16 things Jesus did that we can do

In John 14:12-14 Jesus made a really big statement.  He said, “Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.  You may ask me for anything in my name and I will do it.”

  The very next verse says, “If you love me, you will obey what I have commanded.”

  A child of God walking according to the will of God can have the right and authority to do the same works Jesus did, and even greater works!  He said that He gave us “all authority” the question is, how much of His authority are we walking in?

  Mt 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.”  He is unchanging, the same yesterday, today and forever.  His promises are for us today.

  His commission is our mission!

Supernatural multiplication

Jesus fed thousands with just 5 loaves and 2 fish. Mt 14:13-21.  Mark 6:33-44.

He healed the sick

Many examples show Jesus healing the sick with a simple spoken word, He walked in total authority.  He spoke to the man that had a withered hand, “stretch forth your hand” and he was instantly healed. Mt 12:9-13.  He touched two blind men’s eyes and they instantly received their sight.  Mt 20:34.  He stuck his fingers in a deaf mute’s ears and touched his tongue and he was healed.  Mark 7:33-35.

He raised the dead

On a couple of occasions, dead were raised with just a spoken word over people that had been dead for quite a while.  He simply took a dead girl’s hand and she came back to life.  Mt 9:25.  He raised Lazarus who had been dead four days.  Jn 11:38-44

He cast out demons

Again, just a simple spoken word caused demons to flee.  He drove demons out of two violently possessed men by simply saying “go.” Mt 8:32.

He knew key events in His future

He prophesied about His own death, resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Mt 16:21.  Mt 17:22-23.  He foretold that the disciples would forsake Him that very night.  Mt 26:31-34

He knew what others were thinking

He knew and responded to what people were thinking before they even said anything out loud.  Mt 12:24-28. 

Angles attended Him

After spending 40 days fasting, angles attended Him.  Mt 4:11.  Mark 1:13.

He taught and spoke with authority

Unlike the religious leaders of His day, Jesus spoke and taught with true authority.  Mt 7:28.

His clothes healed the sick

People begged to touch the edge of His cloak, those who did were healed.  Mt 14:36. Mark 5:24-34.

He preached the Gospel to the poor

“The good news is preached to the poor” Mt 11:4

He spoke healing over a distance

The centurion’s servant was healed from a distance!  Mt 8:5-13. Lu 7:1-10.

He came to serve, not to be served

Jesus example of being a servant is shown throughout the Gospels.  Mt 20:28. He washed his disciple’s feet.  Jn 13:4-17

The wind and the waves obeyed Him

He carried an authority that could command natural events.  Mark 4:35-41

He walked on water

He met his disciples in the middle of the lake, without using a boat! This passage also tells us about Jesus seeing the men in distress in the middle of the lake while he was still on shore!  Mark 6:45-52

He started a revival with a prophetic word

Jesus spoke a word of prophecy to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well.  It affected her so much that she ran back into town, spread the word and many believed.  Lu 4:1-42

He prayed for us (all believers)

“…That all of them may be one..”  John 17.

Sticky Situations

  One thing I love is how Jesus handled sticky situations.  When a woman was brought before Him that had committed adultery, He actually gave permission to stone her!  The only requirement was that they had to be sinless.  Massive conviction came on the men and they walked away one by one.

   Jesus was the only one in that circumstance that had the right to bring judgment on that woman, but instead He sent her away and said “neither do I condemn you”. 

   One of the major issues that faces the church today is the second part to what Jesus said.  Jesus never taught a “grey” message during his entire ministry, everything is plainly black and white.  He was so completely filled with the Holy Spirit that his words never came out tainted with issues in His heart, but came from a pure desire to see everyone come to the knowledge of God.  If it had been me, I might have said “YOU GET YOUR LIFE FIXED FIRST….you….PHARASEE!!   I SAW YOU STEAL THAT EXTRA PLANK OF WOOD FROM ELISHAS WOODWORKING SHOP!  YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO STONE ANYONE!!”  Jesus’ approach was from a pure heart and His words brought massive conviction on them.

