PROVING God’s will

By Jessica Cienda

 “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. ² 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.” Romans 12:1-2

So, how can we know what is His perfect will?

By aligning both our body and our soul with His word and be a living sacrifice!  We commit to God when we are reborn, but this verse says that it’s a commitment that has to be renewed by being a living sacrifice.

A living sacrifice means an all-out constant active participation in the sacrifice to reaffirm our bodily commitment to Christ. It’s not a one-time deal with our flesh because our bodies and our minds (soul) cannot be saved. Or we could probably be raptured upon receiving Christ.

AND have to renew mind through God’s word to experience God’s perfect will! This can only happen through transformation, which is our part because God cannot transform our minds, only we can.

When our minds are focused and rooted in the word we will be transformed automatically because we are filling our vessel-minds control bodies-with perfection. We will then manifest His will; we will bring what the spirit already has into the flesh.

Our spirit has everything we need because of the finished work of Christ. Colossians 2:9-10 ^“For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power”.

1 Corinthians 2:16; “We already have the mind of Christ”.

But that doesn’t mean that we use it! It is our other parts that need reminding of that! Most Christians never experience eternal life on earth because they let their mind be conformed to the world. They never tap into what their spirit already has, in a dormant state-powerless.

When you train your body and your mind on the word, it will automatically transform into what your spirit has. It is a promise that He has given to us… if you want to bring His perfect will into your physical life; verses 1+2 are the formula.

His will is that we prove this verse: John 14:12 ^“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”.

We will do them when we renew our minds and become living sacrifices to participate in what the word says. So many times we limit God’s will because we control the situation with our thinking and not the mind of Christ.

Proverbs 23:7 ^“for as he thinks in his heart, so is he.”

The verse in Proverbs tells just how powerful our thinking is. Change thinking (get rid of “stinking thinking”!) If you didn’t read God’s word that says it is His will that none should perish, or that Jesus bore all our infirmities and by His stripes we were healed… you would not know what His will is. Can’t believe truth if you don’t know it! Feed on the word, feast on it.

The added benefit of being a living sacrifice is that we get to experience heaven on earth. In the Lord’s Prayer Jesus says

Matt 6:8-9 “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one”.

If His word says that we should pray that things on earth be the same as things in heaven, we can set our mind on those things because we know it’s His will.

Isaiah 26:3 ^“you will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you”.

John 10:10 ^“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly”

Romans 10:10 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”.

Last thought…

God only wants us to be a living sacrifice, because that means we are completely given to Him.

• Everything else was already done the moment Jesus said “It is finished”.
• He doesn’t need our prayers
• He doesn’t need our genius intellect
• He doesn’t need our money
• He doesn’t need our great ministry

When he has us as a living sacrifice, he gets all of us! (The good news is we already have all of Him)

It takes faith and patience to see the promises of God manifested in our life.

“For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.For when God made a Promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and
multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise”. Hebrews 6:10-15.

What is the difference between Faith and Patience?

At first glance, faith and patience are almost the same thing. Indeed they are the same in essence and in functions.

The word “FAITH” as used in the Bible means “to act upon the word of God”.Luke 5:5.Faith is an action word.it is not a mental ascent or a nodding of the head.

Patience on the other hand is faith observed (kept) for a long time. Like a farmer would plant a seed in the field. He has by faith in his seed. He will also wait patiently before enjoying a full harvest. Weeks may and will go by without any physical sign of that seed growing; but the farmer has confidence that his seed is growing. James 5:7.

To be patient  means that you are  hanging  on to faith regardless of time and natural circumstances.it may take you an hour, a day, a month or a lifetime before you actually see the manifestation of the promise of God. But you know that God will fulfill his promise in your life. Habakkuk 2:1-3

Romans 10:17 tells us that biblical faith comes from hearing the word of God.  Faith also brings joy and excitement in the heart of the believer. Acts 13:48-49.but the bible teaches that the promises of God often take time before they are materialized. This doesn’t mean that God is running late or that he is behind his schedule; usually the promises of God take time to allow the believer to mature and become ready for proper management of the blessings of God.

Most people tend to give up and get discouraged because of the time it takes to see the actualization of the promises of God. I have seen people give up on their faith because healing was taking forever to be manifested in their bodies. I remember a sad story of a lady in my home town. She was very committed to the Lord and was an example of purity and devotion for most of us. The Lord had blessed her with musical talents and favor with the media. Even secular radio stations played her songs constantly. But because of her age and physical appearances, she gave up on her faith for marriage and ended up marrying an unbeliever. A
couple years after her marriage, the shocking news hit the town. Her husband was a wanted hardcore criminal.

