Righting the Wrong In Our Lives

When you embark on a quest to right wrong in your life you discover all kinds of things that you really didn’t want to know about yourself. Self reflection is a must for it allows you to see just who you are. Most people keep extremely busy just so they can avoid having the covers pulled back from their lives.

Everyone wants to be happy, but few want to expend the energy it takes to find out why peace and happiness is not allowed to matriculate in their sphere. By learning to take responsibility for yourself and the way you think about things, you can make your life more positive and uplifting, and reduce or totally negate the influence of any hurt or negative energies you encounter.

When I began the journey of looking within a brand new world opened up to me. I discovered that I and no one else determined my world. I had the power to change my circumstance by first changing me. How did I do this? First I changed my mind about me. On my journey I discovered that I really didn’t like me! Go figure! I was a wonderful person, or so I thought that I thought that. Did you catch that? Okay guys I am laughing over here as I write this. Maybe I should have said LOL. Sidebar- for you instant messengers.

Me, not like myself? Oh Yeah! Big time! I was shocked when I traced back to when I started developing this mindset. There was a period in my life early on in my teens when I was bombarded with negativity concerning my person. Everything up until that point convinced me that I was all of that and a bag of chips. When I was blindsided with the notion that I was not good enough and did not measure up my world was knocked off its axel.

Over the course of our lives we are bombarded with negative thoughts, energies or scenarios that may come not only from within us but also from outside ourselves or from others. We are surrounded by a network of people, media businesses, governments, all telling us what has been going on, what we should buy and do, what they think is best for us, or what we should think about something. As soon as we tune into the television, radio, or open a magazine, it all jumps out at us.

The quality of our lives, goals, and the way we think about ourselves become affected by the energies surrounding us, and thus our thoughts. We need to learn how to protect ourselves from these outside influences of negative or materialistic thoughts that may come from or are caused by others.

Since we are bombarded from the time we enter this world with negative energy it a process to rid ourselves of the effects from it. Everyone knows the media will blitz you with the way you should think, feel and act according to their dictates. You will have to take a good look at your life and decide who you are as a person. Decide what you want the quality of your life to be. Otherwise you will drift along in life with some one else’s values and belief system with out ever knowing your true potential and spiritual possibilities.


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© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

You Have Skirted This Mountain Too Long!

Zerubbabel was a descendant of King David (1 Chronicles 3:1,19 - see also Israelite Dynasties) who led a large group of Jews back to Jerusalem after their seventy years exile in Babylon.

Zerubbabel was given the task of doing what could not be stopped because The Lord cannot be stopped: He was given the commission to re-build the temple.

So he answered and said to me:
“ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts. ‘ Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone. With shouts of “Grace, grace to it!” Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying: “ The hands of Zerubbabel Have laid the foundation of this temple;His hands shall also finish it. Then you will know That the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you. For who has despised the day of small things? For these seven rejoice to see The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel. They are the eyes of the LORD, Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.” Zech 4:6-10

Is there a mountain before you this day? Does it appear insurmountable? Like the children of Israel, have you taken your journey into the wilderness and skirted Mount Seir for many days? Hear the word of God to Moses, saying: "You have skirted this mountain long enough, turn northward.

To Zerubbabel He said : "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit says the Lord of hosts. Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you shall become a plain! And he shall bring forth the capstone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!"

Let that be a word for you today! God will cause us to triumph. With God, there is always a way out, a way around, or a way through the wilderness and a way into His promises. He is the way, the truth and the life; He is the door. He's the how, the when and the where of it all!

Despise not the day of small things, for even as the eyes of the Lord rejoiced to see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel, He will rejoice over you when he sees you holding that thing you have believe for.

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© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

The Testimony of Jesus

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. But [the angel] said to me,See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Revelation 19:10)

A prophet, or prophetic ministry will be known by what it does, not by what it says it is. He or she will use the prophetic gift to speak forth the mind and counsel of God for repentance to be taught and righteousness to be preached in order to bring restoration and a return back to God and healing of broken bodies, souls and spirits.

What is written and said will be a testimony of the truth of Jesus—as revealed from Genesis to Revelation. They will communicate God’s priorities, the present day utility of God’s power and His purposes as He speaks.

Paul states that Jesus Christ is the only foundation to be laid: 1 Corinthians 3:11: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

The modern day prophetic ministry will speak words of exhortation, comfort and revelation. There will also be individual and corporate edification, learning and comfort. In public usage exercise of the prophetic gift will prove to be a sign for believers.

This ministry will covet to exercise the prophetic gift for the purpose of edifying the Church of God whether it be in writings or in speaking.

Maturing the saints by preparing them for works of public service, or ministry, and teaching them how to build up the body of Christ is the mandate of the prophetic. Its purpose is to bring about unity of the faith that comes with the knowledge of the Son of God so that the body of Christ will mature into the full measure of Christ Himself.

