Servias Ministries Blog

Luke wrote by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 4:

5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes,

6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

Peter and John had been arrested for a good deed done to a helpless man.  They were taken before the entire leadership of Israel residing in Jerusalem thus the good deed was being challenged by those who were to follow and “enforce” the Law.  These are the same people who crucified Our Lord Jesus Christ and attempted to cover up His ascension.  Their motivation was to stay in power no matter what the cost, even if it meant robbing the helpless from a good deed of healing.  Can you imagine a man or woman living with an infirmity for over 40 years being robbed of the opportunity to walk and be like everyone else?

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:

9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,

10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’

12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Now the disciples were empowered by being filled with The Holy Spirit Whom Jesus sent and they too were being challenged by those in authority.  However the helpless man stood in their midst as a witness to this empowerment from Heaven and his witness could not be denied or covered up.

If we are to be at the center of being fully led by THE SPIRIT, I believe we must fully embrace all aspects of Acts chapter 4.  Peter had a boldness he was missing before the time of Jesus’ crucifixion.  What changed?  Being filled with The Holy Spirit!  Peter was now fully empowered to manifest the ministry of The Holy Spirit-(1) expose sin, (2) guide others into all Truth, and (3) glorify Christ.  Isn’t this what happened when Peter was confronted by the leaders?  He exposed their sin of greed and exploitation.  He spoke the Truth of Jesus’ ministry and Who He is.  He glorified Christ by healing the helpless IN HIS NAME.

Once He had fulfilled the ministry of The Holy Spirit:

13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.

14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

After Peter successfully walked out this aspect of ministry, something else happened when Peter prayed for boldness:

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,

30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit responded:

31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

They all received an additional “filling or anointing” of the Holy Spirit which empowered them to be even greater witnesses speaking with boldness.  This is what is critically needed today so that we can without reservation help the helpless.

Jesus spoke in Mark 16:

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;

18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

FATHER has established the Name of Jesus Christ as being the “door” to salvation and healing so that there is no question in anyone’s mind Who is the anointed Son of GOD.  In HIS Wisdom, FATHER established “The Way” for men to be restored to HIM.  Jesus gave us the key to ministry: His Name exalted above all other names in Heaven and on earth.  With great reverence we should employ the Name of Jesus when praying for the sick and ministering salvation to those who are lost.  We should pray and meditate on this Truth until our trust in His Name has absolutely no question or hesitation in its use.  Our elder brother has provided us with the means to minister in like manner if only we will trust in His Name.

Luke recorded by THE SPIRIT in Acts chapter 4 when Peter spoke:

27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together

28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.

29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,

30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

The disciples had spent 40 days being taught by Our Lord Jesus Christ where He prepared them as firstfruits for the great commission.  As firstfruits, the disciples ministered to those in need calling on the Name of Jesus Christ thus they paved the way for us to minister in like manner.  The Book of Acts and the Epistles are given for our instruction in how we ought to minister.  The disciples’ successes are meant to encourage us as we walk out our ministry with similar expectations of success.  The name of Jesus has Spiritual power and authority unlike any other name.  Man’s logic and worldly wisdom cannot grasp the connection in the Spiritual which causes them to place no faith in His Name.  Signs and wonders are provided to them who don’t believe in this connection.

In Acts chapter 2 Peter spoke:

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.

39 For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

The gift of the Holy Spirit can only be obtained through the name of Jesus Christ for He promised to send the comforter.  This name is so critical  in all aspects of spreading the Gospel that we should never grow weary in studying and meditating on these promises given to us by Our Lord Jesus Christ.  IN MY NAME…

If we to be led by THE SPIRIT then we should take on the characteristics of THE SPIRIT.  As mentioned yesterday:  As we are led by THE SPIRIT we too will (1) expose sin, (2) guide others into all Truth, and (3) glorify Christ.  When we exalt His Name above all names, we are glorifying Christ.  Luke wrote in Acts chapter 3 by THE SPIRIT:

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.

The lame man went to the temple for money and received healing and restoration instead.  He had been in that condition since birth (over 40 years) but the lack of physical development did not keep the healing power from fully restoring his feet and ankles.  Peter glorified Christ by proclaiming His Name as the healing power needed for the restoration process to occur.  There were no lengthy prayers or formulas to follow but instead Peter called forth the power in The Name of Jesus Christ, pure and simple.  Our minds must be cleansed of all the complexities that arise when logic tries to emulate the healing power of Jesus.  We try to overcomplicate matters by looking for some hidden key unavailable to those who simply take the Scripture at face value.

When the rulers of the day were given the details of the healing, they wanted to ban the Name of Jesus from being used- Acts 4:18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  Who in their right mind would submit to such a demand?  It is Love’s desire to heal an infirmity of 40 years whereas the rulers simply wanted to protect their positions of authority.  Surely that same power that healed the lame man could deal with the rulers as well.  Peter and John responded:

19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.

