A Christian, A Scientist, and A Rat Walk Into a Bar

In the 1950’s, Curt Richter, a well-known Harvard graduate, biologist, psychobiologist, and geneticist with Johns Hopkins University did a series of experiments with rats that resulted in an astonishing discovery.

He placed several rats in containers of water to see how long they could swim before they gave up and drowned.

Gruesome, to be sure!

But why would a respected scientist conduct such a brutal experiment on helpless animals? The results may surprise you.

Richter conducted his experiments by placing rats into buckets filled with water and seeing how long they survived. Typically they’d give up and sink after 15 minutes.

Now, Richter duplicated this same experiment with more rats but altered one thing.

Right before these rats gave up due to exhaustion, he would pluck them out, dry them off, let them rest for a few minutes – and put them back in for a second round.

In this second try – how long do you think they lasted?

Remember – they had just swam until failure only a few short minutes ago…

How long do you think they lasted before sinking?

Another 15 minutes?

10 minutes?

5 minutes?

No!

60 hours!

That’s correct!

60 hours of swimming… that’s two and a half DAYS!!!

His conclusion was since the rats believed they would eventually be rescued, they pushed their bodies way past what they thought was impossible before.

Results: A rat that was temporarily saved survived 240 times longer than one that was not given any intervention.

Richter’s conclusion: Saving a rat from drowning – even temporarily, gave that rat HOPE.

So if hope can make such a dramatic difference in the life of an animal, what might it do for a human being?

Many times people enter our lives emotionally, spiritually, and sometimes even physically “drowning”.

They’re trying to just tread water as their life seemingly swirls around them, feeling as if they are getting pulled under at every turn. What these people need is an infusion of hope. And that’s exactly what we’re called to do as Christians.

As Ambassadors of Christ, we should radiate the Love of Christ, so when others enter our presence they feel like honored guests and not unwelcome interruptions.

When we cultivate the presence of Christ and radiate His Love we are essentially taking them out of the swirling waters of their lives, drying them off, providing them an opportunity to rest, and giving them hope.

Three years ago Cheslie Kryst won the title of Miss North Carolina and went on to be Crowned Miss USA. Three weeks ago she did an interview with Denzel Washington where they were laughing and smiling.

Last week, she jumped from a 29 story building leaving only a note giving her mother her worldly possessions.

I don’t know what pain and trauma led her to make that fateful decision but it shows that you never know what others are suffering through and dealing with.

It clearly shows us that we can never underestimate the power of a friendly smile, a helping hand, or an encouraging word.

Proverbs 25:11 tells us, “the right word at the right time is like precious gold set in silver.”

Who could have spoken the right word at the right time to Cheslie?

The Poet, Alexander Pope famously penned, “Hope springs eternal” but sadly, life reminds us that this is not always the case… sometimes, people do lose all hope.

For someone to take their own life they must come to a place of complete despair and totally abandon all hope.

Who could have turned this young woman’s life around with an infusion of hope, we may never know.

One thing we can certainly take away is to determine that such a tragedy never happens to anyone in our sphere of influence.

We can decide to become that beacon of hope to everyone we encounter and make a difference in the lives of those we touch.

For the honor and for the glory of Christ. Amen.

Apple Co-founder, Steve Wozniak endorses Hyperverse!

Apple Co-founder, Steve Wozniak endorses Hyperverse!

In case you didn’t know who he is, here’s a little info…

Stephen Gary Wozniak also nicknamed “The Woz“, is an American inventor, electronics engineer, programmer, philanthropist, and technology entrepreneur who co-founded Apple Inc.

He has a net worth of $100 million dollars.

He is known as a pioneer of the personal computer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with Apple co-founder Steve Jobs.

Wozniak and Jobs assembled the first prototypes of the Apple computer in Jobs’ bedroom and later in Jobs’ garage.

In the 1970s Wozniak created the Apple I and Apple II computers.

