Vision: Angel & the Wind

On June 6, after waking up, I decided to take another minute before actually getting up. As I contemplated mustering up the strength I had a very quick vision. I saw what I immediately felt to be an angel. His face was turned down towards the earth from the sky and was swiftly approaching downward like a rocket.

All I could see of the angel was his face and shoulders. What stood out most was the expression he had on his face. It was a soft gentle smile. On his back he carried a great ball of wind. it covered the rest of his body. Actually, it was as if his entire body was made of a great powerful world wind.

I asked God if this was from him or a figment from my mind and I immediately saw a flash of the same vision. This time it was shown to me from a side view. I saw the side of his head and the clouds on his back.

I am not an artists but I tried to draw what I saw.

I am not sure the meaning of the vision. It seemed to have something to do with a world-wind coming. Is it distructive? I don't know.

Build The Temple of The Lord

BUILD THE TEMPLE OF THE LORD AND THE LORD WILL BLESS YOU AND HE WILL MAKE YOU LIKE HIS SIGNET RING; FOR IN THE PAST YOU EXPECTED MUCH BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE LITTLE

At this point in time today, The LORD is going to help us to understand a very deep message. And this message can be summarized as follows: “Building The House (Temple) of The LORD”, even though the most extensive whole topic is as noted above.

And so as we may be aware, The body is the temple of The Holy Spirit. And the body here refers to the wholesome segments of the body including the segments that it shields and harbours i.e the soul, the spirit, the mind, the heart and indeed the body itself. And so everyone should submit their body, soul, spirit, mind and heart to The LORD so that The LORD can cleanse it, purify it, test it and refine it so that it can become the temple of The Holy Spirit: The house of The LORD, so that The LORD can be honoured through it. And all this is captured in the book of 1st Corinthians 6:19-20 which states as follows: “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”

And so it is very important to note that it is the combination of very many temples (house/body) of The LORD that make up a church; because a church is a temple (a body) of believers. And so this is not just about a physical church building being built but each individual Temple (house/body) of The LORD being built. And that is the body, the soul, the spirit, the mind and the heart of each individual.

And so The LORD God Almighty, The LORD Jesus Christ and The Holy Spirit is essentially saying that: enough is enough, and that it is high time that everybody everywhere realize that the season and the moment for The LORD's house (Temple) to be built has arrived. And everybody must therefore build the house of The LORD in a Holy, Righteous and acceptable way so that The LORD who is Holy and can dwell upon this now holy house; which initially was in ruins. And so everybody everywhere in all the corners of the earth is called upon by The LORD to submit their bodies, souls, spirits, minds and hearts to The LORD for it to be set forth as the temple (house) of The LORD. And this call is very well stipulated in the book of Haggai 1:2-4 which states as follows: '“This is what theLord Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.’” Then the word of the Lordcame through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”'

And this means that The LORD has watched very carefully and has been watching very carefully for along time and observed that people everywhere on the earth are very busy with their lifestyles and concerns and yet their bodies which actually is a property of The LORD has been left in ruins for they have not submitted their souls, spirits, minds, hearts and indeed their bodies to The LORD. And that's why we see The LORD proclaiming: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?”

And so The LORD is calling everybody everywhere to build The House of The LORD so that the house of The LORD be no longer in ruins but that The LORD to have pleasure in it and be honoured. And this is well stated in the book of Haggai 1:7-8which states as follows: '“This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord.”'

And so The LORD is essentially saying that everybody everywhere should now go to Him (The LORD) by seeking Him and inquiring of Him and focusing on Him up on His throne room in Heaven so that He can now release upon them the raw materials for building His house (Temple) which is at present in ruins. And these raw materials (timber) for building the house (temple) of The LORD includes prayer, fasting, reading the Bible, fellowship, singing praise and worship to The LORD and The LORD will then purify, refine, cleanse, clean up, revive, restore and sanctify them who submit themselves to Him up in the mountains (In His throne room in Heaven) so that they can bring down timber (The Raw Materials) to build the house (temple of The LORD) which is now in ruins.

And The LORD is saying that because His house remains in ruins as a result of sin and wickedness, He has as a result (consequently) withheld blessings and anointing upon the people. And that people expects healings, breakthrough, satisfaction and success in their life but they only receive very little of it and at times none of it and so they yearn for more.And this is because the sacrifice they bring before The LORD is unacceptable because it is laced (covered) with sin and wickedness. And so the toil and prayer of the people (individuals) is in vain because: “The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked but the prayer of the upright pleases Him.” (Proverbs 15:8). And so The LORD is calling upon everyone everywhere not to lean onto their own understanding but to focus on Him in Repentance, Righteousness, Holiness, Truth and Complete Surrender to The LORD Jesus Christ. And this is well captured in the book ofHaggai 1:9-11 which states as follows: '“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”'

