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The Wonderful Holy Spirit: The Best Prayer Partner You Could Ever Have

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

The Best Prayer Partner You Could Ever Have: The Holy Spirit

Do you have regular conversations with the wonderful Holy Spirit? Did you know that when you dialogue with Him, He is dialoguing with Christ?

So, when you talk to Him, He is talking to King Jesus, and the words He tells you are fresh words from heaven. John 16:13 says, “But when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own authority. But He will speak whatever He hears, and He will tell you things that are to come.”

When you have Jesus in your life, you can hear from God and receive fresh words from heaven. God loves you, and He wants to talk to you. He spoke to Moses as a friend, according to Exodus 33:11, under the old covenant, when the presence and anointing of the Spirit were limited to a select few. But we are living under the new covenant, where the Spirit is given without measure (John 3:34).

Your access to hearing from God is unlimited because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross. Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

There are times in our lives when we feel tired or exhausted and don’t know what to pray. But, even in these times, we can hear from Him. If you are in a time of need, running on empty spiritually, and you are unable to see the long-term fruit of your work, prayers, and ministry, I want to encourage you to know that your prayer partner, the Holy Spirit, prays for you.

Romans 8:26-27 says, “The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” This is exciting. The Spirit prays God’s will for you.

The New Testament was written in Koine Greek, and when Romans 8:26a says, “The Spirit helps us in our weaknesses,” one of the words is συναντιλαμβάνομαι (“sunantilambanomai”). It means, “to take hold of with someone, to support, to help, aid,” (William D. Mounce’s Analytical Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, page 433).

The precious Holy Spirit comes to your aid, and He takes hold of you. Pulling you up out of the discouragement, out of the despair or depression, and intercedes for you. And then He will give you words straight from heaven, strengthening you as He leads you further into His truth in Scripture. You cannot fail when you rely on the best prayer partner in the universe. He is interceding for you, and all you need to do is talk to Him.

Here are three steps for you to receive the Spirit’s help and hear fresh words from heaven:

1. Surrender to the Spirit of God.

When we surrender to the Spirit, we are walking in the Spirit as Gal. 5:16 says, “I say then, walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” Tell Him you yield and surrender to Him. Be excited approaching Him.

2. Seek Him by asking Him questions and write down the words He speaks.

Be like the prophets and authors of Scripture. According to 1 Peter 1:10b-11, “inquired and searched diligently, seeking the events and time the Spirit of Christ, who was within them, signified when He foretold the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.”

3. Search out what He says.

Ask for Scripture references, and when He whispers them to you, look them up in your Bible. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.”

If you follow these three steps, you will have great conversations with Him. And as you talk to Him, write these things down and make a quick reference to them. When you look back on your journals, you can revisit these amazing times in His presence. Encouraging fresh words from heaven are yours!

This is the first article in the Wonderful Holy Spirit series.

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Dream
Faith

4 Keys To Develop Your Dream Language

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

Do you ever have spiritual dreams that stay on your mind throughout the day or week? Do you ever not know what to do about the dream or how to interpret it? Every dream you receive from God is a blessing and should draw you closer to Him. Dream interpretation is a great adventure between you and Him and should be approached with wonder, awe, and love.

On the Day of Pentecost, the disciples of Jesus were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Peter quoted the prophet Joel in Acts 2:17-18, saying, “‘In the last days it shall be,’ says God, ‘that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even on My menservants and maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they shall prophesy.'” This means that the outpouring and gifts of the Holy Spirit are for everyone who “calls on the name of the Lord” (Acts 2:21). Spiritual dreams are included in the great outpouring of the Spirit we are living in today since Pentecost.

The Holy Spirit

God gave dreams throughout scripture. One of the most notable stories we can learn much from concerning dreams in the Old Testament is that of Joseph. His story is recorded in Genesis 37 and 39-50. In Genesis 37:5-8 he shared his first dream with his brothers. This dream was highly symbolic, but its interpretation was easily discernible. They quickly understood the meaning and “hated him even more” (Gen. 37:5b).

From this passage of Scripture in Genesis, we learn that sometimes we make dream interpretation more difficult than it is. The meaning may be understood quickly. We also learn that we must be sensitive to who, when, where and how we tell the dream. James 1:5 says we are to ask God for wisdom even when we face trials and tribulations. Wisdom is necessary to knowing and understanding spiritual dreams even if our faith is being tested.

