God's Promises For Your Every Need - Troubles

I have been compiling a series of these videos from God's Promises For Your Every Need. This one presents scriptures for meditation when troubles have hit your life. I hope you will let these verses speak to your heart.

Spiritual Mirror

James 1:22-25 (New Living Translation)

But don’t just listen to God’s word.

You must do what it says.
Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.

For if you listen to the word and don’t obey,
it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.

But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free,
and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard,
then God will bless you for doing it.

In the natural, the spirit realm can’t be seen or felt, the only way to accurately perceive spiritual truth is through the Bible. Simply take God’s Word and believe it!

Jesus said in John 6:63,

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

God’s Word reveals spiritual reality. If you want to know what your spirit is like, you must find out from the Word, not relying on emotions or other perceptions. God’s Word is spirit and life! It’s the reflection of who you really are.

When you look at your face in a mirror, you aren’t really seeing yourself, you’re viewing a reflection. Even though it’s only a reflection, you have learned to trust it and act on what you see. God’s Word is just like that mirror; it reflects perfectly who you are in the spirit.

You must look into God’s mirror and trust the spiritual reality you see! It reflects your new born-again spirit, your innermost part.


The context of this message was taken from a teaching by: Andrew Wommack
To read the entire article, Click Here

This article is part of a series entitled "Spirit, Soul, and Body". It is an excellent series and I highly recommend it. Following are links to the audio lessons of that series.

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027a_basics.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027b_redemption.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027c_faith.mp3

http://downloads.awmi.net/teaching/awm_1027d_spirit.mp3

Type rest of the post here

How far is the East from the West?

Psalm 103 (New Living Translation)
A psalm of David.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.

Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things he does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

The LORD gives righteousness and justice to all who are treated unfairly.
He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
He does not punish us for all our sins; he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.

For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Sidebar:
How far is the east from the west?

Picture the globe. If you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a northerly direction, eventually you would round the north pole and then be traveling south. Likewise, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a southerly direction, eventually you would round the south pole and then be traveling north.

However, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a westerly direction, you could continue in that westerly direction for infinity. At no point in that journey would you be traveling east. Likewise, if you were located at any point on the globe and then began to travel in a easterly direction, you could continue in that easterly direction for infinity. At no point in that journey would you be traveling west.

East does not meet West and West does not meet East!

And so it is with our sin. No matter where you are on the globe, once you accept Jesus Christ as being the Son of God and confess him to be the Lord, you can leave your sin right there, head in the opposite direction, and never have to cross that path of sin again!

Now back to the passage:

The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

For he knows how weak we are; he remembers we are only dust.
Our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.

The wind blows, and we are gone—as though we had never been here.

But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant, of those who obey his commandments!

The LORD has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything.
Praise the LORD, you angels, you mighty ones who carry out his plans, listening for each of his commands. Yes, praise the LORD, you armies of angels who serve him and do his will!

Praise the LORD, everything he has created, everything in all his kingdom.
Let all that I am praise the LORD.

Unforgiveness Will Eat Your Lunch!

Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor

“Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.

“When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.

“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.”

Matthew 18:23-35 (New Living Translation)

This parable is quite obviously teaching us about forgiveness. The two verses preceding this parable state this:

“Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! “

Now some of you analytic people out there may have done the math and concluded that we are to forgive someone up to 490 times. But what Jesus is basically saying is that there is no limit to how often we are to forgive. He might as well as said ten million times.

Not forgiving will eat you alive. As Andrew Wommack says, “it will eat your lunch and pop the bag!” I spent many years angry with my ex-wife for some things that had transpired during our marriage. I just could not bring myself to forgive her. Holding on to that grudge was literally tearing me apart from the inside out. As much as I wanted to be free and to begin to rebuild my life, I was held in bondage by the exact thing that I was holding on to. What I was holding captive was actually captivating me. Not forgiving her eventually manifested in many ugly forms including a pornography addiction, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, self-pity, isolation, just to name a few. I was falling apart but in the meantime she was living her life like nothing ever happened.

It was not until I understood and received forgiveness from God that I could truly forgive her. But the moment I did forgive her with all my heart, I received immediate healing. My entire life began to turn around for the good. I was literally set free. You see, this teaching about forgiveness is not just a way for us to avoid being punished. The truth is if you have not forgiven someone who has harmed you, you are already being punished more than you realize. Jesus message here is to help you, not condemn you, as is always the case.

