Here are four more powerful verses from Scripture showing that all Christians now have God’s power and anointing at their disposal to use when they need it to engage with the dark side of this life:
"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Luke 10:19)
Notice in this verse we have God’s power over all the power of our enemies, not just against part of their powers. This means we have the ability to come out completely victorious in some of life's battles and struggles, but only if we learn how to use what is available to us.
"Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." (Luke 9:1)
Notice in this verse that Jesus gives the twelve apostles power over all demons, not just some of them. If we have God’s power available to us to defeat all demons, then I believe that we also have God’s power to defeat any and all humans that may try to come against us with any type of unjust action or attack.
"... but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits." (Daniel 11:32)
"Knowing their God" means that we have spent quality time in establishing a good, personal, intimate relationship with the Lord. If we do that, then this verse is telling us that God will strengthen and empower us when we need His power to be able to carry out great exploits and great adventures for Him.
"For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him." (2 Chronicles 16:9)
This verse is telling us that God is actually looking for people that He can anoint with His power, but are you willing to pay the price to be able to really walk with His anointing?
As you can see from the way all of the above verses are worded, true Christianity is not a weak, wimpy, or passive religion. As born-again believers, we all have the Holy Spirit literally living and dwelling on the inside of us. As a result, all of our bodies have now become the temple in which He now lives in. His supernatural power is now fully available to all of us in order to help us handle some of the storm clouds that can come against us in ths life.
Protection
And since the shed blood of the Old Testament lambs used for the temporary covering of sins eventually leads to the shedding of Jesus’ blood for permanent and total forgiveness of all of our sins, we also see that the shed blood of the lambs used in the Passover for divine protection also leads to the shed Blood of Jesus having divine protection in it.
Pleading the Blood of Jesus for any deliverance and protection that you may need is just one part of our arsenal. You can also Plead the Blood of Jesus on specific things like your body, your house, your car, your finances, etc. The goal is to Plead the Blood of Jesus on those things in order to protect you before any kind of adversity could come your way.
I urge you to incorporate pleading the blood of Jesus in your prayer life. Christians can either choose to continue to remain passive with their heads stuck in the sand, hoping that neither they nor any of their loved ones will ever come under any kind of direct human or demonic attack - or they can choose to learn how to rise up in the power of their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and learn how to spiritually defend themselves using spiritual warfare techniques as given to us out of the Bible!
When the enemy does come, rise up in the power of the Holy Spirit and spiritually defend yourself and engage with the enemy head on, like David did with Goliath. You will be victorious because of the Name and Blood of Jesus Christ!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Pleading the Powerful Blood of Jesus in Your Life
Pleading the Blood of Jesus is not begging, it is a legal term. Our plea, in any situation that merits it, is the Blood of Jesus. When we make this our plea, the Blood is applied for us by the Holy Spirit. When you pray " I plead the Blood of Jesus over... it is then applied in your behalf. And it is more powerful than anything else!
Thare three things contained in the Blood of Jesus – forgiveness, deliverance and protection. Most Christians only know about the first one – forgiveness. They have no idea that there are two other things available to them that will enable them to live a victorious and overcoming life in Jesus while still living down here on this earth. Let us look at forgiveness and deliverance.
Forgiveness
As Christians, we all know that there is definitely forgiveness in the Blood of Jesus. This is the basic central message of true Christianity, that God the Father sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ down to our earth in the flesh to physically die on a cross in order to give us total and permanent forgiveness for all of our sins.
Without Jesus dying and shedding His blood on the cross, there would be no forgiveness and no remission of any of our sins. Here are some extremely powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us this:
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
"But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13)
The blood that Jesus personally shed for us on the cross, which caused His physical death, is what leads to our eternal salvation, the forgiveness of all of our sins and entrance into heaven when we die and cross over.
Deliverance
Now what are the Scriptural grounds that will give us the legal right to be able to use Jesus' Blood when taking on any attacks that may come our way? As my grandmother used to do, you can Plead the Blood of Jesus against specific types of attacks such as attacks from demons or other evil people, any kind of physical disease or illness, or any kind of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Many Christians are not aware of this second component that is in the Blood of Jesus which entitles us to be able to use His Blood to go on the offensive against any adversity that may come our way.
