The Obedience of Faith

Obedience and submission are necessary in our walk with God.  They are very closely connected.  Many so-called Christians call Jesus “Lord,” but do not obey Him.  They are not submitted to Him. Is it possible to be saved that way? Let’s look at what the Word of God says about obedience and submission.

The Obedience of Faith
The apostle Paul spoke of "the obedience of faith."  Most Christians have probably never heard this expression, much less know what it means, but it’s right in their Bible.

Paul wrote to the Romans, “Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake.” (Rom 1:5)

Luke wrote in Acts, "The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith." (Act 6:7).  This proves that in the early church, the faith was not just a set of beliefs to agree with, but rather the authority of Christ's Lordship to submit to, and His commandments to obey.

The word “obedience” comes from the Greek word – hupakoe - attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or submission: - obedience, (make) obedient, obey (-ing).  Comes from hup-akouo - to hear under (as a subordinate), that is, to listen attentively; by implication to heed or conform to a command or authority: - hearken, be obedient to, obey.

Paul said, “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,” (Rom 15:18)

That means true faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  So you cannot understand Paul’s doctrine of salvation by grace through faith alone without properly understanding his doctrine of "the obedience of faith."

“For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.”  (Rom 5:19)

It’s through the obedience of the One, Jesus Christ, that you are made righteous. And it will always be through His obedience.  But if you have been made righteous, you will demonstrate the obedience of faith. It will result in your obedience both by word and deed.

“Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness?”  (Rom 6:16)

Some people have a problem with submission or surrender to God. They feel that in doing so, they lose their individual freedom.  But the truth is that you are either a slave to sin, resulting in death, or a slave of obedience, resulting in righteousness.  So your eternal destiny is determined by whether you remain a slave of sin or become a slave of obedience to Christ.

“For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil.”  (Rom 16:19)

The obedience of the Roman disciples of Christ was reported to all.  The Church throughout the world was hearing reports of their obedience.  Likewise, when you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach to many people.

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.” (Rom 16:25-27)

Paul said that the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ is a mystery that has now been revealed and which leads to the obedience of faith.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ.  You can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  And you can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.

This is what Paul preached everywhere. He said he, "kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance." (Act 26:20)

He told the King that he declared to people wherever he went that they should repent and turn to God, habitually proving their repentance by their deeds. It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.

“We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ,”  (2Co 10:5)

Obedience to Christ is the outcome of true spiritual warfare.  All those speculations and all those high things raised up against the knowledge of God are destroyed, and every thought is captured for the purpose of obedience to Christ.

“and we are ready to punish all disobedience, whenever your obedience is complete.” (2Co 10:6)

You must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ. At some point, your obedience must be complete. 

“Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.”  (Heb 5:8)

Obedience is learned through suffering.  Even Jesus, who never sinned, learned obedience from what He suffered. 

“And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation.” (Heb 5:9)

At the cross, the obedience of Jesus Christ was perfect, as He became obedient to the point of death (see Phil 2:8).  There He became the source of eternal salvation, but only to those who obey Him. 

The apostle Peter wrote to those who reside on earth as aliens, who are chosen “according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace be yours in the fullest measure.” (1Pe 1:2)

Peter taught that we are chosen to obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with His blood.  The apostles are in agreement. 

“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, ‘YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.’”  (1Pe 1:14-16)

Peter taught that if you address God as Father, you must be like obedient children and be holy in all our behavior. He will judge impartially according to each one’s work.  Your behavior and your works do matter to God. Are you living in holiness as an obedient child, or do you only call God Father but live like the world?

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.” (1Pe 1:22)

God’s Word is Truth and He sanctifies us in it (see Jn 17:17). The Truth will only purify your soul, if you obey it. Many have heard the Truth, but have never been purified, because they have not obeyed it.

“But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.”  (Rom 2:5-8)

Notice that it is those who persevere in doing good, who will receive eternal life.  And those who do not obey the truth will receive wrath and indignation.  Where it says they “do not obey”, this is apeitheo, meaning “to disbelieve (willfully and perversely): - not believe, disobedient, obey not, unbelieving.” 

The expression “do not obey” comes from “a” (not) and "peitho" (obey). Since we must avoid being among those who do not obey, let’s look at the root word “peitho” that means “obey.”

Obey
The word obey comes from the Greek word “peitho,” which is a primary verb; to convince to rely, agree, assure, believe, have confidence, be (wax) content, make friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.

Paul instructed us to, “Obey (peitho) your leaders and submit (hupeiko) to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.  (Heb 13:17)

Obedience and submission are closely connected, and this verse in Hebrews demonstrates that.

Submit
The word “submit” comes from the Greek word “hupotasso,” meaning “to subordinate; reflexively to obey: - be under obedience (obedient), put under, subdue unto, (be, make) subject (to, unto), be (put) in subjection (to, under), submit self unto.”

James wrote, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.   Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”  (Jam 4:7-8)

“Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?”  (Heb 12:9)

The Opposite of Obedience is Rebellion
The opposite of obedience and submission is rebellion. This may surprise some of you, but if you are not obedient and truly submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, then you are living in rebellion. 

The verb “to rebel” comes from the Greek word, “apostrepho,” meaning “to turn away or back (literally or figuratively): - bring again, pervert, turn away (from).” Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and insubordination like the sin of idolatry (see 1 Sam 15:23).

