You can love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind!

[QuestionTime]

As far as I understand, there was a Ceremonial Law (Feasts, sacrifices, etc..) and there was the Moral Law which was various commandments.

The Ceremonial Law was all an Old Testament portrait of Jesus Christ's work on the cross, sacrificing animals for sins, etc.; and since they were precursors to Jesus, He did away with those things.

The Moral Law was not done away with, so far as it still does the work God intended it to do: Restrain Sin, and be a taskmaster to bring people to faith in Christ.

Also, Entire Sanctification doesn't remove the possibility of sin. But it does make it possible to never sin again. Check out 1 John 3 for scriptures that prove that men can live without sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Quest

 

[VW]

Good verses

I have been reading Galatians tonight (Living Bible Translation)

Did you receive the Holy Spirit by trying to keep the Jewish laws? Of course not, for the Holy Spirit came upon you only after you heard about Christ and trusted him to save you. Gal 3:2

And all of us Christians can have the promised Holy Spirit through this faith Gal3:14

The amount of People I have seen continually praying for the Baptiusm of the Holy Spirt, believing they don't receive it because they are not 'good enough' to receive it. Baloney, it is by faith we receive it, not by working ourself into some saintly state.

I ask you again, does God give you the power of the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you as a result of you trying to obey the Jewish laws?. No of course not. It is when you believe in Christ and fully trust in him. Gal3:5

People are too ingrained in concentrating on living a good enough life, they cannot let go and simply trust Jesus. They base their Christian life on how good people they are, and most spend their time trying to be good enough, which has to be law keeping even if they don't realise it. We can only make God happy one way, by trusting in Christ

If we could be saved by His laws then God would not have to give us a different way to get out of the grip of sin, for the scriptures insist we are all its prisoners the only way out is through faith in Jesus Christ, the way of escape is open to all who believe him. Gal3:21&22

This is getting monotonous. We receive the Spirit by faith and not trying to live a good life, we receive freedom from sin, by faith and not striving to live a good life, and miracles are worked among us if we believe the message of faith in the Son of God, not by trying to be good. Because weather people see it or not, trying to be good is trying to obey laws. The Bible is so plain, but people are stuck in a rut ingrainerd in their minds is that we must strive to be good. No, we must trust Jesus, He is the only way out of our sin.

people don't receive the spirit because they do not believe. if today, we hear his voice, we have no excuse if we do not believe.

 

[VW]

As far as I understand, there was a Ceremonial Law (Feasts, sacrifices, etc..) and there was the Moral Law which was various commandments.

The Ceremonial Law was all an Old Testament portrait of Jesus Christ's work on the cross, sacrificing animals for sins, etc.; and since they were precursors to Jesus, He did away with those things.

The Moral Law was not done away with, so far as it still does the work God intended it to do: Restrain Sin, and be a taskmaster to bring people to faith in Christ.

Also, Entire Sanctification doesn't remove the possibility of sin. But it does make it possible to never sin again. Check out 1 John 3 for scriptures that prove that men can live without sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Quest

this contradicts scripture. hebrews 7:18-19

 

[livingbygrace]

people don't receive the spirit because they do not believe. if today, we hear his voice, we have no excuse if we do not believe.

Yes, if anyone asks for the Spirit and believes they have received it, it is theirs. But people want vto see the evidence before they will believe they have it. They need to stand on the truth of the Bible and believe they have received it before they see the proof

 

[VW]

As far as I understand, there was a Ceremonial Law (Feasts, sacrifices, etc..) and there was the Moral Law which was various commandments.

The Ceremonial Law was all an Old Testament portrait of Jesus Christ's work on the cross, sacrificing animals for sins, etc.; and since they were precursors to Jesus, He did away with those things.

The Moral Law was not done away with, so far as it still does the work God intended it to do: Restrain Sin, and be a taskmaster to bring people to faith in Christ.

Also, Entire Sanctification doesn't remove the possibility of sin. But it does make it possible to never sin again. Check out 1 John 3 for scriptures that prove that men can live without sin.

Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

Quest

sorry, not that in 1st john. the only way to please god while not sinning is to live in jesus christ. any other way is not of faith, and thus is sin.

the setting aside of the former commandents is what i was talking about.

and that the law is separate. it all came from the same god to the same people.

