A great warrior (who would be king)’s prayer

I am led to post this whole psalm 18 today to encourage the one who may be discouraged right now because of the series of bad news just as what David had faced after he was anointed to become the new king of Israel and was viciously pursued and persecuted by king Saul who tried to hang on to his failed kingship.
Psalm 18 (NKJV)
God the Sovereign Savior
A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. And he said:
18 I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
2
The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3
I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.
4
The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
5
The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
6
In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.
7
Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
8
Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
9
He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
10
And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
He flew upon the wings of the wind.
11
He made darkness His secret place;
His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
12
From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.
13
The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered His voice,
Hailstones and coals of fire.[a]
14
He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
15
Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.
16
He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
17
He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
18
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
19
He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.
20
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness;
According to the cleanness of my hands
He has recompensed me.
21
For I have kept the ways of the Lord,
And have not wickedly departed from my God.
22
For all His judgments were before me,
And I did not put away His statutes from me.
23
I was also blameless before Him,
And I kept myself from my iniquity.
24
Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness,
According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.
25
With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
26
With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.
27
For You will save the humble people,
But will bring down haughty looks.
28
For You will light my lamp;
The Lord my God will enlighten my darkness.
29
For by You I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
30
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.
31
For who is God, except the Lord?
And who is a rock, except our God?
32
It is God who arms me with strength,
And makes my way perfect.
33
He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
34
He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35
You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your right hand has held me up,
Your gentleness has made me great.
36
You enlarged my path under me,
So my feet did not slip.
37
I have pursued my enemies and overtaken them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
38
I have wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.
39
For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
40
You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.
41
They cried out, but there was none to save;
Even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
42
Then I beat them as fine as the dust before the wind;
I cast them out like dirt in the streets.
43
You have delivered me from the strivings of the people;
You have made me the head of the nations;
A people I have not known shall serve me.
44
As soon as they hear of me they obey me;
The foreigners submit to me.
45
The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.
46
The Lord lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let the God of my salvation be exalted.
47
It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
48
He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.
49
Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.
50
Great deliverance He gives to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.

Hebrews 12:12
AMPC
So then, brace up and reinvigorate and set right your slackened and weakened and drooping hands and strengthen your feeble and palsied and tottering knees,

DAILY POWER

I am reminded that some younger readers may not be acquainted with teachings on the Holy Spirit. And it is difficult to explain stuff which cannot be seen and or felt by the senses. So today’s word is “Power”. Why? Because as the millennial generation you are familiar with this word through the many media you engage in daily. What is power in the Bible? Where is it from? How can you have it? What is the power for? Here are some Bible verse for you to meditate on.

JESUS (THE SON OF GOD) HAD THE POWER (WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT IN HIM)
Luke 4:14 [ Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry ] Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out

Luke 4:36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”

Luke 6:19 And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

Matthew 10:1 [ The Twelve Apostles ] And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.

CHRIST IS THE POWER; THE GOSPEL IS THE POWER; GOD’S WORD IS POWER
1 Corinthians 1:18 [ Christ the Power and Wisdom of God ] For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 1:24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Romans 1:16 [ The Just Live by Faith ] 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.

Hebrews 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE POWER; THE APOSTLES WHO HAD THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THEM DEMONSTRATED THE POWER
Acts 1:8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

1 Corinthians 2:4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

1 Corinthians 2:5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 4:19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power.

1 Corinthians 4:20 For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

THE POWER OF CHRIST COMES THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT TO US

Romans 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 5:4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

GOD HAS GIVEN US THIS SAME SUPERNATURAL POWER TO LIVE CHRIST LIKE LIFE ON EARTH

John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

1 Corinthians 6:14 And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.

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

2 Corinthians 6:7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,

2 Corinthians 13:4 For though He was crucified in weakness, yet He lives by the power of God. For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power of God toward you.

Ephesians 1:19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power

Ephesians 1:21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

Ephesians 6:10 [ The Whole Armor of God ] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

PREACHING OF THE GOSPEL WILL MANIFEST THE POWER THROUGH SIGNS AND WONDERS
Romans 15:19 in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.

Acts 5:12 [ Continuing Power in the Church ] And through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch.

