Tag: Sermons 2017 Blog Wordpress

5/14/24 – ARE YOU LISTENING WHEN GOD SPEAKS?

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ARE YOU LISTENING WHEN GOD SPEAKS?

The Stranded Kitten

I fell asleep briefly early this morning as I was praying and I had a quick dream. During that short period of time, I had a dream that seemed very insignificant to me, so I didn’t write it down right away, as I usually do. I write down all of my dreams, because the Word tells us:

“For God speaks once, yes twice, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men, in slumberings upon the bed, then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction, that He may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword” Job 33:14-18

I take this very literally, because God said it and He doesn’t tell us something for no reason. Nevertheless, this particular dream was so short and seemed to be so insignificant that I didn’t write it down at first; but the Holy Spirit kept at me about it, until I finally repented to the Lord and I wrote it down. It was just a short paragraph.

After I finish praying in the morning, if I have had a dream, I ask God to anoint me to interpret it, then I review the dream I have written and I write down the interpretation of it. The Lord has shown me many, many things over the years through dreams and this short dream was no different. After I began writing, I was ashamed that I almost brushed it aside as nothing. I will share this dream for the purpose of demonstrating how that a simple, seemingly insignificant dream can have a profound meaning and purpose.

I dreamed I was shopping in a huge store with others and we looked up and saw a furry little kitten stranded high on a shelf. Someone there, who was taller than me, reached up and took it by a few strands of hair and brought it down. I was very annoyed because she rescued the kitten by just a few strands of hair, instead of taking hold of it and bringing it down gently, without pulling its hair. The kitten didn’t cry, or appear hurt, so I was just glad to see that someone was able to reach it and save it.

That was it; this was the quick dream I tried to ignore. Now I will give you the interpretation that the Lord gave to me. Please note that there is no way I can interpret dreams without God’s anointing to do so. Here is the interpretation of this dream, as God revealed it to me:

The store represents the world. I was shopping with others, so they are children of God too, and we are always shopping for souls to win for Christ Jesus. The kitten represents the innocent little ones, who are stranded in the world and they don’t know about Jesus, or much about Him, and they are lost. They are stranded, destitute souls, needing the Word of God and salvation, needing help and rescue. Someone more capable of reaching that particular kitten (soul) rescued him or her by whatever means they could. That person also may have been just a “babe” in Christ, not knowing much, but she rescued that kitten (soul) the best way she knew how and I should not have criticized her in my heart about the manner in which she saved that soul!

There are perhaps “babes” in Christ rescuing souls today and more seasoned Christians are quick to criticize them and the methods by which they go about it, but the Spirit of the Lord says, “Be careful who you cast judgment upon, because if they are trying to win souls the best way they know how, you will be judged for your judgment against that one doing their best for Me!”

Not everyone is a spiritual giant; the Word tells us,

“…But he who knew not and committed things worthy of stripes shall be beaten with few stripes; for unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required…” Luke 12:48.

In simpler terms, we will be judged according to what we know; we will not be judged harshly by God for things we have no knowledge of. We do receive correction from God for our errors in this life, but a Christian is no way lost because they have erred. God is the judge of His people.

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him, for the Lord sees not as man sees. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” 1 Samuel 16:7.

Another incident comes to mind regarding this subject:

“And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in Your name and we forbade him, because he follows not with us. And Jesus said to him, forbid him not, for he who is not against us is for us” Luke 9:49-50.

There are occasions when we can help our brothers and sisters by showing them a better way than what they know, for the Word also tells us,

“Peach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove; rebuke (those who know better); exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts they shall heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears (wanting to hear only what they want to hear) and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned to fables” 2 Timothy 4:2-4.

As much as lies within us, let us be at peace with one another and work together to win souls, for Ecclesiastes 4:12 tells us, “…a three-fold cord is not quickly broken.” If the people of God would be more patient and longsuffering with one another and do our best to work with one another, the churches wouldn’t be so divided and we could win far more souls. God will hold us accountable for every idle word:

“But I say to you that every idle word that men speak, they shall give an account thereof in the Day of Judgment” Matthew 12:36.

Finally, I will leave you with this:

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you” Ephesians 4:32.

It is important to pay attention to every dream if you are a Child of God and you walk in holiness, because God is speaking to you. I came in to publish this message right away, because the Spirit of the Lord also revealed to me that it is for someone.

