PRAYING EFFECTIVE PRAYERS

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The following excellent article on prayer is taken from “Your circumstances are not guidance” by Duncan Edward Pile which appeared in http://www.patheos.com on August 29, 2022. Heed Duncan’s advice it will change your life.

How do you know if your circumstances are from God? The church of my youth taught that if you prayed about something and gave the outcome into God’s hands, saying ‘thy will be done’, whatever happened would be God’s will.

If a person asked God for a blessing, the failure of that blessing to arrive would be interpreted by the spiritual leaders of my youth as an answer to prayer, the answer being ‘no’. This approach is not in line with the teachings of Jesus.

‘Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name…ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.’ John 16:22-24

As well as filling us with joy at the goodness of God, receiving from him also brings the Father glory.

‘And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.’ John 14:13,

If receiving from God brings him glory and fills us with joy, why would we be wary of expecting it?

One of the ways in which I am most richly assured of the loving nature of God is in specific answers to specific prayers. I believe the Christian life can be a journey into increasing discernment, powerful prayer, and the direct intervention of God through the leading and might of the Holy Spirit. That has certainly been my story. The Lord guides us, leads us, and is faithful. He wants to get involved in the details and circumstances of our lives.

Increasing answers to prayer

For me, the key to seeing prayers answered is to discern the will of God before you make a request. The Holy Spirit involves us in bringing his will to pass, leading our prayers, and filling us with the authority to speak powerful, effective words. We are his hands and feet, his church. God does not bypass his children in order to make his will manifest.

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” James 5:16-18,

The will of God is enacted through the prayers and actions of those who walk closely with the Holy Spirit and follow his leading.

Jesus taught his disciples how to pray, and his instruction carried none of the fatalism I see in so much of the Evangelical movement, which seems to pray as if tossing a coin into a wishing well, singing ‘Ke sera sera, whatever will be will be.’

Jesus told his disciples to pray ‘Thy will be done, on Earth as in Heaven.’ Or in other words, we pray that God’s will be as perfectly and completely performed here on Earth (in our lives and circumstances) as it is in Heaven, where the Lord reigns supreme. The powerful prayer of a person in tune with the Lord starts with discerning God’s will, embodying the emotion and power of the Holy Spirit as he pours might through us, and giving voice to what we feel and perceive.

Once we learn to follow his leading we can pray in power, and that Spirit-led prayer is incredibly effective, cutting through resistance and genuinely changing things on a practical level. I have seen extraordinary answers to prayer throughout my adult life, praying in exactly this way. I’ve known intercessory prayer where the emotions of God flood through me and I’m left huddled and groaning, crying out with the compassion of God. I’ve smashed through resistance and barriers in the Spirit, going to battle on someone else’s behalf. The same is true of every person I know who walks closely with the Holy Spirit. We lend him our bodies, emotions, and voices, and pray as led. We are spiritual beings, praying Spirit-led prayers.

The enemy of faith

The difference between habitually answered and unanswered prayer is a life of faith versus a life of uncertainty.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:5-8

The instruction to believe and not doubt is not about mental discipline. To free ourselves from instability, double-mindedness, and spiritual ineffectiveness, we must have a clear, singular belief that God is good. He is not the author of suffering.

“Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:16-17,

God does not change. His intentions towards us don’t shift. He is the author of love, joy, and peace, and is committed to bringing each of us to a place of genuine wholeness. Naturally, this is a lifelong quest, but it is essential to understand the trajectory, and that our ultimate destiny is glory. ,

“And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

“But as it is written, what no eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9,

Once we’ve established a heartfelt belief in God’s unrelenting goodness towards us, and his commitment to bless our lives, we are ready to ask for the gifts and blessings he promises in his word. When our hearts and minds are singular, we are ready to receive.

To recap – the two key ingredients to praying in the will of God (and seeing that will come to pass) are knowing the goodness of God and learning to be led by the Spirit. To pray without the knowledge of God’s unchanging love is to build a house without a foundation; to pray without the knowledge of God’s will through the Holy Spirit is to waste oxygen. To pray ‘thy will be done’, while considering that might express itself through either blessing or suffering, is to be utterly deceived. To pray in the Spirit, led and empowered by God, and standing on the sure foundation of a knowledge of his unchanging goodness and compassion towards us, is to enter the miraculous. The person who prays in this way lives a life of effectiveness, influence, and spiritual power.

I return to the teachings I was offered in my youth. Praying for something and ‘offering it to God’ is no guarantee of an outcome God desires. It is in fact, a guarantee of unanswered prayer because such a prayer is riddled with uncertainty and doubt. That person will receive nothing from the Lord.

