No more stagnancy

To be stagnant is one of the most spiritually frustrating places to be in your life. What does the bible say about stagnancy?

HEBREWS 6:11-12

11 But we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full assurance and development of [your] hope until the end,

12 In order that you may not grow disinterested and become [spiritual] sluggards, but imitators, behaving as do those who through faith (by their leaning of the entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness) and by practice of patient endurance and waiting are [now] inheriting the promises.

The word stagnant was dropped into my spirit during the last week. I looked up the definition of this word and this is what I found: stagnant: to cease to run or flow, as water and air, to become stale or foul from standing, as a pool of water. To stop developing, growing, progressing, or advancing: i.e.

In this scripture, Paul is addressing the Hebrew church and uses the word sluggish in verse 12. He said in verse 11 that he wanted them to show the same diligence and sincerity that they had in the beginning.

It is very easy to become disinterested and drag our feet when we loose sight of god’s purpose for you. He basically says that we need to lean our entire personality and life on Jesus. He has got to be the center of our lives in order to fight against stagnation. Stagnation can occur in marriage, jobs, personal spiritual life, school, friendships, and life in general. People who consider suicide have come to that point when they cannot see anything worth living for. As Christians, we were born to grow, to flow and to advance until the coming of christ. These are some prayer points for fighting against stagnancy

Stagnancy Must Die

·         Thank God for what He has done for you this year.

·         Let frustration and disappointment, be the portion of every object fashioned against my life and family, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every tie to polluted objects and items between my life and family, break, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every unspoken curse against my life, break, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every curse pronounced inwardly against my destiny, break, in the name of Jesus.

·         You inward curses, militating against my virtues, break, in the name of Jesus.

·         Any power given the mandate to curse and hinder y progress, somersault and die, in the name of Jesus.

·         Let every spirit of Balaam hired to curse my progress, fall down and die, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every curse that I have brought into my life through ignorance and disobedience, break by fire, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every power magnetizing physical and spiritual curses to me, I raise the blood of Jesus against you and I challenge you by fire, in the name of Jesus.

·         Father, Lord, turn all my self-imposed curses to blessings, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every instrument, put in place to frustrate me become impotent, in the name of Jesus.

·         I reject every cycle of frustration, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every agent assigned to frustrate me, perish by fire, in the name of Jesus.

·         Every power tormenting my country, die by the sword, in the name of Jesus.

·         I destroy the power of every satanic arrest in my life, in the name of Jesus.

·         All satanic-arresting agents, release me in the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

·         Everything that is representing me in the demonic world against my career, be destroyed by the fire of God, in the name of Jesus.

·         Spirit of the living God, quicken the whole of my being, in the name of Jesus.

·         God, smash me and renew my strength, in the name of Jesus.

·         Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see beyond the visible to the invisible, in the name of Jesus.

·         Lord, ignite my career with Your fire.

·         Lord, liberate my spirit to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.

·         Holy Spirit, teach me to pray through problems instead of praying about, it in the name of Jesus.

·         Lord, deliver me from the lies I tell myself.

·         Every evil spiritual padlock and evil chain hindering my success, be roasted, in the name of Jesus.

·         I rebuke every spirit of spiritual deafness and blindness in my life, in the name of Jesus.

·         Lord, empower me to resist satan that he would flee.

·         I chose to believe the report of the Lord and no other, in the name of Jesus.

·         Lord, anoint my eyes and my ears that they may see and hear wondrous things from heaven.

·         Lord, anoint me to pray without ceasing.

·         In the name of Jesus, I capture every power behind any career failure.

·         Holy Spirit, rain on me now, in the name of Jesus.

·         Holy Spirit, uncover my darkest secrets, in the name of Jesus.

·         You spirit of confusion, loose your hold over my life, in the name of Jesus.

·         In the power of the Holy Spirit, I defy satan's power upon my career, in the name of Jesus.

·         Let water of life flush out every unwanted stranger in my life, in the name of Jesus.

