Don’t Let Your Past Forfeit Your Future!

What are you focusing on? Are you looking to what God has for you or are you wallowing in all the mess that has gone before you? We have an obligation to the Lord to let it go and move on to where we can hear from Him and fulfill His plans for our lives.

It’s the little things that trip us up, mainly because we think they’re no big deal. But to the contrary, it’s the same little things that add up to bigger things and then we have a rip, roaring fire on our hands! I think we all can relate to that.

Then, if we’ve let the little things pile up and it’s gets to the inferno stage, we look and wonder how did this happen! It happened one step at a time!

But then again on a good note, that’s how good things happen – one step at a time – line upon line, precept upon precept, here little, there a little. And the little things, the scriptures you’ve been standing on and confessing day after day, week after week, soon become the dunamis power of God in you and voilà – you have you answer!

So, watch those seemingly little wiles and tricks of the enemy and quench them before they mushroom into bigger things. And as Barney Fife so succinctly said, “Nip it, nip it, nip it in the bud!”

Song of Songs 2:15 (KJV) 15  Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.

Pamela

Who are You? [Part III]

11- We are victorious overcomers in the Lord!

1 Corinthians 15:57 (KJV)
57  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 John 4:4 (KJV) 4  Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Revelation 12:11a (KJV) 11  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;  

2 Corinthians 2:14 (AMP) 14  But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,

Romans 8:37 (KJV) 37  Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

12- We’re healed, prosperous, and delivered! But, as I said before, we have to do our part by believing God’s Word and then acting on it to see His promises come to pass in our lives.

1 Peter 2:24 (KJV) 24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
3 John 1:2 (KJV) 2  Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

Colossians 1:13 (KJV) 13  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

13 – We are the sons of God! Sons is the word teknon  which means child – son or daughter.

Philippians 2:15 (KJV) 15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;
1 John 3:1 (KJV) 1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

1 John 3:2a (KJV) 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God… 

Romans 8:14 (KJV) 14  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
1 John 4:17b7 (KJV) 17  …  as he is, so are we in this world.

14- We are filled with the fullness of God! Fulness means completion.

Ephesians 1:23 (KJV) 23  Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 3:19 (KJV) 19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

15- We have all the power and authority we’ll ever need on planet through Jesus!

Matthew 28:18 (KJV) 18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Luke 10:19 (KJV) 19  Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. 
John 15:7 (KJV) 7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Philippians 4:13 (AMP) 13  I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

The word for strength is endunamoo which means the strength of an entire army being deposited in you! That’s enough to make you jump up and shout!

Our Father God has so provided for us that we should be the envy of every unsaved person! They should want what we have and then we should tell them about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Praise the Lord of glory!

Start walking in all that God has provided for you and be the powerhouses you were meant to be–Pamela

The Most Important Thing You Need to Know is…  [Part I]

Okay – what do you think is the most important thing every Christian absolutely needs to know and it could be a matter of life or death? Go ahead and guess – don’t look ahead yet.

As I thought about what I was going to teach my “in person” PBS Bible Study group, I thought about what I’m going to share with you today. And it’s what I believe is the most important thing you need to know next to salvation – how to hear the voice of the Lord. Yes faith, love, the gifts of the Spirit, etc. are all so very important but without knowing how to hear from God, where are you going and how will you get there?

So, in a very short capsule version (this is Part I) of how to hear God’s voice, let’s begin. First of all, to reiterate, we are tripartite beings because we’re made in the image of God, Who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The real us is our spirit, we have a soul – our mind, will, and emotions and we live in a body – our earth suit. Having said all that, it’s with our spirits, the real us, that we contact God – not with our souls or body.

John 4:24 (KJV) 24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV) 23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV) 12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Each of our parts has a voice: our body speaks through our five physical senses – sight, hearing, smelling, tasting, touching. Our soul speaks through reasoning and intellect. And our spirit speaks through that still small voice that we have to learn to discern because that’s how God leads us. It’s the voice of your conscience – to know the right or wrong things that you’re faced with.

