Tag: Holy Spirit

It’s a Breakthrough SOAK Tonight!

Our Church, Janesville Apostolic Ministries gets together every Friday to SOAK in God’s presence. Tonight we shared verses on healing and sang praise music. What a blast! It was a Holy Ghost Party!

Here is the video. Join us in declaring healing scriptures over yourself and your family. I challenge you to say them out loud. Why? Because your body responds to your voice.

God’s Word will not return to Him void. It WILL accomplish that which He set it out to do! Faith is being sure of what you hope for and certain of what you don’t see – YET!

Here are the verses:

Healing Scriptures

John 1 (Amplified Bible)

1IN THE beginning [before all time] was the Word (Christ), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself.

2He was present originally with God. 

3All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being. 

4In Him was Life, and the Life was the Light of men. 

5And the Light shines on in the darkness, for the darkness has never overpowered it [put it out or absorbed it or appropriated it, and is unreceptive to it].

Isaiah 55:11

So shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth: it shall not return to Me void [without producing any effect, useless], but it shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Psalm 107:20 (Amplified Bible)

20He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.

Proverbs 4

20My son, attend to my words; consent and submit to my sayings. 

21Let them not depart from your sight; keep them in the center of your heart. 

22For they are life to those who find them, healing and health to all their flesh. 

23Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Hebrews 4

12For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Exodus 15

24The people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? 

25And he cried to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There [the Lord] made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He proved them, 

26Saying, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord your God and will do what is right in His sight, and will listen to and obey His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon you which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the Lord Who heals you. 

27And they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters. 

Exodus 23

25You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

Deuteronomy 7

25You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst.

Psalm 30

1I WILL extol You, O Lord, for You have lifted me up and have not let my foes rejoice over me. 

2O Lord my God, I cried to You and You have healed me.

Psalm 91

9Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place,

10There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent. 

11For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service]. 

12They shall bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

Psalm 103

A psalm of David.

1 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name.
2 Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things he does for me.
3 He forgives all my sins
and heals all my diseases.
4 He redeems me from death
and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
5 He fills my life with good things.
My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!

Psalm 107

20 He sent out his word and healed them,
snatching them from the door of death.

Isaiah 53

3He was despised and rejected and forsaken by men, a Man of sorrows and pains, and acquainted with grief and sickness; and like One from Whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we did not appreciate His worth or have any esteem for Him. 

4Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses, weaknesses, and distresses) and carried our sorrows and pains [of punishment], yet we [ignorantly] considered Him stricken, smitten, and afflicted by God [as if with leprosy].

5But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole.

Matthew 8

1WHEN JESUS came down from the mountain, great throngs followed Him. 

2And behold, a leper came up to Him and, prostrating himself, worshiped Him, saying, Lord, if You are willing, You are able to cleanse me by curing me. 

3And He reached out His hand and touched him, saying, I am willing; be cleansed by being cured. And instantly his leprosy was cured and cleansed.

13Then to the centurion Jesus said, Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed. And the servant boy was restored to health at that very moment. 

14And when Jesus went into Peter’s house, He saw his mother-in-law lying ill with a fever. 

15He touched her hand and the fever left her; and she got up and began waiting on Him. 

16When evening came, they brought to Him many who were under the power of demons, and He drove out the spirits with a word and restored to health all who were sick.

Acts 10

38How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.

Luke 10

19Behold! I have given you authority and power to trample upon serpents and scorpions, and [physical and mental strength and ability] over all the power that the enemy [possesses]; and nothing shall in any way harm you.

1 Corinthains 6

13Food [is intended] for the stomach and the stomach for food, but God will finally end [the functions of] both and bring them to nothing. The body is not intended for sexual immorality, but [is intended] for the Lord, and the Lord [is intended] for the body [to save, sanctify, and raise it again]. 

14And God both raised the Lord to life and will also raise us up by His power. 

15Do you not see and know that your bodies are members (bodily parts) of Christ (the Messiah)? Am I therefore to take the parts of Christ and make [them] parts of a prostitute? Never! Never! 

16Or do you not know and realize that when a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? The two, it is written, shall become one flesh.

17But the person who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him. 

18Shun immorality and all sexual looseness [flee from impurity in thought, word, or deed]. Any other sin which a man commits is one outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 

19Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, 

20You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body. 

