Great Joy Filled The City

And Power Came Upon Them
Donna Braman

Great Joy Filled The City

Wouldn't you love to see great joy fill Wilson, North Carolina?  We're going to take a look at what it takes to fill a city with great miracles, and wonders that follow for those that are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

We see in Acts 8:4, where Jesus had poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit and the church had been born.  The church was filled with the wind and the fire and power from the person of the Holy Spirit.  The third person of the trinity.

The church was being persecuted because they were preaching Jesus everywhere they went.  Signs and wonders followed them where ever they preached.  That's the way it should be in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, no matter what period of history we're living in.

I thank God for my Pentecostal roots and the power of Pentecost that fell upon the first church.  I thank God that Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever more.  What he did back then when he walked on the sandy shores of Galilee, he will do today what he did then.  He needs to find people that seek him and will separate themselves from the world of darkness and love him with all their heart, worship him and praise him with all their hearts.

In Acts 8:4, we see Phillip going down to Samaria and preaching Christ unto them.  There was great joy that filled the city.  That's what you get with the manifest spirit of God.  I never had great joy like I was given by the Holy Spirit by anything in this world.

In verse 7 it says, unclean spirits came out of many of them with crying voices.  And those that were lame were healed.  They had signs and wonders.  Healings were taking place.  Verse 8 again says, and there was great joy in that city.  What would happen if we had such a great joy fill our city and our churches?  Well, that's what you get when you see the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.  

I've never received such joy since I received the person of the Holy Spirit.  In verse 14 it says, now when the apostles were at Jerusalem they heard that Samaria had received the gospel of Christ and were being saved. They were being baptized in water but not by the Holy Spirit.  So they sent Peter and John to baptize them in the Holy Spirit.  This shows that there is another work in salvation after being saved. 

In verse 17 it says, John and Peter laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.  Simon the Sorcerer was supposed to be saved but he was still walking in the natural.  Look at Acts 8:18, now when Simon saw that laying on of hands through the apostles brought the Holy Ghost upon them he offered them money saying, give me also this power.

Peter said unto him, "may thy money perish with thee, because you thought you could purchase this gift.  You're not in this, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God."  You've got to have a transfusion that takes place in your heart.  There's a transformation that has to take place in the heart.  

You see, with the heart, man believes unto righteousness.  With the mouth confession is made unto it.  I don't want to just believe in salvation, I want to be unto it.  I don't want to just believe in great miracles, healings and the Holy Ghost, I want to get unto it.  I don't want to just believe in sanctification, I want to be unto it wholly.  We have leaks and we need to be refilled.  How many of you already know that you need to be refilled?

Simon the Sorcerer wanted to buy the gifts of God.  You can not purchase God's gifts.  You're not even saved by works.  By grace are you saved through faith and not of yourself.  It is not of works, least any man should boast.  Jesus paid it all, sin left a crimson stain and he washed it white as snow.  What we can't do he does it for us.

It's a transaction that takes place by faith in the death, burial and resurrection and the ascension of Jesus Christ, as Lord and High Priest of the new covenant.  If you believe this in your heart and you confess him in your heart, there's not enough devils in hell to keep you in darkness.  You can be saved and you can know you're saved, sanctified and filled with the Holy Spirit.  

You'll know that you're filled, and you'll know you've been divinely healed.  No doctor will have to tell you anything.  He will manifest himself to you and praise God you will know that he has completed the work in you. And great joy filled the city.  I thank God for our Pentecostal heritage from the early church.  Don't let anyone limit your God, for he can do anything in your life, not some things, but all things for those who believe.

Jacob had an encounter with God and he changed his name, and he changed his nature.  He fought with God over his destiny and for the rest of his life he walked with a limp leaning on a staff.  That's what happens to us, God changes our name, writes his new name in him on us and then puts his divine nature in us.  

He changes us from nature to grace.  We are made partakers of God's divine nature.  We're in this world but not of it.  We have been touched by a divine hand from another world by the hand of the Master.  We've been purchased with a price and we belong to him.  We are to be about the father's business.

There's power in Calvary's blood.  We have a living faith, and this living faith is the word.  It's called logos, the word become flesh.  The word is life.  The word is living because Christ is living.  I thank God for the new birth and the new covenant. 

The Holy Ghost wants every child to see the unveiling of Jesus in our lives.  He wants us to be partakers of what Christ has for us.  The church has lost a lot of treasures. We need to pray for joy again.  I didn't get saved to just drag through life. Christ didn't put his promises in his word just to tease us.  He has gifts for us.  Jesus said, if you being evil have good gifts for your children think how much more the gifts are from the heavenly father.

If you'll ask God on the line of living faith and approach him in humbleness and according to his word, God will give you the good things of his treasures.  The reason you need the Holy Ghost is so he can unveil to you the fullness that is in Christ Jesus. When we become filled with him great joy will flood us.


Phillip shows us in the new testament how the church is supposed to look.  Phillip was filled with the Holy Ghost.  He went down to Samaria and he was filled with such power and glory that God lifted him up into the office of evangelist.  


The bible says he began to preach Christ unto them.  That's what Holy Ghost filled people do; they talk about Jesus and his power in our life everywhere they go.  I know I have worn out a lot of people in my life just talking about Jesus and his awesome love.


Some people's favorite subject is their sport's team, or their grandchildren, but mine is the Lord. You get filled with the Holy Spirit or get healed or have a miracle happen to you and that's all you'll talking about too. You won't be thinking about football anymore.


This is what happened to Phillip and he went down to Samaria to tell people about Jesus.  Many gave heed to Phillip seeing and hearing of the miracles that were happening in his ministry.  There ought to be something supernatural to every spirit filled Christian.  It's supernatural to give your testimony and to tell what Christ has done for you.  It's supernatural to lift your hands and praise the Lord with our tongues.  


