Monday, November 28, 2011

Repentance Required to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit



Excerpted reading from a sermon by Smith Wigglesworth (1859-1947) entitled: "Ye Shall Receive Power"

-------Repentance Required to Receive the Baptism in the Holy Spirit-----


“'Ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you.' The disciples had been asking whether the Lord would at that time restore again the kingdom to Israel. Christ told them that it was not for them to know the times and seasons which the Father had put in His own power, but He promised them that when they received the Holy Ghost they should receive power to witness for Him in all the world. To receive the Holy Ghost is to receive power with God, and power with men…."

"…The Lord wants all saved people to receive power from on High--power to witness, power to act, power to live, and power to show forth the divine manifestation of God within. The power of God will take you out of your own plans and put you into the plan of God. You will be unmantled and divested of that which is purely of yourself and put into a divine order. The Lord will change you and put His mind where yours was, and thus enable you to have the mind of Christ. Instead of you labouring according to your own plan, it will be God working in you and through you to do His own good pleasure through the power of the Spirit within. Someone has said that you are no good until you have your “I” knocked out. Christ must reign within, and the life in the Holy Ghost means at all times the subjection of your own will to make way for the working out of the good and acceptable and perfect will of God within…"

"The Holy Spirit will come when a man is cleansed. There must be a purging of the old life. I never saw anyone baptized who was not clean within.

I remember being in a meeting at one time, where there was a man seeking the Baptism, and he looked like he was in trouble. He was very restless, and finally he said to me, “I will have to go.” I said, “What's up?” He said, “God is unveiling things to me, and I feel so unworthy.” I said, “Repent of everything that is wrong.” He continued to tarry and the Lord continued to search his heart. These times of waiting on God for the fullness of the Spirit are times when He searches the heart and tries the reins. Later the man said to me, “I have a hard thing to do, the hardest thing I have ever had to do.” I said to him, “Tell the Lord you will do it, and never mind the consequences.” He agreed, and the next morning he had to take a ride of thirty miles and go with a bag of gold to a certain party with whom he dealt. This man had a hundred of cattle and he bought all his feed at a certain place. He always paid his accounts on a certain day, but one day he missed. He was always so punctual in paying his accounts that when later the people of his firm went over their books, they thought they must have made a mistake in not crediting the man with the money and so they sent him a receipt. The man never intended not to pay the account, but if you defer to do a right thing the devil will see that you never do it. But when that man was seeking the Lord that night the Lord dealt with him on this point, and he had to go and straighten the thing the next morning. He paid the account and then the Lord baptized him in the Spirit. They that bear the vessels of the Lord must be clean, must be holy.

When the Holy Spirit comes He always brings a rich revelation of Christ. Christ becomes so real to you that, when, under the power of the Spirit, you begin to express your love and praise to Him, you find yourself speaking in another tongue. Oh, it is a wonderful thing! At one time I belonged to a class who believed that they had received the Baptism in the Spirit without the speaking in tongues. There are many folks like that today, but if you can go with them to a prayer meeting you will find them asking the Lord again and again to baptize them in the Spirit. Why all this asking if they really have received the Baptism? I have never heard anyone who has received the Baptism in the Holy Ghost after the original pattern asking the Lord to give them the Holy Ghost. They know of a surety that He has come.