Salvation is offered to everyone who repents of sin and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior, unless a person crosses a line with God, to the point of becoming reprobate, having no conscience (Romans 1:21-32; Hebrews 6:4-6). Now is the time of salvation for everyone; tomorrow, or even the next hour, could be too late, because we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled and those remaining shall surely come to pass. Are you prepared to stand before God and give an account of the life you have lived on this earth (Revelation 20:12-15)? If not, salvation is only a prayer away. Please visit the How Can I Be Saved page – your eternal destiny depends on it. God bless you.

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him who hears say, Come; and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” Revelation 22:17

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KNOW THE WORD

BIBLE

4/12/24: KNOW THE WORD

The Apostle Paul wrote these Words to the young minister, Timothy:

“Now the Spirit speaks expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry and commanding to abstain from meats, which God has created to be received with thanksgiving of those who believe and know the truth” 1 Timothy 4:1-3 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

He also admonished him to study the Word of Truth:

“Be diligent in presenting yourself unto God as a qualified worker, who is not ashamed, correctly dividing the Word of Truth” 2 Timothy 2:15 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

Paul forewarned Timothy to beware of those who depart from the faith, who were also in authority, because they “forbid to marry” and “command to abstain from meats,” who are undoubtedly members of the Catholic abomination, according to the description of the false teachings listed here; but Catholics aren’t the only ones. There are false prophets and teachers all over the world today, who have polluted the Word of Truth with their own interpretations of God’s Holy Word.

There are ministers today who uphold homosexuality and the entire LGBTQ lifestyles, even though the Word of God clearly teaches that these sins are abominable and those who commit such sins will not enter into the Kingdom of God:

“You shall not lie with mankind, as with womankind, it is an abomination” Leviticus 18:22 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

“The woman shall not wear that which pertains to a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment, for all who do so are an abomination to the Lord your God” Deuteronomy 22:5 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

“For this cause (refusing to obey God’s Word and defying it), God gave them up to vile affections, for even their women did change the natural use (of men) into that which is against nature; and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men working that which is indecent, receiving the recompense of their deception, which is mandatory (like AIDS and monkeypox). And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting” Romans 1:26-28 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

“If any man defiles the temple of God (his body, as with sexual sins), him shall God destroy, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are” 1 Corinthians 3:17 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

“Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators (unlawful sexual behavior), nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate (men acting like women), nor abusers of themselves with mankind (homosexuals)” 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ET – Elim אֵילִם Translation)

The Word also instructs us,

“So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God” Romans 14:12

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life, and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” Revelation 20:12

So then, if we are all judged individually, and no one else will be judged in our place, in our behalf, how important do you suppose it is that we each know the Word of God for ourselves, and not depend solely upon others to give us the interpretation of God’s Holy Word? No one can interpret the Word of God correctly without the Holy Spirit giving him the interpretation, which is why we also need to be filled with the Spirit of God. Jesus said to His Apostles:

“And I will pray to the Father and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it doesn’t see Him, neither knows Him, but you know Him, for He dwells with you and shall be in you” John 14:17

Jesus spoke concerning the Holy Ghost, who would come upon the Apostles, on those who gathered in an upper room in Jerusalem, as Jesus instructed them to do before He departed into heaven:

“And being assembled together with them, (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, who, He said, you have heard of Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days from now” Acts 1:4-5

Some, who observed what happened to the Apostles, asked Peter, and those with him, what they should do. Peter answered them:

“Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 2:38-39

Most “Christian” ministers do not even believe that the gift of the Holy Ghost is for us today and they do not teach that Christians can be filled with the Holy Ghost, which is obviously contrary to what Peter stated above: “for the promise (the gift of the Holy Ghost) is unto you and to your children and to all who are afar off” and that means every Christian today.

I could go on and on about the false doctrines being taught in the world today, but the facts simply boil down to this: all of God’s people need to read and understand the Word of God for themselves, because there are many false prophets and teachers in the world and the Word says many will be deceived before Christ returns:

“For false Christs and false prophets shall arise, who shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” Matthew 24:24

Jesus was speaking to His Apostles here about the deceivers of the last days, preceding His return, our generation. Take heed, people of God; know God’s Holy Word for yourselves; read it and study it and know it thoroughly, so no one can deceive you in these last days. You are responsible to compare what God has taught you in His Word, with those who minister the Word to you. Even ministers listen to other ministers, as they study, so we can all learn more from one another. We are all called to be among the holy priesthood:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” 1 Peter 2:9

Saints, be filled with the Holy Ghost and know the Word of God, especially in these last days.

