Servias Ministries Blog

We are called to discern the Spiritual!

Lack of discernment promotes unbelief.  You can be 18 inches from spiritual breakthrough and not know it. Jesus’ brothers lived within 18 inches of Him and did not realize that He was the Son of GOD!

The Beloved Disciple wrote by The Holy Spirit in John chapter 7:

1 After this Jesus traveled extensively throughout the province of Galilee, but He avoided the province of Judea, for He knew the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem were plotting to have him killed.

2 Now the annual Feast of Tabernacles was approaching.

3 So Jesus’ brothers came to advise Him, saying, “Why don’t You leave the countryside villages and go to Judea where the crowds are, so that Your followers can see your miracles?

4 No one can see what You’re doing here in the backwoods of Galilee. How do You expect to be successful and famous if You do all these things in secret? Now is Your time—go to Jerusalem, come out of hiding, and show the world who You are!”

5 His brothers were pushing Him, even though they didn’t yet believe in Him as the Savior.

Jesus spent 30 years with no miracles to confirm Him being the Savior.  His mom knew but His brothers didn’t. 

There are many mysteries in Scripture that we can’t explain.  Some will attempt to give an answer for something that GOD is not answering.  Death of loved ones often falls into this category.  Rather than come up with some opinion, we are to minister Love to those who are grieving and not add our own opinions to the cause of death.  It’s okay to say, “I don’t know why.”  Asking FATHER why doesn’t mean HE will give you an answer.

We are to value mystery as much as we value revelation.  Mystery is where your trust is proven.  The life of faith and the life of trust is more than believing for a breakthrough.  Sometimes a life of faith is to endure something you can’t explain and don’t have any control over.  Both facets of that kind of faith are essential in moving toward full spiritual maturity.

Jesus’ brothers grew up with Him and until the age of 30, there was no miracle demonstration.  His brothers were making sarcastic comments when telling Him to go to Judea because they didn’t believe that He is who mom knew He was.  His brothers knew Him as the carpenter’s son, not the Savior of the world.  His brothers were accusing Jesus of seeking to be famous.  They were provoking Him to go to Judea where His life would be threatened.

Matthew recorded by The Holy Spirit in Luke chapter 1:

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,

27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”

29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was.

30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS.

32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.

33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His Kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary also waited 30 years for the Word of THE LORD to come to full fruition.  Her undeniable sign was that she was a virgin giving birth… a miracle.

It is possible to be very familiar with Him but so familiar that you no longer know Him as GOD.  That realm of familiarity has cost the people of GOD all through history, including Nazareth as well as today.  They did not value what GOD valued.

Jesus’ brothers had been close to Him their entire life but had no discernment that Jesus is the firstborn Son of GOD.  They completely missed it, the greatest revelation that He is the Son of GOD!  They were within 18 inches of this revelation but were totally oblivious to Who was before them.

When we manifest the power and authority given to us be GOD, there will be those who rely on the past realm of familiarity and will be unable to discern the spiritual.  It will be their loss.

Confession seals the deal!

Our words are vital in bringing forth the Kingdom of GOD both in us and into the world.  My righteous proclamations are spiritual seeds planting the ground for a harvest.  Those proclamations of The Word are not to get FATHER to do something outside of HIS Divine Intent.

Yes, the subject of confession of faith has been twisted occasionally to be a self-serving tool to get GOD to do what we want.  However, it does not negate the absolute Truth of the Gospel.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Romans chapter 10:

9 And what is God’s “living message”? It is the revelation of faith for salvation, which is the message that we preach. For if you publicly declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will experience salvation.

10 The heart that believes in Him receives the gift of the righteousness of God—and then the mouth confesses, resulting in salvation.

Our words are vital to receiving salvation, blessing, and prosperity.  What is in the heart has to be proclaimed, it has to be declared.  Life and death is in the power of the tongue.  GOD made us in HIS Image and HE spoke the worlds into being.

David wrote by The Holy Spirit in Psalm chapter 21:

1 O LORD the king will delight in Your strength, And in Your salvation how greatly will he rejoice!

2 You have given him his heart’s desire, And You have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah.

3 For You meet him with blessings of good things; You set a crown of pure gold on his head.

4 He asked life of You, And You gave it to him, Long life forever and evermore.

David understood confession before THE LORD.

