Here We Stand

By Richard L Spangler

  We are standing at a crossroads as a church, a nation and the world.  We all have been hearing this from various sources both spiritual and secular. The nation is divided in a 50/50 spilt politically; we have economic problems here and in the world. We are in moral decay, we are told what is right is wrong and what is wrong is right. We are under spiritual attack from those who want to remove God from our nation. There are others who would force us to submit to their beliefs and reject Jesus Christ. Yet, we are told to be politically correct in our thoughts and speech. Some have been moved to action by the Holy Spirit, CBN’s 50 Days of Prayer and America for Jesus are the most recent calls for prayer for our nation. But, the Holy Spirit kept urging me that there was more to do than gather in one place or in our homes and churches and pray. We can take action as individual believers. We can change the course of our communities, our nation and the world by answering the call of God.

   Abram was commanded as part of the covenant with God to look and see the land the Lord had given him and he was also told to walk the land. This served a two-fold purpose: first was Abram could see more and more as he walked and secondly as he walked the land God said wherever he walked was his land. Genesis 13:17(AMP) Arise, walk through the land, the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it to you.

  Then in Ephesians we read that we are to put on the Whole Armor of God and to stand, holding your ground. Ephesians 6:14 (AMP) Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,(Boldness added for emphasis)

   So there are two things that need to happen first to see the land and walk it, then the other is to hold your ground. Sadly, the church has not been doing either of these things. We hunker down behind the four walls of our church buildings and homes and prayer closets and pray for our land. We pray with an expectation that God will do all the work and take back our nation for us. This is a lie of the enemy, he wants us just to sit back and pray. The devil knows that God has chosen His people to take dominion over our communities, states and nations. So long as there no action with our prayers then devil doesn’t have to worry.

  This then is a call to action by the Holy Spirit, to get out of the four walls of churches and homes, to come out of our closets and take action. First get a friend, (Jesus sent the disciples out two by two), and go to a street corner in your city (ask the Holy Spirit which street corner He will tell you). Second, look around you and see the land the Lord has given you. Third, begin to thank and praise God for the land he has given you. Fourth, pray for the land and the people in it. Praying that the people will come to know Christ and His love (no prayers of condemnation or judgment) and for God to heal the land. Fifth, rebuke the devil.

   If, someone comes up ask what you are doing, tell them you are praying for your community and the nation and invite them to joint you. If they say, “yes” let them joint if they say, “no” ask them if you can pray for them. If you find yourselves with two or more jointing you , then you or your partner take one of them and move to another corner nearby and begin to pray. In this way, you have walked your land and have stood your ground and God will give you the land.

  A closing note, please stay on public property and do not block a sidewalk. This is not a time for a show or a display of religious exercises, do it in humble matter, but with the power and authority of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah and King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

                          ©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD SPANGLER

 

 

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Forgive, How Much?

By Richard L. Spangler

  People ask, “How many times must I forgive this person?” Or, “I can’t forgive what they did to me.”  And, “I want God to judge this person.” These same people have financial and other troubles, wondering why God is not blessing them. Some also have relationship issues with their family and others.

  I have personally dealt with people that were hard to forgive. Once I was given the responsibility of running a shop and yard crew for the water department. I worked with men, most of whom were much older than myself. There was this guy I will call Frank, who would ride my case from the time I walked in the gate until I left. Frank would curse constantly, put open men’s magazines on my desk, and relocate my Bible and my lunch. There were times I felt like getting revenge on him, but I didn’t. I continued to pray for him, asking God to save him, and to help me forgive him. This situation continued for months. 

  Then one day, Frank came into my office. I feared the worse, but to my surprise, he broke down. Frank’s life was a mess and he needed someone to talk to. He asked me to forgive him. I told him I already had and was willing to listen and help. After that, a good working relationship developed. Frank would still slip up with the language, but would quickly ask my forgiveness. This was my first lesson in forgiving someone who continually sinned against me, so I understand how difficult forgiving can be.  The question arises, how much to forgive someone? We can thank the Apostle Peter for the answer.

“Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven” (Matthew 18:21-22 NKJV).