“Pilate summoned the chief priests and the rulers and the people, and said to them, ‘You brought this man to me as one who incites the people to rebellion (apostrepho), and behold, having examined Him before you, I have found no guilt in this man regarding the charges which you make against Him.’” (Luk 23:13-14)

You see, Jesus was accused of rebellion.  But Governor Pilate found no guilt in Him, although he wasn’t even a believer in Christ!

"Moses said, 'THE LORD GOD WILL RAISE UP FOR YOU A PROPHET LIKE ME FROM YOUR BRETHREN; TO HIM YOU SHALL GIVE HEED to everything He says to you. 'And it will be that every soul that does not heed (akouo – hear, harken) that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'  For you first, God raised up His Servant and sent Him to bless you by turning (apostrepho) every one of you from your wicked ways."  (Act 3: 22-23, 26)

Peter preached about two final outcomes that are possible, destruction and blessing:

1. Destruction - Those who do not heed (akouo – hear, harken) the Lord Jesus will be destroyed.
2. Blessing - God sent Jesus to turn you away from (apostrepho – turn away or back) your wicked ways, which is a blessing.

“And so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, ‘THE DELIVERER WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE (apostrepho) UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB.’"  (Rom 11:26)

The Lord Jesus Himself will remove ungodliness from us.  He makes us rebel against wickedness.

“See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away (apostrepho) from Him who warns from heaven.”  (Heb 12:25)

If you decline or reject Jesus when He speaks, then you are rebelling against Him.  If you do that, don’t expect to escape destruction.

Israel rebelled and wanted to submit to Egypt for help, but it was in vain.  The Lord showed Israel this through the prophet Isaiah and beckoned them to repent and trust Him.

“For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, ‘In repentance and rest you will be saved, In quietness and trust is your strength.’ But you were not willing.”  (Isa 30:15)

Ten Blessings of Repentance and Trust
Isaiah prophesied of ten blessings the Lord promises to His people, if they will repent and trust Him (Is 30:15-29):

1. He will save you and give you strength. v. 15.
2. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you . v.18
3. You will weep no more.  v. 19
4. He will hear your cry and answer you. v. 19
5. You will see and behold your Teacher. v. 20
6. You will hear Him again. V. 21
7. You will defile the idols in your life (pollute them and pronounce them unclean). v. 22
8. He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  v. 23
9. He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. v. 26
10. He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart. v. 29

Putting it All Together
True faith is always demonstrated by observable obedience.  If we have faith, then we will demonstrate something known as “the obedience of faith.”  This is done by both word and deed.  When you have true faith in Christ, the report of your obedience will reach many people.

When you have saving faith, you will no longer rebel against God, but you will rebel against your own ungodliness.   You will repent and trust the Lord. You will turn from your wicked ways.  You will listen to His Word and comply with it.  You will come under the Lord’s authority, He being your Master and you His servant.  And in that place of submission to Him, in which you are under obedience to Him, you will give heed to His voice, and do what He says to do.  You will say what He commands you to say.  It will affect your whole life.

Obedience to Christ is learned through suffering.  It’s the outcome of true spiritual warfare. As you suffer and fight the good fight, you must be on a continuum of progressively greater and greater obedience to Christ.  If you are not becoming more obedient, then you don’t have saving faith in Christ. 

You can’t have true faith in Christ without obedience to Him.  And you can’t have obedience to Him without faith.  He is the source of eternal salvation.  We’re made righteous through His obedience.  But He is only the source of salvation for those who obey Him.  Your eternal destiny requires that you become a slave of obedience to Christ. God’s chosen people were chosen to obey Christ.

Those who do not obey the Truth will receive wrath and indignation. Those who reject the Lord’s voice will be destroyed.  But the ones who listen to Him, repent, trust Him, and obediently come under His authority will be saved.  It's not enough to repent. You must prove or demonstrate your repentance by your works, repeatedly performing obedient acts.  Then He will save you and give you strength. He will be gracious to you and have compassion on you. You will weep no more.  He will hear your cry and answer you. You will see and behold your Teacher. You will hear Him again. You will get rid of the idols in your life. Then He will send rain for your seed and bread for your field.  He will heal what’s fractured and bruised in your life. And He will give you songs in the night and gladness of heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. The "Wise and Foolish Builders" and "Thy Will Be Done" paintings © 2012 are by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Obedient to the Heavenly Vision, Righteous Deeds and White Robes,  Doing What is Right, Faith Works!, Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth?, You Must Be Born Again, and The New Covenant. Remember that we are not endeavoring to keep up the law of Moses in conjunction with the gospel of Christ. You can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Taking Heaven by Force

Intense prayer in S. Korea

Some people are opposed to intense prayer, and they feel it is completely unnecessary.  They feel that it is rude and ungodly behavior.  But I want to show you from God's Word today that when you pray fervently, earnestly, intensely and with focused faith, your prayers are much more powerful. Jesus spoke of this, as recorded in Luke 16:16 and Matthew 11:12.  So let's take a close look at both of those passages.

According to Luke
Jesus said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached and everyone is forcing his way into it” (Luke 16:16).  Some people teach this passage to mean that in Jesus day and now there were bad guys who thought incorrectly that they could force their way into the kingdom.  However, the Greek word for pressing into it is biazitai.  It is nearly always used in the middle despondent tense.  According to the Bauer-Arndt-Gingritch Greek Lexicon, this word may either have a bad connotation of something being violently treated or a good one.  There is a wealth of information found in that Lexicon on page 140.  Among other possible meanings, it may mean:

“to occupy by force”
“is sought with burning zeal”
“makes its way with triumphant force”

Repentance is much like this, rather than a passive act carried out almost imperceptibly while in a neutral state.  It is a radical change of mind, and that’s the first step to entering the Kingdom.   We enter the Kingdom through repentance and faith, and biazitai depicts the forceful, zealous nature of that entrance.  In fact, as Luke recorded within the same grammatical context, Jesus taught, “unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5). 

