Tag: Holy Spirit

Fruits of the Spirit In-depth Study and Application “Kindness”

Posted on by ISIK ABLA

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~ Galatians 5:22-23

Often when we discuss the Fruits of the Spirit, we do not speak enough about kindness. Kindness is an important characteristic of Jesus’s nature. Titus 3:4-5 tells us that in His kindness, love and mercy, Jesus saved, washed, regenerated, and renewed us by the Holy Spirit. The psalmist declared in Psalm 63:3 that God’s loving kindness was better than life. This was all the reason he needed to praise the Lord. What does the fruit of kindness look like in our lives?

Kindness is defined as being good-natured, warm-hearted, considerate and generous. When we are connected to the true vine which is Jesus Christ, kindness helps abate our sinful inclinations and turns us toward good. God’s kindness removes our cold stony heart and gives us a warm heart of flesh. As we progress forward with this divine attribute and a pliable heart of flesh, our thoughts and actions are no longer self-centered. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God cause us to consider others’ needs even before our own. We are not to be a stingy people, but generous! Why is this so important?

C. H. Spurgeon gave a message from the Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit in the year 1873 saying, “No man can do me a truer kindness in this world than to pray for me.” Will you take time to pray or go out of your way for someone else? Christ at work in us thinks past ourselves, our ambitions, desires and our needs to intercede for another. Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, that what we do to the least: the hungry, the sick, the thirsty, the stranger, and/or the naked, we essentially do unto Him.

John Wesley summates in a 1915 letter: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can (John Wesley(1915) “Rule of Conduct’ in ‘Letters’).

Let’s Pray!

Dear Heavenly Father, I consciously choose to abide every day in Jesus Christ, the True Vine. I repent of every unkind word, thought and deed that did not bring You glory in my life. I ask You to purge me of impurities so that the world can enjoy the fruit of kindness in my life. Thank you Dear Jesus for your redeeming and unfailing love! I yield to you Holy Spirit. Let your kindness in me wash, regenerate and renew others in the name of Jesus Christ,

AMEN!!!

Fruits of the Spirit In-depth Study and Application “Patience”

Posted on by ISIK ABLA

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” ~Galatians 5:22-23

Throughout the new testament, the believer is encouraged to develop patience. It is synonymous with being steadfast or longsuffering. I want you to understand patience as maintaining your position and composure; not becoming restless or easily annoyed. Look at patience as withstanding any opposing force to your God-given peace. For example, James 1:2-3  tells us that we increase in patience or endurance when our faith is tried by life experiences. Paul echoes the same sentiment in Romans 5:3: “Our suffering produces strength or endurance to patiently wait for the promises of God.” Let us look at this more in detail.

Patience, as a fruit of the spirit, comes when you maintain a consistent diet of eating the Word of God. Psalm 1 tells us to meditate on His Word day and night. When we take the time to meditate, we allow the Word to process more deeply in our spirit. The very essence of the scripture will add value to our faith! In this process, we repeat or mutter the scriptures to ourselves. We are matured by the revelation and the application such that when the enemy arises, the Holy Spirit is able to stand for us and protect our peace in the matter.

An important area that we can apply the fruit of patience is in regards to our finances. God is faithful to us when we commit to tithing and sowing seeds to various causes. Meditate on these passages. Repeat them over and over. Pray with them. 

Malachi 3:9-11 “Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that it will not destroy the fruits of your soil, and your vine in the field shall not fail to bear, says the Lord of hosts.”

Psalm 34:8-10 “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Let me pray for you!

Father, In Jesus name, I apply my faith to the promises of your Word with the expectation that you will yield more patience in me. I ask that your Holy Spirit holds me steadfast, firmly planted and unmovable. Let patience maintain your love joy and peace in me so that I may yield goodly fruit and draw others to taste Your goodness in Jesus name, Amen!

Why the Enemy Will Lose with God on Your Side

Posted on by Mallory

Why the Enemy Will Lose with God on Your Side

 
 

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Through Him we are made CHAMPIONS! Jesus is a champion, a conqueror. He has victory over sin, He conquered death, hell and the grave. He is a champion for our salvation.

The enemy targets you in the areas you have the most calling! As a champion through Christ you can prevail in these areas and start walking in your destiny. God empowers us everyday to even greater victories because He gave us the heart of a champion. “For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7

With the heart of a champion we are called to rise above. Our confidence is born in faith; there is no longer room for fear. We have to confront our fears and seek freedom. By renewing your mind, you are given insight into right and wrong, given a deeper meaning of God’s character and how He operates, and given strength to become more like Him even when faced with great adversity.

