The Rest of God and The Benefits of Being in the Presence of God

When I'm in the kitchen preparing a meal or a snack for my kids I notice that they have very different behavior. My son knows that I'm preparing something for him so he wanders off to play or watch tv until I let him know it's ready. My daughter is very different however. As I'm going about washing fruit, cutting up vegetables, stirring the soup...she's right there following my every move. Sometimes she even clings to my leg or holds on to my skirt so that she can be in on everything I'm doing. Often, because she's right there I'll give her a sample of what I'm preparing: a piece of cheese, a cracker, or some fruit. Sometimes her sweet little smile has convinced me to give her a whole stack of pancakes!

The Rest of God

        As believers we can learn a lot from the behavior of my son and daughter. My son trusts me so he's not worried about whether his meal is coming. He's not frantically pacing back and forth wondering whether I will do what I said. Due to his trust and faith in my desire and ability to provide for him he can go relax and enjoy himself.  Just as my son trusts me to take care of him we can trust the loving, faithful, powerful, almighty God to supply our needs, heal us, deliver us, and give us favor. Every promise is the Bible is ours. God is just waiting for us to believe and trust in Him. Once we have full faith in Him we can enter into the rest of God and truly enjoy our lives. "For we who have believed (adhered to and trusted in and relied on God) do enter that rest.." Hebrews 4:3 

(To build our faith we must consistently read and study the Word of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God-Romans 10:17. A great place to read about men and women of faith is Hebrews 11.)

The Benefits of Being in the Presence of God

My daughter trusts that I will provide as well, but she has also learned that by staying in my presence she can receive the benefit of sampling what I'm preparing. It's the same way when it comes to our relationship with God. The more we hang around Him the more we reap the benefits of His presence. Here are just a few of the benefits of being in the presence of God:

Joy and Pleasures

"...in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand are pleasures forever more." Psalm 16:11

Liberty and Freedom

 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (emancipation from bondage, freedom)." II Corinthians 3:17

Courage, Confidence, Strength, and Help

"Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you..." Isaiah 41:10

Successfully Answered Prayer

"If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you." John 15:7 (Keep in mind that we must pray in line with the will of God in order to see things come to pass. See the post titled Rescued from the Edge for more details.)

Why Should I Go To Church?????

   It is hard for me to recall ever missing church when I was growing up because my mom was the church musician. She didn't miss a Sunday so I didn't miss a Sunday. It became a habit for me and even while I was away from home attending college I still made it a point to find a church home. It wasn't until recently that I began attending out of a thirst for the Word of God instead of out of habit. I think the reason that so many people make going to church an option instead of a vital need is because they don't realize that they're not the one giving something away (time, money, etc.). God is actually giving us something so beautiful and wonderful that if we really understood it we would NEVER miss church.

     First, if you are not excited about going to church you need to do an internal check. Are you spending time with God on your own? Do you have religion or relationship? If you feel your relationship with God is sound then you should consider and pray about whether you are in the right church.

     It is important that you are under the right leadership. Every church is not for everybody. I once asked one of my friends how I could tell if I was in the right church. She said "If the pastor is speaking a word and it ministers so perfectly to what you're going through that you have to wonder whether he or she read your journal or has been listening to your phone conversations then you're in the right place."

     I thought about what she told me the other day because I am so blessed to be in a church where every Sunday I receive a word that seems to be tailor made just for me. As I continued to meditate on this God revealed to me why certain people are assigned to certain pastors and how the Holy Spirit ministers to us through that pastor when we are divinely connected.

    I Peter 2:2 says, "Like newborn  babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation." Before deciding to breastfeed my babies I did a great deal of research. I found out that the milk produced by the mother is specifically created for that baby.  Breastmilk changes as the baby grows and matures to provide the proper nutrients that baby needs at each stage of growth. Even the best formula cannot mimic the chemical makeup of breastmilk. Just as a mother's milk is specifically created for the baby she is carrying the Holy Spirit gives pastors a specific Word for the people God has assigned to them. It is important to attend church and hear that Word from God because it was designed specifically for you in order to nourish your spiritual deficiencies. The Holy Spirit also knows when a congregation is growing and maturing so He will minister to the pastor in a way that will be refreshing and challenging so that they will not become stagnant.

