7 Top Tips From the Business Woman of the Bible, Lydia, for Today's Woman of God

Lydia was one of the most successful business women in the Bible. You will find her story in the Bible in Acts 16:14-15. According to Biblical records, Lydia was a business woman who dyed and sold purple cloth, a material used by the wealthy and elite of the day. This meant Lydia worked in a high-priced market with a high-end target market.
But Lydia was more than just a woman who sold luxury goods to the elite and the powerful. From all accounts it appears she was also the head of her household, an employer of others, and a woman of great Christian faith. She was the first European convert to Christianity and the first to establish a church in her home for other Christians. Fellowship times included examples of how to do business and worship as a part of a business woman's day.
As a powerful woman of God, Lydia has much to offer today's Christian business women. Here are seven valuable lessons for women of God from the Bible woman, Lydia.
1. Keep prayer in your daily activities. The bible story of Lydia says she met the Apostle Paul at a place of prayer. She also opened her home to have worship services for others. Keep your priorities in order as a woman of God. Remember to pray unceasingly about everything including your business activities by making prayer a priority activity on your daily schedule.
2. Work to please the Lord. Lydia took her responsibility as a Christian business woman to work "as unto the Lord" very seriously. You can show Christian beliefs through your nature and personality without being pushy or unprofessional. Show Biblical principles through your actions and decisions in your business.
3. Design a powerful company. Lydia was a no-nonsense business woman who built a major company in a wealthy market. Nothing says a woman of God has to play small in the business world. Christian business women should be open to working in all types of industries and not shy away from the potential of going big. If you are pursuing big dreams use Lydia as your role model for growth.
4. Try non-traditional opportunities. By being a successful and wealthy merchant of purple cloth Lydia was in a non-traditional business category during her times. Don't shy away from embracing non-traditional business opportunities. Consider working in fields where few if any woman are already excelling and create new paths to success.
5. Find your balance between work and home. Lydia maintained her household even while running a powerful business. Each woman has to find the way to balance, keeping her home in order while running a business. It might mean downsizing or hiring help. Use your business skills to figure out what works for you to get it all done.
6. Learn to grow your business. Lydia's business was so successful that she had to hire employees. Growing a business means eventually needing to hire help. That help might come in the form of a part time assistants, independent contractors, freelancers or full-time employees. Start in the initial business planning stages to consider how and when you will start to hire help so you can expand your business operations. This creates jobs for others, increases the economy of your area and increases your status and influence as a business professional.
7. Know you can be prosperous. Lydia shows that successful Christian women can be highly prosperous. There's no reason to fear money or to shy away from earning large amounts of money in business. The important key is to keep a check on your heart so money does not become your focus instead of God. Lydia was a business woman in the Bible who prospered while giving all glory to God.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6845490

God's Love - Battle Weapon for a Sure Victory

I have prayed for years and God has not yet answered. This faith stuff, is it really working? Many people who had the same challenge, but for a shorter period, have shared their testimonies; do I really believe? These thoughts and many more may have crossed your mind and you are wondering how to stay on in faith till you experience your victory. This article gives you the battle weapon to use, which is God's love.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son..." John 3:16 (KJV) Also Romans 8:32 (KJV) says, "He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" Furthermore, Isaiah 49:15 (KJV) says, "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee."
The scriptures above make it clear that God loves us and that He will give us all things without any charge. To buttress His level of love for us, He compared it with the love of a mother. It is very difficult for a mother to forget her sucking child. And God says that even if a woman does forget her own child, He Himself will NEVER forget His own child.
Therefore, no matter the challenge, remember God's love for you. It is a battle weapon to use when the enemy is flooding your thoughts with doubts. The mind is the battle field, win in your mind and victory is yours. So when these thoughts come, open your mouth and declare that God will grant your heart desire according to His word because He loves you. The enemy, the devil, cannot stand words declared in faith, Luke 21:15.
Our earthly fathers will always give their children what they want as long as it is good for them and they have it to give. Even if the father does not immediately have it to give the child, he will plan how to do so in the near future. Like earthly fathers, God wants to give us our heart desires. The good news is that God ALWAYS has it all to give. All He wants is for us to stand in faith until we see the manifestation of our desire.
Can you imagine a father refusing to give his son that he loves what he really needs? If your answer is NO then be assured that your heavenly father much more cannot do so. Matthew 7:11 says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"
God's love as a battle weapon enables you to fight all doubts. An understanding of your heavenly Father's love for you will help you believe that what God said He will certainly do. He can't watch His child being reproached by a challenge and not do something about it. Delay is not denial and God will make all things work together for your good.
When I was reproached by childlessness, all manner of thoughts went through my mind for many years. But each time such thoughts came, one battle weapon I always employed was God's love for me. Sometimes I wouldn't be sure of my faith in any other thing but I would be of God's love for me. I believed His love will show me mercy and grant me my heart desire and I declared it to myself and others whenever I had the opportunity to do so. I didn't know how He was going to do it but I was sure His love will do it for me all the same.
This assurance enabled me to go through twelve years of childlessness with joy and peace. It strengthened me and even drew me closer to God. I had strong hope that I would certainly be a joyful mother of children. Today I am a mother. My father did not fail me and He will not fail you either. No matter the challenge, employ this battle weapon and victory will be yours.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6550491

I AM Seeing God, Love And Myself In The One Light

Although I went to a Church of England school I was not brought up in a religious family. My few memories of going to church were ones of lack. The Wednesday morning service often left me feeling embarrassed because I didn't have a penny for the plate! The 'Harvest' brought up the same feelings as we often were unable to afford to bring any food or if we did it was just a can of something. I thought others were judging me!
We had Religious Education classes and although I have vague memories of Jesus I can't be sure what those memories hold. However, I have a strong feeling that the teachings of Jesus had a huge impact on me as a child and later as an adult. As I remember, the crucifixion received much more attention than the resurrection and this impacted on me so profoundly.
Even as a young girl I think I was appalled by the betrayal, the degradation and the suffering leading up to and during the crucifixion. Now looking back I wonder if those teachings took me away from what I already knew to be true. As the fear of God heightened in me I lost the real sense of my faithful self. When I lost that faith I forgot myself and I began to remember and believe what others were telling me. I developed a man-made belief system that over-rode my natural Self Belief.
No wonder I was angry with God and unforgiving of man. No wonder I resisted in following in the foot steps of Jesus. It explains why I resisted so hard accepting the love of God for myself. No wonder I have denied myself the love of a good man. No wonder I have been so self-willed with an 'I do it my self' attitude. No wonder I have been afraid for most of my life. No wonder I grew up seeing through the eyes of betrayal and suffering and degradation. No wonder I wanted to save the world. I wanted to resurrect the love in our hearts to replace the so-called sin, guilt and the unforgivable. Wow that's a lot of wondering isn't it?
Four decades later, there I was still struggling with God. Now I realise that it wasn't God I struggled with but the perception I held about God that left me afraid and with an inner struggle. Even the word God was uncomfortable and I found my self using labels like Higher Self, Universal Self, Spiritual Self and Self Love. Again, God wasn't my problem; what other people might think about me and God was a big problem, especially my friends and family. I was prepared to try anything to avoid God and his associations. I would use any other word rather than have to join a religion and face rejection. What I didn't realise at the time was that I was hating and rejecting the most intimate aspect of my Self and that very Self I was searching for.
And so it goes, that which you resist persists and low and behold I ended up going to church; many churches in fact because I found it difficult to surrender completely to their teachings. I was uncomfortable and mostly afraid.
According to some Christian teachings, therapies such as hypnosis, NLP (neuro linguistic programming), Yoga and Tai Chi and energy healing were of the devil. I spent many years in conflict because of my work and my association with other alternative therapists who did not meet with the Christian values. And even though these 'devilish' practices were helping me to get deeper into myself, I still heard and at some level believed what those religious non-believers told me. Underneath fear of the devil was looming.
'I AM'... Beyond fear
It took me a number of years before I finally got it. By changing my perception I came to realise that the churches were not teaching through fear as I had accused them but instead they were God's gift to me, reflecting back the unconscious fearful beliefs and judgments I had developed about Religion, God and myself since childhood. As I believed so God became - I was scaring my self half-to-death.
Over the next few years I had many amazing experiences which at times frightened me because they were not necessarily Christian like - or so I thought. I began to question whether I really fitted into this way of life. I was constantly asking for guidance and reassurance. "God, I can't seem to read the Bible" I said out loud. And to my surprise the answer came back "We are not asking you to read the Bible. We want you to open your heart. The Bible is written on your heart and as you open it you will find the messages we want you to have." Many times I did find the words to say, not from the Bible but from opening up and speaking with my heart.
My enthusiasm to know more about God continued but my zest for the church started to fade. Finally, my precious time with the church came to an end but only after I learned some valuable lessons.
Now I see religion differently and God no longer frightens me. Today, I am wary of man without the heart of God. God didn't create religion man did. I see religion as a collection of Spiritual teachings interpreted by man and then delivered through man-made belief system. I think that those non-believers of alternative therapies were exercising man's will not God's.
I came to realise that the devil is really fear in disguise. Now even further down the track I realise that if only love is real then anything that isn't love originates from an unreal man-made belief.
I think that developing spirituality is as natural as developing our mind and body and together they make up our holistic self. And there is no one way to do that, only a way that is perfect for each and every one of us. I think that many religious groups are more about conforming to man's will and man's way which to me often lends itself to a madman's world.
I came to understand from those experiences that we don't always get what we want, we get what we believe. When I chose to follow a Spiritual path I began a journey of transforming those mad-man-made beliefs opening the portal to remembering my true and faithful Self.
'I AM'... The perfect solution
When I look back through the eyes of love instead of fear everything has changed. It took many more years, but as I cleaned beyond the surface of the mirror I began to see more clearly the perfect image of my self, love and God standing in the one light.
I feel as if I have been all the way around the world seeking to find myself only to arrive home again discovering that what I was looking for was always here, right here under my nose, right inside myself.
Did I find my God Self or did I remember my Self as God? I am 63 years young and I feel I am just beginning to appreciate a Life that grows and flows through me with a will for me to express 'It' in a personal and faithful way - way beyond all belief.