Many of the problems that exist in our lives were given places of influence and power and strength because of improper conversation.  For many people, their goal in life is to vent when they have something going wrong.  All they do is to add to the strength of that particular problem.  Instead, they should be looking for a redemptive solution in The Word that applies to their problem then believe and confess that Word over the situation.  The Word Itself has the power to achieve a breakthrough and resolve the issue.

Since life and death are in the power of the tongue, you and I have the ability to bring life to a dead situation or to kill a live situation.

Peter denied THE LORD three times.  After His resurrection, Jesus had the disciples together and He asks Peter in John chapter 21:

15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you Love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”

16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you Love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.

For each denial, The Lord gave Peter an opportunity to reaffirm his place IN HIM through proclamation, through confession.  It had to be the proclamation of Truth coming out of Peter’s own mouth.  Afterward, he was restored.

Regardless of circumstances, I know where my confidence is.  I trust in The Word given to me by Our Heavenly Father and I am not reluctant to confess It!

By speaking encouraging words, you have the incredible privilege of imparting the grace of GOD into another person’s life!

Complaining does the opposite.  Complaining towards people actually has the potential of damaging their own awareness of who GOD made them to be.  It causes them to question their own value or worth which hinders their spiritual growth.  Complaining doesn’t fix anything!

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in Ephesians chapter 4:

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

In other Words, never let ugly or hateful words come from your mouth, but instead let your words become beautiful and constructive gifts that encourage others; do this by speaking words of grace to help them.

From the beginning, THE LORD designed our life to be literally wrapped around the appointment with HIS Presence.  The quickest way to destroy what GOD has given you is the finger of accusation and the spirit of complaining.  Israel did both while in the wilderness.  They despised the creative miracle of daily provision and forgot about The Presence of GOD Who made Himself known among them.  They promoted death with their lips and received the fruit of their accusations and complaints.

What is the solution to the challenges we face in everyday living?

Paul writes by The Holy Spirit in Philippians chapter 4:

4 Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let your joy overflow!

5 And let gentleness be seen in every relationship, for our Lord is ever near.

6 Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell Him every detail of your life,

7 then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will guard your heart and mind through Jesus Christ.

8 Keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and Holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising Him always.

When you walk in this state, your words will reflect joy and gratitude.  We are to guard our hearts from fear, anxiety, and those things that pull us away from what is to become the anchor of our soul.

It is written by The Holy Spirit in Hebrews chapter 6:

18 So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that His promise and His vow will never change! And now we have run into His Heart to hide ourselves in His faithfulness. This is where we find His strength and comfort, for He empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakable hope!

19 We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God Himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the Heavenly realm beyond the Sacred threshold

If we are complaining, our hope is being diminished.  If we are truly led by The Holy Spirit, we must trust Him to resolve the issues we are complaining about.  Jesus never complained, neither should we.

An obedient confession paves the way for my heart to follow.  Confessing Words given to me by The Holy Spirit brings forth life to the issue at hand.  We need to remember what FATHER says about us walking in hope, faith, and Love.

We must watch over our words!

Wisdom specifically instructs us to watch over our words.

Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 12:

14 A man will be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, And the recompense of a man’s hands will be rendered to him.

Fruit grows from seeds, words are seeds.  As Jesus explained in Mark chapter 4:

14 The sower sows the Word.

Wisdom spoke in Proverbs chapter 13:

2 A man shall eat well by the fruit of his mouth, But the soul of the unfaithful feeds on violence.

3 He who guards his mouth preserves his life, But he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.

Eating is for nourishment and pleasure.  Eating food was GOD’S original medicine.  This implies a fruitful relationship with GOD, with others, and ourselves.  Proper nourishment is an investment in our future.

Back in Mark chapter 4, Jesus spoke of the fruitfulness of our words:

8 Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Our words either promote life or they promote death and destruction.  It is our choice of what words we speak.

And in Proverbs chapter 15:

23 A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!

If you are lacking joy, you might want to examine your conversation. Often, we blame the environment, the day we live in, the family, people we are surrounded by in our work, we blame everybody but ourselves, but the words out of our mouth may be the issue.  We should not be the victim of others’ words, we are to spread joy with our own words of expectation, hope, and love.  How delightful it is to say the right thing at the right time!

