Athena told us that Paul taught what he did about tongues in Corinth because of the history of the area he was teaching in.  The area was involved in the mystical - there was the Temple of Delphi where the oracles sat over fumes and chewed a narcotic leaf, and the oracles babbled. The local pagan priests would "interpret" the babbling. 1 Corinthians 14:27-29 If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to Himself and to God. Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judged.  Verse 33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.

Paul did not want the Church at Corinth to be compared to the confusion of the Temple of Delphi, so he showed the church how they could operate in the gifts, but yet maintain order.  God does not want confusion. The interpretation of tongues needs to be able to benefit the Body of Christ.

In Acts 17 Paul is ministering in Athens and decided to use the unknown God that the Athenians worshipped to teach about God.

Acts 17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious."

The Areopagus was the high court in Athens. The Athenians grabbed Paul and took him to this court, which was like a school. The people loved to learn about new doctrines. In Greece it was illegal to be an atheist, so the unknown god helped them to cover all bases with the idols.

Acts 17:23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.

Paul was being cunning, instead of pushing God down their throats, he was using their idol to teach them the truth about God. Paul tried to be all things to all people.  Paul wanted to share with the people, Jesus Christ, the hope. He needed to make Jesus known without raising hackles.  He studied the situation and prayerfully, God gave him an idea to use what they were already using.

Acts 17:24-26 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.

Athena shared that she is so amazed that the great I AM can help, at the appointed time, and where she is.  That HE is involved with individuals, and that knowledge staggers her. God can bless us no matter where we are, and He is not constrained by our stupidity.

Acts 17:27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us.

We are not left to forge our own way. 

Psalm 139:7-10 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?  If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me. And Your right hand shall hold me.

No matter where God has put us, God is in control. Seek Him wherever we are. If you have problems, seek Him. Grope means to touch. In Greek it is 5584 "pselaphao" - which means to handle, touch, feel, seek after a person.

It implies groping blindly, going through the darkness.  We've got Jesus.

Athena told us that Jacob's ladder was the unity of the physical and the divine. That God has a design for our lives, before we get an idea in our mind, God placed it there.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

The time for God's second coming is nearer and nearer.

The book of Acts is about the 12 dispersing to bless more than just the Jews. Acts is our book for this time. It teaches us how to approach unbelievers. Paul made himself available. Paul had faults, he was a human being with weakness and failures. God gave him the strength to be able to open up the Word.

Paul was speaking to various philosophers.  Acts 17:18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.

The Epicureans denied God's providence and the soul, they dealt with free will and lived hedonistic lifestyles.

The stoics believed in total self control and the absence of passion and emotion - sort of like the buddhists of today.

God is omnipotent, but He will not force us against our wills. If a man is able and willing, God will meet him where he is. If a man is not willing, God will not force himself upon a person.

We did not have to deal with sin until God taught us what was sin or not. We cannot avoid sin through self control and non attachment.  Evil happens when our passions control us. If we make a religion out of self, we will self destruct.  We need to discuss things to God.

When Paul came, they watched him, examining what he said from their philosophical point of view. The Epicureans sought pleasure - they fed themselves to avoid hunger, and sought warmth to avoid cold. There was nothing in their philosophy about forgiveness or sin.

God will help us with things, and all the saints of God have had problems that God has had to help them with. We need to relax in the knowledge that God is there, and allow God to do the surgery necessary in our hearts and psyches.

Praying your day is blessed!

Heather

Below is the video of a fantastic sermon by Pastor Don Moore, Living Word Chapel.  If you would rather read the text, I have included the closed captioning transcript (slightly edited for readability).  What is in [brackets] is what the congregation says. Praying your Easter is blessed! -

Heather

 

SAY AMEN
SHOW 143
POWER OF GOD'S WORD
02-07-10

But now that we've prayed, I want you to open your Bibles to Luke Chapter 7.  I want to share three passages of scripture with you.  And I know that this will encourage you.  

We went to the Holy Land in Florida.  We visited the TBN Holy Land in Florida.  We've visited the Holy Land before TBN had it.  And I can say unequivocally, without a doubt, it is improved.  TBN has done a wonderful, wonderful job.  And the prayer, the opening prayer that I gave was emphasizing the power of the Word.  At TBN at the Holy Land, they had different dramas and presentations. 

The one that they did on the day we were there was the Centurion.  And so they had the teaching of the Roman Centurion who had a servant who was ill.  And I think many of you know the story and we'll just pass through it a little bit right now.  In it, they acted it out.  They had to change a few things in it, it wasn't biblically, you know, perfectly lined up, but in order to make a drama you have to fill in the parts that weren't there, so they showed the Centurion and his relationship with his servant.  We know from scripture that it was a close one.  And that he cared for this man and didn't want his servant to die.  And they're going through it, and I'm sitting there with my wife and we're watching this dramatization. 

And I'm thinking to myself, well that guy there isn't the Centurion.  But, you know, he could look kind of like this Italian boy running around up there on the stage, and he's, you know, that's not an authentic Roman uniform but it's close enough.  It does look like some of the stuff they wore back then and then the servant girls were even more elegantly dressed than a servant girl would have been in Biblical times.  And then this, we're sitting there and here comes Jesus.  And He's coming from the back going up toward the front.  And here's this, this tall long haired, blonde haired, six foot two, six foot three guy, [laughter].  I mean, he was huge.  If I was as tall as him, I'd still be playing in the NBA. This guy was huge.  I mean, he was tall.  Huge guy.  And so, they're walking down the aisle with this pretend Jesus, you know, I mean he had hair, longer than his shoulders.  Had all this flowing long hair, and he's got on this nice robe, and He's smiling at everybody.  Coming in.  And I go, that's a pretend Jesus.  [laughter] 

And so pretend Jesus goes up there with His pretend disciples, and they all sit down.  And the pretend Centurion comes over and the Word.  [hmm]  And they speak the Word as it is in scripture.  And the Presence of God just showed up.  And I'm sitting there with tears in my eyes.  The power of the Word of God will overcome costumes, decorations, [laughter].  It just overcomes it.  There's something about the power of the Word. 

Let's listen to the power here, of this Word... In Chapter 7, "Now when he concluded all His sayings. in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum."  Or Capernaum.  "And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed."  And listen to this. " "For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, "Go," and he goes; and to another, "Come," and he comes; and to my servant, "Do this," and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick." [amen] 

The power...is in the Word.  [yes, amen]  Let me say it again.  The power is in the Word.  [amen]  Oh let it be known throughout your heart and your mind that your words are of great importance.  [come on]  Know that the words that you speak are power.  They have creative force.  You are made in God's image.  And the way that you're made in God's image, is you have the ability to create with your words.  [yes]  You can turn your situation around.  It is the rudder on the end of your life that will steer the boat that will turn it right or left.  Words are important.  But a word must be spoken.  Watch this now.  In conjunction with what God has already spoken. [Yes], and a Word must be spoken in obedience.   Not in doubt.  Not in excuse making or questioning. 

The difference between the centurion's faith and the faith of the other men is in the simple phrase.  Are you ready?  Can you say it?  Yeah but.... [yeah but, oh preach, pastor].... Yeah, but.... yeah, but....Look a little bit further in scripture, to verse 30... Verse 30.  "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.  And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  "We played the flute for you,"  Yeah, but.  "...you did not dance.... We mourned to you,..."  Yeah, but.  "...you did not weep."  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, "He has a demon."  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, "Look, a glutton and a wine bibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!"  

Well, what is the difference between these two groups of people?  The difference is that the centurion did not, "yeah but" Jesus, when he found out what Jesus could do.  He just said, "Yeah."  [laughter]  Without the "but."  [come on]  When Jesus is dealing with the Pharisees and the scribes, He is saying that your faith is terminated, your obedience is terminated, because you have a, "yeah but" that keeps us from seeing the hand of God in operation.

I'm convinced of it, I'm sure of it that when God gave man free will, He gave us more than we really thought we were getting.  [amen]  In that we forgot some key things here.  But the main thing that we forgot was that inherent, intrinsically in the Word of God, is free will and that free will can terminate and destroy the active desire that God wants to fulfill in our lives.  [amen]  And that, yeah but, oh my goodness. 

And why is it, I get a kick out of this.  But why is it we feel, when we are questioning that we are somehow more intelligent than someone who is just flat out obedient?  [hmmm, come on pastor, laughter]... Come on.  Am I right?  [yes]  I missed you guys.  [laughter]  But, you know, come on.  We look at someone who is just flat out obedient as they're stupid.  But somebody that asks a whole lot of questions and has a whole bunch of yeah, buts, we somehow accredit to them a higher value of intelligence. 

You know, while I was away on vacation, I got to read, I was reading this book called, "The Disillusionment of Disbelief."  And in it, he pointed out, by quotes.  I have always heard that Einstein was an atheist, or an agnostic, but that he did not believe in God.  Well, this guy did the research to go through different things that Einstein, one of the greatest minds, even the Bible Code, the Bible Code says, when you put in "Einstein" the Bible Code says, "a very smart fellow."  [laughter]  See to God, he's only a smart fellow, he's not, brilliant or off the levels.  You know.  God's not impressed with him.  But he was surprised that he was a smart fellow.  But, nonetheless, he quotes Einstein and people that were close to him, and Einstein refused to be identified with the atheists.  He refused to be identified with the agnostics because through science, he had discovered the order of the universe is so well set that it could not have happened by chance.  [amen]  Glory be to God.  Glory be to God. Isn't that wonderful? 

So we have to recognize that being intelligent at a certain point, you, watch this now, you must, if you arrive at the higher levels of intelligence, you must arrive at the point where the questions stop, and faith kicks in.  [yes, amen]   cause there has to be a point at which you believe God knows more than you, God understands better than you.  The Word that God has spoken is more powerful than any word that has ever been spoken.  And therefore, when God gives you something that He wants you to do, or He speaks into your life, and it's time to move instead of time to stay.  And it's time to go and rather, than time to draw back.  It's time to act rather than to sit idly by.  And God says, "Do it!"  Then it's time not to say, "Yeah, but."  But it's time to get up and move as God has directed you.  [amen, hallelujah]  Somebody say, "Amen in this house."  [amen]  Glory to God. I said, "Glory to God."  [glory to God] 

Look at Luke, Chapter 6.... Verse 46.  We played the flute for you, yeah but, you didn't dance.... We played a sad ditty for You to mourn, but yeah but, You didn't mourn.  Well, why didn't You?  Because you were questioning at each juncture what to do, than going, "Yeah, but.   Yeah, but.  Yeah, but."... "Yeah but!"  [chuckling]  Now, that's a good point.  Did you hear what she said?  She said, "Pastor Dona, was teaching and she said that whatever follows the but becomes greater than whatever preceded it.  [ooooh, yea]  If it isn't greater, at least stalls the effectiveness of what preceded it.  Ok, everybody with me on this?  You understand where I'm going?  Or at least where I'm coming from? 

So Jesus is saying, what are we supposed to do with you people?  You know, we sent John the Baptist, he's a teetotaler, and he's out in the woods and he's eating just honey and all, but you didn't follow him.  You said, "Yeah but," to him.  Now Jesus says, I come, I'm hanging out with the sinners and the tax collectors, and you go, "Yeah but" to that.  He says, so you have to realize, as a believer, the people that you want to lead to the Lord will yeah but you to death, because they have no vision, and they don't have the Word of the Lord yet in them.  So how do you expect, you're going to come up with something that's gonna work?  [hmmm]  Huh?  Cause at some point, you just have to lay it down and say, "I'm going for it."  [right]  I'm going for it.  I'm just going to do what the Lord says until I get, let's see. 

Now Luke 6, verse 46.  It's a very famous verse, you all know it.  He says, "But why do you call me "Lord, Lord," and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:"  What's he like, Jesus?  "He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.  And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded...."  what?  ["on the rock"]  Say it again.  [on the rock]  One more time. [on the rock]  There, those are my people.  "But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately...."  notice it says immediately"...immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."  

But, what's He talking about?  The ruin of the house was great.  He's saying, Lord have mercy.  If we build it on a rock, if we build on the rock of the Lord who has spoken things that are true, truisms.  The problem is that when we go, "Yeah, but" to a truism, we treat it as if it is a falsehood.  [right]  Right?  [yeah]  You say, this will work for you.  This will work for your marriage.  How do you know?  It's in the Word of God.  That's the way it is.  Well, then when you alter that, guess what?  You're treating a truth as if it's a falsehood.  And therefore, you are standing on your question and your question  cannot sustain you.  [that's right] ... The brilliance of your question cannot sustain you in the face of the truth. 

