Thread: Study journey Invitaton

Day 2
(Gathering phase)
As I prayerfully looked at the study guide I sensed the Lord telling me he wanted me to focus most on NT miracles and led me to the last chapter of Luke. After 4.5 pages of journaling I will attempt to capsulate what He showed me.
Question: Why does God Jesus perform signs miracles and wonders through someone? What is His Reason?
Led to Luke 24 and began reading.

**Note Vs 11** The first witnesses words sounded like Idle Tales to them
I was reminded of times when hearing amazing testimonies how, despite the reputation of the one giving the testimony, the testimony itself seemed like 'idle tales' to me...


Jesus is progressively removing the doubt that is blinding these earliest witnesses of His resurrection. After walking and talking and then breaking bread they 'recognized Him' but He immediately disappeared and they went straight to Jerusalem and shared with the 11 and those with them that He is alive and shared their experience..then Jesus appeared to all of them.

**Note Vs 36**At this point they 'believed He was spirit' and were terrified. At this point they have partial revelation that would leave them with a false conclusion..how often have Christians received revelation that left them with a false conclusion? WARNING...do not be quick to take revelation as complete...wait and linger until the LORD says it is complete..

** Note 2** Jesus asks, "Why do doubts arise in You?" This verifies that they are the source of the doubt, not HIM; that HE has not blinded them..this is significant because sometimes the enemy would have us believe our lack of revelation is the decision of the LORD when in fact it I our own doubt...This also confirms that He is progressively peeling back their doubt like layers of an onion...if they stopped this process, as noted above, they would be left with false conclusions..this explains so much of the division in the body...

**NOTE Vs 39**So Jesus continues to reveal, having them give attention to His glorified body that is flesh and bone...not just 'spirit'. They still doubt so He asks for food and eats in front of them.


**NOTE Vs 41** This verse reveals a new form of doubt..They still did not believe FOR JOY and marveled...essentially this is the place of, 'Too good to be true'. This is the most glorious of moments and hope is at a very HIGH level but it is not quite at the point of FAITH...They believe He is a spirit but do not yet see Him as the glorified CHRIST..to stop here at hope would lead them to backslide into doubt...there is no way to linger here...when at this point I MUST remain in His presence giving Him my undivided attention and trust...

**Note Vs 44-45** Jesus reminds them of the words He spoke to them and now they have the connection...they have the prophesies...they have the living spirit,....they have the physical bodily presence...and Jesus connects the last dot...reminding them of the words he spoke to them..Now He is able to fully open their understanding..

**Note 45-49 Jesus now states vs 47 "...and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem and instructs them that they will be endued with dunamis (power soon). THIS is the WHY..dunamis power supplies ALL that is needed to accomplish preaching of repentance and remission of sins. Yes, there is a lot capsuled in that MESSAGE but that is the foundational, fundamental purpose of our empowerment. We are saved and empowered to go out to declare the message in word and power to others..

Acts 16:14 Give HEED when you hear Him tell you to...
1 John 5:20 1 John 5:20New King James Version (NKJV)
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.

Personal....I recognize that despite my determination to believe, to advance in faith, that doubt still has a root in me...this passage revealed the truth I already suspected based on the terminology of these disciples experience..I share their experience of doubt and now determinedly desire their process of revelation that will root it out...The Lord leading me directly to this passage confirms that this journey I began yesterday is most assuredly His leading..and I share it with whoever is interested..Essentially I believe He wants me to do this partially to declare what I SEE and HEAR for others but also for accountability as some of the days ahead will, no doubt, be difficult to press through..

