Re: KEITH's Spiritual Steps

Admin Fri 01 Oct 2010, 11:02 am

Welcome to Spirit Steps

I wish to thank each person reading this message. May God bless you and guide you

Please view the links at the bottom of this message, you will be greatly encouraged.

If you are able to share these messages, with your contacts and groups, then please feel free to do so

God Bless you

Keith

Acts chapter 4

21Then when [the rulers and council members] had further threatened them, they let them go, not seeing how they could secure a conviction against them because of the people; for everybody was praising and glorifying God for what had occurred.

22For the man on whom this sign (miracle) of healing was performed was more than forty years old.
23After they were permitted to go, [the apostles] returned to their own [company] and told all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
24And when they heard it, lifted their voices together with one united mind to God and said, O Sovereign Lord, You are He Who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them,(B)
25Who by the mouth of our forefather David, Your servant and child, said through the Holy Spirit, Why did the heathen (Gentiles) become wanton and insolent and rage, and the people imagine and study and plan vain (fruitless) things [that will not succeed]?
26The kings of the earth took their stand in array [for attack] and the rulers were assembled and combined together against the Lord and against His Anointed (Christ, the Messiah).(C)
27For in this city there actually met and plotted together against Your holy Child and Servant Jesus, Whom You consecrated by anointing, both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and peoples of Israel,(D)
28To carry out all that Your hand and Your will and purpose had predestined (predetermined) should occur.
29And now, Lord, observe their threats and grant to Your bond servants [full freedom] to declare Your message fearlessly,
30While You stretch out Your hand to cure and to perform signs and wonders through the authority and by the power of the name of Your holy Child and Servant Jesus. 31And when they had prayed, the place in which they were assembled was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they continued to speak the Word of God with freedom and boldness and courage.

Dear Friends

I love writing these messages and I hope you are enjoying reading them.

As I look into this passage, there are some things that the Lord has brought to my attention and I wish to share them with you.

I wonder if your church was/is going through persecution, what would it's reaction be?

Wonder what would happen if your Pastor came and said to the church, that he had been told not to preach the gospel and to water down his message?

Seems far fetched doesn't it? But in many countries in the world, this is the situation that many individual believers and churches are in. Maybe in future days, we in the so called western world, are going to face this type of persecution. So how do we react to it?

Firstly in Verse 24, the church had an attitude of praise. They actually praised God because they were going through this season of hardship and persecution. Peter wrote later in his first letter, that we were to rejoice and give thanks for going through persecution. What is our reaction to such times? Do we complain or praise God?

Also in verse 24, their voices were lifted up in unity. God does allow his church to be persecuted.. amen. The reason he will, is to purify it, so that it becomes a stronger and more powerful witness in it's community

They also held dear to the doctrine of the Sovereignty of God. My beloved Pastor Mark, was preaching on this subject on Sunday Evening and said that it was a great source of comfort to the church. Why is this? Well the believer and church, who knows like the early believers did that God is totally and completely in control of everything that happened to them, will not be moved or shaken by events going on arouind them.. amen

Can I ask you, do you believe the Lord is in control of every circumstance of your life? Romans 8:28

They also gave the threats made by the authorities, over to the Lord. Please remember that God sees everything that happens to you and he is your avenger, it is not up to you to avenge yourself, leave it to God

Their prayer in verse 29, should be our prayer.. amen. To declare the message without fear. I know in my case, that the primary reason, I find it so hard to share the gospel is fear. The apostles and the early church, had no such fear. Let us all pray that the barrier of fear would be removed.. amen

When the prayer meeting had finished, the whole house shook, with the power of God.

Let me ask you this.

When was the last time, that your life or church shook with the power of God through the Holy Spirit?