Colosians 1

11[We pray] that you may be invigorated and strengthened with all power according to the might of His glory, [to exercise] every kind of endurance and patience (perseverance and forbearance) with joy, 

12Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light. 

13[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 

14In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins. 

15[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation.

James 4

7So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. 

8Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery]. 

9[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. 

10Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

James 5

14Is anyone among you sick? He should call in the church elders (the spiritual guides). And they should pray over him, anointing him with oil in the Lord’s name. 

15And the prayer [that is] of faith will save him who is sick, and the Lord will restore him; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 

16 Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

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Powerful Holy Spirit Bible Verses

Holy Spirit Verses from the Bible

Acts 2:38
“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Matthew 3:11
“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John 14:26:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”

Romans 8:26
“Likewise, the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.”

Galatians 5:22-23
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

1 Corinthians 3:16
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?”

Acts 1:8
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses.”

Acts 2:3-4
“They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

Ezekiel 36:27
“And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”

Romans 5:5
“And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Ephesians 4:30
“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.”

Luke 11:13
“If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Acts 4:31
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

Psalm 143:10
“Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God;
may your good Spirit
lead me on level ground.”

Zechariah 4:6
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.”

Acts 19:5-6
“On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.”

Titus 3:5
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

Luke 1:35
“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

Matthew 1:20
“But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:17
“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

More Holy Spirit Quotes

“Only the holy spirit, the spirit of the lord, can transform us.” ― Joseph Prince

“It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.” ― Billy Graham

“When you strip it of everything else, Pentecost stands for power and life. That’s what came into the church when the Holy Spirit came down on the day of Pentecost.”
― David Wilkerson

“… self-control is not control by oneself through one’s own willpower but rather control of oneself through the power of the Holy Spirit.” ― Jerry Bridges

“We don’t do the cleaning, the Holy Spirit does” ― R. Alan Woods

When God takes out the trash, don’t go digging back through it. Trust Him.” ― Amaka Imani Nkosazana

“Will God ever ask you to do something you are not able to do? The answer is yes–all the time! It must be that way, for God’s glory and kingdom. If we function according to our ability alone, we get the glory; if we function according to the power of the Spirit within us, God gets the glory. He wants to reveal Himself to a watching world.” ― Henry Blackaby

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The Way to Prosper

I got this ad the other day to try out a new book service. They said they could get me books to read cheaper than bookstores or Kindle. I was curious so I went to the site to take a look.

It seemed legit so I answered a few questions about what types of books I like to read and then pressed enter. My list was on how to books, Christian non-fiction and cooking.

I was surprised at all the books that came back having to do with self help, meditation, get rich ideas, and other ways to better myself. Now I fell down that rabbit hole once or twice, or more in my lifetime!

All sorts of books that say if I do ‘this’ then I will get ‘that’. You can fill in the blanks. If I ‘pray more’ I’ll be more Christlike, if I ‘do’ more I’ll be more Christian, if I ‘give more’ then God will ‘bless’ me more…the list goes on and on.

Now I’m not saying any of those things are bad. It is good to pray and do, and bless people. But God knows my heart. Am I doing all those things to know Him better, or am I doing all those things to get something?

God knows the intentions of my heart, just like He knew David’s heart.

I found a great Psalm that will help me in this life:

Psalm 1;1-3 AMP

Blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked [following their advice and example],

Nor stand in the path of sinners,Nor sit [down to rest] in the seat of scoffers (ridiculers).

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,And on His law [His precepts and teachings] he [habitually] meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree firmly planted [and fed] by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season;Its leaf does not wither;

And in whatever he does, he prospers [and comes to maturity].

Now that last line got me, “WHATEVER He does, he prospers”! I don’t need the latest self-help book to figure out what to do. God tells me right here,”Don’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, don’t stand in the path of the sinners, but DELIGHT myself in the Word!”

Here it is from The Message Bible;

Psalm 1:1-6

How well God must like you—you don’t walk in the ruts of those blind-as-bats,

you don’t stand with the good-for-nothings,

you don’t take your seat among the know-it-alls.

Instead you thrill to God’s Word,

you chew on Scripture day and night.

You’re a tree replanted in Eden,

bearing fresh fruit every month,

Never dropping a leaf,always in blossom.

You’re not at all like the wicked,

who are mere windblown dust—Without defense in court,

unfit company for innocent people.

God charts the road you take.

The road they take leads to nowhere.