EVERYONE CAN SEE THIS POWER OF GOD IN CREATION
Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,

GOD GIVES POWER TO MAKE WEALTH AND POWER TO ENJOY IT
Deuteronomy 8:18 “And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

Ecclesiastes 5:19 As for every man to whom God has given riches and wealth, and given him power to eat of it, to receive his heritage and rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God.

Daily Word: how does God speak to man

Intercessors are praying right now. Some believers are considering joining their rank and want to know how God speaks to man. Today we read the Bible for the first set of recorded verbal interaction (in conversation format) God had with man. We take note how God initiated the conversation and the respective responses of men impacted their lives. Those who responded positively to God received positive supernatural superabundant blessings just as God had spoken. Today every born again believer of Jesus can have the same interaction with our God, because our spirit can join to the Holy Spirit in us (1 Corinthians 6:17), as we pray and seek God and read His words. But we all need training so that we may do so effectively and proficiently. Remember one thing, we can speak to God and hear God through the Holy Spirit, who is the Spirit of Christ. (BIBLE VERSES ARE QUOTED FROM NKJV UNLESS SEPARATELY SPECIFIED)

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF MANKIND: see how God took initiative to speak to man. Some men could hear Him. He spoke to them with the intention to help them/human out. The following three events (recorded in Genesis 3, 4, and 7) significantly impacted mankind. Read the whole passages in their respective context for more revelation. Take note that God even spoke to evil man (e.g the first murder, Cain) with the same good intention to save him.
ADAM’S CASE: Genesis 3:9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” (This took place after Adam had committed the first sin of mankind which caused the downfall of mankind!)
CAIN’S CASE: Genesis 6 So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
NOAH’S CASE: Genesis 7:1 [ The Great Flood ] Then the Lord said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH JOURNEY (FORMERLY KNOWN AS ABRAM)
The beginning of Abraham’s calling: Genesis 12
Promises to Abram 12:1 Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
2 I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.

The end of Abraham’s life on earth: 24:1 Now Abraham was old, well advanced in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. 24:34 So he (his servant) said, “I am Abraham’s servant. 35 The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys.
25:7 This is the sum of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived: one hundred and seventy-five years. 8 Then Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

ISAAC STAYED CLOSE TO GOD JUST AS HIS FATHER DID
Genesis 24:63 (AMPC) And Isaac went out to meditate and bow down [in prayer] in the open country in the evening; and he looked up and saw that, behold, the camels were coming.
Genesis 26:2 Then the Lord appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you.
genesis 26:12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
Genesis 26:24 And the Lord appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.”
Genesis 35:27-29 Then Jacob came to his father Isaac at Mamre, or Kirjath Arba (that is, Hebron), where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt. 28 Now the days of Isaac were one hundred and eighty years. 29 So Isaac breathed his last and died, and was gathered to his people, being old and full of days. And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

ISRAEL (FORMERLY KNOWN AS JACOB)
Genesis 28:13 And behold, the Lord stood above it and said: “I am the Lord God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and your descendants.
Genesis 31:3 Then the Lord said to Jacob, “Return to the land of your fathers and to your family, and I will be with you.”
JACOB’S PRAYER:
32:9 Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the Lord who said to me, ‘Return to your country and to your family, and I will deal well with you’: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, and now I have become two companies. 11 Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he come and attack me and the mother with the children. 12 For You said, ‘I will surely treat you well, and make your descendants as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”
Genesis 47:27-28
So Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions there and grew and multiplied exceedingly. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the length of Jacob’s life was one hundred and forty-seven years.
JACOB’S DESCENDANTS GREW TO THE SIZE THAT GOD HAD PROMISED BY THE TIME THEY LEFT EGYPT TO CLAIM THE PROMISED LAND (an exodus population of 2.5 million)
Exodus 1:7
But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.
Numbers 1:45-47 (The number of able-bodied men of 20 years old and above)
45 So all who were numbered of the children of Israel, by their fathers’ houses, from twenty years old and above, all who were able to go to war in Israel— 46 all who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand five hundred and fifty.
47 But the Levites were not numbered among them by their fathers’ tribe;

BIBLE VERSES ON HOW TO HEAR GOD
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. Jeremiah 33:3
And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. Isaiah 30:21
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. Mark 4:24
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. Romans 8:14
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Romans 10:17
But as it is written:
“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 1 Corinthians 2:9-10
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 1 Corinthians 2:14
But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:15-16
Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing of faith..? Galatians 3:5
The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, Ephesians 1:18
For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his go Philippians 2:13
For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; Colossians 1:9
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. Hebrews 2:1
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

power of Jesus' name

Before Jesus left this earth He left His name with His disciples. They will pray in His name and speak to obstacles in His name, even command evil spirits to leave. Today we use His name a lot but do not find the same power manifesting as in the early church’s time. Why?

