WHAT HURTS YOU MOST?

OK, so what hurts the most? You know, that's a great question. I got up this morning and my hips hurt. I got up yesterday and my throat hurt. Seems like the older I get, I get up with more pains than I went to bed with. But that is not what pains me the most. What really gets my inflammation running rampant is the lackadaisical way people go about life. Somewhere along the line we learned how to bury our heads in the sand and block out reality. We do not see the real hurt around us. It pains me that we have become a society of self indulgent humans. Instead of all for one and one for all it is all for me and me for me. Technology has consumed us. Iphones, Ipads, Game Boxes, Televisions, Computers, you get the picture.  I was at a restaurant the other day and four people were sitting at a booth. Each had their head down, not talking to each other, but starring into a cell phone.  If we really want to do something with our lives, we need to get the focus off of ourselves and start looking to the needs around us. There is so much hurt and so much need in the world, even right beside us. Yesterday I suggested (see article) that we do something for an elderly person. Well if you really want to change your own life and how you feel about yourself, why not focus on something that will change another's life. Just being kind to someone will do an amazing amount of good for them, not to mention how you will feel yourself. Be kind to someone today. You may just change their life.....and yours!  (If you have a comment, click below and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.) 

THE LITTLE THINGS

Don't you think it gets a little tiring when you see people ignoring the elderly. What I mean is, we have a population that is rife with elderly and by and large they are being ignored. Many of them live right next door. Many of them are lonely. Many of them are in need. Many are ill or infirm. Yet today we live in a very unsocial atmosphere. With the advent of social media there are less and less people who actually go out and interact with others. That being the case  it follows that people don't have time for personal contact and many miss out on opportunities to help out those who maybe less fortunate than themselves. I think everyone should take at least one or two hours a week to visit,help, serve, or give to an elderly person. A very simple act like a conversation can make their day. Not only that, but it will even give you a sense of satisfaction for having done so. Why not pick an elderly person to do something nice for today. You will be blessed.                                                                 (If you have a comment, click below and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.) 

"Land Of The Euphrates"

           The Bible prophesied, war in the “Land Of The Euphrates.” And, war is continuing in the “Land Of The Euphrates,” that is, the war in Iraq, which is in the “Land of the Euphrates.”
           We all thought this war was over, but it is not. As a matter of fact, it is escalating with ISIS terrorizing that neighborhood. Are we winning the war on terrorism or are we losing the war on terrorism. “Right now, we don’t know for sure!” But, we do know this. . .The end is NOT in sight! What lays ahead is a far greater challenge than what is behind us.
            Iran is determined to possess nuclear weapons and the United States and Israel are just as determined to prevent it.
            North Korea claims that she already has nukes and the ability to deliver them. Meanwhile the United States is insisting that North Korea give them up.
            Taiwan wants to be free from the claims of ownership from Mainland China. China says she will go to war before allowing Taiwanese independence.
            Many who study prophesy have a great advantage as they look into the future of such events. These prophecy students know that the Bible plainly foretells a war that kills one-third of mankind.
            And we know that the war will originate in the “Land Of The Euphrates.” This war that is prophesied to kill 2 billion people should stir within us a new urgency. An urgency to win as many souls to Christ as is humanly possible before it is too late.
            I for one do not believe that God wants us to sit idly by while 2 billion souls are prophesied to die ‘Christless.’
           The question is not if it will happen but when will it happen. And, knowing that time is short, we ought to be about our Father’s business with a greater diligence than ever before.
           If each one would take the time to share the Gospel and those who hear it do the same and so on, and so on, we would see many saved from the awful fate about to come on this earth.
            Let’s do what we can!

You Better Believe It: He IS Coming Back!

At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.


How many times did the hearts of the Israelites get excited as they found a new leader who they felt may be the coming Messiah. When it was found out that person was not Him, excitement disappeared and disappointment set in. But in spite of the long wait and many speculations, the Messiah finally did come, and as human nature is, He was rejected.