Prayer: Dear Lord, today when I read or think or encounter any testimonies that fall on my soul as 'Idle words' I will REPENT and renew my expression of faith that I believe If I linger and take HEED (Acts 16:14) you will take me to Vs 45 experience of the OPEN understanding that accomplishes 1 John 5:20 in my experience..Which will open the door wide for the promise of Luke 24:45-49 reminding me of the purpose..preaching repentance and remission of sins...
Amen

Day 3

Today I reviewed yesterday’s meditation. As I prayed the phrase, “He was moved with compassion…”

The miracle I studied was the miracle of healing and feeding the multitude with loaves and fish..
I turned to Matthew 14 and read the story of John’s beheading. Jesus went apart to a solitary place but the multitude followed Him and He was moved with compassion and healed them. Then I read the parallel passage in Mark 6. Mark adds the phrase, ‘They were as sheep with no shepherd and Jesus was moved with compassion.

Then I read Ezekiel 34 and the Lord rebukes the shepherds for taking for themselves and not the sheep and further down in the chapter the Lord reprimands the sheep for eating the best grass and then treading down the remnant so the weaker sheep have none and the same with water, they drank the best and had their fill and then made the remnant of the water foul.
I saw parallels in ‘the church’ but this is a personal journey so I knew this message of correction is for me and I prayed.

Lord, break my heart…You tell us/me that love drives us to serve You..there are several people I need to visit and pray with and for several times during the week but I always seem to get too busy…I repent and commit to go and visit those and pray with and for them expectantly. Your compassion drove you to labor so much that your disciples and family were concerned but You told them in John 9:4 I must labor while it is light…You have given me Your word of truth, Your Spirit and I must be out and about taking YOUR light..it is the way YOU directed when You were here and even this morning through Your word…I must go forward in boldness …

I thank You that You will multiply my time enabling me to do all that needs to be done and I believe even those things I enjoy doing…

Day 4

Gathering..look at behaviours 1st 7 days

Yesterday ...I will dub this 'Thank God for the eggs!'

I was given opportunity to joining spouse in a visit to friends house. My first thought was no...then I checked with the Spirit and found the prior days lessons suddenly being specifically applied...go by faith, expecting and do not give in to the desires of the flesh or accept excuses...I went and we had a very nice visit..now for the miracle part...I had considered I needed to cook but went instead and as it were they were preparing a very late lunch and asked us to join them..then they had us pack a lunch for hubby...God provided dinner and lunch...then as we were leaving they asked if we would take a dozen brown eggs and the Lord reminded me how I had told myself several times over the past two days to be sure and get eggs from the store, and had not..

This is SOOO significant. in the past few days the Lord dealt with me about doubt...faith...and being reclusive and busy and had assured me the things that needed to get done He would make a way if I would just obey and trust Him and in this one small act of obedience He affirmed everything He had told me in the past few days! This may seem like a small thing, even silly to some, but for me it was a powerful encouragement...

So as I gathered this morning He spoke to me...remember the eggs...

Doubt not...

Day 1..Faith is the substance...that turns iron to bone...of things hoped for.
Day 2..Peeling away doubt..1. Doubt sounds like idle tales 2. Truth burns in heart 3. Partial understanding of revelation can lead to heresy..(they believed HE was a spirit) 4. Disbelieved for JOY..(too good to be true phase of wanting to believe but just can't yet quite wrap the mind around it) 5. Revelation opened up to full KNOWING of Him and that we are IN HIM>>Give attention to my response to what I read, hear and see.
Day 3..Be on guard of the temptation to fill my day with what I enjoy and possibly ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit out of my comfort zone to be His light to others..time is short. You said You had to labor while it was day...I must embrace this truth wholeheartedly and do the same as the Spirit leads.

Day 4

Mark 9:37-40 New King James Version (NKJV)

37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

38 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For he who is not against us is on our side.

Same word Dunamis as is used referring to YOUR works, the works in Mark 9 and the works in Matthew 7:21-23

But the key in Mark was Jesus said to forbid them not..why? Because it is very difficult to see the power of God manifest in HIS NAME and then speak negatively of Him...Those not against Me are For Me...Lord help me reconcile these truths..and understand what You want me to see today..change me and take me to that deeper place of revelation with YOUR truth and Your Spirit....You ARE the authority in the earth and those who are delegated function in faith under that authority..Is the message for me today that your delegated authority is not limited to born again believers? Will meditate further on this...