Reading some passages from the Bible we can learn more about His name and the power therein. There are much more significance in using His name than we often think. All Scripture are quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

His name gives hope

Matthew 12:21

And his name will be the hope

of all the world.”

Power of His name gives life

John 20:31 But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name.

In His name, prayers get answered and requests granted

John 15:16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

John 16:23 At that time you won’t need to ask me for anything. I tell you the truth, you will ask the Father directly, and he will grant your request because you use my name.

John 16:24 You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.

We are identified and separated as His people by His name

1 Corinthians 1:2 I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours.

Our belief is in His name

1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

His name is written and has spiritual significance

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself.

We are identified finally by His name written on us too

Revelation 22:4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.

What does the name of Jesus do? Sins forgiven.

Acts 10:43 He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”

discourse with the King: five pertinent questions -power and intellect

Today we go interactive in a discourse with the King. King Jesus speaks through asking questions. And all His subjects are required to answer.
Why? Questions demand answers. Often He gives us the answers to His tough questions. The questions are often the answers themselves.

Let us read at random five pertinent questions as the watchman opened the Bible and in no particular sequence here below and meditate on them. Jesus puts significance on the interactive requirement of His words, for His audience to think— search our intellect and emotion, expose the real hidden motives and attitudes behind our thought, respond, —and give an account to them, eventually having no choice but to agree with Jesus that He is right about the matter. (Bible verses are quoted from NIV and the boldness/italics of some words/phrases are added.)

Question 1: The following question is for those familiar with the story of the human Jesus. “Why do you still think Jesus is an ordinary good and clever man but continue to ignore or not to believe His true status as the Son of God?”

The twelve years old Jesus questioned Mary and Joseph who thought he was lost like any ordinary boy in a big city on their way home. They returned to Jerusalem and spent three days looking for Him and finally arrived at the temple courts and found Him sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. He was giving answers to His questions. Everyone who heard Him was amazed at His understanding and His answers.
Luke 2:49 Why were you searching for me? Didn't you know I had to be in My Father's house?
The Bible did not record their answer if any to Jesus. They were astonished and stunned. Why do we look for Jesus away from God's place? Where is God's house? Do we know where it is? Is it far from us? Do we turn around from wherever we are going and return to look for Jesus? How shall we answer to Jesus if he asks these questions?

Question 2: This question addresses unbelieving spectators. “Why do you like to see the signs and miracles but do not want to believe that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Jesus said to a paralyzed man that his sins are forgiven and the Pharisees and teachers of the law began to feel offended and questioned in their heart the authority and credibility of Jesus to forgive sins because they knew and believed that only God could forgive sins. Jesus knew their thoughts. So He asked this following seemingly simple question.
Luke 5:22–23 "Why do you think these things in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk?'
In this instance too the Bible did not record any reply. Jesus went on to heal the man of his paralysis. Jesus performed the miracle to show and challenge the critics and skeptics this truth: Jesus is God. “Now that you have seen I can do what only God can do, are you not going to acknowledge that I am God?” —an unspoken question knocking on the doors of those hearts harden by religious jealousy and other worldly personal agenda). The same question is knocking on hearts today when we read of Jesus, clear and plain, though unspoken. How shall we respond? The question addresses the priority of a church. What is your real motive when you impose strict observance of your tradition and rules to the extent that you forego the original divine principle and purpose of the goodness of God behind the Law governing His elect people?
Jesus has shown us the supreme and divine-commissioned principle of God: to do Good (including healing, setting free from bondages and sufferings, and restoring the wholeness of a human) and Save Lives (from eternal damnation).

Question 3: In this account, Jesus addresses the heart matter. Why are your hearts so harden that you just do not want to see the goodness of God towards others?