Wozniak says he doesn’t like the growing Silicon Valley trend of “engineers as rock stars,” a construct that didn’t exist at the time he was helping build Apple: “Mostly it’s because of how much money they have — and I went the other way. I did not want to be one of them.”

Wozniak aimed to build innovative products and improve the world with Apple, not to get rich.

“I really didn’t want to be in that super ‘more than you could ever need’ category,” he says.

Rather, Wozniak chose to invest in things close to his heart, such as museums in San Jose, Calif., his hometown.

Wozniak gained his fair share of wealth when Apple went public: Today, he’s worth an estimated $100 million.

By contrast, Steve Jobs, Wozniak’s Apple co-founder, was worth around $10.2 billion when he passed away in 2011.

One reason for this divergence in net worth is Wozniak’s disinterest in money from the start.

Steve has given away the majority of his wealth. Not only did he give away what would have eventually been hundreds of millions of dollars worth of early Apple shares to disgruntled fellow engineers in the early 1980s, he has also contributed untold millions to charity.

He later called the move “the right thing” to do.

Current CEO of Apple Tim Cook shares Wozniak’s concerns about the way riches can corrupt. He recently told college students, “Don’t work for money — it will wear out fast, or you’ll never make enough and you will never be happy, one or the other.”

Instead, he suggested, “You have to find the intersection of doing something you’re passionate about and at the same time something that is in the service of other people.”

Proud to be associated with this guy who is endorsing my company, Hyperverse!

Learn more about Hypervesre here ADreamBusiness.com

Loving The Truth Above Everything Else

My frustration is not with ignorance or ignorant people per se but rather with people who are willingly ignorant. 

The fact is, we are all born ignorant.

No one is born knowing anything and as life progresses we consistently become less and less ignorant… it’s the natural progression of life.

The problem occurs when people become more comfortable in their ignorance and are not willing to change to accommodate new information – new facts and truth… that’s the problem .

In order to succeed at life, we must become lovers of the Truth above everything else.

We must love the Truth more than our own opinions and more than the popular doctrines of our clique, whether that clique is our religion, our local church, our ethnicity or any other group we belong to. 

The primary commandment of the New Covenant is to love the Lord above everything else, with our whole spirit, soul and body.

And Jesus said, “I am the way, THE TRUTH and the life.”

Therefore, God is Truth and loving God is loving the Truth… Loving the Truth is loving God. 

Loving the Truth Means:

Loving The Living Truth – God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. 

Loving The Written Truth – The Bible, God’s Word.

Loving The Revealed Truth – Specific Principles the Holy Spirit Illuminates from His Written Truth.

When we love the Truth above everything else and we’re willing to change to accommodate that truth in our lives, we protect ourselves from error and deception .

When the Truth is NOT first place in our lives, we consign ourselves to living in ignorance and become easily deceived and manipulated by our enemy.

Consequently, when faced with life choices, we make decisions based on faulty information, corrupt understanding and fleshly wisdom, resulting in disaster.

Solution:

Love the Truth above everything else and have the courage to change to accommodate it.

Does God Hear the Prayers of Sinners?

Debbie Asks:

Is it right to say that a sinner cannot have relationship with God.
And only those that have relationship with God will have their prayers answered?

My Reply:

This is a complex issue and needs to be dealt with meticulously.

The Bible does say, “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” John 9:31

What this means, is that God is not in Covenant with unsaved people, and so, is not under any obligation to hear and answer their prayers but this does not mean that He literally does not ever hear nor answer the prayers of sinners.

Of course not!

If that were the case, nobody would get saved because God would never hear a sinner’s prayer of repentance.

The Bible says, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

The Bible also says, “Come on now, let’s discuss this!” says the LORD.
“Though your sins are bright red, they will become as white as snow.
Though they are dark red, they will become as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18

God encourages sinners to repent which involves praying and receiving an answer to that prayer.

Acts Chapter 10 gives a detailed record of one sinner’s interaction with God and his subsequent repentance before God.

The Bible says, “At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort, a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and PRAYED continually to God.