In Luke 22:32, Jesus prayed that Simon Peter’s faith would not fail. This verse implies that there is a possibility to let go of faith and walk away in discouragement from the promises of God.it is at this point that patience becomes very crucial in our life. Patience says that even though it has been too long since I received the promise, I will still wait upon the Lord. Isaiah 40:31.

Lack of patience is a very dangerous thing.it has the power to alter the course of our life and hurt our families, friends or even our circle of influence.  1 Samuel 13:8-15 shows us how King Saul gave up on faith and became impatient. He compromised his destiny and the destiny of his descendants. His lack of patience robbed Israel the opportunity to have a supernatural victory over the philistines. If Saul
had waited just for a few hours, His dynasty would have been the only dynasty in Israel. History would have been different. Because of impatience Saul violated his office and gave a sacrifice to the Lord out of disobedience.

at new birth,the Holy Spirit plaecs the seed of patience in the heart of every born again believer. Galatians 5:22.-23.We don’t have to ask God to give us patience. We’ve already got it. We simply need to put it to work.James 1:4.

I encourage you to remain patient because the promises of God will come to pass in your life.

Written by Eddy Cienda

For springs of Life Ministries.

Teaching Notes from Jessica’s latest message; Seated with Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our fleshand following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath.  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.  For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—  not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

V 4 BUT!

            1 Alive in righteousness

            2 Follow ways of Jesus-ruler of our hearts-obedient, His spirit at work in us

            3 Deny flesh-follow spirit desires & mind of Christ, FREE from wrath! 

V 4&5 God was motivated by Love, v6 is the outcome 

-Resurrection-Christ is seated at right hand of God.

Ephesians 1:20-22  “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way”. 

-Not only are we restored to right relationship w/God (reverse the curse) goes beyond walking in the garden

-Raised/quickened-accomplished in Christ-already took place, past tense

-Location & position of authority

-“Newness of life” KJV Rom 6:4  “ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life”. 

-Old testament priests-never sat down. God never told them to build furniture or chairs to have in the holy place- Hebrews 10:12-14:“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy”.  ONE SACRIFICE FOREVER!!!!!

-Operate from a place of rest. He reigns from a seated position, because of the “finished work of Christ”.

 Rom 5:17 “ For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

-God’s word is true, I’m only saying what His word says-so if you believe it you are a part of it!

-Exercise & demonstrate & proclaim w/mouths our authority –preaching the gospel, healing the sick, casting out

Demons. Acts 4:30, Luke 5:24

-Dependent on Him. He is seated; we are seated “in” Him.

Reign-“baileuo” basilica (court of law). It’s a judicial and kingly rule

-Participate in His work by doing same things He did and more. John 14:12 ^“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father”. Zechariah 4:6 ^“So he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

Jessica Cienda

Springsoflifeministries;Bend Oregon 2011.

John 3:16 is perhaps the most quoted and memorized scripture of the Bible. It reveals the purpose that Jesus came to fulfill in this world. Let us read it and define the mission of Jesus in the world. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”.

Jesus came in the world to give eternal life to whoever believes in him. This is very amazing. Jesus did not come to die for the world, or to take the righteous ones to heaven. He simply came to give eternal life. it is true that He died for our sins and that He will take us to heaven, but that was not his primary mission in the world. He died  on the cross  and spent three days and nights in the grave because that was the only way He could deal with our sin problem. But he did not come in the world to be tortured. John 3:16 says that He came to give eternal life.

It is saddening to know that many people have tried to make big philosophies out the mission of Jesus in the world. Why not just accept what Jesus himself said about the purpose of his coming in the world? He came to give eternal life. Further in John 10:10, He repeated the same word; “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly”.

The main question should be “what is eternal life”?  The bible gives us a good definition of eternal life. John 17:3; “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent”. Eternal life is to “Know” God.

Notice that eternal life doesn’t mean “Living forever in heaven”. It doesn’t also mean “Dying peacefully”. Eternal life is “to know God”. To know God is not a mental ascent. It is not an intellectual knowledge of religion or theological terminologies. To know is to be intimate. Like Genesis 4:1 tells us that; Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the LORD.” when Adam knew Eve, life was released in the womb of Eve.to know God is to become intimate with Him so that His life, gets released in your spirit. It means to become one with Him.to be one Spirit with Him.to become a partaker of his nature. “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust”.2 Peter 1:3-4

Jesus came to give us the ability to be intimate with God; the ability to become one Spirit with God. He came to give us the ability to live the “God kind of life”. If you have received eternal life, you are more than just a “Human being”. You are a son of God in a human body.one third of you is 100 percent God. You are no longer a wretched sinner saved by grace. You are now a new creature, a new specie. 2 Thessalonians 5:17.

