LAM Updates

We are starting our new Bible study sessions beginning January 6th at 6:00 PM (PST) for about an hour. These are open and you do not need to sign up. You can attend by calling the teleconference phone number: 1-218-486-1300 and using access #742492. Just follow the prompts and you are in! (Long distance charges may apply so check with your phone company.) We are going to be teaching in ligh of Life Application Ministries focus - relationships, forgiveness, love, health and healing and seeing what the bible says about these things as we go.

For seminars in your area, please visit our website. I have listed a few below:

January 18-20 - Women's conference in Mt. Aukum.

February 2 - Open conference in Texas, Round Rock. 30 minutes above Austin.

Other meetings are being planned now in Sacramento, Hawaii and Los Angeles. So please check our website for those updates.

God Is or Isn't? by Linda

The Bible tells us to "Believe that He is..." As found in Hebrews 11:7, But do we? Have we trusted God in every area of our lives? Do we have doubt and unbelief still? Are we battling with frustration and anger still. Do you still feel "under" than "over?" If you have done all you know and still feeling "stuck" in areas of your life, then this insight will truly help you.

We must believe that He is. But before it says that it says, "For without faith it's impossible to please Him, for we must first believe that He is..." I believe this scripture describes faith. Yes, faith is believing, but believing what? Believing that He exists. When you do that, you please Him. So many of you are saying I do believe He exists. I would like to submit to you the possiblity that in some areas of your life you believe He is there, and in other areas you do not believe He is there. How do you know which areas? Well, I have a little exercies you can do. Get a piece of paper and draw a line down the center making two columns. On the left top column write, "God is" and on the right top column write "God isn't." Then begin to write down all the areas you are in complete faith toward God about in the left column. Things like believing He loves you. Now if you have any doubt at all about that, then write it on the right hand column. I believe you'll write more down on the right side than on the left especially if you are still struggling in your life as a Christian. But this is NOT to condemn you, it's to help you see you can go to God in these areas of your life so he can restore, heal, mend, deliver and forgive.

For example on the right side it may be that you don't trust Him completely in your finances. How do you know that? If you are worried about them all the time, especially when bills come or it's payday. How about when you need car repairs, home repairs, etc. Are you in fear about how you will meet those needs. If you are, then write it down on the right column. In order to be free, you have to see what has you bound.

Many times in the Word of God it says what things are not before it says what it is. For example, "The Kingdom of God is NOT meat and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost" (Matthew). So it says here what it's not before it lists what it is. So we need to recognize what we are in fear, anxiety, stress, panic, terror, frustration, or anger about before we can see how to get out of it. We need to recognize our heart first!!!

Now once you have a made a list of things, start with the first thing and take it to the Lord. Be specific too. If you have a hard time with talking with someone because you are afraid of their response, then tell God that. Be specific in going to God. And so in this case, confess your sin of fear, fear of man, rejection, etc., in EACH and every situation that you take to Him. It's those little hidden things that could be keeping you stuck!

This teaching is critical in seeing the Word of God at work in your own life. If you don't have a close personal relationship with God, and trust Him in every area of your life, you will have struggles. You may even feel like you aren't progressing in your life like you think you should. It could be these little foxes...

God only wants you to live in peace. He doesn't say everything will be perfect around you because He does rain on the just and unjust. But when those rains come you will not be moved! That's where he's getting you. And in order to get there, you really need to know Him intimately in every area of your life. I know when someone is in fear about a family member, there is a possible problem with control. God is in control and the only one - so we need to rest in knowing that. We cannot change anyone, only God can do that.

I pray you get a deep revelation in this area of your life that before you can really see all the blessings come to you, you need to "know" the blessing giver and that He is in every area of your life.

If you need further help in this area, we are talking about this in the teleconference Bible study, so be sure to tune in each Sunday night at 6:00 pm. (PST) for an hour of power!

THE SPIRIT CONNECTION by Pete Plitt

For the thousands of years preceding the arrival of Jesus, no one could unite with the Holy Spirit to the dimension of becoming His personal domicile and temple. B.C., the temple of the Holy Spirit was a building made with human hands. For the Holy Spirit to take up residence in the human spirit, there had to be a nature compatible with the Life and Holiness of God, or a change of nature by virtue of that second birth from death to life. To blaze that trail, Jesus was born with His heavenly nature intact, yet capable of human levels of temptation and death. Philippians 2:7-8 says, "But [Jesus] made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." Consequently, Jesus was able to become the first Spirit filled human in history. Acts 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Though He had the awesome holy nature of God, He still did not begin His ministry until He was endued with power from on high, a dynamic hint that getting born again is a step, albeit a major one, in the walk of a Believer. Armed with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was victorious in temptation aimed at His entire being, body, soul, and spirit, [Matthew 4:1-11]. Note too that when the devil left Him, it was but for a season.