Lord, I am uncertain what this is saying to me personally..uncover any prejudice toward other believers? I commit to meditate on this passage today and be sensitive to Your voice and be willing and open to receive whatever YOU have for me through them...prejudice can forbid the work of Holy Spirit through others of differing faith..But this also reminds me that You said some would stand before you and say, did we not do great works in your name? Help me SEE Lord...root out doubt...

Day 5

Matthew 8

Quick testimony/confession,

I did my prayer time and study this morning and my normal 8:30 bike ride was delayed. I ride 2 miles to our subdivision entrance and stop a minute and hydrate then do the 2 miles back..When I stopped to hydrate a neighbor lady I did not know named Martha stopped and started a conversation about my bike...but did not drive on after we had a brief discourse, she started to share her medical problems...I listened for a minute then asked If I could pray for her and she said yes. So I parked my bike and walked over and prayed for her...no there was no evidence of anything but I prayed for her healing...then as I mounted my bike she said when she felt better she would like to join me..here is the CONFESSION part...I shared with her that I started riding my bike because of arthritis in my legs..as we parted it occurred to me I had just prayed for her healing and then spoke doubt on my own condition...I repented and thanked the Lord for sending me what I believe was a divine appointment and I also believe that is in direct connection with my current journey...thank you LORD...My prayer this morning included this, "Lord, encourage me".

Dr Leaf teaches that the first 7 days are the hardest and they are the gathering days. The attack on my mind this morning was strong but I pressed through.

In Matthew 8 there are numerous miracles. I meditated on each one; their specific traits and the diversity. Like the leper and how the Lord commanded him to go to the priests first and offer the gift and be declared clean...I believe one element of the pronounced sense of doubt is testimonies that have no evidence...such as people declaring they are healed of cancer yet have not been..they thought so, emotions were there but the evidence was not..I recall on the Polar Express, the expression of the little boy when he got kind of excited at the Santa in the window of the department store and then noticed the mechanism..he loses his excitement and shakes his head as it to say, 'Yea, just as I thought.' And the other thing I noted was that he did not ask Jesus is He was able but if He was willing...I read that leprosy is viewed as a sickness curse from God, therefore only God could remove it and thought about how often we don't listen to the holy Spirit to recognize such beliefs/hinderances/ or facts.

Then I read of the Centurion...a humble man of faith who understood Jesus had authority over sickness...

I stopped here and meditated on Matthew 8:16-17 and Isa. 53:4
He Himself took our sicknesses and carried our sorrows..(mental and physical pain)

I spoke that passage over Martha ...

Day 6
Gathering
Day 1…The decision and declaration of the goal..to attack the stronghold of doubt.
Day 2…Luke 24 Path of revelation
Day 3…Matthew 14:13-14 Compassion that compels us out of our comfort.
Day 4…Mark 9:38-40 Jesus said those not against Me are for Me.. Act 3:16Hi name itself has made this man whole.
Day 5…Matthew 8:1-4 Mark 1:40 Luke 5:20 I am willing, be clean…go show yourself to the priest..So many testimonies today have not been evidenced, in fact they have been evidenced to be false..good intentions do not produce faith…All the miracles in the Bible were evidenced… **As I reviewed what was gathered the Holy Spirit had me linger on day 5…We must not be content with testimonies that cannot be evidenced…this is a food source for doubt..trying to believe what is not evidenced is not FAITH… …it undermines the miraculous. I believe this comes from the false teaching that what we see is not real…the Bible does not say this..the leper was a leper until he was not a leper any more. The blind man was a blind man until he was not blind anymore…calling things that be not as though they were does not mean denial of the situation..it means declaring Jesus authority and desire to change that situation…and this teaching undermines the expectation of miracles…it undermines our determination to experience the miraculous and pacifies us.**
Day 6
Meditation, journaling
The past 2 days were difficult as I seemed to lose sight of the objective but knowing that this is the place Satan gains the most ground in temptation to turn from the goal….when the mind says it’s too hard and it’s going to be fruitless effort. This morning He led me to a video of Kathryn Kuhlman speaking on the Holy Spirit and just a minute or two in…s she drew my attention to HIM…

And I was aware of His presence; I have been remaining sensitive to Him, welcoming Him, embracing Him…praying in tongues…a place of sweet worship…

In that atmosphere I listened to a testimony of healing and talked with the Holy Spirit about my response to it..how it sounded false to me…how it sounded like…..idle words yet at the same time I believe them by choice.

