Little Lessons

Today's Little Lesson

Good morning Jasper! 
      Praise God for His mercies, all of which we less than deserve.  Today we would like to share with you an article that blessed us.  Enjoy the Scripture that follows for a much better vantage point.
 

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WHEN THE SPIRIT FALLS

By: Samuel Rodriguez
 

    In a world full of moral relativism, cultural decadence, spiritual apathy and ecclesiastical lukewarmness, there exists good news; The Holy Spirit of God still moves. He continues to convict. He continues to reveal Jesus and he continues to sanctify.
 
     When God's Spirit descends, everything changes.
 
     When the spirit fell, Joseph stood recognized and came out of his pit. So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?”
 
     When the spirit fell, Moses encouraged the prophetic.
 
     When the spirit fell, the Israelites listened to Joshua–enabling him to conquer.
 
     When the spirit fell, Saul became a different person.
 
     Correspondingly, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, he empowers you to come out of the pit. When the Spirit falls, you prophesy. When the Spirit falls, you conquer your promise and when the Spirit falls, you will be changed into a different person!
 
     Yet there's more! When the Spirit fell, David was anointed to reign.
 
     When the spirit fell, Gideon blew the trumpet and won the war.
 
     When the spirit fell, Samson broke the ropes that bound him!
 
     Get ready, for as the Spirit falls upon you in this season, you will function under your anointing, you will win the battle and the all the things that held you back will be broken.
 
     Accordingly, it's time to rise up. Arise with the power of His Spirit and…Walk like Enoch, Believe like Abraham, Dress like Joseph, Stretch like Moses, Shout like Joshua, Dance like David, Fight like Gideon, Pray like Daniel, Build like Nehemiah …And live like Jesus!
 
     For it is not by might nor by power but my Spirit says the Lord!
 
 

ACTIVATION
Pray for the Holy Spirit to fall upon you!
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to be a different person.
Pray that the power of God’s Spirit will bring favor upon your life, work, and ministry.

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” King James Version (KJV)
 What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?
 
Romans 14:7 “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.” King James Version (KJV)
What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?
 
Luke 1:35 “And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” King James Version (KJV)
What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?
 
1 Samuel 10 Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 2 When thou art departed from me to day, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulchre in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, The asses which thou wentest to seek are found: and, lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses, and sorroweth for you, saying, What shall I do for my son? 3 Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor, and there shall meet thee three men going up to God to Bethel, one carrying three kids, and another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a bottle of wine: 4 And they will salute thee, and give thee two loaves of bread; which thou shalt receive of their hands. 5 After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines: and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery, and a tabret, and a pipe, and a harp, before them; and they shall prophesy: 6 And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man. 7 And let it be, when these signs are come unto thee, that thou do as occasion serve thee; for God is with thee. 8 And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and, behold, I will come down unto thee, to offer burnt offerings, and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings: seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee, and shew thee what thou shalt do.
      9 And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day. 10 And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them. 11 And it came to pass, when all that knew him beforetime saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, What is this that is come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets? 12 And one of the same place answered and said, But who is their father? Therefore it became a proverb, Is Saul also among the prophets? 13 And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.
      14 And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, Whither went ye? And he said, To seek the asses: and when we saw that they were no where, we came to Samuel. 15 And Saul's uncle said, Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you. 16 And Saul said unto his uncle, He told us plainly that the asses were found. But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spake, he told him not.
      17 And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD to Mizpeh; 18 And said unto the children of Israel, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms, and of them that oppressed you: 19 And ye have this day rejected your God, who himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations; and ye have said unto him, Nay, but set a king over us. Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thousands.
      20 And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken. 21 When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken: and when they sought him, he could not be found. 22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD further, if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff. 23 And they ran and fetched him thence: and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward. 24 And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, God save the king.
      25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. 26 And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. 27 But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace. King James Version (KJV) 
What is the Holy Spirit saying to me?
 

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From Bro Pierce:
 

Spiritual Victory through God's Providence:

     What's on your heart today?  Is it the cares of this world?  Jesus said for us to come to Him with these cares. We have something no one else has, a relationship with the Father thru the Son.
 