Marie Brunger is an accomplished writer and author and an inspirational healer and speaker. Her latest book "I AM from fear to Freedom is a result of a decision she made over 20 years ago to heal her life and to help others to do the same.
Marie has supported thousands of people through their personal and life threatening challenges to find the freedom to choose who they want in the drivers' seat of their life - Love or fear.
Her philosophy is simple. Instead of searching for what's wrong, and fixing the perceived problem, we look to find all that's right. She says: "I am committed to restoring self-love and making it the foundations for a life of well-being. These strong foundations allow me and you to venture safely and more naturally through the fear to enjoying a higher level of living, loving and achieving. http://www.mariebrunger.com

Adam And Eve - The First Man And Woman

It is amazing to think that neither Adam nor Eve had a childhood. In this they were unique, being created by God and unlike their posterity who were all, without exception, born into the world. Adam and Eve came into this world by creation; every other human being has come into the world by generation.
Genesis chapter 1 records the six days of creation, during which everything was created from nothing. The first verse of the fist chapter of the Bible gives a broad statement of fact and the subsequent verses narrow the focus to consider what was done on each of those six days. God was preparing a habitable earth and environment for the man He intended to make and so the creation of man was the very last thing God did, the masterpiece of His handiwork, the crowning glory of His creation.
God Created Man
From the dust of the ground, God formed a body and into his nostrils God breathed life and "man became a living soul". Until that moment, Adam had eyes but could not see; he had hands but could not work; had feet but could not walk; had lungs but could not breathe. God understood the man's need for a companion and so He caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and took a rib from Adam's side from which He made a woman who would be a helpmeet for him.
They were both created in innocence and placed in the garden of Eden, a paradise on earth to enjoy communion with God. They were to look after the garden and every tree but one was to provide them with all the food they required to sustain life. God had forbidden them to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; it was the only restriction He placed upon them. What a scene of bliss that was; no death, no decay; Adam never saw a withered leaf; never did he prick his finger on a thorn; never did he see a dead bird; it was like heaven upon earth.
Sadly things were not to remain like that for long as one day Eve heard a voice which was tempting her to disobey God and taste of the fruit that God had forbidden. He questioned what God had threatened to do if they disobeyed and insinuated that God was withholding the blessing of knowledge from them. Eventually Eve succumbed to the subtle attack of Satan and disobeyed God. Adam, knowingly, did the same and sin entered into our world. God immediately drove them out of the garden and they soon discovered the costliness and seriousness of the sin they had committed. We refer to that sad incident as the Fall and because of it, sin has wreaked havoc in our lives and we all require God's salvation, provided by the death of His only Son upon the cross.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7026186