Biazitai may also be understood as the “genteel constraint imposed on a reluctant guest.”  In other words, it may mean to invite urgently.  See Judges 13:15 and Genesis 33:11 for examples.  Any of these good connotations fit well with the context of the Luke 16:16 passage. 

All we have to do is go to Luke 14 to find the man who prepared a banquet.  Did he not use “genteel constraint imposed on reluctant guests.”  Yes, he did.  He sent his servant to tell his invited guests, “Come, for everything is ready.” (Luke 14:17)  In the end when they refused his genteel constraint, did he not in burning zeal send his servant to “bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame?” (Luke 14:21)  Yes, and when there was room for more guests, did he not tell his servant to go and “make them come in”?  Yes, he did.  This was Jesus way of illustrating the “feast in the kingdom of God.”  The burning zeal with which the host invited his guests illustrated the preaching of the gospel.  So did the forceful way he sent his servant to “make” more of them come in.

Or for additional context, we may refer to Luke 15 where we see the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son.  Were they not invited urgently and sought with burning zeal?  Yes, they were! Did they not make there way with triumphant force?  Yes, they did!! The lost sheep was sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the flock triumphantly.  This was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost coin was also sought with burning zeal, found with rejoicing, and returned to the owner triumphantly.  This also was compared to the repentance of one sinner.  The lost son was sought with burning zeal, as his father ran to him while he was still a long way off.  He was found by his father with rejoicing and celebration, and returned to his home triumphantly. 

As Luke went on to record in chapter 16, Jesus did not say the Kingdom of God is being preached and many are trying to force their way into it.  He actually said, “Everyone is forcing his way into it”.  I think he meant what he said, especially when we consider the context in which it was said.  The “everyone” Jesus referred to was “the poor, the crippled, the lame and the blind” whom he urged his own host to invite when he gave a luncheon (Luke 14:13).  The “everyone” he referred to who was forcing his way into the Kingdom of God was the tax collectors and sinners that “were all gathering around to hear him” (Luke 15:1)

One of those tax collectors was a short man named Zacchaeus.  In fact, he was a chief tax collector, and we know that tax collectors were despised for their corruption.  But despite this man’s vast wealth, he wanted to see Jesus.  In order to do so, he “ran ahead” of the crowd and “climbed” a tree.  This corrupt man was seeking Jesus with burning zeal.  And when Jesus reached the spot where he was, the Lord looked up at him and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately, I must stay at your house today” (Luke 19:5).  The Greek here indicates that Jesus said, “Hurry! Come down!”  There was urgency, genteel constraint, and an insistence in Jesus’ request.  Zacchaeus came down at once, and welcomed Jesus gladly.  He didn’t hesitate for a moment, indicating his burning zeal.  When Jesus went to this man’s home, people said, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner” (Luke 19:7).  But Zacchaeus stood up and repented wholeheartedly, offering full restitution to the victims of his extortion (Luke 19:8).  Here was another violent man who pressed into the Kingdom and made his way with triumphant force. Jesus said salvation had come to his house that day, and that it was lost men like this one that he had come to save.

According to Matthew
Before we look at the companion passage found in Matthew 11:12, read the chapters preceding Matthew 11, and you will see numerous examples of people laying hold of the kingdom with burning zeal or triumphant force.  This is a perfect example of understanding a verse in its proper, larger context:

Matthew 8:2 - The leper
Matthew 8:6 – The centurion
Matthew 9:2 – The paralytic
Matthew 9:18 – The ruler
Matthew 9:20 – The hemorrhaging woman
Matthew 9:27 – The blind man

These people stood in stark contrast to that fickle and impenitent generation, who on the one hand complained that John the Baptist was too straight-laced and on the other hand complained that Jesus was a friend of sinners (Matthew 11:18,19). 

Now we come to the companion passage in Matthew’s gospel.  Since the two inspired writers were recording the same incident where Jesus spoke these words, we can better understand what Jesus meant by cross-referencing the passages.  Here’s a comparison of Matthew’s record and Luke’s record of Jesus' words:

Matthew's Record	Luke's Record
For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John	The Law and the Prophets proclaimed until John
From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing	Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached
Forceful men lay hold of it	Everyone is forcing his way into it

Matthew 11:12 – “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  The main difference in this passage is that instead of saying “everyone is forcing his way into” the kingdom, the term “forceful men” is used.  The term here for forceful men is biastas.  Whenever this term is used it is in a bad sense to mean violent, impetuous men.  This could be viewed as a reference to the fact that sinners were the ones repenting and entering the kingdom, not the righteous.  Was Jesus pointing out here that these violent impetuous people are laying hold of the kingdom now since the time of John the Baptist?  I happen to think so. It is not those who are righteous in their own eyes that are entering the kingdom, it is the sinners.  It is not the healthy that Christ came to save, but the sick.  There’s more rejoicing over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent (Luke 15:7). 

Once again, please note that Jesus did not say the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men try to lay hold of it. He actually said, “Forceful men lay hold of it.” I think he meant what he said.  If there is any question about what it means to “lay hold” of the kingdom, we can refer to the companion passage in Luke to see it means “press into it”.  If these men were simply trying to enter through some unauthorized means of violence, then they would never have successfully entered as Jesus said they did.

