10 Essentials for Spiritual Growth and Development Pt1

January 18, 2011 by 1 Comment
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After reading so many New Years resolutions I kept thinking about our New Year’s “Spiritual” Resolutions that take care of our spiritual growth and development. We can call them our Christian New Year resolutions, but let’s emphasize on the spiritual side of our Christian walk.  There are probably many more than only 10 essentials; they could add up to 100 essentials or 50. We’ll see how far we get. Today we will not go further than 5 or  10. You know, Our choices have to line up with The Word of God.

1.    God must be your 1st priority in all areas of our life.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt. 6:33). You must give God first place in your life. Many people are typically crisis-oriented; they wait until a crisis develops before they do something about the issue.
The Spirit of God can lead and guide you if you will acknowledge him in all your ways first. He can lead you away from an environmental problem; he can lead you to the right room, the right place, the right building, and away from the wrong room, wrong place and wrong building.

The first thing you do is pray, Father, I want to thank you and acknowledge you in all my ways and that you may direct my path. Say, “Thank you Lord, your healing power flows in my body from the crown of my head to the very soles of my feet.” Before you do anything else, spend some time with God. You want God to be Number One in your life and if you put God first you’ll get his direction first. If you put him last, you’ll get his direction last.

2.    Putting God first means of course that we “Learn How To Pray And How To Talk To God”.
Click here for a great lesson on prayer. Everybody has a call to prayer. The Father longs for us to come to Him and talk to Him, to give us whatever we ask for in Jesus’ name. We tend to limit the great love and promises of our God. The Church (that means you and I) needs to learn that God intends that prayer have an answer. We have not yet fully conceived what God will do for the one who truly believes his prayer is heard.

3.    Fasting and Prayer.
Fasting without prayer is not fasting; that’s just dieting. You might want to know how to fast and pray effectively. There are many resources on the internet like awake21.org.  Jentezen Frankin is a pastor that calls many other churches and people to fast. There is a lot and it is not too late for you to start yet! The disciples asked the Lord, why they could heal a lunatic boy. Jesus said, “Because of your unbelief…Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” Matt.17:14-21. Faith needs prayer for its development and full growth, and prayer needs fasting for the same reason. Fasting has done wonders used in combination with prayer and faith.

4.    Live by faith.
The Bible says clearly the just shall live by faith.
Faith is like a house; it must be built on a strong foundation if it is going to stand tests and storms. Faith’s foundation is the Word of God. You cannot build a great faith life without it. The best part about this truth is that the Word of God will never fail. In Mark 9:23, Jesus said, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that  believeth.” According to this and other verses in the Bible, what you believe determines what you receive from the Lord. In other words, your believing has a great effect on how and what you receive from God. Faith Is the Language of Heaven.

5.    Walk in love.
The God kind of love is full of kindness and is tenderhearted. Since God’s love is kind and tenderhearted, it  is always ready to forgive. Faith works by love.

First Corinthians 13:4–7 in the Amplified says,
“Love (I) endures long and is patient and kind; love (I) never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, 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 (I) (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 [pays no attention to a suffered wrong]. It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail. Love (I) 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].”

If we would all practice this passage on a daily basis, we would live peaceful and productive lives. However, our flesh often gets in the way. Instead of ignoring injustices that are done to us, we want to get even. Instead of walking in love, we want to repay evil for evil.

Ok, today we came to 5 essentials, this week I will add five more to get to the 10 essentials. If there is one that you yourself like to add, write it in a comment and we might come to 100 essentials for ourspiritual growth and development. The power of choice is to act upon these truths and to be doers of the word is always at hand. Our life is truly choice driven.

Thank You For Your Reading!
Olga Hermans

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7 Common Thoughts in Marriage That Are Very Deceptive

January 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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How to Avoid Deception With These 7 Common Thoughts in Your Marriage? What causes a Christian man or woman to leave what appears to be a solid marriage of several years for an affair with another person which cost them everything. How come? How can we avoid deception? Noah Webster defines deceived as “when a person believes what is not truth to be truth…to be misled.” Here are 7 deceptive thoughts that many believers believe to be true in every marriage.

1. “A Good Marriage Is Always Exciting.”
Movies portray the romantic highs of love and reinforce the fallacy that the “in-love” feeling will last forever. And if it doesn’t…well, perhaps it’s time to move on to a “better” relationship. The real key to how to keep your marriage exciting is an act of the will, a choice to honor your commitment to another person. [Read more…]

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Excerpt of John G. Lake’s Book

January 15, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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The following excerpt is taken from John G. Lake, His Life His Sermons His Boldness of Faith.