      When you are receiving a Word from the Lord through your pastor you are experiencing a supernatural transfer. That is why it is so vital to be in church and hear what God has to say to you. Romans 10:17 says "So faith comes by hearing, and what is heard comes by the preaching of the message of Christ."

     So many people are suffering lack, not experiencing victory in their prayer life, and even depressed. It is ironic that when we are going through hard times many of us decrease church attendance when this is the time to be at church all the more.

     Satan does not want us to attend church regularly because he knows that one day people are going to hear a word from the Lord spoken through their pastor that answers a spiritual question they've had for years. One day your pastor is going to teach about healing and people are going to be cured of diseases that the doctor said they would never be rid of. One day your pastor is going to pray for deliverance from addiction and people are going be delivered immediately. One day your pastor is going to teach about tithing and people are going to be obedient and see the windows of heaven open for them. One day your pastor is going to talk about faith and people are going to begin to trust God like never before. One day your pastor is going to teach about miracles and people are going to turn into walking miracles.

 Are you going to be there that day?????

A Guide to Witnessing

If God has called you to witness by approaching people who may be unbelievers here are a few tips:


1) Know what your goal is.
One of the first questions should be "Are you saved?"
If the person in not saved then the goal is salvation.


If they are saved they may be backslidden (not actively pursuing the will of God or acknowledging their connection to God). You can pray with them for a renewal of their relationship with God. A great scripture to encourage them and remind them of God's mercy and forgiveness is James 4:8 "Come close to God and He will come close to you."


If they are saved and not backslidden you can ask if they need prayer.


2) Know your information.
When you ask someone if they are saved they may not even know what it means to be saved. You must know and specifically be able to explain to them what it means.
How do I receive salvation?
The answer is found in Romans 10:9 "Because if you acknowledge and confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and in your heart believe that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
If you are serious about witnessing memorize this scripture! You may also want to have a Bible with you so you can show them the scripture in black and white.
What are the benefits of salvation?

Being saved means that you receive eternal life in heaven after your life on earth is ended. (John 3:16) Being saved means you are reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and you are in right relationship and right standing with Him. (Romans 5:8-10)

3) Find Out if the Person Wants Salvation
If they want to be saved you can pray the following prayer with them but be sure that they say the prayer aloud. Romans 10:9 says that you must confess with your mouth...


Prayer for Salvation

Heavenly Father, I know that I have sinned against you and that my sins separate me from you. Forgive me and help me to avoid sinning again. I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ, died for my sins and that He was

raised from the dead. I invite Jesus to become my Savior and the Lord of my life. In Jesus' name I pray,

Amen.

4) The Next Step

Congratulate them on their new life with Christ and offer to help them find a church home.Once you are saved it is important to connect with a church where you can fellowship with other believers, build your faith by hearing the Word of God, and participate in corporate praise and worship.They can visit

www.usachurch.com to find a directory of churches in your area and visit www.gotquestions.org/now-what2.html for more information on their new life in Christ.

5) If They Decline

If they do not decide to accept Christ as their Savior don't be discouraged. You have planted a seed that may be watered by others and eventually grow into a strong believer. Continue to pray for them. It's also a good idea to leave them with something like a pamphlet or card explaining what salvation is and how to receive salvation. They may read it later and decide to accept Christ on their own.

6) A Final Word

Sometimes people can be a bit defensive about what you're sharing with them. When you tell them that salvation means going to heaven and they are not saved they could say " Are you saying I'm going to hell?" My pastor gave me a brilliant and tactful way to answer that. You can respond by saying "I'm not saying you're going to hell. I'm telling you what the Bible says." That way it doesn't seem like a personal attack or like you're judging them.