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

Love is the most powerful thing in the world with enormous potential to give life. For all the power love holds, we still live in a world that is hungry for love. Everyone is looking for love. We look for love, think we have found it, and then find ourselves disillusioned when the feelings go away. Well what does real love look like anyway? What is the love we all need and want? How will we know when we've found it?
Depending on who's doing the talking and what is being expressed, love means different things to different people. Two people might commit themselves to love each other but have different ideas of what it really means. Some think of being in love as an unexplainable feeling that we fall in and out of, especially in today's society. Love can also mean a self-sacrificing action on behalf of others. Some use the word love to refer to a desire for a sexual relationship. Even in everyday conversation we use the word love to refer to a variety of things. For instance, I love music or I love my computer or I really love your hair like that.
Love can be a dangerous word because it can mean so many different things to different people it can end up meaning nothing at all. Love makes us vulnerable to being hurt, misunderstood, embarrassed, or taken advantage of. Some have been so hurt by elusiveness of love that they've given up on it, totally washed their hands of it.
I hope after reading this article and studying the scriptures for yourself that you will find love isn't so elusive after all. It might help us though to make a distinction between the different kinds of love before we proceed any further, then focus on the kind of Christian love the Holy Spirit produces or God's kind of love.
In the Greek language there are four words that describe this act of loving. I don't particularly care for Greek words because I don't speak Greek, but in this case it helps us to understand Christian love better.
The first is the Eros. It is from this word Eros that we get the word erotic and romantic. What it is basically is the chemical reaction between a male and a female. During the New Testament times this word Eros was associated with lust. Love on this level is usually self-centered.
The second word is Philia. Philia is the kind of human love that comes out because we appreciate the goodness of others. Sometimes we say I love him or her for what they did in my time of need, or for a community or country. It is not romantic. It is more gratitude, admiration and respect.
The third word for love is Storge. This is the love that is shared between family members, most of the time that is. Between spouses, brothers and sisters, parents and children. This love is often conditional on some kind of relationship.
And then there is Agape, the word the Bible uses and the word we are concerned about here. It is not the I love because I am loved love. Neither is it the I love you because I need you love. Agape is the kind of love Jesus showed on the cross. Forgiving those who were persecuting Him. This love is sacrificial, self-giving, and unmerited by the recipient.
It loves those who are hard to love. Agape is the hardest kind of love because it is loving those that we might feel don't deserve it, loving even when we know we won't get it in return. Its the kind of love that the Holy Spirit produces within us and allows us to do things that we cannot do by ourselves. No wonder Paul puts it at the beginning of the list of the Fruit of the Spirit.
One of the first steps in receiving and releasing God's kind of love is to recognize the difference between human love and a true God-kind of love. Man's corrupt nature doesn't have access to God's love. God is love and any man or woman who does not have God is separated from true love. Human love and God's love are not even in the same class. Basically, human love is selfish and God's love is totally unselfish. Human love says, I'll love you as long as you do what I want you to. God's love is unconditional.
First Corinthians 13:4-8 lists the characteristics of God's love. Few understand and appreciate how unique God's love really is. We relate God's love similarly to the way we've been loved. Our bad experiences prevent us from accepting God's love bringing Him down to our level thinking His love is conditional or proportional to our performance. That's how everyone else loves us, but God's love is different. Its like no other love you've ever experienced.
God's love never fails, even when we do. God's love is unconditional. We didn't do anything to deserve it and therefore, God doesn't withdraw His love when we don't deserve it. God loves us because He is love, not because we are lovable.
As we explore the characteristics of real love get ready for a revelation that will change your life. Then make a decision to renew your mind in the area of God's love. Ask the Lord to teach you anew what His love is all about.
Real love is longsuffering and kind. Charity suffers long, and is kind. The first characteristic of God s love recorded in 1 Corinthians 13 is long-suffering and kind. There are two ways to apply these truths. As Christians, we are to be long-suffering and kind to others, but this also describes the way God acts toward us. God is love (1 John 4:8), and the reason we can act in love toward others, is because He first acted in love toward us (1 John 4:19).
If you think God holds a grudge with you every time you do something wrong you will hold a grudge with others who do wrong to you. We give out of what we receive. If we can't receive love we can't give it. God doesn't ask more of us than what He is willing to give. He wouldn't tell us to be long-suffering and kind to others and then be short tempered with us. No! The Lord is very long-suffering and kind in His dealings with us. Kindness and long-suffering are distinguishing characteristics of God's kind of love for us.
Real love does not envy. The dictionary defines envy as discontented desire or resentment aroused by another's possessions, achievements, or advantages. A person who is discontent or resents others who have more things, more talent or a better job, is a person who does not appreciate God's love for him. When we receive God's love for us, a supernatural contentment settles into our lives that cannot be affected by the desire for things. Discontentment is envy and is at the root of all temptation.
Take Adam and Eve as an example. Before the devil could get them to sin, he had to make them discontent. That was not easy to do. They had no needs. They had never been hurt or abused. However he made them believe they were missing out on something. He made two people, living in paradise dissatisfied with perfection. That's amazing!
This shows that contentment isn't a state of being, but a state of mind. If perfect people living in a perfect world could become discontented, then certainly imperfect people living in an imperfect world can be discontented regardless of how things are going. We have to learn to be content in all states (Philippines. 4:11). God's love will give us the contentment we desire.
Real love is not boastful or proud. In other words, those who are full of real love don't think they are better than others. This characteristic of real love is the flip side of a love that is not envious or jealous. Jealousy wants what someone else has, but bragging tries to make others jealous of what we have. Jealousy puts others down, bragging builds ourselves up. Real love does not brag about its accomplishments. It is not given to self-display, not even to carefully worded statements of subtle self-promotion. King Solomon said it well when he wrote; Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth (Proverbs 27:2).
Real love knows how to behave. One of the biggest lies the devil ever sold us is that love is an over powering feeling that cannot be controlled. However God's kind of love never acts in an inappropriate way. To behave unseemly means to behave indecently or in a shameful manner. The Greek word that is translated unseemly literally means an indecency. In other words, God's kind of love never bares itself in an indecent manner.
How does behaving improperly relate to the principle of real love referred to in First Corinthians 13? It reminds us that the nature of real love will never make inappropriate demands of others. Real love will never prompt an unmarried person to say, if you love me, you'll prove it by giving yourself to me. Real love according to Paul, never pressures another to do something wrong to prove their loyalty. It seeks the best for the one loved not the personal gain, pleasure, or control that manipulation is often designed to achieve.
Real love is not selfish. The most distinguishing characteristic of the true God kind of love is that it is not selfish or self-serving. It describes a heart that is not so consumed with its own interests that it cannot show concern for the needs and interests of others.
Jesus is the best example of real love. He showed the kind of real love that is able to look beyond its own interests and embrace the concerns of others. Jesus didn't come to this earth to satisfy Himself. Ultimately, He did receive great satisfaction by redeeming mankind back to Himself. But the act of Jesus becoming flesh was for us, not for Him. He left all the splendor of glory and adoration and came to dwell for 30 years in the most humble surroundings, endured the scorn and ridicule of the religious establishment. Then suffered the ultimate rejection of crucifixion and took all the shame that went with being a condemned criminal. Yet He did all of this because God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten son. (John 3:16)
Real love doesn't have a short fuse. It is not easily provoked. The next characteristic of real love describes a love that is not touchy or irritable. Oftentimes this important quality of love goes out with the wash. After years of shared displeasure, husbands and wives can become easily aggravated with each other. Parents shout at their children in frustration. Why do we get provoked? Sometimes we fester inside because we want what we want, when we want it and we wont take later for an answer. These temper tantrums provide evidence of our own selfishness.
There is, however, a time when it is proper to be emotionally upset and agitated. For example the attitude of Paul in Acts 17:16. The scripture says while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
Paul's provocation was both called for and loving. The more he saw and thought about the idolatry of the city, the more concerned and upset he became in behalf of those who were being hurt and misled by such false religion.
Jesus also was deeply provoked when He turned over the tables of the temple moneychangers. He was loving enough to be angered by the commercialism that was disrupting the Court of the Gentiles in His Fathers House of Prayer. He cared for those who had lost a quiet place to pray (Mt. 21:12-13). Jesus was not expressing the kind of touchiness and irritability that signals a lack of love. When He was provoked, it was only because He was thoughtfully and lovingly aroused to take action against practices that were hurting the people He loved.
Paul's and Jesus' actions remind us that there is a time to be angry. This anger, however, needs to be expressed in love, and without sin (Eph. 4:26).
Real love doesn't keep score and thinks no evil. The Greek word translated thinks no evil is an accounting term that means to count up, to take account of as in a ledger or notebook. The evils referred to are the wrongs or hurts received at the hand of others. The love that thinks no evil is a love that wont keep records of unkindness, hold bitter grudges or allow longstanding resentments against others with the intent of someday getting even, even when the wrongs done against us are real. When we keep track of wrongs with the intent of making others pay, we ourselves pay more than we can afford.
Real love does not keep a record of wrongs. Thinking on the wrongs we suffer from others magnifies the offense until it becomes bigger than it actually is. We don't need to keep a record of wrongs to protect ourselves when we know that God is in control of the outcome and looking after our needs.
Real love doesn't rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. The word rejoices means to experience joy or pleasure. Real love does not find delight in anything God says is wrong. Neither does love take secret satisfaction in the moral failures of others. Real love does not hide evil by keeping secrets that need to be exposed. Real love does not pass along a juicy morsel of someone else's failure just because it tastes good to do so. Real love does not gossip to break the monotony, or to appear knowledgeable, or to feel better about itself by publishing the news of someone else's shame. Breaking the news of sin must be for the good of others rather than to promote a feeding frenzy around someone else's embarrassment and pain.
Real love can bear anything. The word bears comes from a Greek word that means roof. This is an awesome revelation. Real love covers and protects like a roof covers a house and protects it from storms. Real love bears the storms of disappointment, the rains of failure, and the winds of time and circumstance. It provides a covering that shields from the extremes of cold winters and hot summer sun. It provides a place of shelter that can withstand the worst circumstances imaginable.
Real love believes all things. One of the great indicators of whether or not we are walking in God's love is the level of faith we exhibit. Love begets faith. As this verse says, Love believes all things. Faith worketh by love. (Galatians. 5:6) When we experience the love God has for us, faith will come as a natural by-product of His love.
A young child in his father's arms trusts his father completely and doesn't have a care in the world. He doesn't struggle to believe for his meals, clothes or needs. His loving father will take care of it all. That's the similarity Jesus made to encourage us to trust God for our needs (Luke 11:11-13). A loving relationship with our Heavenly Father is the key to a life of faith.
If you have a problem trusting God in any area of your life that is an indicator that something is wrong. Like the warning light on the dash of your car. You don't try and disconnect the warning light you fix the problem that caused the light to come on, and then the light will automatically turn off. Likewise, a lack of faith is a warning light that indicates you aren't properly focused on the love of God. Once you return to the place of intimacy with the Lord, where you are fully aware of His great love for you, then faith will be so abundant that you can believe all things.
Real love never quits hoping. Hopelessness is a terrible thing. God's Word says, where there is no vision, the people perish (Proverbs 29:18). Lack of hope is behind most, if not all of the self-destruction we see in the lives of people today. They don't believe they have a future so they throw away today never thinking of the consequences while all the while they are headed for disaster.
Luck and fate does not generate hope. It's only in knowing that a personal, loving God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28), that we can truly find hope. God has a perfect plan for your life. Regardless of where you are now, no matter how far off the track you may have strayed, God has a perfect course plotted for you from where you are now, to where you are supposed to be (Jeremiah 29:11). Believe that God loves you in spite of what you have, or have not done; and then hope will spring up in your heart.
Real love endures everything. Life is full of pressures that repeatedly drive us to and beyond our limits to cope. We've all at one time or another have gone off the deep end so to say in response to pressure. We excuse it way and justify actions because of our prideful nature. The truth is where our limit ends God's power begins. There is no need for us to feel we must totally rely on our own resources. God lives in every true believer and has placed His supernatural love in us so that we can endure all things.
Real love never fails. I Corinthians 13:8 God is love (l John 4:8) and God never fails. Individuals may fail to respond to His love and therefore bear the consequences, but love never fails. Love always prevails in the end we just need to give it time. The Lord doesn't force everyone and everything into obedience. The Lord is long-suffering and gives everyone an opportunity to repent (2 Peter 3:9-10).
There is another element to love we cannot forget about and that is forgiveness. Part of loving someone as Jesus loves is forgiving those who have wronged us or who have wronged Jesus with their sin. God has not set up His children as judges of the sins of others, for any one of us could fall at any time. It is only by the grace of God that we are where we are. Jesus gives an example of this in John 21, when he reinstates Peter after his denial. Jesus asked Peter do you love me more than these disciples? Peter answered that he did indeed love Jesus and our Lord said, then love, lead, and take care of my sheep. Jesus wants us to love Him and love and care for each other. His final words to Peter were follow me!! And that is His word to us today. Follow Him, obey His commands and care for each other.
Have you experienced real find love? Do you know where can to find real love? Let me share with you some good news you are already loved. I am sure you've heard this before, but I'll say again anyway. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. That's John 3:16.
Jesus said, "Do not worry, saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or what shall we wear? For all these things the Gentiles seek. Your heavenly Father knows you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:31-33). We will never be able to really love others until we believe we are loved in this way.
Have you taken that first step of finding love in Christ? Have you entrusted yourself to Him? Have you believed the Bible when it says Christ died for your sins?
The starting point is to acknowledge your sin and your need of Christ, who came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). It is in Christ that we find the love of God, and it is in Him that we see what it means to live in the kind of love Paul described. He is the One who calls us not merely to a higher standard but to let Him live His life through us.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/314781

