your leisure;

1) Ask Donnell - How Do I Get Lasting Change In My Life?

2) Ask Donnell - How Do I Respond To Strong Temptation?

3) Know Your Enemy

Divine Destiny Worship Centre Youth Conference 2013 - "Break Every Chain"

Conference Dates:

Wednesday August 28th - Friday August 30th

Book Bag Blessing:

Saturday August 31st

For more info, visit Divine Destiny Worship Centre

Proverbs 28:13(KJV) - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The first step to being free is admitting that you need to be free. Session One of Divine Destiny Worship Centre's Youth Conference 2013 was amazing. We set the foundation with a simple message on the power of true repentance. If you don't confess and repent of your sins you cannot break free of them.

Today, we have a few articles on true repentance that will teach you everything you need to know. Please read them at your leisure.

1) Truly Repentant Or Just Sorry For Getting Caught?

2) Questioning God's Mercy? - Understand True Repentance

3) Caught! What Do You Do When God Exposes Your Sin?

Divine Destiny Worship Centre Youth Conference 2013 - "Break Every Chain"

Conference Dates:

Wednesday August 28th - Friday August 30th

Book Bag Blessing:

Saturday August 31st

For more info, visit Divine Destiny Worship Centre

AVERTING AN IDENTITY CRISIS

Matthew 4:1-3(KJV) - Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (emphasis mine)

As we discussed previously, the devil was after Jesus' soul. What do I mean by that? He wanted access to Jesus' mind, will and emotions. He wanted to affect how Jesus was thinking, the decisions He was making and how He felt. Jesus just finished a 40 day fast and was extremely hungry so the devil knew exactly where He was vulnerable at that time. Hence, the devil tempted Jesus by sarcastically suggesting that He use His supernatural power to satisfy His physical desires. However, the temptation had nothing to do with stones and nothing to do with bread. It was all about Jesus' identity.

Pay close attention to the phrase that I emphasized; "If thou be the Son of God." By starting with that phrase, the devil questioned Jesus' identity in a moment when He was vulnerable. The devil dared Jesus to prove that He was The Son of God. It was an attempt to coax Jesus to get out of character. The devil wanted to see Jesus defend His position. If Jesus was unsure of Himself, He would have fallen for the trap and tried to prove His worth. Don't let that happen to you.

A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

In addition, He directly questioned Jesus' identity as it related to His relationship with His Father in heaven. He basically said, "Are you really God's Son or are you not? Hmm, maybe you're Joseph's son or some other man's. Virgin birth whatever! If you are really God's Son then show me your power." Just like the devil. There he went telling Jesus how The Son of God was supposed to act. He was essentially playing mind games.

Now think about your own life. How many times has the enemy used the same tactics to mess with your mind? He attacks when you are vulnerable in the area where you're vulnerable. He says things to make you question your identity. He says things to make you question your relationship with God. He says things to control what you think, the decisions you make and how you feel. He'll tempt you to disobey God to get something God could give you in the first place. He wants you to question God's Love for you. He wants you to question God's plan for your life. If you don't know know you are, he has some suggestions for you. He did it with Eve. He did it with Jesus. He'll do it with you. Watch out!

HOW THE ENEMY TRICKED EVE

Genesis 3:1-5(KJV) - Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Pay close attention to the enemy's tactics with Eve. There's a lot more in there but for today's study I just want you to focus on verse 5 and see something familiar.

1) The devil questioned Eve's identity.

She was already made in God's image and likeness according to Genesis 1:26-28 so she was already like God. However, in verse 5 he made her question that. He challenged her to disobey God so that she would be like God even though she already was like God. He questioned her identity and messed with her mind. If she wasn't sure she was made in God's image she would fall for the trap.

2) The devil questioned Eve's relationship with God.

He made her feel like God was holding something back by telling her not to touch The Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. He did not tell her the truth which was that God was trying to protect her because that would paint God in a good light. So he planted a lie in her head about God and that messed with her soul. How do we know that? He messed with what she thought about God's benevolence, how she made decisions in response to God's directions and how she felt about God's view of her. Maybe God wasn't as good as He portrayed Himself to be after all?

Don't fall for the same trap!

Divine Destiny Worship Centre Youth Conference 2013 - "Break Every Chain"

Conference Dates:

Wednesday August 28th - Friday August 30th

Book Bag Blessing:

Saturday August 31st

For more info, visit Divine Destiny Worship Centre

REAL WARFARE

Ephesians 6:11-12(NLT) - Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Have you ever met certain people who rub you the wrong way for no apparent reason? No matter what you do to be nice to them they just continue to be unreasonable. Maybe there's a much deeper problem in existence. One that goes beyond the natural realm. Human enemies are merely agents of misdirection. They are sent along your path to distract you from your real enemies.