Something else happened that day when Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins. The Bible tells us that Jesus also defeated Satan and all of the powers of darkness that day! Here are some specific Scripture verses proving this point for you:
"… that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14)
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13)
"Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15)
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelations 12:11)
What defeated Satan and all his dark powers? The physical death of Jesus on the cross. And what did Jesus do when He died that day on the cross for all of us? He shed His Blood!
This is why Pleading the Blood of Jesus works so well in real life combat situations when it really is needed to defeat attacks that come against us from the dark side.
Many Christians are not aware of this second fact about the Blood of Jesus - that the Blood can also be used to engage with our enemies when they do try to launch an attack against us. I believe that all of the above Scripture verses definitely tell us that the blood that Jesus shed that day on the cross has totally defeated Satan and all of his dark powers.
The only thing remaining is for Christians to realize and grab a hold of this powerful truth and not to be afraid to use when they need it - especially when demons or other bad and evil people attempt to come against them with any type of unjust actions or attacks. Learn to plead the Blood of Jesus in your prayers.
Thare three things contained in the Blood of Jesus – forgiveness, deliverance and protection. Most Christians only know about the first one – forgiveness. They have no idea that there are two other things available to them that will enable them to live a victorious and overcoming life in Jesus while still living down here on this earth. Let us look at forgiveness and deliverance.
Forgiveness
As Christians, we all know that there is definitely forgiveness in the Blood of Jesus. This is the basic central message of true Christianity, that God the Father sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ down to our earth in the flesh to physically die on a cross in order to give us total and permanent forgiveness for all of our sins.
Without Jesus dying and shedding His blood on the cross, there would be no forgiveness and no remission of any of our sins. Here are some extremely powerful verses from Scripture specifically telling us this:
"For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins." (Matthew 26:28)
"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace." (Ephesians 1:7)
"But now in Christ Jesus you who were far off have been made near by the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2:13)
The blood that Jesus personally shed for us on the cross, which caused His physical death, is what leads to our eternal salvation, the forgiveness of all of our sins and entrance into heaven when we die and cross over.
Deliverance
Now what are the Scriptural grounds that will give us the legal right to be able to use Jesus' Blood when taking on any attacks that may come our way? As my grandmother used to do, you can Plead the Blood of Jesus against specific types of attacks such as attacks from demons or other evil people, any kind of physical disease or illness, or any kind of addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Many Christians are not aware of this second component that is in the Blood of Jesus which entitles us to be able to use His Blood to go on the offensive against any adversity that may come our way.
Something else happened that day when Jesus died on the cross for all of our sins. The Bible tells us that Jesus also defeated Satan and all of the powers of darkness that day! Here are some specific Scripture verses proving this point for you:
"… that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Hebrews 2:14)
"He has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins." (Colossians 1:13)
"Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Colossians 2:15)
"For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." (Revelations 12:11)
What defeated Satan and all his dark powers? The physical death of Jesus on the cross. And what did Jesus do when He died that day on the cross for all of us? He shed His Blood!
This is why Pleading the Blood of Jesus works so well in real life combat situations when it really is needed to defeat attacks that come against us from the dark side.
Many Christians are not aware of this second fact about the Blood of Jesus - that the Blood can also be used to engage with our enemies when they do try to launch an attack against us. I believe that all of the above Scripture verses definitely tell us that the blood that Jesus shed that day on the cross has totally defeated Satan and all of his dark powers.
The only thing remaining is for Christians to realize and grab a hold of this powerful truth and not to be afraid to use when they need it - especially when demons or other bad and evil people attempt to come against them with any type of unjust actions or attacks. Learn to plead the Blood of Jesus in your prayers.
Power in the Blood, Part Two
God provided a system of atonment with blood, first with purified animals, then with Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God! In Jesus, God would give the ultimate blood for us. His precious Son would go to Calvary and shed His blood for you and me. That was the purpose behind the earlier purified animal sacrifices in the Old Testament! It was all pointing to the cross!
In sacrifices there is the altar. A place associated with death and suffering. The altar was a bloody, grim place also marked by the blood the dead and dying. From the altar arose the smoke of the sacrifices that burned there continually. It was a place of suffering.
