After speaking to several men and women of God from different cities the last couple weeks, the Lord is sending a clear message to His church and that message is a call for humility! So let us come together in prayer and ask the Father of mercy to pour out a spirit of humility on ourselves, our friends & families, our churches, our ministries, our regions, and the body of Christ!
WHAT IS BIBLICAL HUMILITY?
Obedience
Recognizing your dependence on God
Recognizing it’s the Lord working for you and through you
Giving God all the glory
Lowliness of mind
Esteeming others higher than yourself
Making yourself of no reputation
Boasting only in the Lord
Recognizing the importance of others, especially ones that may seem lss important than you.
Opposite of pride and self-centeredness
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF HUMILITY?
Proverbs 3:34 - “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”
PRAYER:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come to You in the name of Jesus and thank You for Your abundant mercies. We praise You for choosing us to be Your blood brought children even before the foundations of the earth, according to your loving-kindness!
Father, we humble ourselves in your sight according to James 4:6&10 and we repent of any and all pride and self-centeredness. We repent for anytime we have tried to take your glory, exalt ourselves, or think that any fruit or success has come from our own hands. We ask You to forgive us and keep in the way of everlasting!
We ask You to expose and remove any root of pride, offense, unforgiveness, bitterness, and self-centeredness that we may have cultivated in our lives. We ask You to give us a servant’s heart and pour out a spirit of humility, love, peace, joy, unity, and holiness over Your church!
We pray that You make us like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let us do nothing through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each of us esteem others better than himself. Let each of us look out not only for our own interests, but also for the interests of others.
We pray that You let that mind be in us which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
We pray that You give us the grace to do all things without complaining and disputing, that we may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom we shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that we may rejoice in the day of Christ that we and our fathers have not run in vain or labored in vain.
We thank You Father for hearing this prayer for Your word says You are faithful to answer that which we pray in Your will and not only have You told us through Your people but also through Your word it is Your will for us to be humble.
Now to You Most Holy Father, who is worthy of all praise and honor, all glory be unto You and Your kingdom through Christ Jesus forever and ever!
AMEN!
***Please forward this to friends & family so they may join us in prayer...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Lions of Christ in Cleveland on Sunday, July 26!
The Lions of Christ will be at the Dolloff Road Church of God in Cleveland on July 26 at 11am. Come expecting God to move in a powerful way! Don’t miss it!
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Location: 5005 Dolloff Rd, Cleveland, OH 44127
Date: Sunday, July 26
Time: 11am
What to expect:
Come expecting a high energy service where all who are hungry & thirsty get set ablaze for the Kingdom of our Mighty God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Praise & Worship: Rick Thompson
Speakers: Rob Sheer, Mike Thompson, & Brian Baxter
About us:
By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we are a team-based and multi-faceted ministry with the vision to tear down strongholds and mobilize the church! Our team-based ministry model allows God to use us in a diversity of gifts including but not limited to revelation, healing, and prophecy.
Special request:
For our friends that can’t make the service, please keep us and the church in prayer so that lives will be transformed by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God!
“For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God” – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5
Location: 5005 Dolloff Rd, Cleveland, OH 44127
Date: Sunday, July 26
Time: 11am
What to expect:
Come expecting a high energy service where all who are hungry & thirsty get set ablaze for the Kingdom of our Mighty God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Praise & Worship: Rick Thompson
Speakers: Rob Sheer, Mike Thompson, & Brian Baxter
About us:
By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we are a team-based and multi-faceted ministry with the vision to tear down strongholds and mobilize the church! Our team-based ministry model allows God to use us in a diversity of gifts including but not limited to revelation, healing, and prophecy.
Special request:
For our friends that can’t make the service, please keep us and the church in prayer so that lives will be transformed by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Consequence of Not Running with the Vision
The time comes in every believer’s life when the Lord will cast the vision for the call He has placed on our lives. This is a very exciting time in most believers’ lives. The hours we have spent in scripture and prayer seeking which role He will chose for us is finally revealed. This excitement, however, doesn’t always last as the joy of the vision can be easily choked out by the cares of the affairs of this life or other obstacles we must overcome before the fulfillment of that vision.
