Standing on Faith

I am amazed how God keeps coming through time and time again. After all that the Lord has brought me through giving into worry is an insult to Him.

If  I am worrying then I am believing a lie from the devil. I should ask the Holy Spirit what word to stand on.

Jesus is the AUTHOR of my faith!
He says it and I believe it!

Jesus is the FINISHER of my faith.
After believing what He said, He will then finish it!


Hebrews 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; .....

Are you in a storm of tribulation?  Ask God which word to stand on!

Ephesians 6:17 .....the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

He guarantees an answer in His Word!

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Once He gives you the Word -  Stand on it! 

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  



(Thanks for reminding me Rhonda!!!)

Howard Pittman - Dies and goes to heaven! (rare audio!)

On August 3, 1979 Howard Pittman died and went to heaven.  He came back from the dead to share his experience.



                      



Download the podcast here:  http://goo.gl/3HsK4


This is a very rare Audio of a Very Rare experience!

In this sermon Howard describes:

*His death experience
*The spirit world
*How principalities work.
*Demonic influence in entertainment
* The transforming power of Jesus
*The importance of knowing your enemy
*The Third Heaven
*The importance of Being The Few!


Here are a few of Howard's books! 

Please share this with friends!

What is Grace?

Ephesians 2:8-9 [KJV] For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

We've heard it preached: We can't work our way to heaven. Without the sin sacrifice of Jesus we have no path to God. Nothing that we do in our own power will ever be sufficient. Christ alone is our atonement for sin.

Isaiah 64:6 [KJV] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

But, what exactly does that mean in the everyday life of the believer?  Does this mean that since we are incapable of becoming righteous by our own works that we then make no movement towards holy living?  Isn't Jesus' sacrifice sufficient to pay the penalty for each sin that we have already committed and any sin we will commit in the future?

Romans 6:1-2 [KJV] What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

There is a popular Christian teaching about grace that seems to contradict many passages in the Bible (particularly Romans Chapter 6). This teaching implies that it really doesn't matter how we live our lives. This teaching implies that none of the sin in our lives holds any significance in our relationship with God. It is as if the grace of God is a 'magic pill' that we take to rid ourselves of the penalty of sin, but with no corresponding reduction of sin in our lives.  Now, having said that, there is no sin that is too big for Jesus to wash away. There is nothing we can do that is so bad that Jesus isn't sufficient to pay the penalty. Jesus paid it all, there is nothing we can do in addition to what He has already done.

2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

But, that misses the point of grace. Grace is not just available to wash away the penalty for sin in our lives, but it is also there as a provision to allow us to walk before God without sin. That means God has provided Christians freedom from not only the penalty of sin, but also from the dominion of sin in our life. We are no longer in bondage to sin; we are now slaves to righteousness.

Romans 6:11 [KJV] In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. 14 For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are no longer under the law, but under grace. This means you are no longer bound by sin; you do not have to submit to evil desires  because you have the power of the Holy Spirit (God Himself) to overcome. You, alone, will never be able to conquer your own flesh in your own power. But, the Holy Spirit can, and will, fight the battle for you as you submit your life more and more to to the dominion of the Spirit of God.

Romans 8:4 [KJV] That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

If you are struggling with sin in your life, give it to God. He alone is able. Jesus paid the price so that you could live in righteousness.  Jesus' life, death, burial and resurrection was not a magic pill. All that Jesus did for you is everything that you will ever need to become an overcomer and live your life as a slave to righteousness.

Something to consider.

Love in Christ,
Susan

What does it take to Willfully Submit to Jesus?

What does it take to willingly submit to Christ?


      

Video link here:  http://youtu.be/GfvYVlzDRsM

Here are some of the relevant scriptures:

Romans 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

John 4:34  Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

Matthew 25:31-46

Luke 6:46  And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?

Matthew 7:21-23

Acts 9

2 Thessalonians 1:7,8 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Hebrews 11:6
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Called to conversion

And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call {them} to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. - Deuteronomy 30:1-3

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired {to have} you, that he may sift {you} as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. - Luke 22:31-32

These couple texts above are clear examples that being on a church or being part of a religion don't necessarily mean being saved, converted, true son of God.

On the first case we see Moses speaking to the people of Israel, people called by God to be his exclusive possession, beacon among the nations to guide them towards the Father, so that they would convert from their wicked ways.

What do you mean, weren't they the people of God, how come they still needed to convert?

On the second text it gets even "worse", Peter was a leader among the disciples of Jesus, He was one of His closest friends and still had not comprehended the dimension of the transforming gospel, a good news that points up, to the sides and to a person's inside, a message of repentance and changing of ways, a good news, truly, because it takes away the hopelessness of the yoke of the Law and guarantees us the eternal life side by side with God on Christ Jesus, receiving as the seal of the promise his own Spirit.