He was teaching in a synagogue on Sabbath day and a man was there with a shriveled right hand. Obviously Jesus was expected to heal him. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were there to look for a reason to accuse Jesus of not following the Law of Moses and disqualify him as a teacher. The real question was they were they sincere in following the law themselves? Do they really care the true purpose of the law? Thus Jesus asked as follows:
Luke 6:9 Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?”
The Law of God given through Moses is meant for the good of all people under its governance, and intends to save and preserve lives from destruction. But a person’s obsession with fulfilling self-agenda (often driven by the love of physical pleasure—derived from the flesh, the eyes, and the pride of life (1 John 2:15-17)— often diverts his attention from looking at the goodness of God to looking for excuses to accuse, manipulate and control other fellow human beings. The ‘religious’ hypocrites could not comply with the Law. They could not practice what they preached. (Matthew 23:3).
Jesus saw through the unholy-ungodly motives of these ‘religious’ hypocrites. No one could answer or challenge His question and they did not bother anyway. They were furious and jealous when Jesus showed that He could not be intimidated to obey mere mortal man. They began to scheme against Jesus because Jesus healed the sick man and demonstrated the goodness and greatness of God’s heart.
Jesus declared that anyone who has seen Him has seen the Father (God). (John 14:9) He equated His miraculous healing with doing good and saving people. Jesus is perfect and merciful because God is perfect and merciful. (Luke 6:36; Matthew 5:48; Matthew 5:17-20) The Law is holy, righteous, good and spiritual. Jesus has taught us how to serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:6, 12, 14)

Question 4: Jesus challenges the blindness—the critical and judgmental perspective— of Christian (Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish laws). “Don’t you know you are blind?”

Again the questions are meant to be answered in the hearts. See clearly first. When you cannot see, you see a distorted picture of another Christian. The dust (problem) is not in your brother’s eye. You have a huge hindrance blocking your heart to see accurately and according to how God really see other Christians. Learn to know, obey and apply God’s words on yourself to see the unseen first. Don’t keep focusing on the physical and soul part (the mind, the emotion). You proclaim the wrong words because you have parked yourself in the wrong kingdom, even using the words of God according to the value and interpretation of the flesh (world) and not led by the Spirit of Christ. No one can really see clearly or accurately without being guided by the Holy Spirit. Sons of God are led by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lifts us up to a higher ground and see from the eyes of God. The words of God are the Sword of the Spirit. They cannot be used unless you are walking by the Spirit and not by flesh. (1 Corinthians 2; Ephesian 6:12-18)
Luke 6:41 Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to you brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

Question 5: After challenging their blindness, Jesus challenges their deafness. “Why do you continue to talk idle words when you cannot hear what I say in the first place?”

Jesus equates hearing with doing. After hearing what Jesus says we need to digest, allow the words to transform us by the renewal of our mind, so that we do not continue to follow the world and its way, but know what the good, acceptable and perfect will of God, then we can act on the words with integrity appropriately and truthfully. (Romans 12:1-2) Our actions include both our words and our deeds. How do we know whether the two synchronize? Jesus has given us the guideline: Look at the fruits. We will do the works of Jesus and even greater things because of the Holy Spirit in us who believe. (John 14:12, 21; 15:4, 7-8; Mark 16:15-20; Matthew 28:18-20)
Luke 6:46 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”
Look at the context of this question: Only good trees bear good fruits. Good fruits include what come out through our mouths (the words we speak) from our hearts (the thoughts we harbor). (Luke 6:43-45) Only a solid foundation keeps the building standing. Jesus has told us what makes a foundation solid:

“As for everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and put them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.” (Luke 6:47-48)

the power to save and heal all

GOSPEL POWER.
Wherever Jesus is, in the presence of the disciples and believers, where the Word of God is being faithfully and fearlessly preached, where faith in Jesus is, where the believers are walking by faith and in the power of the Holy Spirit in them, two things happen:

1. People recognize Jesus. More and more believe and are converted to Jesus.
2. They bring out their sick. And all of them are healed.

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

In Context

 

Romans 15:19

by the power of signs and wonders, through the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.

In Context

1 Corinthians 1:17

For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

In Context

Ephesians 3:7

I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.

In Context

1 Thessalonians 1:5

because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake.