Let's do one more, now.  Go to, in Chapter 6 go all the way back to verse 33....33... "I have to turn the page.  Are you there?  [yes]  He says, "And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same.  And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you?  For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back."  Let me ask a question.  Is that the truth[yes]  Sure is.  And then, look what He says.  "But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.  For He is kind...He is kind to the unthankful and evil.  [hmmm]  Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also merciful" 

Now I just want, I just want to play with your head for a second.... What is that saying?  Jesus isn't establishing these as maybe they work.  He is giving Spiritual truth.  He said Spiritual truth.  The Father is merciful.  Spiritual truth.  If you act like Him, and are merciful, guess what He's saying.  You will receive, what will you receive?  [mercy]   Mercy.  If you lend without expecting to get it back, what will you receive?  [great reward]  You will receive great reward.  He isn't treating those as if they are suggestions that might work.  He's giving them as tenets of truth that they definitely will work. 

Than why is it that even in the Church, when someone asks you to lend you something, you ask them, how much you going to pay me, and when are you going to pay me back?  [laughter]  [now, come on now] ... Why do we do that?  And how about this one.  Well, I would have loaned him, but... I would have loaned him the money but what?  But I know he can't pay me back, and I know.  I know he's just a lowlife... We do that even in the Church.  And it's not Gospel.  It's just cheap.  [yeah]  .... So, what are we doing?  We are saying, "Yeah, but"  to the tenet of truth, which is, God is merciful, therefore be merciful like God.  God is giving, so be giving like God.  Don't be judging.  If the guy can't pay you back, then God is saying, "I guarantee you, that I God will pay you back."  [amen]  That's a truth.  [that's right] 

I'm just trying to use that one because most of us might be guilty of that at some point in time.  Cause I've done it.  I've had people, that I know can't pay me back, ask me for something and I go, "Yeah but, you slime ball, I know you're not going to pay it back.  So, I'm going to withhold this five bucks."  As if somehow the five bucks is going to break me.  How many of you know that that ain't going to happen.  [yes]  Yeah. Come on, elbow the person next to you and say, "Be giving.  Be merciful."   [be giving, be merciful]  If nobody's sitting next to you, do yourself.  [laughter]  Ok, that's the truth, isn't it?  [yes]  It is the truth. 

So, let's say it together.  God is generous.  [God is generous]  and so am I.  [and so am I] 

Let's look at some "yeah but" situations.  I'm just, I'm almost about out of time.  But let me just help you with a few "yeah but" situations.  King David is told not to take a census.  King David goes, "Yeah but."  Cause he wanted to really know the size of his people, so he could put his chest out and say, "We have enough whatever, whatever, whatever, whatever."  And it brought a curse upon him and upon the people of Israel.  And a plague broke out.  All because of his, "yeah but." 

King Saul is going into battle.  King Saul's going into battle.  And the priest was late coming to give the sacrifice.  [laughter]  And so, King Saul decides, "Huh, some of the people are leaving me."  Is there anybody here, that you've looked around, you were going into a difficult situation, somebody promised to be there with you, and you looked around, and they are not there.  [laughter]  Has that ever happened?  [yes]  Yeah.  Come on, some of you wives know.  [laughter]  Some of you wives know.  He said he was going to go shopping with you, but when it came down to it, he found a way to get out of it.  [laughter]  Now, what I'm saying is, King Saul.  God has given him instructions, the king is to do what the Kings to do, and the Priest does what the priest does.  And the priest gives the sacrifice and the king's not supposed to be involved in that thing.  And sure enough, he looks around, some of the soldiers are leaving.  He had his strength in the people around him, not in God.  [come on]  He was looking for somebody to do something about his situation. 

I love the President, the Congress, and the Senate.  But trust me, they ain't going to fix this thing.  I'm not looking for them to fix this thing.  I'm putting my trust in Jesus Christ.  [yea, applause]  He's the superstar here.  [applause]  He can fix it.  And He can fix my finances and look out for me. 

So, King Saul looked around and says, "Where, where are the trustees?  Where's the army?"  And half of them were going over the mountain.  So he decides, he's going to give the sacrifice.  Now the priest shows up...  The priest shows up and says, "Hey, yo, whatcha doing man?"   He said, "Yeah, but..."  [laughter]  I had to do something, yeah but.  Noooooo.  That was his "but."  Wasn't it?  [yes]  God snatched the kingdom away from him.  [that's right] 

You see, God has made provision for you and for your own greatness.  Can I preach to you for a second?  God has made provision for your own particular individual greatness.  He's made provision for it.  He has set people in place to bring it.  He has timed it out.  He has a schedule that you're going to reach point "A" at such a time.  And then be at point "B" at such a time.  He's done it all.  But the only problem is your "yeah but"  will detain you.  Will get you off course.  Will hold you back from arriving at the place He has for you.  Where your greatest blessing is going to emerge and you shall have the victory.  But you can't get there because your yeah but is keeping you on your butt.  [laughter] I've been away for awhile.  I just save it all up for you guys. 

But you know, there's so much that we can, that we can learn from this so that hopefully, yeah but will get caught up in your mouth and you won't be able to question it.  How many of you know, you've heard from the Lord at one point in your life, at least one time?  [laughter]  At least one time.  How many of you will admit it that sometimes that one time was answered by you with a yeah but.  [yes] 

Yeah but Jesus it's too big.  It's too big.  How about this one.  It costs too much.  [yes]  You know, it costs too much.  I'm afraid of the price tag.  And you go, yeah but, I'll buy it if it's free.  [laughter]  I saw a bumper sticker.  It says nothing was free till nothing became nothing.  [chuckles, amen, oh yeah]  Nothing is free until nothing becomes nothing.  So, until it has no value, then yeah, nothing is worth anything unless it has a price tag on it.  And everything that's worth anything has a price tag on it. 

The most expensive thing to me in this room is my wife.  [there you go, amen]  She's the most expensive thing I have.  But she is also the greatest value.  [amen, that's right]  I got the best return on value from my wife.  I am way, way ahead for what I spent as a 24 year old man, to get this woman.  I am way ahead.  [applause] ... What are you talking about?  What are you talking about?  She wanted a diamond.  Went and bought it with her own money.  [whoot, laughter]  Don't tell me I'm not blessed!  [laughter]  I'm thoroughly blessed, come on.  We have to see something. 

Things of great value come with a great price.  But if you yeah but during the negotiations, how's God going to be able to bring it to pass for you?  [amen]  Nothing's free out here.  But your yeah but...  How many of you have ever had the Lord speak a word to you, and half way beginning you went, "Yeah but." 

You know what we do in the Body of Christ?  We call it, I need a confirming word.  [laughter]  I need a confirmation.  I don't think that was the Lord.  Why?  You didn't think it was the Lord because it was going to cost you more than you wanted to pay.  But you took your eyes off of what the prize was going to be, and you forgot, wait a minute, if It's God, if God's in it, the reward is going to be greater than the sacrifice I'm going to make to get it.  [amen]  But my yeah but will do what?  Will withhold it.  It will do what? 

It's an excuse.  [right]  We need an excuse for our fear.  Why I'd be faithful in Church but I know I got one of these days man, Pastor Don's going to walk up and ask me to do something.  [laughter]  So let me practice my excuses.  What are you talking about?  If I ask you to do something that didn't give a blessing of God is going to be on it, and you're going to be more blessed than you were before you were asked to do it.  [amen]  What are you talking about?  What are you talking about? 

 Excuses.  The other one, the yeah but will do is throw you a postponement.  [yep]... You know, you ever go to somebody's house for dinner and sit awaiting for them to serve the dinner?  No, that doesn't happen to you all.  But trust me, as a pastor, it happens.  [laughter]  You know, they invite you for dinner, and you sitting there, and they're talking, and then you're sitting there, and they're talking, and you're sitting there, and they're talking and you're sitting there, and they're talking.  [laughter]  I lean over and say, "Was this a counseling session or dinner?"  [laughter]  Do we get to eat in between their talking?  [laughter]  They're just postponing the meal.  Come on now, you all.  It's like they're afraid that if you eat, you're going to run.  You know.  The sooner you feed me, I'm going to sit and stay.  But postponement.  Do you realize how many times we postpone the blessing that God has for us.  He's got something really, really good for us, but we postpone it because we're yeah butting it.  [yes]  Does anybody know what I mean? 

(singing)  Surround me, oh Lord.  Surround me, oh Lord.  Surround me, oh Lord.  Let your presence fill this place.  Oh, just invite Him into your heart today. 

Here is a transcript from a sermon by Pastor Don, the video was too large to put on Xanga, but the message is well worth reading! Praying your Day is blessed and that you have a wonderful Passover. Remember that what is in [brackets] is said by the congregation. I slightly edited it to make it easier to read. For example if Pastor mentions the Bible verse over and over so that people can find it in the Word, I only put the address once.

SAY AMEN
SHOW 142
WATER AND SEED
1-8-10

Well hello my friends. We're so glad that you're with us. I'm Pastor Don Moore, and we don't want to waste time talking, so let's get right into the Word. Today's teaching, I want to meld together an understanding of two words that Jesus talked quite a bit about. One word is water, and the other word is seed. And the two come together very importantly, in terms of a discussion of: the receiving of the Word of God, the growing of the Word of God, as well as surviving the onslaught that comes from our minds and comes from other people against the Word of God.

Now, John, chapter 3, Nicodemus, who is one of the teachers of the Law, comes to Jesus at night. This is a very powerful passage. I want to read a little bit of it and then let's get some clarification. [Yes] Here it is. And so, Nicodemus comes, "Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." And then Jesus, in verse six, gives us a clear and interesting distinction. He says, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." And then in verse 8 He tells us. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit."

So here we have a teaching that Jesus is saying that to be born again is by the action of the Spirit, and He says that when the Spirit moves in this way, we may not see it coming or see it going, but we know that it was spiritual, that the Spirit did something. But prior to that, He tells us that the Water - He says that you must be born of water.

Now, when I grew up, a young man in the Gospels and all, it was taught that that water is from the water that is in the belly of the pregnant woman. That when her water breaks, that is the water, so you must be born of water. The water, you know, that fluid that comes out. But that can't be so because it says flesh is born to flesh and Spirit to spirit. So we have the flesh and we have spirit. Therefore flesh is not pregnancy and the water. Is that all not physical? It is. And so it is of the flesh.

But He says something interesting. He says you must be born of water. Therefore, we must remember something. The Bible is it's own definition of its own terms. The Bible, when it uses Bible terms, we must look into scripture to find out what it's talking about. And therefore, water here, is not referring to H2O, nor is it referring to pregnancy of the fluid, nor is it saying baptism. This has been taught for a long time, that it is of baptism. But isn't baptism of the flesh? Isn't baptism of the flesh physical?

It is a spiritual act that we are carrying out, but we are carrying it out in the flesh realm. We take our physical bodies, our fleshly bodies, and immerse them in physical water and we come up out of the water. Is that not the flesh making a decision to go down and the flesh coming up? And we know for a fact, many people get wet but don't get changed. Therefore, it has to be flesh upon flesh.

When what the Apostle is telling us, what Jesus, as an Apostle, as a Prophet, as a Teacher, as the Great I AM, is He not saying that there is an experience from God of the Spirit causing change? But there's water. What is that water?So, if we're gonna say it's not the fluid. If we're going to say it's not the water of baptism. We'd have to look into the Scriptures to find other places where there is mention of water and see if we can get what the Bible says this water is.

Now, when we look at this, we realize that from the other scriptures we have a number of passages that can help us with this. One is Ephesians 5:26. It tells us that Husbands should wash their wives in the water of the Word. Washing them in what? The water of the Word. And then it also tells us in 1 Peter, Chapter 1 and this is a very powerful passage that Peter gives us and He says, beginning at verse 22. "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart," And here it goes, verse 23, are you ready? "...having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible,..." How? "...through the word of God which lives and abides forever,..."

So we can see from these passages of scripture that the Word of God is not only referred to as seed, but it is also referred to as water. And we have the washing of water, through the Word. For you Bible students, you can also look up Ezekiel 26 verse 25 and Titus Chapter 3 verse 5. These are also references to the mystery of the Word of God as being the Water of God.

