Why Renew Your Mind

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Generally speaking, the ground in the mind which may be ceded to the enemy is of six kinds. We shall look at each of these now at some length.

(1) An unrenewed mind. The flesh continually furnishes bases for the enemy s operations. If man's mind is not renewed after his spirit is once regenerated, he exposes a great deal of territory to the machinations of the evil spirit. While many saints do have their mentality changed at the time of repentance, nonetheless the eyes of their heart once blinded by Satan have not yet been enlightened entirely and may still be veiled in many areas. These darkened corners are the old operation centers of the evil spirits: though greatly hindered, they have not been eliminated and thus continue to furnish bases for the operations of the unseen hosts of wickedness.

The devil s armies are most careful to cover up their deeds. If a Christian should remain fleshly they will urge upon him notions which seem to agree with his temperament and measure, prompting him to believe these are naturally the result of his thinking. Aware that this unrenewed mind constitutes their best workshop, the enemy forces employ every artifice to keep the believer in ignorance or to thwart him from seeking the renewal of his mind. The yielding of such ground is quite common among Christians. Were this the only type of ground they relinquish they would not suffer too severely in their intellect and memory, but other kinds are involved. 

(2) An improper mind. All sins furnish territory to the adversary. If a child of God cherishes sin in his heart he is lending his mind to satanic spirits for their use. Since all sins derive from the dark powers, he is helpless to resist these powers behind whatever sins he allows to persist in his mind. As long as sinful thoughts remain in the heart, precisely that long do the evil spirits work. All unclean, proud, unkind and unrighteous ideas supply bases of activity to these spirits. Once God s child permits such a notion to stay he finds it harder to resist the next time it emerges, because the powers of darkness already have secured an area in his mind. 

Besides the sinful ones there are many other improper thoughts which afford the enemy operational bases. Frequently Satan s hosts will introduce an idea into the believer s head. Should he accept it, then this notion will have acquired a footing in his mind. Each unproven theory, vain idea, unknown thought, word casually picked up by ear, or line inadvertently read all provide ground to the foe as a future site for operations. The adversary may so fill a person with prejudices as to deceive him into opposing God s truth and embracing many heresies. 

(3) Misunderstanding God's truth. The Lord s people rarely are aware that every time they accept a lie from the evil spirits they are furnishing fresh ground to the enemy. Should God s followers misconstrue or misinterpret as being natural or caused by their own selves that which the evil spirits. have perpetrated upon their bodies, environments or woks, they are yielding up precious territory to them for extending their nefarious deeds. A lie embraced forms the ground for further activity by the satanic elements. In misunderstanding these phenomena to be the results of their own selves, they unconsciously allow these things to remain in their lives. Although this permission is gained through deceit it nevertheless provides sufficient footing for the evil spirits to operate. 

On the other hand many Christians misunderstand God s truths. Being ignorant of the true meaning of co-death with Christ, consecration, the movement of the Holy Spirit, and so forth, they conceive in their hearts certain interpretations of these truths and consequently prejudice themselves. Seizing the opportunity, the evil spirits impart to the saints the same thing which they misunderstand and misconstrue of God s truths. They scheme according to the believer s misunderstanding. The latter judges these things to be of God, unaware that they are but a counterfeit from the evil spirits and founded on his misunderstanding. 

(4) Accepting suggestions. Multiplied are the suggestions which Satan s hosts plant in the mind of the Christian, especially ideas concerning his circumstances and future. They enjoy prophesying to him, foretelling what will become of him and what will happen to him. Should he be unconscious of the source of such predictions and permit these to dwell in his mind, the evil spirits, at the appropriate time, will work on his environment to precipitate affairs to happen as prophesied. Perhaps the believer may already expect it to be so, not cognizant that everything has been arranged by the enemy powers. The latter merely put their idea into the form of prophecy, then plant it in his head to see if he will accept it or reject it. Should the will of the believer raise no objection, nay, even approve of the prophecy, the spirits of wickedness have obtained a footing for enacting what they have proposed. The fulfillment of the words of fortune-tellers is based entirely on this principle. 

Occasionally the adversary interjects prophetic utterances concerning the Christian s body, such as foretelling his weakness or sickness. If he absorbs this thought he will be genuinely sick and weak. He thinks he is actually ill. Those with scientific knowledge conclude it to be a psychological illness, but those with spiritual insight know better that it is solely because the person has received the suggestion of the evil spirit and has hence furnished ground for the latter to fabricate the situation. How many of the so-called natural and psychological illnesses are in reality the machinations of the evil spirits. When a Christian does not repel the thoughts which originate with evil spirits he affords them a base for working. 

(5) A blank mind. God creates man with a mind to be used he who hears the word and understands it (Matt. 13.23). God desires man to understand His Word with the intellect, from whence the emotion, will and spirit are reached. A lively head is therefore an obstacle to the work of malevolent spirits. One of their greatest aims is to lead a person s mind into a blank state. Blankness means an emptiness inside, the establishment of a true vacuum. The enemy powers employ either deception or force to transform the Christian s mental faculty into a blank entity. They realize that while his head is empty he cannot think. He has been stripped of all reasoning and sense and will accept without question every one of their teachings, regardless of its nature or consequence. 

The Christian ought to exercise his mind, for its exercise constitutes such a disadvantage to evil spirits that they are compelled to exert their entire strength to render it blank. Only as his mind is functioning normally is the Christian fit to discern senseless supernatural revelations and various implanted suggestions and recognize their alien sources. A vacuous mind provides a foothold for the evil foe. All revelations and notions received by an empty head emanate from enemy sources. If a Christian should at any time not engage his organ of thought, he will discover how eager they are to help him think! 