And so for sometime there has not been open-Heavens but closed Heavens as a result of sin in the land and amongst the people and individuals (House of The LORD in ruins). And so the Great move of The LORD and the outpour of The Holy Spirit has been lacking in the land and amongst people and individuals because of the filthiness, sin and wickedness that has ruined the house (Temple) of The LORD (The bodies, the souls, the spirits, the minds and the hearts). And that’s why The LORD is declaring: “I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

And The LORD is thus saying that everyone everywhere who hears the call of The LORD and fears The LORD in wisdom by being obedient to the voice of The LORD, The LORD will help them in building His house (Temple), for He will console them and stir up their spirit by touching them with the power of The Holy Spirit and He will declare to them: “I am with you”.And all this is well stated in the book of Haggai 1:12-14 which states as follows: '“Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the peopleobeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared the Lord. Then Haggai, the Lord’s messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with you,” declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God.”'

And The LORD is saying that once His house is built by each and everyone submitting their bodies, souls, spirits, minds and hearts to The LORD for purification, refining, test, cleansing and sanctification, then The LORD will move in a powerful and tremendous way amongst the people. And that He will now release His glory, power and anointing amongst the people and The LORD will bring healing, restoration, satisfaction, success, revival and peace amongst the people. And that this particular move and glory of The LORD will be to another higher level because the house that was initially in ruins and full of sins will have been purified, cleansed, refined, tested and sanctified and will thus be a Holy, Righteous, Repentant and truthful house (Vessel/temple). There will now not be the restrained release of the glory and move of The LORD that was as a result of a ruined house (body/temple) brought about by sin and wickedness. And this is well stated in the book of Haggai 2:3-9 which states as follows: '“Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now?Does it not seem to you like nothing? But now be strong, Zerubbabel,’ declares the Lord. ‘Be strong, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares theLord Almighty. ‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the Lord Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”'

And The LORD is saying that even blessings of wealth and prosperity He will release so long as His house (Temple/House) which was in ruins is built in Righteousness and Holiness through Repentance for the forgiveness of sins and thereby taking to the path of Righteousness, Holiness, Truth and Complete Surrender to The LORD Jesus Christ. And that’s why The LORD is declaring that: “The silver is mine and the gold is mine,” And that's why we also find The LORD Jesus Christ declaring as follows in the book of Mathew 6:31-34 which states as follows: '“ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”'

And so the outpour of The Holy Spirit will be in abundance and The LORD will even communicate to His children and servants, both young and old; men and women and even little children through dreams, visions and they will even prophesy in the name of The LORD. This is well captured in the book of Joel 2:28-29which states as follows: “And afterward (when the ruined house is built), I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days (when the house/temple of the LORD is built.”

And so it becomes very clear that when the house (the temple/the body) is in ruins as a result of sin and wickedness, it hinders the glorious Great move of The LORD; and without Repentance of sins and taking to the path of Righteousness, Holiness, truth and complete surrender to The LORD Jesus Christ, then the sacrifice offered is in vain. And this is well stated in the book of Haggai 2:14 which states as follows:'“ Then Haggai said, ‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the Lord. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.”'

And so sin and wickedness which brings ruins in the house (temple/body) of The LORD leads to a curse upon the individuals, the people and the land. And only when the temple of the LORD (The body, the soul, the spirit, the mind and the heart) is built i.e submitted for purification, cleansing, restoration, refining (like silver), testing (like gold) and sanctification does blessings descend (is released) from The LORD: The Healings, The satisfaction, The Breakthrough, The Peace and The success. And here it is about the genuine success; any success that is not based in the fear (wisdom) of The LORD is an illusion i.e a lie that soon passes like a cloud. And all these are well captured in the book of Haggai 2:15-19which states as follows: “‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on—consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the Lord’s temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not return to me,’ declares theLord. ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit. “From this day on I will bless you.’”

And those who become obedient to the call of The LORD and build His house (Temple), The LORD will choose them as His servants and children. And The LORD will fight their battles and The LORD will protect them against their enemies for then the eye and the favour of The LORD will be upon them; meaning that The LORD will make them like His signet ring for He shall have chosen and anointed them and made them a royal priesthood. And He will even overthrow the royal thrones of the world for the benefit of His precious royal priesthood. And all these is well captured in the book of Haggai 2:20-23 which states as follows: '“ The word of the Lord came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month:“Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I am going to shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. “‘On that day,’ declares the Lord Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”'

This then becomes The Great Revival.

SHALOM!!!

MAY YOU GO UP INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND BRING DOWN TIMBER AND BUILD THE HOUSE OF THE LORD SO THAT THE LORD MAY TAKE PLEASURE IN IT AND BE HONOURED!!!

AND PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIT IN ABSOLUTE REPENTANCE, RIGHTEOUSNESS, HOLINESS, TRUTH AND COMPLETE SURRENDER TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST (YAHUSHUA HA MASHIACH). TIME IS ABSOLUTELY OVER; THE MESSIAH JESUS CHRIST IS IMMINENTLY COMING TO PICK HIS BRIDE!!!