Church, we are so often shaken by things going on in the world, when the scenario should be that the church should be shaking the world.. amen

We need to wake up and start shaking and shaping the world.. amen

God bless you

Keith

Featured Website

The nearest city to me is Liverpool. Please pray for and support, if the Lord leads, the ministry of the City Mission

http://www.livercm.org.uk/
Featured Website Link
Please take time to view the page entitled Prayer Power. You will find some of the most awesome prayers on this page

http://www.ourchurch.com/member/f/faithhopelove/index.php?p=1_20_Prayer-Power

Admin Tue 28 Sep 2010, 7:41 am

Welcome to Spirit Steps

Firstly, I would like to welcome all the new people, who have joined the mailing list from my old facebook groups. It is a great privilege to have you join with us. Thanks and welcomeThanks for keeping up with me. What I want you to do, is to imagine, that you are there with the early christians. Transport yourself back into the early first century and picture the events in your mind. Imagine that you are Luke, who is writing, all this down, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Please pass these messages on to all your friends and also take time to click the links at the bottom of this message

Thanks and God bless you

Keith

Acts 4

14And since they saw the man who had been cured standing there beside them, they could not contradict the fact or say anything in opposition.

15But having ordered [the prisoners] to go aside out of the council [chamber], they conferred (debated) among themselves,
16Saying, What are we to do with these men? For that an extraordinary miracle has been performed by (through) them is plain to all the residents of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.
17But in order that it may not spread further among the people and the nation, let us warn and forbid them with a stern threat to speak any more to anyone in this name [or about this Person].
18So] they summoned them and imperatively instructed them not to converse in any way or teach at all in or about the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied to them, Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you and obey you rather than God, you must decide (judge).
20But we [ourselves] cannot help telling what we have seen and heard.

The first thing, that the Lord wants to share with us from this passage is in verse 14. People can try and disprove Christianity, they can put up, all kinds of theories to answer the christian faith (or so they think).

But they cannot argue, with a changed life. amen. The fact that Jesus has changed your life, is one of your greatest assets. People cannot argue and disprove a life that ha been transformed by God.. amen.

Meeting with Jesus is a life changing experience as Paul outlines further on in this book. Your personal testimony of how God has changed and is changing your life, speaks volumes.. amen

The world cannot understand, how people have been changed by the Power of God. Look at verse 16, they were totally confounded and confused by what was happening. When God moves in a powerful way, in the life of someone, people cannot understand it.

Their only hope was to try and silence the Apostles. But look at the answer that Peter and John gave in verses 19-20

Their one concern was to tell of what they had seen and heard. Their tongues were fully loosed, they couldn't help, but share Jesus

Can you say the same words, that Peter and John said in verse 20?

Remember that you are a living breathing testimony to the power of God. Man can put out arguments to say that God doesn't exist, but you and your living testimony, are one of the biggest examples that God is real and personal.. amen

It is time to share our testimonies my friends. You have a story to tell

Let's tell the world that Jesus saves

God bless you

Keith
Featured Website

For all you men, here is one of the best sites on the web, especially for men. Ladies, you can read it too

http://www.menofintegrity.org/

Featured Website Link

Come and read about some of the greatest men of God, who ever lived. Such as Samuel Marsden and John Harper.. the true hero of the Titanic

http://www.ourchurch.com/member/f/faithhopelove/index.php?p=1_5_Faith-movers

Admin Mon 20 Sep 2010, 3:17 pm

Welcome to Spirit Steps

Thanks everyone, for taking the time to read these messages. All of you, have busy lives and I truly appreciate the time you take to read and indeed pass on these messages.

At the bottom of this message are 2 links, one to my own website and another to a website, that helps Christian Women, reach their potential.

God bless you

Keith

Acts chapter 4

13Now when they saw the boldness and unfettered eloquence of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and untrained in the schools [common men with no educational advantages], they marveled; and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.

I just love, how the Amplified Bible, puts it here.

Note the words that are used here to describe Peter and John.

The greatest need of the church today and us as individuals, is to have boldness and the unfettered eloquence of the apostles.