Progressive Christianity is no closer to the truth of this than the most conservative, Calvinistic congregation, in my opinion. From what I read here on Patheos (and elsewhere), they too are in the business of keeping the Holy Spirit at a distance and offering weak apologetics for unanswered prayers.

I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but for me, this remains the greatest blind spot in the ongoing Evangelical/Progressive debate. Both groups minimise the power of the Christian life, reducing the role of the Holy Spirit and embracing Christian fatalism. I pray that our hearts will be turned to the Lord and that we have the humility to accept that the life of faith is lived in the tangible power of the Spirit, who leads us in discernible ways and leads us to prayers that transform the world around us.

Lead us, Lord, I pray. Humble us, Lord, I ask. Bring us back to the spiritual power and authority all believers are called to. Amen.

LIVING ETERNAL NOW

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How do we live in the light of eternity and see beyond the moment in a world of increasing darkness?

God has enabled us to look beyond today to see what lies ahead. Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers. Our bodies are now the temple of the Holy Spirit. All believers have received the Holy Spirit to be their counselor, comforter, and teacher. We are Holy Spirit enabled.

We have a spiritual lens through which to view the world from God’s perspective.

“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.” 1 Corinthians 2:12

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2:9-10

available as an ebook and trade paperback book from Amazon

Considering we are living in the “last days” when persecution of Christians will increase. It is essential we live Holy Spirit-enabled lives. He may not reveal what immediately lies ahead but we live our lives knowing He is in control of coming events. Moreover, we will not be taken by surprise, His Word tells us exactly how the “last days” play out before Jesus returns.

“Living eternal now” is a way of travelling in the here and now, with our spiritual vision fixed on God and eternity so we are submitted to His will.

Remember, our days are numbered. The psalmist says, “So teach us to number our days, so that we may gain a heart of wisdom” Psalm 90:12 Hopefully, this admonition, will affect how we use our time, and how we decide our priorities, so we don’t waste time.

Paul also tells us, that we are now alive to the spiritual realm, we see what is important from an eternal perspective, and we don’t dwell on earthly matters which are temporary: ” while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:18

The preceding verses tell us how being Holt Spirit enabled, we know that whatever God allows into our lives, we will be able to see it as “light affliction” because we know it is for His glory.

“Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17

If we are living Holy Spirit-enabled lives then the fruit of the Spirit (9) will be evident in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, kindness, and self-control. The fruit of the Spirit demonstrates how far along we are in the sanctification process, submitted to God’s will.

As well, we will be operating in the gifts of the Spirit (9). The gifts of the spirit are the ammunition that the Holy Spirit provides for our use as we walk Holy Spirit-enabled lives. The miraculous will truly be evident.

“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, 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. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Note the counsel Paul gives concerning neglecting and quenching the Holy Spirits work in our lives.

“Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21

Do not neglect the gift that is in you… Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 1 Timothy 4:14

Are you living eternal now? If not why not?

One aspect of living eternally now is based on our expectation of the hereafter. Where will you be, and what will you be doing? Sadly, most people’s view of eternal life is not that appealing. They view it as an eternity in heaven but have no idea of what they will be doing there e.g. plucking harps and praising God. As a result, not too many are anxious to leave this life and go there. If you would like to know more about what Christians who are raised from the dead will be doing next then I suggest you go to my website http://www.millennialkingdom.net

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY

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These were actress Candace Cameron Bure’s powerful words for fellow parents after her daughter’s baptism.

She said her heart was “overwhelmed by God’s goodness and grace” last Sunday after watching her daughter, Natasha Bure, publicly profess her faith through baptism.

Bure thanked Pastor Dudley Rutherford of Shepherd Church in Porter Ranch, California, for baptizing her daughter

“As a mama, there’s nothing that tops this day. Nothing!” the “Fuller House” star wrote on Instagram:

“My three adult children have now all professed their faith, love, service, and devotion to Jesus Christ; Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Savior of the world.”

She also said “walking the talk” is essential for parents’ own Christian journeys, especially as their kids observe. “How you handle the hardships in attitude and character by praying, submitting to God, and honoring the Lord in your decisions speaks volumes to your kids, even if you don’t think they see it at the time,” she said. “Be the example you wanted to have growing up. God is faithful, even when you aren’t.”

The actress added another essential reminder: “Read the Bible. And read the Bible to your children.”

Research has found Bible engagement is an essential indicator for children maintaining faith in adulthood.

And considering the mandate we see in Proverbs 22:6 — “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” Bure’s Scripture-based advice is essential for all parents.