Praise the Lord, God charts our path as we chew on, (read and meditate) on God’s Word! Let me go read another chapter, how about you?

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Sunday Sermon: The Power of God’s Presence

Pastor Bob Rasmussen of Janesville Apostolic Ministries shares the Word on the power of God’s Presence with the Holy Spirit. You can read the full sermon here: Presence

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Embracing Family: A Holiday Reflection on Love and Faith

The Holidays are such a beautiful time of year. I love seeing my family in one place. Our babies had babies now so as a Grandma it is even more fun! I stand amazed. Family, you can love them or not, but they will always be family. They were born into it. They share the bloodline. No matter what they do or don’t do they will always be family.

This makes me think of God. I think He made Adam and Eve because He wanted a family too. He wanted children that He could love. Kids that would share His bloodline and continue the generations. It started with Adam and Eve, and then God blessed Abraham and told Him he would be the father of many nations:

“When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.  And I will make My covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”  Then Abram fell on his face, and God talked with him, saying: “As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.  No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.  And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your descendants after you. Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger, all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.” – Genesis 17:1-8 NKJV

We came from that bloodline. From the God of all Nations. We are in the family of Jesus Christ. Period. Skip the 23 and me! Skip the accusations from others – they do not speak the truth of who you are. The Devil was the accuser from the beginning. And even more importantly, remember whose you are. You are a child of the King of Kings, an heir, a rescued and redeemed servant of the Lord.

“Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.  For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,  and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.” – Romans 8:12-17 NKJV

The Holy Spirit bears witness that we are Children of God! And yes, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus. And yes, there will be suffering here on Earth. No matter, God is with us. This earthy life is only temporary anyway. This world is not our home. We are citizens of Heaven. And guess what? No one can separate us from that!

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”  Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,  nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 8:35-39

Rest assured He chose us/you. Even before the foundation of the world was even built. Before we were born He knew us. We are accepted. We are forgiven. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,  to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace  which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,  having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,  that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:14 NKJV

Rest assured this Holiday season. Skip the drama, remember whose you are. Love them anyway. Forgive them anyway, let God deal with them. Feed the sheep. That’s what God keeps speaking to me these days, “Feed my sheep.” We have been forgiven and saved. Let us rejoice in that and feed the sheep! Time is short. Let’s gather the harvest that Jesus promised and feed the sheep!

“When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” – John 21:15-17 NKJV

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Confronting Selfish Desires: Embracing Divine Purpose

People are messy. We are messy too. It is not always easy to pray what God wants and not what we want. I think that we as humans are basically selfish today. We want what we want, when we want it. We want more, more, more. And if my neighbor has it I might secretly lust after that too. Lord, this selfish flesh is screaming! No wonder we need God to help us embrace our Divine Purpose. I don’t think God made us that way.

“This is the book (the written record, the history) of the generations of the offspring of Adam. When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.  He created them male and female and blessed them and named them [both] Adam [Man] at the time they were created.” – Genesis 5:1-2 AMP

The Bible says we are made in the image and likeness of God. God made us male and female and blessed us. Before we were born God knew us.

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; [and] I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 AMP

Sin entered the world with Adam and Eve and that Serpent. That’s where I believe selfishness started. It has been in our bodies for centuries. It’s a result of the fall of man. What is selfishness? Why does God want us to overcome it?

Selfishness is described as: concerned excessively or exclusively with oneself : seeking or concentrating on one’s own advantage, pleasure, or well-being without regard for others or arising from concern with one’s own welfare or advantage in disregard of others a selfish act.

Selfishness is the belief that it’s all about me. Me, me, me. Being selfish doesn’t take into account the feelings of others. Selfish people do what they want when they want, regardless of what anyone thinks. They do not care if they hurt people. They don’t care if their words destroy people. They speak death, and not life to those around them. Selfish people don’t need God, they think they are God!

God calls us to lay down our selfish desires and love one another. He knew we would need help from the Holy Spirit to do this. Let’s confront our own selfishness and let God’s Word transform our hearts. Then we will treat others differently.

