The Hard Way or God’s Way!

You can do things the hard way or you can do them God’s way! You choose! Wait a minute – I thought serving God would be a piece of cake! Since I have rights, shouldn’t things be a lot easier than before I was saved? Good question and the answer is yes and no! What? Read on.

Proverbs says that the way of the transgressor is hard. Doesn’t that mean that my ways should be easier when I get saved? Of course, but there are a few details you need to know about.

First of all, once you get saved and you realize your sins are forever remitted and you’re on Heaven’s Manifesto, your life changes. You have gone from death to life! Wow – that in itself is worth the whole price of admission! But, wait – there’s more.

Even though you’re now born-again and all of God’s promises belong to you, the devil hasn’t gone on vacation. Sometimes it will seem that there’s a target on your back and there really is! You are now going to have to stretch your supernatural muscles and start walking in God’s plan for your life. The devil hates this and will fight you on it but no worries – God has already equipped you with all the weapons you’ll need to enforce satan’s defeat that was won by the Lord Jesus. And here are the weapons that you have: the Name of Jesus, the Blood of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the angels working on your behalf, plus the whole armor of God.

The hard way is to try to do things your way, like you did before you were born-again, relying on your five physical senses and your mind to figure everything out. God’s ways are different. His ways always work when we work them in faith.

Since we operate in two realms, the spirit realm and the physical realm, we need to know the laws that govern both in order to live victoriously. Just as there are physical laws that govern the earth realm – gravity, motion, lift, thrust, electricity – there are spiritual laws that govern how God’s kingdom works: law of faith, royal of love, law of sowing and reaping, law of binding and loosing, to name a few.

Oh no, not more laws, you say! But the good thing is that the New Testament laws differ from the Old Testament laws in that they are laws that govern how God’s kingdom works, not laws to beat us up!

Here’s another good thing about the New Testament laws: they work every time! That’s what a law does – it works every time. Just as the law of gravity works every time, so God’s laws work every time they’re applied in faith.

Always remember, everything with God is a heart issue and a faith issue! Praise the Lord Who always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus!

Proverbs 13:15b (KJV) 15  …  but the way of transgressors is hard.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) 6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV) 28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
17  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

— Pamela

If God Already Knows Everything, Why Do We Pray?

Now that’s a very good question and one worth looking at.

Yes, God does know everything and since He does, we don’t need to rehearse and rehash our problems to Him in prayer. Doing that usually leads to complaining about the issues and the devil, none of which are actually prayer. God doesn’t need to hear how the devil is harassing you or annoying you. What He wants to hear is how you’re going to believe His Word and get results. If you only speak the problem, you actually establish the problem and not the solution. That’s not what you want to do.

Which brings me to the reason we pray: to change things and praise and thank God for His goodness. We don’t pray to change God because God doesn’t need changing. We pray to change things. We have been give dominion over this earth and we are to subdue it in the Name of Jesus. Everything here is temporary and we are to change it with the Word of God. Since everything was created by the Word of God, it’s still subject to the Word of God and can be changed by the Word.

Genesis 1:28 (KJV) 28  And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
2 Corinthians 4:18 (KJV) 18  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
Philippians 2:9-10 (KJV) 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a [the]name which is above every name:
10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;

Even though there are different kinds of prayer, one size does not fit all! There are laws governing how to pray and we need to line up with them if we want God’s results. Nevertheless, in all of them, there’s a God-part and a man-part. God has already done His part by providing everything we’ll ever need on planet to live victoriously. That’s His part and He’s done it superbly.

Our part is to learn how to receive what He’s already given and provided. That’s our part. The way we do this is to seek God about the solution in His Word, find those scriptures, and stand on them. The good part is that He always backs up His Word.

2 Chronicles 16:9a (KJV)
9  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.

You see, God is looking throughout the whole earth to find someone who will speak His Word so that He has access to your life and then can move on His Word to cause it to come to pass. But – you must speak His Word because it’s His Word that He backs up and He will never override your free will and do any ol’ thing in spite of you or without your cooperation. That’s why we must speak His Word so that we give Him something to work with.

