Open invite to everyone. Listen to the call and pray with us in spirit for God to save the USA.

Click Here to read the full story and get Put your first name and best email into the form on the page http://www.gods-word-first.org/national-prayer-day.html

Then click “Sign up!”to join us in prayer. We will email you the call in phone number along with date, time and other relevant info.

Read more info below for some of the reason why this day is important:

What’s Going On:

The United States of America is in trouble. That much we can all agree on. The finer details are debatable. But it doesn’t matter who’s to blame, Democrats, Republicans (or any other political party), the current President, your local government, The Fed, major corporations, Big Pharma, etc… The main source of the problem comes down to all of us, “We the People”.

The USA was founded on Christian principles. As a nation, the dominant religion has been Christianity (including all forms and denominations). God and His commandments were always at the core of our foundation and the decisions we made. And we as a nation prospered in every way because of it.

God’s Word, the church and strong religious beliefs used to be integral to most Americans in their personal lives. As the people in our nation have been slowly drifting away from God, their churches and away from basic Christian values, our nation as a whole has been suffering.

The best way to fix ANY problem is to
treat the cause, not the symptoms.

The problems our nation is facing today are not insurmountable to God. We can fix all our problems, both personal and national, but not by treating the symptoms. The following is a short list of symptoms due to a larger problem we as a nation are facing. Symptoms such as:

• “the war on drugs”
• “illegal immigration”
• unrest in the Middle East
• a failing economy in recession

All these and more can be solved by faith in God and by all agreeing to hold ourselves and each other accountable to good values.

The main problem we need to solve, the problem
that is at the core of all our symptoms,
is our separation from God.

When we as individuals are close to God then we personally enjoy the benefits of His blessings. When we as individuals are all close to God and come together as a group, as in a nation of people, then we collectively enjoy God’s blessings and protection.

The people in our once great nation have been slowly drifting away from God over the last 100 years. The evidence (symptoms) of this separation can be seen in the eroding of our family units, broken families, soaring divorce rates, increased abortions, increased domestic violence, crime in the streets, governmental corruption, etc.

Works of the Flesh vs. Fruit of the Spirit

As a nation we are in a financial recession heading into a full depression. A full financial collapse is imminent if we stay on the same path of disobedience to God. The people of our nation are suffering increasing instances of severe environmental conditions such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes. These are all symptoms of a much larger problem looming over us. That problem is separation from God, His blessings and his protection.

Although it’s true that individuals who remain close to God are protected. But we live in a nation among others who are not protected, who are straying from God and His righteous values. This falling away of others affects all of us.

The Old Testament is full of examples of where God’s people strayed from Him and then reaped the consequences of their actions: Famine, pestilence, drought, poverty, wars, invasion and slavery. Our nation is on the brink of disaster. We are seeing some of these very same things happening to us right now, and it’s only going to get worse unless “We the People” repent and turn our hearts back to God TODAY.

“We the People” Must Turn to God as our Founding Forefathers Once Did”

Click here to read more of the why you should pray with us on Aug 6th- why to spread the invite with others you know- and how to join in prayer Aug. 6th.

May you be humble and bold. May you be peaceful and blessed.

Thank you for spreading this invite so God can perform a mighty miracle in our day and time!

Debbra

www.GodsWordFirst.org

Given the historical dominance of thought, political and personal family habits around the  global holiday of Christmas, one might think that Pastor Sweet would accept the deeply rooted practices that are associated with the celebration of the birth of Jesus.

On the contrary.

Pastor Sweet encourages each person to look closely at the habits they follow – whether it is in daily life, or specifically, involving worldly habits.  He teaches emphatically to study history, culture and customs of life in times past to gain a stronger foundation of knowledge of the Truth of God’s Word.

Sweet says:  “The bigger the worldly tradition, the deeper you need to dig into your own personal study of the Word”.

Never to buck away from or be shy from controversial thoughts and conversation, Sweet recently taught on life and times of Bethlehem and the Middle East when Jesus was born.

He has freely shared this insightful and revealing look at the circumstances surrounding this birth.  He states “When you take the time to study the Greek in which our English Bible’s were translated from, you start to see a different picture around Christmas.  To have a fulfilling walk with God, you need to know the truth. I take the time to study, and then teach others how to do the same”

Pastor Sweet recently received some press for his revealing teaching on the Real Story of Christmas.  The press release can be found here:  The Real Story of Christmas-What the Bible Actually Says about the Birth of Christ.

Watch the full video teaching of this controversial subject here.

The traditional Christmas story goes something like this: Mary and Joseph were traveling from Nazareth to Bethlehem shortly before the birth of Jesus, our promised messiah.