In Context

2 Timothy 1:8

So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

In Context

Mark 6:53-56 New International Version (NIV)
⁵³ When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴ As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵ They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶ And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Acts 5:12-16 New International Version (NIV)
¹² The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. ¹³ No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. ¹⁴ Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. ¹⁵ As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. ¹⁶ Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

What is love? Know and be cured.

Love remains the top of the chart.
What is love? This blogger recommends this following series of audio teachings about love by Andrew Wommack, whose own life had been changes and empowered by his encounter with the love of God over forty years ago.

http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1055

The Greatest Of These Is Love

You Can't Give What You Don't Have

Could I Be The Problem?

If Not Me, Then Who?

Dealing With Offenses

Dealing With Offenses When All Else Fails

Forgiveness, Isn't There A Limit?

Self-Centeredness

Jesus Is Our Example

 

excerpts from his written testimony:

""Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love" (1 John 4:7-8).

Most of us think that we really understand the love of God, but our experience proves otherwise. We feel lonely, depressed, discouraged, and defeated. Every one of these negative emotions would be turned to positive by a proper revelation of God's love for us.

As for loving others, most of us would admit there are some people who are very difficult to love. Since we do not fully understand God's love for us, we fail in loving others. We can't give away what we don't have. If we receive a full revelation of God's love for us, it becomes easy to love others with the love that we have received.

When we struggle to believe that God's promises to us will come to pass, that's unbelief; but the root of that unbelief is a lack of love. Galatians 5:6 says faith works by love. That means love is the driving force behind our faith. Remove or diminish love, and faith ceases to be what it should be. Many of us try hard to believe when we should be seeking a greater revelation of God's love for us. Then, faith would just naturally work.

Just a few months after Jamie and I were married, we were in a desperate situation. I had quit my job, believing that the Lord wanted me to go into full-time ministry. The result was that we were hurting financially. It had been days since we had eaten. We had nothing but a few Cokes that a friend had given us and a bag of Fritos that we had been rationing out. Our faith was beginning to waver. We were fighting with all we had, to believe that the Lord was going to supply our needs, but our circumstances and empty bellies were screaming unbelief at us.

One morning, Jamie took our last fifty cents and our car and drove to the laundry mat to do some laundry. While she was gone, I did some serious business with the Lord. I was crying and saying, "Lord, I don't understand. I would give my right arm to feed Jamie. I believe You love us more than I love Jamie, and yet You aren't taking care of us." I had let circumstances blind me to God's love. That's the main reason my faith wasn't working.

The Lord spoke Luke 12:32 to me very clearly. That verse says, "Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Suddenly, I realized my unbelief was because I had forgotten how much God loves us. As the revelation of God's love for us came flooding over me, all doubt that our needs would be supplied was instantly gone. When Jamie returned from doing the laundry, I told her that we were going to eat meat that day.

We had Fritos and Coke for lunch. We skipped supper because we were tired of Fritos and Coke. At church, a friend asked us to stop by his apartment after the service. We thought, "Maybe they are going to feed us." We stayed and talked for over an hour, but there was no food. As we were leaving, however, the man gave us loads of fish that he had caught. He also gave us all the vegetables to go with them. We rushed home, and Jamie fixed us a feast. Just a few minutes prior to midnight, we ate meat to our fill. The next day was my birthday, and a woman in the church gave us a large box full of porterhouse steaks. We went from a starvation diet of Fritos and Coke, to having enough steaks for a month in just a matter of hours because love made my faith work....

 

  There are many ways that Satan uses to try to block the revelation of God's love for us. One of the most subtle, and therefore the most deadly, ways is that he has deceived us into thinking that God's love for us is tied to our performance. We think we have to do something to earn God's love. We have to merit God's love. That is not what the Bible teaches.

In the natural world, you get what you deserve. Employers don't hire you based on their love for you. You have to perform. If you perform badly, you are punished or fired. The same thing is true in most relationships. I've had hundreds of married couples essentially tell me, "They don't deserve my love." However, the nearly-too-good-to-be-true news of the Gospel is that we don't get what we deserve. Praise the Lord!

God's love for us is unconditional. That is, God doesn't love us because of some virtue we possess. God loves us because "God is love" (1 John 4:8), not because we are lovely...