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

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The Christian life is supernatural but not magical. God does not make us happy when we make work, sports, leisure, or sex into our idols. If we choose to seek happiness elsewhere, the Holy Spirit will not force Himself on us. And He certainly won’t give us happiness in what’s not from Him.

GOD IS A TRINITY AND MAN, MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE IS A TRINITY: BODY, SOUL, AND SPIRIT

We must understand that Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell the Spirit of every believer. The third person of the Trinity takes up residence in your Spirit. He is our counsellor, teacher, and comforter. He enables you to live the Christian life and we are clearly told that we can grieve Him and quench His work in our life.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” Ephesians 4:30

“Do not quench the Spirit.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

He will open up God’s Word to you each day if you ask Him. He will guide your steps each day if you ask Him. Only then will joy and happiness envelop your life.

Our actions must be in concert with our prayers—we should pray to find happiness in God and then take the kind of actions that will help us find happiness in God.

Some people who claim to be Christians say, “I thought I would experience joy in the Christian life, but I never have.” Is that because they spend hours a day on social media but “don’t have time” to join a home Bible study? Do they fill their day with activities but not regular times with God? Why do they expect to be happy in God when they are not choosing to spend time with Him and to do what they can to learn, study, and discuss who God is, what He has done, and what He’s doing?

Adapted from an article by Randy Alcorn Finding Happiness in God is not Automatic – Patheos

CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS FOR GOOD WORKS

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Like Elijah, we need to take the words/tasks God gives us by the Holy Spirit seriously. Note: If Elijah did not give the people of Israel the warnings that God gave him to give them, then “that wicked person will die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”

Note: He will die for his iniquity not be tortured in hell for eternity. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16. “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” Romans 8:13 “The truly righteous man attains life, but He who pursues evil goes to his death.”  Proverbs 11:19

“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them a warning from me. If I say to the wicked, You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.” Ezekiel 3:17-18

God held the O.T prophets accountable for doing what He asked of them. Likewise, He holds us accountable as well to do the “good works” He has called us to do.

As I pointed out in my recent post Powerless Prayer as we yield to God’s mercy and walk closely with him, our ideas are changed. We jettison old ways of thinking, as healthier, more life-giving inspiration arises in His company, and as our minds are renewed, we become more attuned to Him and to His will. Only then, in our closeness with God, where His good, pleasing and perfect will is known, can we pray effectively and minister effectively.

‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ Romans 12:1-2

Who are the people God is asking you to serve and bring to them the Gospel message? He has chosen to partner with us in this; we are His hands and feet in the world, and He works through us, as He did through the O.T prophets such as Elijah, Ezekiel, and Isaiah.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.“ Ephesians 2:10

Does God have anything different to say to rich Christians?

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future (in the Millennial Kingdom), so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:18-19

Living Eternal Now: Ready for Jesus Return by [Ronald Edwards]
available on Amazon as a trade paperback or ebook

Preface for the book

The Bible is full of fulfilled prophesy which is a testimony of its divine inspiration and inerrancy. It is estimated that as much as 75% of the 2,500 prophesies in the Bible have already been fulfilled, and most of those yet to happen are “last days/end time” events.

How many churches today are preparing their congregations for Jesus’ second coming? Do you realise that there are more prophecies about Jesus’ second coming than His first? The Pharisees and Sadducees did not get it with His first coming, and the church is not getting it, with His second coming, maybe in your lifetime.

“For this reason, you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matt. 24:44

Equipped with the knowledge of the Bible’s “last days” prophecies, we will see many of these events unfold in our time. We will look at these unfolding “end times” events in the last chapter, Discerning the Times. It is an exciting time for a Christian who is prepared to live eternal now. For both, the unbeliever and believer alike “great tribulation” is ahead, but the discerning believer understands the times and is prepared.

I would like this book to help equip Christians to fulfill God’s assignment for them in these last days. You will only be able to do that, if you are aware of the times we are in, submit to the indwelling Holy Spirit, have total confidence in God’s Word, and are able to defend it to an unbelieving church, atheists, and agnostics.

We get one life. The apostle Paul could not have said it more clearly: everything we give ourselves to will be judged in the fire of Jesus’ coming. Everything. If it is not yoked to eternity, it will burn up. We will not take it with us. But if it is yoked to eternity—if we labour in such a way that we build, establish, encourage a love for and allegiance to Jesus in people’s hearts—it is gold that will not only survive the fire, it will shine forever.

Evolution has been one of Satan’s most successful strategies to undermine God’s church. He has attacked the foundational book of the Bible, GENESIS. It is the book of beginnings. It teaches real history about God’s initial perfect creation. It is foundational to most of church doctrine.

