You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:14-15

Jesus desires to be your best friend and have an intimate and embracing relationship with a believer. 

The scripture above explains the contrast between a servant and a friend. The servant must obey his master without any knowledge of the master’s business or reasons for his commands. 

Jesus educates His friends in all spiritual truth. Jesus shares all of His life and powerful attributes with a friend. 

Jesus is not a brutal taskmaster. He just wants a friend to obey His commands. The commands bring salvation, abundance and protection against evil.

He is obedient to the instructions of Jesus regardless of the personal cost or lack of logic.

The friend of Jesus is “sold out” to the Lord. He lives for Jesus above all else. He develops a friendship with Jesus through prayer, reading the Bible, and listening for His voice.

The friend of Jesus submits to the authority of the Holy Spirit and walks in oneness with Jesus by faith and obedience.

Friendship is built on honesty, trust and transparency in a relationship. Jesus is a true friend. He laid down His life for you!

“If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.” Luke 19:42

Jesus entered into Jerusalem and saw the crowds. He wept.

The Israelites thought Jesus was going to become a king not a martyr for humanity.

Jesus saw the coming devastation to Jerusalem and the suffering of the people.

Jesus wept because of the future destruction and lack of faith of the people.

The Israelites were not willing to repent from sin and accept the teachings of Jesus.

The future could have been filled with the goodness of God, supernatural protection and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

The Israelites heard the words of Jesus but were blinded to understanding His wisdom and prophecies about the future. They did not take Jesus seriously.

We have all failed God’s warnings at times. The “might have been” did not happen because we were not listening or obedient to God’s voice. 

The future is going to be tumultuous for all humanity so we have to pray seeking the will of God and listen for His voice. When God speaks do not reject Him like the Israelites.

Follow the instructions of Jesus with complicity and without hesitation.

Jesus is omniscient and desires to protect a believer but we must submit to Him. The Holy Spirit is your safety net so invite Him to have authority over your life. He speaks for Jesus!

“For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36-37

The decision for Christ causes a human being to die to self and live for Jesus. The believer’s life no longer belongs to him. It belongs to Jesus. He must live by the oracles of Jesus or face the judgments of God.

The challenge is profiting to meet your needs under the guidance and authority of Jesus.

This is where greed and self interests get entangled in our motives. 

The Bible instructs believers to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all the other things will be added.

This is a direct command to elevate Jesus above everything else in your life. Make Jesus first by seeking His will through prayer, reading the Bible and listening for His voice.

We get priorities out of order in dealing with the difference between needs and wants. 

Jesus promises to provide for a believer’s basic needs but his wants have to be submitted to the perfect timing of Jesus. 

Jesus desires to give a believer abundantly more than he asks or thinks according to the Holy Spirit dwelling inside him.

Profiting for Jesus is binding evil and loosing the salvation of Jesus to others. We bind evil through prayer and intercession and loose salvation through the Living Water in our words and actions.

Jesus does not want a believer to attempt to enhance his life and gain prosperity. Let Jesus pour out His goodness on your life and rejoice in the words “My cup runneth over”.

Jesus wants a believer to lose his life for the purposes of the Kingdom. This will give a believer a new life and identity built on the principles of Jesus. 

We cannot buy or earn the gift of salvation. It is a gift from Jesus that comes by faith and obedience.

For in Him, we live and move and have our being!

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

Ephesians 6:12

Satan is not a fantasy. He is alive and wants to steal, kill and destroy believers. He is very powerful and has an army of demons.

Satan can hear all your words and knows all your weaknesses. He cannot hear your thoughts. 

Satan is a liar and will attempt to lead you into darkness with assurance this evil behavior is acceptable and condoned by society. 

If you are serious about Jesus you will be in a war with Satan. This war is not about flesh and blood. It is a war against principalities and the rulers of darkness. This wickedness originated in Heaven and desires to defame and destroy Jesus Christ.

We are told in the Bible to fight this darkness with the armor of God which provides believers with an array of weapons to defeat the evil intentions of Satan.

The armor of Jesus is an outfit with many spiritual weapons!

We abide at all times in the truth and righteousness of Jesus.

We wear the shoes of peace to guide our footsteps and make safe decisions.

We walk with unwavering faith believing in the promises of Jesus to quench the fiery darts of Satan.

We ask Jesus to enfold our mind, spirit and body in the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God.

We speak the words of Jesus and pray guided by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, we must be watchful with perseverance and make intercession for those in bondage to Satan. 

Jesus has delegated His authority to believers to cast out demons. Pray for the gift of discerning of spirits. This will allow you to identify the specific workers of Satan. 