So often, as Christians, we become tongue tied, when we are talk about Jesus. We can talk about virtually anything, with our neighbours, other that Our Saviour. I know, how difficult, it is to share Jesus, this is something, that I find so hard to do.

We need to pray that the Spirit of fear that binds us, and it is fear, would be dispelled and that our tongues would be loosed.

Another reason, that we don't share Jesus, is because we are worried about what people, will think of us.

In Matthew 16, Jesus says these words

25For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

We keep our reputation our status, by not sharing the gospel, but we gain so much more by sharing it.. amen

I know from personal experience, that when you share the gospel, although you do it, in fear and trembling, it makes you feel positive about your faith and gives you a real sense of purpose

Many people who are reading this, have gone through some kind of training at Bible College or seminary, and I am not knocking that at all. But the best type of training, is being taught at the feet of Jesus John 10:38-42

We do not know, what Jesus said in the forty days, between his Resurrection and his Ascension. But we do know that the words spoken by Jesus, all the books in the world, are not able to contain them. It was like a forty day bible school, by the Kings of Kings. Maybe, you/I, should enrol in this bible school, with the Holy Spirit as teacher. Indeed, we do that every day, when we take time to study the bible (not just read it for 5 minutes), using study notes!

Later in Acts, we come across, the apostle Paul. Now Paul was trained as a scholar, but this is not, why God choose Him. He was choosen, because he was open to God. Whether, you are highly qualified or have just a basic education, God will use you, if you put all your talents at his disposal. One last question

Can the People around you perceive that you have been with Jesus?

What matters to God, is not how much knowledge of the bible you have, but how much do you know Jesus?

Have you an intimate and developing relationship with HIM, that is growing and deepening every day?

These are the men and women that God uses.. amen

God bless you

Keith

Featured Website

For all your ladies, here is one of the best sites on the web. Men, you can also check it out too!!!!!. Maybe you will learn something from it.

http://proverbs31woman.com/

Featured website Link

Please read how lives have been transformed by the Power of the Gospel.

http://www.ourchurch.com/member/f/faithhopelove/index.php?p=1_22_Transformed-Lives

Admin Sat 18 Sep 2010, 5:43 pm

Please note you will find some of Spiritual Steps posted in Keith noonday Devotionals.
My error sorry:
I did not seperate and seem time permitting my end would be a bit difficult to edit and rearrange My apologies and prayer you will still be able to glean from the Spiritual Steps studies. Blessings Elaine

Welcome To Spirit Steps

What a joy, it is to share with you once again. I do hope you are blessed by what I share from God's word

Please click the Links at the bottom of this message and also pass on this message to all your contacts

Thanks and God bless you

Keith

Acts 4

12 And there is salvation in and through no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by and in which we must be saved.

As we witness to others, about our faith. Some people may say that, we are being exclusive in our portrayal of Jesus, as the one and only answer to the problem of Sin.

But, we are only repeating, what Jesus himself said in John 14:6

6 Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

There are many faiths in this world, but there is one way to Salvation.. amen. That is through the precious blood of the Lord Jesus, by his Death and Resurrection.. amen

This morning I was reading in Ephesians chapter 2, and these were the words

7He did this that He might clearly demonstrate through the ages to come the immeasurable (limitless, surpassing) riches of His free grace (His unmerited favor) in [His] kindness and goodness of heart toward us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by free grace (God's unmerited favor) that you are saved ([c]delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ's salvation) through [your] faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;

9Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the Law's demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to himself.]

Salvation, is all of God.. amen. Jesus is the only way to the Father.
He is the way to the Father
He is the Light of that way
He gives life John 10:10
He imparts truth

What the apostles stated here, we must always share with people. All our human efforts are of no use. We couldn't reach up to God, but God reached down to us.. amen

God bless you

Keith

Featured Website

If you or your friends are thinking of going to bible school.. Capernwray has centres all around the world

http://www.torchbearers.org/

Featured Website Link

Please check out the Page relating to the Resurrection of Jesus. Please pass on this page to your friends

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