Jacob The Heel Catcher - Spiritual Adultery

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:26
Every man shall kiss his lips that giveth a right answer.

In many nations today, the custom of greeting is a kiss on the lips as I have seen it myself. It is a little different for us here in the USA, but nevertheless, it represents someone who is accepting the greeting of someone else. The Lord compares the kiss on the lips to someone who gives the right answer. It is a wonderful thing to finally begin to see what the Word of God means after years of just knowing what it says. The true gifted ministries which the Lord has called and anointed to deliver His “Right Answer”, will be the messengers of the cross, as this is the only avenue of God’s revealed Righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 2:21), that which is “Right” in His eyes.

Every Word God has ever spoken is “In Righteousness” (Proverbs 8:8), and His Righteousness is only revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:16-17), and this is that which is Right to our Lord, and this is the message God calls His Right answer. Those who minister this message, and are determined to know nothing other (1 Corinthians 2:2), are the ones who are, to those who have ears to hear, a kiss on the lips!

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Bread Crumbs “Welcome Conviction”

The convicting power of the Holy Spirit is one of the safeguards given to the believer. In Jeremiah 31:33, the Lord promised that the new covenant would include the moral code of God being implanted within the heart of every individual. There would no longer be a need for ten commandments, for the indwelling Holy Spirit would demand far more of those under Grace than God ever did those under the Law. The Spirit of God is given to lead us into all truth. That truth includes revealing the wonderful promises and benefits of the New Covenant. But it also includes reproof, rebuke, and conviction for any wrong action, attitude, or thought. The true Grace of God teaches us to recognize and eliminate ungodliness, wrongdoing, or sin of any kind. There are those today that say that the Holy Spirit does not lend His voice to help us recognize our sins. But the true message of Grace does not proclaim any such foolishness. The true message of Grace teaches us that by faith in Christ and the Cross, we can have victory in every area of our lives. Thank God He keeps us safe by convicting us and then provides the means to eliminate the wrong we recognize, through faith and Grace!

Titus 2:11-12 - For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, (12) Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:27
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Apparently the way the Lord sees things is the best way for us to see things, and here He tells us that if we take care of the outside work to make it fit (Prepared) for ourselves, then that which is done of first importance, will take care of the latter. To expect to build a house without what it would take to live IN the house, would be foolish. The Lord from before the foundation of the world prepared and finished the work (Hebrews 4:3) so that the house could be built, and through faith in Christ and His finished work, manifest for us at the cross, we can now live in the House, that House being Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Your Word for Today

“i thank my God, I speak with Tongues more than ye all (I Cor. 14:18).

Regarding speaking in tongues, many have asked the question, “What good does it do?” Perhaps the following will be of some help:

1. It is the Holy Spirit Who said that speaking with tongues would be a part of the Believer’s experience. He said it some 750 years before the fact (Isa. 28:11).

2. Paul said, “Wherefore Tongues are for a sign, not to them who believe, but to them who believe not” (I Cor. 14:22). This means that speaking with other tongues is a sign to the entire world, and we speak of unbelievers, that we are coming down to the end. Jesus is about ready to come.

3. When one speaks in tongues, one is speaking unto God (I Cor. 14:2). To be sure, anything that one speaks to God, especially when controlled by the Holy Spirit, cannot be anything but beneficial.

4. Paul also said, “Howbeit in the Spirit he speaks mysteries” (I Cor. 14:2). The word “mysteries” actually means that the person speaks “secrets” unto God.

5. Luke wrote, “We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful Works of God” (Acts 2:11). So, when a person speaks in tongues, he is not only declaring secrets to the Lord, but also “the wonderful Works of God” (Acts 2:1-13).

6. Paul said, “He who speaks in an unknown tongue edifies himself” (I Cor. 14:4). Every Believer needs edification.

7. Tongues and interpretation are used to give Messages from the Lord to the people. Anything from the Lord is of great blessing (I Cor. 14:13).

8. Jude said, “But you, Beloved, building up yourselves on your most Holy Faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude, Vs. 20). This tells us that speaking with other tongues builds up the Believer regarding “Faith.”

9. Isaiah, in predicting the coming time when Believers would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, with, we might quickly add, the evidence of speaking with other tongues (Isa. 28:11), also stated, “This is the rest wherewith you may cause the weary to rest” (Isa. 28:12). As one goes through life, one periodically needs “rest.” Speaking with other tongues helps provide that “rest.” The Bible says so!

10. In the same Verse, Isaiah also said, “And this is the refreshing.” So, not only is “rest” provided, but speaking with other tongues rejuvenates the Believer also. It is sad that the modern Church has, by and large, opted for humanistic psychology, which holds no answers whatsoever (Isa. 28:11-12).