Ask Jesus to identify the name of the lead or host demon holding the afflicted in bondage. This will enable you to call the lead demon out by name and any other demons must also follow. The name of a demon is always related to an evil activity like lust, greed, anger, or addictions. 

Make sure you are covered with the blood of Jesus before entering into this warfare.

Remember, the demons must leave by speaking the words of Jesus and commanding them to flee by the blood of Christ.

This is intense work and requires fasting and prayer. Jesus is a God of victory.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

If you are a believer there will be many trials in your life. They are unavoidable and are mostly engineered by Jesus. At times, they can seem overwhelming and a hopeless recovery.

The peace of the world is based on stability and prosperity. Unfortunately, the world cannot make or keep any promises.

The peace of the world is short lived and cannot be found through worldly measures.

The peace of Jesus comes from heaven and has nothing to do with your circumstances. 

The peace of Jesus overcomes emotional distress and fear.

The peace of Jesus comes by faith. Ask and you shall receive. 

The believer must be covered by the blood of Jesus and be in good standing with the Lord. He must ask God to reveal anything he is thinking or doing that grieves the Holy Spirit.

The Bible instructs believers to seek peace and purse it. We do this in our relationships with others and in our decision making. 

Pray for peace in relationships and distance yourself from darkness.

Walk in oneness with Jesus anchored to the Holy Spirit. 

Commit your works each day to Jesus and pray for His thoughts to be established in your mind. 

The peace of Jesus is without limits. It is readily available from the Holy Spirit.

You are not your own. You were bought with a price! Abandon yourself to Jesus and seek His will for your life.

The future of a Christ follower is bright. Jesus keeps His promises!

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Proverbs 14:12

We get off track so easy with Jesus. This happens when we forget to inquire of Him and make a hasty decision. 

Every time I have made an important decision on my own it has backfired and caused adversity.

As humans, we don’t have the wisdom and maturity to make good decisions without God. 

Many times we make decisions based on worldly values and are led astray. 

Jesus is omniscient and sees every detail of your past and future. 

Why would a mere mortal deny this valuable attribute? 

Jesus died to provide believers with a buttress of support and promises “No weapon formed again you shall prosper.”

If you are a believer Jesus lives inside you in the essence of the Holy Spirit. 

God has given all believers the mind of Christ and He speaks to His people. This is your safety net against making a decision that leads to troubles.

Jesus is a personal God. He wants to build a close relationship rooted on faith and obedience. 

Jesus promises to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your pathway. But this will only happen through prayer seeking the will of God and yielding to the Holy Spirit.

Invite the Holy Spirit to have authority over your life and you will be amazed to hear from Jesus every day of your life!

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19

Jesus said “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” John 14:12 

The Christ follower has been created in the workmanship of Jesus for good works. This work is accomplished through the Holy Spirit who is sealed in all believers.

The works are created by prayer and faith in the words of Jesus. The Holy Spirit anoints a believer and equips him with the gifts of the Spirit to do the works. 

The works must be ordained by the Holy Spirit without self interests. Many of the works in Christianity come through religion and without the auspices of the Holy Spirit.

There are many kinds of ministry but the starting point is a lifestyle ministry. Jesus said he who believes in Me will be a fountain of Living Water touching all those in his life. This can be a smile, genuine concern for an individual or kind, caring words.

The anointed believer does not really have to do or say anything because the light of Jesus is a powerful witness. People will be attracted to the light because the authenticity of Jesus is evident.

The ministry of Jesus is to bind evil and loose the light of Jesus on the earth. This work has lasting effects in heaven.

The believer binds evil through prayer and intercession. The Holy Spirit anoints the believer and equips him with the armor of God to destroy the work of Satan, bring down strongholds and set people free from the bondage of sin.

The believer must also confront sin and pray for the judgment of God to shatter the tactics of Satan.

The believer looses the light of Jesus through the gifts of the Spirit to create salvation for unbelievers.

Jesus equips believers with gifts like prophecy, words of knowledge, and healing to accomplish His goals.

There are many diversities of ministry and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Wait on God for the wisdom and perfect timing to start a ministry. Remember, ministry is not handmade; it comes from God.

The authenticity of Jesus will not come to an individual by going to church, simply reading the Bible or participating in religion. 

The relationship starts with a serious decision from the heart to live for Jesus above all else. This requires giving up your individuality and rights and turning over your life to Jesus.

Jesus is very personal. He is easy to approach and desires to have a close and intimate relationship with a believer.