If you don't believe it get around a group of folks that don't praise him and start praising him in their midst and you'll see what supernatural power comes.  You'll stir up a hat full of devils.  People that aren't used to praising God and sending up some glory's.  A lot of people in churches say amen.  But shout "Glory," or Hallejuhah, or Jesus.  You won't even get that far, everybody will look and say, what's going on with them?  They have been divinely touched by the hand of Almighty God.  They've got such joy they can not contain it.  


I refuse to let the devil take our praise through some legalistic tactics.  I got a King David dance and praise and no one can take that away from me; praising the way my heart leads me to praise. That Holy Spirit power was sent to the church by Jesus himself and that power belongs to spirit filled Christians.


It's supernatural to lay hands on the sick.  It's supernatural to speak in tongues.  Supernatural things happen when you're filled with the Holy Spirit.  We need that supernatural element in us at all times.  What a word! If you'll go to that little church called Westmoreland, people are getting healed over there.  How do I know?  I've seen it with my own eyes.  I went there and the Spirit got a hold of me and healed me.


Religious folks can't stand it.  I'm not talking about churches who love Christ but the general church age we're living in; luke-warm.  Start operating in the Holy Spirit gifts and the religious establishment will despise you. I'd rather please God and walk in the supernatural than to be silenced by man that just wants to be somebody in the religious establishment.  The world loves its own and religion loves its way.  They don't want the Holy Spirit power because it wouldn't be all about them anymore.


Notice in Acts 8:7 what the miracles were.  Unclean spirits crying aloud.  Many were taken with palsy and the lame were healed.  We need to demonstrate a Holy Spirit power so profoundly that unclean spirits come out of people.  We need to desire to help people and see them free from bondages.  It will cost you to walk with Jesus.  He tells us to pick up our cross and follow him, not to live in the world acting like worldly people.


It cost Jesus everything , so if you want to be like Jesus it will cost you something.  We need to preach Jesus with such power that unclean spirits come out of people.  The justified shall live righteous and holy lives.  They are the ones that see the manifest presence of God.  Some people think this is hard teaching. But God says to be ye holy as he is holy.  


I know what sin does to churches.  I already know what happens to sipping saints and Christians filled with pride and jealousy.  I know what happens to sexually immoral Christians.  Those sins master you, so if you don't ever step into them then they can't become an idol. Jesus warns us not to allow anything of this world to master us, because that's idolatry. 


If you dip your spoon into the devil's plate he will knaw you all the way to your elbows.  Give no place to the things of the devil.  God expects a change in our lives when we get saved, not just more of the world in us.  He died to free us from the law of sin and death.


When Jesus preached with the anointing what happened? Unclean spirits came out.  The same thing happened  when Phillip preached.  When an anointed preacher gets up to preach unclean spirits have to flee.  They have no choice for they must obey the anointed word of God.


If you're full of Jesus, the devil knows it.  There's power in the blood, and there's power in the name of Jesus. Every preacher can't speak to or come into the presence of spirits and cast them down.  You better have the Holy Spirit or they will turn on you like they did the apostles before Pentecost.


When the church starts operating like the apostolic church did we won't be worried about this nation's economic problems, social problems and the political scene.  What this nation has is a sin problem.  We're a nation that has cast the name of Jesus aside and stepped out of covenant with the God. God blessed this nation when it had character but when character goes in a nation then goes morals.


People need to stop playing church and give all their hearts, minds and souls to Christ, and joy will fill the city again.  The devil is real and he has released spirits upon this earth for these end times like we've never seen. He rules over the world system.  He has no power over you if you're clothed in the blood of Christ and walk in covenant and righteousness.  If you've allowed him in your domain you will have to battle to get him out.  You use spiritual weapons to do that.


Jesus made a show of the devil and was triumphant over sin for us.  We need to walk in that victory that he died to give us, and joy will fill us.  If all the churches in Wilson would pray for our Mayor to be blessed, pray for our Sheriff, pray for our city council, pray for the drug communities, help the poor, open our doors to the lowly, joy would fill the city. Start today speaking words over our city.  Word are power, they create and changes come.


What signs and wonders follow your church today?  When God heals you and your land you will be filled by him.  You'll tell it the rest of your life.  Whose got a testimony of him today?  I don't know about other folks but I'm not going to get saved and just drag through life. 


This article was a teaching from Westmoreland Phc by Rev. Jerry Nelson. To see complete sermons go to: www.westmorelandphc.org or email me at: djbraman@gmail.com


Further articles at: djbraman.blogspot.com

The Law Of Meditation

Donna Braman


LAW OF MEDITATION


There are spiritual laws that we must adhere to in order to make our way prosperous.  What we think on tells a lot about where our heart is and what will come out of our mouth.  Let's go to Joshua 1:8 where it states, "Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth, meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Do not be afraid, be courageous. Then you will be prosperous and successful and the Lord your God will go with you wherever you go.


I pray that you can receive this truth today with meekness. Know that your faith will never rise above what you meditate on and speak from your mouth.  For out the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.  So, the next time you are just about to pop to tell someone off or say something negative, meditate on Romans 8:2 before you say what you feel inside. Take a few minutes to meditate on why you are thinking on those negative things to begin with.  Verse 2 says, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  


You see the law is weakened by the sinful nature, but if we have the thoughts of Christ we have the law of life working in us.  So you can see there are two laws at work here; When you hold the word and your profession you come under the spiritual laws.  So it is important that we speak life, and we do that by meditating on life producing thoughts.


Psalm 77:12 says, I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Read the rest of this Psalm to get in your spirit what a mighty God we serve.  So, if we are focused on what he has done for us, we won't be meditating on how Lula Mae upset us last by getting on her phone ministry and saying negative things about you.  It is amazing how we can allow such a small thing completely take over our thoughts until there is no room to meditate on the goodness of our hearts. That is how the devil slips in and steals our joy and our blessings.


Look at Psalm 1:1-2 and you'll know what I mean, those two verses tell us, "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.  Verse 3 goes on to tell us that such a man is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yield its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.  Whatever he does prospers.


