Jesus knew what man was like. When He came to earth, He understood how deceitful man was and came to help him change into what God intended man to be from the beginning. God understands how and what we think. There is nothing hid from Him. God also expects man to follow His rules. We can’t go to God in our own strength. There is a certain way that we must approach God. The Israelites were afraid to face God, because they knew they would die. It has not changed. If we face God, we will die, whether it is to ourselves or physically, is up to us. Pray isn’t something to get us out of trouble. Pray is communication with God. It is the fellowship God planned from the beginning. How you approach God is up to you. But if your heart isn’t right, don’t expect that God will answer your prayer. God’s will is to love and fellowship with us. He will always love us, but not always fellowship with us. Just as man will beseech other man for him to forgive, God will beseech us to follow Him. The Bible says that we must believe that God is and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. Daniel understood that God was his only refuge and it makes no difference what man can do to you. You stand with God and He will answer and deliver you. So Daniel prayed. Let me know how effective your prayer is.

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When I began I would say all sorts of things. I’d speak in a deep voice or use my hands to express myself. I’d quote scripture because I thought God wanted to hear all that stuff. I laugh sometimes when I remember hearing preachers pray with a big blustery voice. As if God would be impressed with that. I found a secret that most people just pass by in the bible. Prayer is talking to God. I speak in English unless I am praying in the Spirit. I’ll talk about that later. If you speak French or German, use that language to speak to God. When I first seriously asked God to heal someone, all I said was Ok God do something. And guess what He did. You can talk to God about anything. It doesn’t have to be about something serious. I’d talk to God about going shopping with me. Or I’d ask Him what He wanted. Or how He feels today. Talking to God is getting to know Him. And that is what God has wanted all along. First you must believe that God is, and a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. When you believe that He is there and listening, talk to Him and ask Him about anything. Do not be surprised if he answers you. Most people hear God perfectly. They are always surprised that that was the voice of God. If you a waiting for the megaphones to boom in your ears, sorry. God doesn’t use a big voice or stick. He sometimes uses lightning to get my attention. His voice is a still small voice that comes from the depths of your heart. It is peaceable, not confusing, and guilt free. When I started God used the scriptures to talk to me. So I wouldn’t be confused. Begin to pray and let God answer you. Let me know what you hear.

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There are many kinds of prayer. God wrote about it from Genesis to Revelations. It depends on the circumstance as to what kind of prayer to use to speak to God. As Paul worked his way through Asia Minor, He left Timothy to be the first pastor of Ephesus. Paul wrote back to Timothy to encourage and teach him. Paul said “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” So there are supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks to God. This is talking to God. Paul was trying to get Timothy to pray this way and teach the church to do the same. There are different types for different situations. I ask God about scriptures all the time. One day I was helping a friend move and I stopped to talk to God. I was sitting at the dining room table by myself. Their girls came in and asked what I was doing. I told them I had asked God a question and was waiting for the answer. The next question was you talk to God. I said yes and He answers. They looked at me like I came from Pluto. I told them that they hear from God also. I explained to them how and they began talking to God. Their lives turned around. God help them to accomplish what He had for them in life. Talking to God does make a big difference in anyone’s life. Begin to talk to God about anything. And watch what happens to you. Let me know what happens.

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My 9th great grandfather came to this country in the early 1600s. They were Huguenots. They came to America for religious freedom. They have had a minister in every generation, since my 10th great grandfather, Pierre, and ending with myself. My mother’s side of the family also had ministers in every generation. My 7th great grandfather, was a Presbyterian minister in Scotland. There have been a lot of prayers on both sides of the family. When my two families joined together, it wasn’t a surprise that my ministry is Prayer. Since the Reformation, my families have been praying for God’s will on this earth. Many of those prayers are still active in our lives. Because God is and is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, whether the person who prayed is alive or not. This blog is for people serious about prayer and accomplishing God’s will on this earth. If you are serious about prayer contact me at the address below.

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I have quick mind. I learn very fast, but sometimes applying the knowledge seems to get caught in translation. I seem to be able to apply the knowledge if I talk it out. I remember things from years ago. I can remember a face or a name and have difficulty putting them together. I’ll look at someone and asked if I know you. It is strange how that works. So when I learn a skill I have to put it into practice or lose the ability. Many times I have had to do it over and over again. But I learn the skill. I have had to do the same with the things of God. He gave me 3 basic skills to begin with. They are Faith, Word of Knowledge and Discerning of Spirits. These gifts work by themselves on a hap-hazard way. I had to practice using these skills to develop them in my life. The first time I used a hammer, I hit my thumb. God had me to start with small things, like a headache. Then I could progress to larger things like moving a mountain. It took time and patience to develop these gifts. Eventually God let me use all 9 of them. That was interesting. One day I shook a man’s hand and God showed me his entire life in flash. I’ve seen people healed, delivered and people saved. It took time and dedication. God showed how to use them and they worked in my life. As I tell people I am not unusual. I might be peculiar, but that comes with being a Christian. The only way that these gifts work is if you become a child of God. Then to follow Him. The bible says, Matt.11:29 “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” (KJV)