The night they arrived in Bethlehem there were no rooms available in the local inns, and so Joseph and Mary had to make a place for themselves in a local stable, where Mary gave birth to Jesus and then laid him in a manger with the livestock.

The Christmas story most people are familiar with is not a pretty one. It paints a cold and selfish picture of the people of Bethlehem.

Most people of every age and culture go out of their way to help women in need, but the people of Bethlehem turned away this young woman about to give birth. Is that really the picture of the birth of Christ that the Word of God is telling us?

We will see there is a joyful picture of giving in the Christmas story that is actually written in the scriptures and how it shows the true heart of Christmas: Giving to others from a joyful heart.

The modern Christian understanding of the birth of Jesus comes largely from non-biblical works and pagan traditions merged with the Gospels, rather than the biblical record itself. Sadly, in ancient times as well as today, people seem to pay more attention to what pagans and other non-Christians people say about the Bible rather than what the Bible itself says.

Joseph and Mary’s Arrival in Bethlehem

When we read the Bible carefully, even in most English versions, we see that Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for an unspecified number of days before Mary gave birth.

Luke 2:6 (KJV)
And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

In Luke 2:6 we see that Joseph and Mary did not arrive in Bethlehem the night she gave birth, but rather many days earlier. Mary gave birth “while they [she and Joseph] were there [in Bethlehem],” and the verse specifically says “days.” When the word “days” is used in the plural in the New Testament, it always refers to “days” literally or a period of time. Had Joseph and Mary arrived the day Mary gave birth, the text would have used “day” or “hours,” not the plural “days.”

• If Joseph and Mary had been staying in Bethlehem before Jesus was born, how is it that they had not found adequate lodging?
• Why give birth in a stable and lay Jesus in a manger? Oops, the Bible never says the birth was in a stable – that is tradition.
• If for some reason Bethlehem was so totally filled with guests and visitors that no one would open their homes to Joseph and Mary, their relatives Zechariah and Elizabeth lived only a short distance away, in the hill country of Judah (Luke 1:39), and Joseph and Mary could have gone there with only a little effort. In fact, Mary had visited Elizabeth early in her pregnancy (Luke 1:40). So Joseph and Mary could have found adequate housing and care if they needed it.

Stay tuned for part 2.  God tells us to ‘Study to show thyself approved, a workman rightly dividing the Word of God needeth not be ashamed”.   When it comes to understanding one of the biggest days of the year that is celebrated all over the world, being accurate in our knowledge of what the truth behind the day really is-should be important to believers.

Blessings to you,

Pastor Daniel

www.Gods-Word-First.org

You try to fill it with good times, friends, family or work but that deep sense of emotional emptiness always seems to come back. New video reveals what that pesky empty feeling is and how to fix it forever.

How to fill that empty feeling deep inside you that won’t go away.

Have you ever heard this phrase: God will never leave you nor forsake you. It’s found in Hebrews 13:5. Have you ever leaned on that promise during times of trouble? Do you expect God to always be there for you right when you need him?

I did. But I was wrong. Want to know why? It’s a matter of arrogant perspective. Christians need to Get Off their High Horse!

If your heart is meek to God and His message in this short video.

After you watch the video, learn more here by reading the full report: http://www.gods-word-first.org/bible-…

If you wish to speak in private then please feel free to email me, Pastor Daniel Sweet at God’s Word First Christian Ministry.

Pastor Daniel Sweet

www.GodsWordFirst.org

Christian perspectives on the observance of Halloween are strongly divided.

What’s your opinion? Post your reply to this discussion on our Facebook Group Page.

Some believers feel complete freedom to observe the holiday, others run and hide from it, many boycott or ignore it, a number celebrate it through more positive and imaginative observances or Christian alternatives to Halloween, and still others choose to take advantage of Halloween’s evangelistic opportunities.

With no direct references to Halloween in the Bible, resolving the debate can be a challenge. How should Christians approach Halloween and is there a biblical way to observe this secular holiday?

Here is a historical lo0k at Halloween- that is a good read for you to help you know what is behind this day, how it came to be – so you can decide if you want to participate in the common activities associated with it.

If you want to know more about how to manifest all the power found within the Gift of Holy Spirit then watch this video. It’s a great analogy of how Holy Spirit works.

After you watch the video, feel free to share it with your friends and remember to leave a comment.

 

If you wish to speak in private then please feel free to email me, Pastor Daniel Sweet at God’s Word First Christian Ministry.