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him who hears say, Come; and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” Revelation 22:17

All written publications on this site may be copied and shared for evangelistic and educational purposes. God bless you with the Light of the world.

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BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

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BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Before He ascended into heaven, Jesus instructed His Apostles to wait in Jerusalem for the the Holy Spirit to come upon them:

“And being assembled together with them (His Apostles), He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which He said, you have heard of Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence…You shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you and you shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the earth” Acts 1:4-5, 8.

The Apostles were already Christians, of course, when they went to the upper room in Jerusalem and waited for the Holy Ghost to come upon them, as Jesus instructed them to do:

“And when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they (the Apostles and others) were all with one accord in one place and suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the house where they were sitting and there appeared unto them cloven tongues like fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance…And they were all (others standing by) amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, What does this mean? Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven (other Apostles), lifted up his voice and said to them, You men of Judaea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, be this known to you and hearken to my words, for these are not drunk as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day, but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it should come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams; and on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit and they shall prophesy Acts 2:1-4, 12-18.

The Word of God continues:

“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, for the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 2:37-39.

Some time later, the Apostle Paul traveled to Ephesus and while there, he came across disciples and asked them if they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed. They said they hadn’t even heard of the Holy Ghost. They had only been baptized by John, believing in “Him who would come, Jesus.” They were then baptized in the name of Jesus, and when Paul laid his hands on them, they received the Holy Ghost and they spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19).

There are many other passages of scripture that support the gift of the Holy Ghost, which a person can receive of God after they have repented, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, which evidence may be a specific language known on earth, or could be an entirely different language that no one knows, except God and those who prophesy and interpret tongues (1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 1 Corinthians 14).

Jesus told His apostles to wait for the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem, so they would receive power from God. The scriptures tell us what the people of God can do for God’s service, if they are filled with the Holy Ghost:

“And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel (for the coming Messiah-Savior), and the Holy Ghost was upon him and it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ (Messiah-Savior). And he came by the Spirit into the temple and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him after the custom of the law, then he took Him in his arms and blessed God and said, Lord, now let Your servant depart in peace, according to Your Word, for My eyes have seen Your salvation” Luke 2:25-30.

Do you want to be used of God? You need the gift of the Holy Ghost for power and God’s service, especially in these last days. The days are becoming so evil that “except those days be shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matthew 24:22-24). If you plan to be ready to be “caught up” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) when that hour comes, you need to be filled with the Holy Ghost. Jesus is calling His people to “wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4) today, just as He told His Apostles to wait for the promise, because it was not only for the Apostles, “For the promise is unto you and to your children and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 1:39.

Salvation is offered to everyone who repents of sin and receives Jesus as their Lord and Savior, unless a person crosses a line with God, to the point of becoming reprobate, having no conscience (Romans 1:21-32; Hebrews 6:4-6). Now is the time of salvation for everyone; tomorrow, or even the next hour, could be too late, because we have no guarantee of tomorrow.

Hundreds of Bible prophecies have been fulfilled and those remaining shall surely come to pass. Are you prepared to stand before God and give an account of the life you have lived on this earth (Revelation 20:12-15)? If not, salvation is only a prayer away. Please visit the How Can I Be Saved page – your eternal destiny depends on it. God bless you.

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him who hears say, Come; and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” Revelation 22:17

All written publications on this site may be copied and shared for evangelistic and educational purposes. God bless you with the Light of the world.

* Please provide attribution to this site via link. *

GO INTO HIS PRESENCE

Edited 6/7/23

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GO INTO HIS PRESENCE

THE PRESENCE OF GOD

Jesus said,

“All things are delivered unto me of My Father, and no man knows the Son, but the Father, neither does any man know the Father, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son will reveal Him” Matthew 11:27

There are many truths and revelations to know and understand about God the Father that can only be revealed to us by Jesus, the Son of God.

Do you have a close, personal relationship with God the Father, YAHWEH? Do you have meetings with the Father and does He give you revelations of things you have never known or understood before? If the answer is no, simply bring your requests before God in prayer, in the name of Jesus, for the Word says,

“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally, and does not rebuke, and it shall be given him” James 1:5

God loves you enough to die for you, and He already wants to give you every good thing you ask for.

