Cripple Boy WALKS!

     Incredible video of a little boy walking for the first time in his life! I was fortunate enough to be there, to be able to witness him being prayed for and being healed! This is a video of a video, as I did not have my camera on me when it happened, of him being paraded in front of everyone! Praise the Lord, He is good!!

How do I really Know? #2

" ... for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
 - Romans 14:17

    In the previous 'How do I really know?' post, I expanded on how
we really know if we are saved (born-again) or not. The conclusion we came to was that if we do not know the love of God and experience His love in and through us, then we probably are not truly saved.

    Love, still being the overriding factor, is also accompanied by two other factors, which if understood, could give you and even clearer indication of your spiritual status. These are: Peace and Joy. Love, peace and joy are the first fruits of the spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. Once you are born-again and your spirit is made brand new, the fruits of the spirit are natural products of this renewed nature:

" But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control "
 - Galatians 5:22-23

    Peace can be defined as: the absence of strife or dissension. If you are born-again though, peace becomes the presence of a Person, the Holy Spirit. As a born-again believer your spirit and your mind should be free of constant uncertainty, worry or anxiety. This is only possible if we make room for the person of the Holy Spirit, in our hearts. We should have confidence in the decisions we are making and should not let that which is out of our control steal our peace. When we understand that pur salvation is not based on our works, but rather on our faith in Hisfinished work, then we will have peace in our hearts. Jesus even said in John 16:33 that, "... in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world"

    Joy, is an inward contentment, expressed as outward jubilation! When your spirit is at peace and is aware of the love of the Father towards you, it can't help but leap for joy. Joy is different to happiness, in that it is not an emotion, rather it is a reaction to the goodness of God! Joy gives us strength (Nehemiah 8:10), there is fullness of joy in His presence (Psalm 16:11) and there is joy on the day of our salvation (Psalm 57:12). If we can rejoice, even in the hard times, it is a good indication that we are convinced of the faith we have in Him! Jesus said this about His joy, "these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves" (John 17:13).

    So be encouraged, that as you experience the love of God, that you also have every right to experience His peace and joy! It is important for these three realities to work in tandem, in order for us to live out the purpose God has placed us on earth to fulfill.

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" 
- Romans 15:13

    My prayer is that by reading this and seeing what the word of God says about salvation and the born-again spirit inside of you, that you will be left under no illusions as to where you stand in your relationship with Him.