Click here to ask me anything: http://www.gods-word-first.org/askque…

BTW, in case any dirt biking motocross fans are wondering, my bike in the video is a 2004 Yamaha YZ250F with a Big Gun exhaust. NOW GO RIDE!

Your Moto Minister,

Pastor Daniel

www.GodsWordFirst.org

What’s your opinion? Post your reply to this discussion on our Facebook Group Page.

How about this question, is it okay for men to have sex with other men? Or women having sex with women? In today’s culture the dominant answer is “yes, it’s okay”. But if you asked Americans that same question 50, or even 25 years ago the answer would have been “No, it’s not okay, it’s lewd and immoral.”

50 years ago it was considered lewd and immoral for a woman to show her tummy. 100 years ago it was unheard of for a decent woman to show her ankles yet alone any other skin other than her face and hands! Now women are prancing around in public wearing g-string bikinis and the people say its okay.

So what happened?

Most Americans agree that we as a nation of diverse people have become more tolerant of difference and more loving to others. We are moving from intolerance and discrimination toward tolerance and fairness. “Let people be who they were born to be, as long as they are not hurting anyone, it’s all good” seems to be the politically correct mantra of the day.

With each new tiny socially acceptable slip in decency comes the eventual degradation of morality that is leading to the ultimate decay of our society.

Read the following article to see which side of the fence you are on. With this subject: you are either hot- or- cold. For morals – or against them. There is no middle ground.    Where do your thoughts take you- morality or immorality?

The Dangerous Road of Immorality

1. I love you.
2. I’m proud of you.
3. You’re good at ____________ (fill in the blank).

Let me add here that these things need to come from the dad’s heart and must be lived out in his life.

My parents divorced when I was about 5. My dad would sometimes come and get me on Sundays. He was and still is a very social person (liked to be the center of attention), so he knew a lot of people around town. We would go to the bowling alley, and he would say stuff like, “Here’s my pride and joy” or “meet the boss,” etc… While that should have made me feel good, it had the opposite effect because it wasn’t lived out. He didn’t do things that told me that I was his pride and joy.

If I was his pride and joy, why did I always play second fiddle to softball, golf, bowling, and dog shows? Why did he not attend my graduation from high school or either graduation from college (though in the same town where he lived)? Empty words don’t fill an empty heart. Again, we have reconciled and there has been forgiveness. I only use this as an example from my life experience.

At least twice in the book of Matthew, God gives us an example of what Robert Lewis is saying. Matthew 3:17 says, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’.” Matthew 17:5 says, “While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My Son, who I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!’”

Can you imagine having affirmation from your dad like this? Can you imagine your dad telling your closest friends: “This is my son, and I love him. Listen to him because he knows what he’s talking about. He’s really good at what he does.” I would just settle for my dad telling me that from his heart, without telling my friends…

I won’t hold my breath on that one. However, I have learned to find my significance from my Heavenly Father. I don’t have to work to impress Him. He loves me just the way I am. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t want me to stay this way. He wants me to grow, but He meets me where I am and gently guides me along. He has even given me His Holy Spirit to counsel me and to affirm me when I have pleased Him or convict me when I’ve sinned.

We should take a lesson in how to love our sons
according to how God loves us. Won’t this help
our sons to have a healthy view of who God is?

Ouch, I think I may have just hit a nerve. Many of us don’t have a healthy view of God because of how our fathers treated us, so we pass this along to our children. Men, let me encourage you to draw near to God and He will draw near to you. He will heal the hurts of the past, and make us whole.

Men, we have a choice to make. We can perpetuate the cycle or we can shut it down. Our sons can grow up confused like we have or we can teach them a different way that is found in an abiding relationship with Christ.

Let’s affirm our sons and those other boys in our lives who don’t have fathers around. Let’s let them know that we love them, are proud of them, and that they are good at something. Let’s bring honor back to the title of “Father.” Let’s honor God by teaching our sons and other boys, by example, to be men after God’s own heart. In so doing we can make a huge impact in the quality of life for our loved ones and maybe even change the course of history.

A Real Life Example:
A few years ago a group of men came together at our church to call a boy from a single parent home into manhood. We gave him gifts and told of their significance. We each wrote him a letter. We prayed for him, and each of us touched his shoulders with a sword. We told him that we loved him, that we were proud of him, and affirmed him in what he is good at. He knows that even to this day he call on any one of us. This is one young man who didn’t leave the church after high school. He still attends and serves faithfully. The growth has been phenomenal.

