Let's go fishing.

                                           Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
           

                           What comes to mind when you see this sign? Pleasure, relaxation or laziness? Whatever your perception is, this sign is important for the body of Christ. Let's look at the following verse below---

                               "He saith unto them,Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
                                                              (Mat 4:19)   

            As you study the above verse, we see how Jesus captured the attention of his disciples comparing something (Fishing) in the natural into the spiritual (souls of men) As I study this one but very important verse, there is a wealth of knowledge in the area of soul-winning. As I researched some translations, we see some interesting patterns. The Amplified and Amplified Classic Edition (paraphrased) says to let (Jesus) be your guide and teacher in the fishing of men. The common English Version says---I will show you how to fish for people. 
            Soul-winning is the most important thing in the church. It is known as the great commission but few churches do not have a strong evangelistic program much less a vision for their community. Jesus is making a promise to us in Matt 4:19--If we follow him, he will make us a fisher of men. God has a vision for the world. He wants to see souls saved!
          Contrary to tradition, Jesus did not, just, have 12 disciples. There were seventy who were with him. (Luke 10:1). He, also, ministered to thousands of people. That to me is a successful ministry but how do we get to that level of ministering to thousands of people? Taking time to sit at the feet of the master and learn how to fish for the souls of men! The first rule of thumb is to know what we have in Christ Jesus. 

                                       We have an inheritance.

            "Ask of me, and I will give thee the heathen for thine inheritance.... (Ps 2:8)

                                     Did you know that you can ask the Lord for souls? That is your inheritance! As you study Psalms 2, you will find that the Father made this promise to Jesus, when he arose from the dead. We are joint-heirs with Christ, so this promise relates to us as well. We can ask the Father for souls---Our enemies, our families, co-workers, etc. Have you been asking God for souls? It's time to win souls for the kingdom! 
                                     Next, ask God for wisdom. Why? The word says that he who wins souls is wise (Prov 11:30) In order to win souls, we must have the right bait. When you go out to fish, you need a bait that will attract the fishes so is the same with soul winning. My wife and I spent some time in the children's ministry and we went out into the streets doing shows for the kids. Some would dress up as clowns and distribute candy. Soon, we had an audience around us and we would invite them to church.
                               The youth Pastor had a program called Superchurch and he would spend 5 hours praying in tongues to come up with a show that would arrest their attention. Many children got saved and soon their parents would come to our church. That church had made such an impact on people in the neighborhood that it grew to about 500 in a short time. You want to win souls? Pray for the right bait.


                                           It's time to clean the fishes.


                        After we set the bait and souls starts to come to Christ, it's time for cleaning. Just as you clean the fish before you eat them, so is the same for souls.  They need to be cleansed. 
Too many Christians are quick to condemn a fellow believer instead of allowing them to sit down and learn the word so that they, too, can experience victory in their lives. (John 15:3) As they learn who they are in Christ and what belongs to them, we can see an increase of disciples and make a difference in our generation. 

Lord or Savior?

 

            Seeking his hand or seeking his face? 

 "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. "
                (Matt 7:21-23)
             
            My friends, in this  short devotional, you need to ask yourself ---Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Yes, Salvation is free and available to all but is Jesus your Lord? Paul said that he travailed  in birth again until Christ be formed in you. (Gal 4:19) This letter was written to Christians then and it speaks to us now. Paul had a Pastor’s heart. He was concerned over the state of their souls. He wanted to see Christ formed in them.
       There is a molding process of Christ being formed in us. Some will yield different levels of growth but in order to grow, we need to get past Salvation and unto Lordship. Don’t look at God like a magic genie or just seek his hand. Yes, God is merciful and he does answer prayers but what are you doing to grow? 
           What are you doing to have Christ formed in you? Remember Matt 7:21-23--These people were saved and had a right to his power but never made him Lord over their lives. As you read the end of this account, you find out where they ended up. I am not trying to put fear or a guilt trip on anyone but what I am saying is scripture. The apostle Paul with all his great works and miracles said that I may know him and the power of his resurrection. 
          So, in this day, put aside your wants and needs in second place. Ask--What is my calling for my life and my assignment? That is the starting point of putting Jesus Lord of your life. Seek his face and not his hand only and you will enter a dimension in prayer that will be second to none. God bless you.


