Wonderful Jesus!

- The Gift of God!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 23, 2020
  
  Matthew 1:21 – “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” NKJV
  
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  My heart is overflowing at this moment with joy, amazement, and excitement. Jesus is so good to me and my family, on purpose! When God sent Jesus, He sent us the very heart of His love for us. Who wouldn’t want to serve a God like this? Once I was watching a Christian program as an Arab believer shared of his faith in the Lord Jesus. He said words like this: All my life I was taught that I would have to die for my god. Then I met Jesus and realized that my God died for me! Glory Hallelujah!
  
  Today’s blog is called the gift of God. Six times in the word of God we will find this phrase, and I thought that it would be the perfect ending to the gifts we receive from the Lord. It’s not the end, or the complete list, just the way I am choosing to end this series of blogs.
  
  In John, chapter 4, we find this phrase:
  
  John 4:10 -Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” NKJV
  
  In Bethlehem, over 2,000 years ago, God gave us a gift- Jesus! He is the gift of God that just keeps giving and giving and giving. He told the woman at the well, that if she knew the gift of God, she would have asked Him for living water and He would have given it to her! When we know the “the gift of God” He continuously supply us with life giving water. He is the gift above all other gifts and should treasured everyday of our lives.
  
  In Romans and Ephesians we also find this phrase:
  
  Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” NKJV
  Not only is Jesus, the gift of God, but also through Him we receive another precious gift. The gift of salvation! Remember He is the gift that keeps on giving! What do I value in life more than my salvation? Only my relationship with the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. When we are born again, it is the gift of God.
  Ephesians 2:8 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, NKJV
  In the book of Acts:
  Acts 8:20 – “But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!” NKJV
  
  Simon was a sorcerer in Samaria when Philip went there to minister to the people. As the message went forth, Simon believed. Then Peter and John went to see all the things that were going on in Samaria and prayed for the believers to receive the Holy Spirit. When the people were filled with God’s Spirit, Simon was so excited that he wanted to pay for that power. Then Peter told him, “your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money.” The Holy Spirit is the gift of God as much as Jesus is. He is to be treasured, not shunned. We should all desire His being poured into us as much as we desire salvation. He is from God, He is the gift of God!
  
  Lastly, in the book of Ecclesiastes we have this verse twice:
  
  Ecclesiastes 3:13 – “And also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God. NKJV
  
  Do you enjoy the benefits of your labor: bills paid, food on your table, roof over your head? It is the gift of God! You thought it was the result of your labors, but it is the gift of God that you have a house and you get to enjoy it! It is the gift of God that you bought a car, and you get to enjoy it! It is the gift of God that you can retire, and you get to enjoy it, and not someone else! You!
  
  Ecclesiastes 5:19 – As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God. NKJV
  
  People complain about prosperity preachers. But did you know that having riches and wealth, and the ability to enjoy those things are the gift of God? Well, you know it now. Some might feel embarrassed to be wealthy, or even well off, but don’t be. God gave you this gift. Receive your heritage and rejoice in your labor. It is the gift of God!
  
  We serve such an awesome God. He shares so much of Himself with us. He wants us to be prosperous, to enjoy life, to experience Him and His salvation. It’s all available to us, as a gift. He won’t make us take any of it, but He has made it all available to us.
  
  This holiday season is unusual already with the COVID-19 restrictions in place. Let’s just go ahead and make it really unusual by opening our hearts to receive all the gifts that He has provided us with. On this Christmas Day when your natural gifts may be limited, know that your spiritual gifts are yours for the asking! I truly pray that you and your family will stay safe, celebrate responsibly, and enjoy each other in the Lord! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, God, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus | 3 Comments | Tagged Believer, Christian, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, miraculous, Peter and John, prosperity, Salvation, Simon the sorcerer, testimony, the gift of God, wealth
- Inspiration Gifts!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 21, 2020
  
  Luke 1:67-68 – “Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited and redeemed His people…NKJV
  
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  This week is the Christmas week. Schools have dismissed for the holidays, and stores are having their “biggest sale of the year” to make as much money as they can before Christmas Day! All month, I have used a verse from the account of the birth of Jesus as we have approached this exciting holiday. Whatever we feel about it, He is still the reason for the season for most of us!
  
  Today, I will conclude my look at the manifestation gifts, or the charisma gifts of the Spirit. We have already gone over the power gifts, and the revelation gifts. The gifts that remain are the inspiration gifts, the gifts that say something. Just a reminder that all of the gifts are supernatural in their administration, and should not be used for any purpose other than what He intended, to benefit the Body of Christ.
  
  1 Corinthians 12:10 – “to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.” NKJV
  
  The inspiration gifts: prophecy, different kinds of tongues, and interpretation of tongues, are the most controversial gifts of the mix. Why? I don’t know for a fact! But I believe it is because tongues is so misunderstood in the church, and having a gift that includes tongues, for some, may be a little much. Anyway, I am a staunch believer in the “whole” counsel of the word, so I believe in all of the gifts, and have seen them operate under the anointing enough to know they are real.
  
  The gift of prophecy. In our key text, Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and he prophesied. This is how the gift works. In his case, it could have been a once in a lifetime manifestation, but the gift of prophesy is activated by the Holy Spirit, as are the other eight gifts. Zacharias suddenly began to speak what was placed in his spirit, or his heart, as the Holy Ghost moved upon him, and he prophesied. Throughout the Bible there are many such instances where individuals prophesied. These people were not considered prophets, but the Spirit moved upon them and gave them a word to “speak” to the people. As such, they prophesied. In order for this to be a gift, and not just a response to the overwhelming presence of God, it must occur frequently in the life of the believer.
  
  I want to veer for a moment and point out that Zacharias didn’t get everybody’s attention by saying, “Thus says the Lord!” Or by saying, “The Lord is saying to me…”. I’m not mocking people who do start out like this, I’m just pointing out that the gift is not to bring attention to the individual, but always, always, to God. This gift has been released in the body to bring edification, exhortation, and comfort to men (1 Corinthians 14:3).
  
  The gift of tongues. I have already written about the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues. That isn’t this gift. It looks the same, yet it is different. Another thing about tongues, is that it’s one of two gifts that is only seen in the Church age, because the baptism of the Holy Spirit happened after Jesus’ resurrection. The other one is the interpretation of tongues. Maybe this is another reason is it not widely accepted as genuine, because we only learn about it from the early Church.
  
  A person who has been given the gift of tongues, will receive a message from God in a tongue. That tongue is not known by the individual, and thus it is supernatural. However, during the Azusa Street Revival, people who received the gift of tongues was said to have miraculously gained the ability to speak and understand a new language they had never learned. These individuals would then go to that country and become a missionary. On a more “normal” understanding of the gift of tongues, a person would receive an unusual language, or a known language, that would have a prophetic message within it.
  