     In Exodus 9:14, the LORD is bringing plagues against Egypt, Israel's bondage, so that He will have great glory (Exodus 9:16).  After the plague of Boils, the sixth plague, He tells Pharaoh that He's bringing all His plagues "upon your heart" (kjv).  Physically we see the destruction of Egypt for God's Glory.  This was how GOD DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE.
 
     What can we see in Spiritual Warfare that parallels the scenes of the plagues?
 
     God's plague upon Pharaoh's heart seems to say, "a plague upon your innermost desires".  Pharaoh desired to keep Israel in bondage:  Pride, entitlement, greed; a stronghold keeping them in place.  One word from this Pharaoh and they'd be free.  Freedom from a captor.  God spoke to his heart through the destruction of his works.  The works being tried all failed BUT that which was of the LORD GOD remained. God's people were sheltered, protected.

   In Exodus 10:29, Moses answers Pharaoh's request to be left alone, “And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more." These were his words right before the Final Plague, that of the Firstborn.  Pharaoh had opprotunity after opprotunity to let Israel go (9 so far) and did not do so.   "I will harden Pharaoh's heart."
 
      How many warnings does a captor get before he is utterly humiliated?  How many times has a Word that a person hardened their heart against because of pride?  There comes a time when the messenger stops coming.  There comes a time when the intercession ceases because all that could be done to prevent humiliation by God's hand has been offered and refused.
 
     WIll you refuse the offer?
 

 Genuinely,

Jasper D. Pierce
President, Christ Carries Me Ministries   
  

Christ Carries Me Ministries and the Christ Carries Me Ministries Calling Christians to Service logo is a registered trademark of Christ Carries Me Ministries

Phone: 903.265.4424 Email: Service@ChristCarriesMe.org

Christ Carries Me Ministries  Post Office Box 354, Carthage, Texas  75633

Traffic Cop?

The cool thing about Jesus is that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.  In other words, His grace is always flowing.  We don't have to get cleaned up, in fact there ain't nothing we CAN do to clean up!  Even our faith is a gift from Him.  Look at God as your father.  Go to Him like you've missed Him for years.  Crawl up in His lap.  Seek Him for His presence.  Let go of the things of this world, you don't have control and attempted juggling is a sin.  Seek Him.  He promised to take care of us as we do.  He's not sitting on a cloud waiting to write you a ticket when you mess up, He standing with arms open for His children to come and hurt that they don't.   (cp. Mt 6:33)

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Mt 6,33)

Count the Cost

People confessing to want to receive Jesus need an understanding of this passage.  It is not our job to coddle them into Christianity but to teach them the way:  the Spirit of God's office is to draw man, even with great understanding of the cost.

Large crowds went with Him. And He turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple. “For who among you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost to see whether he has resources to complete it? Otherwise, perhaps, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to complete it, all who see it will begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to complete it.’ “Or what king, going to wage war against another king, does not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Otherwise, while the other is yet at a distance, he sends a delegation and requests conditions of peace. So likewise, any of you who does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. “Salt is good. But if the salt has lost its saltiness, how shall it be made salty? It is fit neither for the land nor for the manure pile. So men throw it out. “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 14:25-35 MEV

Be encouraged. JD

Rethink thought.

For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord , and he pondereth all his goings.
Proverbs 5:21 KJV

     There are many thoughts you think that you wouldn't want people to hear spoken out loud, but you sure don't mind God hearing them, huh?  Emmanuel - "God With Us"

Access

     That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Col 2,2-3)

     "God desires to reveal to us the deep things of His Kingdom.  The light and understanding of the mysteries of the Most High are revealed to us in the measure that we walk in love."

The more thankful...

A creditor had two debtors. The one owed 500 denarii and the other 50. When they had no money to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more? (Lk 7:41-42) - the more you recognize the amount of forgiveness you've been given, the easier it is to realize it's cost.

Trouble?

"God is our refuge and strength, I a well proven help in trouble." (PS 46:1) - Jer 33:3; I Pt 4:7; Num 23:21-24.  Say, "Help, in Jesus' name." and watch where He moves. (read PS 15)