These were some of the final words Jesus shared with His disciples before going to the cross. They are not suggestions. They are not optional. They are commands from the Savior Himself. Yet, in our time, this commandment is often drowned out by noise, by politics, by fear, and by pride—especially among those who call themselves His followers.
"I'm so frustrated! That just aggravates me!" How often have you said or thought those words? I know I've felt this way many times. But I've learned that we can come to a point in our lives where we don't experience being aggravated and frustrated every day. In fact, aggravated and frustrated is not the condition God wants us to live in. Let me show you what I mean.
As many of you know, I often go back to my old journals about the revelations that the Holy Spirit has shared with me over the years. Since I first began serving the Lord in 1984, I've been captivated by the gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:4-11) From the very beginning I've spent much of my time fasting, praying and especially studying hours on end. One key principle that I learned was that our intimacy with God and our ability to hear His voice, is directly linked to our willingness to surrender our fleshly desires.
In Genesis chapter one, we find the account of creation. Some of the most profound truths in the Bible are in the Book of Genesis, especially the first three chapters. If you miss these, you won't be able to understand many things in the Bible. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (Genesis 1:11) Notice the fruit tree yields fruit "after his kind." It didn't say, "its kind," but "his kind." What we have here is the law of double reference, referring to two different things.
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34
The word restoration has several meanings in the Greek language. It means bringing back to a former or normal, balanced condition. Restoration also means recovery, to establish again, to rehabilitate, or to improve, and it means to compensate for. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." You see, what God wants to do with us is something like restoring antique furniture. I love antique furniture and have quite a few pieces, some over 200 years old.
Have you ever felt like your soul just needed a good washing? How many times I've felt that way. If you've ever felt this way, don't think it is unusual. We are in this world but not of it. Sometimes there are things that, if we are not discerning, we open the door to. It pays to seek the Lord at all times and ask the question… Why am I not experiencing God's presence right now? When you know it is His will for you to live in that place and also know that Jesus is your greatest example — as He lived in the absolute reality of God's presence continually.
When I seek the LORD, I try to seek His face and not His hand — I seek to know His will and to have His Presence. If you seek Him first and the needs of His Kingdom, all your own needs will be met, but some get out of balance with this and do things out of presumption instead of by His leading. Many put their ministry ahead of The LORD's and come at a loss. Other things creep in like lust for fame, fortune, and the pride of life, which brings a fall.
Have you ever felt stagnant or at a standstill in your life? Have you ever felt as if you were meant for more, but did not know how to attain it? In this article, I would like to discuss the concept of feeding the spirit while starving the flesh. In order to advance in God, it is essential that we are aware of what we are feeding our spirit on a daily basis. It is okay to watch television. Although you should have fun and enjoy yourself, it should not take away time to feed your spirit. Our spirits need to be fed on a daily basis with the word of God, encouragement toward activities that are aligned with our purpose, and an environment conducive to productivity if we are to move leaps and bounds in the spirit realm and have a significant impact in the Kingdom.
We live in a time of global shaking. What once felt secure is now cracking beneath our feet. The middle class—long seen as the backbone of economic stability—is being stretched to its limits. Wages are stagnant. Inflation has risen. Investments are volatile. And the old formulas for success no longer hold. For many, the dream is slipping away, and it feels like the floor is falling out. Some commentators have sounded the alarm: "The middle class is becoming the new poor." And it's not just a dramatic soundbite. It's the lived reality for many.
Have you ever seen someone healed? Do you need healing in your own body? In this blog, I'll be talking about the gift of healing. It's a gift that is available to us through the power of the Holy Spirit. There's nothing you need to do to earn it: it's free! Because of Jesus' sacrifice for us, we can experience healing in our bodies. It even says in the Bible that by His stripes we are healed! (Isaiah 53:5)
Follow Up