  This brings us to the interpretation of tongues. Whenever the gift of tongues is in operation, someone with the gift of interpretation of tongues must be present to let the people know what is being said. The same person can have both gifts and can speak in the tongue and interpret it. These gifts operating together equals the gift of prophecy. Again, they are for the edification, comfort, and exhortation of the hearers.
  
  One man shared this testimony: He was invited to church by a friend. He didn’t realize it was a Pentecostal service, but when he did realize it, he didn’t want to be there. Suddenly someone began to speak in tongues. As the tongue went forth, it was his native language. The message that was given really ministered to him. After service he went to the person and began to speak to him in his language thinking the man knew his language. But he did not. He realized then that God had set it up for him to receive that message, resulting in his salvation and in him receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I have heard this type of testimony on many occasions.
  
  When a tongue is interpreted, it is not word for word. The tongue could be long, the interpretation could be short. And vice verse. But the message, from God, will encourage and bless those who hear it. It could even be a direct message for a particular person, like in my example.
  
  After I was baptized in the Holy Spirit, I was given a message both in tongues and in English. We were in Bible study, and the Spirit of the Lord moved on me to speak in tongues. After I finished speaking in tongues, I heard a clear word in my spirit and just said what I heard. When our pastor got up to teach his lesson, it was on the very thing that I had spoken or interpreted from the tongue. The Spirit confirmed his teaching for the evening. It shocked me. I knew I hadn’t made it up at that point, and I knew I didn’t have prior knowledge of the message, so the Holy Spirit encouraged me to trust Him when He moved on me. That night, the church was eager to hear what the pastor had to share and we had a move of the Spirit during the service.
  
  These gifts of inspiration, or utterance, are designed to encourage the Body of Christ. People leave refreshed, comforted, and strengthened after these gifts are in operation. They can be abused, but again, that doesn’t give us the right to throw them out.
  
  As I come to a close on these gifts, I want to remind you that I know I have not shared all there is to know about the gifts. I also know that I have been very general in what I have been sharing. Again, my intent was just to think about Christmas, not only as gift giving time, but as a time to receive and enjoy the gifts that Jesus has given to us through His Spirit.
  
  When we were growing up we used to say, what you don’t know can’t hurt you. But that is so not true. If you don’t hear that a flood is coming to your area, and it comes, you most definitely can get hurt. If we don’t have the information we need to be successful in our walk with the Lord, it most definitely can hurt us. It can also stunt our growth, or keep us in bondage to fears of the unknown. I’ve never experienced the pleasure of skiing down a mountain, but I know for many it is a wondrous experience. When I think of sliding down a mountain on two skis at a slow pace, it feels me with dread. Therefore, I would avoid this experience at all cost. But the people who experience it, anticipate it and highly recommend it. Just because we have not experienced something, like the gifts in our life, or we have not even had a positive experience with them, doesn’t negate them, or the blessing that they are in the lives of others. And can be in yours!
  
  This Christmas, let’s open our hearts to all of who Jesus is and to all that He has for us. Praying you and your family will have a very safe and happy holiday celebration! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Spiritual Gifts | 0 Comments | Tagged gift giving, gift of interpretation of tongues, gift of prophecy, gift of tongues, gifts of inspiration, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miraculous, speaking in tongues, supernatural, testimony
- Revelation Gifts!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 18, 2020
  Luke 2:25-26,34-35 -And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ…Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” NKJV
  
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  Sticking with the theme of Jesus’ birth, today’s key text is actually not long after His birth. Luke informs us that according to the Law, every male that opened the womb was holy to the Lord. Since Jesus was Mary’s firstborn, He was presented at the temple with the appropriate sacrificial offering. However, on that day, the Lord impressed upon Simeon to go into the temple, and there he saw the Messiah!
  
  The gifts I will briefly mention today are called the “revelation gifts”, they reveal something to someone. The power gifts are action gifts that causes things to happen, but the revelation gifts reveal something, unknown, to an individual. Let’s take a look at these important gifts.
  
  In our key text, Simeon came into the temple and beheld Jesus. Then he shared some things by the Spirit. These revelation gifts can be prophetic, but when they manifest, they are gifts unto themselves. Simeon revealed by the Spirit:
  - Jesus was a light for revelation to the Gentiles
  - Jesus was the Glory of the people of Israel
  - Jesus was destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel
  - Jesus was a sign that would be spoken against so that the thoughts of many hearts would be revealed
  - And a sword will pierce Mary’s soul.
  True to the word spoken to Mary that day was the very fulfillment of all that he said.
  
  The revelation gifts are found in 1 Corinthians 12 and are: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, and the discerning of spirits. I believe Simeon gave Mary a word of wisdom. Let’s look at what each gift reveal.
  
  While there are differing opinions on how each of these gifts may or may not operate, I am just sharing from what I have studied through the years. This is not intended to be an in-depth study, just a “wet your appetite” to hope you will want to learn more about the gifts.
  
  I just want to say, if I have failed to say it already, that all of these gifts are supernatural. They are not operated in the flesh, and if they are, they have become polluted. However, when the Spirit of God manifests these gifts through an individual, they are amazing.
  
  The gift of word of wisdom. It is important to note that this is a word, meaning the person with this gift isn’t some “ole wise one” that everyone seeks for wisdom. And this wisdom is not to be equated with the wisdom that comes from reading and studying the word, or even age and life’s experience. This wisdom is best described as a word from God, a divine revelation that shares the purpose and plans of God. Some say this is the gift that helps us to know what to do with the word of knowledge, but if I am going off of my key text, as a word of wisdom, I would say it reveals the future.
  
  This word of wisdom can come in a number of ways. Generally speaking, someone operating as a prophet would be given a word of wisdom for the Church, the Body, or even an individual. But God can, and will use someone who is not considered a prophet.
  
  In the New Testament, Ananias was given a word about Saul. God revealed to Ananias that He had a work for Saul to do, that Saul was a chosen vessel to Him, and that Saul would bear His name before the Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. And lastly, the Spirit revealed that Saul would suffer much for His Name! Why did God tell Ananias all of this? Well, mainly because He wanted Ananias to go to see Saul and to lay hands on him; but Ananias was concerned about Saul’s background as a persecutor of the believers. Giving Ananias this information caused him to risk it all, so to speak, to do the will of God.
  
  Then there is the word of knowledge. This gift operates in revealing information about an individual or event. It can also be seen in this same situation with Saul and Ananias. God told Ananias that Saul was praying. He told Ananias that Saul was at Judas’ house on the street called Straight. He told Ananias that Saul had a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him that he might receive his sight. All of this information, God gave to Ananias, that he didn’t have prior knowledge of, so that he confidently go and do God’s bidding.
  