I pray that this is helpful and that God strengthens us and gives us wisdom as we go out and reach the lost.

If you have any other tips please leave a comment.

Being a Knowledgeable Believer

"My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..." Hosea 4:6

This occurred July 7, 2011:

This evening two people came to my door to witness to me about "God the mother". I don't know if any of you have ever had someone approach you about this but this is the second time it's happened to me. Of course I asked them to show me specific scriptures that proved their point. They showed me two scriptures, but neither explicitly related to "God the mother." The premise is that there is God the Father which we all as Christians acknowledge, but there is also "God the mother" that most of us are unaware of. For the record I do not agree with this premise. (I found out later through some research that the organization they represented is actually classified as a cult.)

Never once did they ask me if I was saved. Salvation must always be step one. We don't know when Jesus is returning and the salvation of someone's soul (see Romans 10:9-10 for how to be saved) is more important than whether they know of "God the mother". Also, their pamphlet only promoted receiving the "heavenly mother", but salvation comes ONLY through Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

I encourage you to get educated and stay educated! We must know the Word of God so that we will not be deceived. Jesus said in Matthew 24:4 "Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving and leading you into error]." We saw an attempt at deception with the recent Judgement Day "prophecy". Sadly, in response to that "prophecy" I overheard a young lady ask if it was safe for her to go on her vacation that weekend. Those of us who know the Bible know that Matthew 24:36 says "...of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."

If your church has Bible Study please attend. If not please visit another church's Bible Study or study on your own. There is a wonderful website called Biblegateway.com that has every translation of the Bible imaginable. It is a great resource for those who need a more understandable version or who want to study more deeply. (I have found the Amplified translation very helpful.) The time you put into studying the Word of God is invaluable. You will not only gain knowledge, but you will also gain discernment and you will begin to hear from God more clearly because you will know His voice. The more we hear from God the more successful and victorious we will be in life.

Finally, remember this: "Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world. By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God; every spirit which acknowledges [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source]" I John4:1-2

Rescued from the Edge

This occurred June 6, 2011:

I had an interesting experience this morning and I decided to share it in hopes that it might encourage you.

God woke me up at 3:03 this morning and I was on the very edge of my bed. If I had moved even half an inch I would have fallen to the floor. (My bed sits pretty high so that would have been a hard fall.) This has never happened before. I am a very peaceful sleeper and wherever I fall asleep is right where I wake up so as I moved back to the middle of the bed I wondered, “How did I get here?” God began to show me that this is precisely how His grace works. Just when you’ve reached the edge and you feel you can’t take any more of the issues of life God’s grace steps in to rescue you from falling and He secures you and puts you in a place of safety.

This past week I felt like I was on the edge. There were things that I was hoping and praying for but they did not come to pass the way I thought they would and to be perfectly honest there were a few times that I felt forsaken…but God. There were days that I cried and cried because I was pursuing the will of God and felt like I was doing everything “right” and I wasn’t seeing results…but God.

What I’ve realized is that just because things don’t work out the way you planned doesn’t mean that they won’t work out. God has an infinitely better plan that anything we could come up with in our human thinking because “His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9). God has limitless, unbounded wisdom and knowledge. He knows and sees things that we aren’t aware of and probably couldn’t even comprehend even if we were aware. We have to learn to submit to His authority, His will, and His way of doing things. If we’ve always got to have it our way then we might as well prepare to live in utter frustration.

 Frustration was the theme of my week last week because I kept trying to seek my will instead of submitting to God’s will and His divine plan for my life. Through experiencing these frustrations God reminded me of how much joy and peace I forfeit when I do not surrender to His will.

In order to be a victorious Christian we must know how to pray in a way that will render success. If you are frustrated and feel like you aren’t seeing results from your prayers you can easily start to lose your faith. The enemy will try to tell you that God’s not listening or that He doesn’t care but the devil is a liar and there is no truth in him. That is why it is so vital to learn how to pray properly. When you pray and you start seeing things come to pass it builds up your faith and you become an unstoppable force for the kingdom of God.