Unity in the body of Christ is emphasized and must be based upon the truth of scripture, not other devices which overlook or ignore the truth of the Bible. All must be based upon the knowledge of the Son of God, which comes from the truth of the Word of God which teaches us of Christ.

A true prophetic ministry, just like the true Christian prophet, understands that their influence over others only comes when and if others voluntarily and willingly follow their example of personal holiness and servanthood to others by their public service, freely given.




© 2007 Candace House. All Rights Reserve
www.ruachchayah.org

© Candace House 2007, All Rights reserved.

Christ Indeed Is The Only Way

Since Christ is indeed the only way, then all other ways are wrong and headed for hell. With that being said, those who are convinced that Jesus is the only way will be those who are most fervent about evangelism. Those who are soft when it comes to evangelism are typically those who are not nearly as convinced that Jesus is the only road. I know this is a hard saying, nevertheless it is true. If we really believed in hell, we wouldn’t want anyone to go there. There is an old adage that says “the road to hell is pave with good intentions.” You can take it from there and fill in the blanks.

Saturday a man was killed on 95. He knocked of his motorcycle and survived. When he got up he was disoriented and wandered into the street and a another car hit him. He still was not dead. He got hit a third time and then he died.

My friend that is a pastor talked to this man that morning, told him about Jesus and invited him to church. The guy said maybe one day but he was not ready then. The pastor then asked could he pray with him and the guy said he didn’t have time. He needed to get going. Later on that evening he was killed.

God in His mercy, sent someone to witness to that young man the day he died. No one knows what happened after he left. Maybe he had a talk with Jesus. I pray that he did. The Fathers’ wish is that none would be lost but have everlasting life.

The road to eternal life is a narrow road that most reject, but it is a road that Christians had better stand firm upon and one to which we must call others to travel. As 1 John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.” Jesus is very plain when it comes to who is in and who is out. Those who receive Him as God, Savior, and Lord are in, and those who reject Him are out. We should also note that “life” is singular. It is not “a life” but “the life,” and the answer is not “a Son” but “the Son.” Clearly, the teaching of Scripture is undeniably that Jesus is the only way.

Should this surprise us? It ought not to, seeing that Jesus is the only individual to ever walk this earth and not sin. He also is the only Person ever to die and rise again of His own power. All other founders of religions such as Budha, Mohammed, Joseph Smith, and Confucius, for example, are dead in their graves. Christians do not travel to a gravesite to pay homage because our Savior is not there, for He is risen.

The Thing that gets me is, most if not all world religions deny Jesus as being God. Some say that He is a son of God, but only Christianity believes that He is God. Some say that He was just a great teacher, a prophet, or some deluded lunatic. Yet how great was He if He was deluded about His own identity, thinking He was God when He really wasn’t, as they claim? And how can He be crazy if all of His claims came true?

It is obvious that the evidence points to the fact that Jesus was indeed Who He said He was- which is God. Christianity is the only “religion” based upon God drawing near to man rather than man working to come near to God. Religion by definition is, more or less, a working to be holy or to please a deity. This is why Christianity is more than mere religion. Christianity is a relationship regained between man and God because of the love of God in sending His own Son to die for our sins.

In reality it is not a stretch to say that Jesus is the only way. He is far different and very unique when compared with other religious figures. He performed miracles, He cast out demons, He gave up His life for those who rejected Him, and He conquered death, rising from the grave. Who else is like Him? It only makes sense that He is unique among the various paths of spirituality. No man comes to the Father but through Him and by Him. He is the door (John 10:9), the only point of entry to heaven.

What do we do if we don’t like this truth? Just like the guy I wrote about that was a Christian and turned to new age, He didn’t like this truth. We don’t have a choice because it is the truth. It is tough to come to the realization that so many are going to hell because they reject Jesus, but Jesus Himself said that the way to destruction is wide and that many go that way (Matthew 7:13). The answer is not to rewrite what Jesus said or to say that there must be other ways. The answer is prayer, brokenness over the state of sinners, and a bold and loving evangelism.

God wants none to perish, and He is merciful, giving us time to evangelize. Yet Christians must first be firm in our belief of the exclusivity of the Truth of Jesus so that we can then evangelize with the fervor that the first Christians had. Most of them had either witnessed the events of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, or knew someone who had. They knew He was God and that none could compare; thus, they had a bold and unstoppable will to evangelize. We need the fervor, conviction, and commitment that the first Christians had, and it starts with a firmness in our belief that Jesus is the only way to heaven.

Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection didn’t happen behind closed doors. It was for all the world to see, which was fitting, since He died for the sins of the whole world. Jesus is the only path to God, but He is also willing to accept all people, unlike many other religions which discriminate or only allow a certain number to attain to the next life. He doesn’t discriminate based upon age, wealth, class, status, gender, education, race, or any other means. He wants everybody, and all will be received if they receive Him.