Now, let's take a look at the seed. We go into the book of Mark, well, let's go to Matthew first. No, let's go to Mark. Let's go to Matthew, let's go to Mark. Which do you want to go to? Ok, we'll go to Matthew. So, in the book of Mark, I got a kick out of that. I don't know if that helped anybody, but that sure helped me.

In the book of Mark, in the 4th Chapter. Jesus is talking about the parable of the sower. And right away in verse 14, we want to look at that. Verse 14. Here's what He says. "The sower sows the word. The sower sows the word." So we have that the Word of God is also expressed as water, but we see here that Jesus is using it as an expression of seed. And He says that the sower goes to sow seed.

Now, in our culture, we don't see many sowers. But a sower was one, he'd have a bag over his shoulder filled with seeds. He'd reach in and he would then spread the seed over the soil that had been opened up and prepared. They'd dig in, grab a handful, and he's sow it. So He says, then, that the sower, which is a picture now of the believer, a picture of the saint, a picture of the teacher, a picture of the preacher, he takes the Word and he spreads it. You, my friends, are also sowers, and you should be spreading the Word of God, sharing it with neighbors and friends, with your children and people that come into your life. Spreading it about. Believing that some of it is going to, like the scripture says, is going to fall on thorny soil. Some of it's going to be choked out by the worries and the cares of this life. But the promise of God is, some of it will fall on good soil, and bring forth a crop, 30, 60, and even a 100-fold blessing.

Now in seed, when we talk about seed, you know, pastors can't help it, but to talk about sowing financial seed and bringing forth. But in this particular parable of the sower, Jesus is talking about sowing the Word of God. And then in Mark, if we look again, at this passage, as we follow it to its natural conclusion, He tells us something in verse 21. He says, "Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lamp stand? For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light." A little bit later He says, "Take heed what you hear. Take heed what you hear." He says, "With the same measure you use,..." to hear "...it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him."

This passage is not talking about money, He's talking about hearing what the sower has sown. Hearing the water of God, drinking in the water of God. And so we get a better picture by realizing that a person who hears the Word of God, guess what? His hearing will enlarge. Romans 10:17 says what? "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Doesn't it? Therefore, our faith is increased because we hear more of the Word, and if we hear more, then He says, more Word will be given to us, if we hear.

Now, let's look at it in another further passage, in the same text. In the same book of Mark. "And He said, "The kingdom of God..." watch this. "The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

In this passage we get a lot. Remember, the Word is the seed. The sower sows the Word of God, the Water of God grows the seed, because faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God. The Seed is the Word we water the Word with more Word, and that Word brings forth more Word for those that will hear. But He says something, sow the seed, not knowing how it's going to sprout. Too often we judge people that we minister to. We tell them about Jesus and we expect that they're going to be born again and on fire for the Lord overnight. But He says, you don't know the seed that you sow and that you water, you don't know how it's going to spring forth. And Jesus tells us that at first it's going to come up just a little bit, then a little bit more, then a little bit more, then it breaks forth unto the harvest.

We get another clear picture, and I love talking about seeds. But the mustard seed is the one that Jesus really nails down. Let's take a look at the mustard seed. In verse 30, Jesus talks about the mustard seed and He says, "To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on the earth; but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade."

Now you might be wondering why did Pastor Don have this big artificial tree here. Oh I know, on TV it looks real, but trust me, it's plastic. But look at this beautiful picture. Let's say, if this were a mustard seed, we would be getting an example and we can understand the mystery of it. He is saying that the mustard seed's small. If you shake out some pepper out of a pepper mill, the seeds are very, very small. That's how small mustard seeds are. They're just little tiny specks. But a mustard seed would grow to a bush like this. It would be big. And it would have a lot of stuff. And He says the birds would come, and notice we've got these nice artificial, can't fly red birds here. And they nest in it, and they find a place of shade in it.

Jesus is telling us that faith, when we look at faith and the Word of God, watch this now. The Word of God is water, it causes things to grow, seed causes what? Something to spring up and be multiplied. In other words, our seeds are Words of God, Romans 10:17 "Faith comes by hearing, hearing by the Word of God." If we will speak and sow the Word of God, guess what? It will grow the largest of all things on earth. In other words, it will cause growth that will be greater than doing anything else we could do, if we will have mustard seed faith.

We need to know something about mustard seed faith. Faith, described as a mustard seed. Jesus is trying to tell us two things. First of all, it has been told to me, that the mustard seed cannot be cross pollinated with anything else. In other words, you cannot mix doubt with your faith. You cannot mix unbelief with your faith. You cannot mix wishing and hoping with your faith. That your faith must remain pure. And so, faith, though, mustard seed faith, means that it is pure, it is faith without doubt in it.

And then, one of the greatest teachings of all, Jesus said, mustard seed, it can be small as a mustard seed and your faith can move mountains. Well, what did He mean? What was the mystery? He is saying, that our understanding of faith has been wrong. We've prayed for years, "Lord, give me more faith." Well, you can't get more faith. You can only get, listen to me carefully, either you have faith or you don't. Mustard seed, small as a mustard seed, if you even have that much faith, you have enough to move a mountain. You don't need anymore faith because faith, my brothers and my sisters, is quantitative.

In the sense that you may have faith for sickness, but not have faith for salvation. You may have faith for walking on water but not have faith for the common cold. You may have faith for healing of cancer, but you may not have faith for blind eyes being opened. You may be like the apostles, who had faith for the multiplication of fish and loaves, but when they saw the water troubled, they were afraid and thought that they would die. They did not have faith for that.

So in conclusion, my brothers and my sisters, let us remember that the Word of God is the water of God, the water is the Word, the Word is water. That seed, when He's talking about seed, He is talking about faith that can come by the planting of the right Words. And that Water and the Words are right. And we are but sparrows, we are pictured as these birds that can hide in the tree of faith. We are pictured as birds that can find the shade by faith. We can find the secret place, a hiding place. We can find a place of security. We can be like the little sparrow, that the song talks about. That if we keep our eyes on Christ, our seed faith will grow. The Word of God, the Water of God will pour upon us, cleansing us and provide for us, not just a hiding place and a place of safety, but also a place of power.

May this word richly, richly get down into your heart. Be careful, make sure you're sowing Word Seed. The money thing is true and it works, but your seed faith must also be the fruit of your mouth and the Water of God, and He says, that if you have that, out of your belly will flow rivers of living water. God bless ya.

If you did not read part 1, here is the link.

Pam continued teaching on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, speaking on each of the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.

A WORD OF WISDOM - This is an utterance coming from the Spirit, not from your logical mind. You need the ability to judge this correctly and to follow the best course of action, based on your knowledge and understanding. Examples of Words of Wisdom are the Wisdom Literature in the Bible: The books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes. In the Old Testament, the best example of a "wise man" is King Solomon.

1 Kings 10:4-8 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard. Happy are your men and happy are these your servants, who stand continually before you and hear your wisdom!

2 Chronicles 1:7-12 On that night God appeared to Solomon, and said to him, “Ask! What shall I give you?” And Solomon said to God: “You have shown great mercy to David my father, and have made me king in his place. Now, O LORD God, let Your promise to David my father be established, for You have made me king over a people like the dust of the earth in multitude. Now give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this great people of Yours?”  Then God said to Solomon: “Because this was in your heart, and you have not asked riches or wealth or honor or the life of your enemies, nor have you asked long life—but have asked wisdom and knowledge for yourself, that you may judge My people over whom I have made you king— wisdom and knowledge are granted to you; and I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have had who were before you, nor shall any after you have the like.”

A WORD OF KNOWLEDGE - something in the now, helps us to know what to do with the Word of Wisdom. Knowledge is the truth or facts of a life that a person acquires either through experience or thought. The greatest truth that a person can possess with the mind or learn through experience is the truth about God.

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

John 8:31-32 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This cannot be gained by unaided human reason.

Job 11:7 Can you search out the deep things of God? Can you find out the limits of the Almighty?

Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

It is acquired only as God shows Himself to people - in nature and conscience.

Psalm 19 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He has set a tabernacle for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoices like a strong man to run its race. Its rising is from one end of heaven, and its circuit to the other end; and there is nothing hidden from its heat. The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold;  sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer.

Romans 1:19-20 ...because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

In History or providence

Deuteronomy 6:20-25 “When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?’  then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us."

Daniel 2:21 And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

and especially in the Bible.

Psalm 119 (look this one up it is the longest Psalm in the Bible, but sure teaches us about the benefits of the Word of God - HM)

Revelation 1:1-3 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John,  who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

FAITH - this is special faith, raising dead kind of faith. That paralyzed man WILL get up off the bead.  This is from Brother Hagin's BIBLE HEALING STUDY COURSE:  Hagin knew this gift was operating in his life, he says that the gift of faith is also a supernatural endowment by the Holy Spirit whereby that which is uttered or desired by man, or spoken by God, eventually comes to pass. In other words, when this power gift is in operation, you believe God in such a way that God honors your word as His own and miraculously brings to pass whatever you believe or say. Hagin spoke of Smith Wigglesworth special faith - under his ministry, at least three different people were raised from the dead. In his book, EVER INCREASING FAITH, Wigglesworth related one instance of his neighbor being raised from the dead.

The Weymouth translation of 1 Cor. 12:9 calls this faith special faith because every believer already has faith. Romans 12:3  For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

For example, there is SAVING faith, or faith to receive salvation, which is also a gift of God. Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, The faith by which you are saved is a gift of God, but it is given to you through hearing the Word. The Bible says, Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But the gift of faith is distinct from saving faith. The gift of faith is the supernatural manifestation of one of the nine gifts of the Spirit. The gift of faith is a gift of the Spirit to the believer that he might receive a miracle, whereas the working of miracles is the gift of the Spirit. (One gift receives something, the other does something). But these gifts are very closely related. We're just differentiating between them for the purpose of defining them.

This gift of faith is also distinct from the FRUIT of faith that we're taught about in Galatians 5:22-23  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. Faith is a fruit of the Spirit, but the kind of faith mentioned here is faithfulness. The fruit of the Spirit is for character, but the gifts of the Spirit are for power. A fruit is something that grows. So faith, faithfulness, is a spiritual fruit that grows in the life of the Christian to establish him in spiritual character. The more we abide in Him, the greater the fruit. He produces His character, likeness, in us so that we become human embodiments of His love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. The gift of faith, however, is given supernaturally by the Spirit of God as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. Romans 12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; Fervent means boiling or bubbling.

So you see, three are different kinds of faith. Saving faith comes before salvation, and the fruit of faith comes or develops after salvation. But the manifestation of the gift of faith comes after the baptism in the Holy Spirit as the Spirit wills.

Remember, the working of miracles employs faith that actively works a miracle, but the gift of faith employs faith that passively expects a miracle as a sustained or continuous actions. There may not be anything that the person sees at the moment to confirm that he has his answer. But special faith will carry over a long period of time. In other words, its manifestation can be sustained or continued for the purpose of receiving a miracle.

HEALINGS - they have nothing to do with miracle science. This gift of the Holy Spirit is supernatural. It comes by laying on of hands, anointing with oil, or sometimes just speaking God's Word in faith! So we not only believe in natural healing, but we also believe in supernatural healing. The Bible is full of examples of gifts of healings in operation - delivering the sick and destroying the works of the devil in a person's human body - especially through Jesus' ministry. However, it must be pointed out here that Jesus ministered (fully human) as a prophet anointed by the Holy Ghost. Notice, for instance what Jesus said of Himself in the synagogue, reading from the Prophet Isaiah.  Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD. Then, Peter says in Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

Jesus never healed anyone until after He was anointed with the Holy Ghost and power. He healed them the same way anyone else would minister to the sick today - by the anointing of the Spirit or the manifestation of the gifts of healings.

The gifts of healings are not referring to gifts to individuals to bless them personally. They are ministries of healing that are give to some in order to bless others. Ephesians 4:8 Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”  Ephesians 4:11-12 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  In other words, these gifts are not given to bless you, but to bless others. It's a ministry. 1 Corinthians 12:28 And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Hagin says, "The gifts of healings are supernatural manifestations of the Spirit that are manifested through someone to someone.

MIRACLES - a divine intervention in the ordinary course of nature.  Examples in the Old Testament are when God parted the water for the Israelites, when He saved Israel in Egypt through the Passover. God revealed His character, and the Israelites were convinced that God was working for their salvation.  Exodus 12:13-14 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Miracles were expressions of God's saving love as well as His holy justice.