REPENTANCE PRAYER


Precious Jesus,


I acknowledge today that you are LORD and savior of all mankind,


and today I have recognized my shortfall,


I repent and turn away from all sin.


Please cover me with your precious blood,


and establish your word in my life,


that I may be found in righteousness and holiness


and write my name in your book of life


and baptize me with the power of the Holy Spirit


in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

Amen.


Shalom!!! Shalom!!! Shalom!!!


Kevin Mirasi     http://injesuschrististand.blogspot.com/

Understanding The Last Days

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priest.

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  Mena: Walking Faith Healing Ministries- posted September 2013

Bible Verses About Signs Of The End Times

Bible verses related to Signs Of The End Times from the King James Version (KJV) by Relevance

- Sort By Book Order

2 Timothy 3:1-5 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.    

Mark 13:32 - But of that day and [that] hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.

Matthew 24:7 - For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Luke 21:11 - And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

Matthew 24:1-51 - And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to [him] for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

Revelation 13:16-17 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

Joel 2:28-32 - And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:

1 Timothy 4:1 - Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

Matthew 24:6 - And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all [these things] must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

Luke 21:25 - And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

2 Timothy 3:1-4 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   

Revelation 3:3 - Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 - Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,   

Matthew 24:36 - But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

2 Timothy 3:1-17 - This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.   

Luke 21:36 - Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Matthew 24:21-22 - For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Matthew 16:2-3 - He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, [It will be] fair weather: for the sky is red.

Daniel 12:4 - But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, [even] to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

2 Peter 3:3-4 - Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,   

Matthew 24:42-44 - Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

U.S Invasion Dream 2015

I received this dream on early in the morning on Friday, May 22, 2015

I was in a huge house with many sections to it. At times some parts seemed without a roof. There were many people, could be hundreds. Everyone was quite busy, even to the point as I spoke I had to literally get out of their way.

I was speaking to someone about why a couple that I sort of knew did not ask me to be a part of their wedding. I was disappointed but not angry. My mother, who barely knew them was taking part and I was told it was because of her bubbly personality. There was a lot of business taken place. I then saw a friend in another section of the room showing off her dog's new hair cut.

I went by the steps of this great house and looked up in the sky and was alarmed to see several war planes in the sky. I yelled to everyone to come and see and immediately we all knew we were under attack. I was then taken in my spirit and given an aerial view of an highway with many trucks and war style vehicles. I remember seeing a futuristic type truck made of shiny metal with a huge missile on top of it. 

I then appeared at an outdoor conference where I knew I would find my family. The conference was with Michelle Obama and another female political person. I was anxious for them to finish the last question so that I could tell them what was on its way. Before I could say anything, everyone noticed the trucks coming and they began to run. The female figure next to Michelle ran off.

Next thing I say was me running with my family. We found a building like a department store and ran in. The building was made of glass and there was nothing to hide us. As we sat shaking with a slew of other people, a general walked in. His face was stern and void of emotions. My teenage daughter began to cry hysterically. I was afraid we would stand out by her crying and be shot. The general ignored us and proceeded looking in the corner of a piece of furniture. He wore a khaki uniform with high boots and a cap. I remember thinking he was short for a general. he also had a full rounded face. There was no other detail on his uniform so I am not sure of his nationality. Here is a similar uniform being worn by the Germans but it could very well be Russia or Korea. There uniforms are very similar.

After laying a few minutes in bed, another dream that I had was brought to me. It was a dream regarding a war with a devastating aftermath. Buildings were torn down after bombings and people were living in rubble and hiding from the enemy who had invaded our country. It was a dream hat I had several years ago. The men were wearing the same uniforms in this dream as well. It was obvious that we had lost the war. 

I share this dream because the Lord has given me several within the last 2 years. I believe that an attack on America is eminent. I had no thoughts concerning this topic until he began bringing it to me in dreams. please use your own discernment and prayer.

Bearing Fruit & Hearing From The Lord

Friends in the Lord,

I am sharing this video with you because it has encouraged my heart. However, I am also sharing it with you so that you may grow in his grace and the knowledge of our God when it comes to understanding spiritual fruit and building intimacy with Christ.

 

I had been a Christian for more than 17 years and I did not know that God speaks to his children today. "Why would he, when we have the bible," I was told. Well, he does because he is not an idol of stone. He has emotions, thoughts and feelings just like you and I and he proved it to me many times. We have been called to an intimate relationship with him as his bride. 

Not long ago, during one of my bible studies alone in my room, as I swept through the pages of Revelation, I thought to myself that soon I would do some research on the 7 churches. I was not sure if they represented actual churches and their purpose for being in the book of Revelation.