Again, this all pointed ahead to a time when the Son of God would go to an altar called the cross and would shed His blood the redemption of mankind. Please never lose sight of the terrible price Jesus paid for us. He suffered terribly so that we might be saved. Just as the sacrifices of old were tied to the altar and burned with fire, Jesus was nailed to His altar and burned in the fire of divine wrath! The price He paid was a terrible price!
God reminds them that the reason He gave them the blood sacrifices was to make an atonement for their sins. The word “atonement” means “a covering”. God gave them the blood as a means of covering their sins and of bringing them into fellowship with Himself. Lest we forget, sin separates us from the presence of God, But the blood of Jesus has the power to bring us together!
One of the most remarkable truths in the Bible is the fact that God genuinely wants to have fellowship with you and me. He has proven this be the lengths He has gone to, to bring us together. The fact that God would place our value above that of another life is an amazing thing! To me, it is absolute proof of the power of the love of God for humanity. That He would value us more than the life of His own Son is a truth that is wonderful beyond words.
The Blood of Jesus Covers Sin - The blood of Christ was given to cover sin. That is, when the blood was shed and applied to the altar, God saw the blood and not the sin. It was removed from His sight and He accepted the blood of the innocent sacrifice in place of the guilt of the sinner.
The Blood of Jesus Cleanses Sin - When we come to the New Testament and to the death of Jesus on the cross, we find a sacrifice that was filled with a power that the Old Testament sacrificial system could never know. What we find about the blood of Jesus is that it has the power to take away sin!
Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross will never have to be repeated! It was a one-time for all-time offering that forever removes the sins of every person who places their faith in Him and His shed blood!
The Blood of Jesus Converts The Sinner - When a person comes to Jesus by faith and is saved by grace, that person is forever changed. The blood of the Lamb has the power to convert the soul. Not only will God cleanse away your sins, but He will forever change your life. The blood of Jesus has the power to make us into new creatures in Christ.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says in 13:12: “Jesus suffered ... in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.” This means that we are all saints, holy people, people protected and empowered by God’s holiness. Because Jesus shares his own holiness with us by giving us his blood as a covering, we can approach our heavenly Father with great boldness and confidence as if we were Jesus himself and had his status as God’s Son. We enjoy the privilege of access to heaven here on earth as we receive the holy Sacrament. When we take the Lord’s Supper we can “enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus” and “approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith” (Heb 10:19-22).
We can bring our own needs and the needs of others to God in prayer. Together with the word of God and body of Jesus, his blood is the most holy thing that you have from God. It presents you holy before God. You are as holy in God’s eyes as Jesus is, because you are covered spirituatlly with his Blood. Since you share in Christ’s holiness, your body is the temple of the living God. Wherever you go God goes with you. God uses you to reach out and touch other people. Whether they know it or not, they meet Him through you. Since you are Christ’s ambassador, you may live your life as in God’s presence; you belong to his holy priests that bring people and their needs to God in prayer, just as they bring God and his blessings to the people around them. All this is yours because of the blood of Jesus! Blood that consecrates you before God.
Blood is indeed a remarkable, powerful substance. We depend on it to remain alive and healthy. But the holy blood of Jesus is an even more remarkable substance, something far more powerful than human blood.
There is power in His blood. His blood brings life and cleansing and holiness to those who take him at his word when he says in Matthew 26:27-28: “Drink from this cup, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Believe it and you will receive its blessings. Believe that you receive eternal life in his blood and he will give you eternal life. Believe that you receive cleansing from sin in his blood and he will cleanse you through and through. Believe that. Believe and receive. Then you will have good reason to rejoice and sing: THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD!
In sacrifices there is the altar. A place associated with death and suffering. The altar was a bloody, grim place also marked by the blood the dead and dying. From the altar arose the smoke of the sacrifices that burned there continually. It was a place of suffering.
Again, this all pointed ahead to a time when the Son of God would go to an altar called the cross and would shed His blood the redemption of mankind. Please never lose sight of the terrible price Jesus paid for us. He suffered terribly so that we might be saved. Just as the sacrifices of old were tied to the altar and burned with fire, Jesus was nailed to His altar and burned in the fire of divine wrath! The price He paid was a terrible price!
God reminds them that the reason He gave them the blood sacrifices was to make an atonement for their sins. The word “atonement” means “a covering”. God gave them the blood as a means of covering their sins and of bringing them into fellowship with Himself. Lest we forget, sin separates us from the presence of God, But the blood of Jesus has the power to bring us together!