     For thousands of years what was an elusive promise became a reality only to be rejected. Today, we too look for many to be Him and we look for many to be the Antichrist as well.
     How many false Antichrist’s have we had? Napoleon? Mussolini? Stalin? Adolf Hitler? Henry Kissinger to name a few, but that does not mean that the Man of Sin will not finally come.
     The prophecy teachers told us that Israel would become a nation again and in 1948 on May 14^th, it happened. David Ben Gurion told the whole world “The name of our Jewish state will be Israel.”  At that point many Bible Scholars minds raced.. Now, they said, “The Second Coming Is Surely Near.” But, true to form, every thing returned to normal. The fanfare died and people went about their business.
     Then came the six day war in 1967. That’s when the prophecy students got on the bandwagon. “If Israel reunifies the city of Jerusalem, the rapture will take place”  they said.  Days later, Israel crossed the barbed wire fence and raised the Israeli flag over the Temple Mount for the first time in 2000 years. But, The rapture did not happen! And things returned to normal once again.
     The next event was Yassar Arafat shaking hands with Yitzhak Rabin on the lawn of the White House confirming the Oslo Accords. Do you suppose this was a confirmation of the covenant, have the final seven years of Tribulation begun?  NO! Not yet!
     Now, they are putting computer chips under the skin. There is even what is called a ‘sub dermal chip’ which is voluntarily (for now) placed under the skin and you can use it to down load cash into the chip and buy stuff at a store by swiping your hand across the store card reader just like a debit card.
     The Temple Institute in Israel has recreated all the furniture and the utensils needed for the resumption of temple worship. The ashes of the Red Heifer have been refined and are ready. The Sanhedrin has been reestablished after 1600 years. In February 2005 The Temple Institute held discussions about the proposed location of the prophesied Third Temple. Jews the world over are being asked to send in a portion of their earnings to help pay for the rebuilding of the Temple.
     Still, no rapture! Why hasn’t He come back yet? It’s simple! “It’s just not quite time yet!”
     But know this for sure: The One who promised to come the first time kept His Word. The same Messiah promised to come a second time and again, He will keep His word.
      “For yet a little while, and He that shall come will come, and will not tarry.” Hebrews 10:37

Are You Ready?

At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.




Looking at the state of the world, it's hard to be encouraged. But as world news gets worse and worse, more people are turning to the Lord for solace. According to some reports as many as 175,000 new believers are born again every day. But, mostly they are in Africa, China, and India. Reports of these conversions are accompanied by accounts of miracles. People receiving supernatural healings and even being raised from the dead. Just as He did at the beginning of the church Age the Holy Spirit is moving mightily at its end. I believe the Lord is issuing a giant "last call" before He suddenly takes the church out of here to begin the End Times judgments. Signs are given as indicators for us and they are  in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24:, Mark 13:, & Luke 21:) As you know, most of the signs in the Olivet Discourse are progressive and all are described as happening well before the end. Their main interest to us is found in the phrase "beginning of birth pangs." Natural disasters, the tendency toward war as a tool of diplomacy, famine amidst plenty (35,000 children die each day of starvation and related diseases) and pestilence are described as being common to this age. But they are increasing in frequency and intensity as the end approaches. This is certainly the case now, and it is an indicator of how close we are to the end. It's true that for over 100 years folks have been saying, "how much worse can it get?" Sadly, the answer now as it was then is, "much!" It seems man's depravity knows no limits. But take heart. Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. We don't belong here, being citizens of heaven. And one day soon our long awaited King will return to take us there.  Are you ready? Have you accepted Jesus as your Savior? Do it today and be ready. He is coming soon.

WHAT ABOUT THE WORD?

At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.




Psalm 1 tells us. . .

       “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners,  nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night…” Psalm 1:1-2

        A person who loves the Word of God will be a person who dwells on the Word of God and what it says. A person who keeps scripture in their heart and meditates on it day and night as they walk on their way through the day will find that “whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

        If you are able to find someone who knows the Lord, follows this directive in their life and yet “does not prosper as God’s Word says,” then you can doubt the inspiration of Psalm One. But I sincerely doubt that is going to happen!

        Find the person first and then look at their walk. If  it is with the Lord they are being blessed. If not, they are not. It’s is that simple.

       When John Wanamaker, the merchant prince, was eleven years old, he purchased a Bible. In his later years this is what he said about buying that Bible;

      “I have, of course, made large purchases of property in my time, involving millions of dollars, but it was as a boy in the country, at the age of eleven years, that I made my greatest purchase.

       In a little mission Sunday School I bought a small red leather Bible for $2.75, which I had to pay for in small installments.