Go, and stop sinning!

   The second thing Jesus said was “Go, and leave your life of sin”.   The major part of the church today tends to teach, “Go and try to be better, love each other, and if you keep on falling back into the same sin for 40 years, you’re still ok, God loves us all and we are all His children”

  The lack of Holiness in the American church today has opened the doors to a flood of sin in this country.  It is seldom even called sin anymore, just mistakes and shortcomings.  We have only begun to see the onslaught of wickedness in this land that is being brought on by a lack of a true Godly witness.

   Walking in Holiness is a constant, steadfast walk with God where we are continually being changed from glory to glory, allowing the Holy Spirit to constantly change and purify us.  A son, the Bride of Christ a child of God is continually becoming more like the Father, more like the Bridegroom.

   Every single person makes mistakes, but it becomes a major problem when there is outright rebellion, a turning away, then a hardening of the heart, and finally spiritual death.

  We have giant social clubs some call churches where week after week we hear how to be a good person and succeed in life but not how to live in Holiness, we hear how to have a good marriage but not much about being a son or a bride seven days a week, not just for an hour on Sunday.

   I take part of the blame for being weak-mouthed when I had words from God, I have been at fault for preaching weak messages just because I wanted more people to come to the altar to “get saved”.  Weak words and a powerless gospel emboldens men whose hearts are evil and helps to solidify an attitude of “anything goes and I will be fine.”

Hundreds of revivals have been catalogued all over the world, but where is revival happening in the supposedly most Christian nation on earth?

Revival

    Many are saying revival will come, many are saying massive turmoil, riots, genuine persecution and calamity will come and both are correct.  The true church has always been at its strongest during intense times of persecution.

  We have but a short time to prepare for major turmoil in America.  With every blatant act against God, the umbrella of His protection must move farther away.  Many would say judgment begins at the House of God, it has and will continue, but wholesale sin in a nation has consequence as well.  The blood of millions of aborted babies has not been forgotten.  Scripturally, it cannot be forgotten.  There must be payment for blood that is shed.

   Another sin that is bringing judgment on this land is homosexuality.  While I do not believe according to scripture that living a homosexual lifestyle is greater than any other sin, it is sin that has come to into maturity.  Repentance and a turning away from that lifestyle is what is necessary for that person to receive Eternal Life.  The problem with this is that it becomes a much greater problem when a nation as a whole, or a state as a whole endorses sin and signs it into law.  It’s at that point that you have leaders shaking their fist in the face of God.  That’s not good!  That further opens the door for a state or nation to be hit by judgment.  God in His great mercy will do whatever it takes to see people come to Him and receive Him.  He understands fully that a little suffering here on earth is worth an eternal reward in Heaven...

True Believers

  Finally, being a Christian is not being a part of a social group, it is not a club that tries to make everyone happy, it is not even a self-help club.  We are called to “know Him, and to know the power of His resurrection”.  A Christian is one who has a relationship with God, one who is the Bride of Christ, one who is set apart to fulfill the will of God and one who loves God with all his heart, mind, body, soul and spirit and is walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh.

Change!

    Looking at almost every person I encounter and having the thought in my head that I may be the last roadblock or "detour" sign that keeps that soul from an eternity in Hell keeps my perspective straight.
  Every person is a potential "target" to be reached with the Gospel.
  Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit is very key to reaching people in these days when people's hearts are filled to the top with self-pleasures. Distractions hit hard and fast, there is no time to think of eternity, no time to think that maybe, just maybe, the idea that we are here by chance and have no soul or spirit could be a false idea, and there really is a God...
   Allowing God to lead you by the Spirit when you minister to people will bring much fruit! More fruit that getting a sandwich at Chic-fil-A, more fruit than not going to Home Depot or using Johnson & Johnson products, or Chase Bank or a hundred other companies that support gay marriage or the killing of babies.