If we desire to see results and prayers answered we must pray in line with the will of God. God says in Isaiah 46:10 “My counsel shall stand and I will do all My pleasure and purpose.” If we pray in accordance with God’s purposes we will always see results.

So how can we ensure that we are in agreement with God’s will when we pray?

1)      Pray the Word of God

 Whatever is going on in your life find a scripture that supports what you are believing God for and speak it out loud. If you need healing pray I Peter 2:24, if you need peace pray John 14:27, and if you need provision pray Philippians 4:19. It is so important to pray God’s Word because we know that the angels hearken to the voice of God’s Word (Psalm 103:20) and God’s Word shall not return unto Him void but it shall accomplish that which He sent it for (Isaiah 55:11).

2)      Pray in the Holy Spirit

My pastor spoke yesterday on the importance of utilizing the Holy Spirit and how we sometimes forget that the Holy Spirit was sent to be our Helper. Jesus said in John 14:26 (AMP) “But the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My name [in My place, to represent Me and act on My behalf], He will teach you all things.”  If you have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues I encourage you to study what the Bible says about the gifts that come along with the indwelling of the Spirit and I pray that God will lead you to experiencing the full realm of what He has for you. I grew up Methodist and praying in the Spirit was never talked about in my church. I thank God for leading me to a church where the gifts of the Spirit were emphasized. I received the Baptist of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues in 2006 and my life has never been the same!

If you have been filled with the Spirit then know that when you pray in tongues you are praying the divine will of God. This is an invaluable tool for the believer. Romans 8:26-27 (AMP) says “So too the Holy Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. And He who searches the hearts of men knows what is in the mind of the Holy Spirit [what His intent is], because the Spirit intercedes [before God] in behalf of the saints according to and in harmony with God’s will.”

3)      Pray for Alignment

My husband had a minor accident a few weeks ago and the front alignment of his car had to be repaired. What was interesting to me was that from the outside I couldn’t even tell that the alignment was off. It just looked like there was a dent and some minor scratches. Many of us are walking around and from the outside everything looks pretty good but on the inside our alignment with God is off. If you’ve ever dealt with this type of issue with your car you know that if the alignment is off you’ll try to steer in one direction but you end up going in another direction all together! This is how some of us are in the spirit. We keep trying to go in the direction that we think is right and we keep ending up in the wrong place. (“There is a way that seems right to a man and appears straight before him, but at the end of it is the way of death.” Proverbs 16:25)

So how do we mitigate the risk of being out of line with God’s will? The answer is simple. Proverbs 16:3(AMP) says “Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed.” (Please note that this scripture is quoted from the Amplified Bible. Other versions will not read the same.) When God led me to this scripture I felt like I had hit the jackpot! So many times I was afraid of praying for what I wanted because I wasn’t sure if it was truly God’s will for me. Once I saw this scripture it became my daily prayer. I paraphrased it and I prayed “God help me to want what you want for me.” Now I can pray in confidence because I have submitted my desires to the will of God.

I pray that this has enlightened and helped someone. Remember that every test is designed to remove whatever is in you that’s not like God, help you grow into full maturity, and give you a testimony that will encourage others.

The Importance of Releasing Your Faith

During my prayer time this afternoon I asked God for certain blessings that I desire to see in my life. I ended my prayer with the words "I release my faith." As I said those words an image of a fisherman casting his line appeared in my mind and everything became so clear...

Imagine yourself as a fisherman standing at the edge of a river that you know is FULL of fish. You say, "I sure would like to catch a lot of fish today," then you just stand there. What do you think would happen? More than likely nothing. This same premise holds true when it comes to prayer. When we pray we must release our faith in the fact that God is willing and able to bring that thing we desire to pass. Just as a fisherman has to cast his line in order to catch a fish we must release our faith in order to hook into the blessing and reel it in from the spiritual realm into the natural realm!

