Why do the majority of us seem to settle for a life void of the power available to us through Holy Spirit?
We have the same power that Jesus had, the same power that raised Him from the tomb. Yet we walk around every day in defeat. We are not casting out demons, praying for the sick, blind, deaf, amputees and even the dead. God wants to use us to change the world, but we must take the first step. That is a step of faith. All HE wants us to do is trust Him and pray for others in 100% faith, then stand back and watch God work.
I do not know about you, but I am sick of our current form of dead, powerless Christianity.
Will you join me in a new life like Peter said, "Silver and cold have I none, but what I do have I give to you, now stand up and walk."
We have this in us now let's start using it and change the world!!!!
2007-12-30 18:35:59 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Silver and GOLD not cold, sorry.
2007-12-30 18:37:04 · update #1
Doug-- If you think God has His hands full just keeping the church together, you have a very narrow veiw of God. If we as the church get a burden as we should have God will turn society on it ear.
2007-12-30 19:14:43 · update #2
I will join you!
We were discussing this topic of obedience in Sunday school today and came to the conclusion that most Christians just want to be comfortable.
Most Christians are satisfied with just being saved. Remember the parable of planting the seed? Some fell beside the road; and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air ate it up. And other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. And other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it, and choked it out. And other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. (ref. Luke 8:4-21)
Jesus also said, "Many are called, but few are chosen." (Matt. 22:14) And, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matt. 7:13-14)
Christians are on various spiritual levels. There are even some people who say they are Christians but are not. Have you heard the parable of the wheat and the tares? Even in the Church there are some who are wheat and will be gathered into heaven, and others like chaff who will be burned in the fire. This means that there are people in church who only go there to cause trouble and are not saved. It was like that in Jesus' time; it is probably even worse in these evil days.
The higher your spiritual level is, the more you will be able see other people's levels, be genuinely concerned for them and pray for them. The 100% faith you mentioned in God's power is also my goal, and I am happy to have found a fellow brother in Christ who seems unwilling to compromise the word of God.
God will use you greatly, brother. Praise the Lord!
2007-12-30 20:18:13 · answer #1 · answered by sinewquest 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There was a Word from the Lord in Church yesterday, by way of tongues and interpretation. The Lord said that a reformation was coming and it would expand.
So our Lord God is doing Great things and has great things planned for us before he comes. I believe he is going to use his Saints in ways they never thought he would. He is bringing in the Harvest and gathering his Saints. I believe we will see many great things happening in the lives of unbelievers and I believe that there will be a lot of souls saved. I should hope that our Lord uses all of us to bring souls into the Kingdom.
2007-12-31 02:49:37 · answer #2 · answered by sparkplug 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I have been living a life like that.
My goal for the New Year is to stand up in faith of my Creator.
2007-12-31 02:41:18 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Christians have no power unless they are first baptized in the Holy Spirit and they exercised their gift of praying in tongues (Acts 1:8). When they pray in tongues they will edify themselves, spirit, soul and body (1 Corinthians 14:4) and the Holy Spirit helps them pray with groanings that cannot be uttered so that all things will work together for their good (Romans 8:26-28). One of the good things that the Holy Spirit will do for you is to build up your spirit so that you can hear Him and He can direct you on your walk with God in every aspect, including the church you should attend, how you should study God's word, the activities you should be involved in and so on. You should stir up your gift of tongues by praying in it as often as possible in order to acquire the spirit of power (including the spiritual gifts) and of love (the fruit of the Spirit) and of a sound mind (the mind of Christ) (2 Timothy 1:6,7). The Apostle Paul prayed in tongues more than all in the Corinthians church (1 Corinthians 14:18) and that was why He was such a powerful and knowledgeable man of God. In Ephesians 6:18 we are exhorted to pray always with all prayer and suplication in the Spirit so that we stay proactive in our prayers against the enemy for the Holy Spirit knows all things. When we are spiritually matured and sound in the knowledge of grace and truth the Lord Jesus Christ will choose us and appoint us for the work that He has called us to do (John 15:16). Then when we are to account for our service to our Lord Jesus Christ in judgment we can to declare to our Lord Jesus as He had declared to His Father in John 17:4, "I have glorified You on earth. I have finished the work you have given Me to do." This is the path every believer should take for the glory of God. God bless you.
2007-12-31 03:17:02 · answer #4 · answered by seekfind 6 · 2⤊ 1⤋
When all the power of the Holy Spirit was concentrated in the original apostles and disciples, the "mission" was clearly defined, and there was little doubt about what they ought to do, and when.
Times have changed.
The modern world is a lot more complicated, and a lot more like Nazareth was when Jesus stopped there ... and due to Nazareth's lack of faith, Jesus performed no miracles there.
The Church is evidence for the power of the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God, but I'm afraid God is pretty well occupied just keeping the church together these days, let alone inspiring people to do great miracles.
Mother Teresa had the right idea, though.