One of the most remarkable truths in the Bible is the fact that God genuinely wants to have fellowship with you and me. He has proven this be the lengths He has gone to, to bring us together. The fact that God would place our value above that of another life is an amazing thing! To me, it is absolute proof of the power of the love of God for humanity. That He would value us more than the life of His own Son is a truth that is wonderful beyond words.
The Blood of Jesus Covers Sin - The blood of Christ was given to cover sin. That is, when the blood was shed and applied to the altar, God saw the blood and not the sin. It was removed from His sight and He accepted the blood of the innocent sacrifice in place of the guilt of the sinner.
The Blood of Jesus Cleanses Sin - When we come to the New Testament and to the death of Jesus on the cross, we find a sacrifice that was filled with a power that the Old Testament sacrificial system could never know. What we find about the blood of Jesus is that it has the power to take away sin!
Unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross will never have to be repeated! It was a one-time for all-time offering that forever removes the sins of every person who places their faith in Him and His shed blood!
The Blood of Jesus Converts The Sinner - When a person comes to Jesus by faith and is saved by grace, that person is forever changed. The blood of the Lamb has the power to convert the soul. Not only will God cleanse away your sins, but He will forever change your life. The blood of Jesus has the power to make us into new creatures in Christ.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews says in 13:12: “Jesus suffered ... in order to sanctify the people by his own blood.” This means that we are all saints, holy people, people protected and empowered by God’s holiness. Because Jesus shares his own holiness with us by giving us his blood as a covering, we can approach our heavenly Father with great boldness and confidence as if we were Jesus himself and had his status as God’s Son. We enjoy the privilege of access to heaven here on earth as we receive the holy Sacrament. When we take the Lord’s Supper we can “enter the sanctuary by the blood of Jesus” and “approach with a true heart in the full assurance of faith” (Heb 10:19-22).
We can bring our own needs and the needs of others to God in prayer. Together with the word of God and body of Jesus, his blood is the most holy thing that you have from God. It presents you holy before God. You are as holy in God’s eyes as Jesus is, because you are covered spirituatlly with his Blood. Since you share in Christ’s holiness, your body is the temple of the living God. Wherever you go God goes with you. God uses you to reach out and touch other people. Whether they know it or not, they meet Him through you. Since you are Christ’s ambassador, you may live your life as in God’s presence; you belong to his holy priests that bring people and their needs to God in prayer, just as they bring God and his blessings to the people around them. All this is yours because of the blood of Jesus! Blood that consecrates you before God.
Blood is indeed a remarkable, powerful substance. We depend on it to remain alive and healthy. But the holy blood of Jesus is an even more remarkable substance, something far more powerful than human blood.
There is power in His blood. His blood brings life and cleansing and holiness to those who take him at his word when he says in Matthew 26:27-28: “Drink from this cup, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Believe it and you will receive its blessings. Believe that you receive eternal life in his blood and he will give you eternal life. Believe that you receive cleansing from sin in his blood and he will cleanse you through and through. Believe that. Believe and receive. Then you will have good reason to rejoice and sing: THERE IS POWER IN THE BLOOD!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
The Importance of Human Blood - and the Wonder Working Power of Christ's Blood!
The blood is the source of life for all creatures on earth. Even plants have sap that is akin to blood in purpose, but among animals we see again and again the importance of the blood, and especially in humans.
In the pages of Scripture, I have come to understand that God gave His people scientific truth that was centuries ahead of that possessed by men at the time. Leviticus 17:11 states that blood that is the life of the physical flesh and it is still the blood of Jesus that is the life of the soul.
BLOOD IS A PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE
The Purpose Of The Blood - The very life of the body is contained in the blood. As I stated earlier, medical science didn’t understand this until the advent of powerful microscopes that now allow doctors to look at the blood and better understand its function in the body. Among the substances of the body, the blood is unique. Consider these facts:
The blood is the only tissue of the body that is mobile. The body produces many fluids, but the blood is literally liquid tissue. Other fluids are limited to certain areas of the body, but the blood touches every single cell in the human body.
