Holy Spirit Protection

Spiritual Virus Protection ~ by Steve McVey

I have a subscription to a Broadband ISP for my computer, so that I can use the Internet without tying up my phone line at home. One day recently, I accidently left home without logging off. When I came home at the end of the day, I discovered that my computer had been online all day. My first thought was concern about the many hackers who attempt to access computers these days.


I immediately went to my Firewall Protection program to see what, if anything, had happened during my absence. I was shocked to discover that during the time I had been gone from home, there had been 488 intrusion attempts on my computer. Most of the attempts were of the same type. It was an attempt to introduce a virus called the Backdoor/Subseven Virus, one that allows someone else to secretly gain complete access to your computer, as if they were sitting at your desk in control of your keyboard.


At first, a sense of horror came over me as I thought about someone being able to steal my banking information, personal letters and other data on my computer. Then I saw a statement that gave me an instant sigh of relief. On the status page of my firewall program, it said, “Norton Personal Firewall is protecting your system.” As I explored further, I learned that this program running in the background had protected my computer all day from what might have been a cyber-disaster for me. It had prevented all 488 attacks from being successful!


As I thought about what had happened, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and reminded me that He works in my life in the same way. As Christians, we are targets in the spiritual battle which exists in this world. There are countless times when we would be destroyed – were it not for one simple truth: The Holy Spirit dwells within us and protects us from being destroyed.


As we move about our daily routine, He faithfully works in the background guarding us against the evil intent of the Enemy. There is no way that we could anticipate and be prepared for the great number of attacks that would destroy us if it weren’t for His continuous protection. We could drive ourselves to exhaustion and debilitating anxiety if it were up to us to fight our own battles against the “intruders of this word,” which the Bible calls “powers and principalities, and the rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).


Thank God, we don’t have to worry. We can just go about our daily lives, resting in the confidence that the Spirit of the indwelling Christ is doing what only He can do. He is lovingly caring for our needs to ensure that we are kept safe from spiritual destruction. There is indeed a battle going on around us, but the battle is the Lord’s. Our part is to simply rest in Him, knowing that He has already conquered death and hell and that the victory is always ours in Christ.


A sovereign Father loves you passionately. A compassionate Son guards you jealously. And an omnipotent Spirit protects you continuously. There may be 488 attempted attacks against you in a day, but don’t worry. Divine Life runs through you, always operating in the background of your daily affairs to ensure that you won’t ever be fatally infected.

Hallelujah! Good News!

The Weak Are FIT for the Holy Spirit

The glorious Good News and Truth below by Reinhard Bonnke helps revive what religion kills....

THE WEAK ARE FIT (THEY ALREADY QUALIFY) FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT!!

Being filled with the Spirit doesn’t mean being super holy, and it does not mean you have to spend years becoming very holy and fit for God’s Spirit. If you are weak then you are fit – because the power of God is for the weak. His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Cor 12:9).

You need the fullness of the Holy Spirit. If you are saved, born again, and washed in the Blood of Jesus, you have everything that makes you fit to be filled with the Spirit. The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Do not be misled: “All” does not mean “some,” but every bit, every smear, and every dirty mark, leaving our robes glistening pure and white. We are righteous in Christ, and you can never be more righteous, more sanctified, or more holy than that. In Christ we stand complete and ready.

The power of the Spirit cannot be worked up, pulled down, manufactured, or generated by hard work and much praying. The Holy Spirit does not wait till you sweat before giving you His power. Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you ... Everyone who asks receives” (Mt 7:7-8). Nothing could be simpler!

God only has GIFTS! He has nothing for sale. He has no bargains, and you can forget all about negotiation, haggling, and compromise agreements. He is absolutely unilateral, one-sided; He just gives, and we can only do one thing – receive. He wants nothing from us by way of payment. If you are a dead coal, become a living coal. Now – just ask and receive. Are you ready?

Love, REINHARD

Discerning Teachers, Pastors, Prophets, Preachers

Lately, I've been easily directed by the Holy Spirit to some wonderful teachers and preachers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord is giving me clear discernment lately between "performance" preachers (spiritual performers = legalism) and redemption preachers (grace and faith and Good News).

The performance preacher will stress what YOU HAVE TO DO. . .always making YOU the object of your faith. With little help from God, YOU are expected to tow the line and walk that narrow road. Their topics are always about cleaning up your act, "ruthless" repentance, etc. and never focus on the FREE GIFT of Jesus Christ and what has already been DONE on your behalf. One is about YOUR performance. . . the correct one is about JESUS' performance. One has a heavy yoke . . the latter has the easy, light yoke that we are instructed to REST in it's RELIEF.