“ And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever— The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, desolate, bereaved, forlorn, helpless]; I will come [back] to you. Just a little while now, and the world will not see Me any more, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also.” – John 14:19 AMP

“So by whatever [appeal to you there is in our mutual dwelling in Christ, by whatever] strengthening and consoling and encouraging [our relationship] in Him [affords], by whatever persuasive incentive there is in love, by whatever participation in the [Holy] Spirit [we share], and by whatever depth of affection and compassionate sympathy, Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]. Let each of you esteem and look upon and be concerned for not [merely] his own interests, but also each for the interests of others. Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:] – _Philippians 2:1-5 AMP

My prayer for You:

Thank you Lord, for your Holy Spirit to help us overcome our own selfish desires. You have taught us that the flesh and Spirit are fighting each other all the time. Open our hearts to Your Word. Let Your Word rule in our hearts and help us to walk out this love your neighbor thing, in Jesus Name.

“For you, brethren, were [indeed] called to freedom; only [do not let your] freedom be an incentive to your flesh and an opportunity or excuse [for selfishness], but through love you should serve one another.  For the whole Law [concerning human relationships] is complied with in the one precept, You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. But if you bite and devour one another [in partisan strife], be careful that you [and your whole fellowship] are not consumed by one another. But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).  For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do. But if you are guided (led) by the [Holy] Spirit, you are not subject to the Law.” – Galatians 5:13-18 AMP

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I Will Remember

As I get older I have more time to look back on my life. What a ride, lol! There were good decisions and some bad decisions too. Yet I still stand amazed at what God has done in my life. I will remember the mighty acts He has shown me.

“And talk of Your deeds.
Your way, O God, is in the sanctuary;
Who is so great a God as our God?
You are the God who does wonders;
You have declared Your strength among the peoples.
You have with Your arm redeemed Your people,
The sons of Jacob and Joseph.” – Psalm 77:11-15

There are 2 questions I ask myself as I look back and forward:

What has God saved FROM?

  • Domestic Violence
  • Living in fear
  • Lust
  • Perversion
  • Suicide Attempts
  • Hopelessness
  • Shame
  • Despair
  • Poverty
  • Being Orphaned
  • Sickness
  • Sorrow
  • Depression
  • Mental illness
  • Living in chaos

What has God saved me FOR?

  • Hope
  • Love
  • Salvation
  • Peace
  • Redemption
  • Freedom
  • Healing
  • Wholeness
  • Holiness
  • Purpose
  • Joy
  • Ministry
  • Music
  • Faithfulness
  • Adoption
  • Wellness
  • Forgiveness

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity” – Jeremiah 29:11-14

I will remember all that God has done, is doing, and will do in my life. How about you? What has God delivered you FROM? And what has God delivered you FOR

“So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust. . . . You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.” – Joel 2:25–26

From Joseph Prince Ministries:

“The most precious thing that our Lord Jesus can restore to you is the lost years of your life. 

All the years that the locusts have eaten, God can supernaturally restore to you. Every minute spent in fear, worry, doubt, guilt, condemnation, addiction, and sin adds up to wasted years that have been stolen from you.

But I have good news for you today. Because of what our Lord Jesus has done for us on the cross, you can believe for total and complete restoration, for God to redeem ALL the time that has been lost and wasted!”

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Hope Has No Expiration Date

I finally planted some roses this year. I had my stepmom and my daughter both give me a pink rose bush for Mothers Day. I planted them both side by side in my front yard.

They bloomed beautifully all summer and then fall came here in Wisconsin. We have had had two frosts in the last two weeks. I looked at my rose bushes yesterday and there was still a new rose starting to bloom! It proved to me that Hope has no expiration date. I can hope and have faith for anything God desires. I can have faith to believe in that hope, because Jesus is the same yesterday, and today. 

That poor little rose had to break through the dirt, grow in the sunlight, and bloom in the frost! And I thought I had it bad. Anyway, that rose got me to thinking…

  • It’s not really dead, even if it looks like it.
  • It looks different going dormant to being in full bloom.
  • It was still a rose, even in the winter.
  • In Spring it would grow back, stronger and more plentiful than last year.
  • God designed it as a rose, and after He had created everything He said, “It is GOOD!”

What would happen if I applied those questions to my life?