I was once traveling from Belgium to England. As I landed I received a request to stop at a place between Harwich and Colchester. The people were delighted that God had sent me, and told me of a special case they wanted me to pray for. They said, “We have a brother here who believes in the Lord, and he is paralyzed from his loins downward. He cannot stand on his legs and he has been twenty years in this condition.” They took me to this man and as I saw him there in his chair I put the question to him. “What is the greatest desire in your heart?” He said, “Oh, if I could only receive the Holy Ghost!” I was somewhat surprised at this answer, and I laid my hands on his head and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” Instantly the power of God fell upon him and he began breathing very heavily. He rolled off the chair and there he lay like a bag of potatoes, utterly helpless. I like anything that God does. I like to watch God working. There he was with his great, fat body, and his head was working just as though it was on a swivel. Then to our joy he began speaking in tongues. I had my eyes on every bit of him and as I saw the condition of his legs I said, “Those legs can never carry that body.” Then I looked up and said, “Lord, tell me what to do.” The Holy Ghost is the executive of Jesus Christ and the Father. If you want to know the mind of God you must have the Holy Ghost to bring God's latest thought to you and to tell you what to do. The Lord said to me, “Command him in My name to walk” But I missed it, of course. I said to the people there, “Let's see if we can lift him up.” But we could not lift him, he was like a ton weight. I cried, “Oh Lord, forgive me.” I repented of doing the wrong thing, and then the Lord said to me again, “Command him to walk.” I said to him, “Arise in the name of Jesus.” His legs were immediately strengthened. Did he walk? He ran all round. A month after this he walked ten miles and back. He has a Pentecostal work now. When the power of the Holy Ghost is present, things will happen."

Message in it's entirety:
http://www.smithwigglesworth.com/sermons/ftp5.htm

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Marinate!



Stingray shouts out a word of exhortation to Marinate in the presence of the Holy Spirit for help in overcoming the iniquity that surfaces on our path to Holiness.
Sometimes we need to step back and remember it's not 'how much' stuff we dump in our path, but it's how much stuff we absorb!

Blessings as you overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the Word of your testimony!

www.hearingGod.tv

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Something So Strong - Delusion and Divination



"The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds." Jer. 14:14

I share a dream, a song and an exhortation to put blinders on and focus on the narrow road...

More scripture:
"All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. That is all they can do for you—these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you." Isaiah 47:13-15

"Let the one who does wrong, still do wrong; and the one who is filthy, still be filthy; and let the one who is righteous, still practice righteousness; and the one who is holy, still keep himself holy." Rev. 22:11

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." Mat 24:24


...Isaiah 41:21-29...
21"Present your case," the LORD says. "Bring forward your strong arguments," The King of Jacob says.

22Let them bring forth and declare to us what is going to take place; As for the former events, declare what they were, That we may consider them and know their outcome. Or announce to us what is coming;

23Declare the things that are going to come afterward, That we may know that you are gods; Indeed, do good or evil, that we may anxiously look about us and fear together.

24Behold, you are of no account, And your work amounts to nothing; He who chooses you is an abomination.

25"I have aroused one from the north, and he has come; From the rising of the sun he will call on My name; And he will come upon rulers as upon mortar, Even as the potter treads clay."

26Who has declared this from the beginning, that we might know? Or from former times, that we may say, "He is right!"? Surely there was no one who declared, Surely there was no one who proclaimed, Surely there was no one who heard your words.

27"Formerly I said to Zion, 'Behold, here they are.' And to Jerusalem, 'I will give a messenger of good news.'

28"But when I look, there is no one, And there is no counselor among them Who, if I ask, can give an answer.

29"Behold, all of them are false; Their works are worthless, Their molten images are wind and emptiness.

--------------------

"Something So Strong" Lyrics - Crowded House

Love can make you weep
can make you run for cover.
Roots that spread so deep
bring life to frozen ground.
Something so strong could carry us away

Something so strong could carry us today.

Turning in my sleep
love can leave you cold

The taste of jealousy is like a lust for gold.
Something so strong could carry us away

Something so strong could carry us today.

I've been feeling so much older

Frame me and hang me on the wall.
I've seen you fall into the same trap

This thing is happening to us all.
Something so strong could carry us away

Something so strong could carry us today.

Something so strong
something so strong

Something so strong
something so strong

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Accuser



A focus on the Accuser of the Brethren based on a study originally found at (but the actual link to find it had went defunct):
http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org

This study focuses on the book of Nehemiah-- looking at the actions of Sanballat, Tobiah and other peoples that were opposed to the Israelites rebuilding Jerusalem after having been freed from the Babylonian captivity. [*A good study-- not vouching for the ministry as I don't 'follow' people around, I only multiply what HE puts in my lap.]

