Posts

He Gives Power

/0 Comments/in /by

How many of us want power, fight for power, dream of power, and dream of power? We all long for power – in spiritual areas and in human areas. But do you know how to achieve the kind of power that comes from God?

Jesus Christ tells us how to receive His power in Acts 1:8: He says, “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and even to the ends of the world.”

Real power is the power of God indwelling us. When we have His Holy Spirit in us, we have authority to be Christs witnesses to our world. How does this work? As you listen to the Spirit of God, and obey Him, youll be making wise choices.

Youll be speaking winsome and prophetic words. If you do what the Spirit tells you to do, there is authority and theres power as you act with conviction. Youll have a supernatural authority thats delegated from God to you.

And the world will take notice! If you obey the voice of Jesus, there will be power unleashed. And things will happen that you cant even begin to imagine!

The Holy Spirit will give us power to see the impossible accomplished. So dont give up sharing the Good News with your world. Remember, you have power and authority from on high!

Not Ashamed

/0 Comments/in /by

I have a buddy who is a Jewish Christian. He became a believer many years ago when he went to college and he heard a great Jewish evangelist speak. So this man was converted and he was determined to become a missionary. He went back home to collect money for his first mission trip. But suddenly, he became embarrassed and ashamed of letting the Jewish community in his particular city know that he was a follower of Jesus Christ.

He was embarrassed that Jesus was his Savior and his Messiah, so he never truly lived his life for the Lord. He became one of those “closet” Christians we all know. Now, years later, this man is on his death bed, and feels his life has been a waste.

Jesus said in Luke 9:26, “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory.”

You and I have a choice every day whether or not to be ashamed of Jesus Christ. No one wants to come to the end of his life and think its been a waste. But only living a life that counts for Christ will make that life worthwhile.

Are you ashamed of Jesus? If so, ask the Lord to forgive you. Its never too late to ask for a new beginning with God! He will give you a passion for Him thats so powerful, it will overflow onto those around you.

Christians and Priests

/0 Comments/in /by

Many of you have heard the verse in Hebrews that says we have only one high priest, and his name is Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. But did you know that all believers are also priests in the eyes of God? We all have equal access to the Heavenly Father. With the new covenant, God ordained that Christians dont have priests — Christians are priests.

There are three things that priests do according to Scripture: They worship God, intercede for others, and minister according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Every one of us is given gifts according to our position and the Lords choice, to use for His glory.

If you take your priesthood seriously, theres no telling what God could do with your life and your gifts. So, pray today that God would do powerful deeds through you to reach the lost. As you do, He will begin to open doors that you never envisioned. You will begin to witness for Christ with power and authority. And to witness simply means to tell what youve seen and heard. By accepting your priestly role, youll be astonished at the power that will be unleashed, and the lives that will be changed.

Drawing Near

/0 Comments/in /by

I really admire a man named Robert Levy. He’s my son, Andrew’s, father-in-law. Robert’s a very powerful businessman, but his main purpose in life is leading people to Jesus Christ – which is what I respect most about him.

Robert is a true man of God, but that didn’t happen by accident. I believe it’s because He purposes to spend time with God every morning. Before anything else, he’s up at 5:00 am to spend time with God.

Do you want to be someone like that, too? James 4:8 tells us: “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” Those aren’t just words that James wrote because they sounded nice – they’re true! It’s a call from God. It’s an invitation from the King.

God longs to be near you, to change you, and use you for His glory. When we make one small move toward Him, He rushes to us with open arms!

The Lord Jesus said that he wants to be a close friend of yours. But you need to make the choice to spend time with Him, reading His word, and listening to the Holy Spirit. Then, as you walk with God, people will notice.

They’ll think, “There’s something different about her – maybe I’ll ask her about the struggle I’m going through.” By spending time with the Lord, you will have his quiet power and confidence to witness to the lost and lonely people in your world.

Taking Up Your Cross

/0 Comments/in /by

As followers of Jesus Christ, we have been promised that the Spirit of Christ dwells within each one of us. By our day-to-day choices, we can either squelch the Spirit of God, or allow Him to grow in us even more. This is a basic truth, especially when we’re confronted with a decision on whether or not to share our faith.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

What does it mean to take up your cross? Several years ago, I felt the Lord explain it to me this way: Every time my will crosses what God has told me to do, and I choose God’s way instead of mine, that is Jesus at work in me. That is taking up my cross.

The instant you choose, day-by-day, God’s revealed will over your own egotistical will, something dies and then something comes alive. What dies are your selfish, wrong ways. What comes alive is Christ’s Spirit in you. And He produces fabulous results in you and through you. You are cooperating with God Almighty! Is that living or what!?!?

Do you really want to please the Lord and be fruitful? Then taking up your cross is the way to do it. So the next time you’re wondering whether or not to share your faith and you hear God’s voice telling you to go for it, remember that choosing God’s will, over your own, is always the best way to live!