Miracles in the Old Testament are connected especially with the great events in Israel's history. I am giving you some of the examples and where you can find them in scripture - some of the passages are long, so you need to check them out for yourself).
* The Call of Abraham - Genesis 12:1-3 Now the LORD had said to Abram:  “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
* The Birth of Moses (Exodus 1:1-2:22)
* Exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-14:31)
*The giving of the Law (Exodus 19:1-20:26)
*The entry into the Promised Land (Joshua 3:1-4:7)
* The miracles are for salvation but God also acts in history for judgment (Genesis 11:1-9), the plagues of Egypt showed God's sovereign power in judgment and salvation (Ex0dus 7:3-5)
* One unusual miracle was the recovery of Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-21; Isaiah 38:1-21) as well as the miracle in Jonah and Daniel. God revealed Himself through the spoken and written Word.
* Miracles in the New Testament - when in prison John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to Jesus to see if He was the "One to come" (Matthew 11:3) Jesus told them to inform John of what He had done: "The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear,a the dead are raised and the good news is preached to the poor."  (Matt 11:5) with those words, Jesus declared that His miracles were the fulfillment of the promises of the Messiah's kingdom as foretold in Isaiah 61:1,  Isaiah 35:5-6  Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert. Miracles were signs of the presence of the kingdom of God. Matthew 12:39  But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
* The Acts of the Apostles is a book of miracles.  These miracles are a continuation of the miracles of Jesus, made possible through the Holy Spirit. The miracles of the Apostles were done in the name of Jesus and were manifestations of God's salvation. Acts 3:11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed.
* God began His church with a powerful display of miracles. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came on the people with great power. (Acts 2:1-13), leading to conversions Acts 2:41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. When Philip went to Samaria, the Spirit of God anointed him with power. (Acts 8:4-10).
* Miraculous powers were also present in the apostles. Peter healed a lame man (Acts 3:1-6), a paralytic (Acts 9:32-35), and raised the dead (Acts 9:36-42). Peter was miraculously released from prison. (Acts 12:1-11_.
* The lists of the gifts of the Spirit in the NT show that miracles were one of the means by which believers ministered to others. (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12:8-10; 28-30; Eph 4:11)

PROPHESY - Speaking things you don't know, an utterance, a fragmented part of knowledge. Predictions about the future and the end-time special; special messages from God, often uttered through human spokesmen, which indicate the divine will for mankind on earth and in heaven. Prophesy was technically the task of the prophet. But all truth or revelation is prophetic, pointing to some future person, event, or thing. The full panorama of God's will takes many forms; it may be expressed through people, events, and objects. Historical events such as the Passover anticipated Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 5:7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.  as did various objects in the Tabernacle, including Manna (John 6:31-35) and the Inner Veil. Matthew 27:51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split. Hebrews 10:20 by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
* Prophesy may also be expressed in many different forms through the prophet himself, whether by his mouth or some bodily action. The prophets received God's messages from the voice of an angel (Gen. 22:15-19), the voice of God, a dream (Daniel 2), or a vision (Ezekiel 450:2).
* The prophetic speech might range from the somber reading of a father's will (Gen 49) to an exultant anthem to be sung in the Temple (Ps. 96: 1, 13).
* Sometimes a prophet acted out his message symbolically. Isaiah's nakedness (Isa. 20) foretold the exile of the Egyptians and the Cushites.
* Hosea's marriage symbolized God's patience with an unfaithful wife, the nation of Israel.

DISCERNMENT OF SPIRITS - seeing in the spirit realm. A gift of the Holy Spirit that enables a person to judge whether one who speaks in tongues or performs miracles does so by the power of the Holy Spirit or by a false spirit (1 Cor. 12:10; distinguishing between spirits.) The Apostle Paul suggested that a person led by the Holy Spirit will be concerned for those things that strengthen the Church (1 Cor. 14:12, 26)

GIFT OF TONGUES - The Spirit-given ability to speak in languages not known to the speaker. This is not your prayer life tongue, when we're baptized with the Holy Spirit, the initial evidence is speaking with tongues, but that's not this - this is in a meeting God wants to talk to us, supernaturally, things we don't know - heaven is giving us a message to earth. The gift of tongues is to be exercised with restraint and in an orderly way. People who speak in an unknown tongue are to pray that they may interpret (1 Cor 14:13) Or someone else is to interpret what is said. Only 2 or 3 persons are to speak, each having an interpretation of what is said. Each is also to speak in turn. If these criteria are not met, they are to remain silent (1 Cor 14:27-28). The gifts of speaking in tongues and their interpretation are to be Spirit-inspired. Paul also points out that tongues are a sign to unbelievers. If these guidelines are not observed, unbelievers who are present will conclude that the people of the church are out of their minds. Speaking in tongues is a genuine work of the Holy Spirit.

THE GIFT OF INTERPRETATION - The ability to interpret what was said. We need to know what God says.

Since these gifts are gifts of grace, according to Paul, their use must be controlled by the principle of love.

Pam then handed out the following sheet called QUESTIONS ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS - she gave scripture references.  I will look them up for you.

Who operates them?  1 Corinthians 12:4-6, 11 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. Verse 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

1. PURPOSE - To confirm the Word of God
Mark 16:17-20  And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
John 14:12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.
Acts 1:1-8 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;  for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
1 Corinthians 1:7  so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ,
1 Corinthians 12:11, 28-31 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills Verses 28-31  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.  Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

2. CAN ONE PERSON HAVE ALL OF THEM? YES
Matthew 17:20  So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
Matthew 21:22  And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.
Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

3. HAS MAN EVER RECEIVED ALL OF THEM?  YES
John 3:34  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.
Romans 15:29 But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
Acts 5:12  And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.
Acts 14:9 This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed,  --  "He discerned he believed the gospel and had faith to be healed. Paul evidently had all the gifts of the Holy Spirit of 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Paul had the fullness of "the blessing of the Gospel of Christ" Romans 15:29." (Source, Dake's Annotated Reference Bible)

4. WERE THEY MANIFEST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT DAYS? YES
Acts 1:5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. - First New Testament Fulfilled: Acts 2:4  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Old Testament Saints had many experiences and blessings as followers: they were filled.
Exodus 28:3 So you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest.
Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
Exodus 35:31 and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship,
Old Testament saints had gifts and fruits of the Spirit
1 Kings 3:12  behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.
1 Kings 17:1-2 And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word.” Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
2 Kings 13:20-25  Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you,  but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the LORD said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.  When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

5. CAN GIFTS BE MISUSED? YES: Solomon - vanity of pleasure
Ecclesiastes 2:9 So I became great and excelled more than all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me.
Numbers 20:7-13  Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,  “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” So Moses took the rod from before the LORD as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.  Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” This was the water of Meribah, because the children of Israel contended with the LORD, and He was hallowed among them.
with Deuteronomy 32:48-52  Then the LORD spoke to Moses that very same day, saying: “Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession;  and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people;  because you trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah Kadesh, in the Wilderness of Zin, because you did not hallow Me in the midst of the children of Israel. Yet you shall see the land before you, though you shall not go there, into the land which I am giving to the children of Israel.”
1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

6. ARE GIFTS PERMANENT OR TEMPORARY? YES, PERMANENT IF FRECEIVED AS A PERSONAL GIFT.
Romans 11:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. God never changes His mind about the gifts and the call He has given you.

7.  WHEN SHOULD GIFTS BE USED? WHEN NEEDED.
1 Corinthians 14: 3-6, 12, 17, 26  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.  But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching? Verse 12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel. Verse 16-17 Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?  For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified. Verse 26  How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
Romans 12:3-8 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;  he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

8. ARE GIFTS EXERCISED AT WILL? YES
1 Timothy 4:14  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.
2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

9.  HOW CAN THEY BE RECEIVED?  BY FAITH AND PRAYER
1 Corinthians 12:31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
Matthew 7:7-8 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

10. DO WE NEED GIFTS TODAY? YES, FOR THE SAME REASON OTHERS OF OLD NEEDED THEM
Mark 16:15-20  And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;  they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.
John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
Acts 10:38  how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Romans 1:11  For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—

Praying that your day is blessed. I am so grateful that spring is near, snow is melting.

Heather

Pam taught on the Spiritual Gifts one Friday at Bible study. Her research gave us many Bible verses on the gifts and some powerful insights. The Word of God speaks so strongly, that I thought you would be blessed to see these verses and comments.

The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual gifts. These gifts are of two types, ministry gifts and supernatural gifts. The ministry gifts are uniquely ours to use in service to others. They are imparted to us in keeping with our personalities, natural traits and God's purpose for our lives. These gifts do not vary from situation to situation.  Every believer has one or more spiritual gifts that he is to develop and use to win souls to Christ and build up the body of Christ.

Romans 12:6-8 AMP Having gifts (faculties, talents, qualities) that differ according to the grace given us, let us use them: [He whose gift is] prophecy, [let him prophesy] according to the proportion of his faith; [He whose gift is] practical service, let him give himself to serving; he who teaches, to his teaching; He who exhorts (encourages), to his exhortation; he who contributes, let him do it in simplicity and liberality; he who gives aid and superintends, with zeal and singleness of mind; he who does acts of mercy, with genuine cheerfulness and joyful eagerness.

Liberality - generosity and openhandedness, as opposed to stinginess. The apostle Paul taught that Christians should be liberal and generous in their financial giving.  Zeal is enthusiastic devotion, eager desire, single-minded allegiance.

The supernatural gifts are imparted by the Holy Spirit to a believer so that the Holy Spirit can accomplish His purposes in a specific situation or circumstance. These gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and are often called manifestations of the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 12:10-11 To another the working of miracles, to another prophetic insight (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose); to another the ability to discern and distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, to another the ability to interpret [such] tongues. All these [gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses.

Our ministry gifts and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit are used to buildup the Body of Christ. They are distributed according to the will of the Holy Spirit in order to bring the body of Christ as a whole into full maturity of faith.

In the book of Acts, Jesus talked about Baptism in the Spirit and said that the disciples would receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and this power would cause them to be witnesses to Jesus.

Acts 1:5-8 AMP For John baptized with water, but not many days from now you shall be baptized with (placed in, introduced into) the Holy Spirit. So when they were assembled, they asked Him, Lord, is this the time when You will reestablish the kingdom and restore it to Israel? He said to them, It is not for you to become acquainted with and know what time brings [the things and events of time and their definite periods] or fixed years and seasons (their critical niche in time), which the Father has appointed (fixed and reserved) by His own choice and authority and personal power. But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

When you received Jesus, you received the Holy Spirit into your human spirit. But the Baptism of the Spirit is a filling completely. He fills you, and you are placed into Him. It is like asking the Spirit to fill you through and through with the power and ability to live the Christian life and serve God according to His will.

In Strong's Concordance the word "power" in Greek is dunamis. It means miraculous power, ability, might and strength. It is a miracle working power.

Then Pam shared scriptural references for being baptized in the Holy Spirit - all are from the Amplified Bible.

Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

Acts 2:1-4 AND WHEN the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all assembled together in one place, when suddenly there came a sound from heaven like the rushing of a violent tempest blast, and it filled the whole house in which they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues resembling fire, which were separated and distributed and which settled on each one of them. And they were all filled (diffused throughout their souls) with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other (different, foreign) languages (tongues), as the Spirit kept giving them clear and loud expression [in each tongue in appropriate words].

Acts 8:17 Then [the apostles] laid their hands on them one by one, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Acts 10:44-46 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the message. And the believers from among the circumcised [the Jews] who came with Peter were surprised and amazed, because the free gift of the Holy Spirit had been bestowed and poured out largely even on the Gentiles. For they heard them talking in [unknown] tongues (languages) and extolling and magnifying God. Then Peter asked,

Acts 19:6 And as Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spoke in [foreign, unknown] tongues (languages) and prophesied.

Pam shared a passage from Maria Woodworth-Etter's book, Marvels and Miracles.  This comes from a chapter:  How to Cooperate with the Holy Spirit in a Meeting.  This was so powerful that I asked her for a copy of it so that I could get all the words down for you.

A word from the Lord:

Jesus was pure and undefiled and separate from sinners and free from guile, and so must you be. Let Him manifest His love in you from day to day. Many have I chosen and put my mighty power on, but today they have drifted back. They will not let me have my way with them. You must obey me, or I will remove the candlestick out of its place. Why question and doubt as to my mighty power? Do not doubt, but submit yourselves fully and completely into my hands, that you may be used to my glory and honor.