The devil is out there just waiting to override your free will. He’ll jump at every chance he gets. That’s why it’s so imperative that we close all doors to him. He cannot do anything without our consent and cooperation. Sadly, we can give that to him through sin and ignorance. Stay alert and stay out of trouble.

Jeremiah 1:12 (AMP) 12  Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.
Philippians 4:6 (KJV) 6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

Since God tells us to make our requests known to Him, then that’s what we need to do. And, get this, He actually enjoys answering our prayers. We’re not a burden to Him. He delights in us because He’s our Heavenly Father and loves us with an unconditional love because He is love. He doesn’t just have love, He is love!

1 John 4:8b (KJV) 8  … for God is love.

That’s why God can love the unlovely – that’s us – because it’s not based on us, it’s based on Him, Who is love!

Isaiah 55:11 (KJV) 11  So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

All prayer requires faith because God is a faith God and we come to Him in faith believing He is God and rewards those who are seeking Him. That’s when we get God’s results when we pray. Praise the Lord of Glory!

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) 6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Mark 11:22-24 (KJV) 22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
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

Are You Full of Yourself?

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.

Jesus said we are to abide in Him. That means take up residence in Him but how do we do that? How do we abide in Him?
 Let’s take a look at what Jesus said about us being connected to Him. He said that He is the vine and we are the branches. The branches get nourishment from the vine, therefore, we get nourishment from Him. But how does that work since He’s not physically here on earth? The answer is so simple, it’ll make you want to jump and shout!

John 1:1-4 (KJV) 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2  The same was in the beginning with God.
3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Here we see that Jesus and the Word are One. That means whatever we’re to do in Jesus, we’re to do in and by the Word. So to stay connected to the Vine – Jesus, we must stay connected to His Word. And that’s where we get our nourishment.

Back to our scripture. We see that without staying connected to Jesus – to His word – we can do nothing. And nothing means nothing! In other words, we’re absolutely helpless to do the right godly thing without the Lord helping us. So, how do we do this?

First of all, I want to say that even though without Jesus, Who is the Word, we can do nothing, the good news is that WITH Him we can all things! That’s shoutin’ ground!

That’s why we cannot be so full of ourselves that we insist on doing things our way instead of God’s way. This takes effort and a renewing of our minds because we’ve been so programmed by the world to do things our own way. And as you know, the world’s ways and God’s ways don’t mix!

Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) 23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
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.

Brothers and sisters, that’s why I emphasize the Word of God so much. It’s because that’s where our life is; that’s where the power is; that’s where everything we need is. But in order to get what God has already given, we must get it by His Word. That’s why Jesus said without His Word, we can do nothing but with His Word, we can do all things. What an awesome God we serve!

Purpose in your heart to get into God’s Word and get His Word into you so that you can do all things in Christ Jesus and live the victorious life He has for you! Praise the Lord of glory for His unspeakable gift to us!

— Pamela

Is Jesus Really Who He Said He Was?

Now that’s a very good question and one that needs a response:  Was Jesus Who He said He was and how do we know? Let me start with some basics.

If we’re going to believe anything, it’s going to be by choice because anything we believe is because we have chosen to believe it. And if we’re going to believe anything about God, it’ll have to be by faith because God is a faith God.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Then, here’s another startling fact: since we choose to believe what we believe and faith is a choice, then faith needs no proof simply because it’s faith and our choice to believe.

Here’s an exmple: people either believe in Creation as from God or they believe in evolution, even though none of us were there in the beginning to witness which one is true. However, we can choose to believe either one because it’s our choice, not based on proof because the proof for evolution is non-existent, proving that it really is false. With Creationism, we have to take it by faith in God Who created all things. Either way you look at it, it’s a choice.

So what’s my point? We’re talking about whether or not Jesus really was Who He claimed to be and that’s where faith comes in and our choice to believe what He said.

You see, the foundation for everything we, as believers must stand on, is the Word of God. That’s what we measure everything from. If we deviate from this, we set ourselves up to be deceived by the devil, who is out there always looking for an opening to trip us up.

So, having established that the Bible is our Source for everything, let’s look at what the Word has to say about Jesus.