 

 We all need a greater revelation of God's unconditional love for us! I have a special series designed just for that purpose. A revelation of God's unconditional love for me is what turned my life around in 1968. It's still impacting me today. These teachings reveal the things God showed me about His love. I believe that if you open up your heart, the Lord will grant you at least as much revelation on this as I have, and it will change your life. Please order the album entitled God's Kind of Love: The Cure for What Ails Ya today." (http://www.awmi.net/extra/article/gods_love)

TV broadcast of
God's Kind Of Love

http://www.awmi.net/tv/2006/week6
the CD: http://www.awmi.net/store/usa/cd_albums/1015_c

Lessons: He rushed at this giant

Introducing excerpts from Lessons From DavidBy Andrew Wommack

"Whatever problem you’re facing today—whether in your finances, in your health, in your marriage, or wherever—your problem is not bigger than what David faced. He had to deal with a real, live giant. And the qualities God instilled in David that enabled him to succeed will work for you too.

"This happens all the time. People will tell you your faith in God won’t overcome your giants. But if you persist, then they will try to give you their advice on how to fight the battle.

"Next, David had to endure the mockery of his enemy, Goliath.

"Don’t think that just because you’re armed with what God has given you that the giants in your life will be intimidated by you. But you’ve got to be bold and stand strong in the face of the enemy, like David did:

"But David wasn’t all talk! Look what he did when Goliath approached him:

"David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:48b

"The Spirit of the Lord was on David; he wasn’t afraid! He rushed at this giant.

"You’ve got to pursue your enemies until they can’t come back!

"We sometimes just fight our enemies until they go over the hill. They are left to fight us another day. We only fight sickness until it gets to where it’s not too bad—we can live with the rest. But David pursued his enemies until they were destroyed. They could never come back to fight him. First Samuel 30:10-18 is a good example of this, where David pursued the Amalekites until he had recovered all he had lost.

"People don’t like to face giants, but David wouldn’t have been a hero if he had slain a midget.

"David’s victory over Goliath catapulted him into his destiny. Likewise, whatever giant you are facing can become the greatest victory in your life as you stand on God’s Word and overcome it. I remember when my son died. It was a terrible thing. But because Jamie and I stood against this giant that tried to take our son, we now have a glorious testimony of his resurrection that we have rubbed the devil’s nose in countless times. Praise God! Your victory is coming too. "

Please read the full lesson at: http://www.awmi.net/extra/article/lessons_david
free mp3 download at: http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1041

a love song

My heart is overflowing with a good theme;
I recite my composition concerning the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

² You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
³ Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One,
With Your glory and Your majesty.
⁴ And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness;
And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things.
⁵ Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies;
The peoples fall under You.

⁶ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever;
A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.
⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness;
Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You
With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.
⁸ All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia,
Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad.
⁹ Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women;
At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

¹⁰ Listen, O daughter,
Consider and incline your ear;
Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;
¹¹ So the King will greatly desire your beauty;
Because He is your Lord, worship Him.
¹² And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift;
The rich among the people will seek your favor.

¹³ The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace;
Her clothing is woven with gold.
¹⁴ She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors;
The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You.
¹⁵ With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought;
They shall enter the King’s palace.

¹⁶ Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons,
Whom You shall make princes in all the earth.
¹⁷ I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations;
Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

 

(Psalm 45 New King James Version (NKJV) The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride

To the Chief Musician. Set to “The Lilies.” A Contemplation of the sons of Korah. A Song of Love.)

 

Calling all watchmen/intercessors: The Sword and praying in the Spirit

Today we read and follow instructions as soldiers do. Put on the whole armor of God. Lift up the Sword of the Spirit. Pray in the Spirit. Continue. Press on.

Ephesians 6 (NKJV) The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,

Romans 8:25-27 (NKJV)

²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.
²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Jude 1 (NKJV)

²⁰ But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
²² And on some have compassion, making a distinction; ²³ but others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.   