 

[livingbygrace]

this contradicts scripture. hebrews 7:18-19

Yes, and personally I believe it would be harder to keep many of the Ten Commadments than much else of the Jewish law(most of which would be tedious)

Paul spoke of the sinful passions in our lives being aroused by the law, then he gave the example of coveting, used by sin to condemn him(one of the Ten Commandments,) then he spoke of his strugglre with sin, then he spoke of the victory over sin.

If Paul believed we were still under the Ten Commandments when he continually said we are not under law, he would at least once have qualified that by saying that we are still under law where the Ten Commandments are concerned

 

[QuestionTime]

this contradicts scripture. hebrews 7:18-19

Greetings VW,

I'm not sure how my comment contradicts scripture. Could you be more specific?

Gal 3:
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

the setting aside of the former commandents is what i was talking about.

and that the law is separate. it all came from the same god to the same people.

I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me.

Quest

 

[QuestionTime]

I remember back when I was 16 years old. I was going to a singing lesson at the Bible College in town, and I took the wrong bus, so I was one hour late. I met this Christian guy who offered to give me a ride home. I visited his house a few times that week and he told me about Jesus, and gave me a Petra cassette.

Despite talking with him however, I was still convinced to run away from my Dad's place and head out west to find my Birthmother. I even phoned my birthmother during this time, though I never spoke with her again for 7 more years. Anyway...

I didn't make it out west, I hitchhiked to a friends place in a city about 3 hours away and my Dad came and found me. The agreement we made was we'd move out of the place we were in - I hated the old rusty bathtub - and that this friend could come and stay with us.

Well anyway, this friend wasn't much of a friend, I found out later. But first: The summer we hung out together was quite amazing for me. He told me he was a medium, and that he could speak to an angel named Gideon. Gideon was concerned that I should start loving people instead of being the hateful little punk that I was back then.

I became quite convinced that this Gideon was a real angel and I began to change. I was given a rating on my love level by Gideon and my rating kept going up. I probably started in the 20s or 30s and I was up over 60 I think by the time this "friend" left town. The entire thing is really silly looking back at it now, but I really began to change. I was listening to my Petra tape religiously and trying to do good deeds.

After awhile this fellow went away on a hunting trip or something and I was often home alone in my Dad's new house. I spent all of my free time at home talking to God and listening to my Petra tape. I began to realize during this time that I could feel love from God, but not from Gideon. I realized that I had never felt love from Gideon, but I had from God.

Eventually I sought for and found that Christian guy I had met earlier. I told him about the whole Gideon story and that I was excited about God. He asked if I wanted to pray the Sinner's prayer and I agreed and did so.

A few days later I had a clear experience with God where my understanding of the Bible and of the Petra tape changed. I had interpretations of my own to explain what the Petra band was singing about, but after my Justification experience, all of those interpretations were immediately changed.

So, everything was great from there, right? Wrong!!! From there I learned that I wasn't supposed to do: A, B, C and D. I learned also that 1, 2, 3 and 4 were required of me. I began to feel condemned as I wasn't able to get myself to stop A, B, C and D, and I wasn't able to get myself to do 1, 2, 3 and 4. I quickly found that my close loving relationship with God disintegrated and I was living a life of hopeless defeat.

Fast forward nearly 17 years and today I am really beginning to understand what being dead to the Law means. I had always asked God why our relationship was gone. I often tried to get back the closeness we had and just couldn't find a way to do so. Well, today I realize why I lost my closeness with God, and now I know how to get it back. Basically, when I was 16 I didn't have a list of rules to keep. All I did then was love God, and my love for Him actually caused me to desire to do good works. But after my Justification experience, I lost all of my love for God because I put myself under the Law of Sin and Death. From that point forward I was living for the Law and not for God.

Well today, I say goodbye to the Law and it's requirements. I believe now that the Bible gives me permission to do so. Now it's time for me to go back and love Jesus again, just like I used to!

Thanks LivingByGrace and VW for your help thus far in getting me back to where I belong.

Watchman Nee also deserves special thanks for this sermon of his that really helped me with this understanding. He says that as soon as we are released from the Law of Sin and Death, we are automatically under a different Law; the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus! The switch from the one Law to the other is instantaneous, just like the Law of Helium in a balloon is greater than the Law of gravity! One Law automatically takes over from the other!

http://www.victoryoversin.com/lawfree.htm

Once the Lord grants you mercy and shows you that sin is a law, you will not be far from victory. If you continue to think that sin is an occasional act and that victory can be secured through additional prayers and struggles against temptations, you are far from victory. Paul's story shows us that sin is a law. The power of sin is strong; our own power is weak. The power of sin always prevails, while our own power always fails. As soon as Paul realized that sin is a law, he knew that none of his methods would work. His determination was useless; he would never overcome the law of sin by his will. This was a great discovery, a great revelation to him.