This lesson here is very important my friends. In addition to teaching about forgiveness, I believe we can also learn a lesson about judging others. (See my blog entry entitled “Do Not Judge Others” posted on August 8th. Jesus said this in Matthew chapter 7, verse 2:

“For you will be treated as you treat others. The standard you use in judging is the standard by which you will be judged”

Although we can learn a lesson about judging others here, I don’t believe that was Jesus’ intention. He is teaching about forgiving. Following are a couple of scriptures to futher iterate the importance of forgiveness.

Matthew 6:14-15 (New Living Translation)
“If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. “

One of the biblical principles I have learned is that you only have what you are willing to give away. It sounds odd I know, but isn’t that exactly what Jesus is telling us right here. If we forgive others we shall be forgiven. Give and it shall be given unto you. We all need forgiveness. Forgiving others is a two-fold benefit. It’s a win-win situation every time!

John 20:23
“If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”

Ephesians 4:31-32
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Colossians 3:12-14
“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.”

Mark 11:22-24
Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.”


Mark points out clearly that it is imperative for us to forgive if our prayers are to be answered. But he says that if we are not holding any grudges, that we can pray for anything and if we believe we receive it, it will be ours! Wow! How awesome is that?

Have you asked for things that line up with God’s will and not received? Do you feel condemned for things that you know are wrong in your life? Is there someone that has done great harm to you and you just can’t seem to let that go? Forgiveness is the answer. Forgiveness is like a door that will open up blessings in your life. Forgiveness will set you free. Maybe it’s yourself that you need to forgive. That was one of my biggest hindrances for years. I felt so unworthy. I felt like the terrible things I had done were beyond God or anyone else being able to ever look past. How wrong that thinking was. The moment I knew that God was not only willing, but waiting anxiously to forgive me, and then I forgave myself and everyone else I was angry with, freedom came upon me in such a way that I cannot find words to describe!

God’s desire is ALWAYS to help you. That’s the primary reason Jesus came to earth in the first place. It’s only reasonable that everything he teaches us is to build us up, to encourage us, to set us free. Take a step towards freedom today my friend. Let go and let God!

John 8:36
“So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.”


Thank you for taking the time to read my blogs. Please leave a comment!

Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds

The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds!

Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”

Matthew 13:24-30 (New Living Translation)

Jesus explains the Parable of the Wheat and Weeds to his disciples:

Matthew 13:36-43
Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, “Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field.”
Jesus replied, “The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.
“Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father’s Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!


Here's my commentary:

As with many passages from God’s word I get something new almost every time I read them. Jesus tells us quite plainly here that the wheat represents those who have become sons of God by believing in him and the weeds are those that are children of the devil. I was reading one interpretation earlier that likened this story to the Garden of Eden. God had planted the goods seeds of Adam and Eve there for the purposes of being fruitful and multiplying. But then the serpent came along and planted the seeds of evil. As a result Cain was born as a child of the devil and ultimately became the first murderer when he killed his brother Abel.

Notice how he says that the enemy came in at night when the workers were asleep, planted the weeds and then slipped away? That’s just the way the devil operates. He’s a wimp. He has to sneak around in the dark. He is a thief and a liar.

I also read this morning that the weeds that are often found in wheat fields tend to look a lot like the wheat itself. However, unlike the weeds, the wheat eventually sprouts a head and produces more seed. The weeds however do not produce anything. They simply attempt to choke out nutrients that would ultimately be beneficial for healthier and more productive wheat. It sounds a lot like the church today. Sure, there are some there who look just like Christians. They walk the walk and even talk the talk but ultimately produce no fruit! Here’s what Jesus has to say about them:

Matthew 7:21-23 (New Living Translation)
“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’

Where do the weeds come from? They come from thoughts, actions and words of anyone who isn’t a true child of God. Jesus says this:

Matthew 12:30 (New Living Translation)
“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.”

We know that the only way to become a true Child of God is through Jesus. So there are no gray areas. Either you are a born again believer or you are not. If you are not then you my friend are a weed in the eyes of God.

Those evils seeds are thrown around us each and everyday. They come from the television we watch, the music we listen to, the websites we visit, the magazines we read, the billboards we look at and on and on and on. Satan is the prince and power of the air. He is the god of THIS world.

Should we pull out the weeds? Isn’t it just like us Christian to be the first to casts judgment on non-Christians? We want them out. We want to see them punished. Jesus says here, No! I’ll take care of that.
He tells us to be the light of the world, the salt of the earth. We are representatives of Christ and it is our responsibility to approach ALL others with love, kindness, meekness, gentleness, patience and so on.

