Good morning Lord Jesus! I just want to tell You I love  You with all my heart and desire to tell others today of Your love and grace. You are so welcome into my heart. Bless those who read this blog today, Lord Jesus. Speak to them about their needs and comfort them in  their walk with You. I Praise You and honor You today with my life!

I am in Greenwood, Mississippi. It is a lovely town with wonderful people at St John’s United Methodist Church. The pastor is Billy Ray and along with his wife, Madeline, he ministers the Word here.

This morning I was reading Acts 5 and it bothered me that Sapphira and Ananias had to die for bringing only a part of the money from the land they sold. It is always sad to hear about someone dying at the hand of God. Such a judgment  seems harsh.

In talking with my mother about this in Brazil, she mentioned to me that Uzzah also died when he touched the ark of the covenant when the ox stumbled. However, in Exodus 25, God gives instructions for carrying the ark. Two poles made of acacia wood, overlaid with gold were to be inserted into four gold rings, two on each side of the ark. Thus, the ark would be carried using poles and the Levites  were the only ones permitted to carry it. David was using the way of the Philistines, an ox-driven cart. He used a “new” cart but  it was still ox-driven. It did not please God. Uzzah died because he touched a holy thing.

How about Sapphira and Ananias?

Satan had filled their hearts with a lie, and they lied to the Holy Spirit. It would the same as telling God that you did not sin. It would be the same as taking communion and saying to God, “I do not need forgiveness by Your blood shed on the cross.” Lying to God is sinning against the Holy Spirit.

The land was given to this couple as a blessing. God helped them to sell the land so they could bless the kingdom. They decided to keep part of the money for themselves and then lie to the Holy Spirit!

Interesting enough, sinning against the Holy Spirit is a common sin today. Pastors and leaders mock and belittle the Holy Spirit every Sunday, persecuting those who have had an experience with the Holy Spirit, judging them harshly and rejecting them as undesirables. If God’s grace would be lifted from us, many ministers would drop dead  for their sin against the Holy Spirit. In many places, to lift your hands in church could separate you from the community and cause you to be seen as crazy! What a shame on us! What a sad state of the church!

When you take communion, tell Jesus the truth about your life. Do not cover it up with lies. 1 John says, ” If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” If  you do not know what your sin is, ask someone to help you in prayer. You know, some of us are just too holy to be meddling with sin!

Rick Bonfim

The person chosen by the apostles to handle the distribution of food was Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.  Acts 6:6 says that they presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. This pleased the whole group.  Some things we do pleases God in a very special way. I never thought small details would be so important to the heart of God.

Throughout the years I have observed that when I am shy or if I curtail the move of God in a meeting, the result is always negative. I want to share with you times when I have missed God and actually hurt a meeting because the way I acted in the presence of God.

1  – Sometimes I have altar calls that last for 2 hours. If you approach the rail, you will be prayed for. The altar is a place where prayer takes place. You come closer to the front and kneel, and I will pray for you. Many times I have tried to let people rest and take time with God. This simply points out that I must pray for someone else. But, if you kneel, I will lay hands on you no matter what, sooner or later. Why? Well, people want an experience. They go to Starbucks to have an experience. They pay $5.00 for a cup of coffee. So, when they come to the rail, they will have an experience.

2 – It is very difficult for me to sing a song after three ladies have finished a 15 minute set, singing their hearts out. If I am suppose to preach, I will sing: in tune or out of tune, good or bad. Why? Because, the Holy Spirit loves to hear me singing. Jesus gave me this gift and I must use it for His glory.

3 – When I have prayed for people, many of them wanted to tell me a long and very painful story. However, I usually ask them not to tell me anything. I would prefer to fail than to begin my prayer with their information. One lady was offended and so I let her talk, but in my mind, I concentrated on what Jesus had already told me about her problems. Really I cannot hear someone first and God second. It is counter-productive. So, I usually ask people to sit and give them no time to talk.

4 – I have decided that notes for me are a way to quench the Holy Spirit. Notes are good when I have not fasted or have eaten at a hamburger place. Every time I tried to look good, I have looked bad. Every time I have tried to impress someone, I have failed. I want God to show his glory in every service.

5 – I thought evangelists were suppose to be dressed in black and carry a big Bible. These days I use the NIV, the “nearly inspired version “of the Bible. Honestly, all the verses that the NIV took out of the KJV, I simply replaced them. God can speak without a tie, without a big Bible, without looking good. A nice shirt and a pair of nice pants is all it takes these days. Thank you Lord, for delivering me from the tie look.  AMEN!

6 – I always wanted to be in the mix. Getting to know others became important to me. However, for many years, I hid myself from people for fear of what they would think of me. These days, I meet them in the parking lot, at the entrance of the sanctuary, anywhere I can relate to them. Very often, before the service begins, I go to the pews and shake hands with people. No more hiding or feeling afraid. I look them right in the eyes and smile. God will do the rest.

I hope this will help you to find ways to be opened to the presence of God.

Rick Bonfim

The early church grew so fast that the apostles were serving tables. They would have been serving tables for a long time if the Word was not revealed to them in power. For quite a long time, whenever I preached, I have searched for a revelation in Scripture to feed hungry souls.

I have despised  using”book reports” during revivals or in any part of a sermon. If what I had to say to announce the kingdom did not come through revelation from God, then I would better remain serving tables or doing another job.  How has this revelation idea has changed the church?

Paul started the first missionary journey…”sent on their way by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 13: 4). At the Island of Paphos he met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet name Bar-Jesus or “Elymas.” The proconsul Sergius Paulus sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of  God. Saul, now called Paul, looked straight at Elymas and said, ” You are a child of the devil…” You can read this account in Acts 13:4-12. Paul would not have been able to discover who Elymas was unless God revealed it to him.

Revelation brings Jesus to others. A good sermon causes people to like it or dislike it. Book reports can be interesting, but when you are about to lose your family or you have had your house under water, you need to hear from God, not a nice story.  I prefer a very poor but truthful sermon than a display of knowledge that in no way connects to  NEED!

The early church was blessed by the revelation of Jesus Christ. Don’t you love to hear the fresh word ? Don’t you love to hear the gospel that feeds  your soul and convicts you to change? The disciples were filled with revelation from the Holy Spirit. Just read the two sermons from Peter in chapter 2  of Acts and you will feel inside of you the warmth and the power of a convicting word.

Why is it that we do not hear as much the gospel preached by the revelation of the Holy Spirit? My answer to this question:

1 – Our seminaries teach students to hear theologians instead of hearing from God.

2 – Our reading is stale and morbid. You cannot preach on something you have never experienced.

3 – Our churches love the 20-minute story, but cannot endure hearing the Scripture – that is for the kids in Sunday school.

God is looking for leaders who will pray more than they study, fast more than they visit, and teach by revelation every Sunday of their lives.

Rick Bonfim