Come as a little child, full of joy and gladness. Come right, conscious that we have done all we know He wanted us to do in the best way we could, to please Him. Think on that. Praise God, and look to Him in faith to refill us and use us to glorify Jesus. Then by faith, we touch the button, as it were, and turn on the switch. The connection being good and the communication between God and man restored by Jesus, and maintained in good order by the Holy Spirit.

The mistake many of us make is to let the persecutions, and threatening and rage, and the powers of this world scare and frighten us. We are not prepared to suffer. We don't trust God and go to Him to vindicate His work and us. We too often draw back or compromise and "use wisdom" of the wrong kind, and are just as well satisfied when the power of God is not manifested so much, and the nice, quiet, imminently respectable, and precise, modern Christians are not offended. We should be praying and looking for God to work more and manifest His power more, to draw back is not pleasing to God, and therefore, the marvels and miracles, the manifestations of His Presence and Power, are to a great degree, lacking. Let us go forward. Meet the conditions. Come at peace with all the brethren with love for God and man. Come with the desire that Jesus may be glorified. Meet together in one accord.

Lose sight of yourself and each other in the supreme desire that God should work, that He should manifest His power. Then pray the prayer of faith and something supernatural will happen. God will answer. His power will flow in and through you. he will give you fresh courage and enable you to do your part, to speak the word of God with boldness, and to give witness to the Resurrection with great power and signs following will give positive and unmistakable evidence that the Lord is working with you. Fear and convictions will fall on unbelievers.

Enoch was translated, but before his translation, he had this testimony: that he pleased God. We are looking and hoping to be translated, the church that is, with the rest when Jesus comes. And we too should have the same testimony. The power, signs and the manifestations of the Spirit are testimony that God is pleased with us.

We should desire to be operated by God's mighty hand and power. There should be the touch of virtue. Our prayers should produce results. We should have His power in our bodies. God should be glorified in some way in our bodies. We are God's powerhouses. Jesus said, "You shall receive power, the Holy Ghost having come upon you." If we draw back, God has no pleasure in us and will not use us to do His pleasure. He cannot, because we are not a consenting party, and God has given to every man a free will. God desires and seeks those after His own heart, one with Him and the Lord Jesus, to whom no sacrifice is too great. In order that eternal counsels of God and His purposes may be carried out in their entirety. He seeks men of faith, of the eleventh chapter of Hebrews class.

All that the Father has is conditionally ours. Now that prodigals are coming home, let us too eat of the fatted calf and join in the music and dancing. Let us make merry. He makes our feet like hind's feet, and sitteth us upon high places. The power of God makes our bodies light, when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, which is in earnest of the translating power. Some, however, are bound hand and foot. They cannot lift hands to God and cannot join in the holy dance. Some, it may be, have the spirit of the elder brother in the parable. We have holy, gentle boldness. We that are under the Blood have not a spirit of fear, but of love and of power and of a sound mind. We know that we are sons and daughters of God, with power and authority.

But at the same time we are continually careful not to do or say anything that will displease or grieve Him, bring reproach on the cause or contempt on the work. We should try the spirits. Ours is the desire to do some big thing ahead of someone else, then watch. Ask rather, "Will the people receive light, will they be edified?" And you will probably have to say, no. Because so many spirits are not of God, some throw away God's Spirit too. The Word and the Spirit agree in perfect harmony. We should not be trembling and fearful and excited for fear some other spirit should come in. When some wrong spirit comes in, don't whisper around, getting others nervous. Jesus is present on the White Horse of Power to control the meeting and God can take care of His own business. Don't say to your brother, "Stand back there because the devil comes in sometimes and uses you, I cannot trust you."  Peter backslid, but he repented, he went out and wept bitterly. If he had lived in these days, they would always be throwing it up to Peter and he would never hear the last of it. Why, he denied the Lord. At Pentecost a few days afterward, a spokesman was required. Did the rest say, "We cannot trust Peter; just lately he lied and backslid, and cursed and swore and disgraced the Lord and us." If they had acted like that, the words would have frozen in his mouth.  They knew God had restored him and filled him with His Spirit again. Take the one God chooses no matter what is in the past. What are they now? Take heed that you offend not one of these little ones that believe in Christ. (Mark 9:42) That they stumble not and fall because you reject them from fellowship, deny them liberty, and withhold your love.

Be a committee of one, to see that you walk straight in all the will of God. Be a committee of one to see that it is the spirit of love that controls you at all times. Watch against an unforgiving spirit, a desire to avenge, to take satisfaction for injury by just punishment through retaliation. Beware of envy. It is a feeling of uneasiness at another's superior advantages or privileges, a dislike or discontent because of the superior excellence or success of another. If God has respect to the offering of a brother, and pays no attention to ours, it is not good for us to be angry and jealous, afraid someone else will get ahead of us in the affections and the love of the brethren. Then is the time to watch, because sin crouches at the door, and the devil is close at hand preparing to spring in and overpower us. If our ear is open to hear the Spirit, the Holy Spirit will warn us. If our supreme desire is that Jesus shall be glorified, we will be glad He is glorified in our brother.

Pam goes on to describe the gifts of the Spirit in more detail.  I am going to leave that post for the next entry because she gives a lot of information and I don't want it to get lost in a too long blog entry.

Hoping your day is blessed!

Heather

If you want to view the video, go to this link  and scroll down until you see the video Microwave Healing (it is about 25 minutes long and aired on TBN) - there is also a PDF file that you can acces for the booklet that was handed out for the sermon. There are other sermons that you can view.  We are really blessed to sit under incredible Bible teachings.

Below is the text from the closed captioning for the video (slightly altered for readability).  But still go to the link above to get the booklet in PDF file for microwave healing.

SAY AMEN
SHOW 141
MICROWAVE HEALING
1/10/10

Now last week we did a teaching that, for me, was very important.  I don't know how many of you brought or still have your Microwave Healing with you.  Does anybody bring it besides me?  Lift your hands if you have one.  If you have one.  That's good.  That's very good.  Very good.  I want to touch on a few points of it and answer your questions concerning it.  Because Jesus' emphasis was on teaching the people.  He believed that healing was the bread, as the scripture says, the bread of the children.  But to understand healing, we must do what He said, He sat the people down and He taught them.  So, this little pamphlet, and for those of you who are watching by television, it's free.  All you have to do is contact us, we'll be glad to put it in your hand.  Yes sister.  [it's on the website]  And it's also available on the website, free of charge. 

And those of you that don't have web, then just contact us.  We really want to see the body of Christ blessed.  [amen]  That's what it's really about.  So, we'll send it to you free of charge.  If I have to, I'll bring it to your house.  [amen, laughter]  I better be careful with that.  [laughter]  We are going to have to go to New York City and visit TBN and maybe have a meeting or two down there to meet the other people that constantly are in touch with us.  We love you and we love to hear from you.  Ok, let's give our attention now to Microwave Healing.  I read the whole thing.  But I want to touch on a few points and have you ask your questions and get some answers. 

The purpose of this writing is that sometimes we get healing confused with different people's theologies and teachings, and whimsical ideas.  Your whimsical ideas will not heal you.  But, guess what...  The Word will.  [amen] Amen.  [amen]  Now, we want to just touch on some of the main points here. 

I tried to point out in the first series of pages, are you willing to be different?  The reason is that change is necessary, but change is difficult.  We usually want God to heal us, but we don't want to change anything.  But God's view is, if you're not willing to change, He is not willing to heal you.  The reason would be because He would heal you and you would just go back to where you were again, but in worse shape and worse condition.  Everybody got that?  So change is necessary. 

Now that change must occur on two levels.  First of all, we must change physically what we are doing, but also we must change mentally what we're thinking.  And if we'd be honest about it, we have wrong thinking.  This week on Thursday night Bible study, I've been ministering on the authority of the believer.  And last week, I was reading some of the books in my library.  I have a lot of different books.  And I found one of my father's old books from the 30's. From 1936.  And in this book it was talking about the teachings of the early church.  And in the book, the author of this book, in 1936 said very clearly that the Church did have, after Jesus departed from the earth, did have signs, wonders, and healings.  And then, he went and said, that those signs, wonders, and healings that occurred in the early Church, after Jesus, were no longer necessary because of scientific and medical advances that have occurred, that were equal to the things that were done supernaturally, we can fix those things naturally, and therefore, we saw a decrease in signs and wonders, as they were not necessary to administer the Gospel to people...

Whoa!!!... Whoa!!!  I always wondered as a young Baptist boy, how we got to the place where we had accepted something that was so different from the Gospel of, the Gospel teaching.  How did we get to the place where things looked so different?  How did we do, I wonder who was the first person that prayed, "Lord, if it be Thy will." ... In reference to not making a determination on something in their life, but making a determination as to the willingness of God to bless His children with the healing mercy.  Do you follow me?  [yes]  When did that question get in?  When did we become so unsure that God is a healer and that He is willing to heal us? 

Even though in the scriptures, when the man with leprosy, dread disease, a death sentence in Jesus' time, when the man with leprosy comes to Jesus and asks the question, "Are you willing?"  And Jesus answer is, "Yeah. You know, like wow.  Yeah.  I'm willing, even to..." what?  "Even to touch you."  [amen]...

What we have to understand is that over the years, there is thinking, there are thinking, there are ideas that have crept into our theology, that are not Biblically supported. But they are based on failure over time.  Meaning, if we don't do things the way Jesus said.  If we don't come to Him they way He says, and we fail, we will develop a defensive mentality and we will defend our egos and ourselves.  We feel we are good people.  So we begin to think, well, I'm a good person.  I prayed.  I didn't get healed.  Therefore, that stuff doesn't work.  Anybody get that?  [yes]  And so, over the years, the Church has developed these theologies of defending failure.  I prayed for Grandma, she died, God doesn't heal anymore.  I prayed for my foot, my foot didn't get healed, God doesn't heal that way anymore.  And the worst theology that has crept in was, I'm not worthy... [hmm] 

Well, no, no, no.  The problem is you didn't understand the mechanics of it, and you didn't have Bible type faith, and therefore, when you substitute something from it, you end up with a series of failures and as you fail, and since you're a good person, you identify yourself as a good person, you say, "Well it didn't work that time, therefore that stuff doesn't work."  And so we have developed a suffering, listen to me carefully.  We have developed a suffering theology which is, God will be with you in your suffering, but He won't do anything about it.... Come on now.  [that's true]  I'm just speaking the truth here. 

And so, we have to understand that books like that one, and hundreds of other books in the last 2000 years have been written to support people's failure.  Rather than them saying, hmn, I prayed, it didn't happen.  Let me go back to the drawing board, and find out where I missed it.  [amen]  Amen.  You see, God has no problem with doctors.  God is the one who gives doctors revelation as to how things work.  And how do we know?  Because God designed it.  So we must rely  upon whatever information  they have.  After all, Doctor Luke wrote the book of Luke and recorded more healings than anyone else.  So doctors are not against healing.  But healing is the process by which God enters into the natural and brings about His miracle either quickly or over time.  [amen] 

So, we have to then, understand that if we're going to have microwave healing, if we're going to get what we're asking for, we have to be able to look carefully at ourselves and our lifestyles, and embrace change.  [amen]  The Child of God, should not be afraid of change.  [amen]  We shouldn't be afraid of change in the way that we eat, the way that we exercise.  We shouldn't be afraid of changing the way that we think.  We should examine anything and everything and we should be able to say, I have been given a physical body that is gonna last for a certain number of years, and I need to be cognizant that if, if I am not helping it, I should accept the fact that maybe I'm hurting it.  In which case, I need to change.  Alright?  [yes]  So, we need to prepare to be different.  We need to be motivated and willing to change. 

And then, the next number 2, is a very interesting concept.  Are we ready to be different? ... Change means that we have to think, see, and we have to feel different.  Meaning, if we're going to change, we want God to move in our lives, we have to address all three areas.  You have to worry about what you're thinking and what you're seeing.  How many of you know you can get two people in a museum, look at a picture.  One person looks at the picture and says, "That's beautiful."  And another looks at it and goes, "eeech."  [laughter]  Isn't that true?  [yes]  Come on, isn't it?  [yes]  Huh? 

I'm sure there's someone today that, the woman's meeting was wonderful last night.  But I'm sure there's somebody that this morning woke up and said, "Boy that was a waste of time."  [laughter]  Because why?  It's what you're seeing.  You know.  Today there's nobody in here wearing sunglasses.  But there are many times that you people have on sunglasses in their life.  They wake up in the morning, you know, I wake up every morning, and go, "It's a beautiful day."  Just cause it's cloudy doesn't mean it's not a beautiful day.  [right]  So it's the way that we see. 