Jesus knows your every thought and understands all of your emotions. He sees all of your personality including genetic dispositions and compulsive behaviors.

There is no reason to attempt to hide anything from Jesus. Be transparent and honest with Him.

Jesus desires to speak consistently with a believer.

Jesus gives believers dreams and visions to provide wisdom and guidance in walking with Him.

Jesus physically touches a believer with the Holy Spirit. At times, He sends a warm feeling over your body to confirm His presence and truth.

Jesus offers a believer the ability to speak in tongues with a heavenly language. This gift comes by faith. Ask and you shall receive.

Jesus seals a believer with the Holy Spirit. He is the life of Jesus and the portal to all the powerful attributes of His life.

The decision for Jesus causes a believer to be “born again” and transition from his natural life at birth to a new identity. He becomes a new creature in Christ and the Holy Spirit begins to transform him into the character of Jesus.

The believer who surrenders to Jesus and walks in oneness with Him under the authority of the Holy Spirit will experience the authenticity and majesty of the Living  Christ.

The Holy Spirit spoke these words to me this morning;

“Christianity is incongruous in teaching the truths of Jesus. They are out of step with the reality of the Living Christ.”

Salvation is a gift from Jesus but Christianity is a religious organization which fails to teach the reality of the Living Christ and has been corrupted by worldly values.

Jesus says go and sin no more. Christianity says join a church and submit to their laws and regulations.

Christianity does not want you to personally know the Living Christ because the leaders will lose value and validity.

Christianity is discriminating and many operate with a sanctimonious attitude. The qualities of Jesus are unconditional love, holiness and humility. 

Christianity operates by laws. Jesus operates through the Holy Spirit. 

Christianity cannot look into your heart and speak the words of Jesus. They just issue laws to live by.

Christianity is about hype. Jesus is about conviction of sin.

Christianity pretends to be a house of God but the fullness of Jesus does not live there.

This is the perfect time to seek the Living Christ. Jesus will be a powerful reality and a life changing factor in your life. 

The war with God started in Heaven when Satan proclaimed he wanted to  be like God.

God cast Satan and thousands of his angels out of Heaven and to the earth. Jesus witnessed the fall of Satan.

Jesus, the Son of God, had a peaceful life with His mother, father and four brothers. He worked as a carpenter and then in his early thirties all hell broke out.

Jesus was called by God to begin a ministry that would last about three and a half years. 

At the start of the ministry the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness to pray and fast for forty days.

Satan, an enemy of Jesus, attempted to lure Jesus away from God. Satan knew Jesus would be given the power and authority to crush all darkness.

Jesus was hungry after fasting forty days and Satan attempted to get Him to turn rocks into bread. This would be an action of using His power without the consent of God to meet His needs. Jesus responded man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 

Then next Satan challenged Jesus to jump off a high cliff and that the angels would protect Him. Jesus responded do not tempt the Lord your God. 

Finally, Satan took Jesus to a high mountain and offered Him to be the King over all the nations if He would bow down and worship Satan. Jesus said get behind Me Satan.

The revelation in this story is that Satan will try anything to prevent a believer from walking in oneness with Jesus. Satan tactics are to steal, kill and destroy believers.

Jesus started His ministry and was immediately confronted by demons working through the Jewish leaders who hated him, condemned His ministry and finally convinced Pontius Pilate to order His death.

The death of Jesus was purposeful by God. Any human being who confesses with his mouth and believes in his heart that Jesus is Lord will be saved. All believers will live with Jesus forever. Death has no dominion over a Christ follower.

The death of Jesus on the Cross unleashed the wrath of God on Satan.

Satan will be defeated by any believer who speaks the name of Jesus. The blood of Jesus is your safety net against Satan. 

The Bible explains that when Jesus was risen He was seated at the right hand of God and makes intercession for believers.

Intercession is based on this verse in Colossians 1:24. “Filling up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.”

Jesus looks at the evil work of Satan and decides to work through the Holy Spirit sealed in a believer to bring down strongholds and set believers free. 

Last night God reminded me we are entering the tribulation ordained by God. This will last a few years and consist of wars, famine, pestilence outbreaks and economic disasters. Two thirds of the world’s population will die.

I have been feeling disappointed recently because my prayers to Jesus about evil leaders and terrorists in places like Russia, North Korea and Israel are not being answered with a victory over evil. But God has a perfect plan and they will be struck down on His time line.

The enemies of Jesus cannot win but they can drag a lot of people down with them into a hell hole.

Jesus is the only hope to survive the coming tribulation! He is a God of victory!