We should realize that dream interpretation can be easy as we rely on the Spirit and scripture. You can also develop your own dream language dictionary for the dreams He gives you. This can help aid you in their interpretation.

According to Psalm 119:105 Scripture is “a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Being mindful of this, here are several ways for interpreting dreams:

Waking from a spiritual dream, I will write it down in my journal. If I don’t immediately know a Scripture reference related to it, then I will look in a Bible concordance for verses referencing the symbols or topic. After this I’ll look in a Bible dictionary for the topic or theme’s definition. Being prayerful I’ll ask the Holy Spirit to highlight what He is wanting to communicate.

I will also take into consideration that some symbols do not appear in Scripture. For example, a car or microwave is not in the Bible. And the car may represent ministry or your career. Or it implies you are going to a destination or that you are in motion, en route or driving in God’s will. But the Holy Spirit will give the interpretation in time as you search for the meanings from Him, celebrating His revelation.

Becoming more acquainted with the Spirit and Scripture you can develop your own dream language. You should not rely on someone else’s interpretation or revelation. The symbols, signs, and metaphors the Spirit shows you may mean something different to someone else. However, there are also multiple scriptural meanings depending on the context.

Dream interpretation

Also, the symbols, metaphors, and analogies God showed you in one dream may have a different meaning and interpretation in another. Each dream is unique and special. God wants to have friendship with you, giving you dreams and their interpretation. Below are four keys on how to develop your dream language:

1. Relying on the Holy Spirit. Out of your communion and fellowship with Him He will give you more insight on dreams and their interpretation. And talk to the Holy Spirit about it because the interpretation can be immediate or take a few days or weeks. But you are to remain faithful in dialoguing with Him.

2. Referring to Scripture. The more you know the Scriptures, the easier it is for you to receive the interpretations. You are to be faithful in the reading and study of Scripture. And your spiritual growth will increase immensely as you develop this great spiritual habit.

3. Recording each dream and interpretation. Writing down your dreams, you can also build your personal dream dictionary (along with Bible references) for future use. And be open and available to personal revelation for each dream from Him.

4. Reviewing every dream. On occasion, go back to your journals, looking over your dreams and interpretations and always thanking God for talking to you.

Keeping these four keys in mind as you continue to grow and set your affections on Him, your dream language will grow as He rewards your faithfulness (Proverbs 3:3-4).

This article was written by Jared Laskey of Fireborn Ministries. Jared resides in Virginia Beach, Virginia and lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also the co-author of Veronica’s Hero.

 

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Faith

How God Uses His Angels For Deliverance

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

The ministry of angels

The ministry of angels is evident throughout Scripture, which says angels are “ministering spirits sent out to minister to those who will inherit salvation” (Hebrews 1:14). As Christians, we should rejoice like the angels when people give their lives to Him and appreciate that there are “innumerable” angels in heaven, and each has an assignment from God (Hebrews 12:22).

Some angels stand in the presence of God at all times (Revelation 8:2), while others protect the children of God (Psalm 91:11). Some have participated in physical battles on earth as 2 Kings 19:35 illustrates. Angels were used by God in slaying the Assyrian army. Daniel 10 records the angel that went to Daniel to tell him of his answered prayers during his fast. This angel fought a battle in the heavens, being reinforced by Michael the archangel to go to Daniel revealing future events.

God used angels to close the mouth of the lions and wage spiritual warfare in the heavens. They can attend to our aid as they did Elijah in 1 Kings 19:5-8 and Jesus in Matthew 4:11 and Luke 23:43.

Angels in deliverance ministry

Angels can also help during deliverance ministry. I became aware of this once while I was in the middle of a deliverance session for a young woman who claimed to be a Satanist. We used every spiritual weapon we could such as praise, worship and scripture as we took authority over each evil spirit.

As we prayed for her, I prophetically knew the sin she needed to repent of. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was evident, and I was aware of what He was doing as well as the angelic realm around us during this spiritual battle.

Leading her in renouncing each sin, we cast the spirits out one by one. But at a certain point, a demon started mocking us and I asked the Lord to have His angels silence and deal with this spirit, and it immediately stopped. This young woman gave her life to Jesus and then received the wonderful baptism of the Holy Spirit that night!

Angelic breakthrough

Another time I was aware of angels and their ministry during a service in which I was about to preach. A young man stomped out of the room during worship. A concerned staff member followed him and then came to get me. This young man was agitated during worship, showing threatening behavior. At first I asked if I could pray with him. But the boldness of God fell on me and I commanded him to return to the service.