If we analyze these figures, it is amazing. Jesus says to forgive 70 times 7, which is 490 times a day! Then when you divide 490 by 24 hours in a day it means 20.4 times an hour. Then you divide 60 minutes in hour by 20.4 and you get 2.9 minutes. So we are to forgive someone who sins against us every 2.9 minutes!

This is a lifestyle of forgiveness. It does not matter what someone does to you or how many times they may sin against you, you are to forgive. It is almost impossible for someone to reach this volume of sinning against another. If you’re counting, are you really forgiving?

  But, what about if they are breaking the law, you may ask? If they break a law of man they still have to pay the consequences and if they haven’t accepted Jesus as their Savior and Lord, then they are under the judgment of God’s law, so we must leave the judging to Him.

  Forgiveness is for you, not them. Unforgiveness blocks our relationship with God and leads to bitterness. Both unforgiveness and bitterness not only take their toll on you spiritually but also physically, opening the door to sickness and death. They also poison every relationship you have.

Unforgiveness also affects the blessings you receive from God.

“Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful^. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:32-38 NKJV).

  What caught my attention is that most of this scripture deals with our relationship with others, then comes this one statement by Jesus on giving at the end. We are to love our enemies. We are to forgive unconditionally. We are to show mercy as God has shown mercy to us. Don’t condemn or judge and finally, forgive. Forgiveness jumps out as the key to the other blessings.

So forgive, for your own sake. Then, you will have an open, unhindered relationship with God and others. When you pray for the blessings of God, they will flow to you in a far greater way than you can imagine. 

©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD L SPANGLER

 

 

 

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Third Level Blessing

By Richard L. Spangler

   While attending a Ministering Spiritual Gifts Conference I heard a teaching by Apostle John Burkholder of Buffalo, NY. Apostle Burkholder taught on Luke 6:38, “Give and it will be given to you a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

    He stated, that he prays this over his offerings regularly. One day as he was praying  this verse, God spoke to him that he was praying it wrong. Apostle John asked how that he was praying it wrong. The Lord stated it was not enough to pray for his offering to blessed, but he needed to pray for those who the Lord spoke to: to give to him to be blessed, so that they could give.

  Then the Lord took it to another level, not only was to pray for blessings for those who were to give to him but also pray for those who were to bless the givers so that they could bless the givers. This is a third level blessing.

   This takes blessing others to a whole different level; it takes it beyond simple addition into multiplication of blessings. God is a God of multiplication. We see at creation in Genesis how God commanded everything living thing to be fruitful and multiply (not add).

   This is true in blessings as well as praying for others to be blessed. If we pray in the matter stated above, our blessings will be multiplied as well.  So as you give your tithes and offerings, pray for those who are to give to you, to be blessed, and also for those who are to bless them to receive a blessing.

  Here is a personal example. I prayed over my offering that afternoon and on Sunday at church. Now my wife has had some physical issues that prevented her from working for more than two years. (God has been faithful in His provision for us).We and her doctors agreed that she should apply for disability. So, she set down and filled out all the paperwork and submitted it. Her claim was promptly rejected. She appealed. We were to go to an appeals hearing on the next Tuesday. I was told that,I could say nothing during the hearing, so I just sat there and prayed quietly in the Spirit. The judge stated that it appeared my wife qualified and that we would be notified in 7 to 10 days of his decision. We were excited and praised God. It gets better, our attorney called on Friday, stating that the judge’s decision had already been given and he ruled in our favor! She stated it would at least two months before we received any back payments (two years’ worth) and then monthly checks. We gain rejoiced. Then on the following Tuesday, the lawyer called, stating she did not understand it but the check was already processed and mailed. We were stunned. On Friday we received a check for two years’ worth of back payments. Praise the Lord.  We tithed on what we received and I again prayed over it and now waiting to see what God does now.

   Again I want to encourage you, when you give your tithes and offerings praying for God’s blessing. Then go beyond that praying for others to be blessed so they can bless you. Finally, take it to third level of blessing, praying for those to be blessed that are to bless those who are to bless you. Then, watch and see what God will do.

©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD L. SPANGLER

 

 

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The Time of the Seer Anointing

By Richard L Spangler

  The Lord has been saying to me the phrase, “The time of the seer anointing.” I have heard this same phrase two or three times a day in the past two weeks. So I began to meditate and ask the Lord what is the meaning of this phrase.