This truth is something we should meditate on in itself.  How many of us lose our blesings and harvests from our seed in the wait period just by speaking negative over our lives and speaking negative thoughts about others. It will make you want to be more silent when you get together at the next family dinner or church breakfast, especially if you don't have enough word in you to know if you're violating a spiritual principle.


What we have to do is meditate until that word becomes a part of us!  What do you find yourself musing about everyday?  Is it negative or positive?  Make a conscious effort to listen to your thoughts everyday.  Decide that your meditations are going to be focused on His goodness, His mercy, His works in our behalf.  Proverbs is clear, that as a man thinketh so is he.


If you will allow the word to get your thinking straight, you will become a new man with the mind of Christ.  If you feed your faith with the word, you'll see change in your home, in your marriage, in your job and with your health.


Joshua 1:8 is a powerful scripture on this subject because it tells us if you'll do what's in my word, I'll make your way prosperous, and YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!  How do you think we abide in Jesus?  It is meditating on his word and making every effort to do what it tells us to do. John 15:7 tells us that, if we abide in him and in His word, that we can ask whatever we will and we shall have it.  We can't expect to step out of abiding in Him and then think we're going to get our prayers answered or see success.  


We have to meditate on His word daily for it to become a part of us.  The word is a lamp unto our feet, and it directs us and it is our instruction book on how to succeed in our marriage, at our church and in our relationships.  The word also tells us that if we walk in the spirit, we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh.


What Jesus is telling us here is that if we follow His precepts that he will make us successful and into something beautiful. Then we won't have to walk around with a mask on to cover up our negative thoughts and bitter hearts, but we will be free to be transparent because we have been renewed in the mind and in the heart and we won't be a stumbling block to others, nor will we feel negative about others weaknesses and failures. Instead, our thoughts will be on things that are lovely and of good report.


Again as Psalm 1:1 says, "but his delight is in the law of the Lord and on His Law he will meditate day and night."  So we can't expect to have an upright heart and speak positive thoughts with our tongue when we only remember to pick up the bible once a week as the preacher delivers a message, or stay out of church, and have no desire for bible studies.


There is no place I'd rather be than fellowshipping with other like-minded Christians and sitting up under a Pastor who is anointed in the word. I leave different every time than when I go.  More of His word and His spirit is enfolded into the recesses of my mind each time I study and hear the word.  Would you like to be a tree planted by the rivers of water and never wither.  then get a hunger and a thirst for more of His word and you'll be exactly that, a life giving Christian that is able to give life off the tongue to others.


Once you get your mind right, then speak your desires and the word over your life and circumstances.  Praisers have a life force in their tongue because they thirst for His presence and have a desire to please the Lord.  Psalm 37:4 says, "delight yourself in Him and He will give you good things.  You see, when the word gets in your spirit, your desires will become His.  You will no longer kick and rebel against God's will because His will will become your own desires.  He changes our hearts so we get a mind like Christ, so our desires will become pleasing to him.  Jesus can't work for you without complete submission.


This is what happens when a man's ways please the Lord; your heart becomes renewed. Jesus will even make your enemies favor you, and the other enemies, well, he'll make them your footstool.  So don't give the devil any authority. Don't give him your time! Where your time is spent and what your thoughts are focused on reflects your heart's desires.  Matthew 6:21 says, Where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.  Where do you spend your time? Your money? Your thoughts? Psalm 19:14 also tells us that your mouth speaks the meditation of your heart.  Do you remember when God's word broke your spirit down? That's when revelation comes to you and gives you discernment of your wrong thinking and sin. You know the word has changed you then. 


 If your thinking can't get right you can't embrace the things of Christ, can't get deliverance or answered prayer.  We're supposed to come out of sin and enter sanctification, but something goes wrong with that process for many of us.  Sometimes it takes us back to Calvary a second time.  We think that little hard spot in our heart will be okay, or that little sin we hold on to won't hurt us in our spiritual walk.  But it will strip you of your blessings and reaping your harvest, and a 100% harvest will be impossible. Read the parable of the sower if you want the truth from Jesus' mouth. That parable gives understanding and discernment to all truth and all parables.


You must become a living sacrifice, and that is our reasonable duty as a Christian. Our thoughts have to come in line with the word.  Philippians 4:8 tells us, "to think on whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things."  Those are the thoughts that bring peace to our lives.


The following are the eight areas to think on; the formula for thinking God's way:


1.  We are commanded to think positive!


2.  We are Kingdom people, and we have to think and meditate on Kingdom things. Psalms 50:23
says, "He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may
show him the salvation of God."  Psalm 19:14 says also, "May the words of my mouth and the
meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight."


3.  Faith never denies truth, he will never allow us to turn our backs on truth!


4.  Faith demands a change that lifts up the Word of God.


Now this is where most Christians lose the battle; Your faith will never rise above your
confession.


5.  Don't meditate on confusion; God is not the author of confusion.


6.  The devil will try to tell you this scripture or that truth doesn't apply to you, don't
believe that lie.


7.  Be a living sacrifice!  Romans 12:1-2 which tells us that is our reasonable service! We are
made up of spirit, soul and body which is referred to as the truine man.  All three parts
that we are made up of must come in line with the word and operating in the spiritual realm
to see Kingdom manifestation in our lives.


8.  If you have not consecrated all parts of your being unto God, and still nursing sin and a
rotten heart then you need to get yourself back down to the altar and allow Jesus to operate
on you one more time and give all of your heart to him so he can fully regenerate you into a
new man in his likeness. Salvation is instant at the cross but it takes years to be renewed,
develop and mature as a Christian.  You know a mature Christian by his deeds, what words his
heart speaks and his fruit.  He is a seed planter with his mouth and his hands and his
harvest will be visible to all.