Too often these obstacles become overbearing and we begin too lose sight of that vision. As we begin to lose sight of that vision we begin walking away from our call and the command the Lord has placed on our lives. Losing the vision has serious consequences not only for us but for others around us including family and others the Lord has entrusted in our ministries. King Solomon is a great example of this.
We often hear about the successful side of Solomon’s life, how he was blessed by God with great wisdom and riches but we don’t seem to hear the other side as often. 1 Kings 11 tells us that in his old age, Solomon’s heart turned away from the Lord and did not keep what the Lord had commanded him. As a result, the kingdom was torn away from Solomon and given to someone else.
“So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant (1 Kings 11:9-11).”
Some may try to argue that this was a consequence under the old covenant but Jesus warned us more than once in the New Testament:
“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:62
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46
To further illustrate the consequence of not running with the vision let us take a look at an excerpt from an article by The 700 Club about world renowned evangelist Reinhard Bonnke:
“When Reinhard tells of God calling him to a life of evangelism, he speaks easily about a dialogue they had. It seems God laid out for him what would be expected. And Reinhard told God that he would obey and follow what God was asking of him. Before this extended conversation ended, however, God told him, “You weren’t my first choice.” Reinhard listened. “You weren’t my second choice either.” Later on there was a time when Reinhard hesitated to schedule a specific crusade. He says as he wavered, “God said, ‘You drop the vision and I drop you.” The evangelist attributes the tremendous responses he sees in ministry to simple obedience to what God requires (CBN.com).”
WOW! What a dreadful rebuke from the Lord but I’m sure Reinhard Bonnke was happy to receive it especially now, knowing the millions of souls that have been saved through his ministry. Could you imagine how the first two guys that didn’t run with the vision feel now? If nothing else this story proves that God is serious and if we don’t run with the vision He has given us, He will give to someone else!
As a minister, this terrifies me and keeps me continually praying to be in His will at all times. It also inspires me to read the revelation and experiences of other men and woman of God in order to see how they overcame the schemes of the enemy to keep us from fulfilling that vision. So to end this article I want to quote Rick Joyner from his book, Overcoming Witchcraft, in which he says that loss of vision is one of eight “stings” the enemy uses to overwhelm believers and that staying the course is crucial on that road to victory.
“When we begin to lose our vision, we must commit ourselves to strengthening our vision more than ever… Above all, we must hold our course! We should not change our direction until we can clearly see the new course… we need to just hold our course and keep going forward. We will soon break into the clear (Joyner, 1996, pp37-38).”
***May the Lord continually keep you in His perfect will and provide you with the strength, peace, and drive to continually pursue the fulfillment of the vision He has casts for your life in Jesus’ most precious name! AMEN!
God bless!
Mike Thompson
Too often these obstacles become overbearing and we begin too lose sight of that vision. As we begin to lose sight of that vision we begin walking away from our call and the command the Lord has placed on our lives. Losing the vision has serious consequences not only for us but for others around us including family and others the Lord has entrusted in our ministries. King Solomon is a great example of this.
We often hear about the successful side of Solomon’s life, how he was blessed by God with great wisdom and riches but we don’t seem to hear the other side as often. 1 Kings 11 tells us that in his old age, Solomon’s heart turned away from the Lord and did not keep what the Lord had commanded him. As a result, the kingdom was torn away from Solomon and given to someone else.
“So the LORD became angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he did not keep what the LORD had commanded. Therefore the LORD said to Solomon, “Because you have done this, and have not kept My covenant and My statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant (1 Kings 11:9-11).”
Some may try to argue that this was a consequence under the old covenant but Jesus warned us more than once in the New Testament:
“But Jesus said to him, ‘No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” - Luke 9:62
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” – Matthew 13:44-46
“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46
To further illustrate the consequence of not running with the vision let us take a look at an excerpt from an article by The 700 Club about world renowned evangelist Reinhard Bonnke:
“When Reinhard tells of God calling him to a life of evangelism, he speaks easily about a dialogue they had. It seems God laid out for him what would be expected. And Reinhard told God that he would obey and follow what God was asking of him. Before this extended conversation ended, however, God told him, “You weren’t my first choice.” Reinhard listened. “You weren’t my second choice either.” Later on there was a time when Reinhard hesitated to schedule a specific crusade. He says as he wavered, “God said, ‘You drop the vision and I drop you.” The evangelist attributes the tremendous responses he sees in ministry to simple obedience to what God requires (CBN.com).”