I always get a kick out of people that have a difficult time.  There are people that have no sense of humor.  So they see things completely differently.  You know, they think, well Pastor should always be serious and dead.  [laughter]  You know, and then there are other people that, well, don't get too serious, tell us a joke.  I know some people come to church and want to be entertained.  That's ok.  But then there are other people who want to come and want to be taught.  And then there are other people who come and they don't have any idea why they're coming.  [laughter]  And that's because we see things differently.  But guess what?  You can choose how to see things. [amen]  So we can choose to feel.  You can choose to feel. 

I remember going to the hospital and this lady, terrible, terrible sickness, and the doctor said she was in constant pain.  You know, when she saw Pastor, she got a smile up.  And I thought to myself, what just happened here?  She chose to feel happy even though she was, what, in pain.  [amen]  And it's a choice.  We can do that.  Can't we?  [yes]  And so, then, we have to choose to be ready to be different. 

Then the third area is the one that I perceived last week, the most confusion on.  We can change by accepting that we are not going to change.  [right]  or be different.  We can choose to accept where we are, who we are, and what we do and just be content... But here's what I said in the passage.  It's going to take supernatural ability to do that.  It's going to take supernatural ability to be content even though you've chose not to change... But you can choose not to change.  You can be a disagreeable person and say, I choose to stay disagreeable.  My momma was disagreeable, my grandfather was disagreeable, I'm just going to be a disagreeable, hard to get along with person.  You can decide that.  [right]  But, if you decide that, you need to also be content that that's what you've decided. 

You can decide to get sick and die and go to Heaven.  And I will agree with you, if that's what you're content with.  God has given you life and a body, and you can say, "Pastor Don, I need to lose fifty pounds, but I'm not gonna."  Well, in that case, be happy about it.  [laughter]  Why should you be miserable?  Be happy that you're not gonna do it... Just be content that you're not going to do it.  You just love every ounce of it and you're going to keep it all.  [laughter]  Well, if that's the case, don't be miserable about it.  Don't complain about it.  And don't put yourself down for it.  Just be it.  And be content. 

The Apostle Paul says, in all things I find myself, I shall be content.  [yes]  He says, I have learned to, I've been abased, and I've been exalted, and He says, but whatever situation, I will be what?  [content]  I'll be content.  But to have that type of contentment will require what?  Supernatural help.  [that's right]  You'll need supernatural help from God to be able to be content whether there is filet mignon, or Burger King.  But if it's Burger King, and you're not going to do anything to get the filet mignon, eat the Burger King happy.  Be happy.  Be grateful.  Don't be negative about it.  Don't complain and sit there and eat the burger wishing you had a steak.  Be happy you got the burger.  [amen]  Be ha..ha..happy.  [happy. alright]  Alright, any questions about that?  Cause I know that's a hard one. 

Being content with where you are is a hard one.  You know.  Got a knucklehead for a husband.  Be content.  [amen]  You know.  That's hard.  By learning that I'm not going to change, but if you are going to change, and you want your knucklehead husband to change, guess what?  Guess who has to change first?  [you]  Rocket science.  You have to change first, and then that will initiate and cause a change in him.  [that's right]  Alright?  [ok]  We're good?  [yes]  Ok. 

Now, the obstacles to healing were pretty simple stuff.  But you need to read it in detail.  The first is we misunderstand God... We do, we misunderstand God.  We think that our ideas are greater than Him.  We think that our sin is greater than Him.  [hmmm]  We think that we've been so bad we deserve to be sick or we deserve this, whatever.   You know, that's not true.  Jesus didn't ask people to qualify on the basis of their righteousness before he healed them. [amen]  You know, He took the lowest of the low and healed them. 

I always wondered when, a few times in Scripture, when Jesus said, "Now go your way and sin no more."  I kinda wished that they'd written in there what that person had been doing.  [laughter]  Never mind, I don't know, that appeals to me.  I would like to know what was he doing that got him that sick.  [hmmm]  The paraplegic, remember they lift off the roof, let this guy in, and Jesus says, Jesus says to him, "Your sins are forgiven."  He forgave his sins before he healed him in this case.  [that's right]  And the people got all upset, and then Jesus said, "Well, it's easier to say your sins are forgiven, just as it is to say, pick up your mat and walk."  And he says, "Just to show you, that the Son of Man..." hallelujah.  "That the Son of Man has authority on the earth," He says, "Pick up your mat and walk."  [amen]  And you know what happened?  The guy's limbs popped and crackled and lined up.  And he got up and he took up his mat and walked.  [hallelujah, praise God]... I wonder what had he been doing to get that sick.  [laughter]  "Go your way and sin no more."  I wonder what they would have been doing. 

You see, the ancient Jew recognized that there was a connection between sin and sickness.  [yes]  Our culture, we're trying to get away from that.  You know, alcoholism is a disease.  There's no demons involved.  There's no demonic activity.  There's no bad habits.  There's no such thing as physical, mental, and spiritual decisions that we make.  It's a disease.  Well, the ancient Jews felt that all disease had a sin connection...

So, Jesus had to straighten them out though, didn't He?  A little bit later He says, "Huh, neither did this person's father or mother sin, and neither did this one sin." ... How many of you all remember that story?  I'm telling it right, right?  [yes]  Back me up, Tony.  Am I telling it right?  [yes]  He said, "Neither, there was no sin involved in this."  So we have to, in the 21st Century here, we've got to speed up and catch up.  There's some sin that is caused by, there's some sin that causes disease. And there's other sin, that just is, cause it is. 

Now, I never understood that.  till I looked out at trees and nature.  And realized that some trees are growing in the middle of a field, and they're beautiful.  But there's some trees over here on the cliff that are growing in a craggy rock, and they're trying to grow.  There's some people that deserve, that deserve to be broken, busted and disgusted, because why?  They were raised in the most difficult of situations.  You know, they grew up in the most difficult of situations.  You know, we have a member of this Church was, between 8-10 foster homes growing up... Some of us wouldn't be able to survive that.  But she was bounced around 8 different foster homes.  8-10 I think it was.  Bounced all around.  You know, from one foster home to another, to another, to another, to another...That's rough.  You all want to do that?  [no]  I don't want to do that.  Not unless it was my foster home, the foster home was my house.  I wouldn't mind living in my house...

I want you to think about that.  Some people are hurt and difficult to deal with because their life was hard.  [that's right]  They just had to go through some stuff.  How much greater is the glory for them?  [amen]  How much greater is the glory for them when they get on the other side.  [that's right]  Isn't it beautiful?  Hallelujah.  [amen] Thanks be to God. 

So, there's some sickness that comes just because life is that way.  When you've been truly blessed, when you've been truly blessed, you should be truly a blessing.  [amen]  But there's some people that have had it very rough.  And therefore, when sickness comes to them, it is not cause they've sinned, it's not cause their parents have sinned, it's because the devil is an abuser who takes advantage of people.  Takes advantage of weak and difficult situations.  Amen?  [amen] 

Now, the other issue, and we'll have to close with this is, that physical death is a doorway to Heaven and eternal life... Our visit on earth is based on how we've treated our bodies, based on physical strength, based on our purpose, and based on God's sovereign plan.  Now I want to just close with this.  Physical death is a doorway.  We have to, in our experience with the Lord, if we believe that Heaven is a place, if we believe that the Earth is a place where we, what?  Are preparing for Heaven, not the other way around.  Then we have to realize that everything that goes on down here is temporary.  [right]  This is gonna pass.  And the more you fight to hold on to this, the less you have the ability to hold on to Heaven.  [amen]  You can't cling, you can't cling to earth and try and embrace Heaven.  [amen] 

What did the Apostle Paul say?  He said the only reason I'm hanging around here is for you guys.  Cause it would be much better for me to leave and go and be with the Lord.  You know.  Historical records shows us that Paul had his head chopped off probably in his early 60's.  He was about maybe 62 when they chopped his head off and killed him.  But did you know, you realize he was looking to die before that?  [yeah] ... He was looking to be with the Lord.  He was looking for that greater glory. 

So we have to realize that we are here for a purpose which gives us a certain amount of time.  There's certain things that I am been given the privilege to accomplish on earth.  Certain things that you've been given the privilege to accomplish on earth.  And when those purposes are done, and God's sovereign plan for you in your life is completed, then it'll be time for you to make a decision to embrace death.  I personally want to embrace it. I don't want to fight it when it comes.  [amen] ... But in the mean time, I don't want to permit death's early arrival to any part of my body.  [amen]  Because why?  That impedes my purpose, and doesn't help me complete God's sovereign will in my life. 

So the correct attitude should be, I walk in divine health until I've completed my purpose and fulfilled God's sovereign plan.  Then I go Home because I'm an alien here.  [amen]  Heaven is my home.  And then the next time you see me, I will be back on the earth to rule and reign and complete God's sovereign plan.  To me that's Good News.  [amen]  That's Good News.  Can you say, "I know I'll be back?"  [I know I'll be back]  Arnold Schwarzenegger - (deep voice) I'll be back. 

I'm not talking about coming back the same way I left.  I'm talking about coming back in a glorified body.  I'm talking about coming back with faith from Heaven.  I'm talking about coming back in a life and a mind that has no doubt and unbelief in it.  I'm talking about coming back where there is no sickness, death, or disease, in any part of my body.  I'm talking about coming back and having supernatural ability to traverse across time, to go across galaxies, in the blinking and thought of an eye of a moment.  I'm talking about coming back and being able to go, definitely go wherever I want to go, whenever I want to go, under the direction of God, to do what?  To accomplish His will on the earth. I'm talking about coming back in power and in might.  I got some power now, but when I'm coming back, I'm coming back in more and more and more power.  I'm going to have resurrection power, in every part of my body, from the top of my head to the soles of my feet.  I'm talking about coming back where there is no death, no sorrow, no pain, no disappointment.  I'm talking about coming back as a Child of God, who has seen the victory over this life, and has entered into the victory of Heaven. 

Am I alone or or you with me?  [hallelujah - applause]  Well, let's stand to our feet.  We want to pray for you.  Hallelujah.  If you don't have a copy of this, you need to get one.  And then follow the simple, easy steps, to enter in to this thing. 

Let's pray.  ... sha da da ta ta ta, Lord grant us the ability to embrace healing.  To embrace signs and wonders.  Father, grant us the ability to walk in the strength of Your Word.... And to know that You love us.  You put Your arms around us.  You surround us with your love.  And Father, help us to have the hope that is beyond the grave, and know that that, too, is healing.  That too is healing.  And we just thank you, Lord....We just thank you.  We're filled with the anticipation of getting better and better at this thing.  We shall grow stronger and better and better at this thing called life.  (laughs)  We thank you, Lord, that You've prepared and provided a way for us, and we just thank You... (singing) Surround me oh, Lord.  Surround me oh, Lord.  Surround me oh, Lord.  Let your presence fill this place.

Matthew 24:1-8 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”   Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.

If you look at this passage in light of the events of the day, you see many of these prophesies are coming to pass. This is the beginning of sorrow, there are false christs and many are deceived.  Callin spoke about how God convicted him of listening to worldly music that is edifying to our flesh, but not to our calling. How we get indoctrinated into the worldly things through TV, music, false teachings, etc. The media is rocking the world asleep and satan is gaining control through our negligence.

Callin shared with us from the Dake Bible the 16 marks of false ministries mentioned in 2 Corinthians 11. Callin gave us a few scriptures for some of these traits.

 1. hold secret things of shame: 2 Corinthians 4:2  But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
 2. walk in craftiness
 3. handle Word deceitfully
 4. walk and war after the flesh: 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 
 5. Look on outward appearances Matthew 23:27-28 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ But you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
 6. commend selves
 7. compare selves to others
 8. prey on works of others
 9. greedy of income
10. false; seek highest offices
11. deceitful workers
12. counterfeit apostleship
13. pose as righteous ministers
14. seek occasion to glory
15. boastful and self-exalting
16. destitute of apostolic signs

Reading 1 and 2 Thessalonians gives us more of an understanding of the end times and false prophets. We need to be able to discern false from true prophets, so that we can fight the battle of faith successfully.If we receive a prophesy we need to discern if it is accurate, and also important:: the TIMING. To do something that is right at the wrong time will not be as successful.

Callin spoke about Elliott Spitzer who pretended to be righteous as he attacked people who committed sexual sins, but was caught in the same acts himself.

