Power Belongs to God

Power Belongs to God Psalm 62:11
The signs and wonders demonstrated by God in the Scriptures areamazing, from the Plagues to the miracles God performed during the ministries of Joshua, Elijah, Elisha and other Old Testament saints. Then in the New Testament from the miracles performed by Jesus and, all of those recorded in the Book of Acts by the Apostles and the 1st century believers.

Today in the USA it seems that the Church lacks power. I have heard many excuses for thislack of power, I am not going to address the validity of those excusesI am going to address what I think the answer is.

Many people are praying for the power of God to fall on the Church, I thinkthat is a good practice and it should be continued. We need to alsoremember that God said, "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? (Jeremiah 23:29) If the Church is to obtain the fullness of God's power we must to feed on the Word of God. No other food will give us the strength/power that we seek, God mightiily moving in and through us.

The Word of God is mighty to bring about the conviction of sin. In Acts 2:37 we read, "Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" What brought about this deep conviction,The preaching by Peter of the mighty Word of God. Peter's sermon wasscripture from beginning to end carried home by the Spirit of God, and itpierced their minds and hearts.

The Word of God has life giving power, power to regenerate a dead generation. 1 Peter 1:23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, The word ofGod is the seed out of which the divine nature springs up in the soul of a man or woman. 2 Peter 1:4 by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature,.

What about the signs and wonders? What about healing? What about miracles?Jesus said in Matthew 17:20 if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 21:21 "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. Mark 11:23 "For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Luke 17:6 So the Lord said, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. The requirement for seeing mountains moved and trees moved, (signs wonders and miracles) according to Jesus is faith.

Faith is what we need to see God's mighty power manifested in the Church today. I know that offends many people and I am sorry of that offense but it is what Jesus said. Let's not take up the offense lets just take up our Bibles and read, study, memorize,hear, meditate and do the Word of God. Why? Because it is the Word of God by which we can obtain Victorious Faith. Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. If we want victorious faith weneed to read, study, memorize, meditate, do, and hear God's Word. This is important because it is faith that wins mighty victories for God - Hebrews 11:33-34 who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Here are a few more supporting scriptures to this principle.
Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
1 John 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.

So the Church today I believe needs the Power of God manifested in her like the Bible speaks of, to tear down the enemies camp and deliver people out of the kingdom of the devil. To see that power we need faith, and to have that faith we need to be discipled everyday by His mighty Word. All for His Glory, So that all the peoples will know of the Messiah Jesus, and what great things He has done and is doing.

Joel Osteen Out of the Closet ... In a good way.

I thought this post was very interesting, the Blog is from New Man magazine.

The New Man Report
Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Osteen Out of the Closet ... In a Good Way
I'm not a big fan of Joel Osteen. Not that he needs my support. The popular "smiling preacher" leads the largest church in America, writes best-selling books and has a huge TV ministry. I don’t have a beef with Osteen personally. He seems like a nice guy. It’s just that I find his sermons a little fluffy. To me the brand of faith he promotes seems like Christianity lite. A little biblical truth supplemented with a lot of pop psychology.

Still, I have to give credit where credit is due. And this week I applaud Osteen for a courageous stance he took on the issue of homosexuality.

It all started when son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jay and a group of gays and lesbians attended Osteen’s Lakewood Church in an effort to influence the famous pastor’s view on the issue of homosexuality. Jay Bakker is part of a coalition of organizations that advocate for complete acceptance of homosexuality. Osteen welcomed the group and met with them after the service. But according to Lakewood’s spokesman, Donald Iloff, Osteen did not bow to the group’s pressure.

“It was a very cordial, very nice meeting,” Iloff said. “But ultimately through our conversations, we continued to disagree with … Jay's position.”

Additionally, Iloff said that, at the church, they “believe homosexuality is sin” and that “it is disobedience under God.”

Osteen’s stance was important for a couple of reasons. First, the visit to Lakewood was the first stop for the pro-gay group (they’re calling it “The American Family Outing”) in a 6-stop campaign that will move on to other influential churches such as Willow Creek and Saddleback. I’m glad Osteen set the tone by taking a tough stand for biblical truth. It sent a message to the other churches on the gay activists’ list not to be intimidated into compromising their beliefs.