On the Streets

So far this year, I have not been turned down a single time speaking into people's lives on the streets or in stores. There have been several salvations, numerous people prayed for and many lives touched by God.
  Friday I prayed with a young man on the North side of Fort Worth to accept Jesus right in the street. He was open and responsive and poured tears on the sidewalk. But it started with a prophetic word into his life that I didn't even get exactly right. The Lord showed me one thing and I tried to explain it in my own words and got it wrong! But God was still merciful!
   I don't randomly run up to people these days just to "preach", it can be downright dangerous, especially in the places I find myself working... When the Spirit leads, when I feel a heavy burden for the person, it means the field is ready for harvest!

Do I shop at Home Depot? Yes I do! Have I prayed for people in the isles and parking lot of Home Depot? Yes and Yes!
I believe our Spirit witness is not just important, but absolutely necessary in dark places.

Change

Want to bring change to our great Nation? Reaching hearts one at a time will change your neighborhood, town, state AND country!

Preparing the Site

   These pictures came in this morning from Southern Mexico where work is in progress on the foundation for a new church building in Emiliano Zapata.
    Many truckloads of fill dirt are being brought in and heavy equipment is being used to prepare the site for the next phase of work.

   The congregation has outgrown the home where they are meeting (a really good problem!), and will need to move to this location as soon as the roof is constructed.
  Please keep Pastor Roberto and the ministry team in your prayers as they work and oversee this project.  
  We also ask that you would prayerfully consider supporting the work there.  In addition to simultaneously overseeing other building projects, the team is carrying the Gospel to 4-5 villages per week.  Most of the time they use public transportation because the ministry trucks have worn completely out.
  Even with real hardships, the church is thriving and seeing a very real move of God on a daily basis.
  We will be sharing more testimonies over the next few days.

Blessings,  Scott and Emma

This past week in Emiliano Zapata

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Bored...

  We hear it all the time, especially from children.. "I'm bored"    Now we hear it all the time from adults "I'm bored".  We live in an ultra-stimulated world.  Sights and sounds constantly bombard our senses.  Too many things to do saps our strength day and night.  Movies that were cutting edge and exciting in the 50's are boring to todays generation.
   Bigger screens, high-def, surround sound, social networking, cell phones, text messaging... always having to do something.  10 places to be, 5 parties to go to this week, sometimes we wish we could clone ourselves just to get everything "done".
   When that stimuli is suddenly taken away, or we drive through an area with no phone service.. suddenly we have "nothing to do".
  I visited a home in the middle of an ice storm and the entire family was freaking out, they were literally pacing the floor, kids screaming, the Dad told me they were bored out of their minds because they lost power and had been almost 24 hours without TV, video games or internet!  It can even get to the point that during the distractions with a million things going on, we can get bored.
   Constant distractions keep us from spending time with God, it keeps people who don't know God from thinking about eternity.  It teaches us to always "do something" rather than to simply sit in His presence.  

   It is my personal opinion that it is impossible for a true follower of Jesus to ever be truly "bored"


   Yes I may fall into that trap for a few seconds until I shake myself and think...


  I am a child of God!  A servant of the King of the universe!  I'm here to fulfill His will!  I am bought and paid for!  My life is not my own!  I'm here to bless others!  One of my jobs is to bring peace into my house!  The list goes on and on!

  Here's a simple test.  Go, sit down without your Bible, journal or computer, set a timer for 10 minutes, let your mind be at rest, let Scriptures flow through your thoughts and see if in those 10 minutes you can rest in Him or if your minds wanders in 50 directions or you check the timer 50 times... yes..we all need more practice waiting on Him.


   Resting...  -Scott


PS.. No, I did not say to do a phone and facebook fast..

Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!    Ps 27:14

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Foundation Progress in Emiliano Zapata

We have received word that the City of Emiliano Zapata has now donated 33 truckloads of fill dirt to help fill in so we can build a church building.  We are praying for more favor and increase to push forward and get this work finished in a timely manner.  This is in deep Southern Mexico in the lowlands near the Northwest corner of Guatemala.
-Scott

Finding the Key

  Last week in downtown Fort worth...A man walks up, asks for money.  I say "Your Mom introduced you to Jesus"  he said "yes".. He asks for money again, I tell him, "You never knew your father"  He says, dude, are you psychic?  He said "yes, my father died before I was born, my Mom prayed with me when I was a boy to accept Jesus, I got free from drugs two years ago and I just need money to get to a mission".  I said, sir, now you are lying to me, you haven't gotten free from alcoholism...finally, tears welled up in his eyes and I was able to pray with him and introduce him to a God that was real and wanted a relationship with him...