(6) A passive mind. Broadly speaking, an empty mind differs not too much from a passive one. Strictly speaking, the empty head means not using it whereas a passive one means awaiting some external force to activate it. The latter is a step beyond the former. Passivity is to refrain from moving by oneself and instead to let outside elements move one. A passive brain does not think by itself but allows a foreign power to do the thinking for it. Passivity reduces man to a machine. 

A passive state is most advantageous to the evil spirits for it offers them an opportunity to occupy the believer's will and body too. Just as a darkened mind is easily deceived because it knows not what it is doing and where it is going, even so is a passive mind prone to attack since it has no sensitivity whatsoever. Should anyone allow his head to cease thinking, searching, and deciding and to no longer check his experience and action against the Bible, he is practically inviting Satan to invade his mind and deceive him. 

In their desire to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit many of the Lord s people feel they do not need to measure, investigate, and judge by the light of the Bible all thoughts which seemingly come from God. They think being led by the Spirit is being dead to themselves and obeying every notion and impulse of their brain. They follow especially those ideas which arise after prayer; hence they arrange for their mind to be passive during and after prayer. They halt their own thoughts and their other mental activities so as to be ready to receive the thoughts of God. And the result is that they become hard and obstinate, having no reason and carrying out many harsh, pertinacious and irrational things. They do not know: (1) that prayer will not transform our thoughts into godly ones; (2) that to wait for divine thoughts during and after prayer is to invite counterfeits from the evil spirits; and (3) that God s leading is in the intuition of the spirit and not in the mind of the soul. Not a few saints ignorant of God s will that He does not wish man to be passive but rather to cooperate actively with Him spend time training themselves to be of a passive mind. They induce themselves to not think in order to possess God s thoughts. How can they not understand that if they themselves are not using their brain neither will God use it nor put His thoughts into it. The principle of God is for men to control the whole person with their will and to work together with Him. Only the devil would exploit the opportunity of a passive mind and seize its control away from men. God has never wanted men to receive His revelation like a robot; it is the enemy spirits alone who wish it that way. All passivity profits them, for they gladly take advantage of the folly and passivity of God s people to operate in their mind.

Be blessed, my friend.

Why New Converts Must Always Attend Church/Fellowship

As new converts in Christ God desires that you be in church fellowship as much as possible so that you can continue to be spiritually empowered in Him.His house, the church building is also called Mount Zion or the City of Refuge. New converts are especially vulnerable and are therefore targeted by the enemy of their soul, the devil, to try to draw them back into the world in order to destroy them.If you are a new convert in Christ, it is your spiritual responsibility to strive to remain among the fellowship of brethren for spiritual protection from this wicked world.Fellowship generates spiritual energy.{Psa.84:7]and allows for rubbing spiritual minds together for victory in life.Iron sharpeneth iron...[Prov.27:17].

The enemy of every born again child of God is the devil, not people.He has a 3 fold ministry, to steal, kill and destroy.[John 10:10]But there is a place called Zion, the assembling place of the children of God, where you should run to for spiritual cover.[Psalm 132:13-14].The Bible admonishes believers not to forsake the assembly of believers[Heb. 10:25]for the following reasons.

1.Access To Renewal Of Spiritual Strength

Zion is a place of renewal of spiritual strength.[Psa.84:7].Every time you appear in God's house your strength is renewed bringing about all-round spiritual refreshing and vitality for you.The more you appear in Zion the more strengthened you become.This type of strength is spiritual which also translates to the body and soul.[Rom.8:11].

2.Access To The Blood Of Sprinkling and Ministry Of Angels

Zion is a place where you have access to the blood of sprinkling.[Heb.12.24] Every time you appear in Zion this happens whether you feel it or not, it is a spiritual thing and a mystery. Angels who are ministering spirits are always in Zion to administer the Blood Of Sprinkling which speaks fresh liveliness to the believer.The Blood of Jesus speaks life, peace, vitality, blessings, healing, protection and safety.The Blood of Jesus also has the power to purge your conscience so that you can serve God acceptably.[Heb 9:14].

3.Access To Divine Direction By His Word And His Precious Holy Spirit

In Zion God releases His wisdom by His Holy Spirit for divine direction where there is fear and confusion.God opens your spiritual eyes to hidden truths about your life through His Word.In Zion God removes spiritual covering casts and spiritual veils which shroud spiritual eyes in mystery and no clear-cut direction in life.[Isa.25:6-8] In Zion, the light of God's Word is released and all confusion is laid to rest.Until light comes darkness will always have its way.

4.Access to Refuge From Storms Of Life

Zion is a city of refuge from the storms of life.[Psa.46:1]There is something about God's house that keeps you safe from the devil and his human/spiritual agents.[Psa. 48:3].The battles you are facing in life are not physical, they are spiritual and therefore must be fought with spiritual weapons of war in Zion.[2 Corinth.10:4]

Therefore run to Zion, the city of refuge for covering, safety, and protection, allowing the blood of sprinkling to speak for you.Stop staying away from church, run to church.Be blessed in Jesus's Precious Name.

Elements Of Praise

Praising God is an act of thanksgiving and worship to God.It must proceed from the heart to the lips and actions.When you praise God you must do it in the genuineness of purpose, believing and having confidence in God that He is God no matter what.Joy(spiritual Joy) is required for praise to be effective because without joy in a man's heart he is crippled in spirit and falls short of acceptable praise to God.Joy (spiritual Joy)must proceed from the heart since it is a fruit of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22.

