Speak the Word

The awesome power of the spoken word of God is superior to anything man could ever fathom. The word is quick(or alive) and powerful, sharper than any two edged sword comprised by man's skillful craftsmanship. Worlds were created be the mere utterance of God. Christians should meditate upon this, until it reverberates in their hearts. In the following text we will be shown the dynamic power of God's spoken word.
    We read in Matthew 8:5-13 about the healing of a certain centurion's servant. How the centurion would not let Jesus come to his home ,but insisted for Jesus to just "speak the word." We see that Jesus marveled at this Gentiles faith and granted his request for his servant to be healed . There are many things about God that can be revealed through this passage.
    First, the centurion realized that Jesus was the Christ or Anointed One. Thus he realized that Christ had full authority over sickness, sin and death. The man understood that Jesus had been anointed of the Spirit without measure. He truly believed whatever Jesus said would be accomplished.(see v.8,9)We as Christians need to realize that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth. What He says is final. (see Eph.1:20,21) We have just discussed the milk of the text, so now let us move on to the meat of the word, and how to apply this lesson to actual life.
Look at the following verses of scripture:
John1:1,14
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us,(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,)full of grace and truth.
    These verses need to be meditated on heavily. In this scripture we can see that Jesus is the Word and the Word is Jesus. Jesus will not speak anything contrary to the will of God.(John 12:49) You may be wondering what the will of god is ,but the answer is simple. The Word of God reveals the will of God. Just like Jesus shows us how to be like the Father, because He is the Word in the flesh. Everything the Bible says, Jesus is, and everything Jesus is ,the Bible declares, Hallelujah!!! Well, what does that have to do with the centurion and his servant? Everything!!! You see the centurion believed Jesus' word ,that his servant was healed. That's great ,but "what has Jesus said to me ?"you may be wondering . He has actually said a great deal, hundreds of promises. They are all in the Bible , we must read and study the Bible to realize what belongs to us in Christ. "Faith cometh by hearing "( Romans 10:17) We as Christians must know the word in order to believe it.
    The centurion asked Jesus to come and heal his servant. We as believers need to ask Jesus to meet our needs .(Matt.7:7) We are not to merely ask, we should believe that we receive when we ask.(Mark11:24) The reason we do not receive is because we do not believe. The reason we do not believe mat be because we have not heard the word.
    We as the Body Of Christ should renew our minds daily with the word of God.(Romans 12:1,2) This means to have the word so engraved on our heart that we will know and believe the word of the Lord.(Pro.3:3) Then, and only  then, will our words truly express what we believe. Exactly like the centurion did. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.(Matt.12:34) For we as Christians are commanded to call "those things that be not as though they are."
    Thus this is the conclusion of the matter, we need to know what the Bible promises us to equip us to receive from the Lord. Many come to Jesus like the centurion, but they do not have the faith to believe that Jesus can speak to there situation . You really must realize He actually has given us the WORD to speak.

Peace of the Rock

Read Luke 6:47-49

I have a confession to make. I occasionally suffer from astraphobia or for those who speak English that means fear of thunderstorms. This fear goes back to my early childhood. I know God does not desire this (2 Timothy 1:7), but in my humanity this is something with which I struggle. I must admit God has helped me tremendously with this phobia.

I remember the fear and dread that would swell in my young heart when I would see a storm gathering on the horizon; its angry clouds swirling with threatening streaks of lightning. As I write this, I can still recall the paralyzing fear that would grip me. The pounding of thunder and the howl of the wind would send shivers up my spine. I remember retreating into the safety of my mothers arms. I wanted to avoid the storms all together but I had to ride them out.

As I have matured, I have often thought of these perilous time I have faced and the Lord has seen me through every one. I do not get afraid as much about thunderstorms as I used too, but I still have to face storms of a different sort. We all face them. Pain, heartache, financial hardships, sickness, and death to name a few. I have seen people go through storms which I thought would destroy their faith but they remained after all had passed over. Then I have seen those that have an appearance of sturdiness topple because they neglected spiritual truths in God's Word.