Osteen has been evasive about the controversial issue until now. So in a way the group’s visit occasioned a “coming out” moment for him, a time when Osteen could weigh in on an important topic. And he passed the test. He resisted the pressure.

Osteen may still not be my favorite preacher, but today I’m impressed.


posted by Drew Dyck at 3:41 PM
http://www.newmanmag.com/newmanreport/2008/05/osteen-out-of-closet-in-good-way.html

Florescent Sunshine

Have you ever seen florescent sunshine
In a world of white and gray
With stainless steel facilities
I see it everyday

Florescent sunshine world dwellers
Spend their days alone
Escaping momentarily by way of telephone

This world is made of mostly brick
Two hundred sixty three
Of this I am quite sure my friend
For I count them frequently

The breeze always blows from the north
Through man made vents and shafts
And you know florescent sunshine
Can't warm those chilly drafts

You lie in bed wide awake
Pushing problems out of sight
With mounting feelings of agitation
As the noise goes on all night

In your room, all alone
Under incondescent light
Dreaming of the better days
Before you were locked up tight

You awaken yet one more day
In this endless bland routine
Still longing for the family and friends
That in your dreams you've seen

Cause you're nothing now to anyone
Except the judge and jury
So sit back and relax my friends
In here there is no hurry

Because in this place all time has stopped
Outside it continues fine
And you wonder where your loved ones are
While in your cracked sublime.

And if I am freed from here
I'll dare not look behind
But I'll never be the same again
After my days of florescent sunshine.

Greg Hergott wrote this poem.
Greg has spent a lot of time living this reality. I've known Greg since he was a young boy and then when he started to get into trouble I visited him a few times in a juvenile detention center. I connected back up with Greg as I became involved in the Jail Ministry at the Columbus Rescue Mission. I count him a friend.
Please pray for Greg. He is spending time again in a Federal Detention center

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothren." 1 John 3:16

....we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren...
we are to love the brethren. We are also called to love our enemies and those who hate us (Matthew 5:44), but John calls us to easier test - if we can’t even love our brothers and sisters, what kind of Christians are we?

...Lay down our lives...
this verse reminds us that love, often involves sacrifice. I think I can lay down my life in one great, heroic gesture; but God calls us to lay down our lives piece by piece, little by little in small, but important ways every day.

Like Stars Forever

The Bible says, "Those . . . who turn many to righteousness shine like the stars forever and ever." (Daniel 12:3) If we are wise, we will want to turn many to the righteousness that's in Christ, because it is righteousness that delivers us from death. It saves us from God's terrible wrath. Jesus said, "Blessed are they who thirst for righteousness," (Matthew 5:6) but how can we help sin-loving sinners to thirst for righteousness? The answer is that we can use the Law to help them to see their sin in its true light. Remember that it's the Holy Spirit that reproves the world of sin, righteousness and judgment to come. (John 16:8) Using the Law helps the world to understand that they need righteousness, because of the judgment to come. Without perfect righteousness, they will perish under God's wrath.
There goes another minute. Gone forever.
Go share your faith while you still have time.

http://www.wayofthemasterminute.com/

Cyd Mizell

I found out some very sad news the other day. Some very good friends told me that our friend Cyd who had been teaching in Afghanistan and was Kidnapped a month ago on January 27th with her driver by 6 gunmen. On the 27th of February the Aid group she worked for reported that she was killed by her kidnappers. I have had a hard time with this, as I have thought about it all day. Cyd's driver Abdul Hadi was kidnapped also and killed.

We are deeply grieved to report the apparent deaths of Adul Hadi and Cyd Mizell, Asian Rural Life Development Foundation workers who were kidnapped by gunmen Jan. 26 in Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Although we have no confirmation of their deaths, we have received information over the past few days indicating that our two aid workers have been killed. . Hadi, a resident of Kandahar, had served as an ARLDF driver for two years. Known by colleagues as a
“kind, loving man,” he was the father of five children, ages 6 to 15. Mizell, 50, a native of Eureka, Calif., dedicated her life to serving the people of Afghanistan. Since 2005
she had lived in Kandahar,I am the resurrection and the life. He whobeliev

es in Me, though he may die, he shall live. -Jesus

Cyd Mizell

Cyd Mizell, an American woman teaching in Afghanistan,was kidnapped on her way to work on January 26, 2008.
Fast Facts:
1. Age:49
2. Wearinga burqa
3. No one has claimed responsibility
4. Works for: Asian Rural Life Development Foundation
5. Taught English at Kandahar University
6. Six gunmen seen
7. Driver,Abdul Hadi, also kidnapped