How to Walk in Spiritual Love

Walking in the love of Almighty God is vital to real spiritual growth and development.
In fact, you cannot be a spiritually mature individual without loving God with all of your heart and without loving other people as you love yourself. The Lord Jesus Christ said that the two greatest commandments in the entire Word of God is to love.
Matthew 22: 37-39 (King James Version of the Bible)
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
The reason loving God and loving people are the two great commandments is because they are the foundations of all the other commandments God has given. You simply cannot walk in the fullness of God without living by the law of LOVE.
This is where that we can discern the truly spiritual person from the highly religious. People who have a mere form of godliness cannot operate in the true love of God. Oh, they can pretend for a time, but the real man or woman of God exhibits a pure love which is the mark of the Christian. It cannot be mistaken, for it may go through trials and tribulations, persecutions and afflictions, and yet, it will emerge victorious, loving the offenders as if they never did anything. Real love is truly unmistakable.
God's love is already within the heart of every born again believer. Notice the following verse of Scripture from God's Holy Word.
Romans 5:5 (King James Version of the Bible)
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
So we already have His love within. This is one of the proofs that we have really experience the new birth from Heaven.
1 John 3:14 (King James Version of the Bible)
"We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
Notice what the apostle John is saying in this passage of Scripture. He says that we know, not we guess or we hope, but we know that we have passed out of the realm of (spiritual) death, (which is separation from God and His Holy Nature), unto life, (which is the very Nature of God), because we love the brethren.
So love then, is the distinguishing mark of the true Christian, of the spiritual person. Love is, after all, a spiritual force. Real love is spiritual, not natural. Real love is like God, unchangeable, for God is Love and He never changes. (1 John 4:8, Malachi 3:6)
This is the reason God can command us love people and treat people as we would like for them to treat us. This is why we are told to love our enemies, blessing and speaking well of those who curse and speak evil of us, and doing good to those who despitefully use us and persecute us. (Matthew 5:45-48)
He has already deposited His Nature, which is love, inside of us, in our spirits. Understand that the new birth changes us and gives us the ability to live in the spirit. We have His love, His ability to love as He loves, regardless of how others may treat us. We can love them and through that Divine love, show them how good God is. His love in us is the light that must shine so that men may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven.
How does this love behave, you may ask? What are its characteristics?
The Word of God gives us the answer. But let us settle this matter right now. What God says in His Word is right, whether we agree with Him or not. He is right. So whatever He says love is and however He says that true love behaves is just how love is and how it behaves. He is right. Settle that in your soul.
Here is the God's description of the characteristics of real love:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a(King James Version of the Bible)
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; Charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:"
Now let us look at the same passage of Scripture from The Amplified Bible:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a (The Amplified Bible)
"Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealously, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily. It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God's love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self-seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]."
This is the character of love. This is how true love acts. Love is pure. Love is tender. Love is clean. God is holy. God is love. So love, real love is holy.
Real love for a person will never cheat on him or her or betray the trust of the prson loved. Real love will not lie to people. Real love does not commit adultery, in the mind or in body. Real love is holy.
Now, remember the great commandment given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Notice that, according to Matthew 22:37-39, we are told to love the Lord our God with our whole heart. As it pertains to loving the Lord our God with all of our hearts, minds, souls and strength, the absolute proof of loving God is obedience. Jesus said so:
John 14:15 (King James Version of the Bible)
"If ye love Me, keep My commandments."
The Master goes further and says that the one who loves Him will keep His commandments.
John 14:23 (King James Version of the Bible)
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My Words: and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him."
So, according to Jesus, the proof of love for God is obedience to God.
This is vital to understand because I have found that there are times when temptation comes strong, attempting to sway and move us away from God's plan and purpose for our lives, trials which pull at our flesh and tries to make us sin against Him Whom our soul loves, and the only thing that keeps us steady and focused on our God is our love for Him. Because we love Him more, we do not yield to sin. Because we love Him more we do not allow our bodies to do things which displease Him. Because we love Him more, we forgive those who wrong and offend us, where before, we would have probably attempted to hurt and injure them.
We obey Him because we love Him. And we love Him because He first loved us. (1John 4:19)
Now let us settle the matter: The only proof of love for the Lord is obedience to Him. A person who does not seek to obey Him does not love Him, no matter what he or she says. It is that simple. Our love for Him is only revealed through the doing of His Will, even if it conflicts with our own.
If God says that we are not to be involved in homosexuality or adultery or sex outside of marriage or stealing, my proof of love for Him would be to obey Him regardless of how my flesh may want those ungodly deeds. If I love God more I will buffet my body, and make it submit to God's Will above my own. Again, this separates the real spiritual person from the religious. People who call themselves spiritual, and yet, will not or cannot obey God's Holy Written Word must check up on their relationship with God. You cannot be truly spiritual walking in diobedience to God. Being spiritual is being a doer of the Word. And we will do His Word if we really love God. The proof of love is obedience.
You cannot have an intimate walk with the Creator, while at the same time practice things which He has never approved of, still does not approve of and will never approve of. God is UNCHANGEABLE. He does not change. Things which He condemns and says are wrong are just that, wrong.
I know that I may be hitting a nerve, but there are many who live by a deceptive notion that as long as they aim to be a good person, God will accept them for who they are and what they are. Please listen to me very carefully, before you find yourself at the Great White Throne Judgment Seat of God facing the One Who will judge all. God will not be mocked. He has given us His Holy Word to show us what He approves of and what He does not approve of. It would be to your advantage to search His Word and live your life by His principles. If you do not choose to do things His way and live by His standards it will be you who will suffer.
Let us now look at walking in the love of God toward each other. The Lord Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior gave us the following command. As another preacher said, this is not a suggestion. It is a command.
John 13:34-35 (The King James Version of the Bible)
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have love you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one to another."
Love is the distinguishing mark of the Christian. This is the way of the truly spiritual person. It's not just a matter of how high you can jump, or how much you can shout. After the running, jumping and dancing (all of which are good, godly and proper in their rightful places), how is your love life? Are you walking in love (patience, kindness, forgiveness, seeking the blessing and welfare of others etc.), with everyone? Your light is shining when you show people the love of Christ.
We are not only commanded to love each other, but to love one another as Christ loved us.
As I aforesaid, love is a spiritual force. So it is impossible for anyone to be spiritual without making love our focus and main aim in life. Love needs to become the major issue of our lives, love for God and love for the people who God loves. We need to come to a place where everything we say and all that we do comes from a heart's desire to be a blessing and help to other people. In other words, we must eliminate selfishness from our lives.
This is the difference between the person who knows Jesus intimately and the one who is not born again. People who do not have the love of God within are selfish. They really live for themselves. Even when they do something good, supposedly for the benefit of others, they have to let the cat out of the bag (in other words, they must broadcast it and let others know what they are doing or have done) so that they can receive some praise, glory and accolade of men, fleeting glory which will pass away. (For more about this, please read my book, Humility and the Honor of God)
But people who really love others with the God kind of love do not look for praise from men. And even if people speak well of them, they give all of the glory to the One they represent, God.
Love is not self-seeking.
Well, how can we grow and develop in the love of God? Did I say grow? Yes I did, for love is a fruit of the Spirit. Fruit grows.
The Christian life really goes deeper and deeper because there is no end in God. And each of us starts of as baby Christians, new believers in Christ. We all have to grow up in Christ Jesus and this takes time. How much time, you ask? The answer is a lifetime.
Even after we reach spiritual maturity we will find that there is so much more that we do not know, need to know and have to learn. Life in God is tremendous and deep.
So, as we pursue the life of love, in obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, we must be patient if we do not get it all perfect right away. This is not an excuse for us to walk in selfishness. Rather, this is aimed as serving as an encouragement as we walk with the Lord, to not allow temporary setbacks to deter us from His purpose for us. For within the realm of the love of God, we will find the call of God, the grace and favor of God, the anointing and power of God, the blessings and inheritance of God in Jesus Christ, the authority of God and intimacy and friendship with God on a level and in a dimension which many have yet to discover really exist.
Below are seven keys to growing and developing in the love of God, which is the apex of the Christian experience:
1. Realize that the love of God is already within you as a born again believer in Jesus Christ. He placed it there in your spirit when you gave your heart to Jesus. So do not ask God to put His love in your heart. Its already there. If we believe God's Word, which tells us that His love is shed abroad in our hearts by the Blessed Holy Spirit, we will not speak contrary to His Word and we will not pray contrary to His Word. His love is already in us. So do not ask God for it. Believe that His love is where God says it is, within you.
Romans 5:5 (King James Version of the Bible)
"And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed aboard in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."
2. Realize that, as a born from above believer in Christ Jesus, you are a child of God, Who is Love. God is a Spirit. And you are a spirit. It is your spirit that has the very life of God within. God is love. So, your spirit, which is born of God is born of love. Therefore, you are a love child, a child of the Father, filled with His love. So it is supernaturally natural for you to walk in the love of God. This is why, when you do or say things which displease God the Father, or things which hurt others, you become somewhat bothered and irritated on the inside. Your spirit is trying to get your attention and let you know that you are not doing right. You are a love child of a love God. Therefore naturally, your heart desires to love. So develop the awareness that you are a love person, and no longer a person of hate.
1 John 3:14 (King James Version of the Bible)
"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death."
3. Confess and affirm daily that you are a love child of a Loving God and that you walk in love. The awesome power of words upon the spirit and mind of man is still rarely understood. The Holy Scriptures teach us that death and life are in the power of the tongue and that we will eat of the fruit of our words. (Proverbs 18:21) And, as we have pointed out in the chapter on meditation in the Word of God, God told Joshua to meditate (which means to speak and mutter) in His Word day and night, through which avenue he would observe and understand the Word, so he could do it. The question then should be asked, what does muttering and speaking God's Word to oneself over and over have to do with our overall success, prosperity and well-being. Why are words so powerful, beneficial and life-changing? Do words really matter? Or is it as some have said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me?
Job said that words can trouble and vex a person and break that person in pieces. (Proverbs 19:1) And the writer of the Book of Proverbs tell us that wrong words could kill a person and right words could positively impact people for good.
Words are influential because they have the ability to shape an individual on the inside into the image and likeness of the words spoken. Let nobody deceive you: words matter, positive or negative. Many of us can attest to this truth. We rise or fall to the level of our confession.
So it is important to speak righteous words, words which have the right effect upon our hearts and minds, so that we transform to the image of those words. Our words need to be based upon the truth of God, rather than past experiences and words of doubt and unbelief.
Agree with God. Agree with His Words. Say what He says. He says that He has shed abroad His love in your heart, by His Holy Spirit. So say what He says. Confess His Word. Say, "I am a loving child of a Loving God. It is natural for me to walk in love, God's love, toward everybody." Say this in the morning when you wake up. And say it every evening before you go to sleep. Do this for thirty days and see what an impact it will have upon you. Say it until it comes alive in you, by the Holy Spirit. Say it until you believe it. Then say it because you believe it. It will change the way you think. And with your thinking changed, your behavior will be altered as well.
4. To walk in love, God's kind of love, you must forgive all who have wronged you in the past, all you wrong you in the present and all who may do you wrong in the future.
I know that some of you are contemplating whether or not you should continue reading at this point. You have suffered wrong from the hands of people. They have hurt some of you in ways that you could not even begin to describe. The wounds and scars you have on the inside have made you hard and bitter against those people or anyone even resembling them. How could you forgive them for what they did to you? How could I even suggest that you do so?
Well, in the first place, I am not suggesting that you forgive. God is not suggesting that you forgive either. He is commanding you to do so. And His commandments are always for your benefit as well as the benefit of others. So do not fight God in this matter. He knows better than you and I. This is really where trust comes in. We must trust Him enough to do what He says. And He says that we are to forgive.
Mark 11: 24-26 (King James Version of the Bible)
"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses."
According to the above portion of Scripture, forgiveness is necessary, if we are to experience the forgiveness of our Heavenly Father God, and answers to our prayers. We must forgive.
According to Webster's Dictionary, the word, forgive, among other things, means: to let go. Whatever someone may have done something to hurt you, you have to let it go. Without forgiving others from your heart, you will not progress and develop spiritually.
God so loved us He was and is willing to forgive us if we do things contrary to His Will. Likewise, He expects us to forgive one another, even as He forgives us.
Ephesians 4:32 (King James Version of the Bible)
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
According to the Scriptures given above, we are commanded to forgive people and we are also told a truth so serious that it should never be ignored. I have already said it, but I must emphasize it again. I personally believe that it is the greatest reason for unanswered prayer. God's Word says if we do not forgive and release others for the wrongs they have done against us, we would likewise not be forgiven by the Father as well.
So forgiveness is a must. And if we are going to keep the great command of the Master, and walk in love, we must practice forgiving others even as God for Christ's sake forgave us, when we gave our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ.
5. To walk in the love of God, we must understand that love, real love, God's kind of love is not a feeling. This point is vital to perceive. We cannot trust our feelings when it comes to walking in love because our feelings are like the waves of the sea, up and down, in and out. Our feelings will feel one way at a particular time and another way, just moments after. Our feelings are the result of our thoughts. And if our thought life is not under the control of God's holy Word, our feelings, controlled by thoughts of an ungodly system, will move us to hate, dislike and even curse or speak evil of our fellow man, even if that person is a spouse, friend, or someone of our acquaintance. We must discern the fact that love is not a feeling. Because this reality is yet to be truly understood, marriages; that sacred, consecrated, and holy estate, crumbles and falls apart. Led and moved by feelings we say things that are cruel and inhumane, we do things which at times even defies reason and we act in manners which literally hurts, wounds and crush people, people who at some point or another, we had declared that we loved. Feelings cannot be love, because feelings change. Love is like God. He never changes therefore love never changes. God is Love.
Seeing then, that love is not a feeling, what then is love, I mean real love? Real love is caring for people as God does. It is a deep and genuine caring that bypasses the emotions and controls the emotions. It is a caring which never desires to hurt another. This kind of love and God given ability to really care is what moved the Heart of God to send His Son to pay the awful price for our sins. It is this holy and pure love and caring which is never moved and guided by feelings, but rather is inspired and motivated by its desire to help another, to give to others, to do for others even as the person loving desires to be loved. This is the golden rule: Do unto others as we would have them do unto us. (Matthew 7:12) Again I repeat, love is holy.
God tells us in His Word that we are to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:43-45) Now, do you always feel like loving people who wrong you, persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely? Or do you feel like, its time for retribution? Love therefore could not be based upon your feelings of the moment.
So stop depending upon your feelings to express your love to God. Rather show Him that you love Him through obeying Him no matter how you feel. Stop waiting on a feeling to show your wife or husband how much you love her or him. Show your spouse that you care by giving to her or him and showing that special person just how special she or he is to you. Stop waiting on a feeling to show your children godly love and affection. Give them some of your time, attention and wisdom for living.
Don't wait for a feeling to show people the love of Jesus within you.
Don't wait to feel love before you begin loving. Love first. Really care first. The feelings will come later.
6. Read 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 in the Amplified Bible. (It was quoted already in this chapter.) Then copy these verses and place them somewhere you are able to view them constantly. Keep God's Word concerning love before you until His Word renews your mind to love. As I already stated, God's kind of love is already in you. It is in your spirit. This is the God given ability to care for people even as God does. However, your mind, if it is not renewed in this truth, will lean more toward the fleshy way of dealing with people. The fleshy or carnal way is to do unto others as they do unto you. The way of the Spirit is to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. There is a vast difference.
So, place God's Word where you can see it continually, until your soul thinks in line with His Word. When your mind is renewed to the path of love and falls into agreement with your born from above, loving spirit, you will be able to love others without even thinking about it. It will simply be you doing what God would do because you are a partaker of His Divine Nature, which is Love.
7. Practice doing the characteristics of love as laid out in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 everyday until those attributes and spiritual attitudes become normal for you to do. God's Word teaches us to be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. (James 1:22) His Word also tells us to walk in love. (Ephesians 5:2) Therefore, to be a doer of the Word is to walk in the love of God, to love others as God loves us. Practice love until the love nature of God which is within flows effortlessly and produces even in your very flesh the love of Jesus. Love is a spiritual force, which when yielded to kicks in and takes over in your mind and body. Do you desire to be truly spiritual? Then walk in God's kind of love toward others. Love is spiritual. So loving others is being spiritual in reality.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5710225