In today's reading, we see a comparison of two types of people. We have a comparison of a person who hears and obeys Jesus teachings and one who hears and disobeys. Jesus likens them to two men building houses. I would like to point out there similarities first, both heard the word, both built houses, and both faced storms. (It doesn't matter who you are the trials of life do not discriminate.)The two homes were probably built from the same types of material. They both probably looked very impressive to the average eye, but the ground work made the difference in the end. Only the house with foundations upon the rock stood tall after the storm winds had ceased.

Upon closer inspection the wise builder (the hearer and doer of the word) dug deep into the claims of Christ. He let the Word of God seep deep within the crevices of his heart. He hid God's Word in his heart and it came out in his walk! In Psalm 119, David said, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” Our body makes no action that does not begin with a thought in our mind. This is why we are to renew our minds with the word of God (Romans 12:1,2). This builder talked the talk and walked the walk!

He not only “dug deep” but he also laid a foundation upon solid rock. Our foundation is Jesus Christ (1 Corinthian 3:11)! He knew that all that surrounded the home would possibly wash away, except the rock. When he faced a great storm it was the rock which kept the house from being shaken! Our relationship with Jesus does not make us exempt from the storms of life. We all have to run against the wind in life, but God's Word will not ever fail us!

Jesus not only speaks peace but he is our peace(Ephesians 2:14)! He is the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). In John 16:33, He said “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Jesus desires us to have peace amidst the tempests of trials. He has not given us the spirit of fear (2Timothy 1:7).

Sometimes Jesus takes us into storms of testing. The following is a story of where Jesus led his disciples into a storm:

And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

(Mark 4:35-41 KJV)

Jesus had told the disciples they would reach the other side before the journey had begun. Even though it may appear that Jesus does not care about your storm, he is still in the boat with you! The passage says he was in the “hinder part of the ship”, that is where the captain steers the vessel. You can rest assured in your storms the Captain is still steering your ship! It may not seem like it at the moment, but God is still in control! He lets us experience storms, often to show His mighty power! If it had not been for the Lord where would we be?

This same storm happened right before they reached the country of the Gadarenes. If you remember this is where “Legion” was cast out of a man into the swine. Could it be that the storm was trying to hinder this marvelous deliverance? I believe so. Many of the storms come right before a major victory, so don't give up. Dig deep!

The unwise builder (hearer but not a doer) faced a storm of the same magnitude as the wise builder but his house collapsed. His life was built on the shifting sand of the world. He had not heeded Christ's message, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” The ruin was a terrific loss of everything he held dear. I am sure he had little comfort or peace, while the other builder was not even shaken.

Do you have peace or remain unshaken when life throws you a curve? Or do you crumble? Could it be that you have refrained from “digging deep” into God's promises? This is not to merely hearing a sermon a week or simply reading your Bible. This is, so to speak, walking the scriptures out in your daily life. Living what you believe. Being a doer and not just a hearer. What does the Bible say about this?

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

(James 1:22-25 KJV)

We must not think that the Christian life is all fun and games. We will face storms and trials. We must do as the wise builder and dig deep and lay a foundation. It is up to us to obey or disobey. Have you dug deep and laid claim to your piece of the rock? If so, then you will have the Peace of the Rock amidst life's storms.

Just a Little About Me..:)

The following is a case study I wrote in my General Psychology class at Patten University. I really enjoyed this topic!

A Pal and a Confidant by Kevin Bounds

In the beginnings of the twentieth century Psychologist Carl Jung developed a test to identify individual personality types. There are sixteen different typologies. After completion of a test modeled after Carl Jung's Typology Test, I discovered my personality profile to be an INFJ. INFJ is an abbreviation for of Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. As the old expression goes, “This hit the nail on the head”. I was astounded at how accurate this test was in describing my personality!

The following is a brief explanation of each personality trait. The INFJ personality could be defined as an idealist, counselor,or confidant. The word introverted describes a person who focuses on their inner self, instead of the outward world. Intuitive people read between the lines and process information through patterns and impressions. The feeling aspect deals with how one makes decisions that they are faced with in life. Their actions are governed by the heart and how they feel about a situation, rather than logic. Judging people like order and organization. They are sequential thinkers. Having things planned out and settled is the way judging people prefer to live life.

There were many things that surprised me about my typology. For instance, “Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones.” (Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) It amazed me how very few people have the INFJ personality. Even Carl Jung had an INFJ personality! I always felt that I was a little different in some way, but now I have proof. This was the most significant surprise to me during my research.

