Worldly Wisdom Versus God’s Wisdom

My friends you can depend on the Lord’s wisdom to succeed and wisdom from the Lord comes from His grace.  It is not something you can study for or acquire by your own doing, the wisdom of the Lord is not something that the world can have.  There is wisdom in the world but it is flawed because it is all based on what we need to do or change or accomplish to be able to succeed in this world.  Most books, coaches and advice is based on human wisdom which strengthens and builds up only in the flesh.

Wisdom from most books is what we call “self-help” but the reality is we do not need more of “self-help”, we need more of the Lord’s help.  The books and advice that we seek should be that of leaders who are encouraging us to look to Jesus and not ourselves.

As we read in Psalm 1 – blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly.  This means there is counsel in human wisdom but the man who does not walk according to the wisdom of the world is the man who is blessed.  However a few verses later it says that if a man has his delight in Jesus, and he meditates on Jesus day and night, “He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither, and whatever he does shall prosper.”

Make a decision to walk in the counsel of the godly and not in the counsel of the world, and you will see whatever you do prosper.  In Him you will find all the wisdom that pertains to life and the great news is there are plenty of men and women who are established in the truths of the new covenant of grace.

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly…   —   Psalm 1:1

What we need is not more “self-help.”  What we need is the Lord’s help.

Blessed To Be A Blessing

I have said this a few times but this is one of my favorite devotional days.  I love to be blessed to be a blessing.  My life is one that shows the power of Christ because in my former life I desired to be blessed so I could have more.  However today after my transformation in Christ I desire simply to be blessed so I can bless others.

I have heard countless people say that true Christians should not live of this world, that we should not chase money, that almost having money is wrong.  We should be meek, we should not have because money is the root of all evil.  Ever hear that?  Ever hear the phrase. “money is the root of all evil”?  Well the term is misquoted.  The bible says the following in 1 Timothy, “For the love of money is the root of all things evil.”  Money is not the problem, the love of money is.

Beloved, do not use people and love money.  Use money to love people.  Also answer me this, how can you bless others if you are not blessed first yourself?  The new covenant of grace is everywhere.  You are put in a position to bless people when God first blesses you.  So the ability to bless people still comes down to what God does in your life.  It still is nothing you did, still nothing you deserved or accomplished, you have because God gave to you.  And because you have been given and full of Him, your desire is to give and to bless others.

Sure people can bless others with their talents, giftings and time but money can used to show the love of God.  Money is of the world and not of God and that is why God will give you money so you can use it to love people.  Also let me state that there is nothing wrong with having nice things, living in a nice home, driving a nice car or blessing your spouse, friends or children.  It however is the greed and worshiping of money that is not from God.

Money does not make you rich as there are plenty of people with plenty of money that are very poor.  There are also plenty of people with little to no money that are very rich.  My statement is when you take someone with a heart for the Lord and then bless them with money you get someone who can do some tremendous work for the kingdom.  Blessed to be a blessing!

When you read Genesis you will find that Abraham was blessed financially.  The Bible states that Abraham was very rich in livestock, silver and god.  Abraham wasn’t just rich spiritually.  Beloved, God is not against you have having wealth, but He is definitely against wealth having you.

I want to tell you that what keeps you safe for financial success is when you know that your blessings come by Jesus’ grace and not of your own doing.  When you have that revelation, you will no longer be preoccupied with having money because you will be preoccupied with the Lord.  Amazingly, you will realize the more occupied you are with Jesus, the more money follows after you!  Now, why is that?  It is simply because when you seek first the kingdom of God, and put Jesus, His righteousness (not your own righteousness), His joy and His peace as your first priority, God’s Word promises you that ALL the material things that you need will be added to you.

The Lord always gives you money with a mission and prosperity with a purpose.  He blesses you and when you are blessed, you can be a vessel to bless others.  The gospel of grace can be preached, churches can be built, precious lives can be touched, sinners can be born again, marriages can be restored and physical bodies can be healed when you send out the Word of Jesus with your financial support.

I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.   —   Genesis 12:2

The success that we, as new covenant believers, can believe God for is good, holistic success that permeates every aspect of our lives!