All victories are unconscious victories because the law of the Holy Spirit is operating and upholding us, not our own will. This kind of spontaneous victory is genuine victory. Once you experience this, you will realize that only the indwelling Spirit can keep you from sin; you do not have to will not to sin. It is also the indwelling Holy Spirit who is enabling you to overcome; you do not have to will to overcome. Since this law dwells in you, you are delivered from the law of sin and of death. You are in Christ Jesus, and the law of the Spirit of life is in you. Spontaneously, you are free. As long as you do not rely on your own will and effort, the Holy Spirit will bring you into victory.

Quest

 

[livingbygrace]

I remember back when I was 16 years old. I was going to a singing lesson at the Bible College in town, and I took the wrong bus, so I was one hour late. I met this Christian guy who offered to give me a ride home. I visited his house a few times that week and he told me about Jesus, and gave me a Petra cassette.

Despite talking with him however, I was still convinced to run away from my Dad's place and head out west to find my Birthmother. I even phoned my birthmother during this time, though I never spoke with her again for 7 more years. Anyway...

I didn't make it out west, I hitchhiked to a friends place in a city about 3 hours away and my Dad came and found me. The agreement we made was we'd move out of the place we were in - I hated the old rusty bathtub - and that this friend could come and stay with us.

Well anyway, this friend wasn't much of a friend, I found out later. But first: The summer we hung out together was quite amazing for me. He told me he was a medium, and that he could speak to an angel named Gideon. Gideon was concerned that I should start loving people instead of being the hateful little punk that I was back then.

I became quite convinced that this Gideon was a real angel and I began to change. I was given a rating on my love level by Gideon and my rating kept going up. I probably started in the 20s or 30s and I was up over 60 I think by the time this "friend" left town. The entire thing is really silly looking back at it now, but I really began to change. I was listening to my Petra tape religiously and trying to do good deeds.

After awhile this fellow went away on a hunting trip or something and I was often home alone in my Dad's new house. I spent all of my free time at home talking to God and listening to my Petra tape. I began to realize during this time that I could feel love from God, but not from Gideon. I realized that I had never felt love from Gideon, but I had from God.

Eventually I sought for and found that Christian guy I had met earlier. I told him about the whole Gideon story and that I was excited about God. He asked if I wanted to pray the Sinner's prayer and I agreed and did so.

A few days later I had a clear experience with God where my understanding of the Bible and of the Petra tape changed. I had interpretations of my own to explain what the Petra band was singing about, but after my Justification experience, all of those interpretations were immediately changed.

So, everything was great from there, right? Wrong!!! From there I learned that I wasn't supposed to do: A, B, C and D. I learned also that 1, 2, 3 and 4 were required of me. I began to feel condemned as I wasn't able to get myself to stop A, B, C and D, and I wasn't able to get myself to do 1, 2, 3 and 4. I quickly found that my close loving relationship with God disintegrated and I was living a life of hopeless defeat.

Fast forward nearly 17 years and today I am really beginning to understand what being dead to the Law means. I had always asked God why our relationship was gone. I often tried to get back the closeness we had and just couldn't find a way to do so. Well, today I realize why I lost my closeness with God, and now I know how to get it back. Basically, when I was 16 I didn't have a list of rules to keep. All I did then was love God, and my love for Him actually caused me to desire to do good works. But after my Justification experience, I lost all of my love for God because I put myself under the Law of Sin and Death. From that point forward I was living for the Law and not for God.

Well today, I say goodbye to the Law and it's requirements. I believe now that the Bible gives me permission to do so. Now it's time for me to go back and love Jesus again, just like I used to!

Thanks LivingByGrace and VW for your help thus far in getting me back to where I belong.