How To Praise God
Praise God from your spirit(heart), not your mind, because God is a spirit and it is with your spirit that you communicate with Him.Praise and worship God is spirit and truth.[John 4:24].

1.Clapping of hands-Psalm 47:1

2.Singing-Psalm 149:1

3.Dancing-2 Sam.6:14


        Understanding The Wonders Of Praise|Bishop David O.Oyedepo

How To Receive Answers To Prayers Quickly

1.Violent Faith

Your faith must be violent strong and unwavering. John 11:40.When your faith is in force your prayers will be answered with speed.Without faith it is impossible to please God, therefore faith is an integral component of answers to prayers.It is something that must be done.Violent faith is what moves mountains out of your way and bring you into your inheritance in Christ.

2.Aggressive Desperate Prayer

Prayer is communication with God, a 2 way street as a matter of fact.You talk to God, you listen quietly for an answer and you receive it with your heart(spirit man).Only aggressive prayers get Heaven's attention.How you approach Heaven determines how Heaven responds to you.Blind Bartimaeus cried out to Jesus in desperation.Even when he was told to be quiet, and to hold his peace he cried out the more.You must cry out the more even when your surroundings tell you to be quiet. Silent prayers won't work.  Mark 10:46-47,48,49.

3.High Praise

Praises to God brings Him to the scene.Paul and Silas praised God and they were freed from their chains in prison.Acts 16:25.Jehoshaphat and Judah after they had fasted and prayed sang praises unto God and their enemies were subdued before them and utterly destroyed. 2 Chronicles 20:20-25.You can praise your way out of any evil situation, sickness, affliction, poverty of spirit soul and body, spiritual weaknesses, bondages, yokes, spells and enchantments, spiritual prison and such like. The earth will begin to yield increase and blessings to you as you praise God out of a genuine ulterior motive free heart.Psalm 67:6-7.Learn to give thanks, praise and worship God in every situation of life for this is the total will of God concerning you.1 Thessalonians5:18.

Prayer And Warfare 2

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All spiritual prayers have their source in God. God makes known to us what we ought to pray by unfolding to us the need and by giving that need as a burden in our intuitive spirit. Only an intuitive burden can constitute our call to pray. Yet how we have overlooked many delicate registrations in the intuition through carelessness. Our prayer should never exceed the burden in our intuition. 

Prayers which are not initiated or responded to in the spirit originate instead with the believer himself. They are therefore of the flesh. So that his prayer may not be fleshly but may be effectual in the spiritual domain, the child of God ought to confess his weakness that he does not know how to pray (Rom. 8.26), and petition the Holy Spirit to teach him. He next should pray according to His instruction. God gives us utterance to pray just as he gives us utterance to preach. 

The need for the former equals that of the latter. In acknowledging our total weakness, we then are able to depend on the movement of the Holy Spirit within our spirit for uttering His prayer. How empty that work is which is done by the flesh; how likewise fruitless is that prayer which is offered in the flesh. Not only should we pray with the spirit; we should “pray with the mind also” (1 Cor. 14.15). In praying, these two must work together. A believer receives in his spirit what he needs to pray and understands in his mind what he has received. The spirit accepts the burden of prayer while the mind formulates that burden in prayerful words. Only in this way is the prayer of a believer perfected. How often the Christian prays according to the thought in his mind without possessing any revelation in his spirit. He becomes the origin of the prayer himself. But true prayer must originate from the throne of God. It initially is sensed in the person’s spirit, next is understood by his mind, and finally, is uttered through the power of the Spirit. 

Man’s spirit and prayer are inseparable. To be able to pray with the spirit a Christian must learn first to walk according to the spirit. No one can pray with his spirit if during the whole day he walks after the flesh. The state of one’s prayer life cannot be too greatly disconnected from the condition of his daily walk. The spiritual condition of many too often disqualifies them from praying in the spirit. The quality of a man’s prayer is determined by the state of his living. How could a fleshly person offer spiritual prayer? A spiritual person, on the other hand, does not necessarily pray spiritually either, for unless he is watchful he also shall fall into the flesh. Nonetheless, should the spiritual man pray often with his spirit, his very praying shall keep his spirit and mind continually in tune with God. 

Praying exercises the spirit which in turn is strengthened through such exercising. Negligence in prayer withers the inner man. Nothing can be a substitute for it, not even Christian work. Many are so preoccupied with work that they allow little time for prayer. Hence they cannot cast out demons. Prayer enables us first inwardly to overcome the enemy and then outwardly to deal with him. All who have fought against the enemy on their knees shall see him routed upon their rising up. Now the spiritual man grows stronger through such exercises. For if a believer prays often with his spirit, his spiritual efficiency shall be increased greatly. He will develop sharp sensitivity in spiritual affairs and will be delivered from all spiritual dullness.

Prayer And Warfare 1

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All Prayer Ought To Be Spiritual. Unspiritual prayers are not genuine and can produce no positive result. What abundant spiritual success there would be were every prayer offered by believers on earth in fact spiritual! But sad to say, fleshly prayers are far too numerous. 