The Scriptures explain what's behind these false "performance-you-gotta-get-circumsized-preachers". . .the Bible says, the following is their MOTIVATION:



Galatians 6:12 says, "Those who are trying to force you to be circumcised want to look good to others. They don’t want to be persecuted for teaching that the cross of Christ alone can save. 13 )And even those who advocate circumcision don’t keep the whole law themselves. They only want you to be circumcised so they can boast about it and claim you as their disciples."


Performance, legalistic, teachers always want YOU to make THEM look good. They may not even be conscious of this, but it is a mark of a false leader and all of God's people need to beware and alert. Jesus even said to watch out for these leaders who preach another gospel. This false

gospel sounds humbly spiritual. Nevertheless, it's wickedness is revealed in it's lack of fruit and even spiritual death. God is blasphemed so often by these false teachers, as they paint Him as an austere, quick to punish, banish, destroy, reprove kind of God. Not at all the truth about Him. They slander His very character and break the third commandment . . . they blaspheme His Holy Name. And they want to make you IMPOTENT, weak, powerless, ineffective and worse of all . . . completely DEPENDANT on them!! Rather than abiding in the Vine (Christ), their teachings and agendas and twistedness cause you to abide in them!


(Look in my earlier posts for "God Is Easy To Live With" with quotes from A.W. Tozer)


But a Redemption preacher/teacher will always point out the Gift of God, Jesus Christ. He will remind you of what has been done, what has been given and what is promised. He will reassure your faith in a loving and gracious God. There will be no more morbid introspections. No more Old Testament Covenant living, but rather New Testament New Creations! Hallelujah!


Reinhard Bonnke is one of the Redemption preachers I have lately been indulging in . . . Here is a sampling of what he SINGS to all who'll hear:



"THE WILL OF GOD - Christ’s Lordship is not a dictatorship"

Holy Spirit-baptised believers hear God for themselves. Some try resorting to prophecy as a means of telling others what God wants. If God has not fallen out with me, why should He tell somebody else prophetically what I should do? That approach conflicts with what the Bible says: “No longer will a man teach his neighbour, or a man his brother, saying ‘Know the Lord’, because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest” (Jeremiah 31:34).



Before Christ there was no open vision. Prophets were anointed to hear God and to pass on what he had to say. Now, since Pentecost, Holy Spirit-baptised believers hear God for themselves. Many people prophesied, telling Paul what was going to happen to him, but he was not impressed. “None of these things move me,” he said, for he was “bound in the Spirit” (Acts 20:24, 22 NKJV).

Christ’s Lordship is not a dictatorship and the kingdom of God is not totalitarian. Christ emphasised this in John 8:35: “A slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it for ever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” In his letter to the Galatians, Paul similarly lays tremendous stress on the freedom of sons in the household of God.

~~ WOW!

Joy!!! There is such joy in knowing the Truth of the Grace of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings such RELIEF! An oasis from the FUTILITY of religiousity and "spiritual performance."I get so tired of the same 'ole, same 'ole messages that reflect the Old Covenant of "trying hard to do what God commands." As a recovering legalist, I turn off now to messages of any kind that endorses this sometimes subtle, yet damaging deception, and very popular form of legalism -- a PERFORMANCE-BASED Christianity.

Legalism endorses unbelief and it minimizes the mercy of God!
The Old Covenant falls short in glorifying the merciful God we really do have! BUT, Jesus IS HIS GlORY!

Legalism is like constantly trying to "get into a room" that you are already in. That's why it seems so hard. Have you ever seen someone trying really hard to get into a room he's already in? What freedom comes when that person realizes that he's already in! Then he can REST and RECEIVE and I know, as a recovering legalist, that person will never want to leave that glorious room. No teaching or mindset or scripture or anything will draw a recovering legalist out of the room of relief and grace . . . he/she is firmly planted. The Truth of God's Grace has set us free from that heavy yoke of OT spiritual performance, requirements and qualifications! YAHOO!

We have the Spirit of God within us (greater is He!) so that we may discern between true and false teaching. True shepherds point to the Chief Shepherd! False teachers are preoccupied with performance. . . using OT Scriptures most of the time. Works righteousness glorifies man! Grace righteousness glorifies God! Grace eliminates boasting ("I have a big ministry because I pray 5 hours every day!" or "God gave me this great job and/or money because I tithe." or "God answered my prayer because I fasted." How 'bout God takes care of me in all ways because of Jesus!