CydMizell’s Condition Unknown
Filed under: Afghanistan, Feature, Pakistan, Terrorism — marc moore on January28, 2008 @ 7:14 pm CET From ABC: On Monday, the police chief of Kandahar province, Sayed Agha Saqib,said police had not turned up any new information about the kidnapping.“All of our security forces and intelligence agents are trying to find them,”he said… “Nobody really knows” who the kidnappers are, [foundation director Jeff] Palmersaid, adding that the Asian Rural Life Development Foundation had takenprecautionary measures for other staff members in Kandahar. He declined to givefurther details.Mizell, who taught English at Kandahar University and gave embroidery lessonsat a girl’s school, speaks the local Pashtu language well, colleagues said. Shehas worked for ARLDF in Kandahar for the last three years, Palmer said.…Kidnappings of Afghans have been on the rise in the last year, including theabduction of dozens of Afghans. Rumors persist of foreign governments payinglarge ransoms to win the freedom of their citizens.2 South Korean kidnap victims were killed last year while in the custody ofterrorists, so Ms. Mizell’s safety is by no means certain, particularly if theU.S. is contacted and is unwilling to cooperate, as per policy.As Claudia described earlier, terrorists armed with rocket launchers andexplosives also held than 300 school children hostage and threatened to blowthem up after failing to kidnap a local government official.Happily, this standoff has come to an end, apparently without any of theyoungsters being harmed.
Please pray for Cyd Mizell’s safety.

Hell is a Good Reason

It's unwise to give an unrepentant sinner the message of God's forgiveness unless he shows some evident concern about his salvation. For example, lust is such a blinding and powerful sin, a man will not want to let it go unless he becomes convinced that it's in his best interest to do so. Hell is a very good reason to do so. So, use the analogy of lust being like a sparkling stick of dynamite in a child's hand. He loves the sparkle and holds it close with great delight. He doesn't realize that it will kill him. Lust sparkles before the face of the unsaved, but it will brings terrible destruction. The Bible says "it brings forth death." Without the understanding that he is in danger, sin will damn him. There goes another minute. Gone forever. Go share your faith while you still have time.

www.wayofthemasterminute.com

Pray for Cyd she

Pray for Cyd she is a friend

The abduction on Saturday of a female US aid worker in one of Afghanistan's most

dangerous cities may signal increased risk for foreign aid workers.

Kidnappings of Americans have been rare, and some Kandahar residents say the

abduction of Cyd Mizell and her Afghan driver at gunpoint is a worrying development.

Sarah Chayes, a former journalist who now runs an Afghan cooperative that exports

soap, says the incident "sends a signal. It's like a new chapter in a book."

"They haven't taken an American or a Canadian on the streets like this before. I don't

think this was just bandits because the operation looks like it was too sophisticated for

that."

Ms. Chayes suggests that the abduction could have been payback for US policy on

President Pervez Musharraf.

Kandahar, the spiritual home of the Taliban movement, has been rocked by the

neo-Taliban insurgency that has gained strength in the past three years. The

deterioration of law and order has also made the city considerably more dangerous

for foreign visitors and Afghans alike.

The most recent abduction case involved four members of the International Committee

of the Red Cross in the eastern province of Wardak in September. The two Afghans, a Macedonian, and a Burmese citizen were freed three days later. Perhaps the most

notorious case of 2007 was the abduction of 23 Christian aid workers from South Korea

who attempted to travel from Kabul to Kandahar by bus. Two hostages were shot to

death before the rest were released. An American civilian was briefly abducted in Kabul

in April 2005 but escaped by throwing himself from a moving car.

Analysts fear that terrorists and criminal gangs have been encouraged by the policy of

some foreign governments to pay ransoms.