  I was then caught up in a vision; I was standing in what looked like a winery. The winery was a massive place. There were huge vats, which were at least a hundred stories high. In the midst of these vats was the Lord Jesus.

  Jesus said. “The time has come to open the Vat of the Seer Anointing.”

  He reached down and opened a valve and the anointing of the seer flows out. It does not run all over the floor. The anointing creates an opening in the floor and flows through the opening. I move closer and looking into the opening I see the earth. The anointing is, at first splashing onto the earth in one place or another. The anointing keeps flowing until the earth is completely soaked. The anointing continuously flows to earth, even after it is completely soaked. Soon it is flowing in great waves across the planet.
 
I look up and Jesus is standing beside me. Jesus says, “This Seer Anointing has been prepared for this time. It is available to all who know me, and walk with me and know my voice. For now, they will not only hear, but they will see and seeing they will do.
 
This anointing is not only for my church but is also for those who don’t know me. It will give them hope, in this time of man’s hopelessness. For as my people go and do, what they see the Holy Spirit doing, it will give mankind hope and many will come to know me.”

A seer is a prophet who not only hears what God is saying but also sees what God the Father is doing and has visions. There are many seers in the Bible. Samuel was the first one that the Hebrew word for seer was used for a person. Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel all were seers; they all had visions from God.

     An example of seeing what is happening in the spirit realm is found in    2 Kings 6:17 Then Elisha prayed, Lord, I pray You, open his eyes that he may see. And the Lord opened the young man's eyes, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha. (AMP).

  The seer can be found in the New Testament. Jesus in John 5:19 (AMP)¹⁹So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. This was an amazing statement Jesus not heard the Father but saw Him doing. We think hearing the Lord is great and it is but, to see Him working and do what He is doing is better. If see the Holy Spirit healing someone with our spiritual eyesight, then we can move with the Holy Spirit and become the physical point of contact to release that healing into the earth. Literally, we can bring the will of Father down to earth as it is done in heaven. The other benefit is in seeing the Holy Spirit move and do and then moving with Him whatever it is will happen.

  Peter’s vision in Acts 10:9 prepared him for what the Holy Spirit was going to do among the gentles a few hours later and help open the way of salvation to the gentles.  Paul’s vision in Acts 16:9 of the Macedonian man. This vision caused Paul to change his plans and let to the founding of the Macedonian Church. Paul being caught up into the Third Heaven and John’s visions in The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ are all examples of the seer anointing.

   All of these are seers or moved under the seer anointing and you can too. First make sure of your relationship with Jesus. Second spend time mediating on the Word of God. Third, spend time in the Presence of the Lord, listening to him. Finally wherever you are or whatever you are doing be available and do what God shows you to do.

            ©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD L SPANGLER

 

 

This book is a book prophetic visions and teachings that God blessed me with and I hope it Blesses you. Available at Amazon.com   

The King Of Praise

 By Richard L Spangler

 

 

  There have been many times in the ministry that I have led Praise and Worship during a service. During some of these times there was a mighty move of the Holy Spirit, with everyone getting caught up in worship and feeling like we were in heaven. I was in a Sunday night service recently where the Spirit of God was moving so strongly that three songs were given by the Holy Spirit. When the worship team began singing a new song, the whole congregation began to sing it as they had been singing it for years. It was an amazing time in the presence of God. Yet, there have been other times, when it was trying to breakthrough a steel reinforced concrete wall or like trying to pull teeth and not getting anywhere. I recently experienced this with the same worship team on a Sunday morning. The team was singing their hearts out, the pastor was encouraging us to enter in and there was nothing. We all, leaders and congregations, have experienced this in our services and it can be very frustrating. But Why?

  Does God on a given day decide that He wants to come and spend time with us and the time we gather He decides not today? I don’t think so, Adam was created to spend time with Father God. This was first the thing, before being given dominion over the earth, or anything else, this was first. God desired to have someone He could reveal Himself too. To enjoy the company and the love of someone that He created in His image. Even after man sinned God made a way for man to come into His presence by the work of His Jesus on the cross. Jesus paid the price for our sins and opened the way for our relationship with God.

