Getting Answered Prayers!

Remember how I was talking about faith.

I don't actually have trouble having faith. It's just that sometimes I'm not totally convinced of God being more sovereign than what I am looking at. So thus I need to learn to become totally convinced and persuaded of God's sovereignty.

Let me explain. Last week I realised that it hadn't rained for a while. (Who cares that it is summer.) So I did what I always do when it's a bit dry...

"God some rain would be good. Thanks. Oh, could you make it rain for a few days? Hang on, make that a week. Oh, but with intervals so it soaks in a bit and they* don't get wet tonight. Thanks"

And I expected it to rain. It always does when I pray. In fact I can always get made to order weather. I don't have any trouble believing for the weather. Like I said, I always get what I ask for. I pray and God does it. You saw the gist of my prayer... nothing special. Just faith.

James 5:17-18

Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Interestingly the verse before says:

James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

And to prove the point Elijah and the weather is used. He prayed that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't. But then he prayed again. (This time it is mentioned in 1Kings 18.) And it rained all right!

After praying, the next thing they predicted rain for the next week. (Yep, just as I had prayed.) I was wondering what the weather would be like as soon as the week was up. In the low Thirties.

Meanwhile everyone else was saying about how strange the weather is... I started agreeing with one person and God reminded me, "This is what you asked for!"Oh, yeah whoops... I nearly forgot. I mean, once I prayed I knew I would get it so I didn't think about it anymore.

So Curry Blake says we should apply the same to all of our Christian walk... (Don't worry; I didn't tell him about what I do to the weather guys here.)

I had a cut, so I prayed for it... well more like told it to stop hurting and heal quickly in Jesus name. Well it stopped hurting. The next day I looked at it. I could see the new skin coming up already. (It was cut like you get from a knife. However I can't remember how I cut myself.) Normally takes a few days to heal... and stings because it takes a while for the new skin to grow up. I was pretty happy with that result.

So I'm learning.

*My family, who were out in the open that evening.

What Would Jesus Have me Do? (Part 3 of 3)

Our next question should be then:

"What does God want me to do?"

Paul said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ."

So we should imitate Christ.

Jesus said, "If anyone hears My Words and does them I will liken him to one who built his house on the rock..."

And obey Him.

Often called the great commission:

Mark 16:15 - 18

15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
I can't believe this... what do I have to do!!! Oh, hang on, those signs will follow me. Hmm does that mean if I go, and I believe (according to 1 John 5: 14 -15*) that they will follow me?

1 John 5:14 -15

14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

That means that God will do anything for us if it is in line with His will and we ask with confidence (in Him)

His Word is His revealed will. So I guess He is saying that if we preach they will believe, and if they believe than those mentioned signs will follow. I guess they will follow me too, if I believe. Which I do!!! (Just in case that needed to be mentioned.)

So what would Jesus have me do?

Obey Him, and fulfill the great commission.

What did Jesus Do? (Part 2 of 3)

First off I will start by saying that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. So therefore if we want to know what Jesus would do we should be asking, "What did Jesus do yesterday?" because that is what He will be doing tomorrow.

So this is what I found:

Jesus only did what He saw The Father doing.

Jesus fulfilled God's Word.

Jesus healed all who came to Him.

Jesus set the captives at liberty.

Jesus preached the good news to the poor.

Jesus raised the dead... when He came across them.

Jesus blessed the children.

Jesus promised us that we would always have the poor with us. (I thought I would chuck that one in for good measure.)

Jesus bore our griefs and carried our sorrows.

Jesus bore the chastisement for our peace.

Jesus' wounds heal us.

Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (Just in case you missed that before.)

Jesus rose from the dead.

Jesus defeated death and hell.

Jesus fulfilled the will of God.

Jesus gave His disciples the great commission. (If we are His disciples we have the same commission.)

Jesus told His disciples to wait until they received the Holy Spirit.

Jesus ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of The Father. (Oh, and some angels told His disciples that He will return as He left.)

What Would Jesus Do? (Part 1 of 3)

I remember when the whole WWJD movement started. Oh how I hated it! What would Jesus do if he saw the poor and hungry? What would Jesus do if he was walking down the main street? What would Jesus do if he saw an old man with a walking frame trying to open a shop door?

I remember the things that people said, and still do say about that.

Well, we should do what Jesus would do, so we should sponsor a child, smile at the people we walk past, and open the door for the man. Right? Wrong!

Let me tell you what Jesus did.

1. He multiplied the food for everyone! (With leftovers)
   
2. He cursed the fig tree on one of His visits. He also generally preached where ever He went. Oh, and He "healed all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him."
3. I guess that means he would have healed the lame man... like He did on many different occasions.

I guess being like Jesus has a different meaning to what we have been taught...