       Looking back over my life, I see that the little red Book was the foundation on which my life has been built. It is the thing that has made possible everything that has counted in my life. I know now that it was the greatest investment and the most important and far reaching purchase I have ever made.”

      The Word is the most important thing in a Christian’s life. It is life!

What Is Going On In The World?

At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

World Religion: Iran Leader: Islam To ‘Rule The World’. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, told a crowd in Iran that Islam must prepare to rule the world. He said that the return of the Shiite messiah, the Mahdi, is not far away, and Muslims must prepare for it. According to Shiites, the 12^th Imam disappeared in the year 941. When he returns, they believe, he will reign on earth for seven years before bringing about a final judgment, Some people working closely with Ahmadinejad believe the Mahdi will return in the next few years.

World Religion: Churches Celebrate Darwin’s birthday: Nearly 450 Christian churches celebrated the 206^th birthday of Charles Darwin. Darwin’s theory holds that all life on earth developed over millions of years through natural selection and random mutation. “Evolution Sunday” drew participation from a variety of churches, including Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Baptist and many more. The events creator, a former biology professor, collected 10,000 Christian clergy members’ signatures on his project. (Ribbit!)

World Religion: Vatican Wants Dialogue With Muslims: The Vatican is exploring the possibility of expanding its interfaith Catholic Jewish dialogue to include Muslims. According to a senior Vatican official, who heads the Vatican office for interreligious dialogue. He discussed the initiative with other high ranking Vatican officials. (birds of a feather. . .)

World Religion: European Women Turning To Islam: The number of Islamic converts in Europe is rising, most of them women. Pascal Mailhos, of the French domestic intelligence agency says “The phenomenon is booming, and it worries us.” Mary Fallot converted to Islam three years ago after asking herself spiritual questions to which she found no answers in her childhood Catholicism. She says she liked the way Islam demands closeness to God, Islam is simpler, more rigorous, and easier because it is explicit. I was looking for a framework; man needs rules and behavior to follow. Christianity did not give me the same reference points.” Curiosity about Islam has grown since 9/11, say both Muslim and non Muslim researchers, though only a fraction of converts are attracted to radical strands of Islam. (Methinks Mary Fallot has her head in the sand. She is trying to find religion through a works based idea instead of  “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

Do you know Jesus? Come To Him Today!  Blessings, Pastor Coutts

A Word Of Prophecy: The Next Four Years!