  Then, if it is not God, it must be us. We allow the cares of this life crowd in on us. Maybe, we’re thinking about what’s for lunch or about our finances or even the fight we had with our spouse on the way to church. We could be thinking about how we are unworthy to worship God because of the sin in our lives. What are we to do when these and other fill our minds when we are trying to worship God?

   Start before you get you get to the church. Go to God and ask forgiveness. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV). Also go and ask for forgiveness of those who you have offended, if possible. Then forgive those who have offended you, if possible. If not take it to God and tell Him that you repent of the offence that you did or tell God the you are forgiving those who offended you. Then forgive yourself.

   This clears the way for us enter the presence of God and shuts the voice of the accuser (Matthew 5:22-24 and Mark 11:25). Next is to decide to think on God instead of the day to day issues of life (issues at work, finances, the football game after church or where to go to lunch, etc.). In other words get rid of the junk. Begin to think about how much God loves you and how much you love God before you get to church.

  The last and most important, is to have a daily relationship with the Lord not just a Sunday morning time of worship and praise. Keeping the attitude of forgiveness all the time and think on the Father daily. A personal, daily time of worship and praise is key. Invite the Father to be with you every day. Then, when it is time for corporate worship, you are already prepared to worship. You can enter His gates with singing and His courts with praise. You can enter boldly the Throne Room of God. Then you can worship  the King of Praise.

  You may ask, “Who is the King of Praise?” The answer is found in the Book of Revelation. It states, “Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Rev. 5:5 (NIV). We all know this to be Jesus. We also know the lion is a symbol for the King and Judah means praise. So Jesus is our King of Praise. We should worship and praise Jesus as The King of Praise.

 

 

©COPYRIGHT 2013 RICHARD L. SPANGLER

 

 

 

 

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A Psalm 91 Life

By Richard Spangler

   I am sitting in my chair, trying to decide what to write. Then the issues of the day begin to crowd my mind. Will there be an economic collapse or boom? Will the upcoming elections mean change for the better or for the worst? Will there be war? Will there be another terrorist attack in our country? Then on a personal level: Will I be able to lose the weight I want to lose this year? Will I get my first book published? Will I move forward financially?  What will it be like being a grandfather?

   Just one of these questions can lead you down the road of fear and anxiety if you allow them.  Put them all together and you have a mountain of uncertainty.  Many people are in fear and panic because of these questions, including many Christians. They are asking, “Is there hope? Can I survive? What, if anything can I do?”

  Yes, there is hope in God! In the Bible God promises, “Because you have made the Lord your refuge, and the Most High your dwelling place, There shall no evil befall you, nor any plague or calamity come near your tent”(Psalm 91:9-10 Amp).

God also states in Psalm 91 that He will cover you; He will give angels charge over you, no pestilence (no disease), no sudden death, nor any evil shall befall you. And the list goes on.

The key to these promises is found in verse 14, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness--trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never]”(Psalm 91:14 AMP).

  As you determine with your mind to love God and set your heart to do so, you take the first turn of the key for the promises of God found in Psalm 91.

Many of you have taken that first turn of the key by accepting Jesus Christ into your heart. For those who have not, there is no better time than now.

    The next turn of the key is equally as important. It is getting to know God with a personal knowledge of His mercy, love and kindness. It is discovering Who God is, and not just by reading the Bible and praying.

This happens two ways. First, meditate, don’t just reading the Bible, but think about what you are reading. According to Webster’s Dictionary, Meditate is: to engage in contemplation or reflection: to focus one's thoughts on: reflect on or ponder over. In other words, take time to think about what you are reading. In our fast paced society we scan more than we read.

    We scan e-mails, texts, letters and articles without reading them and thinking about what is being said. Take time with the Bible, stop and ask, “What does this mean? How does this apply to my life?” Ask the Lord to help you understand and to teach you. Don’t scan it and walk away saying, “I’ve done my Bible reading for the day.” and check it off of that never ending To Do List.

Secondly, it happens by making time for God, spending time with Him. Remember, God created man to spend time with Him. An example of this is in the Bible.

“And out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and living creature of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them; and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was its name” (Genesis 2:19 AMP).

God would create an animal, and then bring it to Adam to name. God was interested to see what name would be given. I imagine that was some discussion of the creature’s design and purpose between God and Adam. This took time.