Medical Facts About Speaking In Tongues – Carl R. Peterson, M.D

Dear Friends,

First a caveat, I am not a Charismatic but I am fortunate to recieve the gift of tongues even without anyone laying his or her hands on me.

Secondly, this note is not only for people who do not believe in the gift of tongues but those who don’t understand why God would give such a gift as his first gift to the church and whether is it relevant today.

I ask that you read it with an open mind. My intention is to bring praise to God for such a gift and pray that those of you who have recieve such a gift use it for His glory. To those who do not think it is relevant- think again. To those who has it but do not use it – Use it. To those who abuse it – Speak with understanding. Grace and peace to you.

“The Physical Benefit of Speaking in Tongues

God has made provision for you and I to be whole, to be well and to have access to His healing process. There is a study that has been done by Dr. Carl Peterson, M.D. (the husband of author and evangelist Vickie Jamison Peterson). This Study revealed that there is an available healing power that can be released from our own bodies for our own benefit. Dr. Carl Peterson, M.D. worked on this study at ORU in Tulsa, Oklahoma a few years ago. Being a brain specialist he was doing research on what the relationship was between the brain and praying or speaking in tongues. Some amazing things were discovered.

Through research and testing he found out that as we pray in the Spirit, or worship in the Spirit, (our heavenly language) there is activity that begins to take place in our brain. As we engage in our heavenly language the brain releases 2 chemical secretions that are directed into our immune systems giving a 35 to 40 percent boost to the immune system. This promotes healing within our bodies. Amazingly this secretion is triggered from a part of the brain that has no other apparent activity in humans and is only activated by our Spirit led prayer and worship.

Before the fall of man did God in His perfect creation provide for the total healing of mankind in this manner? As Adam walked and communicated with the Father in the Garden was this close and intimate fellowship and communication causing divine health to flow in his body? Just something for us to think about. God is the restorer of all things. As we exercise our life in the “Spirit” by speaking in our heavenly language that He has put within us, we are touching the supernatural power of God and we are letting Him restore part of what was lost.

Now science has proved the process and you and I can turn this healing process on by our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Just one more great reason to be filled with the Holy Spirit and commune with the Father in your “Heavenly Language.” According to the Holy Spirit, speaking through the apostle Paul: “He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself” (1 Corinthians 14:4). We always thought of the edification as only spiritual edification, which is great and always needed, but Christian psychiatrist Carl R. Peterson, M.D. describes physical edification also! Isn’t God amazing?

We have found on the Internet documentation from Dr. Peterson’s office, which is below. As a matter of reference, Dr. Peterson is highly respected, as a psychiatrist and as a Christian.

PLEASE NOTE: Dr. Peterson begins his attachment by specifically referring to praying in the spirit (speaking in tongues), then begins to just use the words prayer or praying. Throughout his paper he is referring to speaking in tongues, as that is the context of the whole paper, and is as introduced by his letter.

From
CHRISTIAN-PSYCHIATRY SERVICES, INC.

Dear friend,
Thank you for your inquiry regarding the relationship of extended periods of praying in tongues and joyful laughter to brain activity. As you will read in the enclosed explanation, I shared some information concerning this with several ministers at a gathering some time ago. I pray this information will be helpful to you.

Respectfully,
Carl R. Peterson, M.D.”

This excerpt is extracted in verbatim.

——————————————————————————–

EFFECTS OF EXTENDED VERBAL PRAYER
I have had a number of inquiries concerning the efficacy of praying in the spirit (speaking in tongues) and its benefit to the human immune system, i.e., immunity enhanced by chemicals released from a part of the brain. I am attempting to clarify some information I have shared with a number of ministers. This is information that may be deduced from what we know about the way the brain functions. We do know the part of the brain affected most noticeably by extended prayer represents a significant portion of the brain and its metabolic activity. Therefore, voluntary speech during extended vocal prayer causes a major stimulation in these parts of the brain (mainly the hypothalamus).