Self-will found therein deprives them of spiritual fruitfulness. Nowadays Christians appear to treat prayer as a means to accomplish their aims and ideas. If they possessed just a little deeper understanding, they would recognize that prayer is but man uttering to God what is God s will. The flesh, no matter where displayed, must be crucified; it is not permitted even in prayer. No mixing of man's will in God s work is possible, for He rejects the best of human intentions and man s most profitable prospects. God does not will He should follow what man has initiated. Other than following God s direction, we have no right to direct Him. We have no ability to offer save to obey God s guidance. God will do no work which originates with man, no matter how much man may pray. He condemns such praying as fleshly. 

As believers enter the true realm of the spirit, immediately they shall see how empty they themselves are, for absolutely nothing in them can impart life to others or work havoc upon the enemy. Instinctively they will, therefore, reckon on God. Prayer then becomes imperative. True prayer uncovers the emptiness in the petitioner but the fullness in the Petitioned. Unless the flesh has been reduced to a vacuum by the cross, what use is prayer and what can it possibly signify? 

Spiritual prayer does not proceed from the flesh nor the thought, desire, or decision of the believer; rather does it follow purely from that which is offered according to the will of God. It is prayed in the spirit, that is to say, spiritual prayer is made after one has discerned the will of God in his intuition. The command insisted upon in the Bible is to pray at all times in the spirit (Eph. 6.18). If that is not the way we are praying we must be praying in the flesh. We should not open our mouths too hastily upon approaching God. On the contrary, we first must ask God to show us what and how to pray before we make our request known to Him. Have we not consumed a great deal of time in the past asking for what we wanted? Why not now ask for what God wants? Not what we want but what He wants. If such be the case, then the flesh is provided no footing here. It takes a spiritual man to offer true prayer.

The Strengthning Of The Holy Spirit

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In order for man s innermost organ to gain dominion over the soul and the body and thus serve as channel for the life of the Spirit to be transmitted to others, there must be His strengthening. Paul prays for believers that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with might through his Spirit in the inner man (Eph. 3.16). He so prays because he considers it infinitely important. He asks God to strengthen by His Spirit their inner man, which is the new man in them after they have trusted in the Lord. Therefore the prayer is that the believer s spirit may be strengthened by God s Spirit. 

From this, we may deduce that the spirits of some saints are weak while those of others are strong. Whether they are potent or impotent depends upon whether or not they have received His strengthening. Since those at Ephesus had been sealed already with the Holy Spirit (1.13-14), the Apostle's prayer for them must be concerned with a gift other than His indwelling. His prayer indicates they must have not only the Holy Spirit indwelling them but also have His special power inundating their spirit so as to render their inner man strong. It is possible for us to possess a weak spirit although having God indwelling us. 

To be filled with might in the inner man is the urgent need of Christians. However, unless they appreciate how feeble theirs is they will not ask for the invigoration of the Holy Spirit. Often the children of God cannot rise up to answer the Lord s call to service simply because, though their physical condition is good, their feelings are low, cold, and reluctant. Or even when their emotions are quite high, passionate, and willing, they find themselves unable to serve the Lord because now the body reacts lazily. Such phenomena betray the weakness of the spirit in its dominion over feeling and the physical body. The disciples found themselves in precisely that situation in the Garden of Gethsemane: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matt. 26.41). Willingness by itself is not sufficient; the spirit also must be strong. If it is sturdy it can overcome the infirmity of the flesh. Why do believers sometimes find themselves dragging and failing while laboring for souls? Lack of power in their spirit is the explanation. The same holds true in the case of environment. How easily we are affected by the confusion of the outside world. Were our spirits hardy we would be able to meet the most disturbing situation with peace and rest. Prayer is the acid test of the inner man s strength. A strong spirit is capable of praying much and praying with all perseverance until the answer comes. A weak one grows weary and fainthearted in the maintenance of praying. A vigorous spirit can move forward in the midst of adverse environment or feeling, but a frail one is impotent to stand against opposition. Great is the need of power in the spirit for spiritual warfare with Satan. Only those who have might in the inner man understand how to exercise their spiritual strength in resisting and attacking the enemy. Otherwise the battle will be make-believe, fought in the imagination of the mind or the excitement of the emotion, and perhaps fought with the weapons of flesh and blood. 

In order for the inner man to be strengthened with power through the Holy Spirit, the children of God must discharge their responsibility. They need to yield specifically to the Lord, forsake every doubtful aspect in their life, be willing to obey fully God s will, and believe through prayer that He will flood their spirit with His power. Without delay God will answer the expectation of their heart, once all obstacles on their part are removed. Believers do not need to wait for the Holy Spirit s filling, because He has descended already. What they need only wait for is for themselves to fulfill the condition for His filling, which is, they must let the cross perform a deeper incision upon them. Should they be faithful in believing and obeying, then within a very short time the power of the Holy Spirit will saturate their spirit and strengthen their inner man for living and for laboring. Some may receive His filling immediately upon once surrendering themselves to the Lord, for they already have met the conditions for such filling. 

This invasion of God's power in us, this infilling of His Spirit, happens in the human spirit. It is the inner and not the outer man which is activated by His power and thence becomes strong. This is most important to recognize, for it helps us to exercise simple faith in our desire for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Gal. 3.14), rather than to anticipate some bodily sensations such as a shaking, a jerking, or a hurling to the ground. Yet Christians need to be watchful lest they use faith as an excuse for not experiencing the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The conditions for filling must be accomplished and the attitude of believers must be firm. God will fulfill His promise. 