References and credits on this article:
This lesson is based on my notes from Wednesday night's bible study at Westmoreland PHC and taught by the Rev. Jerry Nelson, as well as my own commentary.  If you would like to order a copy of the complete 5 part series on CD please contact me at Believers Ministry at: djbraman@gmail.com
Or contact the church: www.westmorelandphc.org

The Law Of Strength

Donna Braman

THE LAW OF STRENGTH


You are who God says you are.  The difference between a weak Christian and one with strength is his belief in what the word says he is.  If we could ever get these spiritual laws into our hearts and minds the churches would not be filled with Christians of lack. People who live God's principles do not go lacking and today I'm going to give you some scriptures that I hope will change your self image and begin to live in the principles that make you soar with strength like the eagles.


When Jesus came and gave us the new blood covenant those physical laws changed into spiritual laws.  You see, when the High Priest in the Tabernacle in the Old Testament sacrificed an animal blood offering once a year at Atonement, their sins were just covered. That's why the shedding of the blood of the red heifer had to be done once a year.  But in the new covenant Jesus' blood did away with the sin nature once and for all in us by His spirit. So in that reference Jesus fulfilled the natural law.  Now that's the difference in trying to change man's nature through the physical law and the spiritual law.


I'll show you what I mean, let's look at what it says about this in Romans 8:2-4, "because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.  For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.


We have the power to be free from natural laws.  We have the power to be free from a negative mind.  God says, I created the spirit of the lips. And with that spirit you can create things into being.  The words we speak can be our worst enemy. They can work for us or they can work against us. God himself created that spiritual law. Read Joshua 1:8 again which confirms this biblical truth.


The law of the spoken word and thoughts are closely related. The words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts should reflect God's thoughts about us. God is a positive God and if you want change in your life you'll have to learn to put this spiritual law into practice. We gain insight and strength when we have in our mind and heart's what God's word says.  In Psalm 27:1, David said, "The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?"


The next time the devil tries to scare you just open your mouth and say, "Yeah, He will strengthen me in the face of the doctor's report! Yeah, He will prosper me in the face of debt! Yeah, He will bless my children, my home, my marriage, my church! Because Christ in me is my STRENGTH.


On the other hand, sin will produce weakness in your life.  Did you know negative thinking can even make you physically sick?  With sin, you're operating in the law of death.  You can not have the law of life working for you if you keep dabbling in sin.  It will steal your life, destroy you and eventually kill you. You will soon find yourself without any confidence in God. 1 John 3:21 tells us what happens when we say to ourselves, oh this little sin won't hurt my walk with Christ. Paul says, "I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie comes from the truth."


Negative thinking like this where you are trying to fool yourself kills your confidence. If you get involved in carnality and sin, your heart will condemn you and you will lose your strength.  That's what happened to Sampson. He thought his little sexual sin would not hurt his strength or confidence. That devil laughed all the way to Delilah's house!


1 John 1:7 tells us "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."  The more you gain knowledge of what God's word tells you of the truth, the more knowledge and success you will have in walking in your spiritual life.  You will always go around the mountain over and over until you begin to walk in these spiritual principles.


When we let the sin nature go we begin to walk in biblical truth and go from glory to glory. Then Jesus begins to sanctify you.  We have real fellowship then, and without it we have no real fellowship with one another but a self righteous cleaned up people on the outside still with same stinking thinking.
Oh, but with God's strength we are more than conquers. Christ in us is the hope of Glory! He is our divine union, and nobody can stop that life flow he gives us.


Let's look at the biblical precepts of the concept of spiritual strength.


1. Where Does Our Strength Come From?


God gives strength to his people.  Look at Psalms 27:1, Psalms 27:14. Isaiah 40:31 says,"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like the eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."


Are you walking as a Christian or are you running?  I want to be like the song says, "I feel like running my last mile home." Now that thought and meditation will turn a lukewarm pew into fire where the smoke of God's presence swirls around your head, and a shout comes off your tongue, "I'm coming Lord to meet you in the air!" When His word moves you and comes alive in you then you know you've have revelation and you're grown in your spiritual life and full of strength.


Reading and meditating on God's word makes us mature.  Babies have to have nourishment to grow as it is with our spiritual growth. 1Peter 2:2, Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good."  Show me a stagnate Christian and you will show me a person who does not crave the word, but is content to suck on the pacifier of carnality.


The word will do what it says it will do. I know because it healed the gapping wounds in my own heart after I fell on my knees weeping at the misguided thinking that had dictated a sinful life and robbed me of my spirit until I was lifeless without any capacity for real love or inner strength. It gave me a contrite heart and showed me how broken I was.


Pastor Nelson said, "if I can get the word into you, it will transform you, and you WILL grow and be a strong Christian." The word is powerful and cuts through bone and marrow. We have to have a real love of the word to be renewed into His likeness. Without a thirst to know him through his word is to be unappreciative of his life force and strength he has given to us as a precious gift. Jeremiah 15:6 says it like this, "You have rejected me, declares the Lord. You keep on backsliding. So I will lay hands on you and destroy you; no longer show you compassion."


So you see the Lord has the power to give you life or to destroy you. One who fears God's power to let you breathe or let you die is the beginning of wisdom from the word. He also has great joy to give to those who love Him.  That joy of the Lord is your strength. Delight in Him and He will give strength to your soul.
John 15:16 tells us, "You are called by God Almighty." That knowledge alone should strengthen you just to know that Jesus called you out. 1Corinthians 3:2


Never boast of your strength because of your spiritual gifts, but real strength is revealed by your fruit. You can be gifted by the Holy Spirit and not produce fruit.  A Holy Spirit gift can and does get abused.  You need to stay anointed and that comes from producing fruit.  You can't put water in your gas tank and expect it to keep running. Neither will sin work in your Christian walk.  The fruit of the spirit is produced by following the spiritual laws together with using your gifts.  


David was gifted and anointed at age 16, yet we see him in the Psalms praying for anointing again. You have to keep fresh oil in you and keep dipping yourself into the oil of the Holy Spirit. If you think you need only one refreshing then the devil is going to really love you, for you are really full of yourself and carnality. There's gifts in a lot of Christians and they don't even know it because they never ask for more anointing or a refreshing by the Holy Spirit. They never learned how to live in covenant and they are deceived by Satan and his false teachers. 