In Proverbs chapter 18:

20 A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled.

21 Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

In other Words, sharing Words of Wisdom is satisfying to your inner being. It encourages you to know that you’ve changed someone else’s life.

If you watch and listen to people over time, you only need to listen to how they speak about themselves and others, and what they think is an attack of the enemy, is only them having to eat the food they created with their own speech.  They attribute their problems to people ignoring their gifts or being recognized or valued.  They think it’s just the enemy opposing them.  In reality, they are eating a meal that they created with their own words.

Yes, we have to correct and confront certain situations that arise.  There is a huge difference in venting and serving with a corrective word.  If I punish you, it’s for my sake, not yours.  Correction is for you.

Nothing is impossible as we co-labor with Christ.  We are made in His Image.  HE wants our words to be creative in nature.  A simple phrase can change reality.  It is profound that this “tool”, our words, can bring life but also bring death. 

Sometimes the struggles we face in life are just the result of having to eat the words we said a few days, weeks, or months ago.  When we speak out of turn, we must own up to it and confess it quickly, so the seeds don’t take root.  If the seeds take root, they will bear fruit.  The Holy Spirit will convict you of those words that don’t promote life.

Speak knowing that you are about to have a meal!

We must watch over our words!

The Word of The FATHER through the Mouth of Jesus has no more power than the Word of The FATHER through your mouth!  Jesus limited Himself to the ability of a human being. Jesus chose to live with self-imposed restrictions.  If He had not done so, we would see His acts simply as observers.  Instead, His acts and Words are to be examples for us to embrace and follow.

Jesus affirmed this Truth as He spoke in John chapter 8:

28 Then Jesus said to them, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.

29 And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him.”

30 As He spoke these Words, many believed in Him.

When Jesus spoke, He was dependent on FATHER.  When He acted, He was totally dependent on FATHER.  When Jesus spoke, He released power for healing and deliverance for every Word of GOD has the power within Itself to cause It to come to pass.

It is recorded by The Holy Spirit in Matthew chapter 8:

5 When Jesus entered the village of Capernaum, a captain in the Roman army approached Him, asking for a miracle.

6 “Lord,” he said, “I have a son who is lying in my home, paralyzed and suffering terribly.”

7 Jesus responded, “I will go with you and heal him.”

8-9 But the Roman officer interjected, “Lord, who am I to have you come into my house? I understand your authority, for I too am a man who walks under authority and have authority over soldiers who serve under me. I can tell one to go and he’ll go, and another to come and he’ll come. I command my servants and they’ll do whatever I ask. So I know that all You need to do is to stand here and command healing over my son and he will be instantly healed.”

10 Jesus was astonished when he heard this and said to those who were following him, “He has greater faith than anyone I’ve encountered in Israel!

11 Listen to what I am about to tell you. Multitudes of Gentiles will stream from the east and the west, to enter into the heavenly kingdom with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

12 But many Israelites, born to be heirs of the Kingdom, will be turned away and banished into the darkness where there will be bitter weeping and unbearable anguish.”

13 Then Jesus turned to the Roman officer and said, “Go home. All that you have believed for will be done for you!” And his son was healed at that very moment.

The Word of FATHER through the Mouth of Jesus commanded healing and the boy was instantly healed.  Neither distance nor time was an issue!  Great faith caused the expected miracle to come forth.  There is no distance in decree.  There is no distance in confession. 

If that Word is released through your lips, it has the same power.  This is not about dominating, it is about surrendering, being fully yielded and being willing to obey. 

As we learn to watch over our words and expect them to originate with Our Heavenly Father, we too can expect similar results to that of Jesus’ Words.

We are called to fully surrender ourselves so that we can walk in the impossible!

What would happen to you if you were to enter into the direct Presence of THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and stand before HIS Throne?  All of your words and acts would be righteously judged, whether good or bad.

Jesus spoke in Matthew chapter 6:

33 “So above all, constantly seek God’s Kingdom and His righteousness, then all these less important things will be given to you abundantly.”

As a young man, I was focus on the second half of this verse: all these things will be given to you abundantly.  I had a notable list of needs for my family and wanted them fulfilled right away.  This was based on my carnal mindset.  Little did I realize that many of such verses are counterintuitive to the world’s point of view.