  • My Spiritual connection with God isn’t dead, now matter what things look like or how I feel about it. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 NKJV
  • I will have seasons in my life, just like the weather. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Ecclesiastes 3:1 NKJV
  • I am still a Child of God, even in the quiet times. “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.”2 Corinthians 6:18NKJV
  • The Lord is my Husband, For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.” Isaiah 54:5 
  • God will restore everything I have lost to the enemy.  “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten,
    The crawling locust,
    The consuming locust,
    And the chewing locust,
    My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied,
    And praise the name of the Lord your God,
    Who has dealt wondrously with you;
    And My people shall never be put to shame. Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel:
    I am the Lord your God
    And there is no other.
    My people shall never be put to shame.” Joel 2: 25-27
  • I am called to be a child of the King, and no-one or nothing can take that away from me. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:37-38 NKJV

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The Wind of the Spirit Quotes

The other day I took our two dogs outside to play. I sat on the doorstep and had a heart to heart with God while Max and Ruby were playing. I said, “Lord, you know I have been stuck in this season and going nowhere lately. I need your help. Can you please just give me a refill of your Holy Spirit again? I want to be full of your Spirit Lord and not my own.”

It only took a minute. Then God poured out this tremendous fall breeze. I looked up and felt the wind of the Spirit fill my heart once again. “Yes Lord, Yes!” All I had to do was ask! Yes, just ask. Somehow I thought that once you got the Holy Spirit you just had it forever. But I wanted more, so I asked, and that is what Jesus says we can do.

“And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you.  Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” – John 16: 23-24 NKJV

” If you, then, being evil [that is, sinful by nature], know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask and continue to ask Him!” Luke 11:13 AMP

 

The Wind of the Spirit Quotes

 

  1. “I’ve never seen the Holy Spirit, but I’ve seen His powerful wind blowing through people’s lives.” — James MacDonald
  2. “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” – Acts 2:1-4 NKJV
  3. “It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict, God’s job to judge and my job to love.”― Billy Graham
  4. “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” – Acts 2:38-39 NKJV
  5. “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.  Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’  The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” – John 3:5-8 NKJV
  6. “The wizard [of Oz] says look inside yourself and find self. God says look inside yourself and find [the Holy Spirit]. The first will get you to Kansas.
    The latter will get you to heaven. Take your pick.” ― Max Lucado
  7. ” Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.”  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.
    So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” – John 20:19-23 NKJV
  8. “After all, prayer is the difference between the best you can do and the best God can do. And that’s a big difference!
    If we hit our knees, the Holy Spirit will do the heavy lifting. If we hit our knees, the Holy Spirit will reveal things that can only be discovered in the presence of God. If we hit our knees, the Holy Spirit will give us God-ideas for our ministry, family, business – for our lives.”
    ― Mark Batterson
  9. “ In Him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the good news of your salvation, and [as a result] believed in Him, were stamped with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit [the One promised by Christ] as owned and protected [by God].  The Spirit is the guarantee [the first installment, the pledge, a foretaste] of our inheritance until the redemption of God’s own [purchased] possession [His believers], to the praise of His glory.” – Ephesians 1:13-14 AMP

 

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Just Keep Planting

I admit it, I have been in a dry season lately. Sometimes I get tired of fighting life and just hibernate. I know, not the best idea. But let’s get real, has that ever happened to you? When I look back over my life I can think of numerous times I have felt this way. I try to wish it away, listen to motivational preachers, listen to Christian music and pray, but the soil is still dry and cracked in my soul.

I know this will pass. It always does. I think back of how God rescued me from myself or others or situations in the past. He does it every time. Thank you Lord that You are faithful and have never forgotten me.  Even when I don’t feel like it, You lift up my head and crown me with loving kindness and mercy. You have never left or forsaken me.

“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in.
Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle. 
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in.
Who is [He then] this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory [who rules over all creation with His heavenly armies]. Selah.”  -Psalm 24-7-10AMP

 

 

 

“Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul, And all that is [deep] within me, bless His holy name.
Bless and affectionately praise the Lord, O my soul,
And do not forget any of His benefits;
Who forgives all your sins,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you [lavishly] with lovingkindness and tender mercy;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the [soaring] eagle.”-Psalm103:1-5 AMP

 

So how do you water a thirsty soul? I have to drown it with water – the living Word of God. The Holy Spirit promises to fill me up, even to overflowing! Spending time in prayer and in reading or listening to God’s Word pulls me up and out of how I feel. The rain of God’s Word will irrigate my dry heart and fill it up so I can receive the Word in my heart!

“Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again,  but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”-John 4:13-14NKJV

 

From: wallpaper4god.com

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.” -Psalm 23:1-6 NKJV

There WILL be a harvest in our lives – but only if we JUST KEEP PLANTING!  Let us plant more seed, the Word of God in our lives to see the harvest. Don’t give up now, our stories aren’t finished yet. God is still writing…

 

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Whom Shall I Fear?