Daniel 11:32 says, "with flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him." Learn the law of obedience and the law of disobedience in Duet.
People who are obedient do exploits unto God. The stronger they are in the Lord the more they will do great things for God.


2.  Spiritual Laws Have One Source of Strength - The Word Of God.
Pastor Nelson said his most frequent prayer is that of more revelation of the word. "God gave me revelation of the treasures that the church has lost.  I took a long look in the word of the first church and the disciples teachings about prayer, fasting and righteousness and how we are empowered by Christ's teachings, and realized the church has lost that truth."  We have to get back to the basic principles of the bible for there is where the power of the church is and we have to focus on the law of Strength as it says in Philippians 4:13.


I'll give you a scripture now that will make you want to get up and shout. In Isaiah 41:10-15, it says, "Do not be afraid for I am with you, do not be dismayed by anything, for I AM Your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous hand.  All who come against you will be put to shame and disgraced. Those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish. I will take hold of your right hand so do not fear. Do not be afraid O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I MYSELF will help you declares the Lord, your redeemer, the HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL. I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp with many teeth.  You will thresh the mountains and CRUSH THEM." David had that truth in his spirit and that truth gave him confidence and strength as he faced Goliath.


Have you really gotten it into your spirit that Christ is seated at the right hand of God? Now don't tell me again how strong the devil is.  The next time you hear him knocking behind your door, take your foot and kick it in.  He won't come in, he will flea and scatter into the air where he is the prince only! John 6:63-64 reminds us that, "The Spirit gives us life, the flesh counts for nothing.  The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet, there are some of you who do not believe." We have to get away from having a form of Godliness but not believing in its power.


You don't have to be a bible scholar to have God's word in you, or memorize a zillion scriptures.  The Holy Spirit will bring remembrance to you concerning the word if you have it planted in your heart and spirit.
The word is powerful! John 1:1 said, the word was in the beginning and Jesus was the word become flesh. Never forget the Holy Ghost is your best friend. He puts things in your spirit everyday that is truth and we must desire to follow that divine guidance from the comforter. The law of the spirit manifests amazing things in your life like transformation, healing and miracles and a desire to please the Lord that destroys desire for sin. Romans 8:11.


I see so many people who have lost that life force, without hope, whose spirit's are buried deep in a miry pit of darkness and pain.  We are the light that shines into their soul and I want to show them what Jesus gave me that day at Calvary when I began my new life in him.  I want them to know the resurrection power of the blood of Jesus and that precious mercy and grace and forgiveness that lifts us up into the light of truth and sows a seed of newness in us that  strengthens us and draws us into HIS SPIRIT. Well, Glory!


How do we get these spiritual laws in our spirit? By getting back to the basics, prayer, fasting, reading the word, meditating on it's truth, walking in its truth and getting carnality out of our homes and churches. Bring back the foot washings so we can get in our spirits what true love for another and fellowship really means.  You have to feed your faith and let the flesh die. Psalm 118:14.


This bible teaching was taught by Rev. Jerry Nelson at Westmoreland PHC in Wilson, N.C. at Wednesday night's bible study along with my commentary.  If you would like to have a CD of this teaching you can send an email to djbraman@gmail.com and request it or go the church web site at www.westmorelandphc.org

Law Of Abundance

Donna Braman

The Treasures And Abundance From Heaven

LAW OF ABUNDANCE


You can live in abundance even in the face of a bad economy. God wants us to be prosperous and we're going to talk about the spiritual laws that govern prosperity today. I believe in financial prosperity.  I believe that because the bible teaches it, and we're going look at those powerful scriptures concerning how God wants us to live in abundance.


The first thing we need to know is, what is prosperity?  A lot of people think prosperity is all about money but we will see from the scripture it is not all about accumulating wealth.


1.  Prosperity Comes In Knowing God
God will put a thrust inside of you to accomplish success in your life.  Look at Matthew 6:33, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." So the first step in reaching abundance is that personal relationship with the Lord that develops as we come to know him through prayer, worship and following his instructions from His Word. Remember, you can not violate spiritual principles and expect to walk in abundance.


2.  Prosperity And Abundance Is Family
You can have all the money in the world but if you lose your family then your money has not gained you abundance. That's why the devil loves tearing the marriage covenant apart. You may be a banker and make millions but if you loose your family, you're in trouble, and you need help from God. Anybody with a good business head can make money, but he is apt to lose it if he breaks God's spiritual laws that govern it.  Look at Tiger Woods, he had it all looking from the eye of the world. But what does he have now without family. So the first principle is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. 


The devil loves to slip in the back door and rob you. Look at what Jesus had to say about abundance and what His mission is for us and what the devil's mission is.  John 10:10 says,"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it in abundance." Jesus came to give us power over the devil, now power over the devil is what I call prosperity. You will have to know who you are in Christ and what power he gives you before you can walk in abundance. Jesus has put this spiritual law inside of you, use it.  God is not only concerned about your life in the eternal but here on earth as well.


3.  Prosperity Is A Vocation Well Carried Out
Vocation looks almost like Vacation doesn't it, and that's where a lot of us are; on vacation from learning to walk in the supernatural laws.  God wants us to achieve, but we need to set goals and try to achieve them God's way.  You can make a million dollars and still not be living in abundance. What good are riches if you're miserable inside, lose your family and real fellowship with one another? God said seek me and I will fill you with the rest.


4.  What Is God's Desire Concerning You?
Ask yourself, God, am I doing what you desire for me to do?  When you get God's desire in you, you will have this thrust for success I'm talking about.  God in his infinite wisdom moves on you to put dreams inside you to help you accomplish His will for you.  When you're dancing God's dream it happens. Old men begin to dream dreams and young men begin to have visions.  You see, with Him in you, you have the breath of God's spirit. God breathed that life force into man when He created us.


