My friend, Chuck Colson, once wrote from his book, the body: "John Wesley was so concerned with building a righteous fellowship that he devised a series of questions for his followers to ask each other every week. Some found this rigorous system of inquiry too demanding and left. Today, the very idea of such a procedure would horrify many churchgoers. Yet some wisely follow just such a practice. Chuck Swindoll for example, has seven questions that he and a group of fellow pastors challenge each other with periodically:
1. Have you been with a woman anywhere this past week that might be seen as compromising?
2. Have any of your financial dealings lacked integrity?
3. Have you exposed yourself to any sexually explicit material?
4. Have you spent adequate time in Bible study and prayer?
5. Have you given priority time to your family?
6. Have you fulfilled the mandates of your calling?
7. Have you just lied to me?
Some people feel that they have to be held accountable to everyone. This is just not the case. You should only feel obligated to be accountable to those who you sincerely trust. Those that really love you. Those who you feel and believe will love you no matter how far or hard you fall from grace.
Being accountable means you share your weaknesses with someone. Don't advertise your sins but rather share your weakness with someone. Not everyone, just someone. Why Someone? You need someone to ask you some hard questions. Questions like the ones that Church Colson presents above.
It is true that "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." However, wouldn't be better if someone you know in the now hold your feet to the fire and keep you honest before you have to meet God regarding the sins that so easily beset you.
There are three areas in which ministers have been tried and tested from the devil. Over the years we have learned much and know how to set boundaries and to place our self under accountability.
For instance, the three areas in which we set accountability are:
1. Purity where the Word of God is concerned
2. Purity where money issues are concerned
3. Purity where sexual relationships are concerned.
For accountability for being pure with the Word, I have several ministers who are well seasoned in the Word who will make sure that I stay focused on Jesus and not get of course in teaching the word.
For accountability regarding money issues we have an outside firm that watches our spending habits and keep us in check if we spend to much on certain issues.
For Purity where sexual relationships are concerned, this is where my wife comes in. My wife does not have to travel with me 35 weeks out the year but I stay accountable to her and she stays accountable me. In other words, most preachers would have kept themselves from sexual sins or the divorce court if they had just kept in each others presence al the time. All the time you say? Well, that's what you got married for isn't it?
Keep in mind that if you are anointed, the devil has just as well put a target on your forehead make sure you fail.
Yes, it is true all men fail, the great ones get back up. However, the best way to keep from failing again is to keep accountable to someone. When keeping accountable tell them, "I am struggling with a certain issue and I need you to ask me and keep me in check." Something like this is so important to maintain a healthy walk with the Lord Jesus in a wicked and evil day.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Access
Do you ever wish you could have a few moments of complete unrestricted ACCESS to someone who is powerful? Someone that could hear your situation objectively and make a difference?
First lets define who is a "powerful" person. I have learned that just because a person seems to be intimidating, they might not actually be powerful. Power means, "the ability to accomplish an objective". If the person you are seeking an audience with does not have the ability to accomplish an objective in your life, then it could be that we are misinformed on who is really powerful and who just has a strong personality.
There was a time when I was 22 years old that I was scared of what a certain individuals opinion about me was. Then I learned this great truth. It suddenly delivered me from the fear of man Never be afraid of Man. Never be afraid of people who are incapable of really solving problems.
Access to a powerful person is a gift that is a continual test to the next powerful person.
This is a test. The person that you have access to right now that is "powerful" is many times a test. God may be testing you to see if you can say the right thing and withhold wrong words and attitudes. God will never bring access to people into your life when you are incapable of acting, thinking and speaking right.
"The King's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame." Proverbs 14:35.
I remember my friend Nora Lam took me to dinner, in the home of a one time, great hero. I went with her to his home in San Jose. He was an upstanding, United States, National treasure of a person. His name was General Robert E Hueyser. Gen Hueyser was a four star General with the Unites States Airforce. That's a lot of stars!
This man was what I would call, "tall cotton". He was really something. He wrote a book of his experiences in Iran while on duty during the fall of the Shaw. He was close to General Alexander Haig, President Reagan and President Car ter. This man knew so much classified information that while we entered into the country of China, he was not allowed to go in. This was a man who was very POWERFUL. He had abilities to accomplish much. You can see his portfolio here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Huyser
He is now buried at the Arlington National Cemetery but I remember as a kid, wisdom told me to "keep my mouth shut and if needing to speak, use wisdom and careful thought before speaking". I laugh now because I was so much on pins and needles, but I had access.