By reading what the Apostle affirms in the succeeding verses in Ephesians 3 about apprehending, knowing, and filling, we are certain this strengthening with might in the inner man renders it highly sensitive. Like the body, the spirit has its functions and consciousness. Prior to the mighty inflow of the Holy Spirit s power into their spirit, believers scarcely can detect its intuitive power; but afterwards, its intuitive force becomes most distinctive and hence readily discovered. As the inner man is energized, its intuitive power is increased. Believers are able to sense its slightest movement. 

The effect of having the spirit filled with God's power is to afford it full sway over the soul and the body. Every thought, desire, sensation, and intent is now governed by the spirit. The soul can no longer act independently: it becomes instead the spirit s steward. Furthermore, through the believer's spirit, the Holy Spirit is able to impart God s life to thirsty and dying men. However, this filling of the Holy Spirit differs from the baptism with the Holy Spirit, because the latter is for the purpose of service while the former solves the problem of life (naturally it will affect service too).

The Spiritual Man-Watchman Nee-Salvation(Part 2)

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 When the Word became flesh He included all flesh in Himself. As the action of one man, Adam, represents the action of all mankind, so the work of one man, Christ, represents the work of all. We must see how inclusive Christ is before we can understand what redemption is. Why is it that the sin of one man, Adam, is judged to be the sin of all men both present and past? Because Adam is humanity’s head from whom all other men have come into the world. Similarly the obedience of one man, Christ, becomes the righteousness of many, both of the present and the past, inasmuch as Christ constitutes the head of a new mankind entered into by a new birth.

One incident in Hebrews 7 may illustrate this point. To prove that the priesthood of Melchizedek is greater than the priesthood of Levi, the writer reminds his readers that Abraham once offered a tithe to Melchizedek and received from him a blessing and so concluded that Abraham’s tithe offering and blessing were Levi’s. How? Because "he (Levi) was still in the loins of his ancestor (Abraham) when Melchizedek met him" (v.10). We know that Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac Jacob, and Jacob Levi. Levi was Abraham’s great grandson. When Abraham offered the tithe and received a blessing, Levi was not yet born, nor even were his father and grandfather. Yet the Bible considers Abraham’s tithe and blessing as Levi’s. Inasmuch as Abraham is lesser than Melchizedek, Levi too is of less account than Melchizedek. This incident can help us to understand why Adam’s sin is construed to be the sin of all men and why the judgment upon Christ is counted as judgment for all. It is simply because at the time Adam sinned, all men were presently in his loins. Likewise, when Christ was judged, all who will be regenerated were present in Christ. His judgment is hence taken as their judgment, and all who have believed in Christ shall no longer be judged.Since humanity must be judged, the Son of God—even the man Jesus Christ—suffered in his spirit, soul and body on the cross for the sins of the world. 

Let us first consider his physical sufferings. Man sins through his body and there enjoys the temporary pleasure of sin. The body must accordingly be the recipient of punishment. Who can fathom the physical sufferings of the Lord Jesus on the cross? Are not Christ’s sufferings in the body clearly foretold in the Messianic writings? "They have pierced my hands and feet" (Ps. 22.16). The prophet Zechariah called attention to "him whom they have pierced" (12.10). His hands, His feet, His brow, His side, His heart were all pierced by men, pierced by sinful humanity and pierced for sinful humanity. Many were His wounds and high ran His fever for, with the weight of His whole body hanging unsupported on the cross, His blood could not circulate freely. He was extremely thirsty and therefore cried out, "My tongue cleaves to my jaws"—"for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink" (Ps. 22.15, 69.21). The hands must be nailed, for they love to sin. The mouth must suffer, for it loves to sin. The feet must be pierced, for they love to sin. The brow must be crowned with a thorny crown, for it too loves to sin. All that the human body needed to suffer was executed upon His body. Thus He suffered physically even to death. It was within His power to escape these sufferings, yet He willingly offered His body to endure immeasurable trials and pains, never for a moment shrinking back until He knew that "all was now finished" (John 19.28). Only then did He dismiss his spirit.

Not His body only, His soul as well, suffered. The soul is the organ of self-consciousness. Before being crucified, Christ was administered wine mingled with myrrh as a sedative to alleviate pain, but He refused it as He was not willing to lose His consciousness. Human souls have fully enjoyed the pleasure of sins; accordingly in His soul Jesus would endure the pain of sins. He would rather drink the cup given Him by God than the cup which numbed consciousness.

How shameful is the punishment of the cross! It was used to execute runaway slaves. A slave had neither property nor rights. His body belonged to his master; he could therefore be punished with the most shameful cross. The Lord Jesus took the place of a slave and was crucified. Isaiah called Him "the servant"; Paul said He took the form of a slave. Yes, as a slave He came to rescue us who are subject to the lifelong bondage of sin and Satan. We are slaves to passion, temper, habits and the world. We are sold to sin. Yet He died because of our slavery and bore our entire shame. 

 The Bible records that the soldiers took the garments of the Lord Jesus (John 19.23). He was nearly naked when crucified. This is one of the shames of the cross. Sin takes our radiant garment away and renders us naked. Our Lord was stripped bare before Pilate and again on Calvary. How would His holy soul react to such abuse? Would it not insult the holiness of His personality and cover Him with shamefulness? Who can enter into His feeling of that tragic moment? Because every man had enjoyed the apparent glory of sin, so the Savior must endure the real shame of sin. Truly "thou (God) hast covered him with shame . . . with which thy enemies taunt, O Lord, with which they mock the footsteps of thy anointed"; He nonetheless "endured the cross, despising the shame" (Ps. 89.45,51; Heb.12.2).

