A Christmas present: Life, Spirit, Glory, Peace, Joy, Healing, Freedom!

Many Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ around this time although they know that Jesus was not born on 25th December. Most churches too, do not want to be left out of this man-made tradition or culture. One Biblical way of celebrating this season is to read the whole Bible in one continuous sitting, from beginning to the end. Jesus said, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. Reading the whole Bible together as a church (a group of Christians taking turn) would take about 72 hours depending on the language proficiency of those who read. While waiting for their turns the participants can sit around or rest anywhere within hearing distance. Be awed by the presence of the spiritual God. The Word is God. The Word became man as Jesus. Be transformed while you abide in Him and His words abide in you during this season of waiting upon the Lord as the ultimate celebration of Jesus’ birth. Let the Holy Spirit breathe life on you.
 For those who gather together as one family or a few families (as in house church), you may choose to read the New testament only. It will take about 17-19 hours in one sitting. The result will be great for each participant. This is the best present you can receive from your heavenly Father! This blogger has done this on my own and it took me about a week, resting in between reading. Something broke through.

John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 
 John 14:27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
 Romans 16:20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
1 Peter 2:24  who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 
 John 8:32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

First verse of the Bible: Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Last 2 verses of the Bible: Revelation 22:20-21 ²⁰ He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! ²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

______________Luke 24:35-49 (highlight added by this watchman)

³⁵ Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. ³⁶ And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. ³⁷ But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!

³⁸ “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? ³⁹ Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” ⁴⁰ As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.
⁴¹ Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” ⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he ate it as they watched.
⁴⁴ Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. ⁴⁶ And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ ⁴⁸ You are witnesses of all these things.
⁴⁹ “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”

Receive the Holy Spirit today!

Notes from this blogger: Lately I was convicted in my spirit to listen more on the salvation and grace and faith messages, all Holy Spirit -filled and inspired messages. One of the series is "The positive ministry of the Holy Spirit" (You can watch or listen to the teaching at the following websites: http://www.awmi.net/tv/2006/week40 ; http://www.awmi.net/extra/audio/1020 )
_______________________
Here is the teaching on how to receiving the Holy Spirit: 
 Receive the Holy Spirit (from Andrew Wommack)
 As His child, your loving heavenly Father wants to give you the supernatural power you need to live this new life.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened... If ye...know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
LUKE 11:10,13

All you have to do is ask, believe, and receive! Pray, Father, I recognize my need for Your power to live this new life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. By faith, I receive Him right now! Thank You for baptizing me. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my life.
Congratulations! Now you’re filled with God’s supernatural power. Some syllables from a language you don’t recognize will rise up from your heart to your mouth. (See 1 Cor. 14:14.) As you speak them out loud by faith, you’re releasing God’s power from within and building yourself up in the Spirit. (See v. 4.) You can do this whenever and wherever you like.
It doesn’t really matter whether you felt anything or not when you prayed to receive the Lord and His Spirit. If you believed in your heart that you received, then God’s Word promises you did. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). God always honors His Word; believe it!
WATCH THIS:
 http://s3.awmi.net/vod/live/special/hs_altar_call.html?iframe=true&width=415&height=340
AND LISTEN TO THIS: http://www.awmi.net/radio/this_week

Eternal Life / The True Nature Of God

Entire Week (RealAudio)
August 26th - August 30th

Pentecost Day: be endued with power from on high!