WOW! What a dreadful rebuke from the Lord but I’m sure Reinhard Bonnke was happy to receive it especially now, knowing the millions of souls that have been saved through his ministry. Could you imagine how the first two guys that didn’t run with the vision feel now? If nothing else this story proves that God is serious and if we don’t run with the vision He has given us, He will give to someone else!
As a minister, this terrifies me and keeps me continually praying to be in His will at all times. It also inspires me to read the revelation and experiences of other men and woman of God in order to see how they overcame the schemes of the enemy to keep us from fulfilling that vision. So to end this article I want to quote Rick Joyner from his book, Overcoming Witchcraft, in which he says that loss of vision is one of eight “stings” the enemy uses to overwhelm believers and that staying the course is crucial on that road to victory.
“When we begin to lose our vision, we must commit ourselves to strengthening our vision more than ever… Above all, we must hold our course! We should not change our direction until we can clearly see the new course… we need to just hold our course and keep going forward. We will soon break into the clear (Joyner, 1996, pp37-38).”
***May the Lord continually keep you in His perfect will and provide you with the strength, peace, and drive to continually pursue the fulfillment of the vision He has casts for your life in Jesus’ most precious name! AMEN!
God bless!
Mike Thompson
Friday, June 12, 2009
Praise Reports!
For the last few weeks, Rick and Mike joined a small team of volunteers from the Freedom Prayer Room to share the love of Jesus in a local government housing area in Windham, OH, on Thursday nights. The Lord has been showing up in a powerful way! Here are some praise reports:
June 4, 2009
WOMAN HEALED OF BACK PAIN!
While praying for a young couple, we received a word of knowledge for back issues. The young lady revealed to us that she had a tail bone issue with her last pregnancy that caused her severe pain. After praying, the pain along with a small lump on her back went away! THANK YOU JESUS!
MAN HEALED OF INJURED FOOT!
John noticed a young man who had walked passed us had a limp. When we caught up to him he told us he injured his left foot with a pallet jack at work. We prayed for him twice, each time the pain was reduced. We then told him that we believed if he would walk across the street and back his foot would be 100% healed by the time he came back. He walked across the street and on the way back his limp mysteriously disappeared! Praise God!
June 11, 2009
MAN HEALED OF FOOT & ANKLE INJURY!
A young man walked by us with a limp. We asked what happened. He had a cast on his left foot and said he got hurt playing basketball. After we prayed for him we asked him to walk around on it and jump. He then sat down on the sidewalk and asked if he could take his brace off. He then took his shoe off and pulled down his sock. Rubbing his foot he was amazed. We asked if he had a lump on it prior to us praying and he told us it was swollen but the swelling was almost completely gone. Then he asked us how we did it, we laughed and said we didn’t do anything, Jesus did it! Praise God! All glory be to You our heavenly Father through Christ Jesus!
YOUNG MAN RECEIVES JOB!
At a local convenient store on the way out to share the love of Jesus, we ran into a young man we prayed for last week. He said the prayer worked because he just got a job. He didn’t need a healing but he needed a job and we praise God for delivering one!
THANK YOU FOR USING US IN SUCH A PROFOUND WAY JESUS! ALL GLORY AND HONOR BE UNTO YOU!!!
June 4, 2009
WOMAN HEALED OF BACK PAIN!
While praying for a young couple, we received a word of knowledge for back issues. The young lady revealed to us that she had a tail bone issue with her last pregnancy that caused her severe pain. After praying, the pain along with a small lump on her back went away! THANK YOU JESUS!
MAN HEALED OF INJURED FOOT!
John noticed a young man who had walked passed us had a limp. When we caught up to him he told us he injured his left foot with a pallet jack at work. We prayed for him twice, each time the pain was reduced. We then told him that we believed if he would walk across the street and back his foot would be 100% healed by the time he came back. He walked across the street and on the way back his limp mysteriously disappeared! Praise God!
June 11, 2009
MAN HEALED OF FOOT & ANKLE INJURY!