Here's a simple rule of thumb I've learned for discerning teaching: The actual source of all teaching and doctrine is revealed in whom it glorifies. In other words, teaching that emphasizes success through YOUR great discipline or even success through YOUR great faith also tends to aim the glory at YOU. Thus, it is frequently true that faith in faith glorifies your faith, and faith in self-discipline glorifies your self-discipline. BUT faith in God's grace and in the gift of His righteousness glorifies God, because A GIFT CANNOT BE BOUGHT OR EARNED; it can only be received.

Thank you, Reinhard, for pointing to the Good News and the Good Shepherd!

Here's one more "sample" from Reinhard's "Table" . . . .


"The Will Of God - Puppets on a string?"


We have to admit that our own desires do get in the way. We often pray in the hope that what we want turns out to be what God wants, too. If we pray long and hard enough, it will ultimately look as if God complies with our wishes. Some pray for direction until they feel they have it – the direction they had always wanted. Actually, God may have no change of direction for them.Suppose God is silent. What is wrong? Usually nothing! God is silent because he has nothing to say. God does not chatter 24 hours a day. He may be perfectly happy with what we are doing. He does not issue new plans daily and have us all scurrying back and forth like rabbits. It is very important to grasp one particular aspect of this matter – God respects decisions that we make with the intention of glorifying him. God made man in his own image – with a sovereign will. Broadly speaking, he allows us freedom. We are not God’s puppets. Nor do we serve God as slaves, constantly anxious in case we have slipped up somewhere. The Lord makes us an amazing promise: “I will do whatever you ask in my name” (John 14:13).We can see the pattern in Christ’s relations with his disciples. He did not order them about, lording it over them, dictating their daily lives, what to do, where to live or what to buy. He treated them as responsible enfranchised adults, not commanding them to come to heel like unthinking animals. Their status was not one of employees, and he was not their boss or managing director. What boss would wash his employees’ feet? His fundamental contract is to be with us wherever we go and bless the work of our hands. As Jesus did not lord it over his followers, Christian leaders have no mandate to exert Lordship authority over anyone. In fact, Christ explicitly forbade such behaviour, saying, “One is your Master, even Christ” (Matthew 23:8 KJV)."

My Eyes Are On YOU, Jesus!

God has shown Himself true by telling the future before it came to pass. He has promised us that Christ Jesus will return and will gather those who are Born of and Sealed by the Holy Spirit and are New creatures . . . Believers in Christ Jesus as their Righteousness and their Covering. Who have put their hope and trust in His perfect performance. . . His perfect Life and sacrificial death.

LOOK UP! Your Redemption is nigh. . . .even at the Door!

Mark 13:29 ~ "Even so, you too, when you see these things happening, recognize that He is near, right at the door."

VICTORY IS YOURS, JESUS!

We Were Bought With An Unspeakable Price!

ALL THAT MATTERS . . . .JESUS!!



Who giveth us richly all things to enjoy. (1Timothy 6:17b)~~


"Our Lord Jesus is ever giving, and does not for a solitary instant withdraw his hand. As long as there is a vessel of grace not yet full to the brim, the oil shall not be stayed.

He is a Sun ever-shining; He is Manna always falling round the camp; He is a Rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the River of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of His Love is constantly overflowing.

As the King can never die, SO HIS GRACE CAN NEVER FAIL.

Daily we pluck His Fruit, and daily His branches bend down to our hand with a fresh store of Mercy. There are seven feast-days in His weeks, and as many as are the days, so many are the banquets in His years.

Who has ever returned from His door unblessed?

Who has ever risen from His table unsatisfied, or from His bosom un-emparadised?

His mercies are NEW every morning and fresh every evening. Who can know the number of His benefits, or recount the list of His bounties? Every sand which drops from the glass of time is but the tardy follower of a myriad of mercies. The wings of our hours are covered with the silver of His kindness, and with the yellow gold of His affection. The river of time bears from the mountains of eternity the golden sands of His Favour. The countless stars are but as the standard bearers of a more innumerable host of blessings.

Who can count the dust of the benefits which He bestows on Jacob, or tell the number of the fourth part of His mercies towards Israel? How shall my soul extol Him who daily loadeth us with benefits, and who crowneth us with loving-kindness?