While I was having this thought a gentle voice interrupted my train of thought and said, "These are the ages". I immediately stopped and smiled. I then prayed and asked the Lord if this was from him and thanked him. I didn't know what the words meant since I have never heard of such a thing before. I googled the meaning of the 7 churches and information popped up headlining, "These are the ages." I then asked the Spirit to guide me through the articles. The first even though it stated it meant church ages, the Spirit directed me away from it and led me to the second article. We are currently in the age of the last church which Christ describe as "Lukewarm".

Please pray before receiving this word for the Holy Spirit's direction and sanctification.

You can check other videos from Mena at Faithful Walk Healing Ministry for background information as to how her ministry came about.

 

 

 

Why Read the BIBLE Daily?

The article and video below were created by Evelyn Brooks, from Chosen Explosions Ministries. The video is provided here to this post as a listening option. Enjoy! 

 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Heb 4:12 ESV) Understanding what God’s word is to believers:

1. It is our anchor of Truth. The Bible is a Christians everything book. It has the answer to every problem we face in it. It teaches us how to live life as a child of God. How else will we understand God, His kingdom and His ways? This world is full of ideas, thoughts and opinions that may or may not be true. The Bible is our source of truth. It never changes and it is eternal. When we read it for ourselves, we know firsthand God’s truth.

Then when we things the Holy Spirit will bring the scriptures you have read to your mind and confirm the spoken word as truth or will negate it as false based on the truth book.

2. It is our instructional manual for living a blessed life. It is our problem solver book. Any problem you have the answer to it is found in the word of God.

3. It is God’s covenant with His people. Covenant means a contract, or a compact. It implies a binding agreement or a promise. A covenant is sealed with blood and is considered a done deal, broken only by death. The word testament means covenant. Our Bible is divided into what we call the Old and the New Testaments or covenants. Our New Testament or covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus; therefore, it is our promise book or binding contract with God. God is willing and able to keep his covenant or promises to us. The Bible is filled with God’s promises to us as His children. Shouldn't we want to know what He has promised us? Every word in the New Testament is still in effect for today.

 

3. It is our spiritual milk and meat. Reading it will help us to grow strong and mature spiritually. It will help us be more like Christ and equip us to do the work of the ministry. God expects every Christian to do His work in one way or another.

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 3:16-17 ESV) But he answered, "It is written, "'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Mat 4:4 ESV)

4. It is God’s love letter to us. It is a love story between God and His beloved creation, with God working out a plan of redemption for man and most often man rejecting God’s plan. The entire Old Testament is a foreshadowing of the New Testament. In other words, the entire Old Testament prophesies and the New Testament fulfills those prophecies. We can learn and gain much from both Testaments. The bible is God plan of restoration of what man lost with God in the Garden of Eden. What God is restoring is our relationship and our standing with Him. God great love for us and His desire to be one with us can be seen all throughout the Bible.

5. The Bible is full of the benefits that come along with being a child of God. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psa 103:2-8 ESV)

To get your mind going and to help you begin to comprehend what the Bible is to us, let us pretend for a moment that your very wealthy uncle has purchased for you a lifetime membership in an exclusive club. This club has unbelievable benefits. You know nothing about this club or its benefits. A manual comes with the membership describing all the benefits and how you might enjoy them. You have a choice, you can let all these benefits go unused or you can pick up, read the manual, and enjoy the benefits. When we become born again, we become an heir of God and joint heirs with Christ.

(Romans 8:17) We become the child of the creator of the universe. We were born into the richest family in the world. All the riches of this family belong to us now! The benefits that come from our relationship with God are endless. (See psalm 68:19, Psalm 103:2 and Psalm 116:12) However, the only way we will ever receive these riches into our life is by reading and understanding our manual, the Bible.

 

Once we know of and understand our benefits, we simply receive them by faith; which is the way we receive everything from God. We had to have faith even to become born again. Receiving the benefits of our covenant will help make us complete in Christ, living the good life we are expected by God to live, walking in happiness, peace, health, prosperity, taking full authority over Satan and his demons, being strong and full of the wisdom of God.

6. The Bible teaches us how to overcome darkness. It teaches us who our enemy is, his strategies against us and how to overcome them. It will turn us into mighty warriors that destroys darkness just like Jesus. Jesus said in Luke 6:40, A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. (Luke 6:40 ESV)

7. It helps us not to fall prey to temptation, so that we will not sin against God. It makes us wise, discerning, righteous and strong. It makes us very powerful against the enemy. I have stored up your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psa 119:11 ESV)

8. It gives us God’s wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Wisdom is extremely valuable for a successful life. It helps us to overcome every storm of life. Colossians 3:16, Romans 10:17

9. It build our faith, it gives us hope and joy. The world is so full of gloom and doom. God’s word gives us great hope and hope brings joy.