As we endure the more and more frequent birth pangs leading up to the second coming of Jesus, I want to exhort all of you out there that are becoming aware of the weeds growing right alongside of the wheat. These weeds that attempt to choke out your growth, block your access to the light and drain you of the nutrients you need. How many of you have encountered a person that 'knows' the scriptures but pushes a doctrine or condemnation at you if you don't believe exactly the way they do? Let's dig in and expose the 'accuser of the brethren'.

You may learn to recognize the accuser by looking at the actions of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem in the Book of Nehemiah in the scriptures. As a background… this the story of Israel’s return from the Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The Israelites had favor with and were encouraged by their new Persian ruler to go rebuild their city and make offerings to their God. However, the people who lived near Jerusalem did not want the Israelites to build the city again. People like Sanballat and Tobiah were connected to the Israelite people via marriage.
[Ref: Neh 13:28 & Neh 6:18]
But marriage was a no-no with people that didn't serve YHWH for many reasons… foreign people served foreign gods, and our God wanted a people for Himself… not divided amongst the kingdom of darkness.

“Nor shall you make marriages with them. You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son. For she will turn your son away from Me, and he will serve other gods …”
Deuteronomy 7:3-4

“No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you. “Nevertheless, the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you. “You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days.
Deuteronomy 23:3-6

We don't have a correlation here like in the book of Ruth…

Ruth 1:16 "…for where you go, I will go … Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God."

…but we have peoples intermingled …peoples with spiritual defilement that do not abandon those root spirits that are evident as they manifest against the children of God.

We can look at this today as the accuser of the brethren… or people that contain that same sort of 'mixture'-- with one foot in the bible, yet not adhering to true conversion (or 'circumcision of the heart') by displaying the good fruit of a life ruled by Jesus Christ.

Now I just want to share some great bullet-points I found in a little Bible study I found at: http://www.wholeperson-counseling.org/warfare/the_accuser.html
It's important to know and be firm in what you are doing despite any attacks, despite any accusers that rail against you. Sometimes it's just helpful to see the 'writing on the wall'… or better yet, the scriptural gist of what you know is coming against you, so instead of wasting your time you can confidently let people babble all they want and remain undistracted from winning the prize.

"When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel." Nehemiah 2:10

• The accuser is grieved when you seek to rebuild your life in Christ.

"But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, "What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" Nehemiah 2:19

• The accuser will laugh at you to make you think that you are doing something wrong or ridiculous.
• The accuser will despise you, that is, look down upon you to make you think that you are lower than he is.
• The accuser will question what you are doing and try to get you to raise questions about the legitimacy of what you are doing.
• The accuser will question your authority and suggest that you are in rebellion against the established authority.

"Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?" Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, "Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!"
Nehemiah 4:1-3

• The accuser will gossip and turn others against you.
• The accuser will use his anger to make you afraid.
• The accuser will use his anger to belittle you.
• The accuser will mock you and what you are doing.
• The accuser will accuse you of being too weak or too old or too young or too ignorant to do what God has told you to do. -Disqualification - Intimidation
• The accuser will question if you can protect yourself.
• The accuser will question your depth of commitment.
• The accuser will suggest that you have made a rash decision that you cannot keep.
• The accuser will imply that it is too late to change because of your past experiences.
• The accuser will suggest that even if you start to rebuild your life, that it won't do any good.
• The accuser will declare that you will be overcome by the smallest enemy.
• The accuser will state that the least pressure will cause you to fall again.
*The glaring absence of Faith, Hope or Love in you.

"Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it."
Nehemiah 4:7-8

• The accuser may attack you repeatedly with strong anger.
• The accuser will join his forces (demonic powers) to fight against you.

"Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall." Our enemies said, "They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work." When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, "They will come up against us from every place where you may turn..."
Nehemiah 4:10-12

• The accuser will attack when you are tired.
• The accuser will attack when you don't feel like you are able to rebuild.
• The accuser will suggest that he will attack you in secret when you don't know he is attacking.
• The accuser will declare that he will destroy you and cause you to stop God's work in your life.
• The accuser will say the same thing over and over knowing that if you ever stop to listen to him that he will have you.