Note that there are a multitude of prophecies in the Old Testament regarding Jesus that have been fulfilled in the New Testament. How can that be unless it’s a God thing? But let me caution you, that even if you could prove to an unsaved person that Jesus is the Son of God who came to pay the price for their sins, they still wouldn’t believe unless by their free will they chose to believe. In the end, it’s all about a heart issue – either you choose to believe or you choose to reject. No one has an excuse!

1 Corinthians 15:19 (KJV) 19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Hebrews 13:8 (KJV) 8  Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

We get saved by believing that Jesus is Who He says He is.

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Acts 4:12 (KJV) 12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

God the Father spoke from Heaven and confirmed that Jesus was the Son of God.

Mark 1:9-11 (KJV) 9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.
10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The angel foretold that Jesus would be he Son of God.

Luke 1:35 (KJV) 35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

There’s only one mediator between us and God – Jesus, the Holy Son of God – our Redeemer and Savior.

1 Timothy 2:5 (KJV) 5  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

Here’s another one that baffled the naysayers:

John 8:58 (KJV) 58  Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

And then there’s some of the most beloved scriptures that tell us that Jesus and the Word of God are One! Awesome!

John 1:1-4 (KJV) 1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2  The same was in the beginning with God.
3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

John 1:14 (KJV) 14  And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

John 14:6 (KJV) 6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
John 17:3-5 (KJV) 3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
4  I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
5  And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.

Colossians 1:19 (KJV) 19  For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
Galatians 4:4 (KJV) 4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,

Now read these scriptures and let them minster to your heart.

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 14:13-14 (KJV) 13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

John 16:23-24 (KJV) 23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.
24  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

When we read these scriptures, we know that they’re true because they work for us. Therein do we have proof for ourselves.

 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (KJV) 12  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
14  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
15  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
16  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:
17  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
18  Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
19  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Yes, dear brothers and sisters, Jesus really is Who He says He is and as believers, we’re so eternally glad He is!

Here are a few more scriptures to bless you. There are so many that I almost don’t where to stop! Be blessed!

2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) 9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
Revelation 1:4 (KJV) 4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
1 John 5:7-9 (KJV) 7  For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8  And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
9  If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.

— Pamela

Are You Praying or Begging?

Now that’s an interesting question. So, let me ask you this: why do you pray? The answers are probably numerous but most people will probably say that they pray because they need an answer from God regarding some situation or they need something from God. Or still, maybe they pray for God to help someone else. But are they really praying or simply begging God to answer their prayers?

Yes, there are a myriad of reasons why people pray. But what is the real reason why people should pray? That’s another good question. Let me tell you why I pray.

I pray because I truly believe that my prayers are effective and will get the desired results that I am seeking. I pray in faith according to God’s Word and when I do that, God always backs up His Word. So, how does someone get to the place where they have confidence that the prayers they’re praying are effective?

First of all, let’s begin with defining just what prayer is. In its simplest form, prayer is communication with God. We talk to Him and He talks to us. What? You mean God actually talks to us? Of course He does but we’re not always listening. And it would probably be more accurate to say that most of the time we’re not listening.

People can go on and on about how the devil is aggravating them but then they say that God never talks to them! No so. God is always talking to us, mostly by that still small voice inside. But, we have to be quiet and settled to hear. So much of our time is spent on being busy and distracted with the affairs of life that we don’t take the time to listen inside.

Of course, God talks to us through His Word and that’s another way we hear Him. In fact, studying the Word is a form of prayer, of which here are many.

Ephesians 6:18a (KJV) 18  Praying always with all prayer…

Ephesians 6:18a (AMP) 18  Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.  

In Ephesians we’re told to pray with all prayer. That means with all manner of prayer, indicating that there are different kinds of prayer. But, of course, the prayer of faith is involved because everything with God is about heart faith. Here are some kinds of prayer:

Too many times begging is the main way people pray but that’s a prayer of unbelief and God cannot answer unbelief. The reason that it’s unbelief is because it’s not according to God’s Word. If you’re praying according to God’s Word, you already know what God has said about your problem and how He can solve it. But if you’re begging Him to answer you, it shows that you don’t know what He has already said in His about your situation. He can only answer prayers prayed in faith according to His Word. So what should you do?