How do we release our faith?

1) Embrace peace. Have faith in God's ability and thoroughly pray about your situation or need and then give it to Him completely. That means you aren't worried or anxious about it and when it comes to mind you thank God that He is working to bring it to pass. You should have peace because the concern is no longer yours. It's God's. (See Philippians 4:6,7 and 1 Peter 5:7)

2) Embrace positive speaking. Proverbs 18:21 says that the power of life and death is in the tongue. If you want to see blessings made manifest in your life then  you should only speak positive confessions regarding your prayers. Many people are blocking or hindering their own prayers by what they say. Refuse to be double-minded (James 1:6). If you go to God in faith don't use your mouth in doubt by saying, "It will never happen" or "My situation is never going to change." Speak words of life instead.

3) Embrace patience. Most of us want our blessing yesterday! If we truly want what God has for us we must be patient enough to wait for His timing. No matter how long it takes keep believing and trusting that His timing is perfect. God is omniscient. He knows all and there may be a reason why He is making you wait. Just trust Him! Psalm 84:11 says "no good thing will He withold from those who walk uprightly." If he hasn't given it to you yet it might not be good for you right now.

4) Embrace the power to ignore what you see.  According to 2 Corinthians 5:7 we walk by faith and not by sight. That means turning a blind eye to everything that contradicts with what God has promised in His Word. Your bank account may be low, but you should look at it and say "my God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory (Phillipians 4:19)." People may be persecuting you on your job but you should still believe that  "when a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him (Proverbs 16:7)." There may be pain in your body but know that "by His stripes you are healed (1 Peter 2:24)." Glory to God! No matter what you see, believe the Word of God and just watch it come to pass!

The Calling of Every Believer

   "So we are Christ's ambassadors, God making His appeal as it were through us."

II Corinthians 5:20               

 It seems that people are always trying to figure out what their calling or purpose is. Yes, God has a specific calling for everyone but along with your personal calling you are also called to be an ambassador for Christ. According to dictionary.com an ambassador is "a diplomatic official of the highest rank sent by a government to represent it on a temporary mission, as for negotiating a treaty." We have been sent by heaven to represent Christ during our temporary mission here on Earth with the goal of reconciling unbelievers to God through Christ.

Witnessing has recently become a way of life for me. It all started with an idea that God put on my heart to create small brightly colored cards that I could pass out to people while I was out running my day-to-day errands. These cards ask the question  "Are you saved?" and then explain how to become saved and what salvation means.

All this came about one day during my prayer time when I started thinking about people who don't know and have not accepted Christ and the fact that they would not receive the gift of eternal life. It drove me to tears and made me feel like I had to do something. I am so grateful that God gave me the idea to pass out these cards!

Initially, I just handed the card to people and then got out of there as soon as I could! I have always been a rather shy person but lately I have experienced a boldness that could only come from God.  Now I walk up to people, hand them the card, ask them if they're saved, and if they're not I share with them what salvation means. Sometimes I'm amazed at what God leads me to do because I have walked up to some scary, threatening looking people with no fear in my heart at all.

I'll never forget a young man named Nick who had piercings all over his face and a tattooed teardrop (which usually means that the person has killed someone). God put it on my heart to talk to him so I walked up to him plain as day and started talking to him about Jesus. My spirit was excited but my flesh was like "what are you doing?!" It turned out that he had just moved to town and was looking for a place of worship!!! He said he wanted to go to church but he knew people would look at him funny because of his tattoes and piercings. I excitedly invited him to my church and told him he could sit with me!

Please understand that I'm not urging everyone to go up to strangers and ask them if they're saved. Witnessing is the work of all believers but God calls us to do the work in different ways. The way you live your life may lead someone to Christ without you having to say a word. God may call you simply to pray for unbelievers. No matter the method we are all called to the ministry of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18) and I pray that we all take it seriously.

Soon to come!-A Guide to Witnessing.