11. Concerning the episode involving Simon Peter and Cornelius, Luke wrote, “For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God” (Acts 10:46). We are plainly told here that speaking with other tongues magnifies God. Anything that does this is beneficial, as should be readily understood.

12. Concerning the Day of Pentecost, Luke also wrote, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2:4). Anything which the Holy Spirit originates is profitable.

13. Speaking with other tongues is the fulfillment of Bible Prophecy. Peter said so, quoting the Prophet Joel (Acts 2:16-18).

14. Concerning praying in tongues, Paul said, “For if I pray in an unknown Tongue, my spirit prays” (I Cor. 14:14). One’s spirit praying is the highest form of prayer and of worship, that which every Believer ought to desire.

I think the Biblical account is replete, not only with the veracity of tongues, but also of its advantages and profitableness.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”)
Donnie Swaggart

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=870569196646849

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=446198315966557

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Bread Crumbs “Simple Things”
To be content in life is a great gift. It indicates that a person is at peace with who they are, what they have, and what they do. Contented people have discovered the simple truth that it is often the small things that bring the greatest sense of satisfaction. For instance, enjoying the home that you live in, sitting in a special chair in that special room, viewing a fire in the fireplace, or a window with a spectacular view. It really doesn't take much to satisfy the human heart. The drive to have, to own, to control, or to possess, all of these can greatly hinder one's ability to be content. The Bible teaches that having food and raiment should be enough. In contrast, the heart of man is overly acquisitive by nature. It is natural for man to want to accumulate things. To follow these desires can lead to a very complicated existence. There is nothing wrong with owning things. But one must be careful not to allow the desire for things to dominate and control. Remember, for those who are in Christ, it is often the simpler things in life that can provide the heart with unrestrained joy, peace, and contentment; no strings attached!

Philippians 4:11 - Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:28
Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips.

The world full of people are our neighbor’s and the Lord has instructed us as His people not to go against our neighbor without a proper cause, and not to deceive with our lips. God didn’t tell us in this particular verse not to bear false witness, but rather not to deceive with our lips, which is simply not to give the facts when we know them. What some call the truth and nothing but the truth, the whole story. Not to tell the fullness of what we know is to deceive when we could have said what was right.

God has not kept anything from us that we need to know or that we need to possess. He has given the best He has for us, as He gave Himself on the cross for us all. The enemy, that old devil, in the Garden of Eden deceived Eve with his lips as he told her that she could be like God if she would eat of the tree that she had been told not to eat from. It was a deceptive yet in part a factual statement, because she would become like God in a sense in which now she would know good and evil, but the statement was only partly factual and not Truth, which always makes it deceitful and very deceptive. We are to stop lying and tell the Truth to every man (Ephesians 4:25). Only the power of the cross of Jesus Christ can deliver from the deceptive tongue of the enemy and our own.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Your Word for Today

“insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one (Acts 5:15-16).

This must have been a sight to behold: scores of people so sick that they had to lie on beds and couches, lined up on the streets, along with other ill people who were able to stand, all hoping that Peter would pass their way. Even as he walked by them, his shadow touching them caused “every one of them to be healed.” Without a doubt, this entire episode constituted a miracle of unprecedented proportions.

When we consider that Simon Peter was denying his Master just a few weeks earlier, but now he is being used by God in such a spectacular way, we have to ask ourselves the question, “How could it be?” First of all, when the Lord forgives someone, they are forgiven totally, completely, and absolutely. We must understand that there is no such thing as a 50 percent Justification, etc. One is either fully justified or not at all justified.

The modern Church has a problem with this. Before good graces can be gained again, if, in fact, they ever are gained, punishment has to be invoked. This is because the modern Church little understands the Cross, if at all. Much of the Protestant world, in fact, adopts the same direction as the Catholic Church, i.e., demanding “Penance” of some sort. Such a position, of course, completely abrogates the Finished Work of Christ.

The Lord has nothing for sale. Everything He has is a “Gift” (Rom. 6:23). But it is hard for the modern Church to accept that. Irrespective of the modern Church, Simon Peter was mightily used of the Lord as it regards the establishment of the Early Church.

The type of miracles mentioned here and the way they were carried out did not continue, even though sporadic Moves of God in this capacity did continue, continuing, in fact, unto this hour. The degree of miracle working power specified here was carried out by the Holy Spirit in order to establish the Early Church on a sound footing, which it very much helped to do.