During, my research I solidified various things about my personality. One of such things was my inability to socialize without any time for solitude. “Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. ”(Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) As a member of clergy I often struggled with this. I thought I was being antisocial, but really I just needed time to be alone to process things. Another thing this test solidified was I have always enjoyed thinking on deep things and writing my thoughts down. In writing, I have often excelled, going to Young Author's Conferences when I was in grammar school and writing poetry during my teens. Thirdly, “Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential.”(Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) I have always had a soft heart for others. I have experience the ability to “read” people's feelings without them saying a word. Even when I was in school I befriended the new kid at school and often defended the weaker kids against bullies. This research has greatly reiterated many things about myself I take for granted.

I believe this study can be beneficial to myself and others for the simple reason we can be true to ourselves and to our abilities. When we examine our personalities we can find in which area(s) we excel in and also those we struggle with. It is wise for one that has a weakness in a specific area to seek help from an another which has strength in this area. We could also see how each would act to a certain stimuli. This would aid in avoiding conflict or help resolve conflict when it occurs.

I have, as most INFJ's a tendency to “always be right”. “Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ's stubbornness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right.”(Portrait of an INFJ) I believe one strategy would be to take time to listen to others input before I make a decision. I have to admit this is difficult for me to do. “On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments.” This sates another thing in which I must improve on. I am always pushing myself to better myself and the world around me. I often fall into the habit of being a workaholic. I need to take time to embrace my accomplishments and celebrate the here and now!

In conclusion, this study of personality typologies has greatly increased my awareness of who I am as a person! I believe I am more in tune with who I am suppose to be than ever before. Conversely, this study has opened my eyes to different view points and personalities. As I continue to learn about myself and others I will take in consideration all the information I have gained in this case study!

Pray! Pray! Pray!

Read 1 Timothy 1:1-8

In the Scripture we are commanded to, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV) Prayer is the lifeline of the believer. A believer that doesn't not pray is a believer who cuts off the source of his power. It would be like a scuba diver without his air supply. Prayer is imperative to the Christian.

In 1 Timothy 2: 1-8, Paul shares with his successor the what, who, why, and where of a Christians prayer life. He discloses the what types of prayer to offer at first in verse one. Then He tells Timothy who he should have prayer. In verse two through four, He offers reasons why Timothy is to pray. Finally, he shares where and how a believer is to offer prayers.

First, Paul speaks of four different types or phases of prayer. There is supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving. Supplications is simply asking God for something. Then he speaks of prayers in a broad sense, which means any communications with God. Intercessions is when you are lifting up prayer on behalf of someone else. This is “standing in the gap' between God and the individual or group of people. At last, he mentions one the most powerful forms of worship is thanksgiving. Giving thanks should be a very important and central act of a believers prayer life.

Secondly, the Apostle reveal who Timothy should have on his prayer list. It was a very long prayer list, because everybody was to be included! We are not to pray for family or friends but for all people which includes our enemies. This may be very difficult but God requires it.

Next, Timothy was to pray for kings and all those who are in authority. Early Christians often were considered enemies of the state because they claimed allegiance to one greater than Caesar. (This is what the Jews done unto Jesus in John 19:12.) They would point out they supported the Emperor or rulers by being good citizens and prayer for them, instead of to them. The Roman Emperor Nero actually claimed to be called the “saviour”. These is believed to be the reason Paul included this in the introduction of this letter to Timothy.

Christians are called to be salt and light in the world. This includes government and politics. We are to first pray for all figures of authority that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives under their leadership. We are to submit to authority until it usurps authority over God Word.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

(Romans 13:1-7 KJV)

Christians are to pray for God's purpose to be fulfilled in the world. This includes a quiet and peaceable life for believers. It also includes the salvation of all men that will accept the Good News of the Gospel.

Where are Christians to be in prayer? Everywhere. Prayer should be first nature to us. We should have a clean conscience and be able to offer up prayers without any doubt our prayers are being heard by the Father.

In conclusion, We as Christians, should offer up prayer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving for all men. In any place. Our goals is to let God's will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We are to always pray! Pray! Pray!