  The gift of discerning of spirits. This is not occult or New Age stuff. God really does give certain individuals, in the body, the ability to see into the spirit realm. The spirits that you can be allowed to see, by the will of the Spirit, are angelic beings and demonic beings. The discerning of spirits also involve being able to hear in the spirit realm, so your spiritual eyes and ears are open to the spirit realm.
  
  This is not the gift of discernment. There is no such gift. People say this when they feel they have a “good” read on people personalities or character. Witchcraft or psychological insight that tries to delve into a person’s spirit is forbidden by the Father. That’s not this gift. This is about being able to determine when the demonic realm is really in operation, or when angelic beings are really around, and why they are present.
  
  Remember in Acts 16 when Paul was followed by a young woman who kept saying that they were servants of the most high God? But then Paul turned around and rebuked the spirit that was talking through her. That was Paul discerning the evil spirit using her. The problem wasn’t with what she was saying, the problem was with who was saying it. As a fortune teller, Paul knew that evil spirit was trying to make it seem as if it was validating Paul and the others, thus, invalidating them. Sometimes the wrong person can say the right thing about you and it will work against you, because of that person. That is what was happening.
  
  These revelation gifts, as I have mentioned, can come through a prophet. But God can also manifest these gifts in other ways, like dreams and visions. Throughout the New Testament, and even in the Old Testament there are examples of Jesus, and His disciples, and many others, receiving information, supernaturally, about something or someone. These gifts are designed to build our faith, and to assist us in our walk with the Lord.
  
  I’ve decided not to share personal experiences or the experiences of others for these gifts. I know they have and can be abused. More so than the power gifts. But as I mentioned before, I just wanted to remind you that He has given us revelation gifts. They operate at the will of the Spirit and not of man. They can be amazing, but they are not for entertainment or showmanship. Anyone operating in these gifts, and receiving money to do so, pollutes the gift and brings reproach to the Holy Spirit. Yet, anyone operating in these gifts according to the Spirit of God, glorifies the Father, draw people to Jesus, and allow the Holy Spirit to use them for His Glory! Wonderful Jesus!
  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, God, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Ananias, discerning of spirits, Gifts, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Paul, Prayer, revelation gifts, Saul, supernatural, word of knowledge, word of wisdom
- Power Gifts!
  
  Posted at 6:40 pm by wonderfuljesus8, on December 16, 2020
  Luke 1:35 -And the angel answered and said to her, “ The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. NKJV
  
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  I know this isn’t traditional Christmas blogging, but I’m not traditional! Christmas is special, but it is nothing without the reality of who Jesus the Christ is today!
  
  The emblems of Christmas, all represent baby Jesus, but when I celebrate my birthday, or when you celebrate your birthday, we don’t go and find baby pictures and focus on the day we were born! The one thing that I do want to point out in regards to His birth is that “the power of the Highest” overshadowed Mary to bring about His birth! That very same power was evident in His life and ministry and is available to every believer today!
  
  I’ve been meditating on this title, “Power Gifts” for a few days now. I’m excited to share what the Holy Spirit has been sharing with me. First, let’s check out a few of those scriptures that talk about the power associated with Him:
  - Matthew 9:8- the people marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.
  - Mark 5:30- The woman with the issue of blood touched Him, and He perceived power had left Him
  - Luke 8:46- the multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all!
  - John 10:18- He had the power to lay down His life and to pick it up again!
  These scriptures just reference the truth of the power, but when you take a shallow look at His life, reading about all of the miracles that followed Him, you get a real solid picture of the truth, He walked in power!
  
  The beautiful truth about Jesus is that He was not stingy with that power. As a matter of fact, when He called the twelve disciples, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and disease (Matthew 10:1). When He returned to heaven He sent the Holy Spirit to earth, and again, He gave us access to power.
  
  Acts 1:8 – But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; …” NKJV
  
  In 1 Corinthians 12, the power gifts are mentioned: faith, gifts of healings, and the working of miracles (vv. 9-10). They are taken from the list of gifts that are also referred to as the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. These “charisma” gifts are gifts bestowed upon mankind because of the grace of God. In this chapter in Corinthians, we learn that He gives them as He desires, but everyone is given at least one of them.
  
  The doctrine of cessation states that while God can still perform miracles, He no longer uses individuals to do so. I don’t agree with this view for a couple of reasons: there is no scriptural proof that these gifts have ceased, and yet scripture does state that He has given them to us! Also, I have read many wonderful testimonies over the years of these gifts operating in the lives of individuals. But let me just say this, if I had never seen one single miracle performed in my life, I would still believe that He is the same today, that He was yesterday, and will be forevermore. Therefore, I really believe that the doctrine of cessation came from people who never saw a miracle, and this is how they explained that they had a relationship with God, yet had not experienced Him!
  
  If you don’t have electricity, and you have never experienced it, does that nullify the fact that I use it all day everyday? If you have never seen a great marriage, and have not experienced it, does that nullify the truth that I have a great marriage? No, and again I say no! A lack of experience with something doesn’t become a validation for if it is real. It just says that you haven’t experienced it! I’m just saying!
  
  Each of these manifestations of the Holy Spirit can happen in an individual’s life without another person being involved. However, the Holy Spirit has chosen to use people, to manifest His power through, and so that’s where I stand! With the word! Can it be abused? Yes! But the internet is abused, and yet I still use it. Doctors abuse their positions, teachers abuse their positions, even parents abuse their positions, but we don’t avoid these people in life or declare all of them as being rotten; because we understand that the abusers don’t represent the whole! So those who abuse the gifts of the Holy Spirit don’t get to represent those who do not!
  
  The gift of faith! Operating in faith, does not equate to having the gift of faith. The gift of faith turns the invisible into the visible; the intangible to the tangible, the impossible into the possible, on a regular basis! I think of Smith Wigglesworth when I think of this gift. Actually, all of the power gifts were evident in his life. Here’s a testimony I will never forget:
  
  A man came to one of Wigglesworth’s meeting and he had no feet. Wigglesworth didn’t pray for him, didn’t lay hands on him, but said that the man should go buy a pair of shoes. He went to the store, bought some shoes, and as he placed his limb in it, his feet grew! You don’t believe it? Not my issue to make you believe it! I’m just sharing! That’s how I understand the gift to operate. It’s like God speaking into your situation and it can be no other way but as it is said.
  
  Gifts of healings. I probably heard this somewhere and I’m just repeating it: All divine healings are miracles, but not all miracles are healings! All of these gifts are controversial. It takes faith to operate in them and faith to be a recipient of them. In other words, had the man with no feet not believed Smith Wigglesworth, and had not gone to get shoes, would he have gotten feet? Probably not! Does that make Wigglesworth a false prophet? Not at all.
  