  Three weeks ago, on our way home from church...we drove under a bridge on the freeway and saw a man walking above us carrying a big pack, I felt moved to talk to him, we made a U turn and found him, I shared with him that he was called to be a preacher as a young man, and that he knew that.  He literally yelled at me "Who told you that!  I never told anyone!"  I shared with him that Jesus loved and cared for him and had not forgotten him.  It was not too late, He can restore the years that looked like had been lost.  The man broke down and wept, I prayed with him as well.

  Walmart..., a lady is ringing up our groceries, Emma asks to pray for her arm as she is working, the woman has tears running down her face as Emma prays and tells her how valuable she is and how God sees His daughter, that she has Hope.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen this happen.

  Last week...I picked up a Hispanic guy off the street, as I took him home, God gave me visions of his childhood, of abuse, of a father hitting him with no reason.  I shared with him that his perception of God was affected by his perception of his own father.  That Jesus loved him, unconditionally, and was a true Father.  He broke really fast and I was able to pray with him.

   Last month I told a Hispanic guy (I love Hispanics) that he had a dream the night before.  He shared it with me and I explained what God was speaking to him through it.  It really touched him, he was already a believer but it brought an encouraging word about his family that was separated from him.

  It wasn't always like this....

  At the tender age of 4 I told my Grandmother that Santa Claus is "Of the Devil".  At 6 I told two Jehovah's Witnesses that they needed to "get saved or they would burn in hell.."  We've held up signs by the road... passed out tens of thousands of Gospel Tracts, Door to door to thousands of homes...

Yes, there was a little bit of fruit.....But not all of that was effective evangelism.

   It is possible to use the Gospel and Scripture in a way that drives people away from God and hardens their hearts.

  I know, I have had to repent of that...

  As our understanding of the nature of God grows, we began to see people the way God sees them.

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power
     I Cor 2:4


  When people see the lame walk, the blind see, incurable cancers healed, or if they get prophetic word spoken over their life, a dream interpreted, or a person just loves on them with a genuine, pure love, they will almost surely walk away with a lasting influence lingering over their life.  A Holy Spirit touch that they will not soon be able to shake off!
 
   There are many forms of evangelism, some are very basic, some are much more effective, but at its very core, it's really all about introducing people to the true nature of God, finding the key to unlock that individual's heart, showing them that the God of the universe, loves and cares for them deeply.
   Sometimes, I don't say anything about Jesus for a while until I really have their attention and they have been touched by something tangible.  Then we revel to them ....hey, that was Jesus...that was the Master's touch.

   Jesus kept it pretty simple...to the woman at the well He said, "Go get your husband"  She said, I don't have one.....Jesus replied, you have had 5 husbands....and oh, by the way...the one you're with....he's not your husband....
  Wow!  Out of that conversation....He found the key to unlock that one heart and it unlocked an entire city!! Jesus ministered to people out of a heart of deep compassion and love.  So many times Jesus would say, go in peace, your faith has saved you, and, oh, by the way.....quit sinning....

-Scott

  Update:  ..the Jehovah's Witnesses no longer send "normal" door knockers to our house... we now just get visits from big shots.... someday, we will find the key to THEIR hearts......and I promise I won't yell at them anymore....






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Land Purchased in Tabasco

We have officially purchased land in Emiliano Zapata to build a church.  The group has been meeting in a home for the last 9 years and has outgrown it's current location.  

  The Mexican government required us to stay in one location for 5 years after we applied for church papers, but that has now been taken care of.

  We only lack $4,000 US dollars to have it completely paid for.