10. It is our guide through life.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psa 119:105 ESV)

11. God’s word is a cleansing agent. It washes our hearts, just the same as water cleans our body when we bathe. It renews our mind. Ephesians 5:26

12. It makes us fruit bearers. It equips us to help others with truth.
What version or translation of the Bible should I use? First, you must realize that no English Bible is the original Bible. All Bibles written in English are translations of the original Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. Some versions are written more literal word to word.Other version are more thought to thought translation, or
paraphrased. Contrary to what many people think, no versions are completely literal because the sentences would make no sense if it were because of language differences. Really they are all paraphrased but to different degrees.

 

Some versions are trusted by many people but they were translated so long ago that the words and writing structure is very different from today making them hard to understand. Many people
prefer more modern translations that more in alignment with today’s words and word usages because they are easier for them to understand.

There are many good versions or translations. Personally, I like the English Standard Version or the New King James for memorizing and studying. I like The Living Bible for reading and comparisons. I have and use many different versions for comparison sake. Choose whichever translation you prefer and the one from which you can get the best understanding. The Bible is not much good to you if you do not understand it because of language barriers. In warning, not every translation is created equal. Some are much better than others. Have a more literal translation as well as a paraphrased if you like.

Do research on line to help you choose and of course ask God to guide you.

Most popular ones:

King James
New King James
English Standard Version
New International Version
New Living Translation

 How to Get the Most from God's Word!

1. Begin your Bible study time by inviting your teacher (the Holy Spirit) to come and teach you. Ask Him to help you understand what you read and how you might apply it to your life. ( additional assistance by a mature Christian could be another help)

2. Simply read: Gather facts and learn the stories.

3. Meditation - Carefully consider or think deeply about what you read. During this time, the Holy Spirit will talk to you, teach you and give you understanding of how you can apply God’s word to your life. Meditation gives the Holy Spirit opportunity to teach you. This is so very powerful!

4. Memorization: Scripture memorization is very important. It gets God’s word on the inside of us and equips us powerfully. If we don't memorize scriptures word for word, we need to at least become very familiar with key verses. I encourage you to discipline yourself to memorize key scriptures for the different topics that relate to your own life circumstances. If God’s word is
hidden in your heart, no one can ever take it away from you. It will guide you through life safely. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (Psa 119:11 KJV)

5. Application: As you read and study God’s word, think of ways that you can make your life better line up with it. How can you apply it to your life? Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s work n your heart. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (Jas 1:22-25 ESV)

6. Study: You may do a word study, a topic study, personality study.

• Word study: To do a word study, you conduct a search on a specific word of which you want to gain a biblical understanding for example love. One tool you can use is a complete concordance. It is similar to a dictionary. Look up the word you are studying
the same way you would in a dictionary. It will give the definition of the word and it will give you the scripture reference for every instance the word is used in the bible. Studying the different ways the word is used in the Bible will give you a fuller biblical understanding of the word.

Most people today use online programs bible tool websites or they download a bible program. Some can be found on line for free or you can purchase computer bible programs. The bible software has all kinds of bible search tools. For example you can type any word into the Bible tool and it will pull up every scripture in the Bible using that word. You can then check that word out in the bible dictionary, the encyclopedia, the lexicon and other applications. To find an on-line bible tool, type the words “Bible tools” into your search engine. A lexicon enable you to see the Greek or Hebrew word and its literal meaning for any word in the bible. This is a very helpful tool in word studies.

Here are some well know online bible study tool websites:

www.crosswalk.com
www.blueletterbible.org
www.biblegateway.com
www.biblehub.com

Here are some sites that offer free bible software downloads!

www.e-sword.net
www.theword.net
www.olivetree.com

Search Engines can be very helpful in finding information to give us better understanding on a word, scripture or topic of the bible. This will bring up all kinds of articles on the subject but of course we should be careful in this because many things written on line are not truth. So this should be mixed with reading the word, prayer and meditation of the word.

• Topic study - Study of a particular topic, for example, "the second coming of Christ". Think of key words having to do with your topic. Look those words up in a concordance, topical Bible or Bible encyclopedia. You also could use your Bible’s cross reference tools. Cross-references take you to other scriptures in your Bible that discuss the same topic. Another way to learn more about your topic is to read other books besides the Bible that discusses it. Be sure to check the author’s information with the Bible to be sure their information is biblical. Just because something is written in a book, does not ensure that it is the truth. Even added information you find in a study Bible may not necessarily be the truth. Be discerning, always rely on the actual Bible for final authority and your teacher the Holy Spirit. If it is truth that you are seeking, truth is what you will find. God will see to it.

• Personality study: We can learn a lot about God and His kingdom by studying the lives of Bible characters. Use a concordance or bible study program to find every instance of

their name mentioned in the bible. A Bible encyclopedia may also prove helpful.

Where do I start reading?

Because the Bible is made up of many books, with many different authors you can begin anywhere you wish to. I would suggest, if you are newly born-again begin in the New Testament. Read it straight through. Then start at Genesis and read all of the Old Testament. Some people prefer to read a chapter out of the old and the new every day until they finish. I only suggest this if it is your second or more time through it. However, whichever way you
prefer is okay. It is all good and helpful. The main thing is to be faithful to reading daily.