Forgive Them For They Don't Know What They Do

Are you finding it difficult to forgive? Or what can't you forgive? Everyone has a seed of forgiveness in him or her, put in there by God. We are meant to allow it to grow and bear fruit. This article uses Jesus as our example to show the root of forgiveness.
Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God - Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV)
Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots - Luke 23:34 (NKJV).
You have a right to be angry, but do you have a right not to forgive? Jesus, God Himself (John 1:1-14), was crucified by the people He made. They didn't just crucify Him, they mocked Him in public; put a crown of thorns on Him, whipped Him and forced Him to carry His own cross through the streets; multitudes were watching and making jeers of Him. They stripped Him of His clothes, nailed Him on a wood He made, between criminals (Him being innocent). People watched, mocked and laughed at Him, people He made! Upon all that, His Father forsook Him (Matthew 27:46) because of this same people! Yet, He prayed to His father saying, "Forgive them, for they do not know what they do". Do you have a right not to forgive?
If Jesus could forgive all that, including your sins and mine, what can't you forgive? Jesus' action on the cross was a pure demonstration of the love of God in action, the love that is shed abroad in your heart (Romans 5:5). For the joy of seeing the world reconciled back to God (Romans 5:10), Jesus endured the cross; I encourage you to look unto Him. Truly, those persons offending you don't know what they are doing, for if they do they won't be doing it. You have the Spirit of God in you (if you are saved) and so the Spirit of love is in you. Allow Him to have expression in your heart and life. Let go and let love.
The love of God enables you to forgive people no matter what they may have done to you. Your love for God compels you to forgive. Jesus loved you with the love that the Father had for Him (John 15:9) and He has sent you even as His Father sent Him (John 20:21). So, love with the love that Jesus has for you (John 15:12). Remember, you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).
How do you do this? It is not by your might or by your power but by the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). Ask for the help of the Holy Spirit, and go ahead and obey God, that you may have peace and that the joy of the Lord in you may be full (John 15:11).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9562256