If you are not saved and would like a fresh start, go to ....http://bit.ly/1XK7vXO

Visit our facebook page under Word and Grace.(The one that has the world on it)

Fasting---A few thoughts to ponder ( Part 2)

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? (Isa 58:6)

                              In our last study of fasting, we saw four major points in this verse. We covered step one and saw how it helped save a nation during the time of Esther,the queen. If you missed our last study, check out the link provided below(1). Today, God willing, we will analyze the rest of the major steps. Let's review the other remaining major steps----                          

                          1- To loose the band of wickedness
                          2- To undo the heavy burdens
                          3- To let the oppressed go free                        
                          4- To break every evil yoke

                         In step 2, Fasting will undo the heavy burdens. What is a burden? A burden is a weight. It can be stress, anxiety, worries, cares, etc. It, also, implies a crushing. We, all, know what stress and worry can do for you. It's consequences on  health can be damaging, so the meaning of crushing is implied in a negative sense. Are you stressed out or worried? Fasting is a way for you to focus on the Lord and undo those burdens. The word says to cast your care upon him (Jesus), for he careth for you. It, can, also be a burden to pray for a nation or a loved one When we obey the leading of the Lord and undo these burdens upon him, miracles start to happen and you sense a peace within.
                        Step 3 is speaking of deliverance for the oppressed. Oppression is an annoying or constant attack from an enemy. It can be a nervous breakdown, constant mental harassment or a foothold that the enemy can have on a believer's life. It is a sad state of affairs when Pastors and leaders from the church are bound and oppressed by pornography but there is hope. Scripture teaches us that we have the mind of Christ. When we put on Christ, his mind and thoughts, we can have victory over oppression. Fasting is a strong tool to break those strongholds.

                           

                                                       Example of a Wooden Yoke              

                                 Finally, step 4--Every evil yoke. What is a yoke? A yoke is a wooden or metal object (Picture above) in which two oxen were side by side plowing. They were forced to work the land for its master. The Christian was under the yoke of Satan but, now, through Christ, we have a different yoke. (Matt 11:28-30) A yoke can symbolize bondage, soul-ties or attachment. It can be sickness, debt or carnality. When you fast in faith, knowing what belongs to you,it can be a powerful tool for deliverance. It can destroy any yoke no matter how hard it can be! (Isa 10:27) Whether it be of wood(Carnality) or Iron (Satanic bondage, his unction(Power) can break any attachment to the enemies of our soul. (Jer 28:13)
                                 So, having this in mind--Fasting can be fun! Healing, peace and financial provision is yours but the most important of all, having the mind of Christ. When you have the mind of Christ and take upon his desires, you can rise up to be the victor God meant for you to be! God bless.

(1) http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2016/02/fasting-few-thoughts-to-ponder.html
 Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com



                         

                     

A great way to further your ministry.

                  Greetings. Do you feel the call of God in your life? From time to time, I recognize some great ministries in the body of Christ. In the Christian walk, it is important to be yoked to a good ministry especially in the teaching ministry. Pastor Bob Yandian is a great and anointed teacher. God has used him in the past to help me gain a deeper understanding of the word. He is, not, afraid to tackle hard questions but God uses him to, skillfully, teach the word. I am enclosing a study of the Greek in the New Testament. This teaching tool is a must have for every Christian. It is free and his teaching is a good one especially if you want to gain  further understanding of the word. So, do yourself a favor and sit back. Take some time to listen to Pastor Bob. You will be glad you did. God bless.

                          http://club.bobyandian.com/index.php/nt-greek-for-beginners-1-of-16/

Fasting--A few thoughts to ponder.

 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?  (Isa 58:6)

                             Let's talk about fasting. When was the last time you fasted? is it burdensome or is it a joy? If it's burdensome, it does not have to be that way. It can be a time of peace, release and joy. First, let's look at a couple of main points that stands up in this verse above. There are, actually, 4 powerful reasons that stands out in this verse--

1. To Loose the bands of wickedness. 
2. Undo the heavy burdens.
3. Deliverance from oppression
4. Break every yoke.

                  Let's look at number 1...Bands of wickedness. Did you know that 3 days and 3 nights of prayer actually saved the nation of Israel from destruction? If you read the accounts of the book of Esther, especially in Esther 4:16, Esther 7-10, you will find how God reversed an ungodly law and raised up Mordecai to a place of authority and honor. 