At the end of the service, the young man came up to us. Written on his hand were three names combining as one. He said this came to him during the message. My staff member and I immediately knew this name was demonic. Under the anointing of the Spirit we started praying over him. He crumpled to the floor as the demons fought for control.

We led him in repentance and renunciation. And we asked the Lord to have His angels intervene during several points of the deliverance.

At one point, the young man had a childlike voice speak out of him asking for help. After being completely set free we were instructing him on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He then gloriously received the infilling with the Spirit!

After this he got up, sharing with us a vision of how he saw himself like a little child in a dark room. But a door opened and Jesus walked in bringing light to every corner of the room. All he remembered was the vision and receiving the Holy Spirit. It was truly amazing to see what Jesus did. And to be aware of the ministry of His angels during this spiritual battle under the anointing of the marvelous Holy Spirit.

We can take joy in knowing that angels can help during deliverance ministry. At the great End-Time harvest God will be using angels! They will “gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who do evil and will throw them into a fiery furnace.” (Matthew 13:41-42).

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Anne Frank
Articles

What Anne Frank Can Teach the Modern Church

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

What Can Anne Frank Teach Today’s Church?

My family and I recently visited the Anne Frank House and Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was very sobering for me to walk through the Secret Annex. I had read The Diary of Anne Frank several times in middle school, but to visit the warehouse where her family was hiding brought a flood of emotions. It shows the indomitable human spirit to do whatever it takes to survive and overcome, but it also reveals the savagery that humanity can show toward others.

During the tour, one can look up into the attic where Anne and the others in hiding would go look out at the city. Not too far from this location is the Westerkerk church. I couldn’t help but wonder what, if anything, the Christian church did to help her family? In her diary, Anne Frank mentions how the clock tolls from the church were comforting to her. She said, “I liked it from the start; it sounded so reassuring, especially at night.” But besides the reassuring sound of bells chiming, where was the church during these perilous times to feed, clothe and rescue her friends and family?

There is a sign at the Anne Frank House that says, “Silence is acceptance.” This struck me deeply, as some places in our world are seemingly on the verge of chaos. Christians are being martyred in the Middle East, children are struggling for air as their government is using chemical weapons on them. Rioting and racial tension are running rampant.

At the United States Holocaust Museum, there is a quote by Martin Niemoller, a German pastor during World War II. He said, “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. When they came for the Jews, I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. And then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me.” I can’t help but ask if the Church today would speak up or remain silent?

Every Christian should know that God created mankind in His image, according to Genesis 1:27. This means that every person has value. When we are in Christ, we are reflecting Him to the world as we are transforming into His likeness according to 2 Corinthians 3:18. This is accomplished by the Holy Spirit.

Human Value

Every human being has priceless value as God formed each of us in our mother’s womb (Ps. 139:13). Just meditating on how intricately and beautifully He made us should draw us to prayer. But it should be motivating us to make sure no one is being treated unfairly. The Church should be at the forefront of loving everyone and speaking out against injustice and cruelty.

I think that we are guilty of being silent and that many Christians lack the courage the disciples of Jesus had after Pentecost. We are silent when we see the images of poverty from the slums of India. And we are silent by the image of the young girl posting pictures of her scars from cutting. An image of a child suffering in a war is alongside a picture of what someone just ate for dinner. And we keep scrolling.

Horrendous events and images no longer stop us in our tracks as we continue to scroll through our social media feed. Overloading our senses with images of where our friends are. Our society is over-informed but unmoving to act.

We have the convenience to close out our app and go on with our lives, unchanged in the moment. During World War II, groups of people were mocking, ridiculing and beating people in public, and others just kept walking by. In the 1800s, some people preached the gospel but bartered for slaves. This is tragic and should never happen again, but we are guilty of the same.

If you saw someone bullying someone else on social media, would you speak up or keep scrolling? Or if you witnessed a fight in public, would you call the police? Would you record it hoping that it goes “viral” on your YouTube channel? Or do you yell at the police for doing their job?

Again, when we are silent, we are accepting it, and by accepting it, we are allowing it to get worse.

What the world needs is a heart change. This can only come about by a real and authentic encounter with the risen Lord. As friends of God, we are to spread His love to all people and carry His kingdom everywhere we go. We need the courage that the apostles had after Pentecost.  It is an empowerment to expand the kingdom of God on Earth.