All Christians, who truly are Christians, read God’s Word every day; but have you ever read a chapter or verse that you didn’t understand, a passage of scripture that you had to go back and read over again, and then you still didn’t fully understand it? That has probably happened to all of us at different times.

Have you ever knelt down before God and poured out your heart to Him for understanding and, right then and there, He opened your eyes to it and you suddenly saw things in the Spirit that you never understood before? This has happened to me and it is miraculous and powerful, profound!

Have you ever been praying and suddenly you saw a vision before your eyes, like a movie playing on a big screen in front of you; or have you suddenly found yourself in a situation, like seeing yourself outside your body, as an observer, participating in an event that you knew wasn’t really happening, but you were seeing it and participating in a situation, as if you were actually there?

The prophets of old wrote about such visions and revelations. All Christians believe in the accuracy and sanctity of God’s Holy Word; if they don’t, they aren’t really Christians. Things that happened to the prophets of old can very well happen to you also, if you avail yourself, your time and attention to the Lord.

Amazing, miraculous things have happened to me in the presence of God, like things we read about in the scriptures. The prophets of old were just saints of God, like you and me, but I can assure you that they heeded the call of God upon their lives and they gave God their time and much attention to the things of God.

There were times, such as in the case of Jonah, that God had to coerce and chastise His prophet into obedience; but there are also times when God will use someone because they love the Lord and they give Him the firstfruits of their lives, as in the case of King David.

When David was a very young man, tending his father’s sheep in the fields, he played his harp and sang praises to God. He was a faithful shepherd, even killing a bear and a lion to protect his father’s sheep. He was a peculiar young man in his devotion to the Lord and his psalms are everlasting. He was brave in protecting his father’s sheep and he trusted in the power of God to help him even against wild and powerful beasts. When the giant Philistine, Goliath, taunted God’s people and challenged them to war, this young shepherd pleaded with King Saul to let him fight the giant and bring victory to God’s people, and he wanted to exalt the name of the Lord before the Philistines because they blasphemed the God of Israel. David already spent a lot of time in the fields communicating with God, praising Him and trusting in the Lord, building up his spiritual strength. When David went before the giant, he told Goliath these things:

“Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, with a spear and shield; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” 1 Samuel 17:45

David was confident in God, and the Word tells us,

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13

Do you have confidence in the Lord in every situation, even the most difficult circumstances? Saint Jude wrote,

“But, you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” Jude 1:20

If you haven’t received the gift of the Holy Ghost, the same gift that the Apostles and others received on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), God wants you to have this gift, which will give you power for service, and a host of other blessings besides. The Apostle Peter said to those who were confused about the manifestation of the Holy Ghost on that day,

“For these are not drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions, and your old me shall dream dreams; and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of My Spirit and they shall prophesy, and I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath, blood, fire and vapor of smoke…Then Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 2:15-19, 38-39.

Some have taught that this outpouring of God’s Spirit was only for the Apostles and those with them during that time, and it isn’t for us today. That teaching is contrary to what Peter said in the passage above, “for the promise is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar off (generations to come), even as many as the Lord our God shall call” Acts 2:39. If you are a Christian, you have been called to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; He is for “all that are afar off.”

If you don’t already tithe your time to the Lord, set aside time exclusively for Him and yourself alone, don’t wait. Set aside time to go before the Lord daily and experience the wonders that He has in store for you. There is nothing like being in the presence of the Lord and opening your heart to Him on a regular basis. If you want the gift of the Holy Ghost, this is a sure way to receive Him, if you are also abiding in His will and keeping His commandments.

There are great benefits in store for those who make their habitations in the presence of the Lord:

“Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation, no evil shall befall you, neither shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone…” Psalms 91:9-12

You might say you just don’t have the time, with all of your many responsibilities, and you are already overwhelmed for lack of time. I believe that’s a common thing among many of God’s people, with working, taking care of children and many other essential responsibilities. Nevertheless, dedicate a time that no one can interrupt, even if it is a small amount of time to start with, and God will honor you for doing that. He will also make the way clear for you to spend more time with Him, if you pray for it. You will be utterly amazed at what God will do, when you make Him your habitation.

“The Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him who hears say, Come; and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely” Revelation 22:17

All written publications on this site may be copied and shared for evangelistic and educational purposes. God bless you with the Light of the world.

* Please provide attribution to this site via link. *

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