 Also, in Genesis, “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…But the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, Where are you” (Genesis 3:8-9 AMP)?

This shows God coming to spend time with Adam and Eve. This was not unusual for Adam and Eve. They even knew the sound of God walking and would go out to meet and spend time with God. This is what God wants, for us to know Him. This is why Jesus came to earth, so that a way would be open for man to be able to spend time with God and know him again.

 Set aside time, every day to get to know Father God better.  Sit and listen for His voice. Get to know His presence. Have personal knowledge and relationship with God.

   This will unlock all the promises in Psalm 91, and much more, will become yours. It will not matter what happens, good or bad, for you will be hidden in God’s presence and protection.

 

 

©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD SPANGLER

 

 

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Who is Obed-Edom?

       By Richard Spangler


  Who is Obed-Edom? Why be like him? His choices and his life led to blessings for himself and his family. Let us, together, learn who Obed-Edom was and about his life.     

   Obed-Edom is first mentioned in the Bible, just after the death of Uzzah for touching the Ark of God. This happened during King David’s first attempt to move the Ark to Jerusalem. The Ark of God was placed in the home of Obed-Edom. He must have been a man of faith to allow something in his home; just after God had killed someone for touching it (this broke one of the commands of the Lord concerning the Ark). The ark of God remained with Obed-Edom for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he owned.     
   When it came time to move the Ark to Jerusalem, (this time correctly) Obed-Edom had a choice. He could have stayed where he was and lived off of his past relationship with God or move with the Ark of God, staying in God’s presence and in relationship with God.     
  
  Obed-Edom had a desire for the Lord and moved with God. His desire for the Lord caused him to do whatever it took to be close to the Lord. He became a gatekeeper, a musician, and a doorkeeper for the Ark. Due to Obed-Edom’s desire and love for the Lord and his faithfulness, God begins again to bless him and promote him.     

  Obed-Edom becomes a worship leader and is mentioned along with Aspah the Chief Musician. Obed-Edom and his 68 associates minister regularly before the Lord in worship. Yet, he still continues to keep the gates.     

  Obed-Edom is not only blessed in ministry and relationship with the Lord, his family is also blessed. God gives him eight sons, his poor wife raising a football team. His sons and grandsons also worshiped the Lord and were blessed by the Lord. They were all leaders, capable men, with strength to do the work. There were 62 men in all. Obed-Edom along with his other duties was put in charge of the Southgate and his sons were keepers of the storehouse.     

  Obed-Edom by his faith, attitude, and actions created a legacy of faith, and relationship with the Lord. The Lord was faithful back to Obed-Edom establishing a legacy of generational blessings.    

Obed-Edom had to pack up and physically move to stay in the presence of God. His desire for a relationship with God established a relationship not only for himself but also for his children and grandchildren. This relationship also established generational blessings from God for his family.     

  Today, we don’t have to travel to a specific place to know the presence of the Lord or to have a relationship with the Lord. We, as believers all have the Holy Spirit within us. But, it is up to each of us to stir up the desire to seek out our own relationship with God, Our Father. The Father desires for us to have a relationship with him. He waits patiently for His sons and daughters to seek him out and have an individual relationship with Him.      

  We can have this relationship with the Father by first, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we will be filled (Mt. 5:6). We must work to keep our hearts pure and we will see God. We must seek first the Kingdom of God and Its righteousness (Mt. 6:37).      

  Our Father is crying out by His Spirit within us, for each of us to stir up our desire for Him. He wants us to be passionate for Him, to get hungry and thirsty for Him. When you are hungry and thirsty for something, you do what it takes to be satisfied.    

  The first step is to keep a pure heart… Unconfessed sin is a relationship and a blessing stopper with God. Keep short accounts with the Lord by following 1 John 1:9 and by keeping short accounts with others. No choice here. If you have done wrong, go to the person, confess it, ask for forgiveness and make it right. If you know some one has something against you, go to them, and don’t wait for them to come to you. Make it right. Be careful what you watch on T.V., listen to the radio, and what comes in over the Internet, enough said.     