The Lord’s Prayer says, “Your kingdom come; Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10). When we share the love of Christ and His message of hope, the Spirit draws people to Jesus. Hearts are transforming. And as we walk in the authority He has given us, we are participating with Him to bring heaven to earth.

The positive news is that by His Spirit, culture is changing for His glory. And we must do whatever it takes to help a hurting world, showing love and dignity to all people.

The church is the light of the world and should expose the darkness. It must not be silent when things are wrong. The Bible is our source of truth as the Spirit of God empowers us to be courageous. We are always to be speaking up to save lives. Seeing culture transformed as the kingdom of God comes to earth through us. We must reveal God’s love to every human being, speaking life and destiny to them. Empowering them to see how much God treasures them.

 

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Faith

The Wonderful Holy Spirit: 5 Things to Do After The Anointing Lifts

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

Burning Out After Moving in the Anointing

Burnout can happen to any of us. It can happen in a moment, after pushing ourselves beyond our limits and not allowing ourselves time to rest. There are leaders around the world in every vocation who were rising stars, but then burned out. Some disappear for long seasons, returning wiser and smarter, while others will never be seen or heard from again.

Within the Christian church world burnout happens far too often. But we have built a culture that relies on the “man” or “woman of God.” The demands we place on them are too much for any one person to handle, but the leader keeps pushing. To meet the needs they start cutting corners.

The anointing may be evident, but preaching and applying scriptural truth starts slipping in their lives. And their daily time with God is being substituted in meeting the needs of others, while everything inside them is dying. Due to not spending enough time recharging on the Word of God, they can fall into error, doing more damage to the Kingdom of God.

Insights on When the Anointing Lifts

1 Kings 18 and 19 gives us insight on when the anointing lifts. Elijah was a prophet of God that burned out. He proved that Yahweh was the One True God and that Baal was a false god. God had answered Elijah’s prayer by sending fire on the sacrifice. An astonished populace repented as they witnessed what God did on Mount Carmel. This was one of the most profound power encounters in the Bible.

The anointing had lifted, and Elijah found himself emptied. And then Queen Jezebel threatened him. Instead of stopping to rest in the victory God provided, Elijah ran away in terror when he received the Queen’s message. Instead of relying on the Word and shrugging off her words, he went into hiding wanting to die.

The Anointing is Exciting, But There’s a Catch

We need to learn from Elijah’s story and set boundaries in place in our ministries after the anointing lifts. It is exciting to minister under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, bringing glory to Jesus. Seeing lives changed and transformed; healings, deliverance and prophetic words, speaking destiny to precious people. But even when we are operating under the anointing, our endorphins are activating also. And if we keep pushing ourselves, not taking time to rest adrenal fatigue can set in.

After we have been pouring ourselves out, we need to receiving a filling again. We will be no good to anyone when we are empty. Our personal spiritual batteries need to keep recharging.

5 Truths To Apply When the Anointing Lifts

  1. Rest in Jesus while taking necessary time for your body to recuperate. Jesus is our Sabbath and we need to rest in Him (Hebrews 4:9-11). My favorite way to rest in Jesus is to spend time with Him and my family at the beach with little to no agenda.
  2. Ask the Spirit of God to fill you up again. And Ephesians 5:18 says, “Do not be drunk with wine, for that is reckless living. But be filled with the Spirit.” This filling is a command to obey and an incredible blessing.
  3. Meditate on Scripture. Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue, and if there is any praise, think on these things.” Maintain your memorization, study and application of Scripture.
  4. Work on new teaching content so that you bring a fresh word to the next place you will minister at. Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” It will never fail you and will guide you into treasures of truth to share with others.
  5. Return to your ministry in the power of the Spirit and don’t do it alone. Have an apprentice in place who can help you and carry on your ministry (2 Timothy 2:2).

After the anointing lifts and you are applying these truths to your life, once you are filled up again, you are to pour out what God has given you. You are to burn bright for the gospel and not burn-out. Operating under His anointing is a great responsibility and is not to be taken lightly. And it is for His glory and fame, in Jesus Name.

This is the fifth article in the Wonderful Holy Spirit series.

