Tag: Holy Spirit

We Should Make Spiritual Progress

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….. let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1).

  The writer (Paul) makes an allusion to the Olympic games.  As those who ran in the Olympic races would throw aside everything that might hinder them in their course, in a similar manner Christians, desiring to go to heaven, must throw aside everything that might hinder them in their Christian race.

  Let us start, run on, and continue running (press on) until we get to the goal.  Some claim one only has to start the race and then it has already been won.  Scripture clearly indicates otherwise; one must constantly continue to exert the effort to become more and more like the Christ in all our ways, thoughts, words, and deeds.

I.   We Think

“For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7).

A. Many dwell on the negative side. Their pessimism brings disappointment to themselves, discouragement to others, and displeasure to God.

Bad tempered people never seem to learn, and as a result bring troubles upon themselves repeatedly.

Moral uprightness is more important than wealth, and wise action is more important than hasty action.  People are foolish, very foolish, when they blame God for the trouble they brought upon themselves through their own mistakes.

B. We must think positively, crowding out negativism with thoughts of faith, hope, and love (Phil. 4:8).  Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

The object of the apostle is to recommend holiness and righteousness to them in every point of view; and to show that the Gospel of Christ requires all its professors to have the mind that was in Christ, and to walk as he himself also walked. That they were not to attend to one branch of righteousness or virtue only, but to everything by which they might bring honor to God, good to their fellow creatures, and credit to themselves.

John 15:4  Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 

John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

John 15:6  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 

II.  We See

“Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith”

(Heb. 12:2).

  1. Our world is filled with sin, suffering, and sorrow. Many become bitter because they see only the faults and failures in others.
  2. If we are not making progress then we are regressing.

Hebrews 12:15  Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; 

 

Bad examples and false teachings have corrupted thousands, and are still making desolation in the world and in the Church.

Be a good example; you can do it!

Stay Alert

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Veronica Keith 

A good little bit before we moved in, we saw a tiny little mouse in the attic. We never saw any signs of it anywhere else in the house. Even after we moved in, we looked for signs, but nothing.

A couple of weeks after we moved in we started smelling the weirdest, most off-putting smell and it was always near plumbing (bathroom, water heater, etc). We tried everything. Cleaned thoroughly, and flushed the lines thinking it might have been stagnant water because the water was on way before we moved in so we thought that could be it. Even thought it might be the treatment plant. To no avail…..

Yesterday morning I walked through the kitchen, right past the dishwasher barefoot. I was headed to the laundry room to start laundry and was DISTRACTED. Derek walked RIGHT BEHIND ME, following my steps. He saw faint movement and looked down. And there it was, the small rat snake. He picked it up and took it outside.

He came back in and said, “there was your smell”. Rat snakes put off an awful odor as part of a defense mechanism. He had been in our house for at least 2-3 weeks. Since he’s been out….no smell.

He came in looking for a mouse. That mouse was valuable to him. He wanted it and he came looking for it.

I asked Derek how he thought it got in. And his response got me thinking this morning. He said, “he could have slipped in when any of us left the door cracked just a bit”. As we were moving, or kids going in and out, maybe walking out to the grill. It was small and sneaky and very well could have slipped right past us and us not even know he got in.

So this morning the Holy Spirit said to me, “do you see what can happen when you’re distracted? How quickly the enemy can sneak in your door, and sliver right past you? If he thinks there is something valuable there, he is going to try to sneak in and take it”.

And that’s how it happens. We miss one church service that turns into 6 months, we have one drink that leads back into an old lifestyle, we send one text that leads to an affair, we tell one fib that turns into a trail of lies and deceit.

The signs were there. I smelled the smell. (anyone that knows me understands this). I knew there was an enemy in the camp. But I was too “busy” to continue to look. So I just cleaned around it to try to make it “better”.

If satan can’t have you, he’ll distract you. Once you are safe in the Father’s arms and your name is written down, he can’t have you, so he tries to distract you. He tries to interrupt your holy living, he tries to break up your family, he tries to corrupt your mind, and he tries to fill you full of bitterness and unforgiveness.

LISTEN TO ME: He tries to stop you from getting any other names in that book!!!!!!! He tries to stop you from witnessing. He tells you you can’t, he ruins your witness through lies.

Don’t leave the door cracked. Lock it down. Be on guard. Put that armor on first thing. Stay prayed up.