awesome revelation for the body of Christ -Spiritual Authority to overcome

Spiritual AuthorityBy Andrew Wommack Please take a minute to read this letter I recently received from a 19-year-old girl.
Dear Mr. Wommack, I realize that you must receive frequent letters regarding your ministry. But even with that knowledge, I feel compelled to write. I’ve just finished listening to your audio series entitled “Spiritual Authority,” and it has changed my life.
When I was in junior high, I became involved in Wicca, or Paganism. For two- and-a-half years I toyed with the powers of Satan, calling on numerous demons to do my bidding. Not only was I demon possessed, but I was heavily into drugs and alcohol. A few months before I became a Christian, I began to realize that I was no longer in control. In fact, I was the one being controlled. My free will was so entangled with Satan’s deception that I lost the ability to think for myself.
On August 29, 1996, I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. At the moment I confessed my sin and gave my life to God, He delivered me from the demons, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and sexual relationships I was involved in. I thought I was rid of Satan’s power for good.
It wasn’t long before fear started to overcome me. The demons I once fellowshipped with tormented me day and night. I could see them in the corner of my room while I was trying to sleep. When I was outside at night, I could feel their presence. After a while, I began to cope with it, and it became an everyday part of my life. I knew they couldn’t touch me, but I was terrified nonetheless.
Almost four years after my conversion, I was still dealing with these demonic forces. It was only when I listened to your series that I understood the power and authority I have over them. Instead of literally hiding under my blankets at night for fear of the demon in the corner of my room, I smile, say a quick prayer of praise to God, and fall asleep.
Your illustration of how we sometimes picture demons was of particular interest to me. You say that we picture them as towering beasts with claws and such, when in reality they are sniveling, little things. That is so true! The only power they have is the power we give them. What a blessing to finally realize that! My outlook on life has totally changed, thanks to your willingness to be used of God. If it were not for the godly truths of your ministry, I would still be enslaved by my fear.
I am now actively pursuing the calling God placed on my life, a calling to ministry. I am excited and anxious for the future and the things that God will be able to accomplish through my obedience. My Christian walk is stronger than ever before, and my friends constantly ask what’s different about me. They don’t seem to grasp that a nineteen-year-old can be so in love with God that it’s physically evident.

Again I thank you for your willingness to step out in faith and be used of God. God, through you, has touched my life and, I’m sure, the lives of countless others. I’m looking forward to listening to your other teachings. Tori from PA

