I was filled with the Holy Spirit three weeks before I went to college, and I immediately became a serious student of the Bible. I remember waking up early and reading Scripture at my tiny desk in my dorm before my roommate woke up. My hunger for God's Word became insatiable, and my studies laid a strong spiritual foundation that I've built on ever since. One thing I discovered in those early days is that the Bible is all about Jesus. It is never boring when you realize this! It becomes like a puzzle to solve.
In historical narratives in the Bible or church records, we seldom read about the offspring of significant figures such as the original 12 apostles. For example, Peter was married, yet we find no record of his children carrying forward his traditions. Despite the belief that our progeny should surpass us, the zeal necessary for this progression is often not instilled in the next generation. The explanation? They do not have to pay the same price or undergo the same dramatic conversion experience their parents did. This essay will outline seven challenges that arise in generational Christianity:
The Divine intervention in the history of this world in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, as revealed in the gospel by John, is in the terms of Father, with the desired result of constituting His family and believers becoming His children, His sons. It is a wonderful thing to think of and to contemplate, that God has broken through into the history of this world and of man, with this great object and all that it means. Looking back over these four aspects of the intervention of God in Christ, we see that these are not watertight or self-contained, but they are but aspects of one relationship.
Have you ever heard someone say, "There's just something about them."? People sometimes say this when they can't quite put their finger on what it is that makes a person stand out from the crowd. I like when I hear it said about someone who's a Christian. Because when we are led by the Holy Spirit and God's love flows through us, there is something that just draws attention—something beautiful and unique.
I believe the following is a biblically 'safe' statement to make: when God acts in the earth, the Holy Spirit is the source of power that makes what happens take place. When Christ said: "the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed me to preach," He was defining the intrusion of God's authority and action into human affairs - to bring back into order what was out of order (Lk.4:18-21). By this, He demonstrated the kingdom of God. Furthermore, Jesus said: "I must preach the kingdom of God" and about 'The 12' it says, "He sent them to preach the kingdom of God" (Lk.4:43; 9:17).
On August 14, 2023, while I was in a personal time of worshipping the Lord, Holy Spirit spoke the following word to me for those of the Body of Christ who are standing (or soon to be) at the doorway of transition. It's a time of choices. It's a time of digging up the former wells that were never meant to be buried and forgotten in the first place. It's time to get back into the race and run with the horses. If you've been finding yourself being drawn back to something you laid down on your own accord and not by the instructions of the Lord, then this word is for you.
One common misconception among Christians is that man cannot understand God's ways. We often hear people use the phrase, "God's ways are not our ways" referencing the verse in Isaiah 55:8–9, which says: "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts." People will misinterpret a verse like this and then draw a conclusion. This particular Scripture has been used to explain the reason we can't know why things happen in life.
The wind is a funny thing. We do not know where it comes from nor where it goes. We cannot see it, but we can see and feel its effects. Wind can be gentle and refreshing, cold or hot, strong, and dangerous, and everything in between. When the wind blows, we must decide our stance. Will we stand and face it, turn against it, or get out of it altogether? It depends on the behavior of the wind. We know that we cannot control it as it will blow where and when it pleases. There is also a spiritual wind of which we should be aware.
As we walk alone with the LORD in the cool of the day, we ask Him to show us His Ways, so that He can conform us into His image and likeness. What does it mean to be in His image and likeness? It is to allow Him to reflect His character through us that others can get to know and love Him. If we don't allow His Glory to radiate through us, we are depriving others of knowing His Presence.
There is a key weapon in spiritual warfare that many believers don't know. This weapon activates alignment in the spirit. It releases blessings and favor in the Courts of Heaven. You find the key weapon in Genesis 12:3: "I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." There is a secret spiritual warfare weapon that believers in Christ don't understand. Anytime you're standing or dealing with Israel, you have an alignment issue–you can either be in or out of alignment, depending on your position with Israel. I'll explain to you what I mean by that.
Follow Up