What are you waiting for?

It doesn't matter what religion you're part of, or even if none.

Christ doesn't call the religious ones or those who consider themselves perfect, He came for all and everyone, but specially for those who would receive Him as Master and Lord, for whom He shed his precious blood on the cross of Calvary, making us sons and daughters before our Father.

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. - Revelation 3:20

What is it going to be your response?

God bless us.

Interview with Steve - Missionary to Japan

          

YouTube Video located here:  http://youtu.be/ts2QJ9EP4Cw

I had an opportunity to interview Steve @SteveTsuanmi from HolyFireJapan.com.

Steve is a Christian missionary to Japan.




Did you know that Japan is less than one percent Christian?

In this interview we discuss:

The Japanese Culture and how it relates to missions

What it means to Be The Few.

Steve's first hand experience with the Fukushima:
        * earthquake, 
*Tsunami
* Radiation fallout.  

And much more!

Steve mentions an important book:   Silence by Shusaku Endo
-you can buy it here:  http://amzn.to/10rrIUf

If you would like to support his ministry he has a paypal button on the sidebar of HolyFireJapan.com

or you can visit:  https://www.dcpi.org/698077.ihtml
for Dynamic Church Planting International

Be sure and check out Steve's blog and pray about supporting him in this very important ministry.

Conrad and Susan Discussing Matthew 6

We are continuing our discussion of the Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 6:8-18.

Our discussion includes:

• Daily prayer for everyday life
• God knows what we need, but He wants us to ask
• The Lord's Prayer is a model for prayer
• Relationship; not Ritual
• Fasting and Prayer
• Temptation, Faith, Protection

Desperate Faith

There are times that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves.

These are times that we quickly discover our weaknesses.  In these times, we are staring into a deep abyss of black nothingness looking for a faint shimmer of  hope.  This hope has been buried  somewhere in the dark.

When we have a loved one that we can’t help in their infirmity.  When we have financial difficulty that is beyond comprehension.  When we have a failing marriage where our spouse is determined to leave.  When we are faced with certain, imminent death.

At these times we may cry.  We may scream.  We may  slump down to our knees in despair and end up in the fetal position wishing that we had never been born like Job (Job 3:1-3).

These are the times, that we absolutely know beyond any doubt that we cannot save ourselves.  Our wits, money, relationships, and even our integrity cannot help us.  These are the times that we must dig even deeper than we ever have before.  We must dig much deeper.

These are the times where life has literally knocked us to our knees.  When life has knocked us to our knees we are in perfect position for prayer.

When we get desperate enough we will seek the Lord with our whole heart (Deuteronomy 4:29 ; Joel 2:12).

Consider the girl with the issue of blood (Mark 5:24-34).  Doctors couldn't save her.  All  the money she had could not save her.  All of her carnal reasoning had failed her.  Somehow she remembered a scripture about the Son of Righteousness will arise with healing in His wings (Malachi 4:2).  She fought through her pride.  She fought through her fear of being found out.  She seized the kingdom of heaven violently.  Her desperation catapulted her to action. Her desperation was the key that activated her faith.

This action would not be taken if she had not been desperate.

This makes me wonder if a complacent Christian is a Christian at all (Revelation 3:16).  If we are too lazy (Matthew 25:26), apathetic, or unbelieving (Revelation 21:8) to seek God, then where does that put us according to His standards?

She was desperate enough to believe the Word of God and seek the Son of Righteousness.  She put to rest all the things that had worked for her in the past and decided to give God a try.

I am glad her testimony is in the bible.  Because if she could do it, then maybe you and I could as well.

 Her example is laid out before us to consider and follow.

When tribulations come our way, consider the  many times in the bible where people had problems and then they began to pray. It is as if God was waiting for them to finally pick up the phone and call.  It is funny how we label ourselves Christians but only get serious about seeking God when our lives are in jeopardy.

God is a person seeking a relationship with us. We don’t have to wait to be desperate to say "hello".  Let’s agree to seek God more together.  Let's activate our faith before life knocks us to our knees.

James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

God Brings Us Together At The Library

I left my temporary housing facility today (the back of the car) and decided to take a walk to the library where I could sit outside on a bench and charge up my electronic devices with my portable solar panels while I read the word and listened to some music. I decided to hit the laundromat on my way to the library to see if I had enough money on my Cyberwash card to do a load of laundry. Unfortunately my laundry will have to wait a few more days...lol. As I exited the laundromat, I saw a gentleman waving to me from across the street. I wasn't too sure who it was, but I waved back and made my way across the street to meet up with him.