Isn’t that awesome! Praise the Lord for the power of the truth and how it sets us free (John 8:32). The only power that Satan has is the power of deception, and the worst thing about deception is that you don’t know you’re being deceived. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be deception. Once the truth is received, deception loses all its power. Therefore, Satan loses all his power when we know the truth.
Many people don’t know the truth about Satan’s defeat. In fact, many Christians are the very instrument the devil is using to foster the deception that he is still a powerful foe. “Spiritual warfare” is one of the hottest topics in the church today. People are expending great amounts of energy constantly battling the devil in ways contrary to Scripture, but in reality, Satan has already been defeated. We don’t need to defeat him again.
We need to believe that Satan has already been completely destroyed (Heb. 2:14) and simply enforce his defeat. The only power he has is the power to deceive. Our battle should be against the wiles (trickery) of the devil (Eph. 6:11), not the devil himself. Any other approach is actually giving the devil authority and power which he doesn’t have, and he uses that to intimidate us. The only weapon Satan has is the power we give him when we believe his lies.
Warfare only takes place between two undefeated foes. Once an enemy has been conquered, the war is over. Satan is a defeated foe.
Colossians 2:15 says, “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” The archaic meaning of the word “spoiled” here is “to plunder; despoil” (American Heritage Dictionary). This means that after Jesus defeated Satan, He stripped him of everything he had, specifically the keys of death and hell (Rev. 1:18). Satan has no power to imprison anyone.
The Greek word that was translated “shew” in this verse (Col 2:15) is “deigmatizo” which means “to exhibit” (Strong). This comes from the root word “deigma” which means “a specimen (as shown)” (ibid.). Satan is like one of those bugs we had to capture for biology class. We caught it and then impaled it on a board with a little pin to exhibit it. You need to picture the devil nailed to the cross of Jesus like a bug on display. Hallelujah! Take that, Mr. Devil!
The Greek word that was translated “triumphing over” in Colossians 2:15 is especially significant. It means “to make an acclamatory procession” (ibid.). This is specifically referring to the way the Romans had a “triumphant procession” after they had defeated their enemies.
Upon conquering an enemy, the Romans would hold a parade. They would take the conquered king, strip him naked, and drag him through the crowd behind the conquering king or commander for all their subjects to see. He would be humiliated and insulted, but that’s not all. They would also cut off the thumbs of his hands and the big toes of both feet. This was to assure the subjects this enemy would never be a threat to any of them again. He could not hold a sword and he would never be able to run again. There was no need to fear him any more. Any rumor about him ever challenging Rome again would be scoffed at because the citizens had seen him in the parade.
The same thing happened to the devil. That’s what this verse is referring to. Jesus not only beat the devil, but He had a triumphant procession to display the devil to the universe as a totally conquered foe. Satan should never terrify us again. Unfortunately, many Christians have missed the parade. They haven’t seen God’s triumphant procession that was pictured in God’s Word where Satan was displayed as a totally defeated foe. They are circulating rumors that Satan is a powerful foe to be reckoned with. That’s not so.
Satan is still alive, and we do have to reckon with him but only because he has so many lies circulating about his power against us. These are all lies, and therein lies Satan’s power. If we believe his lies, he then uses our own authority, which our fear grants him, to work his destruction in our lives. He has no power of his own. He’s using the power and authority that our misdirected faith gives him.
When I was just beginning my walk with the Lord, I came into the knowledge that demons do exist, and they are not all in Africa. We encounter demons often, and they are the workers of much of the evil we see every day. At first, this caused a fear in me that actually gave these demons in-roads into my life. On one hand, I was resisting them, but through fear I was also empowering them.
An example of this happened to me in Arlington, Texas, where I grew up. I was in love with the Lord and wanting to minister to people. I decided to open up what I called “Arlington Christian Center.” It was going to be a home where people who were being controlled by things like alcohol, drugs, sex, etc. could come and stay while we broke the power of the devil over them and helped set them free. I rented a two-story house, right on the edge of the University of Texas at Arlington campus, and started fixing it up.
This house had been a fraternity house, and there had been a lot of demonic activity in the house prior to our occupancy. The people were gone, but not all the demons were. There were some strange things about that place. One night I was working up there at 1 a.m., and some demons attacked me. There was no one in that house except me, but I was being hit and choked, and I was fighting for my life.
I ran out of that house and got in my car and backed out of the driveway. I was ready to “burn rubber” and get as far away from there as possible. Just before I got the car into drive, I heard the Lord say to me, “What are you doing?” I told Him I was getting away from that place as fast as I could. He then reminded me of the Christian’s armor that was described in Ephesians 6:10-18, and He said, “There isn’t any armor to cover your back.”
I knew what He meant. He was saying that the armor He had given me only worked when I faced the devil, not if I turned and ran. I thought, Lord, You couldn’t want me to go back into that place and face those devils. He never said anything else to me. I pulled back into the driveway and thought about that for what seemed to be an eternity. Finally, I got out of the car and walked back into that house. I spent the rest of the night fighting off fear and those physical attacks of the devil. When I left in the morning, the demons were gone, and there was a supernatural peace in that place.
During that time, I had a lot of demonic attacks against me. I had dreams where demons would attack me, and I would wake up bleeding from those encounters. They weren’t just in my mind. I was being physically attacked. That also happened one night in Louisiana at a Bible conference. It felt like I was being choked to death. I won, but these demonic encounters were not fun.
Then one day as I was praying and binding every demon on every continent, it dawned on my lightning-fast mind that I was actually spending more time in my prayers talking to the devil and rebuking him than I was talking to the Lord. I knew that wasn’t right. The Lord began to reveal to me that all my attention on the devil was actually giving him these in-roads into my life, which caused all these attacks.
I repented and changed my thinking and focus and guess what? It’s now been at least thirty years, and I have never had another demonic manifestation in my life. I have seen demons manifest around me in other people, and I’ve cast them out, but those personal attacks stopped nearly instantly. There has never been another one because the only reason Satan’s imps were able to manifest like that to me in the first place was because of the fear I released toward them. The fear is gone, and therefore, so is their power.
This is an awesome revelation and one that is not the dominant theological position on Satan and demons today. This truth desperately needs to be communicated throughout the body of Christ.
The teaching MP3 includes: http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1017

Who’s The Enemy?

What Authority Does Satan Have?

How Does Satan Fight Us?

Authority Comes From The Law

The Battle Is In Your Mind

Aggressive Authority

http://www.awmi.net/store/usa/cd_albums/1017_c