Watchman Nee also deserves special thanks for this sermon of his that really helped me with this understanding. He says that as soon as we are released from the Law of Sin and Death, we are automatically under a different Law; the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus! The switch from the one Law to the other is instantaneous, just like the Law of Helium in a balloon is greater than the Law of gravity! One Law automatically takes over from the other!

http://www.victoryoversin.com/lawfree.htm

Once the Lord grants you mercy and shows you that sin is a law, you will not be far from victory. If you continue to think that sin is an occasional act and that victory can be secured through additional prayers and struggles against temptations, you are far from victory. Paul's story shows us that sin is a law. The power of sin is strong; our own power is weak. The power of sin always prevails, while our own power always fails. As soon as Paul realized that sin is a law, he knew that none of his methods would work. His determination was useless; he would never overcome the law of sin by his will. This was a great discovery, a great revelation to him.

All victories are unconscious victories because the law of the Holy Spirit is operating and upholding us, not our own will. This kind of spontaneous victory is genuine victory. Once you experience this, you will realize that only the indwelling Spirit can keep you from sin; you do not have to will not to sin. It is also the indwelling Holy Spirit who is enabling you to overcome; you do not have to will to overcome. Since this law dwells in you, you are delivered from the law of sin and of death. You are in Christ Jesus, and the law of the Spirit of life is in you. Spontaneously, you are free. As long as you do not rely on your own will and effort, the Holy Spirit will bring you into victory.

Quest

When you say all we have to do is love God, that includes trusting His son to change us. If we are truly trusting in Jesus, yes, the law of the spirit of life will set us free from the law of sin and death

 

[VW]

Greetings VW,

I'm not sure how my comment contradicts scripture. Could you be more specific?

Gal 3:
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.



I'm not sure what you are trying to tell me.

Quest

for a israelite, who would have been under the covenant given through moses, they would be under the law, which is one law. once they came to christ, the law would be known to have been set aside, as the shadow of that which was to come in jesus. we, as gentiles, were never included in that covenant, were never under the law, being stranfers to god, excluded from the promises in the covenant. but god, in his wisdom and mercy, chose us who were not a people to become a people.

 

[VW]

When you say all we have to do is love God, that includes trusting His son to change us. If we are truly trusting in Jesus, yes, the law of the spirit of life will set us free from the law of sin and death

i believe that he does. may god fill him with his spirit that christ be manifest in him.

in jesus holy name

 

[livingbygrace]

i believe that he does. may god fill him with his spirit that christ be manifest in him.

in jesus holy name

You're absolutely right, he does know that, it was a silly comment to make, but sometimes people accuse you of usung grace as a licence to sin, so you feel almost duty bound to add what isn't neccessary

 

[VW]

You're absolutely right, he does know that, it was a silly comment to make, but sometimes people accuse you of usung grace as a licence to sin, so you feel almost duty bound to add what isn't neccessary

that i agree with totally. and it is because they think that grace is mercy.

i was guilty of that, and having never found grace, i was a sinner against god's mercy, claiming to be his while living in sin. well, god, in his mercy, gave me grace, that is, he drew near to me, showed me the reality of what i believed and what i was doing, and what he thought about my personal theology. that really changed my perspective on everything.

if we draw near to god through jesus christ, we will experience the life changing grace of god's power.
and for the one who has this as their aim, jesus always lives to intercede for them.

moses found grace, at the burning bush, and it changed him forever.

 

[Pete_Martinez]

I remember back when I was 16 years old. I was going to a singing lesson at the Bible College in town, and I took the wrong bus, so I was one hour late. I met this Christian guy who offered to give me a ride home. I visited his house a few times that week and he told me about Jesus, and gave me a Petra cassette.

Despite talking with him however, I was still convinced to run away from my Dad's place and head out west to find my Birthmother. I even phoned my birthmother during this time, though I never spoke with her again for 7 more years. Anyway...

I didn't make it out west, I hitchhiked to a friends place in a city about 3 hours away and my Dad came and found me. The agreement we made was we'd move out of the place we were in - I hated the old rusty bathtub - and that this friend could come and stay with us.

Well anyway, this friend wasn't much of a friend, I found out later. But first: The summer we hung out together was quite amazing for me. He told me he was a medium, and that he could speak to an angel named Gideon. Gideon was concerned that I should start loving people instead of being the hateful little punk that I was back then.

I became quite convinced that this Gideon was a real angel and I began to change. I was given a rating on my love level by Gideon and my rating kept going up. I probably started in the 20s or 30s and I was up over 60 I think by the time this "friend" left town. The entire thing is really silly looking back at it now, but I really began to change. I was listening to my Petra tape religiously and trying to do good deeds.