She said to do "little things" with great love ... and then she did ... and even this jaded, materialistic, self-centered modern world couldn't help but sit up and take notice.
All of us are capable of doing stuff like that ... even those of little faith, and of meager resources ... and any time someone does something for a stranger out of love, Christianity is not dead or powerless, but joyfully triumphant ... in Jesus' name.
There's your miracle!
2007-12-31 03:05:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
This life is nothing, God is at the end of it, I am sure. So my life belongs to Him, and I respond to what He wants from me willingly and gladly.
2007-12-31 02:42:00 · answer #6 · answered by Christian Sinner 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Call on me if it is positive. I can walk. I do have a voice.
2007-12-31 02:47:56 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What if a shady character on a street corner offered these things. Would you trust him?
The bible is much the same as a guy on a street corner offering wonders.
2007-12-31 02:41:25 · answer #8 · answered by Yaznaki 5 · 2⤊ 4⤋
wha?
sorry, the beer's making me nauseas
2007-12-31 02:39:45 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋
What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Wait for lightning to strike? Devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Become a better person so that God will accept you? NONE of these. God has made it very clear in the Bible how we can know Him. This will explain how you can personally begin a relationship with God, right now...
Principle One: God loves you and offers a wonderful plan for your life.
God created you. Not only that, he loves you so much that he wants you to know him now and spend eternity with him. Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."1
Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life.
What keeps us from knowing God? ...
Principle Two: All of us sin and our sin has separated us from God.
We sense that separation, that distance from God because of our sin. The Bible tells us that "All of us like sheep have gone astray; each of us has turned to his own way."2
Deep down, our attitude may be one of active rebellion or passive indifference toward God and his ways, but it's all evidence of what the Bible calls sin.
The result of sin in our lives is death -- spiritual separation from God.3 Although we may try to get close to God through our own effort, we inevitably fail.
This diagram shows the great gap that exists between us and God. The arrows illustrate how we might try to reach God through our own efforts. We may try to do good things in life, or earn God's acceptance through a good life or a moral philosophy. But our good efforts are insufficient to cover up our sin.
How can we bridge this gulf?...
Principle Three: Jesus Christ is God's only provision for our sin. Through him we can know and experience God's love and plan for our life.
We deserve to pay for our own sin. The problem is, the payment is death. So that we would not have to die separated from God, out of his love for us, Jesus Christ died in our place. On the cross, Jesus took all of our sin on himself and completely, fully paid for it. "For Christ also died for sins...the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God."4 "...he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy."5 Because of Jesus' death on the cross, our sin doesn't have to separate us from God any longer.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."6
Jesus not only died for our sin, he rose from the dead.7 When he did, he proved beyond doubt that he can rightfully promise eternal life -- that he is the Son of God and the only means by which we can know God. That is why Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one can come to the Father except through me."8
Instead of trying harder to reach God, he tells us how we can begin a relationship with him right now. Jesus says, "Come to me." "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me... out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."9 It was Jesus' love for us that caused him to endure the cross. And he now invites us to come to him, that we might begin a personal relationship with God.
Just knowing what Jesus has done for us and what he is offering us is not enough. To have a relationship with God, we need to welcome him into our life...
Principle Four: We must individually accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
The Bible says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."10
We accept Jesus by faith. The Bible says, "God saved you by his special favour when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."11
Accepting Jesus means believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who he claimed to be, then inviting him to guide and direct our lives.12 Jesus said, "I came that you might have life, and have it more abundantly."13
And here is Jesus' invitation. He said, "I'm standing at the door and I'm knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in."14
How will you respond to God's invitation?
Consider these two circles:
Self-Directed Life
Self is on the throne
Jesus is outside the life
Decisions and actions are solely directed by self, often resulting in frustration
Christ-Directed Life
Jesus is in the life and on the throne
Self is yielding to Jesus
The person sees Jesus' influence and direction in their life
Which circle best represents your life?
Which circle would you like to have represent your life?
Begin a relationship with Jesus...
You can receive Christ right now. Remember that Jesus says, "I'm standing at the door and I'm knocking. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in."15 Would you like to respond to his invitation? Here's how.
The precise words you use to commit yourself to God are not important. He knows the intentions of your heart. If you are unsure of what to pray, this might help you put it into words:
"Jesus, I want to know you. I want you to come into my life. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sin so that I could be fully accepted by you. Only you can give me the power to change and become the person you created me to be. Thank you for forgiving me and giving me eternal life with God. I give my life to you. Please do with it as you wish. Amen."
If you sincerely asked Jesus into your life just now, then he has come into your life as he promised. You have begun a personal relationship with God.
What follows is a lifelong journey of change and growth as you get to know God better through Bible reading, prayer and interaction with other Christians.
I just asked Jesus into my life (some helpful information follows)...
I may want to ask Jesus into my life, but I have a question
I would like answered first...
2007-12-31 02:38:02 · answer #10 · answered by Jason Voorhees xoxo my love 2 · 0⤊ 5⤋