Ms. Annie led us singing “Worthy is the Lamb Who was Slain”
I could sit here for one hour and just listen to that and visualize what He did on the cross for each one of us. Thank You Lord.
The following excerpt was taken from Taking Action by Reinhard Bonnke:
Without having been to Calvary, everybody lives a second-class existence as illegal immigrants. Passport and entry permits are repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. ‘Then we may enter the kingdom with the full privileges of citizens, “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19). ‘The covenants of promise are ours.
We are not beggars asking the glorified saints to send us a few scraps of help. We do not need to collect their bones, hoping that some of their holiness or grace will brush off on us and stand to our credit. Believers are not bone pickers. If we do what the apostles did, we shall get what the apostles got from the same Father by the same Spirit on the same terms of grace.
The gifts are given to us freely. ‘There are cheapjack imitations on the market, religious novelties, vibrations, spirit powers, healing sunbeams, and sweetness and light from nowhere in particular. In many countries our work disturbs those who have their own claims to power, protection, and healing.
I recall an especially powerful witch being brought over from America specifically to cast a spell and destroy what I was preaching. She stood at the back of the crowd and went through her performance. I wore the whole armor of God, and as she attempted to speed the harmful spirit-spear at me across the field, it turned back upon her. Her attempt was futile against a blood-bought child of God.
But the Holy Spirit waits at the Cross, and those who kneel at that altar, and there alone, receive His limitless blessings. At Calvary are benefits far beyond the labored results of mantras, New Age processes, and occultism. These are “the weak and beggarly elements” that Paul described I Galatians 4:8-11.
How real and how great His gifts are we shall see.
My PURPOSE IN writing this book is not a wish to intrigue readers but to emphasize that the gifts have a vital part to play in world evangelism. They are weapons of war, not toys to be played with. Mark 16 firmly anchors miracles to the Great Commission.
From the outset the church looked doomed, stillborn. To bring His message to the nations Jesus had only a few ordinary men from Galilee. None of them showed any brilliance or personal qualities that would make for success, and they displayed a generous share of human failings. They were as unqualified as world conquerors as men ever could be. The Jewish leaders wrote them off as ignorant and unlearned. Their message should have appealed to nobody. It had no element of intellectual wisdom, political promise, or immediate social benefit. Its worst disqualification for popular acceptance was that it was centered on a leader from a seedy Galilean backwater who had been executed as a common criminal.
Mission impossible? Against all expectations it became mission accomplished.” How? These nobodies advanced with a new secret. God personally worked with them with signs and wonders. More than that, He barbed their simple words with conviction and guided them to the hearts of hearers as unerringly and powerfully as David’s stone to the head of Goliath. Without personal charisma, the charisma of the Spirit of God endued them. Their “secret”? The Holy Spirit.
Because the world hovers between spiritual life and death, the utmost consideration must be given to whatever can secure the destinies of the precious people.
Just as in the wilderness Jesus was tempted to misuse divine powers when He had been filled with the Holy Spirit, so are others likely to be.
The core of the test is our pride, which corrupts our sincere motives for the power gifts and produces flamboyant behavior and egotistic display. Jesus was tempted by the devil to throw Himself off the temple pinnacle. One thing to be taken to heart is that the supernatural is not always sensational We can attract personal admiration by our gifts, but our job is to set people’s eyes on Jesus. When Paul and Barnabas were offered worship at Lystra, they were horrified, running among the people to assert they were not divinities (Acts 14:8-18).
“This generation seeks a sign,” said Jesus (Luke 11:29). Sensation always has a market. We can exploit that situation and turn the gifts of God to self-advantage. Simon Magus wanted the Holy Spirit, but only to bolster his prestige (Acts 8:9). Uzza died for his presumption in putting his hand upon the ark of testimony (1 Chron. 13:10). If anyone says, “I would like the gift of healing,” or any gift, the proper reply is, “Why?” Motive is vital.
THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT DO NOT CONFIRM
ANYBODY’S METHODS OR THEOLOGY
The gifts operate by faith in God, not faith in a specific theory. They are not channeled through any doctrine except that of redemption. The Holy Spirit only glorifies the crucified Christ. Testimonies that this or that formula has brought success are always to be found, but they do not prove what they are supposed to prove. God’s mercies are “broader than the measures of our mind.” There is only one secret – faith. “This is the victory…our faith” (1 John 5:4). New techniques and highly publicized methods may seem to bring results, but they do not. God separates the techniques from the faith and responds only to faith.
In the New Testament, whenever healings and miracles are attributed to anything at all, it is invariably to faith. Otherwise it is the sovereign action of God. “Thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace,” Jesus said to the woman with a hemorrhage (Luke 8:48, KJV). Her “method” could not have been more simple and childlike. Those seeking healing can be helped by teaching, but the essential miracle ingredient is still simple, trusting faith in Jesus. That is all God bothers about, no matter what notions or innovations occupy our sometimes muddled brains.
Ms. Annie led us singing “Worthy is the Lamb Who was Slain”
Pastor Ray shared…
Now Ms. Annie keep playing and with our eyes closed let’s bring it back to our remembrance in a way like we do for communion when we bring to our remembrance the blood, the broken body or the stripes that were taken for us, the cleansing that came through the blood that was shed, the beautiful cross. Beautiful in the way it is working for us then, yesterday, today and forever. The beautiful precious Savior went all the way to the cross. We to have come, we bow before what was done through the Son from heaven above. He gave so that we would be free, that we would walk in His love, His authority and His power here on this earth and these days we are living in, times and seasons that we are living in.