  Matthew 13:58- Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief!
  
  If unbelief hindered Jesus, it will most certainly hinder us!
  
  Back to gifts of healings. This gift needs no explanation. People understand that this gifts of healings means that people who operate in this gift, get people healed on a regular basis. John Lake operated masterfully in this gift. Even the newspapers in Spokane, Washington wrote about the healings that took place in his healing schools. You’ll just have to look him up to hear some amazing testimonies of healings!
  
  This gifts of healings is plural for a reason. It is believed that no one individual has the power over all sickness and diseases, so the Spirit gave gifts of healings, instead of the gift of healing. It is taught that one person can have the gift to heal cancer, and another person can have the gift to heal diabetes, and so forth and so on. My belief on that take isn’t solidified!
  
  Lastly, the gift of miracles. These miracles are not limited to healings, but include all types of miracles. I like Heidi Baker for this category. As I have followed their ministry over the years, I hear of the dead being raised, food being multiplied, blind eyes seeing. All three of these individuals truly can be accredited with operating in all of these power gifts. Sometimes they operate simultaneously. Heidi spoke of a time when she had only enough food to feed her immediate family, but she had an orphanage of children who were hungry. They prayed over the food and began to serve it, and didn’t run out of food. That’s miraculous! Do they eat like that at every meal? No! Iris Ministries relies on donations like all other ministries. But they have seen God step in when man wasn’t available.
  
  These power gifts were given to the Church as an extension of the work and ministry of Jesus, through His Spirit. I’m not interested in looking for that which is phony, but I am hungry for that which is God! He did it before, He’s doing it now, and He will continue to do it until He comes back to get us. Faith accesses the power of God! It always has and it always will. This holiday season, let’s begin to open our heart to the power gifts He has made available to us! Wonderful Jesus!
  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Spiritual Gifts | 2 Comments | Tagged cessation, Christmas, Faith, healings, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miracles, power, power gifts, Spiritual Gifts, testimony
- He Gave Gifts!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 14, 2020
  
  Ephesians 4:8 – Therefore He says: “When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, And gave gifts to men.” NKJV
  
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  At this time of the year, there are several holidays being celebrated: Christmas, Hanukah, and Kwanza. Within each of these celebrations is the practice of giving gifts. The giving and exchanging of gifts make the holidays even more special as we share tokens of our love and appreciation to friends, co-workers, and family members. It can become a little overwhelming at times, for some, but the point that I want to make is that the holiday season is a time of giving gifts.
  
  When Jesus was visited by the wise men, they brought him gifts!
  
  Matthew 2:11 – And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. NKJV
  
  It is believed that each of these gifts held spiritual significance for Jesus. The gold represented His kingship, the frankincense represented His priestly role, and the myrrh was used for embalming, to signify that He had come to die. Now, I read this in several articles, and have no real evidence of such, but it sounds legit! For surely He is King of kings, He is our High Priest, and He did die for our sins. How would the Magi know this? They were led to choose these particular gifts by the Holy Spirit, and presented them with great reverence and faith to little King Jesus.
  
  That same Jesus, who is no longer in a manger, and didn’t stay there for very long, is now giving gifts to mankind. As I continue to look at the Christmas season, in light of our risen Savior, and not the babe wrapped in swaddling clothing, I feel a need to briefly discuss these gifts.
  
  In Ephesians 4:8, the word for gift, in the Greek, is “doma” and literally means “to build”. The interesting thing about this word, is that the focus is more on the character of the gift, then it’s beneficial nature. This is easily understood when you read what these gifts are called, and their purpose.
  
  Typically, in the Church, we call these gifts the ministry gifts, because they are the names of the titles of those who do ministry in the church. In verse 11, Paul informs us of these “gifts” given to men: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Most denominations agree with having evangelists, pastors, and teachers, but only a few acknowledge the gifts of the apostles and prophets. Today’s blog is not to validate, or persuade you in either direction, just to point out the fact that He gave them as gifts to the Body.
  
  Why did Jesus give us these gifts? Paul tells us in this same chapter:
  
  Ephesians 4:12-13 – “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; NKJV
  
  The ministry gifts were given to equip the saints for ministry. Isn’t that something? The job of the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. I thought they were given for ministry? They were! But in giving us these gifts, these individuals, they exist to equip the saints for the work of the ministry.
  
  This word for perfecting of the saints is used only once in the Greek Bible. What it denotes is “to render, to fit, sound, complete. In others words, their job is to help make us sound in the word of God, and to help us to be complete in our life as believers.
  
  We come into the “Church” from every walk of life. We know how to do some things well, and others things are a puzzle for us. We may be CEOs in a corporation, doctors, waitresses, nurses, or a person off the streets when we come to Christ. As we enter into this new relationship with Him, this new life, we need someone to help us to navigate through the kingdom of God. This is where the gifts come in. Jesus gave gifts to certain members of the Body to assist us in our journey.
  
  The apostle starts churches and ministries. As he goes about his work, he leads the way in what it looks like to build a ministry from the ground up, in other areas, just as Paul did during his missionary journey. He looks amongst the people of God and recognize leadership and gifts in others and help to place them in the place where God wants to use them. He walks in a lot of foresight and is often a person a great vision. Starting churches and new ministries take skill and faith. An apostle has the ability to “not to despise small beginnings” and to see the great possibilities of planting ministries and churches. We need them to teach us how to do these things, and to sometimes pull us along in the building of new churches and ministries.
  
  We have the prophets. We don’t understand everything God is doing and saying to us as a church and as individuals. The prophet is in the body to exhort, encourage, and comfort us. Again, we can come into the church, emotionally broken, and struggling to make it in this life. God’s prophetic voice is there to encourage us, to help us to understand that we’ve made the right choice in choosing Jesus, and we will make it. She may even be used to give a word of exhortation to push us to become our true self. Or God can use her to bring comfort after a trying and difficult time in our lives. The way may seem clearer after the prophet has done his/her job to equip us, build us, so that now God can use us for His glory!
  
  We all understand the roles of the evangelist, pastors, and teachers. The evangelist stirs us up for evangelism, often leading us in the call to win the lost at any cost. The teacher expounds on the word, explaining it, breaking it down, or pulling it up, to meet our spiritual hunger for the understanding of the word. And the pastor may have the hardest job of all, watching over the sheep!
  
  The point is, as we come into the family of God, gifts are waiting to open our eyes and our hearts to the King. As we grow in the family of God, the gifts are still there to train us, build us, and steer us in the kingdom. These gifts are available to us until we all come to the unity of the faith. He hasn’t removed them, He isn’t withholding them, because He has given them to us for our perfecting and for our equipping.
  
