God's gifts and power for today?

 I think these verses point to God's power being for all the Church throughout the ages. Some people believe the gifts ceased when the whole, complete and perfect Bible was given. I think these verses show otherwise. Then why don't more of us see God's power in our lives and churches today? Maybe these verses tell us that, too: (And the fonts translated their colors by themselves, for what it's worth, LOL)


1 Corinthians 13:8-12 New International Version (NIV) ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness /that which is perfect comes, what is in part disappears. ... ¹² then we shall see *[Jesus?] face to face.*  

1 John 3:2-3

New International Version (NIV)

² Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

1 Corinthians 1:7 Therefore you do *not lack any spiritual gift* as you eagerly *wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.*

Then, where is the power we should have? Where did it go? To the Dark Ages, I guess, when the church took the Bible from the people and followed many more traditions of men:

Matthew 15³ And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your *tradition*?... ⁶ And ye have made void the word of God because of your *tradition*....9 ⁹ But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their *doctrines the precepts of men.*

Chronologically speaking, the church at Laodicea is the last church age. Many of us believe we are in the Last Days. So, like the song (click here) says, we are probably "Livin' in Laodicea." Not good:

Revelation 3:14-20    ¹⁴ “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. ¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. ¹⁸ I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

   ¹⁹ Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. ²⁰ Here I am! *I stand [outside] at the [church's] door and knock.* If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

I don't think Jesus is standing outside of all of the Church today. Not at all. Many churches teach that Jesus Christ is Lord and the only Way to the Father, just as Jesus says. 


He says He has limited Himself to where He's going to show up in power, though:

John  14:21 AMPLIFIED The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

Matthew 10:1  And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction.

8 "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay."

Matthew 28:20 "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you . And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." 



We know Jesus sits at the right hand of God, and is in us in the power of the Holy Spirit. Let's make the presence and the ministry of the Holy Spirit welcome in our hearts and lives and churches.


All for His glory and our joy and well-being. Thank You, Jesus.

There's nothing we can do! LOL

There's nothing we can do! To save ourselves, I mean:

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.... Romans 4:5. 

That *is* Good News!

I once wondered if I was good enough and my cousin called me what Paul would have called me: "O, foolish Galatian!"  Love it!
Here's what he was talking about:  O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish?Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Galatians 3:1-3

The answer is No. Paul tells us we cannot be perfected by our own effort. We are saved by hearing with faith--believing--that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, died for our sins. 


If you'd like more information, scroll waaay down and push the red button in the margin. No obligation. Enjoy.

Crawfish tacos?

Oh, my, yes. Yum! A little of the Southeast, a lot of the Southwest, a healthy appetite after church, and a delightful discovery of something new. Like hanging moss on a tall cactus. Like a saddle on a gator. Like--somebody stop me! LOL Just lead me back to a Fuzzy's.

God is fun!

How often do we consider that God is fun?  He enjoys us!  (Click on bold print for Scriptures.)

That he adores and protects us,

and thinks we’re gorgeous when we praise Him!

Yes, we can "be still and know" He is God.

He also loves noisy, exuberant singing and, yes, dancing .

He loves the blessings of uplifted hands, too, that's why we see them so much today.

And He does allow drinking and celebrating Him!  We can find lots of objections in some traditions, but we can balance them with this.

And we can pray and sing in other tongues.

Because all the gifts of the Spirit are for today.

( They will disappear when knowledge does, but in the last days, knowledge will increase. So we still have knowledge and all the gifts of the Spirit. )

In fact, in these three chapters, there's a Holy Spirit sandwich of Power, Love, Power.  I want the whooole thing.

We also have a ruthless enemy

But we also have the gift of God within us forever.

We have authority over the enemy until the end of the world. We also have the power of the help of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit until the end of the world,

and our mission includes doing all things whatsoever I have commanded you which would not negate these heal the sick and cast out demons
. Freely you have received, freely give.

If we're not seeing these things today as much as the first Christians probably did, I have to suspect we're in the Laodicean Age of the Church.

Most of all, since I know I am going to Heaven someday.

I want my friends and family--and enemies--with me.  And there’s only one way to get there.

So I hope everyone who hasn't already will give up their way for God's.

Because here's God's  Good News.