Romans 6:23 tells us that Eternal life is a Gift of God. If you have never received eternal life, you can open your heart today and simply believe that Jesus rose from the dead; then with mouth confess that faith. Because Jesus rose from the dead, he is alive today. He is lord over death and Satan. He is the Son of God. Romans 10:9 declares that by confessing with your mouth that Jesus is the Son of God, and by believing in your heart that He rose from the dead, you have received eternal life.

Praise the Lord.

 Written by Eddy Cienda

for springsoflifeministries

GO AND SIN NO MORE

(The power to overcome sins and addictions)

“But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.  Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” John 8:1-11

Most Christians who struggle with certain sinful behavior have a hard time overcoming them because they keep trying harder and harder to overcome them with their own personal efforts.The case of this adulteress woman sums up the message of the New Testament concerning overcoming addictions, personal struggles with certain sins, and walking in victory forever.This woman was struggling with immorality; the Pharisees caught her in the act and determined to stone her to death.Jesus did not Condon her actions or pleaded with her accusers to give her a second chance. He did not even counsel her like most religious people would. He didn’t do a background search on her to identify the incident in her past that caused this immorality. But he demonstrated the true nature of God for all sinners. Notice that the woman did not even plead with Jesus to rescue her. She was convinced of her sins and knew she deserved to die for it.let’s see how Jesus demonstrated the true nature of God in this case:

1, He saved her from the wrath of her accusers.

The biblical term for this action is: JUSTIFICATION. It means; to find worth inside a worthless person. To look at a miserable sinner through the lens of God’s love and grace. Romans 8:33-34.Jesus loved her in spite of her sins; He did not approve of her actions. He found her worth saving. Not because she was helpless, not because she cried and repented and begged him with tears. But because of His grace: Ephesians 2:8; Romans 5:8

2. He separated her from her accuser.

He bowed his head and wrote on the ground; then spoke to her accusers. His words were simple but yet strong that they caused her accusers to drop their stones andgo away in defeat . He fought her battle with the power of his words.He was her attorney in that minute. She kept quiet and beheld the deliverance of the Lord.

3. He delivered her from her guilty conscious.

She knew she was guilty and deserved to die. She was covered in shame and fear. Even though her accusers had left her, she still knew that Jesus respected the Law of Moses. Everybody called Him “Rabbi”. He still had the option to stone her to death. Though the accusers had left, she still faced the possibility of death. But he spoke grace over her. He did not condemn her; he was not upset with her; he still wanted to talk to her; but with love and grace. John 3:17. The biblical term for this action is: RIGHTEOUSNESS. It means; the ability to stand before the Lord without guilt, fear or shame

4. He empowered her.

When she left the temple that day, she was reminded that his love for her has given her power to overcome her sinful life. She didn’t have to go and explain herself to people to find their approval. She went home to live a new life from because his love gave her liberty and victory over sins. Romans 6:1-2; Galatians 5:1.

Many people still struggle with sin; they fear that someone may expose their filthy acts in public. I know many people who live with all kinds of guilt and shame because of their inability to overcome certain addictions. Some will even attend accountability groups and try to find the recipe to overcome sins. But John 8:1-11 shows us that the love of God is more than enough to liberate from sins. You just have to realize that the son of God took your place on the cross and died for you to be reconciled with the Lord. You don’t have to cry and plead to be forgiven. You just have to receive the forgiveness of your sins and refuse to live with guilt and shame.

Walk in the freedom that Jesus has given you. Now that you know that He doesn’t not condemn you, He is not mad at you, Go and sin no more.

Written by: Eddy Cienda

springsoflifeministries.org

Bend, Oregon

   Since 2009,I have been asked so many questions about the world ending between December 12th 2012 and December 31st 2012.The main source of this information is “The Mayan Calendar”.  It’s all over the internet and  television.Wealthy people have purchased bunkers around the world to be sheltered on that “Fatefull Month” of December 2012.

   My answer comes from Matthew 24:36: No one knows the day or the hour. December 2012 WILL NOT usher-in some catastrophe or Harmageddon as feared by millions around the world.If the words of Christ means anything to you,then you should not be preoccupied with December 2012.

   Since when did the Mayan calendar become the absolute authority of Christian faith?  Our master Himself said these words; “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only “.Matthew 24:36.(New King James version) And In Acts 1:6-7,it is written “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (New King James Vesion) This should end the story.Instead of getting concerned and perplexed aabout December 2012 or any other dates, get back in the Word of God and find out what God says about you today.Acts 1:8 makes it clear that we should feed on the power of the Holy Spirit and take the good news of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.Alleluia!

    How about feeding on God’s unconditional love and mercy today! how about sharing God’s unconditional love and grace with those who have offended you! How about thanking God about the finished work of Christ on the cross? how about rejoicing because the comforter (Holy Spirit) lives in you?

Don’t allow the speculations of men to shake your faith.

Praise the Lord!

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