Servias Ministries Blog

We must not allow Our First Love to be lost!

Jesus and The Holy Spirit set THE standard by which the church is to operate in and reflect His Intent.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 13:

7 Don’t forget the example of your spiritual leaders who have spoken God’s messages to you, take a close look at how their lives ended, and then follow their walk of faith.

8 Jesus, the Anointed One, is always the same—yesterday, today, and forever.

9 So don’t let anyone lead you astray with all sorts of novel and exotic teachings. It is more beautiful to feast on grace and be inwardly strengthened than to be obsessed with dietary rules (rituals and ceremonies) which in themselves have no lasting benefit.

Jesus spent forty days teaching the disciples concerning the Kingdom of GOD on the earth.  They didn’t need teaching about the Kingdom of GOD in Heaven; they would get there soon enough.  It was all about setting up the Kingdom on earth.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 1:

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

There should be no debate or discussion concerning the importance of The Holy Spirit and His ministry on the earth.  Jesus established a very specific standard and example by the original generation for us to live by, for both present and future generations.

That is the measurement, the only one that holds up under critical observation or examination.

What did Jesus command us to do?  To heal the sick, not pray for the sick.  We must undo the impact of those who have taught a watered-down Gospel and embrace the Standard Jesus established with the first church in Acts.

Peter and John understood this command.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 3:

1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;

3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.”

5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them.

6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.”

7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them-walking, leaping, and praising God.

9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God.

10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Peter did not pray to GOD and ask HIM to heal the lame man.  He commanded the lame man to be healed by the power and authority given to him (and us) in the Name of Jesus Christ.

We have a responsibility to walk boldly in Jesus’ commands.  When we ask GOD to heal someone, we can blame the sovereignty of GOD if that person doesn’t get healed, thereby reflecting our responsibility.  Getting our face before GOD will bring forth our breakthrough to walk according to the commands of Jesus.

FATHER, increase YOUR Presence and power in and through my life!

We are to preach the present reality of the message of The Kingdom of God with demonstration through our words and accompanying actions.  The church in Acts set the standard for us to live by.  HIS first and original Love for the church should be our first, passionate Love, never to be forgotten.

Believing a lie empowers the lie!

Believing a lie is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

“For many are called, but few chosen.”

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples to commission them (and us) in Matthew chapter 28:

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.

19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

If Jesus has all authority, it tells us that the accuser of the brethren has no authority.  All he can do is talk until somebody with authority believes him and gives him their authority in a specific area.  He accuses, he manipulates, he intimidates, but he only talks.  He’s the roaring lion, not the biting lion.  He makes noise until he can get someone intimidated enough to agree with him.

When I believe a lie, I empower the liar.

When you worship anybody or any thing other than GOD HIMSELF, you are giving up your authority.  Your mindset determines who you identify with.  If you identify with Christ, you will accept and embrace His commands.

Peter wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Peter chapter 2:

9 But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience His marvelous light, and now He claims you as His very own. He did this so that you would broadcast His glorious wonders throughout the world.

“Devoted” means having strong loyalty, affection, or dedication to someone or something. It describes someone who is very loving, faithful, or committed to a particular cause, person, or activity, often by giving it a lot of their time and attention.  Are you devoted to Jesus Christ and His commands?  If so, you are one of His devoted ones.

If you are a devoted one, there has to be a sense of unity and a sense of Divine purpose.  There has to be a collective called unity of the faith.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:

11 And He has appointed some with grace to be apostles, and some with grace to be prophets, and some with grace to be evangelists, and some with grace to be pastors, and some with grace to be teachers.

12 And their calling is to nurture and prepare all the Holy believers to do their own works of ministry, and as they do this they will enlarge and build up the body of Christ.

13 These grace ministries will function until we all attain oneness into the faith, until we all experience the fullness of what it means to know the Son of God, and finally we become one into a perfect man with the full dimensions of Spiritual maturity and fully developed into the abundance of Christ.

Each of us has a part in becoming the perfect Body of Christ.  We must not allow the accuser of the brethren to derail us as we mature and fully develop according to FATHER’S Divine Intent.

What did Jesus teach the disciples?

Jesus instructed them in Matthew chapter 10:

7 And as you go, preach this message: ‘Heaven’s Kingdom realm is accessible, close enough to touch.’

8 You must continually bring healing to lepers and to those who are sick, and make it your habit to break off the demonic presence from people, and raise the dead back to life. Freely you have received the power of the Kingdom, so freely release it to others.