The hypothalamus has direct regulation of four major systems of the body, mainly: a) the pituitary gland and all target endocrine glands;
b) the total immune system;
c) the entire autonomic system; and
d) the production of brain hormones called endorphins and enkephalons, which are chemicals the body produces and are 100-200 times more powerful than morphine.

In summary, a very significant percentage of the central nervous system is directly and indirectly activated in the process of extended verbal and musical prayer over a period of time. This results in a significant release of brain hormones which, in turn, increases the body’s general immunity. It is further enhanced through joyful laughter with increased respirations and oxygen intake to the brain, diaphragm and other muscles. This same phenomenon is seen in physical activity in general, i.e., running, etc.

We know from the Word of God that there is a true joy that builds and sustains. Nehemiah tells us the joy of the Lord is our strength. There is joy in the presence of Jehovah. We, as believers having entered into that wonderful presence of our Lord, know this to be true. What we must continue to remember is that the joy of the Lord spoken of in the Word is so much more than any manifestation. We can truly have that unspeakable joy in the face of any trials we may encounter, if our joy is grounded in a knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope the above information helps to clarify the report you received regarding my statement in the area of the physical effects of speaking in tongues and joyful laughter for extended periods of time. Truly, we all benefit — body, soul, and spirit — from obedience and yielding to the Spirit of God in every area of our lives.

Carl R. Peterson, M.D.”

This excerpt is extracted in verbatim.

Power From Jesus’ Body To Yours

Matthew 26:26 … “Take, eat; this is My body.”

Can you imagine the Lord sick, nursing a cold or fever while He walked on earth? No, our Lord Jesus was never sick! He was vibrant, full of life and full of health. When He told His disciples, “Take, eat; this is My body”, they could practically visualize what it meant because they had lived and walked with this Man. They had seen people without hands or feet made whole when they touched His body. (Matthew 15:30–31)

Even His clothes were soaked with His health! A woman who had a bleeding condition for 12 years — no doctor could cure her — was healed immediately when she touched the hem of His garment. If the hem of His garment was soaked with His health, vibrancy, energy and divine radiance, how much more His body!

You know, some of the most encouraging verses in the Gospels are these: “And as many as touched Him were made well” (Mark 6:56), for “power went out from Him and healed them all”. (Luke 6:19) I love those verses! That is our Jesus!

The Bible says that they put sick people along the streets, and Jesus walked around, touched them and healed them. Now, you see movie stars doing this: They run here and there, they slap their fans’ hands, but nobody gets healed. But wherever Jesus walked, whoever He touched, He healed. Picture this: A trail of people. Those in front of Jesus are lying down, but those behind Him whom He has touched are leaping with joy and following Him! That is how Jesus healed the sick.

So that night, when He said, “Take, eat; this is My body,” as He broke the bread and gave it to His disciples to eat, they knew what it meant. They were probably thinking, “We are going to ingest His health into our bodies! Hallelujah!”

That is what you must believe when you partake of the Holy Communion. It is not just a ritual or symbolic act. No, you must believe that He is the true bread from heaven who took your cancer, diabetes and heart disease, so that you can have His supernatural health! And when you eat of His broken body with this revelation, you will have life in abundance and the health of the Lord!

Joseph Prince – Breaking Porn Addiction Through Grace – 29 May 2011

Addiction to pornography has destroyed countless lives and marriages, even in the church. What is at the root of this addiction, and how can this and all destructive addictions be truly broken once and for all? Joseph Prince tackles these questions head-on and shows from God’s Word how only God’s grace and gift of no condemnation can truly set one free. Listen to this life-changing message today, and allow God’s grace to deliver, lead and empower you to experience victory over condemnation and every destructive habit in your life!

Start Using Your Measure Of Faith

Romans 12:3 … God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

As children of God, we should never say, “I don’t have any faith.” To say this is to say that God is a liar because His Word already tells us that “God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”.

Why then does the faith of some seem to be stronger than others?

Well, faith is like muscles. We are all born with a measure of muscles. But some of us develop our muscles better than others. Bodybuilders, for example, exercise their muscles very regularly to make them grow bigger and stronger.

