Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 26, 2010
What do you do when fear “comes-a-knocking”?
Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, and declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’ ” – Isaiah 44:8 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. – John 14:27 NKJV
Do you accept fear as just something that is natural and something that helps us recognize danger? (This is what is being taught to the Body of Christ in these days…and it is absolutely from the enemy!) Fear is not now (and has never been) from God to help us in any way. It is a spirit that attempts to steal, kill and destroy! 2 Timothy says that God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love and sound mind!
You have the choice to reject fear! The Spirit of God in us is more powerful than any fear that is coming against us and as we resist the devil he MUST flee.
We have authority according to Matthew 18 and we can bind thoughts of fear and command them to leave in Jesus Name. We choose to take the Word of God (which is our sword of the Spirit) and run off every thought of fear that the enemy throws our way. We choose to dwell on the Word of God and think on the things that are in line with the Word and the peace of God begins to guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus. It develops a shield over us that fear cannot penetrate. Say out loud with your mouth, “No fear here!”
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 19, 2010
Study must become a habit.
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” – 2 Tim 2:15 (KJV)
Growing up spiritually does not happen naturally, it requires a great deal of time and attention. The responsibility of knowing Him and growing up in Him is ours. We have been given His Word and He took great effort to get it to us. If we completely comprehend how much value there is in the Word of God each of us would become totally devoted to the study of God’s Word. (This responsibility is not just for people who are in the ministry)
“These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed…” – Acts 17:11-12
Giving yourself to the Word of God produces a faith in God that is necessary to accomplish the will of God. Daily is key. Feeding from the Word daily, searching and pouring over the Word brings you face to face with the Author, the Holy Spirit. He is the One that takes us by the hand and leads us into a deeper understanding of the truth. He opens our eyes to show us things that we have never seen before.
We become approved by God by studying the Word enough that we handle the Word with confidence and boldness. Get deeper in the Word and watch it transform your life.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 11, 2010
Examine your words…it is the best self examination that we can perform.
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. – Matt 12:33-35
The old saying that “you are what you eat” is true in the natural sense but also in the soul and spiritual sense. The things that you are consuming all day long with your eyes and ears are forming what you believe in your heart and will eventually come out of your mouth.
If you want to locate where someone is spiritually just listen to them speak for about 5 minutes. Your words tell where your heart is. Take a whole day and do half the amount of talking and just listen to the words that you use. Are they filled with faith or with doubt? Are they filled with fear and criticism and love and kindness?
If you find that you are not speaking what you should be speaking then change what you are feeding on. Turn off the negative news and put more of the Word of God in you. Dwell in His Word and let His Words dwell in you…then you will begin to hear great things proceed from your heart and mouth! Words that will bless and heal…words that will attract people to Jesus and not to yourself. Good in, good out…
Posted by Pastor Bruce on February 5, 2010
How’s your love level?
And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you, – 1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NKJV)
And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you. (The Message)
We need a revival of love in the marriages in the Body of Christ! Not the oowee goowe feelings of love that make you warm and fuzzy. Not the romantic love that just pleases your flesh. But the true, down deep committed love that endures all things! The type of love that believes the best and stands in the face of adversity and declares I WIN!
In the above verse Paul (by the Holy Spirit) was praying that the church would increase to the point that they would overflow with the love of God! Now that is powerful because there is nothing that can overpower the love of God!
God’s love to us and in us and through us is the most powerful force on the earth today! When we walk in love and live the love life that God has intended for us we will begin to see all of our relationships turn around and begin to produce fruit. No matter how good your marriage is (or if you are single…your friendships) they can be better! We can take it up a notch, right? How are we going to do it? Through the love of God and allowing that love to abound and overflow in us until it splashes over on everyone that we come in contact with. Discover more about the love of God…go to 1 Corinthians 13 and meditate, ask the Lord to show you so that you can walk in a greater level of love.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 25, 2010
Need healing?
and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by him of their infirmities. – Luke 5:15
And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases – Luke 6:17
It is time to hear…when you need healing… Hear the words of Jesus the Healer! Most people put more faith in the words of the doctor than they do the One who created them. (and it only produces fear, dread, doubt and unbelief)
Quit listening to the doctor as final authority and begin to read, listen and meditate on the words of Jesus! Proverbs 4 says that the words of God are life to those that find them and health to all of our flesh. Time to feed on the word when you are in need of healing…more than the medicine that the “experts” have prescribed.
Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing the Word of God and faith is what is needed when you are believing God for what seems impossible. With God all things are possible…to them that believe.
Hear the Words of Jesus on healing. Believe. Allow those words to fill your mind and heal your body!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on January 18, 2010
Do you have stink’n think’n?
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. – Philippians 4:8
This is the “mind filter” that we must apply on a minute by minute basis. Any thought that does not agree with Philippians 4:8 we should not allow in our mind.
We must realize that we have authority over every thought in the Name of Jesus!
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; – 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 KJV
We have been given the responsibility to arrest every thought and apply the filter of Phillipians 4:8. If it passes the test think on it, if it doesn’t then cast it down (verbally with the Name of Jesus) and then replace it with the Word of God! Judge your thoughts because what you are thinking on, you become. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (or he will become)
Put the Word in your mind and heart by meditating on the Word day and night! Thinking it, speaking it, talking about the Word with those around you! Make His Word fill your mind and the wrong thoughts will flee FOR SURE!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on December 1, 2009
Who are you listening to?
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: – John 10:27 (KJV)
and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. – John 10:3-5 (KJV)
In order to follow God in our lives we must know His voice. The more time that you spend with someone the more quickly you are able to identify their voice. Our dilemma is that we desire to hear His voice when we haven’t spent time with Him.
How do we spend time with Our Shepherd? By reading, studying and meditating His Word. Our Heavenly Father has revealed Himself through His Word and it is up to us to get in it and “dig it out”. God is wanting us to move with Him but most are standing still looking around like they are lost. (because they can’t hear His voice)
Where are you today? Do you hear His voice? Are you following hard after Him? Dive into the Word and I’ll guarantee that you will begin to hear Him speak!
Posted by Pastor Bruce on November 5, 2009
Wandering mind?…no peace?
You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. – Isaiah 26:3 AMP
We are promised peace when our mind is “stayed” on the Lord. We don’t use the word “stayed” normally in our modern language. It means: to set, to fix, take hold of, establish, rest self.
How do we set, fix, take hold of, establish and rest our mind on the Lord? With His Word of course! Meditating on the Word of God night and day will cause our minds to be focused and stayed on Him. His Word is an anchor to our soul and causes our lives to be filled with His peace! The more Word, …naturally the more peace.
Fill yourself with God’s word and experience the overflowing of His peace today! He has provided the way for us to walk in His peace.
Posted by Pastor Bruce on September 23, 2009
You are what you eat! “…I have esteemed and treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” – Job 23:12
There is something better than a big, tender, juicy steak!…the big, awesome, powerful Word of God! Smith Wigglesworth said, “most Christians feed their body three hot meals a day and feed their spirit one cold snack a week”. Not good, huh?
Imagine if every advertisement on TV for food was advertising the Word of God! How many spiritually healthy (and physically healthy, too!) people would there be? What a thought!
Becoming strong spiritually totally depends on what you consume spiritually. If you do not meditate in the Word day and night you will not be able to do anything according to all that is written in the Word. No Word, no results. (No duh!)
Esteem His Word means to value it and hold it in a high place! Many people hold their gadgets, money, toys, and facebook pages higher than the Word of God. We’ve got to get back to the Word because that is where true life is. Things and stuff will pass away but His Word will stand forever!
Put His Word in your eyes, mouth and heart and feed on it. It is your very food!
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Posted by Pastor Bruce on September 21, 2009
Growing is a verb – it never stops. “But speaking the truth in love, may GROW UP into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”- Eph 4:15
To grow up into Him (Jesus) requires that we never stop feeding on the Word and applying it to every situation of our lives. Feeding on the right thing produces the power to grow in all the right areas. If you sit down and watch TV and eat a whole bag of potato chips then wonder why you are getting fatter and having bad health you are not as smart as you need to be! You become what you eat and are only able to grow in the area that you are feeding. Tons of fat, salt and sugar produce bad results in our physical bodies.
Tons of doubt, fear, lies and negativity produce weak Christians. Don’t feed on things that you know are going to do harm to your spiritual health! Be smart, feed on the Word of God constantly. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8 NKJV
Day and night means day and night. Some folks may think that we are “overboard” with the Word of God…but the truth is that you can never be overboard. You can never get enough. It is something that we should be addicted to. Feeding on the Word of God will cause growth and growth will produce fruit! Let’s keep growing.