He didn’t say “pray for the sick”, He said “heal the sick”.  He said, “cleanse lepers”, that which defiles and separates people from one another.  He said, “cast out demons”.  He said, “raise the dead”.  Every single believer has been given authority to carry out this stated mission.  Anything contrary to our mission is a lie.  Don’t believe a lie!

We are to understand our assignment given to us by Jesus Himself!

Our authority comes from the commission given to us by Jesus.  Our power comes from the encounter.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 20:

19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.“

20 When He had said this, He showed them His Hands and His Side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

21 So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”

22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

The disciples received salvation when Jesus breathed on them.  Before that, they were fearful and were without authority.  Once they received The Holy Spirit, they were given authority.  The power was a separate event to come later.

To prepare the disciples to walk in power, Jesus spent forty days prior to Pentecost teaching them concerning the Kingdom of GOD.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 1, after the resurrection but before the Day of Pentecost:

1 The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,

2 until the day in which Jesus was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen,

3 to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.

4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;

5 for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

First, they were commissioned; second, they were to receive power after they had been prepared.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 24:

49 Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on High.”

The Promise of THE FATHER is the baptism of The Holy Spirit.

Upon receiving the Baptism of The Holy Spirit, Peter spoke to those who witnessed the outpouring in Acts chapter 2:

32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

33 Therefore being exalted to the Right Hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

And in verse 38:

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Peter speaks of three different actions:

Repent

Be baptized in water

Receive the gift of The Holy Spirit

These are commands, not suggestions!

We must respond to these commands before we can become fully effective in carrying out our assignments.

Are you committed to ascending to the Presence of THE LORD?

The majority of believers simply want to live a peaceful life without any issues.  However, when Jesus began His ministry, He was led to the wilderness and confronted the adversary to be tested.

King David recorded by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 24:

3 Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His Holy Place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.

In other Words, those who are clean—whose works and ways are pure, whose hearts are true and sealed by the Truth, those who never deceive, whose words are sure.

One benefit of being in His Presence is the fullness of joy.

Also in Psalm chapter 16:

11 Because of You, I know the path of Life, as I taste the fullness of joy in Your Presence. At Your Right Dide I experience Divine pleasures forevermore!

When you get into that manifest Presence of GOD, you don’t want to leave, nothing else matters.  As a result, you begin to pray with boldness, and with power and authority.  This will allow you to minister for THE LORD beyond your natural capabilities.  This is my quest, and I trust it is yours as well.  I have had “incidents:” of this but not with consistency.

Power is generated through consistent prayer.  We don’t pray to earn something, we pray to host something, to burn with something.  We are partnering with The Holy Spirit.  We are co-laborers with GOD.  As I pray in The Holy Spirit, I am strengthening my inner man.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Corinthians chapter 14:

4 The one who speaks in Tongues advances his own spiritual progress, while the one who prophesies builds up the church.

And in Ephesians chapter 3:

14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named,

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,

What happens when this strengthening occurs?

Paul writes by The Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians chapter 12:

6 The same God distributes different kinds of miracles that accomplish different results through each believer’s gift and ministry as He energizes and activates them.

7 Each believer is given continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit to benefit not just himself but all.

8 For example: The Spirit gives to one the gift of the Word of Wisdom. To another, the same Spirit gives the gift of the Word of revelation knowledge.

9 And to another, the same Spirit gives the gift of faith. And to another, the same Spirit gives gifts of healing.

10 And to another the power to work miracles. And to another the gift of prophecy. And to another the gift to discern what the Spirit is speaking. And to another the gift of speaking different kinds of Tongues. And to another the gift of interpretation of Tongues.

11 Remember, it is the same Holy Spirit Who distributes, activates, and operates these different gifts as He chooses for each believer.

Don’t limit yourself to operating in only one gift.  The Holy Spirit determines what gift is needed based on the situation.  Be open to being used as HE directs.  We must tap into the Power Source on the inside of us.

Your foundation will be tested and reveal your spiritual state.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 7:

24 “Everyone who hears My teaching and applies it to his life can be compared to a wise man who built his house on an unshakable foundation.

25 When the rains fell and the flood came, with fierce winds beating upon his house, it stood firm because of its strong foundation.

26 “But everyone who hears my teaching and does not apply it to his life can be compared to a foolish man who built his house on sand.