It teaches important truths: God exists outside of His Creation; His Creation includes a supernatural realm as well as a natural realm. God created angels that inhabit the supernatural realm and can enter the natural realm. Rebellion against God occurred first in the supernatural realm with Lucifer. The prophet Isaiah gives a snapshot of our supernatural enemy.               “How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the Morning! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! You said in your heart, I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:12-14

God reveals that Lucifer, now known as Satan, was successful in deceiving one-third of the angels God had created to serve Him. They, now known as demons, serve Satan in his diabolical plan to deceive all mankind so they will suffer the same fate as Satan and his rebellious angels to be cast into the “Lake of Fire”

Genesis is truly foundational, teaching origins and the true history of this world:  1. Creation event, 2. Male and Female Roles, 3. Marriage, 4. The Fall, 5. Sin, 6. Death, 7. Suffering, 8. God judged the world with Noah’s Flood, 9. Confusion of Languages at Babel that established the nations of today, 10. God establishes the nation Israel for His purposes. Its prophesied reestablishment as a nation in 1948 is central to God’s end-times plan.

Genesis is foundational to the most important event in all of history – JESUS OUR SAVIOUR enters our world, achieves victory over Satan, and provides the way for man to be born again, of the HOLY SPIRIT into a renewed relationship with our Heavenly Father.

“For He (our Heavenly Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

JESUS established the church and gave us His Word (BIBLE) to preach the GOSPEL to all the world. His Word also tells us how history ends: it is wonderful for those who repent and accept HIS gift of eternal life but tragic for those that reject it. Their fate is punishment in the Lake of Fire and the second death.

To help better equip you for the years ahead, I have four primary goals.

1. Provide evidence that God exists, and that life is absurd without God.

2. Demonstrate the BIBLE is God’s inspired WORD. Therefore, an accurate historical document from Genesis to Revelation.

3. Show Christians what can be achieved, if they listen to, and obey the Holy Spirit. He indwells all believers. Our body is the “temple of the Holy Spirit”.

Jesus said, if we listen and obey His instructions, we can truly do what He did on the earth and even more. The Holy Spirit’s role is to convey Jesus’s instructions. John 14:12.                         As the prophesied “last days” events unfold, this will be essential, if we are to be used by God to bring in the “end times” harvest.

4. Promote unity within the body of Christ as we are one body, one family in Christ. Jesus is head of the church. This unity will be essential in the last days. Jesus told us there will be a great falling away (apostasy) as persecution of Christians escalates. The church in the last days will look more like the early church described in the Book of Acts and the church in China during the reign of Mao. For that matter, also like the persecuted church today, in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt and other Middle Eastern and African countries ruled by Islam.

“And I (Jesus) do not pray for these alone, but for those also who shall believe on Me through their word, that they may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me.  John 17:20, 21

We need diversity within the body of Christ, but Jesus said unity is essential.  Why? “So, the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

When the Church moves in unity, it is not addition; it is the power of multiplication that is evident.

Sadly, the Roman Catholic church and many of the denominational churches no longer believe or teach the word of God accurately. As a result, it is powerless. The great falling away is already upon us.

As the Biblical worldview is totally opposed to the satanically inspired worldview of billions of years, the website shows the latest scientific evidence that supports the Bible’s Creation account and the latest archaeological and historical evidence that supports the historicity (6,000 years) and authority of the Bible. Much of this information is extracted from the website creation.com which I think is a must-view for all Christians who want to be equipped to defend the Biblical worldview.

Testimonies are powerful witness tools. You will read testimonies of changed lives, particularly PhD scientists who have realised evolution is a failed theory and at least embraced Intelligent Design and therefore a Creator. Decide which testimonies you can use and memorise them.

I include the philosophical arguments for God: Ontological, Cosmological, Teleological, Moral arguments (the existence of Objective Moral Values), and the argument from probability that life could not form by natural processes, e.g. Fred Hoyle, famous British mathematician and astronomer said “the probability of the formation of just one of the many proteins on which life depends is comparable to that of a solar system packed full of blind people randomly shuffling Rubik’s cubes all arriving at the solution at the same time” which of course is absurd.

The book’s content is sourced from many origins but only from recognized authorities. When scientific articles are quoted, they are from scientists that have the highest qualifications from prestigious universities.

The book is based on the website, http://www.livingeternal.net, which I set up in December 2012 and as of May 2020, I have just uploaded post one thousand two hundred and twenty-five.

This site will keep you up to date on end-time events as they relate to Biblical prophecy.