He tells us that pulling out the weeds will actually uproot the wheat. This one is a little tough. I have thought for a while now how we would be uprooted by the removal of evil. One thing that came to mind is that he sends rain onto the entire field. We are all his children. Even though the weeds are of no essential value. It is possible for us to draw excess nutrients from them. Water would surely run off from their branches and we could use that water to sustain out own growth.

Matthew 5:45 (New Living Translation)
“In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike.”

The last part is the part that most people want to just look right over as if it were any less important than the rest. I myself like to tell people about how God IS love and how he is willing to accept them just as they are. I speak of his grace and his mercy. But the fact remains that this earth is going to pass away. On judgment day each person, dead, or alive, man or woman, Jew or gentile, saved, unsaved, slave or free will have to face up to or account for whether or not we believed in Jesus. And if so, what did we do with our lives. Were we fruitful? Did we enhance the Kingdom? Did we make disciples? Did we feed the hungry? Did we give shelter to the homeless? Did we give to the poor?

I love the last line…”put the wheat in the barns” When I was a child I spent summers with my grandparents on their farm. It was fun doing the chores in the field, mending fences, running the tractor and such, but what I really loved was being in the barn. It was fun milking the cows and feeding the smaller animals. It was warm and lots of times, after the chores were over, I would go up in the hayloft and sleep the afternoon away! There was always plenty to eat and it just felt like home!

You are in the field of life my friend. Will the day come when you will grow a head and begin to produce fruit? Tied up in a bundle to be burned or put in the barn to lounge in the loft? The choice is yours.

You may be saying or thinking that it’s too late. I am already a weed and cannot become wheat. I have news for you. God has the ability to graft you into the wheat stalk. Check this out:

Romans 11:17 (New Living Translation)
But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree.

It’s never too late but the sooner you make the right choice, the more fruitful you can be. There is no greater joy!

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Leave a comment.

Michael

Parable of the Great Feast

Matthew 22:1-14 (New Living Translation)

Parable of the Great Feast

Jesus also told them other parables. He said,
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
“So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.
Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.


“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’
So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike,
and the banquet hall was filled with guests.


“But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Jesus is talking here to people of Israel. Once again they refused to believe that he was the Messiah. He is saying that the feast is ready; salvation is theirs, ready for the taking. But they just refuse to accept the invitation.

But God doesn’t give up easily; he continues to send servants, or messengers to let them know that the invitation still stands. Notice he says the guests that were invited ignored them and went their own way. People today constantly put their own priorities ahead of Gods’. People are under the impression that they can go their own way and still get to God. There are so many “new age” religions popping up, so many false doctrines. So many people who think that they can get to Heaven just because they are a good person, just because they treat people fairly. But there is only one way to the Father. You have to accept the invitation.

John 14:6 (New Living Translation)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

He goes on to tell us that God then sent messengers to gather people, good and bad, from the street corners and everywhere else. These were the gentiles. Gentiles are all people who are not true Jews. For the most part, that’s you and I. The invitation is for all to come to the banquet. Even we who are not the Jews can be grafted in to the family tree.

Romans 11:17-18
But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.

He goes on to mention that the King noticed one man who was not wearing the proper clothing for a wedding. I did a little bit of research on this verse and found out that typically in those days, people who were invited to a wedding were also given a wedding garment to wear. I believe this would be similar to today’s’ tradition of all the brides maids wearing similar dresses or the bridegrooms all wearing matching tuxedos. But apparently this one man had refused to put on the garment. It was as if he was being rebellious. He wanted the sneak into the party and enjoy the feast without truly becoming part of the family. Gods desire is for us to not only accept his gracious gift of love, but we are to put on that love like a garment.

Colossians 3:12-15
Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

Notice that when this man was confronted and asked why he refused to wear the wedding garment, the man had no reply. He had nothing to say. He was speechless. I believe that’s exactly the way it will be for many on the Day of Judgment. There will come a day when those who have rejected Jesus will be standing before God Almighty and asked why they refused to believe in him. I believe they will be frozen in shock. All excuses will be meaningless. They will have nothing to say for themselves. It will be too late. The decision has to come now, in this lifetime.