Click Here to Purchase This Book

Some years later Clara Butts, the great prima donna, came to Africa. She was singing at the Wanderers Hall in Johannesburg. One evening after the concert, while being entertained at the hotel, I was introduced to her. She said to me, “Mr. Lake, I have been very anxious to meet you, for I have heard that among your people is a remarkable woman who receives music in the Spirit, apparently of a different realm than ours.” I said, “Yes, that is a fact.”

She inquired if it would be possible to meet her, and so a meeting was arranged. One evening we went to her hotel and as we sat down, Clara Butts said to the young lady, “I wish you would sit down and play some of the music I have heard about.” She did not understand that such music only came at such times as the Spirit came powerfully upon the woman. However, the young lady sat down at the piano. [Read more…]

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The Power Of Choice

January 14, 2011 by 2 Comments
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The Power Of Choice

by Olga Hermans

 

Have there been times in your life that you lay awake at night and couldn’t sleep? Looking at the ceiling and wondering what you life could have been if you had made some different choices? I know I did and I have some friends that did. You see, our life depends on our choices. Our steps are ordered by the Lord, that’s right!

Have you ever examined the choices and decisions you made and those you should have made? Have you ever considered why certain decisions were made? Why you did this or did not do that? What was the motivation that brought you to where you are today and why are you not somewhere else? Maybe you are disappointed in yourself about all the choices you made.

I think we all understand that God has not made us in the image of a robot; He made us in His image and He has given us a free will. A free will to choose for life and not for death. To take charge of your life takes courage to exercise your God-given difference.

In a sense we all wear masks; why do people wear masks? You can choose to be the person you want to be, but you are also the person that your family believes you are, you are the person in private that you really are, you are the person that you seek to hide from people and somewhere inside you are the person that you really would like to be.

Anyway, it is your life. Take ownership. Accept responsibility. Be honest with yourself.

You have the power to choose, because of your free will. The Power of Choice belongs to you!

We can keep wishing to discipline ourselves to make changes. We can do that right at the spot, or the following week, or the following month or even next year. It’s all up to us. But, we want change in our life; we have to start to use the power of choice that is given to us.

Nobody likes change; many of us have to walk up to a brick wall and in a way to be forced to make choices, otherwise we keep postponing and putting things of. We created our circumstances by our past choices. We have both the ability and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. People need the truth.

We cannot keep on making the wrong choices day after day that will bring us in the wrong circumstances at the wrong time with the wrong people even. We must reevaluate our choices and then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives.

Be strong and take courage, rise up; you cannot fail. You only fail if you fail to do nothing. That in itself is a choice and life will give it back to you. YOU decide the process of making the right choices. This is the process: • Choose Your Thoughts, for they become Words • Choose Your Words, for they become Actions • Choose Your Actions, for they become Habits • Choose Your Habits, for they become Character • Choose Your Character, for it becomes Your Destiny. It all begins with your very own power of choice.

The Power of Choice will Change Your Life; Your Life Is Choice Driven!

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20 Reasons On How To Stop Worrying About Everything

January 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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20 Reasons On How To Stop Worrying About Everything

by Olga Hermans

 

Do you really, really want to stop worrying? You can’t expect to live worry-free if you don’t take time to pray and give your troubles to the lord. Cast all your anxiety on him; God will take it from you, but you got to give them to Him and you can’t give something to God if you’re not in His presence.

If you are reading this and you desire to know how to be in God’s presence; you can! Everybody is making choices in life every day, you can make that choice today. It’s the best choice you will ever make!

The bible says that God is a Spirit, so you have to communicate with Him through your own spirit and you do that when you pray and open yourself to Him. John 4:24

Worrying brings more problems into your life. If you want to get rid of them, you’ve got to make a choice to dive more into the Word of God in your private time because Rom.10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You also have to pray. When you pray, start by worshipping God. This is a state of opening yourself up to God and recognizing his greatness. Tell God how much you appreciate Him. Tell Him what you are thankful for. Start to think on “bigness” of God. Whatever comes to your mind just let it out in worship to Him.