Determining the meaning of the phrase “lay hold of it” is further aided by a Greek word study.  The single word harpazo is used in the Matthew 11:12 passage, so let’s take a moment to see what it means. 

The Kittel’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament states on p. 472 of volume I:
Since harpazo does not here mean either to bring in by force or to plunder, only three alternatives are open in the difficult saying at Matthew 11:12 [emphasis mine].  a. It may mean that the kingdom of God is stolen, i.e., taken away from men and closed to them; b. it may mean that violent men culpably try to snatch it to themselves; or c. it may mean that men forcefully take it in a good sense [emphasis mine].  Linguistically all three are possible.  The first and third are to be taken most seriously.  The former is suggested by the emphatic use of biazomai, by the correspondence between biazetai and biastai and perhaps by the Matthean context.  The latter is supported by the fact that the decisively new thing since the appearance of John the Baptist is the powerful irruption of the kingdom of God.  This is the presupposition for its being taken.  It demands resolute earnestness on the part of men if they are to enter it [emphasis mine].  Furthermore, the idea of men themselves taking away the kingdom of God is strange and is hardly supported by such parallels as Mt. 13:19, where the evil one snatches away the seed and not the kingdom, or Mt. 23:13, where closing the kingdom to men is not quite the same as taking it away.

So while Kittel’s Dictionary acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this Matthew 11:12 passage, it supports the meaning that men forcefully take the Kingdom in a good sense.  Likewise, the Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich Greek Lexicon acknowledges the difficulty in determining the meaning of harpazo in this particular passage. But it points out that the use of harpazo beside the word biasein probably means something like “seize” or “claim for oneself.”  Both these reputable and scholarly works help us to better understand the meaning of harpazo. 

Let’s return now to our comparison of the Matthew and Luke passages, aided by the table above.  When we carefully interpret these two companion passages in their proper context, and rely on each one to interpret the other, we find that Jesus basically spoke of two things that were successfully happening: 1) The first one was a good thing, which was that the kingdom of heaven was forcefully advancing.  This was happening through the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom.  Jesus clearly said, “the Kingdom of God is being preached.” 2) The second thing was that “everyone is forcing his way into it.” Or as Matthew phrased it under the anointing of the Spirit, “Forceful men lay hold of it.”  There is no reason to believe that this second thing that was successfully happening did not also have a good connotation.  Why was it good?  It was good because up until John the Baptist started preaching, all the prophets and the Law prophesied about this day. Now it was actually coming to pass! 

If we read this in context, I think this interpretation fits quite clearly.  Jesus was still responding to those the imprisoned John had sent to him asking if He was the one who was to come, or whether they should expect someone else.  Jesus was clearly saying that the Prophets and the Law had prophesied or spoken in advance about this day and now it was coming to pass.  What a wonderful report to send back to John to answer his questioning mind.  The “blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5). 

It’s often good to ask the question, “Why did the inspired Bible writer record this at this point in the text?”  We may ask this about verse 5 as was just mentioned and about verse 12, where he records Jesus saying, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.”  In answer to the question why Matthew recorded these statements at this point, first they were all part of Jesus’ response to John’s famous question. And secondly, they flow perfectly with Matthew’s previously documented the healings of the leper and centurion (chapter 8), the paralytic, the ruler, the hemorrhaging woman, and the blind man (chapter 9).  It was all good news (11:5 and 11:12), because it was all coming to pass as it had been foretold, and John could rest assured he had not missed the Messiah!

According to brother Yong Doo Kim

I've been blessed by the ministry of Yong-Doo Kim, pastor of The Lord's Church, in Incheon, South Korea. I'd like to share some of the things he says about this subject.  He states, "Sometimes a contemplative prayer is required, but when the person praying is dynamic, strong, and active, the Lord will powerfully work in us. The Lord often shouts to us, 'If you powerfully pray with a mind of a warrior, rather than in a contemplative way, I will become exclusive in your life!' The type of prayer that will make the Lord exclusive to us! The type of prayer in which forceful people can take the Holy treasures from heaven. The prayer that shouts in tongues all throughout the night with passion, which never wearies and perseveres. In heaven, there are many treasures a forceful people can take.

Putting it All Together
I strongly agree with brother Yong-Doo Kim, of the Lord's Church in South Korea, who says, "The violent take the kingdom by prayer...Your faith can change everything. You can take bread and fish, attack the Kingdom like a bank!"

We know that scholars have disagreed for centuries over the meaning of this passage.  But the correct interpretation of this passage can be rendered by studying the historical and grammatical context.

Its meaning is full of importance to us today.  It speaks of our Messiah, the good news about Him, His Kingdom, and how we enter it.  It shows how, once we enter the Kingdom of heaven, it causes violence on the inside of us, as we stir up that glory -- that resident power on the inside of us.  In this way, the violent take by force from the enemy that which is ours in Christ.  Through our powerful prayers, we possess our inheritance that God promised us. These are fundamental aspects of our Christian faith, and the passage is a great example of why we need to rightly divide the word of truth.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also like "Crying Out Loudly to God."  Also see the following:

Baptized with the Holy Spirit
Link Between Two Realms
Holy Fire Baptism
The Spirit is Willing
Lifting Hands in Prayer
Holy Living in a Perverted World

You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Holy Fire Baptism

I was first introduced to the holy fire baptism through a book by brother Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire.  I encourage you to read all five books, as I have described in another blog (see here).  There you will see from one church's experience how we receive it, why it is so important, and some of the practical aspects of it in the life of the disciple of Christ.