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, “Cornelius.” And he stared at him in terror and said, “What is it, Lord?”

And he said to him, “Your PRAYERS and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter.

He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea. He will tell you what you must do.”

POINTS TO NOTE:

1. Over the years Cornelius must have prayed for much, but God was primarily concerned with one thing… he and his family’s Salvation.
2. Getting a sinner saved will always be God’s chief priority in answering any prayer from a sinner.
3. That’s why when Peter came to Cornelius’ house he was focused on one thing… preaching salvation to him and his household.

IN ADDITION:

As Christians, we need to be mindful that there are circumstances that will hinder even the prayers of those who are in Covenant with God.

The Bible says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3

God will always hear your prayer as a Covenant Child of God but that does not mean you will always get the answer you want or when you want it.

The Bible says, “In the same way, you husbands must give honor to your wives. Treat your wife with understanding as you live together.
She may be weaker than you are, but she is your equal partner in God’s gift of new life. Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered.” 1 Peter 3:7

The Bible doesn’t specifically say so, but obviously this goes BOTH ways.

A woman cannot be disrespectful to her husband, giving place to the enemy and not expect opposition from that same enemy.

That’s what “giving place to the enemy” means… you give him the right to oppose you.

The Bible also says, “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James 1:6-7

As a Christian, God always hears your prayers but His response is based on your faith… not your prayers.

As an analogy, the purpose of your prayers is to transport your faith from Earth to Heaven.

It is is your faith God actually works with to create the answer you need.

Faith is the substance of what you’re hoping for.

In a practical sense, faith is simply trusting God above all else, to do what He promised.

Let’s Go Hunt A NIGGER!

Now that I have your attention…

A significant paradign shift has apparently just flown under the radar.

A Black Man, Ahmaud Arbery, has been stalked, gunned down and murdered in the street for absolutely NO REASON, other than he was BLACK… AND IT WAS ALL VIDEO TAPED but America seems to have moved past it like it never happened!

You say to me, this happens all the time, why is this a Paradign Shift???

Tell me if you notice a difference…

Cops Kill Black Man             

Cops Kill Black Man

Cops Kill Black Man           

White Men Kill Black Man

When White People no longer feel the need to hide behind a badge and uniform to hunt and kill us… that’s a Paradign Shift!

I could end this Post right here and just let that simmer, but…

There’s something that’s been stuck in my craw for a while that just won’t leave me.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Christian Preacher who saw an injustice so he extended his Pulpit to the streets and made his voice heard, initiating a movement that swept a country and impacted the world.

Black people are being slaughtered in the streets like animals by Racists, both in and out of uniform and I’m wondering, where is the Christian Church???

Where is the National outcry???

When Hitler’s racist rhetoric began taking root, the Christian Church was silent in Germany and 10 million people were exterminated by the Nazis.

Most of us know about the 6 million Jews but aren’t familiar with the 4 million other people who were killed because they also were considered different.

MY WHITE CHRISTIAN FRIENDS…

When you remain silent as your neighbors are exterminated for being different, it won’t be long before YOU are considered different enough to suffer the same fate.

Consider this… How much time did Jesus spend behind the four walls of a Synagogue as opposed to going out into society and ministering to the public?

I’m not saying we should all become street preachers but if we consider that most of society congregates on Social Media, shouldn’t we be using this forum to aggressively denounce that which God hates?

“These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD…” Proverbs 6:16-17

Innocent blood is being shed as Black people are slaughered in the streets.

My White Brothers and Sisters… where are you???

 

Bible Knowing vs. Believing

Scriptural Knowledge vs. Belief

Most people have the mistaken notion that the Christian Life is only about “BELIEF” as opposed to “KNOWLEDGE” and they are dead wrong.

While “belief” is integral to becoming a Christian, “knowledge” is how you live a successful Christian life.

It’s the very reason so many Christians are living in defeat… it’s due to their ignorance!

