Author: Rhema

The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all the inward parts of the belly. — PROVERBS 20:27

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . . — JOHN 1:1,14

One translation of this verse reads, “The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord.” To put it into modern speech, you would say, “The spirit of man is the light bulb of the Lord.”

What this scripture means is that God will enlighten us — He will guide us — through our human spirits.

However, Christians seem to seek guidance in every other way except the way God said it is going to come! They judge how God is leading by what their physical senses tell them; but nowhere does the Bible say that God will guide us through our physical bodies! They look at things from a mental standpoint; but nowhere in the Bible does God declare that He will guide us through our mentality, our intellect, or our minds!

God said that it is the spirit of man that is the candle of the Lord. So God will guide us through our spirits. God will guide you through your human spirit.

Confession:
I am a spirit. I have a soul. I live in a physical body. My spirit is the candle of the Lord. God my Father is enlightening me through my spirit. God is guiding me through my spirit.

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. — ROMANS 8:14

The sons of God can expect to be led by the Spirit of God.
Believers can expect to be led, or guided, by the Holy Spirit. Jesus, referring to the time when the Holy Spirit would come, said, “He will guide you.” So we don’t have to look to man for guidance — that’s unscriptural. All of God’s children have the Spirit of God within and can expect to be guided by Him.

For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. — 1 CORINTHIANS 14:14

God is a Spirit. Man is a spirit. God contacts us and deals with us through our spirits. He leads us through our spirits. He does not communicate directly through our minds, because the Holy Spirit does not dwell in our minds. And God does not contact us through our bodies either.

It should be comparatively easy for Spirit-filled believers to locate the human spirit. Those tongues come from your spirit, down on the inside of you. You speak the words out physically — but they don’t come out of the physical senses. You yield your tongue to your own spirit, and the Holy Spirit in your spirit gives you the utterance

The tongues don’t come out of your mind or your soul. When you pray in tongues, your mind, your understanding, is unfruitful. Your understanding doesn’t know what you’re saying.

When you pray in tongues, the words come out of your innermost being — your spirit. All the leadings I’ve ever gotten, have come out of my spirit. And most have come when I was praying in other tongues — when my spirit was active and in contact with God.

Confession:
When I pray in tongues, my spirit prays. My spirit is activeand in contact with God. The Holy Spirit in my spirit gives me the utterance.

For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. – 1 JOHN 5:7

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us . . . . – JOHN 1:1,14

How can I make Jesus Lord of my life?
Jesus is the Living Word. And God has given us the written Word to unveil the Living Word to us.

Give the Word of God — primarily the New Testament — first place in your life. By doing so, you are putting Jesus first!

Let the Word of God govern your life. Let this Word be the Lord of your life. Let the Word dominate you. By doing so, you are really allowing Jesus to lord it over you — because Jesus and His Word are One.

We are living in an age when we need to get serious about spiritual matters, and we need to learn what the Bible has to say about love, life, home, marriage, and children.

Let the Word of God be your guide in life. When you do, you are making Jesus the Lord of your life. Then His written Word becomes the Lord of your life.

Confession:
Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of my life. I allow Your Word to dominate me. I allow Your Word to have dominion over me; therefore, YOU are lording it over me. You are dominating me. You are the Lord of my life!

And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life [zoe] through his name. — JOHN 20:30,31

Jesus did many things that are not recorded in John’s Gospel, or in the other Gospels. But the things that are recorded in the Gospels are recorded for a purpose. What is this purpose? “. . . That ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have zoe through his name.”

The object is that we might receive eternal life!

As a Christian, you need to know how to help others receive eternal life. The first step is to get them to read or hear what is written in the Gospels so they may know that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that as the Son of God, He has made spiritual life available to spiritually dead men.

John 3:15 and 16 shows us how: “That whosoever believeth in him [Jesus] should not perish, but have eternal life [zoe]. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life [zoe].”

Behold, I give unto you power [authority] to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. — LUKE 10:19

The Greek word “exousia” means authority. However, it is often translated as “power” in the King James Version of the New Testament. In our text, for example, two different Greek words are translated as “power,” yet the correct translation of the first word is “authority.” Our verse should read, “I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy . . . .”

What is the difference between power and authority?

Well, what can one uniformed police officer do to direct the flow of rush hour traffic? He can do a great deal. Is it because the policeman has the power to hold back these mighty machines? No! His most strenuous efforts couldn’t stop the swiftly passing cars. He doesn’t have the power to do it, but he has something far better. He is invested with the authority of the government he serves. Even a stranger in the city recognizes this authority and obeys it.

Authority is delegated power.

Confession:
I have been given authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing shall by any means hurt me.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. — EPHESIANS 6:10,11.

What would you think if you saw a traffic policeman in front of a car, trying to hold it back? You’d think, He can’t do that. He’s no match for that car!

Some people read Ephesians 6:10 and think that the Lord is telling them to be strong in themselves. And they’re trying to be strong. They’ll say, “Oh, pray for me that I’ll hold out faithful to the end!” But God didn’t say a word about our being strong in ourselves or in the power of our might.

That traffic policeman steps right out in front of those cars and holds up his hand, because he knows they’re going to stop for him. He doesn’t have to exert any strength himself; he’s strong in the authority that’s been given to him.

That is what the Lord is telling us. He’s saying, “Be strong in the Lord. Be strong in the authority of His might. Just step out there in front of that oncoming devil. Hold up your hand in the Name of Jesus, and say, ‘Thus far, and no further! Stop right now!

Confession:
I am strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. I am invested with authority from the Lord Jesus Christ. When I hold up my hand in the Name of Jesus and say, “Thus far, and no further,” the devil stops in his tracks!

. . . Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. — JAMES 4:7

Every passage in the New Testament that deals with the devil always instructs you and me to do something about the devil. New Testament believers are never told to pray that God would do something about the devil!

In James 4:7 “you” is the understood subject of the sentence. “You resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Notice it’s not, “Pray to God for Him to do something about the devil.” Nor is it, “Pray that Jesus won’t let the devil get you.”

Also notice that the Bible doesn’t say, “When you feel like it, you can resist the devil, and it will work for you.” No. Whether you feel like it or not, the authority still belongs to you. You can’t feel authority; you just exercise it!

Act on James 4:7. Don’t just consider it as a fairy tale, but as the Word of God, which is to be acted upon. If you’ll act on it, the devil and all his cohorts will run from you as in terror!

Confession:
I resist the devil according to God’s Word. The devil runs from me as in terror. He’s scared to death of Jesus Christ — so he’s scared to death of me!

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health [medicine] to all their flesh. — PROVERBS 4:20-22

A marginal note in a good reference Bible will show that the last phrase of the above text can read “and medicine to all their flesh.” This means that God has “prescribed” His words for our healing and for our health!
But medicine, even in the natural, won’t do any good unless you take it according to directions. You could go to a doctor, get a prescription, have it filled, take it home, set it on your bedside table — and still grow steadily worse! You could call the doctor and complain, “I don’t understand it. I paid good money for this prescription, but I’m getting worse.” The doctor might ask, “Are you taking your medicine according to the directions?” “Well, no, but I’ve got it right here in the bottle at my bedside.” The medicine won’t work just because it’s in the bottle. You’ve got to get it in you!

And God’s medicine (your Bible) won’t work just because you have it on your bedside table. But it will work if you’ll get it down on the inside of you — into your heart, or spirit. And not just by reading it and forgetting it; but by meditating upon it until it becomes a part of your inward.

Confession:
I hide God’s words in the midst of my heart. They are life to me. They are medicine to my flesh!