I have personally experienced this and it has changed my life.  But sometimes I meet people who say that the holy fire is not found in the Bible.  I realize this is controversial, but I want to ask you to be very careful not to deny the Holy Spirit's work.  Consider this matter reverently in fervent prayer to the Lord, searching the Scriptures and seeking to know whether it is truly from God.

In order to help you, I would like to first show you the Scriptures about God's holy fire.  And then I would like to share some people other than brother Kim, who have had divine revelations regarding the holy fire that further corroborate this teaching, and confirm my own experiences.  Lastly, I would like to explain what usually happens when a person receives the holy fire.

Jesus Baptizes in Holy Blazing Fire
John the Baptist said, "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Mat 3:11)

John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (Luk 3:16)

Some people make the mistake in thinking that when you are baptized in water, you simultaneously receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is an incorrect belief.  There is a second experience in which the Lord baptizes the believer with the Holy Spirit.  Those who refuse to acknowledge this are missing one of the greatest blessings God has for His people.  For more about the Holy Spirit baptism, you can read my blog about that (see here).

However, some people who have received both water baptism and the baptism with the Holy Spirit also fail to realize that the Lord has a third baptism.  They assume that the fire baptism is one and the same as the Holy Spirit baptism.  This too is error.  The Lord truly has a third baptism for us.  And John the Baptist made that clear when he said, "He [Jesus] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

God a consuming fire
For our God is a consuming fire. (Heb 12:29)  Therefore it should not surprise you that the Lord is able to baptize His people with fire.  In this same passage, He says that He is once again going to shake both the heavens and the earth, so that everything which can be shaken will be shaken.

Since God is holy, we know that He is a holy fire, as well.  And when He baptizes you in fire, it is a holy fire.

Refiner's Fire
The Lord says that before He comes, He will send His messenger to prepare His people.  We know that He did this through John the Baptist before His first coming, and He is doing it again now right before His second coming.  "He will sit as a smelter and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they may present to the LORD offerings in righteousness." (Mal 3:3; cf., Zech 13:9)

When a refiner purifies gold or silver, he places it in a vessel and then puts intensely hot fire beneath it.  The precious metal melts, and the worthless material inside of it comes to the surface, where it is scooped off and removed.  Then the metal is cooled, and the process is repeated again later as many times as necessary until the gold or silver is pure.

I, for one, desire the refiner's fire to burn up all the worthless dross within me.  I hope you do also.

A Burning Coal Purified the Prophet Isaiah

Then I said, "Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a burning coal in his hand, which he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven." (Isa 6:5-7)

When the prophet Isaiah saw the Lord, he was ruined.  He sensed his own uncleanness.  But when he cried out in repentance, a seraphim took a burning coal in his hand and touched Isaiah's lips with it.  When this flaming coal touched his lips, it purified him.  The holy fire has a purifying effect, because it is from heaven where Jesus serves as our Great High Priest.

Now for a moment, I would like to share some extra-biblical testimonies that further corroborate this Biblical teaching.  These are people who have had divine revelations.  If you believe the Lord gives divine revelations like dreams, visions, prophecies, and visitations, according to Joel 2 and Acts 2, then you must acknowledge that this is one of the works of the Holy Spirit.  Of course, we need to test these experiences.  But if they are genuine, then we need to heed their message.

Holy Fire of God – from Anna Rountree’s books
The first one I will share is that of Anna Rountree.  In the mid-1990's she visited heaven.  During one visit, the Father said to her:

"The fire of My holiness, the fire of My love, the fire of My compassion, the fire of My wisdom, the fire of My understanding, the fire of My knowledge, the fire of My zeal, the fire of My purity, the fire of My mercy."

This fire will burn all that is wood, hay, and stubble in the lives of His children (1 Co 3:15). They must desire the fire and long for His holiness. His heart is turned toward them, and the fire of His love will reveal this. The hearts of the children will long to turn toward Him, to walk through the fire of purification, and to rest in His arms. As the enemy hates the fire, so must God’s children love it, for in and through the fire, they will see God. She went on to say that we must learn to live in the fire by allowing it to burn away all that will not pass through it as purely of the Lord.  Learn to love the fire of God.

In her vision of judgment, she saw a plumb line being let down to earth.  "As the plumb line reached earth, great rejoicing began in heaven. It was as though every created being there was singing, and the sound began to shake the celestial realms: 'His righteousness is from everlasting to everlasting. His judgments are sure and will be withheld no longer.' As the thunderous rejoicing increased, fire came out of heaven and traveled the plumb line, passing before us and sweeping down the line to the earth. Suddenly the whole world was aflame."

Her books are available online (see here and here).

Holy Fire -- from Yong-Doo Kim’s books
As I mentioned earlier, I first heard about the holy fire through brother Yong-Doo Kim in his books called Baptized by Blazing Fire.