Matthew 25:10-13
“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
“So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

The time has come my friends for you to make a decision. Are you going to be the ones standing outside of locked gates wishing that you had come to know Jesus in time? The invitation is still open. Today is the Day of Salvation. It’s time for you to make up your mind. Perhaps you have been riding the fence. You claim you know the Lord. You claim to be a Christian. But are you on fire? Is he really Lord of all? God clearly says in his word that he would rather you be cold or hot, but not just warm. He can work with cold. And he delights in hot. But warm he detests.

Revelation 13:15-17
“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

He says he will spit you out of his mouth for being lukewarm. Too many of are neaither hot or cold. I encourage you today my friend to make a decision to go after God. Go after him with all your heart, mind, and strength. If you ride the fence, you will suffer the consequence!

Come to the banquet my friends. Put on the robe of righteousness that is given to you freely. Enjoy the bounty of rich foods and great fellowship that is available at the wedding table. Be prepared to say Yes Lord. I believed!

Thank you for visiting my page. Please leave your comment.

Michael

Just a Note!

Well, I finally got a new look for my page. It's not much as of yet but at least it looks a whole lot better than the original template. I have to admit that I am a little overwhelmed with Blog Stuff right now. I had no idea what a huge deal blogging is! Unreal! I have been on Yahoo 360 for a few months but never knew about widgets, gadgets, blidgets, counters, buttons, and the like.

I look forward to not only watching this site grow, but also getting to know some of you. Feel free to leave me a message.


In Christ,

Michael

Hypocrites Love to Pray!

A Better Way To PrayBy Andrew Wommack
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Many years ago, actually decades ago, I was participating in an all-night prayer meeting in which we were bombarding the gates of heaven. I remember beating the wall and yelling, “God, if You loved the people in Arlington, Texas, half as much as I do, we’d have revival!” Immediately, my lightning-fast mind realized that there was something seriously wrong with my theology. It stopped me dead in my tracks. What was I thinking?

Did I really believe I loved these people more than God? No, not exactly. Like so many Christians, I believed God was angry with the human condition and that it was up to me to turn Him from His wrath and judgment. I was interceding, pleading with God on the behalf of others. What could possibly be wrong with that? As I learned later, a lot. I am not saying that anyone who doesn’t pray as I do is “of the devil.” I wasn’t “of the devil” in the way I used to pray. I loved God with all my heart and the Lord loved me, but the results weren’t there.

The things the Lord has revealed to me about prayer since then have totally changed my life, and I’m now seeing miraculous results. If you aren’t getting the results you know the Lord wants you to have, maybe it’s time to consider a better way to pray.

First, we need to recognize that God isn’t angry at mankind anymore. He is no longer imputing or holding our sins against us.

“God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19).

We are NOW reconciled to God through Jesus. That means we are in harmony and are friendly with God right now. He isn’t mad; He’s not even in a bad mood. The war between God and man is over. That’s what the angels proclaimed at the birth of Jesus.

Luke 2:14 says,
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
These angels weren’t saying that peace would reign on earth and wars between people would cease. That certainly hasn’t happened. They were proclaiming the end of the war between God and man. Jesus paid a price that was infinitely greater than the sins of the whole human race.
God’s wrath and justice have been satisfied. Jesus changed everything. God isn’t angry. His mercy extends to all men. He loves the world, not only the church, but the whole world. He paid for all sin.

The Scriptures say in 1 John 2:2,
“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

In the Old Testament, God’s judgment was poured out on both individuals and nations. In the New Testament, God’s judgment was poured out on Jesus. That is the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of the Gospel. We no longer get what we deserve; we get what Jesus paid the price for, if we will only believe. Before I understood this, I would say, “If God doesn’t judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah.” Now I say, “If God judges America, He will have to apologize to Jesus.” Understanding what Jesus did completely changes your perspective.

Second, Jesus is now the Mediator. A mediator is one who seeks to reconcile, or make peace between, two opposing parties. In the Old Testament, man had not yet been reconciled to God through Jesus. The people needed a mediator, someone to intercede with God on their behalf. That is where we find men like Abraham and Moses pleading with God.

In Genesis 18:23-25, you find Abraham interceding with God on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah:
“Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein? That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?”

In fact, Abraham actually negotiated with God until He agreed not to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah if there were ten who were righteous. But there weren’t ten righteous people in the whole city, and only some of Lot’s family survived.
Moses actually told God, “Repent!” What nerve! What is even more amazing is that God repented. From these and other stories in the Old Testament, modern-day “intercessors” believe we too must stand in the gap, or mediate, between God and man. Just as I did decades ago, they believe we must plead with God to save the lost, to withhold His wrath from those He is ready to judge, and to be merciful to those whose needs He is unwilling to meet because of their unworthiness.