Don’t take my word for it, God said…

My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge – Hosea 4:6

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge – Romans 10:2-4

Both the Old and New Testaments confirm that knowledge is the key for successful Christian living.

I have written this to you who BELIEVE in the name of the Son of God, so that you may KNOW you have eternal life – 1 John 5:13

Notice how we need to begin by believing but after we have entered Covenant with God He then gives us knowledge to stand on.

God doesn’t leave us standing on belief… He gives us knowledge so our footing may be sure!

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him – Ephesians 1:17

Paul prayed for us to have wisdom and revelation in the KNOWLEDGE of Christ.

Some may say that we live this Christian life by FAITH and I agree, but faith is based on knowledge not ignorance.

You cannot trust God to heal you if you don’t know He’s a Healer.

You cannot trust God to save you if you don’t KNOW He’s a Savior.

If that wasn’t the case we wouldn’t need to preach and evangelize.

How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? Romans 10:14

You can’t have faith in Him unless you KNOW about Him… Faith is based on Knowledge.

Knowledge is so vital for successful Christian living that even at an advanced age Paul was still desiring for more knowledge of God.

He said, “I want to know Christ–yes, to know the power of his resurrection…” Philippians 3:10

The man who wrote most of the New Testament and gave us most of the revelation about Christ and His Gospel still wanted to KNOW more about Christ.

The Bible says, “But if you don’t grow, you are like someone who is nearsighted or blind, and you have forgotten that your past sins are forgiven.” 2 Peter 1:9

You stop growing as a Believer when you forget what you KNOW about your Salvation.

I submit to every Christian that your greatest enemy is NOT the devil but your own ignorance!

The greatest danger with ignorance is this…

There are many Christians who have been taught wrong doctrine so in their minds… they know… but what they know is incorrect.

These unfortunate souls are in the most dangerous position of all… they know… but what they know is wrong, so they are still ignorant but don’t realise they’re ignorant.

They are operating in complete confidence of blissful ignorance, unaware of their own condition.

How To Avoid Deception

To innoculate yourself against deception I recommend you abide by 3 fundamental principles:

1. Love the TRUTH above all else.

A. The Living Truth … The Person Jesus Christ
B. The Written Truth – The New Covenant Word of Christ
C. The Rhema Truth – The Revealed Word of God to You

2. Cultivate HUMILITY above every other virtue.

If you remain humble you can be taught ANY truth and you can be corrected from ANY error

3. Realise that there is NO ONE PERSON or NO GROUP on this Earth that has 100% revelation on ANY DOCTRINE!

God Himself is a limitless revelation!

That’s why it will take an ETERNITY to know Him.

EVERYTHING we know about God right now is only a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of a tiny fraction of a… you get the picture.

The sum total of EVERYTHING we know about God and His Kingdom is like 99.9999999% ignorance and 0.0000001% knowledge.

Compared to all there is to know about God and His Kingdom, we are all operating from more ignorance than knowledge right now.

Paul the Apostle was wise enough to realize his ignorance and still desire to know God after receiving more revelation about God and His Kingdom than anyone else at that time.

Therefore, ANY Christian Person or Group who acts like they have 100% truth on ANY doctrine and everyone else is wrong, is dancing with deception.

Protect yourself from error by observing the 3 principles above.

Can Someone End Up In Hell Because No One Witnessed To Them?

Understanding the Doctrine of Election

Election is a process which involves the Will of God, the will of Man and the relationship between Eternity and Time.

To Elect, means “To Choose” and there are 2 choices involved in the process:

(1) God’s Choice (In Eternity)
(2) Man’s Choice (In Time)

 

The Gift of Free Will

Psalms 138:2 says, “Thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name” which means God has put Himself under the authority of His own word to fulfill it.

In Genesis 2:28 God said, “Let them have dominion” and gave “free will” to men.

Since then He has never, and CAN NEVER take it back.

This means, accepting salvation is man’s choice because free will is God’s gift and cannot be taken back. (Romans 11:29)

This presents a paradox because the word of God clearly teaches us that we are chosen by God and not the other way around.