At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Signals pointing to fulfillment of Bible prophecy continue to mount. The signs are in every direction on the horizon of this generation. We are convinced we must, in obedience to the commission to be good watchmen of issues and events in light of God's prophetic Word, propose scripturally sound possibilities for this last time. We will delve into likely scenarios that might play out on the stage of human history from now until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Specifically, we will forecast the probabilities of things to come for the next four years. This is not an endeavor to try to set dates. The goal is to offer perspective, both different and superior, scripturally, and rationally, to the endless number of predictions, made through wild speculations, that have turned out to be false. I don't make any claims of supernatural knowledge or secret intelligence reports. I base my forecasting upon Jesus' words of condemnation to those of His time on earth who were willfully blind to the common signs signaling His first coming.   "Jesus answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowring. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matt. 16:2-3)   If you were to look back into history 150 years, you would find that Bible prophecy follows a very steady rate of progress. Because man becomes bored with or desensitized to prophecy-related events, he fails to realize how simple the task of prophecy watching can be. No Christian who earnestly seeks to know what the Bible says about what will happen in the future will fail to discern the signals.   The European Union. The EU has evolved from its genesis as the Club of Rome in the mid-20th century to become the 25-nation geopolitical entity we believe will ultimately provide the power base for Antichrist (Rev. 17:12-13). As it looks now, the European Union, while a growing behemoth, will likely remain in the shadow of the United States until some future dynamic changes the present circumstances. Because the Bible predicts the revived Roman Empire will initially be a weak government, the next four years will likely continue to see the EU struggle with internal strife. Despite the conflicts and setbacks, the pro-EU forces will ultimately end up on top of the climb toward global power. Watch for the EU to assert its strengthening economic and military power while the next four years unfold. Terrorism .  If the prophetic birth pangs are going to increase with greater frequency and intensity, it is logical to assume that terrorism, as part of the end-time mix, will increase from this point. The world has yet to experience a large-scale terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction. We believe it is only a matter of time before the world is brought to a new level of shock as WMDs kill large numbers of innocent people. It is very possible the Antichrist will rise to power as a result of a climate of fear involving terrorism. The Word of God indicates we are headed towards a period so frightening that men will die prematurely from fear. "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken" (Luke. 21:26).  Watch for terrorism to rise to the level of catastrophic use of weapons of mass destruction. Terrorism will inevitably bring with the dangers involved, liberty-oppressing ramifications throughout the U.S., and the world. Russia In chapters 38 and 39 of Ezekiel, we are told that Russia and a host of Arab and other nations will attempt  an invasion of Israel. Prophetic scholars have been puzzled by the "evil thought" that will cause Russia to come against the tiny nation of Israel. "Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, [that] at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought" (Ezek. 38:10). The Gog prophecies appeared to many to be tailor-made for the geographical area once within the Soviet Union. When the USSR fell and was replaced by a freely elected democratic government, most prophecy watchers were in a state of denial about the validity of the reforms. Now that Vladimir Putin is rapidly reversing Russia's experience with freedom, we're getting an indication that the geopolitical realities that will produce the prophesied leader, Gog, are in place today. Watch for Russia to drift away from democratic ideals. As it does so, we expect to see that nation embark on a new drive toward militarism. At some point, Putin's desire for even more  power will cause him to exert strong-arm influence on the weaker nations surrounding Russia. The test of how near we are to Russia's prophesied campaign against Israel depends on how the world community reacts to Putin's likely coming move. Mark of the Beast, 666. Actually, very little advancement is required before we reach the point at which the world will utilize a centralized financial system to control all economic transactions. The technology now exists and is ready for full implementation around the globe. The changes we see in the next few years may be very subtle, but they will have a profound impact. In 2006, most consumer products became tagged with radio ID chips (RFID). Once all the items on our store shelves become tagged, the logical question will be asked: "Why aren't humans marked?" As the tags become more popular, watch and listen for more serious talk about a cashless society, then for dynamic movement to implement it. "And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name" (Rev. 13:16-17). The United States. Because prophecy does not specifically cite the United States as being a major player in the end times, one can assume with good reason that our nation will become a secondary player in the final days leading up to the tribulation. It is possible a devastating event might remove the U.S. from the world stage. For example, with a total national debt in the trillions and a trade deficit in the billions the American economy could implode from its own excess. I  believe America's position as the number-one global economic power will continue to diminish while the EU's economic fortune rises. U.S. resources are massive, but not without limits. The constant drain on them from expansive policing responsibilities around the world may trigger a breakpoint. Dependence upon fossil fuel to power both the engines of its vehicles and the engine of its commerce add to the strain on the U.S. economy. Watch for the spiritual and political division at the nation's core to worsen if Christians continue to make material matters their priority.  The Israeli-Arab Conflict  In the near future Israel and her Arab neighbors may experience a new level of hostility that will grab the world's attention like never before. Because Antichrist is predicted to be the guarantor of peace for Israel and its enemy neighbors, there must be a conflict of considerable magnitude for him to resolve. With Syria and Iran possessing weapons of mass destruction, that level of conflict could come when Israel tries to preemptively disarm one or both of these nations. Watch for such action, if it occurs, to thrust Israel toward isolation foretold in the following prophecy:   "And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it" (Zech. 12:3). China, The Bible tells us that someday a huge military alliance will invade the Middle East with an army of 200 million soldiers. Because China is about the only nation with the ability to man and effectively outfit an army of such massive size, prophecy watchers have looked for it to fulfill the role of the kings of the east found in the following prophecy:   "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared" (Rev. 16:12 ). "Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them" (Rev. 9:16 ). Watch for China's economic might to continue to grow. I expect that its need for natural resources will cause the Communist state to become more determined to project its influence on a global scale. I also think that China's relationship with the U.S. will become strained by the need to compete for those dwindling resources. Morality, The decline in morality has been one of the easiest end-time signs to project. Over the past decade, the filth spewing from the media has steadily increased, its society-infecting contents flushing the nation and the world ever lower toward the cesspool of cultural depravity. Many short-lived attempts at reversing the trend have been made, but all have failed. It is likely that over the next four years, profanity and nudity will descend to new lows. The growing availability of satellite and internet outlets that are beyond the reach of federal regulators will almost certainly speed the decline. "Shock jock" Howard Stern has already realized he can escape the wrath of the FCC by moving his radio program to the Sirius satellite network. Watch for entertainment media to severely test the broadcast and cable morality monitors at every turn. Since the regulators themselves approach life from a sin-fallen perspective, things will go from bad to worse. Apostasy,  One of the best ways to measure levels of apostasy is to track the activity of popular Christian leaders who are heavily involved in heretical doctrine. For a number of years, I have watched the activity of leading figures in the word of faith movement. Until now, their errors have mostly been confined to teaching that corrupts the Gospel message. Because there is no such thing as stagnant apostasy, in the next four years, we should expect to experience examples of Christian leaders adopting doctrines that conflict directly with the heart of Christianity. Watch for some of the key indicators of apostasy to proliferate greatly. Some of these are: bold statements that reject Jesus as the only way of salvation; the acceptance of homosexual lifestyle; and hate-filled words and actions against true believers. Oil, Man has just about discovered all the major oil fields on the planet that are going to be found, according to some experts. In fact, the rate of discovery of worldwide oil reserves, after declining for 40 years, is reported to have nosed dived in recent years. In 2000, there were 16 large discoveries of oil, eight in 2001, three in 2002, and none in 2003, so says James Meyer, director of the Oil Depletion Analysis Centre in London. While more and more nations become industrialized, the focus on oil supplies is going to force the world's attention even more dramatically in the direction of the Middle East. Watch for a higher than before  rise in the value of oil over the coming four years. That will in all likelihood lead to stronger military ties, as oil wealth is exchanged for armaments. The Harlot Church,  Bible prophecy forewarns that during the end times, a demonic spiritual movement will use love and understanding to create a global pantheon of religions. The result will be an organization that promotes the false belief that all roads lead to the Creator. Because Jesus Christ said that He is the only way to God, anyone who holds to this truth will be labeled intolerant.  In the next few years anyone who disagrees with that developing religious system of "tolerance" will not be tolerated. In the name of tolerance, Christians will be pushed to the margins of what is considered "tolerant" society. Already, our culture has reached the point that it is a hate crime for someone to declare the supremacy of Jesus Christ. Scripture foretells the result of the trends in this direction: "And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead was a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration" (Rev. 17:4-6). Watch for increasingly stringent legislative proposals, and, particularly, for more court actions and edicts aimed at putting a clamp on Christians expressing godly values in most every area of life in America. People of the United States and the world are entering a time rife with probabilities that will present great danger to personal liberty. The next four years will, at the same time, offer possibilities full of great opportunity to live victoriously through Christ.  Pastor Coutts 