That frame of mind and openness of spirit will pop open your ability to receive and to release. You will gain peace and you will be able to let go of what is worrying you. The more you start to see God for what He really is – which is love – the more you will be able to release the habit of worrying. 1John4:18-19

Here are 20 reasons On How to stop worrying about everything from the Dakes Annotated Reference Bible:

  1. Worrying is sinful and produces fear.
  2. It is a disease causing other problems.
  3. It is borrowing trouble that cannot be paid back.
  4. It is brooding over what may not happen.
  5. It is creating trouble, misery and death.
  6. It is a burden borrowed from tomorrow and other who should carry it.
  7. It is a weight that kills prematurely.
  8. It is mental and physical suicide.
  9. It is a grave-digger that has no sympathy.
  10. It is needless and wastes time and effort that should be spent on worthwhile things.
  11. It is a robber of faith, peace and trust in a never-failing heavenly Father.
  12. It is a tumbling block to others
  13. It is a disgrace to God and should never be indulged in by Christians.
  14. It is anxiety over what is nothing today and less tomorrow, in view of faith.
  15. It is anticipating troubles which seldom come to those who trust God.
  16. It is tormenting over something that will likely be a blessing if it comes.
  17. It is living like an orphan without a heavenly Father.
  18. It is a crime against God, man, nature and better judgment.
  19. It is mental cruelty to self and others.
  20. It is foolish, for whatever is going to happen cannot be stopped by worry and if it doesn’t happen, there is nothing to worry about. Should adversities actually come, you will still be victorious by trusting in God.

So, how are you doing? Does this help you to get answers? I hope so for you the same as these were answer for me. I what area did it help you specifically?

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Herald Of His Coming

January 11, 2011 by 1 Comment
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The following excerpts are taken from Herald of His Coming:

A Divinely Empowered Church – To Save A Dying World!
— Fred D. Jarvis

A Burning, Bleeding World Needs Burdened, Burning Men

Revival will sweep away indifference, formality, selfishness, and fruitlessness. It will invariably put missions in its proper place and priority. Oh, that revival and prayer would become a passion with us! Our frigid souls need a new flame of Holy Ghost fire!

The Fire Must Fall Again!

Revival will never come until we reach a place of spiritual desperation. It is time for us to pay the full price of Pentecost. The need for worldwide empowerment and revival is urgent. The fire must fall again. God has promised to give us the desires of our hearts. Let us believe and pray, sacrifice and give, surrender and obey until “the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest” (Isa. 32:15). [Read more…]

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8 Reasons Why We Should Not Worry

January 10, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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In the beginning of the New Year many people make New Year resolutions. Sometimes one of them is how to stop worrying and sometimes even how to stop worrying about everything. It makes a lot easier when we get some information on the subject “Why We Should Not Worry” to get a handle on it.

Let’s look at the definition of worry in Wikipedia: Worry is thoughts and images of a negative nature in which mental attempts are made to avoid anticipated potential threats.

Dictionary.com says: to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

There are many things that can plague a mind and one of them is worry. Worry makes everything harder than it needs to be and it puts stress on you that you just don’t need. It’s going to take a lot of energy to do what God has called you to do in this life. Why should you make it harder by adding worry?

If you always worry about the marriage, you are not helping the relationship. If you always worry about your children, you are not helping them either. Worry is something that robs your thought-life. It steals your focus away from what is good and draws it into the realm of fear.

The Word of God is powerful and it brings peace of mind. But we have to sow it into our heart by spending time reading it and letting its truths sink in. Just like you can’t expect to have peace if you never read the Word, you can’t expect to live worry-free if you don’t take time to pray and turn your troubles over to the Lord.

Here are 8 bible verses/Reasons “Why We Should Not Worry”:

  1. Your life is more than food Matt.6:25
  2. Your body is more than clothing Matt.6:25
  3. We are more than materials Matt. 6:25
  4. We are greater than the birds. Our heavenly Father feeds them without them doing anything for it. We are far more valuable to Him than they are. Matt.6:26
  5. All your worries cannot add one single moment to your life. Matt.6:27
  6. We are better than plants that don’t worry about their clothing. Matt.6:28-30
  7. God’s divine intervention is all over creation, not only for the birds and plants that never buy, sell, manufacture or labor. Matt.6:26-32
  8. Worry is useless and sinful and must not be tolerated. Matt.6:33-34

Here are 3 inspirational quotes on worry:
“As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what they can”. Julius Caesar.
This is so true: “we live by faith and not by sight”!

“If only the people who worry about their liabilities would think about the riches they do possess, they would stop worrying. Dale Carnegie

“Our fatigue is often caused not by work, but by worry, frustration and resentment”. Dale Carnegie

You can’t talk yourself out of worry, but you can pray yourself out of it. Remember that!