  Second, study the Word of God, and mediate on it daily. Mediation is not mystical or hard. If you can worry, you can mediate. We all do a great job worrying. We take an issue and keep thinking the worst that can happen over and over again. Mediation is thinking about a particular scripture or the goodness of God, over and over again.

This is simple but it works, and the more you do it the easier it gets. Putting on worship music helps with mediation and will bring the Presence of God.  

  A third step is just relax and rest in the Presence of God. We think that we must be doing something all the time for God. Relaxing and resting in God’s Presence is extremely important. It is in these times that we can clearly hear from the Lord. A Web site that can help with this www.soaking.net.     

Finally, get up and get moving. Get involved in your church and/or your community. Obed-Edom did not wait for the Lord to tell him to do something, he just did it. He waited on the Lord by doing. You will find as you are doing the work of the ministry, God will give you direction in what to do.     

  So be an Obed-Edom, have a desire for God. Keep your heart pure. Study and mediate on the Lord, and relax and rest in God’s presence. Get up and get involved. By doing these things, you will have a relationship with God, and He will bless you and your family and create blessings for you and generational blessings for your family.

Scripture References for Obed-Edom: 1 Chronicles Chapters 13:12-14, 15:18, 21, 24, 16:38, 26:4-6, 12-15.

©COPYRIGHT 2009 RICHARD SPANGLER



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Who Are You Part 4

By Richard L Spangler

    We are God’s children.  Ephesians 2:6 (AMP) ⁶And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

   Romans 8:14-16 Amplified Bible (AMP) ¹⁴For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.¹⁵For [the Spirit which] you have now received [is] not a spirit of slavery to put you once more in bondage to fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption [the Spirit producing sonship] in [the bliss of] which we cry, Abba (Father)! Father! ¹⁶The Spirit Himself [thus] testifies together with our own spirit, [assuring us] that we are children of God.
 
  Galatians 4:5-7Amplified Bible (AMP) ⁵To purchase the freedom of (to ransom, to redeem, to atone for) those who were subject to the Law, that we might be adopted and have sonship conferred upon us [and be recognized as God's sons].⁶And because you [really] are [His] sons, God has sent the [Holy] Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba (Father)! Father! ⁷Therefore, you are no longer a slave (bond servant) but a son; and if a son, then [it follows that you are] an heir by the aid of God, through Christ.

 These verses plus many more show us that we are God’s Family. We are His sons and daughters. This is who we are. We have full and unrestricted access to the Father. This is a powerful relationship. We can enter God’s presence any time we want and just the Throne Room (a place of petitions) but we have the run of the house. 

   We can go into all the rooms of the house. The great thing is there will always be more and more rooms to explore, for our Father has a big house, bigger than we can imagine. We can roam the gardens; play in the Pools of Life created by the River of Life. We roam the various mountain ranges of the kingdom and eat of the never ending supply of food, which is there for us to enjoy.

   Best of all is spending time with the Father. God desires us to spend time with him and He smiles when we come through the door and ask to be with Him. This was the purpose of creation, that God would have a family and that we, by our own free will would choose to love him and to spend time with him. This above all else is why mankind was created. He created us in his image for this purpose so we could enjoy each other forever. One of the great and wonderful mysteries of this is, it is always one on one, just you and the Father and it can be the same for every person in the universe at the same time, if they desire it.

   We must also remember that our Father, is the LORD GOD, THE CREATOR, THE ALL POWERFUL KING OF ALL, who is from everlasting to everlasting. We must honor and worship Him as such.

   As we realize this relationship of being a child of God, everything we do, being a servant, a king, a priest, and friend all flow out of this relationship. We operate in the various positions in the kingdom with the proper attitude of love. We don’t do things because we have to; we do them because we want to, out of our love for our Father. This loving relationship between us, as children with God our Father opens the door for a revelations and experiences beyond what we can ever imagine.

   So begin to think of yourself and see yourself as God our Father sees you, as His child whom He loves and wants to spend time with. Who He wants to share with all that has with you. He wants to reveal himself to you. Then you will have a life to full and overflowing and you can answer the question, “Who are You?”