·         You the enemies of my career, be paralyzed, in the name of Jesus.

·         Lord, begin to clean away from my life all that does not reflect You.

·         Holy Spirit fire, ignite me to the glory of God, in the name of Jesus.

·         Oh Lord, let the anointing of the Holy Spirit break every yoke of backwardness in my life.

·         I frustrate every demonic arrest over my spirit-man, in the name of Jesus.

·         Let the blood of Jesus remove any retrogressive label from every aspect of my life, in Jesus' name.

·         Anti-breakthrough decrees, be revoked, in the name of Jesus.

·         Holy Ghost fire, destroy every satanic garments in my life, in the name of Jesus.

·         Begin to thank God.

Hmmm

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/33682-false-prophets-foreign-charlatans-and-global-deception

I found myself very saddened by this article by J.Lee Grady. As one commentator put it ...I Don't want to get into it but this article seems to be more rooted in personal bias rather than an honest attempt at truth. Because the author has a personal biased against a prosperity message he therefore assumes all teachers are wicked. 

Creflo Dollar denies choking allegations in sermon By Jeannine Hunter

Atlanta megachurch pastor Creflo Dollar discussed the child battery charges against him as he preached at his church Sunday. Dollar is founding pastor of World Changers Church International.

Two days after being arrested for allegedly choking and slapping his 15-year-old daughter, the prominent minister denied the allegations during a sermon, the AP reports. Fayette County Sheriff’s deputies Friday charged the minister with simple battery and cruelty to children. USA Today reported that Dollar was released on a $5,000 bond.

ABC News reported that “Dollar’s version was that she became disrespectful and he was tried to restrain her, the report said. Only when she started to hit him did he wrestle her to the floor and spank her, the police report said.”

Dollar, news reports noted, along with Eddie Long, “is one of the most prominent African-American preachers based around Atlanta.” Like the allegations of sexual misconduct with male teen congregants and Long’s subsequent out-of-court settlement, the allegations against Dollar cast a shadow on his ministry.

Dollar was greeted with rousing applause Sunday as he approached the pulpit and spoke about an argument with his youngest daughter and accused news reporters of sensationalizing the incident. He and his wife, Taffi, have five children.

“As a church family, I want you to hear personally from me that all is well in the Dollar household,” he said after thanking the congregation for their prayers and support.

In response, many throughout the sanctuary applauded again.

“We remain committed to raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord,” he said about the boundaries and guidance he and his wife instill in their home.

After applause subsided, Dollar continued: “I would never put any fault on my children. As Jesus would never put any fault on me. I love her with all of my heart. Amen. There are two things that are certain in the life of a Christian parent. Number one is that we win. And number two: Is that tests will come to try and shake your faith.”

The incident generated widespread attention from media as well as the blogosphere where observers commented on parenting issues, faith and the blurred lines between the public face and private life of well-known religious leaders.

“I am not a fan of Creflo Dollar. But I raised two teens. So while I may not agree, I do understand. They can push you to the edge,” tweeted the Rev. DeForest Soaries, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens in New Jersey, Friday night.

People cross the street and head into World Changers Church International in south Fulton County, Ga., for services led by pastor Creflo Dollar on Sunday, June 10, 2012. (AP)

“Why am I not surprised by this? Dollar is one of the most disciplinary, judgmental prosperity preachers on the circuit. He blames everything on everyone in his congregation if their finances are not ‘right,’ and warmth is not a word one uses to describe his sermons. Dollar’s brittle, hard theology of prosperity makes for an inflexible and disciplinary personality,” wrote Anthea Butler, contributing editor for the daily online magazine Religion Dispatches Friday afternoon.

“My thoughts on #Creflodollar incident--parents have a right to discipline their kids. But when girls get over the age of 13,” tweeted author and political strategist Sophia Nelson Friday. “Fathers have to be careful with physical hitting, slapping. Girls mistakes discipline for how a man is supposed to keep me in line. Mother’s should step up if there is any physical discipline to be administered to girls. Father’s need to talk & discipline verbally.”