No one can ever ascertain how fully the soul of the Savior suffered on the cross. We often contemplate His physical suffering but overlook the feeling of His soul. A week before the Passover He was heard to mention: "Now is my soul troubled" (John 12.27). This points to the cross. While in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus was again heard to say: "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death" (Matt. 26.38). Were it not for these words we would hardly think his soul had suffered. Isaiah 53 mentions thrice how His soul was made an offering for sin, how His soul travailed, and how He poured out His soul to death (vv.10-12). Because Jesus bore the curse and shame of the cross, whoever believes in Him shall no more be cursed and put to shame.

The Spiritual Man-Watchman Nee-Salvation(Part 1)

Salvation( Part 1) 

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Death entered the world through the fall of man. Reference here is to spiritual death which separates man from God. Through sin, it came in the beginning and so has it ever come since then. Death always comes through sin. Note what Romans 5.12 tells us about this matter. First, that sin came into the world through one man. Adam sinned and introduced sin into the world. Second, that death (came into the world) through sin. Death is sin s unchanging result. And lastly, that, therefore, death spread to all men because all men sinned. Not merely has death spread to or passed upon (Darby) all men, but literally to all men the death did pass through (Young's). Death has permeated the spirit, soul, and body of all men; there is no part of a human being into which it has not found its way. It is therefore imperative that man receive God s life. The way of salvation cannot be in human reform, for death is irreparable. Sin must be judged before there can be rescue out of death. Exactly this is what has been provided by the salvation of the Lord Jesus. 

The man who sins must die. This is announced in the Bible. No animal nor angel can suffer the penalty of sin in man's stead. It is man's triune nature which sins, therefore it is man who must die. Only humanity can atone for humanity. But because sin is in his humanity, man s own death cannot atone for his sin. The Lord Jesus came and took human nature upon himself in order that He might be judged instead of humanity. Untainted by sin, His holy human nature could therefore through death atone for sinful humanity. He died a substitute, suffered all penalty of sin, and offered his life a ransom for many. Consequently, whoever believes on Him shall be judged no more (John 5.24).

How To Succeed In The Christian Life (Spirituality 101) For New Converts

Charles Finney in his book "How To Succeed In The Christian Life" discusses the dynamics of success in the Christian life. He states "There are two classes of people who start out in the Christian life: those who make a complete or partial failure of it and those who make a complete success of it:" He shares the following seven steps of biblical paths to success as a Christian.

1. BEGIN RIGHT
Receive Christ, take Him as your Savior who died for you. It is in this first step that many make a mistake. They try to mix in their good works as a ground of salvation. They think if they are good God will forgive them because of Christ's death and their goodness.

2.CONFESS CHRIST OPENLY BEFORE MEN
The life of confession is the life of full salvation.(Matthew 10:32, Romans 10:10.)It is when we confess Christ before men that He confesses us before "My Father in Heaven" and that the fullness of His blessing comes.

3.STUDY THE WORD
The Word of God is the soul's food(spiritual food).It is the nourishment of the new life. (1 Peter 2:2)One who neglects the Word cannot make much of a success of the Christian life. All who get on in the Christian life are great feeders on the Word of God. Here many fail. Ask any backslider, "Have you fed on the Word daily?" I never have found one that could say that he had.

4.PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
The one who would succeed in the Christian life must lead a life of prayer.(1 Thess.5:17).The rule of David and Daniel, three times a day, is a good rule.

5.GO TO WORK FOR CHRIST
Those who use what they have will get more, and those who let what they have lie idle will lose even that.(Matt.25:29)

6.GIVE LARGELY
"The liberal soul shall be made fat"(Prov.11:25), He which soweth sparingly; shall reap also sparingly...(2 Corinth. 9:6,8.)

7.KEEP PUSHING ON
Forget that which lies behind; press onto the better things that lie before.(Phill.3:13,14)

How To Grow Spiritually As A Christian

Importance Of Spiritual Growth

As a Christian, you must strive to grow spiritually, by God's power alone(The Holy Spirit).Christianity minus spiritual growth equals to failure in life. Therefore when you don't pay attention to your spiritual growth you will not be able to attain God's plans and purposes and perfect will for your life. Spiritual growth is only made possible by the Holy Spirit and not by your strength, power or intellect.(1 Samuel 2:9, Zechariah 4:6).

If you desire to grow as a Christian know these things

1.Go to God in prayer which is the master key into God's will for your life.Without prayer, you will never be able to communicate with God.Take every opportunity to pray and commune with God. Charles Usher in his book, "The Prayer Life" states in page 2 the following precepts."The old nature is one of the greatest hindrances to prayer; and until it is brought to the place of death, it will continue to exercise a deadening influence.Prayer is the pulse of the Christian life. You can tell the state of your spiritual health by your prayer life-not by your knowledge of divine things, not even by the amount of Christian work you do; for while you may be very busily engaged in work, you may be very sick spiritually. Prayer is to the spiritual man what breathing is to the natural man.The spiritual man can no more exist without prayer than the natural man without breathing.It is through prayer that he takes in and gives out the life of God."

2.Read study and meditate on the Bible daily, and consistently. The Word of God is your spiritual food as a Christian without which you will be spiritually impoverished and subsequently lose your covenant birthright in God.(1 Peter 2:2)

3.Obey God at every given moment.He will talk to you through his Word and many other ways that you will learn about in your walk with Him.(Isaiah 1:19)

4.Witness for Christ in your Christian walk.(Matthew 4:19)Speak to others about the love of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, who alone has the power to convict people of sin.Your life, your speech, actions, and behavior must also witness to people about Christ.

