(Note: Jeanie and I are very blessed with 3 children and 4 grandkids)
God loves to answer your prayers.
Grandparents love to answer requests from their children and especially their grandkids.
(It is inevitable there will be a response in both cases)
Our Heavenly Father has promised and is extremely open to hear and make happen any request.
Grandparents promise the world and will do anything to bring it to past for their children and grandkids.
(It is inevitable there will be a response in both cases)
As grandparents, we soon miss our total involvement with bringing up our children. Sure, we traditionally say, "I cannot wait to be empty nesters." But if the truth be told, there is a huge void that gets missed by us grandparents, when we have the whole house to ourselves. Much of the void is made up when opportunities arise to help the kids, and yes, especially the grandkids.
As our Heavenly Father, God is so immersed with His love for us that He never kicks us out of the nest. He cannot get over calling us His dear children or beloved ones. He so desires to bless us and is thrilled when we come to Him in prayer.
Do not take prayer lightly. Use it. Believe in it. Rejoice in it. Know you can come before His throne of grace, boldly, in the time of need. (Note: Throne of grace not judgement) Hebrews 4:16.
Go ahead and let the Father spoil you with answered prayer; as we grandparents spoil our grandkids by lovingly helping them.
(It is inevitable there will be a response in both cases)
Psalm 6:9 The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing stedfastly in prayer; (ASV)
James 5:15 And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (ESV)
Agape,
Bob
PS There is a dynamic sharing on The Power of Prayer by Ben Dixon on the internet. Just search the name and title.
Have you ever gone bonkers? (If you are unfamiliar with the word “bonkers” it is defined as an English term meaning to bonk your head on something). In a practical sense it is when you realize that you have forgotten something, and being frustrated that you have to go back and get it, you knock your head against the wall or the nearest object.
I just did this yesterday. I had an errand to run. I got everything that I needed. I checked my schedule. Everything was in order. I went outside and got into my car. Jeanie was with me and we buckled up and I started the car. Then it hit me as I drove down the street, I realized that I had forgotten my wallet. I went bonkers. I bonked my head on the dashboard to reward my craziness.
Spiritually, I have done this as well. There have been times when I go out in the world, living life, and opportunities arise to witness the love of God to people. What do I do? I will say something like, “That is too bad you feel so separated from God, I feel for you.” Then off they go still wondering. That is when I go spiritually bonkers. Why didn’t I remember that I have the spirit of God in me. With that spirit in me I can wisely share the love of God with them or offer to pray for them! Thankfully God is forgiving and He will give me more opportunities. I figure, I better take advantage of God’s grace or my head will get a permanent bump from bonking it off the walls.
Sometimes we forget to utilize the power we have in us through the gift of holy spirit. Sometimes we forget that we have the greatest source of power, knowledge, wisdom and discernment. Sometimes we forget we can heal people, we forget that we can believe to bring to pass the miraculous. Sometimes we forget that we have the gift of holy spirit in us, which is Christ in us (Colossians 1:27) and that we can do the works that He did and greater works. Sometimes we forget that greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. What do we do then? We go bonkers and bang our head against some object to shake up our brain so that in the future we will not forget Ephesians 3:20.
Ephesians 3:20: (ESV).
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,
We have resident within us the gift of holy spirit. It is there 24/7. It is there all the time. It never takes a vacation or leaves us. Unfortunately we forget that we have this spectacular power in us all the time.
We never have to spiritually go bonkers again, if we remember the eternal presence of the gift of holy spirit in us. We are incredibly loaded having the spirit of God in us.
Let’s stay sharp and in remembrance of the spirit of God in us, so that we never need to go bonkers again forgetting God’s spirit is always at work in us.
Agape,
Bob
From death unto life! That is what happened when someone acted on God's Word and shared the precious story of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to me. This was undoubtedly the most significant change I have ever experienced until... (I will share this at the end of this article).
What made the difference was someone took action to introduce me to the family of God.
We know the "Book of Acts" as The Acts of the Apostles. It could have been named many different names, like the Book of the Early Christian Church, or the History of Early Christianity, or the Works of the Believers in the 1st Century Church. If I had the privilege of naming it, I would have chose the Book of the Acts of the Believers. Jesus Christ acted in Chapter 1, and many others are mentioned in the Book besides the Apostles.