When I got closer to him, I realized that it was the gentleman I had ministered to a couple of weeks ago. I had ministered to him and his wife. For those of you who have followed my story, you know that they are the couple who had confessed to have been Christians at one point in their lives, but who fell in with the wrong crowd when they became homeless and ended up falling back into those things that the Lord had delivered them from. I met him one other time after that initial meeting at which time he told me that he and his wife had found shelter in someone's basement. His wife was ill and that's where she was sleeping at the moment.

Well, when I made it across the street I sat right down beside him on the bench and immediately asked him how he was doing. He told me that he and his wife had an unfurnished room to stay in at a friend's house. That's where his wife was at the moment because she was sick again. I'm sorry to say this, but a red flag went up when I heard that. I was suspicious of his wife's first bout with illness when we spoke, considering the fact that they told me that they had reverted to their old ways of substance abuse when they became homeless, but I thought I was being judgmental and I tried to brush it off.

He then went on about not having any money and how things were really tough for them. I tried to encourage him and continued to point him to Jesus, but every time I tried to encourage him with the word of God, he just looked away from me. That seemed odd. He didn't seem capable of really focusing on me. Maybe it was conviction... I don't know.

I was carrying a paperback NKJV NT and offered it to him. He accepted it and flipped through it without looking for anything in particular. I continued to try to encourage him and even tried to be an example of how you can have no material wealth but still have hope and joy in the Lord, no matter what your circumstance.

Before I left him, I asked if I could pray for him and his wife. He agreed to that. As I prayed, the words seemed to stick in my mouth. I was tripping over myself and the prayer didn't seem genuine. After I prayed, I shook his hand and left. I wasn't going to hang at the library as planned because I felt that my presence was not welcome. As I walked away, I marveled at how badly my prayer for him and his wife had gone. Then it occurred to me that it could have been the Holy Spirit telling me not go proceed with praying for them at that time, but when that happens, the Holy Spirit usually stops me dead in my tracts and doesn't let me ramble on.

I've discovered that as much as I want to help everyone, sometimes when I'm ministering to the lost and brokenhearted, one of the responses I have to be prepared for is to walk away without offering assistance, but still remembering to pray for them in my personal prayers. In this situation, I think all his talk about their Christianity and their hope of getting back into a relationship with God may just be all talk. Many people out on the street are experts in “talk.” They tell you what you want to hear in hopes of getting a buck or two from you. Well, I think that may have been what I experienced. All I know is that upon reflecting on the situation, I can see several red flags that alerts me to the fact that this gentleman was probably not being genuine with me. That's okay. I can handle that. Of course, that changes my whole method of ministering to him in the future. Yes, I will continue to minister to him every time I see him.

I left him with a bible and prayed for him. He knows that I'm there to encourage him and pray for him and his wife. I'm praying for them in my personal prayers. Unless and until he and his wife repent and seek God's face, their lives will be spent apart from Him and His bountiful blessings. That isn't something I can alter. Only they have the power to change that through true repentance. I left him with this verse: Mat 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

I look forward to some day having a praise report to share with everyone about this couple. I'm not giving up on them. :)

Sometimes God Requires More Than We Expect

The Lord was already calling me out onto the streets a few months before my notice to vacate. When the notice came, I was prepared in my heart and in my mind to go out onto the street. I gave away everything I owned and those things that no one wanted were thrown away (except for those few things I wanted to keep, like my Christian CD's, important paperwork, family photos, etc...). I no longer had a place to live, a place to call my own. The comfort of my own bed was gone as was the knowledge that I had a place I could return to every day that I could call my own. What little physical comfort I have at this point in time is had by sleeping in the back seat of my son's unused car, which is parked in the driveway of his friend's (Tim) apartment building, or in sitting on a park bench.

It's definitely been a journey, even if it's only been a few short weeks. A few days ago I was asking my self why God would choose me to help bring healing to the hurting and broken lives of those living out on the street of this city. I'm not eloquent speaker; I'm not tall or handsome; I'm don't have any of the traits of someone who you would think that God would use for this mission. There are brothers and sisters in Christ who can rattle off scripture and give you the book, chapter and verse where it can be found... I'm not like that. For a long time I've felt inadequate in that area of my walk with the Lord. So, what do I have that the Lord can use? What worth did He see in me that caused Him to choose me? I thought of Moses, who felt ill-equipped for what God was sending him to do. I also thought about the Apostles who dropped everything at the calling of the Master. That's when I had my answer. I had a willing heart. When God told me that I would end up out on the streets to minister to the homeless, I just accepted it. I didn't fight or complain... I just said okay and then began planning for my life outside my comfort zone, which, as anyone who knows me can tell you, is very VERY unlike me.

In the weeks leading up to moving out on to the streets, I weaned myself off of my anti-anxiety medication. I guess that was the first thing God wanted removed from my life, and I was in total agreement with Him. I didn't need it any longer. He was my source of peace, not some little pill. The weaning process went smoothly and I believe I was off the medication completely a week or two before my transition to street life. That was the easiest thing I've done in this entire process.