5.Trust God for every detail of your life.Cast all your cares upon Him because He loves you and cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7).Look for the best of God and let God be God and let things work out through Him.

6."Holy Spirit Influence" should be allowed to influence your life and not the lusts of your flesh and the pride of life.When you walk in the power of the Holy Spirit at all times you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.(Galatians 5:17-24)Walking with the Holy Spirit is not stupidity, but it is the divine wisdom that will always end up in paths of blessings and honor for you. On the contrary walking in the flesh will always be contrary to God. Dear friend, let the Holy Spirit back you up and be your guide, always.

New Lifestyle In Christ

Some new believers in Jesus Christ are ignorant of some basic lifestyle changes that must take place after they believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Old carnal natures if not crucified can still bind a believer to the kingdom of darkness. These old lifestyles may build strongholds in the believer’s life and become doorways into satanic activities and further captivity.(2 Corinthians 10:3-6)Therefore it is necessary to change life patterns and habits in order to enter into the fullness of life in Christ.

Three principal ways to maintain a new believer lifestyle

• The Word of God: Read, study, meditate, act upon God's Word diligently, continuously and consistently.(Hebrews 4:12) Stay on the Word, no matter what until you get results.

• Prayer: Communicate with God on a consistent basis through prayer and worship. "Pray without ceasing"(1 Thessalonians 5:17)Keep your prayer power on. A prayerless Christian is a powerless Christian.

•  Be spiritually minded by the Word and Prayer 
• a.Keep your thoughts aon the Lord Jesus Christ.(Romans 8:6)b.Keep your mind bathed in the Word of God and the precious blood of Jesus through prayer. Be blessed, my friend.

Praying in the Holy Ghost

After you have been baptized in the Holy Spirit, you will begin to speak in unknown tongues as the Holy Ghost gives you utterance. Praying in the Holy Ghost or in tongues simply means praying according to the perfect will of God. It is the spiritual prayer language of the believer in Christ. Welcome to this life-changing spiritual experience

How to pray in the Holy Ghost
1.Believe in the power of God in praying in the Holy Ghost.
2.Pray to God for help to receive.
3.Believe and be confident that you have received.
4.Relax, speak, without fear, every sound that He gives you to speak. He will not force you. He will only give you the utterance, but you must do the speaking.
5.Speak out until a free clear language comes of your mouth and you have an inner assurance that you have received power from Him(the Holy Spirit).
6.Your mind must not be allowed to wander aimlessly as you pray in the Holy Spirit. It must be trained to be in subjection to the Holy Spirit. It must be controlled and not allowed to go its own way.You must keep God’s word in your spirit by studying and meditating on it.
7.You must actively engage your spirit in what you are praying about, don’t be distracted. Keep a notepad with you and write down every distracting thought that you need to take care of as you pray and deal with it only when you have finished praying.
8.You must actively concentrate upon spiritual thoughts.For without the active, intelligent cooperation of the spirit, it has no means of expressing itself and thus is bound. (Charles Usher, The Prayer life, 1975). Endnote.

Benefits of praying in tongues
1.The more you pray in the Holy Ghost, the more you increase in spiritual discernment and edification and the more you are able to clearly hear the voice of God (with your spiritual ears.)
 2.God helps you pray as you should, and for what you should pray for according to His will so that your prayers can become fruitful. There is no point praying fruitless prayers.
(Romans 8: 26-27)
3.This type of prayer comes from your spirit instead of your mind or intellect, therefore, you are able to pray the perfect will of God over any situation.
4.This is the most powerful of all prayers because it is praying in our most holy faith (Jude 20)
Be blessed, my friend.

Benefits Of Intimacy With The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God personified, living on the inside(the spirit) of every born again person, therefore intimacy with Him is absolutely necessary for living a dynamic supernatural life. When one is close or intimate with a person he reveals secrets to him. This is the same way God reveals His secrets to a believer if he is close to Him.(James 4:8)As one remains close to Him the Holy Spirit executes "the Anointing" (God's power, God's enablement for service) on the believer to help him serve God effectively.He helps the believer live the supernatural life of Christ on the earth. Without Him life will be a struggle and a weight.(Job 32:8)He reveals God to the believer and shows him His secrets(Psalm 25:14)He helps the believer to have victory over all human failures and fulfill his divine destiny.

Be blessed my friend.

Baptism In The Holy Spirit

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is a facilitator of power in the Kingdom of God. It gives the believer spiritual energy and power to run the Christian race on the earth. If you have not been baptized in the Holy Spirit, seek God about it, pray for it in faith today, and he will answer your prayer. It is very essential to be baptized in the Holy Spirit as soon as you are saved. I believe that if it were not necessary Paul would not have asked certain disciples if they had received the Holy Spirit since they believed.(Acts 19:2)When they replied him that they did not even know that there was any Holy Spirit he taught them about the baptism of Jesus and they became baptized with power and began to speak with tongues and prophesied! (Acts 19:5&6)You must have faith in God to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Anyone who is saved is ready to receive. There is no need to wait. You can receive Him with or without the laying on of hands but prayer is always required to receive.Sometimes it was necessary to lay hands for people to receive the baptism in the Holy Spirit. Peter and John had to lay their hands on and pray for the people in Samaria for them to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit.(Acts 8:17)God has already given the Holy Spirit. Simply receive Him by faith. Be confident that if you are indeed born of God, when you come to Christ to be baptized of the Holy Spirit you will not receive another spirit but the Holy Spirit.(Luke 11:13)
Be blessed, my friend.