A young man walked by us with a limp. We asked what happened. He had a cast on his left foot and said he got hurt playing basketball. After we prayed for him we asked him to walk around on it and jump. He then sat down on the sidewalk and asked if he could take his brace off. He then took his shoe off and pulled down his sock. Rubbing his foot he was amazed. We asked if he had a lump on it prior to us praying and he told us it was swollen but the swelling was almost completely gone. Then he asked us how we did it, we laughed and said we didn’t do anything, Jesus did it! Praise God! All glory be to You our heavenly Father through Christ Jesus!
YOUNG MAN RECEIVES JOB!
At a local convenient store on the way out to share the love of Jesus, we ran into a young man we prayed for last week. He said the prayer worked because he just got a job. He didn’t need a healing but he needed a job and we praise God for delivering one!
THANK YOU FOR USING US IN SUCH A PROFOUND WAY JESUS! ALL GLORY AND HONOR BE UNTO YOU!!!
Friday, June 5, 2009
Flesh vs. Spirit: The Battle For Your Heart
The terms “flesh” and “Spirit” are often used in the church today and I for one believe that there is a big misconception in regards to what this really means in a practical sense not only in our personal walk with the Lord but also in the corporate environment as well. To fully illustrate the point of this article I want to first define what the Bible tells us about the flesh and Spirit, show where the battle lies between the two, and then finally show this misconception in scripture so that we can be aware of it in our own lives.
WHAT IS THE FLESH?
Our flesh is our old, corrupt, sinful nature that came about due to the fall of man. The outcome or works of the flesh are listed below:
Galatians 5:19-21 says “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
WHAT IS THE SPIRIT?
When the Bible talks about the Spirit in regards to our lives, it is talking about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Christ like nature we receive in the new birth. The outcome or fruit of the Spirit are listed below:
Galatians 5:22-23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT WAR AGAINST EACH OTHER!
Galatians 5:16-17 says “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
THE BATTLEFIELD IS THE HEART!
Mark 7:20-23 says “And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
What Jesus says here is really close to what Paul says in Galatians 5 regarding the works of the flesh (see above scripture).
WHAT’S THE POINT?
The point I am trying to make is that what determines whether you are in the flesh or in the Spirit is the intentions of your heart! Every decision we make is either out of the flesh or the Spirit! This point is clearly illustrated in scripture in several places but we will focus on two in order to explain the big misconception.
THE BIG MISCONCEPTION!
The big misconception is that actions always determine whether we are in flesh or in Spirit. Some actions such as murder, violence, substance abuse, etc. can obviously determine this but not all actions can. If this article, we don’t want to focus of those obvious one but rather, let us focus on the actions that have the appearance of good such as preaching, teaching, operating in spiritual gifts, charity, etc.
Just because someone is preaching the gospel, doesn’t mean their preaching it in Spirit. The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:15-16, “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains.” Please keep in mind that Paul specifically names envy and selfish ambition as works of the flesh in Galatians 5 (see scripture above).
So therefore, if someone is doing a “good” thing such as preaching, it doesn’t mean they are bearing good fruit. What determines this, is the intentions of their heart. Are they preaching out of the Spirit (love, peace, joy, etc.) or out of the flesh (envy, jealousy, hatred, selfish ambition, etc.)
THE BIG MISCONCEPTION IN CHURCHES TODAY!
Is this section I want to list and briefly explain two common areas where the big misconception can typically be found:
MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT – Many times people will comment on how others manifest the Spirit and claim that they are in the flesh. Unless someone is “manifesting” in order to look spiritual this is likely not the case. Remember, what determines whether you are in the Spirit or in the flesh is your heart.
If someone jumps up and down praising God on their own free will, not fully taken over by the Holy Spirit are they in the flesh? Most would say yes, I would say not necessarily. Why? It depends on their heart. If they are jumping up and down to be seen to be seen they are in the flesh because selfish ambition is a work of the flesh. If they are genuinely jumping up and down praising and thanking God they are in Spirit because joy is a fruit of the Spirit whether or not the Spirit completely took them over to do it or not.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS – Just because someone is operating in a spiritual gift does not mean they are walking in Spirit, it means they have been baptized in the Spirit have a spiritual gift. As illustrated in the section above, we can operate in spiritual gifts but not be in Spirit. This not more clearly shown than through the Corinthians.
The Corinthians operated in spiritual gifts. In fact 1 Corinthians 12-14 is where we learn the most about them in scripture yet Paul still called them carnal because they displayed works of the flesh. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 says “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men.”