From the pattern of the Early Church laid down in the Book of Acts, we learn what Church is to be like. The earmarks were laid down nearly twenty centuries ago by the Holy Spirit. If the modern Church doesn’t carry those earmarks, then what is now referred to as “Church” is not referred to as such by the Lord at all! This means that every Church must be compared somewhat with the Early Church, that is, if it cares about following the pattern laid down by the Holy Spirit.”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

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[MessageOfTheCross]

“The Land That Remains”

If there has ever been a time to seek the Lord and go after Him, the time is now! When we as Christians become comfortable and complacent with where we are, we will miss many more great victories that are to come! Many times we settle for a small portion of what the Lord has in store for us. The normality's and few victories has somehow satisfied our taste for even greater victories. We have become cordial with our enemies; those which hinder us from possessing all the land that yet remains.

The Lord wants us to experience all that He has prepared for us through His death, burial, and resurrection. It was at The Cross were the Lord has given every child of God victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil. It is by His shed Blood that He has caused us to triumph and be victorious in our walk with Him. As we begin to exhibit faith in Christ, we will begin to see a consistency in our walk with the Lord. This may sound elementary and simple but yet many of us will fail to submit to the simplicity of it.

Victory is guaranteed in the life of a believer as long as our faith is ever in Christ. No matter how many giants of bondage and self we may face in our walk of sanctification, the Lord has already conquered them through the eyes of faith. It is a promise that we see victory over every enemy. The Lord told Joshua “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you.” It is time for us as believers to continue to press forward in the power and might of our Lord and posses the land that yet remains. It is ours by the promise of the Lord! I pray that our hearts will pursue relentlessly after every blessing and victory that God has promised us according to His Word!

Joshua 13:1
"Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."

Pastor Mario Nash

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=490578825034941

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Bread Crumbs “Gratefulness”

Being grateful is an emotion that displays a thankful heart. Gratefulness shows that some action or act of kindness has brought benefit, even joy, to the life of another. To display this attitude of appreciation is something we as believers can freely display to the Lord. It costs us nothing but a few moments of our time. I can tell you that I feel obliged to proclaim my deepest thanks to a God that found me when life was a struggle. The despair, the loneliness, the bondage, and disappointment were common fare for each and every day. Try as I might I could not rise above my self, my situation, my poor choices, my bad habits, or my sense of helplessness. But Jesus burst upon the site of my life and lifted me unto a higher plane of living. No longer am I being helplessly hauled from one bad moment to the next daily disaster. My life has been turned around by “the Master,” "the water walker,” "the miracle worker,” the Lord Jesus Christ. I would like to shout it from the rooftops and say a great big “thank you” to the one who cared about me before I even cared much about myself. He has done so much for me, I cannot tell it all!

Psalm 106:1 - Praise ye the LORD. O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:29
Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me: I will render to the man according to his work.

The born again child of God, if their faith is in the sacrifice of Christ, will find the power to love his neighbor no matter what has been done to him. Having faith in the cross of Christ allows the Holy Spirit to give the child of God the wisdom to be able to see that he need not to jump into the sinking boat of destruction with those who have done wrong to them. The Christian is not to speak of returning evil for evil, but rather good for evil. It is not up to us as Christian’s to render to anyone according to their works. It is the Lord’s job to do so and He’s very good at it.

Let us walk after the Spirit so that even though we may have thoughts that aren’t right, we will not be found fulfilling the lusts of those fleshly thoughts (Galatians 5:16). All evil was defeated at Calvary! The cross is enough!!

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Your Word for Today

“then Peter and the other Apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, Whom you killed and hanged on a tree. Him has God exalted with His Right Hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins (Acts 5:29-31).

From reading the Text, it becomes overly obvious that Simon Peter subscribed not at all to the modern method espoused by the Church of embracing all things and saying nothing negative about anything. So, we can follow the modern method, which is totally unscriptural, or we can follow the Bible. We cannot follow both!

Peter’s use of the titles, “a Prince” and “a Saviour to Israel,” expresses Royalty and Atonement. Not only is the Lord Jesus the Medium of forgiveness and life, but He is the Dispenser of both. He gives, not sells, Repentance and Forgiveness. Forgiveness of sins means release from the eternal punishment of sins, and Repentance expresses and involves a moral revulsion against sin and a determined breach with it. Repentance is a Divine Gift, as Forgiveness is a Divine Gift.

However, God cannot forgive sins of those who will not seek such or do not believe such. True Repentance is when we say of ourselves what God says of us. We must admit the full bore of our spiritual condition, which is negative, to say the least. This is the reason it so hard to get people to repent. They do not want to admit what they have done, which, in essence, says what they are. Sinners are not condemned so much for what they do as for what they are. True Bible Repentance goes to the heart of the problem, which alone can bring about forgiveness of sin (I Jn. 1:9).

For such to be, Holy Spirit conviction must be the order of the event. However, Holy Spirit conviction comes only by a proper Ministry of the Word. Regrettably, the Holy Spirit is sorely lacking in much of the modern Church. That being the case, there is little True Repentance and little resultant forgiveness of sins.