3 John 1:2 says, "I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is prospering, and that you are walking in truth." He wants us to be in health.  I know strong people physically but that have weak minds.  The devil will come at your mind, to destroy it, but Jesus' words promise us deliverance.


God is concerned about every aspect of you, your mind, your health, your financial well being, and your relationships.  When you can accept that then you're on your way to abundance. He wants us whole and complete, not just in one area, but all that he has for us. Some people just want prosperity from God, some just want their health.  I want everything that His word says He has to give me. God doesn't reserve health for one and abundance for another and a good marriage for one, but he came to give all of it to us.


Pastor Nelson told a story of a woman that came to him one time and told him he should sell that new car he had and give it the money to the poor.  She drove a new car too, but she didn't think she needed to sell her car for the poor.  Her thinking was that she didn't think a preacher should be prosperous. But if we go to Duet 8:18 it says, "But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." It goes on to say that if you follow after the world and its God's He will surely destroy you. There is no such scripture that says ministers are to remain poor while the flocks are to prosper only.


I don't know about you but I don't feel like everything is quite right when I look at a church that can't pay its bills or pay it's minister, and lacking in love gifts. They can't teach you how to live in abundance for they don't themselves produce the fruits of the blessings.  I want a minister to teach the word to me that lives the word, and that lives in the blessings that are our inheritance from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, through the spilled blood of the Savior. Jesus lived a poor life and died a criminal's death so we could be rich in abundance. If you think you can only be righteous through lack then the devil will keep you in poverty all your life. We let the devil have what Jesus died to give us.


Wealth is evil if you have the wrong thinking about it.  God will anoint you to be successful in business.  God will give you things you couldn't ever get on your own. But if you'll apply biblical principles concerning money you will be prosperous.  There are biblical financial precepts you must follow.  Learn them, because God gives you abundance so you can bless others.


Pastor Nelson tells a story of this precept he applied several years ago in his life.  It was back during a time when Jentezen Franklin had just built his new church and was taping services for television and he was having a hard time with the equipment he had been using for 5 years or more. Most of the cables and wiring were duck taped.  He asked his members and viewers to help him raise the million dollars it was going to take to for the equipment to broadcast his preaching. Well, I don't have to tell you that he raised the money and very quickly. I can look back on his ministry and see why he is so blessed. I remember in the first church him feeding the poor in Gainesville and clothing them, and starting outreach to the drug addicts and helping the elderly and the Hispanics.


Nelson was one of those contributors of a thousand dollars for Jentezen's equipment. He said the Holy Spirit came to him to give this money for another ministry.  He had just retired from the private sector and really thought he should give it to his own church he was ministering in. But he said, if he did that, he would still have control over how it was spent.  He said its all about the seed principle. The seed can not multiply until it leaves your hands. If you want to hold on and still be connected to your money you give then you will not see a harvest from it.


I see a lot of people look at it in that light.  They give their tithes and yet they want to control the church because of it. You will never see a harvest, because you have wrong thinking about the seed and harvest principle.


There are laws on sowing and reaping.  It's the anointing of the seed that destroys the yolk.  You can't bless someone unless you have God's blessing and anointing to do so.  You've got to walk in covenant to be a blessing to others. You've got to know God's nature, his seasons, and the order He operates in. He displays His nature beautifully through the nature of His universe. If you will follow His principles that govern prosperity, you will prosper. But make sure you are serving the right master.  Matthew 6:24 says, "No one can serve two masters, either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and Money."


Where most of us fall short in accumulating money is that we develop greed and love of money. 1 Timothy 6:10 tells us, "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.  Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Most want to accumulate it for their own selfish desires and not for the purpose of blessing others. So if you are out of line with God's purpose to give you wealth, it will not be forthcoming, and if you acquire it on your own, you will lose it. You will miss abundance if you covet money.


I'll give you an example; Abraham was blessed, and so was Lot.  But greed was in Lot's heart. He looked over the land and wanted Abraham to give him the choice land.  Abraham did so, but look how it turned out.  Abraham still became wealthy in the lessor valued land, because the blessing and anointing was on him through his obedience and following God's principles.  Lot, well he ended up like most of us who accumulate wealth for the wrong reason. You see, some people get a taste of prosperity and it destroys them because money goes to their head.


Don't ever think that you can not prosper in bad times.  We need to start digging wells and planting seed because now is a ripe time for financial miracles to occur in the Kingdom. When you see the worldly rich fall then look out, for that is the season God will release the wealth He has stored up from the rich and give it to the righteous. He gives to us to bless others and it is two fold blessing process.


Years ago, there was a man that Pastor Nelson helped start a business and the business prospered.  One day the man called him up and said I want to bless you back.  He threw him the biggest feast for his church members and friends at the country club. Many were blessed through that blessing that came back on the Pastor. So remember, what you do for others God will make happen for you.


5.  There Are Laws That Regulate The World Of Finance


Begin to love the Word, and from it you will walk in the will of the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. But you've got to line up with His word. Begin to crave a love of the word, your future, your destiny and your abundance are defined in that instruction book. It is a lamp unto your feet.  Nelson says, "I love the word, I could just eat it sometimes," and he takes a piece of paper with a daily scripture and begins to chew it in his mouth. As he is chewing the word, he adds, "Abundance is not an accident.  The key is so simple that most people miss it.  It does not take a rocket scientist to see it. Jesus says it, to seek me first, and the rest will be given to you." Matthew 6:33


God is interested in holiness in your life, and you'll not reap benefits of prosperity until you become sanctified and walk a righteous life. Obey what the Holy Spirit is telling you. 1 Peter 1:2 says,"Who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood. Grace and peace be yours in abundance." If you walk in the light and be obedient to what His word tells you to do, He will bless you. Peace in your life is abundance, you can have money without this peace and unspeakable joy you get from an intimate relationship with the Lord.


