Luke 3:20, “….he shut up John in prison.”

MT. 4:12; MK. 1:14, 17-18; LK. 3:19-20; JN. 4:1-3 

John spent 30 years preparing for a six-month ministry, followed by one and a half years in prison before he was beheaded. Many people would not consider his life very successful, yet Jesus said John was the greatest man who was ever born (Mt. 11:11).

John’s greatness didn’t lie in his own success, but in the success of another. John stirred up the hearts of an entire nation in expectancy of their Messiah. The ministry of Jesus owed much of its success to the work of John. John had prepared a people to meet their God (Mal. 3:1).

In our celebrity conscious society, few people want to be the backup singer or the announcer who introduces the main speaker. We have adopted a mentality that unless we are in the limelight we have failed. That’s not the way the Lord looks at things.

When the Lord passes out rewards in heaven, we may be shocked to see how He evaluates greatness. Many people who did not receive recognition while on earth will shine like the stars in eternity. The Lord will judge our works on what sort they were and not what size they were (I Cor. 3:13).Let us remember what Jesus asked each of his first disciples. He said come follow me; our first lesson in our Christian walk with the Lord is that we need to humble ourselves daily to his words. The greatest leader in the body of Christ will always first be a great follower. In Luke 9:48 Jesus put it best this way when he said Whosoever shall receive this child in my name receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me receiveth him that sent me: for he that is least among you all, the same shall be great.

Do not despise small beginnings, for when Jesus sees that you are faithful over little things, he will promote you to rule over larger things. But never let the things be what you are seeking after, never let them come between the relationship you have with the Lord. I remember the first words of prophecy over my life after I was born again. I knew I had a call on my life to minister for the Lord. But this is what brother Andrew Wommack spoke over me He said there was a call on my life to minister, but that first I needed to get my marriage in order. Those words have been the most precious and important words I have ever received!!

The Holy Spirit

1.) The third person of the trinity known as the Holy Spirit is just as much God as Jesus and the Father. They are equal but at the same time different persons. When we make reference to him we need to make the point that he is a person, not a thing. He has a mind, a will, and emotions. He is the teacher of the church, and he is our intercessor to the Father. He is the still small voice that we hear when we need advice or direction. As we read and study the Bible we need to know his character. He is referred to as the wind or breath of God, he is the fire of God, and water also represents him. When we see the priest being anointed with oil, that oil represents the Holy Spirit. Also the dove that descended upon Jesus pointed to him, When we get born again the Bible tells us that we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, we have Gods stamp of approval!

2.)   The Holy Spirit has work to accomplish, and he needs the church of Jesus Christ to work with him to get this done. He is just like Jesus and he will not force us to do anything. In essence we can grieve the Spirit by ignoring him or walk in disobedience to the word of God. When we aim to please people more than pleasing Jesus this will grieve the Spirit. I think the biggest hurt we cause him is when our churches refuse to receive or accept his ministry in the service. This happens because most people operate in the flesh and are actually scared of the move of God. I think the biggest reason is because to let him operate is a total act of faith, and all the glory will go to him.

3.)  The Holy Spirit worked different in the Old Testament than what he does now in the new covenant. In the Old Testament the Spirit would come upon the King, Priest and Prophet. He would inspire them and they would speak forth what the Lord needed them to know. Now in our day, in the new covenant we have a much better deal. Not only does he inspire us but also he makes his home, or his dwelling place within us. Once we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior he comes in and seal us. Then if we will receive his ministry and all that he has to offer will can be filled with his Spirit and operate just as he did through Jesus. What an awesome God we serve!

Say Yes 2 Jesus today!

http://www.wordoffaithworshipcenter.org/video/RaymondDAVIS_DVD_2.flv

Dr. Price with guest Raymond Davis (Part 2)

http://www.wordoffaithworshipcenter.org/video/RaymondDAVIS_DVD_1.flv

Dr. Price with guest Raymond Davis (Part 1)

The Message of Victory is now available on SpeakFaith.TV, a 24 hour, 7 day a week Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) Network!  Enjoy our video programming there, as well as on our web site in the Category of “Message of Victory Broadcast.”

written by: Andrew Wommack

A true revelation of God’s Word is the single most important element of a victorious Christian life.

The Word of God often refers to itself as a seed. There are a total of forty-four verses in the New Testament where the Greek word sperma was translated “seed.” This is the same word from which we derive our English word “sperm.”