That couldn’t be further from the truth, but it is what’s being taught in many churches today. It ignores the fact that Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father (Heb. 10:12) ever making intercession for us (Heb. 7:25). If Moses or Abraham could persuade God, don’t you think that Jesus could do at least as well?

In 1 Timothy 2:5 we read,
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

In the New Covenant, Jesus is the ONLY mediator needed to stand between God the Father and mankind. Sin is no longer a problem with God; it’s been atoned for and we are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. That is how God sees us. If we understand that, it will change the way we pray.

It was appropriate for Abraham and Moses to pray as they did, because God’s wrath had not yet been appeased through Jesus. Today, under the New Covenant, if you try to mediate in that way, you are actually antichrist—against Christ. You are saying that Jesus was not enough, not esteeming what Christ has done. When Jesus became our Mediator, He put all other mediators out of business, forever. I know these words are strong, but they are the truth.

Satan is behind much of the wrong teaching on “prayer” in the body of Christ today. Consider how crafty his plan is and the fruit it produces. He has convinced believers to stay in their closets taking the place of Jesus in intercession. There, they spend hours pleading with God to turn from His wrath, to pour out His Spirit, and to meet the needs of the people.
Meanwhile, families, co-workers, and neighbors are going to hell and dying from disease. The Bible doesn’t say that salvation comes through intercession, but by the foolishness of preaching (1 Cor. 1:21). And we are not told to pray for the sick, but to heal the sick by commanding healing into their broken bodies (Matt. 10:8).

We have been deceived into believing prayer is all about persuading God to release His power. We believe He can save, heal, and deliver but that He is waiting on us to shape up and earn it. The truth is, we don’t deserve it, and we will never be good enough. Because of Jesus, all that God has is ours. That’s good news. We no longer need to beg or plead; we need to exercise the authority He as given us and receive His blessings.

There really is a better way to pray. I am not saying it’s the only way, but it is working for me. I have only touched on this subject in this letter, so I encourage you to order my new book A Better Way to Pray.

This message is also available in a CD, cassette, or DVD album. In the book and album, I talk about the primary purpose of prayer; the importance of speaking to your mountain about God, not to God about your mountain; the process of prayer; and I reveal many of the misconceptions about prayer.
These truths have changed the way I pray and the results I get. But more importantly, I believe they could revolutionize the body of Christ. I pray that you will take advantage of these truths and help me share them with others.

Spirit, Soul, and Body

Good morning bloggers!

I am a little pressed for time today and have not prepared a blog entry of my own. Below is a teaching article from Andrew Wommack. If you have never listened to Andrew teach I strongly encourage you to do so. He has a very simple, yet powerful revelation of the heart and mind of God and I am certain that you will gain from his messages. I have listened to this entire series on MP3 several times and it has changed the way I view things, including myself, significantly.

On a side note, I have over 100 of Andrews teachings on my MP3 player. I find that this makes a great way to renew my mind to the Word of God when I am unable to study. Sitting in traffic, waiting in lines, going on walks, and other times sush as these make a great opportunity to grow in your knowledge of God.

And now for Andrews Lesson:

Spirit, Soul, And BodyBy Andrew Wommack

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Did you know that a Christian can actually die from sickness or disease while the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lies dormant within them? Or, did you know that a believer can be overcome with depression, anger, and bitterness all the while possessing God’s love, joy, and peace in their spirit?

It’s true, they can and they do. Why? Because they really don’t understand what changed when they were born again and therefore have difficulty receiving the promises of God. The Bible says that every born-again believer has undergone a complete inner transformation.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ.” (2 Cor. 5:17-18)

It doesn’t say that all things are becoming new or have the potential of becoming new; they are new the moment you are born again. But, in order for that to make sense, you must first understand how God created you.

God’s Word clearly teaches that we are three-part beings, but very few Christians have a functional understanding of spirit, soul, and body in their daily lives. Intellectually, most Christians believe they’re a three-part being, but functionally, they act as though they’re only made up of body and soul. They’re confused about the operation of the soul and spirit, seeing them basically as the same thing.