Would you like to know some more about how to get motivated Why We Should Not Worry? I am thinking about posting another post soon. Let me know by writing a comment please!

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Choose To Manage Your Relationships Well

January 8, 2011 by 1 Comment
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Choose To Manage Your Relationships Well

by Olga Hermans

 

Relationships can be very difficult to manage because there is only one aspect that is capable of being varied or changed all the time and that is the other person. We don’t know how to manage difficult people and especially when those people are family. Because we don’t know what the other person is going to do, we may be going along doing the best we know how and all of a sudden find ourselves in the middle of a relationship crisis. Our darkest hours can come because of the troubled times we have with people.

Any kind of relationship can bring pain. Strife with a mother or father, a brother or sister, a husband or wife, a son or a daughter, a relative, a friend, pastor, boss, neighbor, boyfriend, girlfriend or co-worker can cause us to experience a knot in our stomach, a lump in our throat and a loss of sleep.

That is because whether we want to acknowledge it or not, relationships are very important to each of us. We can’t live without them. Nor were we ever intended to. God never planned for us to live entirely separate from other people. Much of what God wants to work in us will come about as we grow in our relationships with the people God wants in our lives.

Every relationship requires a sacrifice. Every sacrifice has a reward. If we knew the rewards, we wouldn’t hesitate to make the sacrifices. Part of the sacrifice we must play in a relationship is laying down our pride and our needs. We need to be loved, cared for, valued and respected, but we never get those needs met when we demand them. We get them when we give them up. Humbling ourselves and putting the other person’s needs before our own can resurrect a relationship that has suffered deadly wounds.

Staying on the right path in any relationship means getting rid of excess personal baggage. Unforgiveness and jealousy are examples of such baggage. These negative attitudes will drive a wedge into any relationship. And they are always evident to other people, even if they don’t recognize exactly what it is they are observing.

The dark moments of relationships can be kept to a minimum if we humble ourselves before God and ask Him to walk us step-by-step through every layer of unforgiveness and jealousy. It’s a sacrifice that always brings a great reward.

The best way to protect all of your relationships and how to help your relationship is to make sure your primary relationship is with the Lord. Then commit each of your relationships to God and ask  Him to be Lord over all of them. Cover them in prayer and seek God’s hand of reconciliation where that is needed.

Even though we can do a great deal to offer our love to a person and how to forgive someone, but only God can soften their hearts enough for them to receive it. Ask Him to do that too.

In ironing out the wrinkles in relationships, I find it’s best to remember two things: release people and cling to God. Gaining that perspective can help you rise above the failings of flesh and elevate you to the realm of the miraculous. The stronger your relationships is with the Lord, the better your other relationships will be.

The dark moments of any relationship can strengthen your walk with the Lord as you draw closer to Him. So make Him the focus of your attention and trust Him to shine a special light at the crossroads of where your path intersects with the path of another person.

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Learn How To Pray And How To Talk To God

January 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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7 Lessons on Prayer on the model how Jesus taught on Prayer

1. Stay within the bounds of certain general principles of prayer and you will learn:

1)   How to begin Luke 11:2

“Lord, teach us to pray,” vs 1 is a good prayer, and a very needful one, for Jesus Christ only can teach us, by his word and Spirit, how to pray. Lord, teach me what it is to pray; Lord, stir up and quicken me to the duty; Lord, direct me what to pray for; teach me what I should say.

“When ye pray, say” – And what he said to them is undoubtedly said to us also. We are therefore here directed, not only to imitate this in all our prayers, but to use this very form of prayer.

2)   Whom to address vs 2 John14:13-15; John15:16; John16:23-26

Message Bible says it like this: “When you pray, say, Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Or
“When you pray, say this: Father, let your name be kept holy. Let your kingdom come. GodsWord
“Pray in this way: ‘Father, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom. CEV
Any way, make it a point to revere the Father in heaven.