We are part of the Kingdom of God. So we need to honor the governing authorities, but we are not to be forced to do what is ungodly.

Romans 13:1-2  Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.

Whomever we sit under as our spiritual leader we need to discern to make sure that they are teaching the truths of God as shown in the Word of God, that they are not speaking presumptuously, teaching error, act in ways that do not demonstrate righteousness, and that their teachings give light, not take the light of truth away.  We cannot compromise the truth.

From the same Dake Bible there is a listing of 34 other marks of false ministers. This one gives Bible references. I am going to cite the reference and trust you will look them up if you need them.
  1. Lead men from God (Deut. 13:1-5)
  2. Speak presumptuously (Deut. 18:20)
  3. Propagate errors (Proverbs 19:27; Is 3:12; Jer 23:32)
  4. Have no sense of righteousness (Is 5:20; Jeremiah, 22, 24, 32)
  5. Destitute of light (Isaiah 8:19-20)
  6. Teach lies (Isaiah 9:14-16)
  7. Live like sinners (Is. 28:7) 
  8. Ignorant of spiritual things (Is 29:10-11; 56:10-12; Jer 2:8; Hos 4:6)
  9. Compromise truth (Is 30:10)
10. Greedy and lazy (Is 56:10-12)
11. Deal falsely (Jer 6:13; Ezek 22:27)
12. Do not pray (Jer 10:21)
13. Destroy and scatter (Jer 12:16; 23:1)
14. Preach lies (Jer 14:12-16)
15. Commit adultery (Jer 23:14)
16. Encourage sin (Jer. 23:14; Ezek 13:22)
17. Deceitful (Jer 48:10; Ezek 13:10; Rom 16:18; Eph 4:14; Col 2:4-8;  Tim 3:6-12)
18. Sinful (Ezek 22:25-28)
19. Liars (Jer 23:14; Ezek 13:19-22)
20. Selfish (Ezek 34:2-3)
21. Unfaithful (Ezek 34:4-10)
22. Covetous (Mic 3:11)
23. Teach doctrines of men (Mt. 16:9)
24. Work iniquity (Mt. 7:15-23)
25. Blind (Mt. 15:14)
26. Cause divisions (Rom. 26:17; 1 Cor. 11:18, Phil 1:15-16)
27. Corrupt truth (2 Cor. 2:17)
28. Teach doctrines of devils (1 Tim)
29. Seared conscience (1 Tim. 4:2)
30. Proud and perverse (1 Tim 6:3-21; 2 Tim 2:14-18; Titus 1:10-14)
31.  Teach damable heresies (2 Peter 2:1, 2 John 7-11)
32. Deny Christ (2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1-6)
33. Consecrated to destroy Christianity (2 Peter 2:1-19; Jude 4-11)
34. Hypocrisy (Mt. 7:15; 23:1-33; Lk. 11:35)

We discussed some of these as examples came to mind in the group.

I hope these notes help you. Dake is a good reference Bible if you like lists (she says smiling).

Have a blessed day!

Heather

 

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 speak about satan. There are supernatural and natural forces both active in the world. What we see in the natural also has supernatural components, from a hidden realm of information, a supernatural realm. The bad supernatural entities do not want us to know that they exist. The want us to think they are good.

Ezekiel 28:11-13  Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:  “You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering: the sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created."

In this case the king of Tyre was a evil spirit, and Tyre was where he manifested. There are many governments that have had evil entities behind some of what they did - think of Adolph Hitler, Idi Amin. It is evil to kill masses of people. In Tyre, satan was behind the scenes. The physical ruler of Tyre is referred to as the Prince of Tyre, the king of Tyre was lucifer.   Notice that satan was beautiful, covered with precious stones and his timbrels and pipes were prepared for him - he was the worship leader in Heaven. Music was used to accomplish what he did.

Ezekiel 28:14 You were the anointed cherub who covers; I established you; you were on the holy mountain of God; you walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

Cherubs are not the little cupid figurines we see today. The devil is happy to have us believe such lies though. God established lucifer, but then lucifer got proud and rebeled against God.

Ezekiel 28:15-16  You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones.

The trading for power caused lucifer's downfall, he was created perfectly, but he traded to magnify himself over God. What is God's picture of this?

1 Peter 2:13-16 Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

God gives us free will and we can choose to either follow God or follow lucifer. lucifer can't take our liberty, he needs our will to cooperate in order for him to subject and oppress us.

1 Peter 3:18  For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Christ died for our sins, to bring us to God.

1 Peter 3:19-21  by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

The answer of a good conscience is TOWARD God, through the resurrection of Christ.

1 Peter 3:22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him.

The angels, and authority were subject to Him. Jesus went to hell and preached to those in hell.

2 Peter 2:4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;

Jesus did not spare the angels who sinned. Why?  We operate in the realm of the "seen" what we can see. We don't see the Father sitting on a throne, but the angels in heaven do. Dr. E.B (who died and was restored to life), came back and spoke of heaven, saying that no matter which direction you look in Heaven, you see the throne.  Saved or forgiven, you are not accountable for what you didn't know but angels had all the information. Those who disobeyed and sinned did so knowing what they did.

2 Peter 2:5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

2 Peter 2:8-9  (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds)— then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment,

When things are so bad, people need to be delivered. There is no problem that is too big for God to deliver us from. But what will prevent our deliverance is if we are unjust, and refuse to obey God, preferring lawless deeds to the truth of God.

2 Peter 2:10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries,

This gets heavy, presumptuous and self-willed. Love cannot exist where there is no free will.

2 Peter 2:11-12 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accusation against them before the Lord.  But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption,

They need to be caught and destroyed.

2 Peter 2:13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you,

Carousing in the daytime and in their own deceptions while they feast.

2 Peter 2:14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children.

Their eyes are full of adultery, they cannot cease from sin and can't stop what they are doing. They listen to the voice of evil and can't stop.

2 Peter 2:15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness

They will do anything to trade for power and might, including enticing believers to sin.

2 Peter 2:16-17 but he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man’s voice restrained the madness of the prophet.  These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

Some people are so taken over by evil that they personify evil. There is a continuum of evil from pure to black to bent on evil. They seek to take us away from God. If we get a thought that does not seem to be our ordinary thinking or drops in, and it does not seem Godly, it could be from evil. Darkness will try to stop us. The Holy Spirit seals us.  Some people cannot stay in the same room with us because the power of God is in us.

We need to discern what is around us for we live in the natural world but with supernatural forces. Believers cannot be demon possessed, but they can be demon oppressed.

The Spirit of God makes promises to us.

Ephesians 3:1-2  For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles— if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,

God gives us special grace for others.  Pray that God gives this grace to us so that we can give it to others. Grace is not the same as mercy.  Check out the definition in the concordance, it is also supernatural ability and favor of God. God will give us the power to do something with our situation.

Ephesians 3:3-4  how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),

Paul is telling people that he knows some stuff and God can reveal it to us as well.

Ephesians 3:5 which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:

God is revealing it to us by His Spirit.

Ephesians 3:6-7  that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.

Paul is wanting the Gentiles to be fellow heirs and partakers of the same powers and grace of God through Christ.

Ephesians 3:8 To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

Paul feels that he is the least of all the saints, because he was responsible for the murdering of Christians before Christ came to Him.  Paul's mission was to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.

I pray you are staying warm and comfortable - we have about 18 inches of snow, and I am soooo ready for spring.

Heather
 

This chapter exposes lucifer. The evil one is made more powerful if people don't know he exists or don't believe in him.  The number one lie that lucifer tries to get us to believe is that he doesn't exist, that there is no lucifer or satan, or that he is some cute little red imp with horns and a pitchfork. The second lie that he propagates is that we have enough time, we can put off asking Jesus into our hearts; but that is not true because we don't know the day we will die or if we will have enough time to correct that error before death.  The third lie that lucifer tells us is that he is not what we say he is, he will masquerade as an angel of light, an angel of enlightenment. He makes us feel special, and says he is giving us revelation that no one else sees. A revelation is an understanding that you get, but that doesn't mean that it is the truth. We need to have the revelation confirmed and it MUST agree with the Word of God.

Pastor Don gave us an example - he said, "Eggs cook."  That is true eggs cook, but that does not mean that it is the absolute truth on eggs, there are many ways to cook an egg.

NOT EVERY IDEA YOU GET IS A GOD IDEA. All revelation has to be measured by the Word of God or else we are all deceived.

What does Scripture say about Mystery Babylon and Lucifer?

Kingdoms, representative government, hierarchy.  There are spiritual and material kingdoms. The heavenly kingdom spreads down to the population. The things we see on earth are influenced by what goes on behind the scenes in the heavenlies. We see the natural, but there is also a supernatural component to what we see in the natural.

Pastor Don gave the example of a drama or a play. He said that we see what is on stage, but there is a lot of stuff that goes on behind the scenes and what we see on stage is what the director wants us to see. If we looked behind the scenes we would see the plywood frames and other staging materials that would take away from the scene on stage.

What we see in the natural also has a spiritual component, and God brings forward elements so that we can discern the spiritual. We should not take the natural that we see and assume that that is all that is going on. "Off the camera" there are other forces speaking behind the scenes. We want to realize that not every spiritual force or idea that we perceive in the physical is a good idea. We need to know what is behind that force our idea, what is backstage.

The Kingdom of earth has physical boundaries between the nations, but the Spiritual Kingdom overlaps those boundaries and encompasses many nations. As believers, we are part of a larger Kingdom than the one we perceive on earth. God raises Kingdoms and they can have no names, no borders, no national earthly representative.

Jesus is our King, and our Kingdom has no physical, geographical boundaries.  Say, "Hallelujah, Amen, or Jesus!" in any nation in the world and people will identify themselves to you as Christians.

In this chapter of Isaiah God is writing from two vantage points 1. hidden, 2. natural. God uses the names of places that are known on the earth.  Each of these places has spiritual authority on earth.

As an example, Pastor Don spoke about Smyrna (mentioned in Revelation) had as their physical head, Zeus. The Christians in Smyrna received recognition for not being pulled into the blasphemy that surrounded them, and Jesus warned them that there would be much persecution; but that, as they perservered, they would receive the crown of life.  In an area like Smyrna certain principalities will gain strongholds, and those need to be resisted. 

For example, in our country there are areas known for drugs and narcotics. There are certain places that some believers who have been freed from drug addiction can't go for those principalities could exert influence on a new believer and pull them down. The believers first need to grow stronger in the Lord before they can minister in those areas.

We need the power and strength of God to face those strongholds.

There are spiritual forces in the domain of man, both Godly forces, but also satanic, demonic forces. What happens in earthly domain is influenced by these forces in the spiritual and we need discernment to know where these forces are emanating from.

If we don't know his name or something about him that doesn't mean that he doesn't exist.

While the name, lucifer, is not in the Bible, his name means light bearer, and in Latin is phosphorus - which means light bringer, he is also known as the morning star, satan, the serpent, etc.

Who is this person?

He appears to God as man, and he must appear when God calls. In reality he is a fallen angel.

We need to realize that underneath, our behavior is affected by the supernatural, that there is something behind the scenes that affects the natural. Pastor Don asked us if we have ever said or done something and then said, "I can't believe I said that? I must have been out of my mind?"  We all have those moments.

Isaiah 14:1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob.

This is talking about before - when God chose Israel. In the natural Jacob was a person, he wrestled with the Angel and the Angel gave him a new name, "Israel." Whenever Jacob did something in the natural God called Him Jacob, when He was in God's will, God called him Israel. Israel represented the spiritual man, Jacob the natural man.

Pastor Don mentioned that when he was a child, his mom might call him Don - "Don, go to the store...."  If he didn't go, his mom might get more insistent, "Donald, go to the store..." If he really pushed the envelope with his mom, she used his middle name, "DONALD EUGENE!"  

Jacob was from the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob.

Israel is a spiritual nation that God promised to never leave or forsake. God will always choose Israel, it is his first choice - the spiritual side of Jacob.  They were to settle in the land.

Isaiah 14:2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.

THEN - the house of Israel, the spiritual side, servants. They overshadowed the people who oppressed them. THE DAY OF THE LORD is also known as the DAY OF JACOB'S TROUBLE.  It is not for us. God reestablishes ISRAEL, not Jacob.

Isaiah 14:3 It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve,

In the Day of the LORD, God will give Israel rest from their sorrow, fear and bondage.