We receive the compassion that comes from what was done for us at the Cross. Compassion for others so that would come through the prayers that we pray, the things that we say, places we go. That His compassion, the compassion from heaven, that manifestation of love for others that that would be moving through each one of us that others can receive. We know that is the goal of the Father, the plan of the Father for salvation for every man, women and child. There is room enough in heaven for everyone that would come and say yes to the Savior that went to that cross and brought to us freedom from being lost. Thank You for sending Your Son and that He, Jesus, went all the way till it was finished on the cross that day. Thank You for that Lord.
Thank You just does not seem like enough
We bow before You and thank You for what came to us through the Cross for us today
We are free, whole, healthy, and prosperous in every way because Jesus finished the work on that Cross
Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You Lord
Ms. Annie led us singing “Oh, the Blood of Jesus Washes Me”
Scripture focus…
(10) In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].
(11) Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.
(12) For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.
(13) Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
There is a lot just in those four verses about standing firmly in your place, strong, not giving in, not giving up, not questioning the result that took place on the Cross though the Blood. Once again verse 13.
(13) Therefore put on God’s complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place].
(14) Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,
The truth of Your word. In other words stand on what the word says, stand on it.
(15) And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace.
Thank You, Father, for the good news of the Gospel of Peace, that our feet are shod with the preparation to face the enemy with firm footed stability, promptness, readiness produced through that good news. Father, I thank You, praise You, magnify You that we are standing today because of the blood that was shed at the cross at Calvary. We are standing in our place. We are not giving up ground. We are taking ground. We are taking ground not in our own strength. Like the word says we are not fighting against just natural, physical opponents but against the wiles of the devil, the deceits of the devil. So we stand today on Your precious word, what You said being able then to resist and stand our ground today. Standing firm and holding our ground, tightening that belt of truth around our loins, the truth of the word and then that breast plate of integrity, moral restitute and right standing with God and having shod our feet in preparation, we are prepared and we will face the enemy with firm footed stability, promptness, readiness with the good news of the Gospel of Peace.
(16) Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one].
Words, operations, plans of the enemy, we resist in Jesus’ name… plans of the enemy to take our nation down. No! We resist that, call it out and call it down in Jesus’ name. For this nation shall be united together, one nation under You in heaven, one God, one Jesus the Savior by the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank You, Father, for the authority that is in us because of what You did for us. It’s working through us and we are standing on the good news, quenching every flaming missile or attack by the enemy. We are protected. We stand protected applied with the blood covering around us, each one of us individually but every one of us corporately, the body of Christ. We speak that blood, we use that blood over the body of Christ today, every position of authority in the Church first that they would see, hear and know that word that has already been spoken but the authority that has been given by applying every part of the armor. Declaring that they shall do what they have been called unto and the whole body, no matter what denomination… every tributary, every river, the believers that believe in You, that Jesus is the Savior and Lord. Hallelujah! We are lifting over them verse 16, the covering shield of faith, quenching darts and missiles, stopping every attacking in Jesus’ name. The devil can’t get through the blood that has been applied.
Just like Brother Reinhardt had said in that meeting where the witch was in the back attempting to derail and stop the words that he was speaking but what she tried to do came back upon her because the armor was put upon the man of God and he kept moving on declaring that word richly and the souls came in. Thank You Father.
(17) And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God.
Thank You for Your word Lord. Your word, written word and the words that have been spoken by Your Spirit through men and women for years and years and years. Powerful words, prophetic words here in this book but also spoken by Your Spirit through different men and women of God. Thank you for every part of Your word, the truth of Your word. You always direct and lead us into that truth. Thank You for it.
(18) Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God’s consecrated people).
Right now I know no other way than to pray in tongues for God’s consecrated people.
Praying in the Spirit for the Church…
More, more
Boldness, boldness
Open, open that is a way!
Thank You, Father
Pastor Ray shared…
The whole time we were praying for the Church, the saints, in my mind, the thought would keep coming, aren’t you going to pray for the lost? It just kept coming up. But then I felt this is what we are to do, to pray for the saints. And then I got it, that we are praying for the laborers to go. Downtown Minneapolis on Hennepin Ave… that Jesus isn’t really going to show up and save somebody. He is going to show up and save somebody through a laborer, through the saints. So we are praying for the saints, the body to do what the body has been preplanned, ordained, equipped, anointed to do. Hallelujah
Pastor Paul gave me this verse from Psalm 46
Scripture focus…
(4) There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High. (5) God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God will help her right early [at the dawn of the morning]. (6) The nations raged, the kingdoms tottered and were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. (7) The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our Fortress and High Tower). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! (8) Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has wrought desolations and wonders in the earth. (9) He makes wars to cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow into pieces and snaps the spear in two; He burns the chariots in the fire. (10) Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations! I will be exalted in the earth! (11) The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our Refuge (our High Tower and Stronghold). Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! Psalm 46:4-11 (Amp.)
Word of the Lord came forth…
For the body of Christ is rising up! The occupation has already begun and the TAKEOVER it shall be won! For the lost is coming in sayeth the Lord.
Pastor Ray shared…
Tomorrow we will be praying over Brother Reinhard’s meetings here at the Church. They will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday as well as our weekend service times. You will be able to live stream the meetings from our website.