I recalled the message of Day 2..the progression of faith.

He restored my sense of direction and purpose. He spoke to me to continue reading the miracle passages of the scriptures and allow Him to speak to me regarding each one…so I began with
Acts 3:1-11. A I meditated on that event I was drawn to the phrase, ‘He looked expecting’.
My prayer, “Father, I remember times in my walk when I had that ‘expectancy’ and received. That expectancy….and I began to EXPECT…He reminded me to look expectantly for Him to walk me through that process of faith and revelation just as He did the Disciples in Luke 24…I refuse to be pacified with the false teachings of today..and I pray for clarity of discernment to detect teachings of doubt and unbelief that give warm fuzzies but expect little real power..To believe for divine appointments with people who have fertile soil to receive…to EXPECT and to encounter others expecting!!

So here on Day 6 my expectancy of this journey has been restored. I EXPECT doubt to be rooted out of my brain and faith that SEES evidenced the miraculous will of God just as the NT believers did...I look back over the past 5 days and see His leading….His encouragement…His bread crumbs if you will  Thank you LORD!!!

Day 7
Yesterday at our gathering the pastor opened with a statement..'I do not believe healing is for everyone. Otherwise we would never die.' I was saddened, disturbed, and rejected this instantly with the reality that God can call the spirit and the soul home when a work is done without sickness or disease forcing them out of their shell..I prayed for leading and eventually was given opportunity to speak...I stated that when praying for the sick we must follow Jesus' example and LISTEN to the leading of the Spirit and respond to the request as HE leads...and pointed out that when Jesus did this He was sometimes removing the issues that were in the way of healing..and healing followed. We then moved to listening to Holy Spirit when praying, talking less and not praying based on the request or the circumstance but as HE leads...so while not attacking the opening point directly the Lord was able to point the hearers to a more listening prayer stance...Listening for HIS directives that reveal His will...This morning in gathering, I reject that statement and began reading Acts 1. I will linger today on 2 passages, Acts 1:8 and Acts 2:1

Today Lord, I will keep my focus on praying in tongues, listening and ministering to whomever I encounter as YOU lead...I am already committed to go spend time in prayer with the pastor's wife who desperately wants healing and to walk again...and I agree with her for healing and will not allow the ENEMY TO TRY TO USE pastor's words or position to intimidate me. I know that the press to back down is not coming from my pastor's spirit..but from the enemy of YOUR kingdom...Thank you Lord for the courage and boldness to press forward in being willing to minister to anyone YOU lead me to and simply AGREE with YOU that as I listen more You will train me to HEAR more concisely when praying with and ministering to others...

Day 8

After 7 days of gathering, today I focused my attention on reviewing the key issues revealed in day 1-7 and committing them to be the foundation of my continuing to read the miracles.
They are the critical foundation I believe the Holy Spirit laid. There are many things I did not share here due to time but much of these are both confirmations and corrections of what I have been hearing the past couple of years so it's a beautiful thing when the Holy Spirit begins to fine tune a message this specifically...

Day 1...doubt or unbelief-ask not-ask amiss...any one of these three or all can be present when praying.

Day 2...Luke 24 revealed the working of Jesus in removing doubt as He progressively did so with the disciples in revealing the resurrection, and the purpose of it so they could see clearly they what and the why. I must be AWARE consciously and honestly which level I am operating in...without that honesty I can deceive myself and not fulfill the other lessons..