We read in 2Corinthians 5:17-20 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, AND HATH GIVEN TO US THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." The passion of Christ bought and paid for our redemption, our shot at that same new nature that Jesus had. If one is born again, they are ambassadors representing the Good News of reconciliation or atonement. But to successfully defeat our own onslaught of temptations and weaknesses, to walk in power over all the works of the devil, we need a Helper too. Jesus told His disciples in John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you." Again even though it would appear that Jesus had a pretty good idea of His calling at a young age [Luke 2:42-51], He did not move into the world of miracles, power and authority until His body became that first human temple of the Holy Spirit at the Jordan. Following in His steps, we receive our gift of salvation, then our gift of power. Luke 24:49 "And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." The word "power" here is miracle working ability.

Jesus set the pace for a little over three years. Then He said in Mark 16:17-20 "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. AND THEY WENT FORTH, AND PREACHED EVERY WHERE, THE LORD WORKING WITH THEM, AND CONFIRMING THE WORD WITH SIGNS FOLLOWING." When the Buddhist or Muslim asks us why we think our religion is true over theirs, it is not the debate of doctrine or philosophies that succeed in most hard boiled cases, but rather the power of the Holy Spirit in us that confirms the Bible as only truth and authority by the signs that follow. Paul said in 1Corintians 2:4-5 "And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." It's the new and improved rendition of I Kings 18 where Elijah told the people, if Baal is God, let's follow him, but before we do, he needs to bring some fire down from heaven and consume this sacrifice on your alter. Baal couldn't, but the Almighty did. Paul certainly walked his talk when a viper fastened itself to his hand when getting firewood. Paul shook it off into the fire and the poison that, according to the laws of physics, should have killed him in minutes, didn't. The importance of walking in the miraculous is seen here in that when the local natives observed that this snake venom had no power over Paul, it opened the door for him to minister the love and salvation of Jesus to that entire tribe, not to mention additional miracles. The Deity of Paul and Elijah's God had it's offer of proof

John, chapters 14-17, covers some of the ways Helper helps. The Holy Spirit comforts us, guides us into all truth, even shows us things to come. He presents the fruit and provides the gifts for us to live and serve Him by. For fruit, Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." These are not things we need to do or be, they are what we are by nature, and the third Person of the Godhead Holy Spirit empowers us to successfully walk with these Jesus like attributes though mortification of our flesh, Romans 8:13]. Then in I Corinthians 12, we learn of the gifts that the Holy Ghost is wanting to operate through us. Some gifts reveal, some do, some tell. The Word of Knowledge can unfold a problem in one's life, the Word of Wisdom provides heavenly insight on what should be done about a problem, and the Discerning of spirits opens up the unseen world at various levels to better provide the Year of Jubilee to those in bondage. The Gift of Faith is a beyond reason gift, like the verse about the peace of God that passes our understanding. One minute we are plain faith person, the next we're pulling crippled, broken bodies out of wheelchairs. Later that night if we let reasoning sneak in , we break out in a sweat dreading lawsuits. It's radical, yet wonderful. Working of Miracles and Gifts of Healing get broken folks fixed. There is no range or limitation to their dimension. Finally, the Gift of Prophecy, Tongues and Interpretation of Tongues vocally unveil the heart and mind of God. They edify, exhort and comfort both the Body collective and the individual. The applications of these three are further explained in the 14th chapter of I Corinthians.

So far we have touched mainly on the mechanics of the spirit connection. But it's not good enough just to say we have the fruit resident within, so go be nice. It's not enough to say we have the dumanis or miracle power of God abiding in us, so go get someone healed. Jesus discipled [trained] 12 men for over 3 years. He helped them recognize the Father's voice and nature through His Own. Then Jesus left and another Comforter arrived, and for 3 years the Holy Spirit took Paul's vast knowledge of the Old Covenant writings and revealed the grace of Christ to him, [Galatians 1: 15-18]. Yes, baby believers filled with the Holy Spirit not 2 minutes old have everything they need to empty hospital beds and bring salvation to multitudes, but they are still a child in the Kingdom of God. Getting God is great, but keeping Him is everything. In Galatians 4:19, Paul prayed beyond salvation - "My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you." Receiving Christ can happen in a moment, but renewing our minds to His fullness where He is formed in us can take time. Even today, many seasoned Believers have a substandard view of who they really are in Christ and what the Holy Spirit wants to do through them..

Think about this parallel. Mark 9:2 "And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was TRANSFIGURED before them." Romans 12:2 "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Had we been there with Jesus and company, watching as He was transfigured with the Glory of God, perhaps some symbolic gesture to honor Him would have seemed right like with Peter. But as you ponder His magnificence, know that Paul used exactly the same Greek word in Romans. Be not conformed, but be TRANSFIGURED by the renewing of your mind. Get excited about being a vessel of honor for the Greater One within. Let Him transfigure you by bringing your thinker up to His speed. Let Him mature you by the Word, through time in prayer, worship and fasting. No matter the revelation, regardless of the lesson, close relationship with our Maker by drawing near to Him will always be the "how to" in obtaining and walking in His love, power, peace, grace, etc. But don't ask for more of God. How could one be more connected to God than being His Body? The Kingdom of God is within you, [Luke 17:20-21]. Renew your mind to who you already are, compliments of the Holy Spirit.

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