It takes great humility to be a champion! You have to die to self daily. We have to take up our cross, deny our former ways, and walk in newness of life through Christ who lives in us. Surrendered to Him with His Champion Heart, we are infused with the strength, discipline, resilience, determination and commitment needed to have victory over the enemy!

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness.” Romans 6:17-18

“When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:20-23 

Pray this prayer today: Dear Father, I thank You for the sacrifice you made for me and for conquering death, hell, and the grave.  Thank you for empowering me by placing Your champion heart and spirit within me.  Help me to walk in my full potential in You to have victory over the enemy that wants to steal my destiny.  Help me to rise above in confidence born in faith and grant me humility to take up my cross and walk in newness of life surrendered completely to You.  Amen.

Grab a hold of your miracles with Apostle Demontae Edmonds ENL 204

Grab a hold of your miracles with Apostle Demontae Edmonds ENL 204
Dream Church Podcast

 
 

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Grab hold of your miracle today. We are talking about the Supernatural realms of God! Isik continues speaking with Apostle Demontae Edmonds, and he shares how you can become closer to God today! Get a copy of his book “Grab Hold of your Miracle” at Amazon: https://amzn.to/2FA9Fuf
Visit his website for more info: www.F4Nations.com

Alignment

Posted on by Wes Shinn

By Keiko Chibana-Shinn | Rediscovering Prayer

There will be swarms of living things wherever the water of this river flows. Fish will abound in the Dead Sea, for its waters will become fresh. Life will flourish wherever this water flows. Ezekiel 47:9

We all live by faith. We wake up every morning with some level of faith that takes us out of bed and makes us believe that we will make it through another day. It’s as if we each have our own well, where we draw out the source of energy, hope, and love we need to make life happen. For some, the well is half empty, for others half full, for some the well is overflowing and to others, their elected cisterns are so dried up that the well itself is found crumbling from excessive drought.

The question of faith is not whether it exists or not. For everyone believes in something. Even the faithless have faith in their faithlessness. The question is, How does one qualify faith? Faith feeds identity. Therefore your faith has the ability to define your identity and the quality of your character.

The Word of God defines faith in saying:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Anyone who holds this definition of faith will see successes in this life. It’s a truth that can affect the trajectory of our lives in the natural plane as well as in the supernatural. To have faith is to have confidence. Faith is meant to be unleashed without any limitations. However, it can be a safe feeling to remain confident in your own strength and abilities rather than trusting Jesus to be your true source of faith and confidence. It’s easier to set limits on your faith. But faith has a completely different look and feel when you truly believe that Jesus has called you out of the boat to walk on water.

Jesus says:

…whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” Jn. 4:14

Streams of living water belong to Jesus. He is not only the source of strength in our lives but He himself is the well of salvation. The faith He imparts saves us from every demonic power and all influence of evil desires. The power that makes abundant life possible is eternally sustained by His Spirit. We are made in the image of God and therefore have the capacity to sustain everlasting water, meaning we can behold His grace and Spirit. It is by faith that we draw out His grace and move in step with His Spirit for the journey ahead of us.

For this very reason, we are to align our perspective to that of Jesus’ knowing that every trial is an opportunity to build our character through His abundant grace imparted to us. This is what ultimately builds a character of faith that unleashes the promises God has made in the here and now. For we are a new creation in Christ. The old is done away with, the new has come. Let the everlasting waters continually flow in and through your identity as a child of God. For there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. His grace is more than sufficient for us. For whoever activates faith in Christ for daily living, wears His splendor for all to see.

Jesus has the power and authority to examine the health of your character. If willing, He can transform our character by the strength of His Spirit to support the type of faith that can raise the dead to life, heal the sick, resurrect dreams, and restore the brokenhearted. To have faith in Christ is to also have the character to withstand the effects of disillusionment, cynicism, and setbacks. Let us add to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, mutual affection, and a faith characterized by love that covers a multitude of sin. The evil one will not prevail because your character has no entry point for his schemes to succeed. Jesus will always have the final Word.