Even Strong’s Concordance fails to distinguish all three! It defines “spirit” (“pneuma” in the Greek) as “the immortal soul.” However, in my study of God’s Word, I have found a very distinct difference between spirit and soul. Your spirit is your innermost part, not your “immortal soul.”

First Thessalonians 5:23 makes it very clear:

“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” (emphasis mine).
If you were talking to me face to face, you’d be seeing my body but speaking to my soul. The word “soul” is defined by some as your mind, will, and emotions, and while that’s certainly true, it’s incomplete. Your “conscience” should also be included in that definition. Your soul is really what most people call their personalities.

You can feel both your body and your soul and are receiving information from them all the time. For example, if I put my hand on your shoulder, you would know that I touched you through your physical senses. I could also make you feel happy or sad, or could even hurt you without any physical contact but simply by the words I speak. Those words are processed by your mind, and the result of their effect is often expressed in your emotions.

It’s easy to know how your body feels, what’s going on in your mind, and what emotions you’re experiencing. However, your spirit is much different; it cannot be accessed in any natural way.

John 3:6 says,
“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”
He meant that there’s no direct connection between the two. They are interrelated, but spirit is spirit and flesh is flesh. You simply cannot contact your spirit through your five senses or through your mind, will, or emotions. Therein lies one of the great problems of the Christian life!
If you don’t understand that spiritual reality can’t be felt, then you’ll be confused when God’s Word declares that you have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead living in you (Eph. 1:18-20).

If you think spiritual truth can be discerned through your natural senses, then you’ll be baffled when the Bible says that you’re a brand-new creature who can do the same miraculous works that Jesus did (2 Cor. 5:17, John 14:12).

The apparent disparity between your natural experiences and God’s Word will cause you to throw up your hands in frustration and conclude, “It must not be true.” It’s the understanding of spirit, soul, and body that unlocks the spirit realm so you can experience who you are and what you have in Christ.

In the natural, the spirit realm can’t be seen or felt, the only way to accurately perceive spiritual truth is through the Bible. Simply take God’s Word and believe it! Jesus said in John 6:63,
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”

God’s Word reveals spiritual reality. If you want to know what your spirit is like, you must find out from the Word, not relying on emotions or other perceptions. God’s Word is spirit and life! It’s the reflection of who you really are.

When you look at your face in a mirror, you aren’t really seeing yourself, you’re viewing a reflection. Even though it’s only a reflection, you have learned to trust it and act on what you see. God’s Word is just like that mirror; it reflects perfectly who you are in the spirit.

“For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therin, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” (James 1:23-25)

You must look into God’s mirror and trust the spiritual reality you see! It reflects your new born-again spirit, your innermost part. However, it does not reflect your body or your soul.
Although full payment has been made for your glorified body through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, you still have a corrupted body. One day it will be redeemed and changed into an incorruptible one, but for now, you still must live in the same body you had before you were saved.

Your soul wasn’t saved either. So you may have the same thoughts and emotions you had before you were saved. And because of that, some seriously doubt whether or not they were saved. They don’t understand that the change took place in their spirits. Typically, your body and soul are both impacted by what happens at salvation, but it’s not total nor complete.
The good news is, you can change your mind. In fact, we are commanded to do so.

Romans 12:2 says,
“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.”
Your soul can be transformed to the degree that you renew your mind, change your attitudes, and conform to the Word of God. This should happen, and it’s in the process of happening, but it didn’t happen automatically when you were saved.

In your soul, old things did not pass away, and all things haven’t yet become new. For that reason, you could actually die from sickness or disease even though you have all of the power that raised Jesus from the dead residing untapped within your spirit. It’s like dying of thirst while leaning against a well full of life-giving water.
Think of your soul like the valve on a faucet. It controls

the rate and volume of the flow of the spirit into your body. If your mind is renewed and in agreement with the Word, the valve is wide open. But if it is in agreement with what your body is feeling or what your emotions are experiencing, then the valve is either closed or in the process of closing.

Your soul has the power to keep every drop of life-giving power from ever reaching your physical body, or flooding your body with the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. If the valve is open, you’ll experience healing, deliverance, anointing, victory, power, joy, prosperity, and more. So, keep it open.

This revelation of the relationship of the spirit, soul, and body has transformed my life. When I realized that God had already given me everything I needed and it’s all contained in my spirit, it set me free. All I needed to do was release it. That simple understanding changes everything.
The Christian life isn’t a process of “getting from God.” It’s a process of renewing the mind and learning to release what you’ve already received.