At 15 years of age, there was not much that I really needed from a United States Airforce General but I did learn much. Later I received a letter from him and his lovely wife. It said, "...we found David Woods to be spirit led, spirit directed and most of all Spirit filled." Wow what kind words.
I am reminded of Proverbs 16:13, "Righteous lips are the delight of kinds; and they love him that speaketh right."
Now I want to use this illustration to help you imagine for a minute your access with the Father. As a born-again, Christian, you have bold access to the Almighty God, the creator of heaven and earth. How, you may ask? Through Jesus, our advocate. Jesus is our way to the Father.
Ephesians 2:18 says, "For through HIM we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father". The heavenly Father that is.
Just as Nora Lam gave me access to someone truly "powerful", Jesus is giving you access to someone REALLY powerful. Your Heavenly Father.
Prayer is access to the ear and the abilities of God. Have you accessed Him today about your situation? Have you taken the time to respect the access you have with Him?
Monday, January 19, 2009
Abundance
I remember being in the Philippines in one July sometime after 1980 or 1981. I will never forget the damage that was created by a killer typhoon that came through those islands. It was horrible to see the destruction that took place to people's make shift homes and cars which were turned over. While I was staying with my family at the Philippine Plaza Hotel in Manila I remember being safe in a strong hotel with thick glass to protect us. The hotel is still there to this day. I remember watching out those thick glass windows and seeing the palm trees bend almost to the ground and wondering why they didn't snap in half.
The Palm tree is almost unbreakable and I learned a clear demonstration of that as a young boy. It reminds me of the scripture, Psalm 92:12, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon".
If God is holding your abundance and your harvest, then today may be the poorest you will ever be.
Did you know that God wants to multiply you? There are some people who think they are really spiritual if they live a life of poverty. "The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you!" Deuteronomy 1:11 Isn't that something? God has said in His word that he desires to multiply you A THOUSAND times more!
What would you be doing for the Lord with that type of Abundance? I mean to say, with a thousand times more than you already are what could you do for the gospels sake?
I heard a lady say to me once that she was satisfied with where they were. Financially that is. They had retired with two cars paid in full. The house was paid off and the kids were now grown up and going to college. What a life! But they were the most selfish persons with that kind of attitude. Why? What could they do for the Lord if they decided they were not going to "coast" after making money for themselves. What could they have done if they kept that same vigor and aggression to keep on earning and instead of relaxing so soon invest in the kingdom business. It amazes me as I travel how many people work for a living and forget entirely the kingdom of God. There are, however, those who do not forget the kingdom of God and their end in life? Abundance.
Some have thought that Abundance was only reserved for sinners, drug dealers and movie stars. What a deception. Wouldn't it be wonderful if young people today dreamed about becoming a prosperous preacher and not a prosperous drug dealer?
God does bless his people but it is not to fulfill our lusts or our greed. That brings the balance to the prosperity message that many on both sides of the spectrum refuse to speak about. There is a balance to the prosperity message. There is nothing wrong with owning the house as long as the house does not own you. There is nothing wrong with owning the boat as long as the boat does not own you. You are truly walking in abundance as long as you are free from lust and greed.
God reminds us of what types of abundance can be in our life if we obey and follow HIS instructions well. "And the Lord they God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiceth over thy father."
Just think the Lord wants to make us plenteous in every work of our hand. He wants to do the same in our bodies and whatever we own even in our land! What a good God we serve.
If you are a tither and a giver you have the right to enforce your "spiritual bill of rights" which is the Word of God other wise known as the doctrine of righteousness.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove ME now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
God's way of blessing you is a conditional response on what you do. When you act in obedience to the tithe you a God given, Bible right to place demands on God's word.
The Palm tree is almost unbreakable and I learned a clear demonstration of that as a young boy. It reminds me of the scripture, Psalm 92:12, "The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon".
If God is holding your abundance and your harvest, then today may be the poorest you will ever be.
Did you know that God wants to multiply you? There are some people who think they are really spiritual if they live a life of poverty. "The Lord God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you, as He hath promised you!" Deuteronomy 1:11 Isn't that something? God has said in His word that he desires to multiply you A THOUSAND times more!
What would you be doing for the Lord with that type of Abundance? I mean to say, with a thousand times more than you already are what could you do for the gospels sake?
I heard a lady say to me once that she was satisfied with where they were. Financially that is. They had retired with two cars paid in full. The house was paid off and the kids were now grown up and going to college. What a life! But they were the most selfish persons with that kind of attitude. Why? What could they do for the Lord if they decided they were not going to "coast" after making money for themselves. What could they have done if they kept that same vigor and aggression to keep on earning and instead of relaxing so soon invest in the kingdom business. It amazes me as I travel how many people work for a living and forget entirely the kingdom of God. There are, however, those who do not forget the kingdom of God and their end in life? Abundance.