20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.

Men’s traditions have not fundamentally changed in the last 2,000 years.  Those who gain stature by exploiting the masses will do or say whatever it takes to keep their position, even if it causes suffering among the innocent.  FATHER is taking all this into account as we move forward toward the fullness of time.

What impact did this healing have on the rest of the people?  In Acts chapter 4:

4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

When 5,000 men plus women and children become believers in response to the Name of Jesus, there is no question of where our focus should be placed.  As we are led by THE SPIRIT, we too will glorify Christ and produce similar fruit.

The Beloved Disciple wrote by THE SPIRIT in John chapter 16:

12 “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

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 Holy Spirit will guide us into all Truth and reveal the glory of Christ for this is what Love does.  The Holy Spirit’s ministry is not to become the focus but to direct our attention to Christ and FATHER.  The ministry of the Holy Spirit will never conflict with The Word and we must be careful not to assign responsibility to the Holy Spirit for a decision we make due to some “sign”, unction, or feeling.  The Holy Spirit will lead us into all Truth and we must not add or subtract from what is revealed to us individually.

There are those who would attempt to overpower us with their proclaimed relationship with The Holy Spirit.  They would have us believe they hear with such clarity that we should respond according to what they claim they are hearing rather than trust our own relationship with The Spirit.  We must not let ourselves fall into their snare.

If Jesus is not being glorified by THE SPIRIT then something is wrong and we must not act upon what that spirit is telling us.  THE FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT are in perfect union and there will never be a time when the union is broken.  In John chapter 16:

7 “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.

8 And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:

9 of sin, because they do not believe in Me;

10 of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more;

11 of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.”

The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  If we impair this work then we are grieving the Holy Spirit.  We are told: let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  As we walk in Love and speak accordingly, we will minister in the same manner of The Holy Spirit.  As we are led by THE SPIRIT we too will (1) expose sin, (2) guide others into all Truth, and (3) glorify Christ.  This in itself is a wonderful ministry to take part in.

In John chapter 14 Jesus spoke:

25 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

I rely on The Holy Spirit to bring various passages to my remembrance rather than attempt to memorize passages throughout the Scripture.  Those scriptures in my heart have a greater impact than those simply memorized in my mind.  There is an empowerment when we rely on THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT for They all work together in our behalf as we walk in Agape Love.

Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in Romans chapter 8:

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

The Holy Spirit is critical to my existence and calling for it is the Holy Spirit Himself who makes intercession for me, especially when I have need for further revelation for my particular situation.  I am sure this is the case for many others as well.  I implicitly trust FATHER’S plan and path HE has me on while I am walking it out without the benefit of seeing the big picture.  “All things” must include those aspects which may go against church teaching on living life without any of the hazards many of us experience in life.  Paul was shipwrecked and his experience must be included in “all things working together” even though none of us would look forward to such an experience.   This is where trust in FATHER and reliance on the Holy Spirit making intercession becomes critical in our walk.

We must not let others determine the state of our relationship with FATHER.  If something bad happens to me, there are those who would immediately consider that I must be under some type of judgment by FATHER.  Did that cut or bruise arise out of something I failed to do right?  Each of us must endure challenges in our lives in order to qualify as “overcomers”.  FATHER provides us the Holy Spirit to intercede for us as we are walking out such challenges.  Praying in THE SPIRIT is an important part of our walk with FATHER and promotes the intimacy each of us needs when addressing the severe and sustained challenges we face.  Jesus declared the importance of The Holy Spirit when He commissioned the disciples 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.

We must never underestimate the importance of our relationship with The Holy Spirit when we are in the midst of overcoming the challenges set before us.  As Paul wrote by THE SPIRIT in 1 Corinthians chapter 14:

18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;

19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

Paul was not reluctant to pray in tongues nor am I.  However, we should teach others in a manner they can understand and pray in THE SPIRIT when we individually know not how to pray in a particular situation.  Let us accept all of FATHER’S gifts to be used in their appropriate manner and without reluctance.  There will be challenges confronting us requiring all of FATHER’S resources so let us not be reluctant to use everything FATHER has provided for us in overcoming these challenges.

Let us pray this prayer for FATHER to restore favor toward our land as provided by HIS SPIRIT in Psalm 85:

By THE SPIRIT it is written in Deuteronomy chapter 30:

6 “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live.

7 The LORD your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.

8 And you shall again obey the LORD, and observe all His commandments which I command you today.

9 Then the LORD your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the LORD will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers;

10 if you obey the LORD your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and soul.

FATHER has taken on the responsibility to circumcise your and my heart so it takes the pressure away from each of us to perform this crucial surgery.  After all, HE is the best surgeon one could hope for.  Our part is to obey HIS Word and we will do so when we trust HIS Word over man’s words and systems.  Can man save us from destruction?  No.  Does man have perfect knowledge to heal us of incurable diseases? No.  Who else can we place our trust in but FATHER?  How difficult did FATHER make it for us to comply with HIS request?  He answers:

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.