WATCH THIS SPACE

Hi Everyone.
I have not been active on this site for quite a while. There have been so many issues that needed attention to that I was forced to take a break for a time. Now everything seems to be under control and it is time to restart this mission.
There will be some new posts shortly and it is my hope they will encourage you and you will be prompted to respond with a comment or a post of your own to this site. Of course all posts will need to be reviewed before they appear, so please be patient and I will get to it.
Do you have some topic of interest you want to share? Then just use the 'follow by email' link on this page and the rest will fall in place.
Looking forward to ministry with you.
Blessing, Dr Bob.

IS THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD ON YOU?

 

by

Rev. Dr. Robert SJ Coutts

 At the end of this article, please click on the words No Comments to access the comment page and please leave a comment or feedback. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the Poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

When Jesus was in the temple one day, He picked up the book of Isaiah and began to read some powerful words. These words were even more powerful because they were emphasized by the very work He was doing on the earth at that time.

There is something very important about having the Spirit of God upon us. I believe God is bringing us to a place where we know the Spirit of the Lord is upon us and if we have not yet gotten to that place it would be good to consider how to get there and make a determination that you are going to do it as soon as you possibly can.

I believe God is drawing our attention to the fact of what Jesus said in John 14: 16; “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another helper [Comforter in the KJV] that He may abide with you forever.” John 14:16

We need to make sure in this lifetime that the same anointing comes upon us. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Him who is our head, so it should be imperative to us that we receive it as well to carry on the work of our Lord. I don’t know about you, but I want that same Spirit on me.