What I like the most is the emphasis of believers acting. They are out there doing the Word. They are reaching out and acting on the promises and Word of God. They are healing people, they are getting people saved, they are helping people live the Christian lifestyle. I especially like Acts 5:18-20. The Apostles were put in the common prison and an angel opened the doors, they told them to do the one thing that got them in the problem: "Go, Stand and Speak to the people all the words of this life."
Act 5:18 - 20:
And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
The key to "acting" on God's Word is first to "Go." Believers need to realize that they all have been called to reach out to a lost and hurt world. Once they go, then they take a "Stand." They do not budge on who they are in Christ. And then they "speak all the words of this life."
As a ministry, we are going to reach out more than ever before to our community with the good news gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our motto is, "Living the Book of Acts Today."
Our vision statement is: To build a community of empowered sons of God. (Acts 26:18).
Our Mission Statement is: To equip believers by providing a loving community in which to grow, by the preaching of the gospel, by teaching regarding our Lord Jesus Christ, and by demonstration of the spirit of God.
(Ephesians 4:12; Acts 2:42; Romans 10:8; Acts 28:31; I Corinthians 2:4).
These are exciting times to be alive and to be sons of God. We do have a responsibility to be "doers of the Word and not only hearers" (James 1:22). Let's act now for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be our best for God.
What was the most impactful day of my life, as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, after getting born again? The answer is: When I too acted on the Word of God and helped someone else enter the family of God for all eternity.
Agape,
Bob
PS. Our website has been switched over to www.actsnowfellowship.com from www.sdbiblicalstudies.com. The old name will get you to the same place. Our facebook is soon to be changed as well. The bank will recognize both names at this time. Here is the new ministry email:
The San Diego Biblical Studies Fellowship is still the corporate name. We are now doing business as (dba) Acts Now Fellowship. Just changing our emphasis more to "acting" on the Word of God.
I can only imagine what Luke did after writing what we know of the 28 chapters in God's Word about the early church and having the thought: What shall I titled this stuff? (We know "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21). Not sure if God gave them the title of the book given by revelation).
Obviously the four gospels reflect the names of the writers. The, names of the Epistles reflect the places the Word of God was first sent to. When it came to Acts, I could see Luke scratching his head trying to figure what to call the historical record of the early Christian Church.
Many Bible publishers have chosen to call it the Acts of the Apostles. There are many records of the apostles, such as Peter and Paul. But they are not the only ones that acted on the Words of God. What about Cornelius, Ananias, Aquila and Priscilla. They made the cut in the "God-breathed" Word of God.
How about calling it the Acts of the Believers?
The key word in all of this discussion is "acts." Doing, believing, walking out on the Words of God. That is what really counts! Being doers of the Word not just hearers only (James 1:22).
I really appreciate reading the records in Acts of the varied situations of the believers acting on God's Word and seeing results.
What I want to see in our times is believers ACTING NOW. I want to see great deliverance, people getting born again and walking with power and love. I want to see Acts 26:18: "To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God..." I want to see more and more people speaking in tongues and realizing the intimacy of the relationship with their Heavenly Father and His Son (John 17:3).
Let's live the truth of God's Word today and Act Now.
Agape,
Bob
San Diego is noted for its spectacular beaches. An important element to ensure the safe enjoyment of this resource are the lifeguards that patrol the shoreline year round. It is not unusual to hear about dramatic rescues that they have made in saving lives.
Recently, a whole new event occurred that involved lifeguards of another type. Not only did they save a couple of men's physical lives, but their spiritual lives as well. Two loving believers helped two homeless men, suffering a dismal life-style. On two different occasions they helped these individuals get cleaned up physically and spiritually, and set them up at a Christian rehab and discipleship home. One young man was 24 and on the streets for 7 years and was praying for a way out of his situation. The other man had been on the streets longer and also looking for a way out of his ugly situation. He also had a deep wound infection that required hospitalization for several days. Both men are enjoying the privilege of being at a facility where they can grow with God and one day be able to help others that are in the same situation as they were in.
What did it take to rescue these men out of the pit? Loving caring believers who simply reached out with compassion to rescue them. As a result, God now has two more children in His family that not only love Him but will more than likely someday become spiritual lifeguards themselves.
The greatest lifeguard to ever live is Jesus Christ. His title of Saviour means one who saves or delivers from death and judgement to everlasting life. When a person gets saved, this is what is happening. From death unto everlasting life. The most remarkable transformation to ever take place in a persons life is when they get saved.
Agape,
Bob
Romans10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
2 Timothy 1:9: Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,