  As gifts, these individuals are not our lords. We have only one, Jesus! Although, I believe they are to be honored and respected as we would anyone who is placed in our lives to make them better. They are there to be a blessing, and when they are functioning according to the will of God, they are a tremendous blessing. This holiday season, remember, He gave you gifts! We call them our spiritual leadership, to help us in this walk of life. This holiday season, encourage them by letting them know they have been a real gift to your walk of faith! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Christmas, Gifts, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus | 7 Comments | Tagged apostles, encouragement, equipping the Body, evangelists, Gifts, God, Jesus, king, Kingdom of God, leaders, ministry, pastors, perfecting of saints, prophets, teachers
- The Spirit of Love!
  
  Posted at 10:23 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 11, 2020
  Luke 2:11-12 -For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” NKJV
  
  the-spirit-of-love_.mp3
  
  In two weeks people all over the world will be celebrating the birth of Jesus. I know there are many who like to think of this time as just a fun holiday, celebrated with gifts, family, food and good times. They want to X Jesus right out of the season. They are more excited about teaching their children about a fairy tale man who will come down the chimney and leave them a bunch of toys. They don’t want to “lie” to their children about a Savior being born, but they will lie about Santa Claus coming to town! The logic of some!
  
  I remember when I first told my mom that I didn’t believe in Santa Claus. She seemed surprised that not only did I not believe in him, but that I didn’t have any desire to participate in the lie of a non-existent man bringing me toys. It hurt her more than it hurt me. He’s my least favorite part of Christmas! But that’s my personal bias!
  
  What makes this season so special, is the Spirit of love! Everything about the birth of Jesus was centered in the love of God for mankind.
  
  John 3:16-17 -For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. NKJV
  
  Right here, in this most familiar verse, is the truth of what the Spirit of love is all about. God wrapped Himself in His love, placed His Seed into Mary, and birthed Him into this earth, that He might save mankind. I love verse 17 as much as verse 16! God didn’t send His Son to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved! Spectacular! Love so freely released and so abundant, it was capable of being extended to the entire world, for ages to come.
  
  Here’s another power packed duo of verses about God’s love for us:
  
  In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:9-10
  
  On that day, when our Savior was born, the Spirit of Love was made manifest! God would now be able to tangibly touch His people with love in a way that He had not been able to touch them before. No more do we need to have a fearful, we can’t say His name because it’s too holy, outlook on the God of the universe! He is now touchable, relatable, and visible. No more standing afar off from Him because He came to be up close and personal. No more wondering what He meant, or if He could really love us, because He came to assure us of this truth! We are loved by God and He wants us to know it!
  
  Paul wrote in Ephesians chapter 3, that his heart was that we would know the love of God which passes all understanding. That love brought Jesus from heaven to earth! That agape love, that is unconditional, not based on us, but on Him, was released in a profound way, on the day Jesus was born!
  
  Jesus was a wonderful example of love when He walked this earth. He demonstrated daily a new kind of love. When the woman was caught in adultery, Jesus didn’t say, “I love you” with His words. But His actions spoke loud and clear of His love. When the widow of Nain was headed to the burial sight with her own son, Jesus didn’t say, “I love you” with His words, but His actions expressed His love with no problem. The way He cared for people, the way He embraced men, women, and children, the way He reached out to the “commoners” and the “sinners” without judgment; all demonstrated His love.
  
  Looking at Jesus’ life, He taught us how to love:
  - He said that anyone could love a friend, but when we loved our enemies, that was a real demonstration of love.
  - He said that there is no greater love, than the love of a friend, who will give His life for you. Then He died for us!
  - He said that we are not to just love our neighbors as ourselves, but love as He loved us. His love was without strings attached!
  - He taught us that forgiveness is steeped in love. That’s why He is so willing to forgive us.
  - He taught us that love will cause us to serve and obey Him, as it caused Him to serve and obey the Father.
  - He taught us that serving one another was an expression of love, and He washed His disciples feet!
  - And He said that if we want others to really believe that we are His, then we would show love to one another.
  Can I just say that in this climate, in which we find ourselves in America, with the political unrest, we need love sweet love. We have allowed our allegiance to political parties and individuals to override our love for one another. In the past weeks I have heard several different messages, from different ministers, reminding us of the words of Jesus: “By this all will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another!” John 13:5
  
  I believe God is speaking! I know He is speaking to my heart. I believe He is speaking to the hearts of His people. What we need right now in America is a move of the Spirit of Love, upon the church, then upon the land. We need to stop and think about how we look to Jesus, who taught us the true meaning of love, and how we look to the world, who don’t believe our God is real anyway.
  
  This holiday is full of the Spirit of love. Love for family and friends, and love for the Savior, who came to this earth for us. But if we aren’t loving one another, than are we truly loving Him? Steven Curtis Chapman wrote a song, “Love Take Me Over,” asking God to allow His love to take him over. Here is part of the chorus:
  
  Love, take these words that I’m speaking
  Love, take these thoughts that I’m thinking,
  Love, take me over.
  
  Today, ask the Spirit of love to overtake our hearts, His church, and our land like never before. The very last thing we want to see is our nation is another civil war. The very last thing we want to see is a greater divide in the Church. Spirit of Love begin to flow like never before! Wonderful Jesus!
  Posted in Christmas, God, Holiday Celebrations, Jesus, love of God | 0 Comments | Tagged civil war, encouragement, Forgiveness, God, God’s Spirit, Holy Spirit, Jesus, love, love of God, obedience, Salvation, Spirit of love
- The Spirit of Praise!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 9, 2020
  
  Luke 2:13-14 – “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” NKJV
  
  the-spirit-of-praise_.mp3
  
  I’ve been listening to Christmas music already! I am not a fan of the commercialization of Christmas, but I have to admit that I love the music of Christmas! There are a lot of anointed singers out there, but can I just say that I really enjoy listening to Mariah Carey’s “O Holy Night”? Don’t shoot me, if you don’t agree with my choice, but it is a beautiful song.
  
  Long ago, shepherds were watching their flocks at night. (I read a book recently of shepherds in Jerusalem in biblical times. It was a historical fiction, and I mention it because I never really thought much about this scene). In the book, the shepherds would bring the sheep in closer to their living space at night, and then someone would guard the sheep at night from predators.
  
  Imagine that it has been a long day, they have had dinner, and they are resting from their long day and preparing their minds for their long evening, when suddenly someone is standing before them. And not only has someone appeared before them out of nowhere, a stranger, but he is also surrounded by light. The Bible lets us know that the men were terrified. These men, who are out with a staff, walking the perimeter of their sheep pen all night to keep them safe, and they are suddenly terrified. This was no simple visitation of an angel!
  
