A Plan from the “Beginning”
Before he created the physical universe (sun, moon, stars) He knew what was going to be necessary. From the cradle to grave for all mankind – it was all planned out.
Messages
Stirring Up the Spirit of God
Stirring up the Spirit of God
Stir
2 Timothy 1:6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Paul had very high praise for Timothy when he said in:
Philippians 2:20 For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.
There is no who will care for you like he will!
Timothy had journeyed with Paul, preached and evangelized so this admonishment can almost become lost in the high esteem that Paul holds Timothy in. So you wouldn’t think that he would need this type of prodding from Paul. But Paul being Paul thought it best to pass it on.
anazōpureō an-ad-zo-poor-eh’-o From G303 up G2226 live thing G4442 fire [liven up the fire; make the fire come alive again].
So this is how the NKJV comes up with “stir up” meaning to rekindle the flame (rekindle, to stir into flame).
It is as if there is a coal sitting under the ashes of a camp fire that is going to take some WORK to get it to be a flame. The spirit of God is not to lie dormant and buried, but is to be a spirit of power and love and of a disciplined mind – all which imply action!
So therefore a fading ember of coal within us needs to be fanned into fully fledged flames of the Holy Spirit that it continues to grow and be useful.
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Do not quench the Spirit.
Another term and analogy having to do with fire. Paul again illustrates that the holy spirit can be extinguished if we aren’t conscientious in keeping the flame burning brightly.
Psalms 51:11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Stoke the fire and fan the flames
Renew
Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Rekindle; keep the flame fully going
This goes hand in hand with the season and the previous messages on the fruit of the spirit. How do we continue to stimulate the spirit of God within us and produce the fruit that we should.
Ephesians 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ,
Ephesians 4:21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:
Ephesians 4:22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts,
Ephesians 4:23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
Ephesians 4:24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Through Obedience we are Replenished
Acts 5:32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”
We need God’s spirit to do this:
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart [NT paved the way; at His return] and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you [by the power of the holy spirit within them] to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.
Romans 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Romans 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.
Romans 6:16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?
At this point we will more effectively plug into God and His power and also shut off the flow from Satan, the world and our own carnality. The devil will do his utmost to dissuade, fool, cajole and entice us away from the word of God. We are slaves to whom we obey. We must fight this at every turn – and we are given spiritual weapons of warfare through the spirit of God.
Parable of the 10 Virgins
We can say to ourselves how foolish this is bring a lamp but no oil. Yet this was the case. As we read this we need to be sure that this is not talking about us. We need to ask ourselves do we have the Holy Spirit working within us. Is it growing as REQUIRED by Christ. Reread the parable of the talents and pounds to find out what happens if you bury what God gives you – we must GROW what God has given us.
Matthew 25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Matthew 25:2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
Matthew 25:3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,
Matthew 25:4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
The wise had grown their initial measure of the spirit that God had given them so that they had more.
Matthew 25:5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
Matthew 25:6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’
Matthew 25:7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
Matthew 25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
From the same word in 1 Thessalonians 5:19, in other words, their holy spirit is being quenched or extinguished.
Matthew 25:9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
Philippians 2:12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;
Philippians 2:13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
Cannot get in on the coattails of someone else: a minister, spouse, parent, or etc.
Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
Revelation 3:18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.
Matthew 25:11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
Matthew 25:12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Parable of the 10 Talents
Matthew 25:14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.
Matthew 25:15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
Matthew 25:16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
Matthew 25:17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.
Matthew 25:18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.
Matthew 25:19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
Matthew 25:20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’
Matthew 25:21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Matthew 25:22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’
Matthew 25:23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Matthew 25:24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
Matthew 25:25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
Matthew 25:26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.
Matthew 25:27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.
Matthew 25:28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
Matthew 25:29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.
Matthew 25:30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Final Fanning
Matthew 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Matthew 3:8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Matthew 3:9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
Matthew 3:10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:12 His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
Do Not Grieve the Holy Spirit
So the warning, if we have ears to hear, is to not work at counter-purposes to God and what He is trying to accomplish in our lives.
Ephesians 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by which you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Lupeō loo-peh’-o From G3077; to distress; reflexively or passively to be sad: – cause grief, grieve, be in heaviness, (be) sorrow (-ful), be (make) sorry.
We are not to work against the holy spirit which is the power and nature of God — to do this is to cause grief and sorrow and sadness to God who is trying to help us and provide aid in our time of need.
Isaiah 63:7 I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD And the praises of the LORD, According to all that the LORD has bestowed on us, And the great goodness toward the house of Israel, Which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies, According to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.
Isaiah 63:8 For He said, “Surely they are My people, Children who will not lie.” So He became their Savior.
Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the Angel of His Presence saved them; In His love and in His pity He redeemed them; And He bore them and carried them All the days of old.
Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit [they did not work with the holy spirit and allow it to change their lives and their ways – instead they rebelled against God and His ways (which are inseparable)]; So He turned Himself against them as an enemy, And He fought against them.
Strong in the Power of His Might
Two parts to this for us: Defense – make sure that it does not go out; Offense – stoking the flame
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Armor of God as a Defense Against Satan
Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
To resist the pulls of Satan and the old man and the world around us.
Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Ephesians 6:15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Ephesians 6:16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.
Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet [which is the hope] of salvation [1 Thessalonians 5:8], and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
The sword is defensive as well as offensive – we have to be careful in weaponizing this implement.
Matthew 4 – Christ did not attack Satan, but He did use the Word of God as a defense; we are to remember that it is a two-edged sword – it can cuts both ways
Satan will do all in his power to see to it that we fail or at the very least that we do not reach our fullest potential.
Going on the Offense
How then do we stir up the spirit of God – it takes WORK; it takes action!; we must put it to use each and every day
Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.
Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Romans 12:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;
Romans 12:7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;
Romans 12:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
Romans 12:11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; [how we are to do it].
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
Romans 12:13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Romans 12:17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Romans 12:19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:20 Therefore “IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM; IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP COALS OF FIRE ON HIS HEAD.”
Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Brethren, we have been given the invaluable gift of the Spirit of God with the expectation that we are to grow it and increase in the grace and k. of God, day by day. We must never let flame die out, but rather work diligently and tirelessly to stoke it and stir it up until the revealing of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Christ’s Suffering for Our Healing
Why did Christ have to suffer and die such an ignominious death? It is His blood that has the ability to wash away our sins, could that not have been accomplished without the excruciating pain that Jesus went through?
7 Keys to Receiving Physical Healing from God
Natural Healing
When God created the world and all that there is in it, He put some natural laws of healing or auto-self-correcting features into the world
How God Uses Sickness in Our Lives
God created us in a way that we could become sick, He could have made it that we are impervious to illness, disease, plagues, etc…. Why then did He make us subject sicknesses?
Is Our Sickness Always Due to Our Sins?
In this series we will cover primarily physical sickness and healing though we will not be able to escape the spiritual aspects and components of it completely.
Mastering Self-Control
Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
It comes with God’s spirit. The word is somewhat counter-intuitive. It is by the power of God in us that we can accomplish what we should, but there is also the element that we have to do our part by using and engaging the holy spirit within us.
Book of James
One of the main things that I like about James, is that he writes in a direct and concise and uncomplicated manner.