For example, give and it will be given unto you.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 6:

38 Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! The measurement of your generosity becomes the measurement of your return.”  TPT

It took me quite a while to embrace this Truth.  I grew up in scarcity and my mindset had to be changed so that I could flourish according to this Spiritual Truth.  Some preachers used manipulation, threats, and intimidation to get people to give into their ministry.  Finally, my wife and I attended a small congregation where they didn’t pass the plate for receiving tithes and offerings.  They had a box in the back where you could give if so desired.  They operated in faith for their provision.  That was truly refreshing!

As I transitioned in understanding of the above passages, I began to embrace the blessing of giving.  As a result, FATHER blessed our family by telling me to believe HIM to get totally out of debt.  Funds came in supernaturally and we paid off our house in the mid 1980’s thus eliminating all debt.  As a result, we became more generous, and our blessings grew.  I surrendered my worldly mindset to a Heavenly mindset in the area of finances and fruit abounded.  Treat this testimony as an encouragement to give you hope and expectation if you are in lack.

With GOD, nothing is impossible!

Taking care of my family’s needs was a good start.  What about all those people around us who are in need of ministry?  As we surrender more and more to being led by The Holy Spirit, our circle of influence and ministry will grow.  My goal is to live a fully surrendered life so that I can fulfill Jesus’ command in Matthew chapter 28:

18 Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to Me.

19 Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

20 And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

And in Mark chapter 16:

15 And Jesus said to them, “As you go into all the world, preach openly the wonderful news of the Gospel to the entire human race!

16 Whoever believes the Good News and is baptized will be saved, and whoever does not believe the good news will be condemned.

17 And these miracle signs will accompany those who believe: They will drive out demons in the power of my name. They will speak in tongues.

18 They will be supernaturally protected from snakes and from drinking anything poisonous. And they will lay hands on the sick and heal them.”

As we fully surrender to OUR LORD, we will be empowered to fulfill the Great Commission, and nothing will be impossible!

Wisdom is speaking to us today!

The following focuses much attention on giving and serving versus greed and other worldly mindsets.  Wisdom reveals both good and bad fruit in the following verses.  We cannot claim ignorance in how we act in our daily lives.  We will either be blessed or we will be judged according to our acts.

Wisdom speaks in Proverbs chapter 28:  (The Passion Translation)

1 Guilty criminals experience paranoia even though no one threatens them. But the innocent Lovers of God, because of righteousness, will have the boldness of a young, ferocious lion!

2 A rebellious nation is thrown into chaos, but leaders anointed with Wisdom will restore law and order.

3 When a pauper oppresses the destitute, it’s like a flash flood that sweeps away their last hope.

4 Those who turn their backs on what they know is right will no longer be able to tell right from wrong. But those who Love the Truth strengthen their souls.

5 Justice never makes sense to men devoted to darkness, but those tenderly devoted to the Lord can understand justice perfectly.

6 It’s more respectable to be poor and pure than rich and perverse.

7 To be obedient to what you’ve been taught proves you’re an honorable child, but to socialize with the lawless brings shame to your parents.

8 Go ahead and get rich on the backs of the poor, but all the wealth you gather will one day be given to those who are kind to the needy.

9 If you close your heart and refuse to listen to God’s instruction, even your prayer will be despised.

10 Those who tempt the Lovers of God with an evil scheme will fall into their own traps. But the innocent who resist temptation will experience reward.

11 The wealthy in their conceit presume to be wise, but a poor person with discernment can see right through them.

12 The triumphant joy of God’s lovers releases great glory. But when the wicked rise to power, everyone goes into hiding.

13 If you cover up your sin you’ll never do well. But if you confess your sins and forsake them, you will be kissed by mercy.

14 Overjoyed is the one who with tender heart trembles before God, but the stubborn, unyielding heart will experience even greater evil.

15 Ruthless rulers can only be compared to raging lions and roaming bears.

16 Abusive leaders fail to employ wisdom, but leaders who despise corruption will enjoy a long and full life.

17 A murderer’s conscience will torment him—a fugitive haunted by guilt all the way to the grave with no one to support him.