  Thank you for your continued prayers and support, it has made victories like this possible!

  -Scott 

A Daily Confession

I AM….

A Child of God    Romans 8:16
  The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,


Redeemed from the Hand of the Enemy    Psalm 107:2

  Let the redeemed of the LORD say so,
Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

Forgiven    Colossians 1:13,14
   He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.

Saved by Grace through Faith    Ephesians 2:8

  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Justified     Romans 5:1
  Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

A New Creature    2 Corinthians 5:17

   Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Partaker of His Divine Nature    2 Peter 1:4
   Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

Redeemed from the Curse of the Law    Galatians 3:13
   Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”),

Led by the Spirit of God    Romans 8:14

   For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Kept in Safety Wherever I Go    Psalm 91:11
   For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

Getting all My Needs met by Jesus    Philippians 4:19
   And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Casting all My Cares on Jesus    1 Peter 5:7
   casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Strong in the Lord and in the Power of His Might   Ephesians 6:10

   Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.

Doing all things through Christ who Strengthens Me    Philippians 4:13

   I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

An Heir of God and Joint Heir with Jesus    Romans 8:17
   and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Heir to the Blessings of Abraham    Galatians 3:13,14
   Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Blessed Coming in and Blessed Going Out    Deuteronomy 28:6
   “Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.

An Heir of Eternal Life    1 John 5:11,12

   And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Blessed with all Spiritual Blessings    Ephesians 1:3
   Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ

Healed by His Stripes   1 Peter 2:24

   who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Exercising my Authority over the Enemy    Luke 10:19

   Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Above Only and Not Beneath    Deuteronomy 28:13
   And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe them.

More than a Conqueror    Romans 8:37
   Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

Establishing God’s Word Here on Earth    Matthew 16:19
  And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

An Overcomer    Revelation 12:11

   And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

Daily Overcoming the Devil    1 John 4:4

   You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Not Moved by what I See     2 Corinthians 4:18

  So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Walking by Faith and not by Sight    2 Corinthians 5:7
   For we walk by faith, not by sight

Casting down Vain Imaginations    2 Corinthians 10:4,5
   For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Being Transformed by Renewing My Mind    Romans 12:1,2
   I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

A Laborer Together with God   1 Corinthians 3:9
   For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building.

The Righteousness of God in Christ   2 Corinthians 5:21

   For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

An Imitator of Jesus     Ephesians 5:1

  Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.

The Light of the World    Matthew 5:14

   “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Continually Blessing and Praising the Lord with My Mouth    Psalm 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.


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The Pen in My Pocket

  A first-time experience for me just a few years ago was to purchase gas in Mexico with a debit card. For years, I only used cash to avoid credit card fraud.
   I should note that all gas stations in Mexico are Government-run full service, whether or not you wanted full service.
  On this very rare occasion, I was not carrying a pen, so I borrowed one from the attendant, when I finished, just out of pure habit, without another thought I stuck the man's pen into my shirt pocket.     About halfway to the town we were holding meetings that night, I realized my mistake.  I began to think about the pen and how much it was worth to that man.  All things being equal, if inflation were the same in America as in Mexico, that pen would be worth around 7-8 dollars.  I made a mental note about it and decided to stop by the station the next day and find the man to return his pen.
   A couple minutes later, I picked up some members of our ministry team that were headed to the meetings.  As soon as one of the young ladies got into the truck, she said, "The Lord knows what you have in your possession that does not belong to you"
  These simple words came to be some of the most profound prophetic words ever spoken to me.
   He cares so much for the "little things".  He sees all the "little things".  There is no such thing as a small problem that He doesn't want to be involved in.  There's no such thing as something little and seemingly insignificant that He is not aware of.

Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7

   This speaks of our worth to God, He knows our tears, our sighs, our hurts, our victories, everything about us.  He knows us better than we know ourselves!
   Here I was alone in Southern Mexico, away from my family, and God brought this gentle reminder that He was with me, He sees everything, He wants to be at work in every part of my life.
  Allow Him to be involved in every little detail... It will change everything!

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