Hope I haven’t annoyed anyone, unless it’s to look into these things I’ve placed here with much love. This is how I understand it all, anyway. I'm open to discussion. : ) God bless~

Father's Day discovery an ocean away

My dad used to let us sit on a big old tarp and he'd run and drag it behind him. Better than any E ticket ride at WDW. He also turned that tarp into a tipi and told us the story of Pocahontas. Later, he was my choir director and my driver-to-get-everything-for-science-projects, etc.. He was diligent to keep a roof over our heads, AC and heat working, food in the pantry, clothes in the closets. He wasn't perfect but he was my Dad and I miss him this Father's Day and always.

I remember another Father's Day whose significance started some years ago when my husband and I toured Scotland. One morning, I got up very early, sleepless, and sat downstairs in the living room of this cute little old hotel in Ft. William. Another sleepless traveler on our tour soon joined me. It was a few weeks before Father's Day and he mentioned where his estranged daughter lived. He named my hometown without knowing it and a street less than a mile from my house. We were both amazed that I knew his daughter's neighborhood.

When we got home, I couldn't forget that. We got our photos developed and I thought about delivering one of him to the daughter. He had told me her name. Would I be butting in where I was not welcome? Why were they estranged? Did he abuse her, or something? Would I just be opening old wounds? We're called to forgive. We don't have to put ourselves back in harm's way.

I prayed. And kept praying. What should I do?

Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. The night before Father's Day, I looked her up in the phone book, drove to her house, and rang the bell. Thank goodness, she came to the door. I introduced myself and handed her the photo. She was amazed. I told her we had traveled with him, that he missed her. "Tomorrow's Father's Day. Maybe you'd like to give him a call." She thanked me and I left.

I don't know what happened. I never heard from her. But maybe there was a reconciliation. I pray for that.

All I could think was that, sitting there in Ft. William, Scotland, across the Atlantic Ocean and thousands of miles from our homes, her father and I discovered that out of all these United States, towns, and streets, I lived near his daughter. I knew what I had to do. What would you have done?

Pretzels and passivity, anyone?

Interesting story within the story Mexico by James Michener. Ancient civilization got intoxicated on the juice of maguey and later their great, prosperous, peaceful civiliation was known only as the Drunken Builders. They just *watched* with some alarm as an aggressive tribe of the War God moved closer *every year.* Just watched and wondered what would happen to them. They hoped something would happen to the others and make the problem just go away.

Finally, the War God people marched into the Drunken Builders' bulidings & sacrificed the people to the War God. Cut out their beating hearts.

This troubled me b/c sometimes when I discuss current issues with others, I find that some argue from emotion, not facts. Sometimes they call me a name because I don't agree with the policies of the candidate they like. But they can't always give me a real reason to like him, either.

I know I'm not as informed as I could be.

So, are we sometimes intoxicated with *entertainment* & emotion while an enemy comes closer and closer, instead of being really informed on issues that will affect the rest of our lives and our children's and theirs?

Walter Martin said the cults can make "doctrinal pretzels" out of Christians who may know what they believe but not why they believe it. Where is it written?

So can politicians make pretzels out of our views. Where is it written? Who said so? How do *they* know?

My friend plays golf and has a trainer but her husband is sometimes out of work as an independent contractor and she wants me to pay her medical bills. Oh, yes. She wants socialized medicine. Who does she think pays for that? Just for an example.

Whether politics or religion--do we know what we believe--and why?

Workin' on that! Starting by reading Economics in Plain English. This economy thing is terrifying. China says we are trying to default. Will they try to foreclose?

I don't understand it all but I'm going to try. At least I'll understand more than I do now. I hope.

"Welcome Holy Spirit" Pentecost Sunday's Comin' Concert

Could we know God the Father and God the Son without God the wonderful Holy Spirit inside us ? I don't see how.

We sing about God the Father and God the Son at Christmas and Easter. Why not God the Holy Spirit at Pentecost! 

God the Holy Spirit came to Church at Pentecost, the Jewish feast held fifty days after Passover. He empowered the Church with His presence inside each believer. And He promises never to leave us.

How sad that,  because of the excesses of a few, others practically ignore Him, the Third Person of the Trinity, GOD in US!

May 20, 2018 is Pentecost Sunday. To celebrate, I've collected these songs into a "concert." Just click on the titles. May we--and He-- enjoy! Welcome, Holy Spirit!

Welcome, Holy Spirit 

Come Holy Spirit, Revive the Church Today!