We are called to be confident in that He who began a good work in us will complete it. He wants us to add to our character a fierce determination to persevere, to commit, and maintain a spirit of constancy in the plans, giftedness, and purposes God has placed in our hearts to execute. Let renewed passion, the eternal waters surge up from within so that the character of your faith says “Yes!” and “Amen!” in response to what Jesus has already promised you. Let the  prayer of our hearts be:

In times of hardship, in times of momentary drought, fatigue, and uncertainty may You, Lord, instill in me an unbreakable character to say “I stand with You til the end. Make my heart to be faithful as yours. So come. I receive You as my fountain. I release my man-made cistern that cannot hold your eternal waters. I renounce the wanderer spirit within me, the idols, excuses, and distracted living. I take hold of your passion for life and choose to keep my focus on you. Let your everlasting waters flow through me. For wherever the river flows, everything will flourish. Everything will flourish within me. For Your glory in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Additional Verses: Jer. 2:13; 2 Cor. 3:17–18; Matt. 14:29; Jn. 10:10; 1 Jn. 5:4; Gen. 1:27; 1 Thess. 5:15; 2 Cor. 5:17; Ro. 8:1; 2 Pe. 1:5-7; 1 Pe. 4:8; 2 Pe. 1:4; 2 Cor. 12:9

Releasing the Power of God

Posted on by ISIK ABLA

God has mandated that we walk in the power and authority that He gave us when we became His ambassadors in Christ.  Genesis describes how God created man in His image, and tasked him with stewarding the earth realm. Genesis 1:28 says, “God blessed them and told them, ‘Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it.’” When Jesus paid the price for our freedom from sin and death, He charged us to continue His work on the earth. Matthew 10:1 describes this charge. “Jesus called His twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.” Jesus gave believers a mandate to continue to establish His kingdom here on earth, and He gave us His authority to do so.

How do we come into agreement with this mandate? We must become a conduit of the power of God through Holy Spirit. Paul spoke about this in Romans 15. “I have won them over by the miracles done through me as signs from God- all by the power of God’s Spirit.” Paul was able to convince the gentiles of the Good News of Jesus Christ by the signs and wonders that followed him.

Read, pray and declare scriptures in Isik’s Prayer Guide!

Jesus began to speak of this mandate before He went to the cross. He spoke over His disciples, releasing His authority to them. We see this in Luke 9:1. “One day, Jesus called together His twelve apostles and gave them power and authority to cast out demons and to heal all diseases. Then He sent them out to tell everyone about the coming of the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Matthew 10:8 said, “heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received.”  It is clear that Jesus’ power did not cease when He returned to heaven, but He gave the command to continue the work that He began and equipped us with His authority and power to do so.

As believers in Jesus Christ, we can access all that He paid for us to walk in. As we extend our faith, we can connect with the power of God to see deliverance, healing and miracles. In Ephesians 1:19, Paul urges us to embrace this truth. “I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of his power for us who believe him. This is the same power that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.” This is resurrection power! As we believe, it will be done according to His word. In Mark 16:20, we see that the disciples believed Jesus and began to fulfill His mandate. “And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” It is God’s plan that we walk in His power and authority and bring His kingdom to manifest on earth as it is in heaven.

How do I know God’s Will for My Life?

Posted on by Lauren M

Knowing the will of God for our lives is a huge priority for many of us. We may be able to avoid many pitfalls and struggles if we can walk in God’s will. How are we to know what this is?

Knowing God is key to knowing how He operates. It is vital that we read His word to know His character and His ways. Satan would like us to believe that God is not good and that He is not present, or that He doesn’t notice us. But the truth is, God is a very present Father. Deuteronomy 3:16 tells us that God will never leave us or forsake us. His word also tells us in James 1:17 that every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change. He is present and He is good.

God also tells us in His word that He has good plans for us. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that He has good plans for our future, plans to prosper us. He has made a way for us to have a life of hope and not evil. Knowing this can keep us aligned with truth, which defeats the lies of the enemy over us. We must guard our hearts and thoughts so that we will stay in this agreement.

As we pray and declare in alignment with these truths, we begin to have the heart of God for our lives. In Daniel 9, we see that Daniel was praying God’s will for his life and for the people. First, Daniel approached God by acknowledging God’s character. In verse 4 Daniel declares, “Oh Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and extends lovingkindness toward those who love Him and keep His commandments.”  Daniel knew the power and character of God.  Daniel then repents for the sins of the people, who had been rebellious and wicked. This is an important key. If we are in sin, it hinders are ability to hear God clearly. Daniel knew it was important to be in right standing with God when asking for Him to move. Once Daniel repented on their behalf, he began to petition (request) God for favor and help. He appealed to God’s great mercy and love, and asked God for what was on his heart. 

As we read the word of God, we can use it as a plumb line to determine if our desires align with His will and character. Once we do this, we can pray that not our will be done, but God’s will be done. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in Matthew 6:10. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” We must pray and believe that we are aligned with His Kingdom and His will, and then stand in faith to see it come to pass. As we align with Him, God will partner with us to accomplish His will in us and in the earth realm.