Personal Revival - A Bible Study

How often do we see "REVIVAL" banners stretched across the front of empty church buildings? Or see printed invitations to attend "Revival Meetings" at a special location only to find them packed with people who travel with that particular group?
Real Christians want desperately to experience a "Corporate Revival" within the Body of Christ as a whole, but few understand the personal preparation needed for a revival.
By definition, Webster Dictionary states that;
re-viv-al n 1. The act of reviving: the state of being revived, 2. REVITALIZATION. &
re-vive vb. 1. To return or restore to consciousness or life: become or make active again
2. To bring back into use, 3. To RENEW or RESTORE
Most of us have seen or heard about tent meetings and traveling revivals and televangelism. Most of these types of meetings and shows seem to be ego trips for the people conducting them. On rare occasions, a traveling ministry or TV evangelist will do some good in bringing some people into a personal relationship with a Living Savior, Christ. However and all too often, those conducting these meetings fail to consult with ministers and pastors in local churches and when the traveling "shows" move on, new converts are left to fend for them selves without serious follow-up or discipleship.
One of the reasons these traveling crusades or televangelistic ministries seem to exist is the failure of the local church to fulfill the biblical commandment to "Go and Teach..."
Matthew 28:18,19
18 "And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:"
All too often church members welcome the efforts of televangelists or "outside" preachers to come in, because their own evangelistic efforts are non-existent. Therefore, the real meaning of revival is lost because it means to revive, renew and restore. How can something be revived, renewed or restored if it was never alive in the first place!?
As harsh as this may sound, it is the truth more often than not. God is eager to manifest His reviving presence and power in this generation. But we, the local church that is made up of people not buildings, must take steps to prepare for the release of His fullness in our personal lives. We must allow God complete and unhindered access to our own lives and be revived, renewed and restored by PERSONAL REVIVAL before CORPORATE REVIVAL can happen.
PREPARING FOR PERSONAL REVIVAL
The questions and commentaries that follow are designed to reveal specific areas of our lives that must be addressed in preparation for personal revival. Our goal must be the PERSONAL /PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES in our own lives that will draw us closer in a Christ centered relationship to a Living and Loving God. Regardless of what people say, they are searching for truth and stability in spite of all the "Christian bashing" and legislated discrimination perpetrated by our government and the media.
We, as Christians, are or at least should be aware of the anti-Christian agenda as it is fulfilled at almost all levels of politics and media. There is a concerted effort to inject a humanist philosophy into all areas of thought--from the earliest levels of human development such as abortion on demand to the later stages of life in the forms of legislated euthanasia or the "right-to-die" proponents. Our God is the God of Life, not death. Any legislated interference with that truth nullifies the government's right to rule the people.
We are clearly in the last days. People of all walks of life are searching for stability. The humanist philosophy has infected our children with the attitude that there are no absolutes--that it is archaic to believe that there is a standard of living and that human beings are the highest form of life and that we have authority over the animal kingdom. It has become increasingly popular to consider some animals at various times as being more important than man. If women could give birth to spotted owls, dolphins or baby seals, their offspring would be safe. But, because their ability to give birth is limited to human babies, their offspring is expendable!
The following Steps of Action are intended to help in your personal revival. As you grow and mature in Christ, no doubt you will discover more. Remember, this is only the beginning. Our life in Christ and the discipline necessary to maintain that growth is forever constant and remember, if you ever feel far from God, it is you who moved away, not Him. He promises to stay by our side in our efforts to maintain a personal relationship with Him. Even if we backslide and turn our backs on Him, He is STILL THERE waiting with open arms to receive us back to Himself. After all, we are purchased with a great price. That price is His life and the currency of that purchase is His own blood that was spilt on the cross.
Steps of Action
1. PRAY THE PRAYER OF DAVID (PSALM 139: 23,24)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 24 And see if [there be any] wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
We, as Christians, must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit complete and unrestricted access to every area of our lives. The lives of our family and friends may depend on it.
2. BE HONEST (ROMANS 12:17)
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
God has the ability to expose our dishonesty and those diligently seeking the truth can see through that dishonesty. It is, therefore, of critical importance to be honest--Not only before men and God, but with ourselves as well. The excuse of many who are searching for the truth and sidestepping Christianity is the hypocritical lives led by many who claim to be Children of God. If our lives can not demonstrate the reality of Christ, then we may be responsible for many lost souls.
3. AGREE WITH GOD (2 SAMUEL 12:13)
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
God will reveal the needs in our lives, including the need to CONFESS SIN and repent. As He does, we must be willing to make things right and forsake sin. Most often, He reveals areas that need attention through other people (not necessarily other Christians). It is critical to show others that our God is a loving and a living God who is willing to use them to achieve His purposes. Therefore, when someone tells us we are wrong, and they are correct, we MUST AGREE with them thus demonstrating God's love for them and us.REMEMBER: It is more important to be a living example of God's Plan than it is to ALWAYS be right!
4. PRAISE GOD FOR HIS CLEANSING AND FORGIVENESS.
(1 JOHN 1:5-10)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Many will neglect the free gift of salvation because they believe they have committed the "UNPARDONABLE SIN" and that they are not worthy to be a Christian. Simply, bid them Welcome to the club, and show them that No One is Worthy, that's why it's the free gift of a Loving and a Living God to ANYONE willing to receive it!
5. RENEW YOUR MIND AND REBUILD YOUR LIFE THROUGH MEDITATION ON THE WORD OF GOD, AND THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF ITS PRINCIPLES.
Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
It is God who gives us a new mind and creates in us a newness through the Holy Spirit. And, accordingly, we are then made new creatures in Christ. It is impossible to renew ourselves. That would mean depending on our own ability through a mind and a self that got us into trouble in the first place.
We can still do the same old things we use to do, but the Holy Spirit and Christ in our lives have replaced the excitement of sin with righteousness and holiness! They have given us a new purpose in life and that purpose is to please God!
In order to participate in a Corporate Revival, it is therefore necessary to allow Personal Revival to take place in our own lives as individuals. It is of critical importance to be and remain sensitive to God's direction in our personal lives. The method of revival is to be accountable for areas in our lives and to maintain fellowship with other believers in order to help us to be accountable. Fellowship is defined as Two or more Fellows rowing the boat in the same direction!
In an effort to assist in that accountable fellowship, the following questions and scriptures should be reviewed as a base for personal bible study with another believer. It is the Holy Spirit who prompts us to accountability and fellow believers who help us maintain that accountability. You may want to review them first in private to gauge your level of commitment to personal revival. Some believers have a tendency to "put on righteousness" in front of others rather that demonstrate genuine righteousness before a Holy and Righteous God.
REMEMBER: GOD KNOWS YOUR HEART AND MIND AND EVERYTHING THAT MAKES YOU TICK. YOU CAN'T FOOL GOD! THIS IS A SERIOUS PERSONAL STUDY, AND THE ONLY WAY TO ACCOMPLISH IT'S INTENDED PURPOSE IS TO TOSS YOUR EGO IN THE TRASH AND BE AN OPEN BOOK BEFORE GOD AND OTHER BELIEVERS.
Revival Study Guide
If there is not enough space for your comments, use another sheet of paper.
1. GENUINE SALVATION (II CORINTHIANS 5:17)
THEREFORE IF ANY MAN [BE] IN CHRIST, [HE IS] A NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.
a. Was there ever a time in my life that I genuinely repented of my sin? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Was there ever a time in my life that I placed all my trust in Jesus Christ alone to save me? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Was there ever a time in my life that I completely surrendered to Christ as the Master of my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
2. GOD'S WORD (PSALM 119:97, 140)
97 O HOW LOVE I THY LAW! IT [IS] MY MEDITATION ALL THE DAY.
140 ¶THY WORD [IS] VERY PURE: THEREFORE THY SERVANT LOVETH IT.