Today the 5 am brethren in Christ read more about Jesus’ command on receiving the power from on high, and how the disciples had obeyed and received.
Luke 24:36-53 The apostles and disciples still did not believe despite the physical appearance of the resurrected Jesus. They were terrified and frightened. He showed them His hands and feet and asked them to touch and see that He had flesh and bones and not a ghost. He even ate with them. He opened their understanding that they might comprehend the Scriptures (the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms) which were written concerning Him and must be fulfilled.
[John 20:22 He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.”]
(continue Luke 24 above)Then He spoke this last word, “Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.“
The Acts of the Apostles (also titled “the Acts of the Holy Spirit”) recorded the actual physical historical events demonstrating the power of the Holy Spirit being received and lived out in the lives of the apostles and disciples, as they believed and obeyed the words of God (including all that Jesus had spoken).
_________Bible verses:
Acts 1:2 Until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,
1:8 And 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.
1:14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and and supplication…
2:1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2:2 And suddenly there came…
2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
______________________The following recorded the conversation between the religious Jewish leaders and Peter and John after many had witnessed Peter healing a man born lame. Five thousand men heard the word of God they preached and believed. The high priest, rulers, elders, and scribes arrested the two apostles and interrogated them:
4:7 “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
4:8-10 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “…that by the name of Jesus Christ…this man stands here before you whole.”
4:13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.
________________After this Peter and John were let go and went to their own companions and reported…they all prayed to God with one accord. The following is part of the prayer and what happened after the prayer. The physical evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit confirmed their prayer.
4:24-30 Lord, You are God…the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ. For truly against Your holy servant Jesus, Whom you anointed…to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they speak Your word.
30 “By stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled were shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul…
____________The power of the Holy Spirit was manifested through the increasing number of believers, and the healing and deliverance of multitude of sick people and those tormented by evil spirits. Even Peter’s shadow could cause healing.
5:16 …and they were all healed.
5:42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching Jesus as the Christ.
____________The Holy Spirit led the apostles and disciples to set proper priority for leadership as in the kingdom of God. (6:1-10)
Priority of the apostles: 6:4 “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (2 “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.”)
Priority for qualification set for appointment of the other church leaders: be of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, full of faith and power, do great wonders and signs among the people, able to speak God’s words by wisdom and by the Holy Spirit.
______________Baptism of the Holy Spirit by laying of hand was recorded in the following episode.
Philip preached Christ (the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus) to the Samaritans and the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Him, hearing and seeing the miracles He did. Unclean spirits were cast out and many paralyzed and lame healed. There was great joy. They were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. But when the two apostles Peter and John came they had to pray for them to receive the Holy Spirit. Why? Because they did not have the physical evidence (praying in tongues).
8:17 Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
8:18-19 And when Simon (a former sorcerer) saw that…he offered them (Peter and John) money, saying, :Give Me this power also, that anyone on Whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
(Simon saw the physical evidence of the Holy Spirit and knew this is real!)
Peter corrected Simon and told Him that the baptism of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by physical manifestation of speaking in tongues is the gift of God.
What was the difference between the multitudes of believers who received when Peter and John laid hands on them and the former sorcerer Simon?
The multitudes of believers just believed that God wanted to give them this gift and they all received by faith.
Simon was filled with other thoughts and desires:

1. Envy of the others’ possession of a power which is greater than the one He used to display.
2. Worry about own congregation (followers) having gone to another ‘church’. His regular income would be adversely affected unless he copied their method and displayed their power too.
3. Perhaps He even secretly prayed for the power but could not receive. He was filled with jealousy and bitterness. After all He was more qualified and experienced in spiritual matters.

Simon was not exceptionally wicked. The same problem occurs today in churches. Those who have prayed and still do not manifest the physical fruits of the Holy Spirit witness the exodus of their church members. Some have taken human measures and invested heavily in upgrading the hardware, like expensive building, furniture, sound system, musical instruments, having professionally trained worship leaders, singers and dancers, inviting motivational speakers etc.
But The Acts of the Apostles has shown otherwise. The real problem is not in the external. It is inside the heart.
8:20-23 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for Your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this Your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of Your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
_____________________Pentecost is here again. The watchman urges the leaders of churches who do not yet manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit and desire to receive the gifts to turn to Your Bible and the word of God. Be still before the Lord and wait upon Him.

1. Read what Jesus has commanded.
2. Believe and obey.
3. Read the Acts of the Holy Spirit.
4. Believe and obey.
5. Repent for unbelief and walking according to the flesh and not in the Spirit and pray humbly for spiritual weapon, the might of God to “pull down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
6. Live a lifestyle of living before God. Have the fear of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:2)

Pentecost Prayer of the watchman: “
“I pray that God, the Father of glory, give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of our understanding being enlightened; that we may know what is the hope of our calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power…”