To conceive and give birth, whether it’s for a miracle you need in your body or for the vision God has given you, you must first plant God’s Word like a seed in your heart. Conception, which eventually produces the fruit, cannot take place without first planting a seed.

I constantly meet Christians who pray and believe for God’s intervention in their lives, but remain frustrated with their results. Why? Because they have never conceived their miracles by planting the seed of God’s Word in their hearts. That’s like a woman who prays to get pregnant and then is confused when it doesn’t come to pass even though she has never had a relationship with a man. The seed has to be planted for conception to take place.

In Mark 4, the Lord taught three parables that illustrate that the Word is to the kingdom of God what a natural seed is to a harvest. The first of these parables, the story of the sower, is the key to unlocking all the others (Mark 4:13). If we don’t understand these truths, Jesus said, we won’t understand any of His other parables.

There are many life-changing truths in these parables, but one fact must be understood to get the full benefit of this teaching: The Lord used the comparison of His Word to a law of nature, which is unchangeable, not an institution of man.

Here’s what I mean: Nearly all systems that people have created can be cheated or manipulated. The legal system can be beaten, letting the guilty go free. The educational system can be beaten, passing students who haven’t really learned the material. But the process of seedtime and harvest can’t be changed.

What if a farmer waited until he saw his neighbors reaping their crops before he sowed his seed? Regardless of how sincere he was or the justification for not sowing his seed at the proper time, he would not reap a crop overnight. The law of seedtime and harvest cannot be violated.

This is why our Lord chose to compare the way His Word works to a seed. The germination process of the Word of God in your life takes time and can’t be avoided.

In the second parable of Mark 4, Jesus said,

“So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:26-29).

The seed is the Word of God (Mark 4:14), and the ground is our hearts (Mark 4:15). Our hearts were created by God to bring forth fruit when His Word is planted in them. Just as a seed has to remain in the ground over time to germinate, so the Word of God has to abide in us.

Jesus said in John 15:7,

“If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”

What would happen if you planted a seed in your garden and then dug it up each morning to see if anything was happening? It would die and never produce fruit. You have to have faith that the seed is doing what God created it to do.

Some people put God’s Word in their hearts for a day or two, but if they don’t see fruit almost immediately, they dig up the seed through their words and actions and wonder why it didn’t work. It must be left in the ground over time. Then, there are also different stages of growth.

Mark 4:28 says,

“First the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”

Many people are impatient, wanting to bypass the growth cycle and get the full ear right now. I’ve actually had to tell people what they were believing God for was not going to happen, not because the vision wasn’t good, but because they were expecting a complete ear of corn immediately.

For example, a Charis Bible College student came to me who had never held a job, had been in a mental hospital, and had lived on welfare his whole life. When he heard the teaching on prosperity and vision, he started dreaming big. He had a plan to buy and renovate an old hotel. The total cost would be over 4 million dollars.

It really was a grand plan. I complimented him for the fact that he was dreaming and told him to keep dreaming big. Then I told him that it might work for someone but that it wouldn’t work for him. Why? Because this person had never believed God for a dime before. There has to be “first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.”

You may think that was too harsh, but it was the truth. It’s possible that he could have won the lottery or the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes. It’s possible, but that wouldn’t have been God. God’s kingdom operates on laws, like the laws that govern the fruit-bearing process of a seed. God will not give you the full ear of corn if you haven’t seen the first blade. That’s the way God’s kingdom works.

This is precisely the reason most people don’t see God’s best come to pass in their lives. They have lottery faith. They think that since God loves them, He will just grant their request regardless of whether they put the miracle of the seed to work or not.

Jamie and I are great examples of that. When I was a young man and a novice in the ministry, I hated receiving offerings. I was hoping that someway, God would just give me a bunch of money, and I could minister without ever receiving an offering. Well, that is not the way God works.

God ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:14). Even ministers must live from the fruit of what they sow. Over many years, as I taught the Word of God to hundreds and thousands of people, the seeds of those words took root. The fruit of God’s Word and our efforts came in the form of changed lives and a desire in the hearts of those who had experienced this change to help others.

Then, when I finally understood how seedtime and harvest worked, I shared with them what God was doing through our ministry and gave them an opportunity to give. They responded and we were able to reach more and more people with the good news. Through their gifts, not only were they touching the lives of others, but also at the same time, they were planting financial seeds for their own futures.