Cece Winans- Holy Spirit Come Fill This Place

Spirit Song

Holy Spirit Rain Down

Holy Spirit Rain Down with lyrics

Let Your Spirit Fall

Come Holy Spirit I Need Thee

Spirit of the Living God

Elvis Presley introduces The Stamps - Sweet Sweet Spirit 1972 

It's Beginning To Rain

Adoration by Mike Adkins

Shine Jesus Shine ... blaze, Spirit, blaze...

Spirit Fall Down

If you have any suggestions for other songs about the Holy Spirit, please leave a comment. Thanks.

Acts 10:38 is my favorite Bible verse, besides salvation verses.

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power,

Amazing! Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit. The Bible doesn't speak of Him doing any miracles or teaching until then. But then! But then, He

went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil for God was with Him.

I love it because we, too, are commanded to be filled with the same Holy Spirit who empowered Jesus.
And we will be His witnesses, says Acts 2. Are we witnessing to others about salvation in Jesus? That is the test.

We know that God the Father sits in Heaven, and God the Son sits beside Him. It's God the Holy Spirit who lives in us and through us, and heals us and encourages us....

And He gives us the power of the gifts of the Spirit for victory in situations of life and we will receive the fruit of the Holy Spirit for victories within ourselves. Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed. I Corinthians 1:7 All the gifts are for today, for our good and God's glory.

I Corinthians 12, 13, and 14 are about the Spirit's power, love, and again, power. A Holy Spirit sandwich. And I want the whooole thing!

 To share, use http://tinyurl.com/25xh5lu

Housework is holy work

Housework is holy work. It's all right to take time to do it. The world can wait.

 This is what I heard the Lord say in my spirit this morning. 

I don't know about you but I'd rather do anything else, even though I've read it a thousand times: She looketh well to the ways of her household and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed. 

Proverbs 31 again. 

Oswald Chambers even talks about serving God in drudgery. But the world has preached that housework is boring and inferior. 

So this word from the Holy Spirit was encouraging to me--as I was reviewing some videos to prepare to do something out of the house and teach a class on prayer which I'm very excited about. 

He reminded me I can do both. Balance! Balance.

Dayenu! It would have been enough!

Part of the Jewish Passover seder includes leader and all reciting a list of God's blessings and responding, "Dayenu," It would have been enough:

Leader: If He had only taken us out of Egypt and not judged the Egyptians:
All: Dayenu! It would have been enough!

Leader: If He had judged their gods but not slain their firstborn:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had divided the Red Sea but not allowed us to pass through on dry ground:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He allowed us to pass but did not drown the Egyptian's armies:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He had fed us with manna but had not given us the Sabbath:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had given us the Sabbath but not the Torah:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

If He had given us the Torah but not led us into Israel:
Dayenu! it would have been enough!

If He had given us Israel but not built and consecrated the Temple:
Dayenu! It would have been enough!

And in this Messianic seder, they added:

As followers of Yeshua, we add still another Dayenu. Our God not only provided all of the above, He provided a once and for all atonement for us through Jesus the Messiah who died for our sins and rose from the dead so we can know freedom from sin and abundant life now and forever. For this we can all say: Dayenu! It is indeed enough!

The seder is full of symbolism for followers of Yeshua ha Maschiach.

The matzoh is broken and hidden in a pouch w/ three pockets. Why three? They may represent a unity, or Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

We see Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The matzoh is hidden in the middle pocket, as in Son.

The matzoh itself, in the baking, is pierced, and the baking rack gives it stripes. This reminds us of the writings of the Jewish prophet Isaiah in chapter fifty-three:


But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and with His stripes, we are healed.

The ceremony includes four cups of wine. Many believe Yeshua held up the Cup of Redemption at the Last Supper or seder. Some say it was the Cup of Elijah.

"And as they were eating, Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to His disciples and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body.' Then He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them saying, 'Drink from it, all of you. For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.'" Matthew 26:26-29

"Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." John 1:29.

Raising the dead--for today???

Take a look, if you like, and decide for yourself.

http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/vod/DrChaunceyCrandall_091510_WS

If Jesus needed this, I sure do!

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. Acts 10:38. I love that all. Yes, please, Lord!

I think that's about the most amazing thing I ever realized in the whole Bible--even Jesus didn't do anything except by the power of the Holy Spirit.


If jesus, Himself, needed that anointing, well, I sure do.

And here's a wonderful passage that shows the whole Trinity and God's work in us: Ephesians 3:16-21 (New International Version, ©2010)

16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Click on Cece Winans in the right margin below, if you like.... Sing it, Cece!