Some have thought that Abundance was only reserved for sinners, drug dealers and movie stars. What a deception. Wouldn't it be wonderful if young people today dreamed about becoming a prosperous preacher and not a prosperous drug dealer?
God does bless his people but it is not to fulfill our lusts or our greed. That brings the balance to the prosperity message that many on both sides of the spectrum refuse to speak about. There is a balance to the prosperity message. There is nothing wrong with owning the house as long as the house does not own you. There is nothing wrong with owning the boat as long as the boat does not own you. You are truly walking in abundance as long as you are free from lust and greed.
God reminds us of what types of abundance can be in our life if we obey and follow HIS instructions well. "And the Lord they God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiceth over thy father."
Just think the Lord wants to make us plenteous in every work of our hand. He wants to do the same in our bodies and whatever we own even in our land! What a good God we serve.
If you are a tither and a giver you have the right to enforce your "spiritual bill of rights" which is the Word of God other wise known as the doctrine of righteousness.
Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove ME now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
God's way of blessing you is a conditional response on what you do. When you act in obedience to the tithe you a God given, Bible right to place demands on God's word.
Abortion
In an Ann Landers column, a story is told of a professor in a world-acclaimed medical school once posed this medical situation -- and ethical problem -- to his students: "Here's the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother has TB. They already have had four children. The first is blind. The second had died. The third is deaf. The fourth has TB. Now the mother is pregnant again, The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?" The students gave various individual opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for "consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would recommend abortion. "Congratulations," the professor said, "You just took the life of Beethoven!"
Abortion is clearly the devils sales package to prevent a generation of new leaders, champions and heroes in our society.Evidently we don't want humans to live unless they are perfect to our expectations and our own selfish ideals. Let me explain. A recent poll found in The Utne Reader, quoted from the Signs of the Times in it's January 1993 issue page 6 said that of couples in New England revealed that, if they were able to know these things in advance, 1 percent of them would abort a child on the basis of sex, 6 percent would abort a child likely to get Alzheimer's disease, and an incredible 11 percent would abort a child predisposed to obesity.
This is truly sick people. In our opinion, at not cost should any child be aborted.The Bible is very clear that a child is formed by the Lord. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee".
So we see here from scripture that God forms children and KNOWS them. Is there a way to know a fetus or a child. It is very clear that the unborn is clearly children that are being legally slaughtered with the condoning and stamp of approval of the United States government.Now that is what God says but let's for a moment look at what modern day medicine says.
According to the publication, Sanctity of Life with C Swindoll 1990 p 11-12, Medical authorities determine a person to be "alive" if there is either a detectable heartbeat or brain-wave activity. With that in mind, it is eye-opening for some to realize that unborn children have detectable heartbeats at eighteen days (two and one-half weeks) after conception and detectable brain-wave activity forty days (a little over five and one-half weeks) after conception. What is so shocking is that essentially 100 percent of all abortions occur after the seventh week of pregnancy.
The royal leader, pastor and prophet; Moses laid it out very clearly with few words to cover the issue in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shall not kill". However, blood is running throughout the streets of America. It is happening at a rate that is beyond your comprehension. Are you sitting down? How many children are aborted? Worldwide, 55 million unborn children are killed every year. That is enough to wipe out 44 of the largest cities in the United States starting with New York and Los Angeles and the list goes on. Entire city populations we are killing. What if bombs destroyed the 44 of the largest cities in America? What would be our reaction? Worse than that these are innocent babies.
Around the world, every day 150,685 children are killed by abortion; every hour, 6278; and every minute, 105. Those are the reported cases. If you are an American citizen, no doubt your greatest interest is in your own nation, as is mine. Let me break the abortions down to a national statistic: 1,600,000 babies are aborted in these United States every year. Per day, that's 4,383; per hour, that's 183; per minute, there are 3. C. Swindoll, Sanctity of Life, Word, 1990, p. 13
Abortion is not a modern idea. We hear the origins of abortion spoken in the book of Psalms. "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto idols of Canann: and the land was polluted with blood". Psalms 106:37, 38
The land, the United States land is polluted. Polluted not with gas and emissions from vehicles and factories, but with blood. Innocent blood pollutes our streets and our cities.
It is very difficult for us as a family to even imagine a "christian" voting for anyone in public office who thinks it's ok to make abortion or the shedding of innocent blood legal.