Christianity, though it is exclusive when it comes to the means of salvation, is the most open of all religions in that it invites all people to be saved. If we want to see fewer people go to hell and more people go to heaven, then we need to take them to the only road that can get them there- Jesus Christ. Other gods may reject them, and other religions might exclude them. But Jesus, because of His great love for all, promises that He won’t turn them away. May we direct people to the only Door that leads to life.


www.candacehouse.org


2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved.

When The Word Of God Isn't enough

There is an interesting passage of scripture I overlooked in Luke 16. I was reading the story that involves Abraham, Lazarus the beggar, and the rich man. This morning I had a things that make you go hum moment.

Everyone that is saved for any length of time has heard this story or read it. Well sometimes we can read the Word or hear it numerous times that it becomes too familiar. We already go into reading or hearing a particular scripture with preconceived notions of what that passage is saying.

This morning the Lord showed me something that I hadn’t paid attention to even though I had it highlighted! So my spirit grasped it then. But there was an appointed time for me to consciously lay hold of it.

According to this story, there was a certain rich man who had more than he ever wanted Or needed. He lived his life for himself, in selfish indulgence, not caring at all about the poor. Lazarus was a poor beggar who like a dog desired to be fed the crumbs from the masters table, though it is not clear if he ever was fed by the rich man.

After they both die, we get a glimpse of their situations in eternity. Lazarus is with Abraham, symbolizing that he is grafted into the family of God by faith in Christ. He is in heaven. The rich man is in agony in the burning flames of hell. Between the two a great divide which cannot be crossed is fixed.

A conversation is said to take place between Lazarus, the rich man, and Abraham. The rich man knows that his five brothers are as wicked as he was and without a doubt end up in torment as he is, so he begs Abraham to send somebody, even Lazarus, to his brothers. He thinks that if his brothers see a person raised from the dead that they will repent and put their faith in God.

Yet Abraham explains that unless they hear the law and the prophets, which they already have available to them, they will not repent.

Abraham’s statement, told by Christ as He gives this story, is emphasizing that the Scripture is sufficient.

Unless a person hears what they already have in the Word of God, they cannot and will not be saved. Even if some miraculous sign happened for the rich man’s brothers or for any man for that matter, they would still not believe.

We can deceive ourselves into thinking that if only Jesus came and appeared
to all men that they would trust Him. We can think that we can come up with some other means to woo somebody to church or to Christ. The reality is that the greatest sign of all time has already taken place. Jesus Himself rose from the dead and people reject that, despite the overwhelming evidence of its historicity.

The Lord knew this and was foretelling in this story that even His death burial and resurrection would not be sufficient to bring some people to repentance. Christ Himself knew that only the Word of God could change a person’s heart. If Christ even by performing the greatest miracle of all time couldn’t convince a person to believe, what really do we have to come up with?

The Church has so many programs and works that they perform all to bring people to Christ. They are working themselves to death trying to come up with ways that will attract people into the household of the Lord.

Programs, skits, musicals, bazaars, fairs, workshops, auctions, giveaways, you name it the Church tries it. I look at all of the churches with theatre props, book stores, coffee houses, gyms, empowerment & business centers, soup kitchens, credit unions, colleges, schools, daycares, restaurants and so forth and so on. We here in America have made the Word of God secondary in comparison to all of the wonderful things we are doing for Him. Churches are not willing to preach the full counsel of the Word for fear of losing members. They have listened to polls that say people’s attention spans cannot absorb a sermon over 15 minutes. So the Word becomes secondary and the programs are first.

Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against a lot of this stuff as long as it is in its proper place. What has me concerned is the mindset that the Word of God is not enough to get people saved.

The Word of God can stand on it’s on. It doesn’t need any help. The only thing God put His full backing on is His Word. The Scripture is the Power of God in written form. It is only through hearing and appropriating the Scriptures can sanctification take place.
Good works, community service, and theatrics can have their place. The issue is whether they are sufficient to be able to stand on their own apart from the Word of God.

The Body of Christ needs to study, memorize and meditate on the Word of God. I am very concerned for the Church here in America because of what is coming down the pipeline for this country. The scripture says “Who have believed our report?” Isaiah 53:1. You have to first know the report in order to believe it.

Remember man cannot live apart from taking in the Word of God. He cannot be saved apart from hearing the gospel, and he cannot be a mature Christian without instruction from the Scripture. We already know from Romans 1:16 that the “gospel is the power of God unto salvation.” We know from 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Romans 10:16 says that “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” John 17:17 says, “Sanctify them in the word; your word is truth.”

All of our progress in being sanctified into the image of Christ is due to our being immersed in the truth of the Word of God. There is no short cut to this thing called Sanctification.

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2007 Candace House, All Rights reserved. Email info@candacehouse.org for permission to use.