Have you ever been afraid? Yeah, me too. We are still human. Last week I ended up at the Hospital again. Things were so bad they admitted me. 3 days later I was released. There were times I didn’t know if I was coming home. Possible complications included complete organ shut down and death. Great…

“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?” – Psalm 27:1

I prayed a lot. My husband did too, and the few people we told. After 3 days of no food or water, only IV fluids, I started to hallucinate, or so I thought. Only it wasn’t a hallucination – it was a 5 day walk in the Spirit.  Remember in he Bible where the Disciples were trying to deliver a man from a demon and they couldn’t do it? Jesus came on the scene and shared some Truth:

“Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” He answered him and said, “O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall Ic]bear with you? Bring him to Me.”  Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood.2 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. ”Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!”  Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”” – Mark 9:16-29 NKJV

So, with prayer and fasting, you can defeat the Enemy with God’s help. Fasting will also bring about a humbleness and reliance on God for protection. That was the case for me. The Lord protected me from all sorts of spirits those 5 days. Part of it happened in the hospital and part happened at home. I thought my kids and husband were going to commit me. I totally understand now why Paul said, :

“It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord: I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a one was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows— how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.  Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities. For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:1-6 NKJV

I was walking in the Spirit and using the Word of God to defeat the Enemies I saw. My husband and kids could not see what I saw. I tried to take pictures to prove it to them and video, and some were ok, others had weird marks on them. Very creepy.  I will not boast about what God showed me,  He is the One who gave me the Word, the Sword of the Spirit, that defeated them. They left.

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” – John 4:24 NKJV

I pray that the Lord leads us all to walk in the Spirit and defeat the Enemies of our souls.

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling 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, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6 NKJV

 

And one of the best scriptures about how our walk in the Spirit defeats the Enemy:

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  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.  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.

Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 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,  for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” – Ephesians 6:11-20 NKJV

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Holy Spirit Will Speak to You and Tell You What is Coming Up

It was another early morning for me. 3:30 am.  I’m really not a morning person.  I would much rather stay up later watching Netflix or something and sleep late. But lately, this is not how my life has been going. I find myself waking up early. I go upstairs, turn on our electric fireplace, get comfy in my recliner with my fuzzy blanket and pray.

This morning Holy Spirit told me to check my health insurance. Since I went out on Disability a year ago, I have insurance through Medicaid. It takes 2 years before Medicare will kick in. My response was, “ok, why?” Keep in mind, I ‘m not really awake at 3:30 am and I haven’t had any coffee yet! God knows I’m kinda cranky then, lol!

I admit, I was kind of nervous. I was scheduled to go in for another EMG ( electromyogram) test with the Neurologist today. That’s the painful test where they put needles in your legs and arms and send current through them. All to prove that I have peripheral neuropathy, which I already knew. But hey, I changed Doctors and it has been more than a year so they wanted to repeat the test. Yeah, not!

So, I finally fall back asleep in my recliner and the alarm goes off at 5 am. My husband had another early day driving back and forth to Chicago. That’s when I remembered what Holy Spirit said to me earlier. I get on Google (what did we ever do before Google?) and start searching it out.  Interestingly enough, like I should be surprised, God was right!

My father in law recently passed away and left some life insurance to his 3 children, one of them being my husband, Bob. Come to find out, Medicare counts that money as part of your monthly family income! That means for the months of Feb and March this year, I do NOT have health insurance as Bob got checks those months.  The state will reinstate my Health Insurance next month.

I looked  back and the first time I had this EMG test it was like $1500 or so. I waited until after 8 am and called the Neurologist to cancel this appointment. I can reschedule once my insurance is back on. Thank you Holy Spirit for having me look into this so we didn’t have to pay for it on our own!

romans 5.5

 

God’s Word for You:

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever—  the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.

“I will not leave you as orphans [comfortless, bereaved, and helpless]; I will come [back] to you.  After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. On that day [when that time comes] you will know for yourselves that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you. The person who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and reveal Myself to him [I will make Myself real to him].” – Johyn 14:16-21 AMP

 

My Prayer for You:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit. You live in us and through us and remind us what You have done, and even what is coming in the day ahead. Thank you that everyday You reveal yourself to us. Open our eyes and hearts to see it, in Jesus Name, amen!

holy spirit

 

 

 

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