Jesus said to His disciples, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16)

Ephesians 1:4 reads, “Even as he (God the Father) chose us in him (Christ) before the foundation of the world”

 

God the Primary Cause

With respect to the redemption of man, God chooses us first (In Eternity) and as such, His choice is the Primary Cause and everything that follows (In Time) is simply a response to His initial choice.

Let’s get some details:

Man in his natural sinful state is an enemy of God and his inherent tendency is to hide and distance himself from God as much as possible.

Adam and Eve basked in the joyful presence of the Lord (Psalm 16:11) in the Garden until the moment Sin entered and they immediately began hiding themselves from Him. Gen 3:6-8

The Bible says He came to them in the garden seeking them and calling their name. Gen 3:8-10

This teaches us that left on their own, men would never seek the Lord and the only reason we have a desire to seek God is because He put that desire in our hearts Himself.

This, in effect, is God first choosing us.

 

God’s Revelation of Grace

The Bible says, The grace of God has appeared to all men. (Titus 2:11)

The Grace of God is the revelation that God loves us and wants a relationship with us… this is Grace in it’s purest form.

There are those who teach that Grace is a Person… The Lord Jesus Christ, and they are entirely correct.

Jesus Christ is the Grace of God because He is the ultimate revelation of God the Father and the only way to a relationship with Him.

However, the Grace of God appeared to men long before Jesus Christ was physically manifested to the world.

Romans 1:20 in the New Living Translation reads, “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Psalm 19:1-4 in the GOD’S WORD Translation says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky displays what his hands have made.

One day tells a story to the next. One night shares knowledge with the next without talking, without words, without their voices being heard.

[Yet,] their sound has gone out into the entire world, their message to the ends of the earth.”

This is the Grace of God being shared with the entire world before Christ was presented as the Son of God in Jerusalem.

God revealed Himself to the entire world through His creation so that everyone can respond to His choice to have a relationship with them.

However, not everyone responds to His Grace favorably.

 

Man’s Response to God’s Grace

Romans 1:19 says, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them” but Romans 1:21 says, “They knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God.”

Unfortunately, some people choose to respond negatively to the Grace of God thus

sealing their own doom.

Romans 1:22 says, “Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools” and Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

The destiny of the fool if he remains a fool is sealed because Proverbs 10:21 says, “Fools die for want of wisdom” and Ecclesiastes 10:12 says, “Fools are destroyed by their own words.”

If the fool says there is no God and only God can save him, then as long as he remains a fool he can never be saved.

But to those who respond favorably to God’s Grace, Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me.”

So, even when we respond positively to God’s Grace it is God’s primary choice that influences our secondary choice.

The Bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 (ESV)

Also, “Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” Ephesians 2:9 (NLT)

 

Primary Choice vs. Secondary Choice

The Process of Election Works Like This… There is a Primary Choice and a Secondary Choice:

1) The Primary Choice occurs in Eternity, when God chose to have a relationship with every human being on earth.

The Bible says, He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9

He gives everybody an equal opportunity to know Him wherever or whenever they may have lived on earth.

In every nation and through every Dispensation of Time God chooses to know us and make Himself known to us.

Whether through creation or by the preaching of the Cross, God’s desire is to reveal Himself to Humanity along with His desire to have a relationship with us.

This is how God chooses us.
2) The Secondary Choice occurs in Time, when we use the faith available to us to positively respond to God’s Grace.

When we do this, we are simply submitting our will to His Will for relationship.

The essence of salvation is the submission of our will to His and it’s always His will to save.

Receiving Eternal Life is really our Secondary Choice responding to God’s Primary Choice to save us.

When we choose God we’re merely removing our stubborn will out of the way so God’s greater will can prevail and save us.

God inhabits Eternity and we inhabit Time.

Eternity is limitless, Time is finite.

Time has beginning and end, Eternity has neither.