3)  Whose name to revere Lk11:2

4)   Whose will to obey Lk11:2

5)   Whose interest to serve and have at heart Lk11:2; Mt.22:37

6)   What to ask for Lk 11:2-4

7)   How to keep clear channels to God Lk11:4; 1John 3:21-22

8)   How to live with our fellowmen Lk11:4; Mark11:25-26; Eph.4

9)   How to live with God Lk11: 4; 1Jn.1:3-9; Jn17:2-3

10) How to live free from sin Lk11:4; Rom.6:16-23; Rom8:12-13

2. Be bold as the friends of God, importune, urge with frequent solicitation, be tenacious in purpose, stubbornly adhering to a purpose; continue steadily, incessant, refuse to give an inch; be desperate, demanding, insistent, eager and troublesome in pursuit of what God has promised. Lk11:5-8; Lk 18:1-8; Hebr. 4:14-16; Hebr. 10:19-23, Hebr.10:36

3. Believe in and have confidence in the absolute certainty of answered prayer with no wavering or doubt as to the final outcome Lk.11:9-10; Mt.7:7-11; Lk17:20; Lk21:21; Mk.9:23; Mk.11:22-24; John14:12-15; John15:7, 16; John16:23-26; Hebr. 11:6, Jas.1:5-8; 1John 3:19-22; 1John 5:14-15.

4. Believe in and have confidence in the infinite Fatherhood of God, realizing that He is at least as interested in our welfare as an earthly parent, that He will give all things which are best to His children and that He will give exactly what is asked accordingly to His will and Word.Lk.11:11-13; Matt.7:7-11; 1John 3:19-22; 1John3:19-22; 1John5:14-15; Psalm 84:11.

5. Believe in and know beyond all possible doubt that it is the will of God for His children to get what they will and want. Lk11:9-13; Psalm23:1; Psalm34:9-10; Psalm 84:11; Matt.17:20; Matt.21:21; Mk11:22-24; John 15:7.

6. Believe in and ask God for the Holy Spirit, the all-inclusive gift, who will enable us to pray and get answers. Lk11:13; Rom.8:26-28; Eph.2:18; Eph.6:18; Jude 20; John 7:37-39.

7. Believe in and never question it, that God will answer each person who prays right, not just a few special ones Luke 11:9-13; Matt.7:7-11; Mk.9:23; Mk11:24; John 14:12-15; Rom 2:11.

Anyone who learns and practices these lessons well, will get answers.

Source: Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible

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3 Habits That Will Ruin Your Destiny

January 7, 2011 by Leave a Comment
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3 Habits That Will Ruin Your Destiny

by Olga Hermans

 

God can use anybody with the right heart, anybody who is willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill his divine destiny. Sometimes we hear these great testimonies of people who came from various backgrounds; right out of poverty, God cleaned them up inside and out and brought them before great men.

God never grades your destiny according where you are from or what you have done in the past. He sees everybody through the veil of the blood of Jesus, so He always sees you at your best. He sees you through your potential “in Christ”.
God always looks at the heart of people; if we have a humble heart before Him, He can use to do great exploits in the earth.

Let’s have a look at how we, ourselves can “destroy” our destiny.

1. Security in material things; the things of this world.

There are some destiny-destroying heart issues that you and I may have to deal with. Areas in our life that you and I should look at because they have the potential to rob us of God’s best for our life.

Remember, the rich young ruler? Unlike Peter, who had personality issues that needed to be worked out, the rich young ruler had a destiny-destroying heart issue that brought his potential to a halt.

He thought he had done it all, didn’t he? He said he had done it all “from his youth”? Have you ever met somebody who has done everything right in his youth or his/her life? The teenage years mess up most of us, isn’t it?

Jesus gave that young ruler an opportunity to change his ways; he had a choice to make right there then. Yet, he passed up that divine opportunity.

2. A lack of trust.

I believe that Jesus would have taken personal care for this young man if he would have given it all for the sake of the call. Jesus would have blessed him above and beyond. Mark 10:29-30

This young ruler didn’t have anything to lose, but he didn’t see it that way. This was an issue of trust, isn’t it? He just couldn’t do it, because he couldn’t see what Jesus saw. Mark 10:22

He didn’t trust Jesus as His Provider and this destroyed his destiny.

3. The love of mammon/money

A lot of people read this story and only read the money part of it. Jesus took this opportunity to teach the disciples a lesson, because Jesus had never told the disciples to sell all their earthly possessions. They were told to follow Jesus but not to sell what they had and give it to the poor.

“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples and many people today are astonished on this statement that Jesus made. The disciples weren’t poor either; what was Jesus saying here?

The difference was that they all had some money, but they were following Jesus first. Jesus doesn’t ask of people to sell everything they have before they can be saved. No, but if we put our trust in our riches and not in God first and foremost, it can destroy our destiny.

1Tim.6:10 don’t say that money is the root of all evil; it says the love of money is the root of all evil. The love of money is a destiny-destroyer.

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