 

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Articles

Dangerous Warning Signs of Soulish Prayer Warriors

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

Katie* was energetic and enthusiastic, encouraging countless people over the years. She had helped so many in her life of 43 years, serving as a nurse and Christian ministry director for a homeless and jail chaplaincy ministry. Her health took a turn for the worse, and she was hospitalized where I had the opportunity to pray with her friends and family and read scripture to her. They thanked me for taking the time and ministering to their needs and to her. They appreciated that I was her friend and pastor in the six months I knew her.

Going Rogue

Katie slipped into a coma and was given only days to live. I was later told that a small group of people met her mother outside the hospital, convincing her they were “special” Christians and making promises that God would hear their prayers for Katie. They entered the ICU and prayed over her. But then they started binding, rebuking and “casting out” demons. They called for Katie to “rise up,” getting in her face, with one lady taking oil and trying to anoint parts of Katie’s body that were covered up, but to no avail. The louder they prayed, the more they worked up a sweat and became more aggressive. When the mother asked them to calm down, they retorted, “We will not be silenced!”

Due to their behavior, which upset the friends and immediate family members as well as other patients in the ward, the ICU nurses forced this prayer group to leave. Katie’s mother dismissed them as a “cult,” as their actions proved something was amiss.

There is Fallout to Not Submitting to Rules and Regulations

This sort of behavior gives us charismatic Christians a bad name and can ruin our witness. What may have taken years of seed-planting can be destroyed in an instant due to the careless and insensitive actions of a zealous few. Doctors and nurses have bedside manners for patients, and so should we.

Does God heal? Yes. Do we want to see Him heal? Absolutely. But we need to think of how we come across to people in various circumstances. The ICU is a place for medical healing, not for aggressive warfare prayer that upsets the patients’ peace and rest. Warfare prayer is for another time and place. But the hospital is a place where Christians can minister through prayer, actively listening to family members while reading scripture over those admitted. If a demonic entity is truly discerned, screaming and yelling is not necessary. That may assuage your peace of mind, but it scares everyone else.

There is Power in Prayer, and You Don’t Need to be Crazy About it

Did you know your prayers are just as powerful when done quietly and modestly because of Jesus’ authority? His name alone has power. And He commanded demons and diseases to leave by a word (see Matt. 8:16). He forgave sins and healed the whole person (Mark 2:1-12). Jesus never hunted for demons, but instead, He cast demons out quickly when they revealed themselves. He didn’t manipulate his way to go pray for the dying, and neither should we. He was invited into homes to pray for people and to the places where the sick lay.

If we are zealous for God, walking in the anointing, we don’t dodge nurses and sneak into rooms. Doing this only frustrates the staff by breaking the rules, revealing our lack of submission to the authorities, which is sinful. If we strong-arm people to pray for the sick, we have honestly made it more difficult for doctors and nurses to do their jobs. And we can contaminate the work space.

If we are called to pray over the sick, then God will make a way. That is usually through relationship and an invitation. It is not through claiming we are “special” or that our prayers are heard better than other people’s. It is not through manipulating hurting people to go pray and sneaking our way in, which may make us feel like secret agents. That is pride and arrogance on display. And it maligns the expansion of the kingdom of God. You are an ambassador of Christ who is to walk in integrity and obedience to God and the rules set in place.

Katie slipped into eternity with her closest friends and family by her side. Thankfully, her family were Christians who dismissed the actions of the zealous small group that had put on a show. I can only imagine the kind of damage done if her family didn’t believe in Jesus.

Prayer Warriors Also Need Hospital Etiquette

The only winners in this scenario would be the “prayer warriors,” who walked off thinking they did something good when people’s eternity weighed in the balance. Realistically, they hurt the kingdom of God for the family, patients and hospital staff as their behavior was arrogant and insensitive, lacking true compassion. In situations like this, Christians should abide by hospital etiquette but are also to:

1. Have compassion for people, as Jesus did.

2. Know that the hospital is never a place for aggressive prayer but for sensitive prayers that address the needs of those present. Pray for the doctors, nurses, friends and family and for everyone to have peace of mind. Pray for healing, which can come miraculously or through medicine.

3. Read the scripture with those present and, if they have any questions, answer them to the best of your ability. But if you don’t know the answer, be transparent and say you don’t know but will try to discover it.

4. Be calm while showing courageous strength, directing people to the great Healer and Physician.

Let’s show everyone we have faith but also the best hospital etiquette. Let’s not be rogue prayer warriors who malign the kingdom.