Then there’s that peace that passes all human understanding that Jesus has already given us.

Philippians 4:7 (KJV) 7  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
John 14:27 (KJV) 27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

If you’re a born-again Christian, then you can trust that peace in your heart when you’re deciding what to do. But if you’re not born-again, you can’t trust your heart. And this, my dear brothers and sisters, how God leads us most of the time – by that peace in your heart. If you don’t have peace about doing something, DON’T do it! Just wait ’til you get more information from the Lord.

We’ll continue this message in Part II but for now, start practicing listening to that peace in your heart. That’s how you get expert at hearing from the Lord – by practice.

You can do it – Pamela

The Most Important Thing You Need to Know is…  [Part II]

[Oops – I realize that I posted Part II instead of Part I which I will post on Thursday!]

Continuing along the line of hearing the voice of the Lord, let’s talk about what the voice of the Lord sounds like.

1 Kings 19:11-12 (KJV)
11  And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
12  And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.

In these verses God was showing Elijah that He wasn’t going to speak to him in flashy, spectacular ways but in a still small voice. His voice was not in the winds, earthquake, or fire but in a still small voice. And so it is with us. If we wait ’til we hear a booming voice out of Heaven before we make a move, we’ll be waiting a long time because that is not how God mainly speaks to us.

God wants us to get quiet before Him so that He gets our attention and can speak to us. It’s usually just a sensing or a perception in your spirit. Sometimes it’s words that come up and you think it’s just you.  And yes, it will seem that it’s just you speaking but it’s your spirit. Sometimes it seems just like a thought that comes to you because it comes from your spirit up through your soul – mind.

Then there’s the voice of the Holy Spirit Who resides in your spirit. When He speaks, it’s a more authoritative voice, more of an urgency. When that happens, it’s usually because God wants to make sure you don’t miss what He’s telling you. But, that’s not the main way He speaks to you. Most of us will never hear the booming voice of the Holy Spirit but rather the still small voice of your spirit.

I know I’ve said a lot in a short space but the point is that God wants you to know His voice. How can He expect you to follow Him if you weren’t able to hear Him? But, it takes practice and many people are not willing to turn off the TV and spend time with the Lord to learn to hear Him.

John 10:27 (KJV) 27  My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

Let’s tune into God’s frequency and stay on track to fulfilling His plans and purposes for our lives.

— Pamela

What are You Saving Your Faith for?

Too many times Christians don’t want to bother God with the little things. They feel that they can handle the little things. But, dear brothers and sisters, if you can’t believe God for the little things, you’ll never be able to believe Him for the big things.

What all this means is that we need to practice using our faith on the little things. That way it can develop over a period of time and then when we need the big guns of faith, it’s already in place.

You see, we do not become faith giants overnight nor do we become faith giants just because we hear a few messages on faith. And even though we have been given the measure of faith [Rom. 12:3b], we still need to develop it. It’s like a muscle that we have to develop.

2 Thessalonians 1:3 (KJV) 3  We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

You see, our faith needs to grow and develop if we want to have mountain-moving faith. So how do we develop our faith?

First of all, as I’ve said over and over, faith comes from God’s Word because that’s where faith is. If you want to grow and develop in the God-kind of faith, then you must get into God’s Word and get His Word into you. That’s how it works. You might not like it, but that’s the way God designed it to work. And it really does!

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

As born-again Christians, we should all want to be faith giants taking our rightful dominion over the circumstances of life. We are winners and victorious overcomers in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mark 11:23-24 (KJV) 23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

Luke 17:6 (KJV) 6  And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.

— Pamela

Is Peace Ruling in Your Heart?

As you well know, the past couple of years have been very stressful for us because of what is happening in our country and in the world. This has caused many to become angry over the current state of affairs because it looks like not much is happening in our favor. But wait! There’s more going on behind the scenes then what we see in the natural realm with our five physical senses. God is always working behind the scenes!