Day 3...Matthew 1-13-14 Mark 6:34 Jesus, in a time of grief, was moved from with compassion for the sick and the hungry in spirit and body and healed them. He said they were as sheep with no shepherd. So much of the body of Christ are like the sheep and shepherds of Ezekiel 34,
only concerned with self....I repented and reaffirmed my expectation for the Lord to lead me to divine appointments and to boldly pray for them regardless of who what when and where...

Day 4 Had to push through this day. Acts 3:16 By faith in His Name itself has made this man strong-faith that is through Jesus...healed him Romans 1:12 Encourage one another's faith.
Romans 3:27 Boasting excluded by THE LAW OF FAITH. Roman 3:31 Do we overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! We uphold it. 2 Cor. 5:7 We walk by faith, not by sight. Personal, I must feed my faith and when reading the Bible apply listening, expecting faith as I read...so as to remove any doubt of THEM and thus removing doubt of expecting as I GO>>

Day 5 Matthew 8:1-4 Mark 1:40 Luke 5:20 The Lord spoke to me saying that many, with good intentions, have misspoke regarding healings and miracles. That rather than understanding calling things that be not as though they were is a message of authority, not denial, Many have testified to miracles or even healings and the evidence proved otherwise. No one healed in the Bible put forth evidence of the miracle...thee is a difference in presumption and faith and many testimonies have been based more on presumption of hope or human will threrefore they have discouraged the faith of many..like the kid in Polar Express seeking the fake Santa in the window and shaking his head as if to say, "I knew it!' Rather than see these for what they were, they have discouraged faith, not increased it. Faith expects and does not settle for less, nor does it accept less such as a faux diamond because we lose hope of the real thing! I am not obligated to try to force myself to believe the testimonies of others; this is denial..but I am to only be listening to the Spirit.

Day 6 Acts 3:1-11 The lame man looked EXPECTING to receive something..we need to be honest and REPENT when we pray and are not expecting...feed our faith and pray EXPECTING something. Again, expecting something is not the same as denial..no one in the Bible said, I am healed even though I still can't walk....No one...to do that does not build faith...pressing into Jesus expecting does...

Day 7..the promise. Acts 1:8 Luke 24:48 You shall receive DUNAMIS POWER after the Holy Ghost has come upon you...you shall be witnesses of ME throughout the world..
Sadly so much of the church has decided that miracles are just fluff or not even present anymore...but they are the witnessing power of God, His reality, His will and His character...
The church grew weary of hype and false testimonies and the Pentecost experience that only seemed to produce emotions without change but the reality of that power...THE BABY WENT WITH THE BATHWATER!!!

Day 8 Revisited these truths..meditated on each one expecting the Holy Spirit to 'build them out' and to transform my brain with them. I read Acts 1-3.

Day 10

Genesis 6

The Lord was grieved and repented that He had made man; but Noah, a righteous man, blameless in his time, walked with God. He found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Am I walking with this expectancy or content to just experience life? The journey is one of expectancy, one that embraces the moving of God through His children does not just happen; it requires us to be actively listening, actively obedient, and then we will be Noah'
In these days we are surrounded with wickedness, promoting of baby killing, promoting of sin, passive indifference or else leaning to our 'fast horses' as the answer...

Acts 2 when the lame man was healed and the apostles declared to the people that JESUS CHRIST healed him the religious were irate...but after calling them to court they were afraid to do any harm to them..why? A notable miracle had taken place...

Today much of the church is relying on debates and religious teaching and rhetoric to convince the lost of Jesus Christ...and the enemy has many who are prop gating his spins...that make more sense to the reasoning mind therefore are more readily accepted...but we see throughout the NT that Jesus, the disciples were living demonstrations of the will and love of God....

Today Lord, I desire to be a witness, not only in word but in deed...to be a vessel for YOU to express Your compassion and power through. I Commit today to lean in expectantly and to, not only pray for others but to speak the commands of Your authority...