In his book, he and other learned the following lessons:

• Shout, “Holy Fire” whenever unnecessary or hindering thoughts come to you during prayer.
• If you are having a bad day, feeling sick, or anxious, then shout out, “Holy Fire!”
• The Fire that you long to receive is the power that the evil forces are most afraid of and fear. Therefore, once you receive it, you have to continuously accumulate it daily. Charge it up everyday!
• One of the most powerful weapons used in Spiritual Warfare is Blazing Fire.  When this gift is granted to a saint, their entire Spiritual Body is fully engulfed in holy fire, with a blazing intensity.   The fire is so intense, that a mere touch of a demonic spirit will incinerate it to ashes.
• The Holy Blazing Fire is enormously, unimaginably powerful and can be used as offensive weapons.
• The Fire that the Lord grants us can completely devastate the forces of evil. In fact, it is more than just fire. The fire is a powerful layer of light that can burn up all kinds of diseases on earth, which can heal.
• Any person who prays diligently and persistently will receive the power of fire.
• The fire ministry is a ministry that has the greatest reward in heaven, as well as on earth, but also the trials and testings are highest.
• Even though we once confessed and accepted the Lord as our Savior -- even though we believed in Him -- if we cannot get out from our sinful habitual lives, then our lives are not completely holy. The only way to save ourselves is to repent. If you repent and shout out, "Holy Fire," the evil spirits will have to leave and healing will come.

Holy Fire – from Howard Pittman’s testimony
Then there is a pastor named Howard Pittman, who was raised from the dead.  You can listen to his complete testimony online (see here).  But one of his conclusions is this.  He says, "He’s going to shake this world one more time.  These things He did, you will do greater than these.  But the church must be without spot or wrinkle or blemish.  He’s getting ready to cleanse the church.  How will He do it?  He will baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire, according to Matt 3:11.  You’ve been baptized in water.  You’ve been baptized in the Holy Ghost.  But now He’s going to baptize you with fire.  Get ready.  Yonder comes the fire!  The third and final baptism with which He’s going to clean up His church is the baptism of fire.  He’s going to take a blow torch!  He’s going to scorch us up one side and down the other to make us ready to turn loose this world.  But if you think God can do this with carnal-minded Christians, you’re mistaken.  God’s got enough fire to get rid of all the chaff.  If you don’t want the fire, get rid of the chaff."

Holy Fire – from James Agboola
In my article, James Agboola Revelation of Heaven and Hell, I wrote about how this brother was shown the international conference of the kingdom of darkness, presided over by the devil himself. 

James was shown that one force for the devil and his demons to contend with on the earth in these last days is God’s end-time evangelists who are just appearing. They are clothed with clothes of fire, and the demons find it difficult to talk to them.  Therefore, the devil has sent out his own demons into the earth to appear as humans, and clothed them with a garment of fire, so that he will be able to contend.  This is his strategy to enable his demons to be able to stand and fight those end-time evangelists.

Holy Fire – from a woman named CJ
A woman named CJ, who saw Jesus in person and was born again, testifies to her experience in an interview online (see here).  It's a very powerful testimony.

She had searched for the Lord all her life.  And on the night she saw the Lord in her friend's living room, He spoke the following things to her: “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish” (Lk 13:5); “You must keep the commandments” (Mt 19:17; Jn 14:15; 15:10); and “I will not share My temple with idols” (2 Co 6:16).  She then repented and gave her life to Jesus.

In 1981, after she saw Jesus and had become born again, she had another experience where she had about 40 days of tests and trials.  At the end of that time, Christ was really pleased with her obedience.  He came and laid His hands on her and His fire went all through her. This is consistent with the experiences of many others who have received the holy fire.

She also gave warnings the Lord has given her in 2008 or 2009 about coming judgment against the United States (video 33:39).  The Lord also gave her two Scriptures from Ezekiel and Jeremiah to confirm this: And say to the land of Israel, 'Thus says the LORD, "Behold, I am against you; and I will draw My sword out of its sheath and cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. "Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go forth from its sheath against all flesh from south to north. "Thus all flesh will know that I, the LORD, have drawn My sword out of its sheath. It will not return to its sheath again."'  (Eze 21:3-5) "Perhaps their supplication will come before the LORD, and everyone will turn from his evil way, for great is the anger and the wrath that the LORD has pronounced against this people." (Jer 36:7)

Holy Fire in the Arctic

Pond Inlet is a small, predominantly Inuit community in the Qikiqtaaluk Region of Nunavut, Canada and is located at the top of Baffin Island.  On February 28, 1999, in Pond Inlet, believers had gathered for a week of revival meetings at the Anglican church, hungry for God and troubled by new reports of community drug use.  They decided to add a special Sunday afternoon youth service.  An invitation was offered for youth who wanted to come closer to God.  The worship leader was praying over youth who had gathered around the altar.

Something started to happen that was out of their control.  A sound like a jet started softly and gradually became very loud.  It was so strong!  The whole place was shaking and everything in it.  The youth leader says that fire went right through him and he started to shake.  He began to shout, "Fire!! Fire!! Fire!! Hallelujah!"

All of this was recorded on a dual cassette deck used to record the service.  In fact, it continued to record the event, even after the sound board was turned off.  You can watch and listen to a short, three-minute video about this event, which includes the original recording of it (see here).

Holy Fire - from Charles and Frances Hunter
Charles and Frances Hunter "spent nearly forty years leading 'healing explosions,' where they prayed for the sick and taught Christians about the ministry of healing. Known as the Happy Hunters for their ready smiles and quick humor, the couple wrote more than 50 books about divine healing, including the best-seller How to Heal the Sick." -- Charisma Magazine, July 14, 2009. "Charles and Frances Hunter were the most effective couple I ever saw among healing evangelists," said Pentecostal historian Vinson Synan, dean emeritus of the Regent University School of Divinity.