LIVING THE CHRISTIAN LIFE

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Another amazing video from Torben. This video is of Torben’s last week living for Christ in Florida. Letting the Holy Spirit guide his steps. This is how we all should live the Christian life.

You will love this video! Watch the first minute, and you will want to see more!

Torben’s message:

“Our heart is that people out there will experience Christ, get born again, and then start to live this amazing everyday life led by the Holy Spirit. They will see miracles! This is for you. If you don’t know where to start, then visit http://www.TheLastReformation.com/ start and watch some of the movies, or go through the online Pioneer School. Read our book The Last Reformation about how we need a reformation of the church back to this life. Don’t stop before this is your life!”

Blessings Torben Sondergaard

ARE WE MADE IN GOD’S IMAGE OR EVOLVED FROM A MONKEY?

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It is unfortunate that despite the revealed truth of the Word of God, some still foolishly believe in the lie called evolution; that man came into being as a result of random acts of nature  and evolved from a monkey into a human being. If that were the case, why is it that monkeys no longer turn into humans? Also, how do evolved monkeys act in today’s world? Why should you love your neighbour as yourself and why not steal? If there is no God, and this is all there is, then make the most of it? Why care about anyone else? Perhaps, it is fair to say, that Man become as a monkey, when he rejects the truth of scripture, and does not reflect the image of God, His creator.

“The fool has said in his heart, there is no God…” Psalm 14:1

Image result for picture of evolution of man from monkeys

When Satan causes us to reject who we are in Christ, we face the threat of being destroyed in spiritual warfare. We are at war and the only way Satan can defeat us is to get us to forget who we are in Christ and identify with how we feel, what we do, and how others perceive us. Rather than who God created us to be and how He views us.
Walking in the image of God, which was our original nature before sin, is only made possible by Jesus. He made it possible for or Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers in Him as Saviour and Lord. The Holy Spirit is our Counsellor, Comforter and Teacher. He produces the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives: love, joy, peace, faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, kindness, patience and self control and provides the nine Gifts of the Spirit for ministry. He is sanctifying us, making us more like Jesus everyday, preparing us to receive our new bodies when Jesus returns.

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Holy Spirit is essential to living a successful life, knowing God’s best for us, and overcoming the spiritual warfare we face each day. There are seven characteristics to God’s image:

  • Spirit – God is not a physical being but an existing Spirit. The mistake we tend to make is to limit our existence to our physics, when that isn’t who we really are. Like God, the ‘real us’ is spirit and as mentioned, Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the Holy Spirit to indwell believers forever.  We must allow our spirit to be activated by the Holy Spirit and let Him take full control over our physical being. The physical is limited, while the spirit is unlimited.
  • Eternal – God has no beginning or end. He is, was, and is to come. Like God, our spirit is eternal; not that we are immortal, but death is the doorway to eternity. What is important is where we spend eternity.
  • Holy – God is pure. There is no imperfection in Him. He calls us to be holy as He is holy. Holiness for us is not the absence of sin, but rather, it is the presence of the Holy Spirit, evidence of a dynamic relationship with a loving Saviour whose blood has cleansed us of all transgressions.
  • Creator – God is an innovator and is industrious. He has the ability to create. Of all His characteristics, entrepreneurs can best relate to this one because they understand the process of creating. Like God, whatever we imagine, we can produce. There are no limitations to our creative abilities.
  • Loving – “For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son…” (John 3:16.) God’s love is what led Him to send His only Son to die on the Cross. Like God, we must be love, and demonstrate our compassion for others. We must be willing to lay down our lives for others.
  • Just – God’s justice causes Him to judge wickedness and chastise those whom He loves. We must not cooperate with wickedness but take every opportunity to challenge it. We must resist the temptation to adopt “fairness” as a value. This is a dangerous attempt to play God, perhaps thinking that we’re going to make good decisions apart from submitting to God’s perfect righteousness and wisdom. God uses his perfect justice to ultimately yield redemption.

Ultimately, God is an eternal Holy Being who created everything that exists. Although sin brought destruction to His creation, His love for us compelled Him to come as a Saviour to redeem His creation and ultimately bring judgement upon the wicked.
Walking in the image of God is essential to our success in life. We need to be good stewards since that is God’s original and divine order. For us to conform to our original nature, we must make sure we have accepted His Son as our Lord and Saviour. We must have an active prayer and devotional life and submit to the Holy Spirit’s leading each day. This is essential in overcoming spiritual warfare.

My prayer for you today, is that God will give you the grace to recognise His presence and submit to His will, His guidance, so that you will be an overcomer and realise His plan and purpose for your life.

For more information on creation versus evolution go to http://www.creation.com