“We may never know the full story in the Dollar family drama. But, in general, one thing’s certain: regardless of the circumstances, a man who raises his hand to his teenage daughter is weak,” wrote Wil LaVeist Friday on Urban Faith Web site.

The author and journalist said that “in these types of domestic cases, it’s always unwise to leap to conclusions. … You certainly have my prayers for your entire family, brother. But my respect for you as a man and a father? If the police report is true, you’re too weak for that.”

“I don’t know @Creflo_Dollar personally, but he does strike me as a man who loves his family and would not purposely harm them,” tweeted Clinton McFarland, senior pastor of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Atlanta and Lithonia, Ga.

Pastor Benny Hinn and Wife Reconciled

Haven’t they heard the news? When two years ago the powerful man of God Benny Hinn was left by his wife Suzanne, who went ahead and filed for divorce, it was a media mayhem.

The speculations about the cause were particularly painful for people who love the Lord and have been blessed by the Benny Hinn ministry. I am thrilled to hear that the Lord has answered the thousands of prayers possibly petitioning the heavens for that marriage and family. The couple have reconciled.

Check out his message on the Pastor Hinn's website:

I have wonderful news that I know will be an incredible blessing to you and a great encouragement to your family.

Our God is a God of restoration and reconciliation. The cross is the ultimate symbol of His unending yearning to reconcile man to God and will be our only hope for healing. I know, for I experienced this healing when I gave my heart to my precious Master Jesus so many years ago; but I have experienced His healing touch more recently when He began His glorious healing work in my own family, as the process of restoration in my marriage has begun.

And it all started this past Christmas...

What could have been one of the loneliest Christmases of my life turned out to be one of the most beautiful I have ever experienced. As my children, grandchildren, Suzanne, and I gathered together on Christmas day, I began to sense that our precious Lord Jesus was moving in my family to bring about the healing and reconciliation I have prayed for so long. We laughed together, exchanged gifts, and reminisced about all the wonderful memories of family over the years, and I breathed a simple prayer, “Lord Jesus, protect my family for Your name's sake.”

As many of you know, my wife, Suzanne, and I have been through a difficult season in our life and marriage. And while I am not prepared to make any announcements about what is taking place, I ask that you continue to pray for our family and be watching This Is Your Day for some precious news about what God is doing.

But I will say this: what I want more than anything on this earth is for God's will to be done in my life, Suzanne's life, and in the lives of my children and grandchildren. As a family we have been through so much, but we have seen God do the miraculous as He has called my daughters into the precious work of the Lord, delivered my son, and now begun the process of complete restoration in my marriage.

My beloved partner, I want to tell you afresh and anew that preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ is my heart and my life, and I want to preach it until my heart stops beating. I want to cry out the words, “Jesus saves, Jesus saves, Jesus saves” until the last beat of my heart and, by His grace, the last words I breathe to be, “To Jesus be the praise!”

You've been my partner and have stuck with me through thick and thin—through everything that has happened—and with all my heart I want to say thank you, thank you, thank you. I am grateful to you beyond words and will love you always. I thank my precious Jesus for bringing you into my life, and I pray that He will bless you over and over again, meeting every need in your life.

I pray every day for you, my precious partner, and I ask that He will move in a mighty way on your behalf—healing your home, your life, and your finances. I pray that He will make you whole in every area of your life. You are precious to Him, just as you are precious to me. And together we can truly be part of the coming greatest harvest!

So continue to pray with me that His healing work will be completed and, very soon, we will rejoice together at what our mighty God has done in our midst.

I love you so much and you are more precious to me that I can say,

Benny Hinn

Pastor Chris Okotie Marriage ends

On the 7th and 8th of August 2008, former musician, popular pastor and presidential candidate,Reverend Kris Okotie married Stephanie Henshaw. The wedding was a beautiful celebration of the couple who had both been previously married.

Reverend Kris had been divorced from his first wife for over a decade while Stephanie was a widow. The church which he leads, Household of God, welcomed their leader’s new bride and though she did not have a formal role within the church, Stephanie was well-loved by the congregation.