Stop your prayers of unbelief and get back into the Word and find out what God has said and build your faith for receiving. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. That’s the way faith comes and that’s the way it develops. When that happens, you only need a mustard seed size of faith to get the job done and then when you speak, it’ll come out with power and effect your situation. Praise the Lord of Glory!

Ephesians 6:18 (AMP) 18  Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Luke 17:6 (AMP) 6  And the Lord answered, If you had faith (trust and confidence in God) even [so small] like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, Be pulled up by the roots, and be planted in the sea, and it would obey you.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) 6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

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

Mark 11:22-24 (KJV) 22  And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. [Have the God kind of faith.]
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.

James 5:15 (KJV) 15  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.

— Pamela

What’s in a Name? [Part II]

Colossians 3:17 (KJV) 17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

What a powerful scripture!

Last time we talked about the Name of Jesus and the fact that everything Jesus was, is, and ever shall be is embodied in His Name and we have Power of Attorney to use His Name in His place. Praise the Lord – that’s awesome!

Now I want to look at how Jesus got His Name and the significance it has in our lives.

First of all, He inherited His Named from His Father.

Hebrews 1:4 (KJV) 4  Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. [The angels]

Second, His Name was bestowed upon Him.

Philippians 2:9 (KJV) 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name [THE Name] which is above every name:

His name is above every name that can be named and everything is subject to that Name.

Third, He received His Name by conquest – His achievements.

Colossians 2:15 (KJV) 15  And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

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:

Jesus went to hell where He defeated and paralyzed satan and his cohorts – parading him as a defeated foe in front of them. Then He arose triumphantly by the power of the Holy Spirit and ascended to heaven to present His precious Blood on the Holy Altar of Heaven as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, thereby satisfying the claims of justice for all humanity.

Jesus is our Victor Who paid the price for our sins so we don’t have to! For this we are eternally grateful. What a Savior we have! But there’s a condition: you must accept and receive Him as Lord and Savior. That’s your part. God already did His part and now we are the ones who must do the receiving.

Our part now is to walk in the victory that Jesus gained for us and be his body on earth. Our part is to enforce satan’s defeat by resisting him and his evil tactics. Jesus is the head and we’re His body on earth. Where the Head goes, the body goes! He’s here with us by the power of the Holy Spirit and we’re actually seated with Him (spiritually) in heavenly places.

Ephesians 2:4-6 (KJV) 4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6  And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

I want to show you some of the ways we use the awesome Name of Jesus in our everyday lives.

1 – Salvation

Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Acts 4:12 (KJV) 12  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

We must come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by believing in our hearts and confessing Him with our mouths.

2 – Deliverance

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV) 8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
James 4:7 (KJV) 7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Matthew 18:18 (KJV) 18  Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Luke 11:21-22 (KJV) 21  When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

It’s so good to know that we have authority over the devil and his evil ways. We bind and resist him in the Name of Jesus and has to flee! But even though we have that authority, we must use our faith to do it by believing it!

3 – Healing

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.
Mark 16:17-18 (KJV) 17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

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.

Acts 3:6 (KJV) 6  Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Acts 9:34 (KJV) 34  And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

We have to speak to the sickness, disease, and infirmity in the Name of Jesus and command it to go. Notice John 14:13-14:

John 14:13-14 (KJV)
13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

The word ASK in these scriptures is the word aiteo in Greek and means to demand. We are to make a demand on sickness and disease and command it to go. The same with the devil and demons and the promises of God. We’re not demanding of God to do something but demanding to get what is ours. The price has been paid and we now have that authority to be commanders of God’s Word.

4- Baptisms

There are three baptisms:

A – Baptized into Christ when we get saved,

B – Water baptism which is and outward manifestation of what has taken place in us by the new birth,

C – And baptism in the Holy Spirit which enables and empowers us to do exploits for the Lord.

5 – Worship, praise, and thanksgiving

Ephesians 5:20 (KJV) 20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
Philippians 4:6 (KJV) 6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (KJV) 18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Hebrews 13:15 (KJV) 15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Colossians 3:17 (KJV) 17  And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

We use the Name of Jesus in our worship, praise, and thanksgiving to our Father and Lord Jesus. How awesome to be able to praise the God of the universe, Creator of all things, and He actually receives our praise and worship and thanksgiving!