a. Do I love to read and meditate on the Word of God? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Are my personal devotions consistent and meaningful? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Do I practically apply God's Word to my everyday life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
3. HUMILITY (ISAIAH 57:15)
FOR THUS SAITH THE HIGH AND LOFTY ONE THAT INHABITETH ETERNITY, WHOSE NAME [IS] HOLY; I DWELL IN THE HIGH AND HOLY [PLACE], WITH HIM ALSO [THAT IS] OF A CONTRITE AND HUMBLE SPIRIT, TO REVIVE THE SPIRIT OF THE HUMBLE, AND TO REVIVE THE HEART OF THE CONTRITE ONES.
a. Am I quick to recognize and agree with God in confession when I have sinned? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Am I quick to admit to others when I am wrong? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Do I rejoice when others are praised and recognized even when I am unnoticed?YES [ ] NO [ ]
d. Do I see others as more important than me? YES [ ] NO [ ]
4. OBEDIENCE (I SAMUEL 15:22 • HEBREWS 13:17)
AND SAMUEL SAID, HATH THE LORD [AS GREAT] DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERINGS AND SACRIFICES, AS IN OBEYING THE VOICE OF THE LORD? BEHOLD, TO OBEY [IS] BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, [AND] TO HEARKEN THAN THE FAT OF RAMS.
OBEY THEM THAT HAVE THE RULE OVER YOU, AND SUBMIT YOURSELVES: FOR THEY WATCH FOR YOUR SOULS, AS THEY THAT MUST GIVE ACCOUNT, THAT THEY MAY DO IT WITH JOY, AND NOT WITH GRIEF: FOR THAT [IS] UNPROFITABLE FOR YOU.
a. Do I consistently obey when I know God is directing my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Do I obey the laws when I am alone as well as with someone else? YES [ ] NO [ ]
5. PURE HEART (I JOHN 1:9)
IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS, HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US [OUR] SINS, AND TO CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.
a. Do I confess my sin by name? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Do I keep "short sin accounts" with God (confess and forsake as He convicts)? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Am I willing to give up all sin for God? YES [ ] NO [ ]
6. CLEAR CONSCIENCE (ACTS 24:16)
AND HEREIN DO I EXERCISE MYSELF, TO HAVE ALWAYS A CONSCIENCE VOID OF OFFENSE TOWARD GOD, AND [TOWARD] MEN.
a. Do I consistently seek forgiveness from those I wrong or offend? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Is my conscience clear with every person, do I NOW need to ask forgiveness of anyone? YES [ ] NO [ ]
7. PRIORITIES (MATTHEW 6:33)
BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.
a. Does my schedule reveal that God is first in my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Does my checkbook reveal that God is first in my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Next to my relationship to God, is my relationship to my family my highest priority? YES [ ] NO [ ]
8. VALUES (COLOSSIANS 3:12)
PUT ON THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, BOWELS OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONGSUFFERING;
a. Do I love what God loves and hate what God hates? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Do I value highly the things that please God (giving, sharing His Word etc.)? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Are my affections and goal fixed on eternal values? YES [ ] NO [ ]
9. SACRIFICE (PHILIPPIANS 3:7,8)
BUT WHAT THINGS WERE GAIN TO ME, THOSE I COUNTED LOSS FOR CHRIST.
YEA DOUBTLESS, AND I COUNT ALL THINGS [BUT] LOSS FOR THE EXCELLENCY OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF CHRIST JESUS MY LORD: FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSS OF ALL THINGS, AND DO COUNT THEM [BUT] DUNG, THAT I MAY WIN CHRIST,
a. Am I willing to sacrifice everything necessary to see God move in my life and church? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Is my life genuinely characterized by that sacrificial willingness? YES [ ] NO [ ]
10. SPIRIT CONTROL (GALATIANS 5:22-25 • EPHESIANS 5:18-21)
BUT THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONGSUFFERING, GENTLENESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MEEKNESS, TEMPERANCE: AGAINST SUCH THERE IS NO LAW. AND THEY THAT ARE CHRIST'S HAVE CRUCIFIED THE FLESH WITH THE AFFECTIONS AND LUSTS. IF WE LIVE IN THE SPIRIT, LET US ALSO WALK IN THE SPIRIT.
AND BE NOT DRUNK WITH WINE, WHEREIN IS EXCESS; BUT BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT; SPEAKING TO YOURSELVES IN PSALMS AND HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS, SINGING AND MAKING MELODY IN YOUR HEART TO THE LORD; GIVING THANKS ALWAYS FOR ALL THINGS UNTO GOD AND THE FATHER IN THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST; SUBMITTING YOURSELVES ONE TO ANOTHER IN THE FEAR OF GOD.
a. Am I allowing Jesus to be Lord of every area of my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Am I allowing the Holy Spirit access to my life daily? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Is there consistent evidence of the "fruit of the Spirit" being produced in my life? YES [ ] NO [ ]
11. "FIRST LOVE" (PHILIPPIANS 1:21,23)
FOR TO ME TO LIVE [IS] CHRIST, AND TO DIE [IS] GAIN.
BUT IF I LIVE IN THE FLESH, THIS [IS] THE FRUIT OF MY LABOUR:
YET WHAT I SHALL CHOOSE (ISN'T NECESSARILY WHAT I WANT).
FOR I AM IN A STRAIT BETWIXT TWO, HAVING A DESIRE TO DEPART,
AND TO BE WITH CHRIST; WHICH IS FAR BETTER:
a. Am I as mush in love with Jesus as I have ever been? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Am I thrilled with Jesus, filled with His Joy and Peace? YES [ ] NO [ ]
12. MOTIVES (MATTHEW 10:28 • ACTS 5:29)
AND FEAR NOT THEM WHICH KILL THE BODY, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO KILL THE SOUL: BUT RATHER FEAR HIM WHICH IS ABLE TO DESTROY BOTH SOUL AND BODY IN HELL.
THEN PETER AND THE [OTHER] APOSTLES ANSWERED AND SAID, WE OUGHT TO OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN.
a.. Am I more concerned with what God thinks than what others think in my life? YES [ ] NO [ ] b. Would I pray, read my Bible, give and serve as much even if nobody but God noticed? YES [ ] NO [ ]
c. Am I more concerned with pleasing God than being accepted by man? YES [ ] NO [ ]
13. MORAL PURITY (EPHESIANS 5:3,4)
BUT FORNICATION, AND ALL UNCLEANNESS, OR COVETOUSNESS, LET IT NOT BE ONCE NAMED AMONG YOU, AS BECOMETH SAINTS;
NEITHER FILTHINESS, NOR FOOLISH TALKING, NOR JESTING, WHICH ARE NOT CONVENIENT: BUT RATHER GIVING OF THANKS.
a. Do I keep my mind free from those items that could stimulate lustful thoughts? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Are my conversations and behavior pure and above reproach? YES [ ] NO [ ]
14. FORGIVENESS (COLOSSIANS 3:12,13)
PUT ON THEREFORE, AS THE ELECT OF GOD, HOLY AND BELOVED, BOWELS OF MERCIES, KINDNESS, HUMBLENESS OF MIND, MEEKNESS, LONGSUFFERING;
FORBEARING ONE ANOTHER, AND FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, IF ANY MAN HAVE A QUARREL AGAINST ANY: EVEN AS CHRIST FORGAVE YOU, SO ALSO [DO] YE.
a. Do I seek to resolve conflicts in relationships as soon as possible? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Am I quick to forgive those who wrong me or hurt me? YES [ ] NO [ ]
15. SENSITIVITY (MATTHEW 5:23,24)
THEREFORE IF THOU BRING THY GIFT TO THE ALTAR, AND THERE REMEMBEREST THAT THY BROTHER HATH OUGHT AGAINST THEE;
LEAVE THERE THY GIFT BEFORE THE ALTAR, AND GO THY WAY; FIRST BE RECONCILED TO THY BROTHER, AND THEN COME AND OFFER THY GIFT.
a. Am I sensitive to the conviction and prompting of the Holy Spirit? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Am I quick to respond in humility and obedience when convicted? YES [ ] NO [ ]
16. EVANGELISM (LUKE 24:46,48 • ROMANS 9:23)
AND SAID UNTO THEM, THUS IT IS WRITTEN, AND THUS IT BEHOOVED CHRIST TO SUFFER, AND TO RISE FROM THE DEAD THE THIRD DAY:
AND THAT REPENTANCE AND REMISSION OF SINS SHOULD BE PREACHED IN HIS NAME AMONG ALL NATIONS, BEGINNING AT JERUSALEM.
AND YE ARE WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS.
AND THAT HE MIGHT MAKE KNOWN THE RICHES OF HIS GLORY ON THE VESSELS OF MERCY, WHICH HE HAD AFORE PREPARED UNTO GLORY,
a. Do I have a burden for lost souls? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Do I consistently witness for Christ? YES [ ] NO [ ]
17. PRAYER I 1TIMOTHY 2:1)
I EXHORT THEREFORE, THAT, FIRST OF ALL, SUPPLICATIONS, PRAYERS, INTERCESSIONS, [AND] GIVING OF THANKS, BE MADE FOR ALL MEN;
a. Am I faithful in praying for the needs of others? YES [ ] NO [ ]
b. Do I pray sincerely, specifically and faithfully for revival in my life, my church and our nation? YES [ ] NO [ ]
Summary:
While most of us have a genuine desire to serve a Living God, the work of achieving that goal is difficult. It is therefore important to remember that Jesus DID NOT LEAVE US ALONE when He ascended to the right hand of God. He gave us the COMFORTER, which is the HOLY SPIRIT!
Regardless of the ongoing "IN HOUSE DEBATE" concerning the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the only thing essential to our service to God is to know that the POWER TO BE WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE IS PROVIDED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!
One primary reason those outside the Body of Christ refuse to join us is the denominational bickering and division among so called "CHRISTIANS". Start to look for things we can agree on and share those things with the searchers of truth you encounter daily. Their eternal destiny depends on it!!!
If your answer to ANY of the questions is NO, turn to the scriptures indicated for help in that particular area. Remember that the Bible IS THE WORD OF GOD and is, therefore, sufficient for instruction and correction. If you are still having difficulty in a particular area addressed in this study, seek the counsel of a pastor and beware of FRIENDS whose intention may be good but whose counsel may be based on their personal opinion rather than the INSPIRED WORD OF GOD. Remember JOB'S WIFE & FRIENDS!!!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4057937