Establish a habit of feeding your spirit daily and make sure you do in in a way that you will be able to keep up with what you have read so that eventually you will have read it all!

Conclusion: We never get to the place where we know all about the Bible and can stop reading it. The Bible is multi-leveled. Every time we read it, it is fresh and new. We can always learn something new from it. We should read all of it many times in a lifetime. We also should spend time reading and meditating on parts of it all of our life. It is our food, our direction, our wisdom, our source for truth. It is our very lifeline.

My son, if you will receive my words and hide my commandments with you, so that you attend to wisdom, you shall extend your heart to understanding; yea, if you cry after knowledge and lift up your voice for understanding; if you seek her as silver, and search for
her as for hidden treasures, then you shall understand the fear of Jehovah and find the knowledge of God. (Pro 2:1-5 MKJV)

Weekly Challenges:

Read a chapter from the bible each day.

Pray for at least 15 minutes daily.

Operation L.O.V.E. This week do a random act of kindness for a stranger.

Hold open a door, offer to take the buggy back for them at the grocery store, etc. Be creative.

Scripture memorization:

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy. 3:16

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11

Both lesson and video are courtesy of Chosen Explosion Ministries

http://www.chosenexplosion.com/files/Lesson_3_The_Bible_Where_do_I_Start.pdf

Overcoming Anger

What does the bible say about "Anger"

For many years I've held on to "In your anger do not sin" Ephesians 4:26 Yet whenever I got angry, by the end of the day I find myself asking for forgiveness. The truth is, my focus needed to be on James 1:20 "for human anger does not produce the righteousness of God."  I hope you will learn a lot from this post from Steve Fuller. (Info Below)

I Was Angry

Recently someone did something which made me angry.

It was something they should not have done, which I had asked them not to do, but which they did anyway. And I was frustrated, bothered, and fuming. Angry.

So What Is Anger?

I've heard people say that anger is just a natural response to pain.

But if anger is natural, then it sounds like it’s OK to be angry. It sounds like there’s nothing wrong with being angry.

But is that true?

What Does The Bible Say About Anger?

Here’s what Jesus says about anger —

But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment. (Mat 5:22)

Whoa. Notice that word “everyone.” That includes me.

So my anger deserves God’s judgment. Which means it’s wrong.

And here’s what Paul says —

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So when I am angry, Paul wants me to put it away — get rid of it — stop being angry.

Which must mean there’s something wrong with my anger.

But why is my anger wrong?

What helped me was to ask —

What Is Anger?

The reason we get angry is because someone has caused us some loss or pain.

Let’s say someone is in the fast lane of the freeway in front of you, putting along at 45. Why does this make you angry? It’s because they are taking from you the convenience, pleasure, and freedom of going faster.

Or let’s say someone lies to get promoted instead of you. Why would that make you angry? It’s because they are taking from you the income, recognition, and satisfaction of being promoted.

See how that works?

Every time we feel anger it’s because someone has caused us some loss. And when we experience loss, it hurts. And when we hurt, we want to comfort that hurt, make up for that hurt, satisfy that hurt.

So how can we do that? We think it’s by getting back at the person who hurt us.

We think that will make us feel better.

And so we —

• say something insulting like “the gas pedal’s on the right, idiot!”
• feel bitter towards them
• slander them to other people
• have imaginary conversations where we put them in their place
• give them the silent treatment at work
• pass them in the right lane, shaking our head
• sabotage their work

So anger is the desire to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me.

That helped me see why anger is sin.

Your Rich Uncle
Imagine you have a rich uncle, who said that if someone ever stole money from you, he would give you ten times the amount that was stolen. That’s right — ten times.

So then imagine that someone steals $10,000 dollars from you. That’s a loss. That hurts. And so you want to do something to comfort that loss, make up for that loss, and satisfy that loss.

So how can you best do that? By calling your rich uncle. Ten times $10,000 dollars is $100,000 dollars. And when you receive that $100,000 dollars, you would definitely feel comforted. You’d be at peace. You’d feel no anger.

You would still feel that what the person did was wrong. That’s called righteous indignation. And you could still press charges — not to satisfy your loss by getting back at them, but to uphold justice.

But you would not be angry.

Why Anger Is Sin

Take my anger. Someone had caused me loss. It hurt. Badly.

So I wanted to comfort my loss, make up for my loss, satisfy my loss.

And I have a rich uncle — God my Father. He has promised that the joy of knowing Him will more than make up for any earthly losses, now and forever (John 6:35; Rom 8:18; 2Cor 4:17).

But what did I do? I ignored God, and chose anger.

I tried to satisfy my loss by getting back at the person who hurt me —

• I thought about how wrong his actions were,
• I grumbled about him to my wife,
• I had imaginary conversations with him in my mind.