6 – Prayers, petition, requests, intercessions, dedications

All of these are slightly different but all are done in the Name of Jesus.

John 16:23 (KJV) 23  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.

Philippians 4:6 (KJV) 6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
1 Timothy 2:1(KJV) 1  I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

7 – Using your spiritual authority and speaking to the problem

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.
Matthew 17:20 (KJV) 20  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Remember, faith is voice activated so you must speak to your problem in the Name of Jesus and it has to obey you because Jesus said it would. The key here is that it must be spoken in faith. If you waver, doubt, and worry, you cancel your faith and you’ll get no results! Stay in faith and watch the power of God move on your behalf.

God has so provided for us by giving us Jesus’ Name to accomplish what He has for us to do. Yes, we need to believe that this is for us and we have to know that Jesus’ Name, spoken in faith out of our mouths, will do exactly what He would do if He were here doing it in person. It’s not our power but His and He always backs up His Word.

Praise the Lord for His unspeakable gift to us – the Lord Jesus Christ!

— Pamela

What’s in a Name? [Part I]

When we hear someone’s name, it immediately projects an image of that person in our minds. When we hear the name of a book, movie or song, the same thing happens – we associate the name of what we have heard with the thing or person it represents.

It’s the same with sickness and disease. When we heart the name – word cancer, it projects an image of a dreaded affliction. It’s the same with other things like animals, pets, and even types of cars. When we hear their names, we envision them in our minds.

So, what’s the point I’m making? Simply that everything has a name that represents itself – good or bad. And now for the good part: everything that has a name was created by words and is still subject to words. Jesus is THE Word and therefore everything that has a name is subject to the Name of Jesus. We have power over everything that comes against us. Let’s look at some scriptures to verify this. [Note: God did not create sickness and disease. It’s a perversion of health and wholeness.]

Philippians 2:9-11 (KJV) 9  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:
10  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
11  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

When verse nine say a name, it should read the name because that’s what the Greek says. Jesus was given the Name that His Father had reserved for Him. Even though the name of Jesus was a common name back then, when it was bestowed on Him, it became the embodiment of all that He was, is, and ever shall be. That’s why Jesus gave us His Name to use in His place when He ascended to the Father so that we can do the same works that He did.

Let’s look at John 14:12-14:

John 14:12-14 (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.
13  And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14  If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

Jesus tells us we’re to do the same works that He did and then in verses 13-14 He tells us to use His Name when making a demand on the promises of God, rebuking the devil and his evil demons, or commanding a healing to come forth.

You see, dear brothers, and sisters, we have been given Power of Attorney to use the Name of Jesus as if He were actually doing what we’re doing. Look at Acts 3:6:

Acts 3:6 (KJV)6  Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

Peter and John encountered the crippled man who was begging alms outside the temple. So what did Peter do? He gave the man what he had – the Name of Jesus and all that backed it up – and the man was healed!

Philemon 1:6 (KJV)
6  That the communication of thy faith may become effectual by the acknowledging of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

Notice that we have to acknowledge every good thing in us in order to be able to function in it. If we don’t know what we have been given we can’t walk in it. Peter and John knew that Jesus had given them His name to use to effect a healing and a cure and they ran with it! And the man received his healing.

Philemon 6 tells us that we transfer our faith and cause it to be effective by our acknowledging every good thing in us – given to us by our God. That’s what Peter did. He knew that power he had in the Name of Jesus and he exercised it and the crippled man was healed.

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.

Then there’s Mark 11:23-24. How do we do this? We speak to the mountains in our lives by commanding them to go in Jesus’ Name! And it’s the same with Matt. 18:19-20:

Matthew 18:19-20 (KJV) 19  Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20  For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

When two agree as touching anything they shall ask, it’ll be done because they’re making a demand or request in the Name of Jesus. Then in vs. 20 it says that Jesus is right there to cause it to come to pass!

Remember, the Name of Jesus is awesome, wonderful, and powerful because of Who stands behind it! Praise the Lord of Glory!