Therefore, salvation is NOT us initiating a relationship with God [In Time] but us allowing God to complete what He started [Before Time].

This is how we choose God.

 

Intercede and Witness

Now, because we have the power of choice we can either accept or reject salvation.

This is where intercession and witnessing comes in.

If we did not actually have the power to influence others to accept God’s free gift of salvation why would God command us to go into all the world and be witnesses?

If everyone would be automatically saved no matter what, why would God give us the Ministry of Reconciliation and tell us to, “save others by snatching them from the fire [of hell].” Jude 1:23

If we can save people by snatching them from the fire of hell, it means that if we DID NOT snatch them that’s where they would end up… in Hell.

So, to answer the question directly… Yes, some people would end up in Hell because someone didn’t witness to them!

Do Ghosts Exist?

Are Ghosts Real?

The traditional idea of Ghosts are humans who have died and returned to wander the earth because of “unfinished business” or some other reason… this concept is complete nonsense.

In Luke 24:39 Jesus says, “Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.”

When He said this, He was simply confirming that He wasn’t appearing in spirit form but was literally resurrected from the dead with a real physical body to prove it.

Jesus was confirming His physical bodily resurrection from the dead not confirming that ghosts exist.

 

Heaven or Hell

According to the Bible, when a human being dies they go to Heaven or Hell… that’s it.

They DO NOT return to earth and wander around for any reason.

The Bible says, “We should be cheerful, because we would rather leave these bodies and be at home with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:8

This verse confirms that when a Christian dies, he or she goes to heaven.

Jesus also told the story of a beggar named Lazarus and a certain rich man…

He said, “the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments…” Luke 16:22-23

This verse is very clear that when the rich unsaved man died he went to hell.

 

Exceptions?

In the Bible, there are 2 specific exceptions concerning people who have died and returned to earth:

1. Samuel and Saul – 1 Samuel 28

2. Elijah, Moses and Jesus – Matthew 17

In the account of Samuel and Saul, verse 3 says, “Now Samuel was dead… And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.”

 

Familiar Spirits?

Before we continue, we must answer the question… What is a familiar spirit?

A familiar spirit, similar to a spirit of divination is a demonic entity who specialises in working through so-called Mediums and Psychics to deceive humans in various ways.

One method of deception is to imitate dead people to convince the living that ghosts exist and there is life after death outside of Heaven and Hell.

One of the reasons they are called “familiar spirits” is because their strategy is to become very familiar with the members of a particular family so that after a death occurs they can imitate that dead person and convince the living family members that this is in fact their departed loved one.

Their imitation is obviously convincing because over the years they have purposely become familiar with the dead person’s charateristics, mannerisms and the details of the facts of their life.

Paul in the book of Acts encountered a girl with a spirit of divination and cast it out of her.

 

Facts vs. Truth

Acts 16:16-18 says, “And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, ‘These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.’

And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.”

Notice carefully the girl was making factual statements, but because Paul knew the source of that knowledge was a demonic spirit he did not receive it but cast out the spirit and delivered the girl.

This encounter is recorded in scripture to highlight the fact that these types of spirits DO MAKE factual statements but they DO NOT speak the truth… there is a difference.

The purpose of the spirit of divination making those factual statements was to deceive the people and lead them into error and bondage, therefore, one cannot say it was operating in truth.

Truth sets you free… facts can be used to keep you in bondage!

This is exactly what happens during Seances when “ghosts” appear and begin to make factual statements about the dead person’s life.

It is a demonic spirit simply imitating the dead person with the intention of keeping humans in deception, error and bondage.

 

The Prophet, The Witch and The King

Now, back to Samuel and Saul… we pick up the story in verse 11:

“The woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?” “Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.. When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed…” 1 Samuel 28:11-12

If this woman was accustomed calling up the spirits of dead people and actually believed she was calling up Samuel from the dead, why would she scream when he appeared? She wouldn’t!

The truth is, she had no intention of calling up the Prophet Samuel from the dead but rather she expected her familiar spirit to do the usual imitation to fool the client who she thought was just another fool whose money she was taking.