  The angel speaks and says to the shepherds:
  
  “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12 – NKJV
  
  Don’t be afraid! Are you kidding me? You popped up out of nowhere, with a light shining around you, and you say don’t fear? I’m pretty sure that those words, didn’t calm the hearts of the shepherds. And if those words did, then the next thing that happened sent them right back into panic mode:
  
  Luke 2:13-14 – “And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” NKJV
  
  Think about this for a minute. Was the praise team invited to this announcement? Maybe! God orchestrates well! But what I believe really happened was that at the announcement of the birth of the Son of God, they couldn’t contain their joy and their praise was so glorious, God pulled back the curtains of heaven and allowed the shepherds to see and hear what was happening. It was a day of glorious high praise! The song, “Angels We Have Heard on High” pales in comparison to the song the angels sung.
  
  Now, my focus isn’t on Christmas per se! It’s on Jesus! I believe that this time of the year is filled with so many songs, special to the occasion, sacred and secular, because it’s a time of high praise! When we stop and think about Jesus coming into this world, all that He did, and all that He is still doing, it ought to cause our hearts to spring forth in praise, just as it did with the angels!
  
  Many times throughout Jesus’ time on the earth, people had the same reaction to Him. Let’s look at a few:
  
  Bartimaeus was blind. Because he was blind, he had to sit on the side of the road and beg for a handout. But one day Jesus passed by and changed his life!
  
  Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. Luke 18:42-43 -NKJV
  
  You don’t need your imagination to understand the overwhelming sense of praise that came upon Bartimaeus that day. Not only did he receive his sight, he also had an amazing encounter with Jesus, and he didn’t have to beg for bread anymore! That’ll get you up and shouting! I want to shout for him and his victory even now! Glory!!
  
  At another time, Jesus began ministering to the multitudes:
  
  Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them. So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel. Matthew 15:30-31 – NKJV
  
  This word “glorified” comes from the same root word that “praise” in our key text comes from, doxa. A spirit of praise overcame them as they watched God’s marvelous works happen right before their eyes.
  
  Recently, a friend called me and asked me to pray for her daughter who had a severe allergic reaction to something. They had already been to the hospital to have it checked out, but her daughter was still in great discomfort, and was actually the one who wanted me to pray. So I did! Not only did God relieve the itchy skin, but the very next day, her skin was completely cleared up. She texted me not long ago to tell me that she was still clear! I want you to know that I danced all day when I got the praise report! When God shows up, it’s time to praise!
  
  I just have to share one more, because Jesus is just so wonderful to me and I believe you’ll like this point:
  
  Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, saying: “ ‘Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:37-38 – NKJV
  
  Even on his way to the cross, the people couldn’t help but give Him praise. As He entered Jerusalem, a spirit of praise swept through the crowd and they shouted with a loud voice the same message that the angels shouted at His birth! A praise of glory to the Highest, and peace this time in heaven!! They took up the cry of the angels without realizing it. It was so loud, that it made the Pharisees angry to think that a man could receive that much praise! First peace came to earth and now peace was returning to heaven! This is pretty awesome!!
  
  Of course, I couldn’t mention all of my examples in this one blog. It would be much longer than what I generally like to do. However, as I wrote about one example, another would come to mind. Not just biblical examples, but personal examples, of friends and family members, and church family members, and the body of Christ! He has done great things for us, and when we stop to think about Him in all of His goodness, the Spirit of praise is going to come upon you!
  
  I know some of us are having a tough time right now, but this blog was written with that in mind. Isaiah wrote, in a scripture that speaks of Jesus, that we are to put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. I won’t see my extended family this holiday season either, but I won’t let that get me down. I miss engaging with friends and family in person. I may never use zoom again when this is over, but today I am truly grateful for it! I can’t change anything about this holiday season except my attitude and outlook about it. And the same is true for you!
  
  Let’s embrace the spirit of praise that flows throughout this season. Sing your songs louder and longer. Dance around your bedroom or your home. Give Him glory for all that you can think of in your life and the lives of others, and soon the spirit of praise will be flowing through you! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Christmas, God, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, encouragement, God, hard times, Holy Spirit, Jesus, miraculous, praise, Prayer, spirit of praise, testimony
- The Spirit of Christmas!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 7, 2020
  
  Matthew 1:18 – “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.” NKJV
  
  the-spirit-of-christmas_.mp3
  
  As we approach the Christmas season, I decided not to focus just on the birth of Jesus, but rather, on Jesus Himself. Whether you are a participant of the holiday season or a spectator, you have to admit that there is something exciting about this time of year. As much as we look forward to Thanksgiving Day, we immediately begin thinking that the holiday season has begun, meaning the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day.
  People begin decorating their homes and businesses, radio stations begin playing Christmas music all day long, and everyone begins vying for our money to become their money. Even with all that, we have the attitude of B. B. King, in his hit song, “Christmastime Comes But Once a Year!” This time of the year is so different from the rest of the year, that we have even heard much talk about the Spirit of Christmas. Today, I want to talk about the true Spirit of Christmas.
  In our text for today, Matthew summarizes the birth of Jesus in a few short verses. He writes that after the betrothal of Mary and Joseph, and before the wedding night, Mary is found with child of the Holy Spirit. He doesn’t elaborate on what happened, he just tells us that it happened.
  
  Luke on the other hand goes into more detail. He lets us in on the visitation of the angel Gabriel to both Zachariah and Mary. Both visits are life altering for the individuals involved, but only one visit would impact the world for all eternity! The angel told Mary that she was about to become pregnant and give birth to a Son. Not just any son, but the Son of the Highest. His name was to be Jesus, He was going to be great, and He would be given the throne of His father David! Wow! That’s a lot for someone take in at one time. But Mary did it!
  
  Here’s where things get really interesting. Mary is single but not quite. She is an upright young woman and getting ready to finalize her betrothal to Joseph with culmination of the wedding night. God interrupts their plans and their lives to bring Jesus into the natural realm. This had to be pretty unsettling. Yet, all Mary wanted to know was how would it happen? The angel said,
  
  “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God! Luke 1:35
  
  The Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary, causing the Seed to be implanted in her womb, that she would bring forth the Son of God, in the flesh. The true Spirit of Christmas is not in the music, not in the decorations, nor in the excitement that permeates the atmosphere; it is in the Spirit of the Living God who gave life to Jesus, God’s Holy Spirit! Most men would have been outraged with the turn of these events, and Joseph was no exception! When Joseph did find out, he wanted out. But the Spirit of God was the Conductor of all that was transpiring. He knew He could trust these two young people with a difficult, never have ever happened, and never will ever happen again, event! Remember our key text, “she was found with child”. Joseph knew it wasn’t his child, and he had difficulty believing that she was pregnant by a means other than the natural channel. So much so, that he sought a private annulment of the marriage. But God spoke to Joseph in a dream and told him what the Holy Spirit had done to bring this baby about, and Joseph surrendered his will and his pride to the will of the Father. That had to be tough on these two, they knew people would talk, but Joseph took Mary immediately into his home and six months later, Jesus was born. You guys know we are forever doing the math! They were worst in Joseph’s and Mary’s day! The Spirit had a hard time keeping everything a secret. He was excited about Jesus coming into the earth. He told two of His faithful followers about this exciting birth! Simeon was one of them.
  Luke 2:26 – And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. NKJV
  
  So on the day that Mary and Joseph presented Jesus in the temple, the Spirit caused Simeon to go to the temple at that exact moment. He not only saw Jesus, but he took Jesus in his arms and blessed God for letting him see Jesus before he departed the earth. Then Anna came in, at just the right moment, to witness the reality of the Messiah, her Savior. He had come to set His people free! Glorious day!
  