Acts 3:1-8 (KJV) 1  Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2  And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3  Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5  And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6  Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7  And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8  And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

[To be continued in Part II]

— Pamela

Are You Guarding Your Heart? [Part II]

Proverbs 4:20-27 (KJV)
20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Last time we discussed verses 20-22. Today we’ll look at the rest of the verses.

Proverbs 4:23 (KJV)23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (AMP)
23  Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Combining these two translations, we’re told to keep and guard our hearts because out of our hearts come forth the issues or springs of our lives. What does this mean?

To keep your heart means to maintain and preserve your heart and you do this by making God’s Word a priority in your life. His Word can’t just be an add-on at the beginning and end of the day. It has to be a priority. Remember, Jesus said we don’t live by bread alone but by every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

We’re told to keep our hearts with all diligence which means to guard and keep watch over our hearts. What are you watching? This is important because what you watch and listen to gets into your heart through the eye and ear gates! What are you watching and listening to on TV? Take inventory and you’ll be amazed at how much garbage is thrown at you. Don’t let it in!

And while I’m on this subject, it’s not only what you watch and hear, it’s what is coming out of your mouth that will actually get back into your heart. Don’t let the negativity of the world come out of your mouth. Speak words in line with God’s Word and watch the good results they bring.

The issues of life flow out of your heart. Remember that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. So whatever is in you in abundance will come out. That’s why it’s imperative that we renew our minds with the Word of God so that we can displace the negative thoughts and words that are there and only have God’s Word in it.

Proverbs 4:24 (KJV)24  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

Now we see what to stay away from as we guard our hearts. A froward mouth is one that speaks negative words contrary to God’s Word. We’re not to speak in agreement with sin, sickness, and death. Things like I’m getting a headache, the flu, a cold, or that’s killing me, etc. is perverse talk. Anything that is false, dishonest, and contrary to God’s Word is perverse and actually draws that thing to you.

It’s the same with fear. Fear of something, when voiced with your mouth, actually draws that to you. Did you ever notice that those who say they’re afraid of spiders, actually see a lot more spiders than people who don’t confess that fear?

Here’s another one – we can’t afford this or that…Guess what? Those people never have more than enough finances to meet their needs. They’ve planted poverty seeds and they’re reaping a poverty harvest.

Proverbs 4:25-27 (KJV)25  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

Finishing up these verses, we’re told to keep our eyes looking straight ahead, not at all the things the devil’s doing and distracting us with. We’re to watch where our feet are going, where we’re headed, by letting the Holy Spirit lead and guide us and that way we’ll be established and able to live the victorious life God has for us!

Praise the Lord of glory!

Matthew 12:34b (KJV)
34  … for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Luke 4:4 (KJV)
4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

— Pamela

Are You Guarding Your Heart? [Part I]

[This will be a two-part blog because it’s too much for one blog.] Let’s begin with I Pet. 3:10.

If you want to love life and see good days, here’s what you need to do:

1 Peter 3:10 (KJV) 10  For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:

We need to watch our words because our words direct our lives. Words are the most powerful force in the universe. Everything God does, He does with words. God spoke words and the universe was created and is still expanding. Even science attests to this.

Not only that, since we are created in His image, our words are extremely important, enough to change our eternal destiny. We see in the above scripture that we’re to refrain from speaking evil and guile. So what is the evil being spoken of here? It’s anything contrary to God’s Word. Guile is treachery, deceitfulness, or dishonesty – all of which is contrary to God’s Word. In other words, we’re not to speak negative words. Why? Because what we speak establishes things in our lives. If you don’t like where you are or where you’re headed, change your words!

Remember, if words can change your eternal destiny, then words can change your present circumstances.

Now I want to look at Proverbs 4:20-27. We’ll begin today and conclude in the next blog. Here we see the importance of paying attention to God’s Word.

Proverbs 4:20-27 (KJV)
20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.
21  Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.
22  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.
23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
24  Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.
25  Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.
26  Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.
27  Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

We’ll start with verse one:

Proverbs 4:20 (KJV) 20  My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

The word attend means to give heed to, prick up the ears. It means to listen up because this is important!
Incline means to stretch forth ourselves, lean into God’s Word to really hear what He’s saying.

