Quick Video — The Wilderness Gardens Mill, The Scriptures And The Spirit

The Spirit powers the Scriptures which grind us down so we’re usable by God

https://youtu.be/kPimixrfwsU

“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.” (Ephesians 5:18 NLT)

While with Carolyn hiking at the Wilderness Gardens Preserve recently and seeing the 19th century Sickler Brothers Grist Mill, I had thought:

The San Luis Rey river powered the mill, which turned the millstones and ground the grain so it became useable.In a similar way, the Holy Spirit powers the Scriptures, which grinds down the roughness of our lives and makes us usable in God’s Kingdom.

The Scriptures and the Spirit work together to transform people into usable instruments for God.

Check out this video and the old mill here in North San Diego County.

To learn about the work of the the Holy Spirit, check out my articles:

• 5 Keys that Help Unlock the Mystery of the Trinity

• How to Rely More on the Spirit for Life and Ministry

• 3 Steps to Get the Help You Need Today

You might also want to check out these articles on the Scriptures:

• 4 Reasons You Can Love and Trust the Bible Today

• How Digging in the Dirt Proves the Bible is Reliable

• Have You Written Your Own Bible?

So you don’t miss any of my upcoming material on spiritual life, church planting, family, apologetics and leadership, click HERE to subscribe to my updates (if you haven’t done so already). You’ll receive my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth.”

Also, don’t miss my podcast on “Christianity Questions and Answers.” In it you can listen to answers to some of the intellectual questions about the faith such as:

• Where did God come from?

• Where do dinosaurs fit in the Bible?

• Is it OK to be angry with God?And much more

To listen in iTunes click HERE. 

To learn more about my podcast and how to submit your own questions click HERE.

Is It Necessary To Pray To Be Filled With The Spirit?

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This question came from a friend who wondered if what I was teaching in church one Sunday was accurate and asked: Is it necessary to pray to be filled with the Spirit?

Are Christians automatically filled with the Spirit when they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior or is there something more that we must do?

I was speaking on “Filling Prayer” based on Scriptures from my free eBook “10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth.”

He asked a great question that caused me to drill down a little more on the issue of whether a Christian needs to pray in order to be filled with the Spirit.

To learn more on this topic, here are some other articles I’ve written about the topic of the Holy Spirit:

“How to Rely More on the Spirit for Life & Ministry”“3 Steps to Get the Help You Need Today”“5 Keys that Help Unlock the Mystery of the Trinity”

Here are some of the key passages on the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives:

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13 ESV)

“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper shall not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you. And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin, and righteousness, and judgment; concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me; and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you no longer behold Me; and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged” (John 16:7-11).

“quench not the Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 5:19 KJV)

“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.” (2 Kings 2:9-10 KJV)

To listen to this podcast, just hit the play arrow above.

To listen via iTunes, click HERE.

• To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE to learn how.

• To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth HERE.

To learn more about this podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE.

Also, it would GREATLY help to spread the word if you rated and reviewed my podcast in iTunes. To do so just click HERE, then click “View in iTunes,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” then “Click to Rate” and “Write a Review.”

What Should Be The Role Of Fasting For Christians?

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My guest on this podcast, Dr. Hendrik Vorster, has practiced fasting as a spiritual discipline for quite some time. Each January he leads his church in a corporate fast. As a result, God has done miraculous works through his ministry. In this podcast he answers the question “What should be the role of fasting for Christians?”

In the New Testament, Jesus practiced fasting. His example and instruction can help us to understand what should be the role of fasting for Christians.

Jesus said, “And when you fast, don’t make it obvious, as the hypocrites do, for they try to look miserable and disheveled so people will admire them for their fasting. I tell you the truth, that is the only reward they will ever get. But when you fast, comb your hair and wash your face. Then no one will notice that you are fasting, except your Father, who knows what you do in private. And your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:16-18 NLT)

Hendrik is a wonderful personal friend and colleague. We have traveled to various locations around the world training church planting leaders.

Here’s some of Hendrik’s story:

Dr. Hendrik Vorster was raised in a Christian family in South Africa. At age 15 he started ministry as a youth leader. At age 20 he became an area pastor, since the church he led had grown from 50 to 400 members. Later he led the Maritzburg Christian Church which grew to over 1,200 adult worshippers each Sunday morning.

Over the years he has spoken to thousands of pastors in many African countries, as well as in Asia, Europe and the USA. In 1999 he joined the Board of Directors of Church Growth International (the Board of David Yonggi Cho) on which he continues to play an active role. He has preached at the World’s Largest Church, Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, South Korea.

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Dr. Hendrik Vorster

In 2006 Hendrik began training leaders with Dynamic Church Planting International and serves as the Director of International Partnerships. In 2008 he planted Riverside Community Church in Brisbane, Australia. He launched Cornerstone Ministries International (CMI) in August 2012. CMI now has two Campuses in Australia, one in Vietnam, sixteen in the Philippines, and many more in different nations. They recently registered in South Africa and are in process in a number of other nations in Africa, Asia, the Pacific Islands and India.

To listen to this podcast, just hit the play arrow above.

To listen via iTunes, click HERE.

• To receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord click HERE to learn how.

• To develop your relationship with God, get my free eBook 10 Prayers to Unlock Heaven on Earth HERE.

For more help on the role of fasting for Christians and prayer, check out these articles and podcasts on this website.

• Why You Need Protecting Prayer in 3 Realms and How to Do It

• Podcast: Why Aren’t My Prayers Answered?How Praising Unlocks Heaven on Earth

• So You Think You Can’t Take a Prayer Retreat?

To learn more about this podcast and how to submit your questions, click HERE.

Also, it would GREATLY help to spread the word if you rated and reviewed my podcast in iTunes. To do so just click HERE, then click “View in iTunes,” then “Ratings and Reviews,” then “Click to Rate” and “Write a Review.”