                        ©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD L SPANGLER

 

 

 

 

An excerpt from my book, ADVENTURES IN THE SPIRIT A Series of Prophetic Visions….I am sitting on the river bank, still wearing the Armor of God, rejoicing and praising God for the day’s victory. Suddenly, the Glory of God falls on me and lifts me up higher and higher until I find myself standing at the entrance to the Throne Room of God. The massive doors are open and looking up, the entrance appears to be several miles high and glow with the Glory of God. I hear the voices of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit calling me to enter….

Available at: http://www.amazon.com/ADVENTURES-SPIRIT-Series-Prophetic-Visions/dp/1470193396

Who Are You Part 3

By Richard L Spangler

  In part 1 of Who Are You, we looked at the servant. In part 2 we looked at the kings and priest. All of these have varying degrees of relationship with God.

 The next level of relationship is that of friend.  A friend as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is: 1a: one attached to another by affection or esteem b: acquaintance  2 a: one that is not hostile b: one that is of the same nation, party, or group 3: one that favors or promotes something (as a charity) 4: a favored companion

Enoch was one such person in Genesis 5:22-24Amplified Bible (AMP) ²²Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God after the birth of Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters.²³So all the days of Enoch were 365 years.²⁴And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not, for God took him [home with Him].This is an amazing friendship with God. This same type of relationship is mentioned of Noah in Genesis 6:8-9.

   In Genesis 18:3 Abraham refers to himself as a servant but God calls Abraham his friend in Genesis 18:17. This shown by the discussion that follows a friend is allowed debate a decision and servant is not.

 Jesus speaks of friendship and the difference between friends and servants in John 15:15 I do not call you servants (slaves) any longer, for the servant does not know what his master is doing (working out). But I have called you My friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]

A friend has a closer relationship than a servant, a priest or king, but a friend can be any of these as well. But there are limits in the relationship of a friend and access to the house. There are parts of a house that are for the family and for the family only. The good news is we are in family of God.

 We will look at Family of God in the 4^th and final part of this series coming soon.

 

©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD L SPANGLER

Who Are You Part 2

By Richard L. Spangler

 In Part 1, we discussed being the servant and the attitude of a servant that keeps us from becoming who we truly are in Christ. The key to remember is that God’s grace still keeps us and God sees us as we ready are, no matter how we think and see ourselves.Abram saw himself as a servant, God called him friend.

  This part of the teaching we shall look at ourselves as kings and priests. The scriptures for this are:

1 Peter 2:9-10 (AMP) 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God's] own ^[d]purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.¹⁰Once you were not a people [at all], but now you are God's people; once you were unpitied, but now you are pitied and have received mercy.

    Exodus 19:5-8 (AMP) ⁵Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.⁶And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]. These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites.⁷So Moses called for the elders of the people and told them all these words which the Lord commanded him.⁸And all the people answered together, and said, All that the Lord has spoken we will do. And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

  These two scriptures, among many, make reference to being kings and priests. This goes back to very beginning when God told Adam; he had dominion over all the earth. This is kingship. A king has authority and power to establish laws and to enforce those laws. Adam only had one greater authority above him and that was God, The King of Kings.

   The kings of Israel were supposed to represent the King of Kings, the Lord God to his people. They were to be examples the goodness, the mercy, and protection of God for his people. The king was also to lead the people to God. The king was to seek the counsel of God on how to lead the people. Sadly nearly every king of Israel failed in these responsibilities.

    The priests were not only to make sacrifices to God and worship Him; they were to teach the people about God. They were to teach people that, their sin kept them from God but that God had made a way through the atonement sacrifices for their sins they could have a relationship with God. The priests were also to teach all the people of the earth God’s message of love and mercy through the atonement. God never intended that Israel were the only ones to have relationship with Him.

  Priests and kings have a relationship with God. They are invited to do more than just make petitions in the Throne of God. They are invited into the banquet hall; share the table of God’s blessings, to eat and drink with Him. They can hear God plans and discuss those plans and with God’s help implement those plans. They are also given their own authority and power under the King of Kings to do the work they have been assigned. 

  We believers in Christ Jesus are the kings and priest of God today. We have been given authority, Matthew 28:18-20 and Mark 16:15-18 and the power came in Acts 2:1-4.

  As great as all this is we, as with the servant, are more than a king or a priest. In fact, we are much more as we will see in Part 3.

©COPYRIGHT 2012 RICHARD SPANGLER