The devil will cause us to lose the victory if we allow ourselves to be defeated by him. But if the Spirit of the Lord is upon us, the devil has no say. He has no way with us. And it is a fact that if we have not the Spirit of the Lord upon us, we have no message at all, and, as for me,

I have no message for anyone apart from that message He gives to me and I also believe that the signs He speaks will follow His message. I believe that Jesus was the One sent forth from God. He was sent to be the propitiation for our sins. He became the scapegoat that you and I might have life. He became the propitiation for the sins of the whole world. I John 2:2; “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”  I John 2:2;

We see the manifestation of the Spirit resting upon Him so that His ministry was with power. May God awaken us to the fact that this is the only place there is any ministry of power.

I want to speak to you in such a way today as to stir you up to the fact that the Holy Spirit is here now. He is here and He is here to stay forever. Are you going to let the devil defeat you?  Or, are we going to produce the signs following that Jesus promised once the comforter had come.  The signs must follow because Jesus said so. When we walk in that same Spirit we will not be defeated by the devil and we will produce the signs that Jesus expects of every Spirit filled believer.

Folks, there is absolutely no limit to what we can become if we will only live and dwell in the Spirit. In the Spirit of prayer, we will be immediately transferred from earth to the very presence of God. In the Spirit, the Word of God seems to unfold in a wonderful and powerful way. In the Spirit, the love of God is poured out in us. Romans 5:5; says, “and hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given to us.” Romans 5:5;

As we speak in the Spirit we feel the fire that burned within the hearts of those two men on their way to Emmaus when Jesus walked with them after the resurrection. Luke 24:13-3;2 is the story. I just know, that when you and I walk with Him, it will also come to pass in our lives that our hearts will burn within us.

That same power of the Spirit of God is present to make it happen. The two men on their way to Emmaus could not understand what was happening on the road but a few hours later,  they saw Jesus break the bread, and their eyes were opened.

Folks, I am convinced that as we walk with our Lord, our hearts should always be burning inside us. Burning with a passion for Him and about Him. There is a place where we can live in the anointing and be totally clothed in His spirit. A place where everything we say will come out in the power of the Lord.

Ephesians tells us. . .“Do not be drunk with wine. . .but be filled with the Spirit.” Ephesians 5:18; I tell you the truth,  to be filled with the Spirit is a wonderful privilege. With that privilege come responsibility, like John on the Isle of Patmos that day. He was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day and God used him to pen Revelation and because of the fact he was in the Spirit, God made the Revelation clear to him. you can read about that in Revelation 1:9-10;.

What does it mean to this generation for us to be kept in the spirit? All human reasoning and all human knowledge cannot be compared with the power of the life that is lived in the Spirit. In the Spirit we have the power to loose and we have the power to bind. Matthew 16:19; “And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19;

There is a place where the Holy Spirit can put us where we cannot be anywhere else but in the Spirit. If we breathe the Holy Spirit’s thoughts into our thoughts, and live in the anointing of the Holy Spirit as Jesus lived, then there will be evidences that we are in the Holy Spirit, and we will do His works. But, it is only in the Spirit!

Now, I read in Matthew 16:19; that Jesus says in essence, “I will give you power to bind, and I will give you power to loose.” This is a power that we have not yet claimed, and we will not be able to claim this manifestation of the Spirit unless we live in the spirit. I believe we are only able to bind and loose when we are living in the Spirit. We cannot bind things in human strength or in the natural mind. This kind of power was never lacking in the life of Jesus but as I give you this word today,

I feel there is a great lack of that power in most Christians today. God help us! Luke 4:18; says, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

Friends, there was a great purpose for this Spirit to be upon Jesus and likewise there is a special purpose for each of us to be baptized in the Spirit. We must not forget that we are all members of the same body, His body and by this wonderful baptismal power, we are partakers of His divine nature. 2 Peter 1:4; says. . .“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” 2 Peter 1:4

The revelation came this way. I saw Adam and Eve driven out of the garden and a flaming sword at every side to keep them from entering into the garden. But I saw that all around me was a flaming sword keeping me from evil, and it seemed this would be true if I would claim it, and I said, “Lord I will.” The flaming sword was around me, delivering me from the power of Hell. In this way we are preserved from evil. God is like a wall of fire around us Zechariah 2:5;

so why should we fear? What a wonderful salvation! What a wonderful deliverer!