This is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 when the Apostle Paul says “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” Love is a fruit of the Spirit, charity and spiritual gifts are not (gifts are evidence of baptism of Spirit not fruit of the Spirit). They are however, vehicles for fruit to be shown.
You can lay hands on a 1,000 people and everyone be healed but it doesn’t mean you’re walking in Spirit. If while you are laying hands on those 1,000 people to be seen or to make money you are walking in the flesh but if you are doing it out of love and compassion then you are walking in the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).”
“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).” God did not take away the gifts from the church in Corinth even though there were not in His will and neither will He take away our gifts if we are not in His will. Therefore, we must be even more certain to pursue His will which is to walk “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).”
CONCLUSION:
To end this article I want give you the same exhortation and pray for you as Paul did for the Philippians:
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4).”
I pray for you and everyone that reads this article the same that Paul prayed for the Philippians, “that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” in name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
God bless!
Mike Thompson
WHAT IS THE FLESH?
Our flesh is our old, corrupt, sinful nature that came about due to the fall of man. The outcome or works of the flesh are listed below:
Galatians 5:19-21 says “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
WHAT IS THE SPIRIT?
When the Bible talks about the Spirit in regards to our lives, it is talking about the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the Christ like nature we receive in the new birth. The outcome or fruit of the Spirit are listed below:
Galatians 5:22-23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
THE FLESH AND THE SPIRIT WAR AGAINST EACH OTHER!
Galatians 5:16-17 says “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”
THE BATTLEFIELD IS THE HEART!
Mark 7:20-23 says “And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
What Jesus says here is really close to what Paul says in Galatians 5 regarding the works of the flesh (see above scripture).
WHAT’S THE POINT?
The point I am trying to make is that what determines whether you are in the flesh or in the Spirit is the intentions of your heart! Every decision we make is either out of the flesh or the Spirit! This point is clearly illustrated in scripture in several places but we will focus on two in order to explain the big misconception.
THE BIG MISCONCEPTION!
The big misconception is that actions always determine whether we are in flesh or in Spirit. Some actions such as murder, violence, substance abuse, etc. can obviously determine this but not all actions can. If this article, we don’t want to focus of those obvious one but rather, let us focus on the actions that have the appearance of good such as preaching, teaching, operating in spiritual gifts, charity, etc.
Just because someone is preaching the gospel, doesn’t mean their preaching it in Spirit. The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 1:15-16, “Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains.” Please keep in mind that Paul specifically names envy and selfish ambition as works of the flesh in Galatians 5 (see scripture above).
So therefore, if someone is doing a “good” thing such as preaching, it doesn’t mean they are bearing good fruit. What determines this, is the intentions of their heart. Are they preaching out of the Spirit (love, peace, joy, etc.) or out of the flesh (envy, jealousy, hatred, selfish ambition, etc.)
THE BIG MISCONCEPTION IN CHURCHES TODAY!
Is this section I want to list and briefly explain two common areas where the big misconception can typically be found:
MANIFESTATIONS OF THE SPIRIT – Many times people will comment on how others manifest the Spirit and claim that they are in the flesh. Unless someone is “manifesting” in order to look spiritual this is likely not the case. Remember, what determines whether you are in the Spirit or in the flesh is your heart.
If someone jumps up and down praising God on their own free will, not fully taken over by the Holy Spirit are they in the flesh? Most would say yes, I would say not necessarily. Why? It depends on their heart. If they are jumping up and down to be seen to be seen they are in the flesh because selfish ambition is a work of the flesh. If they are genuinely jumping up and down praising and thanking God they are in Spirit because joy is a fruit of the Spirit whether or not the Spirit completely took them over to do it or not.
SPIRITUAL GIFTS – Just because someone is operating in a spiritual gift does not mean they are walking in Spirit, it means they have been baptized in the Spirit have a spiritual gift. As illustrated in the section above, we can operate in spiritual gifts but not be in Spirit. This not more clearly shown than through the Corinthians.
The Corinthians operated in spiritual gifts. In fact 1 Corinthians 12-14 is where we learn the most about them in scripture yet Paul still called them carnal because they displayed works of the flesh. 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 says “And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men.”