So here’s the point I want to make: we have to be aware of our emotions and keep them in check, especially anger. [Remember, emotions are the caboose, not the engine!] Anger can lead to strife, which can lead to a root of bitterness and defile those around you. Not only that, anger will hinder your faith and eventually cancel it, resulting in unanswered prayer.

 Hebrews 12:15 (AMP) 15  Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it—

So what can we do about anger? First of all, rebuke it in the Name of Jesus and command it to go, along with the evil thoughts associated with it. Tell the enemy that you won’t have it and stand firm. Then you need to yield to peace and think on good things on purpose!

Philippians 4:8 (KJV) 8  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Here’s what Jesus said to do:

John 14:1 (KJV) 1  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14:27 (KJV) 27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

You see, the condition of our heart is in our control! Jesus told us to not let our hearts be troubled and therefore, we can do that. But it takes effort.

Anger is ugly and if it’s not dealt with, can lead to health issues by affecting your immune system.

Notice the company that anger surrounds itself with:

Galatians 5:19-21 (AMP)
19  Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency,
20  Idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies),
21  Envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Now notice the fruit that is in your re-born spirit just waiting for you to yield to.

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV) 22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Start meditating on the promises of the Lord and all the blessings you have, don’t give any opening to the devil, and you’ll see a change!

Stay strong in the Lord — Pamela

Does it Really Matter What You Think About?

Anyone who knows what I teach already knows what I’m going to say. YES – it really does matter what you think about and not only when you’re praying – but all day long.

Just as easy as it is for you to worry all day long and still get your work done, it’s just as easy for you to think on “God things” all day long. Remember, faith-filled words and meditations draw the blessings of God to you. Conversely, fear-filled words and meditation draw the devil’s evil ways and disasters to you.

Let’s start with some definitions:

Meditation simply means to think about something, to mull it over and over in your mind.

Strength means security, power, boldness.

Peace is the word shalom which means health, prosperity, nothing missing, nothing broken.

Now let’s put these together in the following verses:

Psalm 19:14 (KJV) 14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.
Psalm 27:1 (KJV) 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

Nehemiah 8:10b (KJV) 10  … for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Psalm 29:11 (KJV) 11  The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace.
John 14:27 (KJV) 27  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

When we meditate on God’s Word, we are strengthened with power and Holy Ghost boldness to accomplish what He has for us to do and we have peace doing it.

And just in case you haven’t thought about this – God has a perfect plan for each one of our lives! Wow – just think about it! Our Father God, Who created the universe and everything in it, has an individual plan for each one of us – unique to us! That’s awesome! It doesn’t get any more real than that.

However, His plans for us don’t fall on us like ripe cherries off a tree. We have to pursue Him and seek to find out His will for us. He won’t force anyone to do His will because with God, it’s always a heart/faith issue.

We can have as much of God as we want or as little. It’s up to us. Let’s go for it and fulfill His plans for us, walking in His total victory!

Pamela

In the Beginning…

As I pondered those words, I thought about John 1:1:

John 1:1 (KJV) 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

I noticed that in the beginning was the Word – the Word of God, to be exact. And then I got this revelation that everything we do is preceded by words. Everything we do begins with words, either God’s Words, our words, or the devil’s words. We are the ones who choose.

Now, you might already know this from all the teachings I’ve done, but it suddenly jumped right out at me that absolutely everything God does, He starts with Words – in the beginning of everything is words! This is awesome!

So, I took note of my movements as I went about my day and low and behold, everything I did, I announced with words before proceeding: I think I’ll have breakfast, I’m going to do the laundry, or I think I’ll go out and rake leaves! It’s a good thing I spoke that last one out because raking leaves isn’t all that exciting even though it’s good exercise.

Now let’s go back to the very beginning for us:

Genesis 1:1-3 (KJV) 1  In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3  And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

I want you to notice that the Holy Spirit was fluttering over the earth and the darkness that was there but nothing happened until God spoke the Words, “Light be!” and light was! He actually called for the thing He wanted. He didn’t say, “Oh my, it’s really dark out there!” No, that would only have established what was already there. Also notice that God didn’t just think “light be!” He spoke Words.