  Let’s go back to Jesus. He’s all grown up now, and has had at least 30 birthdays. He is getting ready to be released into ministry to accomplish the task God has set before Him.
  
  In John chapter 1, John the Baptist makes this declaration:
  
  John 1:32 – “And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.” NKJV
  
  The Spirit of Christmas, God’s Holy Spirit, wasn’t just available to Jesus at His birth. He was available to Jesus throughout His life. After all, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of the Father, was Jesus’ true Father. Therefore, before Jesus began His public ministry, His Father, once again, sends His Spirit to Him. This time, the Spirit doesn’t give Him life, but He releases an anointing upon Him to fulfill His assignment. Luke writes about it in Acts:
  
  Acts 10:38 – “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. NKJV
  
  All that Jesus accomplished in His physical body, He accomplished because of the Spirit of God that gave Him life, and anointed Him for ministry. His Spirit is just as active today, in His Bride, and in His Church.
  
  Too often when we think of Christmas, we forget or miss what God was really doing in bringing Jesus in the form of man. It was even more exciting at that time, then it is today. When Jesus was born, the angels were so excited they had to step into the earthly realm and shout,
  
  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:13-14 – NKJV
  
  The angels were excited about that first “Christmas” experience. They were excited about the greatest gift ever given, the gift of God, Jesus! They were excited from heaven’s perspective of all that He would accomplish for the Father. They were excited!
  
  I believe that even though Christmas has become so commercialized in our day, there is still excitement surrounding the commemoration of the birth of our Lord. It’s not His actual birth day, but it is when the Christian community and thus the world, remember it.
  
  As you celebrate Christmas this year, things will look different for most of us. Some of us will do what we want irrespective to what is happening with the virus. But most of us will comply, thereby, having a different kind of Christmas. The Spirit of Christmas, God’s Holy Spirit, is available to make this Christmas, one of the best, if not the best, you can imagine! Invite Him to you celebration and watch Him breathe life into your celebration! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Christmas, Holiday Celebrations, Holy Spirit, Jesus | 4 Comments | Tagged Believer, birth of Jesus, Christian, coronavirus, Elizabeth, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph, miraculous, Salvation, the Spirit of Christmas, Zachariah
- Keeping It in Perspective!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 4, 2020
  James 4:10 – “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. NKJV
  keeping-it-in-perspective_.mp3
  
  My past two blogs have been centered around the idea that we foster, that in order to be humble before God, we must somehow decrease that He must increase. In this blog, I want to look at what humility looks like, in the face of success, with some biblical figures we are all familiar with.
  
  I want to start with Daniel. Those of us who are familiar with the word of God are familiar with Daniel. He is well known as the prophet who told the Gentile kings the interpretations of their dreams. The first time he did so, the king had threatened to kill all the wise men, magicians, and astrologers, which included Daniel, because of a troubling dream. As a matter of fact, the king didn’t even remember the dream, yet, he wanted them to tell him what he dreamed and what it meant. When his astrologers and wise men said that they couldn’t do it, and no one could, he ordered their deaths. Daniel heard about it, and to spare his life and the lives of his friends, they fasted and ask God about the dream. When Daniel reported to the king to share the dream, he said these words:
  
  Daniel 2:30 – “But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart. NKJV
  
  Prior to this verse, Daniel had already given the honor to God, who knows the secrets of every heart. He wasn’t looking for anyone to think that he thought he was something special, but had come to share the dream and the interpretation of the dream as God had shown him. What he did was pretty spectacular. The king was so impressed he fell prostrate before Daniel and wanted to make an offering to him. He also placed Daniel in a high position and lavished gifts on him. But Daniel knew who the real interpreter was, and he never forget Him! And God exalted him!
  
  David was another man who demonstrated what it meant to be humble before the Lord. He was the giant killer who killed his tens of thousands. He was the king who brought unity to Israel. He was the leader of the mighty men. Yet, he understood that even so, it was because of God.
  
  2 Samuel 7:18-19 – “Then King David went in and sat before the Lord; and he said: “Who am I, O Lord God ? And what is my house, that You have brought me this far? And yet this was a small thing in Your sight, O Lord God; and You have also spoken of Your servant’s house for a great while to come. Is this the manner of man, O Lord God?” NKJV
  
  David said that what God had done for him was a small thing in His sight, but David knew it for the great favor that it was. I met a Jewish believer when I was a teenager. Without thinking, I said, “Why is your name David? That’s not a Jewish name!” He said, “Are you kidding me? You don’t know about King David, the great king of Israel?” I went, “Oops!” (What was I thinking)! Even today, he is heralded as the king of Israel. David knew that God had exalted him above his enemies and his own desires. It’s what happens when humility is truly demonstrated.
  
  Peter also demonstrated humility after having been used mightily of God. The lame man at the gate called Beautiful, and others, were ready to fall at his feet and worship him. Why? Because the man had been lame and begging for all of his life. And with a few words, he was made completely whole. Peter had to put that to a stop!
  
  Acts 3:11-12 – “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? NKJV
  
  Peter knew he didn’t heal the man, although the Spirit of God healed the man at Peter’s words. The old Peter might have responded differently, but this anointed Peter, showed much humility. He didn’t take God’s glory, because it didn’t belong to him. Anymore than it belongs to us. You can do wonderful things for God, even be successful, without belittling yourself, and still give Him all the glory!
  
  Acts 18:24-26 -Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. NKJV
  
  I asked the Lord for an example and He gave me Apollos. What we may not have paid attention to is the effective ministry that Apollos had amongst the Gentiles. On at least five different occasions Paul referred to Apollos’ ministry, placing it in the same category of his ministry and Peter’s ministry. Yet, when Apollos met Aquila and Priscilla, and they shared about Jesus, he readily listened, changed his message, and continued to preach. That’s humility! He wasn’t concerned about his reputation, or his prominence amongst the Gentiles, just the message of the Messiah. It was of Apollos that Paul wrote that he planted and Apollos watered, but God got the increase!
  