What about a woman's right? If a woman understands that her body is not her own but belongs to the Lord, she will not think she has so many rights over herself. Instead, she must understand that her body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in her. If we look at the cause of Abortion we will see that the reason most have it is because of selfishness. Why are children aborted? The Alan Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) states: * 1% are victims of incest or rape * 1% had fetal abnormalities * 4% had a doctor who said their health would worsen if they continued the pregnancy * 50% said they didn't want to be a single parent or they had problems in current relationships * 66% stated they could not afford a child *75% said the child would interfere with their lives. Statistics cited in Rescue Update, June/July 1989, Southern California Operation Rescue, quoted in Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll, Word, 1990, p. 12.
When we submits our bodies holy and acceptable unto God as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service unto God, (Romans 12:1,2) then we will clearly know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. If you have had an abortion in the past you should renounce this as a sin and repent of it. Ask God to forgive you of this sin of murder and ask God for to have mercy upon you. Did you know that God will also forgive this sin and that, if truly repentant from the heart, God will give you a way to continue living with yourself.D
draft
Abortion is clearly the devils sales package to prevent a generation of new leaders, champions and heroes in our society.Evidently we don't want humans to live unless they are perfect to our expectations and our own selfish ideals. Let me explain. A recent poll found in The Utne Reader, quoted from the Signs of the Times in it's January 1993 issue page 6 said that of couples in New England revealed that, if they were able to know these things in advance, 1 percent of them would abort a child on the basis of sex, 6 percent would abort a child likely to get Alzheimer's disease, and an incredible 11 percent would abort a child predisposed to obesity.
This is truly sick people. In our opinion, at not cost should any child be aborted.The Bible is very clear that a child is formed by the Lord. Jeremiah 1:5 says, "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee".
So we see here from scripture that God forms children and KNOWS them. Is there a way to know a fetus or a child. It is very clear that the unborn is clearly children that are being legally slaughtered with the condoning and stamp of approval of the United States government.Now that is what God says but let's for a moment look at what modern day medicine says.
According to the publication, Sanctity of Life with C Swindoll 1990 p 11-12, Medical authorities determine a person to be "alive" if there is either a detectable heartbeat or brain-wave activity. With that in mind, it is eye-opening for some to realize that unborn children have detectable heartbeats at eighteen days (two and one-half weeks) after conception and detectable brain-wave activity forty days (a little over five and one-half weeks) after conception. What is so shocking is that essentially 100 percent of all abortions occur after the seventh week of pregnancy.
The royal leader, pastor and prophet; Moses laid it out very clearly with few words to cover the issue in Exodus 20:13, "Thou shall not kill". However, blood is running throughout the streets of America. It is happening at a rate that is beyond your comprehension. Are you sitting down? How many children are aborted? Worldwide, 55 million unborn children are killed every year. That is enough to wipe out 44 of the largest cities in the United States starting with New York and Los Angeles and the list goes on. Entire city populations we are killing. What if bombs destroyed the 44 of the largest cities in America? What would be our reaction? Worse than that these are innocent babies.
Around the world, every day 150,685 children are killed by abortion; every hour, 6278; and every minute, 105. Those are the reported cases. If you are an American citizen, no doubt your greatest interest is in your own nation, as is mine. Let me break the abortions down to a national statistic: 1,600,000 babies are aborted in these United States every year. Per day, that's 4,383; per hour, that's 183; per minute, there are 3. C. Swindoll, Sanctity of Life, Word, 1990, p. 13
Abortion is not a modern idea. We hear the origins of abortion spoken in the book of Psalms. "Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto idols of Canann: and the land was polluted with blood". Psalms 106:37, 38
The land, the United States land is polluted. Polluted not with gas and emissions from vehicles and factories, but with blood. Innocent blood pollutes our streets and our cities.
It is very difficult for us as a family to even imagine a "christian" voting for anyone in public office who thinks it's ok to make abortion or the shedding of innocent blood legal.
What about a woman's right? If a woman understands that her body is not her own but belongs to the Lord, she will not think she has so many rights over herself. Instead, she must understand that her body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who lives in her. If we look at the cause of Abortion we will see that the reason most have it is because of selfishness. Why are children aborted? The Alan Guttmacher Institute (the research arm of Planned Parenthood) states: * 1% are victims of incest or rape * 1% had fetal abnormalities * 4% had a doctor who said their health would worsen if they continued the pregnancy * 50% said they didn't want to be a single parent or they had problems in current relationships * 66% stated they could not afford a child *75% said the child would interfere with their lives. Statistics cited in Rescue Update, June/July 1989, Southern California Operation Rescue, quoted in Sanctity of Life, C. Swindoll, Word, 1990, p. 12.