27 When it rained and rained and the flood came, with wind and waves beating upon his house, it collapsed and was swept away.”

You can’t tell the difference between the two houses until the storms come.

Are you counted among the wise or the foolish?  The trials and testings will reveal your current level of spiritual maturity.  The more time you spend praying in THE SPIRIT, the stronger your foundation.

Anything that has preeminence to the Presence of GOD is an idol.  Idols are not allowed in the Presence of GOD.

If you have an idol, your foundation will be shaky.  Whatever we prioritize more than HIM is an idol.  The Holy Spirit will reveal any idol in your life, and you are to lay it down at the altar and repent before THE LORD.  Confront it, confess it, release it before GOD, and say, “Jesus I want Your fire in my life.”  We must remove everything that is not of Him including our self-reliance.

Ascending to the Presence of GOD should be our top priority!

You can tell how much GOD trusts in by the measure of what HE entrusts to you!

Your faithful stewardship testifies that you are trustworthy.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 12:

42 The Lord replied, “A master will delegate authority in his house to a trustworthy and thoughtful manager who understands his master’s desires. And the household manager will serve others what they need at exactly the right time.

Notice that the manager serves and distributes resources at the right time.  Those in need cannot handle excess because they lack Wisdom and restraint in handling money.

43-44 And whenever his master returns, he will find that his servant has served him well. I promise you, the master will reward him generously and he will be placed as an overseer of everything he owns.

What about an untrustworthy servant?  Jesus provides us with a comparison:

45 “But what if that servant says in his heart, ‘My master delays his coming, and who knows when he will return?’ Because of the delay, the servant elevates himself and mistreats those in his master’s household. Instead of caring for the ones he was appointed to serve, he abuses the other servants, both men and women. He throws drunken parties for his friends and gives himself over to every pleasure.

46 Let me tell you what will happen to him. His master will suddenly return at a time that shocks him, and he will remove the abusive, selfish servant from his position of trust. The master will punish him and assign him a portion with the unbelievers.

47 “Every servant who knows what pleases his master yet does not make himself ready and refuses to put his master’s will to action will receive many punishing blows.

48 Every servant who does not know his master’s will and unwittingly does what is wrong will receive a less severe punishment. For those who have received a greater revelation from their master are required a greater obedience. And those who have been entrusted with great responsibility will be held more responsible to their master.”

Are you ready for a greater responsibility AND its ramifications?

The measures of Presence, the measures of anointing, the measures of Glory, the more those increase, it’s because HE has measured us and has tested us and found that we can handle these without becoming independent, arrogant, and proud.  We will not exalt ourselves because of what HE has entrusted to us.  We fully embrace serving others.

HE is constantly measuring us for greater service to HIM, and we need to be patient.  Consider Moses.  He spent forty years learning to be a leader but that wasn’t enough.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Exodus chapter 2:

11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

Moses was content to spend forty years in the wilderness.  Finally, Moses had his burning bush experience, coming into the Presence of THE LORD.

Chapter 3:

2 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed.

3 Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

4 So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is Holy ground.”

6 Moreover He said, “I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

7 And the LORD said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

Moses was finally found to be trustworthy and FATHER entrusted him to bring forth the people out of Egypt.  Let us become trustworthy as well.

We are to seek the Presence of GOD!

Religion is form without power, routine without relationship.  It is the shell of something that could have life, but it doesn’t.

If you are like me, you want the more of GOD in all areas of your life.  Once you taste the “more” of GOD, you want even more!  I want both quality AND quantity of all things related to HIM.  This is why I have such difficulty in attending a religious service that is void of the power of GOD.

When I was young and immature, I simply enjoyed the milk of The Word.  That was fine for then, but now I thrive on the meat of The Word.  Milk by itself will not bring us to full maturity.

When the power of GOD arrives, your perception changes.  When you taste and see, you simply want more.  Nothing else matters when the power of GOD arrives.

Jesus illustrated the normal Christian life.  There are two Biblical standards for our walk.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak Truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.

26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath,

27 nor give place to the devil.

28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need.

29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.

32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Paul provides us with the expectation of what it means to be led by The Holy Spirit.  Do not grieve The Holy Spirit.  We grieve HIM when we have wrong desires, wrong actions, wrong attitudes, wrong words, when we participate with the inferior, when we participate with evil in any way.