Romans 4:17b (KJV) 17  …  even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.

As you read the Bible, you’ll find that God always speaks His desire first and then it happens. Just as He spoke through Isaiah that a Savior would be born of a virgin – 750 years before Jesus was born. He had to get His Word in the earth in order for Jesus to manifest in person. [That’s a whole other teaching so that’s all I’ll say about it for now.]

The bottom line is that if God had to speak His Words before anything happened, and we’re made in His image, then we too must speak His Words first if we want to see our desired results. This is so awesome that we can have exactly what we say, according to God’s Word!

Mark 11:23-24 (KJV)
23  For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

— Pamela

How’s Your Diet?

John 4:24 (KJV)
24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

God’s Word is spirit food because God is a Spirit and we are told to worship Him in spirit and in truth. But, I ask you, what is spirit food? It’s the Word of God spoken by Him for our life.

However, the sad truth is that most of the Christian Church is dying of malnutrition! How can God raise up an army of soldiers who are nutritionally weak? We need to eat the Word of God so that we can be His overcoming, empowered army, taking back our nation and the world.

Think about it – what army goes to war in a state of malnutrition? It won’t work. They must be fed the right diet and exercise to grow and be strong. If all they ate was fast food and dessert, how healthy would they be? No one can sustain a vital vibrant life living on dessert and fast food!

 If you don’t feed your spirit, your mind won’t be renewed and you’ll be no better off than the unsaved except you’ll still be saved but defeated in life.

Living a defeated life hurts your witness and brings reproach to the Name of Jesus because people won’t be drawn to the Lord because of your defeated life. Who wants to be like that!

Brothers and sisters, it behooves us to feed on God’s Word daily so that we can renew our minds to His word and be empowered to do the great exploits that He has for us. How do you think we’re going to fulfill John 14:12? By finding out who we really are in the Lord and becoming the mighty people of God He’s ordained us to be!

Matthew 4:4 (KJV) 4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
John 14:12 (KJV) 12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Romans 12:2 (KJV) 2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) 23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
Daniel 11:32b (KJV) 32  …  but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

Pamela

Should We Want to Be Like Jesus?

Yes, absolutely! The reason we are to want to be like Jesus is because it is the will of our Heavenly Father. Even though God does not predestinate people to go to Heaven or hell, He actually does know what people will freely choose. It’s their choice. But what He does predestinate – know before hand – is who will choose Heaven and those are the ones that He has pre-ordained to be conformed to the image of Jesus. This is His will.

Ephesians 4:13 (KJV) 13  Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

You see, Jesus is the Pattern Son, the One we are to pattern ourselves after. Who else would we even want to pattern ourselves after when Jesus is and has everything we need?

1 John 3:2 (KJV) 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 

Here we see that as we grow in our walk with the Lord, we become more and more like Him. How do we do this? By looking into the mirror of God’s Word. That’s where we see who we really are. And the more we become like what we see in the Word of God, the more we become like Jesus.

Jesus is coming back for a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle and that means us!

Ephesians 5:27 (KJV) 27  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Notice that we are to be growing into a glorious Church, not a beat down, bedraggled, barely-holding-on Church. Jesus is the One Who is building His church and we’re it!

So what’s our part and how do we do this so that we become like He is? By getting into the Word of God and being what He says we are. The way has already been paved with God’s promises but we are the ones who must actually walk them out by believing what God has already provided for us.

Check out these scriptures:

John 15:5 (KJV) 5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

 John 15:7 (KJV) 7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
John 14:12 (KJV) 12  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Jesus said we can’t do anything without Him but with Him we can do all things. Then He says that we should do the same works that He did. Wow! That’s awesome but how do we do that? The same way we do everything else – by doing His Word and being what He said we are. The answers and provision are already in His Word. All we have to do is do it! This is so over the top that we need to keep meditating on it until it sinks in.

Let’s purpose in our hearts to become more and more like Jesus every day so we can show forth His goodness, which leads the unsaved to Him!

— Pamela