I've had a chance to minister to several people while being out on the street, including a Christian couple who are homeless and who had slipped back into sin because they were living with people who did things that the Lord had brought this couple out of years ago, and my youngest daughter who has the misunderstanding that God is there to serve us and not the other way around. She is very confused in her Christian walk because she refuses to accept guidance. She is an expert in building walls!!!

Mat 10:36 And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.

Then there is my brother and sister. My brother had initially offered me a place to sleep, shower and eat, but then he rescinded his offer, saying, “I changed my mind. I can't help you out. Carol (my sister) should be there for you. Take care and good luck. You're in gods hands.” He went on to say, “You put yourself in the situation you're in, now it's up to you to help yourself. Yesterday you were all excited to be homeless. Maybe this is what you need to change your ways and ways of thinking.” My “ways of thinking” are in reference to my relationship with God. He believes I have gone overboard and take “religion” too seriously. So... He's pretty much disowned me.

Then there is my sister who, after a lengthy conversation, basically threatened to have the police force me into the hospital for observation because she thought that giving everything up for “god” to the point where I said that I was ready to give my life for Him was so opposed to how she believes, that she thought I had literally gone insane. It didn't help when I told her that God speaks to me. I wrote an article on my blog site about that, but it was the update to that blog article that really made her head spin. When she read that update, she called me on the phone and disowned me right there and then. She didn't want to have anything else to do with me.

There have been many instances where my faith grew weak. There were a couple of days there when I felt that I was blocked off from any communication with God. Other days old sins that I've spent a lifetime praying to be delivered from, seemed to try to creep in. There was a day I walked the streets dehydrated, stumbling over my own feet. There have been many times when I've felt the pang of hunger. I've spent painful and sleepless nights in the back of a car. There were times my body shivered as the cold of the night penetrated me to the core. Blisters on my foot has made walking slow and painful. Through all of this I could cling to only one hope... God. I believe that He will not allow me to go through anything that He has not created provision for. I also believe that He will not leave me here where I stand. The Potter has decided to beat me down into a lump to create me anew. This may seem strange to some, but I relish the idea of being used by God in a new way! Yes, I have my own personal journey though the desert to experience, but in the end, God will be able to use me in ways that wouldn't have been possible had I remained where I was. He would have needed to choose someone else. Praise God He chose me!!!

Here is the hope that I want to leave with everyone who needs to hear it. No matter how bad things seem, God is always there working in the midst of it all. The focus can't be on the situation at hand. Your focus throughout your ordeal needs to be on the One who has already provided an escape for you. He has already placed the provisions that you need and they're up ahead a little ways. You just have to keep walking forward and make it through to the other side to receive them. If you stumble, don't stay down! Pick yourself up, even if you stumble with every step you take. The reward is in the struggle! Although I have been through quite a bit recently, I remain hopeful that through all things God is with me. His Holy Spirit, who is with me 24/7, is a valuable help in difficult times.

Today I was thinking about Jesus on the cross. I pictured myself face to face with Him and in His agony, I pictured Him straining to look at me. It was then that I broke down crying, apologizing to Him for all the things that I had done that brought Him to that cross. His body was ripped apart before he was forced to march to His death. The blood loss was enormous and He began to suffer from dehydration. Blood dripped into his eyes from the crown of thorns forced onto his head. He was beaten and spit upon. His body struggled to take in breath after breath as it hung naked and misshapen on the cross.

Then we come to our struggles. Worth comparing? If you have the smallest faith, the smallest hope, God can use that to accomplish much. Let Him lift you up. Let Him help you take those first few steps back onto the narrow road. Sometimes God requires more than we expect, but remember, those who endure to the end will be saved!

The Good Fight of Faith

Recently the Lord has been showing me a couple of things.

If you follow  my blog or Google plus you can see that people all over the world are getting hit with spiritual warfare.

A few weeks ago, in the spirit I began seeing two fists pounding in the heavenly realm within the glory cloud.  God wants His people to be proactive in spiritual warfare.  This means  taking ground in the spirit and not simply rolling with the punches that satan throws us.

When Jesus said "the gates of hell shall not prevail" (Matthew 16:18) we need to understand that the gates of hell are a defensive mechanism that cannot stand against the onslaught of Christ within us.

More recently, God has been showing me that we need more intimacy with Him.  Not just seeking His hand but seeking His face.  I am wanting to get back to the level of the prophetic that I was walking in a few years ago.  I remember I was spending much more time in prayer, praise, and worship.

Please keep my in your prayers, and be sure and drop me a note of encouragement every once in a while.  We are in this fight together!

1 Timothy 6:12  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.