“The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 NIV

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.” Ephesians 6:10-11

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12 NKJV

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:19-20 NIV

Palestine

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God bless Israel. If God had chosen any other people group for His special purposes they would have been hated just as much as the Jews have been down through the years.

Progressive Sanctification

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God’s purpose is that each Christian should press onward in the life of holiness aiming at final perfection, like a runner in a race. God has made provision for each Christian to be a “perfect” runner.  In running a race, it is half the battle to make a good start.  And in the Christian race, it gives a tremendous impetus to the believer if he starts and continues with a clear, steady faith in Christ for full deliverance from sin.  What is the greatest hindrance to a Christian starting and continuing in this glorious race?  Surely it is indwelling sin.  But praise God, as we shall show, we may be set gloriously free from this indwelling, entangling hindrance, we may be made perfectly whole and clean within and filled with the blessed Holy Spirit. This is “Perfection the True.”  Thus we can, through grace, fulfill the command, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith” (Heb. 12:1, 2) – Brockett

The unchristian world that walks by sight and not by faith and knows not the dignity of the Christian nor what the Christians are entitled to.  The Christian is favored by heaven and will be an inhabitant of that place where the unchristian as well as the antichristian person cannot go.  The unchristian and the antichristian alike will see Jesus with His frowns, the terror of His majesty and vengeance but the true Christian will see His smiles, the glory of His majesty, His beauty.  The impure will be terrified by His purity.  Those who hope to live with Him must strive to be more pure.  “It is the hope of hypocrites, and not the sons of God that makes an allowance for the gratification of impure desires and lusts.” – Matthew Henry

The work of the Holy Spirit in the progressive sanctification of the newborn soul is indirect: in opening the heart to receive the truth, the instrument of purification; in giving vigor to the spiritual life; in strengthening the will to resist temptation, and in diminishing the power of evil habits. It is repressive of depravity rather than totally destructive. 

The entire eradication of the propensity to sin is by the direct and instantaneous act of the Holy Spirit responsive to a special act of faith in Christ claiming the full heritage of the believer. It is in reference to this distinctive act of the Sanctifier that it is noted by an eminent expositor “that in the New Testament we never read expressly and unmistakably of sanctification as a gradual process.” This is said in view of the almost universal use of the aorist tense of the verbs to sanctify and to cleanse. – Dr. Daniel Steele

An excerpt from my soon to be released book “Jesus the Christ made a statement,” Pastor Ward

Blessed are the Pure in Heart

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Blessed are the pure in heart is what our Lord said, He didn’t say pure in the head; men may have pure notions and impure hearts.  It was not in the hand, or action, or in outward conversation only.  The Pharisees were outwardly righteous before men but, we are told, inwardly they were full of impurity.  It is in the heart that we are to be pure.  Ever since the failure of Adam, the heart of man has been “naturally” unclean and it is not within our own power to make it clean or to be pure from sin.  Too many people stop right there just like John Calvin did. 

Now, “The Bible is a holy book and woe to the man that would make it a minister of sin!” – Dudley Kidd.

 Many people do carefully give consideration to the command of God, “Be ye holy, even as I Am holy….”  With such a command coming from our Creator, it seems that there should be a way for it to occur.  Guess what; Scripture reveals there is! 

The preventatives against sin are not in us but in God.  Either the doctrine of God as related by the Apostle John, or the practice of sin must be abandoned; they are incompatible with each other.  The ones who are wise will seek to find it while the foolish ones will not and they will tend to merely rely on the “lamp oil” they already started out with, initial sanctification.  Even they who’ve experienced the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit tend to find themselves desiring and following after ever more purity of heart, life, thought, and conversation; so happy and blessed they are for they shall see God, in this life and in the one to follow. – Ward Clinton, an excerpt from my book “Jesus the Christ Made a Statement.”

Hillary Clinton

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She is evil.   She’s Jezebel. The queen of abortion. She furnishes the prophets of Baal (Planned Parenthood) with all the children she can to sacrifice.

The Alinsky acolytes want to bring about a major war that will swiftly bring the world’s population down to half a billion. Hillary would have started WWIII had she become POTUS by her rigging and cheating which was backed by George Soros.  Can’t help but wonder if she is the beast of Revelation while Soros is The Antichrist.

They hate Trump because he is the monkey wrench that God threw into their plans to gum up the works and give USA another chance at fulfilling the Great Commission.

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Pray for USA

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2nd Chronicles 7:14

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