Bragging on what God Can do

My Pastor posted this Bragging on what God can do.
Life Growing Strong

A blog by the Senior pastor of Freedom Life Church of God (Cleveland, TN).

Thursday, October 28, 2010By His Stripes We Are Healed

Isaiah 53:5 gives us the wonderful promise of divine healing. Of course, the first person that may enter your mind when you think about healing is Oral Roberts. Bro. Roberts spent his life being used of God to heal the sick. The great healing crusades he conducted throughout our country brought the healing message of Jesus Christ to hundreds of thousands of people. For just a few moments I would like to focus on the local church and divine healing.

I thank God for men like Oral Roberts, Benny Hinn and others like them. However, many healing's occur at the local church level that only those in attendance on that day have the privilege of witnessing. This in no way makes these healing any less significant or miraculous. They are, after all, "power encounters" with the God that heals. Though they do not get the media hype and the recognition of the masses, they are none-the-less just as real and significant as those seen in the mass crusades.

I said all of this because in our Wednesday Evening Bible study last night, a lady that had been suffering with back problems for most of her life received healing. It was the most beautiful thing that I witnessed in a long while. She was playing the piano and the body began to intercede on her behalf. When we were through with the music, she came off the platform and got to the second row in the sanctuary and said, "Dear God, I am raising my feet. I haven't been able to raise my feet for over five years!" She then proceeded to give God praise for the next 15 minutes or so. During this time, many people were being touched by the power of the Spirit that was so sweet and strong in that place.

Although there were only a handful of people there to witness this miracle, it was a moment in which Isaiah 53 came to life right before our eyes. Moments like these in the local church do several things - faith rises, excitement rises, God's promises become tangible, and the church rejoices together. I think if we were to ask those who have been healed by God where their healing occurred, I think the majority would say, "My local church".

This post is not intended to be a slam against healing crusades, but rather it is to celebrate the miraculous work that occurs at the local church. We celebrate with the masses at healing crusades, but lets us never forget the healing that occurs within our local churches. "By His stripes we are healed" - notice there is no location mentioned!

Posted by Pastor Steven Lacy at 9:42 AM

When is the last time we have looked at Martin Luther's 95 thesis which he placed on Wittenberg door on 10/31.Was He declaring that the Church was pagan? Or was He making political statements, no easy answers. But this Reformation Sunday let’s celebrate who were as Protestants. Or have we forgotten what we protest against.

Since we are a temple for Him to dwell in see Eph 2, we are held accountable to all the promises of God. We can and do have the ability to use Gods word as needed for all the promises of God are for us. But as He is, do we allow Him to reveal His nature and Holiness or do we just use His word for the fluff of life.

When we talk about Jesus being Lord. We know first He is King of our heart, as well as King and God of the world in which He created. All other gods are created by desires of man and in reality acknowledge the fact that Jesus is Lord and God. If Magick is real the one must also know that Jesus is Lord as well.

In being a temple for Him to dwell in. It really takes time in His word as well as agreement with the Holy Spirit working in us in seasons of change. But can I ask a major question can We become students of His word allow His Spirit to speak to us.He confirms His word, for example when Jesus did the stuff on Galilee other Ships were in the midst of the storm as well  as the one Jesus was in so we are not alone.

How do we use faith? We are introduced to Pentecost by a interest in just doing the stuff. But are we living it as well. Faith is knowing that God rewards thous who seek HIM, but do we? Or is it just about things we need healing, money, things rather than just being a temple for Him to dwell in.

How things quickly change

How things quickly change

When we look at the last week of the life of Christ. I want need to ask is what are we celebration and can our celebration become apart of the deception. We see Jesus fulfilling prophecy everyone saying "blessed be the one who comes in the name of the Lord". Yet on the passover the leaders of the day used this event as an distraction, preparing for the Crucifixion of our Lord, using  the passover as an foundation for change in attitude towards Jesus. Notice how easy the crowed was used by the leaders of the day to get their way with the Roman government. Are we allowing “change” to lose our focus or do we really see the big picture. As one friend says “we do what we value”.

What I have tried to do is to explain repentance and its importance to us as a believer. Declaring the Lordship of Jesus as Lord and that as with the Old Testament repentance is a must as we meet its conditions.

The conditions are hearing the message responding to the message, understanding that In the name of Jesus there is all authority to overcome the sin in our lives, Secondly, applying our Father's word to our lives so that we may not sin against Him. Allowing His Spirit to live in us daily.

Another key is letting Him convect us were we are today and leaving what He is dealing with us behind once we acknowledge that sin. Notice with Jonah, Nineveh heard the message and within in forty days, God saw that they city changed its heart. God will always speak to us with what we know and within our own  life experiences.

Saint John reminds us that  God is Faithful to forgive us of  all our sins and to cleans us from all unrighteousness. Just as He forgave Nineveh He will forgive us.

Prayer "Just Do It"

As I have been praying for my nation I find myself wanting to get caught up in the political drama that is taking place. But I have to ask my self two basic question "what is best for my nation" and what is thus says the Lord. Can we step of of the drama of the season and hear what God is saying take a look at Jeremiah 29 one camp was saying lets go to Egypt the other Babylon just maybe God used Jeremiah 29:29 as a way to deal with the next season we are entering. Jeremiah encouraged in Babylon to build houses,plant gardens,take wives,have children that our children will have children seek peace and welfare of Babylon.
So are we praying for the peace and welfare of our nation.

Who's not in the city

Revelation of Jesus Christ; 21:22 netbible,  Now  I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God – the All-Powerful and the Lamb are its temple. 21:23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because the glory of God lights it up, and its lamp is the Lamb. 21:24 The nations  will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their grandeur into it. 21:25 Its gates will never be closed during the day  (and  there will be no night there).  21:26 They will bring the grandeur and the wealth  of the nations it, 21:27 but  nothing ritually unclean  will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable  or practices falsehood,  but only those whose names  are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

We need to come to a understanding that we can not separate ourselves from the four people groups of Romans one. All of use by choice can sin just like the rest of us. DNA proves we all have the same behavior tr ates. It does not prove that behavior not learned but all behavior is still a choice. The issues is we can not run from Romans 3:23 or 6:23 when Paul states that for all have sinned and compares the cost of sin to death. Sin has nothing to do with morals but everything to do with our relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Being good just does not cut it.

What do we allow praise to do.  Just a reminder, praise allows Him to work in us too change us. Working with His word making us into the image of Christ.

Do not let our Prophetic statements hinder the moving of the Holy Spirit by creating a false since of security and a false hope. The reason why I say this as we move to the last part of the political cycle we are in. It is easy to say what we desire or wish for rather than what God is saying to us as a nation. We can fall in to a placeof entrapment if we are not careful. Lets try and make Godly choices this season rather than what we perceive is best for the nation. Because what is best for the nation may not always be popular.Take a look how God used the Babylon captivity to give the land of Israel it's Sabbath rest. Due to Israel disobedience.

This journey of faith always depends upon the fact that God is always faithful as to who He is.

His  faithfulness can be seen in the creation story that since God created heavens and the earth. We can know that Jesus Christ came to bruise Satan's head. Both stories can be trusted.