Trusting the Vision Sown Deep in the Heart

Something I've long held to is a vision - a compendium of visions actually - that God has sown deep into my heart.
These are realities many would call dreams, because they've not occurred, yet they seem so real to me, in that they (within my mind's eye) have already occurred - within eternity's history of my soul. That's the weirdly spiritual thing about visions of this kind; the view we have of them is past-tense when they haven't occurred yet.
I cannot go into any depth as to what these visions are - they're personal until the day of redemption - but all I will say is I think I've had them as long as I remember, and I know I must believe God. There is no effort in belief. It makes only sense to believe these images for my life. They're only applicable to my life. They only have meaning for me.
None of these visions are spectacular. That's not the point of vision that comes from God. It's not as if I can overlay my own desire into these visions, but vision no doubt inspires my desire.
Memory of these visions is given daily. This is God reminding me of something so deep, His Presence in them, which creates a determining drive to realise these visions - but, as is appropriate, only in His time and by His method.
I believe each of us has a vision, a series of visions within it, that compels our lives forward. It is something every human being has been given. Ecclesiastes 3:11 (GNT) says:
"[God] has set the right time for everything.
He has given us a desire to know the future,
but never gives us the satisfaction
of fully understanding what he does."
The vision He has set into your heart - whether you're aware of it or not; it's there - compels us to know the future, in realising the vision. This is both a trust and a frustration; what a gift to receive! But, oh what a burden! What makes life so brimming with purpose will drive us crazy at times. But only because God's knowledge is making its attempt to assimilate with our own, even as our desires attempt to thwart and thieve God's knowledge.
There are things within the vision that God has given us that seem awkward, as if they don't fit. Whether they fit into the time we're allotted on earth is not certain. But vision stirs the imagination, and must be held lightly as a spiritual (not actually physical) gift.
The vision calls for maturity in the accepting of it; that God knows best. Many things we cannot understand.
God is the giver of good gifts, and our calling is to trust the vision He has sown deep in our hearts. We allow the vision its place as part of who God has purposed us to be.
Trust His vision, given to you, for your life; not simply as proof He is real and that you're an eternal being, but as a sweet promise for your life; your predestined God-appointed place in this life.
But be careful. Don't make of the machinations of your own mind what should only come from God. It does not end well for those who procure for themselves to be a god.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9566539

The Story of Fallen Angels

We often hear about Angels and Archangels and the like. The story is always a pleasant one with their nature that of goodness and kindness. The dictionary defines an angel as "A Spiritual, Celestial Being, superior to Man in power and intelligence". But what happens when an Angel turns to the other side?
The concept of fallen Angels - Lucifer etc. - is a controversial one. However, it is generally accepted that some force or entity outside of ourselves is working to push us towards evil or away from God.
Some of the Angels, because of pride, did not return God's Love. These Angels may be called Demons and can be considered to be under the command of Satan. Satan, known as the Prince of Demons in the Bible, is of a peer with the greatest of Angels and is a very powerful adversary.
Perhaps, he rather took a different course to that expected or ordained by God or personified by Archangel Michael, as opposed to being the enemy. Whatever, he is now considered to be the leader behind all of our negativity, evil thoughts and deeds - temptation personified! His Demons cannot, apparently, possess a Christian as their bodies are Temples of the Holy Spirit; however, they can influence towards evil and invariably do. This is the method that Satan uses to trap and neutralise a believer. He introduces, if he can get away with it, the Doctrine of Evil inside the soul of the born-again believer. Evil represents Satan as Grace represents the reasoning and policy of God. God's word and God's help, through the Angels, overcomes evil.
We could go into the complexities and the details, but they are beyond the scope of this article. There are many and varied stories regarding the fall from grace of Lucifer (Satan, The Devil, the list goes on- a name, by the way, which stands not for evil but for Light! - and it is not appropriate to attempt to go into detail here. Suffice to record that Satan's aim is to become God and Christians are taught to be on their guard from his powerful and negative influences.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3113770