After awhile this fellow went away on a hunting trip or something and I was often home alone in my Dad's new house. I spent all of my free time at home talking to God and listening to my Petra tape. I began to realize during this time that I could feel love from God, but not from Gideon. I realized that I had never felt love from Gideon, but I had from God.

Eventually I sought for and found that Christian guy I had met earlier. I told him about the whole Gideon story and that I was excited about God. He asked if I wanted to pray the Sinner's prayer and I agreed and did so.

A few days later I had a clear experience with God where my understanding of the Bible and of the Petra tape changed. I had interpretations of my own to explain what the Petra band was singing about, but after my Justification experience, all of those interpretations were immediately changed.

So, everything was great from there, right? Wrong!!! From there I learned that I wasn't supposed to do: A, B, C and D. I learned also that 1, 2, 3 and 4 were required of me. I began to feel condemned as I wasn't able to get myself to stop A, B, C and D, and I wasn't able to get myself to do 1, 2, 3 and 4. I quickly found that my close loving relationship with God disintegrated and I was living a life of hopeless defeat.

Fast forward nearly 17 years and today I am really beginning to understand what being dead to the Law means. I had always asked God why our relationship was gone. I often tried to get back the closeness we had and just couldn't find a way to do so. Well, today I realize why I lost my closeness with God, and now I know how to get it back. Basically, when I was 16 I didn't have a list of rules to keep. All I did then was love God, and my love for Him actually caused me to desire to do good works. But after my Justification experience, I lost all of my love for God because I put myself under the Law of Sin and Death. From that point forward I was living for the Law and not for God.

Well today, I say goodbye to the Law and it's requirements. I believe now that the Bible gives me permission to do so. Now it's time for me to go back and love Jesus again, just like I used to!

Thanks LivingByGrace and VW for your help thus far in getting me back to where I belong.

Watchman Nee also deserves special thanks for this sermon of his that really helped me with this understanding. He says that as soon as we are released from the Law of Sin and Death, we are automatically under a different Law; the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus! The switch from the one Law to the other is instantaneous, just like the Law of Helium in a balloon is greater than the Law of gravity! One Law automatically takes over from the other!

http://www.victoryoversin.com/lawfree.htm

Once the Lord grants you mercy and shows you that sin is a law, you will not be far from victory. If you continue to think that sin is an occasional act and that victory can be secured through additional prayers and struggles against temptations, you are far from victory. Paul's story shows us that sin is a law. The power of sin is strong; our own power is weak. The power of sin always prevails, while our own power always fails. As soon as Paul realized that sin is a law, he knew that none of his methods would work. His determination was useless; he would never overcome the law of sin by his will. This was a great discovery, a great revelation to him.

All victories are unconscious victories because the law of the Holy Spirit is operating and upholding us, not our own will. This kind of spontaneous victory is genuine victory. Once you experience this, you will realize that only the indwelling Spirit can keep you from sin; you do not have to will not to sin. It is also the indwelling Holy Spirit who is enabling you to overcome; you do not have to will to overcome. Since this law dwells in you, you are delivered from the law of sin and of death. You are in Christ Jesus, and the law of the Spirit of life is in you. Spontaneously, you are free. As long as you do not rely on your own will and effort, the Holy Spirit will bring you into victory.

Quest

You and me both brother. I was also dead under the law, unable to please God and myself by my lack of good works. It seems that God is breaking chains for many of us.

 

[livingbygrace]

You and me both brother. I was also dead under the law, unable to please God and myself by my lack of good works. It seems that God is breaking chains for many of us.

I9 am positive you are right. I believe the time is here when we return to the message that was spoken so plainly and boldly by the Apostle Paul. It is a message of freedom and true obediance from the heart.

 

[VW]

I9 am positive you are right. I believe the time is here when we return to the message that was spoken so plainly and boldly by the Apostle Paul. It is a message of freedom and true obediance from the heart.

i also believe that the time is very near when the message of jesus through john will come to the fore, and we will learn to live and walk in the wondrous love of god.

 

[QuestionTime]

Alright, I haven't posted in this thread in 4 days apparently. Feels more like 2 weeks but I suppose that's why they tell us exactly how long it's been.

Not much has changed regarding my spiritual state since I last posted. At that time I had finally come to realize that I was no longer under the Law, and that consequently I can come to Jesus just as I am now, without having to do anything at all before I come.