Likewise, your measure of faith grows when you feed and use it. Each time you hear or read God’s Word, you are feeding your faith. When you confess God’s Word and expect good things to happen to you, you are using it. And the more you use it, the more your faith grows.

So use your faith. You could start with headaches, for example. When you have a headache, instead of always running straight for your painkillers, use your faith. Ask God for healing, and trust and thank Him for the healing.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with taking medicine. And if you have to go to the doctor, don’t feel condemned either. Just start using your faith at a level you are comfortable with. If you need to go to the doctor, then go in faith, praying, “Abba Father, I am going to the doctor. I am asking You in Jesus’ name to give the doctor wisdom to give me an accurate diagnosis. My trust is not in him but in You.”

And when you take your medicine, don’t just pop in the pills. In faith, say, “Lord, sanctify this medicine,” then take it. This is because some medicines have negative side effects. So when you ask God to sanctify it, He blesses that medicine. And what will be developing in you, growing bigger and possessing your body until it is too widespread, is divine health!

Beloved, you have been given a measure of faith. Start using it, believing that it is this measure of your faith that causes you to draw from the inexhaustible power of a faithful and loving God!

It’s Written On Your Heart

God puts His will and his law in the hearts of believers.  You no longer have to go to a prophet to hear God, God speaks to you directly.  God speaks to you through the Holy Spirit.  Many times people will call it their conscious or a feeling but if it is in your heart and you are prompted it is God through His Holy Spirit speaking to you.

With caution I tell most people to still have a mature Christian person who they can counsel with that knows the Word well.  The reasoning is that as an immature Christian sometimes you will feel something and mistake that for God speaking to you.  If you feel something in your heart it probably is from God but the thing to do is go to a mature person in the Lord that knows His word and then ask if that is in accordance with His word.  You do not want to ask the other person what they think, you simply want to ask if what is in your heart is aligned to what His word says.

I say that because I want you to know that God speaks through your heart via the Holy Spirit but I want you to be careful.  When you are more wise you can hear God more clearly but in the beginning it is important to have someone who you trust to discern whether what you are hearing is from God.  For instance if you think God put it in your heart to help the poor, the widow or spend more time with your family then myself or any mature Christian will tell you that God is speaking to you because it is accordance to His word in the new covenant.  However if you are hearing God tell you to go rob a bank so you can have more money to further your ministry then I can absolutely guarantee that myself or any mature Christian will tell you that is not from God because it is not in accordance to His word.  See my point in all of this?

God speaks to you through your heart but it is important to continually seek His wisdom and knowledge to discern His speaking through your heart in accordance with His word and lies being told.

for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.   —   Philippians 2:13

God speaks to you directly and He has made it easy for you to know His will through His promptings in your heart.

Practice Jesus’ Presence In Your Career

Practicing God’s presence is not just for your home life, church and family, practicing God’s presence should be extended to your career.  As we have stated the ability to make good decisions, and good influence over people can only happen when God is making the decisions through you.

Think about it for a second.  How often do you make the wrong decision, how often do you offend the people around you when you lean on your own understanding?  When you spend time in the presence of the Lord you gain His understanding, His knowledge and His wisdom.  Your wrong decisions turn out always to be right, your relationships with people are greatly improved.  People look at it as things that you touch turning to gold or having unexplained blessings.  I call it being in the presence of the Lord.

When you practice His presence you move up the ladder.  You become more successful, you close more deals, you gain better connections and your respected more.  This happens because when you are in charge you are flawed, but the more the presence of the Lord is in your life, the decisions and relationships become perfect because He is guiding your way.

It doesn’t matter if you are at the top or the bottom.  God is on your side to bless and make you a success.  This only applies to morally upright professions.  It is impossible for God to be in a situation or bless it if the profession is outside His will.

Can people be successful in business without God?  Yes, it is called worldly success and that success is very limited and fleeting.  Success with God and His presence is not only financial success but it is respect, peace, joy and it is everlasting.  When God is in your career not only are you a success in the world’s eyes but you do things directed by Him that gives you things money can’t buy; respect, wisdom, peace and joy to name a few.

Depend on God in your career to direct and prosper you.  His way is never wrong or short-sighted!