When the Holy Spirit convicts you and lets you know He is not pleased with you, He will put his finger on that area of your life, and bother you about it until you change it.  If you will seek Him and please Him you will see abundance. So you can see here that abundance is not all about money. If you are not prospering financially take a closer look at what you are doing. We become what our habits are. Are you creating too much debt through credit cards? Are you giving to others? Are you tithing what belongs to God? Obey that law of giving, your prosperity depends on it. If you cheat God, you will go lacking just as you have shorted Him. You pay your tithes to the place God has put you, the church that feeds you spiritually. Your love gifts go to bless others, but the tithe is to be brought into the storehouse of God for the purpose of supporting the church and the minister.


There are two points to make about the law of giving:
1.  Your seed must be planted and what you sow you will reap. Genesis 8:22
God built resurrection power into nature, look at the seasons and how the seed must die before it can replenish and multiply. You will stay in lack until you learn how to plant and multiply seed. God gives us opportunity to plant seed so our harvest will be abundant.  Every seed produces after its own kind.


2.  Luke 6:36 says, "Be merciful, just as I have been merciful to you." It's not about that "me" thing. Give to others! If you'll pay your tithes and give to others, walk a righteous life then  you will see the 100% harvest. Grace and mercy will chase you down! Everything you put your hands to will prosper. Sow your seed in the Kingdom and you'll see manifestation. Jesus tells us in John 12:24, "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if if dies, it produces many seeds."


3. Release the seed from your hand when you plant it, let it die and it will come back to you multiplied. It has to become useless to you before it can produce of its own self. In other words, it must cease to benefit you before it can grow of its own!


Don't expect a miracle in your church financially when you've not blessed other ministries as well. Pastor Nelson says, "I have people that give to this church that are not even members. Why?  Because I continually bless others outside this church."


I have personally seen Pastor Nelson go visit many people who are sick in their home or at a hospital that are not even members of his church. That comes back to him in blessings that one can't even measure. I heard a Pastor say one time, "Oh don't expect a visit at the hospital unless you're loyal to my church, that's the benefit of being a member." You know what, this Pastor's church will perish inside it's walls too! Man can not set up the laws of prosperity to his liking, he must obey God's way of receiving abundance, and that is not by operating a church club with exclusions of love and giving.


4.  The Heat Test
Ask Christians for transparency and you'll get the real deal of how righteous they are. Open up your check book to someone for them to see what you pay in tithes.  Malachi 3:10 says,"bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."


I have to tell you of an experience I had three years ago when I began to bless ministers and widows and orphans by preparing feast of weeks baskets on Pentecost. It was about two weeks later I got a call from my neighbor who has acres of garden each year.  He said, "my son's are too lazy to come and harvest my fields, they don't want it unless I harvest it for them. So you go into my fields and harvest all you want." My blessing had come in a 100% fold.  I not only had to clean my barns out (freezer) to make room for the harvest but I gave even more blessings to the shelters in town and to many elderly widows. I had put a spiritual principle into practice and God's word did exactly as it said it would do. A year later I received an unexpected love gift of $4,000 dollars when I began to set Believers Ministry Inc. up as an outreach teaching ministry. If God did it for me, he'll do it for you.


You see tithing and giving is an eternal law. God told Abraham to take all the tithes to the High Priest, Melchizedek and then God told Melchizedek to go and give bread and wine to Abraham and anoint him.


Your tithe and seed money also assures a blessing to your children. You need a blessing for your children? Go and plant a seed for them. God said he would rebuke the devourer if you tithe. Knowing all this from the word, you can't afford to break this spiritual law, yet so many don't see the significance of their prosperity by obeying this principle.


Prosperity changes things in our homes, our marriages, our attitudes and the way we think. Giving will change your life more than anything I know.  It helps our faith to grow, but it's a hard test. When we can pass this test, God gives us His promise for an abundant life.

This teaching was taken from a bible teaching taught by Rev. Jerry Nelson with my commentary on the subject. If you would like to have these teachings in their entirety you can email me at:
djbraman@gmail.com or from Westmoreland PHC, at westmorelandphc.org

Walking In The Supernatual - Law Of Confession

Words Create


Donna Braman


LAW OF CONFESSION


If we are to walk in the supernatural then we must learn the spiritual laws which govern Kingdom principles.  The law of confession is the mystery which reveals manifestation.  I'm not referring to confession of sin, but truth that is released through the spoken word with faith.  Confession in this text means to speak your promises from God. (Philippians 4:19)  Now we know that if we break natural laws there are consequences.  For instance, if we disobey electrical laws by sticking our finger into a live socket, we will experience a painful shock.  The spiritual laws work the same way in that there are certain outcomes or consequences if we break them, and those consequences show up in no results with our prayer life, no financial manifestation, no anointing by the Holy Spirit, no metaphysical power evidenced that changes our circumstances.


Let's take a look at Joshua 1:8 and see how the law of confession works with people.  Moses selected 12 men to go and spy out the promised land to see just what it was going to take to possess it. (Numbers 13:27-32)  Well, the men came back with a negative report and said it was a mountain to overcome with armed giants, (the Anaks) and there was no way we could overtake them.  Now this is a prime example of looking at the natural law.  But oh, Joshua said, I will possess that which God has given unto us.  Joshua allowed the possession to become God's battle and not through his own strength.  Joshua understood the law of confession.  He walked out the truth of that Kingdom principle and he brought the walls of Jericho down.  He led the people into taking possession of the promises.  


The law of confession is still the same today and that's why we have Christians perishing who will never possess the promised land.  We are living in a period of famine, wars and rumors of war.  God is gathering the Jews back to Israel from the four corners of the earth.  A spiritual shifting is occurring in the body of Christ at the same time to separate the wheat from the tares to light up the remnant for the lost to clearly see.  He who has ears, let him hear with a spiritual ear.  There are powerful forces of the spirit world at work in this earth and powerful forces of darkness to try to counteract what is to come.  It is a clash between a negative energy and a positive energy.  