Secondly, Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Thessalonians chapter 5:

19 Do not quench the Holy Spirit.

In other Words, never restrain or put out the fire of the Holy Spirit.  It is critically important for us to live by these two commands. 

Jesus emphasized the ministry of The Holy Spirit as He spoke in John chapter 16:

13 However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all Truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you.

15 All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.

The word quench means to extinguish; to put out the light or fire; to bring to an end typically by satisfying; to eliminate; to stop the flow.  I have seen this happen in church services… how sad… I was grieved, I knew there was more for us in the service.

Our character is altered as we are led by The Holy Spirit.  As our character changes, we will participate in the power and flow of The Holy Spirit and minister to others effectively.  We walk in both character and power.

The Beloved Disciple recorded by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 21:

24 I, John, am that disciple who has written these things to testify of the Truth, and we know that what I’ve documented is accurate.

25 Jesus did countless things that I haven’t included here. And if every one of His works were written down and described one by one, I suppose that the world itself wouldn’t have enough room to contain the books that would have to be written!

Jesus never grieved or quenched The Holy Spirit in His 3 ½ years of earthly ministry!  John testified of the results.

We are to walk in the revelation of rulership over the world!

King David wrote by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 8:

3 Look at the splendor of Your skies, Your creative genius glowing in the heavens. When I gaze at Your moon and Your stars, mounted like jewels in their settings, I know You are the fascinating artist Who fashioned it all! But I have to ask this question:

4 Why would You bother with puny, mortal man or care about human beings?

5 Yet what honor You have given to men, created only a little lower than Elohim, crowned with glory and magnificence.

6 You have delegated to them rulership over all You have made, with everything under their authority, placing earth itself under the feet of Your image-bearers.

We are to walk in rulership over the earth IN HIS NAME!  The first Adam gave up his rulership, but the last Adam returned the rulership to us.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 19:

28  Jesus responded, “Listen to the Truth: In the age of the restoration of all things, when the Son of Man sits on His glorious Throne, you who have followed me will have twelve thrones of your own, and you will govern the twelve tribes of Israel.

The number twelve symbolizes Divine appointment, authority, and completeness, We are to rule and reign IN HIM.

As I wrote yesterday, Paul understood what it meant to sit in Heavenly places with Christ Jesus.

Luke recorded by The Holy Spirit in Acts chapter 19:

11 God kept releasing a flow of extraordinary miracles through the hands of Paul. 12 Because of this, people took Paul’s handkerchiefs and articles of clothing, even pieces of cloth that had touched his skin, laying them on the bodies of the sick, and diseases and demons left them and they were healed.

I can testify that this very thing happened when I went on a missionary trip to Romania in 1993.  We prayed over a handkerchief, and the lady took it to the hospital and laid it on her daughter.  Immediately she was healed and left the hospital to return to our meeting. 

We are not to be at the mercy of our situation; our situation is to be at the mercy of our power and authority.  As we embraced the depth of Our Heavenly Father’s Love for us, we will gladly accept everything He has for us.

Jesus spoke about two sons in Luke chapter 15:

24 For my beloved son was once dead, but now he’s alive! Once he was lost, but now he is found!’ And everyone celebrated with overflowing joy.

25 “Now, the older son was out working in the field when his brother returned, and as he approached the house, he heard the music of celebration and dancing.

26 He called over one of the servants and asked, ‘What’s going on?’

27 “The servant replied, ‘It’s your younger brother. He’s returned home and Your Father is throwing a party to celebrate his homecoming.’

28 “The older son became angry and refused to go in and celebrate. So His Father came out and pleaded with him, ‘Come and enjoy the feast with us!’

29 “The son said, ‘Father, listen! How many years have I worked like a slave for You, performing every duty You’ve asked as a faithful son? And I’ve never once disobeyed You. But You’ve never thrown a party for me because of my faithfulness. Never once have You even given me a goat that I could feast on and celebrate with my friends as this son of Yours is doing now.

30 Look at him! He comes back after wasting Your wealth on prostitutes and reckless living, and here You are throwing a great feast to celebrate—for him!’

31 “The Father said, ‘My son, you are always with Me by My side. Everything I have is yours to enjoy.

32 It’s only right to rejoice and celebrate like this, because your brother was once dead and gone, but now he is alive and back with us again. He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”

Our Heavenly Father has never withheld anything from us, His sons and daughters.  We simply didn’t understand HIS Heart and HIS willingness to provide for us for our enjoyment.