If you don’t understand that you have already received all that you will ever need (in your spirit) at salvation, there will always be an element of doubt. You may know it’s possible or even promised in the Word, but you’ll be trying to perceive it in the mental, emotion, or physical realm, and that’s a formula for failure.

That erroneous concept can also result in a performance-based relationship with God (i.e., if you’re good enough, if you read the Bible enough, if you pay your tithes, and on and on it goes in an attempt to motivate God to give you what you need). It’s the misconception that God hasn’t already given you everything, and somehow, you have to make yourself worthy enough to get it.
You’re already worthy because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. He paid the price for everything you will ever need. In fact, you’ve already got it. It’s just a matter of understanding the relationship of the spirit to the soul and body.

Understanding spirit, soul, and body is critically important to every believer. It could be a matter of life and death. It’s the foundation to the understanding of the rest of Scripture. This letter barely scratches the surface, so if you haven’t already ordered this teaching series, do it today. It will also be available in book form December 1, 2005 as well.

Jamie and I want to thank you again for your faithful support. We know this message could not be sent around the world without your help. Please take the time to view the “Guest Book” and read the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed because of your gifts.

Parable of the Evil Farmers

Matthew 21:33-45 (New Living Translation)

“Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same. “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’ “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him. “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”

The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”
Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’

I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers.

I just finished reading several other’s commentary on this passage. It is quite interesting how much can be obtained from this simple parable. But that doesn’t surprise me. Jesus has an amazing way of speaking to our hearts. Rather than me attempting to go into great detail here, as I sometimes do, I have opted to keep my interpretation of this parable as simplistic as possible. Some of the commentary I read broke down almost every word and related it to something spiritual or explained it by using other parts of scripture. There are some great explanations of this and other parables available on the net for those of you who might care to do some additional research. Also, for further understanding, this parable can also be found in Mark 12:1-2 and Luke 20:9-19.

Here is what I get from this message:
Jesus is once again, speaking to those religious leaders about their ways. Jesus has a real problem with religion!

God is of course the landowner who planted the vineyard. The earth is the vineyard. The wall could be considered the space that surrounds the earth. Some people seem to think that the pit represents hell but I don’t see it that way. The juice produced from the fruit is ultimately our final product. I see the pit as being that place of humbleness that brings us into the perfect will of God. Then he built a lookout tower. This could very well be speaking of his throne from which he observes his creation. “He leased the vineyard to tenant farmers”. I believe this is talking about the creation of mankind. He says clearly in Genesis that he gave us authority over all the earth.

He then goes on to teach about the harvest. His share of the crop is probably speaking of those who actually do his will and produce fruit. He sent many servants but they were all rejected. Here I believe he is speaking of some of the prophets who predicted the coming of Jesus, the Messiah! After it became apparent that he wasn’t getting through to the people, he finally sent his son. This is without a doubt Jesus himself. They just couldn’t accept the fact that he was the savior. They could not believe that he was the one. Ultimately, as you know, Jesus was killed because they stumbled so hard over the message he brought. It’s interesting to note that they dragged him out of the vineyard before murdering him. This is a very clear picture of Jesus being taken outside of the city gates to Skull Hill, the place of his crucifixion. It’s also interesting to note that Jesus spoke this before his death, obviously. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He knew why he came. He knew what his mission was.

Notice how the religious leaders answered him by saying that those farmers would be put to a horrible death. They understood the story but later became furious when they comprehended that it was them he was speaking about. How’s that for a picture of guilt and condemnation. If only they would have realized right then and there and repented.

Obviously the horrible death he is talking about is being sentenced to hell. He says that being religious is not going to get you into heaven. The ones that are going to heaven are the ones that accept him as the son, turn from their religious beliefs and false truths, and begin to bear good fruit. (See my blog entitled “Fruits of the Spirit”).

There are so many people in the world today that have had it with religion. They refuse to believe or even consider God’s plan because of what some of the “religious leaders” have taught them or implanted in them. I am here today to say to you that Jesus himself agrees with you. Religion in itself is not going to get you there. My hope and prayer is that you are reading these parables and beginning to understand the truth about who Jesus is and what he represents. He is love. He is your friend. He is always available. And through him, you will produce fruit. Coming into the Kingdom of God is easy my friends. Consider making that decision today!

That’s it for my time this morning. Once again, thanks for taking the time to read this message. Feel free to leave your comment.

May your roots grow down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love!

Michael