Yesterday I was really trying to pump myself up with faith, and today I am full of faith also. In fact, today I have decided that I am going to refuse all negative thoughts regarding myself from this point forward. Every-time I believe something that is not true, I lie. I also call God a liar. I have not benefited one ounce in my life from believing the devil's lies, so it's about time that I cut it out.

Today I am choosing to believe all of these Biblical truths:

I am dead to sin and alive to Righteousness, I have the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace patience, (and I have go to memorize the rest of them). I have a clean heart from God now, and I have been cleansed with clean water. My old stony heart has been removed and I have a heart of flesh in it's place. I love God with all my heart, soul, strength and mind today.

As consequence of this new course of faith, I have decided to read an old favorite book again. This book is entitled: "Ever Increasing Faith," and was authored by Smith Wigglesworth. He was a legit healing preacher, not like so many bogus types today such as Benny Hinn. If anyone has any doubts about Wigglesworth, they can read his book and they will see that he really lived a holy life by faith. Benny Hinn on the other hand I saw a video about and in the video he and his buddies were all smoking weed or some other drug in the video.

Link to Wigglesworth's book here: http://www.worldinvisible.com/library/wigglesworth/5f00.0930/5f00.0930.c.htm

He took me to her house, and there was a woman lying in a bed on the right hand side of the room. I said to her, "Well, what about it now?" She said, "They have sent me home incurable. The doctors say that I am so old that my bones won't knit. There is no nutriment in my bones and they could never do anything for me, and they say I shall have to lie in bed for the rest of my life." I said to her, "Can you believe God?" She replied, "Yes, ever since I heard that you had come to Belfast my faith has been quickened. If you will pray, I will believe. I know there is no power on earth that can make the bones of my thigh knit, but I know there is nothing impossible with God." I said, "Do you believe He will meet you now?" She answered, "I do."

It is grand to see people believe God. God knew all about this leg and that it was broken in two places. I said to the woman, "When I pray, something will happen." Her husband was sitting there; he had been in his chair for four years and could not walk a step. He called out, "I don't believe. I won't believe. You will never get me to believe." I said, "All right," and laid my hands on his wife in the name of the Lord Jesus. The moment hands were laid upon her the power of God went right through her and she cried out, "I'm healed." I said, "I'm not going to assist you to rise. God will do it all." She rose and walked up and down the room, praising God.

The old man was amazed at what had happened to his wife, and he cried out, "Make me walk, make me walk." I said to him, "You old sinner, repent." He cried out, "Lord, You know I never meant what I said. You know I believe." I don't think he meant what he said; anyhow the Lord was full of compassion. If He marked our sins, where would any of us be? If we will meet the conditions, God will always meet us. If we believe, all things are possible. I laid my hands on him and the power went right through the old man's body; and those legs, for the first time in four years, received power to carry his body, and he walked up and down and in and out. He said, "O what great things God has done for us tonight!"

"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Desire toward God, and you will have desires from God; and He will meet you on the line of those desires when you reach out in simple faith.

Quest

 

[QuestionTime]

Actually it's been 5 days since I posted here last, but only 4 days since someone else last posted here.

I am going to add excellent quotes below from the Wigglesworth book. For ease of reading, I will put his quotes - in quotes.

Did you believe before you were saved? So many people would be saved, but they want to feel saved first. There was never a man who felt saved before he believed. God's plan is always this, if you will believe, you shall see the glory of God. I believe God wants to bring us all to a definite place of unswerving faith and confidence in Himself.

There is one special phrase to which I want to call your attention, "And shall not doubt in his heart." The heart is the mainspring. See that young man and young woman. They have fallen in love at first sight. In a short while there is a deep affection, and a strong heart love, the one toward the other. What is a heart of love? A heart of faith. Faith and love are kin. In the measure that that young man and that young woman love one another they are true. One may go to the North and the other to the South, but because of their love they will be true to each other.


It is the same when there is a deep love in the heart toward the Lord Jesus Christ. In this new life into which God has brought us, Paul tells us that we have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that we should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead. God brings us into a place of perfect love and perfect faith. A man who is born of God is brought into an inward affection, a loyalty to the Lord Jesus that shrinks from anything impure. You see the purity of a man and woman when there is a deep natural affection between them; they disdain the very thought of either of them being untrue. I say that, in the measure that a man has faith in Jesus, he is pure. He that believes that Jesus is the Christ overcomes the world. It is a faith that works by love.