When I made the decision to go on television in January of 2000, the Lord spoke to me. He said that my ministry was just beginning, and if the ministry ended now, I would never fulfill what He had called me to do. Well, that was pretty powerful, considering that by that time, I had been in ministry for over thirty years. All that we had been doing, even though we had seen the fruit of thousands of changed lives, had just been planting seeds. God wanted to take this ministry to a new level so that He could get the message of His unconditional love and grace to the world.

Since then, the ministry has exploded. I believe this is happening for two reasons: 1. Because of the seed we have planted, and 2. Because it’s the time in history when the world is ripe for the message God has placed in my heart. There is no other way to say it. It is just my time, as it was for Esther.

In Esther 4:14, we read,

“For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (New King James Version).

The fruit of all the seed we have planted and that you have planted is coming to bear on the huge challenge of reaching the world. Opportunity abounds, doors are opening, and it will take every one of us working together to see the vision fulfilled. God has built a strong foundation for this ministry through His Word, and we are now building upon that solid foundation.

You may watch our television program and read our newsletters or visit our website. However, I have found that most of our partners and friends have no idea all that this ministry is doing to reach people around the world. The Lord told me I need to change that. I need to make the vision plain (Hab. 2:2) so that others can join with us to accomplish what the Lord has given us to do.

I know you will be blessed to learn how your gifts are affecting lives. I have much to tell you about what is taking place and will do so in my monthly letters to come, on our website, and on the Gospel Truth program in the near future. I believe you will be excited and blessed about what you learn.

This law of seedtime and harvest operates in every area of our lives. If we will plant God’s Word in our hearts, then allow the seed to germinate and the plant to grow to maturity, we will reap the fruit of a harvest. That is God’s best!

I cannot tell you strongly enough how important it is that you know God’s Word and that you plant the seed of His Word in your heart long before you need the fruit of the harvest. It could mean the difference between prosperity and poverty, or even life and death. I believe this is so important that it’s the very first class I teach to new students at CBC every year. Getting this series will be like attending the first week of CBC.

My teaching series, A Sure Foundation, will help you understand the power and importance of God’s Word in your life. It will help you go beyond the “touchy-feely,” emotion-based thinking that many mistake for faith. It’s not about what you feel; it’s about what has been planted in your heart and what will come to full fruit. It’s the foundation to receiving the promises of God.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Luke 5:37 :And no man puts new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish.

Luke 5:38: But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.

Jesus here in the Gospel of Luke talking about putting new wine into old wineskins, that it would not work. The new wine would cause the wine skin or bag to burst. In the context of this scripture, Jesus is speaking about a new day that was on the horizon for his Church. This would be when the Holy Spirit would be poured out from heaven and into the Church (believers) that is a good place to stand up and shout.!

As he explained about the new wine causing the old wine skin to burst, he was comparing it to our old way of thinking. Or we could say our religious tradition. Which Jesus said made the Word of God of no effect. This is what happens to a believer if we try to understand the Bible with our old natural mind. It will cause us to get frustrated and discouraged.

Jesus wants his bride to have the best wine all the time. Glory to God. So this New Year may it be a New Season for us to walk in the Spirit and receive the New wine daily. And be not drunk with the world, but be filled to overflowing with the wine from heaven.

Let Jesus fill our cup of blessing, and let us go and do likewise to the lost.

So if you ever have a non-believer ask you if a Christian can drink wine? Just reply why sure, come visit with me and let me show you where that is in the Bible. And watch God confirm his word with signs following, by giving you creative ways to minister to the lost.

Blessed and Prosperous

3 John 2

Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest

prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

At the beginning of a new year we often receive greetings from friends wishing us a happy new year or a blessed and prosperous new year. The greeting is encouraging but usually doesn’t come with instructions on how to be blessed and prosperous. In 3 John 2, God expresses to us His desire for the kind of life we should live and He also gives us a key on how to live it. Notice verse 3: For I rejoiced greatly when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

He said that we need the truth in us and then we need to walk in the truth.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to examine our commitment to the truth of God’s Word, but we also need to do it on a continual basis. As we do, I hope we will realize that the Bible is not just a “you ought to do it” book, but it is mostly a “how to do it” book. The Bible is your instruction book for how to get to heaven and also how to live a blessed and prosperous life here on earth.