The True Gospel of Jesus Christ either makes men mad or glad; it seldom, if ever, leaves them neutral!”

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

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Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Bread Crumbs “Let The Blessings Come”

Whenever a person has a desire to better himself in some way, there is a tendency to force, even to manipulate the situation to his perceived advantage. We must be careful not to be driven by covetousness or any other personal agenda when pursuing what we feel could be a blessing from the Lord. The truth is, when the Lord does something for us it is not difficult to be entreated, It is peaceable, it is without prejudice, it hurts no one else, and once the desired goal is arrived at, it fits seamlessly into our lives and does not cost us more than we can pay. So be very careful not to force your way into any situation. Chances are, if you have to do that, what you are trying to attain to or achieve is not of the Lord. Be patient! Let God bring His blessings to you! Seek God incessantly and be able to discern the difference between an open door of blessing or a carefully laid trap of the enemy. We are to expect the blessings of the Lord but through a developed sensitivity to the Spirit, we can avoid the catastrophes of the flesh.

Proverbs 10:22 - The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.

Pastor Loren Larson
Loren Larson Ministries

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

The Miracle of God’s Word

Proverbs 24:30
I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

Many will only see the natural side to every story in the Bible until they look through the lens of the cross of Christ. While many see what the Bible says, there are precious few who walk in the understanding there contained. God has not hidden things FROM His children, but FOR them and they must seek Him in His Word, but He will only be found through faith in His sacrifice.

The Lord here reveals that the lazy man and the man void of understanding are one and the same because if the man had understanding he would not be lazy. Understanding is defined as the knowledge of the Holy One (Proverbs 9:10), and the knowledge of the Holy One is Eternal Life (John 17:3), if it is the Holy One of the Word of God and His Son whom He sent to die for our sins on the cross. The lazy do not become void of understanding, but those void of understanding will become lazy. Fight to maintain your faith in the cross alone while in the midst of a world and much of the church that points to other objects of faith that God will not honor. The cross was, is, and will always be enough.

Seeking God in His Word and experiencing Him through faith in the sacrifice of Christ!

Pastor Curtis

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Your Word for Today

“and he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told you what you must do (Acts 9:6).

The conversion of Saul of Tarsus was, without a doubt, one of the greatest conversions in the annals of human history. There is a good possibility that Stephen’s words and behavior had a great effect on him. He watched Stephen being stoned as he called upon God, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Saul was also watching as the martyr knelt down and cried with a loud voice, “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge” (Acts 7:59-60).

This is where conviction on Saul by the Holy Spirit began. However, Saul reacted to that conviction, even as many do, by exhibiting more hatred against the followers of Christ. “He made havoc of the Church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). His anger became so pronounced that the Holy Spirit recorded him as “breathing out threatening's and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1).

It was with this frame of mind, fighting conviction by being ever more oppressive, that Saul went to Damascus in order to extend his violent reach. But something happened that would change his life forever, something so dramatic that he oftentimes was compelled to relate the experience.

As he came near Damascus, the Scripture says, “Suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heaven” (Acts 9:3). He then heard a voice and he also saw the Lord (Acts 9:17). One glimpse of Jesus undid all his arguments, discomfiting him in every capacity. Zealous as he was for the Law, yet found he that he was fighting against God and destroying his people.

The Scripture says, “And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what will You have me to do?” (Acts 9:6). At that moment, Saul of Tarsus gave his heart and life to Jesus Christ. It is amazing that when he asked, “Who are You, Lord?” the Lord answered him by using the name that Paul hated the most, “Jesus” (Acts 9:5).

Ironically enough, it was to this man that the Lord would give the meaning of the New Covenant, which was, and is, the meaning of the Cross. He would be the Masterbuilder of the Church (I Cor. 3:10). The Lord would show Paul the victory of the Cross, not only as it refers to the Salvation of the soul, but also to the Sanctification of the Saint (Rom., Chpt. 6).

Some have asked the question, “What is the origin of Western Civilization?” If you know your Bible, the answer is simple. The little Jew from Tarsus is more responsible for Western Civilization than any man who has ever lived. It was his Gospel that pushed west, touching most of Europe, finally going to England, and then ultimately to the United States and elsewhere in the world. Paul is responsible for that which we refer to as “Western Civilization.”

This Civilization, the envy of the world, enjoying the greatest prosperity and the greatest freedoms of all, can trace its origin to the Jew from Tarsus, i.e., “the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.”’

—Donnie Swaggart (taken from the “Word for Every Day)”
Donnie Swaggart

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1464086940399568

Evangelist Torrance Nash Ministries