12 It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’

13 Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’

14 But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

There is such simplicity in the Gospel that we should not try to add anything to what FATHER expects.  Man’s ego would create a secondary set of criteria to make sure only the “elite” could comply.  The ego wants and promotes division.  Love simply wants to be a blessing to others and bring forth unity in all areas of life.  Men constantly look to judge what is wrong with each of us rather than embracing our differences as being necessary to our calling.  We should not be trying to force everyone into our view or perspective.  FATHER may have others on a mission which is totally outside our vision and frame of reference.  We need to be grateful for where FATHER has placed us on this earth and quit trying to convince HIM otherwise.  HE will open doors and close them as HE sees fit and I am thankful for that when looking back over my own personal history.  Those doors needed closing or else my family would be suffering greater challenges than what is necessary for growth.  FATHER has taken on the responsibility for my circumcision and I see no need for anyone else to act as a substitute.

By THE SPIRIT it is written in Psalm 62:

1 My soul waits in silence for God only;

From Him is my salvation.

2 He only is my rock and my salvation,

My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

As Sons and Daughters, we are to point others to Our Heavenly Father just as Jesus did.  Jesus revealed FATHER’S character by manifesting HIS Love on the earth through acts of healing and salvation.  Notice the psalm expressly indicates that we seek HIM as being our ONLY source of salvation and that HE alone is our Rock.

Men continue to seek after formulas and potions to achieve similar results but without success.  FATHER will use any and all resources at HIS disposal for our benefit but HE will rarely establish a particular method as HIS preferred path to a solution, especially when it comes to physical healing or restoration.  About the time we think we can anticipate HIS method for healing, HE switches something up.  This is to keep us from looking elsewhere for our salvation or healing thus removing HIM as the source.

In order to stay fully connected with HIS plan for us individually, we must seek and listen to HIM daily.  Once a week isn’t enough unless you are looking for a result like many are achieving in churches around the country- spotty at best.

My soul waits in silence for FATHER only!  Who else can move the mountains set before me?  Who else can deliver me from the snares set by men who seek to do me harm?  David did many mighty works on behalf of FATHER and we see by this Psalm one reason he was so successful: his soul waited in silence.

Rather than overload you with Scriptures and a multitude of stories relating to this passage, simply dwell on this passage tonight before you go to bed and the first thing when you awaken.  “HIM Only” is the source of our Love, peace, and joy so why not let that be our focus when we begin and end the day!  Our soul is counting on it.

Dave Dixon tagged this and it should be viewed by those who are truly in pursuit of Supernatural Love:   https://www.facebook.com/kvministries/videos/10154923806988741/

David wrote by THE SPIRIT in Psalm 23:

1 The LORD is my shepherd; ​​I shall not want.

2 ​​He makes me to lie down in green pastures; ​​He leads me beside the still waters.

3 ​​He restores my soul; ​​He leads me in the paths of righteousness ​​For His name’s sake.

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4 ​​Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

​​I will fear no evil; ​​For You are with me; ​​Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

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5 ​​You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

​​You anoint my head with oil; ​​My cup runs over.

6 ​​Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

​​All the days of my life; ​​And I will dwell in the house of the LORD ​​Forever.

Most of us have read or heard this Psalm countless times over the years.  I must confess that hearing it without being in the “line of fire” does not have the same personal impact as having been confronted with intense evil from those who are enemies toward Christ and His brothers and sisters.  Yes, there have been enemies who have targeted me as well as my family in the past but the level of intensity could not be compared to that which David had endured when He was first given this promise which applies to us as well.  Certain death is the ultimate enemy of those who Love Christ and as we are confronted with death, this Psalm comes alive and explodes with the Love of FATHER for each of us.  Death no longer has any noticeable impact on us when we embrace the reality that THE LORD is my shepherd and I shall not want.  There is nothing temporal to hang on to as though some “thing” could give us some advantage when confronting death.  HIS Love and Life swallows up death and its sting, thus death becomes no real issue.

Fear has its basis on the unknown but we know FATHER is well aware of all situations and has shined the light on the “unknown” and revealed the Truth.  We must place our trust IN HIM and fear will dissipate from our midst… evil will follow.  FATHER’S power and authority are greater than fear or evil thus there is no question of the outcome when HE confronts evil.

In the coming months and years many of us may be exposed to Truth which has been withheld for decades or longer.  These Truths may challenge what the church has taught and convinced us to be true based on the pastors’ understanding.  We must keep our hearts tuned into what FATHER is telling and showing us, knowing that it may go against everything we assumed to be true in the past.  When FATHER takes us out of the box the church has had us in, let us exit the box with no fear!