So can you see why my anger is wrong? It’s because when I’m angry I’m not trusting God’s promise to satisfy me. Instead, I’m trusting that I will be most satisfied by getting back at someone else.

So when I’m angry, I’m turning my back on God as my all-satisfying Treasure.

And that’s sin.

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

I’m going to turn my heart back to God, and seek Him. I’m going to trust Him to comfort my loss with His glory, His majesty, His goodness in Christ.

 Christian and Anger: How to overcome it!

I Was Angry

I mentioned in my last post that someone made me angry. 

So I asked — How should Christians view anger? And I saw from Matt 5:22, Eph 4:31, and Col 3:8 that I should see my anger as wrong.

Then I asked — Why is it wrong? And I saw that anger means trying to satisfy my pain by getting back at the person who hurt me — by thinking bad thoughts about them, giving them the silent treatment, slandering them, and so forth.

But that’s wrong, because God tells me not to get back at people, and because only Jesus Christ can fully satisfy my heart-pain.

OK. But that leaves one more question —

How Can I Overcome My Anger?

This is something God calls Christians to do —

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. (Eph 4:31)

But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. (Col 3:8)

So God calls me to put away all my anger. But how?

Many of us try will-power or psychological techniques, like —

• Taking a deep breath.
• Counting our blessings.
• Letting go of what is troubling us.
• Focusing on positive thoughts.

These might bring temporary relief. But the relief won’t last, because none of these techniques deal with the root cause.

What Is The Root Cause?

In 1 Samuel 18 we read that Saul became very angry —

And the women sang to one another as they celebrated, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And Saul was very angry. (1Sam 18:7-8)

Why was Saul angry? It’s because David’s victories, and the women’s song, had taken away Saul’s fame. This loss of fame caused Saul pain.

At this point Saul could have turned his heart to the Lord, confessed his desire for fame, and sought his heart-satisfaction not in fame but in knowing God, beholding God, and worshiping God.

If Saul would have done this, God would have met him. Saul would have been filled with fulness of joy in God’s presence (Psa 16:11), and his heart-pain would have been fully satisfied in God Himself.

But that’s not what Saul did.

Saul turned his back on God. Saul tried to satisfy his heart-pain by being angry at David — by getting back at David. So Saul nurtured bad feelings toward him, entertained evil thoughts about him, planned ways to hurt and even kill him.

So what’s the root cause of Saul’s anger? It’s that Saul had turned his back on God and was seeking to satisfy his heart-pain by getting back at David.

Is That What I Was Doing?

Yes. To my shame, it was. Someone had caused me pain. But I was not bringing that pain to God.

Instead, I was seeking to satisfy my pain by getting back at this person — by thinking of how wrong he was, grumbling about him to my wife, having imaginary conversations where I told him off.

That’s the root cause of our anger. Someone causes us loss, but we turn our backs on God, and seek to satisfy our heart-pain by getting back at those who caused it.

So What Can I Do?

When I saw the root cause I could see what I needed to do. I needed to stop trusting that getting-back-at-someone would satisfy my heart-pain, and I needed to turn to Jesus Christ and trust Him to satisfy my heart-pain.

That was not going to be easy. But Jesus has already put my anger to death on the Cross (Rom 6:6). Which means that now, by His Spirit, He can put it to death in my heart (Rom 8:13).

So I turned to Jesus Christ just as I was — angry, upset, and bitter. I confessed that I had turned my back on Him, and was looking elsewhere for heart-satisfaction. I asked Him to forgive me through the Cross. And He assured me of complete forgiveness (if you struggle with this, pray over 1 John 1:9, Isa 53:4-6, and Rom 4:7).

Then I prayed and asked for more of the Spirit’s work in my heart. I asked the Father to strengthen my faith so I could see and feel Jesus once again as my all-satisfying Treasure. I prayed verses like Luke 11:13, 2Cor 3:18, Jer 2:12-13.

Then I set my heart on God’s majesty, power, glory, and love — using verses like Gal 2:20, Rev 1:5, Psa 138:5-6, and John 20:30-31.

I prayed over these verses until I felt the Holy Spirit strengthen my faith, and change my heart. Slowly my hard, bitter heart softened. I started to see, and then feel, the glory of Jesus Christ.

And as I worshiped Jesus Christ my heart-pain was healed. I felt peace and even joy in Christ.

And my anger was gone.

How Jesus Enables us to Forgive

Fired By A Real Estate Client

At the beginning of our church plant I worked in real estate. One client used a lot of my time but then fired me to get a better deal with another agent. This ended up costing me time, money, and reputation among other real estate agents, and I was angry and bitter. No way was I going to forgive.

But when Peter asks how many times he should forgive, Jesus’ answer is “seventy times seven” — 490 times (Matt 18:22). Which means we should forgive and never stop forgiving.