This is confirmed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 when the Apostle Paul says “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” Love is a fruit of the Spirit, charity and spiritual gifts are not (gifts are evidence of baptism of Spirit not fruit of the Spirit). They are however, vehicles for fruit to be shown.
You can lay hands on a 1,000 people and everyone be healed but it doesn’t mean you’re walking in Spirit. If while you are laying hands on those 1,000 people to be seen or to make money you are walking in the flesh but if you are doing it out of love and compassion then you are walking in the Spirit. “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).”
“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).” God did not take away the gifts from the church in Corinth even though there were not in His will and neither will He take away our gifts if we are not in His will. Therefore, we must be even more certain to pursue His will which is to walk “with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:2-3).”
CONCLUSION:
To end this article I want give you the same exhortation and pray for you as Paul did for the Philippians:
“Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others (Philippians 2:1-4).”
I pray for you and everyone that reads this article the same that Paul prayed for the Philippians, “that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” in name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
God bless!
Mike Thompson
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Pray & Praise in Revival for 100 Mile Radius on Sunday, May 31 @ 7pm!
Prayer & Praise Meeting Sunday May 31, 2009, at 7pm
Come join us at the Freedom Prayer Room on Sunaday May 31 to pray & praise in revival for Freedom Township and a 100 mile radius which includes cities as far north as Cleveland, as far South as Columbus, as far east as Pittsburgh, as far west as Sandusky!
Don't miss this exciting event!
Come and be a part of something bigger than you!
Key Bible Verse: "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." - Acts 16:25-26
Date: May 31, 2009
Time: 7pm
Location: Freedom Township at 7845 State Route 303, Windham, inside the Freedom Floor Covering building, across from Valley Tire.
What to expect:
Format will include continuous praise & worship by Rick Thompson and have an open mic for opportunities to lead prayer. Audio for this event will be recorded and made available online for free downloads. For a closer look at this event, listen to our free podcast of our “Prayer for America” available on the Lions of Christ Blog.
***Prayer & laying on of hands will be available by our prayer team volunteers at the end of the meeting for those in need or those wanting to receive a touch from God.
About us:
By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we are a team-based and multi-faceted ministry with the vision to tear down strongholds and mobilize the church! Our team-based ministry model allows God to use us in a diversity of gifts including but not limited to revelation, healing, and prophecy.
Special request:
For our friends that can’t make the service, please keep us, the church, & the communities in prayer so that lives will be transformed by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God!
Supplemental scripture regarding intercession: http://www.dianedew.com/interces.htm
Contact us:
info@lionsofchrist.com or www.lionsofchrist.com
Come join us at the Freedom Prayer Room on Sunaday May 31 to pray & praise in revival for Freedom Township and a 100 mile radius which includes cities as far north as Cleveland, as far South as Columbus, as far east as Pittsburgh, as far west as Sandusky!
Don't miss this exciting event!
Come and be a part of something bigger than you!
Key Bible Verse: "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." - Acts 16:25-26
Date: May 31, 2009
Time: 7pm
Location: Freedom Township at 7845 State Route 303, Windham, inside the Freedom Floor Covering building, across from Valley Tire.
What to expect:
Format will include continuous praise & worship by Rick Thompson and have an open mic for opportunities to lead prayer. Audio for this event will be recorded and made available online for free downloads. For a closer look at this event, listen to our free podcast of our “Prayer for America” available on the Lions of Christ Blog.
***Prayer & laying on of hands will be available by our prayer team volunteers at the end of the meeting for those in need or those wanting to receive a touch from God.
About us:
By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we are a team-based and multi-faceted ministry with the vision to tear down strongholds and mobilize the church! Our team-based ministry model allows God to use us in a diversity of gifts including but not limited to revelation, healing, and prophecy.
Special request:
For our friends that can’t make the service, please keep us, the church, & the communities in prayer so that lives will be transformed by Christ Jesus to the glory and praise of God!
Supplemental scripture regarding intercession: http://www.dianedew.com/interces.htm
Contact us:
info@lionsofchrist.com or www.lionsofchrist.com
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Free Prayer & Praise Podcasts
Podcasts from our Apr 17 Community Prayer & Intercession meeting and our Feb 15 Prayer For America meeting are now available to listen or download for free! Includes worship by Rick Thompson & impromptu prayers by several believers!
Click here to listen or download>
Click here to listen or download>
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