The next time you read Ezekiel. Read chapter 37;  and notice, the only need of Ezekiel was to be in the Spirit, and while he was in the Spirit, it came to him to prophesy to the dry bones and say, “O dry bones, hear the Word of the Lord.” Ezekiel 37:4

And as he prophesied according to the Word of the Lord and God’s command,  he saw an “exceeding great army.” Ezekiel 37:10;  rising up about him. he prophet obeyed God’s command,  and all we have to do is exactly this: obey God.  “What is impossible with man is possible with God” Luke 18:27;

It is truly my prayer that your body, soul, and spirit may be preserved holy and that you will always be on fire, always ready with the anointing on you. Without it we are out of divine order and we ought to be on our faces before Him crying out to Him until that glory returns to our life and shines on our face for the world to see. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.” Luke 4:8;

There must have been a reason for the Spirit of the Lord to be upon Him. There is, and the Word gives us our clue. Luke 4:18-19; Because He has anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted [what a Gospel!], to proclaim liberty to the captives [what a wonderful Spirit was upon Him!], and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.

Missionaries who work in many of the foreign countries have an awesome responsibility to deliver the Gospel of Salvation and healing and deliverance. Knowing how missionaries are to work can be found in the life of Paul among the natives on the Island of Malta. When the viper (snake) came out of the fire and fastened on to Pause hand, they watched to see him swell up and die. When he neither swelled up nor died, they said,  “He is a god.” Acts 28:3-6; Missionaries need to be sure that when they go to foreign lands where the devil is having his way and they go there to see the bands of Satan loosed and prisoners of sin set free, they need to be sure they can say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”

The Word reminds us that Christ is made unto us not only Salvation, but also wisdom and redemption I Corinthians 1:30. I am under the firm conviction that each of us when we go into our own mission field, must be sure we can say, The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me and that we are filled with God, yes, filled with God, pardoned cleansed and filled with God.

Being filled with God leaves no room for fear or doubting. I am sure we really do not have any idea of what all pertains to being filled with God. I know it means being emptied of ourselves for sure. But, do you know what it means to be filled with God. It means you have no fear. That means you are filled with God because the word specifically says, “perfect love casts out fear.” I John 4:18;

I don’t know about you, but I want to know more about this manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit so let’s just follow the Apostle Paul for a bit. If you look at the 28^th chapter of Acts, we find that the chief of the Island had a fever and he had dysentery. The minute Paul ministered to him, he was healed, and the people gave Paul things to take with him Acts 28:8-10;

When we think that the church is poor and needy, we forget that the spirit of intersession can unlock every bank in the world. What did God do for the children of Israel? He took them to vineyards and lands flowing with milk and honey, and all they did was walk in and take possession.

If we would only live in the Spirit and the anointing of the Spirit, there would be no lack. The is only lack where faith is not the substance. Hebrews 11:1; says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”  And whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23; “And he that doubteth is dammed if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.”

If we believe this with all our hearts, this will come to pass. You do not need to try and bring Christ down to earth, He is already here according to Romans 10:6-8; “But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is to bring Christ down from above: Or, who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead,) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;” Romans 10:6-8;

He is here and if we will obey Him, there is nothing He will not give us since He has given us Jesus. The Spirit will have to reveal to us the fact that, because the Lord has given us Jesus, He has given us all things. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me Luke 4:18; says.

It is absolutely true that we must be filled with the Spirit. We need to ask God to teach us what that means. It is only because Jesus had an understanding of what it meant to be filled with the Spirit that he was able to do mighty works and that He could stand before a demon and say, “Come out!” I wonder today, who is the person that is so willing to lay down everything so they can have all God has for them?

If that is you today, I urge you to begin to seek His face and don’t stop seeking until you get what you are looking for. A closeness with Jesus that can only be explained by the works He will do through you. Don’t stop until you can truthfully say, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me!”

I thank you Father that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes. Matthew 11:25;

If that is you and you are in the infant class today, the Spirit must have revealed to you, your lack of Him. You need to seek with all your heart and you need to be made a flame of fire for Him. The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you and you will do exploits for Him.

Ask Him today, Spirit of the Lord, Come upon Me.