                In the body of Christ, we have a mediocre way of looking at ourselves. We, even, call ourselves a worm and take failure as a way of life  but Brethren, I am here to tell you that it should not be with us. God's word says that we are the head and not the tail. We can ascend from nothing to a place of influence and authority. We can help change the course of our nation as well.  (Deut 28:13,28:44, Prov 29:2) Many may debate that this was only for the Jews and not for us. My answer to that is that we have a better covenant based on better promises. (Heb 8:6) 

                  Are we to just lay down and not ascend in the fields of business, politics, medicine, etc and just be happy to barely get along? A thousand times no! If you study Roman history during the times of Christianity after Constantine declared it legal, there were many in places of authority that helped shaped and further the spread of Christianity. I come to tell you that if we do our part, examine ourselves and repent, we can pray and fast for this country. Our prayers can help change laws and alter the course of history. 

                An example was during the time Germany was divided. A group of German Christians who had read Kenneth Hagin's books decided to exercise their faith and speak to the wall that was dividing their nation. Soon, Germany became one and freedom was spread throughout the land. Another example is the USA. Before the 1980's, people were wondering about America. 

                    There was fears of a Russian invasion. The atomic war was knocking at our door until the Washington for Jesus crusade in the 1980's came about. After that event, things started to happen. Our leaders came up with new technology such as Star Wars that had the Russians shaking in their boots and forcing them to talk to us. Then, came freedom as Christianity began to spread through the Soviet Union and it's satellite nations. All this was done without setting no nuclear bombs---Thanks to prayer. 

                  Christians have done themselves a grave injustice to the teaching of the Rapture. They want to escape before it gets worse. God intended for us to be the head and rule. God wants us to have wisdom to solve the ills of this country and come up with wise solutions. Joseph did it while he was in Egypt, why can't we do otherwise?

                When you think about this, it makes all makes sense. God wants to rapture us is because of one thing---Revelation knowledge of who we are in Christ and what belongs to us! If he does not rapture the church, the Antichrist will not be able to be revealed and be allowed to exercise it's rule (II Thess 2:6-8) United, we are a mighty force and are able to do exploits. 

          Years ago, who would have thought Pastor Saeed was going to be freed from a radical prison atmosphere? Yes, President Obama like many others many have made some mistakes in the past but God had used him to help set him and others free. When we pray and fast, no matter who is in charge, things happen. We will have more on fasting. God bless. 

                 

Remove your sycamore tree--Part 2

    

     And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6) 


                       In our last study, we saw how to identify the obstacles that hinder our prayers from being answered (1). Too many times, we hear people blaming the obstacles on Satan and his demons but I submit that many times, it can be other factors. Factors such as the flesh, a mountain or a sycamore tree. In this study, we are going to deal with the sycamore tree. Is there a sycamore tree in your life? We will deal with this subject as we bring up the 2nd step to be discussed in removing the sycamore tree in your life--getting to the root of the problem.
                        Trees have roots. A Sycamore tree was known to have bitter fruit. It's roots were strong and entrenched on the ground. Notice the wisdom of Jesus, he compared this to unforgiveness. Take some time to read Luke 17:1-6. In these passages of scripture, he spoke concerning forgiving others 7 times in a day.          
              Now, some of us will forgive 1 or 2 times in a day but 7 is a challenge, especially if the person continues to do the same thing over and over again. It is no wonder they said----Increase our faith.(Luke 17:5) In getting to the root of the problem, we see Jesus offering a solution. The disciples asked to increase their faith. Have you ever heard of people praying for more faith? Maybe it might have been you?
                 Jesus talked about planting seed! (Luke 17:6) Hear me out, beloved, please do not pray for more faith, instead start planting the seed which is God's word. When you pray, pray God's word over any situation or any circumstance. The Bible says that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God. 
               Guard your heart because that is the ground in which you will deposit the seed. God's word is alive but your heart has got to be right. Many say that the heart is the spirit of man and that is true but in other passages, heart involves the mind, will and emotions. In Prov 4:23, the Hebrew word is "Labe" (Strong's concordance 03820) Labe means the emotions, affections and the mind. A look at the Message version gives us more clarity on the word heart---

 Above all else, guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life. (Prov 4:23)(Message bible) 

                       Our spiritual inner being has been redeemed and is saved but the mind, will and emotions need to be renewed. That is why we need the mind of Christ to transform our thought life. As we spend some time on who we are in Christ and what belongs to us, we can become futile ground for the  seed(word) to grow. When we harbor bitterness, that hinders our prayers and growth. Now, we know that the fruit of the sycamore is bitter. We need to examine our hearts as far as bitterness is concerned. 
                   Many of us do not have a problem forgiving but bitter memories still linger in the lives of some Christians. They regress to the past and rehearse past hurts. We are soldiers for the Lord and this is a battleground. When a soldier is wounded, he/she cannot fight. (Prov 18:14) We need to deal with a broken heart and wounded emotions because it can cripple our faith and affect others as well. (Heb 12:15)
                      Thank God, Jesus dealt with this. In Luke 4:18 and Ps 147:3, God has promised to heal broken hearts and bind up emotional wounds. I am convinced that the reason many turn away from God and backslide is because of a broken heart. Marriages have been destroyed because of a lack of knowledge in that area. So, if you have a broken heart, there is good news---Jesus wants to heal you and give you a new beginning. As you do that, you will be able to begin the process in tossing that sycamore tree out of your path and getting results in your prayer life. God bless!