But that sounded impossible. Because forgiveness would mean –

• letting go of the harm my ex-client caused me
• no longer desiring her harm
• only desiring her good

But my heart was miles from that. So how could I forgive?

Jesus Tells Us

In Matthew 18:21-35 Jesus describes a servant who is angry because he is owed 100 denarii, which is 100 days wages, according to D. A. Carson’s “Matthew” commentary. Imagine someone owing you $20,000 and not paying you back. That would hurt.

But this same servant owes his master ten thousand talents — over a billion dollars, according to Carson. So, because he can’t pay it back, he’s going to be sold into slavery along with his wife and children. But he pleads with his master to give him time to repay, and his master does the unthinkable and forgives the billion dollar debt.

Imagine. At one moment you owe a billion dollars, so you and your family will be sold into the horrors of slavery. But the next moment you owe nothing and you and your family are saved.

But then what does this slave do? He finds the slave who owes him 100 denarii and threatens to throw him in prison if he doesn’t pay up. When the king hears what this slave did, he throws him in prison until he pays back the billion dollars. And Jesus concludes: “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from the heart” (v.35).

How Can We Forgive?

The first slave was out $20,000. That’s a lot of money. And yet the first slave should have forgiven the second slave, because of the billion dollar gift the first slave received from the king.

This parable teaches how Jesus enables us to forgive. When I am angry with someone it’s because they have caused me loss. This sense of loss hurts, and makes me want to even the scales by harming them.

Since the anger is caused by my loss, the only way to get rid of the anger is to ease the pain of the loss with a huge gain.

Imagine that after my real estate client fired me, I won a billion dollars in the lottery. Would I still be angry with her? Not at all. Because my joy in the billion dollars would more than make up for the loss she caused me.

And Jesus says I have received a billion dollar gain — in Him. The forgiveness of my sins, being adopted as God’s son, and having God’s heart-satisfying presence forever – this is the billion dollar gain which more than makes up for the losses my ex-client cost me.

So what enables us to forgive is seeing that the billion dollar gain we have in Christ more than makes up for the losses others have cost me.

Why Am I Still Angry?

But if that’s true, then why am I still angry? It’s because at that moment I’m not seeing what I have in Christ as a billion-dollar gain. All I’m seeing is the loss of time, reputation, and money my ex-client cost me. My anger and pride has blinded me to what I have in Christ.

So the only way I can forgive is to have the Holy Spirit change my heart so I once again see the billion-dollar gain I have in Christ. That would so make up for my loss that I would be able to forgive.

So here are the steps which God used to change my heart –

I Turned to Trust Christ

I did not try to change my heart first. Instead I turned to Him just as I was — bitter and angry — saying “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13-14).

I Confessed My Sin

My unforgiveness was sin, because I had let my ex-client’s actions blind me to all I had in Christ.

So I confessed my blindness. I repented of how I was not seeing Christ as the billion-dollar treasure He is. I asked Him to forgive me. I thanked Him for His death which paid for my guilt, and His perfect life which covered all my sin.

I Prayed for the Spirit’s Heart-Changing Work

Apart from the Spirit’s supernatural work, my anger would keep blinding me to all I had in Christ. So I asked him to enlighten the eyes of my heart so I could see and feel all that I had in Christ (Eph 1:18).

I Set My Heart on God’s Word

So I set my heart on verses describing Jesus Christ, and asked God to help me to see and feel the massive gains of –

• knowing a God who is fulness of joy forever (Psa 16:11)
• forgiveness of all my sins past, present, and future (Rom 4:6-7)
• a Savior who satisfies every heart thirst in Himself (John 6:35)
• an eternity beholding God’s glory (Rev 21:21-22)

I Continued Until My Heart Changed

I kept praying over those verses until I slowly felt my heart change. My sense of Christ’s worth grew. My feelings of loss were comforted, and then overshadowed, by the gains I had in Christ.

My heart went from feeling empty, to feeling full, overflowingly full — in Christ.

And when my heart was full of Christ, I saw that my anger had gone. I no longer desired revenge. I actually felt compassion for her.

Jesus had enabled me to forgive.

What this taught me

When I am angry at someone, it’s because I am not seeing Christ as a billion-dollar gain. So forgiveness depends on fighting the fight of faith until the Holy Spirit changes my heart — and I once again feel the infinite gain I have in Christ — and let that gain swallow up whatever losses I have received.

I do not say that lightly.

Some of you reading this have experienced losses that make mine look tiny. But what Jesus teaches in Matthew 18 is true: the gain you have in Him is infinitely greater than anything anyone has taken from you.

You may not feel that now. But He can change your heart so you will.

So turn to Christ as you are, confess your unforgiveness, cry out for the work of the Spirit, and set your heart on the truth of who Christ is. He will change your heart so you once again see and feel the infinite gain you have in Him.

And you will be able to forgive. 

Written by Steve Fuller.  Blog: Living By Faith. Link: http://livingbyfaithblog.com/