O that my praise could be as ceaseless as His bounty! O miserable tongue, how canst thou be silent? Wake up, I pray thee, lest I call thee no more my glory, but my shame. Awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake right early."

~~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Believing and Resting in Jesus

John G. Patton was a Bible translator in the South Sea Islands.



While translating, he came to the word “believe” and searched for a word that the native people could truly understand. He wanted something that meant commitment and trust, but he couldn’t think of a word.

Then one day, a messenger rushed into Mr. Patton’s room out of breath. Needing to rest, he flung himself into a big chair and leaned back in complete relaxation.





Patton asked the native for a word to describe what he did when he sat down and completely trusted in the chair to hold him so he could relax. That’s the word he used for “believe.”

When a person quits trying and begins to trust the Lord Jesus, that’s “belief.” ~~ Adrian Rogers (Love Worth Finding)

Quit trying? Yes. When we give up and rest from our own attempts at righteousness and fully rely on Christ's Performance, then we are resting in saving faith.

Isaiah 30:15 ~~ This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: “Only in returning to Me (repentance) and resting in Me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength . . . "

But don't we need to work? Build? DO? Yes. Our faith, as James the Apostle wrote, is dead without good works. However . . .

PSALM 127:1 ~~~

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. 2 It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.

Many Christians spend their time involved in "religious" activities—prayer groups, Bible studies, outreach ministries— sometimes hyperactively running the "hamster wheel" of what they believe are good and commendable deeds. However, according to Psalm 127:1-2, they are useless and wasted energy if the Lord did not initiate them.

So HOW do we not "do" but live out a "live" faith? Simple. . . so simple. . . we RESPOND."For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." ~~ Romans 8:14

All religious and spiritual performers can think up wonderful projects and good, commendable things to "do". . . but if the Lord is not the initiator through a new and regenerate heart, guiding and prompting and inspiring, it is worth nothing. If you see one family adopt an orphan and you think to yourself, that would be a "good" thing to do, but the Lord didn't direct you . . .you are following your own heart, not His. He may want you to do something different. Jesus said to Peter, "You follow Me." (John 21:22)

We may hear a preacher's message suggesting good things to "do" for God, but they are usless and a waste of lots of time and energy if it isn't Jesus leading you to do and act and be. We must simply REST, ENJOY GOD, RECEIVE FROM HIM AND RESPOND AS HE LEADS US (and He will) DOWN THE PATHS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. Take off the heavy yoke of "I should." And trust in His leading as you follow His desires. His yoke is easy. His burden is light.

One of the greatest benefits of our redemption is the privilege of being led by the Spirit of God. Children of God can be expected to be led by the Spirit of God. One of the greatest needs is to have the wisdom of God to make the right decisions. This comes through being led by the Spirit of God.

I'll never forget the first days of my New Birth experience. It was cold outside and my husband and I were driving in the city and I noticed an old, homeless woman not wearing a coat. The Holy Spirit instantly directed me to give her my coat. We were in a warm car and I had more coats at home. . . I KNEW what He wanted me to do. Being led of the Spirit is an exciting adventure through the Personality and Heart of God. We learn more about Him as we respond to Him. You know it isn't your idea and you take no glory. Following His Heart and doing His Will has been one of the most blessed components of being His child.

It is not the mind, which gives man understanding. It is the spirit in a man. You see, Job’s friends used their minds to try to enlighten them regarding Job’s sufferings. They were dead wrong. In this passage Elihu explains the reason they were wrong. He says, "It is the spirit in a man…that gives him understanding." Not your mind, but your spirit. This is why Solomon wrote, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" (Prov 3:5).

When we are born again, our spirits are saved. Our spirit is the part of us that has been saved. So becoming a child of God enables the Holy Spirit to testify with our spirit that we are God’s children. The Spirit does not testify to our minds. Our minds may not receive this testimony, but our spirits can.

Resting in His finished work is our strength. I highly recommend a little book by Max Lucado called, "Safe in the Shepherd's Arms". . .here is a quote from the book that really blessed me recently and gave me such relief. (As a recovering legalist, I want to be alert to His Relief. To me, His relief is the Good News and Grace He purchased for me on Calvary.) So here is some relief:

"Sheep cannot find pasture or food. They need help. They need a shepherd to "lead them" and help them "lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:2)." Without a shepherd they cannot rest. WITHOUT A SHEPHERD, NEITHER CAN WE. He leads me . . . He makes me. Notice the two pronouns. Who is the active one? Who is in charge? The shepherd. The shepherd selects the trail and prepares the pasture. The sheep's job -- our job -- is to watch the shepherd. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You." (Isaiah 26:3)

For you to be healthy, you must rest. Slow down and God will heal you. He will bring rest to your mind, to your body, and most of all to your soul. He will lead you to green pastures.