"Now there was a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers. For there were those who said, 'We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore let us get grain that we may eat and live.'"
Nehemiah 5:1-2

• The accuser will use division among Believers to attack also.
• The accuser will suggest that you are doing something that is unreasonable that will be of harm to others.
*Note: You may also have an internal conflict which the enemy may use against you.

"Now when it was reported to Sanballat, Tobiah, to Geshem the Arab and to the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it, although at that time I had not set up the doors in the gates, then Sanballat and Geshem sent a message to me, saying, "Come, let us meet together at Chephirim in the plain of Ono." But they were planning to harm me."
Nehemiah 6:1-2

• The accuser wants to get you to listen to him so that he can talk you out of doing what God would have you to do.
• The accuser will try to distract you from doing what God would have you to do.
*Note: Are you taking time to listen to the enemy? Has he distracted you from doing what God would have you do? Nehemiah refused to talk to the Sanballat and the others:

"And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?" Nehemiah 6:3

"They sent messages to me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in the same manner a fifth time with an open letter in his hand."
Nehemiah 6:4-5

*Note: Just because you resist the enemy, he may not flee from you immediately. He is stubborn. He may continue to bring accusations against you a number of times.

"In it was written, It is reported among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel; therefore you are rebuilding the wall. And you are to be their king, according to these reports. You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you, 'A king is in Judah!' And now it will be reported to the king according to these reports. So come now, let us take counsel together."
Nehemiah 6:6-7

• The accuser will accuse you of rebellion to the authorities over you. Satan accuses us before God in Heaven, but Jesus is our defense attorney: "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us" (Romans 8:33-34).
• The accuser may accuse you before the authority over you to push you into making wrong decisions.
• If you're not in a church of the box/institutional church anymore… the accuser will target those you are in covenant with… prayer partners or 'friends'.

"For all of them were trying to frighten us, thinking, 'They will become discouraged with the work and it will not be done.' But now, O God, strengthen my hands. When I entered the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said, 'Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you, and they are coming to kill you at night.' But I said, 'Should a man like me flee? And could one such as I go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.' Then I perceived that surely God had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and act accordingly and sin, so that they might have an evil report in order that they could reproach me."
Nehemiah 6:9-13

• The accuser may again use fear to keep you from doing what God would have you do. (The place of the temple was to be a sacred safe place.)
• The accuser may use those who are close to you (family and friends) and even those in authority to mislead you.

Okay… how many of you are shaking your heads and know people, or have personally dealt with the 'accuser' vendetta? You are not alone! We may not agree on all things my friends, but let's hang with those that are 'for us' in solidarity, and not align nor support what is essentially spiritual gang violence against the saints!


www.hearingGod.tv

More than Words - Extreme



More Than Words - Extreme
Songwriters: Cherone, Gary; Bettencourt, Nuno;

Saying "I love you"
Is not the words I want to hear from you
It's not that I want you
Not to say, but if you only knew how easy
It would be to show me how you feel

More than words
Is all you have to do to make it real
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know

What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real

What would you say if I took those words away
Then you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"

More than words

Now but I've tried to talk to you
And make you understand
All you have to do is close your eyes
And just reach out your hands
And touch me
Hold me close, don't ever let me go

More than words
Is all I ever needed you to show
Then you wouldn't have to say that you love me
'Cause I'd already know

What would you do if my heart was torn in two
More than words to show you feel
That your love for me is real

What would you say if I took those words away
When you couldn't make things new
Just by saying "I love you"

More than words
More than words
More than words
More than words
More than words

**Scriptures:
"Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith." Gal 6:9-10

"And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

"What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it?" Luke 15:4

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."
James 1:22

"By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
John 13:35

"I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name." Rev 3:8
"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.'" Jhn 14:6

Colossians Chapter 3

3:12 So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;

3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

3:14 Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

3:15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

3:16 Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

3:17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.


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