In their video series, "How to Heal the Sick," Frances talked about the time when she saw liquid fire coming forth from the hands of her husband Charles in a meeting.  It appeared like blue flames about four inches long, coming off his finger tips.  Although the flames were not visible to him, she could see it.  He prayed for the sick at that meeting, and they were powerfully healed.  Many of them fell under the power of God.  You can watch the three-minute section of that video (31:30 - 34:15), where she shares this wonderful testimony (see here).

On October 16, 1984, the Happy Hunters ministered at a church in Rotterdam, Holland, called Kom en Zie.  On the final day of the conference, they ministered the baptism with fire. Let me encourage you to read what they said at that meeting on my other post called The Happy Hunters on Fire (see here).

Holy Fire - from Neville Johnson
A minister from Australia by the name of Neville Johnson, who has gone to be with the Lord, has an excellent testimony about being baptized in fire in the audio clip below:

  

If you would like to read more of Neville's preaching on the baptism of fire, you can find it on my post called "The Burning Ones."

Experiential Evidence
When people receive the holy fire, they usually sense some sort of tangible evidence.  I have personally experienced this and witnessed it in others.  It is not the same for everyone.  Some people feel warmth or heat in their hands.  It sometimes feels like heavy fireballs in their hands. Others get a stinging feeling in their hands, as if they have just clapped them together.  Still others feel the fire on their lower back and a tingling sensation over their entire body. Others feel the presence of the Lord or a peace that passes all understanding. Still others find it difficult to stand straight.  Some find it difficult to hold out their arms or even to stand.   Some are completely unable to stand under the glory of God. Others begin to shake beneath the power of God. Some people begin sweating. Others feel the great joy of the Lord inside. The glory of God falls upon many who receive the fire. Most people have wonderful experiences receiving the holy fire.

It should be noted that if the person has any demons in their life, they cannot stand the holy fire and sometimes manifest themselves, so sometimes there can be demonic manifestations when the holy fire is imparted. Once the demons are cast out of their life, they will experience a wonderful freedom they did not know before.

Here is an article I've written containing Testimonies of People Who've Received the Holy Fire after I've prayed for them, as well as a video playlist of some more amazing testimonies like that.

Other Scriptures:
Now let's continue with more Scriptures about the holy fire.

Fire from on High in My Bones
Jeremiah said, "From on high He sent fire into my bones, And it prevailed over them." (Lam 1:13a). This verse makes it very clear that the Lord is able to send fire into His people, which prevails over their enemies.

Fire will devour Your enemies
Isaiah said, "O LORD, Your hand is lifted up yet they do not see it. They see Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your enemies." (Isa 26:11).  So we know that God's holy fire will consume His enemies.  It does not consume His people though.   But in warfare against spiritual forces of wickedness, the holy fire certainly consumes God's enemies.

Fire consumed the 250 rebels
Fire also came forth from the LORD and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who were offering the incense. (Num 16:35)

The holy fire of God consumed the 250 rebels that came against Moses and Aaron.  They are an example to us not to rebel against the Lord.

Fire consumes Sabbath breakers
"But if you do not listen to Me to keep the sabbath day holy by not carrying a load and coming in through the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day, then I will kindle a fire in its gates and it will devour the palaces of Jerusalem and not be quenched."'" (Jer 17:27)

The Lord hates it when His people don’t listen to Him and make money on Sundays.  In doing so, they fail to keep the Sabbath day (now Sundays) holy.  So He will kindle a fire in the gates of their city that will not be quenched.  It’s the judgment of God against the disobedient.  You can read more about keeping Sundays holy at my blog on the topic (see here).

Elijah commanded holy fire to consume the captain and his fifty
Then the king sent to him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him, and behold, he was sitting on the top of the hill. And he said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" Elijah replied to the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. So he again sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he said to him, "O man of God, thus says the king, 'Come down quickly.'" Elijah replied to them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty. (2Ki 1:9-12)

In this passage, we learn that the holy prophet of God was able to command holy fire to come down out of heaven and consume the enemies of God, which in this case were soldiers.

Shouting, "holy fire!"
The disciples of Jesus knew that Elijah had called down fire on the Lord's enemies, and they were ready to do the same.  When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them (even as Elijah did)?" (Luk 9:54).  The Lord did not tell them that this is impossible.  He simply told them that they were operating in a wrong spirit to think they should do such a thing to people.

Yet this is something we can do to our invisible, spiritual enemies. When we have genuine faith and desire a weapon against the enemy (demons), we can call for it aloud and it will be given to us.  We simply shout “Holy fire!” or "Fire of the Holy Spirit!"

How is that possible?  The word is near you, even in your mouth.  I believed therefore I spoke.  When you speak what you believe, and you do it in genuine faith, there is spiritual power.

Your fire or God’s holy fire
“Who is among you that fears the LORD, That obeys the Word of His servant, That walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Behold, all you who kindle a fire, Who encircle yourselves with firebrands, Walk in the light of your fire And among the brands you have set ablaze. This you will have from My hand: You will lie down in torment.”  (Isa 50:10-11)

If you fear the Lord and obey His Word, you must trust in the name of Jesus, rely on Him, and walk in His Light. But if you kindle your own fire and surround yourself with it, then the Lord says to go ahead and walk in the light of your own fire.  He will let you do that, if you choose your own light, your own fire instead of His holy fire.  Here is what you will receive from His hand: in the end, you will lie down in torment.

God’s holy fire or strange fire
And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not. (Lev 10:1)

And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD. (Num 26:61)

The punishment upon these two newly inaugurated priests was very severe.   Their sin was that they offered unauthorized incense with fire that was not holy.  This is why we must be very careful that we receive God's holy fire and do not operate with strange fire.