* Name changed to protect the identity of the patient and family

 

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Faith

The Glory of Jesus in Las Vegas: An Encounter With the Risen Lord

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

Addiction to drugs plagued me as a teenager. Then, in 1999 I became a student at the Youth With A Mission School of Ministry in Los Angeles. Although I had been sober for eight months, I still felt a craving for drugs, so I would throw myself into God’s presence, wanting the desires to be taken away.

I often asked for prayer from other students, especially a small group of fellow intercessors and worshipers including close friends Jeremy and Maria Lautt. We had prayed and worshipped at numerous locations throughout Los Angeles and Orange County and had seen the Lord move.

Our little group was adventurous, wanting to see new sites, but we also sensed that we were to pray over the city of Las Vegas from the Stratosphere, a hotel, casino, and tower. (The Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the USA). Before we left on our trip I was praying again about the craving I still struggled with and had a vision of dragons. I didn’t know what it meant at the time, but I had faith that the Lord would show me the meaning.

Viva Las Vegas

Once in Las Vegas we saw many of the sights and shopping areas. We prayed together a lot and Jesus filled us with joy. On the first day, led by the Spirit, we experienced several instances when we got to share our faith. However, a heavy burden began overwhelming us throughout the second day of that weekend. Jeremy was the first to receive the burden for Las Vegas as he began the day with quiet time before the Lord. He wept for the lost and wayward souls we had seen around the casinos.

We all sensed the unseen spiritual realm surrounding us and began to feel demonic oppression as we found ourselves in front of the Brahma Shrine, a replica of one of Thailand’s most popular Buddhist shrines. Each of us had faced spiritual warfare together on short-term mission trips to India with its numerous shrines and idols, but seeing this idol in the USA grieved our spirits.

As evening approached, the streets got busier and dirtier. People were losing their inhibitions as they were partying all hours of the day. There was a point where our little group began to feel hopeless, as if our prayers were bouncing off a brass ceiling. We began to weep for the city – its people, its visitors, and workers. We knew they were loved by God, but we saw no one sharing their faith. Instead of street preachers, we saw men passing out advertisements for call girls. I felt like my prayers were not going to be answered. Despair started to overcome me.

Our motel was near the base of the Stratosphere. We started making plans to go up in the tower to pray for the city the next day. That evening, May 15, 1999, we decided to pray to end the day, unaware of what God was about to do.

The Glory of the Lord

While praying, I felt like I was to plead the blood of Jesus over the city. Similar to the Apostle John’s encounter in Revelation 1:10, I began experiencing being “in the Spirit.” Maria had a vision of several dragons. She told Jeremy to play the guitar and lead worship over me. I was aware of what the group was doing, but I was immersing in the power and presence of God. In the Holy Spirit, I found myself in a cloud that I instinctively knew was the Shekinah glory of God.

Then I saw Jesus come to me. He was glorious and holy and the presence of God was all consuming. It reminded me of Revelation 1:12-17: ‘I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks, and in the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like a Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and with a golden sash wrapped around the chest. The hair on His head was white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters. He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. His appearance was like the sun shining brightly.”

Jesus’ face was the brightest light I had ever seen, brighter than the sun. Looking into His eyes, I felt incredible amounts of love emanating from Him. Waves of power and love surged through me. Holiness permeated everything. Jesus’ arms were opening wide to me. Words cannot describe the power and majesty I sensed.

As He neared me I felt as if I were about to die because He was so holy. Then a crown appeared in His right hand and He placed it on my head. I felt so undeserving, seeing Him in His glory. I understood what the Apostle John meant when he said, “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though I were dead. Then He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last’” (Revelation 1:17). I also knew what Isaiah meant when he was encountering the Lord in His glory, “Woe is me! For I am undone….For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” (Isaiah 6:5).

Journal Recording About that Night

I recorded this encounter in a prayer journal: “I cannot explain it, but I saw the glory of the Lord, His arms open to me, as He gave me a crown. The others were praying over me as this was taking place. We had all kinds of manifestations of the Spirit.”

After Jesus placed the crown on my head, I felt like dragon scales were falling off my body. I was in renewal. The group continued to worship, praying over me. Then still in the Spirit, I found myself back in the Shekinah glory cloud of God and started singing in tongues. At that time I had been baptized in the Spirit for only seven months. I had been praying in tongues daily, but a new language emerged as I sang in tongues. Power was erupting out of me and the presence of God enveloped us. I began weeping because I was seeing the Lord in His glory.