Therefore, when Pastor Kris announced on Sunday, 23rd of June 2012 that “Stephanie and I are no longer married. We have separated. You can see she’s not in church today. It’s due to irreconcilable differences…you should please respect our wishes at this time because there is no going back.“, it caused a great deal of confusion and discussion.

His church then  released a press statement regarding his failed second marriage. Read it below...

"The Pastor of our Church, the Household of God, Oregun, Lagos, Rev Chris Okotie announced his separation from Stephanie his wife of four years, at the end last Sunday service.

Both parties arrived at this decision after careful review of the prevailing circumstances which pointed to the fact that it is the best option for them at this time. They also agreed not to divulge details of this incident for personal reasons.

Rev Okotie thanks concerned friends and well-wishers and asked for understanding. He also expressed the hope that their decision would be respected as no further details would be given on this issue.” - Household of God spokesperson, Mr. Ladi Ayodeji

The No. 1 Reason Why Christian Marriages Fail

by J. LEE GRADY 

Whenever I travel to Latin America I usually carry a pair of handcuffs in my suitcase. I use them as a visual aid when I’m preaching about the machismoattitude that is so prevalent in that region. I remind everyone in the audience that esposa, the word forwife in Spanish, is the same word used for handcuffs.

Esposas. Why would the word for wife be the same word for a form of bondage? Because women in many Latin countries suffer unthinkable abuse in the home. Puerto Rico, where I spoke last week, has one of the highest rates of domestic violence in Latin America, and many women die there every year at the hands of their partners.

You’d think this problem would exist only outside the church, but women are beaten in many Christian homes in Latin America—even in pastors’ homes. Abusive behavior is tolerated partly because of an incorrect interpretation of Scriptures about wifely submission, but also because the church has not confronted wrong cultural mindsets of male superiority.

This macho pride is not unique to Latin America. It is the reason many women kill themselves in India; it is why so many African women have been abandoned in poverty; it is why Middle Eastern women are forced to live under tents of heavy fabric in hot climates. Male superiority is a global problem—and it is the No. 1 reason Christian marriages suffer and fail.

No matter what country I visit I remind men that God created man and woman as equals in the Garden of Eden (see Gen. 1:26-28) and that male domination is a result of Adam and Eve’s rebellion (see Gen. 3:16). When Christ died for us, He broke the curse of sin and made it possible for a husband and a wife to enjoy equal access to God and, as a result, intimate fellowship with each other. He never intended marriage to be about hierarchy, domination, control or abuse.

To any man who is struggling with an abusive tendency (physical, sexual or emotional) or with an attitude of male superiority, I urge them to take these three Scriptural steps:

1. Treat your wife as an equal. It’s true that God asks women to submit to their husbands, but in the same passage He tells husbands and wives to submit to each other (see Eph. 5:21). When talking about sex in marriage, Paul taught that married people have authority over each other’s bodies (see 1 Cor. 7:3-4), again stressing the concept of mutual submission. And Peter warned husbands that their prayers would be hindered if they do not treat their wives as a “fellow heir of the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7, NASB).

Those skeptics who think Christianity is prudish, old-fashioned and male-dominant have not read the Bible. The gospel of Christ not only restored human beings to God but reaffirmed the dignity of women and their equal value. When a husband understands this, and treats his wife with equal respect, his marriage reflects heaven.

2. Serve your wife selflessly. Many Christian husbands ignorantly think Scripture gives them the right to boss their wives around, bark orders, demand sex or manipulate with threats. They interpret the verse “the husband is the head of the wife” (Eph. 5:23) to mean that they can sit in their recliner like a king while their wives do all the housework and take care of the children with no help from them. That is not a marriage; that is slavery.

Paul introduced a radical concept in the first century: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25). This is the opposite of machismo. A husband who loves Jesus will get out of his recliner and help with the dishes, play with the children and share the burden of family responsibilities.