Fire to consume gates of Nineveh, the bloody city of lies
Behold, your people are women in your midst! The gates of your land are opened wide to your enemies; Fire consumes your gate bars. (Nah 3:13)

This verse speaks of the gates of the city of lies consumed by holy fire.  Lying spirits cannot stand before the holy fire of God.  They are consumed by it just as the gates of the city of lies were.

Fire to burn and devour God’s enemies
Therefore the Lord, the GOD of hosts, will send a wasting disease among his stout warriors; And under his glory a fire will be kindled like a burning flame. And the light of Israel will become a fire and his Holy One a flame, And it will burn and devour his thorns and his briars in a single day. (Isa 10:16-17).

His holy fire terrifies the sinners in Zion.  As the Holy Spirit said through Isaiah: "The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: 'Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?' Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion     and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil..." (Is 33:14-15). 

One commentator says, “The same God that is a rejoicing Light to those that serve him faithfully will be a consuming fire to those that trifle with him or rebel against him.”  Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?  The righteous who serve Him faithfully.

"Fire goes before Him And burns up His adversaries round about." (Psa 97:3)

God will repay our enemies with flaming fire when Jesus returns
"For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire," (2Th 1:6-7)

We know that when the Lord returns, he will be revealed from heaven with His angels in flaming fire.

Fire from the mouths of the two witnesses
And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. (Rev 11:5)

This is how the two end-time witnesses will function.  They will have a gift to be able to devour their enemies with holy fire that comes forth from their mouths.  Notice there are only two who will do so against human enemies.  But the idea is the same when dealing with evil spirits. This should not seem strange to anyone acquainted with the Word of God and spiritual warfare.

The Lord appeared as a fire
At the burning bush. “The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.” (Exo 3:2)

The angel of Lord appeared to Moses in a blazing fire.  Just as the bush was on fire but was not consumed, when a child of God is baptized with holy fire, they are not consumed.  Only the chaff in their lives and the demons are consumed by it.

The Lord's Fire is in Zion
The Holy Spirit spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying that the Lord is the One "whose fire is in Zion" (see Is 31:9b).

Putting it All Together
The Lord is going to shake this world one last time.  He is coming right away.  Only the ones who are truly seeking the Lord with all their heart will be spared from the coming judgment.  The Lord is coming only for a holy people, ready, without blemish, without wrinkle and without defilement.  He is not coming for those who have walked away from Him.

The only way we can have purity in our lives in these last and evil days is through repentance and the holy fire.  The third and final baptism with which He’s going to clean up His church is the baptism of fire.  He’s going to make us ready to turn loose this world. 

It is a holy fire, because it is not produced by man. It is produced by the one, true, holy God.  It is a promise for the believer, according to Mt 3:11.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, you may also like the Holy Fire Series, including Songs of the Holy Fire, The Refiner's Fire, The Three Elijahs, The Burning Ones, The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer, Baptized with the Spirit, and Living Sacrifices in Consuming Fire. You find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Revival painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Lifting Hands in Prayer

Communion with the Lord

When you pray, lift your hands straight up to the Lord.  Brother Yong-Doo Kim says the Lord told a member of his church, “Don’t let your arms fall down even though it’s hard. The prayer with hands lifted up high has much more power.” -- Baptize by Blazing Fire.

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand." Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed. But Moses' hands
were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set. So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." Moses built an altar and named it The LORD is My Banner; (Exo 17:9-15)

In battle, there was someone in the army assigned to carry a banner on a pole.  As long as he lifted up the banner, all the soldiers knew they should continue to fight.  But when the bearer let down the banner, the soldiers knew that they were being defeated. As Moses lifted up his hands to the Lord on the hill, he put his faith and trust in the Lord for Israel's victory over the enemy.  And as long as he kept his hands lifted up high, the Lord defeated the enemy.  When it became too hard and he lowered his hands, then the enemy began to prevail in the battle.  That's why Aaron and Hur had him sit down as they supported his hands for hours until the sun set.  That day, their banner was not a piece of cloth.  The Lord Himself was the banner over them who gave the victory.  And that is why Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  

Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry to You for help, When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary. (Psa 28:2)

So I will bless You as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. (Psa 63:4)

And I shall lift up my hands to Your commandments, Which I love; And I will meditate on Your statutes. (Psa 119:48)

Lift up your hands to the sanctuary And bless the LORD. (Psa 134:2)

"Arise, cry aloud in the night At the beginning of the night watches; Pour out your heart like water Before the presence of the Lord; Lift up your hands to Him For the life of your little ones Who are faint because of hunger At the head of every street." (Lam 2:19)

We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; (Lam 3:41)

Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. (Neh 8:6)

May my prayer be counted as incense before You; The lifting up of my hands as the evening offering. (Psa 141:2)

Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension. (1Ti 2:8)

So as you can see, the Scripture is full of examples of people lifting their hands to God.  It's very powerful! The Lord is very pleased when we lift up our hearts and hands to Him. As Moses said, "The Lord is Our Banner."  When you lift up your hands to Him in prayer, He will be your banner of victory over the enemy.  Let me encourage you to do that when you pray and worship.

Credit: The illustration called "Communion with the Lord" is by my daughter C.V. Lacroix.  You can find more of her fine artwork at A Brush with Life.  Photo from the "I Will Sing" album by Don Moen, recorded at the Christian Broadcasting Network.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

Author's note: You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.