Knowing and Doing

The Power of the Holy Spirit.  A phrase most Baptists would run from.  It's almost like we are afraid of this wonderful power that Jesus has given to us.  We don't want to be labelled too Pentecostal though.  The Holy Spirit has been accused of stirring peoples emotions, making them raise their hands in worship and much more.  We think of other happenstances because He is greatly misunderstood.  What about Holy Spirit given divine appointments ?  A divine appointment is a meeting with another person that has been specifically and unmistakably ordered by God. Yet I sometimes wonder how many of these supernaturally scheduled meetings I’ve missed because I didn’t have my spiritual radar turned on.  The Scriptures say, “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.” Psalm 37:23 After decades of walking (off and on, but mostly on) with God, I can tell you that seeing God set up these “appointments” is a thrill that is beyond ...

The caption in this image is true!  When we go out into the harvest, the first thing we do when someone answers the door is ask folks if we can pray with them.  What is amazing is the response from church goers...(not necessarily believers).  "I'm good.  I went to church today."  "No thanks.  I have a prayer group at church."  "I went to church.  I've already done that." Prayer is not religion or religious.  It's our lifeline to the Lord.  It's our communication with the Almighty.  We are gifted with the Spirit to be able to pray to God.  ONE Prayer CHANGES everything!!  If we follow the model of prayer in Matthew 6, there would be some personal questions about prayer:  Do we really pray to worship God and to revere His name?  (Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name), for life change/transformation because of God's will?  (your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven)...

Sunday night, as usual, we gather and separate in teams to go into the harvest close to the church facilities.  We meet a lovely young lady that allows us to pray with her and seems the visit is pleasant.  She is allowing the conversation to be spiritual and is open to what we are saying.  All of the sudden, as I was presenting the 3 circles, I get to SIN which separates us from God and ask her to define sin for me.  She immediately walked away saying "NO THANK YOU!"  A full shutdown. "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God " (1 Peter 3:18). " In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace" (Ephesians 1:7). There cannot be forgiveness of sin without Jesus shedding his blood for our sin.  1 Peter writes, "Christ died for us to bring us to God."  Paul writes, "In him, we are redeemed" - through his blood wh...

Why is it that when I keep getting closer to the Lord, the old slew foot, the devil tries his hardest to knock me down?  I feel like I am getting assaulted at times.  I mean a full on attack.  I am not whining.  I am not complaining.  It sounds like it.  Sometimes I can be my own worst enemy, my use of time, my wandering thoughts, and my devotion to the wrong things at times. When I went to outreach training in August, the attacks really began.  My time management became a major issue.  The distractions increased.  It was clear that my need for prayer and being in the Word was critical.  I was about to change some things in my life that would bring me closer to the Lord by obeying the Great Commission even more.  However, I forgot something of great importance. Matthew 28:20:  "And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."  The end of Matthew's Gospel has such great significance.  I recently heard the ...

Considering the weight and cost of my sin today as I do when I pray daily leading to my repentance even though I am forgiven. I repent daily. I am very thankful that Christ saved me from my sin and an eternity separated from Him. I am thankful for forgiveness through Jesus. Many folks, however, believe that Satan was the one that brought sin into this world. Or that God created sin because He created forgiveness through His Son. Romans 5:12a: "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned" This truth will enlighten us to understand the TRUE author of sin.....MAN! Adam, to be specific. Dr. Tony Evans writes, "The presence of this tree was a test of Adam and Eve's obedience, and a reminder of the Creator/creature distinction..." Every time we are faced with a choice, it is a test of obedience to God, a test of faith in Him. It's when we turn to ourselve...

REPENTANCE...what do we do with that word? Luke 24:45-47 " 45 Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Repentance is defined by many biblical scholars as a "change of mind", not a turning from sin.  It is understood that a changing of your mind also brings a turn away from the love of sin.  The Hebrew word in the Old Testament is nacham , which means "relent, repent or be sorry, change the mind." Dr. John MacArthur writes, "Repentance is no more a meritorious work than its counterpart, faith. It is an inward response. Genuine repentance pleads with the Lord to forgive and deliver from the burden of sin and the fear of judgment and hell. It is the attitude of the publican who, fearful of even lo...