3. Encourage your wife’s spiritual gifts. I've known many Christian men over the years who kept their wives under tight surveillance. They didn't want them to further their education, start careers or assume leadership roles because they viewed them as inferior (and because the wife’s success exposed the man’s insecurity). Yet God’s desire is for a husband to be his wife’s biggest cheerleader. The husband of the Proverbs 31 woman, for example, praised his wife—not only for her virtue but because of her success in the marketplace (see Prov. 31:28-29).

Jesus Christ, through the gospel, has the power to subdue the male ego. Jesus can also give a woman the amazing ability to be patient when her husband has not yet learned how to treat her with the respect she deserves.

When we are teaching about marriage in the church, let’s throw away the handcuffs. Let’s quit promoting erroneous notions about male domination and get back to what the Bible really says.

J. Lee Grady is the former editor of Charisma and the director of The Mordecai Project. He is the author of several books including 10 Lies Men Believe (Charisma House), which is also available in Spanish from Casa Creación. You can follow him on Twitter at leegrady.

Why Jesus

Britt Nicole talks about how she came to know Jesus. Learn more about Jesus and a relationship with Him at http://www.klove.com/ministry/why-jesus.aspx

The heart of the matter

It has happened to you before hasn’t it?
 You get so angry, and then hurt, then bitter and you say to yourself… I will never speak to that person again; I never ever want to see them ……or even smell them. Every time you remember the hurt, the resentment grows and the bitterness grows and it eats you and you cannot sleep, you cannot eat and you cannot even pray. Especially when it is someone you love, so many questions keep running through your mind; Why will they hurt me like that?  Why would they betray my trust?
That is bad on its own, what is even worse is when they are not even sorry.
What do you do? You know deep down inside you that there is only one way forgiveness but that becomes your most dreaded and despised word. When someone even suggests it, you transfer some of the rage and anger you feel towards them. You say; do you know my pain? Have you been through what I have you been through? How dare you suggest it to me? That person is not even sorry, who are you to tell me to forgive?
Forgiving involves purposing in your heart not to bring up the offense again, in accusation or attempt to hurt them; and not hold it against the offending party.
It also involves getting to a place where you don't desire harm/payment
So how do you forgive someone when every fiber of your being resists? How do you look at them lovingly when you still have the memory of their unloving action? How do let go of the way you wish things had worked out if only they made a different choice?
You know what the scripture says in Luke 6:27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
It’s a hard thing to do—to completely let go of something painful and forgive the person who may or may not have realized what they did. At your angriest point, the more they seem unremorseful, the more you become convinced the person who hurt you did it with full intention and cruelty. And you feel not a shred of compassion; just unadulterated pain and rage.
You CAN forgive somebody who is not sorry! It is a process but you need strength from the lord. I quite remember this quote from  Mahatma Gandhi “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” You will need to always encourage yourself with scripture and prayer. The bible says in James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Forgiving someone who is not sorry one of your greatest as a Christian. Being a Christian is to walk in the shoes of JESUS CHRIST and asking yourself what will Christ do?

How many times have you told God that you will never go back to that sin and you have? A thousand times? How many times have you intentionally committed a sin and told yourself that I will pray for forgiveness soon after and God will forgive me? You know the answer…… a thousand and one times. Look to Christ as an example he did not say well, Mr. x and Mr. y are sorry for their sins so my death on the cross is for them as for the rest of you unrepentant lot, you shall burn for all eternity. He gave us his gift of forgiveness without the condition.
Resentment or bitterness is like a cancer that eats the person harboring it.
It doesn't matter whether it is "deserved" or "righteous". God did not create us to contain resentment. That's part of what forgiveness is -- even when they don't demonstrate any remorse at all.
There is bondage in not being forgiving. And the one in bondage is the one who won't forgive another. Give up on all hope of a better past it has already happened .Stop thinking and just do it. Open your heart and forgive
How did I forgive when it was hard? I came to this realization: no one ever gets to the end of their life and thinks, “I wish I stayed angry longer.”