Isaiah 14:4  ...that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, the golden city ceased!"

This is the spiritual Babylon, Babylon behind the scenes the whole time. We have a spiritual heritage that is behind the scenes in our lives, although it may not be apparent in our physical. That is what some speak of as generational curses. But when we get saved, we can interfere with that program that is messing up our lives and then we won't let anger, hostility, bad decisions mess up or destroy our lives and what we are trying to accomplish.

There is hope for our kids, when we get saved and we get changed, or children can look at our lives and realize, "Mom's not like that anymore. I don't have to be like that." 

Pastor Don shared how his father saw his grandmother punch his grandfather in the face, and Pastor Don's father purposed in his heart that that would not happen in his marriage. It didn't. He killed that evil spirit and uprooted it.

If we don't commit our sinful things to the Lord, we often will return to them like a dog returns to its own vomit.  God had mercy on Jacob, but BY FAITH ISRAEL.

The King of Babylon is a spiritual king behind the scenes.

Isaiah 14:5 The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers;

The rulers are the people who sit on thrones with a spiritual authority, and they have the scepter which represents power, but it is a power granted to them by satan, not God.

Isaiah 14:6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he who ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and no one hinders.

The enemy will attack us with a CONTINUAL stroke. We often ask ourselves, why doesn't the devil stop? Even Jesus had many attacks from the enemy.

Luke 4:1-13, the last verse is the key verse for our purposes, I have made the words bold.  Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry. And the devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.”  But Jesus answered him, saying, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Then the devil, taking Him up on a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “All this authority I will give You, and their glory; for this has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore, if You will worship before me, all will be Yours.” And Jesus answered and said to him, “Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’” Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you,’ and,‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’” And Jesus answered and said to him, “It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’” Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

It does not say that satan left Jesus forever, but that he left him for an OPPORTUNE time. The devil, in his wrath, will keep coming back to us and pick on anyone who looks out of balance, emotionally unstable, under too many pressures, caught under the pressure of time, tired, hungry, or has lust out of order. People are most caught when they are caught up in PRIDE. Especially pride after a great victory and they are thinking that they are all that. Even with Jesus, satan waited for opportune times.

Stay HUMBLE and OBEDIENT! Don't get so busy working for the Lord that you forget to sleep, rest, and eat properly. Then you will not get stressed and give the enemy an opportune time to attack.

SIN also opens the door to the enemy. So stay confessed up.

Isaiah 14:6 He who struck the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he who ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted and no one hinders.

CONTINUAL STROKE, looking for opportunities, the things behind us are hidden but affect our flesh and bring forth our worst nightmare. We say that a demon can't influence us, but he masquerades and tricks us if we are not discerning.

Isaiah 14:7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet; they break forth into singing.

We can rest because the Lord will come against the evil one and his persecution. Lift up your arms and praise the Lord for His victory. Pastor Don reminded us of a play, "Your Arm's too Short to Box with God."  People were praising God because with Him no one could pull us under.

But if we are not careful great ministries and marriages can fall if we let our guard down. The devil has been defeated by God and we need to remember that and claim our authority as believers. When a test comes we need to see it as an opportunity to grow, and if we fail a test, figure out what went wrong and determine not to make the same mistake again.

Isaiah 14:8-9 Indeed the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were cut down, no woodsman has come up against us. Hell from beneath is excited about you, to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the dead for you, all the chief ones of the earth; it has raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

Hell is under the authority of God. He can send satan to hell, and bind us. Those who are in hell will be glad to see satan sent there, getting his just due. Pastor Don spoke about Anton Levey who wrote the satanic bible, never repented  and most probably went to hell when he died of cancer at the age of 52. The enemy used him and then Levey had the most painful cancer, and the enemy left him to suffer. While things may seem to go well for a time when we serve satan, ultimately satan will turn on you and you will end up suffering.

Isaiah 14:10 They all shall speak and say to you: 'Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us?'

All people in hell know that they are there because satan's influence is what took them down there.

Isaiah 14:11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the sound of your stringed instruments; the maggot is spread under you, and worms cover you.’

So, lucifer was once glorious in heaven, the worship leader of God, but now because of his rebelion he is now maggoty.

Isaiah 14:12-13  How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: "I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north;"

PRIDE

Isaiah 14:14 "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,  I will be like the Most High."

PRIDE, ARROGANCE, JEALOSY, REBELLION, WANTING TO TAKE THE PLACE OF GOD.

The number one attribute of leadership is RESPONSIBILITY. We may not be the smartest, strongest, wisest but we need to take responsibility for what went wrong in our ministry no matter who is at fault. Never say it is so and so's fault. You should have seen it coming and if you missed it take responsibility or you are not leadership.

You may know right from wrong, but do you have discernment to know you were pushed off course? In verse 13 we see that satan's intention was to take the throne of God and pull Him down.

If your child is getting in your face thinking he will tell you what to do, you do not accept it. Pastor Don said that one time one of his sons was very rebellious and he said, let's pack your bag for you will not disrespect me under my roof. The son left for a few minutes and then came back crying, realizing that he had to obey his father. 

We cannot be like the MOST HIGH, neither could satan.

Isaiah 14:15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the lowest depths of the Pit. 

He was brought to the lowest depths of the pit for he did the worst.

Isaiah 14:16-17 Those who see you will gaze at you, and consider you, saying: ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, who shook kingdoms, who made the world as a wilderness and destroyed its cities, who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

Pastor Don asked us, "Is the devil a man?"  How did he manifest himself to world leaders? He was able to take over Judas Iscariot, and then after Judas betrayed Jesus, Judas came to his senses. The enemy's desire is to make the world a wilderness and destroy it's cities.  He did this once before.

Genesis 1:1-2 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. ***(2) The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

Many infer that between verse 1 and 2 was when satan was cast down to earth, and the beauty of creation was marred and the earth became without form and void. There is a mystery between verse 1 and 2, because why would God, who is perfect, create something without form and void?

We will continue this study in Isaiah later and find the unveiling of the nations, the judgment in the Last Days. God will bring judgment down on the nations that sought to hurt Israel; and forgive Israel.

Israel was sometimes acting in the Spirit of God, other times acting under the influence of the enemy.

We need to begin to discern and get under the leadership of the Holy Ghost, so that we are a people led by the Lord. We need this discernment so that we can see when we are acting under the influence of the enemy. God is still on the throne and we do not have to be influenced by the enemy.

Praying your day is blessed!!!!

Heather

Pastor Don spoke about why we need to learn about the enemy. The enemy wants us to feel that we don't need to know about him or even better, that he doesn't exist. When we fall for that trick, bam he's in. The enemy sets an ambush, and if we are not careful we can fall for his tricks. We need to look with spiritual eyes or we won't see him coming - we need discernment. Who is the devil? What does he do? Where does he come from? As we learn about him we know that he is a defeated foe, and we can beat him with the help of the Holy Spirit.

A good general will always study the enemy and how the enemy has functioned in the past, so that he can begin to guess with intelligence what the enemy will do in the current situation. Our adversary watches us and knows our weak and strong spots, but we also know the methods that the enemy uses and we can begin to work to defeat them. We know how the enemy has tempted us in the past, and that helps us to begin to guard against him. The enemy will wait until we put our guard down and then try the same thing that worked in the past, hoping to get past our guard.

The enemy will throw the same tactics at us that worked in the past hoping to make us distracted.  If he can make us FEEL, he has a hold on us and if he can get us into feeling he can best us every time. Fear and feeling misleads us.

In Isaiah 13 God speaks about destroying Babylon by the Medes.  God will fight against our adversary, and the battle will be fought on the earth until the Day of the Lord. God can manipulate things on the earth and use them to fight the battles.  The Authority on Earth is delegated to man. God uses the spirit of man and word of man to accomplish His will. The Jews had His Word, but they did not obey it.

Isaiah 13:1-3 The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. “Lift up a banner on the high mountain, raise your voice to them; wave your hand, that they may enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for My anger— those who rejoice in My exaltation.”

God has commanded His purified and sanctified ones. God is angry so He will send His mighty ones. Everyone is not rejoicing that God is being exalted and praised. In the Church there are some in the church that, when the praise and worship is going strong, sleep or leave the sanctuary. They will do this too if they hear a sermon that gives them a word of correction. The Holy Ghost gives instructions to help change a life. Some prefer to hold close to their delusions, not ready for deliverance until they take a full volley from what life is sending them.

Isaiah 13:4-6 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like that of many people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven— the LORD and His weapons of indignation, to destroy the whole land. Wail, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty.

The church is wanting to be raptured, but they don't know what they are raptured for. They are to be an army of people for the nations.  God is gathering an army, mustering an army for battle.  From the ends of Heaven will come those raptured and those on the earth who have been raised up with resurrected, heavenly bodies. This battle won't take long because God is on our side.

The Results:  Isaiah 13:7-8 Therefore all hands will be limp, every man’s heart will melt, and they will be afraid.  Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them; they will be in pain as a woman in childbirth; they will be amazed at one another; their faces will be like flames.

We become righteous through God, but before that we were ugly in our unrighteousness. There were given opportunity to reach out to God and rejected him, so we have to know that God will not force them to come to him, they have chosen what they got.

Isaiah 13:9 Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it.

Those who are facing this anger will be mad at God. But God is bringing judgment, and that judgment is just.

Isaiah 13:10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine.

Peter speaks about this in Acts 2 and thousands come to the Lord.

Isaiah 13:11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

This is aimed at the evil, the haughty, the proud that will do anything to be respected, that demand respect, but have done nothing worthy of respect.

Isaiah 13:12 I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.

He will destroy them. Pastor Don reminded us of that gigantic tsunami that threw the axis of the earth out of place just a tiny degree, and that affected weather patterns.

Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.

The earth will move.

Isaiah 13:14 It shall be as the hunted gazelle, and as a sheep that no man takes up; every man will turn to his own people, and everyone will flee to his own land.

Watch - they will run fast, there will be division and racism as those return to their own lands.

Isaiah 13:15-17 Everyone who is found will be thrust through, and everyone who is captured will fall by the sword. Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished. Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who will not regard silver; and as for gold, they will not delight in it. 

The Medes will be raised up to do this.

Isaiah 13:18-19 Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces, and they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye will not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ pride, will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

They will be destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isaiah 13:20 It will never be inhabited, nor will it be settled from generation to generation; nor will the Arabian pitch tents there, nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.

No one living in Babylon (Iraq) will have a future. Not even the bedouins or shepherds will pitch their tents there.

Isaiah 13:21-22 But wild beasts of the desert will lie there, and their houses will be full of owls; ostriches will dwell there, and wild goats will caper there. The hyenas will howl in their citadels, and jackals in their pleasant palaces. Her time is near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.

This is a huge destruction.  Verse 17 is the Medes (Iran & Iraq) are enemies, not friends, and there have been grievous wars. Iran perceives the US taking over Iraq  and Iran is seeking to drive us out. Iran is bent on nuclear weapons. It is possible the the Medes, Iran are destroyed with a nuclear weapon.

Seven percent of the earth's oil reserves are in Iraq. We use Arab oil.

The Palestinian Christians are leaving Palestine, they know the Arabs are not going to fix anything.

Egypt is building a wall between Gaza and Egypt that is 40 feet deep.

God will shut down the Tigris and Euphrates, and there will be no water into Iraq. No one will be able to live there.

Jeremiah speaks of the daughter Babylon being a threshing floor at the time of her harvest. Before God brings punishment He gives the people a chance to repent.

Some comments were made on other topics and Pastor Don answered some questions.

Someone commented that one of our best positions is on our knees. If the blessings of God are not flowing, get on our knees and ask God to bless us so that the work of our hands and heart are not rejected.

Sometimes we try to push God and ask Him for information that we are not ready to deal with, it can make things worse for us. God knows the right time that we can handle information, and will give it to us then.

God requires that the leaders of the nations be ready to be corrected. Compromise with the things of God can cause us to lose our inner character. But Pastor Don cautioned that it is easy to sit where we are and speak about what the leaders should do. If we had to do the job, we may not be any better than the leadership we have. They are trying to do their best, but those in leadership can be manipulated if they do not have the character of God as their highest priority.

We were asked to look at Chapter 14 in preparation for the next Isaiah Bible study.

Someone passed around the following:

What does a week without God look like?
SINDAY
MOURNDAY
TEARSDAY
WASTEDAY
THIRSTDAY
FIGHTDAY
SHATTERDAY

Praying you have a blessed week WITH God!

Heather