When we submits our bodies holy and acceptable unto God as a living sacrifice, which is our reasonable service unto God, (Romans 12:1,2) then we will clearly know the good, acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives. If you have had an abortion in the past you should renounce this as a sin and repent of it. Ask God to forgive you of this sin of murder and ask God for to have mercy upon you. Did you know that God will also forgive this sin and that, if truly repentant from the heart, God will give you a way to continue living with yourself.D
draft
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Abilities
After the end of a long day is when I enjoy blogging. Today I travelled by car from Anaheim, California to Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Suprisingly, the tempatures at the beach were warmer than the tempatures in the desert by 10 degrees or so.
I want to take a subject each day and apply it to your life and then back each one up with some scripture. I will take as many thoughts and go from A-Z here in my blogg.
Today I will start with the Word Abilities. Although I do not claim to be a scholar, I have made my life a life of study in the word and trying my best to apply it in every day living. Many of you have told me you check into my blogg daily. So with this in mind, I am going to try to write more often.
Phillips Brooks was quoted recently as saying, "It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything".
Your effectivenes in life is not found in your similarities to one another but will be discovered in your differences from someone else. When you are different from someone else you will prove to be effective in life. Stop trying to be like everyone else and be who God asked you to be.
Use what talents you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. Henry Van Dyke, Bits & Pieces, March 31, 1994, p. 16.
What abilities do you have that others don't have, that you can use for the glory of God?
Where can your abilities best be used for the Lord Jesus?
I tell my children often, "Can't is the word used by loosers". We never use the word "can't" in our language. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
How can we be so sure that we can have great abilities? How can you be so sure that we can do or be something stronger than we think? "...because great is He that is in you than He that is in the world".
A test at school in the morning. A project at work that could get you fired or promoted. A final game of your favorite sport which could take you over or take you under. No matter what it is you face tomorrow, YOU can.
But brother Woods, you don't know what I am up against? You don't know how impossible this is! Paul addressed it this way, "What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.
Jesus said in John 14:12, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do she he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father".
Last year I ministered and spoke to 225 audiences nationwide. Over the years I have told those audiences that, really, Jesus never did any "miracles". We call them miracles but to Him, he was just doing the everyday works of His Father. To us, they are truly a miracle. We should understand that greater works can we do than even the "miracles" that Jesus did. Hard for the human mind to wrap itself around that one huh?
Again, Jesus says in Mark 11:23, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that hose things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Your saying empowers your abilities.
Like so many reading this blog, I too have accomplished many great things in my life. However, I must humbly say that it is "...not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. Josh Billings.
I want to take a subject each day and apply it to your life and then back each one up with some scripture. I will take as many thoughts and go from A-Z here in my blogg.
Today I will start with the Word Abilities. Although I do not claim to be a scholar, I have made my life a life of study in the word and trying my best to apply it in every day living. Many of you have told me you check into my blogg daily. So with this in mind, I am going to try to write more often.
Phillips Brooks was quoted recently as saying, "It is almost as presumptuous to think you can do nothing as to think you can do everything".
Your effectivenes in life is not found in your similarities to one another but will be discovered in your differences from someone else. When you are different from someone else you will prove to be effective in life. Stop trying to be like everyone else and be who God asked you to be.
Use what talents you possess: The woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best. Henry Van Dyke, Bits & Pieces, March 31, 1994, p. 16.
What abilities do you have that others don't have, that you can use for the glory of God?
Where can your abilities best be used for the Lord Jesus?
I tell my children often, "Can't is the word used by loosers". We never use the word "can't" in our language. Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me".
How can we be so sure that we can have great abilities? How can you be so sure that we can do or be something stronger than we think? "...because great is He that is in you than He that is in the world".
A test at school in the morning. A project at work that could get you fired or promoted. A final game of your favorite sport which could take you over or take you under. No matter what it is you face tomorrow, YOU can.
But brother Woods, you don't know what I am up against? You don't know how impossible this is! Paul addressed it this way, "What shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" Romans 8:31.
Jesus said in John 14:12, "Verily, Verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do she he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father".
Last year I ministered and spoke to 225 audiences nationwide. Over the years I have told those audiences that, really, Jesus never did any "miracles". We call them miracles but to Him, he was just doing the everyday works of His Father. To us, they are truly a miracle. We should understand that greater works can we do than even the "miracles" that Jesus did. Hard for the human mind to wrap itself around that one huh?
Again, Jesus says in Mark 11:23, "For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that hose things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith." Your saying empowers your abilities.
Like so many reading this blog, I too have accomplished many great things in my life. However, I must humbly say that it is "...not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts."
Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. Josh Billings.
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