I felt like a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). The intense cravings for drugs were gone. When I saw Jesus in His glory, He delivered me from this demonic oppression, setting me free. I realized that the dragons I had seen in the vision several nights before were demonic spirits that Jesus took away when I saw Him in His glory.

My journal entry says, “I experienced the glory of the Lord! I was given a new prayer language as I saw the Lion of Judah.” After seeing the Lion of Judah roar in His majesty, silence overcame our group. A sense of awe and wonder surrounded us. I was no longer in the Spirit. We sat there in stillness focused on Jesus, still sensing the tangible presence of God.

The Continued Moving of the Holy Spirit

Then Jeremy started experiencing being in the Spirit, while we were praying over him for several hours. After all of this we rested and began the next day ready to go up the Stratosphere. The presence of God was overwhelming us. Going to the top of the Stratosphere we placed small pieces of paper, with Scripture references, in various locations. At the very top of the Stratosphere I read Psalm 107 and prayed it over Las Vegas.

We left rejuvenated and refreshed, no longer seeing the city through the eyes of despair or hopelessness. The burdens were lifting from us while we were experiencing the glory of the Lord in what some people call “Sin City.” We had a revelation that God’s power for redemption is far greater than any of us can imagine. Las Vegas is in His hands and will bring Him a “fruitful harvest” (Psalm 107:37).

 

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Faith

The Wonderful Holy Spirit: What His ‘Dunamis’ Power Can Do in Your Life

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

The Acts 1:8 Link on Power

My life verse is Acts 1:8. It says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Every time I read this verse, the word “power” jumps out at me. As I’ve studied this, I’ve developed a sense of awe and I hope you will, too!

Dunamis Power

The Greek word for “power” is dunamis. The Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament with reference to Acts 1:8 defines it as being able to produce a strong effect – power, might, strength.” And “as supernatural manifestations of power miracles, wonder, a powerful deed.” This word is used 10 times in the Acts of the Apostles and always refers to God’s power, miracles and signs and wonders.

When the Bible uses the word dunamis, it never refers to our strength or ability but rather to His power through us. It is His power alone that keeps us, while forming our character as we glorify Him.

The Apostles Had Dunamis Power

After the apostles were baptized in the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple. And then they came across a man crippled from birth, begging. In Acts 3:6, Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but I give you what I have. In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!”

The man was healed and Peter attributed the power displayed in Acts 3:11-16 to Jesus! The authorities arrested Peter and John. When they questioned the apostles, the two Christ followers said the man was healed. Acts 4:8-22 quotes them saying, “by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, and whom God raised from the dead. … There is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

You Have the Power

As Christians, we have the power of the Spirit! And we should always be pointing to Jesus when signs, wonders and healings take place. It is because of the incredible power of the Spirit that sets us free in Jesus! And we are to continually pursue His grace and love, being empowered to witness to others about Him.

And you can be part of glorifying Jesus by the power of His Holy Spirit. After reading this, go to your secret place of prayer. Invite Him to fill you while asking for the dunamis of the Holy Spirit to saturate you. Drawing close to the Spirit of God, being your tutor as you grow in friendship with Jesus. When praying, seek Him until His Spirit falls upon you in power. And then go out into the world, walking in His power, giving Him the glory.

This is the fourth article in The Wonderful Holy Spirit series.

 

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revelation
Faith

Jesus and the Book of Revelation: A Fresh Perspective on the End Times

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

Jesus and the Book of Revelation

We live in a day and age when current events prompt many to live in fear.

Some point to recent news articles correlating them as prophetic fulfillments from the book of Revelation. Some people decide to hoard and hide, depending on their end-times beliefs, and may neglect evangelism—disengaging from serving as a light to the world—while others may share doom and gloom.

But what is the reason for this fear? The book of Revelation, a triumphant and victorious message, actually offers more hope than anything else. When they fearfully focus on the events described within, many miss the central point of Revelation. The book is not necessarily about the end of the world but a renewed, eternal and perfect beginning, where heaven comes to earth (Matt. 6:9-13, Rev. 21:1-4).

The main point of Revelation is its main character—Jesus Christ. Chapter 1, verse 1a says, “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His servants things which must soon take place.” All apocalyptic prophetic literature in Scripture reveals Jesus as king.

The symbolism, word pictures and prophecies within it always return to Jesus.