While they draw away your attention, the real enemies of your soul remain unchecked. The Apostle Paul says in Ephesians 6:11-12 that our war is never against human beings. It is not against wicked human beings. It is not against selfish human beings. It is not against violent human beings. It doesn't matter. If you can see them with your natural eyes you are looking in the wrong direction.

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS

2 Corinthians 10:3-6(NKJV) - For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.

"Knowledge is not power. It's potential power. Applied knowledge is power." - Darren Hardy, Publisher & Editorial Director of Success Magazine

It's great to know that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. It's also great to know that they are mighty. However, unless we can identify them, understand how they operate and then actually use them none of that power can help us. So what are these weapons? Also, why does the scripture say these spiritual weapons are primarily for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments, misinformation about God, stray thoughts and disobedience? What kind of spiritual warfare is that?

Ephesians 6:17(NKJV) - And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

Your spiritual weapon is The Word of God.

THE WAR FOR YOUR SOUL

Hebrews 4:12(NKJV) - For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (emphasis mine)

Like we said, your spiritual weapon is The Word of God. How exactly can words be used to fight a war? Am I supposed to believe that I can just say something and defeat an enemy? What kind of battle is that? Also, it's not a coincidence that the helmet of salvation is mentioned in the same verse. Why did The Bible say to protect your head and fight with words? Take a look at Hebrews 4:12. Pay close attention to a certain word that I emphasize. It's the word, "thoughts."

The primary battleground is your soul. Every time the devil and his forces attack they are after something priceless; your soul. Why your soul? Contained within your soul are your mind, will and emotions. That's right. They want to control how you think, the decisions you make and how you feel. They want to control your soul. When they can influence your soul, they can control you. When they can control you, they've won the battle. God gave you one weapon to win the battle for your soul. It's The Word of God and it has the power to wage war for your mind, will and emotions.

Divine Destiny Worship Centre Youth Conference 2013 - "Break Every Chain"

Conference Dates:

Wednesday August 28th - Friday August 30th

Book Bag Blessing:

Saturday August 31st

For more info, visit Divine Destiny Worship Centre

Divine Destiny Worship Centre Youth Conference 2013 - "Break Every Chain"

Conference Dates:

Wednesday August 28th - Friday August 30th

Book Bag Blessing:

Saturday August 31st

For more info, visit Divine Destiny Worship Centre

The Parable of the Ten Virgins – Be ready for Jesus Christ’s return to earth!

Matthew 25:1-13 - Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

I’ve heard so many different explanations for this parable that at least I have somewhere to start. From one perspective, the oil represents the Holy Ghost. He moves into the heart of an individual who accepts Jesus Christ as the eternal sacrifice for his sins. Therefore, those who are in Christ possess the oil and are considered wise while those without it are foolish. Proverbs 11:30 says that a winner of souls is wise. As a result, both the offering and acceptance of salvation is wise in the Kingdom of Heaven. The image of the virgins sleeping while the bridegroom takes his time to arrive gives the picture of life as usual across the earth before the return of Jesus Christ. Some people are prepared for His return while others purposefully neglect to accept the free of gift of salvation available to them.

2 Peter 3:1-4 - This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

The second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has to be the hottest topic in The Church. Since the early days of the New Testament, people in The Church have been claiming that Jesus is coming soon. The word “soon” seems to no longer mean anything because few people know the real definition of “soon.” Unless you live in eternity I don’t think a couple thousand years could mean “soon.” One superstar preacher said Jesus was coming in 1986. Another said that He would come in 2000. Others say definitely, He's coming in 2020. So I guess I have a few years to live it up before it's all over.

1 Peter 4:7 - But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.

I acknowledge that Jesus did give us warning signs concerning the end times and we can see some of them manifesting in our lives right now (Matthew 24). What’s important to note, however, is Matthew 24:14, which states, “And this gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Therefore, in contrast to popular belief, the progress of the church's evangelistic efforts determines the end and not the world's moral degradation or the frequent occurrence of natural disasters! All of the wars, false prophets, sicknesses, famines and natural disasters which we claim to be the signs of the end have been going on for a very long time.

We should look closely at the words of Jesus concerning this issue in Matthew 24:6 and I quote, “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Jesus taught the world about the Kingdom during His time on the earth and that is the message that we will have to present before His second coming. The end won’t come when the wars escalate. However, when the gospel of the Kingdom is preached everywhere, look up, because Jesus Christ will crack the sky.