So, I ask you why this is so important. Because we have an enemy who is constantly vying for our attention and trying to distract us from God’s life-giving Word that will enhance, empower, and give us victory in every area of our lives. The devil hates this!

Proverbs 4:21 (KJV)  21  Let them [God’s Words] not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart.

The devil is constantly working to distract us with everything he can: TV, especially the fake news and commercials, social media, doom and gloom naysayers. We have to keep our eyes focused on what God says and guard what we let into our hearts because what we have in abundance is what will come out – either positive or negative. That’s why we have to renew our minds. That’s where the battle is – in our minds. We let so much junk into us that it’s a wonder that we ever do the right thing!

Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) 23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
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.

[We renew our minds with God’s Word.]

Proverbs 4:22 (KJV) 22  For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh.

God’s Word is health to all your flesh. The word health in Hebrew means health, medicine, cure, healing, remedy. This tells us that if we get God’s word into our hearts, it will flow out into our bodies and effect a healing and a cure. Wow – what more could we ask for!

God’s word is so powerful. It’s the incorruptible seed and when it’s planted in the good soil of our hearts, it will produce what it was sent to produce! Praise the Lord of Glory!

1 Peter 1:23 (KJV)
23  Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

[To be continued.]

— Pamela

You Can’t Just Think Faith; You have to Speak Faith!

Change your words and change your life! How can I say this? Because thoughts become words and words become actions. If you don’t like what your actions have produced, change what you’ve been saying because you can’t just think faith, you have to speak faith! Why? Because faith is voice activated.

As I’ve said in previous blogs, faith is voice activated. You can’t have faith beyond your knowledge of God’s Word. And your faith won’t rise higher than the confession of your mouth. Why? Because faith comes by hearing God’s Word [Rom. 10:17]. And you believe what you say quicker than what someone else says. So keep the Word of God in your heart and coming out of your mouth.

Of course, I’m speaking to born-again Christians when I talk about faith because your spirit has to be alive to God first and then you can start speaking your faith with it.

Actually, you already have faith because you got it when you received Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Therefore, your on-going job is to get God’s Word into your heart (spirit) in abundance so that when you speak it and make a demand on God’s promises, the Word comes out with the dunamis power of God (Matt 13:37).

As you know, I teach a lot on the confession of God’s Word because that’s the way we build it into our hearts and renew our minds to line up with what God says instead of agreeing with the world’s way of thinking and acting. And we know how that works!

Praise the Lord that He’s already made every provision for us that we’ll every need on planet earth and now we have our part to do – and that is to receive what He’s already given!

Too many times, it seems, that Christians don’t really know God’s ways. They think everything from Him is based on our performance. This is not true! Religion has taught this for centuries but it’s not the Word of God. He’s already released His promises into the earth in spirit form. Our part is to do the receiving and bring it into the physical realm where we can use it. And, of course, this is done by using our faith as the bridge, as I’ve taught on numerous occasions.

However, we first have to believe that God has already given the promises.

2 Corinthians 1:20 (KJV)
20  For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Many Christians have a hard time believing this because of past wrong teaching and this makes it hard for them to receive without thinking they have to “perform” before getting the promises. They think they have to read their Bible, fast, pray, pay tithes, walk in perfect love, etc. These are all good and we should do them because it strengthens our relationship with Him. But we’re not to do it to get God to do something for us. He’s already released the promises and we have to do the receiving.

It’s really a lot simpler than most people think. Besides, we can’t be perfect enough to get anything from God. It’s only by His grace that we get anything!

Brothers and sisters, we need to start believing God’s Word – lock, stock, and barrel – regardless of whether or not we totally understand it. God said it and that settles it! It’s in making that stand that we then get the revelation of His Word that He has for us.

That’s why I encourage Christians to make a commitment to believe God’s Word as the final authority – the benchmark – from which everything we say, do, and believe is measured,

Let’s go for it and walk in the victorious life God has planned for each one of us! God is absolutely good – all the time!

Romans 10:17 (KJV) 17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Matthew 12:37 (KJV) 37  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

Romans 12:3b (KJV) 3  …  according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Ephesians 4:23 (KJV) 23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
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 1:3 (KJV) 3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
2 Peter 1:3-4 (KJV) 3  According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

— Pamela