Prayer---Dear Heavenly Father, I come to you so you could examine me. If I have any offense against anyone, I ask you to forgive me. I, by faith, forgive whoever has trespassed against me. I ask you to bless them. I will commit to erasing any memory of that hurt. I receive healing of a broken heart. I receive healing in my emotions. You said that you have come to heal broken hearts and to bind up my wounds. I declare healing in my emotions and in my mind. I will walk in love and refuse to rehearse the past. I, now, start a new chapter in my life and I thank you for a new beginning. In Jesus name....Amen.

Bible verses courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Helpful links---
1- http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2015/10/remove-your-sycamore-tree-part-i.html

Remove your sycamore tree! Part I.

                                             
                                                          A old Sycamore tree (1)

                                           And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you. (Luke 17:6) 

                        Do you have a sycamore tree in your life? Before you answer, let's consider some major points----

1. We have to learn how to identify the enemy and the obstacles that hinder us from having our prayers answered.
2. We need to get to the root of our problem.
3. We need to uproot and destroy that which is set before us.

             I) Identifying the enemy or obstacles that are before us.

             Prayer is a battlefield. In a war, we need to study and
observe what we are up against.  Sometimes, our obstacle can be 
Satan or a host of demons. Other times, it can be our flesh.
Mountains and sycamore trees can be included in this category, too. 
                              Sometimes, we are busy casting out Satan, when it can be a mountain or our flesh. Wisdom in battle is needed to identify what enemies or obstacles are placed before us. That is why when you are dealing with a testing that just will not go away, you need to pray in tongues. 
                        The subject of tongues is very,very controversial. 
Many say that it has passed away. Others say that it is from the devil but the truth of the matter is that it is scriptural and it is for today. Please think twice before you call it a sign from the devil. Jesus warned us about the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. (Matt 12:31-32) 
                         There are many things that I would say about praying in tongues but I do not want to get off the subject of identifying the enemy or the obstacles that we must face. I would add that when you pray in tongues, you are praying mysteries. 
            There are times in which you can edify your spirit and speak in tongues but there are other occasions in which you are, actually, speaking the mysteries and it's answers to your problems. That is why the word encourages us to pray that we may interpret those mysteries in our own understanding. (I Cor 14:2, 13) 
                 You may ask how do I know what to pray for? Simple, When you just want to edify your spirit, you just speak in tongues knowing that it is strengthening your inner being. When the problems and testings are so out of control, that you do not know what to do, specify your prayer.
            In other words, say Lord, I am praying for the answer to my problem. Speak to me and show me what to do. Reveal your solution for this mystery that I am going through in Jesus Name. Now, after you prayed that prayer, start praying in tongues for as long as the Spirit leads. Afterwards, exercise some patience and praise God for the answer. 
            It may come in the next 10 minutes or it can take days. At times, it can be longer than a few days but I assure you, the answer will come. It can come in the form of Revelation knowledge, a dream or even a word in a church or Bible study. I realize that for some, this may be deep or perhaps you may be in disagreement with me but it is real. That is why we need to pray the prayer of Ephesians for ourselves and others.(2) When we do, we will see what the Spirit wants to show us and be effective in our prayer life. We will continue on this subject soon---God willing. 

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for teaching me in this day. Help me to identify key obstacles that are hindering my prayer life. Help me to focus more on praying in the Holy Ghost. Show me how to deal with the mysteries of my life and help me to walk in victory. In Jesus name...Amen! 

Friend, if you don't know Jesus in the pardon of your sins, Go to this link..http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/search?q=sinner%27s+prayer

Links on the Holy Spirit----
(A) http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2013/10/dont-miss-out.html
(B) http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2013/10/dont-miss-out-part-2.html
(c) http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/2013/10/dont-miss-out-part-3.html

                                  
(1) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sycomoros_old.jpg
(2) http://wordandgrace.blogspot.com/search?q=The+prayer+of+Ephesians