When the actual Prophet of God appeared she screamed in terror and realised in that moment her client was actually King Saul.

Now, notice very carefully that the Prophet Samuel, though dead did NOT return to wander the earth but rather came on a divne mission from God to deliver one very specific message to one person, King Saul.

After he completed his mission, as far as we know he returned to the presence of God and DID NOT remain on earth among the living.

 

Conference at the Summit

The next encounter of Elijah, Moses and Jesus in Matthew 17 is even more specific.

To save time I will summarise:

Jesus takes Peter, James and John up a mountain and has a conference with Moses and Elijah.

It is important to note that while Moses had died, Elijah did NOT but was taken up to heaven alive without experiencing death.

So, in this account only Moses was actually a dead person who returned to earth.

The bottom line is that both Moses and Elijah appeared to Jesus, obviously to deliver an important message to Him, then departed after completing their mission.

Similar to Samuel, they did not remain wandering the earth for any reason after completing their mission.

 

Different Address – Same Mission

All three of them, Samuel, Moses and Elijah were Prophets of God whose job is to bring specific messages from God to Man and their purpose did not change because they changed address.

Whether they live in Heaven or on Earth God still retained the right to use them exactly as He saw fit and He chose to use them to deliver specific messages for Him even after they transitioned from Earth to Heaven.

The Bible says, “He is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.” Luke 20:38 (NLT)

We think in human terms, that after someone is dead that’s it… they’re gone, they’re done!

God is Eternal and Omnipresent… He is NOT limited to Time and Space like we are.

To Him, none of these Prophets are dead as we think of death… they simply live in a different realm and if He wants to, He can send them to earth to deliver a message if He sees fit to do so… and He did, He is God!

Bottom line, these are exceptions to the rule that once dead, a human being either goes to Heaven or Hell and remains there until Judgment Day… Ghosts do not exist.

The Key to Fulfilling Your Purpose in Life

 

How to Experience Abundant Life in Christ

The more you fulfill your purpose in Christ the more you experience the fullness of God – What He is, Who He is, What He gives.

When God gives you a purpose He gives you the resources to fulfill that purpose.

The further out of the will of God you are, the less of God and His resources you experience – Less of His life, His love, His leading.

Think of Jonah in the bottom of a ship, tossed to and fro in a terrifying storm in the middle of the ocean – out of the will of God.

The worst horror of hell is existence without God – None of His person, His power nor His presence.

Even if you are a Born Again Christian with the Life of God in you, when you resist God’s will, you resist God and all He offers.

Does this mean you can lose your salvation? Absolutely not!

What it does mean, is that you can have Eternal Life and still NOT experience Abundant Life!

Eternal Life vs. Abundant Life

Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

There is a difference between Eternal Life and Abundant Life.

To have Eternal Life one needs to become Born Again by receiving Jesus as Savior.

To experience Abundant Life one needs to actively fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

Experiencing Eternal Life comes from making the right decision once.

Experiencing Abundant Life comes from making right decisions daily.

The primary key to consistently making right decisions is found in Galatians 2:20.

The King James Version says, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”

The problem with this verse is that most Christians read it wrong and therefore understand it wrong, so, they derive no power from it to help them.

They read it as saying, “I live by the faith (in) the Son of God,” and most Bible Translations compound the error by using the incorrect (in) instead of the correct (of).

However, the KJV is correct in saying, “I live by the faith (of) the Son of God.”

Faith IN vs. Faith OF

Living by faith (in) the Son of God means “I” have to demonstrate faith in Christ for success, therefore, it’s up to ME!

Living by the faith (of) the Son of God means my success depends on the faithfulness of Christ to me, it’s up to HIM!

The International Standard Version says it accurately, “I no longer live, but the Messiah lives in me, and the life that I am now living in this body I live by the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Success in this life depends primarily on Jesus’ faithfulness to me NOT on my faithfulness to Him!