Once again, I’ve said more than I intended when I started out. Please, let me reiterate that I’m no expert. I’m just a dad trying to navigate the rough waters of fathering in a fallen world. I’ve had my share of failures when it comes to fathering, and I mess up daily. I’m just sharing what I’ve learned from others and from life experience. I have a little guy at home who is trying to be like me. I just want to try to be like my Father, so I can be a good example to him. Fortunately, my girls want to be like their mom, so there is still hope!!

On that note, you may be thinking, “you’ve talked a lot about sons – what about daughters?” Well, I’ve learned that little girls need something different from their dads, and I’ll have to get to that another day. We still have to set the example of being a loving father, but we speak to them in a different language. It’s called shopping… Just kidding.

By the way, if you are a woman reading this, then please feel free to pass this along to men you know. However, please do so in love, not with a “here’s what you need to fix your problem” attitude.

All praise and glory to our Heavenly Father, who loves us just the way we are! May He bless you and keep you today.

By Kevin Guffey
Posted by permission
Visit his blog at http://noguff.wordpress.com

This is God revealing to you information about the presence or non-presence of spirits. This information is usually regarded as concerning demons AKA devil spirits. But it also includes the presence or non presence of angels and of the holy spirit.

The word “Discerning” is a verb denoting action. The definition of “Discerning” is:

1. To perceive with the eyes or intellect; detect.

2. To recognize or comprehend mentally.

3. To perceive or recognize as being different or distinct; distinguish.

So another way of saying it is that you are perceiving spirits, detecting them, recognizing and mentally comprehending their presence through the Gift of Holy Spirit. Discerning of Spirits is not guesswork; it is not going on your own past experiences and it is not based on your education, your intellect or expertise in the matter.

Discerning of Spirits is very similar to another manifestation of the Gift of Holy Spirit called Word of Knowledge. Whereas Word of Knowledge is wide in its scope of information, Discerning of Spirits is very specific in its function.

Since they are so very similar, meaning that you are receiving knowledge in both of them, the question arises, “Why has God made a similar but separate and distinct manifestation just for dealing with spirits?”

The answer is because it is THAT important! It is literally about life or death. It is the most vitally important information you could possibly ever need from God in order to survive. I’m not speaking figuratively or spiritually. I’m talking about your actual physical life.

The Spirit Realm

The spirit realm existed long before the physical realm and still exists today. It is all around us. Spirits are real, they are very real. The spiritual realm is infused with the physical realm in which we live and has a deep influence on it.

These influences range from good coming from God such as the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-22, “Love, Joy, Peace, Endurance, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness and Self Control”.

And we are subjected to bad influences from the devil. What are some of these bad influences? They are pain, suffering, anger, hatred, sickness, and yes even death to name just a few. You can see this influence in nature, both in animals and in natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, fires and hurricanes. But you can see the influence on people especially well.

Ephesians 6:12, written to every Christian plainly states, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” That means we are wrestling with demonic powers.

Keep in mind that not everything that happens is because of a spiritual influence. Our planet is an active living place, and things just happen in the due course of living. However, there are times when people and/or natural events are influenced and even amplified by the spiritual realm.

How do you know the difference between normal due course and spiritual influence? With Discerning of Spirits!

Although the spiritual realm has a huge influence on the physical world, it is not easily perceived as such with the five senses. Among non believers, and unfortunately a lot of uninformed Christians, this influence is known as karma, fate, destiny or the Law of Attraction, and my favorite pet peeve “God’s Plan” among many other names.

There are way too many people in the world who dismiss this spiritual influence as trivial or even ignore it completely. That can be a very deadly mistake.

There are many different kinds of “spirits” in this world, including angels, devil spirits, and holy spirit found within Christians. All people, Christian or not, will encounter many different spirits throughout their lifetime, whether they recognizes them or not.

Through the manifestation of Discerning of Spirits, God is able to inform the Christian if a person is saved, unsaved, and if that person, thing or situation is under the influence of a devil spirit. Because of the spiritual battle that rages around all of us, the most common aspect of Discerning of Spirits is dealing with the demonic forces of this world. We are all involved in a spiritual war and Christians are behind enemy lines.

That is why God singled out Discerning if Spirits as a separate manifestation from general Word of Knowledge; because it is THAT important.

This was originally posted by Daniel Sweet from Gods Word First Ministry. I found it of great value to start to understand how to tell where influences in our life are coming from. Most people just assume that ‘oh, life’s just that way…I’ll go where ever it takes me..” That kind of thinking can be deadly!

For more insights on this subject, here’s a couple more articles to read:

What Discerning of Spirits is NOT

Casting Out Devils for Spiritual Warfare Deliverance

May your day be blessed abundantly from the one TRUE God!

Debbra Sweet

http://www.GodsWordFirst.org