Darkness can not overcome light.  You see, blood means life and light, but you've got to be covered in that blood by walkig in the new covenant with Christ.  He gives us everything we need to know about how his Kingdom operates in the gospels by his own words.  Now, if you don't understand who you are in the Kingdom then when the devil comes, and he is coming with three of the most powerful demonic forces like the world has never seen, and he is going to overtake you.  We need to take a look at what spiritual forces were at work when Isaac possessed the land during famine.  Isaac understood seed principle and as he dug wells and water began to flow, King Abimelech said, go from here before your God overtakes us. 


Look at who is prospering in these dried up economic times.  A report was released last month showing that the intake of tithes in the churches hardly even decreased last year.  So you see the end time prophecy unfolding with a transfer of wealth taking place as nations fall, big corporations go under and the rich commit suicide.  What I'm trying to say, is there is plenty of spoils for God's people.  Today, Israel is one of the richest nations on earth. The bible warns us that when Israel's barren deserts become plush green agriculture, look out God is up to something, a shaking is going on from the heavens.  Let us remember what happened in Egypt when famine and plagues hit them, and darkness fell on the land.  There was a light that beamed brightly in Goshen where the blood of the covenant rested on the children of God.


I believe today, the number one reason why Christians are perishing is lack of speaking with belief of who they are in Christ and lack of understanding of what works Jesus accomplished on the cross for them, and not being able to define their inheritance.  Today, we have a form of Godliness but no belief in its power, pretty much why God's Shekinah glory left the second temple and he allowed it's destruction.  We need Shepherds that have enough courage to preach the word in spirit and truth.  The United States has become a Ninevah, with cold hearts and abominable sin which is the norm for tolerance in today's society.  


You see, Ninevah needed to be jostled out of their accepted norm and have the word rightly divided so a light switch would come on so they could see how far from God they really were. Truth is what makes us repent and return to covenant, not feel good messages and entertainment teaching.  We have Shepherds today that have their eye on the world and delight in man's approval while the people perish with little or no understanding of the blood and its transforming power, or how to begin to apply biblical principles that govern victory in the spiritual life.  Jesus' parable of the sower gives understanding to all parables and to all biblical truth.


Christians need to be taught where the resting place is, and we need to position ourselves there, because when the devil comes at you, and he will, you will be unmovable and you won't fall for the world's lies or stay in a carnal church that Jeremiah blatantly calls the Harlot church.  Preachers are afraid to be Jeremiahs or John the Baptists because there is no favor with man with that. Now I know why Jeremiah was called the weeping prophet. When Joshua said, we are going forward and we are bringing the covenant back, things changed; blessings and protection followed them. They positioned themselves before trying to take the promises.  Look at Psalm 91:1-2, it says, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty."  It goes on to say in verse two, "He will save me from the fowler's snare and the deadly pestilence."  Most people think King David wrote this Psalm but, but according to Rev. Nelson's biblical research, Moses did.


The body of Christ has been attacked by the devil with infirmities, cancer, heart disease, depression, mental illness, addictions because we have stepped out from the shelter and the resting place of the Most High.  We need to reposition ourselves and start confessing God's word from the depths of our heart.  I like the song, 'I Am Redeemed'. One verse goes, "when they ask you who you are, just say, I AM THE REDEEMED". (the remnant)  The world will fear you when you start to look like the redeemed because you will be dressed in fine linen and adorned with precious jewels and you will walk your talk like Joshua, King David, and Daniel did.  


When Paul put the law of confession to his circumstance in his midnight hour, it caused a move of metaphysical power through an earthquake that loosed his chains.  Now, the man guarding Paul repented and became saved.  Why? Because he saw the power of the living God.  I would have fallen to my knees too, and so will the lost of today if we evidence our faith into matter.  Where are the Paul's today in our pulpits.  God doesn't just want to free us from bondage, he wants us to prosper abundantly and soar like the eagle. So, don't accept less in your spiritual walk than what the sacrificial blood promises you.  That is like saying, Jesus, I'll just take half my inheritance, so I can still partake half way of the carnal world.  That is one of those deceptions that will cause you to loose ALL of your inheritance.


Rev. Jerry Nelson, in his teaching Wednesday night made a profound statement, he said, "Your faith will never rise above your confession."  The devil will try to pull you out of the shadow of the Almighty.  He will start with weakening you through the physical senses, the eye, ear, taste, or smell and talk you into missing a few prayer times, withholding a few tithes, staying out of church, not reading your bible as much until finally you say, well it won't hurt to partake of this little sin as long as I don't make a habit of it.  Don't lay down for that slaughter.  You've got a miracle in your mouth, start confessing it today!


Now, I'm going to give you the biblical do-not's of confession that steal your manifestation and victory.  The number one is do not confess lack.
*Do not confess fear and anxiety (2Timothy 1:7)
*Do not confess lack of faith. (Romans 12:3) (or weakness, because through Him you can do all things who strengthen you.
*Do not confess sickness (1Peter 2:24)
*Do not confess ignorance (1Corinthians 1:20)
*Do not confess worry. (1Peter 5:6-7)
*Do not confess failure, never, never, never (11Corinthians 1:20) Remember all the promises of God are in Jesus!


There are a couple of scripture you need to memorize, the first is for the Shepherds, 11Corinthians 2:14, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.  For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.  And who is equal to such a task? Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.  On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God."


If you want to serve the Lord effectively put this verse in your memory bank, Romans 8:2, "through Christ the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death,"  and that law is activated by the tongue that gives off life and death forces.  For the Shepherd who was once enlightened by the Holy Spirit and gifted with knowledge, wisdom and discernment of the word, woe unto him who abuses that gift by not speaking it, for it will cost him the unfading crown of glory!


References and credits on this article:
This article is based on my notes from Wednesday night's bible study at Westmoreland PHC taught by the Rev. Jerry Nelson, as well as my own commentary.  If you would like to order a copy of the complete bible study 'Law of Confession' on dvd or cd go to: www.westmorelandphc.org