For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him as with a shield.   —   Psalm 5:12

Whatever vocation you are in, you can experience the presence of Jesus and His unmerited favor, and He will make you a success!

Who Can Take Communion? by Paul Ellis

“And now as we turn to the communion table, I would like to invite all those who love Jesus and call Him ‘Lord’ to join with us in partaking of the elements. If you’re visiting with us today and you don’t know Jesus, feel free to spend this time in quiet reflection. Communion is something that Christians do to remember Jesus’ death.”

Aaargh! How I wish I could take those words back! Could I not see the staggering ungraciousness of my comments? Was I blind to the unholy line I was drawing between Us (welcome to take communion) and Them (not welcome)? Jesus died for all people, but not all were being invited to remember his death. How did I get so mixed up?

Like many pastors I was confused about the meaning of Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:26-32. I understood that the Corinthians had been making fools of themselves by gorging and getting drunk at communion, so I thought that Paul wrote to warn them of the dire consequences of acting irreverently:

“He that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself…” (1 Cor 11:29 KJV)

I now understand that Paul was saying something completely different and wholly liberating about proclaiming the Lord’s death. He wasn’t condemning the Corinthians for their poor behavior. He was trying to free them from the condemnation of their ignorance and unbelief. This distinction is obvious when you think about it. I mean, how could Paul preach condemnation to the Corinthian Christians in one letter while preaching no condemnation to the Roman Christians in another?

Somehow Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11 have been twisted into a worthiness test for communion. “Examine yourself before you eat the bread and drink of the cup.” Okay, but how do we do that? How do I know if I’m worthy or about to eat and drink damnation to myself? Some denominations helpfully mandateminimum standards of worthiness. They say you must be a believer or a baptized believer or a welcomed member of the church or what-have-you. But the lines are blurry. The standards differ even within denominations as many individual churches have the freedom to set their own worthiness benchmarks.

Perhaps what we need is some kind of Christian caste system. India’s caste system is pretty good at separating the rabble from the rest. Maybe we can learn from them. At the bottom would be sinners because someone who rejects Jesus is obviously not worthy. That’s basically what I was saying in my church. By telling visitors (they might be sinners! who let them in here?) that they were “free” not to partake of communion I was sending the message, “this is not for you – you’re not good enough for Jesus.” I was judging them as unworthy of the body and blood. Of course I didn’t think of it in such terms. I thought I was honoring Jesus and protecting sinners from judgment. Slowly it began to dawn on me that there was something odd about denying communion to sinners. Afterall, didn’t Jesus die for sinners?

Religion draws lines between us and them, but grace tears down dividing walls (Eph 2:14). Nowhere in the Bible will you find any hint of a suggestion that we should exclude people from communion. This is a death-dealing tradition of man. When I said communion was for us but not for them, I was acting religiously and in a manner wholly opposed to the Spirit of grace. Happily, I repented. I changed my tune and began saying, “all are welcome.” I then watched amazed as the Holy Spirit revealed the love and grace of God to those who didn’t know Him.

Who can partake of communion?

Communion is when we remember Jesus’ death on the cross. So who’s it for? Obviously it’s for all those He died for. It’s for everyone. But I want to single out two groups who can especially benefit from communion:

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” ~ Jesus (Mk 2:17)

1. The sick

Sickness and death are part of sin’s curse (Ge 2:17). In Deuteronomy 28:15-68 there is a long list of curses that result from disobedience to God’s commands. These include “severe and lingering illnesses” along with “every kind of sickness not recorded in the Book of Law” (v.59-60). There is no sickness that is not part of the curse. Even modern-day sicknesses (e.g., anorexia, HIV, DVT) are covered.

During His time on earth Jesus healed every sick person who came to Him (Mt 12:15, Mk 6:56). Not one person went away unhealed. Jesus did this to demonstrate His complete and irresistible power over sin and all its effects. So before you eat and drink, examine yourself to see if there are things in your life – sickness, disease, afflictions (Is 53:4, AMP) – that Jesus carried in His body and paid for in His blood. If you are sick, proclaim His death and triumphant victory over sin and death! Identify your illness as a defeated enemy and lift up the Name of Him who is above every sickness. He was wounded that you might be healed, and cursed that you might be blessed (Gal 3:13, 1 Pe 2:24). Take your Jesus’ Medicine and be well!