Just as we have heart fellowship with our Lord, our faith cannot be daunted. We cannot doubt in our hearts. There comes, as we go on with God, a wonderful association, an impartation of His very life and nature within. As we read His Word and believe the promises that He has so graciously given to us, we are made partakers of His very essence and life. The Lord is made to us a Bridegroom, and we are His bride. His words to us are spirit and life, transforming us and changing us, expelling that which is natural and bringing in that which is divine.

What an awesome quote about salvation!

We have a Jesus that heals the broken-hearted, who lets the captives go free, who saves the very worst. Dare you, dare you, spurn this glorious Gospel of God for spirit, soul and body? Dare you spurn this grace? I realize that this full Gospel has in great measure been hid, this Gospel that brings liberty, this Gospel that brings souls out of bondage, this Gospel that brings perfect health to the body, this Gospel of entire salvation. Listen again to this word of Him who left the glory to bring us this great salvation, "Verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, . . . he shall have whatsoever he saith." Whatsoever!

Quest

 

[QuestionTime]

Alright, now I am bothered by this quote below:

I realize that God can never bless us on the lines of being hardhearted, critical or unforgiving. This will hinder faith quicker than anything. I remember being at a meeting where there were some people tarrying for the Baptism-seeking for cleansing, for the moment a person is cleansed the Spirit will fall. There was one man with eyes red from weeping bitterly. He said to me, "I shall have to leave. It is no good my staying without changing things. I have written a letter to my brother-in-law, and filled it with hard words, and this thing must first be straightened out." He went home and told his wife, "I'm going to write a letter to your brother and ask him to forgive me for writing to him the way I did." "You fool!" she said. "Never mind," he replied, "this is between God and me, and it has got to be cleared away." He wrote the letter and came again, and straightway God filled him with the Spirit.

This really bothers me now. Is this telling me that I have to go and do A, B and C before I get saved? I have heard this elsewhere from Holiness sources as well.

I mean, I feel there is someone I ought to apologize to. But I also feel that an apology is useless if I don't change. I also am afraid because I know this person is going to irrationally explode on me if I do apologize as this person always has that tendency with me. Basically I just don't want to apologize in my own strength. I want God's strength first.

What, do I have to be perfect before I get saved? I just don't know anymore. I am hoping that the case with this person is that God moved him to apologize. If that is the case then I should expect that God will cause me to do whatever is required of me...

Yes, that is what I will do. I will expect that God will move me like he did with this fellow.

Quest

 

[QuestionTime]

Greetings,

I have really been shaken up by this quote from "Ever Increasing Faith" by Smith Wigglesworth. This is right at the beginning of Chapter 3.

I want to instill into you a sense of the power, the virtue and the glory of that name. Six people went into the house of a sick man to pray for him. He was an Episcopalian vicar, and lay in his bed utterly helpless, without even strength to help himself. He had read a little tract about healing and had heard about people praying for the sick, and sent for these friends, who, he thought, could pray the prayer of faith. He was anointed according to James 5:14, but, because he had no immediate manifestation of healing, he wept bitterly. The six people walked out of the room, somewhat crestfallen to see the man lying there in an unchanged condition.

When they were outside, one of the six said, "There is one thing we might have done. I wish you would all go back with me and try it." They went back and all got together in a group. This brother said, "Let us whisper the name of Jesus." At first when they whispered this worthy name nothing seemed to happen. But as they continued to whisper, "Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!" the power began to fall. As they saw that God was beginning to work, their faith and joy increased; and they whispered the name louder and louder. As they did so the man arose from his bed and dressed himself. The secret was just thus, those six people had gotten their eyes off the sick man, and they were just taken up with the Lord Jesus Himself, and their faith grasped the power that there is in His name. O, if people would only appreciate the power that there is in this name, there is no telling what would happen.

The part that is underlined and in bold really struck me. I realized that my mind is always on me, on my problems and on my state of being. I realized that this is unacceptable. God is to be given all of my focus, as He is the only one who deserves all of that attention. I realize that I have to spend my time thanking Him for all that He has done for me.

So, I got down on my knees and, after a little while, I had my arms up in the air thanking God for everything He has done for me! This is an important truth. No man can die for Christ if he spends his time concerned with the suffering he has to endure. Likewise can no man live for Christ, if he spends his time concerned with his problems and not on God's glory.

Awesome, awesome God we have!

Quest