The word “bible” literally means, a book. It can also form an acronym for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, which is a good description. I believe we should all strengthen our commitment to time in God’s Word. The result will be life lived at a new level of blessing, prosperity, and health.

In addition to personal Bible study, take advantage of the opportunities offered by your church to learn Bible truth and how to walk in it. Attend evening services and Sunday School. If you are not in a church where the truth of God’s Word is taught, find one.  Consider enrolling in a systematic course of study such as Life Christian University. http://www.lcus.edu

We can look to the future with excitement as we continue to seek God’s truth and walk in it.  Be Blessed!

Destined to Win!

Jesus was Destined to Win from the beginning. Because he knew whose he was, he knew where he came from, and he knew where he was going. His ultimate destiny was unique and single; no one else could fill his shoes. It would not be glamorous, but it would be Glorious. It would not be popular but it would be Powerful. It would lead him to death, but would raise him to Life!

John 15:9-17…Jesus chose us to be on his team(verse 16)

John 5: 16-23..Jesus does nothing apart from his Father.

Matt 3:17…God confirms his Word to us.

Matt 11:27…Jesus knows his destiny, and Jesus is the only one who knows your destiny, besides the Father.

(If we want to win in this life this is the first question we all must ask ourselves.)

Which team are we on?

Winning Team = (Saints) The winning team is the team where Jesus is the head coach and he is calling the plays. God the father is owner of the team. And he wants us to enjoy the rewards that come with winning.

Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Losing team = (Sinners) the losing team is the team where satan is the head coach, and he decided he does not need an owner or an overseer. He wants to have all the glory to himself.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Isa 14:13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

Characteristics of the devil

John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Psalm 14:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, and there is none that doeth good.

Rev 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

Characteristics of Jesus

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. ( no one wins in life without Jesus )! When Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life, life in the Greek there is Zoë (meaning the life of God).

Rev 22:13-14 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

What is our goal (destination)?

Our goal in life as a Christian/or as a  (Church) should be the same as our head coach Jesus Christ. To be one with the Father as it was in the beginning. He intended for us to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.

John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Isa 43:7 Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

This Glory here that Isaiah was speaking about in the Hebrew (Kabod ) means splendor, honor, glorious. Jesus wants to take us from Glory to Glory, or from victory to victory. God wants us to take his Glory his splendor and go fill the earth with it. This is our main goal in life.

But we will fulfill this one-day at a time, one promise at a time, one person at a time. Every promise of God we find in the Bible is ours to receive, which Jesus has purchased for us. We must receive it by faith and then take it to the field of life. The goal is to get these truths these promises that Jesus taught working in our own life. Then ultimately we take them to the world (the end zone).

And the goal or purpose of the devil and his losing team is to stop us.

What is our game plan?

(John 2:5 Jesus’ mother then told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.)” Jesus is head coach over the Church.

The head coach of a football team did not just one day decide I want to be a coach. No if I was the owner of a football team in search for a head coach. Here are some qualities I would be looking for.

1)    Character… (On and off the field) Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today and forever.

2)   Ability ……………(Matt 28:18) all power and authority has been given to me in heaven and in earth.

3)   Patience……….(John 2:15) And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables

4)   Achievements. Birth, Life and teachings, Miracles and healings, Death and resurrection for Eternal life with the Father. His final achievement his second coming, the new heaven and the new earth. Paradise restored.

Every winning team has to have a proven leader to lead them to victory. Jesus has that track record and we must submit to his instructions to win each game. He is seated at the right hand of the father, forever interceding for us. He knows the defense of the opposing team. And he knows what play will work each time to get us closer to the goal.

If Jesus is Lord and Savior of your life your are Destined to Win, and you are on a winning team. That does not mean the game will be easy, but if we stick to the game plan which is the Word of God. We will rule and reign in this life with Christ.

I declare:

I was born of God for a specific purpose.

His Holy Spirit will reveal that purpose to me as I seek him.

He will develop the goals and plans, which will become my destiny.

I will embrace all the changes necessary to achieve those goals and fulfill those plans.

And if my purpose is to assist another’s vision, I will joyfully do as a bold, God empowered helper, for I realize the reward is the same for all who are humbly obedient.

I have a purpose!

It is my destiny!

I will achieve it!

Say Yes 2 Jesus today!