Green pastures were not natural terrain of Judea. The hills around Bethlehem where David kept his flock were not lush and green. Even today they are white and parched. Any green pasture in Judea is the work of some shepherd. He has cleared the rough, rocky land. Stumps have been torn out, and brush has been burned. Irrigation. Cultivation. Such are the work of a shepherd.

Hence, when David says, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures," he is saying, "My Shepherd makes me lie down IN HIS FINISHED WORK." With His own pierced hands, Jesus created a pasture for the soul. He tore out the thorny underbrush of condemnation. He pried loose the huge boulders of sin. In their place, He planted seeds of grace and dug ponds of mercy. ("It is Finished!") And He invites us to rest there.

Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of the shepherd when, with work completed, he sees his sheep rest in the tender grass? Can you imagine the satisfaction in the heart of God when we do the same? His pasture is His GIFT to us! This is not a pasture that you have made. Nor is it a pasture that you deserve. It is a GIFT of God."

False shepherds/hirelings will drive the sheep and make the sheep work. True shepherds will encourage the sheep to rest, receive, respond and enjoy the Chief Shepherd. . . . listen to His Voice...get to KNOW HIM as a Friend and Follow Him.

The Lord is my Shepherd . . . I shall not want! It's time to nestle in His finished work, His lush and green pasture, His light and easy yoke. . . Delight yourself in the RELIEF of God.

He Stands By Me and It Is Well

When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the storms of life are raging
Stand by me
When the world is tossing me
Like a ship out on the sea
Thou who rulest wind and water
Stand by me


When I'm growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I'm growing old and feeble
Stand by me
When I do the best I can
And my friends misunderstand
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me
Thou who never lost a battle
Stand by me ~~ hymn




A friend is someone who stays with you in the bad weather of life, guards you when you are off your guard, restrains your inpetuosity, delights in your wholeness, forgives your failures, does not forsake you when others let you down . . . . Jesus is my Best Friend Forever. He stands by me. He will never leave me, remove me, forsake me, block me from His Presence or Friendship. Anyone who comes to Him, He will in no wise cast us away. Even when our faith seems a little "shipwrecked" by circumstances and life, we are not cast away from Him. He is our Anchor of Hope. He is steady and firm in His unwavering Love. He is faithful, even when we are not. He is immutable . . .unchangeable in His love and devotion as Savior toward us.



My God and Friend
By Bob Gotti

He’s my God, my Lord, and a friend, who sticks closer than a brother,
He is one in whom you can depend, for comfort, more than any other,
He is a friend through thick and thin, the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
Who saved us from all of our sin, by becoming for us God’s sacrifice.


And for this, He became our Savior, but my friend He’s so much more,
As Christ my friend, He’s our Creator; one good reason He is our Lord.
However, Jesus lords not over us, and by God’s Grace we understand,
That all of those who in Him trust, He guides them with His gentle hand.


Dear friend, as our Creator God, there’s not one thing He doesn’t know,
And knowing all this earth we trod, Christ directs us in which way to go.
And Christ knows just how He will, provide for us each and every need,
And every need for our Lord to fill, is for our Creator a tiny task indeed.


The Lord God does all of this in love, from His Glorious Eternal Throne,
Reaching down from Heaven above, to care for those He calls His own.
But dear friend, before any of this, I stood all alone, lost and depraved,
I then received Christ’s Righteousness, when by His Grace I was saved.


It was on that day, which I believed, by faith in Christ Jesus as my Lord,
And from God the Father I received, new life through Christ forevermore.
So now He is my God and my friend, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,
In a relationship, which has no end, as through Jesus I enter Eternal Life.



Gandhi once said, "I like your Christ, but I don't like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."


What a strange breed of Christianity the Law has ushered in! What little resemblance it bears to the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Personally, right now, I would rather spend five hours in a bar sharing a drink with a pre-Christian, than 5 minutes in "fellowship" at any church.

Jesus is my all-sufficient Friend Who sticks closer than any brother, sister, son, daughter, husband, pastor, or fellow believer. There is NONE like Him. No, not one. When everyone else is friendless and cold, He is warm and inviting.




IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL

By Horatio Spafford and Phillip Bliss

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/i/t/i/itiswell.htm



When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.