There are about 5 quarts of blood in the average human body. This blood travels through your body every 23 seconds. As it does, the blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of your body, bringing life as it travels. At the same time, the same blood also removes the waste products from the cells. This waste never contaminates the good things the blood carries which the body needs. Imagine, if you will, the local garbage truck picking up your trash and also delivering your meals uncovered.
While the red cells in the body are carrying oxygen rich hemoglobin, and nutrients to the cells, another part of the blood known as “leucocytes” or white blood cells are present to defend the body against outside invaders. When the body is injured, you may notice a swelling in the area of the injury. This is caused by blood being rushed to the injured area, blood that is rich in white blood cells. These cells have the power to kill and engulf germs and infections. As they do their job, they die in the process and are expelled from the body, along with the infection, in a material we call pus. All of this is going on in the blood!
There is more that the blood does, such as carrying antibodies and antitoxins, but just these simple insights are enough to let us know that the blood is extremely vital to the existence of the human body.
The Power Of The Blood - The power of the blood in the human body is so great that an infection in the bloodstream has the power to infect the entire body, and the loss of too much blood has the power to interrupt human life.
While the blood and its importance cannot be overstated in the human body, everything we have said about the blood thus far also has a spiritual application. Just as the blood is necessary to physical life, the blood of Jesus is also necessary for spiritual life! However, the major difference is that in the physical realm, one must have his own blood, in the spiritual realm, we must have the blood of another – the blood of Jesus! There is power in His blood!
In the pages of Scripture, I have come to understand that God gave His people scientific truth that was centuries ahead of that possessed by men at the time. Leviticus 17:11 states that blood that is the life of the physical flesh and it is still the blood of Jesus that is the life of the soul.
BLOOD IS A PRECIOUS SUBSTANCE
The Purpose Of The Blood - The very life of the body is contained in the blood. As I stated earlier, medical science didn’t understand this until the advent of powerful microscopes that now allow doctors to look at the blood and better understand its function in the body. Among the substances of the body, the blood is unique. Consider these facts:
The blood is the only tissue of the body that is mobile. The body produces many fluids, but the blood is literally liquid tissue. Other fluids are limited to certain areas of the body, but the blood touches every single cell in the human body.
There are about 5 quarts of blood in the average human body. This blood travels through your body every 23 seconds. As it does, the blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells of your body, bringing life as it travels. At the same time, the same blood also removes the waste products from the cells. This waste never contaminates the good things the blood carries which the body needs. Imagine, if you will, the local garbage truck picking up your trash and also delivering your meals uncovered.
While the red cells in the body are carrying oxygen rich hemoglobin, and nutrients to the cells, another part of the blood known as “leucocytes” or white blood cells are present to defend the body against outside invaders. When the body is injured, you may notice a swelling in the area of the injury. This is caused by blood being rushed to the injured area, blood that is rich in white blood cells. These cells have the power to kill and engulf germs and infections. As they do their job, they die in the process and are expelled from the body, along with the infection, in a material we call pus. All of this is going on in the blood!
There is more that the blood does, such as carrying antibodies and antitoxins, but just these simple insights are enough to let us know that the blood is extremely vital to the existence of the human body.
The Power Of The Blood - The power of the blood in the human body is so great that an infection in the bloodstream has the power to infect the entire body, and the loss of too much blood has the power to interrupt human life.
While the blood and its importance cannot be overstated in the human body, everything we have said about the blood thus far also has a spiritual application. Just as the blood is necessary to physical life, the blood of Jesus is also necessary for spiritual life! However, the major difference is that in the physical realm, one must have his own blood, in the spiritual realm, we must have the blood of another – the blood of Jesus! There is power in His blood!
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Knowing God and God's Ways -- Getting to that Place of Knowledge Where We Act on His Word as Ultimate Fact
As we grow as Christians we move from believing, which is the first, primary step, to knowing, which is accepting what we believe as fact and acting on it appropriately. Many people believe that there is a God. They believe that God has a plan for their life. They believe that all things work together for the good of those who love him, but these very same people have not yet grown to the place where they accept these beliefs as a fact and act on them.
There is a major difference between knowing and believing. The Bible tells us that we must believe that God is and that He is the rewarded of those who perform his will. On many other occasions, the Bible talks about believing in order to be saved. Belief is so important. "Lord, help my unbelief," is an important prayer, But we must take our faith beyond belief to knowing. Knowledge of God and God's promises will bring you a new freedom in faith, a new adventure in living, as you receive the blessings God has stored up for you since Jesus purchased them on the cross 2000 years ago.