18 The pure will be rescued from failure, but the perverse will suddenly fall into ruin.

19 Work hard and you’ll have all you desire, but chase a fantasy and you could end up with nothing.

20 Life’s blessings drench the honest and faithful person, but punishment rains down upon the greedy and dishonest.

21 Giving favoritism to the rich and powerful is disgusting, and this is done by the type of judge who would betray a man for a bribe.

22 A greedy man is in a race to get rich, but he forgets that he could lose what’s most important and end up with nothing.

23 If you correct someone with constructive criticism, in the end he will appreciate it more than flattery.

24 A person who would reject his own parents and say, “What’s wrong with that?” is as bad as a murderer.

25 To make rash, hasty decisions shows that you are not trusting the Lord. But when you rely totally on God, you will still act carefully and prudently.

26 Self-confident know-it-alls will prove to be fools. But when you lean on the Wisdom from Above, you will have a way to escape the troubles of your own making.

27 You will never go without if you give to the poor. But if you’re heartless, stingy, and selfish, you invite curses upon yourself.

28 When wicked leaders rise to power, good people go into hiding. But when they fall from power, the godly take their place.

Jesus expects action!

Jesus commissioned the disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived on earth.

Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 9:

1 Jesus summoned together his twelve apostles and imparted to them authority over every demon and the power to heal every disease.

2 Then He commissioned them to proclaim God’s Kingdom and to heal the sick to demonstrate that the Kingdom had arrived. As he sent them out, He gave them these instructions:

3 “Take nothing extra on your journey. Just go as you are. Don’t carry a staff, a backpack, food, money, not even a change of clothes.

4 Whatever home welcomes you as a guest, remain there and make it your base of ministry.

5 And wherever your ministry is rejected, you are to leave that town and shake the dust off your shoes as a testimony before them.”

6 The apostles departed and went into the villages with the wonderful news of God’s Kingdom, and they healed diseases wherever they went.

10 Months later, the apostles returned from their ministry tour and told Jesus all the wonders and miracles they had witnessed. Jesus, wanting to be alone with the Twelve, quietly slipped away with them toward Bethsaida.

Jesus didn’t say, “Pray that the people would be healed”, He told them to take action and heal the sick and cast out devils.

In sending out the twelve, Matthew records additional detail of what Jesus said.  Matthew chapter10:

8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Jesus told the disciples to specifically raise the dead.  Jesus expected what previously had seemed impossible, to occur through the disciples.  Was Jesus concerned about their comfort level when He instructed them to cleanse the lepers?  Not in the least.  The Comforter is the One Who makes us comfortable.

We are to be led by The Holy Spirit without limitation.  This is contrary to many sermons I have heard in the past.  The world’s view is one of scarcity and limitation whereas from Heaven’s perspective, these is abundance and no limitation.  Our challenge is to embrace Heaven’s mindset and dispose of the world’s perceived limitations.

The Beloved Disciple wrote in John chapter 3:

34 “The One whom God has sent to represent Him will speak the Words of God, because God has poured out upon Him the fullness of the Holy Spirit without limitation.

35 The Father Loves His Son so much that He has given all things into His Hands.

36 Those who trust in the Son possess Eternal Life; those who don’t obey the Son will not see Life, and God’s anger (G3709) will rise up against them.”

G3709 (orgē ) is defined as: properly, desire (as a reaching forth or excitement of the mind), i.e. (by analogy), violent passion (ire, or (justifiable) abhorrence); by implication punishment:—anger, indignation, vengeance, wrath.  Its root word G3713) has as a portion of its definition: the love of money.

Paul wrote by The Holy Spirit in 1^st Timothy chapter 6:

10 Loving money is a root of all evils. Some people run after it so much that they have given up their faith. Craving more money pushes them away from the faith into error, compounding misery in their lives!

Why do people crave more money?  They don’t comprehend the abundance of Heaven and how to properly access such abundance.  They rely on themselves rather than trust in GOD.  This mindset pushes them away from walking in faith.  The love of money compounds misery and depression. 

Love of money does not differentiate the poor from the rich.  Generosity counters the tendency to love money aka greed.  Isn’t this why FATHER established the tithe as the firstfruits thus acknowledging HIS preeminence in our lives as we give?

Being a generous giver is one of the actions Jesus expects of us!  We are to walk in abundance in all areas: healing, health, and generosity to name a few.