  I give you Jesus! The Bible states:
  
  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. Philippians 2:8 – NKJV
  
  Never once did He think less of Himself. Yet everything Jesus said and did was a witness to the position of humbleness that He displayed before the Father. He became obedient even to the point of death. He bowed His will to that of the Father, and died for us. In spite of the utter shame the cross held, in spite of the devastation to His physical body, in spite of the lies and being ridiculed, He humbled Himself. And He was highly exalted, and given a name above every name!
  
  Fellow believers! Each of these individuals humbled themselves before God, whether they said it or not. Each of them honored the Father above themselves. Each of them realized that the success that they had or was having was due to the Father, not to them. They did great exploits for the Father! He used them to do those things, but they gave Him all the honor and all the glory!
  
  It is possible to be a success in what you do, and give God the honor due Him, without sounding flaky and seeing yourself as a wretch. Paul even referred to himself as the least of all the brethren, which we would probably differ with. Yet, I don’t see that “poor wretched” mentality, I just see that he didn’t think more highly of himself than was necessary. If some of us accomplished what Paul did, we’d want a whole lot more money and fame and service than he received. Looking for the exaltation of others. But Paul was humble in what he did because he did it for Christ, only for Christ! That’s really the bottom line! Keep it all in perspective as to whom we are doing it for, and our hearts will remain humble. Then He will exalt us! Wonderful Jesus!
  Posted in God, Humility, Jesus, Serving God | 2 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Daniel, David, dreams, glory, Honor, humble, Humility, increasing and decreasing, Jesus, obedience, Paul, Peter, service, success
- See Jesus in You!
  
  Posted at 10:00 am by wonderfuljesus8, on December 2, 2020
  
  John 3:30 -He must increase, but I must decrease. NKJV
  
  see-jesus-in-you_.mp3
  
  In my previous blog, I used this same scripture to share the context of how and why John the Baptist used this phrase. For him, it was the reality of his situation, the end of his ministry. But it has become a cliche, used in the body to express humility. And again, I think it is flawed.
  
  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made…
  Psalm 139:14
  
  David said to the Father in a time of worship that he recognized that he was fearfully and wonderfully made. In the Young’s Literal translation it reads like this:
  
  I confess Thee, because that [with] wonders I have been distinguished.
  
  God took care in putting us together. To Him, we are special. He made us as different from each other as we can be. Our fingerprints are ours alone. Even our teeth have their own signature. And while we may share DNA with other people, we are still different. And it’s a beautiful thing!
  
  So now, here’s my point: Why would God gift us to do different things in the kingdom, make us all different, and then not expect that individuality to shine through when He uses us? Again, I know the sentiment behind the phrase but it is scripturally misleading in how and why God chooses and uses us.
  
  Let’s look at Biblical examples:
  
  Galatians 2:8 – (for He who worked effectively in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcised also worked effectively in me toward the Gentiles), NKJV
  
  In this verse, Paul makes it clear that Peter was sent to the Jews and he was sent to the Gentiles. Both of these men were Jewish, but Paul was a Jewish scholar. It would seem that Paul was more qualified to minister to the Jews, but it was Peter who was sent to them.
  
  We know from the scriptures that Peter was Jewish to the core. When God gave him the vision on the rooftop, and told him to eat of the unclean animals, even though it was God, Peter was still refusing to eat. His strict ways of Judaism made him the perfect candidate to go to the Jews. His life, upbringing, and biases, equipped him to deal with those of his fellow Jews. He didn’t decrease in who he was to increase in what God had for him. He just allowed God to use him, with all of his weaknesses and strengths, to fulfill the call on his life.
  
  Paul on the other hand, was perfect for the Gentiles. He was a Roman citizen from his birth. He was a Jew from his birth. He was scholarly and understood both cultures well. But he was passionate about the law. When Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. The same passion he used to persecute the church, he used to build it. He didn’t ask to decrease from being who he was. All of him, being used by all of the Holy Spirit, caused the gospel to spread, churches to be planted, and him writing most of the New Testament.
  
  Again, I know what is meant by using this phrase. We want people to see Jesus, and not us. Hopefully! But why can’t they see Jesus in us? What is so wrong with who we are, that we feel a need to say that we want to disappear while the Spirit take over? Or have we so much religious jargon in our churches, that we don’t bother thinking about what we are saying?
  
  Let’s talk plain! I have some friends who can sing! Had they met the same talent managers that Whitney Houston met, they’d be famous! I mean, they can sing. And when they get up and say this, (all of You God and none of me), it’s like, really? None of you? You were asked to sing because you have a beautiful voice. If it didn’t matter to God or the audience, we’d ask somebody who could “only make a joyful noise”! No! We ask the gifted and the talented to sing because we enjoy listening to them sing. And when they are anointed, they sound even better!
  
  When I tune into Jesse DuPlantiss, or Bill Winston, or any minister for that fact, I am listening to the individual as much as I am listening to the Spirit of God. There is no way Jesse is going to preach without telling a joke. No way! So when I listen to him I understand that’s the way God uses him to minister to people. He has a way of making an audience laugh. Sometimes after a hard day, or many trials, a good laugh goes a long way! There is no way Bill Winston is going to minister without sharing about kingdom living. It’s just what he does! He and Jesse are both powerful men of God (whether you like them or not) and yet they are so different. And so are their assignments. And yet they are both preachers, being used by the Holy Spirit, with their own distinct personalities and ways of doing it.
  
  This is true for every pastor, minister, singer, and person in the Body. When God uses us, He wants to use us. He’s not looking for cookie cutter ministers, singers, musicians, or teachers. He wants to use us in our own unique way.
  
  When my niece was ministering, I felt like we were just having one of our normal conversations. She was just as down to earth in her presentation: no airs, no pretentiousness. She got up and shared an encouraging word as a person who is comfortable in her own skin. And yet, she still felt like she didn’t want people to see her, but she wanted them to see Jesus! Glad to hear it! It’s admirable. But I saw both her and Jesus, and I heard them both! And it was all good! I still hear her saying, “Just keep swimming!” But I heard the Spirit of God saying, “Don’t ever give up!” God used her where she was at, as she was, and I know the people were blessed and encouraged!
  
  When you are asked to do something for God, just remember: God is saying that He is ready to use you! He’s not asking you to decrease, or stop being you, so that He can increase. You should not get up and rely on you, and your abilities alone, but in Him and His abilities alone! That’s the right attitude! But it’s still you, and He wants to operate through you! So step forward in faith and say, “Use me, Lord; and then believe that He wants to! Wonderful Jesus!
  
  Posted in Attitude, Humility, Jesus | 0 Comments | Tagged Attitude, Christian, David, fearfully and wonderfully made, Galatians, God, Jesus, John the Baptist, Kingdom of God, Paul, Peter, psalm
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