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Over the years I don’t think that I ever heard any preacher talk about Ananias and Sapphira. It is interesting because it comes down to what a church really is. Everything in life revolves around people. The church is no different from the world, which is unfortunate. The church is to be an example to the world of how God works in man’s life. If you read the history of most denomination, they started with a bang. People prayed and asked to start something special. When God answer their prayers, it started a movement. Churches sprang up everywhere. The gospel was being preached and people were being saved and healed. God was moving like He wanted to. Then man had to control this movement so it didn’t get out of hand. The more man controlled the less God moved. Until God wasn’t there anymore and man controlled the church. This is how we have so many dead churches. I was in 2 revivals in my life time. The first one lasted 5 years. And how it ended when the pastor and assistant pastor fought over the church. They split the church and God left. The second one lasted 6 months. It started with a bang and the people were amazed at what happened. Then they got bored with God’s wonders. They stopped coming and God left. Ananias and Sapphira were members of the church in Jerusalem. People were giving large amounts of money to the church. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to get in on this glory. Ananias and Sapphira agreed to sell a piece of property and give part of the proceeds to the church. They lied to Peter about how much money they sold the property for. They gave only part to the church. Peter asked Ananias again if this was the whole amount. He said yes and died on the spot. Sapphira come in later and did the same thing. She died in front of Peter. They lied to the Holy Spirit. God knows what is in your heart before you even speak it. The bible says great fear came upon the church. And many separated themselves from the church.
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Many people have tried to prove that there is no God. I have to laugh at their ignorance. It is sad to try to prove that man is really god. During the French Revolution, one of their leaders was named Robespierre. He was as racial a human being that there ever was. The Reign of Terror came about because of him. He had over 40,000 people killed in a year and half. He hated God and wanted to prove that there was no God. He had a new born son and to prove there was no God, he separated his son from everyone. He alone would teach him. When the child was old enough to understand, he began worshipping the sun. God wrote His laws in our heart, so that if we never did hear about Him, we still would know Him. The French people finally had had enough of Robespierre and executed him. When is the last time you could bring someone back from the dead? When is the last time you could make a tree grow or heal someone? God is who He is. We don’t have the power to do anything that God does. Jesus did say we were gods because of what happened in the Garden of Eden. Our free will made us gods, little g. Without the power of God we can do nothing. Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus, it is hard to kick against the pricks.
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I wake up some mornings and wonder what day it is. It comes to me and I have to get up for work. Sometimes it goes beyond that I wonder what season I am in. God made the seasons to tell time. We have divided it into 4 seasons, fall, winter, spring and summer. I look at the civilizations of the past and see how they used the seasons to align their buildings. The pyramids of Giza are aligned with the constellation of Orion. Or the Mayans or Incas built observatories that follow the movement in the skies. I laugh when people say that aliens built the pyramids or the temples in South America. We aren’t descendants of monkeys. Those men in each civilization were smart and understood engineering. They used their understanding of the God and the heavens to build their culture. Yet there are more seasons than the 4 earthy seasons. Solomon looked at the seasons and understood what else there was. He said to every season there is a time. He knew that we went through different times in our lives. There is a time for life, for death, for anger, for hate, for love, for forgiveness, for planting, for harvesting and for everything that a man goes through. Solomon figured this out about 3000 years ago. Which was before all the other civilizations built all their pyramids or temples. God is who He says He is. And He does bring to pass His word as He says. God isn’t a man that He should lie. What season are we in? I pray it isn’t to last season on earth.
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Paul and Saul of Tarsus are the flip-side of the same coin. Saul of Tarsus was raised an orthodox Jew. He was sent to the best Jewish school at the time. It was the school of Gamaliel in Nazareth. Guess who was another distinguished graduate, Jesus. Saul knew Jesus. Saul pressed to become the best Pharisee around. He was reported to be on the fast track to become the leader of the Sanhedrin. He was so good that the leaders choose him to hunt down the new believers in Jesus. When Stephen was stoned to death, it was by Saul’s orders. Saul was enthusiastic about his assignment. He put to death men, women and children. He later said it himself, I was the chiefest of sinners. God didn’t give up on Saul. On his way to Damascus, Saul encountered his old classmate who was now risen from the death, Jesus. Saul was blinded by the light from heaven. Everyone saw the light but only Saul heard His voice. At that point Saul of Tarsus became the Apostle Paul. God had work for Paul to do. God brought him to the backside of a desert to teach him. Paul came back with such a force that the Sanhedrin wanted him dead. Paul literally began to do what Jesus said, that was to preach the gospel to all the world. He started in Antioch. The Armenians became the first Christians. Jews who are believers aren’t called Christians. They are called into today’s vernacular Messianic Jews. Besides the 4 gospels, Paul wrote the other books of the New Testament. If God can take Saul of Tarsus and turn into one of the leaders of the New Church. Just think He could do with you?
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The story of Mary Magdalene isn’t an usual one. She was by all rights a whore in the city of Jerusalem. She sold her body for money. It was a hard life. Jesus came to visit a man named Simon. He was a Pharisee and fairly wealthy. Jesus was seated at Simon’s table and they were having good food and conversation. God had shone His light on Mary’s life. She knew that everything she was, was wrong. And that she was separated from God. She had heard that Jesus was in town and sought Him out. She took with her an alabaster jar of ointment. Apparently the people at Simon’s house knew her and she got in. Jesus was already seated at the table eating. She headed straight for Him. Mary began to wash His feet with her tears and anoint them with the ointment. Simon being a good host didn’t say out loud what he was thinking. Though he thought Jesus should know better than to let this whore touch Him. Jesus rebuked Simon for not being a good host and providing water to wash his feet or ointment to anoint His head. He turned to Mary and said her faith had saved her life and that her sins were forgiven. God doesn’t tell story for no good reason. They always relate to us. This was an important story that anyone can go to God and ask for forgiveness. And God will forgive us our sins. I can see myself in that story, can you?
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