With this in mind, when reading through this great book, a pattern becomes evident. After every event and prophecy, the topic returns to the glory of King Jesus. It emphasizes that Christ reigns, and He is the hope for a world that has lost its way. No matter what takes place, Jesus is in complete control. He is the key to the interpretation because He is the revelation

The Amazing New Earth

Looking at the descriptions of the New Jerusalem, a map can be drawn. Jesus is the focus of all activity, and His throne is in the center. Everything and everyone in heaven circles around Him, including the 24 elders and the angels. The rainbow above Him is not arched over Him but circles around Him. The triumphant King is the focus of heaven, and He at the center of the New Jerusalem (Rev. 4:1-11).

As believers, we have a responsibility to preach the gospel to everyone, having dominion over earth. Second Peter 3 shows that the first earth was destroyed by water, yet Noah’s family began anew on what “perished.” The world that was flooded is reserved for a refining fire before becoming the “new earth.”

The new earth is our present world, which is purified and renewed. Second Peter 3:13 uses the koine Greek word καινός, kainos, which means “new, latest, anew.” This is the same Greek word John uses in Revelation, which means that the world is refined, refreshed and made like new. The stars and planets are destroyed and melted by His fire in preparation for the final judgment. But this world is refined like gold from out of the purifying fire and becomes what God intended it to be at creation, when heaven comes to earth. Now, that is worth looking forward to.

This correlates with the born-again experience where Paul said, “Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new” (2 Cor. 5:17). And the same word, kainos, is used here in saying all things become new. And Revelation culminates with the hope-filled message of Jesus seated on His throne in the New Jerusalem. Taking all of this into consideration, we should share the hope of His return with everyone. Not wanting any to perish but for all to come to repentance. The glory and honor of the King who loves everyone and His gospel message are what the world needs to hear.

If we applied this to our lives, we would be enraptured in worship to Him, evangelizing the lost while looking forward to His glorious and victorious coming.

Jared Laskey, M.Div, M.A.C.M, is founder and lead pastor at Destiny Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia and co-author to Veronica’s Hero. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. You can follow him on twitter @jaredalaskey, or contact him through his website Fireborn Ministries

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joy
Faith

The Wonderful Holy Spirit: Powerful Benefits of Daily Communion with the Holy Spirit

by Jared Laskey
written by Jared Laskey

I enjoy spending time with the Holy Spirit, and I hope that you do, too. He is mentioned throughout Scripture since Creation (Gen. 1:1-2). And there are powerful benefits to having daily communion with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus told us that the Holy Spirit is to teach us about Him (John 14:26) and will lead us into all truth (John 16:13). The wonderful Holy Spirit will conform our character to be more like Jesus (2 Cor 3:18), and He will pray through us (Rom. 8:26).

Also, the Holy Spirit empowers us to tell others about Jesus. Acts 1:8 says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” But the power of the Holy Spirit referred to here as power for miracles, signs and wonders in preaching and sharing the gospel message. And that power is for everyone who believes as Acts 2:39 says, “For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” The power He gives us is to tell others about Him.

Within weeks after receiving Spirit Baptism, I was preaching in villages in India. Seeing people respond to the gospel message. They were spiritually hungry, desperate for healing and love. And it was incredible as the missionary team I was with would be used of God in power in a country which is only 2 or 3 percent Christian according to the Joshua Project.

And when we minister in power, we must understand it is not our strength or ability. It is His through us. And His power flows through us, continually forming our character to be more like Him, seeing Him heal and perform miracles. He does the work and ministry, and we have the incredible opportunity to be the vessel He uses.

A few years back I was in Honduras with a crusade team. And I had the honor of praying over a young girl who had a deformed hand. As a result, praying over in Jesus’ name, her hand straightened out in my hand. This was the power of God! But He did the work and I knew I was just one of the witnesses.

His power should amaze us every time we see it. And we should never take His power and presence for granted even if it is commonplace in our lives or churches. Also, more importantly, His power should be on display through us leading people to His love and grace. It should flow out from our homes and work places, into the streets and to all nations.

In conclusion, each of us should do everything we can to make sure we point to Him. He always moves through us.

Jared Laskey is founder and senior pastor of Destiny Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia and co-author to Veronica’s Hero. He lives to see Jesus awaken this generation to the power of His Holy Spirit. Follow him on Twitter @jaredalaskey or visit Fireborn Ministries. This article is the third in the Wonderful Holy Spirit series.

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