2. Sinners

In the old covenant, sinners and unclean people were kept far away lest they contaminate the righteous. If there had been communion back then, they would not have got it! But Jesus was a friend of sinners. He went into their houses and broke bread with them. He met with thieves, adulterers and murderers and “contaminated” them with His righteousness. Sinners were radically changed by His awesome grace.

By saying “communion is only for the worthy” we have turned a new covenant blessing into an old covenant curse and denied grace to those who need it most. If communion is only for the deserving, who can qualify? Outside of Christ there are no worthy people! If you think you are worthy because of your religious performance, then you disqualify yourself, for Jesus did not come to call the self-righteous.

Here’s the good news: Jesus is still a friend of sinners! He died for us while we were sinners and He reconciled us to God while we were His enemies (Rm 5:8,10). People who hesitate over communion – both saints and sinners – do so because they are distracted by their imperfections. They draw back like Old Testament lepers because they believe that they are unclean. But you have been redeemed by the most precious commodity in the universe – the infinitely precious blood of Jesus (1 Pe 1:19). If God loves you enough to die for you, then in His eyes you must be really something special. And you are!

Communion is not a time for self-examination but Jesus-examination! The only thing that will empower you to overcome sin is the grace of God and it’s not stored in your navel. Look to Jesus! His blood bought your forgiveness and His death triumphed over all your sin. See yourself crucified with Him (Ga 2:20). Reckon yourself dead to sin and alive to Christ (Rm 6:11). He is our perfect high priest, a Lamb without blemish or defect. Don’t draw back but come boldly to the throne of grace for Christ Himself qualifies you.

The next time someone says “communion is only for the worthy,” don’t be distracted by your sin – it’s been done away with by the blood of Jesus and God remembers it no more (He 8:12). Instead, remind yourself that Christ died for the unworthy. Tell yourself, “He died for me, and because of Him I am now the very righteousness of God, holy and blameless (Eph 1:4). Glory to God and thank you Jesus!”

Know Your Covenant Rights In Christ

Know Your Covenant Rights In Christ

Ignorance and lack of knowledge can destroy the best of us.  I cannot think of anything else that hinders people more than ignorance; in this case it is the ignorance of the covenants.  I do not think I can overstate the importance of knowing the difference between the covenants and understanding that you are under the new covenant of God’s grace.

The benefits that Jesus purchased for you on behalf of His blood is enough to cover and help you in all situations of your life.  The problem is people to this day insist on living under the condemnation of the old covenant of the law instead of the liberation of the new covenant of grace.  Grace is distorted and perverted and few understand that it is the will of our Lord and the way Christians should live.  Instead we live under the law of the old covenant and as I have stated before rendering the cross completely useless in our lives.

The gifts today freely are divine protection, health and favor.  We do not need more laws or more order in this world, no what we need is a greater revelation and appreciation for what Jesus accomplished and FINISHED on our behalf.

More laws and more right from wrong simply put us in the consciousness of sin and the the more and more we are under the law and rules the higher the risk for greater sin in the future.  My friends, living under grace and the finished work of the cross is the only way to live a life of peace and joy. 

Which are you going to choose, make today the day that you decide:

Are you going to live by the world’s standard and live under the law and the rules of earthly rules, based entirely how you act and do?

Are you going to live by the grace of God that was poured out on you on the cross so that you can freely receive favor and life no matter how you act?

My friends don’t get me wrong; the law is holy and just but it will not make you holy and just.  The finished work of Jesus is what justifies you and makes you holy before God, nothing you ever do can add to that or change that.  Get it straight in your head today!  Don’t let ignorance and a lack of knowledge rob you of your inheritance today.  Learn what the bible says about the new covenant and change the way you think and live life.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…   —   Hosea 4:6

What we need is a greater revelation and appreciation of Jesus and everything that He has done for us!