Friendship is an example that helps us understand. We all have friends and people we trust. For most of us, we believe they are our friends in the good times. But if and when something happens, that is when we find out who our friends truly are. Another example is credit score. We can believe that we have a good score or a bad score, but until we run the report we will not truly know. There is a difference between knowing something with certainty and simply believing. When you get that certainty, tour actions become automatic. That is how God wants us to be with the things of God.
When we get to that knowing area, our prayers are more effective. Knowing makes the difference when you lose your job and you ask God why did He let this happen, instead of where are you taking me. Knowing is what makes the difference when you are faced with a difficult situation and you ask God "why did you let this happen to me," instead you ask, "Okay Lord, what am I supposed to learn from this?"
Knowing God is essential to Christian growth. Too much of Christianity is based on belief in God rather than knowing God. Some of you may say this is just semantics. It is not. Consider people who have lost their faith. Is that even possible? Can anyone truly lose their faith? I don’t believe so. How can anyone lose faith in something they know to be true? You can’t. People lose faith in things they simply believe in. The reason many people lose faith and leave the church is because they simply believed in God and somewhere down the road, they were persuaded otherwise.
Some will say all you have to do is believe; no one can know. That is not true. God never intended for us to know him by testing him in a lab. We know God because he will reveal himself to us. Scripture clearly tells us that we are supposed to know. After Jesus reappeared to prove to Thomas that He has risen, he said, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). The night before Jesus was arrested He explicitly told the disciples how we who will not see Him will know that God is who he says he is. He said, “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:17-19).
In order for us to preserve the church, we must teach people to know God and go beyond simply believing. We must know that he loves us and of his plans for our lives. This knowing should not be based on an intellectual knowing but on the indwelling Holy Spirit, which Jesus left as our comforter. God did not call us to have an abstract belief concerning him, he called us to know him.
There is a major difference between knowing and believing. The Bible tells us that we must believe that God is and that He is the rewarded of those who perform his will. On many other occasions, the Bible talks about believing in order to be saved. Belief is so important. "Lord, help my unbelief," is an important prayer, But we must take our faith beyond belief to knowing. Knowledge of God and God's promises will bring you a new freedom in faith, a new adventure in living, as you receive the blessings God has stored up for you since Jesus purchased them on the cross 2000 years ago.
Friendship is an example that helps us understand. We all have friends and people we trust. For most of us, we believe they are our friends in the good times. But if and when something happens, that is when we find out who our friends truly are. Another example is credit score. We can believe that we have a good score or a bad score, but until we run the report we will not truly know. There is a difference between knowing something with certainty and simply believing. When you get that certainty, tour actions become automatic. That is how God wants us to be with the things of God.
When we get to that knowing area, our prayers are more effective. Knowing makes the difference when you lose your job and you ask God why did He let this happen, instead of where are you taking me. Knowing is what makes the difference when you are faced with a difficult situation and you ask God "why did you let this happen to me," instead you ask, "Okay Lord, what am I supposed to learn from this?"
Knowing God is essential to Christian growth. Too much of Christianity is based on belief in God rather than knowing God. Some of you may say this is just semantics. It is not. Consider people who have lost their faith. Is that even possible? Can anyone truly lose their faith? I don’t believe so. How can anyone lose faith in something they know to be true? You can’t. People lose faith in things they simply believe in. The reason many people lose faith and leave the church is because they simply believed in God and somewhere down the road, they were persuaded otherwise.
Some will say all you have to do is believe; no one can know. That is not true. God never intended for us to know him by testing him in a lab. We know God because he will reveal himself to us. Scripture clearly tells us that we are supposed to know. After Jesus reappeared to prove to Thomas that He has risen, he said, “blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). The night before Jesus was arrested He explicitly told the disciples how we who will not see Him will know that God is who he says he is. He said, “The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:17-19).
In order for us to preserve the church, we must teach people to know God and go beyond simply believing. We must know that he loves us and of his plans for our lives. This knowing should not be based on an intellectual knowing but on the indwelling Holy Spirit, which Jesus left as our comforter. God did not call us to have an abstract belief concerning him, he called us to know him.
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