Most preachers and teachers have it backwards. They put all the emphasis on YOU and your ability TO DO and not on what Jesus has ALREADY DONE!

Does this mean I don’t have to obey God and I can just relax with a don’t care attitude? Of course not!

What it does mean, is that my focus has to change if I want to experience the abundant life Jesus died to give me.

I have to see that Christ through His Holy Spirit in me will accomplish the work that needs to be done in fulfilling the purpose of God for my life.

I have to depend on His divine power in me to obey God and not on my own will power.

The Power of Divinity vs. The Power of Humanity

In Ezekiel 36:27, when God promised the New Covenant of Grace He said,”I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.”

Did you see that? He said He will (cause) us to walk in His statutes.

The ability to obey God comes from God’s divinity not our humanity – God’s power not our will power.

Again, the International Standard Version nails it, “I’ll place my spirit within you, empowering you to live according to my regulations and to keep my just decrees.” Ezekiel 36:27

It is God Himself who empowers us to obey Him.

Paul in the New Testament confirms this when he says, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13

The ISV says, “For it is God who is producing in you both the desire and the ability to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13

God is the One who gives us both the desire and the ability to obey Him… neither the desire nor the ability comes from us.

The very reason most Christians are failing to live a life of obedience to God is because they are trusting in their own ability to do it!

Jeremiah 17:5 describes God’s attitude toward trusting in self and human will power, thus, “I, the LORD, have put a curse on those who turn from me and trust in human strength.”

When you trust in your self and your own will power to obey God you are turning from God to self and therein lies your failure.

Your successful obedience to God does not depend on your own efforts but rather on relying on the person, presence and power of the Holy Spirit to lead you into all truth.

He, the Holy Spirit is specifically given to you to empower you to perform every task set before you in accomplishing the will of God.

What it boils down to is a matter of trust… how much do you trust God to take the reigns of your life and lead you into success?

As long as you continue to have the attitude that “it all depends on me, I have to do it” you will continue to experience the cycle of failure and defeat.

The moment you get the revelation that it’s NOT up to you but up to the JESUS IN YOU, you will begin to fulfill your purpose with excellence and experience the abundant life of God.

How To Cure Lust

Lusting: Law vs. Grace

That is 100% on point but the natural follow-up question is… HOW???

How do you “cure” lust?

HERE’S A TIP: Joseph lived over 400 years BEFORE The Law was ever given.

He lived under the Abrahamic Covenant of GRACE!

That’s where his power came from.

He knew who he was and who God had made him to be.

He knew it was by God’s divine power and not by his own human efforts.

He told Potiphar’s wife, “How can I do this great evil and sin against God!”

Do you see where his focus was? Not on himself but on his God!

Joseph knew where the source of his power came from… Jehovah!

Today, we live under the New Covenant of Grace, which is a direct continuation of the Abrahamic Covenant of Grace.

So, to effectively deal with lust, you have to trust NOT in the letter of the law but in the Spirit of Grace.

Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ, so as we continue to behold Jesus we are changed more and more into His glorious image.

To “behold” Him means to receive the revelation of all that He is and all that He has done for you.

The Bible says, “But we all beholding the glory of the Lord with open face, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

Living in victory day by day is NOT about, “Thou shalt not, Thou shalt not” it’s about trusting in the finished work of Jesus Christ for you.

It’s not about what YOU can do but about what HE has already done for you.

Live by faith in the victory Jesus has already provided for you and not by works, trying to manufacture your own victory in the flesh.

As a practical example, if you’re married and have a problem with lust your focus should NOT BE, “Thou shalt not commit adultery” BUT RATHER, “Husbands love your wives even as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it.”

The former is the Letter of the Law – Old Covenant, the latter is the Spirit of Grace – New Covenant.

If you concentrate on the former your subconscious will naturally focus on commiting adultery but if you concentrate on the latter your focus will naturally be on loving your wife.

What you feed into your mind is what will dominate and come out of your mind!

Grace vs. Law… Your choice!