The few foreigners who still live in the city of Kandahar often use heavy security,

including armed guards and armor-plated vehicles, whenever they ventured out of

their offices. Afghan officials say that Mizell had been wearing a burqa, an

all-encompassing body veil favoured by most Afghan women when they have to go out

of their homes.

Ms. Mizell worked for Asian Life Development Foundation, a little-known

nongovernmental organization . The group said she had been working in Kandahar for

nearly three years with women and on income generation projects.

A speaker of Pashtu, the main language of Afghanistan's south, she taught English at

Kandahar University and gave embroidery lessons at a girls' school.

In response to the abduction, local police increased their presence on the streets of

Kandahar over the weekend and the Ministry of the Interior said it was doing all it

could to find Ms. Mizell. Local police said that they had not been contacted by anyone

claiming responsibility for the kidnapping.

The Taliban have employed kidnapping as a tactic in their battle to erode popular

support for the government of President Hamid Karzai several times before.

Zabihullah Mujahed, the Taliban's main spokesman, said they did not know if anyone

affiliated with the extremist Sunni group had been responsible for the abduction.

Some things

Some things may be neglected
with but little loss to the spiritual
life, but to neglect communion
with God is to hurt ourselves
where we cannot afford it.
-A.W. Tozer

Lausanne Covenant #2 THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE

Please do not feel like you have to comment but if the Holy Spirit lays it on your heart to share something with me I surely would appreciate it. Thanks.

2. THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE

We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God's word to accomplish his purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all men and women. For God's revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. Through it the Holy Spirit still speaks today. He illumines the minds of God's people in every culture to perceive its truth freshly through their own eyes and thus discloses to the whole Church ever more of the many-colored wisdom of God.

(II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16, Matt. 5:17,18; Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18)

2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.

John 10 :35 "If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

Isaiah 55:11 So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

1 Corinthians 1:21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Matthew 5:17 & 18 "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
18 "For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

Jude 3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.

Ephesians 1:17-18 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,
18 the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Ephesians 3:10, 18 10 to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, 18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

The Lausanne Covenant, Introduction and #1 The Purpose of God

Well here is the first installment on this little journey. Please respond to this if you are so lead and have any thoughts. What encouraged you? Was there anything you identified with? Did this convict you? Do you agree with it or disagree with it?

Thank you for ahead of time for any participation.

The Lausanne Covenant

INTRODUCTION

We, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, from more than 150 nations, participants in the International Congress on World Evangelization at Lausanne, praise God for his great salvation and rejoice in the fellowship he has given us with himself and with each other. We are deeply stirred by what God is doing in our day, moved to penitence by our failures and challenged by the unfinished task of evangelization. We believe the Gospel is God's good news for the whole world, and we are determined by his grace to obey Christ's commission to proclaim it to all mankind and to make disciples of every nation. We desire, therefore, to affirm our faith and our resolve, and to make public our covenant.

1. THE PURPOSE OF GOD

We affirm our belief in the one-eternal God, Creator and Lord of the world, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who govern all things according to the purpose of his will. He has been calling out from the world a people for himself, and sending his people back into the world to be his servants and his witnesses, for the extension of his kingdom, the building up of Christ's body, and the glory of his name. We confess with shame that we have often denied our calling and failed in our mission, by becoming conformed to the world or by withdrawing from it. Yet we rejoice that even when borne by earthen vessels the gospel is still a precious treasure. To the task of making that treasure known in the power of the Holy Spirit we desire to dedicate ourselves anew.

(Isa. 40:28; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:11; Acts 15:14; John 17:6, 18; Eph 4:12; 1 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 12:2; II Cor. 4:7)

Isaiah 40:28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Ephesians 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

Acts 15:14 "Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name.

John 17:6 "I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word.

Ephesians 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,

1 Corinthians 5:10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

conflict

In a brothers Blog I was reading this morning he was talking about this war we are in and how hard it is to not be thought well of by freinds and associates, because he has decided to live His life as a believer. I think this is a challenge for all of us, so here are a few words from the WORD to encourage us in our battle....

Romans 8: 18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;

1 Peter 4: 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

Luke 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.

Right or Left

“The gospel has not been clearly preached
if the hearer doesn’t know that not to make
a decision is a decision.”
Dan Arnold