Intimacy With The Holy Spirit

What is Intimacy With The Holy Spirit? 

To be intimate with the Holy Spirit means to be in involved in a warm friendship or a personal closeness to the Holy Spirit.Intimacy (a true agape-love relationship) with the Holy Spirit,comes with a price tag particularly, discipline, diligence, dedication and commitment in reading studying and meditating on the Word Of God, loving God and people genuinely.You must also create an atmosphere of prayer, worship praise and thanksgiving for Him to manifest Himself boundlessly. He will infinitely occupy every space with His glorious priceless presence.Oh what a sweet spiritual experience that is!

How To Develop Intimacy With The Holy Spirit

1. Read, study, meditate and act on God's Word day and night

Meditation on God’s word is of great significance to a believer’s life. It is accomplished by the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit. Meditation connects a believer to revelation, which is a bridge or an access to the mind and secrets of God. Without meditation on God’s word a believer may never fulfill his divine destiny, he will remain spiritually empty and unfulfilled. A believer must meditate on God’s word to wield power and victory in life.(Joshua 1:8).When one hungers for God's vibrant Word more than natural foods, one enters into a place of  unstoppable victory in life. Job considered God's Word more paramount than natural food.This is one of the reasons he got God's backing in life. ( Job 23:12)

2. Be Spiritually minded in Agape Love

 A spiritually minded believer is one having the "Agape Love"mind set on spiritual things : filled with holy desires and purposes. He attracts the presence of the Precious Holy Spirit. Life in the spirit is only made possible by the Holy Spirit's help. A spiritual mind always attracts the peace and life of God-always. (Romans 8:6) When a believer is not spiritually minded he becomes a carnal, not spiritual; merely human; temporal; worldly: a man of secular, rather carnal, leanings and a sure breeding ground for the devil and his tricks. Learn to be spiritual minded by feeding consistently and continuously on God's Holy Word and consistent prayer.

3. Create and spend time with Him in prayer

Prayer is a covenant relationship with God. It is not just speaking, it is communing and fellowshipping with God in love. Without prayer, Christians are unable to have a two-way communication with God. It is like talking on the telephone with God on the other end of the line, but this time there is no hold key because God never puts you on hold.For prayer to be effective, it must involve both speaking and listening. You talk to God, you listen to Him talk to you and you obey whatever He tells you to do. Prayer maintains a supernatural bridge between heaven and earth.It is enforcing the will of God upon the earth. It is a powerful weapon of spiritual warfare, a great privilege for the believer. It is pouring out your soul before the Lord like  Hannah who poured out her soul before the Lord at Shiloh and received answers to her prayer. (1 Sam. 1:15)Prayer is spiritual work with great rewards and bountiful blessings. It requires time, commitment, sacrifice and discipline.You will never find time for prayer; you must make time to pray.Prayer transports the believer into the divine supernatural for exploits. It is one sure way of staying divinely connected to God.We must pray because Jesus commands us to pray and it is the only way we can enforce the kingdom of God on the earth. Christ’s life was filled with prayer. (Mark 1:35)Just like oxygen is necessary in your breath to keep you alive, prayer is necessary to keep your spirit man alive and connected to God's Spirit and power.If you don't pray you will lack spiritual energy power and strength.A believer who does not pray will become spiritually powerless and a cheap prey for the devil.If you truly desire to grow into His likeness, you must spend time with Him daily in prayer. 

4. Create a lifestyle of true worship in spiritual songs to Him

One of the key ways of quickly attracting God's sovereign presence is through singing songs of "worth-ship" to Him from your heart(spirit.) Only heart felt worship produce results. (Ephesians 5:19)All worship must come from the spirit(the heart) to be powerfully effective. It must come from a pure motive of true love to the Father God. A believer must learn to open his heart and mouth  to worship God in private, and in public throughout the week and not only at Sunday service.You should not become all religious on Sundays alone then do your own thing all week long. God deserves a lifetime of our worship.Worshipping God is another dimension of prayer that moves the believer into God’s presence.It maintains intimacy and deep connection to God. It is giving back to God all His 'worth-ship'. Everyone can praise God, but not everyone can worship God. While true worship is doing the will of God from a heart free of ulterior motives, worshipping God in songs is a catalyst for God's will to be done.Worship is a place of strength, victory, power, and refreshing. It transmits joy and peace into the life of a believer. It helps a believer to fulfill his divine destiny. When you worship God, he opens the deep treasures of his divine secrets to you. Strength for each day and circumstance comes with a lifestyle of worship to God. In the spirit realm a worshipper is as bold as a lion. The more you worship God in songs, the more  you receive spiritual strength and clarity of purpose in life.Learn to worship God.

5. Create a lifestyle of praise and thankfulness at all times

Praise and thanksgiving from a genuine heart of holiness and righteousness brings God on the scene. Praise becomes paralyzed if you have bitterness, unforgiveness, or any works of the flesh  in your heart. If God must fight for you through praises you must offer praises from a genuine heart devoid of evil motives and agenda. (Psalm 22:3) Praise and thanksgiving is a major spiritual weapon against Satan and his demons. Praise silences the raging of the enemy when it comes. (Psalm 8:2)You must depend on God Almighty to help you fight battles of life through praise and thanksgiving as you rest confidently on the finished work of Christ on the cross.(Psalm 46:10) As you remain intimate with the Holy Spirit He will take you to the topmost top of your life.

Be blessed my friend.