THE LORD'S PRAYER LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER HEARD BEFORE

This is the most beautiful rendition of the Lord's prayer I have ever heard.  Our God created man's voice to worship Him.  These five men have used their voices to bless the Lord in tones and expression that will make you weep. It is beautiful.

THE BATTLE IS NOT YOURS

                                           

                                             

It doesn't matter what you are addicted to: alcohol, sex, drugs, food, gambling, TV, or cigarettes. The list could go on and on. If there is any thing that you can't control and it controls you, it could be a demon oppressing you. Don't freak out. Demons love to prey on our weaknesses.  The name of Jesus is above every name.  His name is more powerful than any addiction. He is our deliver from this world of sin. 

 What I am about to share is a true story of how the Lord delivered me from an 18 year nicotine addiction. I have to admit that there are more powerful devices than nicotine, but an addiction is an addiction, and anyone who has had an addiction knows what I mean. It is not that easy to quit a powerful, controlling vice in ones life. You need something or someone  stronger than your will power to deliver you from an addiction.

I was eighteen years old and a freshmen in college when I started smoking. Back in the 50's, cigarettes were a status symbol. I was  heading off to college and  smoking became my identity.  I needed it to feel accepted.  I never thought about my lungs or any other health issues that might occur.  All my friends smoked.   A white cloud of smoke followed my gang  everywhere across the campus.  By the end of my freshmen year, I was smoking a pack a day. It financially shot my monthly allowance. 

For the next eighteen years I smoked.  It was part of who I was.   Many of my friends who smoked weren't addicted.  They could stop and start at will.  I could not.

Hope for the first time came one morning in prayer.  I  cried out to the Lord, "Why can't You stop me? I can't stop!" I was desperate.

A soft answer came into my spirit, "You love the cigarette more than Me.  It is your idol. Repent and I will deliver you."

Honestly, I had no idea that I loved smoking more than the Lord and that it was an idol. I repented. "Lord forgive me for loving the cigarette more than You.  I confess I have listened to the devil's voice and not Yours. In the name of Jesus I renounce the spirit of nicotine. I repent and turn to You."

Second Chronicles 15:17 quickly came to mind "You will not need to fight this battle.  Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf." I realized that this scripture was given to Jehoshaphat when he was up against an enemy worse than my smoking, but His God was mine, too, and  God doesn't change.  By faith I received this word as if God was speaking to me.  The desire for smoking disappeared within a week.


Shortly after this deliverance, one afternoon while I was resting, I felt a  warm sensation come over my lung area.  I didn't think anything about it, until later, when I went shopping. A strong desire for a cigarette came over me.  I kept a pack of cigarettes under the front seat just in case.

 The urge was getting stronger,  and as I reached under the front seat, I heard a small still voice say, "I healed your lungs. Why do you want to destroy them now?"  From that day on, I have never smoked or had the desire. The God who delivered me, by His grace is now keeping me, by His grace. He won the battle of nicotine  and I could see for the first time the power of the cross, not only against addiction, but against my sin. To this day there is  no hidden pack of cigarettes under the front seat of my car. 

OUR INHERITANCE IN CHRIST

When I think of inheritance I think of someone dying and leaving a Will.  There may be some stipulations if you are under 21 years of age or perhaps it would be given out as a measured as a allowance.  There are many ways to leave a Will.

However, a man has died and left an inheritance of extraordinary abundance to His love ones.  The Lord Jesus Christ has died and He has given to His bride the Church the first downpayment of His whole inheritance to enable us to live in the world and NOT to be of it.

As you listen to this tape may the Lord bless your spiritual ears and eyes to see your new inheritance in Christ.                

Tape by  Jonathan David Helser and Granham Cooke.

THE KINGDOM OF SELF

The Kingdom of Self was created when Adam fell and mankind was left on his own or were we?

The light of God glory that once covered us in the presence of God was gone. Now we walked alone in darkness, separated from our God, dead in trespasses and sin. The Lord's presence was only a memory  There was no return, no escape from the dreadful darkness.  Self -life became our only interest.  How we felt, what we thought, or decisions we made were all conspired within ourselves. Satan had trapped mankind into His Kingdom of darkness where the emphasis was on me, myself and I.  Pride would now rule in  man's heart. There would be no way out of this Kingdom accept through the death to self. How would this happen?

God didn't skip a beat. Jesus was born as the second Adam. He lived  the perfect, holy and separated life unto His Father that Adam never did.  His blood sacrifice for the sin of the world was accepted by the Father and mankind was now free to be restored and reconciled to the creator as he was in the beginning. Only on one condition, the sinner must die.  

How could that happen? By identifying with Jesus's death, (Romans 6:3-14) as our very own.  Jesus not only died,  for us but as us. By faith in Christ Jesus we have been born again. God is not interested in our old life in Adam. That has been dealt with in His Son. But He is very much interested in who we are in Him. There is nothing more exciting to the Father than to see His Son reigning in our hearts growing in the glorious image of His Son.  The cost is that we must die to 'self', that he might live in our new creation.

Luke 11:23 says it so well, "If anyone would comes after me let him deny himself, pick up his cross daily and follow me.  For whoever would loses his life for my sake will save it. "  That is the good news of the Gospel. " I must deny my self-life.  I no longer live, but Christ Jesus lives in me and the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loves me. (Gal:2:20)" By faith I have been reconciled  to my Creator. I owe Him my life.. My cross is my death to self. and now I only live for His glory.  My pride steals His glory.  I am so grateful for God's great salvation. I have never been happier.